The SILVER Team (PLOT)

I dropped you.

Ker-THUNK

Red grunted heavily as his ass hit solid ground hard, his back soon after, as he was unceremoniously dumped. Again. Though at least he knew why, he sprang back up to his feet, wide-eyed and livid, to catch a glimpse of Blaine's messenger, not even aware of his current location or the fact that it was very dark in comparison to the sunny desert he'd just left. "Why don't you show yourself, you fucking coward!" Red hissed, head darting around for the elusive pokemon. But he knew already that she was gone, likely back to her putrid, stinking cesspool of a master. That bastard... that horrible, skin-headed FUCK!

But as Red heaved and panted, his frustration still building, his mind finally remembered that he was in a new place now. New dangers. He lifted his head and saw trees, felt the cool, chilled wind. But... His brow furrowed as he straightened and glanced around him. "No..." These trees... He knew these trees. The pond just beyond... The building nearby, peaking just over the canopy... and... His head went back down to the ground, the lush grass beneath his feet. It can't be... It was dark, where he was standing, but the sun was still out... because... he was in a shadow... a massive shadow... He turned, unbelieving, to see the massive Mount Silver, his claimed perch above the world. Mouth agape, gun dropping to the ground, he stared up at the mountain face in sheer disbelief. Why would Blaine send him here? Why...

His mind raced for an answer, a desperate, hopeless answer. There was no list for items. No vague puzzle mentioned early on. No command. Nothing. Surely this wasn't a merciful gift. Blaine, of all people, wasn't capable of mercy-- that much Red knew. So... was this a final sucker punch? A final devastating prank for Red as a means to dump the soldier so he couldn't get in Blaine's way? A taunt, perhaps? "Aww, I thought you were homesick, Soldier," Red could hear the imaginary voice cackle in his head. Red's fists clenched with a fury he'd only felt once before.

Of course Blaine had always had the power to let him go back. To even let him escape. Blaine knew Red hated it there, but kept him for entertainment. Like a toy. But now that he was in the way, the toy needed to be tossed back in the toy box he'd found it in. And what better way to come back home, to the place where he and his pokemon claimed as their own when all of them were fucking DEAD! He soon found himself on his knees, eyes wide and teeth bared in a vicious snarl as Blaine's horrible cackling haunted his ears. It was the final piece, a final play. A final reminder that Blaine won at whatever game he thought he was playing, even if no one else wanted to be. A final jab that only told Red that everything he'd done and sacrificed... was just a joke. A game.

A...

A fucking GAME!

Disregarding any danger he was now pulling to himself, Red heard himself erupt into a blood-curdling, guttural, feral scream as he dug his nails into his scalp. It was too much for him to bear. Their faces, their death masks flashed again and again in his mind, the scent of their flesh burning, the sound of their bodies' grease popping in the flame. The smoke choked him, smothered him, killing the scream as he ran out of air. They were gone. They would always be gone, because of him. And now, Blaine, still hundreds of miles away, was dangling that over his head. Still. Forever.

Truging slowly through the cold, the young man spared a glance upwards. Above him, a magestic bird glided easily through the air currents. "Pidgggggeot!" he screeched. Blue came to a slow halt, pausing as he recaptured his breath. On the path leading upward, both his Arcanine and Umbreon kept loyally by his side. "Arc?" the fire type yipped softly in concern. The former gym leader held one palm out, running his hand through the Legendary Pokemon's mane. He rumbled softly in response, happily bumping his traainer with his head before turning back the way they were heading.

"Bre!" Blue turned, looking down at his other partner before fiddling with the device around his neck. Plugging in the device to his ear, he turned the round knob with half frozen fingers. "Next time I am finding gloves before going somewhere cold," he muttered before turning back to the Eeveelution. He raised on eyebrow, inviting the vulpine to speak again. The Umbreon flicked one ear before pointing towards up the path with his nose. "...Master, are you sure that this trip is worth the climb?" Blue grunted, turning away. Ruffling his shoulders, the young man pushed the wool interior of his hood closer to his half exposed neck in an attempt to keep warmer. "Not really a choice, bud. There might be someone here." The crimson eyed vulpine scoffed, but did not argue. Blue brought his exposed hands closer to his mouth, breathing heavily on them in the attempt to bring feeling back. "Master, let me," Arcanine offered softly, but the human dismissed him.

"No, we don't have the time. Once we reach a place to make shelter we can get a fire going." Stubbornly refusing the help, he began walking again. Umbreon exchanged a swift glance with the canine before the pair tailed their trainer. Both on either side of him, the trio made their way up the side of the mountain. The path let go to a steep drop on their right, and with the sun slowly sinking, visibility was only worsening. There was no snow yet around them, but Blue knew that would change as they reached up higher. "I heard that there were still some trapped up here," he muttered to himself. If we don't help them, who ever would? Upon reaching nearer to the top of the hill they were climbing, above them Pidgeot released a shrill warning. "Movement spotted! Undetermined species!" Blue raised his arm to acknowledge the warning. He reached down to his side where he kept his trusty crowbar near. But upon his already cold fingers touching the half frozen metal, he flinched away. Hissing through his teeth, he gasped. "...Stay close. I don't think I can use this unless necessary."

