(ACE) The FROST Team

Green's body remained on edge even as the chatter died back. Listening and searching for their would-be predator she refused to be caught off guard. Even as the terrain worsened she remained aware of her surroundings, and the cat's question all but answered itself. "Was there a battle here?" No shit. The spot was in utter shambles. Looking for signs of a two-way squabble she crushes a piece of wood in her palm. "Battle, or a hunt." The damage was heavily one-sided, a Pokemon caught off guard that was only able to get off some desperate attacks against something rampaging.

Blood splatters littered the area, and the undead was on them in an instant. "Old. Couple hours." It was disturbing to hear the accuracy from the very thing they were trying to kill, but any hunter would be able to tell. "Its killed recently!" Kolven alerts them, as though that wasn't obvious. "Look for other signs; its probably still nearby." Pushing deeper into the torn up buildings Green looked for clues on their target. Was it clawed, heavy, quick-footed, big attacker? The destroyed houses didn't show any burns, so she could cross fire and electric types off the list. The ground had a lot of scuffs and indiscernible prints, but nothing heavy enough to be a steel type.

Looking up from her investigation Green catches the Pikachu's signal and heads over. A Pokemon lay mangled in the wreckage, its body broken in multiple places with despair frozen upon its face. Blood stained the wounds and pooled about its broken neck, freezing it in place. A saving grace, she had to remind herself, as such a wound meant it would not return to this waking nightmare. A flower was clutched in one hand, still fresh despite the cold.

Clenching a fist Green turns away. No, why would it leave its kill behind? "There must have been another Pokemon that led it away." Another Pokemon, lively and distracting, more blood to be spilled from a furious undead. A couple hours it said. Too much time had passed, there would be no 'saving' the thing; it either got away or was dead already.

"It's likely going to be somewhere between here and the path to the main road. There should be a few high points along the path that will help us." Drake explained, his claws pointing off in the distance. Looking up at Flamey who circled above he gave no signs of seeing the beast, no lead to follow. "Then a vantage point it is." She grunts, shuffling her bag up higher and storming off in that direction.

Kolven sniffed around for anything fresh among the wreckage. The scene was not that old but the frozen environment took any the scents trails that could be lingering. With this much damage the area should be laden heavy with the smell of blood, but only a thin waft seemed to drift about. With smell hindered, Kolven let his eyes guide him, and with each passing glance the cats were able to spot more and more blood. Each new location drew in Clover like a moth to a flame, her nose and whiskers twitching violently as they took in the faint smell. Gods forbid. They had been lucky with the Pyroar, the damage on both sides ending up being minimal, but whatever happened here did not have a happy ending.

The others preformed their own searches, and Jack signaled them over. Trotting up to see what he found Kolven instantly recoils. A twisted, frozen body in the wreckage, the fear and pain still on its face even in death. Broken bones jutted out in unnatural directions from its fatal wounds, the blood having already ran cold. "Legends help us.." Could they have prevented this if they were quicker, if they traveled down the mountain this direction instead of up? Jack turned the Pokemon over, the snap of breaking ice causing the cat to flinch. Don't! Screams in his mind, the action feeling utterly disrespectful, but the flower revealed in its hand prevents him from saying a word. What in the world..?

A flower..? The cat backs away, even more confused as he shakes his head. Was this a fight rather than a hunt? No, this damage was intent to kill. "There must have been another Pokemon that led it away." Green deduces as she walks away from the scene. Another Pokemon? Someone we can save? For a second hope sparked in his paws, and he looked to the trainer for reassurance, but it died back just as quickly as Clover sniffed the frozen corpse. The icy blood was too solid to smear against her fur as she rubbed against it, the frozen fur of the Pokemon one solid piece. It was.. so cold... "Avoiding it is out of the question then." Kolven finally admits. "We need to go after it! This poor thing shouldn't have died for nothing!" His amber eyes rests upon the icy corpse, pity shining bright in his eyes. If circumstances were different he suggest another burial, but time and danger would not allow for the gesture. Placing a paw over his star choker the tomcat offers a silent prayer, and follows the others as they push to move on.

