(ELITE) The DESERT Team

To absolutely nobody's surprise, the girl does not lose any of her unfailing enthusiasm. "My name's Courtney," she says, and that grin fails to leave her face, much to Registeel's now-tedious irritation. "The silver fox is Spirit, the noodle is Flame, and Blaze is holding him." What on earth was a noodle? Judging by the so-called "noodle's" look of displeasure, it has to be another insult that only humans used. This "Courtney" is gifted with them. Spirit is far more respectful with their bow, and Registeel holds no doubts as to which of the Pokemon he won't hold any desire to step on.
However, even after his clear warning, Courtney refuses to tone down her unbearable personality; Registeel refuses to think of the fact that this is what he will be having to deal with for however much time it took to get to his brother. If he was persistent, then surely she would come to realise that her chipper ways would get nowhere with him. It was not the most sound of plans, but better that than potentially encouraging her. "Okay! You're the boss. Lead the way!" Yes. Finally. As he's thought countless times up until right now, Registeel can feel the seconds and minutes wasting away with each word he and this human exchange. With this problem solved for the most part, his mission could actually continue again, instead of him only thinking of it.

As Courtney recalls her pets into unfamiliar human contraptions, Registeel pities the creatures; he, too, knows what it is like to be kept in what was essentially a prison. It was truly a shame that they did not know what it meant to be wild, and free from the obsessive grasp of mankind. He says nothing as Courtney releases another Pokemon, a Flying-type of all things and, unlike himself, not suited to the hostile environment. What was she thinking, sending them into the sandstorm? "Flier, I need you to scout from the air, see if you can spot what we're looking for. Actually-- Regi, what are we looking for exactly?" The fact that he already knows where he's going does not even cross Registeel's mind-he has never been called "Regi" in his life and he does not appreciate the nickname.
"Registeel," he corrects her; there was nothing difficult about remembering his name when he was literally made completely of metal. "There is no need for your bird. My destination is close." He points to the distant rocks jutting out of the sand, and though they were obscured by the sandstorm, that did not make the Ruins impossible to spot. "Those are the Desert Ruins. In the center is both the cavern and the chamber where Regirock is now, and as you can see, it is not far."

The Swellow's eyes narrowed against the sands, Flier muttering unhappily to himself. "What the actual hell, Courtney..." His trainer, however, ignored him. Her round, expectant eyes rested on Registeel, her mouth still pulled into a cat-like smile. The steel type apparently could not take a joke, instead staring at the much tinier human for a second.

"Registeel," he corrected her, to which Courtney shrugged, her expression unfailing. Spirit's eyes burned into the back of her head, the Ninetales able to effortlessly read her trainer. Don't do it. Courtney opened her mouth and surprised them both by replying, "Whatever you say!~" and not tagging on 'Regi' a second time. Spirit sighed in relief. There might be hope after all.

"There is no need for your bird. My destination is close." Courtney's eyes become brighter, turning towards where Registeel was pointing. Flier muttered ungraciously, "What is going on here..." For once Spirit did not offer an answer, the Ninetales halting in her walking beside the Swellow as Courtney gradually spotted the darker spot in the sands. Way to look like a Poke-Hitler with that pointing, she snickered silently as Registeel continued despite her dumb inner commentary.

"Those are the Desert Ruins. In the center is both the cavern and the chamber where Regirock is now, and as you can see, it is not far."
Courtney nodded, holding out one arm and making a gesture in opening and closing her fist in the direction of her bird. The Swellow swiftly took to the air, coming to perch on his trainer's arm while staring between her and the legend. "Wanna go make sure nothing too bad is in between that and us, sweetie?" Flier's eyes rested on his trainer for just a second before he sighed.
"On it, miss." The normal type took to the air, darting through the sands as Courtney herself began walking forward again, this time in the direction of the ruins.

Were those ... voices? Like, actual human voices? More of them?!

"OK, now I know I've lost my mind." Brendan squinted through the sandy mist at the approaching figures - two of them, he noticed, now that they were closer. One of them seemed much taller than the other; was he riding a Pokemon? "Jeez," he mumbled, "what did that desert guy put in that tea?"

"Hey, do you see this too?" Suddenly remembering Dhakwan, he turned back to the desert dweller ... only to find the cushion he was sitting on empty. "Err - crap, what was his name - Duck-one? Dak -- where the hell did he go?" He whirled around on the spot, completely spooked out. None of his Pokemon were there either. "OK, Zu, I'm clearly done. Marbles have gone. This place is screwing with my head - we need to get out of here."

But Zuzu shook his big head and then slowly stood up on his hind legs, doubling his height. He didn't take his eyes off the two approaching figures for a moment.

"They're really there, huh?" Brendan breathed, leaning on his Swampert's arm. It was easy to assume that anything even resembling a human was a mirage these days; it was like finding a building that hadn't been ransacked yet. The figures were slowly getting clearer; one was definitely riding a horse-like Pokemon of some sort and the other was holding something long and dangerous-looking in his hands. Whatever it was, he cocked it with a click and--

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa! No need for that!" Brendan threw up his hands, realising with horror that it was a shotgun. Zuzu seemed to notice it too, and stood protectively in front of his Trainer with a growl. "We're good! Honest we are! Just don't -- don't shoot." He slung off his backpack and held it into the air, his heart hammering. "You can have anything you want!"

He shouldn't have been surprised when Emmet's voice and face went hard; the Epidemic had changed everyone. Still, Black couldn't help grow slightly alarmed as the once jovial man immediately went on the defensive. "Other survivors can always be hostile," Emmet mumbles as he reaches for his shotgun. "Best to be prepared... just in case... Having a weapon out from the start tends to deter anyone from trying anything, I've noticed." He cocks the weapon and Black can't hide his frown. "I say we approach together. I'll have the gun out and ready, but not raised or pointed at them. If there are two of us, a weapon visible, and two Pokemon out... well, hopefully if they got any ideas, they'll abandon them."

