The REALGAM Team

((I'm going to have to skip this time around. Mainly i don't want it to seem like Cyril is going at hyper-speed, and getting a lot of shit done so fast, while everyone is still kinda running from the beast and trying to figure out what to do. (the sucky part about being separated from a group >.<) I do know what to write, but I'm putting it off a turn to let time sync a little better |D ))

Ross had to roll his eyes at seeing how the Jolteon fell. Oops. Considering she had stumbled earlier, around her back legs, maybe dropping her like that wasn't so beneficial. Even if he did try to make it easier for her. She fell right on those back legs too, looking a bit awkward the way she stood before she simply fell onto her side. Silly. Chiaroscuro almost felt sorry that none of them had wings; it was so much easier to escape when you could fly. Most likely, it would've been a hell of a lot easier to get out of this tower, too -- that is, if these other pokémon had the intention to get out. Surely they did. Who in their right mind wanted to be stuck on a hotel tower, however luxurious, in the middle of a desert until they died?

Not Ross, that's for sure. It would've been too boring. But perhaps he could find some entertainment along the way until he made a decision. And the situation he found himself in right now was pretty damn distracting. And not to mention, gross.

"Who knows the tower the most?" called out the black cat, making Ross snap his gaze towards her and then to each member of the group. Well, obvious as hell, the cat didn't know it if she was the one asking. And Ross didn't know, either; he'd just gotten here the night before, for the first time. But he could guess someone who did. Gold-Horns knew exactly where to turn in order to get into this room. Not to mention, he knew what the room itself was, as well. Well thank Arceus it was someone reasonable who had the potential to lead them out of there. "Hey, you! The one with the gold horns!" It was the only thing he could call him as of now, not knowing anything about him other than the fact that he had gold horns. "You know the tower's layout, right? Or at least some of it. You mind leading us out of here?"

The last part of his sentence was practically drowned out by the sound of snarling, and then a gross, squelch-like sound as the undead Arcanine's face was squashed into a light screen barrier that Ciana had made. Dear Dialga, that was just disgusting. Out from the corner of his eye, he saw the Jolteon bolting out from the room out another door after setting up more light screens in an attempt to blockade the Undead, even if for only a short amount of time. With a 'tch', Ross got ready to follow her out -- but not before flapping his wings and setting up a whirlwind in the room. Though the Arcanine was a bit too large and heavy to blow away, the chairs and tables certainly weren't.

As soon as he let some of the furniture fly, adding more chaos and debris into the room than before, the Staraptor turned tail and left the room with the others, the roar of the beast echoing in the room left behind.

The thing that came in after them could no longer be called a "pokemon". Logan's eyes went wide with shock and fear, the many eyes of the once-was arcanine all blinking and focusing on them individually. What the hell had happened to this thing?! So engrossed in his own shock, it wasn't until the others spoke that he came out of it, calling for someone who knew the tower. "Who knows the tower the most?" the obnoxious, horned kitten from earlier cried, and it seemed they all took a look at each other. While Logan knew his fair share of the tower, he was amazed that the others knew so little of their surroundings. Didn't they scout. explore, anything?

When he didn't speak up, the bird called out to him. "Hey, you! The one with the gold horns!" Logan turned, his gaze still wide from the sight of the momentarily caged abomination. "You know the tower's layout, right? Or at least some of it. You mind leading us out of here?"

Logan couldn't have been more grateful for the light screen that held the beast, and quickly went through the maps in his head. This floor was nothing but a circle, with branching off rooms. Above was a giant colosseum, with small spires that reached into the heavens. Down a very long shaft to the ground floor was a small labyrinth, with many halls that all looked the same until they ended in dead ends. There really was no good way for them to take, since either alternative floor had to be accessed with an elevator. He didn't know where any stairs were... He swallowed, mind working quickly as the arcanine fought against its barrier to get at them. This wasn't something he could decide on his own-- not with so many lives on the line. Picking his destination, he shot a look to the jolteon, the one with the barrier, and cried, "Keep him stalled for as long as you can!" He glanced to the others, indicating to follow him, and began to dash out of the door. Once out, he called, "We can trap him in here-- there's no other way out of that room!"

Jimmy, relived that the group, for now at least, were still in one piece, instinctively trotted to Ciana’s side as she dropped inelegantly from the bird’s grasp. His expression one of muted concern as he approached, it was only at their pursuer’s appearance did he stop. A few paces behind the Jolteon, the scruffy canine looked up with wide eyes at the monstrosity that had just barrelled into the room before freezing dead, its countless eyes searching for its first target. Shuddering at the grotesque beast, the Herdier hardly heard the frantic planning around him, instead rooted to the spot by an unconceivable terror.

Frankie was slowly regaining his natural dim-witted confidence, abandoning his earlier, immediate fear of the behemoth that stood before them. His slim body rigid, remaining tails fanned out behind him as old instincts kicked in, the fox was very gradually calming. Had that thing lunged straight off, he would be long gone by now, but the mutant’s patience held his interest. Would it really attack? Maybe it was just a lost, unfortunate soul trying a last ditch at communication?

Or maybe not.

