(ELITE) The SNOWPOINT Team

Well that.. wasn't what he expected. The Nidoking roared something that resembled words laced thick with anger before shouting something that was coherent. It was a sentient being? Then why did you attack us? They hadn't made themselves a threat to anyone or even tried to hunt. If it wasn't some maddened beast or undead then it might be best to let Dante it handle after all, even if they shared the type disadvantage. Turning on his heels the Glaceon bound back toward the rest of their group, immediately hearing the Jolteon whine, "Stop it.. Stop.." Letting out a low growl he thumped her face with his flat tail before brushing past her. The electric type stopped in an instant while taking a more submissive stance, green eyes wide. What, was she afraid of him now? Better off. If it kept her from making things worse then he'd take it.

"Still one for attacking your friends, eh Dante?" A new voice scoffed, catching the attention of both eeveelutions. What did he just say? Dante had attacked people? Squinting past the glare of the snow Glalie could see it was a Manectric who was... pretty damn fucked up. Did Dante cause that? "I guess it's to be expected, after all no one who travels with you seems to come out of it alive." Blood roared through the Glaceon's ears. What the actual fuck was this guy talking about? If that was true and this guy knew Dante then how was he here? The Houndusk looked flabbergasted as he barked back at them, clearly out of the loop. Were these Pokemon trying to unsettling the group or something? Quelling any further ice from building in his throat the Glaceon perked his large ears. Something was going on here and they needed to hear it out before making more rash attacks.

The Jolteon on the other hand was not having it. So far all Dante had done was tend the wounded and try to get them to shelter. That's the complete opposite of what your saying! Whatever beef they had with him she was not about to believe their lies. Hell, the Nidoking attacked first. That was like, the epitome of guilt! "This is weird. It's like these guys somehow know each other but ... Dante looks just as clueless as we are." The Arcanine mutters to its trainer, echoing her own thoughts. "It's like a bad lovers quarrel.. heh... except not." Hopefully it didn't end like one.

"We stay where we are for now," Stay put? Pachi recoiled at the thought, pelt bristling. These Pokemon looked like they were twenty seconds from tearing each other apart! "One thing is for sure ... something strange is going on here..." Each of the three, even the poor looking Manetric, clearly boasted power and some deep-seeded problem. Just.. what happened? Why was everyone pissed?? "I-I think we should going. Like Dante said." Pachi argued quietly to the human, "Whatever happened between them all.. we aren't part of it. Plus we have to help, uh.. this guy. Sorry, I forgot your name. But Dante can handle this." And I'll just get in the way. If they started attacking again there was a good chance of someone getting caught in the crossfire.

(ughhhh I hate to do it but...skip me please, I've tried and just can't think of anything to say for either of them.)

"Should we make popsicles out of these Hwen Dan?" Raiden's eyes trailed to the Sneasel he hadn't noticed before, pleased that at least one more of Dante's intended victims had managed to avoid the cursed hound. "Only after he says sorry, kid," Strix reply, the glare he had shot Raiden a moment ago not unnoticed by the electric hound. "Say sorry for almost toasting the lady, Dante." While Raiden had no love for the dinosaur after their last encounter that didn't mean he wished the fate of remaining with Dante on him.

"Shut up, all of you!" The dramatic overreaction caused Raiden to arch a brow ridge, waiting for theatrics to finish before continuing. "Shut up for just one fucking moment-- how... why... Who the fuck are any of you, why did you attack, and how do you know my fucking name?" He let out a low chuckle before beginning his slow descent down the snowy hill, not breaking his gaze from Dante even though he struggled to look back. "How sweet of you to forget me so soon. Well, to help you out how about I remind you that barely over a week ago you slaughtered one of your own in a warehouse near here before leaving the big purple guy bleeding to death on the floor while you took a bunch of other injured survivors out for 'supplies'. A trip from which it seems only you returned from." Except for the little Sneasel, but that was beside the point. He paused a short distance away from Dante as he concluded, sitting down as though he were waiting for something.

"Well, Dante? Did that help?"

This wasn't going to be easy; Eris was near-enough hysterical, snarling, thrashing and lashing her tail and sending flurries of snow flying in every direction. Restraining her was going to hurt, given the state of Greg's shoulder, but he had to try before she actually hurt anyone.

He grabbed her shoulders; she was shaking from top to bottom, her eyes mad and out of focus. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, sending bolts of pain through his wing. He gritted his teeth though, and tried to get her to look at him. "Eris, you need to calm down. It isn't him. Look," he pointed with his good arm over to where the group were now conversing. "They've stopped fighting. It looks like he's a friend - I think - of Dante's."

Eris did look then, her eyes looking like they were going to pop out of her head. Greg felt scared; he'd never seen her so afraid before. She was always the strong one, and seeing her like this made Gregory want to cry. "Y-You mean--he's not gonna--hurt--kill you--"

"No," Greg said firmly, cupping her face in his hands. Her eyes finally met his, and floods of tears began to pour from them. Greg had to fight to keep his own in check. "He's a friend. You're safe -- I'm safe."

"You're safe," Eris repeated flatly, slumping against a tree, clearly exhausted by her outburst. Gregory stood beside her, wrapping his tail around her comfortingly while she calmed down.

All seemed as though it was beginning to simmer down, apart from the rather tense discussion going on nearby. He would pay that no heed while Eris needed him so badly though. As he comforted her, movement within the trees behind them startled him. A Xatu, ragged, dirty and bleeding from a gaping wound on its neck, flew at them, tears pouring from its bloodshot eyes.

"Help me," it begged in a strain, croaked voice. "You have to help me--!"

"Wha--" It happened in less than a second; the panicked Psychic-type gripped at them both with outstretched wings and used Teleport, taking the two dragons with it.

"Shut up, all of you!" The hellhound screamed at them as he shook his head violently. Strix' ears raised as he watched him start to panic. "Shut up for just one fucking moment-- how... why... Who the fuck are any of you, why did you attack, and how do you know my fucking name?"

His words came in like a wrecking ball, right into the Nidokings' chest. What....?
Rune relaxed her fur and her threatening posture in confusion. "You ain't makin' no lick 'a sense, boy."

A chuckle came from the electric canine as he sauntered down the hill like some sort of fancible core-trash. Already, Rune didn't like him, and she barely knew him.

"How sweet of you to forget me so soon. Well, to help you out how about I remind you that barely over a week ago you slaughtered one of your own in a warehouse near here before leaving the big purple guy bleeding to death on the floor while you took a bunch of other injured survivors out for 'supplies'. A trip from which it seems only you returned from."

"Well, Dante? Did that help?"

Rune snorted. "This guy," She dismissively waving her claw at him. "He's startin' to sound like he belongs in a bughouse." Her eyes fell on Raidens' as she spoke. "Way I saw it, Dante was the one doin' the savin' and you were the one tryin' yer best to get everyone corpsified." She crossed her arms in defiance as she glared at him. Strix finally shook out of his blank staring at the fire hound, his own fiery gaze turning on the manectric. "...She's right. You were the one that decided to turn the team on each other. I almost died because of your stupidity.  And the others...Yon, Ciara, Hera..." Strix' heart twisted and burned in his chest as he recalled that horrific time. He bared his teeth  and snapped at him as he was brought out of those memories. "All the sacrifices they made were POINTLESS, and it was all because of YOU!" Strix stomped towards the canine, his nose flaring and snorting in rage. Rune tried to steady herself on his shoulder. Her ears fell as she looked at his face, the pure agony that was infused with his seemingly limitless anger. There wasn't a doubt, he was working himself up to demolish this rut. A sharp pang of panic rose in her chest as his eyes began to glow a ghostly white. "YOU ATTACKED ME AFTER THEY THREW ME OFF FROM THREE FLOORS UP! WHEN EVERYONE ELSE WAS GONE, AND I WAS NEAR DEAD! YOU SNIDE, TRAITOROUS FUCKING CUNT, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!"

