The MEETING Team II (PLOT)

"Anywhere but here is fine."   Absolutely agreed on that.  This place is- is awful.  The sooner they can leave, the better.  "I'd only want to find my Father and Siblings, but I have no idea where any of them could be at this point."  

"O-okay... so we t-technically have the best chance of f-finding th-them anywhere in the world, basically."  Roark ponders his as he smoothes the corners of the map, staring at it.  "I... don't think I want to be in J-Johto at all.  And... n-not Sinnoh, either.  That leaves... basically e-everywhere else, really."  He takes a look at the world map, wishing they had individual maps for each region.  Might make this easier.  "U-Unova?  I'm- I'm a little familiar with it?"

"I advise we don't go to Unova, actually.  The memories would be... kinda sad..."

He nods in agreement.  "Good point.  That l-leaves a lot of options, st-still.  K-Kanto is the closest.  M-maybe we should start there?"

"That's also where you were born, right Zapdos?"  Pach looks over at the thunder bird.  "Is there anywhere there you wanna visit?  Or anything there that we should avoid?  We have no idea what happened in Kanto, so... anything you can tell us would be helpful."

"O-okay... so we t-technically have the best chance of f-finding th-them anywhere in the world, basically." Zapdos' posture deflated a bit; he knew it was near impossible to find his family again, but hearing Roark confirm it only worsened the feeling. "I... don't think I want to be in J-Johto at all. And... n-not Sinnoh, either. That leaves... basically e-everywhere else, really." He poured over the map more as Zapdos pondered where the hell Sinnoh was. At least the map's foreign markings made sense to someone. "U-Unova? I'm- I'm a little familiar with it?"

Zapdos frowned at another unknown name. How many regions were there? He'd flown over some, to be sure, but the only ones he knew intimately were Kanto and Johto. Pach, however, seemed to be against Unova anyway, so... there was that? "I advise we don't go to Unova, actually. The memories would be... kinda sad..."

Roark nodded in agreement. "Good point. That l-leaves a lot of options, st-still. K-Kanto is the closest. M-maybe we should start there?" Zapdos flinched at the causal mention of Kanto, his mind's eye bombarding him with the fight at the Viridian Gym, Giovanni, Mewtwo, his Father back in those ebony feathers...

"That's also where you were born, right Zapdos?" the Rampardos asked, though Zapdos almost didn't hear him. "Is there anywhere there you wanna visit? Or anything there that we should avoid? We have no idea what happened in Kanto, so... anything you can tell us would be helpful."

Zapdos hesitated a bit, unsure of how much to divulge. Anything about Mewtwo, Giovanni, or the plague itself might be a bit much to just... tell them. "I... I don't think my siblings are in Kanto any longer," he admitted. "I would have found them by now... If we do venture to Kanto, we should avoid Viridian City, near the mountain border of Johto." He lightly poked the map with his beak about where the city was. "...Bad things happened there. I... found my Father and several other Legends... and... it didn't go very well."

"I... I don't think my siblings are in Kanto any longer," Zapdos admits, and Roark winces.  It speaks to the power and devatstation of the plague if it could drive even gods from their birthplaces.  "I would have found them by now... If we do venture to Kanto, we should avoid Viridian City, near the mountain border of Johto."  

Viridian?  That name is familiar.  Isn't there a forest near it?  Maybe there was a forest fire.  He watches as Zapdos bends over to lightly tap the map with his beak near a green covered area-- yep.  Forest.  

As it turns out, the answer as to why they should avoid it is a lot worse than a forest fire.  "...Bad things happened there. I... found my Father and several other Legends... and... it didn't go very well."

"Several other l-legends...?"  Roark can't help the look on his face and isn't entirely sure what it looks like, though he's fairly sure he's doing an excellent impression of a pygmy owl.  What in the world could have happened there?  Some of the gods had found one another before?  Then what separated them?  Zapdos's words suggest it wasn't by their choice...

But it doesn't sound very fair to ask him to elaborate.  "Okay.  We'll- we'll avoid that a-area, then."

Shit, wait.

 "You d-don't have to talk about it i-if you don't w-want to, but I would l-like to know if whatever happened there c-could mean danger anywhere e-else?  We might w-want to keep that in mind when picking a d-destination."

