(ELITE) The PYRITE Team

One month. One. Whole. Month.

Seemed like forever, didn't it? A month in this world now was like a whole year in the life she had before. Fighting death every day, struggling to find your next meal, your next shelter, anything to keep you alive and going. But what kept her going? Precious few things, actually. It had taken almost a week for her to get out of the Under, wandering into its murky depths with the aid of a bright yellow Salamence and a frightful Houndoom mother, but Asche had not been there. Asche had not been anywhere. She scraped and searched the fallen ruins of the Colosseum and patrolled the Under for days but had seen neither hide nor hair of her blue companion. And while that thought worried her, it also gave her some measure of hope. If she had found any trace of Asche it could have meant he was hurt, or dead, but the fact that she had seen nothing meant that wherever he was he was intact. And despite his extraordinarily bad luck the kid was a survivor. He was fine.

He had to be.

Phoenix stretched out under the morning sun, fur a shimmering reflection of the bright yellow orb as it hung in the sky. She dragged herself lazily off of her stony perch atop Erebos's monument and made her way to where Dean awaited her return. One month... One month and not only had she not found Asche, but she had lost everyone in their group from when the arena fell. The strange cat, Rukh, Kothar, she hadn't seen Kylie since the Mandibuzz, none of them where around anymore. The only one she had recovered was Dean, who himself had taken a fall in an effort to follow her down the cliff into the Under as she chased after Asche. Ardere had come back with Phoenix but after a few days had gone off in search of a green Jolteon named Salama, so Dean had been her only companion for weeks now. Her only solace besides her new morning ritual. She came to the same spot every morning, the Rock Tomb formation left by Rukh as he had tried to imprison her mate, and watched the horizon for any sign of him. Erebos had fled after that battle and she hadn't seen him since, but refused to believe that her mate was dead. He was too strong for that.

Coming upon a small ramshackle house she stopped and listened, sniffing the air carefully for any sign of a follower. She was alone. Satisfied she crept carefully into a small wedge in the door before removing a block of wood with her tail, allowing the door to close fully. Dean was hunched over a shoddy table as he focused intently on a map they had discovered in the old mayor's house. A frown marred her face as she thought about the last time she was in that house, with Kylie, and a stab of pain gripped her heart as she thought of the young Vibrava. Was she okay? Was she safe? Phoenix had no way of knowing but still the questions burned at her as much as they did with Asche and Nikkolai. But the thought of her son soon made the pain too real and she whimpered softly causing Dean to look up from his map and look at her sadly.

Dean knelt to the ground and opened his arms, allowing Phoenix to curl against him fully as she let her fears overwhelm her for a short while. The human whispered and cooed to soothe her pains, rubbing his hands gently across her neck and shoulders as she cuddled in closer. Through the thin fabric of his shirt Phoenix could feel the scar left by his bullet wound and the jagged cut across his abdomen from being pinned under the beam when the arena fell. She had allowed her fear for Asche to override her duty to Dean and his injury healed badly because she had not helped him sooner. She had left him there for a week before coming back to him. Dean was near death from infection and weak from thirst, and it had taken these last three weeks to get him even back to his feet this much. He still wasn't strong enough to fight on his own so if he ever had to leave the small house they found Phoenix insisted he take Cira with him, to which Dean readily agreed.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Dean asked softly, feeling her shudders slowing. Phoenix nodded quietly against his chest and raised her head up to rest on his shoulder, the human wrapping his arms around her to give her a hug. "I know it's rough, but we'll find them. All of them. And we are going to bring them home, I promise." Phoenix smiled softly and gave Dean an affectionate lick on the cheek to thank him before pulling herself away from his warm embrace to look over the human scribbles on his paper. "Any ideas on where to search next?" She asked. Dean nodded and stood up, arm braced carefully around his middle to keep from overstretching his crude self-stitching. "A couple. Our best bet is the ONBS building though, as you haven't been in there since a few days after Pyrite fell. And they might have some clues on Cipher there too." Phoenix nodded. At this point she would be willing to cross the gateway to hell if it meant getting her family back. Her whole family.

[[Asche's post continued from Old Pyrite]]


[skipping Justy for a while]


It had been so long. So fucking long. Trapped in an almost endless abyss of sharp and danger for... he wasn't entirely sure for how long, but it felt like an eternity. Always trying to go up, chasing that little speck of light that guided him out of the gloom. But now, he could taste it. Taste fresh air, taste hope-- he could taste freedom itself on the dust around him as he climbed up and up. His paws -which were smaller, for whatever reason- were nimble enough now to allow him to more delicately find his way, as opposed to before. He could see it. See that opening that had been his star in that hideous, awful gloom. He could... he could touch it.

Asche paused as he reached for a gap in the debris and stared as his small, taloned paw fit right through it. Finally, he saw his... very pale... paw in the light, and the glare off his claws made him flinch backward. No. The sun was bright, but whatever. It was warm out there, it wasn't spikey and he needed it. With a grunt of effort, he tried getting through the gap, but his new form wouldn't make it through. No. NO! He was so close-- he could feel the sun on his flailing paw, for fuck's sake! He couldn't be stopped NOW! No! No, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! His adrenaline pumping, he tore through with a Night Slash, headbutting his way back onto the surface world with a cry of desperate anger, only to reel backward and nearly fall back in the hole he'd created.

The sun was blinding.

Hissing and yowling in pain as he turned from that hellish eye in the sky, Asche skittered away, causing things to tumble and crash behind him, which really only caused him to skitter more in a horrible circle of events. He finally reached a building and hid in its shadow, where he was able to better handle the bright fucking light. Blinking slowly, his eyes struggled to adjust after being in the dark for so long... It must have been a long time, then...

Dean looked out of his makeshift peephole and checked for any nearby Undead before giving Phoenix the all clear. The brightly colored female stepped out into the outskirts of Pyrite once more and made a quick scout around the house, completing her circle with a small wave of her tails to signal Dean. Joining her outside the breeder tightened the sling sack over his shoulder and shifted it so the bulk rested on his back, taking the weight off of his side which was pulling on his stitches. "I won't go far," he promised. "Just to the mayor's library again for a couple of hours, then I'll be back." He knew Phoenix would be worried about him but they had cleared the path to that location a long time ago and it was a trip he had made several times by himself. But, as always, he had Cira and Storm to back him up if anything went wrong. "Stay safe," she muttered childishly, Dean giving her a small smile and quick ruffle of her mane. She nuzzled into the hand for a brief moment, eyeing him as the brief contact ended. "If anything..." Dean held up his hand to stop her. "I know." Nothing else needed to be said.

