(ACE) The OLIVINE Team

Cinder had fallen silent, her voice dying away in her throat. What more could she say? No matter what they did, no matter how hard they tried or if they found the murderer, Rosko would still be dead. Their friend would still be lost. She would still have failed him. "I'm here," The Jolteon's voice was low, his approach careful. Was Rosko making him nervous, the electric type's true nature coming out? It was too soon to judge and, honestly, she didn't have the energy to either and just drop her eyes to the bloodied floor.  

With her head hanging low the Quilava was just as tall as the Joltie, but her short legs made her no match for him when standing properly. Was that why Faux needed him? Wouldn't Mel be the better choice? It would of kept the eeveelution pair together and the Ninetales was, by far, the biggest of them all. Faux didn't seem bothered by this factoid though and gave a slow blink and sharp breath in as she addressed the undead. "We'll need to give the others some time to find a proper burial spot, but I need you to move him." Her many tailed flicked they way they did when she was tense. Was their something else on her mind? What else is wrong? "Would dragging or carrying be easier for you?"

Cinder's head tilted back up, surprised. It was strange hearing Faux care for another comfort, especially Rebel's, but her awe was cut short as she spotted the horror on Etincelle's face. "You.. you don't think.." He stuttered, panic clearly building in him. "He'll come- he'll beco-" Oh.. oh no..
"No." Faux immediately cut him off. She knew exactly where that sentence was going, what he was thinking. To have one of their friends become one of them... how much could one soul take? "No," she repeats again, padding around to the dead hound's other side. Gingerly she points with one paw and a tilt of her muzzle. "His neck was severed. Everything was broken in there. They don't come back without that." Placing her paw back on the floor she skirts around the bloodied carpet, eyeing each bit of the stain with disgust. "However, he could attract more undead. Once we start moving him I'll start burning any blood and remains. If we are going to shelter here we can't leave anything inciting."

Cinder nodded, grateful that the fox was holding herself together better then the lot of them. "I guess you're right. It's just.. happening too fast." Taking in a deep breath a sigh wheezes its way from her lungs. "Life waits for no one." Faux mumbled as she moved to the hound's far side. Her words hit her hard, making the starter physically cringe.  "Yeah, this is the least we can do, for him."

Looking toward Rebel Cinder offered, "Tell me what I can do to help, Rebel." She would of rather asked if he was okay with this job at all, but as she catches the Houndooms scent again she knows why that comfort can't be extended. "We probably want to work fast before any smells soak in."

Keeping eyes low to the floor and dead ahead, looking at the walls was not an option to the Normal-type. Somehow it felt like blood would crawl down the structure and pool around their paws, ultimately drowning them, but as long as Mi didn't look, it was okay...

Besides, monsters didn't climb out of the walls. They waited in the dark for the moment you expected it least and then they tore you away from the ones you loved. But it wouldn't happen again. Not today.
"Hello?" Mel's voice carried a soft echo down the corridor, a testament to how empty this place was now. As of today, it was one soul emptier... Miyu crossed ahead of Melanie, placed horizontally in the hall between the end and her friend. Whatever killed Rosko lacked in the integrity department, but it'd be a cold day in Hell before they did the same stunt to Mel. "Miyu.. what is that?" It was shameful that the tiny fox literally had no clue or how to handle it. Maybe she was too stressed and was overreacting, but at this point... being too safe was nonexistent.

"I'm not sure," Miyu responded in a flat undertone as the tip of her nose lit softly by a small wisp of blue light, spiraling and doubling in size. "But... if they aren't a friend, they get froze to the floor 'til we find a solution..." The grand mistake of blindly welcoming a stranger was made and learned from already, back in that old Kanto Pokémon Center.
"I..I'm Arry? A-Are you both friendly?" Oh dear Arceus. They were a kid. The Hidden Power distorted into odd shapes and all but burst into nothingness. The move she prepared was meant for a child... but what if they were in cahoots with that Houndoom, or what if they were being held hostage...!? "We-we're friendly to f-friends..." The nullified anxiety from thirty seconds ago was slipping. It was a lot easier when it would've been okay to outright attack... "Are you uh, alone, kid?"

---

"We'll need to give the others some time to find a proper burial spot, but I need you to move him." With a nod of compliance to the Vulpix, Rebel slunk nearer to where the Houndoom lay in a slow, visibly uncomfortable pace. The scene was sickening, that was his... not even his friend. The few interactions they had, how many were even on decent terms? Did he consider me his friend...? The question bought disgust to his chest before his inner voice could even phrase it. Even his own subconscious knew he was a decaying lout. Maybe even moreso having that the blood coating Rosko's midnight fur and the surrounding area was a level of temptation far surpassing anything a female had ever offered the Jolteon.
A wicked grin was a hair's breath from blooming on the permanently-starving Eeveelution's face, rational thought fading for an instant before sense returned via Faux's voice. "Would dragging or carrying be easier for you?"

"Probably... probably dragging..." Even with no ill intentions in mind, the nerve-riddled smile he offered was probably terrifying to look at. Good thing the only time anyone ever saw their own face was pictures and reflections. "But it's not really a desirable ride to the gr-..." Callous. Rewording now. "To the resting place. I reckon I can carry him." Saving him might've been more appreciated, but it's not like he had he choice now... A proper send off was the only favor left for the sea dog.

"You.. you don't think.." Huh? Reb must've missed some context - and saying Etin was 'alarmed' might've been a bigger underestimation than 'raising a kid is a pain.' "He'll come- he'll beco-" ...
...
Become like me? That would be hella tragic...

"No," Faux strode to the fallen canine's opposing side, offering an example to alleviate concern. "His neck was severed. Everything was broken in there. They don't come back without that." ... He couldn't deny the discomfort that shot down his cold spine. He'd mostly guarded his skull, assuming that to be the only way to truly drop one of the dead. Rebel fought more like a vicious fighting dog than a once-trained battler. One bad move against someone with this understanding and he'd be facing his own mortality a second time.
"However, he could attract more undead. Once we start moving him I'll start burning any blood and remains. If we are going to shelter here we can't leave anything inciting."

If Legends had any decency, let this go alright...

"Tell me what I can do to help, Rebel." Shooting a look to the Quilava, Reb gave a quick smile, but the gratitude was genuine. The Joltie nudged his nose carefully beneath Rosko's ribcage, just behind the elbow. "I'll slip 'im onto my shoulders. Trouble is, I won't be able to lift him past my ears with just my neck." Doing so would be sort of the equivalent of a weird headstand with bricks on his paws... Yeah, that sounded close enough. "I just need a push, or lift or anything really." His paws repositioned, Reb's own ribs nearly touching the floor as he prepared to hold up the weight. "Also... I know I’m asking hella too much, but could you come with me? I'm bad with halls and besides... if I suck this bad at talking to living... I bet I'm even worse at talking to the dead..."

((OoC - Can edit anything that isn't cool, of course~ ^^ In my sleepy-tired mind, it seems like this method of carrying him would work, but ask me again in seven to ten hours lol. By the way, "Leave A Light On" by Yellowcard hurt my soul while writing thisssnknffmkmd))

Melanie's sniffer was going crazy. The cold scent of metal was harsh, and though it was small it seemed to smother everything else around them. Was it blood? It didn't smell like the thick, drowning, iron scent of blood. It didn't smell like the murder scene down the all. It was just.. metallic, and not at all like the smell of ash and smoke that hung on fire types. "I'm not sure," Miyu answered her in a hushed voice. So its not visible, or large? Is that why the scent seemed faint? But if its not that close why is it so distinguishable?

The air chilled slightly, the dry tinge of ice tingling her active nose. Melanie nearly asked what was happening but the Eevee was quick to continue. "But... if they aren't a friend, they get froze to the floor 'til we find a solution..." She had an ice attack? For some reason she doesn't recall it, but then again, she probably couldn't say anyone's arsenal even now. "We won't lose another." The Ninetale's murmurs in agreement, hoping to spark some sort of confidence between them, but as the critter spoke any assurance fettered away. "I..I'm Arry? A-Are you both friendly?" It was a child...

Melanie chokes on her next breath. Was it a Houndour, a fire type, something else cohorting with the killer? Its voice was small, almost frightened but curious. Was it a trick, a trap, or just some innocent kid with unfortunate timing? "We-we're friendly to f-friends..." Miyu was just as unsure as her. After everything that just happened they couldn't be too careful. "Are you uh, alone, kid?" Still, she couldn't smell the smokey rich scent, or even that of a canine. No, it couldn't be a hound, though it could still be dangerous. Melanie waited quietly for the kid to answer, ears forward and alert, before bringing her head up and saying, "It would be better if you went outside." They couldn't just send him away. Not with the crazy bitch around, not with all the dangers that lurked behind every corner. "We're going out.. if you want to come with us." 'Follow' hung limply on her tongue. She didn't want to bring him in yet, but couldn't believe him to be bad. She just prayed that wasn't ignorance on her part.


