(ACE) The ILEX Team

At least she had gotten some replies, so that was good. "I'm Cyrielle," Cyrielle? She was about to say the name to test the sound when the Espurr spoke out. "She goes by Cy," Oh. Well, that was easier to say at least. "I'm Seda." Duma nodded, ears flattening as the Haunter cam over and started shouting something. "Oh hello there, didn't see you earlier! Let me introduce myself!" Duma groaned and buried her muzzle in her paws.

"H- hey!" She looked up to see the Haunter exuberantly shaking Seda's paw, practically shaking the poor Psychic all over the place. "L- Let g- go!" The Persian's bright blue eyes widened at the ghost's violent handshake. That's... Not how it's done. She thought, blinking."My name is Xander. I'm a gentlemon extraordinaire and adventurer. AND NOTHING ELSE THIS TIME!" The cat involuntarily flinched as Xander's voice rose as he addressed the Absol. Duma's ears flattened even more as she drowned out the ghost's words leaving her in her own quiet thoughts. Xander seems to know a little about this place, but didn't the Absol say he was untrustworthy? He is kind of... He thoughts trailed off as the image of the ghost slowly floating down from the tree, screaming came to mind and she had to bite her tongue to stop from laughing.

" ... in this area? I believe it's our best chance for tonight. After that, we will of course be free to move at our own free will." Finally the loud voiced ghost stopped talking and Duma's ears were graced with silence. Well, for a short time at least. "Actually, I think I know what you're talking about," What were they talking about again? Shelter? Maybe it would of paid to listen to the ghost after all. Whoops. "It could be really damaged there...the area, I mean...but it's worth checking out. Right? Yeah, because looking at a damaged building was such a smart idea.

"Of course it is damaged. I estimate that one or two buildings are still standing and offer enough shelter for all of us, but it's still way better than to stay in the open, don't you think? I mean, it will prevent infected to spot us in plain sight. We could also make a fire there: the nights in the forest are rather cold after dusk." Oh look, loud-mouth was talking again. At least they didn't go on a rant again. "Are we staying with them, Cy?" Duma frowned as she looked at Seda from her hiding spot. "The guy over there might cut me in half with his sword!" At first Duma thought they were talking about her and she was confused for a moment before the realized it was the Absol they were talking about. That... Made more sense.

"As I said, nothing prevents us to part our separate ways tomorrow morning, but for the time being, I think it's more than reasonable to stay together. Strength comes in numbers after all. Otherwise, better roll yourself in barbecue sauce and lay on a silver plate while waiting for those monsters to get you for their midnight snack tonight." Wait what? Duma chirruped in surprise, eyes widening as she found herself backing away, her form low tot he ground as she stepped backwards and flattened her ears. God this was a bad idea. She did not need that Haunter poisoning her thoughts with panic.

As she was musing to herself, a scream sounded, disrupting the silence. Duma shot straight to her paws, fur sticking out as her body fluffed up to at least twice it's normal size from her surprise.

"... Have you guys heard that just now, or it was my imagination?""N-No, I-I heard it t-too." She chattered, her stutter more prominent in her started state. "You know what? I don't want to be around to answer my question. Let's get the hell out of here. Cyrielle, please lead the way." Oh god no, they weren't going to just leave them there, were they? Duma's fur lay flat when nothing jumped out at them, and she blinked her eyes, looking at the Absol. "S-should w-we go? I-I mean y-you said earlier t-that the Haunter was uns-stable, but there w-will be others there t-too..." She said, grimacing at her own stutter before perking her ears to listen to the Absol's answer - after all, they seemed to know what they were doing, right?

Ah gods, his head was pounding. A bolt of pain shooting into his skull, channeled from the future by his scythe. Something bad was approaching. The Absol clenched his eyes, trying to focus on the conversation around him. Introductions. The Haunter being a damned fool... again. Now then, focus. Conversation. The now, not the soon to be. Come on soldier, FOCUS. Now's not the time to loose your head. The Shook his head roughly. Now then... the conversation. His new friend was speaking to him, "W-well, surely that H-haunter was just exaggerating, r-right? Maybe we s-should just break c-camp?" She hesitated for a brief moment, before calling out to everyone in the vicinity, "Oh! R-right. Um, I'm D-Duma. I-If I may a-ask, who're you all?" The Dark type half-turned, addressing her loud enough for the newcomers to hear. "I'm sorry, must seem horribly rude."He laughed quietly before continuing, "My name is Apos, Celare being my surname." The others of the group responded in turn. Xander (the idiot ghost), Cyrielle, the graceful dragon, and Seda, the... boisterous Espurr. Apos opened his mouth to greet them in kind, when his head began screaming.

Something was near. Time or Space, the Absol couldn't tell. All he knew was that his Scythe was as a lightning rod now, waves of anxiety pouring into him as a sense of impending doom loomed above him. His mouth opened, and his words struggled against his now ashen tongue and dried mouth as a roar echoed through the broken forest. The orifice closed, and he swallowed hard before speaking loudly to the group, "There's... something coming, something bad. You lot, please, please take cover. I'm going to go... try and stop it, whatever it is. At the very least I can buy some time." He turned then, speaking quietly to the Persian beside him, "Make sure they get to safety, alright? Go with the Haunter if you have to, he may be a fool, but he does seem to know the area, and if nothing else, he can buy some time."

A scream was dying out now, being shortly drowned out by another roar. "You all need to go, NOW!" The Absol tensed his legs under him before bounding forward, his dark pelt rapidly fading in the dying light of the sun.

(Skip me please.)

