The MEETING Team II (PLOT)

CRASH

The cracking thunder shrieks across the sky, a bolt of lightning piercing through the clouds not a second later.  Heavy, dark clouds hang themselves from the atmosphere, wind blowing leaves around in swirling dances.  The woods are silent, almost forbidding; amidst the trees bare of leaves, two figures stand out sharply against the browns and greys of the lifeless forest.  A shock of red-brown hair beneath an orange hard hat and the piercing blues of the dinosaur at his side would have attracted more attention if there'd been attention to attract.  For hours now all had been quiet, and Roark could feel his heart rate jerk forward a little further with each passing minute.  It's quiet; it's so quiet.

It was quiet until that fucking thunder; it sounds like doom approaching.  Roark almost misses the complete silence.

"Looks like rain."  The Rampardos's heavy footfalls come to a stop, staring up with distaste at the sky above.  "That... that was fast..."

The dull-eyed human bobs his head in a nod, stopping next to the dinosaur as his eyes darted around the trees.  Is this Rain Dance's work?  No, Rain Dance doesn't summon thunder...

The redhead's stomach clenches.  Fear claws at his heart.  For a storm to gather in just a few minutes--it has only been just a few minutes, right?--that's not a natural occurrence.  Roark's mind rips through memories at a breakneck pace, searching for anything that could create vicious looking storms within such a short time span, and his breathing hitches and speeds up as he come up with nothing.  God.  If something nasty is hiding nearby, he has no idea what it could be.

A multicolored feather blur lands in front of them, Roark nearly shrieking; only biting down on his own knuckles stops him.  "It's already way too windy up there for me to be flying."  

Already?  But he'd only been up there for two minutes!

Archae shakes himself, eyes glued to the grey heavens above.  "We should find shelter."

"He's right; we don't need to get anything nasty from rain."   No answer from the human.  Pach nudges him; Roark blinks and swallows.

Yes, shelter.  Shelter should save them from the storm and whatever made it.

"I uh... I saw a building from the air..."  The bird glances nervously at Roark, the human's face contorting into a grimace of pain.

"N-no."

"Roark..."

"P-please, no."  He stares at his Rampardos, eyes wild.  "N-not again.  I-it never e-ends w-well."

"It's... it's just a building, Ro..."

"Y-yeah, u-until something b-bad h-happens; th-then it'll be another b-building we r-remember as a pl-place where we lost s-someone."  Where had they lost Tectur?  In the Hearthome contest hall.  The happy bug friend who'd loved to nip at his heels?  Castlith perished at an office building in Eterna.  The Veilstone City game corner had also been "just a building."  So had its department store.  And yet, one of them had brought the beloved baby of the family to his death; something in one of those buildings had killed him with that stupid virus.  

Ptero...  Already his eyes were watering.  Each death was a knife to the heart, but having to kill Ptero himself...

No.  Never again.

"If we wait out here, not only do we get soaked, but we're also out in the open where whatever started this storm can see us."  Pach's words pour on fresh terror.  Shit.  He hadn't thought of that.  Oh gods.  Are they being watched this very moment?  

"Can we at least see the place?  We don't have to go in if you don't like."

Roark nods, eyes darting around again as Archae walks on ahead to lead them.  Nothing appears to be watching, nothing at all.  They'll be fine; nothing is going to leap out and try to kill them.  Nothing nothing nothing.  He doesn't have to go in the building; just look at it.  And he will not need to go in because in the end, nothing will have been stalking them.

The gym leader's grip tightens on his pickaxe, hefting it over his shoulder as he glances around one last time before following his faithful rock bird.

(Nothing is following them, and the storm is Zapdos's doing since I imagine him seeing the Power Plant in its state will piss him off enough to involuntarily summon a storm.  Roark's just super paranoid.  The Golem's name was Tectur and the Crustle's Castlith.)

How dare they. HOW DARE THEY. HOW DARE THERE.

A snap of lightning through the air was followed instantly by the clap of thunder, the first illuminating the thunderbird in the sky as he took to his own domain. His domain. HIS. NOT THEIR'S. The sight of the ruined, falling building was more than enough to bring a pure, old rage from within the bird.

"GET THE HELL OFF MY LAWN!" Zapdos shrieked, calling upon several bolts of lightning to flare through the sky, landing on the grass surrounding the Power Plant before him.

It might not be Kanto, but a power plant was a power plant. And Zapdos was possessive of his things. And power plants were his things.

Undead scattered outside of the steel gates, scrambling to get out of the legendary bird's wrath, but there was no saving them. Diving in close to the ground, the cloud above ripped open with rain as he released a fearsome discharge before snapping back up into the air. "BURN FUCKERS, BURN!"

The condition of the building behind the closed, steel gates hardly mattered. Zapdos didn't care. He was having the most fun he had in years, and the undead were terrified of him. It was almost as if he were a true legend for the first time in his life. Giving another cackled laugh, Zapdos relished in how even the trees ended up singed from his attacks. Power of a god, fuckers!

"STAY THE HELL OUT, YOU ROTTEN PEARS!" Another flash, another charge ripping from his feathers and wing tips. Oh yeah, they deserved that! The euphoria infected Zapdos was more than he could understand; the intense, constant state of fear, desperation, and hatred were ruining the bird. But it was times like this that it all seemed okay.

One more. He saw it, a Rhydon. But this one was different-- it was inside of his fence. "FUCK OFF, YOU WET LEAF!" he roared, diving in close like he had just done.

Doing a nosedive to the earth, Zapdos did not register the obvious, and thus fell right into the trap. The duel type moved in close to the fence, but even Zapdos ignored the sparks coming off of the beast's horn. The Legend snapped his wings open, releasing another discharge, but the thing had lightningrod.

The electric type realised too late his mistake, blue eyes going round with shock. The Rhydon charged forward, the sparks rolling off of it immediately clawing into the steel fence as it rammed the legend. With the concentrated electricity, the wires of the fence clung to the bird, abandoning the form of the Rhydon for his lightning charged one.

Zapdos panicked, willing the storm to worsen. The rain came down in buckets, and this was when the Rhydon finally backed off. Burning from the water, it roared before charging in another direction to seek shelter. Finally finding himself not about to die, Zapdos touched down with large feet to assess the damage. And, oh man, had he fucked up.

Wrapped around his torso, neck, and wings, it was only the slight tip of one that he could kind of stretch, watching the feathers obey him as they flickered about. Maybe I can POWER my way out! Zapdos sucked in a deep breath, clenching his upper body strength as he pushed out in an attempt to move the now lodged fence.

He was rewarded with sharp edges biting into his skin instead, the dabs of blood washed away by the rain.

"...this could have ended a lot better." Then he paused. "...did I really try to discharge a ground type?" Oh yes.

This could have gone a lot better.

The power plant looms out of the fog into view from a distance just as an icy deluge drops down from the blackening sky, bolts of lightning piercing the blanket of darkness growing ever thicker around the three fleeing figures.  Roark is soaked to the skin within seconds, shivering madly with cold as he pauses for a moment to fish out a pokeball and recall Arachae into the warm, dry safety of the capsule.  The deed done, he shoves the pokeball back into his pocket and resumes his frantic rush through the trees.

