The LUMIOSE Team (PLOT)

Looker nodded along with their logic before speaking up, "Agreed.  Hopefully they'll move on.  I assume they're not usually very persistent? You wouldn't happen to know anything about them, would you?  I doubt they're anyone from my past but it can't hurt to consider the possibility..."

Vitaly crossed his arms as he tried to think before saying in an unsure tone, "Well... It kinda depends? Sometimes they'll give up after a few minutes, and sometimes it takes an hour."

"Well, considering what happened the first time, I wouldn't chase after us for a long time either," Elise cheerily had to give her two cents. She looked like she was ready to tell a story, but instead continued to drag the suspense, "They probably figured afterwards that if they didn't get us on the first drop, then it would just be a repeat of that." She also sent a not so subtle cheeky smile in Vi's direction.

Her grin only grew wider when he reacted as she expected, "It wasn't that impressive. It's probably related to not wanting to waste resources and time on one person with six Pokemon." He was obviously trying to downplay the event, even though Elise thought it was one of the greatest things they'd pulled since living out here.

She insisted, "Because you made their lives hell, and you didn't even have to kill any of them to make them give up."

Drizzt had enough of the vague disagreement and finally decided to explain to Looker, "Basically, they chased us from one side of the city to the other, and we laid some of the most obnoxious traps ever. I think Jozan likened it to some movie? "House Isolated?" or something but on the move instead of in one building."

Elise appeared mildly put out that the Weavile had gotten to explain, so she didn't waste her opportunity to correct him, "Home Alone. And you left out that this went on for hours."

"ANYWAY," Vi loudly interrupted. "They can be sort of persistent, but they don't bother with me if they can't keep me in their sights. Though that also means that each time I'm spotted, I think they get more determined to kill me. So... yeah... They don't like me very much..." The mild embarrasment of Elise's praise had derailed Vi's train of thought, and he wasn't sure how to proceed now that the first question had been somewhat answered.

Thankfully, Lidda hadn't forgotten in the chaos, and she prompted, "I don't think we know much about these people."

Grateful for the tangent, Vi rambled, "Other than we're pretty sure they used to be locals here. That or they started living here after the epidemic started, but claimed it before we got here. We have heard them use the same names of buildings that Lidda's told us, so I'd guess the former." As he spoke, his voice became more certain in what he said. Remembering his earlier thought, he had a serious expression as he met Looker's gaze, "I really hope that if anyone knows you in this group, that their association with you is friendly.  But... considering some of the things we've heard about them doing.... I almost hope you don't have any association with them."

"What do you propose?" Miranda made her way back to Scout, wringing the strap of her bag with her pale, delicate hands. "Shall we go take a look and see if they are hostile? Or should we try and move Mr. Don somewhere else while he's still semi-functional?" Scout flicked an ear to her trainer as he adjusted and slid to sit more on the floor than her. It seemed he anticipated her leaving his side... Still, her large eyes stayed on the nervous girl. "I don't know what to do Scout... I know this city like the back of my hand but that won't help us if they have weapons that can strike us before we make it out of the door."

"Stop fretting so much," Giovanni chuckled softly, gently chiding his ward. Scout turned to quirk a brow at him, waiting for him to expand. "That would be a good first step." Scout lightly knocked the large, blunt portion of her stinger against the top of his head in silent admonishment.

"She asked me, not you," she chided, then turned back to Miranda as Giovanni chuckled in loopy amusement. "Reconnaissance is always essential for any infiltration. We should find the stairs and listen through the stairwell. Barring that, we could shimmy up the elevator shaft over there." She nodded to a pair of twin metal doors, left somewhat ajar from some unknown previous encounter. "Though prying them open would likely be loud enough for whoever is above us to hear."

"She asked me, not you." Scout's almost sisterly way of scolding her trainer helped ease Miranda's tension, a small smile tugging at her face as Giovanni laughed. "Reconnaissance is always essential for any infiltration. We should find the stairs and listen through the stairwell. Barring that, we could shimmy up the elevator shaft over there." As the Gliscor nodded towards the twin doors loosely barring the entry to what once used to be the elevator service Miranda couldn't help but immediately feel her stomach plunge at the thought of going in there. "Though prying them open would likely be loud enough for whoever is above us to hear." Good. That meant it was a bad idea and she wouldn't have to do it.

"I'd rather not...then. If you don't mind that is. I would hate to attract anything else awful while trying to help Mr. Don." Her words were sloppy, very unlike the petite teen, but after this one movie about people stuck on an elevator and then a bunch of them dying she had never been comfortable in the tiny metal boxes ever again. Stairs were her preferred method from then on. "I would be happier trying to investigate from the stairwells. I know I saw one back that way, where I was before you mentioned hearing voices. Do you think you could hear better from there?"

Vitaly folded his arms across his chest, considering the question. "Well... It kinda depends? Sometimes they'll give up after a few minutes, and sometimes it takes an hour."

"Well, considering what happened the first time, I wouldn't chase after us for a long time either," The bird was certainly cheerful. Looker moved his gaze to her, curiosity widening his eyes a little as he tilts his head. She, however, was more content to tease around the issue.  "They probably figured afterwards that if they didn't get us on the first drop, then it would just be a repeat of that."

"It wasn't that impressive. It's probably related to not wanting to waste resources and time on one person with six Pokemon." Yes, that was indeed a good decision. How had he done it?

"Because you made their lives hell, and you didn't even have to kill any of them to make them give up."  Not killing is... even better. Looker couldn't help but shudder a little at the memory of how the last time went.

He perked back up a little as Drizzt deecided to finally explain what happened. "Basically, they chased us from one side of the city to the other, and we laid some of the most obnoxious traps ever. I think Jozan likened it to some movie? "House Isolated?" or something but on the move instead of in one building."

Movie? But aren't movies unrealistic? "Home Alone. And you left out that this went on for hours."

Hours? Maybe not so unrealistic after all. The opportunities to watch much of anything on television while being a homeless amnesic weren't many.

"ANYWAY," the other man cut in. "They can be sort of persistent, but they don't bother with me if they can't keep me in their sights. Though that also means that each time I'm spotted, I think they get more determined to kill me. So... yeah... They don't like me very much..."

Lidda returned everyone to the original question. "I don't think we know much about these people."

Vi did have some information to add, thankfully. "Other than we're pretty sure they used to be locals here. That or they started living here after the epidemic started, but claimed it before we got here. We have heard them use the same names of buildings that Lidda's told us, so I'd guess the former."

