(ELITE) The PYRITE Team

A red-headed man was riding on the back of a large Arcanine as they approached the decrepit town of Pyrite. The human had his eyes closed and had a death grip on his ride, and the Arcanine had a noticeable scowl. Lestrade grumbled between breaths as he ran, "You better have a really good reason for making me run this far in a desert. I don't care what Midori says, I am never getting all of the sand out of my fur."

"Holmes doesn't know this town like the back of his hand, for one thing," Colm explained. He ruffled the large dog's fur,  "And I can think of two groups of people we could pop in on. Neither of them good for us. Survivors that would get scared, and Undead that would want to eat us."

Lestrade growled, but he knew that Colm was right. "It still sucks." The sand sat all wrong in his fur, and in some places, it was starting to rub him the wrong way.

The man sympathized, "Trust me, I know." The sand had started getting into his shoes, and the wind blown sand kept blinding him. He really regretted not having goggles with him for this trip, but then again, stopping by Pyrite had been a last minute desicion before checking in at HQ. Midori had wanted to check Wes's home for anything they could bring back to him, and Colm had reasoned that Cipher had been fairly prominent in the area at one point. It couldn't hurt to look around; even if most trails would be over four years old. Genuine concern filled his voice, "How are your paws?"

The Arcanine's frown softened a little even though his companion couldn't see it, "It will take more than hot sand to actually hurt a fire type. Don't worry, the sand is just annoying." As much as he hated running in the desert, he wasn't actually angry at Colm for it. When he started getting closer to the edge of the town, the desert sand shifted to asphalt and hard dirt, and he muttered to his human as he slowed down, "We're here. There's definitely been people and pokemon living here though. Their scent is everywhere."

At that, Colm opened his violet eyes and squinted in the unforgiving brightness of the desert sun, and he allowed his eyes to adjust. He slid off his Arcanine's back and held his arm on the dog's back as he regained the use of his legs. Lestrade kept a sharp eye out for the apparent locals, but nothing was moving towards them. He waited a few moments for Colm to reorient himself with his legs and gravity, and when the man removed his arm to stand unaided, Lestrade gave him three seconds to get out of harm's way. Colm quickly jumped back, and the Arcanine shook his fur out vigorously. Sand started flying everywhere, and despite gaining some distance, Colm could still feel flecks of sand hitting him. He teased with a smile, "Feel better now?"

Lestrade flatly stated, "Yes."

"Good. Why don't you take a break for now?"

"Are you sure? I'm fine."

"Yeah. If there are survivors here, you might scare them, and I'd rather not look dangerous immediately."

"You and I both know that sometimes that's better."

"Watson can handle himself very well, and he isn't nearly as intimidating."

"You're avoiding the point. But if you're sure..."

"I am. If something goes south, you'll be among the first to know." After that reassurance, Colm recalled Lestrade, and he pulled out two more Pokeballs. He released Wiggins, his stealthy Purrloin, and Watson, his Raichu. They both looked up at him, and he ordered, "We have company here, so stay alert."

The cat confirmed, "This place practically reeks. Whoever's here has been for a while."

"They might not like newcomers. Though... it seems like there are fresher scents. Shall we see what we're dealing with?"

"Probably for the best. If they're not friendly, we won't approach, and Midori will have to show us where Wes's place is secretly. Oh and... be careful, this place wasn't in the best condition before the Epidemic."

Without even an order, the trio slunk into the admittedly few shadows, with Wiggins in the lead, and Watson and Colm following the cat's movements. The Purrloin picked up the scent of the newcomers fairly quickly, and followed their trail. Soon, the pokemon were able to hear voices, and Colm noticed their twitching ears. He took that as a sign to approach more slowly, and he ducked down to hide behind a piece of rubble when he could finally make out words. Watson halted next to him, and his ears were erect as he listened for potential hostility. Wiggins stayed near them, but he was sitting where he could actually see the other humans. Colm kept his eyes on the cat, looking for what the cat thought of the group of humans. He hadn't expected such a large group of them sitting in this town of all places, but he knew beggers couldn't be choosers. He didn't get a very good look at the group, so he reserved any more judgement until then.

(I'm sorry; I just can't write tonight and nothing is coming to my head. Skip please.)

"I..." Dean smiled softly and knelt down beside the pair, using his own body to cast a shadow over Asche's face to hopefully relieve some of the blinding light. "...I'm... still getting used to the fact that I'm not trapped in the underground...But... Is he... Is he nice? My last one... wasn't, so much..." The smile faltered as the blonde reached out to gently lay a hand on the nervous Absin's neck, giving him a few soft strokes of encouragement when another voice responded. "He is, sweetie."

The gentle praise from the Sandslash made Dean turn to look at Justy for a moment, surprised to see the embarrassed flush that was coloring his cheeks and for just a moment the blonde considered the sight somewhat endearing. "He's real nice. Rubs the wrong way on some folk, but his heart's in the right place. Name's Sandy, hon. I'd love to actually meet ya." He removed his hand and leaned back, wanting to give Asche the option of addressing the question himself despite the glare Phoenix was giving him for it. She wanted Justy and anything related to Justy to stay the hell away, but Dean just shook his head at her. "What do you think, Asche?" he asked softly. "Want to meet them?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Phoenix defended, not giving up her position over Asche. "Say the word and no one gets within ten feet of you." Dean stood up and glared daggers at Phoenix, who merely glared back. "Asche, keep your eyes shut this may hurt." At the warning Dean showed exactly how done he was with Phoenix's defensive posturing and grabbed the back of her neck and mane, pulling her off of Asche's prone form and dragging her to the side. She struggled, naturally, and kept twisting her body to use her long legs to push Dean's out from under him. However in return for her attempts Dean grabbed one of her back legs and brought her down on her side, quickly kneeling down on top of her with one knee in her ribs and his hands on her neck and hindquarters. "Down," he growled out, staring her straight in the eyes as they had a silent battle of wills, the Ninetales also testing his hold a couple of times before finally surrendering.

"You know I'm going to make you pay for this, right?"
"I'm aware."
"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." Dean shrugged and slackened his grip, the fox slipping easily from beneath him and shaking herself of her humiliation. She sat down casually beside her trainer despite the altercation and looked at Asche. "I'm here if you need me Blue."

"What do you think, Asche?" The Absin lifted his head a little at his name, his mind still pondering on the stanger's voice. Was she only vouching for him to keep from getting hurt? It wouldn't be the first time it had happened before. "Want to meet them?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Phoenix quickly retorted, her weight still pinning him to the hot asphalt. "Say the word and no one gets within ten feet of you." Though he was uncomfortable under the Ninetales, he couldn't help but allow a small smile at her readiness to defend him. Even when things had changed so drastically, she was still the same. It was comforting. "Asche, keep your eyes shut this may hurt." The smile faded as he tensed, unsure of what was about to happen until Phoe's weight and heat was suddenly ripped from his back and the warm sun and cool breeze embraced him. He kept his eyes shut, of course, but the urge to open them was tremendous as he heard the sounds of a scuffle, ending with a definitive thump.

"Down," Dean growled, a tone of voice he hadn't quite heard before from him. Was... was he disciplining Phoe? Asche got to his feet, shaking himself as he turned to the direction of the sounds, his eyes still firmly shut.

"You know I'm going to make you pay for this, right?" Yeah, that's exactly what was happening.

"I'm aware."

"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." Uh oh... That... couldn't be good news for Dean...

But it seemed their small vie for power had ended and Phoe's voice soon sounded from a little further away. "I'm here if you need me Blue." He nodded and turned back when he heard more footsteps-- his new owner, in all likeliness.

Justy had watched the exchange between trainer and pokemon with something a little less than horror, unsure of whether he'd ever had to publicly discipline any of his pokemon like that. Perhaps that was just something that happened with the species, though? He wanted to voice his gratitude for standing up for him-- Dean certainly didn't have to. It'd only been Dean's words that stopped everyone from swarming him, it felt like, but the strange blue creature had turned back to face Justy, his eyes shut tight against the brutal Orre sun. Justy's expression turned to one of pity-- the poor thing. How terrifying it must have been...

He stepped forward a little and went down to a knee, to better speak with his new companion. Sandy was at his side gently ushering the creature closer. "Just a couple'a steps forward, hon. He's right there." Justy reached a hand to silently thank her with a fond pet of the head when an idea occurred to him. Maybe he could actually help the poor guy after all. When the creature drew closer, Justy gave him a smile, even though he couldn't see it.

"Hey, there. Asche, right?"

"...Yeah?"

"I'm Justy. I'm... sorry I caught you like that... But... I have an idea to help you see, if you want."

Asche's posture relaxed a hair and his tail twitched to and fro, as if it were thinking the situation over as well. Man, Justy would not like to get hit with that thing... "You do?"

"I do. But you need to stay still, ok? It won't hurt-- I'm just putting something on your face. Is that all right?"

There was a tense moment of silence, but he seemed to relax a little more. "Oh... Ok..."

Justy's smile broadened, fueled by the relief from Asche accepting his help. God help him if he'd refused. "Thank you. Ok. Just hold still a bit." He unclasped the goggles on his own head -expensive, self-tinting goggles- and, without hesitation, began to adjust it to better fit Asche's head. Thankfully, his face was flat enough for the goggles to fit and stay. It took a few minutes for Justy to get the sizing right, but eventually, it worked. Justy brushed some of the clumpy, dirty fur away from Asche's face as he looked down with pride at his success. "Open your eyes."

