(ACE) The MARSH Team

---

"What just happened? What did you just do?"

The small child's voice was growing shrill as she questioned him, the tone raising enough to pose them a threat. "What I felt was necessary." He replied plainly, working through the dizziness to regain his loft. The effort was commendable but their subject was unwilling, and with matters in his own hands they had learned more than they squandered.

For their next move Seek's response was immediate. The squealing sound of a, "Save Eleroo," rang through his ears without a moments hesitation. However, whether it be regret or logic, the child backpedaled, giving herself a chance to think over the choice and question if it was the wise decision. "...Right?" He had no place to comment, nor the concern needed, and chose to watch her inner turmoil. Shenron rationalized to decided quickly, continuing to put the pressure upon their young leader.

"Without resolve you will not succeed." He warned, the uncertainty painted clearly upon her face. Having seen their destinations within his mind the legend was confident he could teleport to them, but such assistance was truly becoming an irritant. "I am willing to move us once more, but I will then be conversing my strength.

"Whatever the decision, make it quickly. Its best we do not linger."

The dragons words offered little comfort. On one paw Seek felt his support for her decision, but on the other it still felt as though it weighed solely on her shoulders. Were she alone it would have been easy; get Eleroo and get out. But she wasn't alone, and such a stealthy and quick mission wasn't as feasible with a group of Pokemon behind enemy lines. She had inundated herself as leader and she had to make a choice for them all.

Pacing more or less in place the child tried to weigh the choices in her mind, but it only saw to divide her desires further. I don't know what to do. It wasn't a hard decision either, making it all the more taxing on her mind that she was hung up over it. "Without resolve you will not succeed." The legend interrupted her inner monologue, his words resonating with her own thoughts. I know whats safer.. Even if she didn't wish to do so the choice would offer them more leverage, more of a chance to escape. They couldn't afford to get bogged down or injured at this point, and the Aiveon resigned herself to the more unpleasant option.

"The nesting grounds," she huffed, her fluffy chest visibly shrinking as she released a held breath. "We should still go there." They needed the fear, the threat, the chance for an escape. They could go for Eleroo now but they could get overwhelmed, even with their pieces of undead in tow. "I am willing to move us once more, but I will then be conversing my strength. The legend offered her a proposal but the Aiveon shook her head. "No. If you're only offering one we should save it for a hasty escape. We need to move on, so lead the way." With one last check of their unconscious Marill Seek moved to the door with hurried steps. Checking in with the dragon she assured the path was still clear, and breached the doorway to continue their venture.

OoC)) Skip, Felix nods with the idea. Also if its okay, maybe find something for Felix to change a move.

((OoC: I shall skip, as leaving the room and directing us forward is not a full post.))

Having made her decision Seek tried her best to hold her resolve. They needed to do this, they all more or less agreed to it before they came in as their best chance. Her stomach was in knots though, and the decision didn't feel good or right in any way. Its for our safety. This wasn't about morals or personal gripes; they needed to play all the cards they could to get out in one piece. Seek took in a tense breath, every muscle in her body as tight as her nerves. These Pokemon were relying on her, and the young Pokemon had not realized everything that entailed. In truth, could she really believe they were looking to her when she fell back on them so often?

"It sounds impossible but take a breath and ease your nerves. The situation is not ideal but you've made remarkable strides forward. Not many would suggest what you did even in better situations." The dragon's kind words hit home, her confidence quaking. She was making noticeable growth, her choice being accepted instead of loathed. With a heavy sigh the Aiveon tried her best to steady herself. "I'm just.. trying my best." She breathed, taking his words to heart as best she could. Uxie had already checked the hall and was motioning to leave the room, and in a bid not to be left behind the small Pokemon hopped forward to join-- Thunk. The flustered Aiveon had not checked where she was going, and in her misstep crashed headfirst into a shelf.

Her protective wear prevented even a bruise, but the small avalanche continued to pound her as she sat dazed for a few moments. The collection of sounds wasn't too loud but it enough to make her pelt go cold. Thrusting her head toward their knocked out prey the Marill did not stir, remaining unconscious within the collection of blankets. For several seconds Seek stared and remained still as she listened for any Pokemon approaching them, but all was quiet and calm as it was before. Crisis averted. Releasing another tense sigh to rid herself of panic the Aiveon wheezed, "Sorry," as she gingerly stepped away from the clutter, but something caught her eye before she could leave the room.

