Confrontation

It was a beautiful day outside, for once, but three Pokemon barely acknowledged it beyond finally deciding to leave the house that they had taken shelter in. They had stayed in one place for a few days to see if their trainer would have recovered enough to take charge of traveling again, but they were greatly worried when he barely had the motivation to move and eat. The listlessness in his movements and eyes made them realize that if they wanted to get anywhere near their destination, they'd have to make him move. For the moment, he was fitfully resting on a bed that R2D2 had finally convinced him to use while the three Pokemon tried to figure exactly what they were going to do next. They huddled around a map, but only two of them really knew how to read it.

Magneto asked, "Okay, so you're sure this is New Bark Town?" They wanted to be completely certain that they had the right place before deciding the next course of action.

R2 explained, "Spock and I both have double checked this thing, and we're pretty sure." While speaking, he lifted the map to point at something on it, but it made no sense to Magneto.

"So we're close to that supposed safe place?"

Spock interrupted, "Indigo Plateau. Yeah, the map showed a route leading to it. But it's across the water over there." He lifted a large claw and pointed it in a direction that Magneto assumed was correct.

Worried, Magneto argued, "It's been years, though, and I highly doubt they've been maintaining any roads."

"Well, Mag, it's all we've got to work with. We can't go back the way we came," R2 said in an aggravated but borderline desperate voice.

The Metagross said in a tone that allowed no argument, "More like, we're not going back. I refuse." His claws gripped at the ground firmly, and his red eyes looked at Magneto in an uncharacteristically hard fashion.

Realizing they crossed a line, but still unrelenting in their worry, they continued,"I know, I know. It's just... I'm still worried. If we're wrong, we're walking right into a place that would have powerful undead."

Here Spock finally snapped at them, "I'm pretty sure that thing we ran into was worse than what we could run into there."

The mention of the Ariados that had slaughtered three of them in less than five minutes sent a chill into everyone in the room, and Magneto finally conceded and apologized, "Fine... I'm sorry." They couldn't look their partner in the eye; they hadn't witnessed what he did, and they could see just how badly the encounter had shaken the Metagross.

Realizing that he had been a little too harsh, Spock tried to change the subject,"It's alright. Anyway. R2, do you think you can carry him that far?" With none of them particularly good for flying with a human on their backs, they had to figure out how to carry Colress across the water. They didn't trust trying to make the human swim in his current state.

R2 brought the map up closer to his face to judge the distance, and then, obviously confident in his abilities, boasted, "It doesn't look very far, and it won't wear me out nearly as much as you." As a physical attacker, Spock didn't have quite the experience floating for long distances as some of his brethren.

Despite that, he argued, "Point, but I'm pretty sure I could still make it."

Realizing that they were getting off topic, Magneto interrupted, "This is true, but we need to conserve our strength when possible. The water isn't the only barrier." They wanted to be sure that Colress had as much protection from the undead or other survivors as possible.

The Beheeyem took charge and ordered, "Yeah. Let's pack up and go, I'll recall you two when we get to the water's edge." What this really meant was that he would get their supplies ready while Magneto and Spock tried to get Colress to wake up and move. Since Colress wasn't there to organize things, R2 simply found any items that had been strewn about during their residence and gathered them all in the middle of the room. However, he kept Magneto and Spock's Pokeballs hovering near his head since he still needed them for easy access. The smashed gun was still left where Spock had destroyed it, and R2 couldn't even bring himself to move it from the spot. They had nearly lost Colress to his own despair, and now it was almost as if it didn't matter.