Cautiously, Asche squinted open a single eye, only to find the glaring light heavily subdued. The sheer shock from the lack of immediate pain resulted in both eyes opening wide and drinking in the sights around him, including the human and Sandslash before him. His face broke out into a wide grin, his butt beginning to waggle with his snake-like tail. "Better?" Justy asked with a chuckle, to which Asche vigorously nodded.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. "It doesn't hurt at all!" He turned back to see Phoe -FINALLY see her, his golden eyes almost watering with happiness. "Phoe! Phoe, I can see you!" He half ran, half jumped toward her, only stopping to dive into a play bow. Justy stood and watched, unable to keep from grinning. He was a weird pokemon, but he was still incredibly cute.

---

Wes and Whiskey watched the display with some wariness. First off, what the fuck was Justy doing here and second, how had he managed to surround himself with hot people? He recognized none of his companions, though one, the lone woman, looked fairly familiar. It was hard to say, since he was staring at all their asses, but he could have sworn he'd seen that woman before. Probably. Maybe. Possibly.

"So even when Justy fucks up, he actually scores?" Wes asked in a low whisper to Whiskey, who looked about as touched as Wes felt by the heart-warming scene. "Goddamn it."

~The blonde helped his case a lot, it looks like,~ Whiskey answered in Wes' mind. ~The tension seems to be over, however. Should we approach?~

"No, not yet," he answered, still keeping his voice barely audible. "I want to make sure they aren't like him first. As much as I love pissing Phenac bitches off, I don't think storming into a den of them with a bunch of supplies is a great idea."

Whiskey turned a surprised eye to his trainer. ~You're actually taking a safe route?~

Wes rolled his eyes. "We're eavesdropping on them, aren't we? Instead of strolling up to them?"

~Point.~

"Ass."

~Pot.~

Ah, the eternal struggle between human and Pokemon.
The Ninetales and Creepy Dude (say, what was his actual name? Dirk? Eh, whatever) engage in a hostile staring contest over the possible-Absol, one coddling the creature like a soccer mom and the other attempting to get an actual opinion from the Pokemon. You know, the one who is actually being affected by all that's going on. In an impressive and only slightly questionable display of power, Other Blondie finally gets the Ninetales away from her friend by show of force, and Matt can't blame him. As long as trainers didn't actually hurt their Pokemon, or do it purely for some freaky emotional gratification, then what's the problem? Fire-types are nothing to mess around with, and this one seems especially drawn towards violence. Though Matt can't think of the last time he's had to use such tactics on one of his own Pokemon-Athena would never allow it, anyways-he'd rather not have his feet roasted, as the Ninetales had so eloquently stated earlier.

"You know I'm going to make you pay for this, right?"
"I'm aware."
"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Matt leans over to Athena and nudges her with his elbow, bringing the Gardevoir's attention from the scene and back to him. She still looks neutral, and most likely completely unfazed by anything that is happening.
"They remind me of us," he whispers to her, leaving out the whole "baby" thing that the other duo had-even if it's only a harmless pet name, there's no way he'd ever call Athena that. Besides, she'd probably use Thunderbolt on him if he ever tried. Athena stifles laughter with her hand before responding with a whisper of her own. "I'd win, though." Yeah, Matt can't disagree there; Athena has the strength of a well-trained Psychic and a free spirit that couldn't be controlled by anyone. They were less like trainer and Pokemon and more of best friends that traveled the countryside...killing zombies and searching for missing people. Yeah, that's completely normal, just like old times. "Why do you think I've never tried? You'd throw me halfway across the region." At that, Athena begins to quietly laugh, perhaps remembering the one time she actually did lift him up by his shirt using Psychic and threatened to toss him out of Hoenn. Man, did Matt and his other Pokemon have a good laugh over that one. Athena never actually hurt him, whether intentionally or accidentally, but she had a fiery determination and a tendency to use her own powers for jokes. No wonder they get along so well.

Apparently, while  Matt and Athena were talking amongst themselves, stuff was actually happening with the rest of the group-or at least, Matt can infer that by the fact the possible-Absol is actually moving around instead of cringing into the sand. Also, he has...well, goggles. Goggles that were once on the head of the very human who had caught him in the first place; had Justy really given his own pair to help the guy? That was strangely generous, but at least the guy isn't a selfish dick. "Phoe! Phoe, I can see you!" the Pokemon excitedly says as he jumps around his Ninetales friend; Matt can imagine his brother "awwwwww"-ing over the sight of the playful creature, almost acting like a household dog. Chris was a giant softie, and anything even remotely fluffy or excitable had him doting over the Pokemon like it was his own.

Wiggins watched the entire affair, and he found the group dynamics... interesting. So far, they didn't seem to ring any bells for being outright threatening, and from that little fight for dominance that the loudly colored Ninetales and her human had, the cat could tell that he was the one they had to be absolutely sure not to piss off. The lady in white with a Gardevoir looked very familiar to the cat, but he couldn't place the name off hand. He'd have to point that one out to Colm when the group was definitely distracted.There was another blonde human with another Gardevoir, but they were talking amongst themselves and laughing. As for the blue Pokemon that he had no idea what he was, he was having a lot of trouble seeing until the purple haired human placed his own goggles onto the poor thing's face. Then the strange Pokemon entered a play bow in front of the Ninetales, and the two began to start playing around. At that point, Wiggins twitched his tail to catch Colm and Watson's attentions and tilted his head towards the group to indicate that they should take a quick look. They had both heard the words said, but still, the sight of the strange pair playing was amusing and heartwarming.

The cat creeped onto Colm's shoulder to whisper into his ear, "Seem nice to me. Don't piss off the Ninetales, but be absolutely sure not to piss off the blonde in green. I think Purple Hair 's ass was saved by him. Dude in red's just been standing there with his Gard. Lady in white looks really familiar. Recognize her?" The report was short, and Colm couldn't help but smile at the human's designated nicknames.

The redhead was kneeling down when he peered from behind their piece of rubble, and though he was still having issues with the bright Orre sun, he instantly recognized the woman and almost fell over in shock. Of all the people he had expected to run into, the movie star Champion of his home region was not one of them. When she hadn't shown up to HQ within a year of the outbreak, he hadn't completely written her off, but he wouldn't have been surprised if she was among the ever growing casualties of the apocalypse. Orre was the last place he would have expected to find her, but then again, he hadn't expected to find many humans in the desert region anyway. He hadn't had any dealings with her personally, so if he was going to go undercover, then he highly doubted she would know who he was. As usual, it would be best to keep his identity as a detective hidden; people, especially residents of this town if he remembered correctly, didn't always like police, and it would make them hostile or at least unfriendly far too quickly. He also didn't know exactly how Diantha had presented herself to them. There was also the chance that she could have lost her mind, and she most definitely had her most powerful Pokemon with her. He decided to carefully act as if he didn't recognize her, and hope that she didn't call bullshit if she realized he had a heavy Kalos accent.

Wiggins and Watson were staring at him expectantly, and recognizing that Colm was already formulating a plan and had forgotten to answer Wiggins's question, Watson yanked him back into their hiding position. He urgently muttered, "Earth to Colm. Do you recognize her?"

Startled, it took him a second to get his thoughts on the right track, and when he answered, it was with a touch of wonder, "Diantha."

Watson was stunned, "What?"

"You've got to be shitting me," Wiggins snapped.

Colm shook his head and replied, "Nope. Unless that's a very convincing look alike." He peered back out again and observed for a few more seconds, and since the group was thoroughly distracted, he waved for his Pokemon to follow as he slunk back the way they came. Appearing suddenly from nowhere might put the group on edge... well, more on edge than if he just happened to walk in on them. He took a turn down a side street, and seeing that the area was clear, he stood up properly. Watson and Wiggins, having seen him mentally psych himself up for dealing with people before, simply kept their eyes and ears open for any sign of unfriendlies. Colm took a few breaths as he contemplated how best to approach them. This was at least one of the human's territory, so acting as if he owned the place would make him instantly dislikable. Being too shy could lead to him getting chased or otherwise shood away. Completely lost was always a safe bet and he wouldn't be stretching the truth too much. He always found that his better disguises were the ones he didn't have to change too much for, and given that he could simply neglect to tell them his job, maybe he wouldn't have to change too much of his personality. He wasn't a person for the limelight anyway, despite his original profession/hobby. And there was the fact that there were two Gardevoir. He was going to have to be very sparing with his lies.

After this, he released Hudson and beckoned her to sit on his shoulder. She quickly obliged and nuzzled into her trainer's hair. Her harmless appearance and sweet personality were great for dealing with people, and no one would expect that she was a good fighter unless they actively provoked her. She was always a safe bet to keep out, along with Watson. The Raichu matched Colm's steps as he walked, and Wiggins lazily stalked a little ahead of them. They entered the main street again and openly walked towards the group. Watson played the part of a dutiful, wary Pokemon, while his other ones would be much more lenient. Again, the best acting often came from not having to change much, and he never asked more of his Pokemon partners. However, he was going to have to act much less cautious than he was. He was certain they had seen him long before he got close enough to speak, and he kept a respectful distance from them. His nervousness was very much genuine when he called out, "Um... Hello? Could you please tell me where I am?"

((I made a few assumptions with this post, I think, so if you want me to change something, please tell me ASAP.))