He paused for just a moment before fixing Looker with a steady gaze. "I really hope that if anyone knows you in this group, that their association with you is friendly.  But... considering some of the things we've heard about them doing.... I almost hope you don't have any association with them."

"I... sincerely hope I don't." They sounded like exactly the kind of people he prayed he hadn't been like before.

A chilling thought occurred to him.

I... could have been a criminal... It wouldn't explain the coat or The Looker Bureau, but...

Being a career criminal before the end of the world would certainly count as a risky occupation...

Something about what Vi had just said unnerved Looker, "I... sincerely hope I don't." Vi eyed the man as he contemplated potential reasons. Maybe he thought that if he did have any affiliations with the locals, then Vi and his Pokemon would ditch him? It was a logical conclusion, and he did suddenly realize that that could be a problem. Looker surely didn't know right now, but there was the possibility that Looker being affiliated with them could cause problems. If one of the locals did know Looker and vice versa, there was also the potential of Looker's memories coming back and finding out... what? Would Looker turn on him? Or would the person even care that they used to know him? He wouldn't blame Looker desperately wanting to talk to this person that knew him as he was before. Though it was also possible that even if this theoretical person recognized him, that he might not recognize them back. There were so many variables depending on this potential connection that might not exist. While Vitaly was thinking, his fingers started tapping on his arms, and it was clear that he was focusing intensely on a mental puzzle.

"We'll cross that bridge if we get there," Elise interrupted Vi's thoughts. Her attitude was much more laid back on the whole matter, and spending time worrying too much over what ifs was not her forte. "Hate to say it, but even if they do know you, they probably don't care anymore. You've been away for who knows how long, and they are territorial as fuck." She nodded at the standing humans and Pokemon before saying, "If we're here for a while, might as well relax. Take a load off your feet." She finished this off by stalking towards a corner, sitting down, and making herself comfortable.

Vitaly, however couldn't let the matter rest completely; he wasn't sure why Looker had seemed so nervous at what he had said. "That wasn't supposed to be a warning, you know? If someone does happen to recognize you, we aren't going to just up and leave you. For all we know, that could mean they want to hurt you more." He was trying to ease any fears Looker had about them, but it was debatable if it would work or not. There were a few cases in which abandoning Looker could happen, but that would involve Looker turning on them first. Hopefully that was just a potential, and not a thing that would actually happen.

"I'd rather not...then. If you don't mind that is. I would hate to attract anything else awful while trying to help Mr. Don." Scout nodded, flicking an ear back to her trainer. Giovanni was more or less dozing, his breathing slow and shallow. She flicked the ear back to focus on Miranda. "I would be happier trying to investigate from the stairwells. I know I saw one back that way, where I was before you mentioned hearing voices. Do you think you could hear better from there?"

Scout nodded, scuttling her way to the door. She carefully prodded it open with a large claw, then pushed her way through, momentarily holding it open for Miranda. Once through, they carefully ascended the stair and Scout heard the voices a little clearer. However, upon reaching the landing, she frowned at the door that blocked them.

"This is a fire door," she whispered into Miranda's ear. "Heavy. I still can only hear sounds, not words. We'll have to open it to actually hear." Scout listened for a moment, frowning. She could hear things, but... Ugh. She was far more used to scaling walls and listening on the outside. All these close walls made everything bounce and echo; she couldn't tell where anyone was or how many people were actually in there. Everything was a murky, dark soup. It was infuriating.

She looked to the girl and nodded, readying herself to listen and gather information. Miranda took the knob and pushed--
"...oing to just up and leave you. For all we know, that could mean they want to hurt you more."

Creeeeaaaaaak

Scout hissed and pushed the girl's hand away, the door falling closed again. "Back! Get his gun! Down the stair!" she barked at Miranda, turning and facing the door as she slowly retreated. Unfortunately, she was trained and built for endurance battles. The small whiff of air gave her enough information to know that an outright fight would not be something she could win: two humans, a Talonflame, a Weavile and a Greninja. Her entire team would have trouble with two of those.

She fled back down after Miranda, taking position in front of Giovanni. Her trainer was awake again, gun already in hand. "Found something, did you?"

Scout's decision was made quickly as the pair left a slumbering Giovanni and quietly rushed to the stairwell. The Gliscor was polite enough to hold the door for her and Miranda gave her a sweet smile before tiptoeing up the uniform steps as softly as she could manage. Having cloth flats was good for keeping your footsteps quiet, at least.

As they reached the next level, however, Scout stopped her and stared at the doorway blocking their entrance to the third floor. "This is a fire door," Scout whispered harshly, almost as if she were angry at the obstacle. "Heavy. I still can only hear sounds, not words. We'll have to open it to actually hear." Miranda swallowed her fear and nodded slowly. She knew that fire doors were typically set to an alarm and she wasn't sure if the power was out to the whole city or just certain parts. And weren't fire systems typically on backups? What if the building still had enough juice to trigger the alarm from her jostling the door?

Pushing away her doubts Miranda lay her small hands on the large bar that crossed the width of the door and began pushing slowly, the hollow sound of the metal shaft sliding into place shattering the silence around the pair. She paused for a moment, afraid that the sound could have alerted anyone on the other side, but Scout merely nodded for her to continue, so she did. The bar clicked firmly into place and she felt the door begin to give way without the latch to hold it in place, she pushed it open slowly to reveal the frighteningly close sound of someone speaking.

"...oing to just up and leave you. For all we know, that could mean they want to hurt you more."

Miranda was so shocked to hear them so near the door that she chanced pushing it open further and instantly regretted the action. The door had not been used or maintained in so long that the hinges practically shrieked and both Miranda and Scout panicked. The Gliscor hissed and quickly pushed her away from the door, it all but slamming shut due to its weight. "Back! Get his gun! Down the stair!" the command was all the small teen needed to bolt back down the stairs and to Giovanni's side.

"Mr. Don! They're right..." but he must have either heard them coming or had a sixth sense for danger because he was already up and pulling out his weapon. She planted herself at his wounded side and offered herself as a crutch for him to sit up if he needed it, all the while muttering her apologies. "I'm sorry...it's all my fault..." Scout was before them in moments and took a position in front to guard her trainer as he himself aimed his gun at whoever might follow.

"Found something, did you?" he mused, Miranda envious of his calm demeanor. "They were right behind the door of the stairwell, there was no way to avoid them. If I hadn't pushed the door so far maybe...I'm so sorry..." She hid her head behind his shoulder, lying to herself that if she couldn't see their pursuer that maybe they weren't there. She didn't want to face the thought that she may have killed them both.

