The OPELUCID Team

The sun was setting on the empty city. Sounds of infected roll thought the city, as my ears twitched. I lay in one of the ruins, trying to sleep. But, here with undead everywhere, it's kinda hard. But, I tried. I used the ruins to my advantage at best I could. I worked for hours on my little shelter. It's bit bigger then I was working for but, you make do with what you got.

I sat up as I heard a growl. Poking my head out of an opening, I see a infected Haxorus. Those things are nasty. I've fraught some before. There dragon type moves are powerful. I wish Kat had had me evolve before this epidemic hit. Then I would not have a problem in defeating these infected. I jumped out of the opening and barked a warning. Leave now or I will kill you!

But knowing the infected in this area pretty well, means it's going to attack me. It attacked me with a Dragon Claw. I dodged as I grasped it by its tail and flung it away from my shelter. As it hit the ground, I released and jumped on it using Agility. Oh, how happy I am knowing this move. It tends to keep me safe from infected attacks. As I jumped on it's stomach a wave of heat hit the infected, turning it to ash. How do you like my Heat Wave? Hot, isn't it? I growled at the ash.

I turned my back on the ash and went back to my shelter. I have to protect my shelter at all cost. I wish someone else was here to help me survive the epidemic. And so I don't have to be alone like this. I lay there in shelter. The sun setting and my eyes closing. Soon the darkness over comes me and I fall asleep. Never to deep. For fear I might be killed in my sleep.

"It's... Cold..." Hadyn whispered as a wind whipped up. She carefully turned her head to check that her little Eevee plushie was still intact, and was greeted by the familiar patch of brown fur. A soft smiled creeps up onto her lips. "Don't worry Lokni, I'll find you soon." she whispers.

"Leave now or I will kill you! How do you like my Heat Wave? Hot, isn't it?" And it was then that she felt heat rush over her. She shivered at the sudden warmth, too. Hadyn looked to the source from where she was. It was a Growlithe.

Suddenly, a trio of blue flames light up around her. Will-O-Wisp. The flames make faces, a happy one, a sad one, and a angry one, and the little Houndoom begins to speak to them. "Should I go talk to it? Will it hurt me?" she asks the blue fire, which only dance around her as an response.

"I wish someone else was here to help me survive the epidemic. And so I don't have to be alone like this." Hadyn has a small smile on her face. "A bit like me..." she blinks and begins to approach, the blue flames still flickering around her neck. "H-Hello?" she calls out, ready to run if she needs to.

Wind rushed over the top of the trees. The sky was transitioning into a golden and crimson after-sunset. A bittersweet form crawled its way under the dense brush. The lithe lizard progressed under the plants, being sure to keep the flaming, crackling fire on the end of it's tail away from the leaves to prevent burning.

A short time later, the dragon crawled up to the edge of the bushes, seeing the sky out of the leaves.
"How pretty...." the fire-lizard reflected, her eyes gleaming with the dimming light. Yellow eyes glanced around the ruined city, making sure it was safe, and started to exit. Well, she was about to leave, before she hear a loud roar from the clearing in front of her.

"Leave now or I will kill you!"

Her eyes widened while she crouched, seeing a orange dog with cream fur and jet black stripes leap at a almost seemingly half-dead gold and forest-green dragon. The Pokemon; the charmeleon, watches as the growlithe's fire attack incinerates and fries the undead to ashes.

"How do you like my Heat Wave? Hot, isn't it?"

The lizard turns as still as stone, seeing the fire-pokemon dismount the still smoking ashes, and turn back towards the now noticeable shelter it had built. She watches it curl up on the ground.

"...I wish someone else was here to help me survive the epidemic. And so I don't have to be alone like this...."

The lizard stayed quite for only a moment, before letting out a unnoticeable, surprised squeak as another voice suddenly spoke.

"H--Hello?"

The Charmeleon spies as the large, shadowy dog with three blue flames floating and lingering by it start to cautiously tread into the ruins of the city. The charmeleon was too overwhelmed in her own thoughts to ask for salvation.
"What if they don't accept you? You'll have to fight when you could avoid it.... No, I guess I'm more of a loner than a companion. I deserve to die, anyway...." The small lizard turned, and fled quickly from the ruins, leaving no hint behind that she was there.

