The FALLARBOR Team (PLOT)

”Follow me” the bird directs, and Sara-Anne waves for the others to follow them as they head after Cassandra.  As they approach the fence a Manetric streaks up alongside it, staring at them as though they're all space aliens.

Well... the whole situation is pretty surreal.  Pleasebefriendly.

"Astora," she greets the other Pokemon.

"Cassandra-are they-?"

"Survivors? Yes. But right now, I need to see Chris. Can you bring him to us?"

It takes Astoria a few moments to remember herself, but she bolts as soon as she does.  The Skarmory gives the group an apologetic look.  "I'm sorry. I expected him to have been close by."

"S'okay," she answers quietly.  "It's not like you can control where he goes."

It feels like it takes him an eternity to actually get there, though she's fairly sure it's only a few minutes, maybe ten at the most.  It feels like each minute is physically pulling more of the life out of Lance and Sara-Anne finds herself daydreaming about better times to try to keep the clock from wearing down her nerves.  The sight of the blonde returning with his electric hound jars her thoughts and returns her to the present, making her nearly melt with relief.  He, too, takes a moment to remember how words work before speaking.

"Um-hi," he starts, and thank god, he's as nervous as she is. "I'm Chris. I'm kinda the one in charge of Fallarbor, and...um, well, you're the only ones to show up here in a long time." He runs a hand through the back of his hair, looking nearly embarrassed. "Can I, uh, ask what your names are?"

"I'm Sara-Anne," she starts, before pointing over to Lance, "and that's Lance, the Gardevoir is Joy, the Lucario is Mattimeo, the Chimchar is Flame.  I'm really sorry the introductions are so short, but Lance is gonna be in a lot of pain when he wakes up so could- could we maybe have someplace safe to lay him down in and try to make him comfortable in?  And then we can do the talking part?"  She can feel her face grow redder with every word, and she feels like an asshole, but she can't make pleasantries when Lance is sort of depending on her to get him settled somewhere.  Once they've got him taken care of, then they can hang out and maybe try small talk.

”Follow me.” Galahad took in a deep breath as Sara-Anne and her Altaria moved forward after the Skarmory, trying to keep his own anxiety at bay. He needed to be strong. Looking down to his fellow dragons below, he waved them ahead and soared after the other trainer. They would just have to wait and hope that this didn't blow up in their faces.

It didn't take long for both groups to reach the town's edge, which was marked by a fence. Galahad landed at the gate along with the others, comforted a bit by Dinadan's steady, thunderous footfalls. The Charizard tensed as he spotted a Manectric nearby, on the other side of the barrier, but their avian guide spoke calmly. A teammate, then? "Astora," she called, her voice steady.

"Cassandra-are they-?"

Cassandra didn't seem to was to indulge the other pokemon's curiosity. "Survivors? Yes. But right now, I need to see Chris. Can you bring him to us?" For a moment, the Manectric appeared to have forgotten herself, but was quick to recover and oblige. The Skarmory turned to address them, still acting almost... formal. "I'm sorry. I expected him to have been close by."

"S'okay," Sara-Anna meekly answered. "It's not like you can control where he goes."

They stood awkwardly, each unwilling to move lest they unintentionally start some sort of fight. The only sound that accompanied them was the wind and the ever-growing thud of Dinadan coming nearer. Galahad turned to see him almost to them, maybe a few yards away. Arthur still wore his mask of stoic nothingness-- not a great sign that Lance was recovering.

"Um-hi." Galahad flinched at the new voice; the other human had arrived while he'd stared at his own comrades. Oops. "I'm Chris. I'm kinda the one in charge of Fallarbor, and...um, well, you're the only ones to show up here in a long time." The Charizard blinked, confused. Had this... been a refuge before? "Can I, uh, ask what your names are?"

"I'm Sara-Anne," the named girl began, then turned and pointed at the now present Dinadan. The bearded dragon looked down at "Chris", giving him a deep, rumbling low that resonated in his chest more than projected. He then turned a bit so that the still unconscious Lance was clearly visible before Sara-Anne continued. "and that's Lance, the Gardevoir is Joy, the Lucario is Mattimeo, the Chimchar is Flame. I'm really sorry the introductions are so short, but Lance is gonna be in a lot of pain when he wakes up so could- could we maybe have someplace safe to lay him down in and try to make him comfortable in? And then we can do the talking part?"

"We crashed and..." He looked back to his pale trainer, unsure of how much he should divulge. "Do you have a spare bed? If not, we brought a chair we found, but we do need to get him somewhere cushy and not a dragon's back, aha," he chuckled nervously, eager to get Lance down before he woke screaming in pain. "Sorry for, you know, the intrusion..."

"I'm Sara-Anne," the girl on the other side of the fence spoke first, before pointing back at an unconscious man atop a...very intimidating dragon. A Tyrantrum, actually, but at that moment all his brain could think was "intimidating dragon". Chris gives a very tiny, uncomfortable wave to the Pokemon that weren't his own. Please don't judge him, Cassandra, he's trying his best. "And that's Lance, the Gardevoir is Joy, the Lucario is Mattimeo, the Chimchar is Flame. I'm really sorry the introductions are so short, but Lance is gonna be in a lot of pain when he wakes up so could- could we maybe have someplace safe to lay him down in and try to make him comfortable in? And then we can do the talking part?" Chris feels red begin to creep up onto his face, and it's no different for Sara-Anne, but that really doesn't help him feel better. God, why is he so awkward? Literally any other person in the world right now would be better suited for this task than him, but unfortunately, there's nobody else willing or even around to take his spot.

"Oh! Yeah, o-of course," Oh my God I sound so fucking stupid. He thought he'd be prepared for the time when other people showed up here, but instead, he'd defaulted back to his inability to speak like a normal person. What would these new people think of him? They probably don't care, considering they're traveling with an injured person. Oh-right. The one named Lance, who isn't even conscious, is probably their biggest concern. Chris kicks his brain repeatedly-now is not the time to be acting so dumb.

The Charizard is the next one to speak. "We crashed and..." Crashed? The dragon doesn't divulge more details, and Chris doesn't push for them. Honestly, he probably wouldn't want to hear about it anyways. That "Lance" didn't look so good, and Chris' stomach always turned at the mere thought of gruesome injuries. "Do you have a spare bed? If not, we brought a chair we found, but we do need to get him somewhere cushy and not a dragon's back, aha." Well, at least they're in luck-that one house near the Pokemart isn't occupied, and there's no way he can turn them down, not when they have someone who needs help. That was his promise, after all-this would be a refuge for survivors, not a place to call his own personal hidey-hole, even if he isn't completely certain about letting some incredibly powerful-looking dragons into his home and near his Pokemon family. "Sorry for, you know, the intrusion..."

