(ACE) The AMITY Team

"Get to the trees! I will grab Molly-- do not get caught."

Milo could only nod, entranced and silenced by the ferocity of Caine's gaze. His feet moved, his long, limber legs carried him, but still, he knew he wasn't moving fast enough. He chanced a glance back at Caine and Molly, seeing him pick her up, as a tree interrupted him, catching him in the chest and neck, forcing him back and onto the ground. Legs sprawled in the air, he groaned, forcing himself back up, his legs shivering with effort. A sharp pain went through his left foreleg, but it didn't matter right now. He cursed his own clumsiness and hobbled, hoping that his mistake was not fatal.

((Short and lame post is short and lame. Derp Milo lol))

Fear had gripped her like the talons of the undead, her sobbing wails only growing harder by the second. The sounds of thundering paws on the ground racing towards her only made her heart quicken, believing it was an infected racing towards her. Screwing her eyes shut, body still as a statue, the waited for the unbearable pain of teeth ripping into her soft flesh and claws dragging them down her face.

It never came.

Instead she felt her round body rolled onto something soft and fluffy, as gentle as possible. Opening her eyes with surprise she saw the familiar pelt of Caine, and he was saving her. Tears welled up in her eyes with joy as she clung to him as tight as possible, scared yet overjoyed of this outcome. "Thank you, thank you Caine!" she cried, not noticing the blood smudged on her body as the fox raced for the trees.

((Gonna have to skip... Caine's kinda driving the plot, lol))

[OOC: Herp derp, I second what Sil said. ;; Skip.]

Walking... keep walking... keep going... don’t stop... CAN’T stop...

Chocolate eyes stared blankly at the ground, and though it looked as if he might be watching each step carefully, he was actually looking at nothing.  What his eyes were seeing did not register in his brain; he was lost in a fear filled haze.  The only sensory organs that were still working as they should were his ears and nose; sharper than the average Chimchar nose, it was instinct for Oliver to use them as his guide.  He could hear or smell dangers long before they got to him and usually allotted plenty of time to hide or escape.  He’d been taking advantage of this ever since he was small, even before he met Jon and his life plunged downhill, ever since he started to want to avoid his own—

No.  He mustn’t let his thoughts stray there.  He was frightened and depressed enough as it was.  He didn’t need that to think on, too.

Annie.  He had to keep thinking of his Annie.  That sweet smile, those warm arms, that soothing voice.  That giggle, the way she always knew what to say... Oliver would give up being a Pokémon quite happily, if only he could be this human’s brother in return.  There was nothing he wouldn’t do for the little girl.  

He would survive.  He would escape.  He would find her.  He had no more strength for running at the moment, but he had to at least keep walking.  That was his first step to surviving, to escaping, and therefore, to finding his Annie.

It was morning now, and he was grateful for the light.  Night was full of undead, and perhaps even worse, Sly, who preferred the night to the day and usually traveled by the cover of darkness.  The Honchcrow had abducted him from a small town called New Bark.  Right after the young Chimchar had watched not one, but two members of the group he was staying with murdered in ways he would not wish upon anyone.  Sly had then flown all the way back to Sinnoh.  Perhaps he had thought the infection had left their home region untouched?  Oliver didn’t dare ask.  His childhood bully had spent his time away from Oliver becoming much more than a bully.  Now he was a full blown sadistic sociopath who had, in the end, nabbed him for the sole sake of wanting to be able to exercise control over someone again.

And had zero problems treating the fifteen year old like complete garbage once Oliver was back in his talons again.

What followed had been a time of terror and misery so great Oliver had seriously considered several times just ending it all.  He struggled with his grief on top of Sly’s torture, broken enough over the murders he’d witnessed without the cruel bird’s pushing him closer and closer to the brink of insanity.  Sly took advantage of his nightmares, of his broken state of mind.  He’d even taken Oliver’s scarf from him, something that meant almost everything to him.  Then there’d been nothing left to take; his sanity was in shambles, his home gone, his self-loathing even more intense than it had been before, and even his scarf had been taken.  But then he would remember Anne, his Annie, and the promise he made her.  He still had that left, still had her left... as long as she was still alive... no, she was most definitely still alive!  She had to be... just had to...

He would not die.  Sly might use him as his chew toy, might tear him apart physically and emotionally, but he would not die.  If nothing else, he would live for her.

And this is what he told himself as the bird, wearier than usual when last night had come around, had landed for what was supposed to be a brief rest... but had fallen into a deep sleep.

There was no tether but his fear of the much larger Pokémon keeping him around.  And with Sly so deeply asleep that not even clapping his hands had woken him, Oliver had finally mustered enough courage to unwind his beloved scarf from around the psycho’s neck and make a run for it.

He’d run all night and well into the morning.

And now he was totally lost, so tired he could drop dead.  Sly could wake up any moment and he wanted to be far away from him when he did.

He reached a small cliff and finally lifted his head to use his eyes for what they were made to be used for.  What he saw astonished him.

It was a large park.  Grass overgrown, fountains no longer working, but looking otherwise untouched by the disaster.  Even from here, the water looked clean, and there was an abundance of it.  He could smell berry bushes, lots of them.  He could see bizarre rock structures with large holes that functioned as windows and doors.

To Oliver’s weary soul and body, the place looked like paradise.  Food, water, shelter, safety... it was all here in one place.

With a soft cry of relief he leaped down from the short cliff and landed awkwardly in the grass, hissing in pain as a sharp rock cut into his already aching foot.  Straightening up, he dashed to a bush and ripped off an Oran berry, scarfing it down.

Fifteen berries and a nearly empty bush later, he padded over to the nearby waterway, lowering his head and slurping up his fill.

I can stay here... for as long as I need to... until I’m... not as much as a basket case as I am... the pain won’t go away totally but... if I stay here long enough... might help me heal enough so I... so I can keep looking...

He lifted his head from the water and quickly removed his scarf, scooping some water up into his hands and carefully washing out some of the most recent wounds, wincing and whimpering in pain as the cuts made from Sly’s talons screamed in protest.  After he had washed out the blood, he lifted his scarf from the ground, setting the material in the water and scrubbing at it furiously with his hand to remove the bloodstains.  The cold water and the vicious scrubbing made quick work of the red splotches and he wrung the fabric out carefully.

