(ACE) The PALLET Team

"O-okay- let's- try rolling it, then." Akamu let out another sigh but nodded. Oliver didn't seem enthusiastic at all by that plan so the pup had no idea why he would rather try that than the lifting plan but he wasn't going to argue. Whatever got this thing out the door and outside where they could handle it properly worked just fine for him. "U-uh- okay l-lemme see-"

Oliver gave the large vase a little shove but couldn't really make any noticeable difference in its position. Moving over to the thing himself Akamu placed his shoulder against the vase, turning his head to the side and counting on Oliver to guide the vase once it started moving before using his powerful back legs to begin rolling it. They had to go slow, almost annoyingly so, but it was better than risking it breaking or getting away from them and shattering.

Eventually they outside and once he felt grass beneath his paws Akamu stopped pushing and stretch out his sore limbs and neck only to find himself wrapped up in the thick neck of his brother in the Mudbray's desperate attempt at a hug. A little concerned but glad for the comfort Akamu's paw gently pat Kaleo's nose and looked around. "What's the matter? Did something happen while we were in there?"

"N-No," Kaleo murmured. "I just...I was worried about you while you were gone. I usually can always see you and...I got scared..."

Hushing Kaleo affectionately the Rockruff hopped up onto his brother's back and nuzzled him until he felt the racing heart beneath his muscle begin to calm. Kaleo always enjoyed nuzzles, even if the rocks around his man sometimes hurt. "It's going to be ok bro. I promise. We got the vase, they can plant their bush, so all that is left is taking it to wherever they are crashing." Akamu's ears flattened and he looked back down towards the group. "Which...we have no idea where that is. Guess you guys gotta lead the way, huh?"

Something shifted in the air as she watched, and Isolde's head snapped towards the sky. She was still looking at the clouds forming overhead when she heard the boys returned with the strange container, and she remained quiet as Kaleo and Akamu reunited. Normally, she would have asked questions about what exactly they had brought back but if what she was feeling was correct, they probably needed to get back to their designated base soon. She tuned back into what was being said when Akamu looked back at them and said, "Which...we have no idea where that is. Guess you guys gotta lead the way, huh?"

She replied, "Yes, we'll show you," before she floated over to the container and tested its weight. She had heard them roll the thing out, so she assumed it was too heavy for the small children to lift. She let it down gently before calling out, "Can you pull the... wagon? Over this way?" Even if she could lift their find, she wouldn't be able to carry it for long. Once the wagon had been rolled close by, she lowered herself again and grabbed the open end of the container. With strong flaps, she started to slowly lift it into the air and moved it over the wagon before lowering it. It landed a little more heavily than she would have liked, but as far as she could tell, it didn't break.

With the vase settled and the wagon attached to Kaleo, the wind started to pick up. Once again, her eyes went back to the sky, and she stated, "It's going to rain soon." With a rock, a ground, and a fire type, it occurred to her that none of them would enjoy being caught out. "We should hurry." Making sure that all of them followed her, Isolde started flying to the opening in the fence.

((I am a bad leader and I can't remember who has the wagon right now. I'm just assuming whoever was closer and able to pull it did, but if that needs to change, please let me know))

As soon as they were outside, and Akamu had moved away from the vase to stretch a little, Kaleo gave the pup his best approximation of a hug, Akamu instantly distracted with looking after the donkey.

"What's the matter? Did something happen while we were in there?" Oliver tensed. Dear Arceus, he hoped not.

"N-No," came the little stammer, and Oliver's shoulders slowly began to relax. "I just...I was worried about you while you were gone. I usually can always see you and...I got scared..."

He made himself look away after a minute or two of watching Akamu comfort his brother, willing the light burning behind his eyes to go away. Something painful and bitter welled up in his gut and he scolded it. It was fine to miss Anne.

It wasn't fine to be jealous that they had each other when he didn't have anyone that close to him, yet. That was mean and unfair and he was awful for it.

Maybe Phobos-?

No, he snapped back. Phobos was a stranger, still. A stranger he was fond of, but someone he'd only known for a few days. He wasn't going to ask the ghost for a hug just 'cause he got homesick. Phobos probably couldn't even hug him, anyway. Ghost thing.