Having decided that Phoenix needs to stop coddling Asche quite so much, Dean scruffs the fox.  Diantha can't help but look on in an odd mix of amusement and worry, if such a thing could exist.  

"Down."  He sounds as if he's disciplining a disobedient dog.  She's so stubborn that's probably the only way to get through to her, honestly.

"You know I'm going to make you pay for this, right?"
"I'm aware."
"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Here he is, this delicate looking human putting this spitfire of a Pokemon in her place, and yet, the exchange that happens afterwards sounds nearly like teasing?  She's not quite sure what to make of it.  Perhaps she doesn't know either of them well enough to really know.  Given that she met Dean maybe an hour ago, that seems the most plausible explanation.  Either that, or Dean is comfortable in his ability to handle her vengance when it comes along.

She smiles much more freely when Justy gently used his own goggles to ease the poor creature's pain.  Oh goodness what a sweetheart the strange little pokemon is.  He wants to play with Phoenix!  She raises a hand to her mouth to suppress a squeak, barely able to contain her delight.  Oh, what a little darling!  She will like this Asche, yes.  And good, that Justy does seem genuinely sorry for catching him like that.  More than that, the young man seems to want to actually protect this Pokemon.

Hmm.  Perhaps this accident could bring good things to both of them.  His Sandslash seems like a sweetheart, judging by what she witnessed earlier.  Watching Asche try coaxing Phoenix into playing, Diantha relaxes a bit.  It seems as if this altercation is going to end just fine.

Beside her, Cosette smiles as well, even if hers is more guarded.  It's just too cute to ignore, even with the fairy's best attempt to remain stoic all the time.  

"Um... Hello? Could you please tell me where I am?"

Her eyes move from his face to Diantha's.  Diantha steps forward.

"Pyrite, Orre.  May we help you?"  

"I hope you're not here for trouble," Cosette grumbles beside her.  Really now, they just cleared up a problem and now another potential one comes walking out of the desert to say hi?  That sounds about their luck, really.

There's very little of that to be had in the apocalypse.

Dean watched with nervous apprehension as Justy began to acquaint himself with Asche, memories of the Absol's skittish anger very clear in his mind from their first meeting. He didn't want anything bad to happen to Asche if he should happen to lash out in fear or anger over his situation but he had to let Justy at least try. They spoke in soft tones, most of which he could barely make out from their respectable distance, but it seemed to be going well. The purple haired male pulled off his goggles and began messing with them, much to Dean's confusion, until he saw him slip them over the strange Absol's face.

"Yeah! It doesn't hurt at all!" Both blonde's were of rapt attention at the happy male's voice, his bouncing and playful demeanor a near 180 from before. "Phoe! Phoe, I can see you!" He sprang over the yellow Ninetales and bowed playfully, the fox returning the posture with a hearty laugh. "You look like such a dork!" she teased lightly, batting at the goggles on his face with her paw. "Let's see if those things actually help..."

Without warning she lunged, tackling the Absol and rolling him over before jumping off and dancing around him. Her tails swayed happily as they roughhoused and Dean couldn't help but smile as he watched the pair play. Phoenix had been so angry since Asche was lost, it was nice to see her being herself again.

"Um... Hello? Could you please tell me where I am?"

The unfamiliar voice gave Phoenix pause and she stalled in crouched position, having only a second ago been prepared to launch another mock assault on her friend. Her ears perked and Dean went immediately into a deflective position to keep her from retaliating. The young woman, he really needed to make a point to learn names before things just got awkward, was already greeting the man when Dean's eyes fell on to the pokemon on his shoulder and he let out a uncontrolled, giddy squeak of surprise.

"Is that...? Do you have a Cinccino?!" Phoenix could already hear the delight in Dean's voice and she sighed dramatically, nodding to Asche as she walked over towards the pathetic human. He was going to immediately forget the fact they were standing in the middle of a blood soaked field and go straight to fawning over a pokemon species he had wanted to breed, he needed to be stopped. "Before you lose your mind, please kindly remember this is my turf and all of you idiots are trespassing. I don't care if he has a freaking Legendary on his shoulder he ain't staying." Dean frowned.

This was going to be a long day.

The Ninetales and the strange blue pokemon played and frolicked while Justin stood to watch. Wes was at a strange angle, so he couldn't make out many of their faces, but nonetheless, he assumed Justin's expression was nothing short of a smug, shit-eating smirk. The entire scene reeked of a crappy feel-good movie that he'd never pay real money to watch, but he kept his eye on the participants either way as he debated on showing himself. Whiskey seemed to be under the same impression that stealth was still needed, keeping his large ears pinned back as he watched from behind the ruined wall that sheltered them.

It didn't take long after that for someone else that had apparently been keeping their distance to show themselves, piquing Wes' interest. He hadn't seen anyone else in the shadows of his hometown; this guy was good. And cute. And... very, very familiar. Whiskey glanced to his trainer as he felt something change in the human's presence, his large purple eyes quickly running over the other's form before mentally asking, ~Something wrong?~

"...I... know that guy..." Wes mumbled softly as his eyes stayed on the newcomer. Orange hair didn't really ring a bell, but the guy's thick brows, his coat and his face... Wes never generally forgot a face-- names were one thing, but people themselves... He knew that guy. With this new dude and the woman in white, Wes was going to be driven insane with all the goddamn deja vu.

"Um... Hello? Could you please tell me where I am?" Goddammit. Even his voice was super familiar.

The woman was the first to reply, her tone not malicious, but not exactly overflowing with sugar, fluff and Arceus. "Pyrite, Orre. May we help you?" Wes squinted as her Gardevoir muttered something-- like squinting would help him hear. Ugh. He was getting stupid with all these familiar faces dancing in front of him.

"Is that...? Do you have a Cinccino?!" the short little blonde exclaimed, nearly bouncing in place. Wes honestly didn't mind the view he had of the casually dressed man. It was a nice breather from all the frustrating unnamed familiarity. His Ninetales disapproved of her trainer's enthusiasm, however, much to Wes' dismay. Nah, go on. Keep being excited. "Before you lose your mind, please kindly remember this is my turf and all of you idiots are trespassing. I don't care if he has a freaking Legendary on his shoulder he ain't staying."

~Did you think of who the guy is?~ Whiskey's voice distracted Wes from trying to see more of the blonde's cute little midriff. He looked down to the expectant Espeon and shook his head a little before turning back to the others.

"No, I--" He stopped himself as the face finally registered and his yellow eyes widened in surprise. No... No, it couldn't be... Whiskey leaned in a little, noticing his trainer's obvious change in expression. "Holy shit."

~You recognize him now?~

"Holy shit!"

~Use your words, Wes.~

Wes' voice was still little more than an excited whisper. "That's-- that detective, from HQ. What's-his-face-- Cold? Corn? They guy that grilled me about Ein and Cipher and shit."

Whiskey's eyes bulged and he bit Wes' leg, earning a stifled hiss of pain from the other. "What the shit?"

~A DETECTIVE FROM HQ, WES?!~ he roared in Wes' mind, causing the soldier to duck behind the wall as he held his head. ~I thought that we were "safe". That "no one would bother wasting the man power to find us". WHY IS THERE AN HQ DETECTIVE HERE, WES?!~

"Jesus, stop yelling!" he spat back, his voice still low. "I don't know-- It has to be a coincidence. That's all. There's no way he could have followed us so closely without us spotting him. Not a lot of places to hide when it's flat, bleak desert, Whiskey."

~I swear to God, if he asks them about us...~

"Oh, stop it; you're gonna give yourself a stroke."

[[I would like to keep them unnoticed still, please owo]]

As the "Absolutely Adorable" display continued, Matt perceives a sudden flicker of movement from Athena, the Gardevoir quickly losing interest in the others and moving herself to face somebody entirely new. Another human, what are the odds? Matt is starting to become wary of the size of the group; there's no way this isn't going to attract some sort of attention. The new guy, some brown-haired stranger, has three Pokemon, bringing this little band of misfits to a grand total of way too many people. On the bright side, two of New Guy's Pokemon are Unova species-Matt would recognize a Purrloin and a Cinccino anywhere. Both of them were fluffy, cute Pokemon that his brother and sister had no doubt cooed over at one point or another. Speaking of whom, why did every human that stepped into this place just happen to not be Rose? Talk about terrible luck; the odds were not with him today.

"Um... Hello? Could you please tell me where I am?"

Well, he probably wouldn't like "Syphilisville" as an answer, and luckily for New Guy, the black-haired lady provides a fair more eloquent response. "Pyrite, Orre.  May we help you?" To be fair, "desert" probably would've been a good enough answer, because they're all surrounded by sand and goddamn it is hot. He's practically pouring sweat. Matt takes off his sweltering overcoat, quickly folding up the red fabric into a nice, disorganized bundle, and tucks it under his arm. The heat is still baking his skin, but at least now he doesn't feel like passing out. Thank Arceus Matt has his hat to keep the harsh glare of the sun and sweat from his hair from getting into his eyes, or else he'd be really mad...not to mention the annoyance of constant blinking.