Umbreon nodded, taking up trotting in front of the human while Arcanine naturally dipped behind. Instead of gripping his weapon, Blue held one hand hovering above Rhydon's Pokeball. Exeggutor would be at an advantage out in the cold, but at least Rhydon could be relied on. With his tensing, though, Daisy roused herself from where she was tucked securely into his jacket. "Ke ko, ke ke!" she chirped softly, causing Blue to immediately calm her, hiding his own alarm. "Shh, girl, try to be quiet, kay?" Opening up the top of his jacket, he saw the Zubat securely gripping the cloth of his jacket, kept warm within the layers of fabrics. "Stay in there for now, Dais," he cooed. By then they had reached the top of the particular hill; Blue's boots crunched quietly against the gravel and grass as he crouched. Umbreon emerged at the top beside him, but before he could take in the sight, the dark green and brown thing released a haunting, horrible scream. Daisy immediately flailed, hissing in panic. Blue was forced to hold her still by squeezing the Zubat through his jacket. Thankfully his other Pokemon remained silent and still by his side. Pidgeot circled above, ready to dive at a moments notice.

But it was only when they crumpled to their knees, digging fingers into their scalp, that Blue gasped. A person?! He flashed one hand out, signaling Arcanine to stay back. Daisy had calmed down enough after the fright that at least she was no longer clawing his skin through his shirt as Blue slowly stood up. He gave a soft whistle, trying to catch the guy's attention. "...Hey! Hey, you alright? Are you injured?" Blue called out. "I don't mean any trouble, but I can help-- ...want..." He stood up then, all thoughts of being cautious lost. Arcanine growled behind him, Umbreon barking out a warning, but they were ignored. Blue slowly trudged forward, as he got closer, unable to forget the black hair, the pale skin, that face and those eyes... Red.

"...holy shit."

His ears were full with the cacophony of his heartbeat as he sat on his knees, hands clutching his scalp. Red hadn't noticed that his hat had fallen off its perch, nor did he care. The overwhelming anger, pain and betrayal... It washed over him like a horrible wave, an unforgiving attack to his very being. But... Blaine had gotten away with it, obviously. And what was he going to do about it? What could Red possibly do to that smirking bastard safe in his little torture chamber on Seafoam?

Nothing.
The answer was "nothing".

Red's hands released their grip on his head. All he could do now was press forw--"...re you injured?" Red's eyes darted about, looking for the source of the voice, his instincts flaring once more as he grabbed his gun. "I don't mean any trouble, but I can help-- ...want..." There was movement that drew Red's rifle, the soldier already aiming at the approaching silhouette. But as he was about to bark out an order to stop, as he had that manic Elm, his memory clicked. That dumb, spiky hair. That stupid coat. That voice... Out of sheer shock, he stayed silent, watching the form get close enough to recognize.

Blue.

"...holy shit." Red rose to his feet as the two boys stared at each other in complete disbelief. His rifle fell to his side as Red studied his old rival's appearance. He looked healthy enough. He knew Blue had avoided the draft, which caused a small pang of jealousy in the soldier. A quick look to the nearby shrubbery revealed his faithful umbreon and arcanine... his signature pokemon. Of course they were here. And from a glance above them, his pidgeot seemed to be doing well, also. It was too much. First getting dropped in Orre of all places, only to find a pikachu, then dropped here, at Mount Silver, where Blue had just happened to be? No. This wasn't Blaine anymore. This was some higher power fucking with him now. His rage was still there, gnawing at his innards, but he contained it in a single hateful snarl. The boys had never really been on good terms, at least not in his mind, and there was no reason for his day to not get worse by some Blue bullshit. Some sort of stupid string of insults or condescension-- all of which Red was not willing to deal with at the moment.

Closing the gap between them, after retrieving his hat from the chilled grass, he snarled, "The living fuck are you doing here, Blue? Don't you have somewhere better to be instead of here? Of all the places on the fucking world, you're HERE. WHY?"

To say he was shocked would have been an understatement. The boy's tan eyes pulled back, but even as Umbreon stood before him, it felt as if the entire world had frozen. What were the chances? "Christ... Red you're... you're alive?" That alone should not have surprised him. The man had never been anything less of determined. If anyone would survive by sheer will power, it would be Red. Raising one hand, he plucked a Pokeball from his side before nodding at Arcanine. Silently returning the legendary Pokemon, all the time unable to pull his line of sight away from the other. Blue could not keep his mind from running over the same thought: what were the chances? On one hand, it was Mount Silver, the other's established home, but how was he still here? Blue's mouth was dry. What did he say? He had already pulled a moronic move in blurting out the obvious, but somehow he knew he had to say something else, but... but what?

But his time away for years had clearly warped his memories of his longest rival. The black haired trainer stood up, crimson eyes sharp as ever. Grabbing his hat, he stomped in Blue's direction. His expression lifted up, genuinely happy to see the other alive, but Umbreon growled softly. "... He is not the same." Blue's eyes snapped to his partner, confused. Red was much closer then as he finally spoke: "The living fuck are you doing here, Blue? Don't you have somewhere better to be instead of here? Of all the places on the fucking world, you're HERE. WHY?" Blue recoiled, not prepared for the venom in the other's voice. In reality, they had had their differences, but... hadn't those been settled years ago?

"I..." Recovering from the shock quickly, Blue's features hardened as he met the other's flared emotions, unafraid. "Fuck, Red, don't be so hostile. I didn't come here for you, I thought you would have left when the world went to shit," he snapped. "To answer your question, I am looking for survivors, not everyone is doing too well." He hesitated, silently sighing. "...Since we're here, might as well take shelter. Staying out in the open isn't the best idea, as I am sure you know." Blue raised a hand, motioning for his Pidgeot to return to the ground.