Phoenix and Dean had agreed to split up for a few hours so that Dean could grab any more information from the books scattered in the mayor's house and so Phoenix could scout the ONBS building. They would need to know roughly how many Undead were inside or in the surrounding area to plan the safest, using that term very loosely, way in and out. But it was their best bet for anything Cipher related and one of the few places Phoenix hadn't checked for Asche or Erebos. Dean made his way to the battered house and into the now familiar secret room, letting Cira out of her pokeball to keep watch as he poured through books once again in what had become all to familiar of a routine.

Watching until Dean was out of sight Phoenix waited, forcing herself to trust that Cira would be able to protect their trainer, until she finally started on her own mission. Her route to the ONBS building took her past the chasm that once led to the Colosseum, a place that she couldn't help but pause at reflectively. Staring into the inky depths, where even light dare not go, she offered a silent prayer to Asche's safety. He had fallen so far and so fast....and every day was becoming more likely that he didn't make it back. Shaking the negative thoughts from her head Phoenix backed away from the ledge and started trudging forward once again. But three steps in she heard a loud rumble of rocks collapsing and an unearthly yowl echo across the chasm. 'What the hell was that?!' she hissed worriedly in her mind. The eerie cry was soon followed by a series of crashes and bangs that seemed like the sounded in a pattern, a direction. Something was running and wasn't very good at it. Instincts on high alert the fox quickly decided to follow the sounds to make sure that whatever it was, it wasn't going to be a threat to Dean.

It was heading right for her original destination, but before she caught up to the creature the sounds stopped as abruptly as they had started. Eyes narrowing she carefully judged her surroundings, lowering her body and stalking down the street. She soon came across a very odd set of footprints, very small with three large toes and almost no pad, nothing like she had ever seen before. Sniffing the tracks she picked up a faint, yet almost familiar, scent. What the hell was this thing? She set out on following the trail with every intention of finding out.

Asche's body tensed as his honed sense of smell picked up another scent-- something fiery and alive. Completely putting exploring the old ruins of Pyrite or even actually looking at his own new form out of his mind, he crouched down and scanned his bright surroundings. His stomach roared with hunger and his much longer tail twitched in anticipation. He'd gotten decent at using the odd appendage for severing things, mostly arms and faces. He wasn't that adept at aiming, no, but it was one of the few attacks that still counted if he missed his mark.

His body fired with instinct, he made his way to one side of the building, which afforded more shade for him and his sensitive eyes. Thankfully, the fur hanging over them was helping, but still. He reached a small pile of garbage and rubble and nestled himself behind it, scouting out for whatever had that scent. His mouth was watering already, anticipating the first decent meal he'd had in days.

But Asche soon found that his light-sensitivity really hindered him being able to see further out, which put a pall on his hunting capability. Snarling to himself at his own failure, he tensed once more as he saw something bright and yellow. It moved and wasn't a bad color-- that was enough. It was sorta big, but at this point it was just a blur. It didn't matter. It was enough.

Without hesitation, he sprang from his spot and darted to the blur, lunging for what was probably the neck with outstretched claws and an open mouth, ready to bite down.

Keeping close to the buildings Phoenix followed the tracks until they came to a stop where a part of the road was made of scrap metal. Frowning she put her nose to the air and tried to pull in more of the spicy scent, frowning when she realized it was much closer than she realized. She still couldn't place why the scent was so familiar but something about it was off. Maybe an old Pokemon from Pyrite? She hadn't seen any natives who weren't dead in a long time but stranger things had happened.

Tracking the scent proved to be very effective, but her bright coloring once again betrayed her to subtlety as she flinched at an ungodly roar. Lifting her head Phoenix saw what appeared to be a literal demon charging her head on, long tail whipping about dangerously and an open maw ready to tear into her. Quickly darting out of the way the yellow fox tried to figure out what the hell was attacking her, but didn't have time to do more than roll out of the way of another attack. Snarling she threw a hot stream of flame at the creature in hopes that the fire would scare it off, creating an arc of fire in front of the beast to bar its advance.

Shit, he missed.

He hit the ground hard, which seemed a lot further away since it was just this weird gray and tan blur. Asche gave a sort of pained grunt, trying to stand and slash blindly before him in case the Yellow thing was close by. Unfortunately -again- it was much further from him than he'd hoped. A quick glimpse up revealed it was a bit away, but then it was charging at him? What the fuck was--

--oh, it was fire.
Yep, definitely fire.

He screamed in pain, reeling back and flinging himself to the ground to try and rid himself of the horrible, burning flames. Thankfully, he was only lightly singed it seemed, but he already felt about to pass out-- this thing, whatever it was, was obviously out of his league. Hissing at the yellow blur, Asche was suddenly feeling very vulnerable. In just one hit, he was almost obliterated? Not good. For a moment, he stayed his ground, gritting his teeth before suddenly darting off, his long, awkward tail strangely flailing behind him. He spotted a dark blot ahead and made a beeline for it, diving into what was another abandoned building, hoping that the yellow thing wouldn't just burn him alive in it.

Not only was it afraid of the fire but when it touched the intense heat it let out a horrible shriek of pain before scurrying off into an abandoned building. Slightly panicked that the ruckus would send any Undead in the building scattering into the city, where a vulnerable Dean was still out, Phoenix wasted no time in following the demon inside. She encountered two more than Undead Pidgey, their bodies more bone than flesh now, and dispatched of them quickly before they could raise any alarm. Cursing quietly to herself she stalked the demon in the darkness, hoping that it didn't drive out anything else.

The trail of the creature was easy to follow, at first, almost as if it just crashed through anything in its way. But as she moved further into the building the trail became less obvious than the old destruction and general state of Pyrite was. What was it playing at? After a few minutes of finding nothing she began to get frustrated, and her patience was wearing thin. Since she was getting nowhere Phoenix decided to switch to a different tactic, piss it off. "Look freak," she hissed loudly. "I don't know what game you are playing but I don't take kindly to random demons trying to take a chunk out of my hide! Show yourself! Or I will have to bring this whole damn building down on you."