"Strix, wait!" The Sneasel cried out in his ear, trying in vain to shake the behemoth out of his impending rampage. "STRIX! There are others here! You don't want 'em to get hurt, do you?" The Nidoking hesitated, his clawed feet coming to a halt in the shallow snow. His pale gaze turned to the others, the steam spouting from his nostrils slowing as he rested his gaze on Dante, before flashing back to the manectric. Slowly, he reluctantly unclenched his fists. "I think it best that you get as far away from me as you can, mutt." He snarled, his bloodied teeth glinting in the sun. "Before you get skinned for killin' someone else."

Screw this. Marley had no idea what the hell was going on, and apparently neither did Dante. The Houndusk looked incredibly bemused as the Nidoking and Manectric hurled all sorts of accusations and insults at him. Clearly they'd met before, but Dante seemed to genuinely not know who they were. Did he have amnesia or something?

Either way, this was taking too long and Marley's head started to spin as she tried to figure it out. It was far too cold to just stand around in a blizzard waiting for these guys to finish arguing, even with Arcanine's fluffy warmth beneath her.

She leaned over and patted her dog's neck. "Come on, Arcanine ... we're leaving."

"Leaving?" Arcanine looked anxiously at the scene and then back over his shoulder at his Trainer. "You sure? That Nidoking is pretty mad ... Dante might need our help."

"It's none of our business," Marley said coldly. The only ones she gave an inch of a shit about were those two Charizard, and by the looks of it they'd gotten fed up with waiting and wandered off as well. "We'll go on ahead to the city ... find some supplies and a place to spend the night ... Maybe we'll run into them later when they're all sorted out..."

Arcanine seemed hesitant, gazing at the group for a few seconds before shrugging. "If you say so. East, right?"

"Yes." Marley clung to her Pokemon's neck fur as he turned and padded off into the snow, quickly disappearing from view in the icy mist. She'd done her part; saved that poor Charizard's life ... it was time to move on.

"You ain't makin' no lick 'a sense, boy."
Dante scoffed at the incredulous comment; he wasn't the one jabbering on in a made-up language and attacking people.

But for better or worse, the Manectric didn't relent in his venomous accusations. "How sweet of you to forget me so soon. Well, to help you out how about I remind you that barely over a week ago you slaughtered one of your own in a warehouse near here before leaving the big purple guy bleeding to death on the floor while you took a bunch of other injured survivors out for 'supplies'. A trip from which it seems only you returned from."

The Houndemn could only stare with wide eyes and a slackened jaw. Did... Did he really do that? He could be an ass at times, he knew, but... Did he actually do this? What kind of monster had he evolved into? "Well, Dante? Did that help?"

The Sneasel quickly snorted at the Manectric's haunting words, drawing Dante's attention to her. "This guy," she scoffed as she gave a wave of her claws to dismiss the earlier accusations. "He's startin' to sound like he belongs in a bughouse." The fuck was a "bug house"? She looked to the electric hound, her expression seething. "Way I saw it, Dante was the one doin' the savin' and you were the one tryin' yer best to get everyone corpsified." Thankfully, Dante understood most of that and gave some hope to soothe his frayed mind. Maybe... he wasn't a monster? But why would the Manectric be so angry and vile toward him if he hadn't done something worth hating?

"...She's right. You were the one that decided to turn the team on each other. I almost died because of your stupidity.  And the others...Yon, Ciara, Hera..." Dante blinked as the Sneasel's mount spoke, his voice a growing snarl. He frowned; the crescendo accompanying the Nidoking's recollection was worrying, yes, but the names he mentioned... they meant nothing. He spoke of them so fondly, but for Dante, they may as well have been strangers. Hell, they were strangers. "All the sacrifices they made were POINTLESS, and it was all because of YOU!" Dante's eyes bulged as the Nidoking stomped toward the already injured electric hound. Shit.

"YOU ATTACKED ME AFTER THEY THREW ME OFF FROM THREE FLOORS UP! WHEN EVERYONE ELSE WAS GONE, AND I WAS NEAR DEAD! YOU SNIDE, TRAITOROUS FUCKING CUNT, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!"

Though he wasn't sure whether or not he should intervene, as this didn't feel like it was his fight -even though it apparently was? God, it was confusing- he moved forward to intervene, stopping as the Sneasel cried out. "Strix, wait! STRIX! There are others here! You don't want 'em to get hurt, do you?"

It seemed that did the trick, as the behemoth looked around to the group, eyes settling on Dante before he spoke. "I think it best that you get as far away from me as you can, mutt." Dante flinched at the hatred dripping from the words, unsure of what he should do. "Before you get skinned for killin' someone else."

"Ok, that's fucking enough!" he snapped, forcing himself between the two warring pokemon. "It's night, and it's cold, and there are pokemon here that don't want to sit and wait for you two to stop fighting each other to get to shelter!" He looked back behind him, finding Marley and the two dragons already gone. Maybe they'd gone ahead? "We have an injured dragon and he needs help. And look," he eyes bounced between the two males, his voice a harsh whisper. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I woke up this morning without any recollection of where I was or how I got here-- I only remember going into the Ice Caves in Johto. But that doesn't matter right now-- none of this matters right now because we're exposed and your shouting is only undoing all the work our group did to try and stay undetected while traveling with a wounded member!"

He turned to the Manectric, his stare hard as he panted a little. "You can hate me, but do it quietly. I'm sorry I did that. I'm sorry for anything I did, but the fact remains that I have no idea what you're talking about. We can sort this out when we're safe and warm." He turned to the Nidoking and Sneasel, eyes now blazing with ferocity. "You want to kill each other and throw your lives away, fine, have at, but take it elsewhere. But if you want to stay here, you swallow that shit and stop attacking people." He leaned in to the Nidoking a little more, making sure that he realized that the words were specifically meant for him. "You. Stop it."

With that, he brushed past them to pad back to the ones he knew a little better, his head pounding. "Let's just get the fuck out of here and keep moving. Candice is probably getting worried."

Well fuck. The Glaceon had looked back at the squabbling males for a moment to assure that they were keeping things civil, but when he turned back around the snowy slope was void of fire types. There was nothing around to claim the tiny voice he had heard either, just dark snow and abruptly ending prints. What? Marley had peaced out, her Arcanine's pawsteps already fading into the darkness, but both Charizard's lead no where. Had they decided to follow the trainer in hopes of cover? "Did they.." the female eeveelution questions him but stops short while flicking her muzzle toward the sky. "Fly off, maybe?" It was a possibility, albeit a slim one since one was heavily injured and there was no trace, but better then any others he could think of.

Pachi's ears flicked forward and back with each bold word in the latter half of Dante's rant. Was he not going to tell these guys to just buzz off? They seemed to want nothing more then to stir up trouble but he was still being awfully generous with an offer to stick around. What if they started up this bullshit again? It's too dark for fighting. The sun had long since dipped out of sight and the city was still a ways off. Time wasters!

There is a huff as Dante pads up and onward, continuing on the path they originally been traversing. "Let's just get the fuck out of here and keep moving. Candice is probably getting worried." For a few moments the Jolteon stands stiffly in the snow, an icy wind buffeting her fur. That was it then? A mindless murmur comes from her muzzle, every thought muddling together into one big mess. Something inside told her the others needed them still but asking would only get her chewed out. There had been enough shit thrown around for the time being.

As Glalie pads past her, head low and face firm, without a word on the situation she decides against asking and follows his lead. Falling in line with her companion the Jolteon gives one glance back at the other males, fear ticking in the back of her skull, before looking forward and keeping her gaze on the ground.