"No, it's okay," Chris assures the Charizard; it isn't their fault they need a place for the injured Lance. He's still kicking himself over wasting time like this, though. Of course he'd be the one to immediately screw up just by saying hi to another person. "There is a house in town I'm not using. We can take him there." Chris opens the gate for them, or at least the ones that can't simply fly...or step over it. Not wanting to waste another second that could make these people's situation even worse, he leads them all past the crops and to the town itself, Cassandra and Astora tagging along, the Manectric sticking to his side. From the opposite side of town, Chris sees Atlas approaching him, but shakes his head quickly; whatever the Vaporeon needs to tell him, it can wait until after he's dealt with their guests. And if not, the little guy would let Stannis know. Chris takes the newcomers to the house across from the Contest Hall; most of the storage boxes were kept in the Hall itself, and this house had a bed he didn't use. Right now, it's likely the best place for somebody who needed a spot to rest.

Opening the already-unlocked door for them (it's only polite for a host to do, after all), Chris wonders if they were actually going to try to fit the Tyrantrum in there as well. It...probably isn't a big enough house for that. How tall were average doorframes, anyways? Okay, not an important thing to be thinking of right now. If they're trying to get an unconscious person inside a house and on a bed, they might appreciate assistance doing so. Plucking whatever courage he still has left after that embarrassing introduction, Chris asks: "Did you guys want any help? Or no?" As soon as he's said the words, a sudden thought throws itself into his mind-what if it was incredibly obvious he is supposed to help, and now he's made himself look like an even bigger idiot? Please please do not let that be the case here.

((Forgive me, I ran out of time to post for this today. I will edit this skip later to give some continuity on their stay in the fossil house before Chris shows up))

"Oh! Yeah, o-of course,"  She can't help but look at him sympathetically, feeling bad for the obviously awkward young man.  Doesn't she ever know how he feels.  Socializing is awful.  

"We crashed and... do you have a spare bed? If not, we brought a chair we found, but we do need to get him somewhere cushy and not a dragon's back, aha." They sure damn do; he's already in enough pain without his back murdering him for staying in that chair for so long. Laying down would be best. "Sorry for, you know, the intrusion..."

"No, it's okay,"  She nearly melts with relief at the sincerity in that voice.  He seems to really and truly care, and god does she hope that's the case. "There is a house in town I'm not using. We can take him there." He opens the gate and leads them to the house.  It's not a very long walk, but Sara-Anne can't help but glance around and take in all the sights, anyway.  It really is a pretty little town; looks like it weathered the apocalypse pretty nicely, actually.  It... looks very much like a proper home, with how nice and neat the land is.  Like a real farm.

Approaching the house, he opens the door for them, pausing before turning to address them. "Did you guys want any help? Or no?"

"Um..."  Did they?  She looks at the her Pokemon, who all mull over the question before shaking their heads. "No, I... I think we got this.  We have plenty of people to get him down and move him safely inside... unless you think differently?"  The girl looks up at the dragons, anxiety fluttering.  Deciding which help they accept isn't really her decision... not when it's their injured trainer in question.

"No, it's okay," The collected group visibly relaxed at this Chris' easy tone. Galahad certainly appreciated the hospitality. "There is a house in town I'm not using. We can take him there." He opened the quaint little gate, though Dinadan could really just step over it, and led the way into the town. Really, Galahad hadn't seen anything like it. Not in a long time, anyway. Long fields of crops lined most of the town's space with small houses dotting the outskirts. There were definite paths between the separate crops. Frankly, it was as peaceful a scene as the Charizard had seen in... well... years.

It took a short walk to get to the house in question. Once there, Chris turned back toward them and asked, "Did you guys want any help? Or no?"

"Um..." Sara-Anne glanced them all over with a look of uncertainty. "No, I... I think we got this. We have plenty of people to get him down and move him safely inside... unless you think differently?"

Galahad shook his head. "Between Dragonite, Mattimeo, Joy and myself, we should be more than enough to get him in. Let's just hurry to get him down before he wakes up." He turned to Chris and bowed deeply, allowing Arthur to begin to dismount with their trainer in tow. "Thank you, Chris. Really."

To his relief, they don't seem to find the question to be too unnecessary. Good. Chris would rather not make himself look even more indecisive and incompetent than he already has. "Um...No, I... I think we got this.  We have plenty of people to get him down and move him safely inside... unless you think differently?" Both of them look to the Charizard for an answer, Chris shifting his feet from the weight of his nerves. When the dragon shakes his head, a little bit of the tension flows out of his shoulders. While he'd been perfectly willing to help, he also had a knack for making things worse...which would no doubt be catastrophic when dealing with a severely injured person. "Between Dragonite, Mattimeo, Joy and myself, we should be more than enough to get him in. Let's just hurry to get him down before he wakes up." To Chris' surprise, the Charizard turns to him and bows, a gesture of respect he probably doesn't actually deserve. After all, what he's done so far is something any decent human should offer to their fellow man...but still, Chris appreciates it. He has never been one to overlook acknowledgement from other people. "Thank you, Chris. Really."

The added gratitude causes Chris to again run his hand through his hair, as he always did when a stranger thanked him, or complimented him, or showed any sort of general kindness. Somehow, even after all these years, the habit has persisted. "It's no problem," he says, suddenly losing the ability to make eye contact. Across from the now-a-guest's house, Atlas is waving at him rather urgently with a single paw. The others have gathered around him, and though he does not want to be rude to their guests, he can't just wave away his Pokemon either. "I couldn't refuse people who needed help." The last sentence is said with a smile, or at least the best he can attempt. Despite the urgency of their arrival, and his own pervasive awkwardness, Chris still wants these people to feel 'at home', even if they don't stay for very long.

By now, Atlas looks like he's about to start burning a hole into the ground. What in the world could be more important than the fact that living, breathing survivors actually found Fallarbor? Maybe that's why the Vaporeon is acting so strange...well, now Chris can't put off seeing what the big deal is. Just looking at Atlas right now is starting to make him feel twitchy, as if something is wrong. "I think one of my Pokemon needs me, actually," he tells the others near him apologetically, hating to look so rude when he's only barely met them. "Um, excuse me for a minute. Just give me a shout if you need anything." They'd probably want some time without him looking over his shoulders, anyways. With that, Chris makes his way over to the small gathering of his Pokemon, painfully aware of the way they're watching him. As soon as he's in earshot, the younger ones take it upon themselves to bombard him with questions.