"I..." Red's vicious snap seemed to shock Blue, but the former really didn't care. Just like old times, Blue's face hardened as well, unafraid to pick up the defensive. "Fuck, Red, don't be so hostile. I didn't come here for you, I thought you would have left when the world went to shit," Red scoffed, glaring at his pokemon as they returned to balls or his side. It nearly felt like he was flaunting the fact that they were all still alive. "To answer your question, I am looking for survivors, not everyone is doing too well." A huff escaped Red; yeah, that was a big shocker. Good to see your powers of fucking observation are still sharp as ever, Asshole. "...Since we're here, might as well take shelter. Staying out in the open isn't the best idea, as I am sure you know."

Red let out a cruel laugh gesturing to the dark forest around them. "Right. Because I was just about to set up a picnic out here. Thanks, I'll go in the fucking mountain and you can fuck off somewhere else. I'm sure you can find the best hotels flying around on your fucking pidgeot." He shouldered his rifle and began to move toward the cave's mouth. Even if the pokemon inside were all infected, this was his mountain. No brainless assholes were going to keep him from his home. "So big surprise, no one's fucking here. Your work here is done, Saint Blue, you can rightly fuck the hell off now." He continued walking, flailing his free hand in the air a bit. The weary mortals below don't need your Divine Intervention!"

He couldn't have Blue here. He couldn't handle that. Pushing his doe-eyed rival away was the only way he'd find even a shadow of peace. Fear crept into him, fear of Blue asking the questions he knew were coming. That would always come. He couldn't answer those questions. Not to Blue. Crawling back in his mountain was the only way he'd find escape.

He did not expect the cruel response, but maybe, Blue should have? Red released a dark bark of laughter, making the brunet tense further, a dark fire in his eyes. "Right. Because I was just about to set up a picnic out here. Thanks, I'll go in the fucking mountain and you can fuck off somewhere else. I'm sure you can find the best hotels flying around on your fucking pidgeot." Blue growled, snapping, "The hell is your problem?! What do you even have against Pidgeot? You never lost to him." His patience was rapidly growing thing. Was the other mocking him? Not even counting his ace, Pikachu, Blue never had any chance against his rival with his team. Why was he being such a little bitch now of all times?

Red wasn't finished though. Slinging his gun over his shoulder the shorter of the two turned his back. "So big surprise, no one's fucking here. Your work here is done, Saint Blue, you can rightly fuck the hell off now." And though the words were meant to hurt, ad he knew it, that did not make his reaction any less painful. His ears flushed, Daisy rousing from inside of his shirt to tilt her head in concern. "Bloo?" she chirped, her voice that of a small toddler. His free arm dropped, fingers pulling together in a tight fist. His rival had the audacity to wave his other hand freely through the air, openly mocking him. The weary mortals below don't need your Divine Intervention!"

He had done some messed up things in his life, he had treated his family like shit. If anyone knew that well, it was Red. Blastoise, Raticate, and Umbreon flashed behind the boy's brown eyes before they darkened again. "Why are you the one acting like just a prick, Red?! I haven't done a damn thing to you-- fuck, these last years I thought you were dead!" he barked. His arms shook with emotion as he easily kept pace behind the other. "Is it so fucking hard to think that maybe I am happy to see you're not? Fuck, Red, you being okay is the best thing that's happened so far. Grampa, Daisy, Yellow, Green-- I don't know if ANY of them are okay! Can't you look past your pettiness for a damn second and realise how precious life even is?!"

(a littly buzzed posting this, was offered a few drinks while out ad caused me to be late getting online. hope it's not so bad. ^^; )

He should have known Blue wouldn't be done. But it seemed the long absences between seeing one another had dulled his predictions of his rival. Red heard Blue stomping after him, only urging Red faster into the mountain's hungry maw. "Why are you the one acting like just a prick, Red?! I haven't done a damn thing to you-- fuck, these last years I thought you were dead!" Blue barked angrily at him, his longer legs easily able to keep pace with Red's furious stomp. Damn spider legs-- Blue was always able to dog Red's every step with the things. But his words were already carving deep into Red's defenses; he felt himself about to scream again. "Is it so fucking hard to think that maybe I am happy to see you're not? Fuck, Red, you being okay is the best thing that's happened so far. Grampa, Daisy, Yellow, Green-- I don't know if ANY of them are okay! Can't you look past your pettiness for a damn second and realize how precious life even is?!"

That was it. Red stopped straight in his tracks, just before crossing the mountain's threshold as Blue's last words echoed in his mind. The irony... It was too much. Red, now absolutely sure this was some cruel twist of Fate puppeteered by whatever merciless god above. This was too perfect to be coincidence. Red found himself laughing again, hopeless, hollow, mirthless. What else could he do but laugh? Not just at the irony of Blue and Red's meeting after years of separation, or at the fact that Blue was unknowingly preaching life's value to a monster that had slaughtered almost his entire team, but also the fact that despite Blue's cynicism and anger when they first began their journeys, he sounded so naive now. They'd switched places, in a sense. Red remembered preaching almost that same thing after what happened to Raticate... And now...

His side hurt slightly as he realized that he was still laughing. Shaking his head, he turned to Blue, his bitterness soon reappearing in his voice. "You're hilarious, Blue. You know, if you're so fucking concerned about them, why don't you find them? Why don't you check HQ? Surely even you would have heard Lance calling for everyone. I'm sure he'd be oh so happy to see you again." he scoffed, looking back to the mountain entrance. "So again, you found me. Good job. Now fuck off and go preach your pro-life bullshit to someone that fucking cares."

Truly ever the preceptive one, only then was Blue starting to realise that something was wrong. Terribly wrong. He tensed as Red began... laughing. Recalling Pidgeot to his ball, the boy silently motioned to Arcanine to keep watch for trouble. Clearly what was happening, it wasn't going to stop, and he'd rather have a heads up on if they needed to fight.