Pach scowls at the sky as he ducks beneath his human to catch Roark as he slips in the thick mud and wet leaves, the redhead catching himself on the dinosaur's back.  The rain is only a mild bother to him, with his thick hide, but the last thing Roark needs is to catch sick from a chill.  He watches as the young man rights himself with a muttered thanks, noting the pale, sunken cheeks, the shadowed eyes, and the loose way his clothes hang on him.  The dinosaur fights back a wince as he resumes his stride alongside his friend.  Hard, long work, plenty of sleep, a good appetite, and constant contact with humans had once made Roark a happy, healthy, handsome young man, one who walked with pride and strength in his step and a smile on his face.  He'd used to have a sort of glow around him, one that invited everyone else to come speak with him, to share a laugh and maybe a cup of coffee with him.

The timid, shivering wreck of a human scurrying alongside him is barely even a shadow of his former trainer.  Not for the first time does the dinosaur inwardly curse this plague for taking so much away from their family.

Another crash of lightning and Roark jumps so hard he almost falls over again, managing to stumble into Pach before he can tumble into the mud below.  The Rampardos pushes against him gently, helping him stand up and resume their trek.  Their running slows to a brisk walk as the strain of running through uneven, slippery ground wears on the human.  He is panting already, turning tired eyes upwards at the building drawing ever nearer.  The apprehension written in his features is almost palpable.  

The young man swallows.  "I... Pach, it l-looks like d-death..."

"It's just a building, Ro.  It can't be anything but that."  That goddamn stutter.  When had he even developed the thing?  Fuck this pandemic; even Roark's speech has been screwed up.

His arms are hugging his body, trying to keep in what little warmth he's capable of generating.  "Th-this f-feels like a t-terrible idea..."

It's such a bad idea.  Roark sneaks a peek upwards again through the curtain of his dripping bangs and his chest tightens.  No no no this is so bad this is such a bad idea.  It's looming up from the fog like a monster waiting to devour them; nothing about that looks safe.  He can't even try to pretend it does.

His head swims and he grits his teeth, his steps slowing until they stop all together.  With a quiet grunt of misery and pain, he leans into Pach as he starts to sway.  His faithful Pokemon remains still, ignoring the rain pelting their forms until his breathing evens out and the world stops tilting.  A quiet nod signals when he can move forward again and they do, Roark dragging his steps as the building grows larger and larger, stretching into the sky.  Steadier than himself, Pach takes quicker strides and steps on ahead, Roark making a quiet cry of protest as his companion leaves his side.

"What the fuck."

It's a deadpan voice; not a scream or a sound of distress, but the words send daggers of terror into the young man anyway.  Forcing his heavy limbs to obey, he pushes forward and watches as the thinning trees stop all together, the power plant standing over them.  The young human and his Pokemon fail to notice the building; what is in front of them is far more noteworthy.

The bird is large, at least five feet; he is black and yellow and wrapped up in a barbed wire fence, and his face matches the pictures he has seen in his childhood books, the legend they call Zapdos.

And, Roark notes as his knees go weak, he looks less than pleased to see them.

Things could have been worse. And as he heard a sharp gasp, along with a curse, Zapdos knew it had just reached such a point. The legend turned, wobbling awkwardly on his wide feet while trying to keep balance. Which ended up being more difficult than he would have thought.

"YOU!" The bird's eyes flashed, focusing solely on the man. Ignoring the clearly capable fighter of a Rampardos beside him, Zapdos hissed. The rain thinned, but the cackle of thunder was as loud as ever.

Electricity ran off of his form, preparing a discharge attack, but something was wrong. The Kanto legend gave a shrill cry of pain as his attack backfired, attaching to the now lodged fence, wrapping around the metal, and violently shocking his body in return. "I'll-- I WILL KILL YOU!" He roared.

But upon trying to move forward, Zapdos could not keep himself upright, and without the ability to move his feet to steady himself, landed right on his face on the ground. Silent, he simmered, half forgetting the human was there at that point in his humiliation.

"YOU!"  Roark wilts under that look, the hate in that voice, the human taking an instinctive step back as he hefts his pickaxe in preparation to swing it.  Pach steps in front of his human, uttering a low growl of a threat.  Neither notice as the rain lightens, but both notice the intensity with which the thunder crashes.

Zapdos ignores the display of aggression entirely.  As the thunder god begins to crackle, Roark's eyes widen in sheer terror.  Fight switches to flight.  "PACH RUN!"

There is no time, and when the discharge attack generates, Roark steps forward to pull Pach away, to try to shield his dinosaur with his own body.  The flash lasts less than a minute, and both human and dinosaur are shocked to realize it's not either of them shrieking in pain.  Roark lowers his arm and Pach turns back from his half turned position, and the best friends watch with open mouths as the bird sways from having fried himself with his own discharge attack, the fence having just saved their lives.

Roark never thought he could feel such gratitude towards an inanimate object.  Drunk with relief, he's half tempted to thank it.

"I'll-- I WILL KILL YOU!"  The hateful roar startles them back to reality, Pach moving forward to protect his human once more, crouched in an attack stance.  They stare as the bird topples over, exchanging quick glances.

I can't let him die.

Roark this is a terrible idea.

What other choice do we have?

The human opens his mouth, Pach cutting him off.  "Ro..."  

Roark pats his friend's side and Pach reluctantly lets him speak.  "... You're in-injured.  And s-stuck.  If I u-untie you you'll kill me.  But I c-can't let you d-die."  

Pach watches warily.  Curse his human's bleeding heart.  Though bringing with them a god who would love to destroy Roark makes him nearly sick with anxiety, the more he watches the pitiful scene before him, the more he feels that this might be the best option.  Maybe this god isn't omnipotent, but what if a different god is, and watches them leave Zapdos for dead?  Such a god might also possess little mercy for such an act of cruelty against one of their own, even if Zapdos is doing nothing else to make guarding him desirable.  

The bird is well and truly fucked.  He won't be able to get enough food to feed himself trussed up like this, and is completely helpless against attacks.  If by some miracle he isn't torn apart by undead or killed by aggressive survivors, then he will starve to death.

Leaving him to die would be wrong.  It's a sin Pach is willing to commit to keep his Ro alive, but if Roark himself is not on board with it, then he will respect that.

And privately curse it all the way.

The redhead sets his pickaxe's head against the ground, hands resting atop its handle as he leans his weight onto it slightly.  "I w-won't untie y-you, but I c-can guard you f-for a while and make s-sure nothing e-eats you.  I'll m-make sure you h-have all your needs t-taken care of.  You won't g-go hungry or c-cold.  A-as long as y-you don't hurt a-anyone someh-how, I w-won't let anything h-happen to y-you."  

He pauses a moment.  "Wh-what other o-options do you g-got?  Th-this is your b-best bet at s-survival; do you w-wanna live?"

Literally seething for a minute, Zapdos heard the human speak and his face contorted with anger. "... You're in-injured.  And s-stuck.  If I u-untie you you'll kill me.  But I c-can't let you d-die." The Kanto legend snorted, rolling his eyes as he carefully strained his neck to look up at the guy and his weird dinosaur thing.

"Refreshing to meet a man not as stupid as they look," he sneered with pure hatred in his tone. All he could see was Giovanni. Giovanni... And the look on that dumb pig's face. Working himself up again, the bird began to spark, the electricity crawling across the grass for a few inches before going out. If he wanted, he could probably manipulate the sparks to hit the man.

But Zapdos was not, nor ever will be, a bright soul. And so he just merely glared defiantly at the human, wishing for nothing more than to take his head clean off his shoulder with his own claws.