"No," Faux was quick to silence him, her voice firm and overpowering. "His neck was severed. Everything was broken in there. They don't come back without that." A weak breathe wriggles its way out from between his teeth. Well.. its a relief in its own right I guess. If the hound had come back he could of gotten answers about his murder, the truth about the perpetrator. I could say sorry.. and goodbye. But Etincelle was no fool. He knew the heavy consequences of Rosko returning to them, and just prayed the dual type was finding some sort of peace in his release. As the fox continued however, Etincelle knew it was too early to accept any relief. They still had a duty to do for him, and time was not on their side.

Cinder, still distraught and poorly receptive, acquiesced to Faux's instructions and offered help Rebel. Luckily, the Jolteon had come forward and accepted his part dutifully. "I'll slip 'im onto my shoulders. Trouble is, I won't be able to lift him past my ears with just my neck. I just need a push, or lift or anything really."  The Joltie started to squeeze his way under Rosko, and Etin had to look away as his head lulled and limp form showed its dead weight. Etincelle took a step forward, wanting to help, willing himself to speak up, but then retracted it. What could he do in a situation like this? He was short, weak. There was no way he could get himself to push the body hard enough, not when he knew him personally. Nor did he have fire in which to cleanse their path, or water to wash it away. Again, he was failing his friend with his lack of ability. Self-loathing boiled deep in the Electrike's body, like a cold flame seeping deep into his bones. He was.... useless.

Stop it. This is no time to feel sorry for yourself. I owe him this.

Taking in a deep breath Etincelle nodded and pushed his way forward. With his breath held he wedged his wide head beneath the Houndoom's other shoulder and shoved with all his might. Blood and gore dribbled from his mortal wound as it was disturbed and made its way unto his shiny blue fur, but Etin ignored it as much as possible. He may be small, his size limiting, but legends he was not about to sit back and be mope. The Houndoom's body shifted, moving slowly onto the Jolteon's shoulders. If they were careful it would be a smooth transition. The electric type's eyes squeeze close and burning tears rebel at being closed inside. We'll take care of you.

Rebel started wedging his way under their fallen friend, his motions steadfast despite how horribly unpleasant it must of been even for an undead. "I just need a push, or lift or anything really." He informed them, pushing further. "Also... I know I’m asking hella too much, but could you come with me? I'm bad with halls and besides... if I suck this bad at talking to living... I bet I'm even worse at talking to the dead..." Cinder nodded, paws coming close to her chest. She said she'd help, that she'd do what she could, but as she realized exactly what she'd be doing intense nausea pulsed through her long body. To carry, to touch their friend's cor.. I'm going to be sick.

Thankfully, Etincelle steps up before she can and moves into position. With the deepest gratitude Cinder smiles at him and lets the air go from her lungs, but moments after shame refills her bronchi. She was supposed to be strong, their the dauntless leader, and she couldn't even help move their fallen friend. Hell, she wasn't even the one carrying him, just adjusting! How can I help these Pokemon if I can't even do the final task? Shaking her head the Quilava swallows back her whirling emotions. Even if it wasn;t much, she had to do what she could. "I'll walk with you." She says gently, trying to keep her voice even as she steps more to the front. "My flames will be pretty easy to see, but I'll tell you if your about to walk into anything."

When Cinder's sure the Jolteon is balanced and can walk she starts padding forward slowly. Faux arced her way around the carpet, her pale eyes narrowed at the forming stains on the carpet. Godsdamn. Could she of saved him? Had she been faster, could she have knocked the bitch aside and allowed Rosko to run off? We could have out numbered her. As the hounds body moves away to reveal the floor Faux lets loose a short stream of fire. But Mel would have been at risk, and Miyu too. Would we have lost more? Cranking her neck slowly she let the stream pass over the blood until it darkened and flecked. Any flesh or bits charred until the heat, the scent of blood lost beneath burning flesh and smoke. What a mess.. Faux had high hopes for the day, but if omens spoke the truth they would need to up their caution severely.


Cinder moved painfully slow to make sure the weighted Jolteon could keep up. They would need to take their time anyway, Mel and Miyu would have to find and make a decent resting place after all, but the feeling of death creeping down her spine would not settle. Something about two bodies following after her, and the scent of rot and death hanging heavy on them, was not doing her mind any good. "There's a fallen plant on the right," she pointed out flatly while stepping a bit more to the right of the hall. "And there is a left turn coming up in thirty feet or so." A deep frown was set in the corners of her face. Call myself a leader.. Faux gave all the orders, our undeads taking care of Rosko and I'm just a.. chauffeur. Were things going to crumble? Had she failed more than just him? Weight presses heavily on her chest as she rounds the corner. Why did I come here..

Even with a clearing view of the Pokémon, Miyu had yet to recall the species, if she had ever known them at all. But for now, they had confirmed they were alone with a nod, and their intentions were the important thing; even a kid could pose a threat, it could so easy for someone they cared about to talk an innocent soul into absolutely anything. And it was a despicable thought.  But you haven't done anything yet, so don't start now...
"It would be better if you went outside." Mel's suggestion seemed misinterpreted by the youngster, the gesture of sadness being universal on nearly all beings. "We're going out.. if you want to come with us." She really was admirable. Miyu had function of her eyes and was a stuttering mess, and here Melanie was offering a kindness to someone she didn't even have the luxury of seeing. In her place, I probably would've attacked them just for speaking...

The yet-identified Pokémon paced towards Miyu, distressing her pretty much because she was Miyu and that was what she did. She kept a neutral expression and straight posture, seeming confident even though she was shorter, which did wonders for her esteem, by the way.
His face was drawn over with sadness, a look she'd had many times. "I'm alone. I'm scared too." Miyu sighed heavily. No one should have to feel like that. It was a heavy weight crushing your body and soul with no escape.
"Being scared keeps you alive, okay?" She said gently, moving the tip of her tail subtly. "But know when you need to be scared... right now you're okay."

He turned his attention over to Mel, which was instant unease. Miyu hoped with hyper awareness came fast reflexes. She felt for him, she did, but she tended to feel sad for plants once they began dying, too. Her empathy tended to cloud her judgement in situations.
"I..I'll c-come miss Ninetails. C-can I eat the iron bars when w-we return?" Can he what? Miyu stared in bewilderment, wondering if he was joking. She really couldn't tell with how today was going so far.

"I-I'm ready." Now relocated near Miyu, she noticed he was still down in the dumps about something. Had she said something wro... aw, man... what youngster was running around the apocalypse alone unless something horrific happened? I'll apologize if everything works out...

She picked up her tail, making a quick twice-over of the surroundings and checked for noises. It seemed clear as day, hopefully it'd stay that way... "Let's go then, I guess."

---

The Houndoom wore his bulk well, that was for sure.
Reb was quickly losing the strength to keep lifting the guy, but hopefully nobody was paying attention to the rapid shaking his body made from strain. Dammit, I'm not gonna drop him...
By the grace of the gods, Rosko seemed to lighten and slide down Reb's scruff into place upon his shoulders. "Thank you, bro," Reb offered between breaths, hopefully sufficient for the help Etin provided. The Jolteon didn't have much more he could offer, but he was hella sure he would've broken his own neck doing that alone.
His body teetered as it adjusted to bearing the weight, but never so much that he'd tip. It'd be a cold day in hell before he was careless enough to put the guy through any more, even in death.

Cinder rebalanced the two, giving steadiness to Reb's swaying paws until he could begin the last walk they'd take down the halls with Rosko. "I'll walk with you." Rebel nodded, thankful but guilt was chewing whatever was left of him to pieces. The poor thing looked like she was gonna hurl, and here his dumb ass went and asked her to go with him, right beside what was kinda really obviously bothering her. God, I'm sorry for that too...

"My flames will be pretty easy to see, but I'll tell you if your about to walk into anything." Despite being said with the best of intentions, he had to hold down a sardonic laugh. The guy wasn't able to even see where he stepped... how long 'til this happened again because of him? How many bodies would he carry until it was him they buried?
He trailed behind the bright orange light in his eye, low-key building disgust that this was even happening. Who the hell went to sleep and thought they'd be laying someone to rest right after waking up? Was every day just a bad day or what?
If something happens to Mi.. Miyu...

"There's a fallen plant on the right," Hell, he was so wrapped up in his own self pity, he nearly missed what Cinder said entirely, much less the monotonous sound her voice carried. "And there is a left turn coming up in thirty feet or so."
"'Kay."
The corner moved towards them at a silent crawl, seemingly like the walls were just looping and playing over and over. He finally leaned his body easily to the left and followed with his paws.