"I hope you're not here for trouble," the other Gardevoir mutters, obviously not too happy about another stranger waltzing in from the rest of the desert. Hey, at least she wasn't alone in that aspect. "I'm with you on that one," Matt says to the fairy, and Athena nods beside him. The two are united in their desire to not stick around with unfamiliar people, at least not for any longer than a day or two. As soon as Matt's said that, the one dubbed as Blonde Dude does some weird squeak, one uncannily familiar to the sound Omega made when Gatts had accidentally stepped on his tail.
"Is that...? Do you have a Cinccino?!"
"Before you lose your mind, please kindly remember this is my turf and all of you idiots are trespassing. I don't care if he has a freaking Legendary on his shoulder he ain't staying." "Idiots"? Really? This so-called turf isn't even worth singing home about, so Matt has no idea why she's getting so up-in-arms over the place. Yes, canine Pokemon were very defensive over the territory they've claimed for their own, but considering this Ninetales has a trainer, one that seems to show more control than her, you'd think she'd be a little more forgiving. Matt knows fully well he's a smart man, and doesn't appreciate being spoken of as if he is a fly buzzing around, a mere annoyance and nothing more.

"Yeah, we got you the first time," Matt grumbles, already annoyed with this Ninetales. She's got a sharp tongue and isn't afraid to use it; they might have gotten along better in different circumstances, but threats and insults towards him and Athena? Nope. Matt's not cool with that.

{forgive me for this awful post :/ I am sorry}

Diantha was the first to respond to his question, and she was all business in her bearing "Pyrite, Orre.  May we help you?" Not hostile, thankfully, and he wasn't expecting an overly friendly greeting anyway. Everyone at this point had valid reasons not to even remotely trust strangers, and running into someone who was too nice would be suspicious. His brows go up in feigned surprise, and he was relieved. Despite being mostly certain they were in Pyrite, there had been a small amount of worry that Holmes had gotten way off course while teleporting since he wasn't as familiar with Orre.

"I'm mostly trying to orient myself, and they," he leans his head and waves his hand in his Pokemon's direction, "heard people."

Her Gardevoir, whose name was escaping him at the moment, grumbled, "I hope you're not here for trouble." He knew he was going to kick himself later for forgetting Diantha's Gardevoir's name, but he wasn't going to worry about it. If anything, it ensured he wouldn't accidentally call her by name before she introduced herself.

The talller blonde agreed, "I'm with you on that one," and his own Gardevoir nodded. Colm realized that he was going to have to give a good explanation for being relieved to hear he found Pyrite; not many people would share that sentiment.

Wiggins, however, had to have the first word and he snarked, "Well, if we're here to cause trouble, I'd say we're doing a shitty job of it. You know, just walking right into a group of humans that might just kill us as soon as look at us." He rolled his eyes as he said the statement, and he brought up a paw to groom. The Purrloin obviously wasn't expecting any repercussions for the statement from the group, and with the typical cat attitude, he made himself at home where he was sitting in front of his human.

"Wiggins!" Watson sharply reprimanded the cat. Wiggins wasn't wrong, but they didn't know how this group would react to the cat's sass. The cat simply used his tail to boop the Raichu on the nose to show how little he was worried about the whole situation, and Watson brought up a paw to facepalm. There was no reasoning with the cat like this.  

Colm rolled his violet eyes at the debate between his Pokemon, showing where the cat had obviously picked up the habit, and said, "Anyway... No, we have no intentions of causing problems." He wasn't able to continue explaining what he was there for since the rest of the group came up to him.

All three of his Pokemon's ears perked up at the high pitched squeak that came from the shorter blonde, and Colm's eyes were on him as he asked, "Is that...? Do you have a Cinccino?!" The response was a little surprising, but Colm couldn't help smiling at how adorable that was. He adored his Pokemon, and anyone who liked them as well had an easier time putting him at ease. At the obvious delight in the male's voice, Hudson giggled and waved at him.

"Yeah, this is Hudson," he happily introduced her before bringing his arms in front of him. The Cinccino recognized the gesture and hopped down into his arms so that he was practically hugging her. "If you want to pet her, though, you'll have to ask first."

In the tone reminiscent of a scolding mother, the Ninetales came beside her trainer and chastised him, "Before you lose your mind, please kindly remember this is my turf and all of you idiots are trespassing. I don't care if he has a freaking Legendary on his shoulder he ain't staying."

The taller blonde grumbled something that Colm didn't quite catch, but it felt like someone wasn't happy with the Ninetales's pushiness. Tucking that away for later, Colm finally took the opportunity to give his cover reason for why he was here of all places in the apocalypse. Wiggins opened his mouth, but this time Watson grabbed the cat by the scruff, and they had a battle of wills that lasted long enough for Colm to speak. He tried to placate the fiery Ninetales, "Oh... no no no. We didn't plan on staying on your territory. I ran into a Pokemon who had left something in Pyrite, and she wanted me to bring her here." More abashedly, he admitted, "We ended up a little lost in the desert, so I'm surprised we actually found it." The fact that he was looking for stuff involving Cipher was probably best left unsaid until he knew these strangers weren't involved with them.

"Well, if we're here to cause trouble, I'd say we're doing a shitty job of it. You know, just walking right into a group of humans that might just kill us as soon as look at us." Diantha raises an eyebrow at the cat as he rolls his eyes and begins to groom a paw. Someone is very lucky he's not mouthing off to a more hostile group.

"Wiggins!"

Said cat responds to the scolding by tapping the mouse on the nose with his tail.

Now it's their human's turn to roll his eyes. "Anyway... No, we have no intentions of causing problems."

Dean moved a little closer, stars in his eyes as they settled on the fluffy little chinchilla. "Is that...? Do you have a Cinccino?!"

"Yeah, this is Hudson," His tone glows with pride and as he holds his arms out, the Cinccino hops into them so that she's being held. Wow, that might be one of the cutest things she's seen in a while. Along with Asche trying to play with Phoenix. "If you want to pet her, though, you'll have to ask first."

But of course, Phoenix can't stay quiet for long. It doesn't really seem in her nature too, honestly. "Before you lose your mind, please kindly remember this is my turf and all of you idiots are trespassing. I don't care if he has a freaking Legendary on his shoulder he ain't staying."

The other man in the red isn't happy about Phoenix's display of authority. Though the Champion doesn't hear his words, Cosette is staring at him with a analyzing look as if she did. Once again, inferior human ears lose out.  

Now Colm tries to explain himself. "Oh... no no no. We didn't plan on staying on your territory. I ran into a Pokemon who had left something in Pyrite, and she wanted me to bring her here. We ended up a little lost in the desert, so I'm surprised we actually found it."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. We wish you luck on your quest." If he's looking for something, chances are he's not going to be staying. Honestly, at this point, she can't even see the rest of them staying.  Not when Phoenix is so determined to boot them all out.

"Mmmm." Cosette seems to be mulling something over. Apparently it must not be urgent, or she'd find some way to tell her about it.

Actually...

What will they all do? Phoenix wants them all to leave, but Asche and Justy are now somewhat bound to one another. Justy could leave anyway, but that Pokeball still tethers Asche to him-- he could never be caught by another human as long as it exists, no matter how much he might a different trainer.  Dean and Phoenix both likely have little interest in following Justy to Phenac. Colm and the other man are likely to move on, but with Justy wanting to leave and Asche likely wanting to stay...

A conflict of interest is going to arise very quickly once things settle a little further. And as she offered to help with Phenac, this is going to involve her. Not that it wouldn't, anyway. A Champion's duty is to try to settle conflicts.

But with Justy unable to stay because Phoenix doesn't want him, unable to leave because Asche doesn't want to follow, and reluctant to destroy the Pokeball... how is she going to settle this one?

"Yeah, we got you the first time."

Phoenix shot a glare to the human in red, eyes narrowing as she debated whether or not to address it. But, as usual, Dean was ignoring her outburst and continuing to coo over the little fluff ball in the stranger's arms. "Oh... no no no. We didn't plan on staying on your territory. I ran into a Pokemon who had left something in Pyrite, and she wanted me to bring her here.  We ended up a little lost in the desert, so I'm surprised we actually found it."

"Oh don't mind her, she's just mad because the last time so many people were here a giant bird carrying around a skirt made up of human limbs tried to eat us and threatened to come back."
"That's hardly a tale worth brushing off Dean!"
"It's been months and she hasn't come back."
"There haven't been as many appetizers to attract her!"
"Well, I'm sorry but we might need them."
"Need them?! Are. You. Crazy?!"
"No, but you keep screaming like that and they are liable to think you are."
"Aaaargh!"
"See? Just like that. Calm your ass down or I will put you in a pokeball."
"You wouldn't."
"Watch me."

Phoenix's eyes narrowed into slits before finally snarling and storming off, stalking over to Asche once more and sitting down with a huff. "I don't see how in the hell he thinks we would need a bunch of pansy ass moochers, but whatever. What do you think, Blue?"

Dean smiled at the Cincinno in the stranger's arms and smiled fondly at her, waving his fingers at her sweetly. "Hudson is such a cute name, and I bet you have the softest fur, don't you?" He looked up to the man's face and his smile widened, despite the scene Phoenix had made. "So what is it you are looking for? I've combed nearly every inch of this city looking for...Well...anything really. I might know where it is or have already stashed it. I'd be willing to trade for information, if you're interested."

Fuck so that's what he wanted, Phoenix thought to herself. He was going to milk strangers for clues.

"Oh... no no no. We didn't plan on staying on your territory. I ran into a Pokemon who had left something in Pyrite, and she wanted me to bring her here. We ended up a little lost in the desert, so I'm surprised we actually found it."