The Espurr trembled, her fur standing up as she waited for the Dragonair's reply. It came swift, Cyrielle speaking gently, "Shh, Seda. I'm sure he won't... cut anyone in half." There was a certain hesitation, though, and the kitten did not like it. "But Cy-" Before she could complain further, though, Xander came closer and whispered a warning, pointing to the pile of splinters that had once been a tree. The Espurr's fur spiked up and she wailed. "Cy!![/i]

Suddenly a deep bellow rang through the forest, much too close for her comfort. "...What was that?" The Dragonair whispered, her horror poorly concealed. Seda pressed herself closer to her friend's head. "I want to go now.." Tears bit around the corners of her eyes, the fear seeping into her heart. The Absol, Apos was struggling to speak, but as he managed to get back to his paws, the Espurr watched with round eyes. When had he fallen?

"There's... something coming, something bad. You lot, please, please take cover. I'm going to go... try and stop it, whatever it is. At the very least I can buy some time." Seda's tail flicked down, pressing against her leg. "Wh- what does he mean?" she whispered to Cy. She had a feeling she did not want to know. Another dying cry rang through the air, a deep screech, cut off abruptly. "You all need to go, NOW!"

"Cy?!" the Espurr squeaked in panic. Apos had already vanished into the forest, leaving them to their own devices. "Come on! Xander, you have the best idea of where the shelter is, choose a direction and lead the way!"

The answer of the other Pokémons had a bitter-sweet effect on Xander's mind: it meant that he wasn't hearing things which, in general, is a good sign of a great mental health. The thing, however, was that it also meant that something was not far away, something VERY dangerous, and if he apply the logic he had experienced for the last years... well.... that very dangerous thing will go straight after them, period. They always do. At least, he still got his senses. Seda let out a plaintive cry, urging Cyrielle to take them away from there. Xander couldn't agree more. However, before he could say anything, the Absol spoken: "There's... something coming, something bad. You lot, please, please take cover. I'm going to go... try and stop it, whatever it is. At the very least I can buy some time." The Haunter shook his head and objected. "Listen, I won't preventing you from playing the superhero role, but I've seen those things in action. I don't know about you, but we were three and we couldn't....." An unpleasant wave of memories flew through the ghost's mind. That Gyarados.... in this very forest... and Ruby dissapearing from the surface, brought down deep into the pond to suffer before his last breathe...

The thought was so untolerable that Xander's whole body shrivers, and another death cry rang through the woods. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that alone, you don't stand a chance. You'll be dead before even reaching it for an attack, and you'll be condemned to travel this land as a walking abomination." But of course, the canine didn't even listened to what he said. He commanded to the lot to take cover immediately before dissapearing in the bushes. Xander pinched between his eyes and sighed: "He's insane or what? A fuckin' suicide mission, that's what it is!" He opened his eyes, and everyone was looking at him. Was anything the matter. Then Cyrielle asked him to guide them. Oh, of course.He's probably the one who best know the parts here.

He remained silent for a few seconds, then looked at the tree tops. "Hang on a sec, I'll be right back". He then floated high in the sky, equaling the tree tops. The sun might be dissapearing from the sky, but there's enough light to show the differences between shadows and matter. However, a sudden breeze caught the ghost offguard, forcing him to swim in the airs like a fool while he's trying to get a grip on the nearest pine top, while of course debiting an abnormal numbers of colorful swears. He finally caught the tree, clinging into it and looked at the forest in its whole. Further away, he could clearly see a continuous dent in the forest. There was no doubt about it: It was the forest path. Another breeze flew in and the poor ghost hod on to the tree, screaming more insanities to the winds.

When it finally all calmed down, he floated back to the others. " Fortunately, the forest path is rather near. If we could reach it, we'll be able to find a way out of this damn forest, either by going toward Azalea town ("or rather what's remaining of it" he kept for himself) or toward Route I-don't-know-what-number-it-is. Follow me closely." That said, he darded back into the forest, hoping he could put them to safety fast enough so he could go and help the foolish Absol in time.

Okay, so they all had names. Xander, Cy, Seda and... She looked over at the inverted Absol, blue eyes curious. What was his name? "I'm sorry, must seem horribly rude." The Disaster Pokemon turned to face them, before continuing to introduce himself. "My name is Apos, Celare being my surname." Apos... Celare? Duma didn't know if she had a surname. If she did - what was it? Did her twoleg give her one? Did she have one with her clan? The questions were giving her a headache. She shook her head, chasing the headache-inducing thoughts away.

"...What was that?" At the dragonair's shout, Duma's fur spiked up and she looked around wildly. Were they being attacked? Was someone turning on them? Did someone keel over just then and now there was something here to kill them?!"I want to go now.." At another glance, no, everything was still okay around them. It was just the screaming. Duma's spine tinged and she shuddered, her fur lying flat again. "Come on! Xander, you have the best idea of where the shelter is, choose a direction and lead the way!" Oh, they were following the weird crazy ghost? But, what about Apos? She thought, torn between helping Apos and going with the others. "There's... something coming, something bad. You lot, please, please take cover. I'm going to go... try and stop it, whatever it is. At the very least I can buy some time." Wait, "What" Duma's voice squeaked, too high in pitch and making the cat wince. "Wh- what does he mean?" She wasn't the only one surprised by Apos it seemed. "Cy?!"

"Listen, I won't preventing you from playing the superhero role, but I've seen those things in action. I don't know about you, but we were three and we couldn't....." Duma winced. Oh god what was Xander talking about? Was it a bad idea to go see what that was? Oh for Christs sake he was going to fight it! Duma crouched low to the ground, blunt claws digging into the dirt as her bright blue eyes darted between the ghost and dark type.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that alone, you don't stand a chance. You'll be dead before even reaching it for an attack, and you'll be condemned to travel this land as a walking abomination." Oh dear god Apos was going on a suicide mission. Duma whined again, paws going to cover her muzzle as she bit back a cry to tell the Absol to stay. "Make sure they get to safety, alright? Go with the Haunter if you have to, he may be a fool, but he does seem to know the area, and if nothing else, he can buy some time." Oh dear god why was he entrusting this to her?! Duma looked up at the Absol, meeting his green-gold eyes. "Only if you promise to come back, okay?" She said, her voice quiet as she spoke, almost a whisper.

