(ACE) The STARK Team

"And I prefer my guys a little, well, deader."

Carl chuckled loudly, turning back to face the arcanine who had snapped back whilst the others remained silent. A mischievous smirk slithered up his face as he offered the angered canine a quick wink.
“Ooh, feisty,” He trotted forward, moving to walk on two legs, as he returned to the fire-type’s side. Never the smartest of creatures, the cat knew that the dog could fry him to a crisp in mere seconds, yet Carl was far more convinced that Gaear would interfere. Glancing over his shoulder to the expressionless dragon, the meowth knew damn well that if he were going to die, Gaear was going to be the creature to do so. Although the thought unnerve him to no end, he shrugged it off, his attention firmly on wooing this hound – because clearly, the delcatty had practically melted at the sight of him. “You know… I could make an exception, doll,” With utter no regard for personal space; he leant against one of her forearms as he spoke. “Only so many girls left…”
“Enough,” Gaear’s booming voice held no emotion, a loud utterance that demanded attention. He lunged towards the meowth, grabbing him by the leg in one swift, surprisingly elegant movement, to stand a distance away as if nothing had happened. Carl, although alarmed at his situation now dangling upside down in the dragon’s grasp, was never a quiet hostage.
“What the fuck are you playing at? Put me down! Couldn’t you see I was busy?!” His struggling only stopped as he met those blood red eyes. Falling limp, he grinned sheepishly as the dragon released him. Falling on his head, the cat emitted a hiss of frustration as he spun around into a more presentable stance.

"What is everyone's names? Mine is Xela.”

Gaear gave a snort, alike to a statue in his utter lack of movement. Beneath the heavy armour, it seemed as if he was hardly breathing. Carl, however, remained the exact opposite. Dusting off his already dirtied, mangy fur, he stood beside the behemoth of a dragon, muttering bitterly to himself until he realized that the pretty one was speaking.
“Xela, huh? Pretty name to go with a pretty face,” He commented, flashing a cheeky grin before the ghost-type also offered an introduction. Carl didn’t give a shit about ‘Faustus’ or ‘Koli’ – whatever his name was, and his bored expression clearly stated his opinions on the matter. “I’m Carl,” The cat announced loudly, grinning away as if he were god’s gift to mankind – which clearly, he was. Everyone else just had a bit of trouble seeing him in such a glorious light. He opened his mouth to continue when he felt the ground tremble a fraction behind him as Gaear began to move.
“We’re leaving,” The haxorus stated bluntly, rising to his feet as he turned from the group, swinging his tail around to launch Carl in the direction in which he was headed. He smirked at the yowl that escaped the cat. “Pleasure to have met you, but we’re bad company,”
“Wow wow wow, w-w-wait!” Carl’s stammering could be heard in the distance, growing louder as he desperately stumbled back onto the scene, fur sticking up in alarm. “Where the fuck’s my say in this? I-I-I mean we just got here, Gaear!” He darted past the dragon to skid to a halt before Xela and Faustus. “W-We’re not bad company, r-really?!” His demeanour had taken a sudden shift, his eyes wide as a fear enveloped his blue orbs. He glanced back at Gaear, awaiting their exit, with a lump in his throat. He couldn’t lose this group. Biting his lip nervously, his expression was the definition of pleading as he whispered to the duo before him. “Please. J-Just let me stay,”


(( I’m so sorry about the wait! I completely forgot Ciana was in the Safehouse. Dx ))

"Ow... Ow..."

The voice of an exhausted traveler echoed lightly over the rocks and crags of the mountain, his feet not accustomed to such environs. While the better option was to just leave the damn mountain, something had told his feet to keep traveling onwards and upwards. He paused when he spotted something large moving ahead of him, but he had dismissed it as some Undead and wasn't in the mood for fighting. As long as it left him alone, there was no need for provocation.

That was until he heard the frantic words.

Squinting, the bayleef searched the silhouette, cursing his mundane eyes, for whatever was making the noise. Surely not the large bulky thing; it couldn't have a voice that shrill! Once he saw the meowth in its grasp, he dashed forward, wanting to help. Obviously, the cat was in danger, and the dragon its adversary. After stumbling and falling all over his giant, bulky, uncoordinated feet, he burst into the area, which proved to have quite a few more pokemon than just the giant one and the meowth.

Confused and suddenly losing his courage, Vale quickly found that his chivalry was not nearly as needed as he thought, and a blush ran over his yellow hide. Oh... Oh dear. His mouth agape, floundering and trying to come up with some sort of explanation, his body still battle ready, he stood there, in front of them, a beacon of stupidity. "Uh... I... Uhm," he began gracefully, looking to the meowth, then to the daunting haxorus. "I thought... Someone was in trouble..." The words nearly melted off his tongue as he gazed up at the heights of the dragon. Why was he so big...?

He swallowed hard, unsure of what else to do.

((Hello! :D Awesome to be here!))