Black nodded but lightly raised the gloved hand closest to Emmet. "Though it may intimidate them, don't shoot your weapon. Guns and sand don't mix, and more likely than not, it'll backfire. Or not fire at all--"

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa! No need for that!" the figure on the ridge cried out, apparently close enough to make out Emmet's rifle. Black let out a short sigh-- he sounded terrified. Not what Black wanted to achieve, but... "We're good! Honest we are! Just don't -- don't shoot." To the officer's alarm and horror, the man slung off his pack, and, not even trying to defend himself, held it aloft toward them. Christ, they'd nearly attacked an innocent bystander?! "You can have anything you want!"

Black couldn't help himself as he gave a small motion for Emmet to stay where he was -or at least Agro- as he rode closer on Briar. His instincts flared that he needed to rectify the situation immediately; aside from two exceptions, he never wanted anyone to look upon with such utter fear. Black only drew close enough to at least see the others' faces-- the man didn't look as old as he was, and the young man's swampert was clearly not appreciative. Briar snorted angrily beneath him, but Black pulled a little on the reins. He didn't want a fight breaking out due to his stag's anger issues. "I swear, we're not bandits," Black began in a gentle tone. "We're just trying to find our way out of this desert, and... it's never a bad idea to be careful." Dismounting, he quickly returned Briar to his ball and held out a gloved hand toward the stranger.

"I'm sorry we spooked you; I'm Inspector Black, and back there is Emmet. We're from Unova and... aren't entirely sure how to get out of here." He gave a small chuckle as his face broke out in an embarrassed smile. "Or where 'here' even is, to be honest."

Apprehension rolls through him in waves, crashing into fear; his heart pounds in his head.  These few seconds of approach-- they never get easier.  A person would think they would, if only because you'd become numb to it.  Numb to the idea that you could be walking towards your new best friend or your potential murderer.  That every step you take could be one second closer to new hope or a sudden end.  He's made this walk so many times, and it never gets any easier, ever, even though over four years the count must have racked itself up to... at least a hundred.

I wish it'd just numb over, finally...

Not feeling might be nice, for a change...

"Though it may intimidate them, don't shoot your weapon."  He wasn't going to-- didn't Black hear what he said?  Or... did he figure that just because he wasn't going to have it pointed at them, that doesn't mean he can't fire a warning shot.  Yeah, that's probably it.  "Guns and sand don't mix, and more likely than not, it'll backfire. Or not fire at all--"  

"Wait what!?"  His head turns to stare at Black, eyes wide.  Literally my best line of defense, the one thing I have that says "hey don't fuck with me" and stops fights before they start... won't work because of the fucking weather and people might know that.

Legends above, deserts suck.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa! No need for that!" The shouting draws his attention back, Emmet checking to make sure the gun is still lowered. "We're good! Honest we are! Just don't -- don't shoot." His stomach drops; that voice... that voice is young sounding.  Not child-like but definitely not one of a full grown man.  "You can have anything you want!"

Oh fuck me I just scared the shit out of a TEENAGER, didn't I?  What a fucking badass he was, yup.  Slumping in shame, he watches as Black rides over to get a closer look, choosing to obey the signal to remain where he was-- now is not the time to be rebellious.

The young man talks to the teenager, Emmet watching in silence from a few feet away.  When it seems that nothing bad is going to happen, he dismounts Agro and walks forward, holding her reins.  "Hey, kid... I'm sorry about scaring you.  I... the sandstorm made it hard to see you, and y'know, it's better to be safe than sorry these days, so I just wanted it out in case you had any ideas about mugging us.  It's... a pretty good deterrent."  His hand goes up to his forehead and when it doesn't brush against the lip of his hat, he continues the motion to run his fingers through his hair, another pang of loss stabbing at his chest.

[I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I must skip this time around. I'll make certain to post the next round.]

Brendan ducked his head behind his bag as he held it out, certain that it would be yanked out of his grasp and its contents emptied in a matter of seconds. Maybe Zuzu would be feeling brave enough to try and confront them ... or maybe he'd take one look at the massive weapon one of them was holding and think better of it. Good - Brendan didn't even want to think about his Pokemon's skull exploding into pieces as the shotgun fired. Better to lose a few items then his best friend, easily.

He was thinking that maybe he should just get out his bat and threaten to bash their heads in with the hope of scaring them off, but then one of them, the one on the equine Pokemon, spoke to him. "I swear, we're not bandits. We're just trying to find our way out of this desert, and... it's never a bad idea to be careful." Brendan slowly lowered his bag to get a better look at them. The man was dismounting his ride and walking up to him with an outstretched hand. "I'm sorry we spooked you; I'm Inspector Black, and back there is Emmet. We're from Unova and... aren't entirely sure how to get out of here. Or where 'here' even is, to be honest."

These guys were all right; Brendan could tell that just by looking at Black. "Inspector, huh? Hey, are you a cop? Or a detective! 'Cause if you are, that's pretty cool. O-Oh, uh..." Remembering his manners, Brendan shook Black's hand happily. "I'm Brendan, and this is my buddy Zuzu." He gestured to his Swampert, who was glaring at the shotgun in Emmet's hand with a most displeased expression. "Uh ... I think he may be a little nicer if you put that away...? I mean, if you want to."

Kicking himself at how rude he probably just sounded, Brendan nodded to Emmet as he apologised for scaring him as well, a big goofy grin starting to form on his face. He thought he'd hit the jackpot with Dwakwan; now he had a cop and ... a guy with a big gun on his side. He'd have to bombard Emmet with questions later; for now, he figured he'd enlighten them on where they were.

"Oh, and by the way, this is Hoenn," he said, lifting his hand to gesture to the environment around him and then quickly tucking it into his pocket, a little embarrassed. "It's ... not the best place to be here, but the rest of the region is really nice! We've got lots of forests, beaches and even a big volcano and--" He quickly cut himself off before he started rambling again, as he always did when he was nervous or excited.