At first, Roark was readily willing to let whatever trauma was in the past go and Zapdos was quietly thankful. "Okay. We'll- we'll avoid that a-area, then." But then, something occurred to him and he elaborated. "You d-don't have to talk about it i-if you don't w-want to, but I would l-like to know if whatever happened there c-could mean danger anywhere e-else? We might w-want to keep that in mind when picking a d-destination."

Zapdos' face hardened a little as he stared down at the map, the memories of their time there flashing in his mind's eye. The helicopters, the screaming... Giovanni... that... that horrible movie. Learning that humans did all of this... Zapdos' eyes lifted a little from the piece of colorful paper as a darker, far more menacing thought popped into his mind. If all Gym Leaders were important people, then... then that would mean that any of them might have had their hand in spreading the disease. Giovanni was mum on delivery, but he had to get resources from somewhere, right? And the Viridian Gym was HIS gym... Could...

Sharp eyes flicked down to the man beside him, analyzing every detail made available to him. Could any of the Gym Leaders or higher humans have had their hand in producing the plague? He knew now all humans weren't guilty, sure, but he was far too hardened to simply assume them all innocent, too... And what better weapon would be to befriend a Legend before infecting them, too? Isn't that what had happened to his Cousin, Entei?

Zapdos closed his eyes to shut the paranoia out. Roark was a sweet man, physically incapable of the horrors Giovanni all but gleefully committed. Even putting down an already rotting Pidgeot corpse had put him into a fit. Pach and the others also didn't seem the types to condone such a heinous mindset. They were good people. They were not Giovanni. He opened his eyes again and his mood soured at the sight of gore and blood.

"I'll tell you what I know," he began as he opened his wings, "On the condition we leave this godforsaken town now. I'm sick of this place." He looked to Roark and gave a small nod to his own back. "We don't have all day. And it's a long story."

As he waits for the bird to speak, he studies the map a bit more.  It might be best to steer clear of really large cities, too.  Being boxed in is a real threat, with the alleyways and all.  It's true his companion is a bird and he has a bird, but still...

"I'll tell you what I know," Zapdos decides as  Roark looks up in tme to see him he spread his magnificent wings, "on the condition we leave this godforsaken town now. I'm sick of this place."  

Roark's mouth drops open a little.  Good Arceus that wingspan.

"We don't have all day. And it's a long story."

He sounds... solemn.  Whatever he has to say, it's important.  

"Okay.  I'll be r-ready in- in a minute."

He nods and motions to Pach, who is quick to fetch Sterling.  It takes only a couple minutes before Roark has recalled both Pokemon and secured his backpack to his back and his pokeballs to his belt.

He hesitates as he approaches the thunder bird, heart moving to his throat.  Is he really allowed to do this?  To- to just... climb onto him?  He's barely touched him yet.  The closest he got was when Zapdos thanked him last night!

But the bird is trusting him with some sort of sensitive information, and he wants to discuss it, and he can't hesitate now.  He climbs on.  "Ready when you are, Zapdos."

The takeoff makes him cling tighter, nearly flattening himself against the yellow and black wings, the air practically leaving his lungs.  The rush of wind steals his thoughts, and when Zapdos evens out, his mouth parts a little, staring around at the sky, at the ground; he's never been this high; Archae can only go so high, so far, so fast.  "Oh Zapdos," he breathes, "I think if I had wings, I would never come down."

"Okay. I'll be r-ready in- in a minute."

It took a while for Roark to get ready, recalling his pokemon and securing his equipment to his person in preparation for the flight. It was good to know that the man wasn't completely ignorant of what could happen in the air, but it was still possible in Zapdos' mind that he could loose that strange helmet.

Zapdos held steady for Roark to mount him. He had never really let something like this happen before, so the process was a bit foreign. At least Roark knew what he was doing. The Legendary bird had to keep from indulging the urge to shake off his passenger, even as the man stopped adjusting. "Ready when you are, Zapdos."

With a single push, Zapdos effortlessly hurled himself and his rider into the air and away from the putrid stank of the rotting town. Up they soared, his bruised wings pushing against the wind, higher and higher until the horrid little hamlet was little more than a wretched stain on the painting of the world below. He evened out comfortably above the lower clouds, content with the empty sky. This was his world. "Oh Zapdos," Roark whispered in awe, "I think if I had wings, I would never come down."

