(ACE) The PALLET Team

This conversation really was boring. Ollie didn't have the slightest clue what Oliver and Isolde were talking about as he lounged wearily on the armchair, burying his face into the cushion. It stank of damp and mold, but it was better than cold concrete or wet dirt any day.

He sighed and sat up, hopping up to the top of the chair to look out of the window. The serene, indigo dusk greeted him, as well as a pleasant cool breeze. Something in the distance set his heart on a flutter, and he gave his head a quick shake to make sure he wasn't daydreaming.

But it was there. The unmistakable shape of a large canine looming in the undergrowth. Was it ... could it be...?

"Daddy!" the pup cried, practically catapulting himself from the chair and making a beeline for the door. He nudged aside the wooden board they'd laid up against it, then paused and turned to the others. "S-Sorry, I gotta go - I think I just saw my Daddy! Uh, bye!"

And without another word the pup was gone, bounding across the ruined town towards the shadows. Oh if only Daddy was truly there ... then Ollie would never have to be afraid again.

[ ooc: So sorry, I will hop in next round and have Koshers return. Feel free to leave the convo at a time you want it to be interrupted, Max, Star. ]

"I see no reason for using the toys as fuel as long as we have options," Isolde says, and Oliver can feel the tension fall from his shoulders.  Okay, good, if that's what she's focusing on, maybe she won't ask about the scarf.  And she agrees using the toys is not necessary.  Thank god, thank god...  "There are easier and better things to burn.  "  

Her eyes seem to grow  a little distant.  "Losing one's history... can be felt for a long time. We don't have to use the books if we don't need to."

Really?  Is she really just agreeing to all this?  There's no catch, right?  He struggles to uphold his relieved smile, feeling it melt into something closer to an anxious grin.

"From what I can understand... you are of a type that doesn't get cold easily... So I don't think you'd need a scarf. Do you have issues staying warm or something?"

Welp there it is; fuck you too, universe.  Of course there'd be a catch.  There's always a catch.  If the person themselves doesn't have one, the universe does.

"I... I-I-- well, you-- it um..."  His palms are sweating, oh gross.  "I-it's..."  When did they reach up to grasp at his scarf?  He doesn't remember.  Shit, what does he say?  Suppose she's had bad dealing with humans?  She could take offense and he's all alone here with a child!

Wait, who says I have to tell the whole truth?

"S-someone very special gave it to me."  It's a lame reason, it's so lame.  He'll be lucky if she doesn't call him out on its vagueness.  

"Daddy!" The child's cry nearly made Oliver leap out of his skin, the chimp yelping as he jumped.  He whirled to stare at the puppy with panicked eyes, only to realize too late that he'd run from the window to the door. "S-Sorry, I gotta go - I think I just saw my Daddy! Uh, bye!"

"Wait, NO!"  he darts forward, but too late; in the seconds it takes him to reach the doorway, the pup has vanished from sight-- likely turned a corner, out of Oliver's visage.  One hand clutches his chest in terror, head whipping back and forth as if the little one would suddenly just appear within sight.

Nothing.

"Isolde," he manages, his own voice sounding far away and strangled, "go find Sukoshi; tell him what happened.  I'll be-- I'll be right back."

He flies from the doorway and runs, not sure if he's even running in the right direction.

(MOTHER OF FUCK HE FINALLY SILVERS.  THANK YOU, GOD.)

Oliver was much more nervous than Isolde expected when answering her question, "I... I-I-- well, you-- it um... I-it's..." She looked at him questioningly, but remained quiet as she waited for an answer. He reached up to grab his scarf, before finally spitting out, "S-someone very special gave it to me." Well, that was... underwhelming. It was a viable reason to keep the thing anyway; there was no need to be worried about talking about it.

Before she could think long on the monkey's nervousness, Ollie suddenly cried out, "Daddy!" Daddy? Isolde recalled that the puppy had been looking for his father, but it seemed far too unlikely that the Arcanine would be here. Before Isolde coulds stop him, the puppy was already at the door. "S-Sorry, I gotta go - I think I just saw my Daddy! Uh, bye!" With those words, the puppy bolted outside.

Oliver cried out,"Wait, NO!"

Isolde yelled at the same time,"Ollie! It's too dangerous!"

Both of them went to the now opened door and tried to see if they could spot where he went. The butterfly couldn't see any trace of the puppy, and Oliver didn't appear to have anymore luck than she. Night had almost fallen, and the light was going to fade soon. Ollie shouldn't be alone in the dark... that's when it seemed the undead and infected became more active, or at least more dangerous because of lower visibility.

Then Oliver choked out, "Isolde, go find Sukoshi; tell him what happened.  I'll be-- I'll be right back."  Then he also ran.

"Oliver! Wait!" Oh no, this can not be happening; two childeren abandoning safety so late. She couldn't let them go into the dark by themselves, but Sukoshi needed to know what happened so he could help. He could find them with his sense of smell if it came to that. Glancing to see if she could still see Oliver's flame, she shouted over her shoulder, "SUKOSHI! THE KIDS JUST RAN OUTSIDE!" Then she followed the two fire types. As an afterthought, she started using Aromatherapy as she flew; hoping that Sukoshi could follow the scent more easily.

The deserted and burnt town was even more ominous now, though Isolde couldn't pinpoint why. It wasn't any different from when she was out earlier. She kept flying forward, but she couldn't see either child. She stopped for a second to see if she could find any trace of the children, and finding none, she took a deep breath. How could she find them more easily? She looked up. The sky was almost completely dark, and she could even see some stars dotting the navy blue and purple canvas. More importantly, she didn't see anything flying.  Hoping that nothing would come out of the nearby woods, she fluttered her wings rapidly to gain altitude. Soon she was high enough to see most of the decrepit town in a single glance, and she looked for a tell-tale flame. She couldn't see the puppy in the dying light, so she settled to find Oliver who had a beacon that he couldn't really get rid of.