Sefarina couldn't sleep, again. She stared up at the stars from a branch near the top of the tallest tree she could find. While the undead had several avian in their numbers, the majority of Pokemon were grounded so the small mouse-like Pokemon much preferred to be as high over their heads as she could manage. The stars had a way of soothing the Cincinno, and on nights like this where the sky was crisp and clear she could see thousands of the tiny dots dancing across the sky. Back when she was younger she remembered Eli calling them 'Little rays of Hope.' Oh how they needed that dream of hope now.

By chance, she spotted one shooting across the sky, leaving a bright trail in its wake. Quickly making a silent wish she prayed that wherever Eli and the others were they were safe. It had been a long time since the strange energy had sent her here, every moment since spent looking for a way home to Unova to be with her family again. Her heart started to become heavy with the weight of her sorrow, and without her even realizing it she began to softly sing.

"~Souls in the wind
Must learn how to bend
Seek out a star
Hold on to the end
Valley, mountain
There is a fountain
Washes our tears all away~"

A strange sound below caught her attention, causing the small female to stop and look to see what could be crashing through the brush. It looked like a strange grass type running through the bramble to a small clearing, but stranger than that was the fact that there where several other Pokemon there. When had they all gotten there?! Suddenly very happy she jumped from her tree to one a little closer to the clearing and observed the group. Two of them were from Unova! Maybe they would know the way home!

Making her way across the branches to get about eye level with the Haxorous Sefarina cleared her throat delicately. "Ahem, excuse me, sir?" she began, voice soft and polite. "I can't help but to notice you are native to my home region of Unova. Would you, and this is going to sound silly but...you wouldn't happen to know how to get back there, would you? I find myself a little...lost." Her big brown eyes gave him the softest expression, true hope laying within their depths that he might truly know the way home. After all, hope was all she had left.


((Hey guys! Glad to be on the team, but really sad that I took Ciana's spot... Song she is singing is If We Hold On Together by Diana Ross, think Land Before Time ending credits. lol))

(OoC - Skip please. I hate to do it, but I'm reaaaally stuck here lol. ¬¬)

What the fuck was this? Gaear had chosen the mountain not only for its dramatic scenery but the fact that he expected it to be totally deserted. In only a few minutes, they’d met a whole group of pokémon. Scowling, the Haxorus turned to the grass-type upon his chivalrous arrival, the creature adopting a battle-ready stance to suddenly grow embarrassed at his own abilities. The dragon, displeased at the stranger’s uncomfortably accurate presumptions, took steps towards the Bayleef. However, before he could offer the creature any word of warning, that same hideously familiar voice was babbling behind him.
“Trouble?” Carl gave a forced, exaggerated laugh as he kept his distance, stood beside the Delcatty. Whilst he had already hinted out the danger that Gaear proved to the duo stood beside him, the feline knew that it would be unwise to confess everything out in the open. That dragon was a murderer; no, a ruthless, fucking psychopath. Although outnumbered, Gaear was never the type to give up. If he couldn’t kill everybody here at once, there wasn’t a doubt in Carl’s mind that he would follow. Pick them off one by one until his scrawny form was left – essentially a macabre cycle. He flashed the grass-type an uneasy smile. “Y-you got it all wrong, buddy. We’re just j-joking around, aren’t we, Gaear?” The dragon gave nought but a grunt in response.

“Ahem, excuse me, sir? I can't help but to notice you are native to my home region of Unova. Would you, and this is going to sound silly but...you wouldn't happen to know how to get back there, would you? I find myself a little...lost.”

Another creature had appeared, this time a rodent Gaear cared not for the name of – all he knew was that it chose to remain dangerously close to his jaws. Listening, exasperated, to the female as she spoke of Unova, the Haxorus' nostrils flared. Her cutesy appearance, the widening of those warm, brown eyes meant nothing to him. In fact, it only made him hungrier.
“No,” Gaear stated bluntly. There was no emotion within his gruff voice as he turned his bulky head away from the fancy rat-thing – tusks mere inches from her tiny form. “Carl, we were leaving,”
“W-wai-! J-just hang on a minute!” The Meowth was immovable from his position beside Xela and Fautus, yet his lips refused to stop. He had succeeded in burying his terror, eased by the number of seemingly friendly faces about him, yet the desperation still seeped into his high-pitched tone. “As you know, I-I am a gentleman. Can’t leave without saying hello, r-right?” Bullshit. Gaear snorted, moving back to rest on his haunches to watch the proceedings. That slippery thief just wasn’t going to give up. But then again, there wasn’t a complete hurry to gut the bastard. Tempt him with the hope that he would be safe, that he had survived, again. An unpleasant smile, missed in a blink, surfaced and disappeared across Gaear's face.

“S-So… uh, you two got names?” Carl asked, rubbing his trembling paws together. Whilst he was somewhat pleased that another girl had arrived, rather upper-class from her tone and lavish appearance – he remained uneasy. Gaear wasn’t pressing his decision; that alone was giving the cat reason to panic. Looking to the monstrous dragon, Carl was met with a tilt of the head that sent a shiver down his spine. Way to fucking go, genius. By delaying his fate, his death was obviously going to be twice as agonizing. “I-I’m Carl. That’s uh… m-my buddy, Gaear,”

Vale's heart pounded in his ears as the dragon took steps toward him, the other's power radiating off of him in terrible, horrifying waves. The look in his eyes, the emotionless face... there was something wrong with this guy. Even what seemed to be his companion kept stuttering, a fearful edge to the cat's voice. No. This dragon wasn't to be messed with, no matter how badly Vale wanted to prove himself.