There was silence for a few moments as each man contemplated their own thoughts, but it wasn't long before Elise interupted both of their silent, one-sided conversations with themselves.

"We'll cross that bridge if we get there." There was something so final about the way she phrased it that Looker felt a small bit of weight rise from his shoulders. "Hate to say it, but even if they do know you, they probably don't care anymore. You've been away for who knows how long, and they are territorial as fuck."

That's... something of an uncomfortable thought. Something he also didn't consider: the people he left behind may no longer want him. Though their description of these people so far made Looker sincerely hope he had no affiliation with them, this brand new idea that he may no longer be welcome with whoever he once new makes his stomach twist a little.

"If we're here for a while, might as well relax. Take a load off your feet." She settled down in a corner, but though he looks back at the high backed chair at the desk, sitting in it felt a lot less appealing than it did before, somehow..

"That wasn't supposed to be a warning, you know?," Vi added, making Looker glance back over to him. "If someone does happen to recognize you, we aren't going to just up and leave you. For all we know, that could mean they want to hurt you more."

That was also very true. But there was no more time to contemplate anything, because that was when the door gave an ungodly shriek of protest at being moved.

Looker's eyes widened at the glimpse of pink and yellow and human standing there before something else colored purple and black pulled her back, letting the door slam shut.

Within seconds his gun was drawn, but he hesitated, glancing at Vi.

"I think that may have been a teenager," he said slowly, approaching the door and moving to stand flush against the wall. He waited until Vi was out of the way of the door so that nothing could kill him straight away after opening it before pulling it open and aiming his gun.

Nothing.

He wait for a look of confirmation from Vi before starting down the stairs, gun out but down. Checking top to bottom felt smartest, so he waited until Vi was safely out of the range of anyone who could kill him immediately upon opening the door before he opened the firedoor. He held it like a shield as he moved to pull the door open completely, so that his back was against the wall and gunfire would pepper the empty air immediately outside the door.

"Hello? We don't want any trouble, but we have to make sure you don't, either. Are you hurt? Did you need help?" Offering an olive branch right off the bat might not do anything, but it's worth a try, at least.

The door's loud creak prevented the party from relaxing, and Vi immediately jumped to the hing side of the door with his gun pulled. He thought he saw a flash of yellow and pink before something purple and black hid it and let the door slam shut. Drizzt was at Vi's side instantly and muttered, "Gliscor." What was a Gliscor doing inside? Was the yellow and pink thing a human? Either way, he quickly pulled Elise's Pokeball and returned the bird for safety. Using the fire bird in a fight while inside a building would be a bad idea. Lidda, lacking Vi and Drizzt's instincts had simply frozen where she stood, and he quickly returned the shiny as well. The Weavile had also used Hone Claws as he prepared for a potential ambush.

Looker moved with the same speed Vi did in pulling out his pistol, and then he slowly approached the door and said, "I think that may have been a teenager." He stood against the wall next to the door before pulling it open slowly and pointing his gun into the dark stairwell. Everything the man did indicated a deep seated knowledge of how these things worked, and Vi added that to the list of reasons why he felt Looker must have been a cop. Maybe a convict or those who dealt with shady business? But they usually didn't care as much about their partners getting caught in the crossfire. Looker gave him a questioning look as if asking if they should go, and Vi nodded in response. They needed to know if this was going to be a threat. Though if there was a teenager involved... maybe not. He just hoped that the teenager wasn't a messenger or searcher from the locals.

The dark stairwell gave no answers, but they stopped at the second floor. Drizzt seemed to think this was where they stopped and used Hone Claws again. Fights often depended on a single shot and he wasn't going to miss. The three stood where the door would shield them from gunfire, and Looker slowly opened the door. He was peaceful, "Hello? We don't want any trouble, but we have to make sure you don't, either. Are you hurt? Did you need help?" Vi still kept his gun ready to shoot, but he was hoping that he wouldn't need it.

Drizzt's feathery ears lifted up as he caught a strong whiff of blood, and Vi noticed the movement. The Weavile was still poised for attack, but if one of them was that injured then maybe they could make a peace offering instead. Drizzt quietly informed Looker and Vi, "I smell a lot of blood..."

Scout placed herself in front of the two humans, facing the door. She could build a couple of Swords Dances and be sure she could take out at least one of those pokemon, but it didn't answer what the hell she was going to do about the humans, who might have had full teams of their own. "They were right behind the door of the stairwell, there was no way to avoid them. If I hadn't pushed the door so far maybe...I'm so sorry..."

To Scout's alarm, Giovanni just laughed off the danger. Oh, he had to be loopy now. "Well, I'm sure we can simply talk things out, Miss LeClair. This is Kalos after all-- the origin of manners!"

The Gliscor growled to herself and turned to Miranda, who was likely now just pissing herself in fear, what with Giovanni reduced to little more than a delusional moron. "Keep your Aegislash in front of you. Take Giovanni's gun from him-- he won't be able to shoot in his state."

"Well, that's rude of you."

"Be quiet," Scout snapped, then turned back to Miranda. "Have him ready a King's Shield. It should protect against the bullets--"

"Hello?" Scout flinched and her head swiveled to the door. She hadn't expected them to speak. "We don't want any trouble, but we have to make sure you don't, either. Are you hurt? Did you need help?"

"Well," Giovanni drukenly called back, "I did get shot by some rather crass brutes in the streets-- you wouldn't happen to be a part of them, would you? Very... very irate fellows. If you are, then that would... be unfortunate. You seem like a decent enough disembodied voice."

Miranda was beyond nervous as the sound of rapidly pursuing footsteps drew near, inching herself more and more to Giovanni's side as they approached. But what scared the young girl most wasn't that they were about to be caught, it was her companion's suddenly jovial demeanor. "Well, I'm sure we can simply talk things out, Miss LeClair. This is Kalos after all-- the origin of manners!" Wh-what? "Mr. Don...are you alright?" But the man beside her was all giggles and no information. Well now what was she supposed to do?

"Keep your Aegislash in front of you. Take Giovanni's gun from him-- he won't be able to shoot in his state." Scout's orders made Miranda even more nervous, her hands shaking as they tried to pull the gun away from its master. At this point Durandal made his irritation known by using his tassled hand to whip hers away, not wanting his young charge to accidentally shoot herself in the head trying to fumble for a loaded weapon, and took up position in front of her. She whimpered but meekly complied to the ghost's wishes and stopped trying to pull away the gun from Giovanni, instead merely kept her hand placed over his so he could no longer raise it and endanger any of them.