"You're hilarious, Blue. You know, if you're so fucking concerned about them, why don't you find them? Why don't you check HQ? Surely even you would have heard Lance calling for everyone. I'm sure he'd be oh so happy to see you again." Red's gaze pierced through him, straight to his very soul. The colour drained from Blue's face, the boy's pupils shrank as the words sunk in. Oh god. Lance.

Red was right. Hell, he had been right most of the time when they were kids. Lance had put the call out, demanded every able bodied trainer band together, but it wasn't right. The way his Pokemon, Blastoise, were released without his say... the world was in a much worse place, completely barring the epidemic. If the dragon tamer got his hands on him, Blue would become a prisoner. Or worse. His hand instinctively flickered for Umbreon, but he forced himself to stay still.

There was something wrong. Something very wrong. Red mentioned Lance off handedly, not like he was threatening to report the boy to his superior, but.. like it was just a threat. Period. The sharp movements of Red, the way he was near hysterical, laughing and mocking, it was as if they had swapped roles with their younger selves. Then thought was eerie, and Blue quickly abandoned it. Red would never become what he was, no, he was better than that.

"So again, you found me. Good job. Now fuck off and go preach your pro-life bullshit to someone that fucking cares." Blue narrowed his eyes. Red dropped the subject of Lance so rapidly, knowing full well the position Blue himself would be in if he were caught. His rival was not intending to screw him over. No. He was obviously trying to spook him, scare him off. Blue was no longer listening to what Red did or said, instead taking in his appearance; a bloodied uniform, cameo, guns, but only one Pokeball that he could see.

The rumors were ruthless, they had said that trainers shot their Pokemon at the end of basic training. A chill ran up Blue's spine. Red had pointed out his Pidgeot. Maybe it wasn't because of the battles. The brown eyed boy stared at the other, suddenly not wanting to know the answer to what he was going to bring up. "...Red. What happened to you? ...Where are your Pokeballs? Is Lance holding them hostage?"

"...Red. What happened to you? ...Where are your Pokeballs? Is Lance holding them hostage?"

That was it. The questions. They'd already started, and Red had no answers to give him. Be vague? No-- Blue would just pry and pry until Red spelled out that he'd shot them all. Be honest? No-- Blue would demand more answers, answers Red wasn't even sure of himself. Why would he do such a thing? Why would he listen to Lance? Why couldn't he have stolen his pokemon and just escaped? Red didn't know answers to those. He couldn't figure them out now. Panic rose in him like bile. What was he going to say? To do?

He didn't turn around. He couldn't. Blue would know right away just from the look on his face and talk more. So Red did was he was best at-- short, concise answers. "...No." It came out much quieter than he'd wanted. Defiant, sarcastic, something; not soft. Not timid. Not in pain. He cleared his throat, his next few words attempting to recover from the damage that one small word had done to demolish his image. "They're not."

The response he got was...nothing like he expected. "...No." Red was famous as a man of few words, but the single work caused more alarm in the questions that it refused to answer. "They're not." The softness of his tone was disturbing, instantly spooking Blue as his eyes went from concerned to round saucers, burning into the other's back.

The words were on the tip of his tongue. Where are they, Red? Was this even Red? He could only see a single Pokeball, and it was covered in blood. The boy looked like a different person entirely with his military uniform, a lang barreled gun in his grasp. Something told Blue that it would take little for him to turn it on him.

But Blue did not hate him. There was something wrong, entirely wrong in the lack of answers about his rival's missing Pokemon, but one glance down to Umbreon's warning gaze confirmed what he already knew: now was not the time. Red had already been angry, hysterical, and then silent, all in the span of a few minutes. Much as Blue burned to know, he had no doubt that there was no chance of getting information tonight.

Returning Arcanine to his Pokeball, he nodded to Umbreon. "Keep scout and warn if anything comes." The vulpine nodded, waiting where he stood while Blue slowly approached Red. He placed one hand on the other's shoulder. "...It's getting late. Let's find a place for the night," he suggested softly, changing the subject as he started to make his way towards the cave entrance.

Red waited. The silence between them was a weight, a pressure on Red's chest and shoulders that grew heavier with each passing, horrible second. What would he ask first? What would Red spill first? He was never good at talking to Blue or even keeping something from him. How was he going to get out of this? The grip on his gun tightened; fuck, he may just end up shooting the sorry bastard. Hell, that might solve his problems right there. Red closed his eyes and sighed as he pushed the thought away. No, no... even if he managed that, Blue's pokemon would be fucking mental. And Daisy...

Red's eyes snapped open as Blue's voice rang behind him, giving orders to his umbreon. "Keep scout and warn if anything comes." There was a moment of quiet, the only sound came from Blue's approaching footsteps. Red braced himself for more questions, but surprisingly, none came. As the other boy caught up with him, he placed a hand on Red's shoulder. Red looked at the hand as if it were a shark, then to its owner. "...It's getting late. Let's find a place for the night."

Red watched cautiously as Blue moved on ahead into the cave, glancing suspiciously a moment at the umbreon before following. He dropped it? No... that wasn't like Blue. Blue was always so reckless, so tactless... so verbose. Why would he hold back now? He glared slightly at the dumb spiky hair ahead of him, trying to figure out the play. Was this a trap? Could be... hell, with Blaine it definitely would have been. But for all his loathings of Blue, even Red could admit to himself he was no Blaine. Blue had a soul in there, after all. But that still didn't explain why the fuck he'd stop asking questions.