Fortunately, another distraction revealed herself, a pretty female mouse of some sort asking for directions back to something called "Unova". While Vale had little knowledge outside of his own region, he wanted to offer her some help. Her added company to blanket over the dragon's terrifying glare wouldn't be a bad idea either...

Vale nearly slapped himself at the thought. Ladies weren't meant to be a distraction or meatshield! What the hell was he thinking? His thoughts, thankfully, were disrupted as the meowth introduced himself and the scary-ass dragon, which the bayleef took the opportunity to introduce himself as well.
"Hello, Carl, G-Geaer," he began.
"I'm Vale... sorry about earlier... My mistake," he gave a small, anxious laugh, then turned to the other pokemon.
"H-Have you all been here long?"

Serafina's hopes deflated as the dragon gave her a curt no, not even bothering to hide the fact he didn't care. The simple brush off made her a little sad, not used to such callous behavior from something that wasn't trying to eat her, but she could not blame the tall male. He seemed distant, almost detached from everything going on around him except for the small cat at his side. Perhaps he didn't realize the way his callous behavior came across? She made a note to watch him carefully, and began to pick out certain parts of his gruff behavior that didn't seem to place within the conversation. Something was off...

As they spoke, waves of tension began to radiate from the small feline, introducing himself as Carl, as he expressed a serious desire to stay. The near desperation was very curious and it made her take a second look at the dragon he named as Geaer. NOt able to stand seeing him that way Sefarina quickly jumped down from the tree and made her way up to the cat, feigning complete indifference to his behavior. "I do indeed have a name, Mr. Carl. My name is Sefarina, and I am ever so pleased to meet you." She shot a careful look to Geaer before turning back to Carl and giving him a wink to let him know she understood. The Cinccino was extremely perceptive about people, and while she didn't yet know the cause of it there was a violent dynamic going on between the dragon and the feline. Even if it was just through glances.

The Bayleef, Vale, seemed like a nice enough guy. She liked him almost immediately because his easily embarrassed nature reminded her of Eli. He made a mention of how long anyone had been there but Sefarina herself had only just arrived, so she wasn't sure what help she could be. "Sorry to say, but I've only been here less than a few hours. I'm kind of lost and looking to find my way back to Unova. Does anyone here know where it is?" Thoughts of home began to fill the female's mind and she had to fight back the choking feeling of disappointment, knowing that there was a very good chance none of them had ever even heard of Unova, much less how to get there.

Listening to the others talking and carrying on, Xela began to become lost in a world of her own. The things around her swayed and she found herself feeling as though she were plummeting into a deep chasm of despair and isolation. Not wanting to be with the group but also not wanting to leave, she padded away from them and into her own thoughts as she journeyed through the dark caves. Slowly feeling as if she got herself lost, Xela turned around and tried retracing her steps but to no avail. Well, she thought bitterly, I guess lost is where those of us find ourselves anyway. Continuing the search for the group again, Xela almost bumped into the hulking dragon and sighed in relief of finding them once again. Keeping her head down, she listened intently, ears always erected, as she pondered what the group should do with the new members.

(OOC: I really don't want to leave the group but I feel lost Dx I'm gonna give it another week to decide my loves.)

Sahara frowned whilst the others bantered, she used to love listening to people. She would get excited when her and Toby met someone, paying the most sincere attention to each detail of their stories. Those days were long gone, though. She noticed Xela walking away from the group, ya know, that is a great idea. The Fire-Type stood up and shook the dust from her fur, then trotted in the opposite direction.

She passed countless trails leading away, but one smell lead her exactly where she wanted to be. The canine found herself outside, the scent of death rolled in quicker and quicker. She spun around, her jaw gaped at the amount of Undead making their way down the mountain.
Sahara smirked, zombie party time! And she was their feast guest of honor!

The Fire dog blew past the smaller Undead with spiraling flames, straight to where the bigger ones were clumsily making their way down. She, of course, began making her way up; Freakin' zombies are way too slow to wait on! One foolish one latched onto the fluff around her face, Sahara swiftly flung it up to her mouth and threw it down the rocky side of Stark Mountain. More leapt for her, but it took nothing more than a quick duck to avoid them. They also fell to their pitiful second deaths. She grinned in sadistic pleasure of seeing it, but when she raised her eyes back up, there was an Undead Vigoroth face-to-face with her. It's fist glowed white, the Focus Punch hit Sahara directly in her face, sending her down the rocky slope as well. She tumbled and the sharp stones slit her repeatly, before she finally caught herself. Her back legs hung limply as she tried to pull herself up and shot Flamethrowers at any oncoming zombies.

"Thanks for that, Toby.", the Arcanine mused. It was her Trainer who gave her the TM Flamethrower, it was definitely helping her out here.

((OoC - I needed some action lol. You can probably hear Sahara going kamikaze on these dudes, so feel free to help out if you want.))