"It's going to be ok bro. I promise," Akamu soothed, and Oliver felt his stomach twist tighter. "We got the vase, they can plant their bush, so all that is left is taking it to wherever they are crashing."

He paused a moment, ears flattened, as he looked towards the rest of the group patiently letting Akamu calm Kaleo down. "Which...we have no idea where that is. Guess you guys gotta lead the way, huh?"

"O-okay- let's- try rolling it, then." It was best to just go along with him for now, if he was getting annoyed. "U-uh- okay l-lemme see-"

"Yes, we'll show you," Isolde promised, flapping over to their prize to test how heavy it was. She set it back down. "Can you pull the... wagon? Over this way?"

It took a minute to get it all put together, but once a rope was found and the container placed in the wagon, the wagon was hitched up to Kaleo (thumbs, the true MVP and probably his best asset to any group ever! at least it was something) and now maybe they could head back? Oliver looked hopefully towards their leader, nose twitching.

Something smelled wet.

Isolde glanced back up at the sky. "It's going to rain soon." Oh. Yeah, duh. That's why it smelled wet. Oliver inwardly rolled his eyes at himself. It's not like he'd never smelled rain before! "We should hurry."

He looked back up at the sky, himself, and winced. Oh, that looked... bad.

But mercifully there were no major roadblocks in getting back. They were only a few blocks away from their shelter.

Oliver went to unhitch Kaleo in the back yard (there were some steps leading up to the front door that nobody wanted to bother trying to get the wagon over when the back yard was easily accessable) before realizing with a pang that no one was left alive to care if they brought an outside toy inside. Upon bringing the whole thing inside, Oliver untied the rope.

He hesitated to suggest it, but maybe it would be a good idea to plant a berry now so the rain would water it without them having to worry about how to do that, themselves.

(Moving the story along a little since I don't think anyone wants to write another round or two of them just moving to the house.)

(please skip me. Phobos is just following/observing)

"Yes, we'll show you," Isolde replied kindly, much to Akamu's relief. He had begun to worry if everyone thought him an asshole. "Can you pull the... wagon? Over this way?"

Obliging the nice butterfly Kaleo pulled the little wagon closer and watched with utter fascination as she lifted the vase herself and set it into the rolling red cart. Wow...he didn't know such light creatures could be so strong. Why couldn't he be like that?

Everyone seemed to pause almost at once, even Akamu as his nose began to sniff the air, and for just a moment he wondered why until Isolde voiced his concern aloud. "It's going to rain soon We should hurry." Oh dear.... While he didn't normally mind much rain, rain made wonderful mud after all, he knew Akamu hated it. Plus the wagon wouldn't roll well at all in the muddy ground. At least due to the oncoming weather they got to the little place the group was staying at in record time.

Akamu didn't like this one bit. The storm was rolling in from the sea faster than he could accurately predict which meant they wouldn't have time to get out of here before the rain fell. And if the rain fell...they might lose the tail. It was already so faint... Hopefully the group would hurry. He didn't want to be stuck here when the rain started. "Ok, so where did you want this? Kaleo and I need to get out of here before the storm hits."

((Sorry, posting on mobile and can't quote for reason. I will add in other people's text color later.))

Isolde was extremely grateful that the weather managed to hold until they got back to the house. The wind picked up, and while she could have endured the flight in the rough conditions, she was glad to get inside before the rain started. It took some maneuvering, but they were able to get the wagon and vase inside. She had a passing thought about maybe leaving the vase outside, but with the weather getting worse by the second, she didn't want to worry about trying to get it back outside without knocking it over. To her concern, Akamu looked antsy and said, "Ok, so where did you want this? Kaleo and I need to get out of here before the storm hits."

"You can leave it over here in the kitchen," she said as she moved out of the entryway and to the side. "As long as it's out of the doorway, it should be fine." Once the wagon was situated, she started to say, "I don't think-" Her words were interrupted by a light that could be seen through the curtained window, and it was accompanied by a loud CRACK outside. "-You can outrun the storm now," she finally ended quietly.

"Ok, so where did you want this?" Akamu asked, interupting Oliver's thoughts about planting the berry. Unsurprisingly, he looked a little twitchy. "Kaleo and I need to get out of here before the storm hits."

"You can leave it over here in the kitchen," Isolde decided, fluttering to the side to provide some more room. "As long as it's out of the doorway, it should be fine."