Hera leaving with barely anything more than a short goodbye was bad enough. His body going numb from the cold was worrying, but at least Lucas had been moving rather than being left in the middle of nowhere to freeze to death. More Pokemon showing up out of nowhere, talking like they knew Dante, and acting incredibly hostile? The Aiveon wasn't sure if his poor heart could take anymore of the stress and not give out first. Glancing around to see how the others were reacting to this mess, Lucas realises with a jolt that the two Charizards and the human girl are gone, the former leaving absolutely no traces. Had they flown away, sick of the confusing nonsense going on here? He frowns, wondering if they had the right idea getting out of this place as soon as possible. It's either stay with this group of strangers and potentially be murdered in his sleep, or go out by himself and potentially freeze to death. Either way, he's not getting a peaceful end. Not really much of a choice, but... With a sigh, Lucas begins to trot east, following the faint tracks left by the lady's Arcanine. Hopefully he wouldn't actually run into them, but surely they knew where they are going, and he can use the trail to find a path that might take him to safety. It's worth a shot. Before long, Lucas is no longer in sight, and soon to be far away from the Pokemon he didn't know and didn't care to stick around with. Sure, he doesn't have anywhere to go or anybody to meet up with, but that's just life.
He's probably going to end up dead and buried under the snow, anyways.


"Where the hell are they?"
"Far away from you, that's where."
"Hilarious. I still can't believe we're bothering to deal with a bunch of strangers who climbed out of the ice," Borealis grumbles, the Glaceon shooting a glare at the Weavile beside him. "You know fully well why Candice is doing this, and it isn't the kindness of her heart."
Ma hisses back at him, sick of hearing her companion's obnxious voice and his constant complaining over their trainer. Yes, Candice has changed, even someone blind, deaf, and crippled could figure that out-but no matter what she did, the other three found fault in it. She is the only one left that didn't doubt Candice's every move, scrutinize her every word, and act like she became the bane of all humanity. The woman has been through so much, and given up more than anyone should have to, but no-she's a problem, a basket case. Yeah, right. Ma isn't going to condemn Candice when all she is doing is trying to carve out ways to survive in this frozen hellscape. Snowpoint was-is-their home, and the Weavile knows that their Candice can get it back, but that involved her Pokemon actually helping.
"I think providing shelter for freezing survivors is pretty damn kind, kitty cat," Ma retorts, ready to unleash a verbal fury from hell upon the Glaceon, but something catches her eye before she can say another word, and the scorn fades into the wind. It's the odd-looking Houndoom from before, and most of his group, but they weren't alone. A Manectric and some large, purple beast-a Nidoking?-are with the rest of the Pokemon, and the closer she and Borealis get, the more shouting can be heard. What the hell is going on here? "YOU ATTACKED ME AFTER THEY THREW ME OFF FROM THREE FLOORS UP! WHEN EVERYONE ELSE WAS GONE, AND I WAS NEAR DEAD! YOU SNIDE, TRAITOROUS FUCKING CUNT, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" What the FUCK? The Nidoking looks as if he's about to rip the head off of the Manectric; oh man, what in the world did the mutt do to piss that one off? It's a real stroke of luck that nobody is decapitated as the Houndoom goes in-between the fight before it can erupt and melt the entire damned landscape. Thank the ice gods that somebody actually has a clear head around here; the last thing she needs is a bunch of squabbling Pokemon to escort.
"Real nice people we've got here," Borealis growls in a low voice, but Ma ignores him as she bounds over to the main segment of the group, the ones that had been there when she and Candice encountered them. It looks like the Charizards and the woman were gone...well, more space, and less mouths to feed. Shame that there are less Fire-types now, however; Candice wouldn't like that. She also probably wouldn't like fighting Pokemon either, but hey, they could figure that out later.
"Is everything alright?" Ma asks the Houndoom, "You guys were gone for a long time." She and Borealis had expected to meet them quite a ways farther than this, and had only continued moving when it became obvious that the sun wasn't going to be up when they arrived. Of course, they also hadn't expected a fight to break out, but...yeah, Ma left that particular part unspoken. It's obvious enough without her dragging it back up.

{ooc: I'm sorry for the garbage post. Lucas is leaving the team, I've been meaning to do so for awhile}

Raiden frowned at the ice rat as she spouted lies about him, only keeping his eyes on the ever increasing rage of the dinosaur she rode on. "...She's right. You were the one that decided to turn the team on each other. I almost died because of your stupidity. And the others...Yon, Ciara, Hera..." He seemed to choke at the names of those Dante had led to their deaths, transfixing the blame onto the wrong hound. "All the sacrifices they made were POINTLESS, and it was all because of YOU!" He bit back a snarl and forced his face and tone into a calm he certainly didn't feel. "I told you to run and to let me handle it. Everyone would have lived if you had only listened. Only I would have suffered, would have died, not the rest of you."

"YOU ATTACKED ME AFTER THEY THREW ME OFF FROM THREE FLOORS UP! WHEN EVERYONE ELSE WAS GONE, AND I WAS NEAR DEAD! YOU SNIDE, TRAITOROUS FUCKING CUNT, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" This time he did snarl, barking loudly to cut into the rant before it poisoned the minds of the group he was attempting to save from Dante's poisonous presence. He didn't even flinch as the larger beast began his approach. "That is a lie and you know it! We had an argument, yes, but then you went into a blood rage and tried to kill me. You attacked first! I only tried to paralyze you to keep you from killing me outright and when that didn't work I ran. I left you where you were in that warehouse before you could get ahold of me. Don't you dare act like I did anything when the only one swinging was YOU."

"I think it best that you get as far away from me as you can, mutt. Before you get skinned for killin' someone else." Raiden scoffed, but still didn't move from his spot despite the fact the Nidoking had nearly charged him. "Except I have never killed anything that wasn't already dead. You certainly tried, though, even when all I did was try to help you." Even though this argument was completely pointless the one voice he didn't want to hear playing the good guy soon called out over them. "Ok, that's fucking enough!" Raiden's disgusted gaze pulled away from the poison type and fell onto the feral hound, curling up his lips as he watched him attempt to be noble.

"It's night, and it's cold, and there are pokemon here that don't want to sit and wait for you two to stop fighting each other to get to shelter!" He made mention of a dragon that was nowhere to be seen, though Raiden recalled them originally being there. Perhaps they felt Dante's treacherous heart and decided to get out while everyone was distracted. An excellent plan. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I woke up this morning without any recollection of where I was or how I got here-- I only remember going into the Ice Caves in Johto. But that doesn't matter right now-- none of this matters right now because we're exposed and your shouting is only undoing all the work our group did to try and stay undetected while traveling with a wounded member!"

The Manectric's gaze hardened at Dante's story, not sure whether to believe him or not. If it were true, then the cur needed to be reminded of the innocent lives he had squandered and the pain Ciara had endured under his pack leadership. If not, then he needed to show these pokemon who foolishly followed him now the truth about the dark type's rotten soul. Either way, he was not going to let this 'condition' go without some kind of action against it.

"You can hate me, but do it quietly. I'm sorry I did that. I'm sorry for anything I did, but the fact remains that I have no idea what you're talking about. We can sort this out when we're safe and warm." His eyes narrowed but he nodded slowly, a whiff of approaching pokemon catching his attention on the wintery winds. As Dante began to address the nido Raiden's eyes drifted to the side, spotting two he hadn't seen with the group previously approach the fire hound without fear. "Is everything alright? You guys were gone for a long time." Poor things, more victims lured into Dante's trap. Well, he would just have to protect them, too. It was the least he could to honor Ciara.

"Except I have never killed anything that wasn't already dead. You certainly tried, though, even when all I did was try to help you."

Strix' jaw dropped, visibly taken aback by the lunatics' delusions. Was he really so insane that he didn't realize what level of damage he had done???

Aww shit. The Sneasel cringed, her small teeth bared at the canid. He does know that he not only has a type disadvantage, but he's egging on a giant? What was this hundans' game? And how would gettin' himself killt' do anything?

"...Why you little-!!" Strix hissed incredulously, his claws baring themselves as he reached towards the Manectric with paws ready to strangle.

"Ok, that's fucking enough!" Rune sucked in a lungful of air, realizing that she had been holding it the whole time. Her gaze shot to the dark hound who had stepped in just in time, and was surprisingly, a voice that the rage-prone nidoking actually listened to. Relief washed over her as Strix straightened, bristled but recoiling nonetheless.