His body began to glow with King's Shield even before Scout spoke and when their attackers made themselves known he was ready for anything. "Hello?" Anything except that. Where they friendly perhaps? Giovanni was the first friendly character he and Miranda had met since Edmond died so if they were it would be a nice change of pace. "We don't want any trouble, but we have to make sure you don't, either. Are you hurt? Did you need help?"

"Well, I did get shot by some rather crass brutes in the streets-- you wouldn't happen to be a part of them, would you? Very... very irate fellows. If you are, then that would... be unfortunate. You seem like a decent enough disembodied voice." If he had physical hands or a face they would have met dramatically at such a retort. This human was clearly dazed from blood loss and all his charge could do was shush him desperately.

"Of all the-Miranda!" Durandal's heavy french accent boomed over Giovanni's delusional humor. "Keep him quiet before he gets you killed. I'll not have a return to our previous conditions if I can help it." He never budged a millimeter from his position, not even to shift his single eye to his peripheral as he addressed his charge. His entire focus was on the possible threat before them and he would not be moved until the threat was resolved. Miranda simply complied with her father's Aegislash and did her best to soothe Giovanni's strange new behavior so that their pokemon could handle the situation. Hopefully without incident.

"Whoever you are be warned, I will not hesitate to protect these people even at the expense of my life. This is your only chance to tell me now if you mean any harm. If you say nothing, and step even one toe beyond that threshold without announcing your intentions, I will assume you a threat and will attack to kill. This is your only warning, so choose well." So much for without incident.

"I smell a lot of blood..."

That was never something he wanted to hear. Ever. He remained flush to the wall, gun drawn, insisted twisting with worry. Who was bleeding and why?

"Well, I did get shot by some rather crass brutes in the streets-- you wouldn't happen to be a part of them, would you? Very... very irate fellows." Oh. Well, now they knew who was injured. This man sounded completely off his rocker. "If you are, then that would... be unfortunate. You seem like a decent enough disembodied voice."

Definitely delusional from blood loss. He needed treatment now.

"Of all the-Miranda!" A voice thundered out right over any more rambling from the injured man. "Keep him quiet before he gets you killed. I'll not have a return to our previous conditions if I can help it."

There was shuffling inside the room. Looker tensed.

"Whoever you are be warned, I will not hesitate to protect these people even at the expense of my life. This is your only chance to tell me now if you mean any harm. If you say nothing, and step even one toe beyond that threshold without announcing your intentions, I will assume you a threat and will attack to kill. This is your only warning, so choose well."

"We aren't here to hurt anybody. Your- human-?" he said, taking a wild guess at which human this Pokemon called their partner, "-startled us by coming in unannounced. There was some trouble here with the locals; as your friend there can attest to, they're not very... friendly. We were just worried you were one of them, that's all. We'd like to help your wounded, if you have any."

Though it was obvious they had at least one person injured, people tended to feel better if you allows them to decide what information they disclosed. Giving them the feeling of choice could calm them down.

"One of you is a teenager, I think? I'm not about to shoot a child. She has nothing to fear from us. I'd offer to help if you're lost but I'm... probably just as lost." His voice trails off, sheepish.

Kind of embarrassing to admit that, but again, it might help them lower their guard. Generally, people don't admit mildly embarrassing facts before murdering you.

Now... would they believe them?

The first voice to respond was a man's, and the rambling answer worried Vitaly. "Well, I did get shot by some rather crass brutes in the streets-- you wouldn't happen to be a part of them, would you? Very... very irate fellows. If you are, then that would... be unfortunate. You seem like a decent enough disembodied voice." The man sounded loopy, and if Drizzt was correct, then it was likely this man that was bleeding. A lot. And given what he had said, it was likely that Vitaly and his team had accidentally lead the hostiles straight to him. The realization caused him to grit his teeth in guilt, and he hoped that they could end this stand off soon. Jozan was a good healer despite not having hands, but he couldn't bring back the dead.

A different, accent-laden voice boomed over anything else the man could say,"Of all the-Miranda!" Wait, maybe that was the teenager? The Pokemon's voice continued, "Keep him quiet before he gets you killed. I'll not have a return to our previous conditions if I can help it." The pokemon sounded far more in charge of this situation, and it was clear that he was fiercely protective of this Miranda. "Whoever you are be warned, I will not hesitate to protect these people even at the expense of my life. This is your only chance to tell me now if you mean any harm. If you say nothing, and step even one toe beyond that threshold without announcing your intentions, I will assume you a threat and will attack to kill. This is your only warning, so choose well." Good thing they were still standing away from the door in that case.

"Aegislash," Drizzt quietly confirmed that this was different from the Gliscor he smelled earlier. It was highly likely that the Gliscor was hanging around in there too, so they would need to tread carefully.

Looker took the initiative and tried to placate the rightfully nervous group,  "We aren't here to hurt anybody. Your- human-? -startled us by coming in unannounced. There was some trouble here with the locals; as your friend there can attest to, they're not very... friendly. We were just worried you were one of them, that's all. We'd like to help your wounded, if you have any. One of you is a teenager, I think? I'm not about to shoot a child. She has nothing to fear from us. I'd offer to help if you're lost but I'm... probably just as lost." His voice trailed at the embarrassing admission, but Vi had a feeling he knew what Looker was doing. The man was trying to make sure they were comfortable with them. He wasn't sure if he should contribute, but remaining silent could do more damage than mumbling over words.

He offered nervously, "I have a Pokemon that can heal your injured, if that helps any?" He was grateful that he had put Jozan away earlier; they would have had to hold the Chikorita down from just bolting straight towards someone who was obviously injured. Jozan was a healer through and through, and sometimes he forgot that people were trigger happy now and wouldn't appreciate anything moving too quickly towards them.

Though his own pokemon had ordered Miranda to take his gun, Giovanni frowned as she feebly attempted to obey. His gun. "Of all the-Miranda!" A strap of cloth slapped the young woman's head away, which was rather surprising. He clutched the gun back to his chest and leaned back as far as could against Scout to gaze upside-down at the far door. "Keep him quiet before he gets you killed. I'll not have a return to our previous conditions if I can help it."

"What the hell did I do?" Giovanni sulked, glancing in what could have been a pout toward the angry ghost sword. "Very rude."