Yeah, this wasn't good. Asche stumbled around in the dark, his vision spotty and still unreliable even though he was in a much darker place, he curled in what he thought would be a decent hiding spot hoping to wait and hide from the yellow blob. No, wait, yellow fire-spitting blob. But once again, luck was not on his side as he heard muffled noise nearby, likely behind him. "Look freak," the pokemon hissed angrily, causing his hackles to raise in fear and anger, "I don't know what game you are playing but I don't take kindly to random demons trying to take a chunk out of my hide! Show yourself! Or I will have to bring this whole damn building down on you."

Asche huffed indignantly, his scythe-tail twitching angrily. "I'm not a 'demon', you bitchy asshole!" he snapped back without realizing he was just giving his position away. It wasn't often that his prey in the Darkness got to insult him. "I'm not the one farting out FIRE. I'm just hungry! DICK!"

"I'm not a 'demon', you bitchy asshole!"

Phoenix's eye twitched, fur bristling at the snappy response. Pretty much cut out this thing being some weird kind of zombie but the fucker still broke a rule. A big one. "I'm not the one farting out FIRE. I'm just hungry! DICK!" That's it. This guy was going down. "You wanna play asshole?!" she cried out angrily, body glowing with a faint blue aura. "Let's play!" As she roared a pulse of energy unleashed, the Extrasensory shifting and weakening the supports of the building until they cracked. The first section of wall crumbled like a paper bag giving Phoenix an opening to escape, turning around to leave a trail of fire in her wake.

Let's see the demon get out of that one.

"You wanna play asshole?!" the bitch called out, and suddenly, Asche's mind snapped with recognition. He knew that voice. Oh dear gods above, he knew her! His eyes widened with realization and horror as he stood from his crouch, unable to spot her with his terrible vision. "Let's play!"

OH GODS, NO, HE PISSED HER OFF.

"No!" he cried as he heard and felt the building collapsing around him. He ducked back into his hidey-spot, curling tightly into a ball and hoping nothing skewered him. "Phoe!?" His voice broke as he called out, hoping that he wasn't wrong. That voice, the yellow, the fire... the hurt, that had to be her! "Phoe, is that you?! Please, I'm sorry! Don't kill me! I really just was hungry--AAAH!" He felt something heavy fall upon him, pinning him down to that spot.

She almost laughed at the comical way the voice inside panicked, crying out desperately as the roof started creaking and falling in. It was funny, at least until the voice called out her name. "Phoe!?" Phoenix felt her heart seize as the frightened voice called out for her, echoing not only her name but the nickname most of her friends called her. She knew this asshole. "Phoe, is that you?! Please, I'm sorry! Don't kill me! I really just was hungry--AAAH!" The desperate pleas set her nerved on fire when the now obvious pitch of the voice's owner struck a cord of recognition in the hot tempered female.

Asche.

She fucking BURNED ASCHE. It was if lightning struck and Phoenix was left dumb as the last ten minutes replayed in her mind, the clues as to Asche's bumbling about now glaringly obvious in hindsight. The very creature she has been hunting was the same one she had been trying to save for the last month. "Shit!" she cried out, responding to the sharp cry of pain and fear emanating from inside the now burning building. "Hang on Asche! Hang on! I'm coming!" Clawing her way back inside the fire fox tried to see through the smoke and flames but couldn't make out the strange form among the debris. Where the hell had he gone? "Asche?! Asche where are you?"

She began kicking over anything that would move, digging and clawing beneath rubble to try and find her friend. She wasn't going to lose him again, she couldn't. And not because of her own stupid fault. She promised she would find him, that she would bring him home! With the building burning around her she wasn't having any luck, so she tried calling out to him again. With no reply Phoenix could feel the tears stinging behind her eyes as they threatened to fall, chest heaving with desperation. "ASCHE?! ANSWER ME!"

"Shit!" Asche heaved a sigh of relief as his guess proved correct. But his relief faded quickly as he heard crackling and smelled smoke-- of course she'd set the place on FIRE. Panicking, he wriggled uselessly beneath the heavy thing pinning him down, whimpering lightly with his efforts. "Hang on Asche! Hang on! I'm coming!" The smoke was already starting to get at him, causing him to cough and stinging his already painful eyes. "Asche?! Asche where are you?"

"I--" He coughed again, completely decimating his call to her. Soon, the air was too thick with smoke to allow anything other than coughing, causing him to panic. If he didn't think of something soon, he'd die here. Trapped. By Phoe's fire. In his fear, he shot out an Ice Beam all around, hoping to create an icy shield against the fire and smoke while Phoe tried getting to him. It clung to his immediate surroundings, encasing him in a bubble of ice. He panted and continued to cough as the ice already began to melt, water dropping gently on him. Still struggling to breathe, he tried pushing his face beneath something, something that would maybe be a filter from the smoke. He heard her screaming beyond his bubble, but couldn't call back.

Nothing. No answer, so sounds whatsoever to give the frightened Ninetales any indication that Asche could even hear her. It was getting harder to breathe with all the smoke in the air and with each second that passed Phoenix could feel her heart beating harder, adrenaline soaring through her veins as her mind threatened to shut down. It was beginning to feel like she would lose him before finding the kid until her paws stepped into a puddle forming on the floor. Puddle? It was then that she saw a barrier of ice formed between the shelves of some kind of rack that had been crushed underneath a fallen support. But for there to be ice that meant an ice move had to be used, and Phoe knew for a fact that when in trouble Asche's go to was his Ice Beam.

Relief flooded her when she registered that meant Asche was there, but she knew she had to get him out before that support lost what little brace it had left and crushed him. The ice was melting rapidly due to the flames, which made digging through it easier, but when she finally caught glimpse of the strange creature beneath it she took pause. If that really was Asche then something really fucked up had happened to him for him to look like that. Her bubbly Absol was gone, and in its place was some eyeball monster with no face. And he wasn't breathing, at least not well. The rise and fall of his chest was very subtle. "Asche," she called. "If that's really you I need you to listen very carefully." She looked around at the strange pile he was under and knew that if even one thing moved the delicate balance of the whole thing would give and fall inward. She had to time it just right.