"You all need to go, NOW!" Scrambling to her paws, Duma watched as the Absol darted off, ears perked for any sort of sign that the Absol was fighting. "He's insane or what? A fuckin' suicide mission, that's what it is!" Duma whined, looking back at the Dragonair and Espurr. "Hang on a sec, I'll be right back." Xander floated up to the treetops, possibly looking for the path. They floated back down a few moments later, addressing their group. "Fortunately, the forest path is rather near. If we could reach it, we'll be able to find a way out of this damn forest, either by going toward Azalea town or toward Route I-don't-know-what-number-it-is. Follow me closely." With that he started floating off. Duma stood still for a moment, looking behind her to where Apos disappeared.

You better come back. She thought, before turning to follow Xander and the others.

(Skip)

The look Duma gave him before he ran was haunting, desperate. "Only if you promise to come back, okay...?" The Absol could only nod, memory flaring into painful association, that same emotion flashing through his gold eyes. His former mate had said almost the same to him before he left with his trainer... She didn't take that advice herself before he came home, infection claiming both her and his child in his absense... His head shook, body turning and... he ran, wide paws padding noiselessly against the packed earth of the forest floor. His head lowered as he ran, horn pulsing with the sickly vibes of whatever was happening ahead. Another roar echoed out, further away this time... seeming to depart. The smell was reaching the Absol now, a sickening aura of rot and charred flesh, wood smoke ad ash... and above all the rich mettalic sting of blood fresh spilled.

The veteran slowed as he entered the clearing, scythe now silent, quiet... whatever danger was here had come and passed... His eyes flicked around, taking in the scene. A line of trees smoldered to his right, not quite burning. Glowing puddles of what seemed to be lava were dotted here and there, almost as if flung by the beast from before... and there, in the center... Oh no... oh please no.... The soldier broke into a sprint, eyes locked on the bodies before him. A burst Drifloon, side torn open, skin a charred ruin. And... the remains of something, body flattened and bloodied... green fur stained crimson. The Absol knelt, scythe gingerly hooking a stained beret from the mess, tossing it to the side. It would be a nice memento, should the soldier ever find family of the creature. And with that, Apos got to work, paws scrabbling in the dirt, tossing it to the side... digging a plot for the two here.

The moon was sitting low in the sky as the Absol finished his work, a pair of fresh graves, marked with simple sticks shoved in the ground. Atop one hung the green jacket, faded almost to black with the stains of the attack. Apos turned, hooking the hat onto his horn once more, padding past the Xander, who had been a silent observer to the battlefield burial. "You don't like me. I know that, I get it. But don't think for a second I'm useless, because this is what we're up against. I've dealt with it before; this isn't the first funeral I've had to oversee, alright...?" Apos slowed, eyes flicking up to meet the Ghost's. "And... for what it's worth, I'm sorry about earlier. Now... mind taking me back to the others? I don't want to be out here, after dark, for too much longer..."

[ skip, nothing to do, and out of time to bring in jasmine unfortunately. i will next round! ]

Xander took a quick glance behind him, and realised everyone was following him. Good. They darded through the woods, passing tree after tree with a surprisingly high speed. The Ghost kept floating on a straight line, getting through the obstacles without any difficulty, but slowing down and waiting for the others to get around them. At this rate, it wouldn't take long before they hit the r....

What was that?

Xander thought he catched a glimpse of light, not so far on his right, but it vanished as soon as he passed it. Looking back, the Ghost couldn't see any light. Turning around again, he could clearly see the road now, through the trees ahead. Finally! Huh, that light must have been his imagina....

Again, on his left.

Something wasn't right. At all, because right after he passed it, plenty of lights could be seen, left and right, near and far between them and the road ahead. With the last rays of Sun shining down on the forest, the rare patches of light that could get through the green roof of the forest shown that there was plenty of things on the ground, probably of metallic nature. He forced himself to stop, which had the same effect on the others followed him. He pointed the lights around them, on the ground: "Do.... you see them too?" Back to the time he was still in Ilex a few years ago, he didn't saw anything like that with Plague. He hoped it wasn't his brain acting up again, but it could as well may be. After all, the lack of sleep and food could've been causing hallucination again. Hesitantly, the answers of the others were confirming tho that the lights, or rather the reflexions, were real. The Haunter took a rather large dead branch that was laying there and approached the nearest reflexion of the group. There was definately something there, under a heavy bed of dead leaves. What could it be? Xander pondered that as he poked it with the branch. He looked at the road again, wondering why there was so much of those things by the side of the road than deeper in the forest.... like if it was some kind of-

CRAK!

Xander felt a shriver get through him as the severed end of the branch flew threw him, spinning in the airs before bouning off a few trees and finally landing with a dull thud. With a shaking claw, he brang the branch piece he was still holding to his eyes level, realising it had been sharply cut. Looking at the gleaming, metallic jaws of the thing, Xander knew at that moment what it was.

"Okay. I need you to all stay calm and focus on where you put your paws. I'm gonna go first, and you will carefully walks in the exact same trail I will go through. If you do that, everyone will be happy.... and whole."