It seemed that Zapdos' threats were not taken as far as hoped. In fact, the human was mentally laughing at him. LAUGHING. Blue eyes went round with disbelief as he dared put his weapon down, lounging on it like they had all fucking day for a nice friendly chat. "I w-won't untie y-you, but I c-can guard you f-for a while and make s-sure nothing e-eats you.  I'll m-make sure you h-have all your needs t-taken care of.  You won't g-go hungry or c-cold.  A-as long as y-you don't hurt a-anyone someh-how, I w-won't let anything h-happen to y-you." Zapdos narrowed his eyes. Nice stutter.

"You're the only one who has to worry about being hurt, child," he growled, with clear menace in his tone, but the human catches him off guard.

After a slight pause, he added, "Wh-what other o-options do you g-got?  Th-this is your b-best bet at s-survival; do you w-wanna live?" It was like being around his sister all over again. Articuno always had to act so superior. But, much like whenever she used logic on him, Zapdos silently had to admit that he was right.

The fallen legend did not let up on his ice cold stare, watching the man for any movement. Slowly, he spoke, but the words that came out even surprised Zapdos himself. "...Why should I trust you?"

Roark doesn't even blink at the first insult-- the bird wrapped in a fence that could not have gotten there in any other way but a dumb mistake looked far stupider than he did on any given day.  He watches as Zapdos's eyes narrow, and his heart thumps slightly faster, the hands on the pick beginning to shake.

"You're the only one who has to worry about being hurt, child."

Roark's hands are visibly trembling now and hell no, that's not gonna fucking fly.  "Uh, actually dipshit, that would be you.  See, we're up here, limbs all free, and you're down there, very much the opposite.  He's got a weapon that could cave your skull in and I've got Stone Edge and Avalanche.  Would you like to deal with one of those right now?  Because I really don't think you do, so shut the fuck up and listen; if you'd been listening earlier, you'd have heard he doesn't want you to die.  No, for some reason he feels obligated to make sure you don't, even though you're being an ass right no-"

"Pach, st-stop.  Th-that's enough."  The dinosaur goes silent, sullen under Roark's stern gaze.  

"...Why should I trust you?"

"... G-good quest-stion."  The miner's hands are shaking much less now.  "I don't really h-have a-any proof I c-can offer you of being t-trustworthy.  So I g-guess it boils d-down to "wh-what other c-choices are th-there?"  As much a-as that s-sucks for you."  

Take it or leave it, Zapdos.  Roark eyes the sky.  Not much daytime left.  Never enough daytime left, really. And they need shelter.  A fire.  Food.  Either accept or decline, thunder bird.

Or it's time for him and his family to move on.

The living rock seems to of taken offence. Zapdos can't help but roll his eyes at the droning on from the Rampardos. It just wouldn't shut up. The rain came to a full stop in the middle of the rant, the Legendary equivelent of an ADD two year old not giving one half of a damn for the thing's words. What did surprise him, though, was not what stopped the rock type, but who.

"Pach, st-stop. Th-that's enough." Zapdos' eyes snapped to the pair, moving down from where they explored the endless fascination of the endless dull clouds above.

"Are you quite done?" he growled at the Rampardos, his eyes icy slits. The pokemon was ending up to be the one he needed to watch, over the human; something Zapdos had never come across yet. But with the distant echo of weak thunder, the storm was already fading rapidly. The anger within him was cooling, the inferno a mere match's flame. Just as easily to calm as he was flared up, the Kanto legend was surprisingly calm as he regarded the human, who answered his question thoughtfully.

"... G-good quest-stion." Zapdos watched the way the man looked at him, the eyes clear but not cold. He almost seemed... like he actually would help him. But the avian knew better than to trust a human, and he kept his gaze narrowed as the other spoke. "I don't really h-have a-any proof I c-can offer you of being t-trustworthy. So I g-guess it boils d-down to "wh-what other c-choices are th-there?" As much a-as that s-sucks for you."

What was sadder than the fact that he was right was that Zapdos truly had no other choice but to you-only-live-once into the situation. He hesitated, the action clear despite his trapped stature, pulling his head closer to his shoulders. "Lugia will come for you if you try anything," he ended up growling, but the fight was out of him. Zapdos had lost this. "...Would you be able to help me stand then?" he asked in a much quieter tone, unable to look either in the face.

He truly had no choice now.

The thunder god's eyes are still narrowed-- guess it was too much to hope that maybe he'd calm down just a touch at the realization that being hostile would get him nowhere.  

Then again, Roark supposes he can't blame the bird.  Although the fight might have gone out of him had he been in the bird's position, Zapdos probably actually wants to live.

At least the fucking rain stopped.  Not that it helps them; his dripping hair and clothes are proof of that, and he's still shivering from the icy downpour.  He needs to get dry, and soon...

"Lugia will come for you if you try anything."

Lugia?  Lugia, that's right.  One of the ocean gods.  The ocean god of Johto, despite... not being a water type.  Whatever.  Clearly Lugia had a protective role in Zapdos's life.  "F-fair enough.  I w-won't hurt you, b-but fair e-enough."  

"...Would you be able to help me stand then?"  His voice is softer now, the blue eyes that had glared with so much defiance earlier now avoiding his face.  Pach's too, actually.  

"S-sure.  J-just hold st-still."  Roark hesitates, running his tongue over his dry lips before setting his pick down.  Might as well not scare Zapdos by bringing a weapon over.

His heart speeds up as he approaches the thunder bird, hands shaking again.  His stomach cramps.  Oh gods why did he set his pick down, that's his last line of defense that was so stupid of him oh no oh no

"Steady."  Pach is suddenly beside him; when did the dinosaur move?  Roark blinks and swallows.  He's right in front of Zapdos now, Pach at his side.  The Rampardos fixes him with his calm gaze and Roark exhales.

He can do this.  Pach is here.  He can do anything.

Trying to cling to that thought, the human moves to Zapdos's side, Pach to the other, and together the two of them get the bird to his feet, Roark pulling and lifting carefully with his arms while Pach pushes upwards with his head as soon as there's enough room beneath the bird to do so.

With Zapdos on his feet Roark can't stop the panicked scramble back towards his pick, whirling around to face the lightning god as soon as he has it in his hands.  The red-brown eyes go to the sky-- the rain has stopped but the clouds remain.  It may very well begin to storm again even without Zapdos's influence.  Lowering, his gaze lands on the building in front of them.  "W-we need shelter; m-might storm again.  Lets h-head in there; it's a-all that's ar-around."  Without a word Roark forces himself towards the building that's still screaming DEATH at him, trying to ignore the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears as it hammers incessantly.

It's going to be be a long day.

The human took the threat of his father seriously, something he could only grudgingly respect. Not many would accept Lugia's wrath and be so calm.

"S-sure.  J-just hold st-still," he then adds, to Zapdos' request at being help to stand. Disgust rolled deep in his gut at the thing touching him, but it was hardly something he could control. Just make it quick he grumbles, but the bird does not dare speak out loud. Much as he would deny it, he had a feeling the man would not take kindly to being spat at, and being left laying on his face out in the open was less than desirable.

As it was, the Legend turned away, forcing himself to not look as hands, disgusting, filthy, dirty human hands, took hold. The Pokemon pushed with his head, and as soon as leverage was possible without aid, Zapdos took as large a step he could back, to avoid touching. His blue eyes flickered to the Pokemon, nodding a thank you, but when looking back to the human, he was reacting like a skittering mouse.