The shimmering discs were a familiar sight, though it was one she had not seen in a very long time. "Hey," she said lightly, as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing, "Those are TMs!" Running a paw lightly across them the Aiveon spread out the small collection of precious discs. What were they doing here?! Weren't these things valuable, at least to humans? With a tilt of her head Seek wondered if these wild beings didn't know how to use the items, or if they even knew what they were. Regardless of the answer it would be their gain, and she nosed them lightly while giving the others room to see.

"I don't know what moves they are." She said bluntly, the discs giving away nothing aside from the different alluring colors they came in. "But humans usually put good attacks on these!" Her own moves had been invaluable, saving her hide on countless occasions, and she'd be stupid not to take a new one. However, with nothing but colors and etched numbers she couldn't read to tell them apart it was yet another gamble she would be playing at, but it was one she took without hesitation. Nosing them gently she grasped the first that caught her eye, and learned it before she could consider otherwise. Grabbing more she stuffed them into her cloudy mane alongside her berries. You never know, she thought, and readied herself for their next objective.

Felix traveled along with them thinking on what kept the Marrill silenced. Maybe Uxie would know but he'll find out when the time comes."Felix, look here" Shenron got Felix's attention from his pondering. The Sylveon walked over to see what Shenron called him over for. He took a look and lo and behold there was TMs. There wasn't much for Fairy types but a Swift would do much as good as any. Going through it would take a lot of time and time wasn't on their side. That said Felix just hoped for the best and took one hoping it was useful. Not long after that he forgot shadow ball and it was replaced with swift. The fact that Felix had really no use for Shadow ball was obvious but swift had its advantages. "Seems the humans did forget them but these TMs are precious. Anyways lets get Eleroo out of this place. Uxie, if you learned anything from the Marrill It would help out greatly." Felix said as he was ready to get this rescue finished and escape from this flooded area.

((OoC: I shall skip again, as movement was not made.))

Okay. Holding herself firmly the Aiveon peeked into the hallway and checked for any incoming sounds. Nothing. Just the same, uncomfortable quiet they had already heard.. With a deep breath in and out the young Pokemon stepped out into the open, signalling for her companions as she followed after their Legendary lead. Keeping her steps light and wits about her Seek marched on as though nothing had happened, as though they never stopped in the first place. Would it be alright, she wondered. Would someone discover the Marill and be suspicious, or did they get away with it? Try a she might the thought never seemed to leave as they traveled, the back paths of the gym shockingly devoid of Pokemon. Where is everyone? If this truly was their shelter shouldn't it be bustling with life, especially with the conditions outside and everything that had happened? It was weird, uncomfortably so, but the flyer had no answer for her own question.

Trailing after the Legend felt like an staggering journey, the dark halls of the unlit gym seemingly endless though the actual trip was surprisingly short. A few turns, passing a couple doors, it almost seemed silly to have asked for directions, but when the Legend stopped short of their destination the Aiveon suddenly felt very unsure of herself. "This is it?" She whispered, though she did not need an answer. Even in the dim hall she could see the dull symbols decorating the walls and doorway. An internal Pokemon Center? She hadn't considered that to be a possibility, but it made sense for a Gym. A heavy set of thick, glass, sliding doors lead into the center, though they were motionless without power. Seek padded up to them, wedging her claws between them in an effort to pry them apart, but they gave no sign of budging.

Backing away she considering asking the others for help, as she was the least likely to be able to move them, but something caught her eye. Along the side were several button panels at varying heights with simple hand and paw symbols. Placing her own paw upon it did nothing, though Seek could feel it shift beneath her force. With an epiphany coming to her the child let loose a shock of electricity, the bright bluish light traveling through her limb and into whatever mechanism was within the panel. With a low moan the door jostled, creeping apart just enough for a small eeveelution to creep through. "Can you push it the rest of the way, Shenron?" The Aiveon asked, not wanting to short circuit whatever she had just messed with.

Squeezing through the gap the first thing she noticed was the stark difference in smell; this area was kept clean. It was, ironically, like a breath of fresh air untainted by the swampy smell that lingered outside in the city. It made for a safe place for defenseless eggs, but the medical area felt horribly unwelcoming for a so called nesting ground. "Theres gonna be guards in here or something." She whispered even quieter than before, the metal and tile threatening to echo her voice. "Its probably a closer room? Away from the windows.."