And once everyone had moved from the doorway, Oliver edged to sit beside it, ready to tug it closed but unsure if he should when Akamu and Kaleo still wanted to leave.

"I don't think-"

Oliver froze at the lightning that lit up the sky and pulled the door shut just before the thunder split the sky with sound. Isolde's remaining words to the boys were lost on him as he bolted not to the living room, but the little girl's bedroom, burrowing underneath her bed and wedging himself as far into the corner as he could. The dust coaxed a sneeze from him, but even that didn't matter.

What mattered was blocking out that sound as much as possible.

(Hey guess who remembered Oliver's terrified of thunderstorms?)

When they finally make it back to the house, ‘relieved’ isn’t a strong enough word to describe Phobos’ emotions. He might not know as many things about the world as the others, but he knows exactly what wind means for him. Phobos has always hated storms for that exact reason-it’s hard to keep yourself together, literally, when the strong winds try to blow you away. Every time the sky goes grey and dark, he can’t help the anxious feelings that follow.

Thank Uxie that this time, he has a safe place to take shelter in.

"Ok, so where did you want this? Kaleo and I need to get out of here before the storm hits," Akamu says once they’re all inside. Contrary to Phobos’ happiness at being spared the storm, he looks more than ready to leave. Did they really want to go outside and be caught in that rain and wind? That sounds awful to him.

Isolde is the one who responds to them, unsurprisingly. In the middle of her talking, though, a loud sound crashes from the sky-another unwanted, terrible aspect of these stupid storms. Phobos doesn’t have a word for it; he doesn’t need one to know what it is. But though he doesn’t fear that noise as much as he does the strong winds, he’s still startled by someone rushing by, someone very familiar.

”Oliver-!” he starts to call to him, to ask what’s wrong, but his companion is already out of sight. It’s all too similar to when Shadowmere ran away, frightened by the effects of his own Hypnosis. But he hadn’t done that this time! Things should be okay! Phobos finds himself paralyzed-should he follow? Maybe following make what just happened worse... he looks at Isolde helplessly-surely she would know what to do?

(I swear Phobos is going to be permanently afraid of the sight of people running away. R.I.P my ghost son)

"You can leave it over here in the kitchen," Isolde replied helpfully leaving the boys to deposit their charge where she instructed. "As long as it's out of the doorway, it should be fine." As Kaleo began to relieve himself of the wagon's burden Akamu's nose picked up a sharp, distinct scent and his heart dropped into his stomach at what that ionized air meant. "I don't think-"

CRACK!!

"-You can outrun the storm now." Akamu let out a loud sigh as he realized Isolde's prediction was not only right but an outright understatement. With that loud clap of thunder the very sky opened up and an ocean of water began to fall on the decrepit town. He noticed Kaleo wander off but didn't think much of it as he hopped up a dust covered chair to peer between a couple of boards blocking the window. As the sky grew darker his tail and ears dropped lower, a soft whine echoing in his chest as he thought of the weak scent they had been following for days. Guess there was no picking the trail back up now...

Kaleo had spotted Oliver running off at the first sound of thunder and he worried for the smaller pokemon. Phobos called out after the Chimchar but he had already fled down the hall into one of the rooms, Kaleo slowly following after to see what was the matter. He knew fear well, all too well, and while he himself had never been scared of storms he had known some younger pokemon back home that had been. He checked each room until he found a large drag through the dust on the floor leading under the bed, a soft sneeze coming from the darkness beneath.

Laying down next to the bed Kaleo sat quietly for a bit, listening to the storm to gauge how close and long it would go on as each flash of light and sound echoed its life and ferocity. It wasn't too bad. A fairly heavy storm but not a dangerous ones, just lots of noise and rain from the temperature differences from the coast south of them and the air coming from the north. "I like the rain," Kaleo began to speak absentmindedly. He hoped to try and soothe Oliver's fear by showing there was nothing to be scared of and perhaps even help the little fire type see the good in the storm versus the frightening noises it produced.

"The earth always smells so nice after a good rain. The water soaking into it makes the plants and flowers grow and the bad washes away. And all that wet makes mud. Mud is the best thing in the world to me... It's like a blanket of earth I can wrap around myself like a hug and shield away all the bad... It can be loud, and it might look scary, but a storm is one of the best things in nature I think. It means tomorrow will be better."