Wes quirked a brow and glanced down to Whiskey, carefully pondering the detective's words. Or at least, what he hadn't said. He didn't lead off where he was from, what he did or whether or not he was hunting down a thieving deserter. Which really, if Wes were after the same thing, is exactly how he'd open up the conversation. So... did that mean that this guy actually didn't know about his uh... fruitful departure from HQ? And did it also mean he didn't want his job title floating around?

A grin spread across his tanned face. Looked like he had his way in, then.

~You think he doesn't know, then?~ Wes looked back to the watchful Espeon, quirking a brow at the perceptive question. ~I know that look, Wes.~

"We'll wait a little longer to make sure he doesn't bring us up. In the meantime, no, I think we're safe."

~And your plan for explaining the bulk supplies you snatched from HQ?~

Wes scoffed at Whiskey's concern. "Please. I got this." However, it seemed that the bright Ninetales had begun to pitch a fit with her trainer.

"Need them?! Are. You. Crazy?!"

"No, but you keep screaming like that and they are liable to think you are."

"Aaaargh!"

"See? Just like that. Calm your ass down or I will put you in a pokeball."

"You wouldn't."

"Watch me."

Wes' grin remained as he watched the exchange, always happy to see a little bit of spunk in the others around him. Too many of his fellow conscripted soldiers were stick-in-the-mud downers. It was almost a relief to see snark and personality. The Ninetales trotted off to go to the... blue thing that was now wearing goggles, obviously not happy with the current turn of events. "I don't see how in the hell he thinks we would need a bunch of pansy ass moochers, but whatever. What do you think, Blue?"

The blue thing shrugged. "I dunno. They seem nice. And you know, if the purple-haired guy goes, I'd probably have to go with him, right? Since I'm on his team now and everything. But I mean, after being alone so long, it's nice to be able to have friends again." He bounced a little as Wes frowned and pressed the poke comm earpiece further into his ear to hear better. So Justy was his trainer now. Great. "I think I'm just super stoked about being able to see again, sorry." As if to punctuate his point, he started looking around in all directions, mouth hanging open in a dumb, goofy grin.

The blonde continued to speak to Detective Corn, or whatever his name was, gushing over the little Cinccino in his arms. "Hudson is such a cute name, and I bet you have the softest fur, don't you?" Man, that guy was cute. "So what is it you are looking for? I've combed nearly every inch of this city looking for...Well...anything really. I might know where it is or have already stashed it. I'd be willing to trade for information, if you're interested."

Whiskey and Wes shared a look. While it was probable that the tight-assed little blonde had indeed searched the town for provisions, including his own, Wes wasn't entirely sure he knew of just how crafty Pyrite-natives were at hoarding and stashing that hoard effectively. There was still a chance his own stash remained untouched, since the apartment building he lived in was still fairly intact from his vantage point. But it also meant that they had even more leverage; their knowledge of the town was of course incredibly vast. And even with the Boy Scout there, information on HQ would be able to be priced pretty nicely. As much as Wes wanted to burst out of the shadows right then and there, he needed to make sure that he was right about the Detective being in the dark about his escape.

"Well, if we're here to cause trouble, I'd say we're doing a shitty job of it. You know, just walking right into a group of humans that might just kill us as soon as look at us."
"Hey, you could be complete idiots for all I know. Stupidity is everywhere." Matt finds the cat's eye-rolling to be eerily similar to his sister's. He isn't kidding about the stupidity thing, though-in fact, it technically counted as stupidity to shoot your smartass mouth off to an entire group of strangers like that, but whatever. A little attitude isn't a bad thing, all things considered. He and his siblings were practically the poster children for such a sentiment, especially Rose.

"Oh... no no no. We didn't plan on staying on your territory. I ran into a Pokemon who had left something in Pyrite, and she wanted me to bring her here. We ended up a little lost in the desert, so I'm surprised we actually found it." "A little lost in the desert?" Damn, this guy is probably lucky to even be alive. This is yet another reason Hoenn is superior-if you got lost, you didn't end up wandering in scorched sands for the rest of your miserable (and probably short) existence. Matt would much rather die surrounded by trees, honestly...or not die at all. But besides that, this New Guy has embarked on a rather weird quest for apocalypse times. What sort of inanimate thing could be so valuable that one would risk traveling with a stranger and wandering into dangerous territory to retrieve it? Looking for a person is one thing, and this is certainly another. Well, whatever. It's not Matt's problem, and he has no desire to get caught up in somebody else's business.

Blond Dude and his loyal fox companion begin to argue again, though this time the content of said argument is far more interesting. Seriously-a giant bird with a skirt of human limbs? Holy shit. If that's true, then Matt needs to know more, especially the "when". If that bird has tried to attack his sister before, then he'll find it and tear it limb from limb. As brutal as it is, nobody fucks with his siblings and gets away with it. Besides, he'd be doing the world a favor getting rid of what sounded like a vicious beast taking pride in the deaths of its human victims.

"Well, I'm sorry but we might need them."
"Need them?! Are. You. Crazy?!"
"No, but you keep screaming like that and they are liable to think you are."
"Aaaargh!"
"See? Just like that. Calm your ass down or I will put you in a pokeball."
"You wouldn't."
"Watch me."

Well. Okay. THAT happened, and it completely takes his focus away from thoughts of that may-or-may not be-real bird. This is almost comical, really; talk about not being even remotely intimidating. No, they were all just one big happy family...with one ready to roast the rest. Poor New Guy had no idea what he was walking into. Matt had half a mind to warn him off, but considering the guy had business in the town, it was doubtful to work. Blonde Dude is already talking to him about the "object of interest", anyways, so it's not like Matt has to care.

"So what is it you are looking for? I've combed nearly every inch of this city looking for...Well...anything really. I might know where it is or have already stashed it. I'd be willing to trade for information, if you're interested." Trading for information, huh? Matt can probably expect the same thing if he is to ask about Rose, so he listens carefully. It is best to get at least a general idea of what Blonde Dude wants before asking him anything. Maybe New Guy's arrival is a tiny stroke of luck for Matt; he'd wouldn't be stumbling into another part of his search blindly because of it.

The taller blonde, who had removed his coat in the heat, called Wiggins out,"Hey, you could be complete idiots for all I know. Stupidity is everywhere."

The Purrloin ceased his staredown with Watson as his large green eyes wandered over to the human. Realizing that he had lost the cat's attention, Watson tried to tighten his grip on the cat's scruff. Unfortunately, Wiggins managed to squirm out of the hold, and the Purrloin quickly darted out of reach of the Raichu. Wiggins smirked at the long haired man, and retorted, "Stupidity gets weeded out quickly. We're still here." If the ground wasn't so unpleasantly warm and hard, he would have lied down, but since he didn't have that option, he instead simply tucked his tail in front of him. The Raichu was fuming at the cat's insolence, and this time, he whacked the cat on the back of his head. The cat noticeably flinched at the hit, and his confidence dropped in favor of indignation. He brought up both paws to cover his head as he cried out, "Ow! The hell?"

Watson's stern expression broked no argument as he told the cat off, "Stop being such a twat, and be quiet."

Wiggins groaned at the description of his character and argued, "Ugghhh. What's your problem?" When Watson's reaction was simply to narrow his eyes and lash his tail behind him, Wiggins relented with another eye roll, "Okay, fine."

Diantha simply stated, "Well, it's nice to meet you.  We wish you luck on your quest." Colm nodded at her response, but he noticed that her Gardevoir seemed thoughtful about something. While he was mildly concerned that it was something involving him or his story, she chose not to say anything. He had a feeling that if the Gardevoir thought something was too fishy, then she would speak up and not allow the ruse to continue, so he took her silence as a good sign.

The shorter blonde male somehow managed to continue cooing over Hudson as he and his Ninetales had a verbal debate. It seemed like he was trying to put Colm at ease about his Ninetales, and the redhead certainly noted that even though the Ninetales was the loudest about this being her terf, her human was definitely the one with the final say in most matters. He had no plans on pissing off either of them, but it would definitely behoove him to not anger the shorter blonde. "Oh don't mind her, she's just mad because the last time so many people were here a giant bird carrying around a skirt made up of human limbs tried to eat us and threatened to come back." The nonchalance he said this with surprised Colm, and he didn't bother hiding his shocked and unnerved expression. Since they didn't specify, he wasn't sure if this was an undead or a living Pokemon, and he wasn't sure which one would be worse. He had heard tales of extremely powerful and more intelligent undead, but some of them had seemed almost fantastical. He tried not to dismiss those stories, especially since he was fairly certain one of those stupidly powerful undead was behind the total decimation of his old workplace.

The Ninetales somewhat shared his sentiment, "That's hardly a tale worth brushing off Dean!" Oh, so the human's name was Dean?
"It's been months and she hasn't come back."
"There haven't been as many appetizers to attract her!"
"Well, I'm sorry but we might need them."
"Need them?! Are. You. Crazy?!"
"No, but you keep screaming like that and they are liable to think you are."
"Aaaargh!"
"See? Just like that. Calm your ass down or I will put you in a pokeball."
"You wouldn't."
"Watch me."

The debate was amusing to watch to say the least, but Colm knew better than to show that. He settled for scratching Hudson behind her huge fluffy ears as they waited for Dean's attention to turn back to them. Once the matter was settled, Dean immediately turned his attention back to Hudson, "Hudson is such a cute name, and I bet you have the softest fur, don't you?" He smiled warmly and waved his fingers at her which elicited another giggle from Hudson. Colm felt no need to inform Dean where he had gotten the name from, but the compliment definitely brought another smile to his face.