Her search proved fruitful as she saw a glowing light moving quickly through the town, and analyzing the movements, she dove. There was no guarantee that he could hear her from this height, and she didn't want to attract any more undead with yelling. The wind felt really nice and a familliar surge of adrenaline flowed through her body as she controlled the plummet to the ground. She adjusted her wings as necessary to ensure she ended up near  her moving target, and soon she was almost beside Oliver. "Any luck?" Scolding could be done later; he was already out, and if he had seen Ollie, they might could catch the puppy before it was too late.

Lost in her own thoughts, Shadowmere didn't acknowledge the conversations going on around her as the Houndoom sat at the window, staring blankly outside. A few dying flames littered the ground, and the warm glow covered everything. Cinders danced in the air like a snow flurry, settling to the ground and fading away, only for another gust of wind to stir them up again. Wonderful to look at, are they not?

The shadowy thought startled the hound, and she looked to her side, the shadowy form of her brother just out of her field of vision. Closing her mouth, Shadowmere smiled warmly. Yeah, they are. She thought back,  getting up from the window and trotting over the to the fireplace. Laying down in front of the fire, the dark hound placed her muzzle on her front paws, closing her eyes and relaxing as the warmth from the fire seeped through her black and orange fur.

"Daddy!" Snapping her eyes open, Shadowmere jumped to her paws with a startled yelp, here blue eyes disorientated before they settled on the puppy that was at the door, staring outside intently. "S-Sorry, I gotta go - I think I just saw my Daddy! Uh, bye!" With a loud gasp, Shadowmere lunged forwards to stop the puppy, but her reach fell short when the puppy turned the corner sharply and dashed outside.

"Wait, NO!" Monkey-Oliver raced past her and tried chasing after the puppy, but they too, missed them. "Ollie! It's too dangerous!" Isolde fluttered above Shadowmere's head, trying to find the Growlithe, but Shadowmere already knew - they were long gone. She had lost another young puppy in her life. Another young soul that she couldn't save. Her mouth opened to call them back, but the cry died on her lips.

"Isolde, go find Sukoshi; tell him what happened.  I'll be-- I'll be right back." The monkey's was strangled, almost forced as they ran out the door. Shadowmere let out a wordless bark, trying to race after monkey-Oliver before they too, were lost. "Oliver! Wait!" Isolde looked torn, and Shadowmere knew why. Sukoshi had just left to search the house, and now the two kids had run off. The butterfly reached a conclusion and shouted over her shoulder, "SUKOSHI! THE KIDS JUST RAN OUTSIDE!" Then she too, flew outside.

"N-no! Wait!" Shadowmere finally gasped, but it was too late. The butterfly was gone, flying after monkey-Oliver's tail flame. Shadowmere's legs gave out and the hound fell to the ground with a soft sob. I couldn't even look after my own little brother, why would these kids be any different? She thought, biting her lip as she tried not to cry any more. Get up, go find them. You haven't failed yet. Heeding the others words, Shadowmere struggled to her paws, following the sweet scent of Isolde as she ran after the butterfly and the monkey.

Soon the scent sharply went upwards, and Shadowmere's trail went cold. The sweet scent was gone, up in the air where she couldn't follow. The horror and uselessness of the situation finally crashed down on Shadowmere as the hound sat down, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. A familiar presence rolled up beside her as the white-eyed shadowy figure of her brother's spirit lightly brushed her fur. Do not lose hope. Try finding the scent of either Oliver. Taking in a shuddering breath, Shadowmere put her nose to the ground and started looking for the scent of either puppy-Oliver, or monkey-Oliver.

After a few minutes, the fire hound finds the scent of monkey-Oliver, following the odd not-quite-human and charred fur smell. Picking up her pace, Shadowmere raced through the streets, intent on following the smell. Not once, however, had Shadowmere smelt puppy-Oliver's scent. She wasn't able to dwell on it however, as she soon found the sweet scent of Isolde again, and so she switched her path and followed that path, soon coming across the Vivillon and Chimchar.

Panting to catch her breath, Shadowmere paced up, almost falling over when she drew up beside Isolde. "Did... Did you find him?" She asked, her blue eyes hopeful as the looked at the other two. "I... I didn't smell them on the way here, but their scent could had dissipated as they ran." She added, needing to sit down to catch her breath. At least they still had one of the children safe, right?

His sorrow was cut short, despite the disturbing sight of the struggling, starving Bulbasaur before him. The call from the complete other side of the house hit his ears clearly, broadened by the use of the cat's name. "SUKOSHI! THE KIDS JUST RAN OUTSIDE!"

Oh no.

Sukoshi ripped his gaze away from the rasping undead, flattening his ears. Bounding forward with a night slash glowing at his claws, the Liepard silenced the starter for the last time. "We will return for a proper burial." With the last promise, he whipped around and ran.

The cat reached the living room again just in time to see Shdowmere reach her paws. Had she collapsed? But Isolde's holler had been correct-- everyone was gone. "Come on," he spoke to the other dark type in a normal volume before sprinting out.

The scent of the fire type and the sweetness of flowers led his way, the Houndoom nearby. Upon reaching the Chimchar, though, his heart sped up. The Growlithe was missing, though Isolde and Shadowmere remained. "Did... Did you find him?" the Houndoom inquired timidly before adding, "I... I didn't smell them on the way here, but their scent could had dissipated as they ran."

Sukoshi's voice was gentle as he murmured agreement. "I can reach the roof of our shelter and see if I can spot him from there," he added, flicking his tail back where they came. "It is safe, the two furthest rooms are not clean enough for staying in, though, so we need to keep to the front room and the small bedroom."