Regardless, they were in the mountain now. His mountain. He paused as they ventured near the first large ledge that loomed over them and looked around. The pokemon, of course, were either gone or undead. There weren't any around, at least not on land. He glanced at the water-- it was eerily still. Setting his face into a more characteristic frown, he caught up to Blue in a few quick strides. "...This way. Away from the water." His tone was even, his body language evoking caution. Whatever undead here would be high leveled and likely rock-type... two things he'd rather not tangle with. Not today. Thankfully, there was a small offshoot tunnel nearby; shallow and not full of much else than rocks. It'd be a decent enough camping spot. He wordlessly led the way, keeping as quiet as possible.

The tense feel to the air was redirected, at least. Blue felt Red's eyes burning into him. All he could think of was the way the other's Pokemon would stare from inside the cave, how Pikachu's feet would pitter patter through the snow when the little devil ran. How much he'd give for things to be just as they were. He almost knew he did not want to know where they were. Was it truly that bad?

But his choice had been the correct one. Red almost immediately overtook him, uttering one sentence of caution, "...This way. Away from the water." Then it was back to the silence. If he were honest with himself, Blue would have almost preferred if the other had argued with him further, bickering, refuse to drop the subject. Just like old times. Instead, Blue allowed himself to be led, following Red while Umbreon remained out of sight. He wasn't sure if that was on purpose, by the Pokemon, but he appreciated the forced privacy. With the world such a messed up place, at least one thing would be semi normal.

Blue allowed himself to remain quiet for a time, his boots crunching on the terrain as Red took them wherever the hell they were going. He hardly cared, really, moving without a destination was hardly the worst thing in the world. after a time, his eyes flickered, taking in the area around them as they travelled. It was... unusually quiet. His hands were ready, able to call out anyone if needed, but no undead showed. Surely none of them knew who the pair were, what Red was the greatest Pokemon Trainer in a long time. They wouldn't fear him, would they? It seemed unlikely, but still, he saw nothing that was of threat.

At one point, though, Blue broke the quiet between them, asking in a neutral tone, "Have you been back here in the four years? So much has changed." Not looking for a fight, his voice was curious, but innocent as his eyes scanned around them, watching for any danger. "You'd think the infected were scared of us," he mused in a much quieter tone.

The quietness of the mountain was strange. He hadn't noticed while they were outside, being a bit too occupied losing his mind as he was, but now the silence was overbearing. He was expecting something by now, but there was little more than the sounds of their own footsteps. Even the waterfall feeding into the ground floor lake was eerily quiet, cascading into the lake below without much protest. Still, Red pressed forward. The sooner they got to the small alcove, the better.

But it seemed even with the pressing danger of high-leveled and naturally armored Infected, Blue felt the need to make small talk. At least it was more in character. "Have you been back here in the four years? So much has changed." His tone seemed curious and innocent enough, but Red still found it annoying and trying. They could be ambushed by monsters any minute and yet Blue wanted to shoot the breeze. Typical. "No," he answered flatly. It was the truth at least; he hadn't the heart to return to his mountain retreat since his team's deaths.

"You'd think the infected were scared of us," Blue mused from behind Red, which only elicited a vexed sigh out of the latter. Needless to say, they were nearly there; Red only hoped Blue wouldn't draw anything near with his useless, stupid voice.

He climbed the final bit of rock to the alcove-- a small but defensible camp area. "We'll camp here." Without another word, he slung his pack off his shoulders and quickly began to unroll supplies and begin to make himself at home. "We're away from the main caverns, but loud sounds will carry far. Try not to speak unless necessary." The last bit was added for his own sanity, but he hoped against logic that Blue might heed it.

Blue took solace in the peace. It was quiet, nothing was jumping out at them, and most of all it felt like nothing was lingering in the shadows, waiting to pounce. Following Red's advice, he kept well on the path and away from the water. His hand twitched above Exeggutor's Pokeball. If something came out, the grass type would be the one to take care of it.

Following the other's lead, the Oak did not even think twice about trusting his rival's sense of direction. He had lived here for many years, it was his turf. Blue would have probably gotten lost without his help. Not that he would admit that.

"We'll camp here." Blue took a few more steps, stopping beside the other. It would be easy to defend, at least. His eyes flickered uneasily across the rifle in Red's possession. Surely he couldn't need that..? Pikachu couldn't be stopped by anything. Umbreon knew that more than anything. But not going to question his choices, Blue simply nodded.

But as Red went to work with his supplies, there was a soft chirp from his breast. Blue quickly unzipped his jacket, met with the baby Zubat straining her neck, clearly wanting to explore. "Shh, you're okay." Daisy stopped struggling, but scowled in the direction of his voice. Blue gave an awkward smile, though the bat could not see, and he gently reached under her tiny body with one palm.

"We're away from the main caverns, but loud sounds will carry far. Try not to speak unless necessary." Yeah, that made sense.

Blue whispered to the Zubat, "Hear that? You gotta be quiet or I'll stick you in your ball." That seemed a good enough compromise, Daisy giving a smile and a soft squeak as she happily wiggled into his hand. Slowly as to not shock her with the cold, Blue brought her to his shoulder where Daisy pushed herself with her long legs to the crook of his neck. "Don't fall," he breathed to her. The Zubat perked her ears, clicking her tongue to look around them. Thankfully the sound was too high for anything but her own species, so Blue hoped he would not tell him to stifle the Zubat.

Umbreon still had not returned, but the trainer knew the vulpine would be nearby. Turning slowly, his boots crunched on the frozen earth as he looked behind them, at the darkening sky. With one hand, he rezipped his jacket before reaching up to scratch the bat's chin absentmindedly.