Before she could finish her words, Oliver had already taken off down the hallway. Phobos called out to him, but Oliver didn't respond. Isolde was stunned at the sudden departure, and when Phobos looked up at her for guidance, all she could say was a quiet question, "He's scared of thunder?"  Kaleo had already started down the hallway and turned into one of the rooms, so she followed and hovered near the door.

It was the child's room. She felt that may have been significant, but the pieces weren't coming together at the moment. Kaleo had settled down near the bed, and if she looked hard enough, she could see the trail in the dust leading under it. Oliver must have been terrified.

She could remember feeling that scared before.

Kaleo started speaking to Oliver about the rain and how he enjoyed it, and she thought her awkward presence would only make things worse. Oliver was still pretty nervous around her, and she didn't want to make his situation worse by forcing herself into the situation. She went back to where Phobos was and told him, "Kaleo is trying to help calm him down, and I'd probably make things worse... Maybe you can help?" The question was added on without much forethought, but Oliver seemed to genuinely enjoy Phobos. Maybe keeping Pokemon around his age nearby would make things better.

Akamu had taken up residence on a chair and was looking out of a window when she decided to see what he was doing. It was kind of surprising that he was away from Kaleo. When she heard the whine and saw his tail and ears drooping, though, she grew concerned. "Is something wrong?" She vaguely remembered them mentioning they were on a trail... The rain would wash it away, wouldn't it?

He was too scared to notice Phobos's worried call to him and only realized the ghost had said something after he had already crawled under the bed. Thunder split the sky and he bit back a whimper, hands over his ears, heart thudding in his chest.

His mood had turned as black as the sky above, but it wasn't the storm that made him feel the burning behind his eyes.

Footsteps outside made him jump and for one wild second every fiber of his being screamed ANNE! before reality poked him with the fact that, firstly, she was definitely not here, and secondly, those were four footsteps and they were awfully heavy.

Kaleo's feet came into view by the bed and Oliver stiffened-- Kaleo was shy and gentle and didn't seem to possess a mean or aggressive bone in his body, but as he lay there shaking beneath the bed, he couldn't fathom why Kaleo was looking for him if it wasn't to mock him or something-

He lay down by the bed, Oliver watching carefully with large eyes. "I like the rain," the donkey began, Oliver's eyes widening further in confusion. "The earth always smells so nice after a good rain. The water soaking into it makes the plants and flowers grow and the bad washes away. And all that wet makes mud. Mud is the best thing in the world to me... It's like a blanket of earth I can wrap around myself like a hug and shield away all the bad... It can be loud, and it might look scary, but a storm is one of the best things in nature I think. It means tomorrow will be better."

... He was trying to distract him.

Oliver's chest tightened. He opened his mouth to make a sound, but all that came out was a scared sort of whimper that was half drowned out by crashing thunder. He jumped and accidentally rammed his head into the underside of the bed with a small yelp of pain.

Well at least the pain was better to focus on then the low rumbling.

Phobos didn't follow Kaleo and Isolde when they went to check on Oliver; if he went, he'd probably only mess something up, somehow. Calming others, being any sort of help...he wasn't good at either, that had already been proven. Knowing that, though, didn't make him feel any better about it. It didn't make the waiting go any faster.

When Isolde returned, she didn't have Kaleo with her, nor Oliver. He had to be hiding still. "Kaleo is trying to help calm him down, and I'd probably make things worse... Maybe you can help?"

Right then, Phobos felt like hiding too. Help, how could he do that? The last time he tried to calm someone down, it'd ended so terribly. What if he did something wrong again-Oliver might run away just like Shadowmere! But...it wasn't like Phobos could say no to her question, either. They hardly knew each other, but he still liked Oliver; he'd been nothing but nice, and taught Phobos so much even though he didn't have to. It felt wrong to float here and feel sorry for himself when someone he cared about was clearly scared.

That thought gave him the push to finally move. Phobos left Isolde and Akamu behind, heading over to the room where Oliver had fled and Kaleo had followed; one look inside was all he needed to know that he'd hidden under the bed. The storm was still going strong, so he couldn't imagine Oliver would be willing to leave his safe spot anytime soon. Phobos could understand the sort of fear that made you want to flee, and hide, and never come back out again; expressing it in a way that would help Oliver, though, that was what troubled him. Phobos had never talked much to others before he'd come to this place, let alone comforted anyone. Kaleo had to be much better at this than he was. Should he leave, would his presence only make it all worse...?