"Get out of my way, Dante." The saurian growled through his teeth, glaring daggers at him.

"It's night, and it's cold, and there are pokemon here that don't want to sit and wait for you two to stop fighting each other to get to shelter! We have an injured dragon and he needs help. And look,"

The hounds' eyes bounced between the two males, his voice a harsh whisper. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I woke up this morning without any recollection of where I was or how I got here-- I only remember going into the Ice Caves in Johto. But that doesn't matter right now-- none of this matters right now because we're exposed and your shouting is only undoing all the work our group did to try and stay undetected while traveling with a wounded member!"

Strix and Rune shot confused glances at each other, worry coloring their faces as he recalled what little he remembered. He turned to the Manectric, his stare hard as he panted a little. "You can hate me, but do it quietly. I'm sorry I did that. I'm sorry for anything I did, but the fact remains that I have no idea what you're talking about. We can sort this out when we're safe and warm." He turned to the Nidoking and Sneasel, eyes now blazing with ferocity. "You want to kill each other and throw your lives away, fine, have at, but take it elsewhere. But if you want to stay here, you swallow that shit and stop attacking people."

Strix' eyes shot to the traitor, peering at him with a seething hatred. His breathing was heavy and fast, and his fists shook as he struggled to stay his paws. "Dante, he's not--" For a moment, Rune almost thought he was going to unleash his fury regardless, but the large hellhound leaned in closer to them. "You. Stop it."
The behemoth, managing to pull his gaze away, glared at Dante, and slowed his breathing with a great effort. A flash of shame and guilt glazed over his eyes as he averted his gaze as the rage burnt out and was replaced by concern.

"Let's just get the fuck out of here and keep moving. Candice is probably getting worried." Rune narrowed her eyes as Dante passed, her ears lowering in confusion. "Whoa- Candice?" She retorted, bouncing off the now compliant nidoking and dashing to the side of the hound. "Human Candice??" She grumbled as a Weavile bounded towards them, stopping in front of them. Rune eyed her, baring her claws. "Is everything alright?" Ma asks the Houndoom, "You guys were gone for a long time." The Sneasels' hackles raised and eyes grew wild as she watched the females' every movement. Behind her, Strix raised a heavy eyebrow before muttering to the sneasel. "Pssht. Rune." With a small motion of his head, he called her. With a scoff, she padded away, never showing her back to the female. "Allies." Was his quiet reply as she glared at him. She gazed at the others more carefully now, noting the ice fox and the absence of the dragons. "Nah, not no way this is gonna run afoul." She scoffed through clenched teeth.

(rune has a prejudice for weaviles cuz of her parents. drama and/or bonding can be had if u want for them)

"Whoa- Candice?" the little Sneasel cried as she bounded from her perch on the irate Nidoking to his side as he began to walk away. "Human Candice??" A little surprised, Dante could only nod at her.

"Yeah--"

"Is everything alright?" Dante turned to the voice, hackles beginning to raise with alarm. Thankfully, it was just the human's Weavile. He nodded at her concern. There was a lot of bitching, yeah, but it wasn't a crisis. Yet. "You guys were gone for a long time."

Dante hadn't noticed the hatred seething from the little imp beside him, so when the Nidoking whispered, "Pssht. Rune," to her, the giant hound flinched. Man, these new people had issues. Like, DAMN. "Allies." Dante sighed heavily and drew closer to the concerned Weavile as the Sneasel muttered to herself. "Nah, not no way this is gonna run afoul."

"Yeah, we got..." He looked back to the three angry newcomers and sighed. "...held up. Sorry for making you wait." He looked back to the Weavile. "Did the dragons and Marley already show? Are they inside? When the three showed up and started bickering, they all disappeared..."

A headache pounded in the Jolteon's skull every time someone opened their mouth. Hadn't they worn themselves out from all the bickering yet? If they hated each other so much they should of just left! Keeping her gaze low to the snowy ground Pach did not notice the approaching company until the Weavile was close enough to ask, "Is everything alright?" The muscles along her spine tense, the quills stiffening defensively. Was this Pokemon just going to be more fuel to that shit again or were they merely a bystander?
Looking up to Dante the Jolteon could see recognition in his hard eyes. Least you know this one. Had they been by earlier and she just missed it? "You guys were gone for a long time." Oh, well that answered that question.

Glalie's dark blue eyes rested uneasily on the seething Sneasel. The crazed look in her eyes, the sudden rage that seemed to come from no where.. it was painfully similar. But you are nothing alike.. An unwelcome image of the Flareon formed in his head, bringing a creeping chill to his bones that was unlike the cold that surrounded them. An involuntary shiver rattles his body and forces his eyes to fall to slits. Why did things always seem to fall back to her? Just let it go.. The Sneasel adds scornfully, "Nah, not no way this is gonna run afoul," but the Glaceon could only hear the Flareon's voice. With a deep breath in his body stiffens, trying to force the thoughts away. Just let go.

The hound's initial reply was a simple nod followed by a slow response, "Yeah, we got... held up. Sorry for making you wait." Held up, bitched out. Same thing. The Jolteon didn't risk saying such things aloud, less she wanted claw marks across her cheek, but it did not stop her from rolling her eyes. "Did the dragons and Marley already show? Are they inside? When the three showed up and started bickering, they all disappeared..." Injecting herself as usual the Jolteon added her piece, "Marley's Arcanine headed off thataway." Gingerly lifting one paw she pointed behind the Weavile. "Mighta seen his paw prints or something."

Ma doesn't miss the hostile, hateful looks she's getting from the Sneasel, but says nothing in response, unwilling to rise to the bait. If the other female wants a fight, that could wait until later; she wasn't a priority right now. Ma has been given a task, and that is what she aims to do before getting caught up in some sort of scrap. What's your problem, anyway? There has to be something to make Ma come off as a threat to the smaller Dark-type, but really, she has neither the time nor the energy to deal with it, and nothing to gain from fighting someone likely to be far weaker than herself. "Nah, not no way this is gonna run afoul." Yeah, this is going to be just great, I can tell.

Ma looks away from the aggressive Sneasel and back to the Houndoom, who was far less angry towards her, and definitely done with the situation altogether. She can't blame him for that. "Yeah, we got...held up. Sorry for making you wait." Ma shrugs; it wasn't their fault a bunch of random Pokemon had shown up and made a mess of things. Having once been a part of a Pokemon Gym for years, and dealt with obnoxious people and Pokemon alike constantly, the Weavile has too much patience to be upset by something so minor. However, they seriously needed to get moving soon; being by the city, even its outskirts, at night is a bad idea. Sometimes the more 'lively' undead liked to wander from the city's depths and close to their home, and she cannot guarantee that some haven't done so tonight. Better not to take any risks, if they could help it.

"Did the dragons and Marley already show? Are they inside? When the three showed up and started bickering, they all disappeared..." Ma had noticed their absence, but there hadn't been any sign of the three when they'd made their way over. Even if it is nighttime, surely a bunch of Fire-types can't be hard to miss in the snow. She doesn't have a good feeling about the whereabouts of their missing companions; even with tracks left behind, there's no way anyone should go looking when it's already this late. For the other Pokemon's sakes, Ma hopes the three had made their way to Candice without their help, and were already there. Though less 'guests' would be easier on their resources, Ma has no desire to wish that they would stay gone for good. The Jolteon adds onto the words of the Houndoom, and points behind Ma with her paw. "Marley's Arcanine headed off thataway. Mighta seen his paw prints or something." If they'd gone that way...how in the world had she and Borealis missed them? Had they turned invisible or something?

"Far as I know, they never showed up. You see them?" Ma points the question at her Glaceon companion, glancing over at him. If she had missed them while the two had been on the move, then it's unlikely Borealis had seen them, but still, might as well ask just in case.
"Would've told you if I had."
"I thought so. How we missed them, I have no idea, but if there's tracks then we could look when the sun's up again." The last part is said to the Houndoom and the Eeveelutions, and she waits to see what they say; they might not like the idea of waiting so long to find their companions.