The newcomers introduced themselves as Vale and Serafina, Carl managing an awkward, half-assed smile as they spoke. In all honesty, he didn’t care. All he was concerned with were the fact they could prove a shield between him and Gaear – slow the dragon up whilst he legged it to safety. But now wasn’t the time, the Haxorus would be expecting that. It unnerved him to no end that his companion had an uncanny ability to read him, practically delve into his thoughts whilst predicting his actions perfectly - he could never surprise him. His grin unfaltering, strained, he almost forgot to answer the Bayleef.
“Oh – uh, no, not really,” A false, high chuckle as his huge eyes darted between the two latest arrivals. The mouse-like thing had winked at him earlier and whilst he could only presume it was flirty, the girl clearly enamoured by his good looks, there seemed to be something more behind it.

"Sorry to say, but I've only been here less than a few hours. I'm kind of lost and looking to find my way back to Unova. Does anyone here know where it is?"

Gaear was completely and utterly disinterested in the conversation, though all the clueless idiots around him were making him hungry. Glaring as they talked amongst themselves, the dragon’s red eyes follow the Arcanine’s movements away from the group. However, before he could pursue such curious behavior, the feline appeared again, dangerously close to his gargantuan form. Nostrils flaring, the dragon glared down at the Delcatty – his emotionless expression speaking volumes. Bump into me again, and die.

“Unova? What the fuck is that?” Carl invaded his thoughts inelegantly, some of his natural gusto recovered yet still laced with fear. Gaear smiled inwardly, pleased that his plan was working. However, garbled growling and screeches of the undead quickly averted his attention. Looking towards the source, unsurprisingly the same direction in which the fire-dog had disappeared, Gaear made no reaction. He had no desire to help the canine, fight the undead or damage his already scarred armor – in short, he wasn’t in the mood for all this drama. “Geez! What the fuck was that?” Carl cried, almost breathless as the familiar face of fear returned. The feline had scrambled back in his panic, moving close to Gaear in the knowledge that he would not let any harm befall him. It was the only positive of his current situation. Gaear was strong, a brutal killer who would protect the Meowth, only to kill him at his leisure at a later date. Until then, Carl was thankful.
“The mutt went that way,” Gaear commented absentmindedly.
“Wha-!? Go help her!” The feline gestured frantically, his fur sticking up as the stress took hold. He wasn’t a battler – never had been. He only had enough strength to stun an enemy then run for it, he wasn’t the type to go looking for a fight. He got no reply, the dragon simply flexing his arms as he let out a lazy yawn. Unsure what to do, Carl looked to the others. He didn’t want to fight, Gaear refused to fight, and yet he didn’t want to lose that pretty piece of tail. Sexist, his directed his question to Vale. “You much of a battler?”

Vale felt lost and still terribly intimidated by the hulking haxorus standing nearby, the meowth's anxiety catching with the bayleef. His stance, his unwavering glare-- even not directed at himself, it was heart-stoppingly terrifying. He swallowed, reprimanding himself lightly for not keeping more of a mental wall. There were others besides this dragon that called for his attention, especially the newer mouse that introduced herself.

The cat answered his question, to which Vale only nodded in reply. Unfortunately, echoes from the Undead soon tolled around them, signaling a fight close by. Finding that his new companions were down by one, Vale quickly realized the fire dog was missing, presumably the one attracting all the undead's attention. His heart quickened at the thought; would she be able to survive? Was it already too late? The meowth and dragon bickered about it for a very short amount of time, a mere lazy yawn from the latter ending the conversation quickly. He turned then to the bayleef, asking, "You much of a battler?"

Vale nodded a little, apprehension taking him. Without the need for an invitation, he skittered off, away from the company of his newfound companions. It was easy to follow the fire dog's scent, and it was all too soon before he came across the bloodied scene.

It seemed the bulk of the Undead horde had been burnt to embers, however, Vale couldn't immediately spot the arcanine. Still, these filth needed to be eradicated. Flexing the leaves that grew around his neck, he shout out a flurry of Razor Leaves, aiming for any of the zombies' necks. A few hit their targets, slicing heads off cleanly from the bodies. Unfortunately, others -lots of others- didn't. Some turned his direction, lumbering his way with the thought of a different victim. Swallowing his fear, he continued to shoot out leaves, his back to the tunnel he came from. Hopefully, the undead would run out before his leaves did...

Sefarina was concerned when she saw two of the others trot off without a word, choosing to ignore Carl's poor choice of wording, and realized those fears were well founded when the screams of the Undead came filtering through the trees. The large fire dog seemed to have run into a bit of trouble and the smaller female was a little taken aback by the Haxorus's reaction. He was out for a fight. Carl was currently hiding behind Gaear while the others were more interested in turning back, or in the dragon's case killing, the Undead as they followed the hound's trail towards them. Turning his gaze to the poor leaf Pokemon by his feet the demanded to know if the male knew how to fight, and thankfully he did because Vale was forced to defend himself magnificently. Though he wasn't able to take out all of them he did manage to take out quite a few all at once.