"Chris, who are they?" Ninten asks excitedly; it isn't surprising to see the Reuniclus be eager to meet new people. That was how it always was before, after all, and it isn't like they've had a variety of visitors before today. Din is the next to speak, the little bug's higher-pitched voice causing Chris to adjust the communicator conveying her words before the feedback could hurt his ear. Damn thing...it seriously needs some sort of repair, but Chris doesn't know jack about how to do so. "Was that a dinosaur?"
"Who cares about dinosaurs! You guys won't believe-"
"Everyone, give him some space," Stannis interrupts before anyone can add more questions, for which Chris is infinitely grateful for. Leave it to the Sawsbuck to bring some semblance of order to the more chaotic members of their family. "I'm sure he's just as shocked as we are. And besides, I believe you have something to say?" The latter part is spoken towards Atlas, though the Vaporeon doesn't quite catch it at first-his scowl at being cut off morphs into a questioning look, with the Water-type glancing at Stannis and then Chris. It's as though he's waiting for a confirmation to speak, something practically unheard of with the Vaporeon. It isn't like him to stop and wait before speaking his mind.

"What is it, Atlas?"

The Water-type is all too enthusiastic to speak once he's been given the go-ahead. "Those guys-" he says while pointing a paw at the now-occupied house, "Aren't our only guests. I found other Pokemon coming towards the fence, a pair of cool cats, literally, but one of them is hurt. I let them into that weird fossil house." At this point, Atlas is practically beaming, though he's the only one-all of the other Pokemon are either wide-eyed or exchanging worried glances, and Chris can't blame them. He's feeling half-shellshocked himself. Not one, but two groups of survivors stumbling upon their town on the same day...could it really be mere coincidence? By now, though, Astora has recovered from her disbelief and points a furious glare at Atlas, her teeth bared. "You let them in? Have you lost your damn mind?"

"Oh my God, Astora, chill. If they wanted me dead, I wouldn't even be here!"

"And you know this how? You left them there by themselves! They could be biding their time, waiting to-"
"Stop it, you two," Chris interjects; he's far more intrigued by the other 'visitors' than their daily bickering. Really, any of their guests could be dangerous-that is the risk they take by inviting them into town. If Atlas is at fault for letting somebody in, then Chris is as well. The Vaporeon had mentioned an injured person, a story uncannily similar to the one Chris has just encountered-he's not going to let the little guy be attacked for doing something he thought was right. Looking directly at his Vaporeon, Chris asks, "Did you tell them about the rest of us?"

"Only about you. They didn't seem to be that cool with humans at first, but I said you were like, completely harmless. So they're willing to meet you."

Chris isn't quite sure what to make of that "harmless" comment-does he really come off as that soft? Ah, whatever. The vital thing here is that he has more Pokemon to introduce himself to, hopefully without screwing up. "Okay. At least one of you guys stay here," he tells the other Pokemon other than Atlas, "Just in case our guests need something, or someone. You can tell them where I went if they ask. The rest of you can go back to the normal routine for now, alright?" With nods of affirmation from his friends, Chris returns his attention to his Vaporeon, ready to go and meet...whoever these other newcomers are. With any luck, he could convince them he wasn't like the other humans out there, the ones without any sort of basic human decency.

"Alright, Atlas, let's go."


(I am sorry for the lateness and poor quality.)

Atlas had been gone for some time and Alistair was starting to get twitchy. Kaeli was napping on and off to deal with the pain and currently was resting again so that left the Luxray alone with his thoughts. Which wasn't usually a good thing. He started to wonder about what kind of man this trainer was, whether or not this was some kind of trap, oh god what if they swooped down upon them like vultures?

Swooping was bad.

As Alistair paced he didn't notice Kaeli rising at the unsettling sound of his pads shuffling across the grainy floor. She moaned a bit as she rose and lifted her head to stare at her mate. "Will you lay down already? You are making me dizzy with all of that roaming about, I can only imagine how you feel. Come lay with me."

"But he isn't back yet."

"He will be, give it time. Perhaps his trainer got tied up with something. Now please before we both go insane from your anxious behavior."

Alistair smiled pitifully at his love and sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm sorry." He walked over and as gently as possible lay down beside his injured love, letting her use him as a brace. He could wait a little bit longer for Atlas before going into full blown panic. Right?

The answer is said smoothly and quickly, and Sara-Anne smiles at how easily it comes- it means there aren't going to be any issues that might crop up with moving Lance. "Between Dragonite, Mattimeo, Joy and myself, we should be more than enough to get him in. Let's just hurry to get him down before he wakes up."  She watches him bow to Chris, the young man instantly flustered. "Thank you, Chris. Really."

"Yeah, thank you!" She didn't quite mean to chirp the thank you and sound like a fifteen year old, but oh well.

The words only make Chris more flustered; he ducks his head a little and runs a hand through his hair.  Aww.... poor kid. "It's no problem."

His eyes seem to look past them for a few moments and Sara-Anne turns around in time to see a Vaporeon.  And he does not look pleased with his human's hesitation to acknowledge him. "I think one of my Pokemon needs me, actually. Um, excuse me for a minute. Just give me a shout if you need anything."

"Of course; no problem.  Your Pokemon needs you; take all the time you need."  He shouldn't feel so bad for tending to his family's needs.  Not ever.  

As Chris leaves to tend to his family, she turns to her own and her friends, watching as Joy and Mattimeo help get Lance down.  "Is there anything I can do to help?"  

(I'm guessing it's okay to assume that they get Lance down, but if requested I will remove that bit.)

"Yeah, thank you!" Sara's voice sounded like a little fairy bird chirping and it brought a genuine smile to Galahad's lips. Truly, coming across these people was nothing short of a miracle-- the Charizard couldn't help but think of the endless other possibilities that ended with them dead or tortured as he watched the two humans happily converse. He lifted his head to find Dinadan's giant face and for a moment, they seemed to share the sentiment. If they had had to crash anywhere, this was the absolute best place for it.

Sara-Anne's happy gratitude looked to humble their already gentle host; Galahad simply was dumbfounded by the fact that there were gentle souls still left outside of the Plateau. "It's no problem."

For a moment, however, Chris' gaze is distant and Galahad turned to see just where that gaze was directed. Upon turning, he found an anxious Vaporeon and the former went to pardon himself. "I think one of my Pokemon needs me, actually. Um, excuse me for a minute. Just give me a shout if you need anything."

Sara-Anne was quick to accept his absence and Galahad couldn't blame her. With everything Chris was doing for them, he had every right to see to his own Pokemon's needs. Hell, he had that right anyway. "Of course; no problem. Your Pokemon needs you; take all the time you need."