"I can relate," Zapdos chuckled back, giving a small glance to his passenger before focusing once more on the rising sun. It was to their right, barely peeking over the horizon. It seemed even it didn't want to start the day just yet. Still, he had a story to tell... Roark deserved to know. "Roark," he began gently -or as gently as he could while the wind whipped past them- "Do you know who Giovanni is?"

He's drawn from his daze by a chuckle from the bird. "I can relate." The bird glances back at him before looking onwards towards the sun. Roark huddles down into him, watching it in its slow climb upwards.

"Roark, do you know who Giovanni is?"  

Well, there goes the peace. Roark scowls.

"Yes. God. H-he's one of the most infamous h-humans of our time. Many years ago he t-tried gathering power in his home region. He created a- a gang of hu-humans who w-wanted money and w-would stop at nothing to get it. They kidnapped Pokemon from th-their human p-partners and killed whoever g-got in the w-way too m-much. There's e-even an incident where some k-kids died because they were mugged by s-some of Giovanni's men who I guess then d-decided they'd be better off with no witnesses. But nobody could p-prove it was Giovanni."

"Then one day a-a child and his Pokemon t-took Giovanni down; they di-didn't kill him, and he managed to get a-away, but they crippled his gang. The k-kid and his pokemon w-were prodigies, I guess. That same kid went on to be Champion b-before p-passing the t-title back to the Champion h-he beat a-and then disappearing into the m-mountains. Two years later, one of G-Giovanni's second in- in commands rallied what was l-left of the old gang and tr-tried to stage a comeback to g-get Giovanni to return to them. A new kid f-goiled it and the group d-disbanded for good. Nobody ever did fi-find Giovanni, but rumor has it that he had a s-son who went on to be a decent guy. Th-that's... pretty much all I know. Which I r-realize was m-more than y-your question s-so um... I'm s-sorry about that."

Wait.

"Why... wh-why do you know about Giov-vanni?"

"Yes. God. H-he's one of the most infamous h-humans of our time. Many years ago he t-tried gathering power in his home region. He created a- a gang of hu-humans who w-wanted money and w-would stop at nothing to get it. They kidnapped Pokemon from th-their human p-partners and killed whoever g-got in the w-way too m-much. There's e-even an incident where some k-kids died because they were mugged by s-some of Giovanni's men who I guess then d-decided they'd be better off with no witnesses. But nobody could p-prove it was Giovanni.

"Then one day a-a child and his Pokemon t-took Giovanni down; they di-didn't kill him, and he managed to get a-away, but they crippled his gang. The k-kid and his pokemon w-were prodigies, I guess. That same kid went on to be Champion b-before p-passing the t-title back to the Champion h-he beat a-and then disappearing into the m-mountains. Two years later, one of G-Giovanni's second in- in commands rallied what was l-left of the old gang and tr-tried to stage a comeback to g-get Giovanni to return to them. A new kid f-goiled it and the group d-disbanded for good. Nobody ever did fi-find Giovanni, but rumor has it that he had a s-son who went on to be a decent guy. Th-that's... pretty much all I know. Which I r-realize was m-more than y-your question s-so um... I'm s-sorry about that."

That was certainly more than Zapdos himself knew. It gave the bird some security that Giovanni was just as nefarious as he'd believed him to be, even before destroying the world. That bastard had even reproduced? Maybe Zapdos' next mission would be to destroy that evil progeny. But Roark seemed ot have realized something and then added, "Why... wh-why do you know about Giov-vanni?"

"He did this," Zapdos replied in a grave whisper. "He started the Epidemic. It was him, his filthy scientists and his filthy money. Other Legends, my cousins, my Father, my uncle-- we gathered in Viridian and the humans dropped Giovanni off for us to kill at our leisure. Giovanni showed us what he did, how he tortured numerous pokemon into becoming monsters..." He shook his head. "His pet defended him. The freak clone. And together, Mewtwo teleported his master away before Father and we could exact vengeance."

He looked back to Roark. "The bastard needs to pay."

He wasn't prepared for the answer.

"He did this."

Rarely are people prepared for answers in such a heavy discussion, but this felt like an atom bomb.

"He started the Epidemic. It was him, his filthy scientists and his filthy money. Other Legends, my cousins, my Father, my uncle-- we gathered in Viridian and the humans dropped Giovanni off for us to kill at our leisure. Giovanni showed us what he did, how he tortured numerous pokemon into becoming monsters..."