Strix seemed ready to throttle the hound, but it was probably not his fault that he didn't remember their exchange correctly. The brute had been in the thrall of a blood rage, thrashing around like a crazed Gyarados. That didn't leave much room for cognitive recognition of one's surroundings. Regardless of how shadowed the poison type's memory was he knew he had to try and keep with this group if only to get them away from Dante.

"Did the dragons and Marley already show? Are they inside? When the three showed up and started bickering, they all disappeared..." Bickering? Bah. This was not bickering, it was merely a power display, but Raiden held his tongue as his eyes scanned over Dante's ragtag group once again. He had already noted before that a few seemed to be missing, but now that he knew which ones were gone it was easier to spot. "Marley's Arcanine headed off thataway. Mighta seen his paw prints or something."

"Far as I know, they never showed up. You see them?"
"Would've told you if I had."
"I thought so. How we missed them, I have no idea, but if there's tracks then we could look when the sun's up again."

His gaze fell upon a rusted circle in the snow, walking around the gathering to investigate the soiled winter blanket. Sniffing at it carefully his senses were alerted to the metallic scent of blood, sharper and spicier than his own. Fire types. Dante had mentioned a wounded party member, but there were no tracks leading away from or toward the injury. No blood trail. A small shuffle of snow was the only indication that a creature had been standing their previously, but now no longer was. "I doubt you will find them when the sun rises," he said flatly, backing away from the scene. "They're gone. And I cannot pick up their scent anywhere. Something...something probably took them."

"I thought so. How we missed them, I have no idea, but if there's tracks then we could look when the sun's up again."

"I doubt you will find them when the sun rises," the canid said flatly, backing away from the scene. "They're gone. And I cannot pick up their scent anywhere. Something...something probably took them." Strix had been watching him the way pidgeot watches a magikarp, and at his stupid words coming out of his stupid face, he couldn't help the fur along his spine and neck bristling.
You. Stop it.
Strix bit his tongue as he remembered the anger in Dantes' gaze. But when he heard the small sneasel chortle, there was no need for him to say anything after all. "Or they could'a gone flyin' away, genius. Dregs got wings, 'member? Prolly tryin' to rabbit from your dumb ass." She tapped the side of her head with emphasis. Strix grinned at her despite himself. She was his type of crazy, challenging something significantly larger than herself to make sure the truth was heard. Still, he pondered, recalling the seething sneasel a few moments ago. He had never seen her that angry. Sure, she had a mouth on her, but she only shot it off more often than not. Looking at her then, she looked like she was ready to tear that weaviles' face off, with not even a word as to why. But she seemed to have forgotten whatever quip she had with her for the time being, but he made a mental note to question her about it later.

For now however, the weavile was right. They had to get out of sight, and soon. Strix stepped forward, his gaze cautious as he directed himself towards her. "You're not wrong." He began, his crossed arms unmoving. "This area has..." He looked at Rune for the word he was missing. "Reavers," She growled at him, looking at him from her perch atop his shoulder, and then scornfully down at Ma. "Reavers." He confirmed, motioning towards the town they had just left with a large claw. "They left a horrific scene back in town. Wherever they are now, it's probably not smart to stay out while it's dark."

Runes' eyes grew larger as she turned her gaze to the side of his large, barbed face. "We ain't goin' with 'em, are we?..." She said in a theater-whisper. "Ain't no human could be trusted, Strix! You saw what they did!"
"Got a better idea?" Strix frowned and grumbled under his breath. "Damn right I do! Grab Dante and moon these hundan!"

(get used to it lol. she will gripe no matter what)

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"Marley's Arcanine headed off thataway. Mighta seen his paw prints or something." Dante looked to the Jolteon, surprised at the casual tone. So... Marley and her Arcanine just... left? No word, nothing? That... didn't make sense. She seemed so involved with the dragons...

But that wasn't the only concerning news. "Far as I know, they never showed up. You see them?" The Weavile turned to its Glaceon companion, who merely shrugged off the question. Good to know they were concerned, too...

"Would've told you if I had."

"I thought so. How we missed them, I have no idea, but if there's tracks then we could look when the sun's up again."

Dante couldn't help the frown that deepened on his skeletal face. Even if they flew off, wouldn't there be a blood trail? Not that the dragon could have flown in his condition, and the female wasn't strong enough to have carried him. And the Jolteon would have mentioned them if they had gone with Marley. "I doubt you will find them when the sun rises," Dante turned to look at the pissy Manectric, who likely had the same thoughts as himself. "They're gone. And I cannot pick up their scent anywhere. Something...something probably took them."

"Or they could'a gone flyin' away, genius. Dregs got wings, 'member? Prolly tryin' to rabbit from your dumb ass."

Dante shook his head, his scowl deepening with the Sneasel's mouth. All the bitching was really rubbing him raw. "There's no way. His wing was nearly off."

"You're not wrong." the Nidoking pondered aloud, joining into the conversation with thought instead of more anger. That was a start, at least. "This area has..." He trailed for a moment, looking to his tiny companion for the next word.

"Reavers." The foreign word was nearly a snarl as she supplemented the final piece of the Nidoking's statement. However, she glared hatefully at Candice's Weavile and Dante had to suppress the urge to snatch her from her perch and show her some goddamn manners. She may have been able to live and sleep out in the ice and snow because of her typing, but most of everyone else wasn't as lucky. Pissing off their hosts wasn't a great idea.

"Reavers." At least he knew what the shit a "Reaver" was, though it did Dante little good. Sure, they sounded bad, but just about everything sounded bad these days. "They left a horrific scene back in town. Wherever they are now, it's probably not smart to stay out while it's dark." Yeah, that was the point he had tried making a while back.

"We ain't goin' with 'em, are we?..." Her whisper did little to hide her words from her audience's keen ears; almost everyone was gifted with acute hearing. "Ain't no human could be trusted, Strix! You saw what they did!"

"Got a better idea?" the Nidoking begrudgingly replied.

"Damn right I do! Grab Dante and moon these hundan!"

"Hey, hey!" Dante snapped at the notion. "No one's grabbing me. You want to fuck off, be my guest." He took a few steps back toward the Weavile and her fellow teammate, his eyes settling more on the Sneasel than the Nidoking. At least he was simmering down and being more... tolerant of the others. "There's plenty of room for you to go and pick out your own fucking grave. But I'm sick of standing in the fucking ice. I'm going to Candice, with her pokemon, and anyone is free to follow. But if you do, you check your shitty fucking attitudes and bitching at the fucking door. If you squabble any more, I'll chuck you out into the snow myself. Good? Good." Not leaving any room to argue, he turned and easily came to the Weavile's side, offering one last "no nonsense" glare to the three trouble makers, the majority of it lingering on the Sneasel before following their footprints back to their lair.

What a fucking day.

"Far as I know, they never showed up. You see them?"

"Would've told you if I had."

"I thought so. How we missed them, I have no idea, but if there's tracks then we could look when the sun's up again."

So they hadn't seen them after all? Well, that was.. unfortunate. You'd think a big orange hound dog would be easy to see. Even if it's dark. Then again, as she squints through the thickening darkness, that wasn't too far fetched of an idea. The human had acted pretty calmly, like they had experience in such an unforgiving environment. If she really wanted to disappearing wouldn't be that hard. She could of had a flier too. The Jolteon frowned, suddenly realizing just how easy it had been for the trainer to ditch them. While the trainer had excuses that still didn't explain the dragons sudden disappearance.

The Manectric, whatever his name was, had already started to investigate that. Glalie watched stiffly as the electric type sniffed at the remaining blood from their wounded absentee. "I doubt you will find them when the sun rises," he interjected, having come to a quick conclusion. "They're gone. And I cannot pick up their scent anywhere. Something...something probably took them." The Glaceon dug claws deeper into the snow and forced himself not to speak out of turn. Had he experienced such an occurrence as well? Monisha.. The vulture had been taken during a fight along with the suspect undead.. but this? They were only yelling, not fighting. Had the shouts drowned out the sound of an approaching zombie? Were we really that careless?