"That's what they tell me, hehe," Hudson teased. Her nose wiggled as she sniffed the human in front of hers. He seemed like such a sweet person, and this was huge relief. She had been worried that Midori's old home town might be full of people like the ones they had just saved her from.

Dean finally looked up to meet Colm's eyes with an even wider smile as he asked, "So what is it you are looking for? I've combed nearly every inch of this city looking for...Well...anything really. I might know where it is or have already stashed it. I'd be willing to trade for information, if you're interested." Ahhh, information. That's what he "needs" us for. It was a fair trade, but he was wary about what information the other could want. Even if the other had nothing to do with Cipher, Colm didn't know what his goals and wants were. He'd have to play this carefully...

"Sounds like a fair deal, but I'm not sure if I can promise answers. I'll tell you what I can." It was entirely possible he had no information the blonde wanted, so his answer was honest. However, there was also the chance that he couldn't tell Dean what he wanted, and his answer reflected that possibility as well. It wasn't like the other humans would know that part, however. His smile fell somewhat as he thought for a moment, but he realized that he was going to have to bring out his newest addition to his team to speak. They were mostly here because of her anyway, and he had no idea what exactly she wanted to find. He shifted Hudson so that he was cradling her in one arm and shrugged, "Well, I'm not sure what I'm looking for. You'll have to ask my friend. She got tired on the way over, so I put her in a Pokeball." He said this in explanation for his next few actions; He didn't want the others to think he was about to pull something dangerous or stupid. He reached into his coat pocket to pull out Midori's pokeball, and he pressed the button for the Altaria to come out.

Midori was standing on the ground when the red light evaporated, and when the fluffy dragon opened her eyes, she wasn't expecting to see a bunch of unfamiliar humans. Nervously, she asked, "Um... Wh-where are we, and who are they?" The Altaria noticeably took several steps so that her human was between her and the others, and she ducked her head a little so that she wasn't as noticeable. At her obvious discomfort, Wiggins lightly walked over and rubbed against her legs, and, strangely enough, didn't say anything. The cat's presence calmed her out of her near panic, and he pointedly sat so that he could lean into her fluffy feathers.

Colm knelt down so that he was closer to eye level with the frightened bird, and said, "We made it to Pyrite, and this," he indicated the shorter blonde, "is someone who can help us. He's been here long enough that he might know where to find what you're looking for." The explanation seemed to help her anxiety a little, but she was tongue tied. Colm placed Hudson down so that she could also comfort the cloud dragon, and between the three of them, Midori visibly relaxed. He decided to try easing her into the conversation more, "I just realized I haven't introduced myself yet. Um.. Oops?" He nervously laughed as he stood back up, though he left a hand behind the Altaria's head. He reached his free hand out to Dean for a hand shake, "Name's Bishop."

"Watson." The Raichu was quick and to the point.

The Cinccino, realizing what Colm was doing spoke up, "He said it earlier, but I'll say it again, my name is Hudson."

Wiggins decided to put his name out as well, and he hoped his confidence would soothe the Altaria, "I'm Wiggins."

The Altaria took comfort in her friends, and since the others had given their names, she knew she should say hers, "M-Midori."

"Hey, you could be complete idiots for all I know. Stupidity is everywhere."   This is true.  What's that old saying?  "Arceus protects the idiots and drunkards."  It's something close to that, she's sure.  She can recall her grandfather's face, blurred out by memory, and the way he snickered the words as they watched... someone try to--bat a beehive from a tree, maybe?--from her grandfather's porch.

She remembers being told that her grandfather went and stopped said idiot before they could actually anger the bees, but she doesn't remember the event itself despite being present for it.  Odd, how time steals memories like that.  

The saying seems to be a little true even nowadays.  A surprising amount of stupid people have survived this long.

Dean, completely enamored with Hudson, is quick to dismiss his loud fox's protests over allowing anyone to stay.  "Oh don't mind her, she's just mad because the last time so many people were here a giant bird carrying around a skirt made up of human limbs tried to eat us and threatened to come back."

What.  Her eyes flick over to Cosette, who gives a tiny nod.  He's actually being serious.

What in Arceus's sweet name.

"That's hardly a tale worth brushing off Dean!"

Agreed.  Agreed by literally everyone here.  That shouldn't even be up for debate.

"It's been months and she hasn't come back."
"There haven't been as many appetizers to attract her!"
"Well, I'm sorry but we might need them."
"Need them?! Are. You. Crazy?!"
"No, but you keep screaming like that and they are liable to think you are."
"Aaaargh!"
"See? Just like that. Calm your ass down or I will put you in a pokeball."
"You wouldn't."
"Watch me."

Well, he doesn't seem like a pushover.  The other Pokemon respect him well enough.  Perhaps this Ninetails is just especially strong-willed?  She can't begrudge her that, though she could tone down the rudeness by several notches.  

"Hudson is such a cute name, and I bet you have the softest fur, don't you?"
"That's what they tell me, hehe,"  Cosette doesn't miss the sniff check.  That's a really good idea, using your cutness to check someone without them noticing or thinking much of it.  Clever girl.

Dean coddles the cutie for a few moments before glancing up at her human.   "So what is it you are looking for? I've combed nearly every inch of this city looking for...Well...anything really. I might know where it is or have already stashed it. I'd be willing to trade for information, if you're interested."

Oh.  Now that is interesting.  Information?  What information could he want?  A number of possibilities flood her; he could want to know the origin of the outbreak, something everyone would like to know, but it makes no sense to ask a random stranger that.  Missing friends and family, the possibility and location of a safe haven, the location of supplies-- these are all things that would make sense to ask, but still she finds herself wary.  

Despite all her supposing, who actually knows what information he's after.  

The other man answers honestly, promising to tell him what he can.  Good choice.

"Well, I'm not sure what I'm looking for. You'll have to ask my friend. She got tired on the way over, so I put her in a Pokeball."  As he speaks, he withdraws a Pokeball.

Interesting.  So he's running a favor for his Pokemon.  Actually his words imply she's not even his; most trainers would have said my Pokemon, not my friend.

What materializes is a very fluffy, very nervous Altaria.  Cosette's blank expression softens as she looks around at everyone, making sure to place her human companion between herself and the strangers and hunching down to make herself smaller.  "Um... Wh-where are we, and who are they?"  

Wiggins the asshole walks over to rub against her, and she sits to allow him to lean into her fluff.  Diantha hides a smile.  Camaraderie is such a rare thing these days.

"We made it to Pyrite, and this," her companion says, nodding towards Dean, "is someone who can help us. He's been here long enough that he might know where to find what you're looking for."

The explaination soothes her a bit further, but only just.  Her friend responds by setting Hudson down so that she can also soothe the dragon.  "I just realized I haven't introduced myself yet. Um.. Oops?"  He straightens with an embarrassed laugh and leaves one hand on his Altaria, reaching the other towards Dean.  "Name's Bishop."

"Watson."
"He said it earlier, but I'll say it again, my name is Hudson."
"I'm Wiggins."
"M-Midori."

"Cosette."  She curtsies, pointedly at the Altaria, her face friendly and inviting.  "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Diane."  She matches her fairy's expression as she gives the trainer and his Pokemon a nod.  The poor dragon needs some reassurance so the sooner they can put her at ease, the better.

"Sounds like a fair deal, but I'm not sure if I can promise answers. I'll tell you what I can." Despite his positive response Dean couldn't help but notice the shift in his expressions as he began drifting off in his own mind after agreeing. The blonde began to tense visibly as he wondered how this could backlash on him and Phoenix once again started getting protective, leaning her side against Dean's leg and staring at the new guy. "Something you wanna share with the rest of the class?"

"Well, I'm not sure what I'm looking for. You'll have to ask my friend. She got tired on the way over, so I put her in a Pokeball." He finally responded but the tension didn't leave until after he saw the pokeball produced from the bag, Phoenix growing warmer at his side as she prepared any necessary defense from what lay within. But despite his nerves Dean's warm smile never faltered, his eyes simply tracking every movement of the man's hands as he pulled out and released the captive Pokemon, a lovely young Altaria from the looks of it.

She was scared, or at least very nervous, judging by the way she backed up and away from everyone until she was behind the man who released her. "Um... Wh-where are we, and who are they?" Dean's nervous tension melted away at the gentle, timid voice and he smiled warmly at the pretty bird. A purple cat he hadn't noticed before began cuddling her legs in an effort to calm her and the blonde had to resist the urge to let out a long 'aww' at the sight.

"We made it to Pyrite, and this," Dean heard the other say to reassure his friend, the blonde himself leaning to peer around her trainer and gave the Altaria a little wave. "is someone who can help us. He's been here long enough that he might know where to find what you're looking for." It seemed like he was trying to remember Dean's name when he realized he actually didn't know it. "I just realized I haven't introduced myself yet. Um.. Oops?" Phoenix snorted indignantly and Dean laughed at the display.

"Name's Bishop." Bishop extended his hand which Dean happily took, blushing slightly at the firm contact. "Dean. A pleasure." A certain yellow fox cleared her throat and shifted more of her weight onto Dean's legs, causing him to stumble forward towards Bishop. "And this graceful spitfire is Phoenix. Sorry about that." Soon a whole chorus of names began calling out, and Dean smiled in embarrassment in response to the knowledge he had gone most of the time without knowing most of them.