"I am going to get you out but I need your help. You have to trust me, okay? I am going to count to three and then I am going to use an Energy Ball on the bottom of this beam. It is going to slip out and make a gap. You have to get out through the gap as quick as possible, okay? Or else the beam will crush you as it falls. Can you do that for me? Nod or twitch or something. Anything to tell me you heard me. Please Asche..."

Something was breaking the ice above him, but he wasn't quite sure whether it was Phoe or just the fire. "Asche," Her voice came in much clearer now-- that must have been her getting rid of the ice, then. Thank Gods. "If that's really you I need you to listen very carefully." He kept still, focusing on her words instead of trying to wriggle out more.

"I am going to get you out but I need your help. You have to trust me, okay? I am going to count to three and then I am going to use an Energy Ball on the bottom of this beam. It is going to slip out and make a gap. You have to get out through the gap as quick as possible, okay? Or else the beam will crush you as it falls. Can you do that for me? Nod or twitch or something. Anything to tell me you heard me. Please Asche..."

Asche held up a paw and waved at her slightly, not wanting to bring his face out from the filter. His heart pounded with adrenaline as he waited for her countdown. She began soon, the explosion of the Energy Ball frightening Asche almost as much as just about everything else that had just happened in the past fifteen minutes. He launched himself out, blindly running and crashing through the fiery debris back into the stupid sun. He tripped and fell, tumbling past the remnants of the building Phoe just destroyed and flailing just a bit as he tried to right himself. "I-I think I'm ok?!"he cried, coughing out the rest of the smoke from his lungs.

A small wave of his paw, that was all it took for Phoenix to practically shudder with joy. It really was Asche under all that hair, and she'd be damned if she let him burn to death after taking all this time to find him. Taking a deep breath Phoenix allowed herself to gather the necessary energy to make an Energy Ball big enough to push away the large support beam that kept Asche trapped. As she began her countdown it was like the world melted away, all sound and movement slowed to a near stop, distant echoes that could no longer distract her from her task. By the time she reached the count of three the energy field around her came to a point right in front of her muzzle, the Energy Ball swirling and rotating into a perfect spiral. With a fan of her tails Phoenix unleashed the attack and watched as it slammed straight into the joint between the beam and the floor, toppling it.

The gap was barely wide enough for Asche to get out but he moved like lightning, scrambling out and running into multiple objects again as he darted outside. The yellow Ninetales turned and followed her companion, making it out through the fallen wall again just in time to watch the roof cave in and collapse the building. They were alive, both of them, but it seemed Asche was having trouble. "I-I think I'm ok?!" he called out loudly, Phoenix tucking her ears back at the shout. "It's okay, Asche," she replied, coming up beside her hacking friend. "I'm right here, you don't have to shout." Her tails curled over his back as she lay her head gingerly on the back of his shoulders in comfort, waiting for his lungs to clear. The new massive mane of fur was strange but underneath the scent of smoke and grease was the unmistakable scent of Asche, and despite the subtle shift due to whatever transformation he underwent it was comforting to know it was him. She missed him so much, but she didn't realize how much she had been holding herself back from grieving his loss until she had his warmth to remind her. Biting back a sob she simply lay there, comforting him as much as taking comfort in knowing that he was real, alive, and home.

Though he couldn't hear Phoe, her scent and the sound of her quickly approaching footfalls allowed him to relax for the first time in an eternity. "It's okay, Asche," she cooed as he still attempted to hack up a lung. "I'm right here, you don't have to shout." Soon, through his tightly shut eyes, he saw the dull light of the outside swallowed up by the fox's shadow as she enveloped him in the best imitation of a hug her species had to offer. [Which in his opinion was vastly better than the original.] Her tails wrapped him up in a warm embrace and he felt the sturdiness of her head rest on his bruised shoulders. It didn't even matter. He was overwhelmed with joy, with relief, with embarrassment that they'd nearly murdered each other and with the last wave of fear that had gripped him just moments prior. He burst into a barking laughter, muddled with a bit of weeping, as he really didn't know how else to express so many emotions at once. He buried his head in her weird yellow fur, grateful to finally have found a familiar, friendly face.

After a moment, he paused in his strange weirdness and considered something. "I know I look different, but... do I... really look like... like a demon?" His voice was tiny, as it was still muffled in Phoenix's coat, but the fear was still there and audible. If he'd changed so much during that month... would their friendship stay the same? "I... I only know i have a weird tail and... tiny paws now..."


-----


Eugh... Pyrite.

Justy raised his tinted goggles a little to get a better look at the dilapidated excuse of a city -though he immediately regretted it- as his Donphan came to a halt beneath him. "That is, literally, the worst city I've ever seen." They'd been traveling in circles for days, trying to go from Phenac to Agate. However, getting lost amid sand dunes that all look the same was surprisingly easy, even for his own mangnificent pokemon and sense of direction. If only his GPS still had a charge... Still, there was little else he could do. When his beautiful Phenac fell to the horrors of those insane pokemon, there'd been little else he could do other than go for help. He knew his Nosepass had some issue, but he believed in him. He knew his plucky pokemon would be able to hold up until they made it back... He just needed to find help first.

Agate, of course, was full of capable trainers that would be able to fend off anything from their home, which was why the destination was so appealing. But now that he saw the trash heap people decided to make into a city, maybe he could find help here? It was certainly closer, and these people lived in a disaster even before everything went downhill. Maybe he'd be able to garner help after all? "What do you think, Trunks?" Justy asked aloud, looking down to Trunks' face. "Think we'd find anyone to help us here?"

"I thought people here hated us because we were better than them," Trunks huffed, still keeping his distance from the city.

Justy sighed. "They do, but maybe when they realize we need help, we'll be able to barter for their help? I'm sure we have something more than enough to trade. That's what they do here, right? Barter? Because they don't have money? Oh, it's been so long since I've even come near here..."

He felt Trunks shrug. "If you say so, boss." The Donphan moved forward again, and Justy couldn't help but pat the beast's back with a chuckle.