Since Spock couldn't fit in the door to the bedroom, and they didn't want to risk ruining whatever integrity the building had left, he simply stayed in front of the entrance while Magneto went in. Their trainer was lying on the bed almost curled into the fetal position under a blanket that had seen better days. His lab coat was tossed onto the nightstand, with his glasses placed on top, and his boots placed neatly beside the bed. Old habits die hard. The blonde hair had fallen out of its ponytail during the night, and some strands had fallen in his face. Floating down closer to their trainer, the Magneton announced, "It's time to wake up!" He shifted in his sleep and woke up a little more easily than Magneto liked. His yellow eyes looked so dull when they glanced up at Magneto; it was like he was waiting for an order to move. "We're getting ready to go, so you need to prepare." He dully nodded and uncurled from his uncomfortable position to sit on the edge of the bed so he could reach his glasses.

Mechanically, like the last few days, he put his glasses on, pulled on his dirty labcoat, buttoned it closed, and put on his boots. While he was moving around, it took him a few moments to realize that something was off, and it took him bending down for his boots to notice the blonde strands falling in his face. Sighing at the inconvenience, he merely pulled the blanket he had been sleeping under to himself so that he could fold it. The blue band that he was using to hold his hair in a ponytail fell out while he was folding the blanket, and he picked it up after he finished his job. He had half a mind to blindly put his hair back up as is, but the part of him that was meticulous and a little vain dictated that maybe he should use the convenient mirror in the room at least. He really didn't want to move though. Sensing his dilemma, Magneto told him, "You're going to be moving eventually, might as well start now." Shoulders falling in defeat, he stood up and walked over to the dresser. He didn't have a brush or anything, so he had to resort to the old trick of running his fingers through his hair to remove any tangles and knots. It wasn't the best method of doing this, but it sufficed, and soon he pulled his hair back into the ponytail he had been wearing since he had allowed it to grow.

"Alright, pick up the blanket and let's go," Magneto ordered. He dutifully obeyed, and followed the Magneton towards Spock, who backed away so that Colress could exit. R2 had finished his job, and after grabbing the blanket Colress was holding and shoving it in the bag first, he started packing their items. It didn't take the Beheeyem long, and soon, they were ready to go. R2 used Psychic to remove the rubble covering Spock's initial entrance into the house, and Magneto nudged the listless scientist forward. Spock and R2 exited first to scout the area, and, sensing nothing, R2 waved Colress and Magneto to follow. The main road of the town dead ended right at the water, and all they had to do was find it. R2 took the lead with Spock and Magneto's Pokeballs in hand, Spock was right behind him, Colress followed if only because Magneto was right behind him and kept nudging him if he tried to slow down. He didn't even have the motivation to run from them if he wanted.

"Why don't you stop trying to figure out that pamphlet and actually bother watching the road?"

"Because you have eyes, Agro, I trust you. Besides..." Inspector Black squinted over the ridge of the paper he was trying to decipher. "There's not much of a road to watch, is there?"

The mare gave an exhausted groan. "But I'm just wandering aimlessly here. If you're not going to direct me, I'm just going to stop and eat while you read."

Black let out a soft, gentle chuckle and pat Agro's shoulder blades. "All right, all right. I'll get off your back." The man shifted on his mount, swinging a leg over the mare's back while still keeping his eyes on the mysterious pamphlet in his hands. He hopped off effortlessly, his landing sturdy on the mossy green terrain. What he was looking at was supposed to be a map of the region they were in, but of course, exposure to the elements and a lack of care had rendered the paper sun bleached and water-damaged. The only reason he'd held onto the paper was because it'd been the only slightly salvageable map he'd found since leaving Opelucid. Frankly, it was the only thing so far that had a chance of telling him where he'd ended up.

Frowning, Black held up the paper closer to his face as Agro began to happily graze behind him. It certainly looked like the part he could generally make out was a possible contender for his actual location, but... He finally looked up and searched his surroundings for a landmark he could really pin down. In the distance was a large, looming mountain-- it fit in the map fairly well. Mount Silver, apparently. And judging from its location as well as the roads they'd just traveled and the city they'd just come through, that would put them... near New Bark. Well, that was certainly a start.