Turning back with russet eyes, round and full of the fear he should have, Zapdos defiantly looked back, feeling strong now that they were on equal height, at least. But he was all too easily reminded of his real position as he moved his right wing, causing the steel to dig into his shoulder and making him involuntarily hiss with pain. Blood welled and he hoped neither would see the wound.

Though that will only worsen if I don't get them to remove this fucking fence soon...

The man grabbed his weapon, still watching wearily, but Zapdos stubbornly turned away, not giving the satisfaction of them seeing the painful glaze forming in his eyes. "W-we need shelter; m-might storm again.  Lets h-head in there; it's a-all that's ar-around."

Zapdos frowned, knowing damn well he did not want some fucking human near one of his homes. But to distract from his own disgust, mumbled, "What should I call you? Humans normally have names right."

Because fuck if he knew.

The bird growling at being touched leaves Roark shaky, even after retrieving his pick.  Christ, Zapdos might still be able to peck his eyes out if he's not careful...  This can end so badly, it could end SO badly, oh gods what am I doing...?

As he stares at the Power Plant, it occurs to him that the question is applicable to more than one thing.

"What should I call you? Humans normally have names right."  He flinches and swallows as the bird pulls him from his thoughts, Pach now at his side for support.  Zapdos sounds... not quite aggressive, but definitely not pleased.  Simmering, maybe.  Not about to pick a fight, but wishing he could.

Is it wise to give him my name?  On the other hand... what would witholding his name do?  Nothing to be gained from it, really...

Name... introduction... c'mon, you can do this...

"I..."



No, not now.  Please not now.  He grits his teeth.


No.  You are not there.  You are by the side of a metal death building thousands of miles away you are not there you are not you are not that life of yours is GONE

There is the smell of the wet earth, the feel of the damp air against his skin; the gym walls are gone and staring at him is a yellow bird.  He exhales.  "Y-yeah, we d-do."  Roark turns his head and resumes his walk to hide the tears blurring his vision.

"I'm R-Roark."




It feels good to be out of the rain.  His hands move the pick that he carries on his shoulder, grasping it in both hands.  Pach scents the air, the two glancing around.

"Don't smell anything but rust..."  He eyes some collapsed machinery.  "Hmm.  Could use that to barricade the door..."

"Mmmm... m-maybe not... th-there's only e-enough wood i-in here to l-last a sh-short t-time..."  Roark lets his heavy pack slide off his shoulders, withdrawing two handfuls of sticks.   "O-only e-enough to get th-the fire started, r-really... not k-keep it g-going...  G-gonna h-have to go through th-that door to get m-more wood..."

"You're still soaking wet."  Pach looks him over with concerned eyes.  "How about you let out Archae and Anom and they can go get the firewood, and afterwards you go behind that machine junk over there and try wringing out your clothes.  Maybe I can find a spare set of workers' clothes here or something for you to wear while those dry?"

"Wh-what would I do witho-out you?" he murmurs, patting the dinosaur's neck.  "Y-yeah, that sounds g-great."  Christ, a change of clothes would be fucking amazing...

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the pokeballs, glancing nervously at Zapdos.  Would he object...?

"Fuck him; he can't do shit and if he wants a fire to get warm by he won't want to do shit."  Ineloquent, but true.  He presses the release buttons, and the Arcehops and Armaldo materalize in front of him.

The bird and the bug turn around and stare at the thunder god in sheer disbelief.

"What the fuck?"

"Roark how in the shit."

This isn't even the first time he'll have to go through this explanation either.  Roark pinches the bridge of his nose.

Oh yes.

Very long day.

The human was only able to get one word out, drifting off immediately after. "I..." Zapdos turned, narrowing his eyes as it crossed his mind that the boy was mocking him. But the distant look in his eyes made it very clear that the Legend was the last thing he cared about. Just like anyone else I ever met-- no one cares. Giving a soft hmmph, the duel type hunched his shoulders in an instinctive effort to flare out his feathers in agitation. But due to being effectively trapped in the god damn wires, the effect was far less intimidating. Eventually the human lets out a breath, but the sour look on Zapdos' face did not falter.

"Y-yeah, we d-do." Oh look, how kind of him to finally grace the bird with an answer. Calm down, you moron, he immediately scolded himself. There was no point in pushing his luck. "I'm R-Roark."

"Roark." The legend repeats it once, just so that he would remember it. As the brunet walked ahead, he stifled a sigh. This was going to be some experience, to say the least.
Zapdos remained silent for most of their walk, his cerulean eyes flickering suspiciously at the building, every dark machine and door way, as if the land itself was sentient and had turned traitor. Once upon a time, this kind of place would have been his favourite place to slip away, escape all the moronic trainers who knew about his Kanto home. Going to the uppermost room, where a window opened to the sky, the large avian would snap his wings up, lightning shooting through his form to bring the entire factory to life. When they reached a space inside, Zapdos could not help the deep sigh that escaped his chest.

What he would not of given to have that sort of peace again, to not be literally tied down. He ignored the mutterings of the human, Roark, and the other Pokemon, instead taking to retreat to the deepest corner of the room and laying ungracefully on his broad chest. Zapdos didn't care that he was in the dark, it was better than being in the light where they would stare at him. His eyes slowly went around the room, landing on a nearby machine, studying the small buttons, dim from no power. Always was particularly fond of those. The soft beeps had been his lullaby, reminding the legend that it was his domain, helping him sleep at night.

Closing his eyes, Zapdos just hoped to be forgotten in his dark side of the room, even as he could feel the blood slowly refusing to scar from his wound. The wire irritating it is keeping it from scabbing... He did not want to consider his options if he did not escape soon. Losing use of the wing? The muscles and tendons? Or getting help from a human?

He knew not which would be worse.

The avian was brought from his thoughts at the sudden sharpness of the dinosaur's words. "Fuck him." Zapdos' gaze snapped open, only to see Roark looking at him, clear anxiety in his eyes. The electric type narrowed his gaze slowly as Pach kept speaking. "He can't do shit and if he wants a fire to get warm by he won't want to do shit."

I can hear you, asshole.

Roark let out two more pokemon -- was he already planning to put the bird out of his misery? Zapdos tensed, his eyes flaring as an Archeops and an Armaldo immediately set their eyes on him, despite his efforts to remain unseen.

"What the fuck?"
"Roark how in the shit."
Zapdos resisted the urge to growl. What, was he not sentient or something? "Leave me alone," was all he ended up muttering. The bird turned his head, facing the wall he half leaned against in an effort to not be such an object of gawking. Keep laughing at the only worthless Legend, he told himself, thick and bitter with venom. He could only hope they would stop talking about him so loudly.

Nervous russet eyes watch the Legend in the corner as his bird and his bug stare at the thunder god in disbelief, a barb of concern pricking at his heart.  Zapdos sitting in the corner makes him feel like something is very wrong, like watching a bird try to swim or a fish fly.  Legends are proud creatures; why is this one hiding in the corner like a sullen child?  There's no reason for him to lower himself to that level, right?

"Leave me alone."  It's a quiet mutter, but the room is empty with no other sound and the acoustics in this place are apparently pretty good.  He winces as the thunder god turns to stick his face in the corner.

"Seriously though, what the fuck."  Archae looks at his trainer with raised eyebrows.  Roark does his best not to sigh.

"That can't be an actual Legend right?  This is some kind of joke?"