Leaving the triggered bear trap behind, the Haunter slowly make his way through the no man's land, the sound of dead leaves being shoved away and an occasionaly Toc! followed by a quick change of direction. Finally, after what looked to him as an eternity to him, Xander finally reached the road. He floated to a rock on the other side of the road, examinated it before floating back to the group. "Now that we are all safe and sound here, I'm gonna ask you to wait by the rock over there" he said, pointing said rock. "I have to go get Mr. Hero-pants before he gets mauled by those damn flesh-eating demons. After all, what kind of gentlemon I would be if I let others down without helping them, mh?" Not even waiting for an answer, the Haunter darded back in the still darkening forest, hoping to be in time.

After following the trail back from where they came, Xander floated in the direction of where Apos ran. It didn't took him long to find him, filling what appeared to be graves. The moon was geting up already, and now everything was quite dark, anyway darker than in daylight. Xander waited by a tree for the Absol to finish his duty, silently. There wasn't anything to say anyway that would be appropriate for the moment. His deed finished, the Absol turned back and padded to him. "You don't like me. I know that, I get it." Xander swallowed a DAMN RIGHT I DON'T back. Again, it wasn't the time for that." But don't think for a second I'm useless, because this is what we're up against. I've dealt with it before""I'm not saying that you're useless, I'm saying that you're useless ALONE. Trust me, I've dealt with those creatures before too, even here it this Arceus-forsaken place." "This isn't the first funeral I've had to oversee, alright...?""...and unfortunately, it might not be your last, as it might not be my last too. Sad to say, but it's the blatant truth."The Haunter paused for a second, then added:"At least, you gave them proper burial. I wish I was able to do that too back then."

"And... for what it's worth, I'm sorry about earlier." Mixed feeling went through Xander's mind before a "Forget about it" was reluctantly said. "Now... mind taking me back to the others? I don't want to be out here, after dark, for too much longer..."
"What a WONDERFUL idea! Oh, but let me warn you first: There's bear traps everywhere, especially near the road, so you might want to be extra careful right? The others are waiting us on the road, safe and sound." With that said, the Haunter floated away, hoping that they will reunite with the others without any incident soon.

The spotted feline stayed close to Xander, cerulean eyes darting back and forth cautiously. Her thoughts were racing a dozen miles an hour and she could't slow them. What if the creature was still around? What if it came and attacked them? What if Apos didn't come back? Calm down, you're panicking. The thing won't come back, hopefully. Apos looks composed enough, I'm sure he'll be fine... She thought, but the cat couldn't help herself when she slowed down, looking behind her and searching the trees.

When she flicked her gaze back to the ground, a shimmer of light caught her eye. She shook her head, writing it off as a trick of the light. As she kept sweeping her gaze over the ground, there were more of them. Now sure that it wasn't a trick, Duma's fur spiked up and she froze."Do.... you see them too?" She all but ran when Xander spoke, the ghost's voice making her jump. "N-no, I see t-them too." She said, blue eyes wide as they watched the ghost pick up a large stick, going over to one of the lights and prodding at it.

A few moments later, Duma was finally calming down that nothing had happened, when suddenly - CRACK!

"Xander!" Her shout was instant as soon as she heard the noise, her legs stiff as she watched the ghost go flying into a tree.

"Okay. I need you to all stay calm and focus on where you put your paws. I'm gonna go first, and you will carefully walks in the exact same trail I will go through. If you do that, everyone will be happy.... and whole." Oh dear god they were in a minefield of bear traps. Each step the cat took was stiff, her ears perked and all the fur along her spine was standing on end.

After a painstakingly long time, they reached the road, and Duma all but collapsed. "Now that we are all safe and sound here, I'm gonna ask you to wait by the rock over there" Wearily, she followed Xander's instructions, heading over to the rock. She looked it over, jumping up on top of it so that she could watch to see when Apos would get back. "I have to go get Mr. Hero-pants before he gets mauled by those damn flesh-eating demons. After all, what kind of gentlemon I would be if I let others down without helping them, mh?"

Her gazed widened a bit more and the fur down her legs pricked upwards. Breathe dammit, breathe. They will be fine, so stop panicking. She thought, taking in a deep breath and flexing her claws, the non-retractable black stubs gripping the rock so that she could stand and keep watch for Xander and Apos's return.

Wes sighed as he paused in his day-long trek for a moment, taking the opportunity to glance around his position before squatting for a breather. Shit, he was tired, but it looked like he was successful. A grin tugged at his lips as his fingers tugged gently at the shackle around his neck; the thing that tied him to Headquarters. He'd managed to fuck around with it enough to where the barrier got pushed further and further, but he'd never gotten this far before. It was truly a momentous occasion; he'd get away from that fucking prison one of these days.

Cracking his neck before standing again, he frowned at the thick canopy above him. He knew it was getting dark soon, but it already felt like midnight in the forest. It was dark already and he didn't see a place in the forest to get proper room for a takeoff. Where had the entrance to the forest been? He looked behind him and felt his heart sink a little; it looked exactly like what was in front of him. Well, shit. Looked like he wasn't getting back to Mommy before dinner. The thought only made him grin a bit, his spirits restored. He could explore again. He could roam. This was no longer a dumb-ass scouting mission, no-- he was free.

The man skipped along, carting his gun in his arms as he weaved joyfully through the trees. No nagging, no bossy Champions, no angry bitches-- nope! He was free to do as he finally pleased. But as he skipped, something strange floated about him on the air: it sounded suspiciously like voices. Slowing to a halt once more to listen in, he peeked his head around a tree to see something very spotty and kinda weird. Looking at it a little longer, he discovered it was actually a Persian. Weird. But it didn't look Infected, so that was a decent enough reason to poke his nose into its business. If it didn't want company, he'd happily fuck off somewhere else and see how far he could really go.