"Watson."
"He said it earlier, but I'll say it again, my name is Hudson."
"I'm Wiggins."
"M-Midori."
"Cosette. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Diane."

"Yeah well that's great and all but don't think-" Dean quickly clapped a hand down on top of Phoenix's muzzle to stop her from continuing to speak, laughing nervously even as she easily ducked out from under him. "We are happy to meet you. All of us." He glared down at Phoenix before continuing. "But even if we don't find what miss Midori is looking for, I would still like to trade a little information with all of you. If none of you mind that is." He looked at each one briefly but lingered on Justy the longest, knowing he was likely stuck with the purple haired man for a while now that he had Asche as one of his own. This was going to be interesting.

"Sounds like a fair deal, but I'm not sure if I can promise answers. I'll tell you what I can." The Detective seemed to hesitate -at least, as best Wes could tell from his vantage point- and paused as the others silently watched and judged him. "Something you wanna share with the rest of the class?" the plucky Ninetales quipped, earning Wes' approval. Girl was a little spitfire.

"Well, I'm not sure what I'm looking for. You'll have to ask my friend. She got tired on the way over, so I put her in a Pokeball." Wes and Whiskey exchanged a look; typically, a trainer didn't refer to their pokemon in front of strangers like that... At least, Wes had never heard it said like that before, even in HQ. Weird. Very weird. Detective Cupcake pulled out a pokeball and released his "friend"-- an Altaria.

Wes pulled a double-take as he nearly went to mind his equipment and shift to relieve his legs growing numb, his pale golden eyes wide with shock. Sure, many of the same species looked the same, but... That Altaria... "Um... Wh-where are we, and who are they?" Whiskey balked beside him, both rendered speechless from the tiny voice the dragon produced. It was the same. Her small, petite figure was the same. The shape of her pretty head, her timid way...

~Wes, that... that can't be her...~ Whiskey tried to reason, turning back to his astonished trainer. ~There's no way...~

"We made it to Pyrite, and this," Cold Cuts kept talking, but Wes was barely able to register what he was even saying. If he were to be honest, everything sounded like a muted trombone. Wahp wahp, wahp wahp wahp. Wahp, wahp? Wahp. He was far too busy trying to find the telling flaw that made the Altaria before him not his long-lost friend. He was having a lot of difficulty finding it. "is someone who can help us. He's been here long enough that he might know where to find what you're looking for." Whiskey blinked as he saw his trainer nearly pale -something extremely difficult to accomplish- and tried to keep his head about him. Wes obviously couldn't. "I just realized I haven't introduced myself yet. Um.. Oops?"

"Name's Bishop." Not his real name, then. Good to know. Wes would have leverage over the Detective, then, since he obviously wanted to remain anonymous. "Dean. A pleasure." The others continued to introduce themselves, the blonde starting the round of names. "And this graceful spitfire is Phoenix. Sorry about that."

"Watson."

"He said it earlier, but I'll say it again, my name is Hudson."

"I'm Wiggins."

"M-Midori."

MIDORI.

Whiskey saw Wes visibly flinch when the Altaria quietly revealed herself as his old pokemon, and without thought, the man moved to stand. Whiskey shoved him back, wide-eyed as the others continued to speak. ~What are you DOING?! You can't just barge out there!~ It was not well-received.

As they fought in the shadows, Justy merely smiled and waited as the others continued to converse, taking a spot next to his curious new pokemon. He liked the newcomer and his sweet, adorable pokemon.

"Cosette. It's a pleasure to meet you." the Gardevoir offered, her trainer following soon after.

"I'm Diane."

"Justy."

"Sandy, sir."

"Asche!" the strange pokemon replied, still entirely too stoked that he could see. The goggles looked ridiculous on him, but again, he could care less.

"Yeah well that's great and all but don't think-" Dean quickly stifled the angry Ninetales' words, shooting her a look of his own before continuing. "We are happy to meet you. All of us. But even if we don't find what miss Midori is looking for, I would still like to trade a little information with all of you. If none of you mind that is."

"Sure, not a pro--"

"WES!"

Justy started at the panicked cry and turned to its source. There, where there had been nothing but trash and shadows prior was a soldier, an assault rifle in his hand as he stared at Bishop. Well... not him. His... Altaira? Wait.

Did someone say Wes?

The Pre-Gym Leader had momentarily been unable to recognize the crass, horrible kid that had visited his gym long ago, as age and military uniform had temporarily disguised him. But that pale, sun-bleached hair, bronzed skin and that odd scar across his face... Justy's lip curled a little as he drew closer. The only thing that stopped him from advancing were the tears in the other's eyes.

"Midori....?" The gun clattered to the ground as he strode forward. An Espeon watched in terror and apprehension as his trainer went to the Altaria. Odd. Justy remembered two Eeveelutions...

Wes' arms outstretched, no weapon in hand, his steps quickened into almost a run and he scooped the cloud dragon into a fierce hug on the verge of outright weeping. He didn't know how Comstock had managed to find her and he didn't particularly care. Nor did he really care that not only were strangers around, but a Detective that had interrogated him and Justy of all people. But again, that didn't matter. She was alive. She was safe. She was home.

"I'm so sorry I didn't grab you..." he whimpered softly into her feathers, closing his eyes against his own shame. "I'm so sorry I didn't get you in time..."

"Sounds like a fair deal, but I'm not sure if I can promise answers. I'll tell you what I can." Looks like New Guy is willing to play ball, at least, which isn't surprising. His best chance of finding whatever he's looking for could very well be with Blonde Dude and his knowledge of the trash town. Hopefully the guy won't be too disappointed when it turned out that the object of interest was a half-empty bottle of booze, or some mixtape hidden in one of the walls of the the buildings. Weren't most fetch quests supposed to be disappointing and unrewarding?
"Something you wanna share with the rest of the class?"
"Well, I'm not sure what I'm looking for. You'll have to ask my friend. She got tired on the way over, so I put her in a Pokeball.” Yes, that is very interesting, but they really didn't need his entire life story; Matt, for one, would rather be out of this desert heat as soon as possible. New Guy reached into his pocket-guess that explained the unnecessary comments-and took out a Pokeball, releasing a fluffy Altaria. Poor girl didn't look very confident in the presence of strangers, but who could blame her? Matt wouldn't have been happy either if he'd been dragged out into bright sunlight surrounded by people he didn't recognize or care to know.
”Um... Wh-Um... Wh-where are we, and who are they?" Athena smiles at the Altaria, hoping the friendly gesture would at least be a little calming. The little sassy cat seems to know what to do, however, keeping his friend from outright freaking out; it's nice to see such camaraderie between Pokemon. While she and Matt's other Pokemon got along quite well, the dynamic between him and his team was far different, perhaps a result of him having two younger siblings. Athena can't remember ever showing affection towards, say, Jules or Elesa; more often their friendship was shown through humor and through their partnership in battle. It is nice to see how different teams interact with each other. Though perhaps it might have something to do with those two being cute and fluffy.
"We made it to Pyrite, and this is someone who can help us. He's been here long enough that he might know where to find what you're looking for."
"I just realized I haven't introduced myself yet. Um.. Oops? Name's Bishop." Bishop? Now there was a name only a mother-and maybe the pontiff-could love, if it is even his real name. A lot of people use aliases nowadays, but...eh. Not Matt's problem.

This, however, did set off a chain reaction of introductions; everybody was looking to get their name out after New Guy said his. Matt waits until the others are finished to give his own name, fully confident that he'll probably end up forgetting half of the names thrown out. Again-not his issue. He's only planning to stay long enough to possibly get some information on Rose's whereabouts, so why bother worrying over remembering people he's not likely to ever meet again? Athena seems to not be on the same wavelength, because she listens attentively to each name that's given, though whether this is simple curiosity or something else entirely, Matt has no idea.
"Dean. A pleasure. "And this graceful spitfire is Phoenix. Sorry about that."
"Cosette. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Diane."
"Justy."
"Sandy, sir."
"Asche!"
”Name's Matt.”
”And I'm Athena,” the Gardevoir says with a wave of her hand; though the Ninetales, Phoenix, attempts to speak up, her trainer quickly shuts her down. My, my, they really do have an interesting relationship, don't they? Athena observes the two with increasing interest, taking careful notice of the glares and the way they always seemed to be struggling to either speak over each other or shut each other up. It was all too amusing, especially now that she wasn't as upset towards her own trainer anymore.
"We are happy to meet you. All of us." But even if we don't find what miss Midori is looking for, I would still like to trade a little information with all of you. If none of you mind that is."
”Sure. More information can't hurt,” Matt responds, earning him a nod of agreement from Athena. Gaining new knowledge would be beneficial, even if it didn't involve Rose. Before anything else can be said, however, there is a shout from outside of their little clique, a voice of someone neither he nor his Gardevoir recognize. "WES!" First off-who the hell is Wes? Second-had that guy been watching them the entire time? Because Matt sure as hell didn't recognize the random, light-haired man in uniform who had appeared out of fucking nowhere, and that rifle meant business. Well, that was very likely to be “Wes.” Arceus above, this is a clusterfuck of increasing proportions; no doubt Athena couldn't sense him due to the abundance of other auras. She and Matt have barely exchanged a glance of acknowledgment between them when the man drops his gun, staring right at the Altaria that Bishop had brought out. Did he know her? Was this who the Altaria is looking for? So many questions, so little time...and honestly, Matt really wants that gun. What a rarity. Just his luck that the one time in years he sees such a sweet firearm, it belongs to someone else.
"Midori....?" Yep, they definitely know each other, or maybe this newest lovable stranger is simply delusional. Hopefully it's the former, or else Midori is not going to be happy. Matt can only watch in confusion as a completely random stranger hugs the nervous Altaria, looking as if he's been reunited with a friend from years past. Frankly, Matt isn't sure if he should do nothing, run away from the sheer absurdity of the situation, or start throwing punches. Maybe all three? "I'm so sorry I didn't grab you...I'm so sorry I didn't get you in time..."