Flinching as the undead’s face was intercepted by a well-placed Light Screen courtesy of the long-legged Jolteon, Frankie soon found the event fairly hilarious. Of course, it wasn’t; but the frenzied canine’s inability to register the shield, its misshapen mug continuously splattering against the illusory glass, quickly evoked a muffled laughter. Snickering to himself, a wide grin crawling from ear to ear – Frankie’s body completely relaxed, the only struggle in his mind being the control of growing hilarity. And yet the beast – naught but a source of comedy now - kept up the show with that regular thumping squelch.
“Look at it!” Frankie choked out between bouts of obnoxious laughter, finding it impossible nobody shared his amusement. Snitchy looked like he was about to faint and everyone else seemed pretty stressed about the whole situation. His grin fading at the realization he was isolated in his opinions, he frowned, almost disappointed. “Oh c’mon! You guys don’t think that’s funny?”

"Keep him stalled for as long as you can! We can trap him in here-- there's no other way out of that room!"

Obviously not.

The group had sprung into action, the planning mainly unheard by both scruffy canines through one’s terror and the other’s amusement in a dangerous scenario. Still, Jimmy had heard enough. Giving a firm nod of his head, a natural admiration for the rational hound blossoming into a delicate loyalty, the Herdier soon leapt away to follow him. But thought of Ciana stopped him. She was entrusted with duty of stalling that monster, effectively bait. Looking over his shoulder, ashamed at his own cowardice, Jimmy, with some reluctance, waited.

Frankie, however, did not.

Aiming a Confuse Ray through a small gap in the Light Screen, the attack hitting the beast to leave it stumbling back, almost dazed, the fox soon made his leave. Content in having done his bit, Frankie winked at the pretty Jolteon as he sauntered past.
“Good luck, Doll,” He snickered, wily grin unmoving as he took off after the hound, ensuring to slip pass Rossowho’s building Whirlwind, unharmed as usual. Lanky form disappearing after Golden-Horn - as he was now known, the hilarity of the moment worn off, Frankie set his sights on surviving.

Jimmy watched his companion take off, desperately wanting to join the idiotic voice at a safer distance from the demonic undead, but chivalry made him wait. Stood beneath Chiaroscuro, the avian preparing some sort of wind-based attack to jostle about the room’s furniture, the canine looked pleadingly to Ciana. He couldn’t leave her. She came back for him, she’d helped him – it was only right he return the favour. Lacking the voice to warn her, Jimmy let out a short bark, one of few sounds he was still capable of, in a bid to catch her attention.

Time to go.

The feline screeched in surprise before stumbling backwards as the Arcanine lunged. "Someone take the lead!" The Purrloin stared intently on Gold-Horns, catching the signal as he bolted out of the door. "We can trap him in here-- there's no other way out of that room!" Lulu swiftly followed, her aching paws leaping from a falling table and through the doorway, skidding to a halt as she turned her body back to the fight. A deep worry for her old friend overtook her mind, legs trembling as she watched the Jolteon.

When Ciana too bolted out from the room, the cat tried to give the electric-type her best smile. "Good job!" she purred, hint of fear in her voice before crouching in a ready position. She wanted to help to. Tensing as if she was a bull about to sprint, she rammed the top of her head and horns against one of the doors, pushing it forwards with bursts of power until it closed. She panted for breath. The pathetic little kitten took a few steps back, before ramming herself on the other door, aiming to her the clicking sound of it closing. "Fuck... I'm so weak," she growled, pushing the door as fast and strong as she could. Lulu could still hear the demon inside the room, roaring in outrage as it thrashed.

First thing I know was that everything was so…amazing, it was quiet, and I hate quiet, but right now it was so good. Made everything pleasant, if my eyes where open I’d have probably seen a smile on myself or something. That is if I was able to see my own face….It felt warm and cold at the same time, it made me never ever want to leave, ever. To just make this feeling into a blanket somehow and make my own cocoon, to eventually become a butterfree or something silly like that.

Too bad it all had to stop and go away, I really wanted a few more minutes of that feeling.

But it went away, as fast as….well, as fast as it took for me to fall down basically and be jolted awake. Darn cold hard floor doing nothing to soften the fall, and now Sissy’s bum was hurt, and by that I mean my wrist! Guess it’ll teach me not to fall asleep slumped against a wall again. No matter how warm and inviting that particular wall may be.

“Get up already, can’t just go sleeping the whole night away now can you?”

Well I could if I didn’t keep getting woken up….But there was no point in blaming Brody, he was right, the night isn’t for sleeping, it was for enjoying, and exploring, and to make flashy lights!

So I forced myself up, and continued my exploration, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember which direction the other weirdo pokemon went, my head was too fuzzy still to think about that. Which just ended up in me just….standing there with nothing to do, just the hall and the closed doors hiding endless mystery and fun, all of which closed to me, because opening closed was just something we don’t do, don’t do at all.

Well, that’s what we weren’t supposed to do.

“Brody! You know we don’t do that.”

But he just stayed there not saying a word, his hands rubbing together as if he had the most brilliant plan in the entire universe. He had the look I only ever knew as, ‘The Brody Look’, sure to be filled with endless fun, but not usually the way me and Sissy hope.

Oh well, too late now, it was open, might as well explore while the night was around!

Once everyone was out, Logan searched nearby as the little horned kitten was working to close the doors. Save your strength for running, Kitty," he commented, his voice carefully void of emotion. Spotting a heavy-looking bench and some tables, he went and grabbed the first with his teeth, dragging it along the slick floor to rest at the doors. Blocking them, he quickly grabbed the next, a metal and glass table that'd cracked from some sort of event. Pushing and dragging the items, he looked to the others, then back to the doors, where the creature's roaring and howling could still very much be heard. Panting, he glanced over the rest of the group, seeing what he'd put himself in.