-----

(OoC: Italics are thoughts, and bold is quotes that she did not say. BTW, she is going to join the team soon. She just needs to get over her insecurity. >_>||)

Thanatos was floating through the ruins of the dead city, enjoying the calm peaceful serenity of the silence, he never did care for the loudness of densely populated areas. He looked through his skull mask's left eye socket at the sky, watching the as the radiant sun began it's slow decent.

He let out a sigh as he hovered past the mauled corpses of the deceased, then stopped suddenly. His Pocket-watch began let out a silent ticking that only he could hear meaning that something had just died, If he had a face to smile with he'd be doing just that, as he phased into the ground and began rushing to the soul with a shadow sneak. "How do you like my Heat Wave? Hot, isn't it?" a Growlithe said, obviously the one who had killed the other, it turned and walked back to a nearby cave and laid to rest saying something the Duskull didn't hear.

As it closed it's eyes, Thanatos lifted from out of the ground in front of the Ashy remains of a pokemon. "H--Hello?" a voice said from behind, the Duskull assumed that what ever Pokemon it was hadn't sensed his presence yet, and was speaking to the Growlithe. So he continued, a glowing white light similar to a Will-O-Wisp in appearance began to rise from the ash and circle the Duskull. The Soul of the fallen Haxorus, distraught with the madness of the infection, and the horror the disease made him commit, it begged the Duskull to make it all just stop, so that is what he did. Grabbing the glowing light with one cloth-like hand he began to absorb the soul's spiritual energy, until it was nothing.
The Duskull closed his eye and let out a moan of a sigh. my work is never done.... he said before rechecking his pocket watch. "...Tick-Tock....." The Duskull said with a light chuckle.

Leaves rustled, falling to the ground below his feet. The wind had decided to pick up, blowing up a storm of leaves his way. Hidden in the trees, atop a sturdy perch on one of the higher tree branches, sat a battered Scizor, watching over the quiet ruins of a sleepy town.

He’d sat there for most of the day, simply watching as the sky above had transitioned from the dull dreary colors of dawn to the pale oranges and pinks of the setting sun. A rare, but enjoyable luxury, to which the weary Bug-Type was eternally thankful for.

“Leave now or I will kill you! How do you like my Heat Wave? Hot, isn't it?"

Peering out from behind heavy eye lids, Rowan had mused on the Growlithe’s activities throughout the day, especially with its recent, triumphant victory, over a puny infected pest.

...Now it seemed that another pokemon had entered the fray. It appeared to be a Houndoom and proved to be nothing but another survivor. With nothing to worry about, the battle-torn Scizor, had begun to let his eyes shut closed and looked to a dreamless slee-

"H-Hello?" A frustrated sigh escaped from his lips. It seemed that he wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night. With his full attention on the pokemon below, Rowan almost missed the faint presence of a Charmeleon that had decided to take for the trees to go and watch the Houndoom and Growlithe- And now a Duskull, under their noses... Well at least while it was still here. Looking back at the spot where he’d last seen the Charmeleon, Rowan had come to the conclusion of its speedy escape.

Deciding that it was probably high-time to make his presence known, Rowan made his way to them, hopping from branch to branch, to the bottom, never looking down. After all, being afraid of heights while making your way to the ground wasn't that good of an idea. As he found his way to the bottom, Rowan could only focus on one thought...

‘...Well, so much for a peaceful vacation.’

"H-Hello?" My ears twitched at the new voice. I lifted my head to see a Houndoom, staring at me. Blue flames walking around her head. I stood up and looked around. To make sure nothing had followed the Houndoom, before I spoke. Hello. It's nice's to see i'm not the only living in this city. I walked up to the Houndoom and greeted her with a gentle wave of my tail.

Something seemed to stumble. I looked in the direction of the noise and saw something recede into the darkness. I wonder what that was? Oh well. For now I have things to do. I turned to the Houndoom and smiled before speaking again. My name is Blitz. It's nice to meet you. But, I don't think I catched your name? I asked the new pokemon, laying done with my head on my paws. I stared at the fire in front of me. Thinking of my trainer and if she's alright.

"Hello. It's nice to see I'm not the only living in this city. " She nodds numbly, still wary of the stranger. She quietly approaches the Growlithe, cautiously.