"It's likely going to be somewhere between here and the path to the main road. There should be a few high points along the path that will help us." Itching to be useful the Meowth looks for anything he can offer to their search. "Then a vantage point it is. Urgency filled his paws, and charging up the blood-splattered tree Kolven scanned the area for the best and/or closest vantage point. The rolling mountainside had several areas that peaked, but one catches his eye just off the path they were following. "I think Drake's right on this, we might run into it further up ahead." If this thing was headed the same path of least resistance, then it wouldn't be able to hide from them for long. "There's what looks like a park on a hill up ahead!" He yowls from the thin branches high up in the tree. Skirting his way down Kolven drops to the ground evenly on all fours, almost breathless as his mind races. "Is that one of the spots Drake? Its high and its open; we should be able to see a lot from there." If something was on the run the faux natural place could be more attractive than a barren city, even if it offered less cover.

"Whatever undead did this must have powerful jaws to break through the bone." A shudder runs along Kolven's spine as he thinks of Pokemon with strong, predatory jaws. The Mightyena and Pyroar they had faced were truly viscous Pokemon with deadly bites, but Kolven doubted their culprit was one of those species. A noise turns his head, and Clover is scuffing about broken pieces of siding. The chunks were much larger than her, the strikes to bring them down powerful and wild. Their Pokemon boasted strength and size alike to cause such damage. It was sturdy enough to destroy these buildings but deft enough to bite rather than crush its prey.
"We need to hurry." Kolven mews uneasily, as Clover places her paw into a much larger print in the ground. Whatever it was, this was not a Pokemon Kovlen would dare face alone. With the looming storm edging him forward as the group continues on Kolven offers a second prayer to the deceased. They could not offer its body proper rest, but hopes subduing its killer would give them peace.

Clover paces and grunted as she looked for more alluring bloodstains, but the frozen crime scene could not hold even an undead's attention. Her mouth watered, wanting for something more, something warm, but everything here was colder than her. Looking up from the bloodstains she see's the others were headed off, and charging after the Pokemon she settles in beside her brother. The tom is gazing off into the distance with a vacant stare akin to her own. Did he also lust for fresh blood?

Something was off. The pikachu could tell that the undead that caused this is keeping out of sight. If this is the case, the sky won't be enough to find it. Jack listened in to hear if he could find any signs if it is around. Nothing... It wasn't a good sign. "We need to hurry." Running from it will only lead it back to the mansion, they had to eliminate it before they return to the mansion. This silence was eerie as it was and anything could jump out any moment without warning.

Drake on the other hand was using his smarts and taking caution as he knew this place better than anyone. "From what I know, there is a den and back before the undead shown up, some troublemakers had used it for scaring people who pass by it. It's not very big but it does have areas that someone can hide out of sight. I wouldn't be surprised if some random undead moved into it and used it for killing others who was unlucky." Just thinking about what would happen if they fell victim to that kind of ambush just made Drake get the chills. The charmeleon stuck close to Green and as they say, safety in numbers came to mind in his head.

Jack's cheeks started sparking as he was ready to attack should they be confronted. "This place should be teaming with life. Whatever undead claimed this area as its own,  it must have been terrifying enough to scare everything away. Shit, we'll have to be smart instead of our normal approach." The pikachu said as he put his goggles over his eyes. Though one part of his mind suggests maybe the undead that done this had been already too far gone and the only way to end its suffering is to kill it. Though it wasn't like Jack to say it but even if it's to put an undead down to end its suffering, it won't go down without a fight.

"There's what looks like a park on a hill up ahead!"

Green rolled her eyes at the logistical nightmare of elevated plants and a cyclical water feature that was also along a hillside. Legends above, how did anything grow here? But she was no landscaper, engineer, or excavator, and quickly put the thought aside. Running over a mental list of Kalos natives Green also had to stop herself from honing in on anything specific. If the small Pyroar pride taught them anything it was that Pokemon were no longer adhering to her preconceived 'nature areas'. Did that imply human activity divided Pokemon species, or that some roaming species were sedentary due to populated cities? What a fucked world.

Drake mentions some sort of abandoned den that didn't bode well. An ambush predator didn't quite line up with the destruction they saw, it was far away and the undead attacked them, but undead played by different rules. The corpse had a flower. Had they traveled to this natural spot and back, tipping the creature off? A ravenous undead could change tactics if the alluring scent of a living being wandered too close.

A loud click, click, scree comes down from above, Flamey's singsong voice signalling to his trainer as he tipped his wings to make for a quick descent. Diving low enough for the others to hear he squawks before rising once more. "Got more blood up ahead. Doesn't look like the other thing got away."