Phobos didn't get a chance to speak nor leave, though, before the storm brought out another one of those awful sounds. That had been what terrified Oliver in the first place, he remembered, and it was then that Phobos decided he couldn't just keep quiet. He had to at least try, even if the words were difficult, even if he wasn't any good at it. When things were quieter, he spoke up, feeling as nervous as when he'd first seen his new companions. The words probably sound stupid, but it's not like he can take them back.

"Um...Oliver? You don't have to, but I'm here too if you...if you want to talk, or anything..."

"Is something wrong?"

The question caught Akamu off-guard as he realized he was being watched. Though his tail remained low his ears pricked back up as he turned to address the monochrome moth. "...Kind of. It's nothing that can be helped, so there is little point in thinking about it, but the disappointment is still there. Our trainer's scent was already so faint that I was having trouble picking it up again when we got here but with the rain... I may as well be starting from scratch now. It's...not a good feeling."

Kaleo watched as Phobos slowly moved into the room and offered the ghost a polite nod and gentle smile, returning his gaze back towards the bottom of the bed in case Oliver came out. It was clear which way the little fire monkey had gone as not only was the dust disturbed but there was evidence of a soft glow under the bed when the lighting wasn't lighting up the sky and by extension the small room. "Um...Oliver? You don't have to, but I'm here too if you...if you want to talk, or anything..."

He listened quietly to the Gastly try and comfort Oliver and once again offered a small smile to the spirit. While the ghost pokemon had made him beyond nervous at first seeing that really the lot of them were as timid or shy as him had helped ease his tension immensely. Really the only one who still held any kind of presence now was Isolde but it wasn't one that left him fearful. Truthfully Oliver couldn't ask for a better group than the one he was with and if there was any way he could help by just being himself then by Tapu Lele he was going to try. All he had to do was wait for Oliver to feel safe enough to come out on his own.

Akamu's tail was still low, but his ears perked up when Isolde spoke to him. His answer was straightforward and honest. "...Kind of. It's nothing that can be helped, so there is little point in thinking about it, but the disappointment is still there. Our trainer's scent was already so faint that I was having trouble picking it up again when we got here but with the rain... I may as well be starting from scratch now. It's...not a good feeling."

The pattering of the rain outside only made the mood in the room more dreary. "I'm sorry," she responded with some remorse. Even if this rain was going to happen regardless, she still felt a little bad that they had gotten sidetracked here."If you want... You both can stay here while you get your bearings," She offered.

"Um...Oliver?"

The soft, sweet voice surprised him-- being a ghost type, Phobos had, of course, made no sound in his approach. Thank the gods he hadn't been outright startled again. His head was still smarting. "You don't have to, but I'm here too if you...if you want to talk, or anything..."

His chest tightened again. Phobos and Kaleo were so nice. They didn't have to be here, wasting their time like this. No doubt Kaleo and Akamu would rather be brainstorming some kind of gameplan about what to do about the ruined trail they'd been following, and instead Kaleo was here, trying to make him feel better. And Phobos- he could be doing any number of things.

But he was also here.

"Y-you're- v-very nice," he managed in a voice that was too small, shook too much, but at least he got it out at all. This was so dumb, that he was wasting their time like this. "Thank... thank you. B-but you don't- you don't have to? Stay here with me, I mean. I just- I don't want to... don't wanna bother you," he finished in a mumble. "I mean, you probably have b-better things to do, right...?"

Phobos didn't say anything else as he waited for Oliver to speak. The last thing he wanted was to make Oliver feel forced into talking, especially when Phobos had already told him he didn't have to. He would have to be patient, even though he was still anxious. At least Oliver hadn't run off again. It would have reminded him of Shadowmere if he had...

"Y-you're- v-very nice," Oliver said, though his voice was so quiet, Phobos was surprised he could catch all of his words. Surprised, and relieved; he really didn't want to have to ask Oliver to repeat himself. That seemed...mean. It must have been difficult for him to say anything at all, with how scared he was, so Phobos again kept quiet as he talked, trying his best to hear everything Oliver said.