"Oh, Trunks. I'm sure it'll be fine. After all, it's a crisis, and people are supposed to band together in a crisis. We'll get to meet new people, and it'll be fun! I'm sure we'll be completely all right. I mean look at this place-- it doesn't look at all different from how I remember it. Maybe those awful monsters just avoided it because it scared them off? What a smart idea!"

Trunks stopped again, however, to which Justy looked around worriedly. "Trunks, wh--" But as soon as he was about to ask, he saw it. Something green and tallish, moving not far from where he was. His eyes widened as he realized that it was a person, not a pokemon, wandering around. "Trunks, it's a person! Oh, let's go meet them." He ushered Trunks forward, to which the Donphan reluctantly obeyed. "Excuse me!" he called, waving as they drew nearer. "Please, I'm looking for help?"

"Well," sighs the Gardevoir as she glares at the bloody remains of the Alakazam lying prone at her feet.  "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

"Brilliant observation," comes the dry reply, her human pulling her white cloak a little more around herself.  That was close.  Far too close.

"I forgot just how much I hate fighting those things.  Why did it have teleport?  Who even leaves that on a battle Pokemon?"  The fairy pinches the bridge of her nose as she steps over the gorey mess and over to her human, hovering over the body to avoid getting any of the blood on her.  As soon as she is within touching distance, Diantha reaches out to look her over, her face tight with anxiousness.  Her companion tries to draw back, but to no avail.  "Oh darling I'm fine; stop worrying."

"Can't be too careful," the Champion cautions her lifelong friend as she continues fussing a little, "but at least this one doesn't look like it hurt you much.  How do you feel; anything sore?"

"A little, but nothing terrible.  Honestly, I'm fine.  Just take a deep breath.  It takes more than that to be a bother to Cosette."

"Still, I'd like to see if we can find some potions.  Preferably Hyper or Full Restores... think this place may have any?" she turns to gesture to the dilapidated city, the flourish a little helpless as she realizes the futility of her question.

"... Do you want an honest answer, or a hopeful one?"

"Honest?"

"This place will give us Jack squat," Cosette says cheerily  "But it's a change of scenery.  Who knows?"

"Who indeed?"  Diantha rubs her temples.  "I don't want a change of scenery; Kalos needs me.  This doesn't look anything like Kalos-- how are we going to get back if we can't even figure out where we are?"

"You've been around the world," Cosette points out as she starts to walk, Diantha alongside her as they stroll down the empty street.

The Champion gazes sadly at the deserted husks of buildings.  She will never get used to seeing the world like this, she supposes.

"I'm sure if we look around we'll find a landmark we recognize.  Maybe we'll find some potions too; it can't hurt to look.  And being in a town--"

"--There's available shelter everywhere," her human finishes, tearing her eyes from the houses to look at Cosette.  "Not... good shelter, from the looks of it, but the structures don't look too weak.  I think we'd be all right exploring this city for a few days."  It's quite warm in the sun, and she reaches up to pull her hood off, her raven hair shining in the sunlight.  In a few hours it'll be too hot for this thing, she muses, glancing up at the sky.  She may have to change into her green outfit then, as reluctant as she is to do so when green stands out so starkly against the drab browns and greys of the city.

... Then again, white is worse.

"Not a cloud in the sky.  Rain might not be something we need to worry about, then."

"Yeah, but water might be and that's... worse."

"Agreed," Diantha grimaces.  "Let's hope that's not the case.  Maybe if we're lucky there will be a well somewhere?  Oh, but the water could be tainted-- Cosette?"

The Gardevoir has stopped walking, lips pressed into a thin line.  "Someone is nearby."

She pauses for a moment, then nods.  "... Well then.  I guess we'll be meeting the locals after all...  Stay close, please."

"Mm-hm."

They're not walking for more than five minutes more before a voice calls out from their left, both women drawing back in surprise.  "Excuse me!"

Diantha squints.  It looks like a young man.  Certainly not a Pokemon, which is shocking in it of itself.  And he's... waving them down. "Please, I'm looking for help?"

All right.  This may not end terribly.  Diantha stands tall and fixes the way the cloak hangs about her shoulders, watching with wary eyes as he approaches.  From the corner of her eye, she can see Cosette draw near.  "Yes?  How may we help?"

It was a good thing the plague had eliminated any chance for random passerby's, because Phoenix was sure the pair of them would be quite a strange sight to behold at the moment. Asche and herself standing in the middle of the street, sobbing into each others fur, as they cuddled next to a burning building. Not to mention that they were both odd looking to begin with, never mind the pathetic emotional part of the picture. But even if they weren't in the middle of the end of the world, even if Pyrite was still a busy dirt town, Phoenix wouldn't give two shits about what anyone said. She had Asche back, and he was alive.

As Asche broke into relieved hysterics, curling in closer to the Ninetales, Phoenix had allowed herself to finally have her own breakdown and started crying. She nuzzled his shoulder for a moment before moving her head up to rest it on top of his, the strange new horns on his head wide enough for her narrow muzzle to to fit between. It was a comfortable companionship until her now pale friend came to an abrupt pause to ask her a question. "I know I look different, but... do I... really look like... like a demon?" His voice was nearly lost in her fluffy fur but she was able to make it out, and a wave of guilt washed over her for the terrible name she called Asche when she had been trying to attack him."I... I only know i have a weird tail and... tiny paws now..." He didn't know? Oh...

"Well," she began, swallowing hard as she tried to think of the nicest way to describe Asche's strange new body to him. "You have....you look like...um. I've never seen anything like you before, honestly." Her confession was a struggle, mind reeling with any way to break it to him delicately that if a human saw him like that then yes, he would most definitely be seen as a demon. "You are definitely not an Absol anymore, that's for sure. You are right about the weird tail, and tiny paws. The scythe on your head isn't there anymore, I think that is your tail now, and instead you have these weird and really long horn-looking things. You have this big bushy mane that goes all the way around and down your whole back. And these eyes, at least they look like eyes, on your sides. And if they are eyes and not just markings...then I don't know what to tell you." She pulled away slightly and gave her friend a quick once over before giving him another hug. "But whatever you are, you're still my friend Asche. That's all that matters to me."