Bone weary, not even caring that he knew he’d see the gruesome deaths of his former travel companions once more in his nightmares, he half dragged himself to the nearest stone structure and collapsed, the world fading into black so quickly he wasn’t even aware he’d fallen asleep.

~~~

Bright sunlight streaked through one of the “windows,” slowly dragging the reluctant monkey from the first nightmare-free sleep he’d experienced in a very long time.  Eyes opening, tail-flame flickering to life as if someone had flipped a switch, Oliver yawned and stretched his sore muscles, biting back a whimper of pain as he did.  The fire type glanced at his foot wound, glad to see it had clotted.

How long had he slept?  Judging from the intensity of the sunlight, it was at least approaching afternoon now.

The Chimchar peeked nervously out the "door."  He didn’t want to leave his shelter.  This had been the safest he had felt in weeks.  But at the same time, to regain his strength, he needed to eat and drink consistently.  

Well... better go find a berry bush, then... He thought with a yawn, knotting his scarf more tightly.  Annie told me when I was recovering that if my body gets into better condition, I can focus on my other problems... she’s never been wrong before... so...

He slinked out of his shelter, stomach flipping when he realized there were no trees to use as cover in this area.  That was something his sleepy mind had not noticed this morning.

Too late now...

The park seemed to be extremely large.  Oliver hoped that this would mean that any Pokémon who might be here, would not be in the same area of the park.

Twenty minutes later, just as he found trees to use as cover and a Figy bush he could strip bare, he froze, berry halfway to his mouth.

Beyond the spicy scent of the fruit, he smelled something else.  In fact, a lot of something elses.

Pokémon.

That smoky scent... there was definitely a fire type among them.  And there were four all together.  

And they were alive.

This... this is like when... but I...  Oliver began to tremble, turning his head as if expecting them to be right behind him.  ... What if they don’t want me around...?  Or worse... what if they don’t mind... and they die, too...?  He swallowed hard.  No... no, I... couldn’t take that... not again...

And yet, something inside him insisted that he go at least check it out.  You don’t have to try to talk to them, his conscious insisted.  Just go see what type of folks they are.  At least make sure they won’t be a danger.

As much as Oliver hated to admit it, that made perfect sense.  With a moan that plainly vocalizing that he was sure he’d regret this, he stuffed the berry into his mouth and started off in the direction of the scents.  He desperately wished right now that the spicy flavors bursting inside his mouth as he chewed were sweet... sweet food always helped calm him down when his heart got to racing like this.  Nevertheless, the Figy berry was food and he was grateful for that.  He finished it off just as his ears began to pick up on voices.  At the same time, his throat constricted as a disgusting, vomit-inducing scent hit his nose like a punch to the face.

Undead.  

Yippee.  Just fan-freaking-tastic!  Oliver screamed to himself inside his head, short fur spiking.  I should have known it was too good to be true!  It always is!

He turned tail, fully intent on running, when something made him turn back: a groan of pain.

Why should I bother...?  The monkey allowed himself a moment of bitterness.  Almost every Pokemon I meet hates me... and the ones who don’t wind up dead...

But even as he thought it, he was kicking himself for it.  That was wrong of him and he knew it.

But he couldn’t deny that getting that feeling off his chest, even if it had just been admitting it to himself, had made him feel a little better.  

I can’t just sit here... I need to do something... hopefully, they’ll just let me leave in peace when it’s over...

He dropped to all fours and hightailed it towards where he had heard the groan, heart racing as an adrenaline rush kicked in.

Arceus... if you’re out there... if you can hear me... please, please, let this go right.

(Holy mother of I-don't-know-what.  I sat down expecting maye three paragraphs and for this this to take fifteen minutes and instead it takes an hour and a half and becomes THIS.  XD  I hope this made for decent reading; italics means he's thinking things to himself, by the way.)

What the hell were they doing?

Sitting comfortably within the foliage, one with the shadows were it not for the striking flashes of yellow adorning his body, Nokes watched the scene in utter disbelief. Reclining, his powerful body was sprawled out like he hadn’t a care in the world; the canine looked alike to a pampered pooch watching a particularly strange television show. In his mind, he was. The pokémon before him truly hadn’t a clue; shouting at one another in meaningless drama, all awash with disgusting emotion as three of the cast members ceremoniously took their leave. It was a shame really, he found himself liking the mouthy bird-thing – his departure was by far the most thrilling. Screeching in fury, condemning the group to death, Nokes had found himself laughing at the creature’s frustrations. He could only hope the finale would be equally as gripping.

A slick grin was firmly established on the Manectric’s maw, silver eyes focused on the small group of survivors as they soon realized the danger looming overhead. A murky flock of birds cast an eerie shadow against the ground, a good distance from survivors so that they might have a chance of making it to safety. Nokes didn’t want that. They didn’t even consider fighting, showing the birds what they were made of. The whole lot of them ran, tripping over their own feet as they took a desperate sprint to the trees that housed his own form. Cowards. No series was good without a death. He would’ve been content to the see the child burst within the talons of the undead, but even she was too precious to leave behind. The heroic Ninetales carried it with him whilst the Girafarig inelegantly crashed into a tree up ahead. The electric-type gave a malicious laugh at the sight of the clumsy creature, quickly rising to his feet as strong legs sent him flying through the trees – intent on cutting the group off. He wanted to see a show. And Nokes always got what he wanted.

Running to stand proud just within the tree line, his shiny form revealed to the creatures hurtling towards him, Nokes’ glare was capable of stopping traffic. Fangs bared as electricity danced across his sinister form, chest puffed alongside his massive ego, Nokes stood directly in front of the Girafarig. The species were considered a delicacy in some regions. Nokes had enjoyed hearing their screams in the abattoir. Almost melodic in their sound, and oh look, this one was a musician – the case slung over its back bringing a snort of amusement from the electric hound. Clearing his voice, he shook his head at the psychic, feigning disappointment.
“I’m sorry, this is private property,” Nokes’ voice was surprisingly charming, pleasant on the ear as he heaped on the sarcasm. Flexing his claws, muscles rippling in his arms as a direct threat to those unwise enough to challenge him, the Manectric took slow, leisurely steps towards the stranger. He could see the others running in the background, the birds trailing them like an ashen, decaying cloud – but Nokes strolled, unwilling to change his ways in this new world. His fearsome expression soon softened into a look of muted spite as he stood uncomfortably close to the giraffe-creature. “You see, I was expecting a show,” He gestured to the stranger’s companions.“And you… you just run away!” His face broke into a grin, the canine chuckling as he spoke. Eventually, Nokes’ laughter died down, his expression collected once more as he regarded the creature before him. “I can’t have that,” A hidden threat. In a sudden movement, Nokes had spun on his heel and unleashed a flamethrower at the trees. The foliage behind him was engulfed in an instant, the fire ravenously eating through the entire leafy expanse. Sure, the Ninetales might be able to slip through what was becoming a most alarming forest-fire, but he didn’t look the sort to abandon his ‘friends’.

Turning back to the Girafarig, Nokes’ eyes were widened in mock surprise. As if considering a terrible mistake he’d made, he eventually flashed the creature an unpleasant smirk accompanied by a nonchalant shrugging of his shoulders. His smile disappeared with a deep inhale into what many considered the face of masked evil.