"Psst... Blair," a voice nearby called. The Inspector's head turned to the direction of the whisper, searching for the familiar shape of who owned it. He pocked the pamphlet as his Zoroark's form slowly became visible, his furry, spiky head camouflaged with the surrounding vegetation. The fox nodded for Black to approach, but the lack of any other dialogue meant for silence. Stealthily, Black ducked down and quietly made his way to Pious, crouching on the ground with his pokemon once there. The fox gave another gesture with his head to indicate something ahead; what looked like pokemon and... was that... a person?

Using the scope from the rifle on his back, Black looked closer at the group, his gloved finger resting uneasily on the trigger. If those pokemon were attacking someone else, then he was likely too late. But there were no screams or cries of distress, which was comforting. The scope provided further insight-- the three pokemon, a Beheeyem, Metagross and Magneton were the gentle shepherds to the human. It had said in the pamphlet that this was the designated town for the region's Professor; maybe this was him? Or an assistant?

Black put the rifle down and pet Pious' fluffy head. "None of them look infected, and that guy looks pretty down. Let's see if we can't help them out, huh?" Pious nodded eagerly and bounded after his trainer with ease. Collecting Agro by the reins, Black led her and Pious down the slightly overgrown path toward the group of strangers. Once close enough, he slowed a little, holding up a hand in greeting. "Hello, there!" he called, keeping his voice low enough to not echo beyond the town's limits. His expression was a bright, friendly smile, hoping his uniform wouldn't scare them or cause them to attack. What was he going to do with them, anyway? Arrest them? "Is this New Bark?"

It would be an understatement to say that they hadn't expected anyone else to be there. Especially another human. "Hello, there!" The three Pokemon jerked violently at the voice, and they saw the young man a distance away. He had his arm up in a friendly greeting and a bright smile on his face. "Is this New Bark?" Despite the friendly greeting, it didn't escape Spock's notice that the man had a rifle slung over his shoulder and a Zebstrika and Zoroark out beside him, and he quickly moved himself between his group and the strangers. Magneto stayed hovering near Colress's head, and R2 levitated himself up so that he could see over the Metagross on Colress's other side. During this, Colress turned to acknowledge that he had been spoken to, but didn't do much else. Despite the apparent tension his Pokemon had, he appeared the same, and not even the presence of another survivor seemed to affect him.

R2 realized that if they wanted to talk to this other survivor, then he was going to have to since Colress didn't seem inclined to say anything, Spock could start a fight, and Magneto was focused too hard on making sure Colress stayed standing and semi alert.. There was a chance this guy could be dangerous, but he did have a long range weapon and was trying to speak to them instead of sniping them off one by one. Besides, not many people would be so stupid as to attack a human when their Pokemon were obviously on guard. He warily answered, "We think so. Cherrygrove was the last place we went through." Then he asked back, thinking that maybe this was a Johto native, "Looking for something?"

Black's friendly smile faltered a little when he saw the tension rise between the other members, unsure of whether or not that intimidating Metagross was about to attack or not. He drew closer regardless, as he was fairly sure that they would have attacked already were they planning on it, though Pious and Agro were wary at his side. The man in the middle of the trio of pokemon looked sleepless and haunted, almost ghost-like. Genuine concern crossed the Inspector's features as the Beheeyem took the initiative in giving a reply, even if it was saturated with distrust.

"We think so. Cherrygrove was the last place we went through." Oh, so that was the name of that town? The sign had been gone and the map was bleached in that spot... "Looking for something?"

Black gave a nervous, embarrassed laugh as he patted Agro's side. "My bearings, really," he chuckled, putting his hands on his hips. "I came here from Unova and well... getting around this region has certainly been an experience." His eyes went back to the Psychic type's trainer and worry once more blossomed on the officer's face. "Is... your friend going to be ok?"