As Chris left, the dragons and Sara-Anne were left to their own devices. Arthur and the others seemed to have Lance's journey to the bed covered. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Galahad turned to Dinadan's back, giving her a smile. "Absolutely," he answered readily. "There's all the stuff we can unpack from Tyrantrum's harness. Not only the chair, but all of Lance's travel supplies, since we're going to be here for a while." He gave a short, powerful flap of his wings to launch himself up to the other dragon's flank, working on the latches and belts for a moment before sighing. Damn these giant claws... "Hey, uh, Flame? Could I get a hand? My claws are too big and dumb for these," he requested with a sheepish grin. "Then when we get them undone and placed on the ground, we can all bring them inside."

"It'll be nice to get all the weight off," Dinadan admitted with a happy chuckle. "That stuff is heavy."

It doesn't take that long to reach the fossil house, but Chris can almost hear his heart pounding in his chest the entire time. The arrival of two humans and all of these Pokemon sounds unreal, like everything is happening within a dream; he might wake up to realize that all of this was merely a figment of his imagination. Chris has spent countless days anxiously looking towards the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of other survivors, other sane people, only to be disappointed. Now that it's happened, he doesn't know what to make of it. Was that just the shock talking? It probably was. Chris thought he would be a lot more enthusiastic, not...whatever this is. He's still kicking his brain over his obvious, embarrassing awkwardness in front of Sara-Anne and the dragons. Well, maybe this time I won't be so nervous.

Yeah, right.

When he and Atlas finally arrive at the house-which Chris supposed was now technically another guest house-the Vaporeon bounds forward, obviously already comfortable around his newest acquaintances. Chris feels a twinge of envy for Atlas' natural ease with socializing; he can't imagine not feeling self-conscious when talking to others. They'd both agreed on the way here that, considering their guests negative connotations with humans, Atlas should be the one to show himself first, and Chris could hang back until the two inside agreed to see him. That made sense, right? He's only trying to be considerate, but maybe that sort of hesitation wouldn't be appreciated. It might be interpreted as him being weak-willed, and god only knows what sort of problems that could lead to...

"Alistair, Kaeli, I'm back!" Atlas declares before poking his head into the doorway-Chris really hoped he hadn't startled them doing that. His Vaporeon had a knack for startling people-startling people in the middle of the night by jumping on their bed so he could tell them all about how he'd fallen out of a tree and "check out this sweet bruise I got from it." You know, the thing a person really wants to be woken up for. "Chris is right behind me, if you wanna say hi." The last part is phrased with a hint of a questioning tone, and Chris mulls over how great it would be if he suddenly fell into a hole in the earth. Introductions are so uncomfortable that his nerves are overriding all of the excitement he should be feeling over meeting newcomers, and the last thing Chris wants is to humiliate himself yet again. Though, of course, there's always the chance they don't want to meet him. He's not yet sure if that would be a temporary relief, or a cause for even more worry.

"Alistair, Kaeli, I'm back!"

Whoa! Alistair woke with a start as the voice cut through his sleep and brought him back to the waking world. Wait, when had he fallen asleep? How long had it been? Was Kaeli okay? With so many questions running through his head he forgot to answer the Vaporeon's greeting and instead looked down to the still sleeping form of his mate as she pressed into him for warmth. She looked to be fine, just very tired, and with a relieved sigh the large cat started to lay back down when he saw the blue fox walking into the house. Oh. Right. It was a voice that woke him. "Uh...welcome back?" Smooth Alistair. Smooth.

"Chris is right behind me, if you wanna say hi." Oh yeah, the human he was fetching. So that meant the human was just right outside? "Yeah, I guess, but uh...can he come inside? Kaeli is still sleeping and I don't want to move in case I hurt her." But even as he spoke the Rahneko was beginning to stir, tails swishing languidly as she awoke to the pillowy soft fur of her mate surrounding her. Her eyes opened slowly and a large yawn split her face before they decided to fully adjust to her surroundings. "Atlas? You're back then? Does that mean your human is here?" Alistair smiled at his sleepy mate and nodded. "Yeah, he said the guy is right outside."

"Well then let's not be rude, we should introduce ourselves. Atlas it's ok to bring him in, after all it is you who is letting us stay here. We're just the guests."

((Your post's description gave me such a delightful inspiration for mine when you mentioned Atlas startling people with his yelling lol. Thanks Balth!))

"Absolutely," Galahad replies, turning his warm smile on her.  Sara-Anne can't help but smile back. "There's all the stuff we can unpack from Tyrantrum's harness. Not only the chair, but all of Lance's travel supplies, since we're going to be here for a while."

... Oh.  How much of that stuff is heavy...?

She watches as the dragon tries to undo the buckles, eventually giving in with a regretful sigh and directing his gaze to Flame.  The chimp perks up before Galahad even fully addresses him.   "Hey, uh, Flame? Could I get a hand? My claws are too big and dumb for these."  Flame leaps from her shoulder, easily running over to the dragon and climbing up to where the buckles are to help. "Then when we get them undone and placed on the ground, we can all bring them inside."

"It'll be nice to get all the weight off." She starts a bit, having grown used to the dinosaur's silence, but the surprise melts away into delight.  Oh, cool!  Maybe he'll be more talkative now that they have a gameplan that's working out?  "That stuff is heavy."

"Yeah, I'll bet; that stuff looks like it weighs a ton."  

"Are you even gonna be able to help carry any of this stuff?"  Flame's nimble fingers make short work of the belts; he barely even needs to look at what he's doing, choosing instead to glance up and pay more attention to his human's face than the straps.

"I'm sure there's stuff there that I can carry.  It can't all be heavy."

"True.  Just be careful, yeah?  No sense in pulling a muscle."   

"Pfft c'mon dude.  Give me a little credit.  I can judge whether or not I can carry something."

"I'd just really rather not have a repeat of that time you tried to help carry... shit what even was it?  I don't remember the thing you were carrying; I just remember you were trying to help us move stuff to the third floor ooooof... that was... in Veilstone, I think."

"Yeah, it was Veilstone, and trust me, I learned my lesson.  Makes me wish I'd worked out or something before all this-" she waves her arms around at the everything around them, because even if the area isn't as devastated as others... still the apocalypse, "-happened."

"Well I mean, it's not like Floaroma Town had a gym or anything," Flame points out as Mattimeo and Joy return from getting Lance situated inside the house.  Sara-Anne draws closer too, the three slowly lifting things down from Dinadin's back so that the supplies didn't just all crash down.  Flame leaps out of the way.

"That's true... it did have a creek, though.  I kinda miss that..."

"Didn't Timmy once mention there was something like that around here?  Maybe later we could go look?"

"Well, we might be needed, so that might not happen," the Lucario points out.  Sara-Anne nods.

"Yeah, for now, we should just wait until Lance is doing better before we really explore this place."

"Yeah, I'll bet; that stuff looks like it weighs a ton." Dinadan gave a small, humble chuckle as the others continued to converse, sharing a small, warm glance with his fellow dragon. None of them had experienced such camaraderie in so long... It was just... nice to bask in it a bit.