Well, she wasn't letting him fight alone. Quickly moving to a branch that hovered just over Vale's head she called down to him quietly. "I've got your back!" The Scarf Pokemon had her eyes on some of the lumbering Undead as they wandered around the perimeter of the glade, the chocolate brown orbs darting quickly from shadow to shadow. She might be a little rusty when it came to full out battle, but she had a few tricks hidden under her scarf. Shooting Vale a confidant smile she scampered to the very end of the branch, letting it drop close to the ground from her weight before using the leverage to snap the branch back up and launch her clear across the small field to the other side where the Undead were.

Her body was outlined in a glowing white as she sailed overhead, ramming full force with her Return straight into the side of a Camerupt. The extra push from her launch pushed the large fire camel back giving her enough time to time her landing and move out of the way. As some of the Golbat came at her, and the Camerupt beginning to charge, Sefarina allowed them am close as possible before tossing her head back and letting out a tremendous scream. It was her Hyper Voice, and the echoing sound tore through the area like a shockwave and scrambling the brains of several of the Undead and severely injuring the Camerupt. Though, it really just seemed to piss him off more than anything, despite the blood running from his nose and ears due to his sinus cavities collapsing.

"Well, aren't you a toughie?" Sefarina's giddy chuckle was the only thing that preceded her new Return as she cheerfully attacked the brute once more.

Well, this escalated quickly.

One moment it was him, fire-dog, Odette look-a-like, and the cat and holy fuck he's scary behemoth duo, but now there was a Bayleaf and a Cincinno and they were all helping the Arcanine kill (or re-kill?) some undead. Fluffing out his fur in annoyance, Faustus huffed. "So much for finding Odette. Speaking of which," turning his head, the Phanteon could see the fading figure of Xela as she lingered into one of the many tunnels of the mountain.

Reluctantly floating over to the fight, he blinked before forming a ball of dark energy in his mouth, narrowing his eye in frustration. "Well, here it goes," aiming at the undead. As he released his Shadow Ball, the orb of darkness slammed onto the face of a Machoke, sending it toppling backwards. "This is boring," Faustus grumbled. "Bye,"

After his farewell, the Phanteon sighed and slowly fell through the floor, using his ghost abilities to go through the ground. Quietly, he began to slowly pad away and out of the warm mountain.

[OOC: Leaving post. Bye. ;w;]

The moonlight shone brilliantly against Stark Mountain as the Undead continued to fall, the headstrong Arcanine had picked herself up and was raring to go. A grin crept across her face at the sight of the Vigoroth fumbling towards her. Yup, that brainless fool was toast.
Flames roared around Sahara as she leapt against the Undead ape, the fire licked at his matted fur while it cried out in agony. The flames died down and nothing was left but a charred corpse, the scent blowing through the breeze satisfied the canine, though it was gross.

The Fire-Type howled in delight. As her wicked call died down, she noticed the other living had joined the party. Sahara scoffed. She didn't ask for anyone's help, why were they helping her? Though the dog emotions were starting to cloud her thoughts. She felt disgust towards the others following her, when she specifically tried to leave them. But at the same time, there was a little joy in her heart, maybe they cared about her? Maybe they didn't. Did she care about them? She didn't know that either.
The dog soared down from a lower point, grandly landing in the middle of the field and shooting flames at whatever moved. Blood seeped from the multiple cuts on the dog's body, only fueling her to fight harder. "Bring it.", the dog's malicious smile quickly switched to a snarl as flames exhaled from her mouth towards anything remotely zombie-looking.

Fortunately, the male had proven himself an able battler as he darted away to join the battle with a physical display of all the confirmation Carl needed. Smirking to himself, momentarily forgetting that he was sandwiched between two things intent on killing him – an undead hoard and Gaear - the Meowth was left in a temporary bubble of his own pleasure. He didn’t need to fight, didn’t need to worry about anything – his new ‘friends’ were willing to risk their own asses in a ridiculous battle. The idea alone and the strangled grunts and roars of the fight even evoked a short, smug laugh from the feline. But with the Cincinno and ghost-creature’s sudden absences, Carl was left with the Haxorus, alone. Gaear was more than willing to pop the Meowth’s short-lived, metaphorical bubble of safety.
“Gaear – “ It was all he got out as the dragon’s glowing claw struck the earth where Carl had just stood. Keen instincts and dodging had ensured he’d avoided the first attack, but the Meowth knew now how dire his situation had become. Massive eyes finding the dragon’s expressionless face, he gave an involuntary shudder as a smile crossed Gaear’s maw. “Gaear, we –“ Another dodge. “Can talk about – “ A feeble, rather feminine scream as a Dragon Pulse sent him flying backwards into the midst of the battle against the undead.

Gaear, who had been particularly enjoying himself, deliberately missing hitting the cat in a bid to make his victim piss himself with fear, was a little annoyed to find he’d aided the creature’s escape. Watching helpless as the scrawny cat flew out of vision and down into the midst of what he could imagine as a particularly gory battle, a snarl echoed from the Haxorus’ throat. Damnit.