Kolven hadn't forgotten all the aches and pains in his body, but as the group ran for the nearest vantage point he didn't have the option of slowing down. Though the colors were not vibrant like warmer climes the dull green hues of the park were noticeable even from a distance. He had chosen the spot simply for a better view, but a natural attraction (even in a very rural town with plenty of adjacent nature) would surely attract other creatures and could house their target. "From what I know, there is a den from back before the undead showed up, and some troublemakers had used it for scaring people who pass by it." A den? "If its a well known spot I doubt a living Pokemon would stay there nowadays." Even if they could stay out of sight predators and undead alike would check the passages for an easy meal. "I wouldn't be surprised if some random undead moved into it and used it for killing others who were unlucky." With uncomfortable twitch of his whiskers the feline tries to stay on the positive side of things. "Guess we have our first target then."

Both cats moved with hurried steps, the sight of a park nostalgic and reminding them of better times, though it was not welcoming to both. Clover felt her hackles rise as her paws touched intentionally grassy terrain. Her memories were hazy, specifics all but lost, but some things were burned permanently into her mind. The vicious canine, the horrid fangs, and the agony of dying. Phantom pains shot through her missing leg and she nips at the nub. Baring her fangs the undead growls at her own recollection, claws churning the soil as she paces about. The scent of blood was around them, thick even on the cold air, and easily smothering any other scents, but nothing showed itself to sink her claws into. Scanning the area around them she does not spot anything of interest, anything to curb her boiling blood.

Trotting ahead of his sister Kolven also feels pangs in her heart. Often times he played with his kids in the park, listening to their laughter and the joy of people around him. This forlorn park hadn't seen those happy days in years, and he silently apologized that that was not what they were here for. "This place should be teaming with life. Whatever undead claimed this area as its own, it must have been terrifying enough to scare everything away. Shit, we'll have to be smart instead of our normal approach." Kolven had to stifle a laugh, as inappropriate as it was saying they were not smart normally was painfully on point. "Then stay sharp." He purrs, the laugh still edging his voice.

With quivering ears, twitching whiskers, and wide eyes, Kolven let his senses guide him. The blood Flamey mentioned still hung heavy in the air, red blots dotting the grey ground in the loosest sense of a trail. He couldn't hear screams or crunches, but a beast of a Pokemon couldn't disappear without a trace. "My plan.. was to climb a tree up here, too." He admits, though that seemed moot with the bloody marks painting the ground.

Something still felt off to Jack. The eerie silence was not something he was used to. Death had lingered heavy on this path. With the approaching storm on its way, they got to figure out where this undead is hiding and terminate it before it could find them. "Got more blood up ahead. Doesn't look like the other thing got away." Shit, this was something that they was not ready for. Jack could even feel the cold air and it wasn't natural. It felt like something passing through him making him feel colder than normal. "My plan.. was to climb a tree up here, too." The pikachu doubted the trees would be as simple since they're dealing with 

Drake started seeing the blood that Flamey mentioned. Looks like not even the other pokemon survived either. "Whatever's up ahead, I'm ready for it." The charmeleon said as he was going to expect the threat to show itself sooner or later.

Jack started hearing something like someone was crunching on something. "I think we're getting closer, I can definitely hear someone chewing on something." There was no doubt that the threat is nearby. Jack's expression shown more of a focused look. He didn't like what the feeling of this air one bit.

Stay close. Green wills her Pokemon as he continues to circle and examine the park below. There was no screaming, moaning, or whines, but blood smothered the land in the aftermath of another hunt. "My plan.. was to climb a tree up here, too." Kolven bemoans, though to call that single thought a plan was a vast stretch. "Then get climbing." She orders, irritation thick on her voice at such pointless hesitation.

The cold air was heavy, the icy sting picking at the trainer's skin as they intruded on another death scene. It was a shock to no one, the damn place was covered in snow and ice, but the frosty air was almost chocking with its dry tang. "Guards up." She reminds the Pokemon, her fingers flexing to stay limber and ready to grab her weapon. "Whatever's up ahead, I'm ready for it."

Sticking close to the pathway, or remind of it after being reclaimed by the land, Green avoided crunchy ground and sticks. The cold made her eyes sting, the clouds she breathed out growing thicker as they skulked through the barren trees along the walkway. "I think we're getting closer, I can definitely hear someone chewing on something." The Pikachu warns, its sensitive ears primed and twitching. Crunching, eh? At least the other Pokemon wouldn't suffer the same fate of undeath.