"Or they could'a gone flyin' away, genius. Dregs got wings, 'member? Prolly tryin' to rabbit from your dumb ass." The smaller ice type quips obnoxiously, tapping her claws as she speaks. While that was true the doubt from earlier resurfaces as a hard reality check with Dante's words only proving it further. "There's no way. His wing was nearly off." But if they didn't fly.. where did they go? They hadn't screamed, made tracks, or left signs of heavy struggle. There was just.. nothing. A long quiet sigh squeezed out of his muzzle with a puff of clouded air. Either way the dragons were gone. They had nothing to follow, leaving them at a dead-end search.

The possibilities around the dragons must of interested the poison type as he spoke aloud. "You're not wrong. This area has..." The Nidoking muses to himself, withholding the final word for his little companion to finish. "Reavers." The Sneasel sneers, the word holding an ominous weight. "Reavers?" The Jolteon repeats, hoping the word would seem more familiar if she said it herself. However, as each syllable drips from her tongue its clear it is no more known to her then anything else in this snowy wasteland. "Reavers." The Nidoking continues, pointing off toward the city with one of his massive claws. "They left a horrific scene back in town. Wherever they are now, it's probably not smart to stay out while it's dark."

Pach's face twists to a fearful grimace and her eyes lose focus as they fall on the distant city. These reaver things had wrecked the town they were heading to? Does that mean they are still there? The pair started to bicker in hushed manner, too softly for the distracted Jolteon to pick up. Was this all a trap the whole time? No.. no it couldn't be. Candice's Pokemon had come looking for them. They were too calm for something bad to of occurred to their owner. Biting her lip she looks back toward the Nidoking "You, you don't thin-" But the bickering grows a bit louder and quickly cuts her off as she Sneasel snaps, "Damn right I do! Grab Dante and moon these hundan!"

"Hey, hey! No one's grabbing me. You want to fuck off, be my guest." Dante barks back, his voice sharp. With a small, spooked jump the Jolteon scuttles closer to her eeveelution companion. This wasn't the start of another fight, was it? The skeletal continued, his tone not letting up. "There's plenty of room for you to go and pick out your own fucking grave. But I'm sick of standing in the fucking ice. I'm going to Candice, with her pokemon, and anyone is free to follow. But if you do, you check your shitty fucking attitudes and bitching at the fucking door. If you squabble any more, I'll chuck you out into the snow myself. Good? Good." The Jolteon recoiled at each of the Houndemn's words. While she was grateful for his want to move along the guy was damn intimidating. Finished, Dante turned and continued on their path toward the city. Giving Glalie a quick glance she slowly started to pad after him, head and ears down, with the Glaceon hard on her heels. The sooner they made to the city.. the better...

Ma watches carefully as the Manectric examines the spot where the other Pokemon had vanished. "I doubt you will find them when the sun rises. They're gone. And I cannot pick up their scent anywhere. Something...something probably took them." Well, that's perfect. It would explain why nobody had seen them, but...something coming and simply taking Pokemon was not a problem they need. She'd have to let Candice know, because from what Ma's seeing, there is no other explanation for the sudden disappearance of wounded Pokemon. Unfortunately, the sassy Sneasel adds in her own opinion, still scathing and obviously not at all fond of the Electric-type.

"Or they could'a gone flyin' away, genius. Dregs got wings, 'member? Prolly tryin' to rabbit from your dumb ass." Borealis rolls his eyes, and Ma has to agree with the sentiment. As much as she wanted to, this wasn't her kid, and she has no responsibility towards curbing the adolescent's awful manners. Besides, wasn't one of the Charizards injured? She could remember Dante mentioning that before she and Candice had left. "There's no way. His wing was nearly off." Bingo. It looks like Mister Manectric's theory is holding even more water; however, her thoughts on informing Candice are again interrupted, this time by the Nidoking speaking directly to her. At least he seems less angry towards her than his Sneasel buddy.
"You're not wrong. This area has..."
”Reavers.” There it is again, that venomous glare. Reavers, though-was that just a fancy name for undead? Ma has never heard of Reavers, and she's lived in Snowpoint for a long time. Even if it is a plague thing, she should have at least seen these so-called Reavers. ”Reavers. They left a horrific scene back in town. Wherever they are now, it's probably not smart to stay out while it's dark.” They were from Snowpoint? Ma has not been in the city's interior in awhile, and this information has only cemented why. If more survivors had been in the city limits, it's no surprise to her that they did not live to reach them.

”The hell are Reavers?”
"We ain't goin' with 'em, are we?...Ain't no human could be trusted, Strix! You saw what they did!"
”Candice has only ever tried to help people, thank you. If you don't want her help, then leave.” Borealis didn't seem happy, and it was likely to stay that way. Oh, this is just going peachy. Again, Ma finds herself agreeing with him; Candice wouldn't want squabbling, angry Pokemon living with them, even if only for a short time. The Sneasel was going to have to learn to watch her mouth and attitude if she wanted to stick around for anything longer than a second. All of them needed to get along, really, or else this entire idea is going to descend into a complete clusterfuck.
”Got a better idea?”
”Damn right I do! Grab Dante and moon these hundan!”
"Hey, hey! No one's grabbing me. You want to fuck off, be my guest." The Houndoom sounds utterly done with the nonsense going on, and Ma still can't blame him even one bit. These new additions seem like a nice mixture of crazy; what else had the poor guy dealt with before they'd met? Sheesh. And I thought dealing with Borealis was bad.
"There's plenty of room for you to go and pick out your own fucking grave. But I'm sick of standing in the fucking ice. I'm going to Candice, with her pokemon, and anyone is free to follow. But if you do, you check your shitty fucking attitudes and bitching at the fucking door. If you squabble any more, I'll chuck you out into the snow myself. Good? Good." Well, that settles it. Ma gives a simple shrug, agreeing with Dante's sentiment; it looks like he can keep these guys in line. Good. Finally, they're back on track and heading to the house, the rest of the Pokemon following behind. Or, at least, Ma assumed they were. She didn't really have the energy to look back and check, nor did she want to have to see another glare from the Sneasel. This has definitely been something else.



They'd been gone for a long time. The sun has long since set, and Candice is outside of the house, watching for her Pokemon and the group she has invited here. Any number of things could have held them up, but she has confidence in her Pokemon's strength and reliability. They'd be back. Though, truthfully, if she could have known that something would've happened along the way, Candice would have gone with them herself. Valhalla and Yeti-who was outside nearby, his natural appearance making him ideal for keeping watch while hidden in the snow-were more than capable of keeping this place safe themselves, after all. Her city was not yet safe, but they have kept alive and even thriving despite it; perhaps, after Snowpoint itself was cleared, Candice could finally call this place home. Home...she hasn't had that in a long time, not since she'd been a much weaker person, a Gym Leader that couldn't even protect her own people. This could very well be a second chance, her encounter with the other group a matter of fate.

Or maybe she was just being far too sentimental and idealistic.

Snowpoint is still filled with wretched creatures spreading their taint on her old home, and it could very well stay that way. She could die before seeing it free from the monsters that had killed her friends and family; wouldn't that be perfect irony? Life was cruel, and reality was a cold splash of water to the face. She'd discovered that the hard way. Shaking her mind from such superfluous and useless thoughts, Candice turns her attention back to the night-time landscape; despite her inferior human eyesight, Candice swears she can see her Pokemon and the others not too far away, approaching her.

{I kinda assumed from your post that they were at/near Candice's place, but let me know Sil and I can edit it out! Forgive how the post is all short and choppy, writer's block has been plaguing me)

The irritating little chit was getting on his very last nerve, sassing about things she didn't even know when Raiden was standing in practically a puddle of the wounded dragon's blood and claiming they just 'rabbited' away. Idiot female. However Dante's defense of him came at quite a surprise, causing the Manectric to eye him carefully before giving a slight nod of approval. Perhaps there was more to this condition of Dante's than he anticipated.