Sukoshi craned his neck, watching the sky as the last of light vanished, giving way to night. "...I'll continue the look, the rest of you should stay inside lest walkers come."

He can't smell him.

Oliver's panic mounts, a slow, steady climb, as he races through the empty streets.  No flash of orange or cream, no scent of a living pokemon.  The smell of the remnants of the fire encompasses everything.  And the kid had rolled in the ashes, too.  Oh no, no no.

Maybe this means nothing else will find him either; maybe this means he'll be safe until we find him.  Please please please...  He inhales again, just in case.

Nope.

This isn't working...  He's starting to pant as he slows down.  I was only running for a few minutes; why am I so tired?

Malnutrition.  He'd bet Poffins on it.  Either that or exhaustion.  Still, he fails to keep the flush of embarrassment from creeping onto his face.  

Pathetic.

Okay, okay.  No time for that.  Action, have to do something.  His eyes flick around.  Maybe if I get up high?  He's a monkey; he can climb.  Now he needs to find a way up to a roof.  

He's padding his way over to a fire escape when Isolde lands near him, making the little chimp nearly leap out of his skin.  "Any luck?"

That simple question nearly makes him crumble.  "No," he whispers, turning tearful brown eyes to her.  He ducks his head away, hoping she hadn't seen them.

He smells the canine and feline approaching and his stomach twists.  More people to see his failure, and Sukoshi's probably also angry he left the house.  "I... I didn't smell them on the way here, but their scent could had dissipated as they ran."

He tenses, waiting for his leader's reaction.

"I can reach the roof of our shelter and see if I can spot him from there."  Rocks in his throat, Oliver raises his head to sneak a glance at him.  The cat's tail flicks, and the chimp notes with a flutter of some emotion he can't name--relief, maybe--that he's not addressing one, but all.  "It is safe, the two furthest rooms are not clean enough for staying in, though, so we need to keep to the front room and the small bedroom."

The sun drains away.  Now the only light is Oliver's tail, something that makes his stomach lurch again.

What good is a beacon that's behind you so that it can't even light your way?  There's really no good side to this stupid tail.  

"...I'll continue the look, the rest of you should stay inside lest walkers come."

"I... I c-can h-help," he chokes out before clearing his throat.  "I d-didn't grab him in t-time.  It's o-only fair I should h-help look..."  

Of course, it might be a bad idea just on the grounds of the aforementioned beacon tail.  Seriously, why a Chimchar?  Why not a Pansear; at least those lack visible flames!

"No," Oliver whispered in response to her question, and he turned his large brown eyes towards her.  The light was far too dim for her to make much of his face, but she thought that she saw the sparkle of tears in his eyes before he ducked his head down. She could understand that he might be upset over losing Ollie, but why hide it? If anything, it was her fault. She was the one left in charge while Sukoshi was away.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Shadowmere and Sukoshi finding them, and the black hound asked, "Did... Did you find him?" Her blue eyes were so full of hope, but Isolde didn't have any idea where Ollie went.

"No, I could only find Oliver here," Isolde answered honestly. "I can't track with scent like you, and the light is fading too quickly for me to see much."

Shadowmere continued, "I... I didn't smell them on the way here, but their scent could had dissipated as they ran." Finding an ash covered puppy in a town full of ash in the dark was looking less and less likely by the minute... Night finally settled in, and soon the only light was Oliver's flame and the stars overhead.  

Sukoshi's quiet voice caught her attention as he muttered, "I can reach the roof of our shelter and see if I can spot him from there." She barely saw his tail flick back in the direction of the shelter, and he continued, "It is safe, the two furthest rooms are not clean enough for staying in, though, so we need to keep to the front room and the small bedroom." She nodded her head to show she understood what he was saying, and he finished, "...I'll continue the look, the rest of you should stay inside lest walkers come."

Considering he could actually see in the dark, it was probably for the best, though guilt was plaguing her mind at the failure. Maybe she shouldn't be trusted with children... Oliver's voice manages to catch her attention as he offers, "I... I c-can h-help. I d-didn't grab him in t-time.  It's o-only fair I should h-help look..." His presence reminded her that she did at least manage to find one of them, but she still didn't understand why he felt this was his fault.

"Oliver, if anything it was my fault. It wasn't your responsibility to keep him safe, and I should have been more alert. I grew complacent and didn't realize how restless he was," she firmly stated. Yet another failing with children. Did her strangeness have to taint everything? "For now, it's probably better if more of us stay inside than out," she almost defeatedly added as she started heading back towards their shelter. She couldn't see too well, so she waited for one of the others to take the lead.

Shadowmere's eyes were hopeful, but a gnawing thought in her mind told her that if they had found Ollie, then the pup would be there. Shadowmere's fears were only confirmed by Isolde's words. "No, I could only find Oliver here," Shadowmere drooped, and if she had any visible ears, they would be lain flat in disappointment. "I can't track with scent like you, and the light is fading too quickly for me to see much." With a quiet whine, Shadowmere pawed at the ground.

"O-oh." She said simply, her blue eyes dropping to the ash-covered ground. "I can reach the roof of our shelter and see if I can spot him from there." Looking up, Shadowmere looked up, following where Sukoshi was pointing with his tail. "It is safe, the two furthest rooms are not clean enough for staying in, though, so we need to keep to the front room and the small bedroom." Well, at least they had something to look forward to. Shadowmere's tail wagged slightly as she remembered when she was once with a trainer. "I wonder if there'll be a mattress there." She wondered aloud, her muscles already yearning for a soft mattress.

"...I'll continue the look, the rest of you should stay inside lest walkers come." Shadowmere nodded, opening her jaws in a wide yawn. The hellhound hadn't realized how tired she was. She opened her jaws again in a slight pant, a few sparks hitting the back of her throat as the hound's teeth lit up, illuminating the area around them with a warm glow that added to Oliver's light.