"Hey, Cinder, you feelin' okay...?" He called as softly as his dead vocal chords would permit, "'Cuz I, uh, don't know if I am..."

((OoC - If Reb being a nosy, sad Jolt isn't cool, I'll edit thissss. And also if I'm not progressing enough, just kinda smack me like Deez write the frikken post ffs! lol I dunno how far I'm supposed to take each post without stealing from the other members why am I suddenly having this issue I'm sorry ;w;.))

"I'm alone. I'm scared too." The poor thing tugged hard at Melanie's heartstrings. It could easily still be a trap, but the kid didn't seem to be luring them anywhere. If anything he didn't seem to know what to do, like he didn't have a plan. "Being scared keeps you alive, okay?" Miyu encouraged him gently. "But know when you need to be scared... right now you're okay." With a follow up nod Mel spoke sweetly, "We won't hurt you, so there is no need to be afraid. But we do need to go outside and it'd be safer if you went with us." Undead were one thing, the murderer another, but Mel didn't know how well the kid would react to the slow movement of Rosko's fresh body, grieving teammates, and an undead. All possibilities she thought of, however, we not desirable and hopefully wouldn't have to happen.

"I..I'll c-come miss Ninetails. C-can I eat the iron bars when w-we return?" For a few moments the Ninetales stands stiffly, dumbstruck. What? Well, that explained the iron scent. A steel type. A young, small one. Her cheeks force themselves back into an awkward smile. "Sure you can." Was that what made him wander in, the scent of iron? Where these iron bars were, she had no idea, but it couldn't hurt to let a young metal critter feed later on. Satisfied, or maybe a bit more comfortable, the child yielded. "I-I'm ready." "Let's go then, I guess." "Alright," she confirms to them both before starting to pad forward.

The Aron's arrival had helped bring Mel's mind off the heavy sadness, and as her paws hit the tiled floor of the foyer she tried to keep it back by focusing on the task at hand- they needed to find the best damn burial site possible. Her thick claws clacked against the floor as she headed straight for the door, its breath of fresh air guiding her steps. "Miyu," she starts, sticking her head outside and taking in a deep lungful of air. "Did you pass any flowery places while you were getting berries? Or anywhere with lots of plants and sunlight?" She had passed over some hills with Etin, but all the Ninetales could remember was green grass mixed with splotches of grey and brown. Were their flowers? Was human paving covering too much of the ground? "We probably should head too far, for Rebel's sake."


Etincelle stood back in awe as the Jolteon managed to hold up the hound. He struggled and shook, but never faltered as he managed to take rigid steps forward even with the massive weight on top of him. Rebel probably didn't feel it, but right now, at least to Etin, he was a hero. That should be me. He thought bitterly, his mind changing the Jolteon's form to a Manetric's. We could share the load, helping together. Be a team.. But no, he was just an Electrike. A short, squat, weak Electrike.

His head tilted toward the floor, a spiteful feeling filling his belly as he looked away from the moving pair of corpses. Get over yourself, Etin. He was berating himself inability to move the dead. They had bigger issues and other things to deal with. Turning on his paws, and standing as tall as he could, he padded up to Faux but did not make eye contact with her. Would she have him do something? Hell, he couldn't think of even a menial task for himself, could she? She has her work cut out for her dealing with heat resistant organic material.

Failure. The word pounded through her head but otherwise the Quilava just felt numb. Today was meant to start to well! Things were looking up, and now they had a precedent of fear. Would every morning be this way? Would they always have to look out behind them even after purging the area clean? We've only done the Battle Castle so far.. There was still so much ground to cover, and already they had lost so many. she was losing count.. A castle, I called this place my frontier, my castle.. This is our kingdom, but I am no queen. She knew so much about this place but couldn't even keep one facility safe?

As her paws skirt around the corner Cinder can't help but think they were coming out of the dungeons of a real castle. Their guard had been slain in the catacombs, and was being transported outside for burial... Except we can't just replace our guard. No one can.. Shaking her head free of stupid castle analogies the Quilava gives a strained sigh. Once they laid him to rest, maybe, just maybe, things could be okay? That's sick. He wasn't a a problem, he's not to just be forgotten like yesterday's news! He was my friend damnit. Gods, she just couldn't stop!

"Hey, Cinder, you feelin' okay...?" Rebel's deadpan voice sends a shock through her system, unexpected and near frightening. "What- why do you ask that?" She mutters toward the floor as her mouth hangs agape. She should lie, she should fake it. She needed to put on the brave bravado of someone who was fearless and stoic! But even as that passed through her head she knew she could not. Tears had been bulging in the back of her eyes for so long it was only a matter of time before she broke down. Her weakness, spinelessness, failure, and lack of moral would show to-- "'Cuz I, uh, don't know if I am..."

A stiff gasp seizes her lungs, her jaw coming back together as her eyes go wide. He.. he wasn't okay? Panic started to pulse through her. "I-I I can try to carry him if that's what you mean!" She says hastily, disgusted by the thought but desperate to remedy things immediately. A cold weight drops deep in her stomach. Would she even be able to do that? Would she have to drag him instead? Oh god I think I'm going to throw up. No, no no-- was she even hiding the panic from her face? Without permission her eyes seek answers from Rebel's. Everything in her head just stops, the numb sadness replacing her panicked thoughts as she gazes into the dead Jolteon's dark red gaze. That.. wasn't what he meant, was it.

Grabbing her elbow the Quilava rubbed her arm awkwardly as she stared at the floor. "I... no, I'm not." What she even supposed to say? "This wasn't supposed to happen.. I was supposed to keep everyone safe.." Who the hell would look up to her? He was seeking her comfort yet she could offer him none.


Thud. Thud. Shhh. Thud. Thud. Shh. The Jolteon's steps were slow and rhythmic, the sound merging into a near droning hum as the Vulpix set to work. With Rosko's body out of the way the darkening stains on the floor stood out painfully against the rest of the carpet. A fresh burst of iron and CSF hits her but she does not shy away from it. With her inner fire bolstering Faux let out a short controlled stream of fire toward the bloody mess. For a few moments nothing happens, the flames brush the blood and fade into the air, but as it heats up and boils the red material slowly begins to fade. Black smoke puffs up from the floor, and the thick, rancid scent of burning flesh rises with it.

Luckily for her humans were not stupid to the power of Pokemon and the flooring and carpet were flame resistant. As her stream shifted one way and then the other the only things that gave and charred were flesh and blood. Without their host their strength was fading, the oxygen around them breaking through their natural prowess. Overtime they turned into a black sheet of ash and soot that crumbled as her paws brushed them. It was sad, really. She was trying to clear any temptation for undead but she was also erasing the hound's last act. Without the scars of his battle there was no sign of his fight, of his fall. The hall would remember, as would they, but no new visitors to this place would even think twice that someone has been murdered there.

Faux's head stiffens as her flamethrower hits a large chunk of flesh. The naturally flame-resistant material sizzles and hisses under her burst of fire, the cells darkening as they are seared, but she must crank up her heat to do any damage to it. The black cloud thickens, the material eventually catching fire as it can withstand the heat no longer, and the blob starts to shrink into a tiny brickette. Moving closer to it so the hottest part of her flame is over the lump the Vulpix feels eyes on her person and averts her eyes to see Etincelle staring needily. What could he possibly want?

"What?" She gripes as she cuts off the stream and kicks the charcoal aside. There were more important things to do then sit around. Was he grieving, mourning? Even that would have to wait until the arrangements were complete. "Go make yourself useful and help the girls dig the grave site out." She instructs him as smoke streams up from the back of her throat. That would take time they did not have, like everything else, and an extra set of paws would surely help. "And you can't be too weary."

It was nearly claustrophobic in the Castle lately. Well, namely since she'd woken up - beforehand, it was safe. Warm, comfortable. But now the walls feel like they're crushing me. Offering gratitude to her lucky stars for it, the suffocating sensation faded away with the bright sun and relatively clean breeze outside.
"Miyu," Mel began, taking in a breath of sweet, fresh air herself. "Did you pass any flowery places while you were getting berries? Or anywhere with lots of plants and sunlight?"
What? Hanging out by some flowers would be nic... oh. It was customary for the deceased to have flowers.  "We probably should head too far, for Rebel's sake."
"I didn't actually see them," Mi's tail swept behind her while she internally traced where she had gone exactly, "but the air smelled sweet like I'd passed by a garden." She sniffed at the flecks of blood on the ground, recognizing them as Rebel's dried and darkened blood. At least he left a trail to follow when they were out yesterday.