"Eeeh ... sorry. So you guys are from Unova, huh? That's cool - I've always wanted to go. What brings you both all the way out here?"

Black visibly slackened his shoulders as the strange boy seemed to come around, no longer fearing them. Thank goodness. "Inspector, huh? Hey, are you a cop? Or a detective! 'Cause if you are, that's pretty cool. O-Oh, uh..." Black nodded proudly, his face breaking out into a wide, genuine smile as the stranger eagerly shook his gloved hand.  "I'm Brendan, and this is my buddy Zuzu." Once their handshake broke, Black tipped his hat to the irate Swampert, who was glaring daggers at Emmet's rifle. "Uh ... I think he may be a little nicer if you put that away...? I mean, if you want to."

Emmet approached almost dejectedly as he apologized, Agro in tow behind him, looking a little nervous at the angry dual type before her. She was smart enough to know there was little she'd be able to do in battle against that beast other than run. Black could do little more than send her an empathetic look. I'm sorry, girl... You won't have to battle him, though."Hey, kid... I'm sorry about scaring you.  I... the sandstorm made it hard to see you, and y'know, it's better to be safe than sorry these days, so I just wanted it out in case you had any ideas about mugging us.  It's... a pretty good deterrent."

But it seemed most, if not all, was forgiven, much to Black's unbridled gratitude and relief. It was so nice to just be able to have something go well. "Oh, and by the way, this is Hoenn," Brendan added amiably, the information he so casually spilled shocking Black. He knew Hoenn was a possibility, but... how...? "It's ... not the best place to be here, but the rest of the region is really nice! We've got lots of forests, beaches and even a big volcano and--" Black blinked as Brendan quickly cut himself off-- maybe he was getting embarrassed over gushing over his homeland? Maybe Brendan realized that it could be seen as insensitive, since so many were homeless? It was definitely a possibility, but would remain a mystery. "Eeeh ... sorry. So you guys are from Unova, huh? That's cool - I've always wanted to go. What brings you both all the way out here?"

Black shrugged. "I've... been looking for someone. A few people, actually. Got lost and found myself here, then found Emmet here as well not too long ago." He nodded to the man at the mention of the other's name, then turned back to Brendan, his curiosity piquing. "You wouldn't have happened to see anyone with long gree--" No, not here. Not in the middle of a sandstorm. It could wait. "--nevermind. We should really find shelter first." Peering around through the curtains of sand whirling about them, Black noticed something shimmer in the distance. Frowning, he pointed it out to the others. "What's that?"

[[shiny thing is Registeel, orz]]

The prospect of Black being a detective makes the kid light up.  Aw.  That's kinda cute.  Now that Emmet can get a closer look at him, he really does look young...  well, young for someone alone in the apocalypse, anyway.

At the suggestion about the gun, Emmet makes a sheepish little noise and stows it away.

"Oh, and by the way, this is Hoenn,"  Hoenn?  "It's ... not the best place to be here, but the rest of the region is really nice! We've got lots of forests, beaches and even a big volcano and-- Eeeh ... sorry. So you guys are from Unova, huh? That's cool - I've always wanted to go. What brings you both all the way out here?"

"I've... been looking for someone. A few people, actually. Got lost and found myself here, then found Emmet here as well not too long ago."

"I'm looking for people too, actually..."  He's still stunned over how far he's managed to travel.  How does one pass through more than one country on foot and not realize?

"You wouldn't have happened to see anyone with long gree--" Mm?  Why did he stop? "--nevermind. We should really find shelter first."

Yes, shelter first.  Then they can all ask one another about the missing people they're searching for.  His hand dips into his pocket to rub a thumb over his bell, heart aching at the lack of a keepsake from Ingo.

Oh, Ingo...

"What's that?"

Frowning in growing apprehensiveness, he pulls from his brief daydream  to squint at where Black is pointing.  Something shiny glistens through the sand; it's not threatening, and so the tenseness eases from his shoulders.  "... Hard to say from here.  It... looks big, though.  Maybe a building, or a landmark?"  It's far too large to seem anything that might hang around a human, and that shape doesn't bring to mind any Pokemon...  "I can't tell if it's moving or not from here.  Should we take a closer look?"

He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to.

Kit was melting alive. Or sweating. Was there even a difference? The cruel sun beat down on her from all angles and seemed to bounce its heat back up from the ground, trapping Kit in a sauna-like atmosphere that would’ve been hard to breathe in without the sandstorm. Damn you, sun. Damn you! Kit could just picture it mocking her, hanging in the sky like some twisted Solrock. Or maybe that was just heat exhaustion getting to her, as even Kit’s very hair was hot to the touch now.

Hunched over with an aching back, she had been holding her jacket over her head as she walked with Buddy for what seemed like an eternity now, but it made little difference in protecting her from the sand. Her exposed shoulders and arms were both beginning to involuntarily shake with pain as the tiny grains smacked endlessly against her raw, sunburnt skin. As her arms began to lose any feeling at all, Kit slipped her jacket on the proper way and pulled her clingy shirt over her nose and mouth as a makeshift mask. But with only her hand to protect her sensitive eyes now, Kit cried out in a pouty, cat-like whine of utter defeat.

“Don’t get too tired,” Buddy suddenly said, after refusing to speak for most of the walk. “There’s somethin’ up ahead.”

Kit halted in her tracks, nearly falling over as she did so. “Huh?” Between her exhausted panting and dry throat, Kit could barely hear her own tiny voice over the winds of the sandstorm.

With a low grunt, her Houndoom gestured forward with his head. “Right there. A person. Or a thing. Don’t get us teleported this time.”