"Heya, there," he called gently, not wanting to scare the cat. He kept the gun close to him, across his chest to keep as non-terrifying as possible while still protecting himself. "Just goin' for a jog and I found you. Nutty, huh?"


[[Pm me if I need to change anything. DOOMY I SEE U.]]

I'm terribly sorry, but please skip me. I know I just came out of the SH, but life is... preventing me from posting.

Making her way through the forest, Jasmine gave a soft sigh as her boots crunched the undergrowth. It won't be a dead end. It won't be. Not this time, it can't be. Her dirty green uniform blended in easily with the shadows, black boots and gloves helping her form break into the dark. Clenching and releasing her first, the woman brought her hand back to the weapon in her hands, the rifle as poised and alert as her eyes which flickered around her without rest. "Anything nearby?" she hissed to her companions.

From the brush on both her sides, a Magneton and Magnezone emerged, the living magnets silently whirling their inner gears as they helped keep lookout for their trainer with three pairs of extra eyes. "BZZT NOT WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR, M'LADY," the Magnezone tells her, his sharp, robotic tone hushed as to not echo.

But his comment makes her tan eyes narrow. "Then there are uninfected nearby?" she demanded sharply. Growing twitchy, the woman moved her weapon to one hand again, bringing the other up to run through her hair anxiously. Having long since sheared it short for work in the field, the soft brown wave was now just barely above her shoulders, the edges messy and uneven. But she had more to worry about that getting her hair line perfect.

Magnezone buzzed softly, considering. "NOT...NECESSARILY. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM, BUT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GAUGE IF THEY ARE CLEAN OR NOT."

Jasmine steels her eyes, the narrowed glare colder than her type of choice as she once more grips the gun with both steady hands. "Then be on your guard," she growled. The magnet twins nodded in agreement. As she stepped forward, they naturally kept behind, on both sides, as they had been trained to do. The turning red and blue appendages on their sides whirled silently, preparing twin thunderbolts if the need to protect their trainer arises.

Jasmine can hear sounds, now... Pokeon sounds. While the meowing and static-like mumbling was coming through her earpiece, she flicked her head in an attempt to fix the translator. However, she only managed to knock it out of one ear, causing the woman to hiss angrily through her teeth. She rapidly replaces it in her ear, turning the dial to engage the range so that she can hear the group before she sees them. There were Pokemon alright, and they seemed civil enough, but it remained to be seen. Many sick Pokemon acted well enough at first.

Her mind flashed back, taking her again to the memory of when her life was shattered without warning. The brightness in the monster's eyes, the Tyranitar staring her right in the face as Amphy's screams ripped through her ears. The sharp, glass breaking sound as it bit through his tail. The fire. Steelix's roars. The screams. The screaming.

Her screaming.

Ripped into the flashback, it took the shock from Magneton to bring her back. Jasmine's eyes snapped back open, her breathing rapid and her face covered in sweat. Straightening up, she realised she had been doubled over in the episode. Turning to stare with round eyes at her partner, the distress and worry in the mechanical eyes disturbed her.

Stubbornly setting her face in the cold mask again, she pulled her gun back into position in her hands without a word. "Could be worse," she grunted to him. Stepping forward once more, her military boots smashed right through the bush as she quickly approached the group of Pokemon. Holding the gun tightly, in preparation to aim and fire if necessary, she first saw the Pokemon-- a Persian, a Dragonair, an Espurr-- but then she saw... "...Wes?"

Jasmine's expression twisted with disgust. He was not part of her mission. Base was miles away. And she would have made special care not to bring someone untrustworthy like him. But she had also needed her solo mission. Hinting the thing was for her revenge, not his. Not anyone's. She glared at him, their matching uniforms giving clear indication that they are acquainted. "How are you all the fuck out here?" she growled.

[ ooc: skipping seda ]

It didn't took long before both the Haunter and the Absol ran back to the little clearing they were earlier. As they engaged their way inot the second part of their trip, Xander was worried about the light in the sky. This time, there wasn't any light shining down to help them. It wasn't quite night yet, as the patches of red and orange in between the foliage of the forest indicate. Even if they have to hurry back to the others, the pair had no choice but to slow down to proceed safely. The Ghost Pokémon remember the wood stick he was holding snapping in half like it was a simple staw, and didn't necessarly want the same thing happening to the Absol behind him.


After numerous precautions and detours, they finally arrive near the road where the Haunter left the others. This last portion of their trip was the most dangerous one, as the concentration of bear traps was astronishing there. Taking once again a stick, Xander use the same method as he used in the first time to avoid those deadly traps. But he stopped suddenly and froze when he saw the two humans standing near the others. They were dressed in the same fashion, so they must be together, or at least related to some sort. They also had their weapons drawn, which worried the Ghost. In his years of travelings, he heard stories.... about how humans, in a cowardly panic, shot down their pokémon in fear of the infection spreading to them, and had to hand over their Pokémons to leave them to their doomed fate. Are they there to do the same?
Probably not, judging by the Magnezone near the female human, but he can't be sure of that.


He silently turned toward the Absol, a claw on his mouth to urge him to be silent and floated aside to let him know of the situation by himself. Xander then asked him quietly what they do now. Barging in wouldn't be a good idea, neither sneaking their way in. As he checked one last time that they haven't beem spotted yet, he turned to the Absol, waiting for the next step.

(OoC: Sorry if it's a bit short, I haven't slept well yesterday and I'm a little tight in time)

As the feline looked out over the road, her rounded ears swiveled back and forth, listening for anything that could mean danger. The cat's tail curled slightly, waving back and forth almost lazily. Every-so-often she would sniff the air, in case she got wind of either Apos or Xander. Her mind wandered to the thought of those bear traps. Why would thye even be here? What if Apos or Xander got caught in one? Oh god I don't need that image, nonono please no. She thought, her ears flickering as she heard footsteps.

