(ACE) The LOSTLORN Team

They where moving, Cloud knew that much, but he didn't know where, he had blocked out the sounds of the others, but when he got a soft nudge from the Zebsrika, he seemed to open up his ears again to the sounds around him, just as Cash started to say something to him. "Hey, How you holding up, kiddo? Need to talk?" The little Rufflet opened one of his eyes and looked at the Zebra pokemon before his own feathers, once again seeing the blood that was slowly starting to harden.

"I... I just w-want to get this b-blood off." He said as he clenched his beak. He wanted to get it off before it stained his feathers, he didn't want that, he didn't want to feel fear just from looking at his own bluish feathers, he didn't want that, not at all.

Hannibal had been disappointed at the manectric revealing herself to be just as hostile towards him as the others – suppose she had a point though. The dead bodies still littering the vicinity were pretty off-putting, not to mention potent. He walked silently out of Sil’s thicket, wondering whether the little deer was going to miss her simple home now that the group had bombarded her, thrusting her into a role of leadership. He smiled wickedly beneath the muzzle, as he trailed the others. He had no reason to announce his return, they should know by now that he would follow them as closely as their own shadows.

“Just don't do anything with the creepy dog's muzzle and we'll get along fine."

Hannibal had only caught snippets of Sil’s words to the newcomer, but gave a sharp laugh at the advice the deer was offering.
“Don’t spoil the fun,” He grinned, a hint of threat in his tone. He shook his head slightly, amused by their desperation to keep him helpless in the human’s contraption. They weren’t thick – Hannibal would give them that. He fell back slightly, preferring a more leisurely stroll as he kept the pokémon firmly in his view. Cassius had taken lead and although out of earshot, Hannibal was sure something was up with the little bird, Cloud. He was coated in a layer of red and seemed particularly distressed about the shade his body had adopted. Hannibal snorted, he wore blood with pride. The wounds on his face had stopped oozing now, but a firm, crusty coating of crimson masked the black fur of his face. Besides, he couldn’t remove it even if he wanted to – not with the muzzle, at least. Engrossed in his own observations of the unlikely group, Hannibal had only just become aware of company.

"I apologize for my earlier aggression towards you. It wasn't called for and I feel horrible for it."

The houndoom was shocked to say the least. For a moment, he just stared at the leafeon, speechless. Abruptly regaining his demeanour, he cleared his throat, looking away from Etai, almost embarrassed. He doubted anyone had ever apologized to him, unless it was dripping with sarcasm – and he was somewhat stumped on how to respond.
“Err... I-it’s fine,” Although his face remained calm, composed, inside he was beginning to panic. What was this? Some sort of trick? Whatever it was, it had certainly caught the houndoom off guard. ”I’m used to it,” He muttered honestly, looking ahead. “You wouldn’t believe how many pokémon have tried to kill me,” His dark eyes met Etai’s, a light smirk on his lips. She could interpret this confession however she desired, the truth of Hannibal’s past would always be a debatable topic. Satisfied that he’d suppressed the flicker of emotion Etai had triggered, Hannibal lifted his head high, a sinister smile hidden beneath the muzzle.

Lightning mentally rolled her eyes at the deeling's retort. Sensitive, aren't we? "No need to be so up in arms. I was being cautious, that's all." She could tell that this deer was such a delight to be around. Lightning decided that she would travel with them only out of necessity, and for only a short while. After all, being in a group would slow her search down."I'm not sure what you want, Lightning, but if you want to follow, then be my guest. Just don't do anything with the creepy dog's muzzle and we'll get along fine." Huh, so that's what that mask is called... "I'm just passing through, looking for someone. No need to count on me staying."

That was true. She had no desire to stay in one place for too long. Lingering around here meant she would lose searching time, and the undead would have a better chance at her too. The best route was to stick with these pokemon for a while.

((Sorry for the shortness! Major writer's block))

A dragon lumbered through the forest, his eyes gaunt and tired. His claw gripped his upper left part of his chest, as if his heart were hurting, but alas, he had no heart left. In his eyes there were tears, but he had no reason for them - actually, he had no reason left in his mind. The Druddigon was simply a blank sheet of paper with no utensil to write with. His feet stomped through the trees, searching for any sign of life. Why was he here...? The Cave Pokemon shook his head as if to signal he did not know, but perhaps it was more out of habit than anything else.