A person? In this place…? Kit peered through the blowing sands. The distance was hard to judge in the sandstorm, but up ahead the silhouette of a human-like figure could be seen lying on the ground. Kit’s shoulders sank even lower… It might not be a person, she thought. Cacturne were human-like, after all. They also remained unmoving in sunlight, preyed on the exhausted, and traveled in packs…

Oh, no. Not now…

Unsure of herself, Kit looked to Buddy. “Should--...Should we turn back?”

“You’re the Trainer, kid.” Her Houndoom replied. “Undead or exhaustion, we’ll die either way.”

“I-- Buddy!” Kit scolded her Pokemon, but she knew he was right. Turning back meant death for sure, but going forward into the unknown… there was no telling what might happen. With a heavy sigh, she fumbled in her childish Pikachu backpack for further protection, placing her knife in one hand and her Espeon’s Pokeball in the other.

“Fine. We’ll... keep moving then…Meaniepants...” She began a cautious walk towards the figure, Buddy at her side and Mr. Whiskers ready to be if needed.

As they stepped closer to the mysterious figure, it became clearer to Kit that they were not dealing with an Undead or a Cacturne. There was relief for a moment, but dread swiftly returned as Kit had a horrifying realization: Lying on their stomach, desperate arms stretched forward, this was the bare-boned remains of a human body, Go-goggles and a traveller’s backpack still securely attached.

Kit stared down at the body, her eyes unblinking in the desert sandstorm. That could be me soon… That could be my Pokemon, and-- No… There wasn’t any time for that right now. Right at her fingertips, there was protection from the sandstorm and who knows what else in that bag. She remembered having to steal from a dead man before, how wrong it felt… but it kept her alive. And it was going to keep her alive again, she was going to make sure of that.

“Buddy… get the goggles off - I don’t wanna touch the face, it’s... gross.” Bending down to the body, Kit dug through the backpack as her Houndoom sighed and retrieved the goggles. It was relatively empty - full of useless food wrappers and empty water bottles that seemed to be there just to piss Kit off - but she did manage to scavenge a single pair of Safety Goggles for her Pokemon to share, a small gray blanket, dark sunglasses, and a map of Hoenn. So that’s where we are… Turning to her Houndoom, Kit took the Go-goggles from his mouth and put them on after struggling with the straps. “That’s better…” she said, the cheer in her weak voice quietly returning. She stored away the other items, saving the Safety Goggles for Mr. Whiskers since she knew Buddy would never allow her to strap them to his face.

“...Come on. We’re not dead yet.” Kit shakily got to her feet, and with her grumpy Houndoom at her side, she did the only thing that they could do in the Epidemic: She kept moving forward.

Registeel watches Courtney give nonverbal orders to her bird pet, disapproving of the process as the Flying-type obediently brings himself to her. Even in what was surely a blinding, painful sandstorm, the bird still listens to her; he's not sure if it's a result of unquestionable loyalty or sheer stupidity. Regardless, the creature could be useful, and that was all he cares about. "Wanna go make sure nothing too bad is in between that and us, sweetie?" Phrasing it as a question, and sweetie-another one of the insults in her arsenal, perhaps, cunningly disguised as a simple request. Horrific. The bird is resigned to his fate, however, flying off with a sigh and an "On it, miss." If the creature was smart, he'd fly off as soon as he has an opportunity. That was what Registeel would have done, had he been trapped in the clutches of an over-talkative human with a fondness for strange insults and clothing alike.

Fortunately for Registeel, the human girl has finally caught on, and heads towards the Ruins without any sort of prompting from him. This is much better. It had been tiresome trying to get her to either leave or understand his mission, and though it had taken forever, she was aware of his goal and its importance. Hopefully. Now, if they could keep going without any setbacks, this "trip" through the desert would prove to take less time than he has been fearing since running into this so-called Courtney. Though he still does not trust her completely, he was Registeel, a Legend-there was nothing to fear from a small girl with heels and a parade of well-trained pets. He, too, begins to once again resume his steady march towards the Desert Ruins, a human of all things by his side.

[I'm very sorry for the poor quality of this post, plans between renegade and I were changed and I had to compensate at last minute. I hope this is enough to set up this round.]

Taking to the air, the Swellow narrowed his eyes against the stinging winds and airborne sands, but otherwise steeled himself to his task. From what the sharp eyes bird could see, the place was mostly deserted-- a fortunate thing, considering it is a desert. Giving a light caw, the duel type cut through the air. But it was at that point that he spotted something.

Huh?
Dipping through the air gracefully, the dark shape tipped with silver became clearer, a quadruped Pokemon with a bright splash of colour on it's back from a pack. Beside it, however, was a creature much more interesting. Human!

The one with the Houndoom had to be it's trainer, an odd looking girl with incredibly revealing clothes for the desert. Flier immediately could tell she needed the air and dipped down, hovering a dozen yards away. "Hello!" he called out, tilting his head to one side. "You need help? My trainer has supplies and we are heading to shelter. You don't look like one for the sand."

Both Black and Emmet seemed to be here looking for somebody. Brendan's fists clenched inside his pockets, knowing all too well that their efforts were more than likely completely futile. How many years had he spent looking for just one familiar face? Far too many, was the answer to that. In his darkest moments his mind would be telling him that everyone was dead and there was literally no point in hauling his ass from one side of the region to the other. But hey, everyone needed their hope, right? What else did they have?

"What's that?"

The boy followed Black's gaze across the dunes and instantly saw some sort of metallic shimmer, just barely visible through the sandy blizzard.

"... Hard to say from here.  It... looks big, though.  Maybe a building, or a landmark?" Emmet mused. "I can't tell if it's moving or not from here.  Should we take a closer look?"

"Sure, why not?" Brendan pushed his glasses further up his nose with a grin. "Could be something cool. Wait..." Did it just move? He could've sworn he saw the shiny thing shift a tad to the left. Or did he imagine it.