Red paused as a small zubat poked its head out of Blue's jacket, eagerly sniffing the air and trying to climb out further onto his shoulder. The soldier watched distastefully as she chirped lightly. "Hear that? You gotta be quiet or I'll stick you in your ball." The bat chirped happily in response, reaching Blue's neck and surveying what it could with echolocation. "Don't fall," he cooed sweetly, which nearly made Red gag.

Though he wanted to pry as to why the hell he had a zubat, of all pokemon, with him, Red dismissed the idea; it would only open the doors for Blue's own interrogation. Instead, he looked away to ready his sleeping roll for the night. There was a small "window", a hole Blastoise had made so he could look out to the surrounding forests long ago. He had never been a fan of the tight caves, and the breeze of fresh air had always been comforting. Now it gave Red pause; at least Blastoise wouldn't have to get his shell stuck in the tighter corridors again. He glanced back at Blue almost ruefully; the sweet display was a punch in the gut, even if Blue was completely oblivious.

"Could you shut it up?" he growled softly. "There are golbat in this mountain that can hear that chirping from miles away." He hoped he didn't need to explain the dangers of Infected golbat. Even healthy ones were infamous for nearly decimating entire teams with their bullshit. With a grunt, he sat on his sleeping roll and took out his Colt-- the gun he'd been cleaning in Orre when the arbok interrupted. His eyes burned at the thought-- that was... only hours ago, wasn't it? It had been hastily put back together, but already Red could see he'd done it wrong. It would have backfired if shot. Disassembling it with ease, he kept his focus on the gun and cleaning it rather than look up to see happy-ass Blue on fucking Cloud Nine. It was sickening.

Blue should have expected it, but he still made a face when Red snapped, "Could you shut it up?" What a kill joy. The former gym leader found his lips pulling down in a scowl as Daisy reacted to the sharp tone of the other, her ears flickering, unsure.

"There are golbat in this mountain that can hear that chirping from miles away," the other added, his tone nastier than usual. If that were even possible. Blue used one finger to scratch the top of the Zubat's head, causing her to cease in her echolocation exploration as she purred happily at the touch. "She is not an 'it', Red," was all he said in response.

Blue's frown deepened as he watched Red unassembled his gun. Blue hated those weapons. Gripping one ball from his side, he sighed before enlarging the Pokeball and releasing Arcanine. The large canine's eyes flickered questionably from Red and back to his master. "Keep watch with Umbreon, make sure nothing comes up on us." The Arcanine nodded before turning and trotting out of sight, joining the hidden Eeveelution.

Blue found himself in a worsening mood, tempted to ask Red why he suddenly hated Pokemon so much. His tan eyes narrowed. Did Red blame them for everything?

"She is not an 'it', Red," was Blue's quiet reply, but Red took little heed of it. At least he had still shut it up, and that was all that really mattered. Content to let Blue simmer, feeling the anger rising from his old rival already, Red kept himself occupied in cleaning his gun. He went slower than normal, despite the bad experience he'd had in Realgam. It gave him more excuse to not look at Blue and his stupid scowling face. He soon after heard the release of yet another pokeball, and Red paused to glare over in Blue's direction. Why was he bringing out half his team? The less tempting scents to bring in Infected the better... But no; he'd already forced Blue to reason once already-- there'd be little chance of further success.

"Keep watch with Umbreon, make sure nothing comes up on us," he spoke to the Arcanine, and Red heaved an annoyed, heavy sigh loud enough for Blue to hear, because that was entirely the point. Still, he went back to his gun as soon as Blue turned around to look at him, unwilling to look back. There was a long pause of tense silence between him, and with his already frayed nerves, Red found his tolerance extremely low for the boring, judging eyes leveled at his own head. His scowl turning quickly into a muted snarl, his glare flashed up to Blue, defiant. "What?"

Red turned on him, the look on his face borderline savage. Blue did not flinch, though, he had long since stopped being intimidated by the other. Maybe that was part of the problem. "What?" he spat, scaring the Zubat. Daisy burrowed deeper into the brunet's jacket, out of sight, while Blue did nothing but stare defiantly back.

As was all too common, he spoke the first thing on his mind without any prodding. "The fuck happened to you? Do you just hate all of them now?" Blue refused to back down from the dangerous crimson glare, his own eyes narrowed, matching the scowl that had planted itself upon his face. "They're not all monsters, Red. They're just trying to survive, same as fucking you."

"The fuck happened to you? Do you just hate all of them now?" Blue glared down at Red adamantly and the latter felt the fires blaze within him. He placed his gun aside and stood to meet Blue's glare, standing against Blue's accusations with his own stubbornness. "They're not all monsters, Red. They're just trying to survive, same as fucking you."

Red scoffed, closing the already small distance between them, glaring slightly upward at the taller boy. "You're right. But all the ones here are monsters, BLUE," he snarled in a low voice, his glare unblinking. "And you should take care in remembering that. You and that shrieking, mewling, diseased pest you have in your jacket. So do everyone a favor and shut the hell up."

Despite the height difference, Blue did not feel superior in the match up. In fact, he never felt like he had an edge when it came to Red. His own tan eyes flared as he met the other boy's venomous glare. "You're right. But all the ones here are monsters, BLUE."

"Not all of them you moron," he spat back, forced to keep a hushed tone despite wanting to raise it. How Red could always get under skin was a talent he never was able to comprehend. "There are living Pokemon here, too Red. They are EVERYWHERE. The world isn't just the dead!"

"And you should take care in remembering that." Blue bristled, pulling his lips back in a half snarl. "You and that shrieking, mewling, diseased pest you have in your jacket. So do everyone a favor and shut the hell up."