The jolteon, who had looked to be the ringleader of the entire operation, had forfeited her leadership once things got too hectic. While reasonable and understandable, it still put him into a very precarious predicament. With no one elected to really man the wheel, it looked he'd already sealed his fate as the next pokemon to call the shots by taking the reins during the chase. Swallowing and trying to not let the roars and heat from the game room distract him, he soon found himself unable to come up with words to dissuage these people. They were going to follow him now, no matter what. No matter the threats, there was no chance he was returning to his safe haven alone tonight. Your fault for leaving, old man...

"Let's go. It won't hold for long." He could bitch and moan later; that thing wasn't going to wait for it. He erupted into a run, following the hallway further down. Slowing only slightly, he darted to the left, bounding into another hotel room. It was nearly identical to the one they'd found the jolteon and Crazy Rat in, except it was still intact. Several dozen yards beyond was the shattered glass, indicating the circle of the building. He hopped onto his bed, his giant form taking up near the entire thing, knowing that little git of a ninetales would likely want to claim it first. Once the others piled in, he sighed. "Is everyone in? Shut the door wh-- wait, where's the bird?"

Frankie skidded to a halt alongside the others, watching with a growing amusement the horned-cat’s attempts at closing the doors. Silencing a snicker at the warning look the recently arrived Snitchy gave him, the Ninetales fell to a sitting position. If they were stopping for a minute, he was going to make the most of it. Blissfully immune to the stress and fear infecting his company, the fox made no effort to help in blocking the undead’s inevitable path, rising only at the leading canine’s eventual command.

"Let's go. It won't hold for long."

Jimmy, who had contributed a chair to the makeshift barricade, couldn’t agree more. He’d arrived alongside Ciana, eager to leave that monstrous mutant behind and yet stayed with her out of some misplaced sense of loyalty. She had helped him – it was only right he return the favour. Glad to have settled one debt, the Herdier turned and trotted after the horned Mightyena-creature, silent as ever.

Soon enough Jimmy and later, a strolling Frankie, had reached their destination. The fox’s eyes had practically lit up at glimpse of the bed, the luxury of the room far surpassing his own chosen resting spot. He could learn a little from the horned grouch after all.
“Shotgu-“ Frankie stopped himself hastily as said grouch leaped onto the bed, effectively claiming the plush furniture as his own – the look of his face seemed to suggest he was unwilling to share. Snorting, brushing away the rejection with his usual laxity, Frankie took the next best option. Numb to the previously life-threatening situation, the lanky Ninetales clambered onto an armchair in the room’s corner, lounging across it without a care in the world. “Nice place ya got here,” Jimmy merely rolled his eyes, stood aside the door as the group filtered in.

"Is everyone in? Shut the door wh-- wait, where's the bird?"

Jimmy had moved to nudge the door closed when the canine’s words stopped him. Turning to catch glimpse of his face, it took a deep breath for the scruffy Herdier to summon enough courage to peer down the corridor. The undead’s infuriated snarls had faded into the distance, the surroundings bare as a temporary silence fell upon the area. The bird was gone. Unable to voice his observations, Jimmy merely shook his head at the crimson canine, proceeding to shut the door.

"Save your strength for running, Kitty," The Purrloin looked up to see the Direyena, who began to block the doors with the furniture lying around. With a quick nod, the kitten skipped further down the hallway, watching the work from afar. As soon as a hefty collection of benches and chairs barricaded the double doors, Gold-Horns began to race down the hallway. "Let's go. It won't hold for long." The feline sprinted, working to catch up as she followed the red canine into the hotel room, said mutt claiming the poofy, tempting bed.

Lulu pouted slightly, watching the Ninetales claim an armchair. "Soooo not fair." she muttered, grabbing a small, fluffy cushion and dragging it into one of he corners of the room. Padding it down, she curled up upon it. "Is everyone in? Shut the door wh-- wait, where's the bird?" She perks up, glancing over to the Herdier, who shook his head and shut the door. "...Ross isn't here?" she frowned. "He was a cool dude." Shaking the thoughts out of her mind, she looked up to Logan. "So, what's the plan?"

It had been near a week since the strange energy had torn them from their home, a week since Alistair had found his mate wounded but alive amidst a mass of undead bodies. She had slaughtered them all, her heart's yearning to see her mate again keeping her from succumbing to their attempts to ambush the lovely feline. Even now as they walked, her fur tattered and bruised in places, a bit of ear missing, she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He was a lucky man.

Kaeli felt her mate's eyes upon her and, sure enough, as she turned her head to check on him she could see his doting gaze. She gave Alistair a soft smile and a gentle brush with her tail causing the larger lion to purr involuntarily. Kaeli loved how easy it was to reassure her mate knowing that their lives of constant danger, pretty much since the day they met, had made them both ill with worry at times. It took a miracle that they had found love in such dark times as those and they cherished it more-so now in the dark times current and ahead.

The tower they had found was a strange thing to find in the middle of the desert they had been traveling. And unfortunately for the two of them they hadn't had many good experiences with towers. Ghosts and demons prowling one and Undead ransacking another...not to mention the dragon Kaeli had been forced to slay to save their lands atop the city capitol. That had been a fun one. Alistair had protested the act of going inside, quoting many of the incidents Kaeli now reminisced, but she had remained firm that it could hold shelter if not supplies. So now they roamed the halls searching for anything that could support their trek across the sands.