The stranger came closer, but he wasn't acting as if he planned to attack. He was even acting friendly. Despite this, Spock stayed in front of the group, and he warily eyed the other Pokemon. The young man nervously laughed at R2's question as he patted his Zebstrika's side and answered, "My bearings, really." Well that shot down their hopes of this person being from the area, and it was further confirmed with what he said next. "I came here from Unova and well... getting around this region has certainly been an experience." At the mention of Unova, Colress actually seemed to focus on the other human. This also caused the three Pokemon to get nervous again; while Colress's involvement with Team Plasma hadn't been broadcasted, anyone who would know would probably react poorly. R2 and Magneto's eyes went to the rifle slung across the stranger's shoulder, and they moved even closer to Colress. The sheer concern in the next question almost threw the three Pokemon. "Is... your friend going to be ok?" They knew Colress looked bad, but they didn't expect a stranger to pick it up so quickly and care.

Despite Colress actually paying attention to what was going on, he didn't say anything. Even though he was being talked about as if he wasn't standing right there. Though all three of them were honestly hoping for a good answer to that question, R2 could only honestly say, "Hell if we know." The Beheeyem looked at Colress to see if he would say or do anything to this amicable stranger, and he sighed and dropped his shoulders when nothing happened.

During this conversation, Colress's had also noticed the rifle, and there was a small part of him wondering just how quickly the other could pull the weapon out to shoot. He had heard the bit about the stranger being from Unova, and that only made him feel worse. He likely had hurt this person either directly or indirectly while in Team Plasma, and here the man was trying to be nice to him and his Pokemon. He was even showing concern. Something Colress knew he didn't deserve, and it made him want to get away. What if he told him who he was? What he did? If the other did have a grudge, it would only be fitting if he died by his hand.

"Hell if we know." The defeated words from the Beheeyem nearly broke Black's heart, his face falling more at the reply. Still, he didn't feel like he was in a place to pry; everyone had their own misfortunes now. Whatever it was, it wasn't his business.

"My condolences," Black offered gently, not wanting to press the issue. The poor man certainly didn't look like being pushed would do him any good. Black stood awkwardly a moment, then cleared his throat. "I, uh, so, this is New Bark, then, you said?" He looked to the dilapidated buildings and let out a long sigh. It must have been a nice, homely little town before the world ended. It reminded him of his own home and its destruction as well. "Have you been here long, then? Were you the professor's assistant or... perhaps are the professor?"

"My condolences," was all the stranger offered. Well, none of them expected much, and he had rightfully guessed that none of them really wanted to go into details. Since the three Pokemon weren't particularly chatty, an awkard pause consumed the group before the stranger tried to keep the conversation going, "I, uh, so, this is New Bark, then, you said?"

R2 nodded and affirmed, "We think so. Everything points to it."

The next question surprised them all. "Have you been here long, then? Were you the professor's assistant or... perhaps are the professor?" The three Pokemon were incredibly confused at that question, and even Colress had a moment of brief confusion. Why would someone think he was the regional professor or somehow associated with them? Then almost simultaneously, R2 and Magneto looked at Colress's attire and remembered one of the crucial details of New Bark Town. It was where... what's his name's, it was probably tree related... lab was located.

Colress almost found the question laughable. How could anyone mistake him for one of the highly esteemed regional professors. Even being one of their assistants would be too respectable for the likes of him. A monster. All of his "greatest achievements" were crimes against humanity, and he even lead his own friends to their deaths. Those that he once called friends had probably made a good call in ditching him; if all he could do was bring death and destruction, he couldn't blame them. Eventually, his morbid amusement bubbled up into a hollow laughter which made R2, Magneto, and Spock freeze in place. Spock was still in his protective stance, but the sound of the broken man laughing sent chills down the Metagross's frame. R2 looked at him with incredible worry, and placed a hand on Colress's shoulder. The touch appeared to snap Colress out of whatever had possessed him, but the three Pokemon had been terribly shaken by the outburst.

Magneto finally stammered out, "Um... No, sorry. We're not from around here either. We just happened to stay here after..." Their voice trailed off as their three eyes wandered back over to Colress; they didn't want to bring up Ariados.