"Thank... thank you. B-but you don't- you don't have to? Stay here with me, I mean. I just- I don't want to... don't wanna bother you," Oliver continued, though none of it made much sense to Phobos. He'd never been a bother! All this time, Oliver had always been nice, and helped them. If anything, Phobos had been the real bother, right? He didn't voice that, though. Oliver was the one who needed comfort right now, not him. It wouldn't do to be selfish. "I mean, you probably have b-better things to do, right...?"

"You're not a bother," Phobos said, putting as much confidence into his words as he could muster, more than he actually felt himself. Maybe if he didn't sound nervous, Oliver would believe him. "I-I really do want to help, if you'd like me to."

"Y-you're- v-very nice," Oliver's voice was so small it made Kaleo's heart lurch. "Thank... thank you. B-but you don't- you don't have to? Stay here with me, I mean. I just- I don't want to... don't wanna bother you." Oh how he knew those feelings well. Akamu had to deal with them on a regular basis when they first met. "I mean, you probably have b-better things to do, right...?"

"You're not a bother," Phobos said, thankfully putting the breaks on Oliver's downward spiral in thought. "I-I really do want to help, if you'd like me to." nickering softly Kaleo nodded his head, for a moment forgetting the small chimp likely couldn't see him because he was still hiding under the bed before remembering. "We're all in this together..." he replied softly. "Why shouldn't we help each other if we have the ability?"

---

"I'm sorry," Isolde had replied with a soft voice. Akamu had never handled sympathy well but right now it was nice to have his plight acknowledged for once. He had spent so long taking care of Akamu's fears and anxieties there was often nothing left to console himself with."If you want... You both can stay here while you get your bearings,"

"I appreciate that," he replied with a sigh, hopping down from the window and making his way over to the living room rug. "If the trail is completely gone in the morning we may have to take you up on that offer until I can find it again. I can pick up smells days old so maybe once we get our bearings I can find the trail we followed here and pick it up again. Maybe..." He refused to give up on Jesse. He would find their trainer if it was the last thing he did. He had to.

"I appreciate that," Akamu said with a sigh. He jumped off the chair and he wandered towards the softer thing that covered the floor. "If the trail is completely gone in the morning we may have to take you up on that offer until I can find it again. I can pick up smells days old so maybe once we get our bearings I can find the trail we followed here and pick it up again. Maybe..." He trailed off.

Isolde wasn't sure if this person was alive, but for all she knew, humans were better at surviving than she thought. It wasn't like she had been looking for humans before now, and she had been hiding from most Pokemon. Regardless, Akamu and Kaleo were young, and she hoped letting them stay a while would help them out. "I hope it works out, but... Just in case, you're still welcome to come back. Though if your human wandered through before, maybe he'll wander back? It's been... Relatively quiet here."

"You're not a bother," Phobos said. Oliver blinked in momentary surprise. "I-I really do want to help, if you'd like me to."

There was a soft little noise, one Oliver didn't remember the name of but knew it as a thing horses did. That must be Kaleo. "We're all in this together..." the donkey agreed. "Why shouldn't we help each other if we have the ability?"

He couldn't believe he wasn't a bother, but that they were willing to put up with it was... really sweet of them. As much as anxiety churned his gut to accept an offer he felt totally undeserving of, there were Phobos and Kaleo's thoughts to think of, too. They clearly meant it, so turning them down would just make them sad. And that would be mean. Also, pretty unneccessary. Just accept the kindness, ding-dong.

"Th-thanks," Oliver sniffed, in a voice not much louder than before. He rubbed his nose on his arm. "I... I appreciate that. Not r-really sure what you can do though...?" he finished in a mumble. "Uh. Except talking like this? Th-that- um-"

CRASH

He jumped at the booming thunder, smacking his head on the underside of the bed with a thunk. Ow.

"A-although staying- staying here is nice of you a-and- talking? Maybe talking? Would help?" Panic ramble. He should stop. He should reel that in. But it was hard to hear his own rationality over his brain screaming distract yourself find something ANYTHING to do to not pay attention to the storm outside or so help me I will throw a FIT.

Find something to say. A conversation topic. Anything.

"U-uh- Phobos, did- did you have any other questions about- um- humans? Y-you're a wild pokemon, aren't y-you?"