"Are you even gonna be able to help carry any of this stuff?" After diverting his attention from Dinadan back to Flame, the Charizard felt mesmerized by the way the tiny monkey's small fingers flew and danced over the complex straps and buckles. He knew that they were designed for fingers like his, but still... it was just fascinating to watch.

However, Galahad couldn't just sit and stare forever. Once a buckle was unfastened, whatever it supported dropped off. So as Flame's hands undid one bit of the puzzle, Galahad took it in hand and placed it on the ground a little away from their feet. "I'm sure there's stuff there that I can carry. It can't all be heavy," Sara-Anne surmised.

"True. Just be careful, yeah? No sense in pulling a muscle."

Galahad gave a small chuckle as Sara-Anne got a little surly in defending her own abilities. Poor girl did look like a good breeze would push her over, but he held his joke. "Pfft c'mon dude. Give me a little credit. I can judge whether or not I can carry something."

"I'd just really rather not have a repeat of that time you tried to help carry... shit what even was it? I don't remember the thing you were carrying; I just remember you were trying to help us move stuff to the third floor ooooof... that was... in Veilstone, I think." Veilstone... Right, Sinnoh. They'd said they were from Sinnoh.

"Yeah, it was Veilstone, and trust me, I learned my lesson.  Makes me wish I'd worked out or something before all this-" she made a large gesture to the world around them, "-happened."

"Well I mean, it's not like Floaroma Town had a gym or anything," Flame points out as Mattimeo and Joy return from getting Lance situated inside the house.  Sara-Anne draws closer too, the three slowly lifting things down from Dinadin's back so that the supplies didn't just all crash down.  Flame leaps out of the way.

"That's true... it did have a creek, though.  I kinda miss that..."

"Didn't Timmy once mention there was something like that around here? Maybe later we could go look?" Galahad looked from Dinadan's equipment to the house to see Joy, Mattimeo and Arthur emerging from the entrance. Lance must have gotten settled, then.

"Well, we might be needed, so that might not happen,"

"Yeah, for now, we should just wait until Lance is doing better before we really explore this place."

"Oh-- no, don't worry about us," Galahad quickly dismissed. "As long as we have a couple of people here, there's no need for everyone to just stay around him. It's not like there's a lot we can do while he's passed out."

"Absolutely," Arthur agreed. "Frankly, if it's ok with our host, I wouldn't mind taking a look around myself. Like Charizard stated, there's no need for all of us to huddle around an unconscious man. Having one or two of our other teammates here would suffice." He chuckled and looked to Galahad. "I'm sure Gyarados would make a fine guard."

Galahad and Dinadan took part in the joke, their teammate's notorious anger almost legendary. Well, concerning his species, it was legendary. "Yeah, I'm sure he could watch the house for us. And we wouldn't be long, I imagine, so if Lance needs us, we'll be right back."

"Oh, please, can we look around?" Dinadan shimmied and wriggled in anticipation, betraying his fearsome countenance to reveal his amiable nature far more than he had before. He was already so comfortable with these strangers... Hell, Galahad couldn't help but feel the same. "I'd love to stick my head into a waterfall!"

"We need to ask our host, remember?" Arthur laughed as he drew closer, hefting up Lance's heavy shield onto his back and grabbing the sword that accompanied it. "In the meantime, let's move all this stuff inside."

"Yeah, I guess, but uh...can he come inside? Kaeli is still sleeping and I don't want to move in case I hurt her." Chris' head has to be sinking into his shoulders...or maybe he's just looking down at the ground. Oh my god, why does he have to be so embarrassing all the time? His discomfort meters are going haywire at this point, but Chris forces himself to start moving forward. He didn't want to be rude or anything. However, before he gets very far, another voice stops him. Is this the one named "Kaeli?" That's actually a really pretty name. Oh, no, that meant Atlas woke her up with his yelling-Chris can only hope she won't be upset about it.

"Atlas? You're back then? Does that mean your human is here?" The Vaporeon gives such a vigorous shake of his head that it's surprising his entire body hasn't flipped over yet. Kaeli's companion expands on the matter, causing a slight pink shade to rise in Chris' cheeks. Boy, he really should have been more confident with this, but it's way too late now. He's getting awfully tired of that phrase, honestly. "Yeah, he said the guy is right outside." Right outside, being unbearably awkward, the usual...

"Well then let's not be rude, we should introduce ourselves. Atlas it's ok to bring him in, after all it is you who is letting us stay here. We're just the guests."
"Alright, sweet!" Atlas is all too eager to retrieve his trainer, racing out of the house and to Chris in the blink of an eye. He didn't say anything, merely beckoning with his tail to tell Chris it was okay to enter. Of course, the guy already overheard Kaeli say it was alright, but...y'know, the rudeness thing, he didn't want to be snappy towards one of his friends. Trying to shake off his restless nerves (and failing quite spectacularly), Chris enters the fossil house, a million different scenarios all running through his head at once. The most ridiculous among them was that he'd say one wrong thing and the pair would pounce; the majority simply involved more humiliation.

The two Pokemon he is greeted with are a Luxray, and a species Chris has never seen before. He thinks for a second, quickly going through his mental scrapbook of feline Pokemon, before pulling out a name-Persian. Whatever the species actually is, their colors and body closely resemble a Persian, and Chris is slightly proud of himself for recognizing such a thing in such a short amount of time. But, really, it's not important right now, as much as he absolutely loves majestic-looking cats (albeit sleepy ones, though that made them very adorable).

"Hi," he says politely; since Atlas mentioned how these two apparently didn't have the best experiences with humans, he doesn't get too close. Personal space is a lovely thing no matter who or what you are. Besides, Chris knows better than to get too close to a wounded wild Pokemon and their companion. What happened to the female cat, though...? Maybe he can help, though Chris is definitely not the most experienced in the medical field. "I'm Chris. I, um, "run" the town nearby, Fallarbor." He ponders that sentence for a moment, wishing there was a better way to word it. If it wasn't for his Pokemon, Fallarbor would have fallen apart a long time ago. "That's probably not the best way to describe it."

"He's the honorary leader, but his Pokemon run the show," Atlas adds cheekily, giving one of his signature winks.

(You're welcome, Phoe <3 I hope it's okay that Chris introduced himself first? I wasn't sure about the amount of dialogue lol. Let me know if I need to edit anything.)