Felix felt better than before with the new move he got. However it wasn’t the time to test it out as they was on a mission to save Eleroo. Seeing Seek in a cautious state told everything. There was not many pokemon around. Something was off about this place but Felix couldn’t put his paw on it. Shouldn’t there be more pokemon around patrolling the place or in some state of consistent alert? The Sylveon tried to make heads or tails of this but none of it didn’t add up. Where ever the pokemon are, it could be anywhere. Felix didn’t like this at all. It should have been a bit more difficult but so far its been to easy. "Something about this doesn't feel right. Seek, we should take extreme caution. Also do you find it funny that its been to easy so far?" The fairy type whispered to the Aiveon.

---

Weaving through the halls and coming across the decisive door that Uxie saw within his mind's eye the Legend could not help but feel a sense of foreboding seeing it in person. What a cold environment for young. What he had learned of humans marked this place as a sanitary medical facility, one that was safe for the hatching of young, but what it had in security it lacked greatly in life. The Marill he had seen through saw it differently but it was still a horrid place to introduce children to the world. It gave him feelings of deja vu, of things long repressed, but he did not give them life as the group made it through the threshold.

Almost immediately the child started to spout instructions once again, her voice practically shaking as she tried to lead. "There's gonna be guards in here or something. Its probably a closer room? Away from the windows.." Was his guidance truly so forgettable that his willingness to lead them to the nesting grounds would be cut short by choice? The Legend flicked his tails side to side irritably. Such a rude lack of thanks would not be forgotten.

"Yes," he interrupted her, refusing to pass lead back to the child. "It is a room I believe the humans once used to tend to eggs. It is secure, regardless if these Pokemon can use the machines or not." He waited, giving yet another chance to the insolent Pokemon.

"Yes," the sound of the Legends breath was somehow tense, forcing Seek to turn her head and see what he had to say. "It is a room I believe the humans once used to tend to eggs. It is secure, regardless if these Pokemon can use the machines or not." A deep frown settled on her face. Was that supposed to be an answer to or expand on her prior thought? It made sense, sure, but the way it was delivered left her uneasy. "Yeah, good call." She said with a puff before heading off into the dark space. It was quiet, unnervingly so, but there was something about this place that filled Seek with an odd sense of nostalgia. Was it just being in a Pokemon Center? She hadn't gotten this feeling before when she was searching for medicine. Was it the cold tile floor or the vague smell of a clean room? Nothing seemed right, but whatever the reason Seek didn't like it.

"Something about this doesn't feel right. Seek, we should take extreme caution." The Aiveon had to agree; nowhere in this gym felt safe but this area certainly gave off some foreboding feelings. "Yeah, keep your eyes and ears peeled." Maybe it was her memories of the Center, of the stress and her mistake.. Passing an open door to what looked like a receptionists desk the child had to shy her eyes away from the black and red stains coating the space. "Also do you find it funny that its been so easy so far?" She forced herself to speak even softer as sound echoed so easily in here, and with hurried steps moved them along. "Funny, lucky, same thing in the end." They had only seen one Pokemon so far, but even she seemed occupied and their run in was by sheer coincidence.

Still.. where was everyone? "You're right though." The place should be bustling, shouldn't it? "Uxie said several Pokemon were outside with the Floaztel at dawn, but if this is a safe house it should still be crawling." The path forked, but again the halls seemed eerily vacant. Tilting her head one way then the other the Aiveon chose the right most path without a second thought as the left had a window. "I guess, I dunno, I thought bringing back an unknown child who caused an undead to show up might cause a commotion?" The place didn't have so much as a peep from other rooms.. something wasn't adding up. "Is it possible.. they wouldn't put everyone together, would they?" That would just be stupid, yet, the desolate path to their precious young spoke volumes.

Felix couldn't tell Seek for sure of what they was thinking but everything about this was off. If they knew they was coming, they would have had guards all over waiting for them to show up. On the other hand it could very well be a well laid trap for them to be ambushed. The Sylveon couldn't put it past the Floatzel to do something that low and Eleroo was the bait for them to walk into the trap. "Is it possible.. they wouldn't put everyone together, would they?" Its not unheard of but not all pokemon do that but Felix had a sneaking suspicion that they're likely thrown out into the fray to see who is strong enough to survive and the weak... It didn't settle well. "Depends on the pokemon that nests. If this style was meant for something much more ancient then I dread what may come of the ones who aren't fit." Felix whispered to Seek before he moved quietly to peak around the corner. This definitely was feeling off. There should have been multiple patrols watching the halls. The Fairy type signaled for Uxie to come over.