"Y-yes, I do owe you an e-explanation and no, it's n-not a j-joke.  Stop t-talking a-about him like he c-can't h-hear you; that's r-rude."  He raises an eyebrow at them, and they glance at Zapdos and then at each other before scowling like sullen children at the floor.  "W-we found him outside w-wrapped up in barbed wire.  W-we don't know how he got that way and no, we're not going to ask."  Anom mutters something under his breath as Roark's eyes move to him.  "He d-doesn't like h-humans b-but we're n-not leaving h-him to d-die, so we're keeping h-him with us for... f-for a while."

Until we find a group of Pokemon survivors.  He'll be better off with them anyway.

"I n-need you g-guys to get firew-wood.  Usual r-rules apply."  Don't pick fights, don't wander too far, don't touch anything dead, come straight back if danger is sensed, whatever supplies you may find are not worth your life.

"Sure, can do."  The pouting faces become serious, the rock bird nodding as he and Anom step outside.

That done, Roark ducks behind some machinery to wring out his wet clothes while Pach searches the nearby lockers.

"Jackpot!"  The dinosaur grins.  "Found a worker's uniform, Ro!  And it's not moldy or gross or anything!"

"Oh th-thank g-god."  Roark is fast to slip on the clothes as soon as Pach brings them to him, hanging his wet clothes on the pipes around them.  "We c-can set u-up a smaller f-fire here to help with drying th-them depending on h-how much w-wood is brought b-back..."

"Nah.  Bad idea.  Too big of a risk you'll burn them."

"Good p-point."  He returns to where Zapdos can see him and begins to rummage through the bag, pausing after a moment to look at the thunder bird.  "... D-do you eat b-berries?  Y-you can eat th-them, right?"  That would make things much easier... otherwise they have to go hunting to find him meat, and that could take forever...

Apparently he was disregarded.
"Seriously though, what the fuck."
And ignored.
"That can't be an actual Legend right?  This is some kind of joke?"
Oh if only it were a joke. Zapdos ruffled his feathers further, the coarse individuals sticking up in ugly patches around the wires. It was one thing when he preened them to large, jagged points at the ends of his wings, but not he had no way to groom himself. The avian was only just beginning to understand just how grandly he was fucked, the wound on his shoulder just one of many concerns.

"Y-yes, I do owe you an e-explanation and no, it's n-not a j-joke.  Stop t-talking a-about him like he c-can't h-hear you; that's r-rude." Zapdos was shocked to hear the human, Roark, defending him. No, not defending, he was merely chiding the Pokemon for misbehaviour. It had nothing to do with the legend. He was only a trophy, surely. Scoffing to himself, he forced the voice of the human out of his head.

I wonder if Bill has been here recently... The place was dusty and nothing was functioning, but Zapdos liked to imagine the quirky human still doing upkeep on his homes despite the pandemic. ... Probably not. The Kanto legend sighed silently. He's probably dead anyway.

"Jackpot! Found a worker's uniform, Ro!  And it's not moldy or gross or anything!" The loud, sudden shouting of the Rampados dragged him from the thoughts, and his determined concentration of not paying attention.
"Oh th-thank g-god. We c-can set u-up a smaller f-fire here to help with drying th-them depending on h-how much w-wood is brought b-back..."
Zapdos sighed, softly, but out loud that time.
"Nah.  Bad idea.  Too big of a risk you'll burn them."
I miss the silence of the sky already.
"Good p-point."
Unintentionally responding to his thoughts, suddenly Zapdos felt a wave of depression take over his form, crushing his chest. Will I even be able to fly again?

He dared not answer that, even silently.

When the human came close, Zapdos tensed. What is he doing? Roark had left the axe on the other side of the room, but as he sifts through his bag, the legend grows uneasy. What other weapon would he store in there?
"... D-do you eat b-berries?  Y-you can eat th-them, right?"
Zapdos froze, blinking once, as if to comprehend the question.

...Food?

It ended up being several seconds before he opened his beak to reply, sounding awkward as the bird stammered, "Y... yes. I can eat berries."

"Y... yes. I can eat berries"  Oh thank god.  The miner smiles in relief, the happy expression contrasting the haggardness of the rest of his face.  

"O-okay, g-good.  A-any dietary re-restrictions?  I don't kn-know if Legends can have allerg-gies but I'm not t-taking chances."  He pulls out a small cloth sack from his bag and opens it.  "W-we ref-filled a few days a-ago, so we should have e-enough to l-last a wh-while.  G-good amount of f-food for everyone."  As long as the bird wasn't allergic to Oran, Cheri, Sitrus, or Bluk anyway.  Roark didn't spot many berry bushes walking through that forest; they'd have to go hunting for meat if the thunder god couldn't eat any of these berries...

A god with allergies.  He's tempted to laugh at the notion.  

If this pandemic has taught me anything though, it's better safe than sorry...  Hopefully Zapdos won't laugh at his question.

"Ey!"  His Rampardos's heavy footsteps come up behind him; a wooden and metallic clang rings out.  The young man jumps at the sudden noise and looks over his shoulder; an axe lays on the ground at Pach's feet.  "Look what I found!"

Russet eyes light up.  "An a-axe!"  Calloused hands snatch it up and test its weight, the miner continuing in a volume much lower than he actually wanted to be using.  "A-and it feels g-good and sturdy, t-too!"  Oh gods.  A new tool, and one that looked like it would last a while.  Now he can be of actual help when it comes to getting wood.  "A-anything else?"

"Still looking; this place is pretty big and I don't want to go too far deep into it without you."

"Incredibly appreciated."  He stands up with a slight wince, his sore leg muscles complaining.  Fuck I did not realize how sore and tired I was getting.  All that walking earlier in the day and then the recent running must have put a strain on him.

His stomach reminds him he's been neglecting to pay attention to that, too.  I have a can of beans left... but do I want to use them now?  Should I wait for a day when I'm truly too tired to hunt?  Or... move?  But that food won't stay good for much longer...  

Guess that's what he's eating for breakfast.  After this he'll have to hope he can find some nonsentient animal out there in the woods; it's either that, or he starves.

The fear of starving has dulled considerably since he first started struggling to survive in this hell.  A heavy footfall and a face nudging the side of his makes him swallow and reach up to pat the side of Pach's head as the dinosaur nudges him again.  Starving to death doesn't bother him anymore, but the notion of them perishing like that...

I will work myself to death looking for food for them before I let THAT happen.  His eyes glance over to Zapdos's, eyeing not the thunder god but the wall behind him, too nervous to meet his gaze as he awaits his answer.

His response was the one the human wanted, apparently, as he gave an awkward smile. Zapdos half pulled his head back, naturally put off by the show of raw relief put off by a human. "O-okay, g-good.  A-any dietary re-restrictions?  I don't kn-know if Legends can have allerg-gies but I'm not t-taking chances." Zapdos was caught off guard by that, though.

Allergies? "All Pokemon are at the very least omnivorous," he said without thinking. Every Pokemon can have berries. Didn't humans know that?

Whatever. It didn't matter much, he supposed. Sometimes the species just shocked him with their lack of knowledge. "W-we ref-filled a few days a-ago, so we should have e-enough to l-last a wh-while.  G-good amount of f-food for everyone."

Zapdos turned slowly, more facing him with his face then. "Um, yes. That is fine." He's going to feed me? Maybe not. Hell if the Kanto legend knew. "You can feed the others before me," he stated after a moment, pulling away again to look at the floor. Not worth the energy it takes to get food, anyway.

Worthless legend.

"Ey!" The sharp cry and the sound of loud foot steps made him flinch, the act twice as violent with the blaring sound of metal smashing into the ground echoing through the room. "Look what I found!"