Hadyn froze when she heard rustling, tail between her legs as she began to whimper. The Growlithe turned to her again. "My name is Blitz. It's nice to meet you. But, I don't think I catched your name?" Hadyn whined for a moment, before responding. "M-My name's Hadyn." she simply stated.

(OoC: please skip me, writer's block, and Thanatos won't reveal himself so quickly.)

Hiding under the cover of darkness, Rowan stopped as he turned his sights to the city before him, lightly lit, as the moon cast its rays over the rustic town. It seemed to present a serene, warm atmosphere, calming even the most stressful mind. Yet, despite the calm that seemed to settle over the city, there were still tell-tale signs of the city’s horrible demise. Windows shattered, doors ripped from their hinges, blood stains, leading deeper into the city...The Scizor could only imagine the terror that the city of Opelucid had gone through.

Sighing, the Scizor looked deeper into the city, watching for signs of any more infected- “My name is Blitz. It's nice to meet you. But, I don't think I caught your name?” ...and exactly where that voice came from.

Making his way through the forest and thick undergrowth in the quickest and most noiseless way possible, the Bug-Type decided to use his wings to hover over the brush.

As he made his way to the others, Rowan almost missed the Houndoom's quiet reply, “M-My name’s Hadyn...” Turning his head to where he believed he heard the voices, the Scizor began to head in that same direction, his veins pumping and the tension within his muscles tightening. He knew that at any time he could be attacked, by either an infected or fellow survivor, and well he wanted to be ready.

Reaching the line of trees that served as the border between the forest and city, Rowan ceased his hovering, landing lightly on his feet, and began to slowly walk to the pokemon just a few feet in front of him. ‘Well, here goes.’ Ambling along, briskly to the Houndoom and Growlithe, making sure that he wasn’t seen until he was actually there before them, Rowan slowly announced his presence with, “You survivors, too?” as he stepped out of the shadows and into the light, all the while hoping that the Fire-Type wouldn’t mistake him as the enemy and stomp on him until he turns to just another stain on the floor.

"M-My name's Hadyn." The Houndoom said. I smiled at the one named Hadyn. Well, it's nice to meet you Hadyn. Hadyn looked a little wary of my greeting. So I motioned for her to come into my shelter. I would have gone into the hole that led into the shelter from below, but decided to take the top entrance. Come Hadyn. It's safer inside then out. I said while looking around for a infected or another living.

“You survivors, too?” I turned my attention to the Scizor that spoke. I walked down from the top entrance of my shelter and spoke. Yes we are. My name is Blitz. And who might you be? I asked the Scisor. I looked around, but saw nothing.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Hadyn." she gave a curt nod, still nervous about the Growlithe. Blitz entered a shelter, and motioned for the little Houndoom to follow in. "Come Hadyn. It's safer inside then out." Hadyn frowned. Should she? this dog was a complete stranger, and her trainer always told her never to trust strangers... But she was also a living! And she'd have a better chance of survival if she followed.

Suddenly, Hadyn jumped, another voice. “You survivors, too?” She whimpered, backing up from the Scizor, who was in comparison, almost twice her size. With a yelp, she began to quickly walk away from both Pokemon, obviously frightened. She began to shake, summoning Will-O-Wisps to her side as she murmured. "S-Stay away..."

The small, lizard form was snuggled into the thick leaves of a tree, reassuring herself that she was better off without partners. But something was eating at her.

"Why do I have to always be alone...?" she whispered in her mind, her heart wanting so much to trust, but her trauma not letting her want to be near anyone in fear of rejection. "But that was humans.... Maybe pokemon will be more accepting of me...." She looked up to the sky, starting to glitter with stars where the sunset was fading. She suddenly heard a yelp, and was alerted by raising her head, but she only saw a few Pidgey picking at the ground stir by flapping their wings or suddenly bursting forth. She wondered now if that pokemon actually was friendly. Her peach belly let out a moan, demanding it should be fed. Vortex looked down at her belly, and sighed.
"Well, I'm alone and hungry now." she whispered meekly to herself. Her eyebrows narrowed up as she looked ashamedly down at the ground under the high branch; ashamedly, because she doesn't take better care of herself. "I've always survived alone, but... I need someone.... I'm tired of fighting alone...." she for ever had tried to boost her confidence, but whenever she tried, the pokemon either attacked, or was harsh with her. Could they be any different?