As they rounded a corner a distant roar could be heard echoing down the halls causing Alistair to halt his steps. "Love, I don't think that this was such a good idea," he warned, eyes gleaming in the dim light as he took in their surroundings. Kaeli herself had tensed at the sound, but her sensitive ears had picked up other sounds as well. Movement most likely and muffled voices. Intrigued at the new development she gently shushed her beloved. "We have encountered creatures with a far worse vocalization Alistair. We will be fine. But something else in here with us."

The Rahneko tried to track the sounds but was disheartened to hear them quiet to the point they were no more. Looking back to her worried mate she nodded her head forward and he took his place at her side as she continued on down the halls, eventually coming to a room that looked like it had seen better days. "What the heck happened here?" Alistair mused aloud, leaving Kaeli wondering just the same thing. "I'm sure we don't want to know," she answered back, teasing Alistair to try and bring out the loveable goofball she had fallen in love with. He didn't disappoint because soon there was a large grin across his face. "You sound like Morrigan."

((Hey guys! <3
Since I'm not sure where Sil barricaded you all I am just going to have them roam the halls until they come across either Cyril, the Arcanine, or you guys. lol. Feel free to have anyone notice Pokemon outside talking.))

Ciana was releived when the group responded well for once, not even Frankie's jab getting to her. She whipped around on her paws, pride whelling within her as little Lulu did her part, helping to lock in the beast. It was not at all suprising to her when the horned crimson beast took charge, despite sounding less than enthusiastic. "Let's go. It won't hold for long." The Jolteon was panting, the exertion from the run and then so many Light Screens in succession almost too much for the frail Eeveelution to bear. She turned to follow, noticing for the first time 'Snitchers' had remained by her side. It brought an involentary smile to her lips. "Thank you, dear," she told him softly before they set off again, at a brisk pace again. She ended up at the rear of the group, her jaws parted slightly to show a flickering grey tounge as she fought to calm her ragged breathing. God, Ciana... What are you, the sick freak who can't even run for two minutes? Sheesh, pathetic. Flicking her large ears back, the deep brown gaze flickered with dark determination as she kept up with the others. Forcing herself not to show weakness when entering the room of the largest member's choosing, Ciana shook with the effort it took to make her breathing seem natural.

Her chest ached when the leader took the bed, almost flinching when Frankie claimed the comfy chair, and her head drooped when even her little kitten claimed her own spot. Sighing, Ciana simply settled for the uncomfortable ground, pulling herself beside her old friend as their 'leader' spoke. Ciana was hardly listening, her knees and wrists burning. Mother of fucking fuck... You are weaker than the rest of them. How the fuck are you still alive. FLinching at her inner thoughts, Ciana lowered her head in shame, eyes glazed with anxiety, when the Purrloin's words brought her back from her thoughts. "...Ross isn't here? He was a cool dude." Alarmed, Ciana snapped her head up, instantly alert as her ears flicked to and fro. Desperate to catch the sound of the giant avian's wingbeats, her heart fell when the silent canine merely shook his head. Ciana gave a silent whimper. "Chiaroscuro..." She would not forget him anytime soon. The only bird that ever saved my life.

Lulu just shook her head, blind to the Jolteon's dismay. "So, what's the plan?" the child asked, rousing Ciana's thoughts. Seemed odd, though, to her. Lulu was just immediately latching onto the giant canine. Only because he knew his way around. Ugly jealousy bloomed within the Eeveelutions, and she could not hide the small scowl as she stared at the ground. He lost Chiaroscuro. He wasn't that great of a leader. But something else made her pelt spike up. Imeediately alert, her eyes snapped to the door. SOft ear fur twitching, her large eyes were unblinking. She could almost catch it...There.

"What the heck happened here?"
"I'm sure we don't want to know,."
"You sound like Morrigan."
Ciana hissed, the words far off but also close. "There are even more people here," she realized with an uneasy and frightened flutter within her chest. Oh, if there was one thing she could not stand, it was crowds and large groups. And their group was getting larger enough already. Risking a glance to little Lulu, she could not help but wish the two of them could just go off on their own. 'SNitchers' could come. Ross, too, if they ever found him.

[ooc: antisocial ciana is antisocial lulz]

“Who’s a little Caterpie?
I’m a little Caterpie.
Wiggling on my tummy free
I’m a little Caterpie.”


This place was nice, I Liked this place, I liked it a lot. It was a great idea to go in here. Everything was so nice and snuggly, like I could evolve into a metapod at any moment! Then in a few hours, I would come out as a butterfree and fly away to play land. Yes, I liked this place a lot. I never want to leave.

It smelled nice too, like copper, or some other metal like that….i forget what they are all called, they have too many names, they should all just be called ‘Metal’ and ‘Copper’, that’s it. And it was all red! My new favorite color! Well…at least part of it was read, the part that I had already been to, the stuff ahead was all grey. Which means, that the part in the middle would be a mixture of red and grey…

“Red….and Grey…..Grey and Red”

“GRED?” Hah, perfect, Gred! Sissy was so smart, she should win some kind of prize for being so smart, that or her head should be a lot bigger.

“Go Little Caterpie,
Crawl Little Caterpie.
See all that you can be,
Crawl Little Caterpie.”

How did I get in here anyways….It’s hard to remember, the air was so heavy. Like it was trying to push me down or something. And no matter how much I wiggle, it kept looking the same, all the same. Every new part looked exactly the same as the last part, like it was one big circle and I was going around and around.