Panic immediately shot through the bird, his eyes snapping to the door. Walkers are attracted to sound, and the echoing loudness would not help at all with trying to remain undetected.

"An a-axe!" Zapdos looked at the man from the corner of his eye, the loudness of the human's voice now second on his priorities. "A-and it feels g-good and sturdy, t-too!" The dual type's heart fell, his eyes widening as real, genuine shock and fear shone in the blue irises. Oh fuck.

The new weapon was much more sinister than the pick. Eyeing the sharp side of the axe, his heart rate picking up as his pupils shrank. Only a matter of time now, human. He was going to die, finally Zapdos was sure. There would not even be a fight. The blade would slip through his neck without much force.

Suddenly Zapdos was exhausted, his head slumping down as his eyes fell, too. Better not worry about it... just drive myself mad.

"A-anything else?"
"Still looking; this place is pretty big and I don't want to go too far deep into it without you."
"Incredibly appreciated."
Zapdos narrowed his gaze a hair, almost resembling a glare. "Try not to drop anything else to echo again, Dinosaur." His voice was cold, but not challenging. He was the prisoner, after all, but he would rather not be eaten alive. "Walkers flock to noise."

"All Pokemon are at the very least omnivorous."   Legends too, apparently?  Interesting.  Maybe it's the fact that the steady stream of anxiety is making him unable to feel dead inside, but he finds he's actually intrigued by a new piece of knowledge-- something he hasn't experienced in a long time.  Roark tucks that information away for later.  Never know when it may come in handy again even long after this encounter is over with.

The miner's heart begins to pound louder as the thunder god turns to look at him... not quite full in the face, but close enough.  "Um, yes. That is fine.  You can feed the others before me."   Roark frowns and is about to open his mouth to speak when Pach interrupts with the discovery of the axe.

After expressing his glee over the axe in hushed tones that still somehow managed to echo of the damned walls, Zapdos speaks up, his voice chilling.  "Try not to drop anything else to echo again, Dinosaur.  Walkers flock to noise."  Roark starts, drawing the axe close to himself and clutching it with both hands as his head snaps over to stare at the bird with the expression befitting a frightened animal.  It lasts a second before it relaxes into something closer to apprehension rather than fear-- Zapdos sounds disgusted and stern, but not angry.  

He's not happy with us, but not ready to attack.  Reminding himself that Zapdos attacking him would be suicide for the bird given his inability to attack efficiently enough to off him before Pach could end the god's life doesn't do much to quell his anxiety.  No matter how many times I remind myself that he CAN'T, I'm going to fear he WILL whenever he sounds like he's getting angry.  He slumps slightly at the realization.  I am such a coward.

"Yeah.  We know that."  Pach speaks up, moving a little closer to his human, defensive.  "Been living in this nightmare for four years; we know they're attracted to noise.  I don't know how good your sense of smell is so I'll cut you a break here and not assume you're being dense.  I don't smell any rot around.  We're safe for now.  I wouldn't've dropped the thing if I suspected there was anything around that might hear us."  His eyes move to Roark, red eyes meeting russet ones before turning back to Zapdos.  "I wouldn't risk him or the others like that."

Roark swallows.  Pach, what would he do without you?  He lets out a slow breath.  

Wasn't there something he wanted to address earlier?  There was, he knows there was- wait.  His attention moves to the berries he is sorting through, their bright colors having caught the corner of his vision.  That's right.

"A-as for feeding the o-others before you, no; I'll be feeding y-you at the same t-time.  F-fair's fair."  Something in the back of his head squeaks that he really shouldn't argue with a god, but his damn righteousness tramples right over survival instincts.  Fuck.  "Y-you're part of the g-group now.  We a-all eat together."  When there's food around for Roark to eat, anyway.  Thank god for that can of beans.


What follows is a lot of waiting.  The human fills the time by sorting the berries, rationing out the food.  Usually all seven of them ate together, but too many Pokemon out may upset Zapdos-- the other three Pokemon will be fine with eating later if it means not pissing off an unsettled god, and they're sleeping in their pokeballs anyway.  They won't know they're missing anything.  Still, it feels wrong to ignore them completely, so the redhead leaves their pokeballs out on his backpack while he sorts the food.  Once done, Roark stares fondly at each one before tucking them back into the pocket of the power plant uniform, glancing at his overalls.  Not yet.  They're still wet.  The price for such heavy material, he supposes.  His overalls are durable, but getting them dry is a pain.  At least I have other clothes now so I'm not sitting here in my boxers while waiting for them to dry off.  Because that was the worst.  These new clothes seem fairly durable too; maybe he'll get a few years out of them...

Years...  A wave of nausea wells in his stomach.  Years.  He can barely imagine dragging himself through next month of this hell.  How am I gonna do YEARS?

Nothing more than a dead soul trudging through time, waiting for it all to stop.  That's all he is.  The world isn't going to get better and...  Neither am I.

His vision is blurred and his hands are trembling when he begins to surface from the fog of his thoughts.  Roark tries to gulp down the lump in his throat.  A head nudges against his and he pats Pach's neck without thought.  Legends, does the dinosaur deserve better...

Pach glances up, and Roark does too, following his gaze to the door.  His chest tightens, and remains so even when it's his Archeops and Armaldo who step into the Plant.  The miner releases a breath but his form stays tense, anxiety not releasing its hold on him as he stands up.  "B-bring the wood o-over here, p-please."

"Sure thing."  Anom's heavy steps bring him to the spot Roark pointed to, the fossil insect setting the pile of wood down with care.  

"Th-thank you."  Roark hands the bug his ration of berries, and Archae walks up to nudge his head against Roark's leg.  A tired smile creases the miner's face and he places the bird's share on the floor beside him, to which Archae chirps and tucks in.  "Thanks!" 

He sets another handful down for Pach, and then takes the last handful he set aside and tentatively steps over to Zapdos.  "Y-you must be h-hungry.  H-here."

The human reacts to the coldness of the bird's voice with a start, whipping around to stare with wide, brown eyes. Zapdos internalized his sigh. This would not just go away, would it? But it was Pach who spoke up."Yeah.  We know that." The way he moved closer to his trainer bored the Legend. It was as if they actually thought he was capable of dealing damage in his state. "Been living in this nightmare for four years; we know they're attracted to noise.  I don't know how good your sense of smell is so I'll cut you a break here and not assume you're being dense.  I don't smell any rot around.  We're safe for now.  I wouldn't've dropped the thing if I suspected there was anything around that might hear us." Cerulean eyes narrowed. Dense. Is that all you want to say, prick? But then the human and the Rampardos shared enough of a look to make his stomach churn. "I wouldn't risk him or the others like that."

"Whatever. I guess you're smarter than look if you're not dead yet." Still looking away from the pair, his gaze narrowed to slits, but his expression was unreadable. "I'm not going to hurt your pet human, either."

Turning back to the berries, the human took a long breath. "A-as for feeding the o-others before you, no; I'll be feeding y-you at the same t-time.  F-fair's fair."
"Fair," he muttered in humorless amusement. Fair would be cutting the act already.
"Y-you're part of the g-group now.  We a-all eat together." What, were they going to eat him eventually? Humans were disgusting, Arceus only knows what they were capable of. As it was, Zapdos ignored him as time passed slowly in the room. The dinosaur still followed the ugly creature around like a sick Meowth, only causing more disgust to form in Zapdos' stomach.