He pauses for a moment and somewhere in that moment, Roark remembers to breathe. "His pet defended him. The freak clone. And together, Mewtwo teleported his master away before Father and we could exact vengeance."

Mewtwo?  Who is that?  Does it even matter?

"The bastard needs to pay."

"All these people," the miner breathes.  "M-millions of lives l-lost and- and he di-did it- why w-would he do it- how could h-he how c-could he how could he!?"

If he were in a room, something would have been smashed by now.

"Oh g-god and if he wasn't d-dead when you last saw him I doubt h-he is now!  H-he's p-probably out th-there somewhere making it w-worse!"

They have to stop him.  This can't be allowed to get worse.

"All these people." The horror and melancholy in Roark's voice was easy to hear, even as the wind whipped around them and attempted to drown out the human's words. "M-millions of lives l-lost and- and he di-did it- why w-would he do it- how could h-he how c-could he how could he!?" Zapdos sympathized with his anger-- he'd reacted a bit more violently when he'd found out that not only had this horrific turn of events been caused by humans, that it was almost intentional. But the bird didn't seek to interrupt Roark's fury and instead kept quiet as he soared in the morning sky.

"Oh g-god and if he wasn't d-dead when you last saw him I doubt h-he is now! H-he's p-probably out th-there somewhere making it w-worse!" The Thunder bird turned his head to look at Roark out of the corner of his eye, curiosity and even excitement budding in his soul.

"How... how about we search for him?" Viridian had offered nothing but frustration, really, but... the man was still out there. Zapdos couldn't sit idly by while the perpetrator of the apocalypse just... ran free. "Since they teleported, they could be anywhere. But that doesn't mean we can't try. I have my wings back; we could have a real chance of finding him." He turned his head more toward Roark, eyes glimmering with determination and excitement. "What say you, human? You want to hunt that fucker down?!"

"How... how about we search for him?"  Roark starts and looks at about where the bird's face is, mouth slightly parted in shock.  "Since they teleported, they could be anywhere. But that doesn't mean we can't try.

No.  It definitely doesn't mean they can't try.

I have my wings back; we could have a real chance of finding him."  He turns his head to meet the miner's gaze as best he can.  What say you, human? You want to hunt that fucker down?!"

"I say: let the hunt begin."  A rush of something fires him up.  Is... that motivation?  Or passion?  God it's been so long.  "We- we can at least t-try to do something ab-about this, a-and neither of u-us have any o-one place to b-be, so l-let's do it.  W-we'll h-hunt for G-Giovanni, k-keep an eye o-out for your f-family- h-hell, we might even b-be able to do something e-else for s-someone a-along the way.  Th-the more allies w-we make, the b-better."

Okay.  Now there's a plan.  Or at least the start of one.

"I-if you last s-saw him in Viridian, m-maybe we should stop there f-first.  Just to t-take a look a-around.  If w-we don't find Giovanni th-there, maybe we'll f-find something or s-someone that can help us i-instead."

"I say: let the hunt begin." The fire in Roark's being was contagious, spilling out and over into Zapdos. He had never experienced something like this-- was it camaraderie? It was a magnificent feeling, whatever it was; Zapdos felt as if he could do anything and everything. Roark must have felt the same way: the sentence was a rare moment of steady speech. "We- we can at least t-try to do something ab-about this, a-and neither of u-us have any o-one place to b-be, so l-let's do it. W-we'll h-hunt for G-Giovanni, k-keep an eye o-out for your f-family- h-hell, we might even b-be able to do something e-else for s-someone a-along the way. Th-the more allies w-we make, the b-better."

Zapdos wasn't entirely sure about meeting new people, but... with Roark there, he felt a little more confident on the idea. Aiding other pokemon from the fallout of Giovanni's treachery was a noble enough goal in and of itself. "I-if you last s-saw him in Viridian, m-maybe we should stop there f-first. Just to t-take a look a-around. If w-we don't find Giovanni th-there, maybe we'll f-find something or s-someone that can help us i-instead."