Jumping at the unexpected sound, Duma looked around wildly for a moment, her fur spiking up. Her blue eyes fell on the human that stood a little ways off, a gun in hand. At the sight of the gun, Duma's eyes widened and she went to take a step back, but stopping as her hind paw touched nothing but air. Maybe standing on the rock wasn't a good idea. She could still jump though. The Persian's claws gripped the rock as she steeled herself. It's okay, maybe they're friendly? But what about the gun? Oh god are they going to shoot me? I don't want to die, please no. Duma lowered herself to the rock, her blunt claws gripping it like a lifeline, which in her mind, right now it was.

"Heya, there," Duma's fur spiked up as they spoke, but something in her mind registered their tone. They were being nice..? Duma did not move from her spot, though now she was looking over the human with a more softer gaze. They weren't going to shoot her, right? "Just goin' for a jog and I found you. Nutty, huh?" Duma purred a little to answer them, smiling a little bit. Okay, they were being nice, they weren't going to shoot her. Maybe.

"...Wes?" Duma's pupils shrank and she snapped her head around to face the other human. Oh god where did they come from? Oh god no why didn't I hear them, is this a trap? This is a trap isn't it? A quiet squeak emitted from the cat as she practically flattened herself on the rock, her tail tightly curled up alongside her right side. So far the other human just seemed to be angry at the first human - Wes did they call them? But that could change, and then they could both be attacking and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it... "How are you all the fuck out here?"

Duma chirruped so as to probably get their attention, glancing up from where she was currently hunkered down. "U-uh... I, I d-don't know w-who you t-t-two are, b-but could we possib-bly not yell? O-or argue m-maybe..? Just p-please dont s-shoot me, I, I d-don't mean a-any harm." She said, her stutter coming back in full force. After speaking out, Duma shrunk back as though she expected them to turn their guns on her and shoot. While she knew that her trainer would not of done so, she didn't know how trigger happy these two were, and the cat did not want a bullethole anywhere on her body if she could help it.

The persian seemed friendly enough; even though it spiked its fur and tail in alarm at first, it seemed to calm a little as he spoke to it. The thought that maybe he'd actually managed to find a wild pokemon that wasn't trying to eat his beautiful face made him smile wider and he offered an unarmed hand toward the cat. But soon a fellow voice nearby disrupted the nice little moment he was sharing with the feline, a harsh and angry alto. "...Wes?"

Wes whirled at his name, eyes wide with alarm. "Shit!" He fought the urge to run; anyone that knew his name also knew he shouldn't be all the way out here, much less, you know, outside. He turned to see Jasmine glowering as she moved toward him, her own gun in tow. "How are you all the fuck out here?"

Wes could only think to give a small half smirk in reply as his mind raced to find a real reason besides the obvious truth. Sight-seeing? Surveying local pokemon for opinion polls? Amateur geology? ...Burying his porn stash? Just about anything was better than the actual reason: trying to escape. However, the frightened cat caught between them shuddered on its perch fearfully, looking like it was nearly about to faint. "U-uh... I, I d-don't know w-who you t-t-two are, b-but could we possib-bly not yell? O-or argue m-maybe..? Just p-please dont s-shoot me, I, I d-don't mean a-any harm."

There it was, his opportunity. Positioning himself more behind the cat, he still held out his hand. "Nah, buddy, we're not going to shoot you. We're good guys. Come on, Jaz, put down that gun-- you're scaring him!" he admonished playfully, swinging his own gun onto his back. He squatted down to be on more of an eye level with the persian, smile still very much intact. "It's been a while since I saw such a healthy wild pokemon. That's good news, right?"

He'd heard horror stories of the Ilex Forest before. It was haunted by undead that could not die, and would stalk any living creature that dared entered its shadowed borders, hunting them down no matter how far they ran. Nobody that entered the forest left again, it was said.

Like I give a fuck.

Adam walked through the overgrown forest as if he'd lived there his whole life, his eyes and ears alert for any movement or sounds. The undead weren't worth being scared of, but that didn't just magically wave away the danger they posed. Adam wasn't an idiot.
For once, his mind was almost quiet; the ever-present accusations and voices were faded to a dull background noise. He could deal with that. Maybe this forest wasn't that bad, if it gave Adam the chance to clear his head and actually be completely on his own for the first time in years.

Then Adam's ears twitched; just when he was thinking about being completely alone, he had to hear external voices? The fucking odds-irritation clawed at his throat but instead of mumbling profanities, the Radeon crept forward silently, wanting a better look at whoever was speaking. At least then he'd know what to keep an eye out for, after he left.

"....a while since I saw such a healthy wild pokemon. That's good news, right?"

Huh. This was unusual-not one, but two humans, with a few other Pokemon around them. One was positively shaking and the other two...were pretty much the same way. Surprised they haven't been shot yet. Humans were infamous for being trigger-happy.

Adam's attention shifted to the dragon who had a small cat on their head-the two were obviously close, much to his annoyance. The feline was saying something to her companion, but he couldn't make out what it was-whatever she'd said, the dragon must've agreed to it. With a fearful look at the less amiable of the two humans-was fear the only emotion these Pokemon had?-the dragon was off, flying into the air and out of sight. Adam felt nothing at their departure; hell, he hadn't even known the pair's names, why should he bother to give a damn?

"At least someone has some fucking sense," Adam muttered to himself; that dragon and cat had probably just avoided getting bullet holes in the throat, and two more in the head for good measure.

The rebellious soldier whipped around, yellow eyes locking with her own. Jasmine narrowed her's to slits, hearing the sharp, "Shit!" from the other.