”The hell are Reavers?”
"We ain't goin' with 'em, are we?...Ain't no human could be trusted, Strix! You saw what they did!"
”Candice has only ever tried to help people, thank you. If you don't want her help, then leave.”

The new line of bickering drew his attention away from the skeletal hound and he couldn't help but frown as the Sneasel, who barely even knew Dante, and Strix began discussing simply kidnapping the hound. While it would certainly spare the new group of Dante's wickedness it wouldn't help them in the long run. No. He was going to have to come up with a new plan to spare everyone from the poison that polluted the dark type's soul.

"Hey, hey! No one's grabbing me. You want to fuck off, be my guest." Well that was unexpected.

"There's plenty of room for you to go and pick out your own fucking grave. But I'm sick of standing in the fucking ice. I'm going to Candice, with her pokemon, and anyone is free to follow. But if you do, you check your shitty fucking attitudes and bitching at the fucking door. If you squabble any more, I'll chuck you out into the snow myself. Good? Good." Such a bold declaration left very little doubt left in Raiden's mind that Dante truly did not remember Strix, or any of them. He would never have so casually dismissed Strix before, even if they were arguing. It was one of the reasons Strix turned on him back when they were alone, because Raiden had bitched about Strix's loyalty to the hound.

Following Dante's lead he easily fell in a step to the side of the other male, clearing his throat politely. "I think perhaps I should hear more about your strange memory loss, Dante. It seems very strange that you don't remember us when barely more than a week has passed since we last spoke." He kept his eyes forward as he spoke until the very end of his request, briefly turning his head to gauge the hound's response. "If you would be so inclined, that is."



Ardere shivered against the bitter cold, curling against herself in an effort to try and shield the fragile egg she carried from the elements. She and the Sylveon she had been traveling with had become hopelessly lost in the blizzard and ended up in the strange warehouse, but unfortunately their hiding place had already seen plenty of drama before their arrival.

The gaping hole in the wall was her current source of conflict, the large opening letting in the wind and snow as the storm shifted direction, but there were several structural damages to the building that were just as problematic. Her companion had gone to check the rest of the warehouse before they bunked down for the night but Ardere was certain that they were not going to be staying once the morning came. They needed to get somewhere they could secure, where her egg could hatch.

For the last several days the movement had significantly increased within the speckled shell, worrying the Houndoom as she pondered the inevitable hatching. It wasn't quite there yet, but she could hear noises coming from inside. It could be days, or weeks, but it was close and a wide open warehouse in the middle of a snowstorm was not the place to hatch a child.

Ardere sighed heavily and watched the wind carry the snow in ribbons past the door, hoping to catch the sight of a soft pink pelt among the white and dark. Night had fallen a while ago and she still wasn't back yet. Where was that girl?

”The hell are Reavers?”
"We ain't goin' with 'em, are we?...Ain't no human could be trusted, Strix! You saw what they did!"
”Candice has only ever tried to help people, thank you. If you don't want her help, then leave.”
Strix eyed the others as they spoke, searching for any hints of deception.”Got a better idea?”
"You, you don't thin-"
”Damn right I do! Grab Dante and moon these hundan!” Strix' ear twitched as he struggled to comprehend the lunacy of grabbing a horned, lethal hellhound the size of himself,  mixed with the bombardment of so many voices with their own very scared opinions. His chest constricted as he recoiled with an unintentional twitch.
Flashes of the crazed Espeon leaping at him, the screaming Luxray...all of them, against him. His own pack, lashing out at him in a streak of insanity and fear, throwing him off the third level floor to bleed out and die in agony as they undid every sacrifice that had been made for them.

"Hey, hey! No one's grabbing me. You want to fuck off, be my guest." The behemoths' fur bristled, his eyes widening in a painful shock at the outburst. "There's plenty of room for you to go and pick out your own fucking grave. But I'm sick of standing in the fucking ice. I'm going to Candice, with her pokemon, and anyone is free to follow. But if you do, you check your shitty fucking attitudes and bitching at the fucking door. If you squabble any more, I'll chuck you out into the snow myself. Good? Good." Strix' jaw visibly fell, the devastation on his face unmaskable as he watched the hound pad off without even a second glance at them. He wanted to reach out and call him back in desperation. He wanted to fall to the ground and weep and rage. He wanted to, at that moment, just give up. walk into the blood-drenched town and let them take him.
His broken gaze fell, his ears limp as the dejected nidoking watched them move on without him.
Despite everything they had gone through, everything they had done together...it was gone. And Dante had just made it clear where he stood. Was there a point anymore? Dante wanted nothing to do with him or Rune. Raiden was...alive. And all the others? His brows furrowed as he glanced at their retreating figures. What were their chances for surviving, and with a human no-less? Despite the endless spew of complaints from the adamant sneasel, she did have a point about that. What humans could be trusted? After what he had seen of the terrified monstrosities after hell burst out of the cities...the last thing they wanted to do was be in contact with the blood-mongering apes.

If they parted, they would undoubtedly be safer without such a large group attracting more attention. And he would be rid of Raiden. And hopefully any dagger-like memories of his old pack left in his chest. But...even if this group were to hurl him to his death again, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he just left them and Dante to fall prey to whatever was out here.
Hissing through his teeth, he moved to follow the group through the desolate landscape.
___________

Mortified, she watched them move towards the direction they had just come from. "Unbelievable," She marveled as she stared blankly ahead. "Tell me again why we ain't headed away from the reavers? I ain't lookin' to get rapified and corpsified today, Strix." As he padded quietly behind them, his resigned sadness was drenched with unease. Every footfall through the crunching snow echoed loudly in his barbed ears. "Why ain't we tellin' 'em about what's up there?" Rune whispered loudly, despite his sensitive ears next to her picking up her raised heartbeat. Strix sighed, casting a sidelong glance at her. "Because Dante will skewer you for one, and two, they don't want to hear from us." He grumbled, his melancholy gaze shifting over the icy darkness. "You should learn to pick your fights, kid. No point in running headlong into every one of 'em, 'specially if they gonna do nothin' but hurt you."

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It seemed that the group was finally moving forward, no thanks to the arguments at hand. The sun had only gone down, what, half an hour ago? Dante's large, armored frame shuddered as he trudged forward, the exhaustion from the day already weighing down on him. The pissy Manectric, the last pokemon he'd expected to want a civil conversation with him, padded up and began gently. "I think perhaps I should hear more about your strange memory loss, Dante. It seems very strange that you don't remember us when barely more than a week has passed since we last spoke." Dante turned, honest and tired confusion written clearly on his face as the two elemental hounds shared a moment of eye contact before they both turned back to the white path ahead. "If you would be so inclined, that is."

"...Sure..." he replied, his tone cautious, but not venomous. "To be honest, I just woke up like this. The last thing I remember, I was in Johto -and a Houndoom, not whatever-the-fuck monster I am now- and I was about to go into the Ice caves because the town nearby was overrun. Then I wake up this morning and..." He shook his head, his brow furrowing deeply. "I'm in this guy's burrow with no clue how the hell I got here. I'm not even in Johto anymore. I don't know how much time has passed or--" He sighed and looked to the Manectric, his frustration and helplessness over the situation beginning to bleed into his normally flat voice.

"I don't know what happened between us or who any of you are." He spared a glance to the Nidoking and his Sneasel compatriot, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain when he saw just how dejected the Nidoking looked. What was he even supposed to do with that? "All morning, I've just been trying to get my bearings and every time I think I finally have a handle on the situation, some new and wholly devastating curve ball comes flying my way. I don't know what to do other than find shelter. That's a simple enough goal, right?" He scoffed a little, his own naivete bitter in his mouth. "So yeah. That's basically it."