He wasn't sure about going back to the place where so many angry Legends had gathered, but surely none of them remained. After Giovanni had teleported, most of them, if not all, had fallen into a rage and stormed off one way or another, himself included. He nodded to himself. "It's not a pretty sight and teleportation leaves very little evidence, but I'll take you there." His wings shifted, causing him to slant and turn in the air. Suddenly, Mount Silver's shadow was in view, with Viridian's ruins in the far distance. He could make it there by lunch. With a cry and a powerful thrust of his wings, he pushed himself higher and faster, bursting through the clouds and further into his sky.

Zapdos" It's not a pretty sight and teleportation leaves very little evidence, but I'll take you there."

"Th-thank you."  He finds himself grinning as the wind whips around them, the bird speeding up.

Time to see what they can find.




It's been a long time since ive been to a city...

Even this high up, the ruined city  is easy to spot.  Patchworks of countryside give way to what look like tiny toy buildings.  Even from up here he can see the damage on a lot of the tallest from rampaging Pokemon; windows broken out and bloodstains from infected birds splatting into the windows that remained intact.  His stomach twists a little.  If the smaller cities look this bad, what about the huge ones with skyscrapers?

What horrors might lurk in there?

Now he remembers why he avoided cities.  But... this needs to be done.  He spots a very distinctive roof as Zapdos descends a little and breathes out slowly.

Now it's really time to see what they can find.  He hopes it's not a ton of undead.

A little closer to the ground now, and he can see... bodies.  Many, many bodies.  All in a specific uniform.  He nearly gags at the stench of decay.

God.  This'll be fun.

(I moved Zapdos a little since he's gonna be heading down at some point; I hope that's okay.)

The flight to the ruins was a simple enough experience. For once, Zapdos enjoyed himself, soaring high over the clouds and enjoying the wind in his feathers. From this height, it was as if the world were normal again. The stink of rot was far below him and the only thing that held him now was freedom. It was invigorating.

Viridian's gloom soon became visible and regrettably, he knew he had to reach it. He dipped his wings and they circled lazily down, toward the old destructed he and his family had wrought. He landed in front of the decimated gym, glancing at the rotting corpses that surrounded them. This was the last spot he'd seen his Father...

"It was here," he began, looking toward the Gym's cavernous entryway, "where we reunited. Where we learned of Giovanni's scheme and sins. He had..." Zapdos shook his grand head as he tried to find the right word. "...what did he call it... The... A... CB? CP? It showed moving pictures, had voices that spoke of certain pokemon. Experiments. They..." The screams of the poor victims rang through his memory once again. "It was horrific."

"It was here," Zapdos says, turning to look at the Gym's entrance as Roark slides off his back to stare, "where we reunited. Where we learned of Giovanni's scheme and sins. He had..."

The legend hesitates for a moment, struggling to recall some phrase. "... What did he call it... The... A... CB? CP? It showed moving pictures, had voices that spoke of certain pokemon. Experiments. They... It was horrific."

"PC," Roark suggests softly, shuddering. "I... I g-guess finding it... p-probably wouldn't h-help..."  If that even is what Zapdos is talking about; "PC" is just a guess.

Then again...

"Or... maybe it would...?  You and your friends- you don't know m-much about h-humans?  M-maybe if a human looked at it, I m-might recognize some c-clue you might've m-missed?  Y-you don't h-have to- to watch it a-again."

He'd never make Zapdos feel like he has to watch that again.  To be entirely honest with himself, he's not even sure he should watch it, but... if there's a shot in hell... he has to take it.

Staring at the Gym, his stomach churns.  Giovanni, a fellow gym leader... he spit in the face of the people he was supposed to protect just for the sake of power.

He has to pay.

"PC," offered Roark. Had that been the abbreviation? Zapdos didn't know, nor did he especially care. It was horrid, whatever its name truly was. "I... I g-guess finding it... p-probably wouldn't h-help..." The great bird shuddered at the thought. There was no way in hell watching again would help himself, at the very least.

But as Roark thought on the repulsive suggestion, his mind seemed to change. "Or... maybe it would...? You and your friends- you don't know m-much about h-humans? M-maybe if a human looked at it, I m-might recognize some c-clue you might've m-missed? Y-you don't h-have to- to watch it a-again." The man had a decent point, as loathe as Zapdos was to admit. With his knowledge of his own kin's technology and terms, maybe he would be able to spot some sort of lead from the garbled torture. It was their only clue to follow, but Zapdos certainly didn't have to fucking rejoice it.