The former gym leader held her gun tighter, her famous glare burning into him. Immediately, Wes' face seemed to morph into a false smirk, as if he were in control of the situation. "I'm waiting," she growled.

But it was the Pokemon she had not paid attention too that spoke, a Persian with tan fur and black spots dotting it's entire frame. Jasmine frowned, the magnet twins close at her heels if it decided to be hostile. "U-uh... I, I d-don't know w-who you t-t-two are, b-but could we possib-bly not yell? O-or argue m-maybe..? Just p-please don't s-shoot me, I, I d-don't mean a-any harm," it begged, causing Jasmine's expression to remain unchanged. As if she would fall for that.

"I won't shoot anything without a reason to," she responded bluntly. Apparently this was enough to make a pair of her friends abandon the cause, a Dragonir fleeing with a catlike companion. Jasmine's eyes followed the retreat, but they did not attack, and she ignored it.

"Nah, buddy, we're not going to shoot you," Wes tried to soothe the Persian, earning an eye roll from the steel type trainer. " We're good guys. Come on, Jaz, put down that gun-- you're scaring him!" he dared to scold her, having the balls to put his weapon away, smiling at the cat.

Jasmine resisted the urge to snarl at the fool. Had he been outside the base so little that he would trust any uninfected Pokemon he came across?!

"It's been a while since I saw such a healthy wild pokemon. That's good news, right?" He asked her, smiling happily at the cat then her.

Jasmine gave an emotionless, "No." Healthy, wild Pokemon were not what she was after. Besides, they only brought more pain. Everything got infected eventually. But after a few seconds, she sighed, clicking her gun into it's holder on her back. "But long as it doesn't try anything, I won't point the barrel at it," she muttered, awkwardly looking away from the pair. The way Wes was so friendly and playful without any reason was sick. He had lost his partner, too. He knew the risk. Why would he keep tempting the universe to just fuck himself up again?

She would not give it the chance.

"BZZT... MISTRESS," Magneton murmured from her side, causing his trainer to turn her sharp gaze to him. "THERE IS ANOTHER, APPROACHING. UNINFECTED."

Jasmine was about to ask how he could know it was not tainted, when she saw the slick, violet Pokemon. Her eyes narrowed. A poison type. That would be how. "You know it?" she asked the Persian, not unkindly, gesturing with a jerk of her head towards where the Radeon had emerged.

Unfortunately, the Absol didn't have an answer for him. The Haunter desided it was then best to avoid them as long as they could, but spy on them to make sure Duma and the others were safe. He turned around to listen to what the humans were arguing about. Looks like the male one was not supposed to be there, to the displeasure of the female one. He didn't pay much attention to what they were saying, his eyes fixed on the guns they held, and the terrified Duma in between them. This could be bad, really bad. Soon however, the male human swung his rifle on his back, and seemed to not want to harm the Persian. With a relief sigh, he turned around to warn the Absol about what happened, but he white and blue pokémon was nowhere to be found. Slightly panicking, Xander called Apos with the lowest voice he could, to not alert the humans: " Apos? Apos! Where the fuck are you and what you're doing?"

As a response, the Ghost heard some leave ruffling to his left. He probably had to take care of a "pressing matter" that couldn't wait. Rolling his eyes, he resumed his observation. The female human finally stored her weapon in its case on her back. So these ones at least have the common sense to ask questions first and shoot later. a sudden gust of wind blew, bringing with it the first coolness of what would soon be a cold night, along with a swift draft of rotten flesh that Xander nearly chocked on. The infecteds were roaming again. They had to decide what the next course of action will they take, and fast. He then turned around and spoke to the Absol: "Damn Apos, it's reeking like those damn flesheaters here, what have you been eat-HOLY ARCEUS' SHIT ON A STICK!"

To the Haunter's great surprise, it wasn't Apos that was making that ruckus in the leaves, but a Ratatta that had seen better days, half of its face swollen and the other fixing him like he was some sort of floating cotton candy. As the undead leaped to get a taste of the Haunter, Xander quickly reacted by backing away and casting a Shadow Ball that went directly against a tree's base, sending the monster flying further away in the forest. The Haunter was breathing erraticly and loudly, still frightened by the sudden appearence of the flesh eater.The fatal blow wasn't given by Xander himself, but by the bear trap the rodent landed on. Only a sickening snap could be heard by Xander's hears, and it was good enough to not investigate further on the matter. With a sigh of relief, he was about to resume his observation when he noticed something: He wasn't hiding in the forest anymore, he was in the middle of the road.
With a nervous palate clicking, he looked at his left, and of course, everyone was now looking at him. The awkward atmosphere didn't last for long, because the tree that had been hit by Xander's move was now the source of cracking noises before completely fall into the path just beside the Ghost, which sulked his head into his non existing shoulders when the tree finally crashed down.

After the dust settled down, Xander took a look at the tree, before turning to the others. With a nervous laugh, he talked to them: "Hehehe....He.... As much as I would like to explain everything that just happened to you, I think it would be in our common and best interest to just move on and go to Azalea while there's no one hot on our heels right now. Sounds good?" (of course, he didn't let time to anyone to even say one word) "Fantastic! Let's go then!" He then floated past the group like nothing had happened and awkwardly try to whistling, but miserably failed to do so.

Oh god she was going to get shot.

Duma's fur was on end as her sky blue eyes flickered fearfully between the two humans. Were they going to shoot her? Or were they just going to stand and bicker? Where was Xander and Apos? Did they get caught by the bear traps?

Each question heightened Duma's sense of fear, and the cheetah Persian almost jumped clean out of her pelt when the female human spoke, her pupils shrinking as she kept her focus on the gun the human had. Duma didn't notice it, but her entire frame was shaking in fear of getting shot. If the cat tried to get up now, she would most definitely fall flat on her face.