"Whoever you are be warned, I will not hesitate to protect these people even at the expense of my life. This is your only chance to tell me now if you mean any harm. If you say nothing, and step even one toe beyond that threshold without announcing your intentions, I will assume you a threat and will attack to kill. This is your only warning, so choose well." Scout felt no need to add on, as Durandal seemed to have the situation. Thank god.

"Aegislash," came a soft voice, causing her ears to twitch forward. Could that have been the Weavile she'd glimpsed earlier? It would make sense for it to be able to sniff them out.

Another voice soon spoke after, and Scout was almost taken aback with how gentle it sounded. "We aren't here to hurt anybody. Your- human-? -startled us by coming in unannounced. There was some trouble here with the locals; as your friend there can attest to, they're not very... friendly. We were just worried you were one of them, that's all. We'd like to help your wounded, if you have any. One of you is a teenager, I think? I'm not about to shoot a child. She has nothing to fear from us. I'd offer to help if you're lost but I'm... probably just as lost." Her eyes narrowed; he sounded too gentle for her instincts to not raise alarms. Maybe he was simply a terrific actor. Her large eyes glanced back to her trainer; damn him. Of all the times to get shot...

A voice likely belonging to the other human spoke then. "I have a Pokemon that can heal your injured, if that helps any?" Scout glanced to the hardy ghost beside her; it felt too good to be true. Then again, much of her time in the apocalypse spent with her trainer was like that. If they had been unlucky enough to stumble across a hostile community, then it would only be her trainer's uncanny luck to find the only friendly people within it. However, their time to deliberate cut short as she felt the pressure against her back lessen and slide off. She turned in time to see Giovanni slump face-down onto the floor, revealing nearly his entire back soaked in blood. He must have popped a stitch and not noticed...

"Shit!" she cursed, looking back to Durandal. "Shield her if you want, but I can't risk refusing." She turned to the door and bounded for it. "I'm opening the door-- if you are to heal him, act quickly!" She threw it open, backing away from it on all fours. Her eyes glanced to each of them in turn, then nodded to Giovanni's unconscious form. "Please!"

Durandal heard a harsh whisper of his species hiss from beyond the door and it made the already protective spirit all the more anxious to do battle. Whatever, or whomever, lay beyond the threshold of the stairwell was going to regret ever setting foot past it if they did not declare their intentions. "We aren't here to hurt anybody. Your- human-?" Durandal's stance did not change but he did lower himself slightly as the timid voice called out.

"-startled us by coming in unannounced. There was some trouble here with the locals; as your friend there can attest to, they're not very... friendly. We were just worried you were one of them, that's all. We'd like to help your wounded, if you have any." If this man was to be believed it would seem they had each run afoul of the local community, which could bode well for his young charge. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, no? And they did have an injured man lying not five feet from where he hovered.

"One of you is a teenager, I think? I'm not about to shoot a child. She has nothing to fear from us. I'd offer to help if you're lost but I'm... probably just as lost." Lost? How could one be lost in such a city? Its streets were uniform and circular, all points leading to the same center. How did one get 'lost'? He was about to question the strange comment when a second voice rang out from beyond his sight. "I have a Pokemon that can heal your injured, if that helps any?"

Miranda looked at Gio, resting limply on his Gliscor, and dared a chance to speak as her father's Aegislash stood at her defense. "A healer would be most- OH DEAR GODS!!" Before she could even finish her sentence Giovanni slumped forward coldly, his unconscious form falling to the floor and revealing the copious amount of blood soaking the back of his shirt. The very sight had the young teen screaming in terror, a sound worthy of any horror film put out in the last twenty years, and falling to her knees to try and catch him.

At this point Durandal could no longer stare at the doorway and immediately went to his trainer's side, but she was too distraught to listen to his soft words. She pulled at Giovanni so his face was no longer pressed into the cold tile and cradled his limp form against her own, tears streaming down her face as she began to apologize in multiple languages, but for the most part she was lost to babbling in French about how his condition was her doing. "Shield her if you want, but I can't risk refusing." Durandal could find no other option as he put himself before the fallen pair, waiting for Scout's next action. In his shield form he was of no comfort to the sobbing teen.

A pop, followed by a bright light, emanated from Miranda's bag and the white rays spilled out as a soft jingling sounded from inside. The flap shifted and wiggled as a silver ring poked out from beneath the green fabric and wiggled until it was free of the confining space. It was a small Klefki, and it looked around in confusion for a moment before spotting his weeping trainer and rushing over to her. He had heard her screams even in the echo of his pokeball and could not leave himself to wonder her fate, so he forced his way through to this side and did what he could to calm his best friend. The soft clinking of his keys as he cuddled under her chin, catching the stray tears that fell there, helped calm the quivering young girl as she hugged her bleeding companion to her.

"I'm opening the door-- if you are to heal him, act quickly!" With Esmé comforting Miranda the Aegislash felt confidant in his ability to protect the two humans if Scout's gamble fell through, quickly raising up another King's Shield just in case they were attacked. But for their sake he hoped they would prove friendly. Giovanni's sake....and Miranda's.

"I have a Pokemon that can heal your injured, if that helps any?" Oh, he did? Thank goodness. A tiny bit of relief bloomed inside him. Hopefully, it would be enough. There was no way to access the damage or the pokemon's ability to repair it from on the other side of a door.

"A healer would be most- OH DEAR GODS!!" The girl cut herself off with her own shriek, Looker almost missing the loud thump in the noise. He looked at Vi, trying to keep control of the situation.

"Please, if we're going to do anything to help you, we need access to this room!"

One of its other occupiants wasn't waiting any longer. "Shield her if you want, but I can't risk refusing."

There was a pop and jangling. Oh... the key pokemon? What was that one doing out? Maybe to comfort the crying teenager? Her tears tugged on his heartstrings.

"I'm opening the door-- if you are to heal him, act quickly!" The door flung open and Looker hesitated, waiting for the healing Pokemon to be sent in first-- a grown human with a weapon would only frighten those inside, and that could prove fatal to nearly all of them. Entering before the healer wasn't an option, and he waited to see if Vi would move forward before sending his Pokemon in.

(If Vi tries to venture inside before sending his healer in, Looker will stop him by grabbing his arm and shaking his head, telling him to send the healer in first.)

There was a pause, as the group considered his offer, and a young female voice answered,"A healer would be most- OH DEAR GODS!!" The voice escalated into a high pitched scream which set Vitaly on high alert. His first instinct was to slam the door open, but with Looker between him and the door, he had to hold himself still. He also started worrying that they would be heard at this rate; the windows on this floor had been busted out like the first floor's. He noticed Looker's glance, but he wasn't sure what the man was expecting. They needed to get this settled now, and with that thought in mind, he pulled out Jozan's pokeball.