Since Felix didn't have psychic powers, what if Uxie was able to confirm his suspicion of a potential trap. "Uxie, I'm getting very suspicious about this. Do you think we just fell into a trap that has yet to spring?" It was something he couldn't shake off but he then signaled the Seek and Shenron to come as the coast was clear.

---

"Uxie said several Pokemon were outside with the Floaztel at dawn, but if this is a safe house it should still be crawling." While taken by surprise that she recalled his own words the Legend did not reaffirm the information he had given prior. The lack of Pokemon, or perhaps overwhelming unknown and emptiness to this place gave it an eerie air, and while many speculations could be made even he had no answers.

"I guess, I dunno, I thought bringing back an unknown child who caused an undead to show up might cause a commotion?" The idea was not farfetched, and the one Pokemon they encountered did not seem flustered or aware of such a situation. Hmm. The Marill hardly seemed bothered at all, as though accustomed to the situation and carrying out a menial task without fear. Was that the key? "Perhaps there is a secondary or deeper section to their safe quarters that they retreat to in the presence of undead." He conjectured, knowing full well such a hyposthesis would leave this nesting ground exposed and or vacant.

"Uxie, I'm getting very suspicious about this. Do you think we just fell into a trap that has yet to spring?" Pondering for only a moment the legend thought the idea possible, but not probable. "Were it a well laden trap they would be expecting sentient intruders. Considering the inhospitable response you have received, the locals claiming this land, and the undead you have crossed paths with, you could infer they only ever expected undead to be a threat."

"Perhaps there is a secondary or deeper section to their safe quarters that they retreat to in the presence of undead." Another place, hidden away somewhere that they would have to sneak  into? "Then why lead us here?!" She barked, unable to hide the exasperation from her voice. She had been given the choice, why make one pointless?? Gritting her teeth Seek wondered why that would be a possibility; Uxie knew where Eleroo was, why play around with other ideas? Why make them linger here any longer than necessary and increase their chances of getting caught? Why not just say very few Pokemon would be about? Her toes flexed on the cold floor, claws working stiffly as Seek struggled to remain calm.

"Depends on the Pokemon that nests. If this style was meant for something much more ancient then I dread what may come of the ones who aren't fit." That wasn't quite what she meant but the Aiveon understood enough of where he was coming from. Felix did have a point; depending on what was nesting here it could spell very bad news very quickly, and that was something she didn't want to think about. Mud, water, swamp, woods.. Would only the most adaptable, most resilient and frightening Pokemon remain? Would only those with a niche be allowed to stay..? What a sick thought, but with the treatment they had been given Seek couldn't rule out these Pokemon being cruel.

...And only the cruel would raise kids in this sort of place if given a choice. With each step they progressed the Aiveon felt ever more uncertain of their choices, of her choice. Eleroo was not down this path, that much was certain, but nothing here screamed childcare. It was stark, colorless, cold, nothing like the warm fireplace she grew up by. The icy, tiled floor was inconspicuously clean, free of dust but also grime. Was it ever used? With a sigh her head started to droop, but foreboding pulsed through her viens as she realized their visages were not reflected back as one would expect. Pushing her head back Seek could not shake a new sense of being watched, and as they came closer and closer to the end of the path it only seemed to get worse.

"Guys.." she whispered, straining to see anything with only Shenron's flame as a light source. Did they feel it too, or see or hear anything? Felix had just speculated a trap, and while Uxie surmised it would only be for undead that didn't mean one couldn't be used on survivors. The realization weighed in on her, much like the ceiling that felt too close. Her warning and realization would come too late, the panic hitting her harder than a brick wall as movement suddenly surrounded them. The ceiling came to life in a flurry of wings, clusters of Zubat and Golbat dropping from the shadowed height they had hidden in. The shrieking came next, the echoing calls of the bats hell on her massive ears. "D-don't let them out-!" She wailed, unable to remain calm as fluttering wings overtook her thoughts.