"You can watch it," Zapdos grumbled as he made his way toward the building. "Don't expect me to. If it even still works." Guiding his companion, it wasn't a long trek from outside to where they'd seen Giovanni's horrendous acts. "This is it." He nodded to a still-strange electronic contraption, then backed away. "I might try to destroy it again, so... I'll stay away."

"You can watch it. Don't expect me to. If it even still works"  Roark doesn't blame him, not even a little.  He would never ask Zapdos to rewatch that; it sounds fucking horrific.  He doesn't even want to look at it... but...

Well, it's not like he has much of a choice if he wants to find any clue he can.  Frankly, the PC--assuming what Zapdos was talking about was a laptop computer or any computer at all, which is likely--is his best bet of finding anything at all.  

It wasn't long before Zapdos halted and nodded to a computer.  Ah.  So he was right.  "This is it."  He nods to the thing and then moves back, as if getting ready to flee before Roark can start it up and the horrid images could plague him once more. "I might try to destroy it again, so... I'll stay away."

"Okay," the human gives him a nod. "Stay close?  I'll come find you when I'm done watching it.  I'll see you soon, hopefully."

He hesitates as he turns to the computer, but the miner steels his nerve and turns it on, running a dry tongue over dry lips as he looks to find what Zapdos mentioned.  It's not hard to find something to watch--the computer is stuffed with the work that was going on here--but it's hard to gather the remaining strength he needs to click on the file and open the video.  

After a few minutes, and deciding against having Pach out to witness this, he clicks on one, immediately regretting having his communicator in.

A Pokemon is screaming, and he can hear her words--

"no"
"stop"
"please"
"I want to go home"

The jumble of pleas are out in rapid fire and the scientists strapping her down to the table are heedless of the tears and obvious cries for mercy.  Roark grips the table with both hands, knuckles turning white, staring with eyes that seem a bit too big for his gaunt face because of how wide they've become.

A needle, loud, tortured screams; they become snarls, and then laughter, and then she breaks free and-

They deserve it.  As she tears through them like tissue paper they deserve it, but god, the sheer amount of violence is enough to turn any stomach, and when one of the humans scratches his own face open from what she makes him hallucinate, Roark has to pause and throw up.

He spends the next half an hour watching videos, and by the time he comes out to see Zapdos, he is shaking like a leaf, his face white, eyes vacant and haunted.  He shuffles over to Zapdos, hugging himself and rubbing at his arms, turning haunted eyes upwards at the Legend.  "I-I'm g-gla-glad you le-left the r-room," he croaks.

No one should ever have to see that.  No one should ever have to live it.  He wishes the room would stop spinning and his stomach would settle and the overwhelming, crushing despair and horror lifting from his brain would probably help with that...

He sits down, his shaking legs demanding it.

"Ne-need a m-minute."

"Okay," Roark gave him a firm nod-- Zapdos doubted that kind of confidence would last much longer. "Stay close? I'll come find you when I'm done watching it. I'll see you soon, hopefully." Zapdos nodded his agreement and made his way back out, away from the noise that thing was about to produce and hopefully, he may avoid the memories that came with them if he were lucky.

He didn't remember how long the video was, but this time around felt like an eternity. He stared out into the ruined city, eyes running over the long rotted corpses of the humans he and his family had slaughtered, as well as the helicopter that had tried to run from their collective wrath. The city, as well as the world itself, stank of death and decay... He only hoped to see it leave. Looking to the sky above, Zapdos felt himself mourning the world not only for his own sake, but for the decent folk like Roark.

It didn't take long for the screams to start filtering in and out of his vision. While the initial sound caused him to flinch, it was soon obvious that the recorded crackle accompanied every sound. So Roark had gotten to that part. He doubted the watching the tape was worth the trauma, even if it did hide some sort of secret or clue as to Giovanni's whereabouts. Zapdos looked to his own restless feet and decided pacing would help solve their need to move.

Eventually, Roark emerged, pale and shaking almost as bad as when that Pidgeot had attacked. "I-I'm g-gla-glad you le-left the r-room," he croaked, his stutter worse than ever. Zapdos chose to direct his walking path back toward the obviously traumatized man as he sat down, shivering. "Ne-need a m-minute."

No words were needed. Instead, Zapdos took a spot beside the human and settled beside him, his grand wing naturally folding to nestle between Roark's own arm and side. "Take your time."