“Whose idea was to go in here anyways?”

“Yours of course.”

Huh….i don’t remember that….But Sissy never lies, its like she's unable to, oh well, it was fun to crawl anyways. Especially since I was spreading the greg around, maybe I should go until it is all red….hmm, that was a thought. Maybe I really should!

“Grow Little Caterpie,
Evolve Little Caterpie.
Fly like you’re meant to be,
See all that there is to See.”

Fly, yes, I should go flying next. Take Sissy and Brody and go flying after this. Maybe i can take the others pokemon along with me, that no fun birdy can already fly, he could teach us how to use our wings! Wait....i don't have wings....and neither do the others....Got it! that just means we haven't evolved yet! We have to break out of our metapod shells and be free! That's it, i just have to cut deep into all our shells and break free the butterfree!

"Go little Butterfree,
Fly Little Butterfree.
Jump off the highest Tree.
Cause if you fail you'll still be Free."



((WHOOT! Delusional Cyril is Delusional! And yes, he is in an Air duct, will go further into that when his mind is clearer, cause that Raichu never even tried to stop the bleeding, or get some rest xD))

With the silent dog shaking his head after looking out the door, the crimson canine's posture slumped a little. It seemed that the bird had mysteriously disappeared, and that worried Logan. It worried him a lot. While he didn't fancy company, nor introducing these strangers to his own personal lair, the bird had been a rational, likable pokemon... far more appealing than the damned ninetales that had claimed a plush chair nearby for his own. He sighed, sitting up on his perch as the horned cat voiced her own words.

"...Ross isn't here?" she frowned. "He was a cool dude." Logan matched her expression as she simply shook the thought from her mind, not allowing it to trouble her any longer. Well, that was one way to get through life... "So, what's the plan?"

"I'm not sure, yet. I'm not the lea--" He stopped abruptly when his sensitive ears picked up voices beyond the closed door. His mind thought to Ross first, hoping the bird had returned, but it soon was dashed from his mind, seeing as the voice was two, and one was female.

"What the heck happened here?" The first, male, queried. "I'm sure we don't want to know," the other, female, replied. Logan jumped from his perch as the jolteon went to the door, opening it a little. "You sound like Morrigan."

Logan's golden eyes narrowed, his form towering over the jolteon as she mused aloud. "There are even more people here," she mumbled, Logan agreeing with her with a silent nod. It seemed the tower was a popular retreat, even during this apocalypse. His frown deepened, and he stepped over and around the jolteon, nudging the door more open. They certainly sounded alive, but friendly was another matter. He glanced to the others, sighing a little. You sure got yourself into a pickle this time, old boy...

"Stay here. I'll see who they are and what they want." He glanced to the ditzy ninetales, his eyes narrowing. "That means you, too, Airhead." With that, he emerged, easily catching sight of the couple once he was out of the room. A luxray and something that resembled a persian. An evolution, perhaps? Something like what he'd been through...?

"...Hello," he greeted lowly, not wanting his voice to echo. That arcaine and raichu were still about... "Mind keeping your voices down?"

As the group seemed to pick up on unfamiliar, but thankfully intelligible, voices beyond the room, Frankie remained characteristically oblivious. Nestled cheerily on the touch, busying himself in pulling a small piece of glass from out of a one-toed foot, it took dead silence until the Ninetales acknowledged a change in the air. Raising his head, goofy grin momentarily absent, he scanned the creatures about him as they strained to listen to something his own senses had chosen to ignore.
“You seen a ghost or somethin’?” He asked , head tilted comically. But then suddenly they were all moving. Snitchy shot him a glare as he hovered aside the grouchy Jolteon, but unsurprisingly, the red fellow was calling the shots.

"Stay here. I'll see who they are and what they want. That means you, too, Airhead."

Frankie grinned at his own personal order, spitting the now removed piece of glass to one side as he stretched out his lanky forelegs until they hung limp from his perch.
“Yes, Boss,” He winked as the canine slipped out of the door to investigate something Frankie still wasn’t entirely sure was. Either way, he didn’t care now. His eyes had darted across the now empty bed that the shiny had willingly sacrificed. Snickering to himself as if he’d been responsible for outsmarting the ‘top-dog’, Frankie slipped from the armchair in one fluid movement. His paws hit the ground for a second, a short bounce soon propelling him onto the plush perch marking superiority. “That’s more like it!” The fire-type chuckled, wasting no time in sprawling his gangly form across the breadth of his newest acquisition.

Jimmy remained rigid when the voices had drifted from beyond, pleased only that they weren’t the garbled cries of the undead. Then again, nobody else seemed keen on the idea of extending the group to more stragglers – with the exception of Frankie who hadn’t an opinion on anything much. Hovering aside the door, he watched Logan leave, waiting loyally inside and listening for any sounds of panic. No doubt the shiny was a powerful individual, his demeanour alone capable of delaying violence – but it paid to be careful. This new world was always full of surprises.

After what had to be at least twenty minutes of searching the room the Rahneko was convinced there was nothing within. Everything was fairly well destroyed or already looted. Alistair had been digging through several overturned drawers and trunks while Kaeli focused on searching the shelves for anything useful. Turning up empty once again she decided it was enough. "Come on Alistair, we should check the rest of the rooms." A grinning blue face lifted out of a drawer with a sock dangling precariously over its nose, causing her to giggle slightly. "Coming love!" he called, following her around the corner as she started to leave.