“I suggest you fight, or make a very speedy detour,” Still grinning away, his form illuminated by a wall of fire gradually spreading behind him, Nokes moved out into the open away from the dangerous flames. Curious to whether the Girafarig had the guts to brave them, the Manectric glanced over his shoulder, smug. One way or another, the canine was going to see some action. Lusting for the heavenly scent of blood, the thrill of battle, the electric-type titled his head in polite greeting to the fleeing Ninetales and child. Pausing to catch their expressions at the realization their safety was alight with flames, a wicked grin crawled across his slender face. “Afternoon,”


(( So excited to be here! Nokes is a bastard, sorry to burden you with him, lol. ;D ))

Caine only grunted in repsonse to Molly's garbled thanks. But in reality he would have been grinning smugly with contept. That damn dino bird would have eaten his words if he saw how heroic the Ninetales was being then!  "No prob, Molly," was Caine's smooth reply when he finally noticed Milo. Milo! The fire fox snarled, his fear and frustrations immediately coming out as fury. He watched the equine stumble and act like a clutz. "Idiot!" Caine muttered under his breath as he approached, raisin his voice to call again so that the gold and chocolate Pokemon could hear him. "Don't just sit there- the birds will be here in minutes. Get up and keep-" He never finished.

The sudden appearance of some weird ass mutt thing with a huge head shocked him into silence. Caine had to bute back an immediate threat, Icarus' words in the back of his head. Caine decided to play nice, just this time, and see if the newcomer wanted to help. The last thing he expected was the sudden lava spewing from the bastard's maw, completely coating the forest on the outside. Caine's eye might have very well bugged out of his sockets, positive that this was nkt actually happening. He was imagining it. But as the fucker turned and greeted them with just a smooth word, his face the complete opposite of apologetic, Caine lost it. 

Standing beside Milo's form, his face still stuck on the newcomer, his expression was near comicle. Eyes bugging out of his head, mouth hanging open, and head slightly lowered- the Ninetales was an instant wreck, a complete loss for words. "Bu- how did- the FUCK- fire?! Do- no, wh- fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!" Caine might very well hace dropped over dead from a heart attack, the stress suddenly coursing throgh his body nearly overwhelming as he found no easy ways out to deal with it. "The FUCK man?!" finally came out, his voice impossibly high and shrill as he stared down the yellow bastard with wide, unblinking eyes. There was no fear in them, instead a near crazed disbeleif as he spat at him again. "Who the fuck do you think you are?! What the bloody fucking hell IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Caine fought to breath properly, his gaze flickering to the sky more than once. The birds were closing in. The fire a very clear becon, they would be fucked up the ass within minutes.

Milo had regained his composure and was running, even as Caine angrily mocked him from behind. His heart pounding, ears ringing with the birds' calls, his legs raced beneath him, carrying him further and further into the line of trees that heralded safety... or at least, the illusion of it. But when a yellow and ebony canine showed himself, snarling and sparking with electricity, Milo skidded to a halt, his heart in his throat.

“I’m sorry, this is private property,” the creature purred, his expression pleasant and calm; quite the contrast to Milo's frantic, fearful demeanor. He whimpered slightly as his eyes followed the dog's form draw closer and closer, and with each step, Milo felt that much more insignificant. “You see, I was expecting a show,” he cooed as he gestured to Caine's hopefully approaching figure. “And you… you just run away!” A laugh escaped him, but Milo found himself unable to utter anything but a soft whimper. "I can't have that."

The growl, the hidden threat in the stranger's voice, caused Milo to take a step backwards. His voice was caught in his throat, his legs frozen with terror. Never before had he been this frightened of a fellow living pokemon! The girafarig could only take shallow, terrified breaths as he watched the other's eyes trail down his long, vulnerable neck. Maybe the birds would be a safer bet after all....

Thankfully, Caine's foul mouth brought Milo out of his stupor, giving him some reassurrance that he wasn't facing this demon alone. "The fuck man?!" he cried, the distress in his voice causing it to reach octaves only females should reach. "Who the fuck do you think you are?! What the bloody fucking hell IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Milo swallowed, then looked back to the birds, then to the stranger.

"W-We should..." He swallowed again, his voice weak and obviously saturated with fear. "We should get going. Uh, I don't think we'll be passing your way, Mister. You have a good day, we'll be going another way!" His movements were jolted, as if he were forcing himself to move, as he headed in another direction that still led to the tree line. "...C-Come on, Caine, let's-s-s go!"

"No prob, Molly,"

Molly smiled with traces of happiness, holding on firmly to the fox's soft coat. Suddenly, she saw a newcomer come out and set the forest on fire, and the Azurill stared in shock. Looking back at the nearing birds, and trying to drown out Caine's shouts and snarls, the water-type aimed and began producing bubbles over the fox's head and to the burning trees. Although it barely helped, Molly didn't give up, constantly blasting more and more of the attack at the growing flames. "The fi-fire's too big..."

"...C-Come on, Caine, let's-s-s go!" when Milo had found another way Molly stopped, watching as the Girafarig led the way. "Let's go!"

Why the HELL am I running? Not even halfway to the source of the scents, Oliver slowed to a halt, a slow look of realization dawning on his face. I mean, if they ARE dangerous, wouldn't underground be safer? Good grief, I am an idiot.

Taking a momentary step back, the Chimchar cracked his knuckles before burrowing into the ground as skillfully as any tunneling Pokémon, courtesy of the Dig TM his Annie had given him one day at the beach.

Underground sounded like it would be a frightening way to travel, but Oliver actually liked it to some degree. It was quieter, safer, and his tail-flame gave him enough light to see. Sound reverbrated through the ground faster than through air, so even that was a plus. He could roughly gauge where the group was at this point and though tired, though he could feel his anxiety growing, he pushed on.

I'll be there soon anyway; might as well just keep going... oooooh, I don't like this... something is telling me to go back...

Already hot and sweaty from the exertion and from being in a relatively small space, the temperature suddenly grew... warmer. Oliver was now uncomfortable in his own skin and fur. It took a lot of heat for that to happen.

What in Uxie's name is THAT? Is something up there on fire or something? Oliver paused to wipe his forehead, making a face of disgust as a bead of sweat slipped down and off his nose, and onto his scarf... which he also saw was caked with dirt. And I JUST washed this thing too, dammit.

Small chest heaving, he lifted his head before jabbing his hands upward to dig his way out. It's too hot... too tired... I need fresh air...

With a short burst of strength he heaved himself out from his tunnel... and all he saw was gold and black fur as he barreled out of one bad situation and into a whole new level of hell, proving that Arceus really did hate him.

The impact sent the other one toppling over to the ground, but barely did any damage at all. After instinctively leaping back away from the Pokemon, Oliver's heart leapt to his throat and his hands at the same time to his chest to clutch at his scarf in terror, his eyes growing slowly wider as he began to realize what he'd done.

He was huge, at least three feet taller than the one foot, two inches that summed up Oliver's pitiful height. He was clearly a much higher level. His body was well muscled, and his teeth were sharp.

In short? He was royally, utterly, screwed.

Oliver dropped to all fours and began to back up slowly, babbling and trembling, tripping over every damn word as his voice cracked badly. "I-I'm s-sorry, s-sir, s-so s-sorry; i-it w-was a-an a-accident, I-I s-swear; I-I d-d-didn't m-mean t-to!"