Darting forward at a surprising speed for a creature laden with heavy, steel armour, Gaear’s red, furious eyes soon fell onto the chaotic scene. The undead mass that weren’t screeching in agony whilst flames engulfed their fragile bodies were being fended off by the tag-team of Vale and Serafina. In all honesty, they looked like they were enjoying themselves – the fire dog especially. Redeeming themselves a fraction in the dragon’s eyes, Gaear’s main concern was on locating his pesky companion. A series of frantic yowling, high-pitched and pathetic as the creature who owned them, quickly led him to his target.

Whilst not hugely injured by Gaear’s attack, presuming that the force that had hit him was particularly muted to ensure he’d lived longer, it was the fall down to the slope that did the damage. Rocks tearing unforgiving at his small frame, gashes flourishing across the feline’s body as he tumbled past countless, inflamed monsters, Carl eventually grasped onto a particularly large rock with the little energy he had left. Gasping as the pain hit him full force, his body bleeding as the recent injuries only heightened his bedraggled appearance, he clung onto the rock with his life. Unfortunately, doing so was likely to end it quicker. A collection of the undead had set their sights on the small, bloody cat – he was like a fucking beacon. Forget dignity, Carl was terrified; screeching out for help as he struggled to his feet, aiming the odd Slash to keep the enemy at bay.

His saviour came in the form of the creature that’d landed him in the whole situation. With one powerful Dragon Pulse, the Haxorus had created a path of dead undead to trample over – the creatures falling like skittles beneath the crippling attack. His face was cold, blank, as he lumbered towards the cat – crushing the dead beneath his weight as he batted away any plucky opponents with a heavy thwack of his tail. Carl was left in a state of panic and relief. Gaear was saving him from this, yet he knew damn well that it was only out of jealousy. There was literally no way he could survive the week.
“G-Gaear!” The Meowth cried feebly, unsure why he continued to accept the behemoth’s protection. Gaear regarded him with indifference, stood a short distance from his gory form whilst he snapped his head around to meet the charging of a Rhyhorn. Claws clamping around the creature’s gore-stained head as he struggled to counter the beast’s strength, pushed backwards on contact, Gaear was calm. He was unwilling to fall victim, managing to dispel the creature’s charge as the duo stood glaring at one another – the Haxorus still holding the head. In a flash of purple, a Dragon Claw left the creature bellowing in pain, Gaear’s claws breaking through the tough layer to tear relentlessly within the beast’s head. He took his time, almost relishing in the dying cries as his eyes darted back to Carl’s situation. He was fending off a few weaker beings with a series of Faint Attacks. He wouldn’t last long. Moving quickly, Gaear tilted his head as he buried his sharpened tusks into the Rhyhorn’s face – a jerking movement slicing it open with a satisfying pop as its eyeballs burst. It wasn’t dead, still howling in agony and feebly trying to break from the Haxorus’ hold, but it was no longer a threat. Done, the dragon tossed it aside to seek out Carl.

Panting, Vale looked across the battlefield with a somewhat relieved glance. It seemed the others had come out as well, helping with the daunting horde before them. He wondered for a moment if he had attracted them, led them through the caves to the group he'd stumbled upon. Guilt racked him, and he hoped to whatever Legend would listen that no one died because of his own stupidity.

A strange cry caught his attention, somewhere in the labyrinth of darkness. He couldn't see well, so it came to no surprise that he slipped and fell, the jagged, staggered rocks slowly and painfully breaking his fall. Groaning, he slowly lifted himself up and realized that he was not alone in his situation. The screeching continued, and Vale gimped in the direction, hoping to get there in time to help. The bayleef paused when he actually located the source of the screaming --Carl.

Not focused on the dragon nearby that was also making his way toward the cat, Vale's attention was all on the beaten and bleeding feline. Getting closer, panting from his excursion, he asked, "Are you ok-- of course you're not ok. Can you move? Can you get back to the... where we were?" Vale kicked himself for his stupidity --what kind of question was that?! Still, the admonishing would have to wait until they were safe...

She was having a delightful time going after the Camerupt, pounding at it again and again with her Return's. It took a while but she finally got the brute down to where a final Hyper Voice was able to take it out. It was then that she heard the screaming. Rushing back to where she had left the others but ran into Vale trying to comfort Carl on the way. "Are you ok-- of course you're not ok. Can you move? Can you get back to the... where we were?" This didn't look good.

"Oh my goodness! Vale...what's going on?" She had no idea what caused Carl to look so roughed up, or the screaming. And where was Gaear? If that big lug had done this to Carl then he was going to have to answer for his rude behavior. The poor kitty seemed really stressed so Sefarina decided to try and comfort him by laying a gentle paw on his shoulder. "Hey...are you okay?"


((OOC: Lame Post. Tired and trying to post is hard, I will edit in colors later. Sorry for the wait guys.))

"Twit.", the overly-fluffy dog murmured to herself as she watched the Haxorus fight and gain the upper hand against a Rhyhorn. "Go help your companion.", she growled to him with anger apparent in her voice. Sahara really hated this guy already...
The dog exhaled a scorching breath of fire around the area the remaining undead came from, setting a wall of fire to block away any Undead with enough brain not to touch it and cremate any who didn't. It wouldn't last forever though.