"...Hello," The soft voice, though obviously masculine, floated over to the feline pair as they began to turn a corner. Looking back, his body still half way around the edge and instead straining his neck to see, Alistair saw the weirdest looking red hound he had ever seen. "Mind keeping your voices down?" His hair fluffed quickly and the Luxray sputtered slightly as he moved to go back into the previous room. "We aren't that loud!" he said, rather loudly. Kaeli sighed heavily and followed her mate back into the first room and placed a gentle paw over his.

"Forgive him," she began, taking a seat so as to give a non-aggressive appearance. "He is a little quick on his emotions." Alistair gave her a pitiful look and the Rahneko simply smiled back at him. "Pardon our intrusion, we were simply looking for a bit of rest and maybe some supplies before moving on." Kaeli had always had a better way with words than Alistair, in fact she was a master of coercion. As gentle as her heart was her silver tongue could convince even the most strongly convicted priest to do something he swore on his life never to do. He'd seen it done. How many of their men had she rallied and encouraged during the war? She was truly an inspiration and more often than not it was simply her words that did the trick.

"There are even more people here," The Purrloin frowned, hearing the voices in the hallway. "Didn't think there'd be so many Pokemon in this tower..." she mumbled. It was true, the feline hadn't expected to come across so many survivors concentrated in a single place--and the dark-type sighed a bit. She didn't like to be around many others, it made her uncomfortable, especially around larger Pokemon. Her short form only made it frustrating for her, having to prove that she could do just as much as the rest of them. "Stay here. I'll see who they are and what they want."

As the Direyena left the room to check the situation out, the Purrloin found herself edging towards the door. Her eyes flickered between the entrance and Ciana, expression soon changing into a sorrowful look. Lulu is silent, padding over while sticking close to the shadows. Anxiety grew inside her, she didn't want to leave but... Perhaps she would be better off on her own. Without a word the cat quickly slipped out of the chamber, darting away further into the darkness of the corridors, a silent apology hanging on her lips.

[OOC: Sorry I didn't do this sooner--but this is my leaving post. Bye guys. ;w;]

"I never should've gotten myself involved in that crap..."

The Staraptor shoved another chair in front of the room door, muttering obscenities under his breath as he barricaded the room. He took a step back to see the finished work -- a hotel door barred by a dresser and two chairs -- and sighed, reasessing the situation he found himself stuck in... which was basically, Chiaroscuro stuck alone and without reliable defense in a hotel room in the middle of Orre. Why wasn't Ross in the other hotel room with all the others right now? Because during the escape, a fireball from the damned Arcanine had scorched his right wing. An injury was the last thing he needed right now, but he wasn't quite fortunate enough to have evaded it. Grounded to the floor without the convenience of flight, Chiaroscuro had no choice but to fall behind the group and seek sanctuary in the nearest room. The rest of them had run off like lightning in escape, and what about Ross? On his two feet, he was like a slug when compared to his flight speed. Not to mention, it was dark and again, while his species had sharp and great eyesight where there was light, in the dark, he was practically blind. The best he could do was hole up in a room to protect himself and wait until morning, at the very least.

With a grumble to himself, the hawk-like bird tenderly stretched out his wing, attempting to get a look at the damage in the darkness. It sure did hurt like hell, but in a way, that was somewhat comforting. If a burn was bad enough to have damaged the nerves, then Ross would've felt no pain at all. At the most, he guessed the injury to be a second degree burn -- a first degree, if he was lucky. But what did Ross know about such detailed medical issues? Maybe it could've been a third degree, and just missed his nerves. He wouldn't know what it looked like until morning came [hopefully, not too bad], and wouldn't know unless there was somebody who was knowledgeable about burns. Which meant, at the moment, his best chance was to find the rest of the group. Which he suspected would be difficult, considering his handicap and the large possibility that the other group would begin moving once morning arrived. It was practically like a large cycle of 'unlucky', and much to his chagrin, Ross found himself stuck right in the middle of it. Bullseye, right on the dartboard of misfortune.

What a great day this has been, he thought to himself.

Not.

----------

[Hi guys. I'm back. X"D To make up for his sudden absence (aka me staying in past safehouse deadline u_u), the excuse is that he got injured and fell behind from the rest of the team. So I'll probably have him hiding out or wandering alone for a short moment before reuniting with the team. Glad to be back.]

"We aren't that loud!"

Logan flinched back a little at the ferocity of the luxray's retort, obviously a pokemon dripping with subtlety. An unamused grimace graced his crimson features, ears flicking back to protect them from the lion's harsh braying. A small, exasperated sigh escaped the blood red hound, his hopes for sanity and two responsible survivors nearly getting dashed away at that very moment. However, the lion's mate, some sort of persian evolution from the looks of her, placed a calm paw on her mate's and spoke as well... in a far calmer manner.

"Forgive him," she began, taking a seat on the cold tile floor. "He is a little quick on his emotions." The male gave her a nearly pitiful look, to which the female replied with a small smile of her own. "Pardon our intrusion, we were simply looking for a bit of rest and maybe some supplies before moving on."

Logan gave a small groan of uncertainty. He'd already opened up his own lodgings to pokemon he didn't know. Already risked his life running and trapping that monstrosity of an arcanine in the game room. These two strangers looked to be smarter and more capable than certain members of his current party (a particular ninetales came to mind) but... he was less than thrilled of the idea of letting more pokemon into his refuge. With each body increased the chances of casualties...