"Huh, sorry. I thought I saw it move." He perked an eyebrow, still pretty certain he hadn't been seeing things. Tapping the buckle of his bag with one hand, he placed the other on Zuzu's head. "Well, Zu and I don't mind tagging along with you two for a bit ... if that's OK, obviously. We won't get in the way or anything."

Emmet squinted from behind Black, trying to make out the object in the distance as well. "... Hard to say from here. It... looks big, though. Maybe a building, or a landmark?" Black frowned, not liking the speculation. The odds of a large, metal building in the middle of a scalding hot desert were minimal, but he could hold out hope for an easy solution to their shelter problem. "I can't tell if it's moving or not from here. Should we take a closer look?"

"Sure, why not?" Brendan answered optimistically, adjusting his glasses in the meantime. Black couldn't help a smirk at the kid's "why not" attitude; it felt good to be part of a group again. "Could be something cool. Wait..."

Brendan's pause caused Black to look back up as well, back to the strange thing in the distance. There had been a weird flash of light, as if the sun's refracting light had shifted. Weird... Why would that happen...? "Huh, sorry. I thought I saw it move." Black's face set a moment, caught in thought. It was possible that the shiny thing in the distance was a pokemon, or maybe a car, but... what pokemon was that big and what car would still be functioning, especially in the middle of a ferocious sandstorm? "Well, Zu and I don't mind tagging along with you two for a bit ... if that's OK, obviously. We won't get in the way or anything."

Black turned back to Brendan, his reverie disrupted by the other's voice. "Sure, the more the merrier! As a larger group, we'll be able to defend ourselves much better. But we should still be on our guard; who knows what it could be in the distance." He summoned Briar once again and mounted the stag, keeping his hands firmly on the reins in case Briar got any bright ideas about attacking the Swampert. "Right, Emmet?" he asked, turning back to his fellow Unovian with a broad, genuine smile. "You got a ride, Brendan? We'll want to stay mobile in case it's a pokemon or group that might overwhelm us, so something fast that can carry your weight. If not, Agro can carry two." He motioned to his Zebstrika with a nod of his head as Briar impatiently shifted his weight beneath him.

"Sure, why not?  Could be something cool. Wait..."  He squints at it.  Does he see what Emmet just saw?  "Huh, sorry. I thought I saw it move."

He does!

"Well, Zu and I don't mind tagging along with you two for a bit ... if that's OK, obviously. We won't get in the way or anything."

"Sure, the more the merrier! As a larger group, we'll be able to defend ourselves much better. But we should still be on our guard; who knows what it could be in the distance."  He mounts his deer once more, turning to smile at Emmet.  The genuine grin makes Emmet's heart leap-- good gods, has it been forever since someone looked at him with real friendliness!  And now they have a third person, too.  No more lonely nights!

He can absolutely get used to this

"Right, Emmet?"

"Absolutely.  Welcome to the group, kiddo.  Nice to have ya."  He smiles at the teenager.

"You got a ride, Brendan? We'll want to stay mobile in case it's a pokemon or group that might overwhelm us, so something fast that can carry your weight. If not, Agro can carry two."

"I gotta say, if that doesn't turn out to be shelter, I'm gonna be disappointed," Emmet sighs as he waits for the boy's answer.  "My pokemon and I have been looking for some all day.  Something tells me we're not gonna be lucky with this, either.  I just wish I had a better idea of what it actually was."

No way can that be a Pokemon; it looks way too big.

Kit continued her stumble through the harsh desert, giant goggles strapped onto her small face and her Pikachu backpack now strapped onto her Houndoom. Buddy wasn't too happy about that, but as weak as Kit already was, she couldn't afford to lose any more energy carrying around a "heavy" backpack.

Something suddenly swooped down out of the sky into view. Kit squeaked in surprise and nearly fell sideways onto her Houndoom. "It's a Swellow," the Pokemon informed her with a sigh.
Kit regained her footing and peered through the sandy winds at the Swellow, whom was living and appeared to be in good condition.  "Hello!" The bird tilted his head to one side.  "You need help? My trainer has supplies and we are heading to shelter. You don't look like one for the sand."

Supplies? Shelter? In such a horrible wasteland, it sounded too good to be true. But crazier things had happened to Kit in the Epidemic... like being Teleported to a desert by a legless Abra. Maybe it was time for her to have some good luck for once.

"Uh... H-Help? Really?" Kit didn't even know how to respond to such an offer. "I mean, yeah! That would... That would be great!" She put on her backpack and returned Buddy to his Pokeball, her heart pounding in her chest as she did. She was about to meet another human - a living, breathing, human, for the first time in who knows when. Kit was excited, but also anxious... she hoped this wouldn't end badly. Giving awkward thanks to the Swellow, Kit flew into the sky with him. She was too lost in her thoughts to know how long or far she traveled in the skies, but suddenly on the ground in the distance she noticed something gleaming brightly in the sunlight. The Swellow flew closer and closer to the gleaming object, until Kit began to notice what looked like a... metal snowman?

What the...?

That certainly was not a snowman. Or a metal snowman. But it was a giant, giant round-ish metal object with lots of red dots on it. Suddenly, Kit remembered something - When she was younger, she had watched a boring thing on TV about Hoenn legends and myths and this creature had been talked about! So the metal snowman thing was... a Legendary Pokemon? Kit swallowed hard. That was one huge Pokemon. Too bad she didn't remember anything about the legends... all she could remember was the Pokemon's name - Rogostool... That was it, wasn't it?
Kit's curiosity of the Legendary was interrupted by her sight of a human! The Swellow flew closer and swooped down finally, leaving Kit face-to-face on the ground with the Legendary and the very pretty, very stylish new human.

The giant metal Pokemon's size towered over Kit, making her feel even tinier than she already was. Glancing from the human to the Legendary repeatedly and fidgeting with her braid, Kit spoke in a small voice as she tried to find the words to say. "Um... Hi! I'm... I'm Kit..." She turned to the giant metal creature and tried a small, harmless smile. "Are you, uh... Are you Rogostool?"