Instinct took over completely, and he turned around and bolted as fast as he could force himself to move. He was exhausted but fear was always a good motivator.

(Permission from Snitch was given for Oliver to make that incredibly awesome entrance. XD)

"Bu- how did- the FUCK- fire?! Do- no, wh- fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! The FUCK man?! Who the fuck do you think you are?! What the bloody fucking hell IS YOUR PROBLEM?!”

Nokes, his face painted into a picture of wicked superiority, was struggling to control the malicious grin threatening to engulf him altogether. The canine’s shrill voice, his complete disbelief as the shiny watched him fall into a state of complete and utter panic. It was music to his ears. Although, this pup certainly had a mouth on him. Cursing here and there, one might think him nothing more than dirt on the bottom of a paw – which Nokes was soon under the impression of. His smirk gradually dissolving away, the Manectric held the fire-type’s eyes as he licked his lips, preparing to speak.
“Only cretins cuss,” His words were blunt, dangerous even, but perfectly controlled to offer a stark contrast against the Ninetales’ erratic tone. Looking the creature over, he shrugged. “What kind of example are you setting for the child?” Chuckling darkly, his attention latched onto the Azurill, practically eyeing up an easy meal as he completely disregarded the fire-type’s hysteric questions. He clearly didn’t know what he was blathering on about, fear consuming his fragile mind as Nokes’ ego bathed in the fact he was almost entirely responsible. The youngster’s feeble attempt at quenching the flames only heightened his cruel delight.

"W-We should... We should get going. Uh, I don't think we'll be passing your way, Mister. You have a good day, we'll be going another way!"

His ferocious glare falling back the Girafarig, Nokes quirked a brow, disappointed that the creature was still adamant on fleeing. Glancing up to the birds, their forms becoming more detailed with every sluggish flap, the Manectric knew he was running out of time. He had to stall them. Slinking forward, his body snaking round to provide a sudden obstacle to the giraffe-creature, Nokes held his head high. Ensuring to catch the male’s eye, he flashed an unpleasant smirk.
“You can’t run from your fears,” The venom in his tone could have knocked out an entire army, yet his expression remained one of mild amusement. Turning his attention sharply to the Ninetales, his nostrils flared, disgusted. “My problem, is that you are cowards,” He spat, only just suppressing his anger. “Fight,” It was an order; a brutal insight into the canine’s history of corrupted authority as he took amusement in watching the ‘meat’ battle amongst themselves at his command. Their flesh needed to be tenderized, and sometimes, he just lacked the energy to do it himself. Eyes darting up to the birds, recognising a good portion as Murkrows – not particularly challenging opponents – Nokes persisted. “If you don’t…. Well, let’s say you won’t have just those birds to worry about,” Getting the message across by standing uncomfortably close to the trio, threat supported by undeniably powerful body, the electric-type eventually backed away. They would have to decide soon. Fight off a couple of mangy birds as his ally, or turn tail and be hunted down like the meat they truly were. Either way, Nokes was going to enjoy himself.

Moving forward to stand fearless in the face of the flock, Nokes’ body began to spark in anticipation. He hadn’t killed anything in awhile, the undead apt at avoiding him when he fancied tearing something apart. Now, he fully intended to make up for his loss. However, a sudden trembling beneath his paws had taken him off guard. Before he had chance to react, the ground was shifting away, his balance lost as he stumbled into the dirt. The expression that crossed his features was the very essence of hatred, eyes narrowed as they latched furious onto his terrified attacker; a monkey. Whilst his ego was bruised at the humiliation, proving a break in his spiteful actions, Nokes was quick to recover. Rising to his full, intimidating stature at an alarming speed, the Manectric advanced on the youth.

"I-I'm s-sorry, s-sir, s-so s-sorry; i-it w-was a-an a-accident, I-I s-swear; I-I d-d-didn't m-mean t-to!"

Admittedly, the creature’s grovelling made him feel better. It reminded him of the abattoir, his home, as the ‘meat’ would cry out their final pleas, appealing to his compassion - as if he had any. Snarl dying away into a slick, almost repulsive grin, Nokes saw no reason to mar his appearance. He was meant to be the good guy, slaughtering the fire-type wasn’t going to sway the original group to his way of thinking. But it was just so damn irresistible. Watching the creature scamper away, the Manectric emitted a slight whine to himself – his instincts screaming at him to give chase, to hunt. Then again, he needn’t tire himself out.
“Did I dismiss you?” He spoke mainly to himself, body sparking as he aimed at thunder wave at the fleeing chimp. It hit, his smirk widening to near-maniacal levels as the creature was left frozen to stare in the face of the oncoming birds. Stalking forward, intent on making the paralyzed creature suffer for such an ‘accident’, Nokes paused to throw a smile at the Ninetales, Girafarig and Azurill. “You still going to run?” Another threat, misleading in the cheery tone the electric-type adopted. He would make good on his promise. If they didn’t stay to rescue and protect the innocent little Chimchar, Nokes would pursue them. Their cowardice only gave him more reason to end their lives – essentially, this was all a test. If they couldn’t face the truth of this dangerous new world, they didn’t deserve the right to inhabit it.

Nokes had strolled to the Chimchar’s paralyzed form in an instance, taking his time to let the helpless creature think he’d been left for dead. The undead would be upon them too soon, their stench now wafting through the canine’s nostrils. Delightful, he grinned.
“Now,” He started, stood behind the chimp as he spoke quietly in his ear, fangs dangerously close to the sensitive flesh. “Why do you run? You humiliate me and flee without as much as an apology,” It was a lie, he’d heard the creature’s snivelling pleas for forgiveness, but he didn’t look to be in the position to argue. Voice growing darker, he continued. “I should just leave you here, for the birds. Let them peck out your eyes, strip your flesh from the bone – as an ‘accident’, of course,” Moving away from his captive, Nokes was left smiling to himself, satisfied in exerting his dominance. But whilst he was thoroughly enjoying his mental tormenting of the fire-type, the canine knew that there was no time left. His eyes darted to the feathery fiends, beginning their descent. Body sparking in preparation for the inevitable fight – whether he was a single battler or not – Nokes was ready, stood proud behind the Chimchar. As much as his bloodlust demanded it, he would ensure the monkey came to no harm. If it was going to die, Nokes intended commit the deed with his own fangs.

(( Permission given to paralyze Oliver. >D ))

This manectric was terrifying.

Even with the cursing ninetales beside him, Milo's courage was nearly non-existant. The electric dog prowled around them causally, even with the screaming threat flying closer to their backs with each moment that passed. He didn't care about the infected, or even the fire that he'd created. The poor musician was watching with fearful eyes as the flames' light danced on the other pokemon's form. If this were at night, Milo would have been sure they'd crossed paths with a demon.

Suddenly, a distraction. Some blur of a pokemon seemed to trip up the terrifying hound, which he soon recognized as a small chimchar. In a blur, the hound whirled on the small, blubbering monkey and then seemed to take another turn to defending it. It was helpless, paralyzed behind him as he stood against the incoming flock of birds. Unsure of whether this was entirely the smartest idea -especially with an ever-growing blaze just beside them- Milo carefully picked a spot away from the flames and manectric, but still close enough to Caine and Molly to help them if needed. Collecting himself and mustering enough reserve to temporarily ignore just how terrified he was, he powered up his Psychic and fired at the flock.

Hopefully, that hound wouldn't turn and strike...

((OMG. SO sorry for not posting!))