"It looks pretty outside. The sun feels nice ms. ninetails. Miyu do you think there's any pretty flowers around?" She smiled softly at the youth. It seemed like a miracle that a child's innocence could be preserved in this bitter, cold world. "I sure hope there is."
He giggled with joy that contrasted the melancholy he'd spoke with moments prior. Ha. I'm happy for you, kid...

"Miyu do you want to be friends?" She gave a fake, but hopefully believable gasp in response. "Whaaat? I thought we were already friends!" They might've been scouting a gravesite, but taking her mind off it for just a single moment might've restored a smidge of her soul. "Yeah, though. Sounds lit."

The air was crisper towards the woods surrounding the Frontier. While the epidemic didn't take a holiday, it still couldn't damage the beauty of tall trees and the sun dappling onto the grassy floor. The world is stronger than those of us in it...
A tiny bunch of specks of color stood out from the greens, pink, yellow... red, white, orange... and a small distance away, purples stood high above Miyu's head. "Mel! Mel, there's some!" Miyu grinned like she'd just cured the epidemic itself, nuzzling the first flower she approached. It had no scent, but it was a beautiful floral with many, many petals in rows that formed a half-circle. The tall purple flowers must've been the ones that gave the scent...?
"It's pretty here..." It wasn't the likes of Heaven, but the grass was clean and dotted with flowers, and light shone down in subtle movements through the trees. "Do you think it's okay, Mel?"

---

Immediately regretting his choice of words, Reb stammered for a way to correct himself, but.. it just didn't happen. "I-I I can try to carry him if that's what you mean!" Even with Cinder's blatant distress, he couldn't find the words to provide any solace to her. Wasn't he supposed to say something inspirational, like on TV? Someone would be sad, and then the designated companion would soothe their mind with an ingenious speech?
... He couldn't recall ever caring to watch a fiction where both parties were upset. He'd be winging this one with no sense in things like this, he wasn't supposed to have that sense. If you didn't get close to others, you wouldn't be sad to lose them, damn it... that's how it was supposed to work, that's how it did work for his entire life. Then Miyu... and then this...
He would've adverted his face from her sight, hiding the ugliness that was death itself etched into his very skin... but for the moment he just needed someone to talk with. Maybe the fucking concern he had now would've saved the Houndoom he was a pallbearer for.

Cinder fixed her sight on the floor, fidgeting much like Miyu tended to when she was upset.
"I... no, I'm not." Rebel lowered his muzzle, moving his ungainly paws further apart to maintain balance. "This wasn't supposed to happen.. I was supposed to keep everyone safe.."
"Cin', don't beat yourself up, like for my sake, don't. You're doing the best you can here, and..." His chest tightened, the passage of air constricting uncomfortably. "Everybody heard me and Rosko get into a... a disagreement. I ran 'im off. He died because he didn't want to be around me." He gave that one smile, the one everyone used to pretend they were fine, but you could always see they were faking it from the quiver of their lip. "You know what's even better..? I didn't do a goddamn thing to save him. I didn't know some psycho bitch was on the loose... but like that matters." His voice trailed, falling to a croaky whisper. Maybe he shouldn't have even brought it up... it's not like he had any true honor in his name. Just another bastard that got others killed... but what else was he ever good for? "You can hate me or whatever, Miyu sure as fuck does and I don't blame her for it. Jus' don't hate on yourself..."

((OoC - Err... I'm not sure how I planned to do this tbh, but it looks alright for now I guess lol, Reb turned out to be tricky in these situations. He still thinks Rosko was still gone from their spat when he was killed. I hope I didn't go too far with finding the burial spot, I decided to mess with symbolism with the flowers. The flowers are mixed zinnias, which the meaning behind them is apparently "Thinking of an absent friend." The purple flowers are lavender, which gave off the scent since zinnias have no smell.))

"I didn't actually see them, but the air smelled sweet like I'd passed by a garden." Giving an affirmative nod Mel knew that was a good sign at least. She had been searching for berries after all, not flowers, but a strong scent alone could lead them to a beautiful spot. Nudging her many tails through the doorway the Ninetales must stop for a moment as the warm sunlight and cool ocean air meet her fur at the same moment. Her blindfold can not filter all the light, and the sheet of color suddenly charges to a much brighter green. Shying her eyes away from the sky she keeps moving forward until her paws meet soft earth and grass. Somewhere out here they would have to taint the beauty..

"It looks pretty outside. The sun feels nice Ms. Ninetales. Miyu do you think there's any pretty flowers around?" The child let out a barrage of thoughts, his confidence coming through now that he was in a safe presence. "I sure hope there is." Miyu mused back, her own spirit seeming to return from his joy. That, or she was putting on a good show for his sake. A soft grin spread across Mel's face as her ears titled toward the Eevee's voice, a light tingle spreading through her chest. "There's bound to be something in a place like this. Oh, and my name is Melanie, by the way," She mutters out the last sentence, unable to recall if she had said that or not as she padded after the Eevee.

The warmth of the sun waned as they hit the treeline, the trees leaving mottled specks of light before them. The thick scent of pine sap and wood wafted up from the forest floor, nearly disorientating to the blind Ninetales, but she kept to the Eevee's sound and scent as best she could. Under that, she could smell flowers and leaves, but their numbers and locations were too muddled to ascertain. Each of their steps crunched loudly, taking the fox's attention when Miyu cried out, "Mel! Mel, there's some!" Lifting her head high Mel had not realized how close they were to the plants.

"How does it look?" She asks as she pads closer to the kit, each step much more careful as not to crush any delicate blooms. "It's pretty here..." The smaller fox says with awe, taken aback by the scene. It must of been truly beautiful, and as she sniffed around the sheer amount of flowers of overwhelming. "Wow.." The image formed in her head, flowers popping out all over the grassy space, secluded by trees and protected from harm. "Do you think it's okay, Mel?" Was the lighting good? The ground felt warm beneath her pads; the sun must of been able to hit this spot and allow for the bloom to grow. It would be so peaceful. "...Yeah, I think this will do lovely."

With ginger movements of her paws the Ninetales let her claws find a clump of grass that wasn't housing a bloom. Digging her pads into the ground she is revealed to feel its not too damp or too dry. "Let's try to dig deep but not wide. The fewer flowers we harm, the better." Dragging her paw back she can hear the grass tearing, and wonders just how effective she will be. "My paws are bigger than yours, and I know how to Dig really well. Guide me where to start and I'll try not to toss the dig everywhere."


"What?" His head pushes back but his feet hold firm as the Vulpix snaps at him. Yup, didn't want to be disturbed, he should have known. "Go make yourself useful and help the girls dig the grave site out." Couldn't help her. Again, he should have known. "Right," he murmurs awkwardly, gingerly turning his paws so he can speed down the hall. The crackle of fire returns as soon as his head is turned around and the small canine starts to make the quick trot down the hall.

Taking short, deep breaths Etin tries to clear his thoughts as he walks. He could sulk in self loathing all he wanted, or he could do something about it. Nothing was stopping him from digging, but he had more value than that. I guess I'll just have to get stronger. All his life he ran, he wimped out. No more running. No more retreating! Deep in his chest his heart deep with a new vigor. He would be strong! Even if he had to fake it to make it he would put all the weight he could handle upon his shoulders.

Passing by the others he raises his head and eyes respectfully but can not seem to make eye contact with either Pokemon. The Houndoom's body seems to scream at him, a bold presence over the two conversing Pokemon. Hurrying his steps Etin makes his way past with a hastened nod and quick explanation. "Oh, hey! Uh.. just going to help with the.. you know, digging." Walking past them he feels home free, his vision free of the others, and a heavy feeling lifts from his stomach. No excuses, that was what he was doing! His steps quicken even further, Quick Attack kicking in, and he makes it to the foyer at a records pace. He could do this. Padding outside he sniffs, grateful for his good sense of smell, and works to find which way the others had gone.

OoC)) Skip for now. Arry's just smiling and being friendly to Miyu

"Cin', don't beat yourself up, like for my sake, don't. You're doing the best you can here, and..." There was a small pause, but for the Quilava it seemed to stretch onward. She was doing alright..? Of all Pokemon she would think Rebel to be critical of her lack of spine, but he was commending her for the effort. "Everybody heard me and Rosko get into a... a disagreement. I ran 'im off. He died because he didn't want to be around me." Not only that, but the Jolteon wasn't blaming her; he was blaming himself. "Rebel, no, you didn't.." She started, biting into her lip, but the shaky words petered out at the vulpine's hallow grin and continuation. "You know what's even better..? I didn't do a goddamn thing to save him. I didn't know some psycho bitch was on the loose... but like that matters. You can hate me or whatever, Miyu sure as fuck does and I don't blame her for it. Jus' don't hate on yourself..."