---

Fuck it was cold. Why was it so cold? Oh yeah, snow. Snow was pretty cold. Yeah. It wasn't this cold in other places with snow, though, so... that sucked. Ellie shivered as she waited for the gust of wind to die down before darting out from behind her barrier-- a lone wall in the ruins of the warehouse district. Her teeth bit down on the small sack of probably-edible things she'd managed to scavenge in the blizzard that seemed to haunt this part of town. She needed to get it to Ms. Ardere, that was for sure. The small Sylveon clenched her eyes closed for a moment as she braced herself to battle the winds once she rushed out from behind the wall, waited, and then leaped.

She wasn't out in the alleys a minute before the winds knocked her flat on her back.

"AAEEEK!" she squeaked in surprise, completely not ready for the feeling of all the snow abruptly touching her entire back. Not that the stuff that had accumulated on her back counted. Shut up. It was cold and she was startled. Plus, she'd just been knocked over by wind. How often did that happe-- SHUT UP. She shook herself free of her own humiliation, despite no one being around to see it anyway, and darted forward, hoping that she remembered the way back to the warehouse they'd initially settled in.

It took what seemed forever to find her way back, but she practically dove into the old, shaky structure, the sack still in her mouth. Sure, she may as well have been a Glaceon, but whatever-- she'd made it back safe and sound! A broad grin lit her face as she put the bag at Ms. Ardere's feet. "I got stuff!" she announced proudly, nosing open the sack in an eagerness to be acknowledged. "See, I found a berry and then I think half of a blanket and then a really frozen water bottle that'll turn into water when, you know, it... gets..." Her enthusiasm failed her and she quickly dropped to the floor, her frozen face completely parallel and against the floor.

"Ugh, I'm sorry, Ms. Ardere!" she lamented in a pathetic whimper, her face still plastered against the floor. "I couldn't find anything at all-- and you're cold and tired and hungry and about to be a Momma. What use am I?"

It seemed the fighting had finally ceased. The group moved quietly, the whipping of the wind and crunch of their footsteps echoing over their voices, and the city slowly came forward. Glalie's wide paws made easy work of the snow, gliding along on top of it with only the softest crunch. Beside him, Pach's steps are loud as her feet sink deep into the frost. The other quadrupeds did much of the same but her movement seemed off, labored as they tried to push onward. What's wrong? Is it the scrapes? The minuscule wounds had all but been forgotten but he did not doubt that they still twinged. Even so, her stiff gate did not seem to align with them. Something else was amiss. Her pads must be frozen. Well.. she'd have to make due until they got to the this so called shelter.

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. The Jolteon kept her head down with her eyes fixated far beyond them. The others were talking, well, Dante was, and she refused to insert herself again. With a shaking breath in she let out a sigh. The icy cloud hung in the air longer then she had ever seen before, dancing freely before slowly drifting apart. Gosh its cold. How can all these guys stand it? The question forms on the tip of her tongue and nearly escapes before she realizes its existence. Squeezing her teeth together she kills it off, resigning herself to them 'dealing with it' better then she was.

Fur brushes up along her side as Glalie pads closer, offering a shoulder for her aching pads. Really? I can do it myself! Shooting him a glance she stepped away from the ice type, keeping up her pained trot as she listened to Dante's account. The Glaceon looked hurt but the expression is lost to her as she focuses. "All morning, I've just been trying to get my bearings and every time I think I finally have a handle on the situation, some new and wholly devastating curve ball comes flying my way. I don't know what to do other than find shelter. That's a simple enough goal, right?" For someone who couldn't remember yesterday he had remained pretty calm throughout the days tribulations. Even now, in the solemn feeling that hung heavy in the air, he kept himself together. Emotions had run high, accusations ere made, and yet he was the same Pokemon she had bumped into earlier in the day.

A smile breaks across the Jolteon's face, her gaze shifting upward to the speckled sky. She gives a small tsk before musing over her own thought. "Well, I think that's pretty admirable. Regardless of who you were you are trying to do good with who you are now." The praise comes easily, rolling off her tongue at the same time as it forms in her head. Even if Raiden, Strix, and Rune wanted to beat his face in Dante was still willing to help them. That had to count for something. Her eyes turn to the side, looking at the Houndemn for a moment before realizing she had spoken again. With a sharp gasp Pachi clamps her jaws closed and turns her wide gaze back to the snowy path ahead of them. Hurrying her steps she pushes forward to avoid any further iterations. Me and my big mouth.

(Skip. I genuinely cannot think of enough to write to create a post of substance.)

"...Sure..." Raiden hadn't expected Dante to be so forthcoming and it was refreshing. The electric hound waited patiently for the fire type to continue as they made their way across the snow back to town, back to where everything he knew of Dante resided. It would finally be time to see exactly what transpired in the last several days to have created the strange situation they now all found themselves in. "To be honest, I just woke up like this. The last thing I remember, I was in Johto -and a Houndoom, not whatever-the-fuck monster I am now- and I was about to go into the Ice caves because the town nearby was overrun. Then I wake up this morning and..." It was almost as if a fog began to descend on Dante as he spoke, trying to shake his head and free himself of it even as it enveloped him. "I'm in this guy's burrow with no clue how the hell I got here. I'm not even in Johto anymore. I don't know how much time has passed or--"

"I see." Raiden cut in softly, trying to break Dante's confusion before it put him into a fit. "Johto hm? Well I can say you've been here as long as I've known you, but that's not to say you and the others couldn't have made it here from elsewhere beforehand. Please continue." The skeletal hound seemed to regain himself as he carried on, though his voice was carrying significantly more emotion than Raiden ever recalled him having.

"I don't know what happened between us or who any of you are. All morning, I've just been trying to get my bearings and every time I think I finally have a handle on the situation, some new and wholly devastating curve ball comes flying my way. I don't know what to do other than find shelter. That's a simple enough goal, right?" Dante's response to his own question was all the answer he needed and Raiden felt no need to add to his conclusion. "So yeah. That's basically it."

"Well, I think that's pretty admirable. Regardless of who you were you are trying to do good with who you are now."

Clearing his throat the Manectric watched as the fox skittered away, either ashamed or embarrassed by her outburst, he wasn't sure which. But it was no matter, Raiden had already decided to try a more civil approach. There were tests he could do, of course, to try and determine if Dante truly didn't remember him, but this was also an opportunity. If he could convince the other hound of his past transgressions he could also convince him to repent, to atone, and then when asked to receive judgement for the crimes against Ciara and the others Dante would be more receptive. This could be a great source of potential.

"Well," he began slowly, "I could tell you of our brief time together if you'd like. At least from my perspective, and maybe that could help trigger some clarity for you. Completely up to you of course. I would never pressure the mentally ill to subject themselves to what they potentially would rather not know. After all, how many people want to be told that they are a murderer?"

---

"I got stuff!"

Ardere let out a breath of relief when Ellie finally came back inside, her worry over the younger female nearly driving her mad. She smiled as the bouncy Sylveon came into view and rose to greet her, waiting patiently for the other female to display her findings. "See, I found a berry and then I think half of a blanket and then a really frozen water bottle that'll turn into water when, you know, it... gets..."

As she listened and waited for Ellie to bring everything out she startled when the small kit suddenly dropped to the ground with a dejected whine, concern filling Ardere's face and voice. "Child, what ever is the matter?" She gently nosed at Ellie even as the girl huffed and whined in response, not but a lumpy pile on the ground. "Ugh, I'm sorry, Ms. Ardere! I couldn't find anything at all-- and you're cold and tired and hungry and about to be a Momma. What use am I?"

Ardere smiled softly and shushed the poor girl, nuzzling her cheek as she tried to coax her off the floor. "Come on now, chin up. You've been more helpful to me since I've met you than I'm sure even you realize. And it's not your fault you couldn't find much in a blizzard, I'm just happy you found your way back." The slender Houndoom padded over to Ellie's goods and began listing off their potential, trying to boost the young one's confidence. "Just look at this, an Aspear Berry. This could be very helpful since we are trapped in snow. Oh and this blanket could help repair the sash I carry the egg in, and frozen water is still water dear. I'm a fire type, I can warm it simply by laying beside it. You did well dearie, truly. Do try to cheer up for me, alright?"