The light of the flames danced around the crimson stained ground as blood soaked into the soil, the Arcanine trotted towards the others, her crystal blue eyes rising to give a threatening glare to Gaear. "Oh my goodness! Vale...what's going on?", Sahara caught the last bit of the Cincinno's question as she peered towards the beaten up Meowth. "I would very much like an answer to that as well.", Sahara added with obvious suspicion towards the Dragon-Type.

"Are you ok-- of course you're not ok. Can you move? Can you get back to the... where we were?"

Carl couldn’t help it. His eyes wide, frantic as the path of undead was cleared around him to be replaced by Vale, struggled to hold his tongue. He gave a sudden, near-maniacal laugh.
“Am I okay?! Do I fucking look okay?!” Carl looked akin to a madman. His fur standing on end, dirtied and bloodied from his fall, the expression of panic sculpting his scruffy features transformed him altogether. Scrambling forward, the physical pain numbed by his sheer terror, he tried and failed to clamber atop the creature’s back. “Fuck’s sake! Gimme a boost or somethin’!”

The pretty chinchilla-thing arrived then, demanding an explanation and repeating Vale’s first query. Carl hadn’t the energy or patience to respond, knowing that he would unfairly explode. Instead, he continued to attempt to pull himself atop the grass-type’s back, looking over his shoulder to judge the location of the undead threats and of course, Gaear. The latter had finished battling, advancing towards the group as he cold glare fell onto the Arcanine staring suspiciously at him. Oh damn… The Haxorus’ eyes fell to him, bloody irises full of loathing. Carl hadn’t said anything, trying to express that though subtle gestures which fortunately the dragon picked up on.
“I fell, geez!” The Meowth suddenly snapped in response to the earlier questions, his tone convincing from the annoyance already coursing through him. “Now, get me the fuck outta here!”

Gaear flashed the distrusting fire-hound a sarcastic smile, nodding his head politely as he flicked the gore from his claws to one side. They had no proof or the guts to challenge his unforgiving stare. Flaring his nostrils, he surveyed the depleting numbers of the undead and remained content that unless the situation required, he would be free to act as nothing more than an observer.

"Am I okay?! Do I fucking look okay?!" Vale flinched at the meowth's angry words, stepping back a bit at the harshness. Jeez... He knew the guy was scared but he was only trying to help... "Fuck’s sake! Gimme a boost or somethin’!" Nodding quickly, he extended his neck -since he regretably didn't know Vine Whip- for the cat to grab ahold of.

"Oh my goodness! Vale...what's going on?" The sweet, lyrical voice of the pretty mouse had floated by Vale's ears, their owner shocked that she addressed him by name. She inquired after his well-being, but neither seemed to have the heart to respond. Vale merely nodded as Carl climbed aboard his back, situating himself on top of the bayleef. It was a much easier way to travel, surely, if Carl's legs were giving him problems. Spotting the dragon in the distance, Vale seemed as willing to leave as the meowth. "I fell, jeez!" the cat yowled. “Now, get me the fuck outta here!”

Not willing to try and alleviate the cat's anxiety -as it was terribly contagious- Vale nodded and turned to the mouse. "Come on, let's get out of here!" He lunged into a gallop, hoping that his legs were quick enough to carry them away from that armored beast. Glancing behind him, hoping the dragon couldn't hear them over the noise of the battle, Vale decided to try and glean some insight. "Who is that dragon? Is he even safe to be around?"

A gentle breeze blew through the area, clearing the scent of smoke lightly. Things had calmed down enough for everyone to think rationally, at least, for most of the Pokémon. "Am I okay?! Do I fucking look okay?!”, the Meowth snapped. Sahara was amused at the Bayleef's reaction. Priceless! "Fuck’s sake! Gimme a boost or somethin’!”
As the Scratch Cat Pokémon claimed to had fallen, Sahara caught a chilling smile from the dragon. A low growl rumbled from Sahara, fine, not guilty on one count. She still didn't like him though. “Now, get me the fuck outta here!”

"Come on, let's get out of here!", Vale sprung away with Carl on board. The dog purposely distanced herself from the others, instead, she weaved between trees and other obstacles nimbly for her size. With the great speed her kind was known for, she found the Survival Area coming into view after only a few minutes. And she was alone. Good. The Fire-Type was getting hungry, perhaps there was something to eat there. With an empty stomach, and a far emptier heart, Sahara bounded towards the abandoned Survival Area.

"Come on, let's get out of here!"

Carl fell deaf for a moment, his heart threatening to burst from his chest in fear as he grasped onto his saviour with his life. Although bumpy as the Bayleef took off into a sprint quicker than the Meowth could have ever expected, the cat hung on like a leech – his hold around the grass-type’s neck would have likely crushed a smaller individual. But past the constricting terror threatening to suffocate the scruffy feline, Carl was relieved. He was out of battle, out of the path of the undead and being transported to safety. Thank. Arcues.

"Who is that dragon? Is he even safe to be around?"