Cinder stood stiffly, breath trembling, body numb. Her she was, thinking only of herself, while Rebel was also being torn apart inside. While he thought of others. "Rebel.." She says again, extending a paw slightly before pulling it back. "It wasn't, I mean.. it's not your fault." Rosko had seemed out of it before, like his thoughts were elsewhere. "Rosko he.. he came up to the rest of us this morning. He chose to investigate the crash, and only Faux went after him." What if they had gone as a group? What if they had headed back toward the entrance instead? "No one knew any better..." Who would of thought Faux could be overpowered by one Pokemon? Sure, she had been type walled pretty hard, and the hit to her pride was clear, but she was still powerful.

A deep sigh rattled her rib cage, and the Quilava shook her head as she spoke and ignored the tears that attempted to bulge from her eyes. "I don't think anyone blames anyone else. It was just.. a freak accident." Rewind, not right. "The incident, not the explicit murder." Peeling her eyes off the floor Cinder forced herself to look at the Jolteon, at what his eyes said. "There is no reason for anyone to hate you, though. Especially Miyu! Even if you fought, you didn't do anything wrong and.." Her gaze shifted ever so slightly, just enough to see the deceased hound's lulling head. as her primary focus. "You're making up for it now, if you still think you have."

The quick pitter-patter of paw steps brought her gaze up from the floor and down the hall. Thoughts of the murderer charging them pulsed through her mind, but all Cinder saw was the small blue shape of Etincelle pacing toward them. "Oh, hey! Uh.. just going to help with the.. you know, digging." He spoke quickly, the words awkward and almost forced as he skittered on by. It was almost.. suspicious. No, wait. If she had learned anything just now it wasn't to act like she knew what others were thinking, what they were going through. Etin had been really close to Rosko, maybe the body had made him just as uncomfortable as her? Or, the feigned spirit was to mask his despair? Yet another sigh wheezes from her lungs as Cinder's sorrowful gaze follows the fading shape of the Electrike. Whatever the reason she had to trust him and believe he was torn up inside as well.

"Everyone's hurting," she whispered, scuffing her foot along the floor. "Miyu will forgive you. Just got to give it time." 'Jus' don't hate on yourself.' Everyone was hurting... including herself. When she turned her head to look at Rebel again its Rosko's form that she lands on, and a cringe shocks its way through her spine. "Maybe once we mourn the air will clean a bit?"  Everyone could let go of their pain. Sure, it wouldn't change things, the hurt would still be there, but the healing could begin. They just had to give the pirate that last hoorah. "We should probably hurry. With all of them working it probably wont take long." As soon as the end of the sentence left her lips Cinder backpedaled. "N-no rush though! Any pace is good, and you're doing great!" Her paws start to churn, pacing forward as an awkward heat pulsed beneath her skin. At least it wasn't the weight of self hate though. "And, t-thank you.. for everything."


Smoke puffed upward in puffy grey-and-black clouds. The ashy remains of blood flaked on the darkened carpet's surface, and as Faux ran her claws across it it cracked and granulated away. The black mess seeped deep into the cloth fibers and stained the light fur of her wrists, but she ignored it. Batting away any charcoal remains with a flick of her wrist the fox huffed. How could one strike, one killing blow cause such a, a mess?

The main collection of blood had been mostly dealt with, all traces turned to ash and no longer an attractant to any meandering undead. A thin trail that came from the movement of the body was all that remained, and that would be even easier to deal with. Taking the moment to catch her breath, as well as let her throat rest the fox examined the slash on her side. It didn't look deep, and the blood had staunched itself long ago, but it would be prudent to wash it when given the chance. With a deep inhale the fox paced forward. Small streams of fire blasted every drip and puddle of blood that had fallen, burning them and the surrounding floor black. She wouldn't bother smearing them away, it wouldn't be worth the effort, but she was scrutinous about getting each and every one. Beneath the reek of blood and smoke was that of death and flesh. Was she catching up to the others? Had they stopped? Looking forward she could see nothing but empty hall and a thinking trail. Guess she had just overworked herself or something.

"...Yeah, I think this will do lovely."

While Mel tested the earth with a careful paw, Miyu rooted her stubby nose through the greenery for something neat, sorta different but still cool. Rosko was like that too, so she’d leave it as a makeshift headstone!
"Let's try to dig deep but not wide. The fewer flowers we harm, the better." The Eevee traipsed back to Mel’s side, brushing blades of grass off her cocoa cheeks from the unsuccessful mission with disdain. "My paws are bigger than yours, and I know how to Dig really well. Guide me where to start and I'll try not to toss the dig everywhere."

“Thank goodness you're good at digging,” Miyu began lightheartedly, though sounding a bit forced and taking strides to the center-most spot, “because I tried to plant a berry a long-long time ago and I failed! The world was politer back then, too.” It looked good here-- wait wait no. She checked once more. Deeper than wider, but they’d still need to fit his form in comfortably. Moving towards the back of the clearing a tiny bit, estimating his size… “‘Kay, this is about right I think… jus’ dig down and back up a little for the length of his body…” --! That phrasing would’ve sounded completely okay out of context, but here it felt wrong. “I, I mean… does that make sense?” She asked with nervous quickness, the kind that was supposed to draw away attention from the last sentence.

I wonder if they’re close by… And how Arry’s gonna react to, uh… that?

---

"Rebel.." His breath hitched awkwardly. Was… he supposed to say something here? ‘Yeah,’ or ‘What?’ Even a hum of acknowledgement? What the hell was he supposed to do!?
"It wasn't, I mean.. it's not your fault." His ears stood in bewilderment. You got someone taking the rap for something, the indirect cause of a death mind you, the simplest choice would be blame them, lynch them and get some sleep that night. You’re different than the idiots I knew in Saffron.

"Rosko he.. he came up to the rest of us this morning. He chose to investigate the crash, and only Faux went after him." Do what? He came back… like as in, wasn’t out there waiting for Rebel to apologize… though that would’ve been a damn good option in hindsight. “So that's what happened, huh…”

"No one knew any better..." Her sigh filled the otherwise silent hall. The air felt so heavy, burdening to inhale. "I don't think anyone blames anyone else. It was just.. a freak accident. The incident, not the explicit murder."
‘Murdered.’ Thus far, he’d been using the term ‘killed,’ and while synonymous, the former just had an ugly sense of malice. The she-Hound must've had hella a lot of that...
"There is no reason for anyone to hate you, though. Especially Miyu! Even if you fought, you didn't do anything wrong and.." It didn't take a contemplative thought to know she’d veered her concentration on the slumped hound. "You're making up for it now, if you still think you have."

It was quiet at first, but a soft scurry of paws against the floor was increasing in volume as they neared closer behind Reb. The fur not cushioning Rosko quickly raised into needles and the Jolteon turned to glare at what he expected was the worst.
"Oh, hey! Uh.. just going to help with the.. you know, digging." Without a pause to give that explanation, the electric blue pooch seemed to hasten his strides into a rush and off he went. Reb opened his mouth to say something, but it fizzled away in the following second. Awkward…

"Everyone's hurting," He wouldn't have heard the whisper without the silence returning as Etin’s shape and paw steps dissolved from sight and hearing.. "Miyu will forgive you. Just got to give it time."
He smiled, just barely noticeable as he straightened his body to proceed the trek. “She’s about as stubborn as me, it might be a while. I did raise her after all.”

"Maybe once we mourn the air will clean a bit?"

“Wouldn't that be nice… figuratively and literally.”

"We should probably hurry. With all of them working it probably wont take long."
His responsive nod caused his neck to crack. Ow.
"N-no rush though! Any pace is good, and you're doing great!"
The Joltie gave an amused puff of breath, but she was right. The quicker he was laid to rest, the quicker wounds would turn to scars and life would carry on. Thinking of a companion like that left a foul feeling, but hell, what can you do about it?
“Nah, it’s fine. I’d hate for the guy to be late to his own burial, ya know?”

A cool thing about following a Quilava: you can be lazy and close your eye every few seconds without worrying that you’ll lose her. He planned to take advantage of that, ‘cuz damn. It was too early, yeah, but he hadn't realized ‘til now how little sleep he’d gotten.
"And, t-thank you.. for everything."
He closed his eye then, moving forward and indulging in some peace of mind from the heart-to-heart. “Anytime.”