“... we'll get along fine." The Druddigon - he remembered his name was Michelangelo, but not much else - widened his eyes, his mouth immediately beginning to salivate. There were others out here, something he had not expected. With a crane of his neck, the dragon was able to pinpoint the source of the noise, a delicate little Deerling. Quietly rummaging through some greenery to get a closer look, Michel was shocke- no, for some reason, he felt saddened to see that there were more Pokemon residing next to the deer.

More tears streamed down the Druddigon’s face, though he did not know why the liquid gushed from his eyes. His breath had picked up its pace, as he stared at the six Pokemon looking out for one another, speaking, talking, loving. It was as if from instinct Michel knew he had lost what they now were taking for granted. The Cave Pokemon locked his arms in a tight embrace with himself, his mentality seeking to attack but an unknown force causing him to feel strangled. Why was his throat constricting, why were there more tears forming...?

“No need to count on me staying." It was as if something had punched him in the gut. Someone very close had left him, that was all he could remember. Michel only knew that this loved one was the last thing he remembered from... the other side. And they left, just as whoever had spoken would do. The Druddigon suddenly moaned, either from internal pain or a sadness that had been voiced he didn’t know. He swung his legs forward, his heavy-duty hands gripping the earth and using his strength to cause large tremors.

“Forever and always...” Michelangelo choked back a sob, his entire face wet from tears as he erupted a full-out Earthquake towards the group. “Why did you leave?”

Sil was glad that her bitchiness had been overlooked, but she paused as she overheard Hannibal's and Etai's conversation. She apologized to the creepy dog, and while Sil thought the stupid mutt didn't deserve it, apparently, neither had the dog himself. He seemed genuinely shocked for a moment before regaining his composure, though it didn't really reflect in his stuttering voice. Sil sighed and granted Etai as a better person than herself. She would have never apologized... not after that look Hannibal had given her before...

Her reverie was interrupted by a cry of despair, and she turned to see a strange colored druddigon. The purple hide and red eyes meant more infected, and Sil cursed at whatever Divine would listen. They were just coming out in hordes... why did she have to venture out today?! "Why did you leave?" it cried, unleashing an earthquake at the small group.

Sil felt the tremor, but thankfully, she was resistant to the otherwise lethal move. She shook herself and saw that it was wailing at the new girl, Lightning. She turned to the others, scared for how they fared against the attack. Etai should be fine, as well as cloud, but Lightning, Hannibal and Cass... He suddenly wasn't there... "Cass?!" she called out, then cursed to herself. "Let's go, guys!" she yelled as she fired an Energy Ball at the druddigon. She was lucky with earthquake, but she wasn't sure if she would be next round.

"I... I just w-want to get this b-blood off." Cash nodded, he knew that the blood was bothering the kid. He remembered there being water where they were headed so maybe the kid could wash up there. He completely missed the Druddigon appearing and was only alerted by the ground shaking violently beneath him. Shit! Earthquake!

"Cass?!"

Was that...Sil? Was she worried about him? Or was she hurt? Cassius reared up and charged forward with an Agility, intent on getting to Sil. Whatever was going on she would need help and he didn't want to just leave her high and dry.

He looked back to check on Cloud. "Get somewhere safe kid! This is gonna be rough!" With that he rounded a tree and saw the massive dragon attacking Sil and the others. Furious he erupted in a Flame Charge, intent on running right into the lumbering beast. "Get away from her!"

Trees, trees, and more trees! What was with this region? She never realized how much forest Unova actually had. This was crazy! It had been days since she left Iccirus! Was she still in the same forest, or had she found her way into another one? She didn't remember there being this much trouble when she had been traveling with her first trainer. Though, around her home there wasn't much forest left, just a few patches of woods.

"Cass?!"

What the...was that a voice? Kinah's ear twitched, and her head whirled around, trying to find out where it had come from. The sound echoed in the trees so it was hard to track. But the seasoned fighter knew how to correct for that. She lept into a nearby tree and sat very still, her eyes closed, and she listened. There was a fight going on nearby, somewhere to her south. It didn't sound like it was going well.

"Get away from her!" Oh, that couldn't be a good sign. Her eyes flew open in the same instant she propelled from the tree. She began a full out run towards the sounds of battle, only hoping she wasn't too late. If other living where in trouble, her honor demanded that she help them.