Oliver had been certain when the Manetric locked eyes with him that he was going to die of sheer fright. Even as he babbled his desperate apologies, the angry electric canine had stared him down with a look that could have stopped a swarm of killer Combees. His survival instincts had screamed at him to flee, every fiber of his body begging him to get away from the threat, who oozed the same sadism that Sly did.

The fear overwhelmed him. Without another word, he turned around and sprinted. For a few blissful seconds he thought he would get away despite not being able to run at full speed.

And suddenly, a sharp spike of agony erupted all around him, and he tumbled to the ground with a cry of pain and fear, electricity crackling through his small, shivering form.

The pain faded slightly, and that's when he noticed the dark cloud of undead birds. More importantly, how close they were getting. His stomach turned with terror and he tried to scramble to his feet, only to receive a horrifying shock.

His limbs remained frozen, refusing to obey him, no matter how hard he tried to stand or even just roll over. He was trapped, lying on his side, staring at the advancing flock, unable to do anything but breathe and close his eyes.

At first the horror of the situation didn't quite register. It was too unreal, too terrifying. Not even his luck was this terrible.

But the more the smell of decay intensified, the closer the birds flew towards the group, the closer the realization came to the surface.

No... nonononononono... His breathing became irregular, harsh gasps of air, half panting with fear, whimpering in between pants as he continued to try to stand, the thunder wave thwarting each attempt. It didn't take long for him to wear himself out and he laid there limply, unable to fight it anymore. Wide eyes locked on the advancing undead, the chimp could do nothing to save himself.

Oliver had no idea how much time passed as he lay there on the dirt, but the wait was excruciating even though it was likely only a few minutes. The birds were approaching fairly quickly. The smoke from the growing fire and the stench of undead blotted his sense of smell, making it impossible to detect the scents of the others.

They left me... Tears pooled in his eyes, utter devastation written all over his features. They left me... and I'm going to die...

I never even found Annie...

“Now,” Oliver almost had a heart attack when the smooth voice of the Manetric entered his ear, and he squeezed his eyes shut, the tears starting to trail down his face, moaning in terror as the long fangs brushed against the sensitive skin of the inside of his ear. “Why do you run? You humiliate me and flee without as much as an apology.” What!? No! He'd said he was sorry, he had, he had, he had... “I should just leave you here for the birds. Let them peck out your eyes, strip your flesh from the bone... as an ‘accident’, of course.”

Shivering uncontrollably, wracked with sobs he was trying hard to hold back, the chimp could practically see the smug look on his tormenter's face as at last he removed his mouth from the monkey's ear. The Manetric must have been a master hunter because even the fire-type's oversensitive hearing couldn't detect any movement, yet he knew the other had left because he no longer felt the creature's eyes on him.

That clinched it, then. There would be no tomorrow, not for him. With nothing else left, Oliver fished in his memories for the time he'd spent with Anne, guilt joining with fear in constricting his windpipe. He'd promised... he should have known not to make a promise he couldn't keep... a promise he was just too weak to keep...

And then, all of a sudden, an attack he could not identify flew into his line of vision from behind him, hitting the birds. A tiny ray of hope cut its way through the terror. Having never been known for his poker face, it showed.

Maybe he would survive this after all?

Nokes’ face was plastered with a sick grin when the monkey had begun sobbing, its limp body trembling to betray its erratic emotional state. It reminded him of the ‘meat’ at the abattoir, and he’d come to miss the feeling of absolute control over another. He’d done nothing but shock the brat, offer a few cruel words and one would’ve thought the poor dear was dying. Grin widening, the Manectric couldn’t suppress the malicious, dark laugh that followed.

However, he silenced as an attack shot past overhead, colliding with the flock to send several spiraling to the ground. Initially shocked, Nokes whipped his head around, fierce eyes eventually falling onto the Girafarig who was the source of the power. Smug, his expression broke into one of an exaggerated, feigned joy.
“Now you’re getting it!” The electric-type beamed, sarcasm lacing his words as his gaze shifted to the duo stood at the giraffe’s side. “You could learn something from him, y’know,”

The birds were upon them then, descending in an orchestra of screeching, whilst Nokes turned ready to battle. Intent on keeping the Chimchar in a state of panic and total vulnerability, Nokes stayed firmly out of view and instead, took his place a short distance behind his victim.

Body sparking, Nokes launched a Thunder Bolt into the bulk of the flock, proud as he watched the effects of his attack. The weaker creatures were felled instantly, others flying awkwardly, sluggish, as they fought the crippling pain – Nokes had little time to admire his work, however. A Honchkrow colliding with his lithe form sent him toppling to the ground, a grunt of pain escaping him as he made contact with the rough earth. He wasted no time though, the ungodly stench of his attacker acting as enough incentive to retaliate with twice the force. He lunged for the throat; Ice Fang buried deep in the bird’s decaying flesh as freezing bursts swept through his victim to sever its fragile windpipe. Chucking the suffocating avian to one side, Nokes shook himself free of the dirt clinging to his pristine, shiny form. Grinning, he turned back to the task at hand.

What.
The.
FUCK?!

Shit was going down and I could barely process what the fuck I was fucking seeing. Some weird little monkey thing came out of fucking no where and just pissed off that fucking mother fucker. I didn't give any fucks, I was still near having an anurism from the fucking forest fire right there in front of us and blocking our fucking way. Snapping at air, flames coming from my jaws in uncontrolable embers, my impossibly wide lavander eyes could not focus on anything except the situation before us.

The birds were on the small group instantly and I snarled in aggitation. ...fuck. Still having little Molly on his back, Caine knew what his role in this fight was. How fucking noble of me. "Milo! Cover me!" I roared, sending out bursts of fire at the avian that came at me. Thank Arceus, it seemed most were more intrested in the fucking prick. Good. He needed to have his ass kicked.

Dashing forward to where the small fucking monkey thing was, I grabbed the skin on his neck and swung the newcomer to my back alongside Molly. "Hold fucking on!" I snarled, fear for them making me short. Dashing away from the group then, I came upon the closest weird fucking ass stone fucking structure and dumped the two from my back a little too harshly. "Sorry," I muttered before turning back tothe fight, my eyes hard. "Stay here," I growled before running back to Milo's side, my eyes glowing as I prepared a Psy Shock.

"Now you're getting it!"

The call took Milo off guard, his wide eyes glancing to the voice's owner-- the manectric. The terrifying hound had a somewhat encouraging expression, goading the former to continue to attack. While Milo wasn't sure for the sudden change of heart -or if it was a change of heart at all- Caine's call to cover him only left the girafarig the option to continue firing.

Psychics flew over the group's heads, striking at the incoming flock with near precision. Fighting had never been Milo's forte, but he was glad that his previous trainer had given him enough experience in the field to hold his own. However, he soon ran out, then switched to Thunderbolts. While he and the frightening dog had cleared out many of the birds, there were still dozens left. One even managed to attack the dog, which turned out to be for the bird's unfortunate demise. With skilled precision Milo had only ever dreamed of, the electric type quickly disposed of his attacker and went back to sniping the other birds from the air. 'If he could do that with a bird...' He shook his head, ridding the thought from his mind. He didn't want to even know what he could do to one of them...