Registeel had been hoping before that this Courtney was the only human in the immediate vicinity...or any vicinity at all, but luck was not on his side. The bird from before is flying back, and he has another distinct shape with him, one that Registeel is quickly learning to dread above all others. Surely enough, the avian flies down towards them with yet another female human, this one almost as tiny as Courtney, though judging by the way she fidgets, the new nuisance is afraid of him. A certain improvement, but it does not stop Registeel from staring down at the short, easily-stomped-on human; just where were all of these little pests coming from, and who exactly was deciding to curse him with not one, but two? He is here for his sibling, not to babysit two fragile girls. "Um... Hi! I'm... I'm Kit..." This one has two pairs of ears, he notices, barely hearing the name; humans did not have two pairs of ears, so far as he can recall. This one was some sort of unnatural...hybrid, though he cannot recall the exact species of those extra ears. "Are you, uh... Are you Rogostool?" The question is innocent, even accompanied by a smile, but the Legend does not see it that way. Courtney has already depleted whatever patience Registeel had left after his travels, and the newcomer has swiftly-if unknowingly-stepped on his metaphorical toes. To him, the misspoken name is an intentional jab, and not one he will take lightly.

"Rogostool?" The single word is spoken in a dangerous, low growl of a voice, one belonging to a golem who is sick of perceived insults from human beings. This time, Registeel is not letting any sort of conversation drag on, or even begin at all. "I know not what game you are playing, human, but I will not suffer it." Though this girl is not a threat to him, and not as outright cocky as Courtney, he does not lighten his tone; doing so would only invite further ground for them to mess with his plans. "I am here looking for my brother, and I am not going to waste another second of my time dealing with humans. Unless you're willing to assist me at the Desert Ruins-" Registeel again motions to the formation of rocks that he and Courtney were heading to, before this unwanted interruption, "-then you should walk back out into those sands and not bother me again." In these howling, hostile sands, with the fierce sun above them, there was little chance of this "Kit" living long in the desert alone-but he has given her a chance for that not to happen. This was only a warning, after all; as annoying as it was to admit Courtney had a point before, it was better to let humans at least try and help rather than suffer their questions, insults, and general constant talking. Kit still has a chance to prove herself useful to his mission.

The girl was surprised, something that Flier could not really fault her for. Not in that day and age. "Uh... H-Help? Really?"
"Yes, ma'am," the Swellow nodded, flapping his narrow wings a few times to keep him airborne.
"I mean, yeah! That would... That would be great!" It was not what Courtney had meant, of this the bird was sure, his mistress would likely be displeased with another human if she proved to be a liability. However, the pokemon did not have a cold heart, different than his detached trainer, and he would not leave this poor, tiny girl alone.

"Grab your things and call back your Pokemon; I can only carry one." The instruction was unnecessary, though, as the girl already had shouldered the small yellow bag and recalled the Houndoom.
Flier darted forward, nodding as he approached in order to not spook the girl. Having a strange Pokemon pick one up could prove very unnerving, naturally, but this human was clearly desperate, agreeing without any sort of hesitation.
Gently digging his claws into her shoulders, Flier took off into the sands. "Just relax, miss!" he advised. It would not take long to read his trainer.

Courtney, on the other hand, was keeping her narrowed, lavender eyes on the skies, mouth open to a small O and one hand as a makeshift visor from the sun. Seems like Flier's been gone a while...- "Oh! Someone new!" The Magma Admin could easily make out the unnaturally long, slim form in her bird's claws. A girl? As the Swellow approached, she narrowed her eyes just a hair. If she were alone, Flier returning with a hostage would be nothing less of a God send. Someone to help her on her search for Maxie.
But, with a new persona to upkeep, there was no way she could do that with this person. Lucky day for you, missy, she thought just as they came in close. Courtney's face broke into a wide smile, though none of the emotion that went with it was within her. It was an emotionless gesture, but they wouldn't know that. "Flier! Heeeeeeey! Whatcha find?"

Upon landing, the Magma Admin's arm shot out sharply, the only sign of his displeasure. The Swellow's heart sped up but he obeyed, returning to her arm without missing a beat. "Um... Hi! I'm... I'm Kit..."  Courtney glared momentarily at the bird before turning back to the newcomer with the same, happy expression. To her relief, the girl was staring at Regi and would have missed the exchange. "Are you, uh... Are you Rogostool?"
"Registeel, miss." Courtney's fist tightened but immediately relaxed. Instead of chiding the Swellow, she chose to watch the exchange.

"Rogostool?" Oh, boy, was he mad. "I know not what game you are playing, human, but I will not suffer it." Courtney pulled one hand up to her face, eyes going round. At a simple glance, it would appear she was offended, even frightened by the display, but hidden beneath her fingers was a smile. The cloth muffled a quiet giggle.
"I am here looking for my brother, and I am not going to waste another second of my time dealing with humans. Unless you're willing to assist me at the Desert Ruins, then you should walk back out into those sands and not bother me again."
Oh no, this would not do. What if this Kit tried to steal her prize?

"It's not a game, I'm sure, dear," Courtney finally interrupted; stepping forward, she placed one small hand on the side of the angered legend. While the action was likely a very foolish one, causing flier to bristle in alarm from the other side of the human, Courtney herself was fearless. "Let me take Kit under my wing, Registeel. I'll make sure she doesn't step on your cute little tosies~" The Magma Admin turned to Kit, her expression unchanging but flicking her eyebrows up in a cooperate-please-I-am-trying-to-save-your-skin sort of way. Besides, giving the orders means little Kit would never get to Registeel first. Courtney's smile widened.
Flier, meanwhile, suppressed a sigh. Why do I always end up with the idiots...