Wait no I didn't mean ask PERSONAL questions-!

"We're all in this together..." Kaleo added, ”Why shouldn't we help each other if we have the ability?"

Kaleo said such kind words that Phobos was suddenly glad to have the other Pokemon there with them; Oliver would probably feel better knowing more than one person had come here to help him. And, even though it was kind of selfish of him to feel such a thing... he liked the idea of being included in that ‘we’. Phobos felt a little less like the odd one out that way.

”Th-thanks,” Oliver said in return, which was a good sign. Maybe. Phobos wasn’t sure yet if the Chimchar really wanted to speak. "I... I appreciate that. Not r-really sure what you can do though...? Uh. Except talking like this? Th-that- um-"

There was another booming noise then, and Phobos swore he heard another sound, though not quite as loud, from where Oliver had hidden. He wondered what happened, and went to ask, but stopped himself before any words could come out. It was probably better not to pry right now, even though he really wanted to.

It was a good thing Phobos didn’t say anything, because Oliver continued talking. "A-although staying- staying here is nice of you a-and- talking? Maybe talking? Would help?"

This was definitely a good sign! He was talking a lot more than Phobos thought he would, too. Was that also a good thing?

"U-uh- Phobos, did- did you have any other questions about- um- humans? Y-you're a wild pokemon, aren't y-you?"

He was taken aback, not expecting that the conversation would be about him. Or at least, his abundant curiosity. ”Oh-yes, I am,” Phobos answered, figuring that ‘wild’ must mean he hadn’t interacted with humans, or lived with them like the Pokemon in that...wait, what was it called? Oliver had told them the name... oh! Right, the ‘photo’. He could still remember the people and their Pokemon companions in that strange image he hadn’t fully understood.

Truthfully, as Phobos thought about that ‘photo’ and Oliver’s question, he knew there was something that’d bothered him about humans. He’d learned so much already, been in awe of them and their weird inventions! But Phobos couldn’t forget what his mother had always said to him: ‘humans fear ghosts’. Even when watching them from afar, too scared to interact because of Mother’s warnings, he’d never seen them with one of his kind. It left him wanting to know why.

”This is kinda a weird question, but...” Phobos wasn’t sure if he truly wanted an answer, but for Oliver’s sake, he pressed on. ”What do humans think of ghosts? Do they like us?”

"I hope it works out, but... Just in case, you're still welcome to come back. Though if your human wandered through before, maybe he'll wander back? It's been... Relatively quiet here." Once again Akamu found himself surprised and a bit humbled by Isolde's generosity and understanding. He began to feel bad for how snappy he was when they arrived and how hard he had been pushing to finish helping them and leave. She didn't know him and had no reason to trust them as she had but still she was here trying to offer her supportto someone who by all rights had been an ass. At least a bit of one.

"Thank you," the Rockruff offered sincerely. He gave Isolde a small smile as he looked up from his claimed spot on the rug to address her properly. "It's...been a long time since we have rested anywhere. And you're right... He may come back through if this place is even remotely peaceful. There are no other paths back the other way that we found so it's possible. It has to be possible."

---

”Th-thanks. I... I appreciate that. Not r-really sure what you can do though...? Uh. Except talking like this? Th-that- um-"

Kaleo watched the exchange between Oliver and Phobos silently. He didn't want to interrupt what confidence Oliver had found and perhaps this was a way for him to help without making a fool of himself. "A-although staying- staying here is nice of you a-and- talking? Maybe talking? Would help?"

"U-uh- Phobos, did- did you have any other questions about- um- humans? Y-you're a wild pokemon, aren't y-you?"

”Oh-yes, I am.” Smiling softly Kaleo considered how rare it was that he and his brother had stumbled into a group made primarily of wild Pokemon trying to survive in a fallen human town. Only Oliver knew anything about the items they encountered so he wondered how the group had found themselves in this little house. Was it instinctual to know houses meant shelter and possible food if they never experienced it beyond outside observance?

”This is kinda a weird question, but...” Phobos seemed nervous to ask anything at all but the preface caught Kaleo's attention and he shifted his attention from the storm to the ghost. ”What do humans think of ghosts? Do they like us?”