After a long period of time, the small lizard scaled down the tree bark, head first; like a lizard would. Her feet landed in the grass almost silently, but then, see seemed to sense a far-off growl, like that of a infected pokemon. The lizard froze, her spine crawled with adrenaline. In a moment, it stopped, and seemed to not sound off again, so she continued to creep forward. She crawled a few feet behind the clearing, wondering what was going on.
"I hope they're nice to me...."

Thanatos was observing the mortal Pokemon from below the ground's surface, watching as they awkwardly greeted each other. "My name is Blitz. It's nice to meet you. But, I don't think I catched your name?" The Growlithe said to the nervous Houndoom, to which she simple stated "M-My name's Hadyn." A nearby Scisor who had been hidden in the shadows stepped out and asked the others if they where survivors to. This action apparently frightened the Houndoom which began to back away from both Pokemon obviously frightened, 'This is rather interesting' Thanatos thought to himself in faint amusement.

Then the Houndoom did something rather enticing, she summoned a few savory looking Will-O-wisps to her side.
Thanatos couldn't help but stare at the burning wisps in hunger, that Haxorus's soul was weak, broken and meager, a non-filling meal, but these wisps, they looked so bright, vivid, so delicious. He glanced at where the skinny Charmeleon was sneaking about nearby, and decided that he best introduce himself now.

Hello Thanatos said in a emotionless calm echo of a voice from beneath the surface. Aside from my fondness for the outcome of hostilities, I believe we all have something in common.... He continued to eye those delicious looking Will-O-Wisps. Now I see that the lot of you are awkwardly and unsuccessfully attempting to greet each other cautiously due to the "condition" of the world at this time. Now forgive me for being so dramatically straightforward, but I believe it'd benefit us, well you actually. To work together to survive this mess. Thanatos enjoyed the even more unsuspected awkwardness he had thrown into the situation, he then phased out of the ground, floating right through the Scizor's head.
allow me to introduce myself, I am Thanatos.

--------------------
(Ooc: >:U lol )

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Opelucid City | Late Evening
[3]

Watching the Growlithe before him, the Scizor knew that this one seemed okay. After all she did just trust him, a random stranger, with her name. “Blitz, huh? Seems fitting...But anyways, the name’s Rowan.” Turning his attention to the other pokemon, the Houndoom, Rowan noticed as the Houndoom began to back away from himself and Blitz. “Oh wait! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you...” Taking a few steps forward to the one named, Hadyn, the Scizor began to reach so as to calm her down but immediately stopped at the sight of Will-O-Wisps, to which had been summoned to her side. "S-Stay away...”

‘Okay...Backin’ up, for sure.’ “Um, alright. I’ll stay away, just relax, alright? I’m not going to hurt you.” Rowan had been in the process of walking away when, out of nowhere, the Duskull from earlier, had phased through his head... Only to present himself to the others. “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Thanatos.” Stumbling backwards in surprise, the Scizor could only gape in surprise at “Thanatos”’s casual greeting. “What the hell? Where did you come from?!” Sure, on any other regular occasion, Rowan wouldn’t care if some random pokemon decided to come out of nowhere to introduce itself, hell he’d probably just ignore it and go on with the previous conversation, but passing through one’s body just to drop in and say “hi” was anything BUT normal.

“Blitz, huh? Seems fitting...But anyways, the name’s Rowan.” I nodded at the one called Rowan. Yes, it's nice to meet you too Rowan. I turned to Hadyn, only to see she was backing up and her Will-O-Wisp's appeared. I took a step closer but Hadyn said, "S-Stay away..." I looked at Hadyn with a confused look.

Hadyn, are you alright? I asked as a Duskull phased through Rowan's head. Hello, Aside from my fondness for the outcome of hostilities, I believe we all have something in common.... I did not take my eye's off Hadyn. I felt sad, that she would be scared. Now I see that the lot of you are awkwardly and unsuccessfully attempting to greet each other cautiously due to the "condition" of the world at this time. Now forgive me for being so dramatically straightforward, but I believe it'd benefit us, well you actually. To work together to survive this mess. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Thanatos.