[ ooc: if the touch is not cool, i can edit it out, Regi ]

Brendan beamed at Black's approval for him going with them, a heavy weight lifting from his chest. Even Zuzu seemed to have calmed down; the Swampert dropped back down onto all fours and began absently pawing at the sand while the humans around him conversed. While he'd never be completely alone while he had his Pokemon, having two more human beings with him was incredibly comforting. He still hadn't quite wrapped his head around the fact that these two, and Dhakwan before them, were the first people he'd seen in a hell of a long time.

He politely shook his head at the offer of a ride, still feeling that he'd do a lot better close to Zuzu. These guys had earned his trust, but at the end of the day, they were still strangers. Plus the idea of riding a Pokemon other than his own gave him a weird feeling of unsettle; it could toss him off or something!

"Nah, I'm good thanks," he smiled. "I'll walk with Zu for now. We'll keep up; we're pretty fast on our feet."

Emmet was still preoccupied with the big metal thing nearby. "Something tells me we're not gonna be lucky with this, either.  I just wish I had a better idea of what it actually was."

Energised by a sudden burst of enthusiasm, Brendan popped his Go-Goggles back on and marched forward towards it. "Well, it isn't gonna walk towards us and tell us, is it? Only one way to find out. C'mon!"

He fought his way through the sand, Zuzu plodding loyally beside him. Getting closer, he noticed that there was definitely more than one figure there. More humans? No freakin' way. No way was his luck today that good to encounter even more of them. Still, more humans was always a good thing, right?

...Except that one. Brendan immediately recognised the short, thin girl dressed in red with the horned hood. How could he forget those eyes and that high, endlessly irritating voice? All the times she'd gotten in the way; the way she practically worshiped the ground Maxie walked on like he was freakin' Arceus incarnate.

He stopped dead in his tracks, completely ignoring everyone else there as he shot out a finger towards her, while Zuzu tossed his head and bellowed angrily. "YOU!"

Brendan shook his head at Black's offer, to which the officer merely nodded, his gentle smile never wavering. It was his choice, after all. "Nah, I'm good thanks," the youth replied. "I'll walk with Zu for now. We'll keep up; we're pretty fast on our feet." Black steadied Briar and waved off Brendan's reassurance. "Suit yourself."

"I gotta say, if that doesn't turn out to be shelter, I'm gonna be disappointed," Emmet admits, echoing Black's own feelings on the matter. Though, Black couldn't really think of what else it could be, way out in the middle of a barely charted desert. "My pokemon and I have been looking for some all day. Something tells me we're not gonna be lucky with this, either. I just wish I had a better idea of what it actually was."

"Well, it isn't gonna walk towards us and tell us, is it? Only one way to find out. C'mon!" Brendan cried, his overwhelming enthusiasm and optimism infectious to the Unovan officer. As the Hoenn native raced ahead, Black spurred Briar on and they were soon astride with the former, easily keeping pace with the trainer and Swampert. Black trusted Agro would keep Emmet close by. For a small moment, as they all raced together toward their goal, Black was suddenly hit with a moment of nostalgia and homesickness. He was reminded of how he, Cheren and Bianca always managed to set forth in much the same manner-- all together, at the same time. Even as things developed and they grew more apart, there was always a moment where they'd rush forward into the unknown together...

...What he wouldn't do to have that back again.

Pushing aside his guilt and sorrow, he focused on the figure ahead, which was quickly becoming multiple. Odd. As they drew even closer, however, Briar began to slow, despite the fact that Blair had ordered nothing of the sort. Two humans and... what... Black leaned back as he began to gape at the giant, lumbering behemoth near the humans. What in Arceus' name was THAT?

Apparently, however, the giant metal thing was not the thing that caught Brendan's eye. "YOU!" he snapped almost hatefully, snatching Blair's attention away from the almost terrifying cyborg to the person he was postured against. Black followed Brendan's line of sight to the small girl in the strange red and horned sweater hoodie. Black knew there were hundreds of different pokemon species he'd never seen before, but for Brendan to wave off the unknown steel pokemon off so casually, was it common here in Hoenn? Did many trainers have those? If so, that was an unnerving thought. Dismounting Briar, settling him as the buck stared wide-eyed at the unknown golem, Black went to Brendan's side, alarmed for his new companion.

"What's wrong?" he asked, confused yet wary of the women before him. "Who is she?"

"Well, it isn't gonna walk towards us and tell us, is it? Only one way to find out. C'mon!"  His enthusiasm sends a jolt of energy through Emmet, the man grinning as the boy races forward.  Oh, how infectious that kind of energy is!  

He sits up straighter in the saddle, about to squeeze the horse's side with his heels, but...  Wait... is that the sign to speed up?  I don't remember.  He doesn't want to accidentally give poor Agro bad directions.  Or worse, do something of no significance at all that would just annoy her.  Yeah... not to mention, the kid's gonna be walking.  I don't wanna leave him in our dust.  Which is more literal than he'd like, ugh, stupid desert.

As they trudge closer, the huge shape becomes clearer.  Clearer and clearer until Emmet pulls on Agro's reins to halt her, staring in terror at the behemoth that looms before them.  "Oh my god..."

"YOU!"

The conductor jumps, twisting in his saddle to stare at the youngster.  For one wild minute, he thinks the child is yelling at the huge silver thing in front of them, that somehow they have some kind of bad history together.

But... no.  He's pointing like an angry lawyer at the human woman with the giant silver thing.

"What's wrong?"  Black is as lost as he is.  He's not sure if that should be a comfort or a thing of worry.  "Who is she?"

He tears his gaze from Black to stare at the thing that must be a Pokemon, to Brendan, the woman, back to Black, and then the woman again.

Something tugs at his memory.

"Wait... I know those clothes..."  Where had he seen that uniform, again...?  And why is it making him nervous?