"I... I c-can h-help. I d-didn't grab him in t-time.  It's o-only fair I should h-help look..." Looking over to the smaller fire type, Shadowmere felt a pang of guilt run through her. She should have been keeping a better eye on the Growlithe, she was closer, before she decided to go to the fireplace. Guilt clawed its way up the hound's throat as she had to look away from Oliver. "Oliver, if anything it was my fault. It wasn't your responsibility to keep him safe, and I should have been more alert. I grew complacent and didn't realize how restless he was,"

Sighing lightly, the fire that Shadowmere held between her teeth flickered and flashed, blowing out from the hound's teeth and letting a few cinders fly up into the air. "For now, it's probably better if more of us stay inside than out," Nodding, Shadowmere hummed in agreement. "Y-yeah. We s-should head back." She said quietly, her voice just above a whisper. Turning towards the house, Shadowmere started walking towards it, her form illuminated but the fire between her jaws. Every so often Shadowmere would spit out a small Flamethrower if she wasn't sure about direction, and used the brighter flash to figure it out while tracing her own scent back to the house.

"I... I c-can h-help. I d-didn't grab him in t-time.  It's o-only fair I should h-help look..." Sukoshi's eyes were sad as they came back to the remaining Oliver. His mind churned the right words to say, to soothe the fire type, but none came; it was Isolde who ended up having the words.
"Oliver, if anything it was my fault. It wasn't your responsibility to keep him safe, and I should have been more alert. I grew complacent and didn't realize how restless he was," she admitted, taking the blame upon herself.

The Liepard shook his head, disagreeing in her choice of taking the abandonment of the child personally, but Shadowmere nudged the group onwards. "Y-yeah. We s-should head back."
Sukoshi nodded. "Don't wait for me."
As the group made their ways back, he turned and looked back up at the stars as his tail flicked softly to and fro, behind him. I hope he'll be alright.

Without warning, however, suddenly the cat swayed on his feet; first weakly, then more violently so, as stars shot through his vision. What the-- Unable to speak out loud, he uncharacteristically thought them within the confines of his mind. It was not until he collapsed on the ground that he saw the infected. A Whimsicott. Dull alarm shot through him but he was unable to move, let alone stand. The madness of the undead was clear and he knew the name of the move it had used. Memento. With the undead status, it was not even affected by the normal lapse in strength that caused passing out in Pokemon.

Unable to scream for help, the cat was helpless as another Pokemon appeared beside the first. Smeargle? Both undead reached him at the same time, but neither attacked. Instead, the bipedal canine waved it's tail in the air, reaching a paw out to touch him before both cat and dog vanished from the area with a teleport, leaving no trace behind.

(the whimsicott is still in the area, feel free to use it or have it never show up again. anyone is free to of witnessed)

"Oliver, if anything it was my fault. It wasn't your responsibility to keep him safe, and I should have been more alert. I grew complacent and didn't realize how restless he was." Oliver starts and stares at her, eyes wide as she continues to add her two cents, unhappy about the change of events but with blame only for herself. "For now, it's probably better if more of us stay inside than out."

She has a point. The entire group ran after the kid. It's far safer for most of them to be hiding inside. He swallows a lump in his throat as he acknowledges he's not one of the people who deserves to be indoors right now. Not after he just flubbed that. He even knew how rambunctious and determined the kid was; he should've kept a better eye on him...

Lamenting what was won't fix it, but at least helping Sukoshi look is something he can do to try to make up for it.

"Y-yeah. We s-should head back." The dog begins to obediantly return to the house. Oliver hesitates as their leader walks in one direction and the others in the opposite, hands clenched to his chest at his scarf.

Who do I follow?  If he follows the group, he'll be pleasing his leader and nobody will be mad, but can he live with the guilt?

And if he follows their leader, the cat might become angry with him...

As he stands there, contemplating, a slight breeze ruffles his fur. He draws in breath for a sigh, and freezes, blood turning to ice.

Rot.

The faintest stench of rot.

And the breeze is blowing from where Sukoshi--

He doesn't even realize he's started running, screaming a "HELP" over his shoulder as he does.

It takes only a minute to find the Liepard, but it's a minute too long. He's gone as soon as the Chimchar spots them, mouth gaping in horror as he struggles to process the events that just happened.

The undead fairy is staring at him. It makes a warbling noise and he shrieks, leaping back, heat curling in the pit of his belly as his mind screams to run but his body refuses to respond.

"Y-yeah. We s-should head back." Shadowmere agreed as she followed Isolde. Isolde paused and allowed the hound to take the lead since she had the ability to track their path back and occasionally light the way. However, Sukoshi and Oliver waited behind, and Isolde glanced back to see if there was a problem. If there was, they needed to know now instead of later.

As if to answer her question, the cat told them, "Don't wait for me." He appeared at ease, and Isolde trusted that if he wasn't feeling okay, then he would tell them. His ease also made her feel safe since she felt he would be able to sense any nearby undead or infected. Nodding, Isolde kept going, assuming that Oliver would follow behind. She didn't see Sukoshi suddenly lose balance and then disappear with another pokemon, nor did she realize that Oliver had not come with her and Shadowmere.

Until she heard him scream, "HELP!" The fear and urgency in his voice made her snap her head in his direction almost comically fast, and she saw his tail flame moving away from them. In the direction Sukoshi went... If something happened to the cat, then Isolde was doing a poor job of repaying her debt to him. He had saved her life from the metal bird, and it was partially why she had stayed. He had been kind to her...

She didn't think she needed to tell Shadowmere to follow her, but she quickly ordered, "Come on!" Urgency grabbing her, she started following the monkey's flame again. As she shot forward as quickly as she could, her wings beat quickly, and started to kick up some of the ash. To prevent it from blinding her, she quickly pulled the strange eye covering device over her eyes, and continued forward. She hoped she wasn't causing problems for her hound companion, but there was no time to lose. His flame suddenly stopped moving away, and then she swore that it moved towards her. The screech finally reached her, and she took this to confirm that something bad had happened.