The fire crackled and roared beside them, encroaching on them as quickly as the flock. Once Caine returned to his side, Milo turned to him, expression panicked. "We need to get out of here-- if the birds don't get us, then the fire will!"

Placed behind a large stone structure and told to stay put, Molly could do nothing else but just that. She gazed up towards the sky in fear, the mutant flocks darkening the land as their shadows cast down onto the grass. Gazing to the Chimchar that was placed there with her, she gave a rough, faltering smile. There was a bit of an awkward silence, the Azurill not quite sure of what to do or say.

"Uhm, my name is Molly," she murmured, her eyes wild as they kept glancing in all directions for danger. "What's yours?" In the distance, she could hear the shouting of the others making her flinch. "...I-I wish I could do something to help..."

I hate this, I hate this, I hate this, please let this be a nightmare; please, please, please... Oliver shivered on the rough dirt with his eyes squeezed tightly shut, his momentary spike of hope dissolving into fear when the fighting began. Sure, they would fight off the birds, but if any of the birds actually attacked him, who was going to bother stopping it? They had themselves to take care of. He wasn't part of their group. And as for the Manetric, who also wasn't part of the group... well, he put him in this situation in the first place, so why would he help him out of it?

“Now you’re getting it!” Oliver gasped in fright as the voice of his tormentor cut through the tension to raise the already stifling atmosphere of fear. “You could learn something from him, y’know.”

... What a dick.

The angry thought was soon scuttled when the chimp heard the canine's grunt of pain as he was tackled, followed by the sound of something being slung away, its body hitting the ground with a dull thud. Something told Oliver it wasn't the electric type and that even thinking insults about the demon would be a bad idea...

Another surprise as a young male voice barked an order for someone called "Milo" to cover him. Every sense he possessed was on high alert and his terror skyrocketed when his ears detected someone running towards him.

When Oliver felt the mouth close around the back of his neck, he let out an involuntary, choked squeak of sheer terror, the paralysis having faded enough to now allow him to move his mouth to speak; flailing slightly, he also found that he'd regained some movement in his limbs.

To his shock, the vulpine jerked his head slightly and deposited the monkey on his back, Oliver's arms instinctivly wrapping around his body and clinging to him. "Hold fucking on!"

Believe me, you do NOT have to order ME to do that. Oliver hunkered down as close as he could to the fox's body, sorely tempted to bury his face in the older one's fur so he wouldn't have to look at the sight in front of him. There was so much gore everywhere that the fire-type thought he would be sick.

The Ninetails proved to be as quick witted as he was merciful. Instead of going back to stand alongside his friend, he instead ran for the nearest rock-shelter... thing nearby.

And dumped Oliver and his other passenger on the ground. Roughly.

The motion knocked the air out of him and Oliver coughed as he struggled to draw breath back into his lungs. Despite the urgency of the situation, the fox still added an apology for the abrupt de-loading... a brief and muttered one, but still an apology.

And then an order: "Stay here."

Oliver managed a weak bob of his head, still sputtering for air. No way was he going to disobey the word of a stranger who had been kind enough to save his life.

And then, just like that, his savior was gone. A flurry of fear slipped up his spine; what if something happened to him? Or his friend? While the chimp couldn't care less what happened to the cruel Manetric, saving his life had immediately made Caine someone he liked. And Milo, whoever he was, couldn't possibly be as bad as Nokes, especially if Caine was keeping him as company.

"Uhm, my name is Molly." Oliver jerked slightly as the little girl spoke, having been preoccupied with his own worried thoughts. "What's yours?" She was making a brave attempt at smiling, but her eyes betrayed her fear, and Oliver felt a tug at his heart.

"O-Oliver." He offered so quietly he could barely be heard, his own voice sounding strange to himself. It had been so long since he'd spoken aloud and in fact he was afraid to-- Sly's demand for the chimp to not make another sound during their travels had been deeply traumatic and Oliver hadn't know it was possible for Sly to reach that level of sadism. He doubted the marks from that particular incident would ever fade.

The yelling of the friends who were still battling the monsters snapped him back to reality, he and the Azurill both flinching. "...I-I wish I could do something to help..."

Still struggling to remind himself that the Honchkrow was not here to punish him for talking, Oliver managed a few words. "B-but... he s-said... t-to stay h-here...

But he never said we couldn't watch from the window... The little monkey noticed that one of the structure's "windows" was actually very close to the ground. He and Molly should easily be able to see out of it and as soon as the rest of the feeling in his body came back, he was going to watch. Squeamish or no, he wanted to see if the others were okay.

Nokes refused to admit it, but knew damn well, he’d fucked up. The fire behind him had raged out of control, crawling forwards to sandwich the group between the flames and the undead. The bird weren’t falling quickly enough, the Manectric soon blaming the useless battling companions he’d selected. Ripping mercilessly into the creatures that had the misfortune of falling to the ground, knocked out of the sky by his electric attacks, Nokes was only half-conscious of the group’s activities. His paralyzed friend had been moved, dragged to safety by the heroic Ninetales with the small, blue child. A growl rippled through Nokes on the fox’s return, narrowed eyes glaring accusatorily at the creature as the giraffe conversed with him.

"We need to get out of here-- if the birds don't get us, then the fire will!"

Nokes heard that, turning to face the duo having gorily ripped out the throat of an unfortunate Murkrow.
“What?” The Manectric snapped. “You want to run away?” He spat the words with such contempt that one might think them poisonous to the shiny. Body already coated into a fresh layer of blood, the canine was coping well given the circumstance. His side was aching from grappling with an oversized Honchkrow and a spout of dizziness had accompanied a blow to the head, but otherwise, he was faultless – intent on finishing what he started. Although he knew the danger, the fact the situation was growing dire, Nokes was a stubborn bastard. With a snort and final look to the seemingly endless mass of birds, Nokes acted. “Fine,”

Moving quickly on long, powerful legs, the canine effortlessly dodged the sluggish movements of the undead as he set his eyes on the boulder concealing the weak. Some shred of compassion had been evoked in the knowledge he himself wasn’t able to win this battle and in a rare moment of kindness, he chose to save these idiots. Eyes falling onto the Azurill, Nokes flashed a smile – unfriendly and bitter in accepting defeat in his own test.
“Don’t struggle,” He muttered bluntly, lunging forward to grab the creature delicately in his jaws. Leaving the monkey with a threatening glare, he lifted his head to dangle his victim in front of the battling duo. Whilst his expression held none of his previous hostility, instead replaced with a certain annoyance, he gave a curt nod of his head before sprinting away. He knew a way out of here, but with the group’s current loathing of him, Nokes knew a little incentive was in order. Helpless little Molly was perfect.

Although he hadn’t the patience or time to check on whether the group had understood his intentions, Nokes was swift on his paws and eventually slipped through the entrance of one of the square’s main gates. The flames were wandering dangerously close to the structure, rubble hindering the escape route as the Manectric paused to set the water-type down.
“If you have any use, move some of this,” He barked the order, snide as he began to disassemble the blockage. Part of the building’s wall had collapsed, bricks and wood now piled before the entrance to leave only small glimpses of safety through the vacant doorway opposite. The mocking temptation only worsened the hound’s mood. Growling as he forcefully slung items away, uncaring of where they landed, Nokes’ expression was one of pure hate.