"Not all are," Kaleo offered even though he knew he hadn't exactly been asked. But he couldn't let Phobos think no one liked him. "Back home on the ranch an old couple ran a daycare of sorts for traveling trainers. Lots of people have ghosts specifically or visit the haunted store to catch them. Humans back home love spirits, even if sometimes they get scared by them."

"Thank you," Akamu said with a smile. He had claimed his spot on the rug, but he had sit up enough so he could look at her. "It's...been a long time since we have rested anywhere. And you're right... He may come back through if this place is even remotely peaceful. There are no other paths back the other way that we found so it's possible. It has to be possible."

Isolde smiled back and fluttered into the room properly. The curtains covered the the windows fairly well, but every now and then, a flash of lightning would still briefly illuminate the room. She had no particular fear of lightning, but she still flew up to the part in one window curtain to look outside. Mostly to ensure nothing caught on fire. Granted, the rain probably would take care of that problem, but if there was one thing she knew about weather, it was that it was weird. While looking out, she said, "It's not a problem, really. You've helped us out, and I appreciate it."

”Oh-yes, I am.” Oh, thank god. He was gracious about the personal question. Oliver felt his shoulders relax just a little. ”This is kinda a weird question, but...”

Oliver tilted his head, frowning in concern. What had him so worried? It probably wasn't a weird question, whatever he wanted to ask.

”What do humans think of ghosts? Do they like us?”

"Not all are," Kaleo spoke up. "Back home on the ranch an old couple ran a daycare of sorts for traveling trainers. Lots of people have ghosts specifically or visit the haunted store to catch them. Humans back home love spirits, even if sometimes they get scared by them."

"There are humans who love ghosts so much, they specialize in raising them." Fantina. Anne loved watching her pretty ball gowns.

"She looks like a queen. Someday, I'm gonna have a big gown like that. Maybe even a tiara! I should practice my princess wave- Daddy, will you be the king until I'm old enough to take over?"

God, his chest ached. She'd make a good queen. Like in the fairy tales she read him.

"F-Fantina-" Ah, his voice cracked. He cleared his throat, scrubbing a fist into an eye. Thank Arceus nobody could see. "She was a well-known ghost specialist, back where I-I'm from. She did Contests with her Driftblim partner. Anne liked watching them on TV for the pretty costumes. She once said that if she wanted to add a ghost to her team when she set off b-but um- she wanted to befriend a Mimikyu and they aren't native to Sinnoh."

"Not all are," Kaleo told him, "Back home on the ranch an old couple ran a daycare of sorts for traveling trainers. Lots of people have ghosts specifically or visit the haunted store to catch them. Humans back home love spirits, even if sometimes they get scared by them."

Phobos listened intently, though he didn’t know what to make of what was said. Humans went into haunted places purely to see ghosts? They loved them? He couldn’t imagine that... no human had ever gone near his family before. Phobos had never seen a human with another ghost, let alone a Gastly like him. Maybe Dei had driven them all away the same way they kept other Pokemon from him.

"There are humans who love ghosts so much, they specialize in raising them." Oliver’s addition only added to his surprise; what they were saying went against everything he’d learned and experienced. If Phobos didn’t already know that they were far more knowledgable than him, he probably wouldn’t believe any of it. "F-Fantina-She was a well-known ghost specialist, back where I-I'm from. She did Contests with her Driftblim partner. Anne liked watching them on TV for the pretty costumes.” TV? Contests? ”She once said that if she wanted to add a ghost to her team when she set off b-but um- she wanted to befriend a Mimikyu and they aren't native to Sinnoh."

Most of the words aren’t familiar to him at all, which bothers him, but he can at least understand what Oliver is getting at without needing to ask more questions. It’s hard to believe what he has heard. Had Mother’s warnings been false? Somehow that didn’t feel right, but... Phobos had no idea how to reconcile what he’d been taught with what the others said. Normally, he’d go off by himself to think about it, but there was no way Phobos was going to ditch Oliver like that.

”I see...” The answers he’d been given weren’t as bad as he expected, but still, Phobos was unsure of what to think of them. He hoped he didn’t sound too skeptical. ”I was always told all humans are scared of us-ghosts, I mean, and that I shouldn’t go near them. It’s-it’s kinda weird to hear otherwise.”

((I'm sorry I've tried really hard today but it's been a really bad day and I don't have the energy or ability to write out a post. Please skip me for now))