Dean was scanning through his third stack of books when Cira began acting strangely, buzzing her wings and hovering closer to the door. "What is it?" the breeder asked quietly. The Volcarona shushed him, drifting over to a boarded window and listening. "There are voices," she told him after a few moments of quiet. "Not pokemon. Human." Dean's mouth fell open in shock at Cira's revelation, the young man not having seen another of his kind in months. Especially in Pyrite. Phoenix herself had taken over the entire town after the Epidemic hit and verified that for at least three months before he arrived there hadn't been a human in sight that wasn't a corpse. But now there was?

Getting up quietly from the large desk Dean walked over to his Pokemon, putting his hand on her fuzzy upper thorax to guide her away from the window so he could peer out through the cracks. With Duking's house being so close to the entrance of town he was able to see another young man and a woman speaking nearby, not close enough for Dean to hear or even make them out but close enough for Cira to hear them. Nervous he battled with himself on whether or not he should go out there, because at the very least if Cira could hear them, so could anything else. He and Phoenix had cleared much of Pyrite of the larger nasties but enough small ones in a group could do a lot of harm.

"The male is being far too loud," Cira warned. "He's practically shouting." Dean frowned at the shear stupidity. Did he not realize that the dead ones were actually attracted to sound? Sighing deeply he decided to give it just a minute before going out there, hoping that maybe they would decide to leave rather than risk drawing attention. Even if they were stupid, it didn't mean they were friendly. He refused to risk the lives of his Pokemon or their only shelter to those who would do them harm.

"Well," Phoe began slowly, her uncertainty clear in her voice. Asche lifted his head a little at the strange tone; he was so used to her being so... you know... sure. "You have....you look like...um. I've never seen anything like you before, honestly." The comment worried him; just what had he turned into...? "You are definitely not an Absol anymore, that's for sure. You are right about the weird tail, and tiny paws. The scythe on your head isn't there anymore, I think that is your tail now, and instead you have these weird and really long horn-looking things. You have this big bushy mane that goes all the way around and down your whole back. And these eyes, at least they look like eyes, on your sides. And if they are eyes and not just markings...then I don't know what to tell you." Pulling away, she looked him over for a moment before going back into the hug. Asche wasn't completely sure what to do other than bury his face back into her fur. "But whatever you are, you're still my friend Asche. That's all that matters to me."

He couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face, nor the overwhelming feeling of warmth spread through him as another small sob shook his frame. Down in the darkness, it'd been so cold. Sharp. Dangerous, terrifying, horrifying. He'd acted in a way he'd never known before, and most of it felt like a horrible, creeping nightmare lurking in the back of his mind. But as Phoe held him, it washed away in her fur and the morning sun. And for the first time in his entire life, he felt like he belonged.

He felt like he had a family again.

After another moment of silence between the two, he pulled back to "look" Phoe in the face; he kept his eyes barely open to save them against the harsh light. "I don't think they're eyes, because I can't see from my sides," he managed quietly, his voice raw from the earlier emotion. "And I'd appreciate it if we got somewhere I can open my eyes..."


----

The woman was stunning. Justy hadn't been able to see her beauty from far off, but as they drew nearer, her flawlessness astounded him. When they were at a decent distance, he patted Trunks, signaling him to stop. The woman and her equally beautiful Gardevoir seemed wary, but that was to be expected. Not only were they in the middle of the end of the world, they were also near Pyrite. Plenty of reasons to keep one's guard up. The woman spoke, even and firm. "Yes? How may we help?"

Justy gave her a dashing smile before dismounting Trunks, who in turn bowed lightly to the other trainer. Justy closed the gap between them, holding out a perfect hand for the lady to shake. "Seeing a friendly face has already done me much more than you realize. Hi, I'm Justy, from Phenac City? You've might of heard of me if you're local. I can't imagine someone like you being from Pyrite-- you have amazing clothes."

Basile was not easily worn out, that's for sure. The hulking t-rex could practically run half way across the world if you let him. Or... so it seemed, to his companion bouncing around on his neck area. His spike collar helped support her as he continued his marathon through the ruins of the desert. They hadn't seen any other scenery than dust and rock pillars for a week, even for as fast and long as Basile could travel through the desert. Sunshine at first had been so bored she would have rather had been anywhere else than this barren wasteland, but she came around. The cliffs and rocks had interesting stripes of different rock layers, and it started to grow on the Miltank, despite being used to lush farm lands and trees.

Basile panted happily as he thundered on, his energy starting to drain but the prospect of getting somewhere spurred his energy more than it'd normally be. Running was fun, but he would like to get out of this desert soon at any rate, or at least... to find other living. That thought drove him more than anything else right now, the thought of finding others, but also to hopefully find his trainer again. He had no idea where Jasper was going before he was dropped, but his naivety made him hopeful he would find him in his travels. ... If he was still alive. But he blocked out that notion, or maybe it hadn't truly sunk into his head that most of the world is doomed to die.
They had only been running for a few hours now - since the crack of dawn because they liked to get going early - but Sunshine was concerned for his energy levels. The Tyrantrum did not know how to pace himself.

"Sugah, Basile, we shoul' be takin' a break. Yuh've been goin' on for a few hou's now."
Basile only slightly shook his head in response, his vigor not dying at all. In fact, he started running harder. He responded in his somewhat gritty voice.
"I'm ok, Sunny. I wanna keep going," he takes a few more booming strides, "Something is around this cliff, I can feel it. After this cliff we can stop."
"Well m'kay hunny, but y' gotta take a break afte' that, ah won' let y' go no futhe'."
The dinosaur grinned, his eyes locked onto the cliff about three miles away. "No worries."

They kept on, for another 10 minutes, Basile going back to drowning his mind out on his goal, and Sunny took in the scenery before it went by, trying not to let the pure eeriness of this seemingly completely dead desert get to her. Eventually they hit the cliff and Basile eagerly looked around. Before Sunshine could dismount him, he laid eyes on a spot in the distance and gasped.