"Alright, sweet!" Kaeli chuckled at the Vaporeon's enthusiasm. It boded well for the human that his Pokemon was so attached and eager to introduce him, it meant he was likely a very decent person. The man who entered behind the water type was not quite what either big cat had expected. He wasn't overly tall but he was very lean, Kaeli even reckoned he was bordering on malnourished for a while before coming here, and he looked exhausted. His green eyes stood out against his blonde hair and semi-pale skin and his clothes, dirtied from working outside, hung loosely on his slight frame. All in all a rather unassuming man. Kaeli tried to rise to great their guest but resting had left her sore and tired muscles time to harden and lock her in place so she fell on her attempt. Alistair worried for a moment that the human might take advantage but he never even stepped close.

"Hi," he began slowly, almost nervously. The Luxray stared at the small human and for a moment wondered if they were the same height. If they were that would be hilarious because he had been afraid of what this man could be and it turned out he was a stick. "I'm Chris. I, um, "run" the town nearby, Fallarbor." As his words trailed off again both cats waited expectantly as though some grand reveal were about to occur. "That's probably not the best way to describe it." Alistair's face drooped. Darn, he was hoping for something exciting.

"He's the honorary leader, but his Pokemon run the show." Alistair laughed at the absurdity of their entire situation and shook his head, mane flapping around as he tried to settle it back down. He stood up slowly and padded over to the small human named Chris and found himself eye level with the man, a big grin across his face. "You're kind of little, aren't you?" he teased lightly. "Younger than I thought, too. Nice to meet you Chris. Hope you don't mind us borrowing the house for a bit, Kaeli needs her rest. That's Kaeli by the way. I'm Alistair. Sorry for just dropping in like this but, you know, gravity and a cliff had their own plans."

Kaeli chuckled to herself as her mate once again tried to make a fool of himself. "Settle down Alistair, I'm sure the young man doesn't want or need a giant Luxray in his face. Give him some space before you scare the poor thing." Alistair laughed and began to back away. "Alright, alright. I was just having a little fun, that's all. Sorry."

"Oh-- no, don't worry about us," Sara-Anne looks to him in surprise.  Huh.  That is not what she was expecting. "As long as we have a couple of people here, there's no need for everyone to just stay around him. It's not like there's a lot we can do while he's passed out."

He kind of does have a point.  We're not doing anyone any good just by crowding him; even if there's no other urgant stuff going on, there's gotta be something more productive we could be doing.  

"Absolutely. Frankly, if it's ok with our host, I wouldn't mind taking a look around myself. Like Charizard stated, there's no need for all of us to huddle around an unconscious man. Having one or two of our other teammates here would suffice."

Dragonite made a soft noise of amusement and looked to Charizard, Flame tilting his head. "I'm sure Gyarados would make a fine guard."

Oh, and now all of them look amused.  Must be an inside joke? "Yeah, I'm sure he could watch the house for us. And we wouldn't be long, I imagine, so if Lance needs us, we'll be right back."

"Oh, please, can we look around?" Sara-Anne's eyes light up as Dinadan begins to wiggle like an excited puppy, clasping her hands at her chest in delight pver the adorable display. "I'd love to stick my head into a waterfall!"

"We need to ask our host, remember?" Arthur laughs as he grabs ahold of Lance's and sword, pulling one onto his back and the other into his hand. "In the meantime, let's move all this stuff inside."

"Hmm... I think our host went that way," she muses, pointing.  

"Maybe while the rest of us are moving stuff, Flame can go find our host and ask if we can roam around after we're done?" Joy suggests as she picks up a bag to bring inside.

"Why me?"  

"Because you're little and there's not much here that's small enough for you to carry." Mattimeo's eyes gleam as he anticipates Flame's next remark, which is exactly what his companions all expected.  His voice rises into a squawk.

"What!?  I'm not that tiny and I'm strong as hell!"  

"You might be strong but you're like a foot tall.  Most of this stuff would be too awkward for you to carry."  Flame huffs in indignation at the smile his trainer is unsuccessfully hiding.

"Yeah well, you have noodle arms so you're not strong enough to carry most of this shit."

"Here's an idea," Arlene's voice cut in, sounding far more amused than she had any right to.  Flame turns to huff at her next from where Joy is loading her up with supplies to carry inside.  The huff falls flat because Mattimeo walks in front of him with an armload of things and Sara-Anne can't help but giggle, prompting the chimp to turn the indignant look on her, instead.

Good thing Arlene is so patient; she doesn't even mind being used as a temporary pack mule.  "Why don't you two both look for Mr. Chris, and we'll get this part over with while you look.  That way, when you come back with an answer, we could maybe go straight from this work to exploring the area?"

"I like the sound of that, actually..."  She trails off, looking over at Lance's pokemon, waiting for their input before she and Flame just take off and stick the rest of them with the work.

"Hmm... I think our host went that way," Sara-Anne mused as Arthur disappeared into the house with Lance's weaponry.

Galahad turned to Joy as she offered her own suggestion. "Maybe while the rest of us are moving stuff, Flame can go find our host and ask if we can roam around after we're done?"

"Why me?"

"Because you're little and there's not much here that's small enough for you to carry." The Charizard can't help the poorly stifled snicker that came from him; the little monkey's face was priceless.

"What!? I'm not that tiny and I'm strong as hell!"

"You might be strong but you're like a foot tall. Most of this stuff would be too awkward for you to carry." Well, it wasn't like Sara-Anne herself was much better off...

"Yeah well, you have noodle arms so you're not strong enough to carry most of this shit." There it was.

"Here's an idea," Arlene began as the little chimp huffed and puffed in indignation. He had to know that looking so furious only exacerbated his cuteness, right? That there was very little he could do to actually look fierce? Galahad supposed not, but it was fun to watch him try. "Why don't you two both look for Mr. Chris, and we'll get this part over with while you look. That way, when you come back with an answer, we could maybe go straight from this work to exploring the area?"

"I like the sound of that, actually..." Sara-Anne contemplated, piquing Dinadan's interest.

"May... may I come with you?" the large dragon meekly asked, once more obliterating his fearsome countenance. "Now that everything's off of me, I don't have much to do. I can't help carry anything inside..." He frowned at the tiny doorway and then looked back to the trainer and her monkey. "Please?"

The Luxray-Alistair, Atlas had said that before, Chris would have to remember-gets up, showing off his rather impressive height. It's actually a little intimidating, minus the goofy smile. Chris would've shrunk down a little had it not been for the feline's obvious friendliness; no wonder Atlas already liked these two so much. "You're kind of little, aren't you?" Atlas snickers at that, and Chris simply blinks in mild surprise. Little? He isn't little...unless they were expecting someone really tall. And tough. Anything except a wet noodle.

"I get that a lot."