Again, Matt and Athena look at each other, and he can tell she's thinking the exact same thing as himself: What the hell just happened?

(don't write posts on three hours of sleep :v also fuck writer's block lmao i tried)

Everyone began listing off their names, and Colm did his best to catch them all. When Cosette said her name, he definitely felt stupid for forgetting her name; the musical the name came from was his mother's favorite. Diantha, he noticed, also gave an alias. She probably had her reasons, and unless something demanded that she announce who she was, then he wouldn't break her cover either. Many of the humans and their Pokemon sent kind smiles or friendly gestures towards Midori, and they had the intended effect as she slowly began to smile back at the nice strangers. Wiggins and Hudson stood close to her to give her support, and they both appreciated the effort the others gave. Watson still stood on guard, but he slowly shifted from observing the group of humans to the general area. He had not missed the comment about the bird wrecking shit, and he shared the Ninetales's worry about catching something's attention.

When everyone finished, Phoenix spoke up again, "Yeah well that's great and all but don't think-"

Dean, however, was having none of it as he clapped his hand back down over her muzzle and spoke over her, "We are happy to meet you. All of us." The blonde sent a pointed glare at his Ninetales, and Colm couldn't help chuckling a little at the display. There were many reasons why he didn't use Holmes for negotiations, and Phoenix was demonstrating a lot of them. Holmes, however, didn't appreciate being silenced, and Colm was forever grateful that Watson had figured out the delicate balance needed to handle a peeved Holmes. Dean continued, "But even if we don't find what miss Midori is looking for, I would still like to trade a little information with all of you. If none of you mind that is."

Colm gave his assent, "Alright," along with Matt and Justy when a voice that was not one of the group's rang out.

"WES!" That name... It couldn't be... He was supposed to be back at HQ, and if he remembered correctly, the younger man had something to prevent him from leaving. Maybe it was someone else with that name?

The thought was proven wrong when the tall, tanned soldier exited his hiding place followed by an Espeon. While Colm was surprised that Wes was here of all places, he was further surprised that he had had no clue the man was even hiding there. Things like that didn't always end well, and he could feel Lestrade glaring at him for this oversight later. Wes only had eyes for the Altaria hiding behind Colm, and the soldier even dropped his weapon to approach her. "Midori....?" The other Pokemon quickly moved out the way as she ran towards him. When Wes scooped her up for a hug, she wrapped her fluffy wings around his body and buried her face into his hair and began to openly weep. Colm had told her that he was alive, but it didn't lessen the impact of actually seeing him. So many things had gone wrong... She wouldn't lie if asked if she had doubted the detective. He had saved her, but she could tell he wasn't above lying to spare people's feelings. Wes began muttering apologies into her soft feathers that only she could hear. "I'm so sorry I didn't grab you... I'm so sorry I didn't get you in time..."

She wimpered into his hair, "It's okay... It's okay... I found you..." The Altaria continued to weep into her former trainer's hair; ecstatic that he was alive and well, and eternally grateful that she had found him. Colm nor any of his Pokemon moved to interrupt the scene; the poor dragon had suffered so much that they believed she earned this moment of relief and happiness.

As the introductions wind down, Phoenix starts up again.  "Yeah well that's great and all but don't think-"

Dean is apparently done with her nonsense.  He's quick to bring a hand down over her mouth, cutting off her sentence as he gently shuts her mouth with his hand, though she ducks out of his grip seconds later.  "We are happy to meet you. All of us." The glare he gives her remarkably doesn't coax a smart reply from her.  "But even if we don't find what miss Midori is looking for, I would still like to trade a little information with all of you. If none of you mind that is."

Diantha and Cosette nod their consent along with the others in the group, ready to get this show on the road and unaware of the interuption about to leap from the shadows until the cry of a name brings their attention to it.

"WES!"

They spin around, staring as a tall, tan soldier with white hair bursts out and rushes towards them, followed closely by an Espeon.  Alarm courses through her and she looks to give Cosette an order, but the sound of the young man's voice stops her.

"Midori....?"

That... absolutely does not sound like someone about to attack.  And her eyes widen further when his weapon clatters to the hot desert ground.  He steps forward, defenceless, and scoops the dragon up in a hug.  She can hear whimpers, but whatever words are being said, they escape her.

As they should.  This is such a private moment.  It's a shame they couldn't have this alone.

Phoenix scoffed as the introductions continued, stalking away from her trainer as he bartered with the newcomers and kept them out in the open like a bunch of appetizers. She was starting to get twitchy, her senses screaming at her that they were too exposed, too open, and for far too long to have not been spotted by something. The birds had caused enough of a ruckus and now here Dean was chatting away happily like hell couldn't possibly open up on them at any moment. The brightly colored Ninetales pulled her gaze to the happy Absol-thing currently smiling like an idiot along with the rest of them, painfully reminded that the last time they got so lax is exactly how she lost him for two months.

'Never again'

Dean, however, was more than happy to hear everyone's positive consent to his request. Strangely enough even the rather silent blonde off to the side was willing to share, which was a relief. The smaller male had been wondering if the guy could be a possible threat, what with how unwilling he seemed to participate. But as he was about to start his list of questions a loud voice called out from beyond one of the buildings, catching them all by surprise. "WES!"

Phoenix was at attention in seconds, tails flared and waving angrily as a figure emerged with a gun, charging herself between Dean and the stranger as Dean himself flinched at the object in the tanned male's hands. He felt his chest began to burn painfully at the sight, memories he'd rather not dwell on surging forth as a reminder of just how deadly an armed assailant could be. He instinctively reached for one of the knives tucked behind him in his belt, gripping the handle tightly as his body went stiff, waiting for any sign to attack. But what came next was not at all what he expected.

"Midori....?"

His gun dropped to the ground without a thought, the metallic clatter muffled by the sand covering the stone roadway as it bounced away carelessly. The tall, pale haired stranger quickly engulfed the new Altaria in a crushing hug, burying his face in her delicate feathers as both began to sob and laugh joyfully. "I'm so sorry I didn't grab you... I'm so sorry I didn't get you in time..." He was her trainer...

At the realization Dean's heart melted into one of joy and of jealousy, not for their reunion but for the events that had led to their separation. Who knew how long they had been apart? Thinking the other long gone? He could only hope that when he finally found his pokemon they would be so happy to see him there, that they would be alright and not scarred by this nightmare that the world now called reality. But if they could fight all odds and come back to each other, then maybe there was more hope to his pitiful quest than he had originally imagined.

His hands sought out the angry fox at his side, curling into her mane softly, and it gave Phoenix pause. The touch was light and shaky, trembling with emotion Dean was not currently expressing. She let her aggressive posture fall away as her thoughts became full of concern for her trainer, looking up at him passively and searching his face for answers, but there were none. She had to settle for rubbing her head affectionately on his leg and leaning her side against him, Dean welcoming the attention and responding with a firmer caress to her scalp even as his gaze kept firmly on the scene before him. One day...one day that would be him.

"It's okay... It's okay... I found you..."

Wes let out a short giggle of ecstatic joy as he buried his face further into Midori's fluffy feathers. The small dragon had been a core member of his team for much of his time fighting Cipher, had helped him purify dozens of Shadows... seeing her again was a euphoria he hadn't felt in a long, long time. After a moment, he pulled from her, wiping his face free of tears and beamed down at her. "Look at you..." He chuckled again as Whiskey joined them, butting his head against Midori and purring.

"It's good to see you again, Midori," the Espeon gently purred. The happy moment went on a little longer until Wes looked up, golden eyes going from person to person as his expression became less relieved and more sheepish.

"So uh..." he began awkwardly, giving one last hug to the Altaria before he stood back up. His eyes rested on the Detective. "I have you to thank for keeping her safe?" He outstretched a hand toward him, giving the man the faintest of winks as he shook hands. Hopefully, the Detective was observant enough to notice it. "Thank you. Really. Midori... She's a wonderful girl, as I'm sure you've found out. I--ah," He looked back to the others and cleared his throat.

"I uh..." He scratched the back of his fair head, looking to the strangers -and Justin- with the awkwardness still intact. "I normally don't... you know... have emotional breakdowns in front of complete strangers. I had a plan to waltz in all suave and shit but uh..." He looked back to the Altaria, his awkwardness melting back into the relieved joy and love he'd expressed a few moments ago. "...Yeah, that didn't happen."

"We're native Pyrites," Whiskey added, settling on the warm desert sand beside Midori. "Merely coming home."

(skip. Matt's like "okay that happened" but he doesn't say anything, still trying to not get too caught up in things lolol)