It was hard to see what was going on, but when she caught up to Oliver, she saw what had caused the problem. There was no sign of Sukoshi, and a fluffy creature that looked infected was approaching Oliver. Considering how Suksoshi had come to her aid immediately after she had screamed, the fact that he was nowhere to be seen was strange. The undead creature, however, demanded her immediate attention, and realizing that Oliver was frozen in place, Isolde blew past him. The fluffy Pokemon tried to follow her movements to grab her as she approached, but it moved even more sluggishly than what she expected of an undead. This allowed her to get behind it, where she suddenly started vibrating her wings for a Bug Buzz. The sound waves slammed into the creature and knocked it off of its feet and onto its face. She shouted to her fiery companions, "If you've got fire moves, we need them!"

Taking in a deep breath, Shadowmere stops her advance back tot he house, and her sky blue eyes grew wide. The unmistakable stench of rot hit her nose and the Houndoom was already turning to go back, to help when Oliver's scream turned her blood to ice. "HELP!" Her muscles froze for a split second, and for a moment there, her mind had only one thought running through it - Not again.

"Come on!" Isolde's shout brought Shadowmere crashing back to reality and her brain kicked back into gear. The hound dashed forwards, her black and orange form a blur as she sped as fast as she could back to Oliver and Sukoshi, but when she got there, Sukoshi was gone and instead there was a large undead Whimsicott and the sheer sight of it settled a cold pit in Shadowmere's stomach. Her Fire Fang went out, leaving them with only Oliver's small butt flame to light their battlefield.

Frozen in place, Shadowmere could only watch as Isolde dashed forwards, maneuvering around behind the undead and using a move that made it fall forwards onto it's face. With a deep, threatening growl, the hellhound felt flames creep up the back of her throat as she parted her jaws, orange flames licking at her teeth as a Flamethrower built up the back of her mouth. "If you've got fire moves, we need them!"

"On it!" She barked, sucking in a deep breath as the flames flared and grew, cinders escaping up into the air as the fire in her chest burned hotter in preparation of the attack. Closing her jaws around the Flamethrower, Shadowmere snarled quietly as she held her breath, measuring up the distance. Once she had the trajectory to the undead clear, Shadowmere opened her jaws again and released a large column of fire that spiraled towards the undead with a dangerous ferocity that scorched the ash beneath it, lighting dying cinders and adding to it's power.

Out of breath, the Flamethrower cut off suddenly as Shadowmere closed her jaws with a gasp. Looking up to the Whimsicott, Shadowmere could only hope that her attack had hit.

The undead struggled on slow and decrepit limbs to stand, but it was unable to move. Isolde's call for action did not go unanswered as Shadowmere announced, "On it!" Soon a line of bright flames illuminated the area and found their mark. Oliver followed suit and launched a similar attack towards the fluffy creature, and the combined flamethrower attacks quickly consumed it. It gurgled and screeched as the fire that consumed the fluff on its back made it to the body proper, and Isolde flinched and looked around into the darkness in which she could barely see. She needed to end this before something else was attracted to the sounds. She approached the still burning creature and vibrated her wings once more. The three attacks combined were too much for the undead, and the charred body broke apart. When Oliver and Shadowmere ceased their attacks, the smoldering pieces of the body and some remaining charred fluff were all that was left of the undead.

Isolde pulled the red tinted eye shield back to around her neck as she regrouped with the others. The three of them working together to bring down a foe brought pleasant memories to the Vivillon, and she had a slight smile as she praised them, "That was good." Sukoshi was still distinctly absent, and now that they had time, she almost fearfully asked Oliver, "What happened to Sukoshi? Did you see?" The cat had saved her, and the realization that she had probably failed him was filling her with guilt. She highly doubted he would just leave. Practicality and training came rushing back, however, so she added, "Let's head back to the shelter, tell us as we go." She was going to make sure both of them were nearby this time, and she asked, "If one of you would take the lead, please?". She was going to stay in the back so she could see both of them.

It also occurred to her that food scavenging had gone to the wind completely. Their numbers had shrunk, and they all more or less needed light to see. Food will have to wait until morning, she realized guiltily. Oliver looked like he was starving, Shadowmere was likely to be hungry, and she could feel the reminder that she hadn't eaten since much earlier in the day. However, with no light to see any dangers, sending any of them out to get food at this time would be suicide. Not like those odds stopped me before... She shook that thought out of her head before it could wander into darker places.

((OOC: Starbits gave me permission to write that Oliver attacked the Whimsicott. If anything needs changing, please let me know.))

It takes mere seconds to dispatch the undead; with their fire, the grass fairy stands no chance. Isolde is pleased by the fast work and lack of trouble presented by the creature, turning to Oliver and Shadowmere.

"That was good." The praise is lost on him as he stares at the charred remains of the undead, eyes far wider than they ought to be. Is he shaking? Yes, he's been shaking. A weak, sickly laugh bubbles from his throat and he shakes his head, dismissing the kind words. They probably weren't meant for him anyway.

"What happened to Sukoshi? Did you see?" His heart leaps into his throat, and if not for the direct order that follows, he may not have been able to return to reality enough to do anything. "Let's head back to the shelter, tell us as we go. If one of you would take the lead, please?" He begins to walk, eyes hollow, reacting to the automatic desire to please the leader-- and with Sukoshi gone, the older, stronger Isolde is most definitely the leader.

"H-he g-got taken a-away by the m-monkey-dog? Th-thing. Th-that grabbed him and teleported away and it was undead oh god it was undead," he sobs, rubbing at his eyes with the end of his scarf. "I tr-tried; it happened so fast I- I couldn't st-stop i-it."