I resisted the feeling to look at the one called Thanatos. But, I spoke with my eye's still locked with Hadyn's. Nice to meet you Thanatos. My name is Blitz. The words seemed to get caught in my throat as I looked into Hadyn's fearful eye's. I asked again. Hadyn, please. It's alright. If these pokemon try to hurt you I'll fight them my self. So please don't be afraid. I pleaded. I really hoped that she would listen to me.

A ghost came out of the ground. A ghost came out of the ground. It's talking, it's talking and it just went right through the Scizor's head. It took a while for Hadyn to proccess what she saw, but when she did, she immediately shrieked and jumped backwards. A flurry of burning flames erupted from her mouth, setting her surroundings on fire out of fear.

Her body began to shake, he tail stuck between her legs as she whimpered, scared out of her mind as she watched the others with wary eyes. She began to bristle, backing up even more until she reached the cold stone wall of a home.

Amber eyes watched the Houndoom leap backwards in fear from the sudden appearance of the ghostly Duskull, rushing up and through the Scizor's head; the Scizor himself stumbling back in surprise. The lizard was slightly scared herself of this sudden event, probably being in the Houndoom's situation, she'd be even more frightened. The lizard settled more on her haunches, looking from the Houndoom to the Growlithe. "Now would be a bad time to ask...."
She intently watched the Houndoom leap back, but then set the area around her on fire. Vortex's eyes opened in slight fear of the fire starting to burn out of control.

"I'll wait till this little dilemma is finished until I make my move...." she echoed through her mind, then relaxed lower to the ground, slowly.

-----

(I didn't wanna scare poor Hadyn any further. D': So Tex will wait <3 Sorry for the short post I have nothing else to say. .3.)

( Ooc:OTL, I'm sorry, I don't want to make a habit of skipping my turn, but I cannot think of anything for him to say and this is my third day for him. Curse you writer's block!)

"WOAH THERE!" Rearing back, and away from the flames, Rowan stood, eyes wide and body tense. As he watched the Houndoom before him, freaking out, the startled Scizor began to think about how today just did not seem to be working with him. For starters, he had been rudely awakened from his nice nap, not once but TWICE. Next, he, the poor Bug-Type who was afraid of looking down, was forced to shimmy his way down from tree to tree just to introduce himself. Then afterwards, some random Duskull decides it's totally fine to just waltz through someone's head like it was no one else's business. And to top it off, he was being told to get the fuck away from that Houndoom, by the name of Hadyn, was it? Oh well, he really didn't care if he got her name wrong at the moment. All the frustrated Scizor could think about at the moment was a way to escape the fiery clutches of those toasty flames while attempting to calm the poor thing down.

"It's just my day, today, ai-" In the distance, Rowan was sure he'd heard the crunching of brush and leaves, from somewhere behind him. The Scizor, choosing the first thing that popped into his mind, began to yell out in the direction in which he had heard the sounds. Hopefully its another survivor, one he could be able to deal with on a daily basis. "COME ON! Show yourself. I know you're there... um, Please?"

My ears twitched at the new survivor, which Rowan was already on. But, I never moved my eye's from Hadyn's. As the flame's erupted around me, I just keep coming. Being a fire type also helps. I know I must be scaring Hadyn even more, but I need her to calm down.

I walk closer and closer as I speak as calmly and sweetly as possible. It's alright Hadyn. It's going be alright. So please stop with your fire. I say as a give a calming smile. Trying my best to help Hadyn.

She was deaf. Hadyn the Little Flame was deaf by her own flames. She refused to listen to the others, she was simply just too scared. A snarl ripped her throat that slowly grew to a full-on roar, backing up until her whole back was touching the wall. Another flurry of flames erupted from her mouth.

Suddenly, she darted. She ran past her fire wall and over to the other side of the city in quick, long strides, baring her teeth in defense.