As the Luxray continues to speak, Chris simply listens, not wanting to interrupt. He had a habit of starting sentences without realizing the other person was still in the middle of a thought, which wouldn't be a helpful first impression. "Younger than I thought, too. Nice to meet you Chris. Hope you don't mind us borrowing the house for a bit, Kaeli needs her rest. That's Kaeli by the way. I'm Alistair. Sorry for just dropping in like this but, you know, gravity and a cliff had their own plans." Oooo, ouch. Chris gives a sympathetic glance in Kaeli's direction, hoping she would be alright. He truly doesn't know much of anything medical-wise, but there has to be something he can do to help. With any luck, Chris will remember to ask before leaving.

"Nice to meet you, too," Chris replies with a smidgeon of confidence, bolstered by the kindness of their guests. He'd been so worried that they would treat him poorly out of fear, and to have the exact opposite happen is a weight off his shoulders. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Settle down Alistair, I'm sure the young man doesn't want or need a giant Luxray in his face. Give him some space before you scare the poor thing." A part of Chris is grateful for the lady's interjection (Kaeli, right, that's her name); as much as he loves cat-like Pokemon, it wouldn't take much effort for a Luxray to hurt him even accidentally. Not to mention, there's still that whole personal space thing.

"Alright, alright. I was just having a little fun, that's all. Sorry."

"It's all good," Chris assures, a genuine smile on his face. Honestly, the teasing is welcome-it's a lot better than being treated like either an enemy or a delicate flower. He likes these two already; they both seem really nice. What luck, having several kindly people all encounter his little town on the same day...or maybe too big of a coincidence, if you thought of it that way. But he wants this moment to be positive, not plagued by paranoia. "You can stay as long as you'd like, don't worry about it."

He takes a second to glance around the fossil house; really, it was never meant to be used for anything but storage. His guests deserve a cozy place to stay, and this certainly isn't meeting any of his standards. Not that he'd really established any, but still. What kind of host would give them anything but the best accommodations? "Is there anything I can do or get for you? This place is kind of...well, it's not the most comfortable."

"It's all good." Kaeli smiled at the charming young man despite her pain. Despite Alistair's pitiful attempt at humor he seemed still friendly and quite genuine in comparison to the few other humans they had encountered on their travels. "You can stay as long as you'd like, don't worry about it." The Rahneko nodded politely as Alistair lay back down beside her, Chris's eyes inspecting the room. "Is there anything I can do or get for you? This place is kind of...well, it's not the most comfortable."

"Not that I can think of at the moment. Thank you, Chris. We really appreciate the hospitality and we would be happy to make up for any resource needed to accommodate us here." She shifted slightly to try and make herself more comfortable but for the first time since she hit the water she actually felt like she could speak and breathe without issue. "Alistair is quite strong and his ability to see through walls can come in handy at times. Once I am feeling better I would be happy to assist as well."

Alistair puffed up a bit in pride as his mate complimented him, grin stretching across his muzzle. While he wasn't stupid by any means Kaeli was certainly more the brains of their pairing and himself the brawn so it was always nice to hear how appreciative she was of his skills. Often times he wondered if she even needed him or kept him around simply because she loved him. But of course she always proved time and again that he was more than just her mate. "I don't suppose you have anything soft for her to lay on, do you?" he questioned politely. "Nothing is broken but she is badly bruised from the fall and I wouldn't mind taking some of the pressure off of those sores. But only if you have something to spare of course."

"May... may I come with you?"

Sara-Anne looks up at him with large eyes.

"Now that everything's off of me, I don't have much to do. I can't help carry anything inside..." He gives the doorway a look and then returns his gaze to the girl and her pokemon "Please?"

"Of course!"  The surprise at being addressed with shyness has worn off to sudden glee.  Dear god, he's adorable.  He's big and scary looking but he's adorable.

"Sure thing, big guy."   Flame gives the Tyrantrum a wink.

"Sounds like you have a solid questing party." Joy grins.

"You leave the scary, heavy moving job to us."  Sara-Anne can't help but grin a little more at the laughter in his voice.  "We'll kick its ass and catch up with you later."

"I still say I coulda helped," the monkey huffs as she waves goodbye to her friends, setting out to find their host.

"You can say it all you want, Flame; no one can stop you from spouting delusions of grandeur."

"Oh shut up."  Her laughter is cut off with an exaggerated sound of pain at the not-quite-rough-but-not-really-gentle pulling of her hair.

--

It's a nice farm, she notices pretty quickly in her search.  The buildings are in decent condition, the place has a nice smell of clean earth, and it just feels... peaceful.

Peeking in windows and doors leads to nothing, however, until she reaches the far side of town, beyond the large pools of water.  In the end a voice draws her to realize they've found the right place as she approaches the cabin.

"-and I wouldn't mind taking some of the pressure off of those sores. But only if you have something to spare of course."

Oh, she's talking with someone else... hmmm... best to be quiet, then, and wait for someone to notice her hovering about the doorway.  The need isn't terribly urgent, anyway; they can wait to be noticed.

"Of course!" Dinadan's large face brightens with a grin, though the sight of all his giant teeth might have had different effects than he intended. Oh, well, it didn't matter. He was finally going to get to go on his own adventure-- for once! He glanced down to his Charizard friend, who flashed him a quick mutual grin.

"Sure thing, big guy." Ah, even the little monkey was excited too? Dinadan's body began to feel like it was about to burst with excitement and he found himself squirming in delight and anticipation. His feet danced slightly and his body wriggled as he struggled to stay in one place. He was usually the one that had to stay stationary, the one who got left behind to "guard the base". Finally, he'd be the one going out! Sure, it was going out into an already secured area, but hey, he took his victories where he could!

"Sounds like you have a solid questing party." "Questing party"? What was that? Oh, it didn't matter-- parties were fun!

The Lucario spoke next as he and the others continued to move Lance's things inside. "You leave the scary, heavy moving job to us. We'll kick its ass and catch up with you later."

The little monkey huffed. "I still say I coulda helped."

"You can say it all you want, Flame; no one can stop you from spouting delusions of grandeur."

"Oh shut up."

As the other team handled themselves, Arthur strode to Dinadan and laid a clawed hand on the latter's broad shoulder. "We'll be ok here. Just keep watch over the others and keep an eye out on the surroundings. They seem to have been safe here for a while, but that doesn't mean that we should just drop our guard." Dinadan's body calmed a little at his lead's sage words, forcing some of the excitement to dull in his soul. Arthur was right-- he shouldn't just think of it as a party or anything. This was serious. Lance was hurt, they were in a foreign land surrounded by strangers--

"--and when you know we're safe, don't be afraid to run around. Stretch your legs, old friend. You deserve it." Arthur's warm smile was like a salve, even as the other dragon pulled away and resumed his work.
--

Dinadan was ecstatic. Though he hadn't stuck his head in the waterfall like he'd initially wanted, he had gotten the chance to roll around in some of the dirt and soil, enjoying being free of the clasps, belts and burden in which travel generally weighed him. Happily, he followed the others with broad and somehow light steps, the smoky mountain air sweeter in his nostrils. Despite everything, today was a good day.