"I won't shoot anything without a reason to,"

The cat's entire state froze for a moment. Her eyes froze, never leaving the gun, even though the cat tilted her head so that the human's face was in her field of view as well. They... Weren't going to shoot her? Duma's legs practically turned to jelly. She wasn't going to die just yet. Well, that was good news, right? "Nah, buddy, we're not going to shoot you," Breathing a sigh of relief, Duma's fur lay flat as she tried to calm herself. Okay, so the male one was nice and wasn't going to shoot her. Maybe they could protect her from the angry female one?

That thought seemed to shift Duma's focus as she jumped off the rock, skittering around to hide behind Wes, shifting to her hind legs so that she could peer over the human's shoulders by putting her paws on their right shoulder. "We're good guys. Come on, Jaz, put down that gun-- you're scaring him!" The cat would be much happier if the guns were put away, that was a definite thing. Wes had already put his gun away, slinging it across his back, where Duma now stood, front paws perched on the human's right shoulder and her hind legs just behind them as her blue eyes peeked out from over her spotted paws.

"It's been a while since I saw such a healthy wild pokemon. That's good news, right?"
"No."

The fur along the Persian's spine went up. Oh god the other human was still going to shoot her weren't they? Oh good god no please I don't want to die, I don't want to die please don't shoot me/ She thought in a rush, her ears flattening as she pressed her head into the crook of the human's neck, closing her eyes. "Please d-don't let the scary l-lady shoot me." She mumbled, cracking one eye open to watch in horror as Seda and Cy fled. "W-wait! No..." She called softly, but her voice didn't have enough strength to be loud enough. "Don't leave me..." She added softly.

The click of a gun going back into it's holster dragged Duma back to the present as she focused back on the female - didn't Wes call them Jaz? "But long as it doesn't try anything, I won't point the barrel at it," The cat let out a breath she didn't know that she had been holding. Her instincts were screaming at her to run, but where? Xander was off somewhere with Apos, and the Absol was god-knows-where.

"BZZT... MISTRESS," The loud voice was too harsh for Duma's ears as she snapped them back down against her head, clenching her jaws and closing her eyes. She remembered why she had never liked the city at that moment. Too much noise. "THERE IS ANOTHER, APPROACHING. UNINFECTED." Another approaching? Another Pokemon? Duma sniffed at the air, and sure enough the scent of poison and the underlying scent of an Eevee came towards her. A poison type? Soon they came into view as a purple fox that looked rather sickly, but since it was a poison type, surely it was well and healthy for it's species, right?

"You know it?" Duma shook her head. "N-no, I don't, s-sorry." She stuttered out, her ears flicking around as she heard something nearby.

It was soon revealed to be none other than Xander, who came out of the forest in a rather dishevelled way, and he looked at them for a moment, before a tree came crashing down behind him. Duma snickered quietly. Xander seemed to have a knack for screwing things up. "Hehehe....He.... As much as I would like to explain everything that just happened to you, I think it would be in our common and best interest to just move on and go to Azalea while there's no one hot on our heels right now. Sounds good?" Before anyone could reply, the Haunter began to float past them."Fantastic! Let's go then!"

Not willing to leave her new-found human friend, Duma stayed where she was, looking back at Jaz, wondering what the other human would think of their odd ghost-guide.

"No."

Jasmine's hard glare effectively cut the both of them off, scaring both human and pokemon into stunned silence. Wes managed to keep the grin on his face, even as it faltered a bit while the persian sought refuge behind him. He flinched slightly as he felt fur against the back of his lightly exposed neck. "Please d-don't let the scary l-lady shoot me." He gave a light chuckle but kept his eyes on the Steel Leader; chick was scary as hell. "I'll do my best, kiddo," he replied under his breath as the cat spoke in soft mumbles behind him. "This armor only stop so many bullets, though..."

Fortunately, it seemed that there was still some semblance of sanity still left in the uniformed woman. She lowered the gun and Wes immediately felt better about life. "But long as it doesn't try anything, I won't point the barrel at it," she grumbled, giving Wes enough relief to laugh off a lot of the tension and returned to a relaxed stance on his feet. "Well, that was nice of you, Jaz--"

"BZZT... MISTRESS," A magneton cut him off with a grating, shrieking metallic voice. Ugh, awful. Wes made a face as it continued, switching the volume on his Universal Comm down, down, down... "THERE IS ANOTHER, APPROACHING. UNINFECTED." Another? Wes frowned a little; how many uninfected were around here taking a stroll?

"You know it?" Jasmine interrogated, to which the persian declined with a shake of her head. "N-no, I don't, s-sorry." Wes noticed her flickering ears and stiffened; he knew the body language well enough. Something was approaching. Soon enough, he began to hear it too, even as he made a grab for his gun.

They didn't have to wait long. Soon a haunter erupted out of the trees, frazzled, and suddenly very aware that all the eyes were now on him. As if to punctuate the awkwardness, a tree fell in his wake, obliterating a bit of the path. "Hehehe....He.... As much as I would like to explain everything that just happened to you, I think it would be in our common and best interest to just move on and go to Azalea while there's no one hot on our heels right now. Sounds good?" Wes watched with wide eyes as the haunter quickly floated past them. The persian was snickering at the antics, and that told him enough; she must have known him. "Fantastic! Let's go then!"

Shrugging his shoulders and beginning to follow the ghost -"friend of a friend is a friend" and all that- Wes propped his heavy rifle on an armored shoulder and bounded after the impish haunter. "Sounds like we should get moving then!" Wes declared as he brushed past Jasmine, who was technically his superior officer. "Hup, hup!"

(Skip, gotta get used to the new turn order agh)