"Sunny, look, there's a city! There's a town!" he chirped, his face lighting up under the sun. Sunshine put a hoof over her eyes and looked, the small heatwaves starting to rise from the earth from their night of rest, distorting the scene - but she could see it for sure.
"Well I'll be darned, who knew the'd be a town smack dab 'n th' middle of this desuht." Basile breathed in deeply despite his heart throbbing in his head, and took off again. The Miltank yelped and grabbed the dino's necklace rope to brace herself.
"Basile! Darn it, take a rest!!"
"I can get there, I wanna get there! I'll be ok!"

-----

Basile was breathing hard by the time they reached the city limit, his hulking body practically making the ground tremor under him as he took each step. He finally slowed to a walk, Sunshine's torso rocked to and fro to stabilize herself on his back.

"Y' ok, sweetie?"
"Just fine! Let's explore." Sunshine's nose scrunched at his exuberance, but he kept moving towards the buildings. She lowered her voice down to a quiet talk.
"This ain' a field trip dear, be ca'ful. We d'nno if the's infected 'ere." She smiled anyway. This was the first time he was this excited in days. He was starting to feel normal again. They scanned the buildings, and... well, there wasn't exactly much to take in. It seemed like this town wasn't in really good condition even before the Infection. They continued to scope around, Basile sneaking around as stealthily as an 8 foot tall lizard could.

"... Do you think there's any living Pokemon here?"

[OoC: They're closest to Phoe and Asche right now, so I left it open for you to decide whether you want to notice them yet or not, guys. If not, I could go another round without being noticed. c:]

He's too loud. Her light frown remains in place as he begins to speak.  "Seeing a friendly face has already done me much more than you realize. Hi, I'm Justy, from Phenac City? You've might of heard of me if you're local. I can't imagine someone like you being from Pyrite-- you have amazing clothes."

Pyrite.  That's all the way in Orre.  She resists the urge to scowl.

"Your voice is too loud," Cosette says in a deadpan, folding her arms across her chest.  "You're going to attract undead to us."

"She's right; keep your volume down," Diantha agrees, keeping her tone more diplomatic than her companion's.  "That aside--I have no idea what my clothing has to do with being from here given that it's the apocalypse and plenty of people are wearing clothes that aren't theirs, but nonetheless, no, I'm not local.  Not even slightly."  Hm.  Is it wise to let him know where she is from?  

Maybe not yet.  

"So... Phenac?"  She remembers Phenac.  A beautiful city full of very sheltered people.  And that was putting their classist frame of mind politely.   "Did you want help in Phenac for some reason?"  Shoot, she has no idea how long the journey there might be by foot, and if he doesn't have a flier, than it would have to be by food.

I don't even know if he's actually worth helping.  He doesn't LOOK like he's out to trick us... Still, pretty faces and friendly words could hide ugly intentions.  Best to keep aloof for now.

Asche pulled back and gave an awkward squint to try and see Phoenix in the harsh light of day, and she found the expression amusing until she realized it was because he actually had been down there in the dark all that time. So long the light hurt. But she had searched the Under for him! Where had he ended up that she wasn't able to track him in the slightest? Regret filled her that Asche had to suffer all that month alone, that she hadn't done more to hunt in the darkness for him, but thankfully her darker thoughts were broken by Asche's quiet voice.

"I don't think they're eyes, because I can't see from my sides," She smiled and gave the not-an-Absol a small nod, noticing his squint getting worse. "And I'd appreciate it if we got somewhere I can open my eyes..." The Ninetales let out a small chuckle before bringing her tails up higher to cast a shadow over Asche's eyes. "No problem, Blue. Dean and I set up a new shelter not far from here." She started to lead the way when a large patch of brown moved behind a building making the yellow fox suddenly very nervous. Something that large and moving had to be a Pokemon, and she hadn't seen any that were alive in weeks. "Stick by me," she whispered lowly to Asche, suddenly very concerned about her visually impaired friend. "We aren't alone."

She ushered Asche away from the smoldering wreckage of a building and got him into the shadows of another nearby house, lifting her tails from over his head to bring them back down behind her. Her eyes scanned the block to see if she could catch the monster pokemon again. "Something that big should be easy to spot," she muttered to herself, annoyed when she didn't see it right away. "Big, brown, and...what the hell? It was right there a second ago, I swear. I mean...holy shit." Her eyes finally landed on a hulk of a dinosaur casually strolling down the street looking into windows and broken buildings like it was a kid in a candy store. That was a lot of muscle to just be crashing around the town, and if it was infected they were both screwed. She was about to tell Asche to wait there for her when she saw a round figure following after the dino. "Asche...can you see a cow? Please tell me you see a cow..."

With everything that was going on this morning the last thing Phoenix needed was to lose her mind.

_________________

Jeez, this guy never shut up! Dean could feel his fists clenching as the idiot rambled on to the disinterested female, and though he couldn't make out everything the strange man was saying he caught enough of it thanks to his overly loud mouth to know he was just as pompous as he was stupid. If he drew something close that got his Pokemon hurt or killed, he was going to smash his fist into the pretty boy's face.

The oddly dressed female seemed to be of matching opinion as she and her companion flatly shushed the chatterbox, and Dean let out an amused grin. She seemed competent, at least, so Dean decided to give her one more chance to make the idiot leave or he was going to have to go out there and find a way to make them. Too many humans and Pokemon starting to show up would draw unwanted attention, and creatures from the Under had started finding their way back to the surface lately. Dean was not going to risk his family again, even if it was for a good cause.

Through the heavy squint, Asche saw Phoe move her tails slightly before a shadow came over his face. His bright, golden eyes opened slightly wider, grateful for the relief. "No problem, Blue. Dean and I set up a new shelter not far from here." Asche nodded and kept his pace to match hers, eager to keep in the safety of her tails. He wouldn't argue with her again, not if he could help it. But he felt something shift in the air, her body tensed beside him and he slowed to match her. "Stick by me," Phoe quipped in a harsh whisper, advice that Asche was all too eager to obey. "We aren't alone."

Asche swallowed hard as he focused on trying not to trip, Phoe's guidance far more hurried and firm than before. He felt shadows over his sun-warmed fur soon enough, however, and chanced at opening his eyes further. His claws dug into the dusty earth beneath him as he felt the rumbling from whatever was nearby. It was big. "Something that big should be easy to spot," Phoe nattered under her breath, likely unaware Asche could hear her. It was ok. He talked to himself, too. "Big, brown, and...what the hell? It was right there a second ago, I swear. I mean...holy shit."