I'll never be caught, he vowed silently, turning his sharp, narrow gaze from the pair for the twelfth time. I'd sooner be a trophy hanging on the wall than that needy and pathetic. Soon after, though, the Archeops and Armaldo returned, loud as always and earning a silent sigh from the legend. They were all going to die. Maybe it was the sheer numbers that prevented it? Who knows?

With the happy family all back together, the boy started handing out portions, to which Zapdos did not miss. Facing away, the Kanto Legend watched from the corner of his eye as all of them acted like nothing more than pets, relying on him for their needs. Did they ask him to tuck them in at night, too? But after putting a batch on the floor before Pach, the human approached Zapdos himself, causing the bird's feathers to spike with unease. "Y-you must be h-hungry.  H-here."

Zapdos hesitated, uncertain. What... exactly did he want? "Just set them down," he grumbled, fighting back the growl that rose from his growing resentment at the behaviour of his own kind. It was best not to bite the hand that fed him, even though he would love nothing more than to free his brothers and go back to looking for his family outside. Blood dripped again at his side, and the half wince on his face could have easily been mistaken for awkwardness.

[ ooc: time change? ]

The bird is still not placated, taking a jab at Roark's intelligence, which the miner winces at but otherwise ignores.  Zapdos's reaction to Pach's protection is also less than flattering.  "I'm not going to hurt your pet human, either."  

"He's my friend, you bulgey-eyed bird."  The dinosaur rolls his eyes, but thankfully doesn't seem to feel the need to add more.

Thank gods.  Pach's defensiveness is appreciated but he doesn't really want to listen to them argue back and forth.  Zapdos hates him and is not going to change his mind; circular arguing will only give him a headache.

Will only give them all a headache, really.  The last thing they need is another reason to be cranky; the thunder god is already in a foul mood.

As Anom arranges the firewood and Archae chews his berries, Pach watches Roark as the man approaches the bird.  Zapdos's feathers spike up and the dinosaur bares his teeth, one foot tapping the ground as he takes the threatening stomp and turns it into something lighter so as not to make too much noise.  Still, the Legend makes no move to attack his human even despite his displeasure.  "Just set them down."  

"S-sure..."  Roark obeys, setting the berries down in front of him and backing away; he eyes the barbed wire as he does, eyebrow raising.  The miner can't see too definitively how the wire is wrapped around Zapdos's body, but it looks like bending that far over will be impossible for the bird.  He bites his lip.  Maybe I'm wrong; better to wait and see...

Roark is not wrong.  The bird leans forward to try to eat, but the wire holds him back.  After watching him stubbornly attempt to get at the berries for a minute, the redhead lets a breath out through his nose and clears his throat.  "D-do... do you w-want me to h-help?  I c-can hold the berries u-up so you can r-reach them..."

Over by the now arranged pile of wood, the three Pokemon converse in hushed tones.

"He's not gonna like this," Archae mutters to Anom and Pach, looking up from his berries.  The Rampardos's tail sweeps the air as it moves, his eyes locked onto his human and the bird.

"Of course he won't, but he wants to live, right?"

"Same reason he won't hurt Roark."  The rock bug picks up a couple of sticks and sets them aside for Roark to use to start the fire with.  "I know Legends are strong, but there's three of us.  Hell, I think Pach could take him down all by himself, really.  It just takes one well-placed Stone Edge."

"I really don't like the idea of killing him.  I mean, he's a god after all.  And he's helpless, too.  But he's not taking Ro from us and if he does then he deserves to pay..."  The bird's eyes wander to the wood pile, and he sighs.  "We really need to find another book of matches for him.  It looks way too tedious to start a fire that way and he's hungry."

Anom turns to Pach.  "When did he last eat?"

"Yesterday morning."  Anom curses quietly.  "Yeah, I'm not thrilled about it either, but in his defense, this wasn't him putting off eating.  We've had no luck with finding food edible for a human.  We haven't even seen any berries Pokemon can eat for a little while, and you know how stubborn those plants are; they grow everywhere.  I don't like it, so when he comes back over here I'm going to suggest we spend the day here just to wait out any more storms and then head back the way we came.  At least there were rabbits back there."  Skinning and gutting rabbits is a process Roark hates, but at least it's something the human can eat.  Provided he cooks it right...

"He's been pushing himself really hard lately.  Maybe he can take today as a day of rest; do a little sleeping, see what supplies we can salvage here, that sort of thing.  There's three of us and we're all well rested... well, two of us are, anyway."  He glances at Pach, who scowls at him.  "And in the event you get tired and have to sleep-- yes, Pach, because it will happen, don't look at me like that; you need rest too, you idiot.  Anyway, when you get tired, there's still three of us who've gotten plenty of sleep and are ready to go.  There's enough of us to keep an eye on Zapdos and keep a lookout for undead."

"After you suggest we head back the way we came tomorrow, I'm gonna suggest we push deeper into the building to see what we can find.  One or two of us can guard the campsite while the others are looking.  Zapdos can either go with them or stay here; doesn't matter, really."

(I assumed that you'd be okay with me writing that Zapdos attempted to eat the berries since I'm pretty sure he will, but if you want me to change anything I will.)

The Legend does not miss the bold dinosaur's less than disguised threats, Pach stepping forward and showing his teeth. But Zapdos promptly ignores him; he has no intention of harming the rock type's pet. The human in question complied immediately, putting the berries down with a soft, "S-sure..." Zapdos' eyes flicker up, watching the red head with sharp eyes as he clearly backs away. Good.

He was not aware of the gazes on him as the avian turned his beak up at them by pointing it down at the floor to pick up the berries. While his neck was not hindered much by the wires at all, he could stretch it straight forward when desired... it was the bending that proved to be an unprecedented issue. ... Tits. By that point he was realising the two eyes boring into him, a single eyebrow raised. Shut up, he snapped silently. Stretching forward far as he could, still the razor edges dug into his skin when attempting to bend at the obtuse angle.

"D-do... do you w-want me to h-help?" Oh life loved to kick him right in the gonads, didn't it. "I c-can hold the berries u-up so you can r-reach them..."

"No." The single word response was not aggressive, but far from gentle. The sharp bark was all needed to expose the bird's true feelings of shame-- he could not even feed himself. In another effort, he recklessly stretched forward too quickly, causing the sharp edge to dig into his throat. With a less than dignified cry of pain, he recoils, pulling his neck in tightly as if the wire cage were a shell and he the turtle.

Zapdos doesn't even have to think about the answer.  "No."   Roark shrinks slightly under the bird's gaze.

Maybe I was stupid for suggesting it.  What an absurd thought.  It's clear the bird needs help whether he wants it or not; all he did was offer.  Just because Zapdos rejected it, doesn't mean it wasn't a justified question.

Zapdos tries again.  Russet eyes widen as the bird's form strains against the barbed wire and he goes to warn the thunder god, but too late.  Zapdos cries out in pain, withdrawing from his efforts as quickly as possible, drawing his neck in as fat as he could.

"... O-one moment."  As stupid as it seems to heal Zapdos when the thing injuring him is still wrapped around him, he doesn't want to completely ignore the problem-- though the bird must be doing a good job of not getting pricked given that he hasn't given any indication of pain before now... that cry was loud.  It's best not to let that go untreated.  Digging through the berries, he pulls out two blue berries; Oran, thank god he has a few of those.  Rolling them around in his palm, he returns to the thunder god and goes to pick up the other berries.