Looker pleaded, "Please, if we're going to do anything to help you, we need access to this room!"

Vitaly released the Chikorita from his pokeball, and the small dinosaur looked at him with wide-eyed confusion. He hadn't expected to come back out so soon, but it only took hearing the sobbing teen on the other side of the door to figure out something was wrong. If not for Drizzt grabbing him, Jozan would have bolted for the doorway right then. He struggled in the Weavile's grasp, but the much higher leveled Pokemon refused to let go. They didn't know if it was safe yet, and like hell he was going to let the weaker Pokemon get killed because of a misunderstanding.

"What the hell? Someone's hurt!"

"We can't just bust in there."

The other group's mind must have been made up because of desperation, for another voice urgently spoke up, "Shield her if you want, but I can't risk refusing." To them, the voice explained, "I'm opening the door-- if you are to heal him, act quickly!" The Gliscor from earlier gave them all a look before nodding to her downed companion being cradled in the teenage girl's arms, "Please!"

At the pleading tone, Jozan struggled harder in Drizzt's grip, but this time, the Weavile released him. As soon as the Chikorita was free, he bolted towards the open door with complete disregard for caution or safety. As much as Vitaly hated not going in ahead of the reckless Pokemon, the glance Looker gave him indicated that they had to do this, and he knew Looker was right. Either of them could scare the Pokemon into attacking if they couldn't see the promised healer first. All he could do was tell Jozan, "Tell them what you are before approaching."  With the door open, he thought he could hear the jingle of keys, and for a moment, he was confused as to what would be causing it. Then he remembered that Kalos had a native Pokemon that was basically a living keyring.

Heeding Vi's advice, Jozan paused at the entryway to announce, "I'm a healer!" He glanced around the room to take stock of where everyone was, and it didn't take long to find the source of the crying. An Aegislash was guarding a young girl who was cradling a much larger man, and then he saw why he had been called out. The man was unconscious, and his previously white shirt was stained a bright red. Jozan quickly ran towards the pair with his front feet already starting to glow a faint pink. Thankfully, the Aegislash allowed him to pass by, and as soon as he could, he placed his front limbs on the man and used Heal Pulse. For a second, he feared he might have been too late, but after a few seconds, the bleeding began to slow as the flesh knitted together, and the hole started closing.

((Giovanni, I'm letting you decide how much this actually heals you.))

Scout hadn't really expected a Chikorita to burst out of the stairway, but she wasn't in a position to complain. "I'm a healer!" he shouted, immediately spotting her unconscious trainer and his wailing ward. Scout moved to Giovanni's side as the small grass type shot a Heal Pulse at her trainer.

She wasn't completely sure how much the attack would affect him, but a few moments after the attack hit, he gave a small groan. Scout used her large pincer to shove the bloodstained shirt up to expose the wound on his chest, eager to see what damage remained. The gunshot hole looked as if it had been cauterized, Properly sealed, but scarred and fresh. Scout breathed a sigh of relief and gave a nod of thanks to the Chikorita. "We're... in your debt... Thank you." She looked toward the stair, watching it carefully. "Your trainer...?"

Her ears felt as though a river were rushing by her head, the deafening roar making the world fall silent as she wept for the man in her arms. The hot crimson soaking from his shirt into her leggings and making them stick wetly to her legs an eerie reminder of how she had lost her father not so very long ago. And she was just as helpless now as she had been then. Miranda's sobs had quieted but her shudders grew ever more violent as she struggled to keep her mind in the present and not lose it to past memories.

Durandal eyed his charge carefully as a voice called itself from the doorway, looking back to see a small green creature emerge after announcing itself. This was the healer? It was so small and, for lack of a better word, pathetic looking. What good could it do for this much larger human? But still it seemed determined to aid the fallen Giovanni and after a quick once over to decide that he could take the tiny thing out should it try anything suspicious he allowed it to pass by unharmed.

At first Miranda didn't notice the tiny creature, but a shift of Giovanni's clothing had her eyes opening to view the Chikorita at his side. Her sniffling paused just a moment, as though her mind forgot the reason for her sorrow as she stared at the pokemon in confusion, but when she noticed his feet glowing a telltale pink she panicked and pulled Giovanni away. "No-!"

Her sudden action in attempting to lift the dense man put her to the ground, her back and head hitting with a sharp smack as she became briefly pinned under her companion's weight. The headache was instantaneous but she didn't let that deter her, sitting up and waving one delicate hand before the strange grass type to stop him for just a moment. She remembered that the voice mentioned a healer, but if his wounds were healed with her threading still within the infection could be worse than even the blood-loss. She had to warn them.

"Let-let me do something first," she said pathetically, voice cracking and barely above a whisper. She pulled out her gracidea pin from her hat and used the sharp needle on the back to slowly pull out and snap the remaining threads in his back and what she could reach of his chest. Giovanni's broad torso made the working difficult, as did the fresh blood that began to flow from her actions, but she could not let the little pokemon work until she was finished. "There," she huffed out at last, pulling the last of the thread from his chest. "It should be safe now..."

The tiny grass pokemon began to glow and she watched with apprehension as the flesh began to seal on its own, unable to let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding as she waited for the end results. It wasn't until Giovanni let out a soft groan of awareness that she was able to breath again. When the little one was finished Scout quickly returned to the side of her trainer and helped move him, inspecting the wounds and sighing in relief. Seeing her relax a bit did wonders for Miranda's state of mind and she quickly began cleaning Giovanni up as best she could as Scout addressed the strangers. She could only hope that he wouldn't be too angry with her failure to help him once he awoke again.

The tiny grass type was not pleased at being restrained, but as soon as he was able, Vi let the Chikorita go. "Tell them what you are before approaching."

He went running into the room and Looker held his breath, hoping none of the agitated, frightened Pokemon inside would react negatively.

"I'm a healer!"

It was impossible to see into the room, but they could hear everything well enough. The girl who had been crying in another language had stopped, and thank goodness too, because she seemed to know something the Chikorita could not. "No-!"

There was a shifting, and a few moments later, she spoke again. Looker let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The otherwise silent state of the area let him just barely catch her whispering, shuddering voice, but even then, he couldn't hear the entire sentence. "Let-let...o... ething fir..."

She... wanted to do something before he healed? What could it be?

"There it should be safe now..." came the slightly louder (and thankfully clearer) voice a couple minutes later.  There was a little more shifting as someone presumably checked the work that had been done.