"... What now...?"
The Houndoom fled briskly, and all too suddenly within the minute for poor Vortex to comprehend. She heard the Scizor shout out to her; clearly knowing she was there. She decided to stay silent for just the slightest bit longer before becomig apparent.
"Be brave, Vortex, be brave.... It's fellow pokemon you're talkin' about, not people!" she slowly nodded to herself, then peeped herself ever so father out of the brush. As she smelt around the clearing, her heart raced.
"Ok.... Ok.... So far so good...." she cooed to herself as she eased out, as slowly as possible, going as far as to show her yellow eyes to the group.
"You'll be fine.... See? They don't even notice you yet...." she continued to creep until nearly her whole skull was out of the brush. Her heart was flying out of her chest with incredible anticipation in what the others would make of her.
"Hope they don't hungrily snap at me like an appetizer before dinner...."

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Opelucid City | Dusk
[5]

"You gonna come out, any time soon?" At this point, the Scizor was beginning to get even more impatient. Standing there, in the pale haze of the moonlight, arms crossed lazily and eyes peering straight at the bush that he was sure was where the hidden pokemon lay behind. Even though he couldn't exactly see the pokemon, Rowan was pretty sure that it wasn't an infected. More like another survivor, one he could acquaint himself with and surely befriend. Yes. He was confident that whoever was hiding from them was truly living, even though it was just a gut feeling.

Mumbling under his breath, "Later that same day," the scarred Bug-Type watched in curiosity as a small red head peered out from within the bush, daring to raise its golden eyes to them. Cockiing his head to the side, the Scizor was looked on in both amusement and confusion at the Charmeleon before him. Rowan wondered exactly why this particular pokemon seemed so shy and why it was taking so long just to get it's ass out from the bush and into the spotlight...Well, not really a spotlight, more so the rays of moonlight shone upon the deserted city.

"So, I'm guessing you've heard each of our introductions already?"

Cody let out a yawn as he woke from his short nap in the Oplucid pokemon gym. He stretched before shaking the sleep from his body as he made his way to the entrance. He had only been in the city for a short while, so he didn't have a clue where everything was. As he walked out of the gym he took a deep breath. The sun seemed to be already setting, and after that nap of his he was going to have a hard time falling asleep tonight. He looked back in the gym, grateful for not meeting any infected pokemon while in there, or perhaps they just didn't see him as worth it, being small and weak. Just the thought made the Chikorita angry. "I'm not weak!" He shouted in the gym, though he got no reply. He let out a huff before turning away.

Out of all the cities and towns he had passed through, this place was the most amazing. Cody couldn't take his eyes of the houses. The place looked like and old village with all these old houses, nothing like what he had seen in the other cities. And the air seemed to be a little fresher here as well.

Cody turned his head fast when he heard something like a large flame. Fire made him uneasy, but he was interested in what he would find. He started to run in the direction he could see the smoke over the houses, wondering what kind of pokemon he would encounter, no doubt a fire type, or maybe infected. If infected, he was sure he could take them, but he would have to flee if they where fire types. He wasn't ready to handle fire type pokemon yet, he still needed to level up more before he attempted to take them, maybe once he evolves he would be willing to try his chance at taking one on, but for now he needed to find out what was happening over where the fire was.

He was almost there when something started to come sprinting at him, it took him a few seconds before he realized it was a Houndoom, and it didn't look like it was going to stop. Cody skidded to a stop, his eyes wide before shutting them and covering his head with his front feet. He felt the wind rustle his leaf as the canine ran over him. He looked up and started to follow it, it was probably the most dumbest thing he could have done, but he wanted to know why it looked so scared, at lest he thought that was fear on its face, he only saw it for a short moment. "Please wait!" He called, the hound was way to fast for him, and he was showing no sign of catching up because of his short legs. But he kept up his stride, hoping that the Houndoom would slow down before he he collapsed.

I sighed as the Houndoom ran. Hadyn I'm sorry. I said as I began to Dig up dirt and then fling it at the fire. My ears twitched as Rowan started to speak to another survivor. From what i heard ans smelt, the new survivor seemed to be a Charmeleon. I was about to turn and say something to the new pokemon when I heard something.

"Please wait!" I turned and saw a little Chikorita. From the way it spoke it seemed to be male. And it was running after Hadyn?! I jolted after the grass type. The blood roured in my ears. I knew we could be attacked at any moment. But I still called out. Hey kid! Stop, it's not a good idea to follow her! I yelled to the grass type. I looked around and waited for something to jump out, but nothing did.