Is Sukoshi being eaten? Even as they speak? He could throw up. He's rapidly approaching somewhere between hysterical and sick, and walking is becoming a challenge-- his steps are shaky and he stumbles, only just managing not to fall on his face.

This is all his fault.

Panting, Shadowmere's sky blue eyes darted around, looking for anything that could have been attracted by her flames. The warbling cries from the undead hit Shadowmere hard as the hound scampered back, her eyes wide. "O-oh god that - Did I do that? Oh my god." She panted to herself, her claws scrabbing on the concrete. "I- I haven't f-fought anyt-thing since... She trailed off for a moement, her blue eyes wide with fear at herself. I f-forgot how it felt to attack s-something, oh god I-I-"

"That was good."

Turning the stare at Isolde, Shaowmere's eyes softened slightly. That was... Good? Sighing in relief, the hellhound looked over to Oliver, and immediately she felt something was wrong. "What happened to Sukoshi? Did you see?" Sukoshi! Looking around wildly, Shadowmere whined quietly, aa barely audible whimper that carried barely a few meters before it died out. What happened to Sukoshi? "Let's head back to the shelter, tell us as we go." Shadowmere began to walk back to the shelter, he own scent was beginning to fade, but it was still trace-able. "If one of you would take the lead, please?" Shadowmere's jaws lit up with a Fire Fang so that she could see where she was going, as she listened to Oliver talk.

"H-he g-got taken a-away by the m-monkey-dog?  Th-thing.  Th-that grabbed him and teleported away and it was undead oh god it was undead," Her eeys widened when she heard Oliver start sobbing, and the hound stopped, turning around and extinguishing her Fire Fang. "I tr-tried; it happened so fast I- I couldn't st-stop i-it." Oliver started walking strange, and when the small fire monkey tripped, Shadowmere stepped forwards and moved her wire-thin tail in front of him. "I-if walking i-is t-too challenging for you, y-you can s-sit on my back, i-if you want?" She offered, worried for the poor Chimchar.

She should have noticed his shaking before he started speaking. There were many reasons that she was never sent to take of the children, and she was going to have a trial run before they let her be a teacher of any sort. When it came to emotional matters, the Vivillon was not the best at dealing with them. Her cold demeanor often made situations worse, and the sudden memory of a crying Scatterbug approaching her for help forced itself to the forefront of her mind. All she could do was float there awkwardly and try to comfort the child with her words. Unfortunately, everything she said only made them feel worse, and they soon ran off crying harder than before. It was only because Kelvin had been nearby that the child eventually calmed down.

Oliver sobbed, "H-he g-got taken a-away by the m-monkey-dog? Th-thing. Th-that grabbed him and teleported away and it was undead oh god it was undead." The crying made the Vivillon freeze as she was once again faced with something she had no idea how to handle. The information told her what she needed, and while she didn't know what a monkey-dog was, she was familiar with a species that could suddenly disappear and reappear elsewhere. Long story short, they were probably never going to see Sukoshi again, even if he did survive the encounter. She had failed the Pokemon that saved her, and there was nothing she could do about it. Oliver continued, "I tr-tried; it happened so fast I- I couldn't st-stop i-it."

I couldn't stop it... I couldn't stop it...

The phrase rang loudly in her mind, and the accompanying feeling of helplessness caused a more recent memory to surface. One she had been trying to bury. She had said the same phrase before, and all she had gotten back was scorn and anger. And she was here now because of it. Far away from home, likely to never go back, and alone in an unfamiliar world that was trying to kill her. Granted it was all because she wasn't normal that it happened anyway, but were the words Briana had said necessary? Isolde felt so helpless... She didn't want to drive the small child away, for he might not be as lucky and trained as she was.

She was practically frozen in place as she tried to think of something to say when Shadowmere offered, "I-if walking i-is t-too challenging for you, y-you can s-sit on my back, i-if you want?" The child was practically stumbling on his feet, and making him walk at this point would be foolhardy. She got closer to the small monkey, and hoped that her shaken state wasn't obvious to the other two. A visible sign that she couldn't control was her antennae twitching, but maybe they weren't aware of what that meant on a Vivillon.

She quietly stammered out, "Y-you should take the offer... you shouldn't be w-walking right now. " How does one comfort someone like this? Of course Oliver would be upset over losing Sukoshi and not being able to stop it. The one time she had lost control of a situation, no one believed her, or she was too... afraid to even let them near her. She took a deep breath to steady her thoughts again. "Unfortunately... there's nothing we can do other than believe in Sukoshi's strength to survive," the words felt shallow even as she said them, but it was all she knew. "You tried, Oliver... And that's all anyone could ask for."

"Y-you should take the offer... you shouldn't be w-walking right now."  He blinks, more tears dripping from his eyes to the floor.

What is the point?

Why should he deserve that luxury of riding on someone's back?

A stranger's back no less?

"N-no- no.  I-I f-fucked up.  I-I deserve to w-walk."  And he does.  He does, because Sukoshi is probably being eaten right now, because he did not move fast enough.

"Unfortunately... there's nothing we can do other than believe in Sukoshi's strength to survive."  His strength to survive means nothing if he's already been bitten.  You tried, Oliver... And that's all anyone could ask for."  

"I didn't try hard enough!  I just stood there like an idiot for a second and a second was all it needed!" God, how could he have been so stupid!?  "Why am I even still alive!?  Every group I get near someone dies horribly!"

They should just kick him out, now.  Before anyone else is killed.  Before his presence taints them even further.  A missing child, a dead leader.  What else could go wrong!?

... Don't answer that, universe.

Do not.