He... laughed?

Black stared as a hollow, almost sick chortle escaped the man before him. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Agro flinch beside him, the disturbing sound unnerving even her. He glanced to her and then down to Pious, who met the officer's worried gaze with his own. Just... what was happening? Were they in danger? Even the stranger's pokemon looked deeply freaked out, exchanging glances with each other. It was then that a possibility occurred to Black, that this man was likely not mentally well and these pokemon, despite looking quite formidable on their own, might be hostages. He steeled himself for such a grim possibility but felt that jumping to conclusions was not the best route here. There was still a large chance that this man was simply wounded and broken, not malicious. He'd just have to wait and see.

Still, there was a pistol on his hip and he was a quick draw.

Finally, the Beheeyem took it upon himself to gently touch the laughing man, which seemed to have snapped him out of his small, weary fit. Shaken, the Magneton addressed Black this time. "Um... No, sorry. We're not from around here either. We just happened to stay here after..." They all looked to what Black could only assume was their trainer, the words trailing into the air. He cleared his throat again, the tension in the air starting to get a little too thick for his liking.

"Well, uh..." he began, his eyes lingering on the man a moment before turning to Agro and her saddlebags. "That's all right. No need to worry. In any case, I'm simply glad to have found fellow survivors; I haven't come across many that weren't trying to kill or rob me. Are you hungry? Thirsty? I have some things I can spare." He rustled in the bag a moment before pulling out a granola bar, still wrapped in its heavy plastic. He turned back to the pokemon and their haunted trainer, holding it out to them. "Please, take it. It's not much, but... it's something and the sugar would help you travel. I have plenty."

Colress's laughing fit had also unnerved the stranger and his Pokemon, but he bravely forged onward, "Well, uh..." Then he turned to his Zebstrika and the bags she was carrying to start rummaging through them, and he filled the silence with his own voice. "That's all right. No need to worry. In any case, I'm simply glad to have found fellow survivors; I haven't come across many that weren't trying to kill or rob me. Are you hungry? Thirsty? I have some things I can spare." That would explain why he didn't just excuse himself after the scientist had just revealed that he was very much mentally unwell. The poor man must have been lonely. Then he pulled out a granola bar that was still wrapped in plastic and offered it to them, "Please, take it. It's not much, but... it's something and the sugar would help you travel. I have plenty."

They all looked sadly at the food being offered to them, They were actually doing okay on food, all things considered. The problem was Colress simply couldn't or wouldn't eat since the attack, and though R2 had tried to make him, it still wasn't much. "Uh... Thanks," the Beheyem muttered. He floated from his position beside Colress, and  while the Beheeyem was no longer safe behind the Metagross, Spock intensely eyed the others. If any of them tried to make a move that indicated attack, he would be on them in an instant. R2 accepted the bar with his hands, and once again, he put the Pokeballs he was holding onto into a Psychic hold beside his head. After he went back to Colress, the new challenge started. Would Colress eat if someone other than his Pokemon offered food?

"Uh... Thanks."

The disheartened tone of the psychic type only caused Black to worry more for the pokemon and their human, even as the Beheeyem floated over and gently took the offered bar with his little hands. The Inspector watched in dismay as the pokemon slowly went to the other trainer and offered the bar, though it didn't look like he would take it. Black suddenly got the distinct feeling that this wasn't the first time the thin man had declined food, and he immediately felt responsible for likely only adding to their tension. Swallowing his anxiety, he scratched the back of his neck as he weighed his options.

He was here to help, after all. He was still an officer, even if there wasn't a higher government anymore. And that took precedence over any nervousness he may have had. When the other man didn't move to take the food, Black cleared his throat and leaned forward a little, but didn't actually approach; he didn't want to anger the obviously defensive Metagross. "Sir," he began gently. "Please, eat. You're making your pokemon sad."