They came to a halt at one of the other houses, in which there seemed to already be some sort of conversation. Dinadan drew closer and lowered his head a little to better hear what was going on, tilting it a little as he listened. "-and I wouldn't mind taking some of the pressure off of those sores. But only if you have something to spare of course." He turned to notice Sara-Anne listening as well, and forgetting his size, turned to her and attempted to whisper in her ear.

"What do you think they're talking about?" The question was a little louder than he'd intended, shooting the others a meek and silent apology. "I'm not good at stealth, sorry..."

 
"Not that I can think of at the moment. Thank you, Chris. We really appreciate the hospitality and we would be happy to make up for any resource needed to accommodate us here." Chris almost wants to duck his head again; he'd never been that great at accepting compliments, but gosh, these two are so nice. His anxiety is still bubbling beneath the (metaphorical) surface, but it's not like they've pointed out how awkward he is. That's a relief, though Chris has probably thought this same thing a thousand times by now. Really, there's no proper way to describe just how much it means to him to know these new Pokemon won't judge or tear him down. For now, anyways. "Alistair is quite strong and his ability to see through walls can come in handy at times. Once I am feeling better I would be happy to assist as well."
 
Alistair seems rather proud to hear his companion speak so highly of him, and it's yet another plus in the couple's favor. As much as Chris wishes he could simply assure the two that they wouldn't have to worry about repaying their accomodations, that might not be realistic. For the time being, though, they shouldn't do anything except rest. He and his Pokemon have gone this far without outside help, and it's not like these two are the only guests. Speaking of whom, Chris wonders how they're getting along...
 
"I don't suppose you have anything soft for her to lay on, do you? Nothing is broken but she is badly bruised from the fall and I wouldn't mind taking some of the pressure off of those sores. But only if you have something to spare of course."
 
"Oh, of course I do!" Chris responds almost immediately, his nerves suddenly flaring despite the innocuous question. It'd only been for a moment, but thinking of his other guests had somehow distracted his mind enough to catch him off guard. God, it wasn't like he'd not been paying attention! Sheepishly, he adds, "Sorry. I do have stuff you can use, it's just..." He sighs, shame and frustration with himself mixing together. Why is this so difficult? Words get spoken, words form sentences, sentences form thoughts-it's as easy as that, yet Chris is still screwing up. He can't even properly explain himself or why he's like this; even if these Pokemon are kind, they're still strangers. "I'm not used to having guests, is all. But I'll find something you guys can have, yeah."
 
Wow, they probably think he's a complete freak now. Chris' first instinct is to excuse himself, flee, and find something suitable for Kaeli's comfort as soon as possible, but he is soon distracted by his Vaporeon rubbing against his leg. Up until now, Atlas hasn't been as talkative as usual; had he sensed Chris' sudden change of mood? Or, rather, seen it. It hadn't been that subtle, honestly. Maybe his Pokemon was just trying to keep him from making further social blunders. Either way, it's probably time for him to go-

Oh. Chris must have been really lost in thought; one of his other guests is at the door. Her name-Sara-Anne, was that it? How long has she been waiting there? Realizing that she didn't know about these two felines, and vice versa, Chris suddenly has the desire to sink through the floor, never to be seen again.
 
"Oh-hey," he says, wondering why Sara had come looking for him. Had she been looking for him? No other explanation really made sense. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, of course I do!"

Those words issued a small wave of relief in Alistair as he watched his mate shift uncomfortably yet again. Perhaps with something softer to bed down on she would rest easier and recover quicker, leaving them free to continue their journey. "Sorry. I do have stuff you can use, it's just..." Kaeli and Alistair both looked over to the frustrated human and the Rahneko felt a small bit of sympathy for the boy. How long had he been alone? "I'm not used to having guests, is all. But I'll find something you guys can have, yeah."

Kaeli shook her head and smiled. "It's quite alright Chris. You don't have to try so hard, I promise we are easy to please." But as she spoke Alistair's ears perked and his fur began to rise, a slow growl building in his throat. A voice outside had caught his attention and he easily peered through the wooden frame of the house to see the outlines of onlookers lying in wait just outside the door. Another human with a large bipedal pokemon, and what looked like something hanging on to the human as well. His growl intensified as they refused to make themselves known.

Chris seemed to take notice at that point and moved to greet them which only furthered Alistair's apprehension as he had not mentioned bringing others with him. Why would he not mention unless they were not meant to know? "Oh-hey. Is everything alright?" Kaeli tried calling to Alistair but the Luxray was already walking towards the door and peered over the shoulder of the blonde man in front of him. "You know, an ambush works better when your prey can't see through walls."

"Alistair!"

"What do you think they're talking about?"  

It could have been called whispering, if she were feeling generous, but in reality his attempt to be quiet is a huge failure.  Aware of the fact, the large dinosaur gives her an apologetic look.  
"I'm not good at stealth, sorry..."

"It's fine," she soothes, barely even looking in his direction as she raises a hand to stroke the side of his head.  The giant dragon hovering with his teeth right beside her ear should have scared her, but honestly, he is so sweet and shy sounding that she doesn't even think twice about moving to physically reassure him as she would her own Flame.  It helps that she already knew he was there, too.  He's right-- he's definitely not good at stealth.  He's just too big for that.  "We're not trying to sneak around.  Just trying to be polite while our host talks to his people by not interrupting them."

"Oh-hey. Is everything alright?"  She jumped a bit as her attention was pulled back into what was going on around her; right, she'd come for Chris.  A hasty, nervous, but genuine smile made its way onto her face as she gives him a timid little wave, opening her mouth to speak.

But someone else has something to say before she could make a sound.  A large Luxray peeks over the boy's shoulder at her, the girl's raised hand wilting like a flower as she stares with wide, glassy eyes at the electric lion.

"You know, an ambush works better when your prey can't see through walls."

"Alistair!"  

Though the scolding may have helped her in another situation, given her some kind of reassurance that her presence isn't breaking some kind of rule she hadn't known existed, it isn't going to save her here.  "I- I-"   Her mouth is dry.  

Words.  Where are her words.

"Chill, kitten."  The response is automatic, even after all this time, and for a minute he fears his trainer may cry.  The actual response, however, is debatably worse.  Sara-Anne doesn't even flinch; she just stares at the cat with the kind of stricken look only a grieving person looking at the near-ghost of a dead loved one could have.  

He could kick himself.  How could he let this happen.  And she'd been so happy before, too!  "S'not an ambush.  We just came to see our host and didn't wanna interrupt whatever conversation he was having, that's all."