“Registeel, miss,” the Swellow corrected her. Oh… Kit’s smile fell. Oops…

”Rogostool?” The name was spoken in a low growl of a voice. "I know not what game you are playing, human, but I will not suffer it."

Game? Oh boy.  Kit blinked her wide eyes nervously at the giant metal… thing.

"I am here looking for my brother, and I am not going to waste another second of my time dealing with humans. Unless you're willing to assist me at the Desert Ruins-" He - at least, Kit assumed that this “Registeel” was a he (though she supposed this metal creature could be a giant woman, too) - gestured over to a big formation of rocks, "-then you should walk back out into those sands and not bother me again."

There was a little pang of sympathy in Kit’s chest. She wanted to find her siblings, too, and her Zoroark. More so, she really didn’t want to go back out into the harsh desert. She tried to think of what Buddy would do… tell her to grow up and make her own decisions, probably. Kit frowned. Thankfully, the pretty woman in red stepped forward and spoke before Kit had to.

"It's not a game, I'm sure, dear," She placed a hand on the side of Registeel, causing her Swellow to bristle in alarm. Kit raised an eyebrow curiously. This girl must be close with the legend, she thought. "Let me take Kit under my wing, Registeel. I'll make sure she doesn't step on your cute little tosies~"

The other girl gave Kit a look, silently telling Kit to go along with what she was saying. Confused but with little option, Kit smiled shyly at the two. “I can help you find your brother,” she said quietly, genuinely wanting to help and genuinely not wanting to go back out into the desert, either.

Suddenly another human burst onto the scene, seemingly small but as he approached Kit realized that he, too, was taller than her. Taller and by the looks of it, angry. Oh no.

“YOU!” he shouted, pointing his finger as violently as a gun at the woman beside Registeel.

As if that wasn’t enough, another human was suddenly with the group, riding in on a giant Sawsbuck. Dear Arceus… This guy was way larger than Kit and even taller than Registeel!

Why the fuck is everyone taller than me!? Despite the irritating thought in Kit’s mind, there were more important and much more terrifying thoughts spinning around her head as well. Who were these people, how did they know the woman with the Swellow, and what did they want? Buddy had kept her safe against several Undead, but Kit and her Pokemon had never had to deal with other humans before...

"What's wrong?"  The taller man asked the smaller one, "Who is she?"

Kit didn’t know what she expected next, but she did not expect yet another human to ride onto the scene on a giant Zebstrika. Kit sighed in frustration. What was going on here!? Part of her was terrified, part of her was thrilled - it had been so long since she had seen other people, let alone such a large group of them! Already exhausted prior to all this madness, Kit thought she might pass out as her heart thumped hard against her chest and so many varied emotions ran through her veins. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but it was so difficult not to - she could really use some help from fellow survivors, and could use their company even more.

But, wary of such intimidating strangers, Kit carefully reached into her plush backpack and released Buddy from his Pokeball. The Houndoom frantically glanced around at his situations with a growl, but once the sudden shock wore down, the Pokemon just looked back up at Kit with an accusing glare. “Good job, kid. Good job.”

"It's not a game, I'm sure, dear." Despite Courtney's words, Registeel is still fuming, waiting for the second girl to try and make a move. Only one thing could possibly tear his attention away from the newcomer, and that is Courtney's sudden decision to place her hand on the side of his metal form. His lumbering form is simply too heavy to simply recoil and push itself away, like another human would do. Registeel is a Legend that prefers personal space, especially when around humans; was it not obvious by now? The nerve of her, thinking she could say and do whatever she wanted without any sort of consequence. "Let me take Kit under my wing, Registeel. I'll make sure she doesn't step on your cute little tosies~" "Under my wing" makes no sense for a human, but even though Courtney has again angered him, he has absolutely no desire to have to play caretaker for yet another person. If Courtney wants to handle this new one, fine, she could damn well adopt this so-called Kit; that was punishment enough. Both of them are truly getting on his nerves at this moment, as their kind was wont to do. “I can help you find your brother,” Kit says in a small voice, which is definitely a start. It is refreshing to see a human who does not treat meeting a Legend as a game, and saw him as something to be taken seriously. Perhaps, in time, Kit could prove to be a far less burdensome (and hopefully a quieter) companion than the hooded girl. "It is settled then, follow me. And you-" This time, his words are directed completely at Courtney, "-Kit's your responsibility now. If she gets in my way, you're both gone."

Of course, he cannot catch even a single break. Just as one situation is being settled, another comes charging full speed towards him in the form of a male human, standing in place and pointing at Courtney like he was ready to strike her down. "YOU!" Before Registeel can get through his mind that a third human has dropped down into his existence, another taller one appears behind that one...and then one behind the fourth...the latter two on the backs of beasts he cannot identify. What comes to Registeel is not the undeniable urge to step on them all, nor a declaration that he will no longer tolerate humans in his presence...it's simple bewilderment, and the intensifying feeling is not something the Legend is accustomed to. Again, he finds himself asking the very cosmos themselves about where all of these things were coming from, and why. Who in the grand expanse of the universe decided that sending humans to him would be a good idea? Especially when, in these days, humans were incredibly rare. By Mother, it's an infestation. Five humans. Five. Registeel could barely handle even one, let alone five running around and getting in his way; Regirock was going to remain slumbering in his cavern for another lifetime, if this continues...and then there was the one pointing at Courtney. They have history-history that can and will interfere with his plans, if Registeel lets it. That will not happen. Finally stepping forward, Registeel looks down at the shortest of the males,

"The girl is with me. Back off right now, or I swear on Regigigas' name I will make you." The man beside him and the one still on his mount are both far taller and very likely older than the boy, but Registeel does not lighten his tone even slightly. "And you two-state your business here, now. I do not have time to stand around and deal with petty human issues like this." Courtney may have been loud and annoying, but they have an agreement, and Registeel is not a Legend inclined to break them without very good reasons.