Looking up at the white-winged butterfly, Shadowmere was relived to see that she agreed with her suggestion as well. "Y-you should take the offer... you shouldn't be w-walking right now." Looking down at Oliver, Shadowmere was dismayed to see that the monkey was still crying. Taking in a deep breath, the fire hound let it out slowly, a small plume of fire escaping as she tried to calm herself down. "N-no- no. I-I f-fucked up. I-I deserve to w-walk." God, that was a familiar sentence. Shadowmere's eyes were drawn to the ground as the same feeling of uselessness washed over her.

"Unfortunately... there's nothing we can do other than believe in Sukoshi's strength to survive." That's right, Sukoshi was a strong 'mon, he would be fine. I hope.

You tried, Oliver... And that's all anyone could ask for." Isolde still tried to console the fire monkey, but it wasn't working. Gritting her teeth, Shadowmere weighed her options. They could sit here and risk being attacked again, they could keep walking and run the risk of Oliver hurting himself by tripping, or she could put him on her back herself and they could make it to the shelter with time to spare. She may have good night-sight, but she was no cat. Shadowmere wanted to get to the shelter before the last of their light faded.

"I didn't try hard enough! I just stood there like an idiot for a second and a second was all it needed!" The words hit harder than Shadowmere had expected, and the fire hound let her eyes wander to the shadow with white eyes that stood behind Oliver. That sounds so much like me... Shadowmere sucked in a shaky breath, her eyes shutting tight. "Why am I even still alive!? Every group I get near someone dies horribly!"

Finally, Shadowmere had made up her mind and the hound lay down and nosed Oliver, her muzzle tapping the fire monkey behind the knees so that they were forced to sit down on her shoulder leaning to the side, Shadowmere used the momentum to shift the fire monkey onto her back where she was sure they wouldn't fall off. "You may blame yourself, but that is no reason to not take a break when you need one," She started, looking back at Oliver with a kind smile. "Just... Don't be too hard on yourself. None of us could have predicted what happened, and it's not up to whatever fate there might be, just sheer, dumb luck." Her voice was hushed, giving away her own emotions.

"I - I'm much the same." This time her voice was more hushed, barely more than a whisper. "I lost someone close to me because I was too stupid to see otherwise. I'd give anything to go back and warn them, to get them out of harms way. To go back in time and make it never happen." Shadowmere blinked and looked up to the sky. "But I know I can't do that, so I trudge on. You can't shoulder everything, Oliver. It'll just bring you down. Try to keep your head up, okay? Life gets worse before it gets better."

Dark out. It's getting dark out. Gotta find a place to stay.

It was so easy to hide at night. Nobody ever spotted his gaseous body when the sun went away-but Deimos could do the exact same thing. He was way better at hiding and sneaking, and no way was Phobos being caught in the open, alone and very, very vulnerable...but this land was creepy. Everything seemed so burnt, like a huge fire monster had razed the entire place just because he could. Where was he, anyways? At first glance, it was what Mom had called a "town", where humans stayed in "houses", but beyond that Phobos didn't know a thing. Humans are so weird. Don't they know how great being outside is? If only there were any around to ask-he'd love to know why they built stuff around them, and how they did it. Maybe sunlight was bad for humans? Or was it the air? Phobos had never been around a human long enough to observe, but the thought of a human suddenly catching on fire after standing in the sun too long was both fascinating and absolutely awful. Surely the sun wasn't that hot.

"You tried, Oliver... And that's all anyone could ask for."
"Why am I even still alive!?  Every group I get near someone dies horribly!"

"Huh..?" Was he hallucinating, or were those actual, living people talking? Humans? It couldn't be-they were so rare, all of them had to be hiding out underground or in safe houses, not walking around willy-nilly like a beacon for the red-eyes. True to his prediction, the voices did not belong to humans, but instead a tiny group of ragtag, strange Pokemon. One was a white bug of some sort, another a little two-legged orange creature, and a dog as well. Phobos found himself instinctively floating back, watching the strangers with eyes of suspicion. The orange one was walking all weird, but was that a trick? Did they know he was here? No way. The night hides me! But if it didn't, and they knew he was there, then...
The horned dog (Phobos really wished he knew the species) then scooped up the tiniest Pokemon onto her back, and said something Phobos couldn't quite make out. What were they planning to do? He couldn't stay here and feel safe in this human town without knowing what these Pokemon were up to, yet now they spoke too softly to be heard. Phobos might have been an eavesdropper, but it wasn't for no reason. They might be working for Dei...

"N-no- no.  I-I f-fucked up.  I-I deserve to w-walk," the child argued against logic. What one deserved didn't matter when the alternative was foolish, and anyway, it wasn't his fault. However, he clearly belived so as he continued, "I didn't try hard enough!  I just stood there like an idiot for a second and a second was all it needed!" And a second was all something else would need to interrupt this party, and why they needed to get moving now. Even as they stayed in one place, Isolde felt as if they were being watched, and her sadness started being replaced with fear. Just from glancing at Shadowmere, she could tell the hound also empathized with Oliver's words. "Why am I even still alive!?  Every group I get near someone dies horribly!" I'm still asking myself that question... She's still not sure how she made it through that blizzard and the days following it.

Instead of standing around like an idiot and grasping at straws for what to say, Shadowmere took the initiative and maneuvered Oliver onto her back. Then, in a much kinder way than what Isolde would have done, she gently told him, "You may blame yourself, but that is no reason to not take a break when you need one. Just... Don't be too hard on yourself. None of us could have predicted what happened, and it's not up to whatever fate there might be, just sheer, dumb luck." The words were also full of emotion, and Isolde kept quiet as she told a quick story, "I - I'm much the same. I lost someone close to me because I was too stupid to see otherwise. I'd give anything to go back and warn them, to get them out of harms way. To go back in time and make it never happen. But I know I can't do that, so I trudge on. You can't shoulder everything, Oliver. It'll just bring you down. Try to keep your head up, okay? Life gets worse before it gets better." Heavens above, Isolde understood that sentiment of wanting to change the past, but having to live with how things happened. However, the change she would have wanted to change wouldn't have been her actions so much as wanting to change the way she was.