The sounds of battle had died down a little, giving the cowering cat reason to believe that for now, he was safe. Lifting his head, streaks of blood cascading down his face, Carl’s rationality was helpless to prevent the outburst that ensured.
“Safe? SAFE?!” He screeched, hysterical. “He’s a fucking psychopath!” Looking fearfully over his shoulder, the assortment of cuts on his body beginning to sting as he escaped his earlier state of numb fear, Carl was thankful Gaear had been held up. He could hear that monster’s snarling and bellowing roaring in the distance – obviously the undead were giving him trouble, or more likely, he just wanted to kill something. “Forget the dog and squirrel-thing! We need to get the fuck outta here, man! Now!”

Although the sight of Carl scared shitless and looking even worse than normal gave him no end of satisfaction, Gaear was concerned about their recent companions. The fire-mutt for instance continued to shoot him glares, clearly suspicious of his motives. Although annoying, she wasn’t thick. Still, he watched her sprint away whilst Vale and Carl headed to a safety. A grin crept across his bloodstained face, claws flexing as he slowly strolled after the fleeing duo.

Unfortunately, he’d underestimated the strength of the remaining undead, a flurry of Zubat suddenly surrounding him. Snarling, infuriated, as the bats nipped at his armoured body in a vain bid at felling the behemoth, Gaear’s hunt was momentarily halted. He had to deal with these first.

Roaring, he knocked a handful of the infected out of the air with a lazy swipe of his arm, the force evoking an orchestra of whines as their fragile bodies crashed against the rocky ground. Spinning around, the heavy swing of his tail was enough to dispel the last few stubborn enough to continue their feeble attack. Ruthlessly prying a single Zubat clinging onto his neck, crushing the creature in his vice-like grip, Gaear’s mood had only lessened. Whilst the brief battle had done little damage, only a few cuts gracing his already intimidating appearance, it had eaten away valuable time. Carl in such an erratic state would be confessing the contents of his miserable life – how he was doomed to die at the claws of his colleague and woe is me, I deserve you sympathy… Gaear snorted. Pathetic.

This would end. Now.

"Safe? SAFE?! He’s a fucking psychopath!" Vale paled a little at Carl's reply, the claws that dug into his flesh getting more and more numb with each second that allowed him to process the information. He wanted to ask why he was around such a threat if he was so crazy, but Carl continued. "Forget the dog and squirrel-thing! We need to get the fuck outta here, man! Now!"

"B-But--" he began to protest, his chivalry momentarily getting the better of him. He was sure the arcanine could hold her own, but little Sefarina? She was someone that needed help too, he was sure! However, the roaring from the previously discussed dragon made his throat run dry and his feet falter. Legends, if he caught up with them... His legs pumped beneath him strong once more, intent on getting away from the insane dragon. "Where can we go?" he asked Carl, eyes straining in the dark. "I don't know this place at a-AA!" He skidded to a halt, nearly careening over a cliff in his panic. Certainly, that way was out of the question.

He turned to his passenger, his fear almost mimicking his own. "What now...?"

Sefarina was dumbstruck at Car's violent responses, knowing that he was scared but not used to such rude behavior. There was no reason to be rude even when faced with a crisis. He was atop Vale in seconds screaming for them to leave. “Forget the dog and squirrel-thing! We need to get the fuck outta here, man! Now!” Her jaw dropped open as she was quickly forgotten and abandoned by the small gathering. Well, she certainly wasn't going out without a fight.

Sefarina took off after them, scrambling up a tree and darting from branch to branch. Her speed was well matched to the ones running below her but when they came to a cliffside she was forced to grab onto the end of a branch she ran on to prevent falling off. The branch snapped back and she flew into the trunk of the tree, cracking her head. She rubbed the sore spot in time to see a Mankey looming over her. Shooting it a quick smile she waved and took off, luring it away from the others. Though they probably wouldn't even notice, she had to try and help them.

Besides, she could always come back later, right?

A broken Pokémon Center never seemed so welcoming to the Arcanine. The windows were shattered, the walls smeared with blood, the rotten stench of decay ever present. The Area was mostly quiet, most of the Undead were probably attracted away from it by the earlier noise by Stark Mountain.

Sahara busted through the window and landed as magnificently as ever, blood from her earlier wounds splashing against the already dirty floor. A pack of Undead Rattata scampered towards the giant dog. Nothing but a nuisance... "Just like those other guys..." Sahara's heart wrenched a little at the thought. The Fire-Type crashed her massive paws on top of the Rattata, the sound of their crushing skulls reminded her of the day the outbreak began, and she destroyed her own eggs-- Murdered her own flesh and blood.
Sahara never believed in Arceus, but if he did exist... What did she ever do to deserve the life she had? Nothing could correct the crap she had been served though. No use in pitying herself over it.

Oh! Right, food. Sahara had almost forgotten the entire reason she was there. After aimlessly rooting around the filth of the Center, she concluded there was nothing to eat. Of course, why did she expect anything less. "Thanks, Arceus.", she mumbled sarcastically.
After setting a tiny fire to the trash inside the building, Sahara layed beside it and licked her wounds.

It sure is lonely. Just like always.