The silence that followed the casual curse didn't bode well for their situation. Not much surprised the yellow fox. But Asche could only see brown, brown and more brown with his eyes as they were; he'd have to open them more to see anything in the remote distance. "Asche...can you see a cow? Please tell me you see a cow..."

Carefully opening his eyes wider, he squinted ahead. "I see... uh... brown? And... brown. And you, so yellow. And... uh... pink? Is that the cow? The... the pink?" He shook his head as all the squinting gave him a headache, and he turned away. "If we're in trouble, just point my head in a direction and tell me to shoot," he mumbled beneath his breath, knowing Phoe would be able to hear it, but whatever the brown and pink thing was wouldn't.

---

"Your voice is too loud," Justy blinks at the monotone, deadpan words from the Gardevoir's mouth. He... wasn't expecting that. "You're going to attract undead to us."

"She's right; keep your volume down," the stranger agrees, causing Justy to take a little offense. It's not like he was talking through a megaphone, here. And it was Pyrite. What Undead would linger here? "That aside--I have no idea what my clothing has to do with being from here given that it's the apocalypse and plenty of people are wearing clothes that aren't theirs, but nonetheless, no, I'm not local. Not even slightly." Justy stared blankly before exchanging a confused glance with Trunks before the gorgeous -albeit rude- stranger continued.

"So... Phenac?" Justy nodded, still confused by her strange behavior. "Did you want help in Phenac for some reason?"

Finally, air in the conversation. "Y-Yes, actually; I couldn't fend off the Undead by myself and I was looking for others to help me reclaim it. Phenac is on top of one of the few known aquifers for quite a ways. As well as being the best stocked and built and etc.," he chuckled a little, looking over the stranger again. "And I didn't mean any offense by your ensemble; the people that lived here in Pyrite were, well, trash. Gangs, druggies, prostitutes, you name it, it was here. Pyrite was the seedy underbelly to Orre, and beneath it, an even seedier underbelly known as the 'Under'." He waved away the filthy subject like a fly in the air. "You look far too healthy to be from Pyrite, is all. I didn't mean to insult."

He continued to hold his hand out, however, leaning in ever-so-slightly. "But... I don't think I caught either of your names in all that, Ms...?"

The sand sizzled, heatwaves bellowing from the dunes as the sun eradicated the chilling air of the desert night. The bull sighs as he watches from the small cave, etched into the rock face. He stared lazily as a dung beetle pushed its' heavy load in front of him. The cave was alongside a path carved out by roaming herds and native creatures, with proof of their habitation carried off by the hard-shelled insects. Pyth flicked his ear, flies already buzzing around him and making him uneasy.

"By the goddess Hense," he grumbled as he stretched his thick legs and clambered to his hooves. Shaking the dust from his pelt, the horned bull ambled down the small animal path to a large boulder. Beneath it, a sad puddle of disgusting water festered. Pyth sniffed at it and grimaced. What kind of pokemon shits where they drink?

Well, that's ruined, he thought as he gazed forlornly at the only water he could find for miles. Doubt there's anymore down the pa- His thoughts were immediately silenced as a small ripple ran across the fetid waters. Then another. Another, quicker and larger. Now the tremors traveled up his hooves. Excitement crawling under his skin, the bovine turned on his hooves and galloped towards the vibrations.

_____________

Panting only slightly, the bull slowed his rampaging pace to peer ahead. He had followed the heavy vibrations this far, only for it to have stopped almost immediately. His steely brown gaze scanned the horizon, but his eyes kept coming back to what appeared to be some sort of human settlement. Is that where his query had gone? The bull had no fear of humans, if there were any, but he certainly hadn't much love for them. His only real experience with the species was when they were trying to kidnap his herd members. Still, the heavy, stomping creature couldn't have gone anywhere else so onward he went.

(im thinking that hell try to pick a fight with Basile, until he sees Sunny? Then he'll be like 'nopforgetit')

"I don' think so, hun...--"
As she paused, there was some quite talking, just faintly heard. Hissing squabble, probably because... ...they were spotted.  Sunshine stopped in her tracks, tapping Basile's tail rapidly, her arm jiggling.
"Did y' 'ear that, Basile?
"Hear what, Sunny?"

Sunshine put a hoof to her face, telling him to shush, before she scanned over ever broken log, window, and house, swiveling behind her twice to check if there was anything behind them.
... Ah 'eard talkin'...." she says under her breath, and Basile looks around too, hunching lower as if it would make much difference.
"... I don't see anythi--" Basile finally finds them, the yellow fox and blue.... creature thing. Other Pokemon... and they didn't look undead.... In fact, they seemed to be running away from them, because they probably saw him. He was pretty intimidating ... even though he wouldn't harm a Butterfree.

"Oh! There's other Pokemon!" he excitedly chirps, trying to be somewhat quiet to Sunny, but then looks at the others he just found. Oh, he could just not contain his excitement! They had to be living Pokemon! Other living Pokemon! It's been forever since he's seen something that wasn't walking dead or already dead... somehow, the direness of their new living situation was finally getting to him mentally. His innocent mentality was not so easily broken to the reality of the world being in destruction, so his mind now had a reason to ward off the inevitability of the situation. Finally, a glimmer of hope.

"Is the' really, now?" Sunshine said, awed enough to stare towards where he was looking. Sure as day, there they were. Sunshine was about to beckon the t-rex to get out of sight, but it was too late to try to stop him now.
"Hey!! Hello there!!" Basile waves his stubby arms at them, trying to display his friendliness as to not make them shit themselves at the mere sight of him. He was used to that at this rate. Sunshine's fur prickled when Basile yelled, tapping his back leg again.
"Basile! Shush y' piehole!--"
"It's good to see you here! Me and Sunny haven't seen any living around!" he almost completely ignores her and starts running towards the two excitedly, like a toddler that had just learned how to run.

"Basile! Y' darn squealin' Spoink of a thing, get back 'ere!" The Miltank scolds in a yelling whisper, about as scathingly as she'd go with him, but runs after the giant 2 year old in a dinosaur body. He gets closer, the ground shaking with his steps, but the smile on his face was apparent.