She couldn't focus on these feelings for long, though; the sensation of being watched had only intensified, and when she looked around, the light was too dim to give her much information. "Oliver... just... please accept the offer... We need to get moving... before...," she quietly pleaded with him as she continued to glance around. "I think something else is out here, and I don't want to take the chance that it isn't friendly. Not when it's so hard to see." She kept reaching for the eye shield around her neck and fidgeting with it. "Lead the way, Shadowmere. If you would," she asked while gesturing in the direction they had been heading in.

Something nudges his knees and with a cry of shock he finds himself on Shadowmere's back.

... Didn't he literally just refuse this offer?


"You may blame yourself, but that is no reason to not take a break when you need one," Though the smile is kind, he feels irritation flare up.  She's wrong.  It is. "Just... Don't be too hard on yourself. None of us could have predicted what happened, and it's not up to whatever fate there might be, just sheer, dumb luck."

Then why doesn't that dumb luck ever strike who it should?

"I - I'm much the same. I lost someone close to me because I was too stupid to see otherwise. I'd give anything to go back and warn them, to get themout of harms way. To go back in time and make it never happen."

Okay, that he can relate to.

Anne.  He chokes back a whimper.

"But I know I can't do that, so I trudge on. You can't shoulder everything, Oliver. It'll just bring you down. Try to keep your head up, okay? Life gets worse before it gets better."

Yeah but sometimes it never gets better again.

"Oliver... just... please accept the offer... We need to get moving... before..."

Now she has his attention.

"I think something else is out here, and I don't want to take the chance that it isn't friendly. Not when it's so hard to see."

Oh no oh no.

"Lead the way, Shadowmere. If you would."

"Okay," he mumbles, "I'll stay on your back."

Phobos' mist-borne eyes are practically glued to the scene before him, even though there was almost nothing actually happening. He doesn't even know any of them, and could've left at any time like a smart ghost, yet here Phobos is. There is something so fascinating about other Pokemon when they aren't trying to murder him, or run away, or call him a freak because he is related to Deimos and of COURSE that makes him weird.
"Oliver... just... please accept the offer... We need to get moving... before...," Bug Lady (he assumes she is a lady) sure sounds scared, but of what-him? She's looking around, and Phobos almost wants to shrink back even further than he already has. Please turn your eyes away from the ghost before he dissipates from fear! Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all; even if they look and sound afraid, it could just be faked, and then they would find him and attack him and who knows what else? If so, then why is he floating around?!

"I think something else is out here, and I don't want to take the chance that it isn't friendly. Not when it's so hard to see." I knew it! They-what? So...they haven't seen him? Or even knew there was actually someone (him) here? Oh, boy...that didn't make it not a trick, though. Phobos can't make heads or tails of what is genuine and isn't, and it's making him want to evaporate. Hopefully none of them actually did see him...especially not when he's supposed to be hidden by the night, of all things. What good is the darkness if you're seen anyways? You know, now would be a really good time to leave...
But it is curiosity, not logic, that gets the better of him. As the tiny group decides to leave, Phobos decides to follow-in the shadows, of course. He wants to know more, but he also doesn't want to freakin' die.

Thankfully, Oliver complied, the fear in Isolde's voice convincing him, "Okay. I'll stay on your back." Shadowmere then began leading the way back to their shelter, and with Oliver securely on her back, Isolde wasn't too worried about their small group getting divided up... again. With their numbers so small, they had to be even more careful... The sensation of eyes watching them still hadn't left her, and  as she flew behind the hound, she kept looking around her to see if anything was out of the ordinary. The limited light from Oliver's flame and the occasional burst of fire from Shadowmere's maw only illuminated a small area around them, and shadows were abundant. After that surprise attack that lead to Sukoshi suddenly disappearing, the butterfly was even more paranoid of potential attacks. The burned houses looked even more ominous than before, and Isolde was suddenly grateful that they had cleared a house before night fell. Remembering the metallic bird from earlier, she suddenly started scanning the skies. The sky was mostly clear, and she looked for unusual patterns of the stars being blocked out.

"Nothing in the skies..." she quietly observed. That was good at least. Whatever was stalking them must be closer to the ground then. She was hoping that this unkown being would finally lose patience or otherwise decide to reveal itself before they got too close to their safe place. As much as she highly doubted it, for her and her companions's sakes, she hoped that whatever it was would not be hostile. Maybe just as afraid as they were. Easy to talk down from attacking, at least. With one of them so tired he couldn't walk, and the other two getting tired from the day's events, she would prefer to keep fighting to a minimum. "Do you hear or smell anything?" she asked the others; they both had sharper noses and more sensitive ears, so she hoped that maybe they could at least sense something.

((Duma gave me permission to write what I did about Shadowmere.))

I feel eyes I feel eyes I feel eyes.

Truly it was not Isolde's fault.  She had only said what needed to be said.  

Unfortunately, that was enough for Oliver's terror to take off.

Nononono what's watching us what what what.

"Nothing in the skies..."

Skies?  He tilts his head up, wide brown eyes darting about as if expecting he could see anything in the dark expanse above them.

It's too dark; how can she tell?

"Do you hear or smell anything?"

Smell!  Smell of course!

He takes a deep inhale, and his breath is shaky when he lets it out.

"N-no.  I- I don't."  

Does that mean nothing's there?  But I FEEL something watching us!  Is he wrong?  Is he being paranoid?  But that feeling is there and it's making his skin crawl, and his stomach is turning, and it takes a moment for him to realize he is whimpering before he smothers the sound.

Whatisoutthere.