(( Given permission to pick up Molly. :3 ))

Nothing to do as always. As the Harbinger flew over the lands of Sinnoh, his irritaion grew. There was nothing but vile creatures of mindless puss and the rare unfortunate soul whom crossed his path without infection in their eyes. Xatu slaughtered anything that came by him without a blink of his great eyes. But there was never any joy in it. His gaze was as monotone and unfeeling as ever, no expression at all on his face. Moving lower in the sky, the magenta glow around his body showed that, despite wings outstretched and feathers licking the sky, he was moving purely by the psychic power he oozed in troves. An abundance of strength, effortless power that never faded or threatened to. He was unstoppable.

A God.

Of course, he had his own master, but master was not there. Xatu was the God here. He would be the God in his master's absence. Despite the dreary tug beneath his knowledge filled eyes, there was a spark in the bright crimson pools. Yes... He was God. He should have the respect he deserved. A flock of various birds captured the demonic avian's attention, his flight pattern swerving drasticly to head in the direction. They were of his lesser kind. The pawns of mindless corpses. His beak pulled up just slightly in revoltion. They were swarming around something, jolts of color shot into the air evidence of attacks being used in defence. Passing over the ruins of Hearthome, Xatu circled lazily above the park deemed Amity by the humans. The place was strangely perfect and untouched until you take in the blazing forest fire and the destruction of the undead birds.

Xatu's eyes flashed with clear dusgust. They were not worthy to take part in his world. They were cursed to be nothing more than piles of decay. His anger growing, Xatu lowered errily from the air. A bright glow coming to his eyes, the light shining was a sick mixture of Harbinger crimson and Psychic violet, and all the undead froze. Not as in they saw the danger too late and paused. No- the Harbinger literally stopped them all in their actions. Flying midair or falling to the ground or diving in direction of the prey. They were all frozen. "Vile... vermin..." And then they all dropped to the ground, dead. There was no indication of the snapping of their necks all simultaneously in a show of power, but the fight vanished from their decayed bodies before they all hit the grass like stones. The only sound was the cackling of fire as Xatu floated very slowly in the direction of the group of three by the exit, trying to escape. The sinister purpose flowed from the Harbinger as he moved withing two meters of them, never moving a muscle as he regaurded them with a gaurded expression. His voice was monotone, devoid of any emotion as he spoke. "Tell me... why should I let you... live."

[Here to complete a contract... Be clear whom I may or may not harm. Any of you may strike me. But things may be getting a little... ugly.... Hehehe...]

As Caine moved the poor little monkey, Milo fought more against the flock but he felt his strength leaving him. While he wasn't wounded in any way, he knew he was quickly running out of power. With his last statement came an angry retort from the manectric that had gotten them into the entire mess, almost reprimanding Milo for a coward. However, he seemed to come to his senses and agreed with a "Fine." It would have to do.

Milo's legs worked beneath him, carrying him quickly away from the incoming flock. As he ran, he spotted the manectric simply pick Molly up and run, causing the girafarig to skid in a turn to pursue. "HEY!" he cried, pumping his legs harder to catch up. "You can't have her-- stop!"

The chase led to a large pile of rubble that could have only been one of the gates to the place. Halting at the manectric's orders to Molly, Milo gave an angry snort and put a hoof between him and her. "She's just a baby, you asshole! What kind of hard labor do you think she can do?!" Fear gone for the moment, Milo temporarily forgot that he was scolding the same pokemon that had nearly paralyzed him with fear alone. "If you hadn't started that fire, we wouldn't be in this mess, so you can keep your orders to your own fucking self!" Angrily, he turned and started kicking at the rubble, wanting to take out his frustrations on the wall rather than the dog's face. He was angry, not suicidal.

Then, a chill ran through his spine, something making him pause in his action. He turned to see a strange Xatu land, and instantly, the girafarig knew there was something very, very wrong. The frightening manectric no longer mattered. No, the threat was right there, a fellow Johto native, staring at them with the most eerie calm Milo'd ever endured. Swallowing, he couldn't help a tremor run through his form when the creature asked, "Tell me... why should I let you... live."

There were no words. Milo stood, completely stricken with fear, frozen in place.

When the terrifying Manectric grabbed hold of her and ran, Molly couldn't stop screeching. Writhing against his grasp she cried. "LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME!" she screamed, completely ignoring his orders not to struggle. The small Azurill was fearing for her life, shaking in pure fear. It felt like hours before she was put down in front of the blocked gate. “If you have any use, move some of this," Not wanting to be yelled at or threatened, the water-type immediately did what she was told. The child struggled against the debris blocking the exit, too weak to move them.

"She's just a baby, you asshole! What kind of hard labor do you think she can do?! If you hadn't started that fire, we wouldn't be in this mess, so you can keep your orders to your own fucking self!" When the Girafarig came, Molly looked up to the male as if he were her savior, flashing him a grateful smile. However, it wasn't long until her joy faded away, the bodies of dead Fearows falling from the sky in a bloody rain. Before them, a monster landed.

"Tell me... why should I let you... live." The Xatu, it was talking. Talking to them. Molly began to back up into a small corner, scrambling to get away from the hideous... thing. Her mind was screaming at her to run, but her body was too paralyzed with fear to do anything. Heart pumping like mad and sweat trickling down her face, the tiny Azurill thought she was going to go insane. What she did next, however, wasn't too far from it.

"N-NO! NO NO NO NO GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO DIE I DON'T WANT TO DIE NO NO NO!" she screamed, bawling. "NO NO NO YOU'RE NOT THERE, YOU'RE NOT THERE, I CAN'T SEE YOU, YOU DON'T EXIST!" she was covering her eyes with her tail now, cowering in the little nook she forced herself into. "You're not there... This is all a dream... It's an illusion... No no no no no YOU'RE NOT REAL!" peeking out from her blindfold Molly cried even harder when she found that the Harbinger was still there, an aura of danger flowing off of his tainted body.

"No... No no no WHY CAN'T WE BE HAPPY?" she screamed, eyes red and bulging from their sockets as she sobbed, shaking uncontrollably before unleashing her attack. "Just... JUST GO AWAY!" opening her mouth, the tiny Azurill sent a steam of Bubbles at the undead.

[OOC: Feel free to retaliate any way you'd like to Molly. ^w^]

When the Manetric entered their shelter, Oliver had scrambled back as quickly as he'd been capable of out of sheer instinct.

Without a word, the demon flashed them a bitter, almost angry smile, no doubt furious at having to eat his own words about giving up and fleeing.

Oliver gaped in horror as the bigger Pokemon snatched up Molly in his jaws. Frozen in terror, he began to tremble as Nokes locked eyes with him, his smoldering glare rendering the young one speechless.

He then turned, as if to show Caine and Milo that he had Molly, and before Oliver could do anything, he bolted. With a shout of terror, fearing for Molly's life, Oliver scrambled to follow, the paralysis finally wearing off, Molly's screams urging him to move as fast as he was capable of.

Milo apparently had the same idea, and was much faster than a sleepy, half starved, slightly sickly little ape who had just regained the feeling back into his limbs. Painfully slow at the moment, the Chimchar was soon far behind the others and likely would have lost sight of them completely if not for the adrenaline rush that let him keep just close enough to make out their forms in the distance.