"We're... in your debt... Thank you." The sheer gratitude made him sigh softly in relief. "Your trainer...?"

I don't think it would be wise to walk in there just yet... Jozan would probably make the introduction, first. In fact, that would be best, since simply walking in there would risk the chance that the question wasn't an invitation.

Which could have deadly consequences.

Before his attack can go off, the girl stopped crying as she noticed Jozan's presence. As if realizing what he was about to do, she panicked as she squeaked out, "No-!" The word was accompanied by the girl trying to lift the much larger man away from him, and the poor girl fell backwards at the exertion. Her head and back banged against the floor, but the girl recovered quickly to explain her sudden action, "Let-let me do something first." The Chikorita's gaze was full of worry as he looked her over as well. He was anxious to start healing the large man, but it soon became clear what was going on. The girl pulled out her flowery pin and began to... pick out threads from the wounds. From what Jozan could see, it looked like she had attempted sewing the bullet holes shut, and given her reaction to an instant heal, it was likely not medical grade. As soon as the task was finished, she breathed out, "There, it should be safe now..." With this permission, he quickly started up another heal pulse, hoping that they still had time.

He focused a lot of energy into the pinkish beam, and thankfully, after a few moments, the man groaned. The Gliscor lifted up the man's bloodstained shirt to reveal the holes again, and they were completely closed. Of course there was scarring, but that was a matter of vanity and not Jozan's jurisdiction. The Gliscor was relieved with his work and gratefully said, "We're... in your debt... Thank you." The Gliscor's relief did wonders for the girl, and the girl started tending to the man again. At this point the Gliscor looked over to the doorway as she asked, "Your trainer...?"

Now that the immediate danger was taken care of, the Chikorita had the sudden realization that he was in this room by himself with two very powerful Pokemon nearby. While he was fairly certain that they wouldn't just turn on him after saving their companion, knowing he was severely outmatched without backup was unnerving. He took a nervous breath before responding, "Vitaly? Is it okay if he and the others come in? I think it's just him, Drizzt, and Looker out there right now. We don't mean any harm... and since you," he pointedly looked at the Gliscor, "Are obviously a Pokemon, that must mean you lot aren't from around here. Though... I'd gather you probably ran into the locals..." His earlier concern resurfaced, however, and he had to ask the young girl, "Miss? Are... are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard earlier."

During all this, Vitaly and Drizzt were holding their positions on the wall next to Looker, and  Vitaly wasn't aware of how long he had been holding his breath until his lungs started burning from the lack of oxygen. Remembering to breath, he released it as he kept listening to what was going on. From the sounds of things, the man was doing okay, and Jozan was still alive. While the Chikorita's response had been a little more informative than what Vi would have liked, he couldn't blame Jozan for it. He still waited for a proper invitation to enter, however., and thankfully, Jozan politely asked about letting them into the room properly. It would be on their own terms, so hopefully that would work. He didn't want to put the Pokemon back on guard by suddenly appearing in the doorway. If they didn't want them to enter... They better let Jozan leave in one piece.

Scout watched as the small Chikorita suddenly became rather nervous; maybe he'd just realized he was alone and outmatched by two powerful strangers? It certainly would have been the first thing on her own mind. "Vitaly?" Was that his trainer's name? She'd never heard that name before. Weird word. "Is it okay if he and the others come in? I think it's just him, Drizzt, and Looker out there right now. We don't mean any harm... and since you," he stared pointedly at her, causing her brow to raise ever so slightly, "are obviously a Pokemon, that must mean you lot aren't from around here. Though... I'd gather you probably ran into the locals..." His fear and nervousness seemed to wane as concern pushed through, and he turned to Miranda. "Miss? Are... are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard earlier."

Scout looked back to Giovanni, who seemed to be trying to blink away his drowsy dizziness. She nudged him gently, wanting to see just how much the Chikorita had actually healed. Of course, there was little chance that he'd been healed completely, as evident with his scars and sluggish actions. She hadn't really ever seen a human hit with Heal Pulse before-- this would be interesting. "Giovanni?" she quietly asked, looking back to the door where the humans lay in wait. She was well aware of her trainer's notoriety; they had struck some of his classic luck in finding Miranda, who was completely oblivious to his past. But these other humans might not be so ill-informed... "There are people here. Should... Should we let them in?"

A hand went to his eyes and stayed there a moment while he attempted to stop the swirling in his vision and mind. He didn't remember falling unconscious, but he had to assume as much, since he was now more or less on the floor and not propped against his Gliscor. Oh, everything was senseless and confusing. He focused on Scout's words --they were an anchor in the tumultuous sea of his mind. People. People were here. Why was she asking...? People... They wouldn't have been those wretches that had shot him-- she would never allow them in. She'd simply kill them herself. So these were possibly friendly people... People that might know him...

He opened his eyes and stared upward, squinting in an attempt to control his waving vision. The thought of more allies, especially one with access to a healer, was exceedingly appealing. And though it was possible that they knew him, he wasn't terribly known in Kalos if Miranda was any example. It was certainly a gamble, and he'd already had a bit of bad luck in the day. Should he risk more?

Scout shifted to help Giovanni sit up, her sturdy bulk a familiar sensation against his back. He looked to Miranda, his expression softening a bit. She looked a complete wreck. Reaching to place a hand on her shoulder, he patted it in a silent assurance that he'd be ok and looked to his Gliscor. The bat pokemon gave the slightest of nods once Giovanni gave his own, then settled behind her, his free hand settling on his hip and gun. Because of Scout's bulk, the gun remained hidden from the Chikorita and the doorway. His head was growing clearer, though it was still swimming. He'd have to rely on Scout to act quickly, and for the element of surprise.

"You may enter," he called, keeping his voice amiable, though it remained somewhat strained from the residual pain. "It is, after all, your building more or less. We're not hostile. I would very much like to meet the trainer of my savior."

Durandal hovered near the recovering human and his trainer cautiously, eyeing the small green pokemon as he lingered among the humans that weren't his. Why didn't he go back to his own now? His work was done. But the Gilscor was apparently talking to him so the little beastie decided to remain past his welcome, putting the Aegislash on edge that some trap could be sprung any moment putting his charge and her companion in danger. "Vitaly? Is it okay if he and the others come in? I think it's just him, Drizzt, and Looker out there right now. We don't mean any harm... and since you are obviously a Pokemon, that must mean you lot aren't from around here. Though... I'd gather you probably ran into the locals..." It seemed the common folk of their hometown had developed somewhat of a reputation, a rather distasteful one at that. Best not to tell these strangers they were local as well. Guilt by association and all that. "Miss? Are... are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard earlier."