It took some restraint not to swear outwardly at the sun for it’s ridiculously bright light the moment they stepped outside, but a fight with a mass of hydrogen could come later…

Melanie took in slow, deep breaths, and felt her chest rattle with each one. Was she really about to dig a grave? This wouldn't even be the worst part; having to put all the dirt back and feeling it mound up would be far worse. Digging her claws into the dirt to stop them from shaking she feigned her best weak smile as she waited for direction. “Thank goodness you're good at digging, because I tried to plant a berry a long-long time ago and I failed! The world was politer back then, too.” A soft chuckle weaseled its way up from her chest, a memory resurfacing. "Heh, its harder than it looks! A long time ago I wrecked a garden while playing with my best friend. You'd be surprised how much you can trample pretending to be a herd of Tauros." While it had just been her and Leonardo the pair of them utterly trashed the berry fields. "We had to learn the hard way how to sow and tend to plants. Plus tending to them for weeks after. Nature is amazing but legends, that really taught me to respect it."

Images of the Shinx danced in her minds eye, a welcome respite to thoughts of Rosko's bloody, broken body. He wouldn't of let something like this break his spirit. He would of been brave, strong, and resilient! A new surge of courage pulsed through her, and beside her mental image appeared Etincelle. I can be brave, starting with you. Steeling herself, Mel shifted her focus back to the Eevee.
Listening intently to the soft patter of Miyu's paws Melanie moved very carefully so her paws could fall right next to hers and be in the proper position. “‘Kay, this is about right I think… jus’ dig down and back up a little for the length of his body…” Letting her thick pads feel the ground the Ninetales could tell the dig would be easy and that the starting spot was clear blooms. The soil was soft enough, and without any cover crops would give way without much fight. She would just have to be careful about the force in her strokes so the dig didn't fly every which way.

“I, I mean… does that make sense?” Miyu finished roughly, though Melanie could not tell if it was because of the facts of the matter or that she had not replied previously. She nodded, "It does, and it should be simple enough." Sinking her claws into the ground she churns up one pawful of dirt. "Lucky for us. I don't think it'll be too long before... the rest of us get here." Would they know which way to go? Did she need to send Miyu back as a guide? A knot twists deep in her stomach. No. Don't leave her alone.They could deal with that after. With a deep breath in Melanie ushered, "Alright, get back."

Her paws began to work the soil in a quick, focused manner. With the power of her Technical Machine fueling her strokes the dirt fell away with little effort. The ground sank before her, a hole forming in a matter of moments. Mel could not see how deep she was going, but as the ground grew colder and harder she started to backpedal and allow the hole to grow wider as well. While her mind remained on task a small thought whistled in the back of her head; the last time she had used this move she had lost her sight and wounded Etin. Never again. Kicking even faster the Ninetales dug until she could spin in her grave, the hole plenty deep enough. If it was deep enough to hide her while she was standing it should be deep enough to protect Rosko from scavengers.  
Clambering out of the hole the fox gives her creamy pelt a hard shake and sends clumps of dirt flying in all directions. "Okay," she panted, trying to orientate her direction once more. "That should be good." Padding out from the flowers Mel trodded until she felt the shad of the trees once more. "Now, we wait for the others, I guess?"


Etincelle marched forward with a prance to his step. He had easily picked up the girls' scents, plus another he did not recognize, and started to track it with ease. After all that had happened this knew scent was worrying him, but the lack of fear scent eased his mind a bit. It was a potent smell, and the lack of it meant nothing foul had gone down. Though his nose was planted firmly against the ground the small hound kept peeking upward to check his surroundings. It was quiet, almost eerily so, but predators and undead lurked in every corner. Drinking in the aroma of the ground Etincelle let its scents bathe his tongue. Those of his friends were strong and bold, clearly fresh and recent. What little else there was stale and faded, as though nothing had passed this way in a long while. Good. We don't need anymore shit.

Treading forward Etincelle tried to make quick work of the Battle Frontier ground. Sure, he was following a trail and feeling damn proud at his ability to do so, but he wanted to catch the others with his eyes. Any area he saw with a far number of plants he would look into, hoping to find the others sooner rather than later, but it was soon apparent they had gone farther afield. As the treeline of the border forest loomed before him, and the scent trail faded off into it, Etincelle knew he still had a ways to go. Though he had hoped for something close it seemed the spot they were heading to would not be commonly passed.

The blood splatters had thinned out significantly. Faux's small rusty paws pattered a fair ways to each stop, her throat grateful for the breaks between fiery breaths. At this point she knew the few dribbles that remained would not attract undead. They were too small and too spread to form a proper trail, and clearing them at this point was only for completion rather than protection. Guess were lucky.. kinda of. She thought, sniffing at a splotch to see how strong or faint the scent was. That bitch could have tortured him first. She could of tattered his pelt and made things so much worse. Had the thought of back up cut her plans short? Whatever the reason the fox found relief in her briskness.

As she crossed the foyer with still no sign of the others Faux was pleased by their progress. Carrying carrion around, especially some of his size, was putting them all at risk. Even if the foyer had been clear of drips Faux was still careful in her search and scenting for them. Outside would be worse, she imagined, with everything that could get in the way, but as she took her first steps outside she was met with something she was not expecting. "Well uh," She heard Cinder mumbling, her voice unsure with spaces between the words. "I'm not really sure which way they could have gone." The other fire type was not far off, standing awkwardly along the walkway as she looked around for their vulpine friends. Clearing her throat the fox made herself known as she approached her companions. "I would imagine toward an area with an abundance of plants."

As she gets closer Faux gives the corpse a quick glance. The death wound was congealing and no longer spewing blood, rigor mortis already in full swing. At least she wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. "Faux!" Cinder exclaimed with more joy than she was expecting, her forepaws falling back onto the ground. Faux just nodded before sniffing at the human made pathway. Under the dusty smell is that of the rest of their group. Everyone else had already passed by, a good sign to say the least, but its her eyes that truly lead her this time. A little further off paw prints can be seen in the mud and grass along the way, the multiple sets leaving clear marks. "This way." She directed, padding onward with her tails held high. "We are the last." Cinder bound after her, her steps uneven as she forced herself to slow down for Rebel. "I didn't even see those!" She laugh halfheartedly, trying to keep the small smile on her face.

"It does, and it should be simple enough." The earth came up in Mel’s pawful easily. Maybe it would be simple, maybe the simplest part of the day so far, but Mi wasn’t staking any hopes on that. It seemed to continuously come back to bite her in the form of a jinx. "Lucky for us. I don't think it'll be too long before... the rest of us get here." And then showed up Miyu’s old friend, also known as the inability to think of a reply. The whole thing surely sounded weird to Arry, hopefully he didn’t think they were a band of crazies or something… "Alright, get back." Oops… Miyu hopped to the side and settled near Arry with a sheepish, lopsided grin. “Ah, sorry, carry on~”

Mel’s paws moved in a determined rhythm, breezing through the task like nobody’s business. At this rate, they could’ve sat in the sun until practically ten seconds before everyone else got there!
Miyu peered over the edge in the likeness of a paranoid Pichu, getting just close enough to make sure Mel hadn’t burrowed to all the way to Kalos - or whatever was on the other side of the world! - and then scrambled back to Arry like a criminal as Melanie scaled back up and shook her fur clean.
"Okay," her sides heaved, "That should be good."
Miyu beamed at the returning fire fox, “That was better than good!”

"Now, we wait for the others, I guess?" There wasn't really much else to do, was there? Like, Miyu’d never actually done this, all her other friends just literally vanished. Besides Reb, anyways, but she left him behind before he’d actually died.
“Sounds good to me,” Mi responded, batting her ear with a paw. “Rosko woulda been proud we did this, I think.”
She turned her focus to Arry in good spirits, watching his jubilant song with less weight on her shoulders for just a minute before they would have to deal with the world’s cruelty once again and lay their friend to rest.

The Steel-type plucked a single blossom and brought it to the kit. "I found a pretty flower for you Miyu." She raised her ears, bemused at the offering. Flowers just die once you pick them… just like everything else. Even friends.

“Thank you, Arry,” She gently picked up the flower by the stem and positioned it in the crook beside her right ear. “It’s perfect.”

Maybe that’s why you cherish what you can while you have time.

---

Aw.
Aw heck. This was the one time the stubborn maleness which made up eighty-something percent of Rebel’s personality would’ve been completely okay with asking directions.
"Well uh," Please don’t say-- "I'm not really sure which way they could have gone." And there it was~! He snorted in amusement. Granted, he’d love to sprawl out like an Ursaring rug, what a reason they had for being even later. Got lost. Whoops. "I would imagine toward an area with an abundance of plants." Praise the sun. Reb wasn’t swearing at it anymore. Faux, now the official road trip navigator, passed over a mess of pawprints scattered through the terrain. "This way." Her tails were held high-- was she calling them stupid? "We are the last."