"Take your time." Despite his best efforts to keep calm, a whimper slips out as Zapdos rests a wing around him. Yes, he gladly will; he frankly doesn't have much of a choice. It feels like every ounce of strength has been sapped away; it would be a miracle if he could find the will to move. All of the violence and carnage of the past four years, and he still wasn't prepared for that. Roark buries his face in his hands with a shudder.

People being tortured. People turning into monsters and ripping others apart. They deserved to die at the hands of the monsters they'd made, and he is no stranger to gore, but the added layer of horror that this is what started it all is a very thick layer to swallow.

Millions are dead. Most of them innocents. Many of them helpless. Once again he thanks the gods that be that he didn't live in any of the big cities. The images of hundreds of people dying around him... he had trouble with just the couple dozen. Being responsible for protecting hundreds and being unable to would...

Would have killed him, really. 

A couple days ago this wouldn't have bothered him so much. In fact, he realizes, he would have considered it to have been a blessing, if he could've died back then. It would have saved him years of heartache and struggle, and his Pokemon are all strong people-- they would have survived.

But Zapdos wouldn't have had anyone to stumble across him at the Power Plant. God knows what would have happened to him. He would probably still be fine now, but would he have been for much longer? Who can say?

I'm glad I can say he is definitely safe right now. Even if there was some semblance of fate up there and this was what it had decided his sole purpose was for surviving all that nonsense... it was worth it. He did something right and those millions of dead people don't have an extra person joining them in the afterlife at the moment.

That has to be worth something.

He lets a few more minutes pass in silence until his shaking calms a bit more.

"Th-they... they m-mentioned Orre. It's wh-where most of this was d-done. S-seems as good a place as a-any to search; what do y-you think?"

"Th-they... they m-mentioned Orre. It's wh-where most of this was d-done. S-seems as good a place as a-any to search; what do y-you think?"

Zapdos sighed as his memories replayed in his head. "My kin and that... thing already thought of that," he replied sadly. "Father and the Clone went to Orre-- it was easier for them with their Psychic powers. Apparently while there, they found and fought this... horrific Honchkrow. A sentient Undead. Father reverted into the monster that fucking Cipher turned him into years ago and..." He shook his head as his temper boiled and frothed. This wasn't Roark's fault. He couldn't direct that anger to him. "They came back empty-handed. The bird destroyed the lab and was apparently flying off to go and destroy the others along with it to hide any trail of a possible cure. Plus, Orre is at least a few days' flight away from here. There's no way Giovanni could have made it there."

"My kin and that... thing already thought of that,"  Roark, glancing around the room at the moment, turns his head back to look at him, dread creeping in.  he's not sure he wants to know how that ended, but... well, there's not much of a choice. "Father and the Clone went to Orre-- it was easier for them with their Psychic powers. Apparently while there, they found and fought this... horrific Honchkrow. A sentient Undead. Father reverted into the monster that fucking Cipher turned him into years ago and..."

Cipher...

They were the Orre nutcases.  Every region seemed to have a group of them.  But Orre is so far out of the way... he knows so little about it.  He doesn't even really know much about Cipher, shit. "They came back empty-handed. The bird destroyed the lab and was apparently flying off to go and destroy the others along with it to hide any trail of a possible cure.

Well.  Fuck them too.  

Plus, Orre is at least a few days' flight away from here. There's no way Giovanni could have made it there."  

"You're right," he admits.  He wishes Zapdos were wrong, but he isn't.

So now what?  They only just started; they can't quit yet.

Okay, calm down.  Think.

"O-okay... so he c-couldn't h-have made it to Orre.  He's not s-stupid.  L-let's assume h-he wasn't even going to t-try to g-get there- actually- w-wait-"

Something doesn't fit.

"Be-before th-that, I just r-realized... I n-never asked you how you and the other legends found him.  I-it was after the outbreak, s-so wh-why was he hanging around h-here?  Do you kn-know?"

"You're right." Zapdos sighed and began to pace again. At least Roark saw reason. "O-okay... so he c-couldn't h-have made it to Orre. He's not s-stupid. L-let's assume h-he wasn't even going to t-try to g-get there- actually- w-wait-" Roark interrupted himself as something else occurred to him. "Be-before th-that, I just r-realized... I n-never asked you how you and the other legends found him. I-it was after the outbreak, s-so wh-why was he hanging around h-here? Do you kn-know?"