"I know the damn stories, Red. I lived here, too, once. But this Zubat isn't hurting anyone. There's no reason to just fucking HATE her!" Daisy was silent through out all of the raised voices, unaccustomed to hearing her trainer yell. He could feel the small, frail body shivering in fear against his chest, but it did nothing to silence the already heated argument. "Christ, Red, are you even human anymore?"

Red could see Blue's rage flashing in his eyes as he challenged him, and the former took sick delight in seeing his rival squirm and writhe like Red did, day in and day out. It was satisfying to see the goody-goody bastard finally showing his real colors in his anger, the boy Red remembered so vividly. "Not all of them you moron," Blue spat back, trying to interrupt him. "There are living Pokemon here, too Red. They are EVERYWHERE. The world isn't just the dead!"

As much as Red would have loved to sink his teeth into Blue right then, he allowed the other boy to finish. All the more knives to stick right in his already bleeding heart. "I know the damn stories, Red. I lived here, too, once. But this Zubat isn't hurting anyone. There's no reason to just fucking HATE her!" Red's eyes flicked to where the little insect hid beneath Blue's clothing, and he resisted the urge to just smash her against his chest.  "Christ, Red, are you even human anymore?"

Red's vicious snarl widened. "The only ones that aren't Infected or dead already are just yours, Asshole!" Red snapped, his voice a dangerous hiss. He took a step forward to increase his challenge, eyes never leaving Blue's. "You think anything in here could have survived? The world thanks you for your fucking optimism, but Reality would kindly like to remind you to shut your fucking trap. We can't take the risk of assuming there might be pokemon here that would actually help us beside your own. Thinking they're all the enemy has kept me alive far longer than trusting them ever could-- you know how long infection will take for that simpering little shit you have in your jacket? How long before it will show symptoms? I hope you do, because once it goes, the first thing it's gonna do is BITE you, Blue, right over your fucking heart."

He snorted, taking one more step toward Blue, forcing the other to back up. Into a retreat. "It's going to turn, one way or another. They all are, Blue. No matter how much you dislike it or preach your fucking nonsense, they're going to turn one day, whether they get bit or not. Maybe if you hadn't been a fucking coward and left Pallet to defend itself, you'd know that a little better. Maybe if you hadn't dodged the draft like some fucking yellow-bellied coward, you'd FUCKING KNOW THAT!" He was panting now, his eyes wide with rage and his upper lip curled upward slightly, flinching with tension. He kept his eyes locked with Blue's, not willing to release his capture just yet. He wasn't done yet.

"Don't. Preach. Me, Blue," he warned softly, his voice not much more than a dangerous murmur. "You'll only make yourself hoarse, and I'm sure your precious fucking pokemon would want the warning of hearing you scream if you get in trouble."

"The only ones that aren't Infected or dead already are just yours, Asshole!" Red took no time in raising his voice, causing Blue to snarl in return, nothing of his formal innocence left in his expression.

"You're wrong-" he snapped, attempting to rebuttal, but Red gave him no such chance, instead running right over him. Blue was forced to silence as those crimson eyes tore right into him, the words echoing in his head.

"You think anything in here could have survived? The world thanks you for your fucking optimism, but Reality would kindly like to remind you to shut your fucking trap. We can't take the risk of assuming there might be pokemon here that would actually help us beside your own. Thinking they're all the enemy has kept me alive far longer than trusting them ever could-- you know how long infection will take for that simpering little shit you have in your jacket? How long before it will show symptoms? I hope you do, because once it goes, the first thing it's gonna do is BITE you, Blue, right over your fucking heart." As much as he would not want to admit it, Blue could not help the visual from forming in his head. Little Daisy. The Zubat he saved from death. She couldn't actually be infected, could she? No. Years had passed since he rescued her from the Diglett. There was no way she was infected, none of his Pokemon were.

He had been careful. He was still alive, wasn't he? That meant something. Blue was still caught by that look, though. And though his former question remained unanswered, he could see no trace of humanity left in those eyes. "No," he was only able to growl out, but he was on the defensive. Too much was wrong here. How could Red not know about survivors? Blue himself was on the fucking mountain in the first place to help anyone who would be struggling. Pokemon and humans alike, they were trying to live just like they were. Blue knew they were much more common than one would think. How could Red not know that? Where the hell had Red been all of this time?

The black haired boy stalked forward, causing Blue to cringe, stumbling backwards. Immediately his pride flared, wounded. "It's going to turn, one way or another. They all are, Blue. No matter how much you dislike it or preach your fucking nonsense, they're going to turn one day, whether they get bit or not." Blue's eyes flashed, baring his teeth as he pushed closer to the other, but was unable to say anything before Red did it. Took the single shot at him that he had no excuse for.

"Maybe if you hadn't been a fucking coward and left Pallet to defend itself, you'd know that a little better. Maybe if you hadn't dodged the draft like some fucking yellow-bellied coward, you'd FUCKING KNOW THAT!" Blue flinched, genuine regret running through his brown eyes as they showed a hair of fear before hardening immediately after.

"You think I just took a walk in the fucking park to get out of that, Red?! That it was even on PURPOSE? I didn't know until a year later. They took Blastoise, Scizor, Porygon2-- THEY LEFT ME NO CHOICE!" His voice reached it's peak, no more care for their surrounding but Red was as immovable as ever.

"You'll only make yourself hoarse, and I'm sure your precious fucking pokemon would want the warning of hearing you scream if you get in trouble."