Cinder took off ahead, "I didn't even see those!"
“Yeah, well, I might’ve just found religion through those pawprints,” he joked as he caught back up to her. “But in my defense, I had like, fifty percent less chance to see ‘em. Just sayin’.”

Stride by stride, he was careful not to damage the flowers as their population rose higher towards their destination. Miyu’s ears perked in near alarm at the sound of their arrival and she quickly diverted her attention from him-- or maybe it was Rosko. Either way, he passed her by without even offering a ‘hey,’ or a head bump. Though the latter was pretty much out of the question anyways. “Sorry, y’all, he’s killing me.”
Reb dropped to his chest a bit rougher than intended, inches from the grave with a soft ugh as his breath was forced out. His legs splayed out for a moment, just long enough to regain the physical ability to force his hindquarters back up. His front legs gripped at the soil wall and they both dropped down into the grave.

Reb lay the hound and attempted to cross his bone accented paws comfortably, but clawed back to the surface hastily before completing the task.
Moving several feet away, his emaciated form buckled but stayed upright. “Sorry…” He held up a paw and tapped his own nose, mouthing the word ‘smell.’

He might've carried him, but down there was within easy snapping distance. Everyone could say how terrifying it was to be a living in this world, but when you were a ticking time bomb with your mind and morals fading like daily sunlight, that was scary as hell.

Etincelle trotted along the edge of the trees as he looked for the exact spot the others had headed into at. though he could start his trek anywhere the thick forest scents would make scenting a bit more difficult, and anything that made the task easier the better. Passing by three more trees he lands upon Mel's sweet scent, heavy and thick, once again and knows he has found his mark. Prepping his pads for the old familiar feeling of forest debris Etincelle only takes a few steps in before his paws freeze when voices brush his ear fur. There were others nearby, and as he listened carefully he realized it was his companions, though not the ones he was looking for. Turning around on his heels he pads backward until he can see the others and is surprised to find the others had caught up so quickly.

As he continues to approach them his eyes play tricks on him; Rosko was with him, walking with his head hung low but not else was off. After a few moments and hard blinks the delusion passes, the hidden shape of Rebel and stiffness to the hound now apparent to his eyes. No, his friend was not back, but everyone else was here. With a deep breath in he pushes away any rattled feelings. Standing on his hind paws Etincelle beats the air to help make himself noticeable while he barks out, "Hey!" Without his scouting buddy he probably had the best nose in the pack."They went in this way."  


“That was better than good!” Miyu praised her work, and Mel brought her around to enclose her paws. She couldn't see the hole and didn't know how tidy it was, but if the Eevee was pleased with it must be of adequate quality at least. "Thanks." She accepts it gently while trying to imagine what the kid was seeing. A hole, big enough for one lost friend to be surrounded by blooms. Yeah, that wasn't bad.
And, hopefully, they wouldn't be waiting too long for it to just be the blooms. “Rosko woulda been proud we did this, I think.” Mel's ears stand up tall, her lips parting slightly. they had been doing this for him, trying to make the last place he would be nice, but she hadn't thought of that. Would he be proud? Rosko always showed his satisfaction in others work... "Yeah, I think so too." If he could judge his own resting place, by the legends Mel swore she could hear his approval whispering in her ears.

But the whimsical sound vanishes as soon as it came when another voice squeaks above it. "I found a pretty flower for you Miyu." Arry peeped as he nestled up closer to the Eevee. She thanked him, but when the crunching of pawsteps did not come to her ears Mel knew the Aron must of picked a flower instead of pointing one out. The point is to leave as many as we can for Rosko. She knew the kid meant no harm in it and didn't know any better, but a knot still started to ball up in her stomach.

"Ms. Mel? What kind of flower do you like?" The kid asked, turning to her. "Back at home we had a lot of flowers that were pink or blue. I don't know what they were called, but every now and then some would pop up that were both colors. they were beautiful." That was a long time ago, before the disease took over her hometown. It was probably coated in death now. Would the flowers ever bloom there again? Wind whistled its way through the trees, the cold breeze ruffling her fur as it carried along a faint voice. "Mel!" Her head played on its on weakness. The sound was so faint, and the Ninetales gasped quietly, near believing herself as she said, "Leonardo?" She knew it was impossible, but disappointment still soured her mouth as the facts revealed themselves. The crunching of many paws could be heard through the trees, and Etin's voice boomed above it was excitement as he bound right up to them. "Wow Mel, Miyu! This place is beautiful."

The fire type smiled awkwardly, trying to push thoughts of the Shinx away once more. How could Etin feel any excitement when things were so solemn right now? "Thanks, but it was Miyu that found it." She corrected him gently. Etin's short tail wagged heartily, but froze when his pink eyes fell upon a small silver shape. "Who's this?" He asked curiously, though  hesitation was still thick in his voice. "What's your name son?"

For as long as the steel type had remembered, his parents had helped dig out areas for gardens to be started. "Wow Mel, Miyu! This place is beautiful." The Aron jumped a little at the sound of a few new voices. His train of thought had been broken and left him caught by surprise as an electrike had came into view. Suddenly Arry clammed back up and began being silent. "Who's this?" A curious question no doubt, but being shy had made him a bit difficult on speaking up. If only if he was brave like his parents then he'd talk like a normal pokemon would. Yet, not to many adults paid heed to a child. Not after half of their own children became instruments of death. Still, if Mel was able to talk to him and take him along with her then maybe the other pokemon might take a liking to him. "What's your name son?" Arry's nerves was getting tugged on with shyness.

Before long he spotted a Jolteon with an eye missing and bones coming from his sides. Yet, it spoke as if it wasn't like the ones that hurt his parents. Finally words started to leave Arry's mouth. "M-my name is Arry." After that he looked down at the grass seeing the wind push ever so gently across the field. For as much as he watched it looked nice to see the wind make a pattern when it brushes the grass. Then he looked at the Jolteon again. He didn't look dangerous and somehow showing signs of sadness in a way. Arry got up and walked towards Miyu and sat beside her showing his shyness still. "Miyu? Do you g-get shy?" Honestly he never asked a question like that before. Maybe a child like him might understand what he's feeling. What if the Jolteon doesn't trust the Aron? What if he thinks Arry's not worth the time to teach? The Aron shook his head of negative thoughts, but he started being silent for a time so that way whatever the Jolteon had put in the ground would not be disrespectful to.

Though Cinder was not expecting to bump into Etincelle until they made it to the grave site she was ever grateful for him. With the tiny hound in the lead she could let her focus go, and that last bit of stress slowly faded from her shoulders. Even Faux seemed to appreciate him, her usually tense shoulders sagging as her head drooped a bit closely to the ground. “Yeah, well, I might’ve just found religion through those pawprints,” Rebel joked as he struggled to keep up with them. “But in my defense, I had like, fifty percent less chance to see ‘em. Just sayin’.” Throwing her head over her shoulder Cinder chuckled softly. "Wouldn't you say its more like seventy-five percent?" She tried to joke back, knowing the body was causing issues as well, though it was a weak one at best.

All joking aside both fire types were silent as they traipsed through the woods. To think the others had gone this way.. were they not worried of getting lost? Her worries of that quickly faded though, as Etin marched right to the spot and revealed to them a beautiful, small clearing of flowers. "Wow," the weasel breathed in awe, shocked that such a lovely place was in the middle of the cold woods. "This place is amazing." She couldn't of found a better resting place if she tried.

Faux was less outwardly impressed, and only gave a stoic nod to the vulpine ladies to show her approval. Instead her grayish eyes had locked on an unexpected silvery shape. "Who's this? What's your name son?" Etin asked, seeing the child as well. It had clearly heard him, its large blue eyes watching the approaching Pokemon, but there was a delay in its response as Rebel marched forward to lay their charge to rest. “Sorry, y’all, he’s killing me.” "Understandable." The fox quickly responds, her eyes warily observing the Aron without falter. Padding further into the flowers the Aron managed to mutter, "M-my name is Arry." So it could speak. Just another lost soul.

Making a thin arch around the hole the fox diverted her eyes from the child in favor of Rosko, her interest no longer in their new charge. She looked upon him for several moments, her own failure dropping heavily on her shoulder before she pushed a few pawfuls of dirt into the hole. We make our choices.. and we live with the consequences. Tossing more dirt in she watched as the specks crumbled and piled along the hounds flank before rolling toward the edges of the hole. "Everyone," she said soft but firmly, "take your turn, and say your goodbyes." Scraping one last clump into the hole the fox nodded. "You were a good solider to the very end." Without a last look she turned away from the body and padded toward the edge of the flowers.