Still, the direyena couldn't outright refuse now, for sake of avoiding hypocrisy. May as well... He glanced to the still ajar door and back to the two strangers. "...You're not the only ones. Come in, and try not to shout. There are some things here I'd... rather avoid." He headed back in, noting Frank had indeed claimed his spot on the bed. Unwilling to allow such nonsense, Logan was quick to reclaim his post, his larger form dwarfing the ninetales. Without a word, he shoved the fox off the bed onto the floor with a good shove of his paw, clearing the furniture. He waited for the others to emerge in the doorway, trying to decipher whether or not his actions were really a good idea..

"So there are two more survivors in here. Who would have thought, huh?"

Whilst Jimmy strained to try and follow the conversation down the hallway, Frankie thought it far more useful to find a comfortable position. The bed gave the occasional creak of protest as the fox threw his weight around, intent on ensuring the maximum comfort. Sprawled out, legs hanging off the side, curled up – each shift evoked a scuffle of noise to leave the Herdier’s eyes twitching irritably. By the time Frankie had settled, resorting to laying flat on his back – Logan had made his return

Before he had time to react, Frankie found himself re-familiarized with the cold, hard floor. Emitting a yelp of surprise as the plush surface vanished; the fox looked back up to his previous perch to see a mountain of crimson occupying his seat.
“Hey!” He grumbled, though his tone was laced with humour. Lying dumbly on his back, gangly legs writhing in front of him, he grinned up at the grumpy hound. “Can’t we share? I don’t bite,” Jimmy rolled his eyes, his attention averted from his dim-witted companion and to the duo of felines approaching.

"So there are two more survivors in here. Who would have thought, huh?"

The Herdier instinctively shrunk away at the sight of cats, his scruffy stature seeming to minimize further at the size of the newcomers. He cast an uneasy look to Ciana, his concern only heightening as he noticed the horned feline’s disappearance. He’d seen her slip past him earlier, but he had only presumed she was looking to join Logan. Judging by her absence, he seemed to have been mistaken.
“Where’d kitty-cat go?” Frankie seemed to have noticed the female’s disappearance to, now regaining his usual stature as he rested his head on the bed – daring Logan to move him. His vivid eyes lingered on the doorway, straining to catch sight of the latest arrivals. A burly-looking Luxray and another species with which he was unfamiliar – derived from a Persian, perhaps. Regardless, she wasn’t bad to look at. “Never mind…” He muttered cheerfully to himself, a slick grin crawling up his face as he raised his eyebrows in greeting to the female. Maybe this wasn’t too bad a situation after all.

"...You're not the only ones. Come in, and try not to shout. There are some things here I'd... rather avoid."

Alistair snorted, a little offended that the guy was keeping up with the 'loud' commentary, but when he saw Kaeli starting to move and follow the other male he knew he was outvoted. "I hope you know what you are doing," he commented as he fell into step behind her. "Relax Alistair," was her only reply. They stepped into a room that had several other Pokemon barricaded within and Alistair began to wonder what kind of refugee camp they had just stepped into. Kaeli's eyes wandered the room and took note of the reclusive nature of each creature, preferring to keep to their own corners than with each other. So...not true allies then. "So there are two more survivors in here. Who would have thought, huh?"

Alistair watched as the hound ruthlessly shoved another off of a bed before perching on it himself, a little taken aback by the silent yet rude action. He wasn't overly comfortable with all these strange Pokemon, his instincts to protect his mate began screaming at him. “Where’d kitty-cat go?” Kaeli looked to the Ninetales who had just spoken and knew she hadn't seen another feline running around. Had they lost someone? Just as she was about to offer her services to help he slunk easily over to her and she eyed him warily. “Never mind…”

Kaeli had trouble making out the soft words but Alistair's keen hearing picked it up instantly and was at once by her side, a thick leg between the strange fox and his mate. "Nice to meet you, too," he growled out, his stance effectively blocking him from the Rahneko. "Alistair..." Kaeli warned gently, noticing the way her mate's fur was beginning to raise and static. He was irritated and that could be dangerous when they were so outnumbered. She needed to intervene and quickly.

"So, did you say someone was missing? We could take a look if you like." A quick change of subject usually was a good way to break tension, and it worked in distracting her mate. Curling one of her tails around his back leg she did her best to soothe his nerves, contact usually helping to remind him that she was there and at his side.


(Forgive my lateness, I haven't been myself lately.)

The bird spent the next half hour pacing back and force, switching from the traditional pigeon hop to walking foot-by-foot, gauging the severity of his situation and exactly what he should do, or could do. Of course, one option was to simply stay awake until morning, passing by the time locked inside the hotel room and hoping he wouldn't end up in deeper trouble than he already was. Ross didn't know how much longer it would be until daylight, though, and at the moment, what he saw out through the window was the black curtains of night draping over the desert sky, dotted by stars. There was the possibility that he would spend hours simply waiting there, biding his time and losing sleep and energy, just waiting for the sun to rise.

That brought up the other option he had, which was to take a short nap until morning came. Admittedly, that option felt friendlier to his currently tired body and stressed mind, and time passed so much quicker when you were asleep. of course, that option also came with its separate risks, the problem in question being the state of his safety if he slept. Yes, he had barricaded the door, but how strong was that? How long could it hold? The door was only barricaded by a few, moderate pieces of furniture, as that was all Ross could handle; a large Undead, possibly the size of the earlier Arcanine, could easily bust it open and use the bird as a chew toy.