Creeping closer Green cursed the wild and unkempt shrubbery of the park. Neglect had let them run wild, and the blocked view was unacceptable as they inched toward the illicit sound. Eventually, even she could hear the crunching, the sound of teeth and broken bones unmistakable. "Stay low and quiet. It'll be easier to strike if its distracted by its meal." Rushing in all at once with strikes and attacks would alarm it. It had proven quite well it was capable of killing, and intrupting that meal would only enrage such a beast. Looking upward Green can not see Flamey's shadow through the trees, but she knows her Pokemon is nearby and watching with his crazy hawk eyes.

"Then get climbing." Kolven flinched at Green's cold voice, his pathetic idea quick to backfire. It wasn't a plan at all; at best he could get information, but even that was a stretch in the overgrown park. Still, he shakes himself loose and limber before sheepishly making his way to the tallest nearby tree. I hope this helps, he silently prays before scrabbly up the cold bark. Leaping from branch to branch the tomcat tries to make as little noise as possible, his ascent much more intentional that the last. Balancing upon the thin limbs at the top of the tree Kolven sweeps his gaze across the park. An old abandoned den.. Such a well known spot would not be hidden, any obvious divot or mound could be their culprit's cave.

Digging his claws into the wood to keep balance the Meowth feels his skin claw as his eyes spot motion somewhere further afield. The dark trail of what he could only assume was blood let to the spot, and something almost seemed to shimmer in the bright daylight. Squinting his eyes against it the tomcat struggles to decipher its source. Leaning forward for just the tiniest bit of clarity he realizes what it is just as his paws slip. With a sharp yelp he goes tumbling through the branches and to the ground below, his fall only halted by a quick flick of his paw that managed to catch a branch.
Landing painfully on all fours the cat wheezes from clenched teeth and takes a moment to steady himself before speaking with a shaky voice. "There's some ice up ahead, not natural though." Such information would have been easy for Flamey to share, hell everything he saw would be little effort on the Talonflame's part. "Somethings definitely up there but I couldn't see what it was with all the trees." If they followed the blood, or even just the winding path they would be upon with ease. Had other Pokemon succumbed to the brute for that very reason? Shaking out his pelt Kolven drew in a deep breathe. "Whatever's up ahead, I'm ready for it." That made one of them, and with reluctant steps the group started to move once more.

Clover paced a few yards ahead of the group, her tail high with interest as she sniffed at the walking path. A scent lingered but it was not one she recognized, the memories of the fire hound starting to fade back as she tried to decipher their new target. The cold air held many secrets, but any smells on it were smothered from the lightly falling snow. The smell was so light it was hard to believe a Pokemon passed this way at all, and she struggled to picture what it may be. Suddenly the cat's head shoots up, her good ear stiff and focused in on a noise. "I think we're getting closer, I can definitely hear someone chewing on something." With more cautious steps she creeps forward, doubts dissipating as she skulked. The crunching of bones was unmistakable, a sound burned into the undead's memory from a tender age. She longed for the scent of meat, of the kill, but the warm, rich scent was no where to be found.

"Stay low and quiet. It'll be easier to strike if its distracted by its meal." The trainer's instructions meant nothing to her and the undead kept creeping forward. The thick foliage prevented them from seeing beyond but her pelt tingled with awareness of another Pokemon. The crunching was louder, practically next to them when a thin patch in the plants finally appeared. An opening! Clover saw, her paws already scuttling forward with her belly dragging close to the ground. In an instant Kolven was racing to her side, ready to drag her back with his claws if he must. Stop! They were lucky her bloodlust had not overtaken her again, by the legends he would not let her squander that.

Yet even as the tomcat shoved his sister back his felt a chill along his spine. His claws sunk into the ground, fur flattening instinctively to shrink his form as he froze up. Peering though the empty space in the shrubs he finally caught sight of their culprit; lurched over its prey the Gabite crunched idly upon a limb as its needle-claws scratched at the rest of the corpse. The second Sneasel was even more desecrated than the first, laying in pieces as the dragon picked and pried at the jewel on its head. Its once brilliant scales now dappled with large purple patches and long fought wounds, its red eyes eerie and cold. Blood still flowed as it feasted, the loud crunching of bones assaulting the cat's ears. Every hair on his pelt said to run, to move away from the feasting predator, but his paws refused to move. Above the Gabite a pair of Cyogonal hovered around idly, their pale bodies also shimmering in a light shade of lavender.