Resisting the urge to ring her paws Cinder padded forward with her flames respectfully dimmed. She may have walked with Rosko's body beside her the whole way up but seeing the hound so stiff and small in the hole reignited her sorrow. This is it. Scooping up dirt in both her arms Cinder gently sprinkled it into the hole, her voice feeling flat as she murmured, "Thank you for everything. You'll be deeply missed, and never forgotten."  A sigh wheezed out of her lungs, the speech she wished to say refusing to come, and the weasel moved away to stand beside Faux. She had just settled in when the fox whispered steadily, "He called us the captains of this crew." Cinder's ears perked, surprised by both the words and the sadness sitting behind Faux's eyes. "If that's what he thought then let's not disappoint him."

Seven, eight, nine…

The grass became a particularly interesting subject to direct her attention towards-- the moment Miyu caught a glimpse of soot black fur approaching, she dipped her head and flattened her ears. Somewhere along the line, she began counting the blades of grass intently rather than focus her mind elsewhere. Not yet.
"Miyu? Do you g-get shy?"
She raised back up reluctantly. “Yeah… I don’t do well with others at all.” Batting the grass with a paw, she deliberately lost track of the number. “Except with these Pokémon. They are my family.”

You too, Rosko.

She clawed several blades to severed pieces in frustration. This was wrong. Somebody else should’ve died today, somewhere else in the world, not her family. Why not the birth mom that didn’t fight to keep her? Why did it have to be the Houndoom that fought for all of them?
"Everyone," Faux addressed, and for the first time Miyu noticed the burial had begun already… "take your turn, and say your goodbyes."
Her stomach knotted. Or maybe she was sick. Or maybe the harshness of reality had just delivered a drop-kick. By the time we’re done here… we’ll never see, smell or touch his fur again…

Faux gave him well-deserved words of praise. "You were a good solider to the very end."
She bolted onto her feet to follow Cinder after Faux’s turn but her paws stood motionless. I can do this… I'm not scared of Rosko…

"Thank you for everything. You'll be deeply missed, and never forgotten." With the Quilava moving to Faux’s side, Miyu took a sharp inhale and stepped forward a few small steps. “May I go next…?” If she didn't, she probably wouldn't have the composure later.

Moving towards the grave was accurately described as facing her personal fears. Every step grew shorter the closer she got, until her dull eyes landed on the Dark Pokémon, lay in the bottom of the trench. The corners of her lips twitched softly as she reached for the blurry soil and dropped a pawful onto his side. “U-um, hey Rosko… I just, ah, wanted to say goodbye…” One more pawful of soil. “I-I wish… I wish you could've…” Her voice died and her efforts to fight back tears were in vain.

“We wish you could've stayed longer,” the Jolteon slunk to Miyu’s side and nuzzled the clean side of his face against hers, “and we would do anything to have you back here. I'm sorry this happened to you, and I hope you rest well.” Rebel shoved a bit of dirt over the edge and ushered Miyu to Cinder and Faux. I truly am sorry.

Th-thunk. The sound of Rosko's body falling into the hole she had made brought things home. This was it... soon they would be leaving their friend behind forever. Soon they would have to move on and have nothing but memories. Her stomach knots, realizing that even those could be tampered with. Would they talk about him after this? If they did, would it be positive memories, or just guilt that this had happened at all? Or sadness from their loss? "M-my name is Arry." The child answered meekly, unaware of how lucky he was to be the only ignorant of what brought them all here. Etincelle nodded, trying to pad closer to Mel as he asked a quick follow up question, "Where ya from Arry?"
Melanie's ears turned sharply in the hound's direction, quivering. Though his voice gave away nothing she could feel the suspicion coming from his question. A bubble of disgust swelled in her stomach. Not only had he left off his own introduction, as it would be inappropriate right now, but such prying was totally out of place. Did he think Arry had something to do with the tragedy, or that he was dangerous at all? He's just a child! Sure, she had considered the same thing, but she could not see the kid and was caution was rightfully expected. Plus she had been warned to look out of Houndours.

However, Etincelle's question was overtaken by a much more important matter, and the Ninetales repulsion settled underneath her rising sorrow. "Everyone, take your turn, and say your goodbyes." It was time.. falling quite the Electrike continued to walk up to Mel as the other Pokemon took their turns paying their respects. One by one they went, leaving the duo as the last to go. "Ladies first." Etincelle offered softly, though if the gesture was meant to be polite or comforting Melanie could not tell. How could she beneath the crushing weight of a final farewell?

Taking in a deep breath she started to walk forward, the effort almost too much to bare. Her paws moved slowly, searching for the barest spots and already trodden paths. Relying on her memories and senses the fox was able to stop short of the grave, the feeling of the slopping edges and raw dirt noticeable before her paws stumbled and fell in. She was right beside him.. Except this is the last time.. Though the scent was already fading from Rosko's fur enough lingered to waft up to her muzzle at such a close distance. It was nauseating, too intense of a reminder of loss, and Melanie had to turn her head away from it as she spoke.
"Goodbye Rosko." She whispered, nearly chocking on his name as though her mouth had been filled with stones. "You were always so kind.. You deserve a lot more but.. I hope this place gives you some peace. We'll miss you.." Stomach churning, she took a step back and paused to breathe the sweet scent of the flowers. Reaching out gingerly she felt for the pile of dirt and began to claw it back into place once her claws met it, though the amount she moved would prove more than she intended.

Forcing herself to stop Mel could feel her limbs shaking. She was literally putting her friend beneath the ground. Convulsions hit her heavily in her stomach, the need to vomit becoming nearly too much as she quickly stepped away from the grave and back to the edge of the clearing. Etincelle's soft fur brushed hers as he took his turn, but nether creature said a word. This shouldnt have happened. The electric type thought as he reached the edge of the grave. The dirt had largely overtaken the hounds body now, a sprinkling of dirt coating that which was still visible. A sigh comes first, the male's expression solemn as he spoke the same way. "It wasn't your time." There shouldn't have been a memorial this morning. There shouldn't have been a burial, or heartbreak, or death.
Rosko should not of left them this day.

"You were a brave soul Rosko, and everything you did you gave it all you had." A smile crept onto his face but the small hound was not happy. "We were lucky to have known you, lucky to be here because of you, and I'm sorry we couldn't have done more to give back." Shifting his paws toward the dirt Etincelle gave one more sigh before shoveling what remained into the hole. "Farewell matey, you'll always be with us." Churning up the last bits of dirt the Electrike did his best to ignore how it piled up above the rest of the earth. It would settle, he knew that, but it just made it all the clearer that someone had been lost there. Letting his pink gaze fall away from the dirt Etin spotted a small few flowers that had been torn up in the digging and grabbed them gently in his teeth. Placing them atop the mound he sank one of his paws into the dirt right below them, leaving a clear pawprint as he moved away. I'm sorry we failed you.

Cinder's heart thumped numbly in her chest. The captains.. Between Faux's, though technically Rosko's, words and everyone's last wishes a heavy cloud of grief and sorrow seemed to settle around them. Weather it was just her imagination or a real sensation, she had no idea. However, she did know they could not take that with them. Just like Rosko. It was an honor to of known him. She reminded herself, etching the good memories back into her mind instead of the pain of their loss. But just as she started to remember them, her thoughts still wrapped around their lost friend, Faux took slow, silent steps away from her. "We should move on." The words were very quite, as though taboo, but in the silence of the clearing they were easy to hear.

The Quilava's small choking gasp brushed Faux's ear fur with little surprise. Yes, she knew it was too soon, too quick for many of them, but lingering would not make things better. It would not bring him back or let their wounds heal. Several slow, difficult heartbeats pass before Cinder gave a reluctant, "...Yeah," and started to step forward as well. "Come on everyone." Nodding, Faux picked up her trot and headed back into the trees. Giving a last passing glance at the beautiful flowery respite the weasel followed after her a few moments after, her flames ticking back up to a their normal heat.

Each of Cinder's steps thunked loudly in her ears as they crunched over leaves and twigs. It was over; they were leaving him behind for real this time. Be strong. Try as she might to keep a steady breath Cinder found herself gasping every few inhales, her eyes twitched with tears she had refused. "....We're going to the Battle Arcade.." She reminded everyone gently, including herself. "Once we get back into the Frontier area we'll head east." Yeah.. yeah the Arcade was the closest area aside from the Battle Castle. It was the colorful building, and would surely hold something of interest. As her paws hit the paved ground of the human land Cinder let out a sigh and froze as she check each direction for trouble. Nothing came up though; it was as peaceful as it had been all day aside from their casualty.

"We should probably still use the Battle Castle as our shelter." Faux added, walking past her with little concern. "Or a fall back in an instance where we get separated." The starter Pokemon nodded, grateful that she was trying to think ahead. "Right," she confirmed, the life coming back to her paws as she started to head toward the distant shape of the Battle Arcade.