He can feel the color draining from his face, the back of his neck feeling very vulnerable as he bends his head down slightly to grab the tiny pieces of fruit.  All he has to do is aim right and peck downwards.  And his beak would catch my neck.  He would barely have to even TRY.

His heartrate is quickening.  His breathing is picking up.  Calm.  Calm down.  You need to breathe.  He won't kill you.  He can't kill you.  Not if he wants to live.  He won't kill you.

He snatches up the last berry after fumbling it first and holds the fruit in his cupped hands out towards the thunder god.  "Y-you can't r-reach.  S-so this is how i-it has to b-be."  Breathe.  Stay calm.  Stoic face.  Nope that last one's not happening; he must be pretty pale by now.

The three Pokemon watch from the pile of wood, each body tense.

Will Zapdos take offense?

And if he does... will he attack?

"... O-one moment."
"Wait-- why?" Zapdos instinctively reacted, his head turning slightly to watch the human. "What are you doing?" he growled. There was a fire in his eyes, bright with pain but also fear.

The trainer picked up two berries from his pack, only to turn back to the Legend. Oran? Zapdos feels his pulse race faster. What was the fool doing? The human knelt down, reaching for the other fruit, which elicited a squawk of outrage from the electric bird.
"H- hey!" Those are mine!

The human turned to him, face sweating and pale. What was he worried about? Zapdos watched indignantly, pulling his head in closer to his body. The action scrunched his neck, irritating the wound further, but as he kept eye contact there was no reaction on the bird's face. His defiant blue eyes did not waver.

"Y-you can't r-reach. S-so this is how i-it has to b-be."

Zapdos sucked in a sharp breath of air, the emotions on his face wiped away to be left with only pure shock. "Are you even serious?!" He turned his beak away from the human, adamantly pointing it towards the wall to make his intentions clear: he would not do it.

"I said no," he repeated in a stubborn growl.

"Wait-- why?"   As expected, he wasn't going to take it well.  Oh gods.  "What are you doing?"   Aware that if he stopped to answer that he'd lose the courage to do what he was about to do, Roark ignored him.

"H- hey!"  As he plucked the fruit from the floor, the thunder god's voice took on an indignant tone.  His teeth bite down on his lip, tasting old scars acquired from chewing on it till it bled.  

"Are you even serious?!"  Now he looks angry.  Please don't attack.  Please please please.

"I said no"

"I... I kn-know... b-but..."  His hands shake violently, the framework of his thoughts collapse; too much weight, too much pressure.  Too much stress.  His teeth break the skin again and the coppery taste doesn't even make him flinch.  

"He knows what you said."  He hadn't heard the heavy footsteps approaching but now he feels the dinosaur behind him, Pach's voice low but calm.  "What, you think he's offering this for his health?  He's telling you this is the only way you can eat.  He's doing this for you.  Your pride isn't worth your life, Zapdos.  Just fucking eat the berries. You've survived four years of this hell; are you really gonna throw that away for something as dumb as pride?"

Pride...  Roark is unsure if he ever would have had so much pride he would refuse help in a dire situation, but he knows how hard it is to look at yourself and remember, wow, you used to have more dignity than this.  "H-he's r-right... I..."  Breathe.  Steady.  "I j-just want to h-help..."

Zapdos was growing less and less patient, his eyes narrowed to slits as he watched the puny worm's shivering. How dare this human mock him by feigning fear. They knew he was unable to defend himself, and any attempt at using an attack would just send the electricity he commands straight into his flesh. What a horrific irony that even his own element betrayed him then. His brother never got burned. His sister was never hurt by the cold. His own father could live in the ocean and be unharmed. But, no, here he was, the famous useless legend, just waiting to be put down. Nothing he could do about it but be defiant. He was not fooled by the stuttering show. "I... I kn-know... b-but..." This was an act, it was always a bloody act. He was no goddamn fool, Zapdos knew how humans worked. How they fed off of nothing but power. He probably was working to twist the bird's trust, gain it so that he could crush it in a grandiose display. "Look at me!" he'd crow. "I tricked the stupidest legend of them all!" The Kanto bird had to keep himself from snapped, from viciously tearing out with his words, for as he watched Pach approach, he knew one wrong thing would just end it quicker. But maybe that would be far better.

The rock type was much calmer than Zapdos and much more still than his stupid trainer. "He knows what you said." The electric bird's cerulean eyes narrow to slits, watching the Rampardos from over his awkward shoulder angle as he spoke. "What, you think he's offering this for his health?" Zapdos fought the urge to growl, instead releasing a very soft, long hiss through his beak. Don't make it seem like it has feelings other than faking them to manipulate me, I'm no fucking fool, he snarled in the sanctity of his own mind. "He's telling you this is the only way you can eat. He's doing this for you. Your pride isn't worth your life, Zapdos. Just fucking eat the berries. You've survived four years of this hell; are you really gonna throw that away for something as dumb as pride?"

The last few words stunned the legend. Pride not worth his life? Throw away his LIFE for pride which is DUMB? He partially reared his head back, if his body were free then the bird would have regarded them both with shock. They know nothing. The fight inside of him sizzled, electricity running along the wires only to burrow back into his flesh. Zapdos did not flinch, but the fire oviously died in his eyes. The fight vanished to leave them dull, emotionless. "H-he's r-right... I... I j-just want to h-help..." Zapdos looked at him, the anger giving way to sorrow. You and I both would be better off if that statement were not true, he silently said before lowering his head. "You know nothing," he whispered, the legend's voice low and unlike his snapping not two minutes ago. He would not look the human in the eye, though. "If you want to keep playing this, whatever. Fine. I don't care." It was as close to agreeing as they would get at that point.

The hiss is very quiet, barely audible, but Roark catches it anyway as Zapdos releases the sound, his irritation clear at Pach's words.  Roark chews on his tongue, fighting to hold the berries in his trembling grip--terrified as he is, leaving a god to die could have severe consequences and... he can't take that risk.

Am I right about this?  Once again the question haunts him.  Is this worth it?  Is it worth putting my Pokemon in a potentially dangerous situation just because I'm too afraid of what MIGHT happen if we abandon ship?  For all they know, they can just leave and nothing would happen to them.  Zapdos could die or survive on another stranger's kindness, but either way, they would be unaffected.

Mostly.

My conscious would never let me forget it...  And it would not.  The guilt Roark carries with him every day is like a weight, or maybe rather several of them, dragging at his limbs and his mind; it poisons his every waking thought, haunts his dreams.  If I willingly left a sentient creature to his likely death... when I can do something about it... no.  I can't.  What would my Pokemon think of me?  Dad?  Riley?  Besides, if one of his loved ones were in a similar situation as Zapdos, he'd want them to receive aid.  How could he expect others to help them in that hypothetical situation but leave Zapdos to his fate?

I've had to give up on so many of my morals just to survive.  I'm not throwing away what I can salvage.  For everyone's sake.  He could only pray it wouldn't end badly for his Pokemon.

When the thunder god began to spark Roark felt his chest tighten, but it lasted barely a minute before the sparks disappeared and the thunder god seemed to calm.

"You know nothing."   His anger dissipated, Zapdos's voice is quiet.  Though relieved that he is not yelling, the miner can't help but feel a twinge of pity.  "If you want to keep playing this, whatever. Fine. I don't care."

"We're not playing at anything,"  Pach sighs, but quiets at a look from Roark.  Taking a few deep breaths, Roark holds the berries out again, a silent offer.