Miranda had busied herself helping Giovanni sit up, the man still obviously woozy from his ordeal, and only barely heard the small voice. "Oh, um, yes. Yes I think so. Just a headache but it should pass. Thank you." Her main focus was still her companion, she didn't have time to worry about a bump on her head. Sealing the wounds didn't immediately replenish the blood that was lost, that would take time and rest, and preferably food rich in iron and vitamin B. "Giovanni?" Scout's voice was soft, concerned for her trainer and of causing him anymore distress. "There are people here. Should... Should we let them in?" The young girl turned her gaze back towards the door, trying to picture the people on the other side. What were the names the little one said? Vitaly, Drizzt, and...Looker? If Vitaly was his trainer then obviously he was human, so Drizzt must be the other one. Looker obviously was another pokemon, probably something handsome or with good eyesight. Maybe it was cute like this little green thing that healed Mr. Don.

Mr. Don... her gaze once again fell sadly onto the man barely hovering before her, attempting to keep balanced under his own power. Scout was offering herself as a prop now and seemed much sturdier than the frail strawberry blonde had been so Miranda felt powerless to help. She didn't know if it was he was trying to reassure himself or her but she felt a large hand lay itself on her shoulder and she opened her eyes once more only to meet Giovanni's own as he gave her a slight pat. She smiled, barely but she did, and was relieved to see him so alert. Perhaps all wouldn't be lost after all.

"You may enter," she heard Giovanni say, voice somewhat more subdued than usual. "It is, after all, your building more or less. We're not hostile. I would very much like to meet the trainer of my savior." Indeed, as would she. Her own ineptitude had caused most of the disaster and she would very much like to thank them as well. Ésme jingled happily as Miranda began to perk up, the little Klefki circling around to Miranda's front as she tried to make herself more presentable to guests. Splayed out on the floor behind a man like some common harlot was certainly not the way to do it. Her little fairy friend just laughed.

"Vitaly? Is it okay if he and the others come in? I think it's just him, Drizzt, and Looker out there right now. We don't mean any harm... and since you are obviously a Pokemon, that must mean you lot aren't from around here. Though... I'd gather you probably ran into the locals..." Yes, those charming locals. He was fortunate that he wasn't the one who had been shot, come to think of it. He shudders to think how that would have ended, with no pokemon of his own and no human ally to help him before he accidentally met Vitaly.

"Miss? Are... are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard earlier."

It was a moment before the girl's voice answered, but thankfully she did and her speech was quiet, but clear and distinct. "Oh, um, yes. Yes I think so. Just a headache but it should pass. Thank you."

Good. No concussion, then.

"Giovanni?" Ah, that's the wounded trainer's pokemon. "There are people here. Should... Should we let them in?"

Yes, please let them in. He would like to make sure these two would be fine on their own, especially since one of them is so young and the other recently wounded. With the way the locals are, that recipie promised disaster. Looker felt his stomach twist at the thought of simply leaving them alone like this. Even if the building was currently safe, there was no promising they wouldn't make their way over here if they were still looking for the three people who had pissed them off that morning and managed to get away.

"You may enter," the man decided. "It is, after all, your building more or less. We're not hostile. I would very much like to meet the trainer of my savior."

While definitely not their savior, that honor being entirely Jozan's, it was always nice to meet someone friendly. He gives Vitaly a nod and pushes the door open, entering the room. The poor girl holding the large, strong man was a pitiful sight, and he gave them both a reassuring smile to calm any lingering nerves. "My name is Looker. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

                 
The girl thankfully answered, "Oh, um, yes. Yes I think so. Just a headache but it should pass. Thank you." Her determination to help her adult companion was clear, and Jozan figured that she should be fine for now. She was still coherent. He sent a smile in her direction, but he doubted that she actually noticed. He wasn't sure what to do next as he waited for their decision, but he took a few tentative steps backwards in anticipation. Even if these powerful Pokemon decided not to attack him, they might want him and his group to go away.

The Gliscor asked the man, "Giovanni? There are people here. Should... Should we let them in?" So that was what the man called himself. Vitaly thought the name vaguely rang a bell, but he couldn't place it. It was something from long ago if it was anything of import, and names weren't necessarily exclusive. Maybe it was an author? He had cataloged many books in his time at the library, and he had seen a vast array of strange names. The man waited with bated breath as the man took a while to answer. He tried not to think much on it since the man did just lose a lot of blood, but the longer the tiny Chikorita was out of sight, the more antsy he got.

Jozan tensed when the Gliscor shifted positions, but he relaxed when he saw that she was just shifting her trainer to lean on her. After a few moments of deliberation and laying a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, the large man invited the others in, "You may enter. It is, after all, your building more or less. We're not hostile. I would very much like to meet the trainer of my savior." The voice was still straining from effort, but it was clear the man was trying to be friendly. Jozan looked over his shoulder to watch his trainer and their new friend walk in.

Looker gave Vi a nod to indicate that they could enter before entering first. Before he entered, Vi had to consider whether he should keep his gun in hand or not. Maybe not while they were trying to be friendly, and he was a quick draw if need be. After checking to make sure the safety was engaged, he placed the handgun into its holster. He nodded at Drizzt to do one more Hone Claws before he followed Looker in. His companion introduced himself, "My name is Looker. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

The teenage girl looked so small next to her large companion and Pokemon, and the blood everywhere made her almost look pitiful. She had tried making herself as presentable as possible, but she had only had a few seconds. He finally had an answer to his earlier question about the jingling keys when he spotted the key ring Pokemon floating nearby. His eyes scanned the room again, but nothing had changed other than the new occupants. His eyes lingered a second on the busted out windows as he wondered if the girl's wailing had carried, but considering they hadn't heard anything else, he doubted it. The bulk of the Gliscor covered part of the man from the doorway, and that made Vi a little nervous. He wasn't sure if this was being done on purpose, but where the man could be carrying a weapon was hidden. He was careful not to twitch his hand to one of his own weapons at that realization. There was shield and sword Pokemon that was also on high alert, but that one looked more ready to defend than attack. This analysis was done very quickly, for casing a room was something he had never stopped doing. Deciding that playing up niceties would be better, he lightly bowed, "Vitaly, at your service." Jozan quickly walked back to stand between him and Drizzt before Vi continued, "This is Drizzt, and you've met Jozan." He gave them both a hopeful smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you."