The great bird paused in his pacing, then nodded to the downed helicopter a few dozen yards away. With it were dozens of armored men and women rotting. "That metal beast came down and we attacked. Giovanni slipped out among their ranks. We caught him and slaughtered the others."

Zapdos directs his attention to a wrecked helicopter, the redhead unable to help a shudder at the sight of the rotting people within and around it.  God...

"That metal beast came down and we attacked. Giovanni slipped out among their ranks. We caught him and slaughtered the others."  

Well, that... doesn't really account for the multitude of dead.  Why was Giovanni out here with all these people?

Something doesn't look right.  He squints at the helicopter, slowly rising to his feet and adjusting his glasses.  

Those clothes... look... police-like?

"W-wait," the miner murmurs, stepping away from Zapdos's side to get a closer look.  The smell of death as he approaches makes his stomach turn, and he nearly gags, but he draws up alongside the helicopter anyway.

Roark crouches beside one of the bodies laying on his back, eyes widening at the sight of the military SWAT uniform.

Giovanni wouldn't have people in military wear.

He stands up up to check the other bodies, dread beginning to creep in as he examines each one.

Military, military, military.

"Th-they... they're all..."

His voice raises a little as some small part of him becomes aware that he is far too quiet for Zapdos to hear him, still crouched by the last body he checked.  He or she has red hair, some dumb part of his brain notes.

"They w-weren't with G-Giovanni.  T-the- the clothes- they were p-part of a group of humans wh-who would've been t-trying to c-capture him for his c-crimes."  

He turns to look at Zapdos in the sort of blank, dull horror that comes with realizing a horrible truth.

Y-you all k-killed the wrong p-people..."

"W-wait." Zapdos turned to the human, unsure of what he could have noticed. He likely knew far more about the humans' behaviors than he did, since you know... he was one of them and all. However, he turned away from the slaughtergrounds to pace a bit more. The city still reeked of death, even months after the fact.

Roark's voice cracked and staggered on the wind as he spoke louder to gain Zapdos' attention again. "They w-weren't with G-Giovanni. T-the- the clothes- they were p-part of a group of humans wh-who would've been t-trying to c-capture him for his c-crimes." Roark's revelation had him petrified, his face pallid as a ghost as he turned to face Zapdos.

Y-you all k-killed the wrong p-people..."

The thought of killing humans had never been an issue to Zapdos; he wasn't sure how he could convey that to Roark without sounding like some sort of psychopath. "They landed and charged at us, Roark. They shot at us. And we fought back. It wasn't like they tried to tell us who they were, what they wanted or why they were there. They attacked us and we killed them for it."

The bird isn't shy about telling Roark exactly how this happened.  "They landed and charged at us, Roark. They shot at us. And we fought back. It wasn't like they tried to tell us who they were, what they wanted or why they were there. They attacked us and we killed them for it."

He presses his hands to the sides of his head, staring down at the dead littered around the area with a face that doesn't look like it can properly express everything going on inside his head.  And truly, that would have been quite the task; his thoughts are a churning mess of emotions.

"I-I don't- I don't understand why I-" He turns around, one hand pulling his miner's helmet off his head so the other can run its fingers through his bangs, staring around again at all the death before fixing his eyes back on his companion.  "I m-mean, I believe you, I do I just-"

He gives the nearest body a light kick with a cry of frustration.  "Wh-why would you do something so stupid!?  I don't und-understand- why- why w-would you attack the Legendaries-!?"

Okay, he's officially becoming hysterical.  Time to dial it back a bit.  He steps back away from the corpses and back towards Zapdos, sitting down again and burying his face in his hands.  

Time to just... sit and breathe for a little bit.  He focuses on making them deep and slow, counting them.  When he reaches twenty, he stops, and looks miserably up at his friend.

"I w-wish I knew why they d-did that."  He swallows and lowers his gaze.  "B-best I can figure is... f-fear of the unknown."

There's no guarantee they'd be alive if they hadn't shot at the group of furious, frustrated gods.  But that they did makes the heat rise in his face a little as he rubs a temple.  

Just more unnecessary bloodshed, he supposes.  Not like any of this is new.  He should be used to it by now.