"So you're just the one who gets to tear into me until you feel like it, but if I try then you're just as emotional as a damn rock, right?! I bet you've been living under one for these four years given how little you actually know about the fucking WORLD! I get it, take it out on the REGION'S FUCK-UP, BLUE. I've made mistakes, I've done some shitty thing in my day, but this. No, you don't fucking know anything." Behind him, in the dark, there was a flash of black and gold, but with his back turned, Blue did not see Umbreon approaching. Without thinking, he reached into his side, grabbing a ball and returning Dasiy from his jacket so she would not hear him scream his head off.

But by that point, Blue was done caring about keeping himself under control. He was angry, he was bitter at having been HAPPY to run into this bastard, and he was cold as fucking hell. "I've been traveling for years talking to survivors. I've lost Pokemon, I know what it fucking looks like, so don't YOU preach turning to ME, you heartless prick. But unlike you, I actually HAVE A HEART. Wether that gets me killed, SO BE IT! But I am not going to just let everyone grow more cold and dead than the corpses walking around us--"

"SILENCE," she sharp but hushed hiss stopped the boy in his tracks, Blue's enraged expression whipping around to meet Umbreon's own furious look before wiping it off of his face. "Shut up, the lot of you. Set up camp and go to sleep. Leave each other be, because screaming will only bring death to us, you bloody morons. We've already taken out several that were wandering this way thanks to you're shouts," he growled in a whisper. Wounded, Blue shot a petty glare at Red before being the first to turn from the stand off. He was stung that he had not been able to finish his own rant. God knows Red wouldn't have cared either way, nothing would get through to him, but at least he got to finish.

Red's last dagger had struck true. Blue's face twisted with a mere moment of fear and regret, then switched to rage-- but Red saw it. And Blue knew. And it made Red's bloodthirst all the worse. He wanted to make Blue suffer like he had, to push Blue's ignorant, stupid face into the mud until the bubble stopped and he choked on his own optimism. And it seemed like he'd managed to do that. "So you're just the one who gets to tear into me until you feel like it, but if I try then you're just as emotional as a damn rock, right?! I bet you've been living under one for these four years given how little you actually know about the fucking WORLD! I get it, take it out on the REGION'S FUCK-UP, BLUE. I've made mistakes, I've done some shitty things in my day, but this. No, you don't fucking know anything."

"Oh, really?" Red snarled, a cruel grin forming on his face. His eyes tracked a golden and black streak at the corner of his peripheral, but he dismissed it as Blue's Umbreon. No need for worry. "Enlighten me." Blue returned the damned bat -thank God- and his face contorted more, only strengthening Red's bloodlust. He wanted to fight this dick. This ignorant piece of shit standing before him. He needed to punch him. Red's gloved hands flexed in anticipation, waiting for any excuse to lunge.

"I've been traveling for years talking to survivors. I've lost Pokemon, I know what it fucking looks like, "Oh, you do, do you? I'm so fucking proud!"
"--so don't YOU preach turning to ME, you heartless prick. But unlike you, I actually HAVE A HEART. Whether that gets me killed, SO BE IT! But I am not going to just let everyone grow more cold and dead than the corpses walking around us--"

"SILENCE," the Umbreon finally snapped, immediately cutting Blue off in his tracks. The two boys glared down at the dark vulpine, and he glared right back at them. "Shut up, the lot of you. Set up camp and go to sleep. Leave each other be, because screaming will only bring death to us, you bloody morons. We've already taken out several that were wandering this way thanks to you're shouts."

Blue turned back to Red, their glares meeting each other before the former turned away from the stand-off, leaving Red to tend to his camp. Red went back to his as well, but not before spitting at the ground where Blue just stood. Red's haunted, furious eyes promised the matter wasn't settled as he turned back for his own bed roll and sat to finish cleaning his gun. The parts clicked and slid into place with ease and he placed the weapon back in its spot on his hip, where his other pokeballs used to be. Settling against the hard rocky wall behind him, he was naturally faced toward the door, which put Blue and his Umbreon into his direct line of sight. His face expressionless, he sat and watched the opening.

"I'll take first shift," he muttered, the spite in his voice barely concealed.

Falling into his own mind, Blue completely missed the sign of disrespect Red gave him by spitting where he had stood. Raising one hand, he ran his fingers through the back of his hair, a sure sign of stress for the trainer. Umbreon sighed, looking to Red with hard eyes before retreating back to his post. The crimson gaze was not cold, but more disappointed. And cautious. The vulpine remembered Red, he remembered the small boy that had a Pikachu and his Charizard by his side. And this was not him. "There is no need to stay up too long. We will remain on post all night. Try to get some rest eventually, Red." Without waiting for a reply, Umbreon turned slowly and walked back into the darkness of the unknown, where Arcanine waited.

Blue ignored his partner, his own fur still bristling. Why did Umbreon turn to Red after that? Did his own partner think he was in the wrong? Gritting his teeth as he set up his own camp, he did his best to ignore the burning eyes in his back, though defiantly he refused to turn to meet them. He would not give Red the satisfaction of watching him squirm. God, when did it come to this? When had it? The brunet might never stop wondering. Though, Blue had to admit to himself. It was really anyone's guess if Red would tell him or not. The real question would be if he would also get shot in the process. Stifling a sigh, he silently apologised to Daisy for not letting her out. Blue had a feeling she would be safer the further away from Red she stayed.

"There is no need to stay up too long. We will remain on post all night. Try to get some rest eventually, Red." Red barely acknowledged the umbreon as he further settled in, watching Blue's movements instead. His face was set in a sulky frown-- was he pouting? REALLY? Red emitted a poorly stifled scoff and rolled his eyes. Unbelievable. Here Blue was trying to preach his stupid fucking nonsense to Red like he was some world-weary old man and not five minutes later, he was fucking pouting. What a fucking child.