OoC)) Skip I'll try to make this into a proper post tomorrow after work.

(OoC: I have not interfered and will pass this round.)

No, no no no no no. In a matter of seconds Seek's heart went from zero to one hundred, her eyes wide like moons as she stared helplessly at the flooding bats. The constant sound of fluttering, beating, leathery wings assaulted her ears worse than the incessant clicks and screeches they let out. What was happening, why were they here?! Pressing her belly against the cold tile floor instinct told her to run, her fear overwhelming after her one brave order. She couldn't fight, she couldn't possibly stand against all these winged creatures... but even as she panted the cold air her fear did not hit the same way as it had earlier. The bats were shocking, loud and spooky, quickly making her heart race, but something was not the same. The horribly wing beats were not the rustling, airy sound of feathers and wind. Seek's bent legs trembled, not wishing to think of and make comparisons, but that was just it; she could still think. The fear was not so overwhelming that her thoughts had ceased, this was bad but it was not unbearable.

These were not birds.

Widening her stance the Aiveon pushed her frame up away from the floor. Not birds. They were just stupid, dumb, ugly bats. Taking in a big gulp of air Seek held it in and puffed out her chest. They had a mission to complete and no time for her shortcomings. With a furious beating of her own feathery wings the vulpine whipped up wicked blades of air, the sharp Air Cutter slashing several unexpecting wings. The bats screeched even louder, faltering or falling as their flight was disrupted. Flexing her jaw the Aiveon wanted to sink her fangs into their patagium, taking away their chance to ever fly again, but her better judgement, or perhaps lingering fear, kept her rooted in place. They are living Pokemon. This wasn't worth crippling someone. Rapid clicks sent her eyes and mind up as a pair of Zubats dove at her, their large fangs practically dripping as they swooped to bite. Taking a weary step back the Aiveon felt her wings brush a wall. She had no room to dodge, to nowhere to go but forward, and instead bucked at the incoming threat. The chirps changed to cries of pain as at least one was scratched by her rocky helmet, and for a moment the fluttering around her moved away.

(OoC: I still have not interfered and will pass once again this round.)

The sudden, fear driven, overwhelming panic had already started to fade. They were not birds, and given the chance to realize that Seek was able to bring herself back to the moment. The mission, the eggs, the stealth... the only thing that mattered was their current fight. Her body was still shaken, with her limbs feeling heavy and sluggish and her mind racing too far ahead of it, but she was slowly regaining her equilibrium. A sharp sting in her forearm once again forced her to focus, and the trail of energy that flowed away from her in the Leech Life gave a discomforting since of deja vu.

In one way or another horrid memories of that Sceptile resurfaced, its pinpoint accurate Leech Seed digging just as similarly into her skin. She itched, feeling her pelt ripple at the memory, but her real pain wasn't nearly as bad as the memory. The Aiveon knew the move to be pitiful, but it was even less impressive than she recalled. That's right. She was a flying type now, strong against bugs and the Sceptile that abducted her. Had she this power beforehand, would she not have faced such trauma? Even this space, this lifeless Pokemon Center, seemed so right of a place for that monster to stay that it made her blood run cold. Taking a step back her wings brushed against the wall once again, reminding the Pokemon that she did not have the space her new type flourished in nor any room for errors.

With a quick breath in Seek eyed the bats tensely. She wanted out, out of this situation, this room, this place. Nearly panting in her own exasperation sparks arched across her fluffy pelt. We have a job to do! With a frightful growl the electricity was released, her Hidden Power racing to find purchase within the swarming bats. Many were hit, shrieking and clicking in pain as their motions were stopped and they stumbled to the hard floor. As they twitched from the bolt she was unsure if they would stay down, but those that fell would make for easier targets.

A wheezy, grunting loud bumped her ears as she looked behind her. The struggling, flailing shape of a single Zubat flew past them, barely keeping itself airborne as it made its way down the hall back toward the entrance. Was it going for help? "No!" Seek barked, not caring to keep her voice down or attack the rest of the swarm as she charged after it. Leaping and flapping in unison, the injured bat had no chance of outpacing her as the Aiveon bit into its long leg. They both crashed to the ground in a shuddering mass as Seek shook her head violently before flinging the bat into the wall. It shuddered, alive but no longer fit to flee as the child awkwardly turned back to the rest of their plight.