By the time he reached them, Milo was angrily shrieking at Nokes (what the actual fuck; did he want to die!? Sure it was infuriating, but still!) while Molly stared at Milo as if he were Arceus's gift to her.

Panting heavily, wobbling on his feet, the ape slowly made his way over to them, intent on at least shielding Molly from the fight that would no doubt explode from the hostility. An innocent little kid didn't deserve this stress, but how was he gonna get her to safety? Maybe he could just grab her and hide...? Use Dig to tunnel out of the park with her...?

He paused for a moment, tilting his head to the side with worry. Something felt... off...

I don't like this feeling I have... something bad's gonna happen...

Something did happen, and plainly put, it was a shitstorm of horror.

Though he knew not the species' name, he recognized the face-- a rather emotionless looking Pokemon, slowly and gracefully landing in between Oliver and the rest of the group.

Immediately his every instinct screamed. It wasn't just the obvious fact that the creature was undead. There was something else, something hideous, something far more terrifying than the zombie birds or even Nokes.

"Tell me... why should I let you... live?"

Sheer terror painted across his face, the youngster began to tremble uncontrollably, utterly frozen. They were going to die. After someone like this asks you that question, you are going to die, and Oliver was well aware of that general fact. Tears pooled in his eyes and he began to hyperventilate as the sheer horror took an axe to his already tattered sanity.

Milo reacted similarly; namely, with silent terror. Molly was another matter, the poor girl breaking into hysterical sobs, screaming as she tried to convince herself that this wasn't real--oh Oliver wished she was right--and eventually sending a weak stream of bubbles at the Xatu.

If maybe, just maybe, the psychic type was going to spare her life before, that would surely be erased now.

Chocolate eyes growing, if possible, even rounder, Oliver made a desperate bid to distract the creature. Picking up a stone, he threw it at the Harbinger's head, ready to run faster than he'd ever done before in his life.

(Ooc: Xatu sir, I love your posts to itty bitty bits and I would be soooooo happy if you used your awesome psychic powers to damage my Ollie physically and/or emotionally, whichever is your pleasure. Just don't kill my baby, please? But seriously, feel free to have lots of fun with this s'long as you don't kill him.)

Nokes was so engrossed in his maniacal removal of the rubble blocking the exit that he hadn’t noticed Molly’s feeble attempts at following his orders nor the arrival of a particularly angry Girafarig. Snapping his head around at the latter’s accusation, a growl rippling from his throat as he glared daggers at the creature now instilled with newfound confidence, Nokes was not in a good mood.
“Shut up!” He snarled, venomous as he pondered how long it would take to slaughter the mouthy bastard and not risk sacrificing precious time to escape. The odds weighed against him, so instead, he let the giraffe-creature off, content to snarl to himself whilst ruthlessly attacking the blockage before him.

He could hear the rest of the group arriving, ragged panting reaching his sensitive ears as he remained absorbed in saving his own skin. But the sudden chill cascading down his spine was enough to halt his frenzied actions. Pausing, eyes widening at the tension that had abruptly descended on the group with intentions to crush them altogether, Nokes turned, angry, to the source.
“What the fuck’s the matt-“

He couldn’t finish.

"Tell me... why should I let you... live?"

The Xatu stood before them was something ripped from nightmares itself. There was no shred of emotion on its face, the air around them suddenly growing sparse as Nokes stared hard at the bird. His initial gusto was sapped, a rare terror probing at his mind, until Molly’s erratic cries brought him back to his senses.

"Just... JUST GO AWAY!”

Nokes was fearless. This undead, extraordinary with its presence and obvious power, wasn’t enough to break his spirit. Snarling, he watched the Azurill’s ballsy attack, stalking to the side as Oliver launched a pebble at the psychic-type’s head. Although the attacking duo had the combined strength of a housefly, clearly clueless to what they were doing, they provided a good distraction. Wasting no time, Nokes launched himself at the Xatu – snarling as he set his tights of tearing out the bastard’s throat.


(( Xatu has my full permission to give Nokes the beating he deserves, lol. You are welcome to blind him in one eye and knock him unconscious. ))

His words had a very powerful and immediate effect on the pitiful group before him. This pleased Xatu and his mood began to spike considerably as they all reacted in their own ways. Where the dumb horse and monkey were gaping with ovious horror, the hound had an almost perplexted yet furious look to his face. The Harbinger was about to wipe that look off his ugly muzzel, when the smallest thing suddenly errupted in a run of words, stumbling over herself. This quickly had the avian's attention, and as his massive taloned feet touched the grassy earth, he folded his wings in close to his scrawny body. It was rare that the Harbinger was allowed to have such fun. He was always there to simply slaughter and occasionally feed, but this group was so large... He just had to stay and investigate.

"No... No no no WHY CAN'T WE BE HAPPY?" The gibbering mess of an Azurill shouted, making Xatu's eyes narrow just slightly in irritation. He had never been one for kids. Annoying and loud little demons. But her pointed accusation struck within the Harbinger and it took all he could not to flinch. No weakness in front of the brutes he was there to terrorize, but the calm left his eyes as the all too familiar flash of the beautiful blue avian behind his eyes reacted from the pup's words. "Be silent," The Harbinger told her sharply, his words almost a growl. But she was too far from her own world to even hear him. She shouted again, only pissing off the Harbinger further. "Just... JUST GO AWAY!"

The stream of bubbles that came from her then was less than pitiful to the duel type. Instead of becoming angrier that she would defy him so, the bird allowed the Psychic cover around his body to vanish, leaving him as vulnerable as he could vitually be. The attack hit him square on in the chest, and Xatu's eyes flashed as he felt nothing, the sad excuse for an already weak attack feeling about as strong as the ocean breeze he rode upon. At that same moment, the monkey was trying something, too. And, once more, this did nothing to irritate the Harbinger. Looking right at the starter Pokemon from the corner of his eye, there was no movement to suggest his own doing as the rock stopped midair. Without so much as a twitch, Xatu sent it flying right back at the primape, crashing into his little body with such force that only a psychic type could do.

The Manectric was airborn then, and Xatu calmly turned to regaurd him. The mutt had been stopped in a fashion similiar to the stone, his body paused midair. The Xatu did not move except to regaurd his attacker with almost curious eyes. He might have been a worthy foe to most other pitiful species, but Xatu was a God. A God in his master's place. He would not be bested. Rotating the dog, Xatu regaurded the others. The equine creature had made no move so he was not a target. The Chimchar had already been downed with a small rock. But the Azurill- she had felt no pain yet. Flicking open one wing, Xatu slammed the black and gold dog onto the ground with a good amount of force. Deciding to take special care of the one whom had been so brave and sure of himself, Xatu brought to himself the pebble the ape had originally intended for him. Having done the damage to the fire type, Xatu held it above the Manectric threateningly. "Do not be so blinded by your own pitiful strength in the sight of true power next time."

And with that, the rock dropped. Powered by his Psychic, the stone embedded itself into the electric type's exposed right eye. Blood splattered across the canine's face as the small and delicate organ exploded, leaving the mineral lodged inside. The Harbinger then turned his attention back to the blue sphere of a Pokemon, plucking her from the ground and holding her before his face. Eyes now narrowed with displeasure, he repeated himself to the child. "You never did give me a good enough reason... for why I should let you live."