With a sharp sigh, the Staraptor moved himself out of the space between the wall and the bed where he had been pacing, hopping on top of the large bed that took up a corner of the room. At least it was comfortable. That was one thing he could look forward to in this hell hotel; soft beds. Might as well milk all the comfort for all it's currently worth, Ross thought as he settled himself nicely on top of the fluffed covers -- a little dusty, but not too bad. The Staraptor then fixed his sharp eyes on the faint shape of the pale door, apprehension and tension running through his entire body. Hopefully, he wouldn't start drifting off.

[Apologies for the awkward post. X"D Not sure what to write at the moment exactly.]

((I have not had any free time, thought i would today, but the earliest i would be able to post would be tomorrow afternoon -.- Please skip me this turn.))

Logan could tell that his harsh treating of dear old Frankie wasn't taken very well by the luxray, the cat's eyes flaring with mistrust. Logan wasn't bothered by it-- the cat would learn soon enough that the ninetales was more of a burden than anything. He regretted nothing. Golden eyes followed the fox as he made a small observation that the horned cat was now gone as well. Just losing pokemon left and right, aren't you, old man? he reprimanded inwardly, shaming himself for another lost. This... this was why he didn't travel in groups...

"So, did you say someone was missing? We could take a look if you like." The female's voice cut through the tension like a knife, her sparking mate glaring daggers at Frankie. Yeah, Logan was fairly sure the lion's pity for the fox would wear out very, very soon. Logan sighed and looked past the inquiring female.

"...Yes... A bird and a horned, speckled black cat," Logan recounted, frowning as the images of the two emerged in his head. Though, he generally gave up on any missing right off the bat-- they were likely dead anyway. "A... thing separated us from the bird, and the cat, well..." He looked around the room; she'd been right there. "...She ran off, I think. Either way, you shouldn't waste your time on them. In this day and age, 'missing' means 'dead'." He stared hard at them, sure that his ruthlessness would make someone in the room angry. Well, if they wanted to object, they could marsh their happy asses right out the door and back into Death's jaws.

"Nice to meet you, too,"
"Alistair..."

Frankie gave a mischievous snicker at the male’s response, his movements and dangerous tone enough to alert the fox this guy wasn’t going to tolerate any shit. He and Logan would get along splendidly. Staring at the muscular leg now providing an obstacle between himself and the two-tailed female, the Ninetales had half a mind to simply slip past and become better acquainted with his lady; but the sparking fur told him otherwise. No matter, Ali couldn’t be on guard forever and Frankie held a remarkable patience.
“Pleasure’s all mine, buddy,” Nodding his head to the Luxray in greeting, the Ninetales winked at the Rahneko sheltered behind him before tottering to Ciana’s side – pleased at least she hadn’t been accompanied by an over-protective boyfriend.

"So, did you say someone was missing? We could take a look if you like."

Whilst the fox was more than happy to take the reins in the conversation, the horned-hound beat him to it. Sat proud atop his bed, the canine began to explain the disappearance of Ross and Lulu before finishing his speech with the macabre presumption that they had both perished. Frankie snorted, half-amused at Logan’s attitude. Such a cheery fellow.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to his optimism,” The Ninetales looked to the newcomers as he spoke, famous smirk sitting lazily on his face. Whilst he wasn’t about to argue with a powerful hound who had already expressed a disliking of him, the fox didn’t share his cynicism. They might be alive – hell, they hadn’t been gone that long! Still, it was only a matter of time. Frankie wasn’t about to play hero and provide the rescue party for wandering souls.

(( Skipping Jimmy. ))

The pair waited patiently as the horned one explained the ones who had vanished, Kaeli waiting patiently to see if she could be of any help in finding the missing companions. But the end of his description left little room for it. "...She ran off, I think. Either way, you shouldn't waste your time on them. In this day and age, 'missing' means 'dead'." Alistair frowned deeply, obviously not pleased with that kind of answer and before Kaeli could say anything the fox's voice cut in. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to his optimism,”

While Alistair wasn't particularly fond of the overly amorous fox he knew he wasn't going to be able to get used to anything so morally repulsive. "What do you mean?! You can't just leave someone to die out there! They are living, breathing Pokemon and that is hard to find now!" Alistair was in a blind rant and only the Rahneko at his side knew how to calm him. Stepping in front of her mate she reached up and pulled his head down to meet hers, her eyes as close as she could get them forcing the Luxray to focus only on her. "Alistair...he has a point."

The lion stopped his rant immediately and looked at his mate in disbelief, shock clearly written on his features. "You can't mean that..." he whispered, but Kaeli sighed and looked at the others in the room. "You see these Pokemon Alistair? Would you really risk their safety to go find one or even two others with no idea where they are, how far they've gotten, or even if they yet live?" She tucked her head under her mate's chin and nuzzled him affectionately, trying to soothe his moral quandary, but it wasn't as effective as it usually was. "I...I could never do that to you..." It broke her heart to hear that, knowing that it was the truth, and in fact he had already done so once before.

"But it isn't me love. And while it causes me no great pleasure to leave others to their fate in times like this we have no choice. We have to survive." And with that the Luxray finally backed down and the conversation was over. Once he was settled down Kaeli looked to the red hound that had caused her mate such distress in the first place and sighed. "So what is the plan then? You do have one I hope."