((OOC: Introducing Kinah! Brought her over from another team because I thought she would fit in well here. She hasn't made it to the group yet so no one acknowledge her until after her next post. Oh, and look Hannibal! Hands! lol))

Cloud kept his head in his wings as Cash kept walking. He Rufflet hoped they would find a river soon. Suddenly he felt shaking, at first he thought it was just Cass had tripped or had to jump over something, but when he peeked out from behind his wings, he wished he hadn't. It was a huge infected Druddigon. Cloud was practically frozen with fear if not for Cash snapping him out of it with his voice telling him to get someplace safe.

Cloud opened his wings and flew up high into the trees as he watched the battle unfold beneath him. Scared that one of them would die. He hoped they wouldn't die, he didn't want to lose them just after meeting them. They where his new friends. "Be carful..." Was all he said, to low for the others to hear him.

((Sorry if its not to good, not feeling well right now -.- ))

“Forever and always...Why did you leave?”

Hannibal turned his head to the voice too late, eyes widening a fraction at the sight of the druddigon and the violent tremors that followed. He lost his footing almost immediately. His spindly legs struggled to carry his weight with the violent earthquake underfoot, sending him crashing to the trembling ground with a grunt. The houndoom was vulnerable to attack, and he knew it. He couldn’t just lay there, that dragon could have its claws sunk into him in an instant. With an effort Hannibal attempted to get back to his feet, only to pitifully fail, stumbling a couple of steps backwards for his body to slam into a nearby tree. It hurt; a burning ache engulfing his fragile form, as he raised his head in the infected’s direction. Thank god he’d managed to eat that Oran berry.

"Cass?!"

The hound’s attention was diverted to Sil, apparently unfazed by the attack and eager to make a getaway. The tremors were weakening now, permitting Hannibal a moment to scramble onto all fours using the tree as support. This was ridiculous. The leafeon had attacked him earlier in the day, the zebra had knocked him unconscious and now this infected was likely to kill him – maybe it was just one of those days. With a deep breath, Hannibal glared at the creature, focusing on keeping his balance and mentally numbing his body’s pain. Another earthquake like that would seal his fate; he wasn’t as young as he used to be and with the muzzle’s restriction there was no way he’d be able to fight that thing. Hannibal’s only hope was the protection the group offered and thus far, they had shown great promise. Sil had already launched an energy ball and Cassisus was charging at the undead in a coat of flames.
“You two okay?” He called to Etai and Lightning, slightly breathless and still leaning against the tree trunk. The houndoom was surprised at his concern. He had no idea what had triggered the utterance but now that it had been said, he could only hope their replies would be positive. Clearly, a group effort would be required to bring the dragon down.

(( Hannibal loves Kinah already! : D ))

The Pokemon were shouting for the others in concern, others were asking if they were alright. In their eyes they were desperate to help one another, determined to protect. His eyes stung with the evaporating tears, betrayal shown in his pupils as he watched them immediately connect under adversity. Michelangelo roared - no, it sounded more like a moan of sadness - as a blob of green energy had hit him straight on the chest. “Why...” The Druddigon’s body reacted in great shivering, almost as if he were choking back sobs.

They were still shouting for one another with the same neediness - with that of love - and it caused the inside of his chest to ache. “Why?!” Michel groaned, sidestepping the Zebstrika’s fiery charge and raking his gaze across the other Pokemon. He allowed the tears to well up, but it wasn’t enough to become waterworks; the dragon bellowed as he saw the instantaneous teamwork that each and every one of them conducted on without much words passed. It caused himself to ache, and in response it was causing him to attack in his confusion. What was his missing? What was missing from his life that caused him to feel so hollow?

“Lost... love...” The Cave Pokemon muttered these words, but they didn’t comprehend in his mind. Michelangelo only knew they held meaning, some ethereal feeling that was lost to him. The Druddigon stepped back from the battle, focusing his eyes on the Deerling from before. She... She was the one that yelled for another of this group. Straining the muscles in his arms, he reached for the deer’s neck.

“Why... must you have it?” He asked the Deerling in a melancholy voice, a depressed question but not one that he could understand. Michel’s entire body felt as if something or someone had been stolen from him, as if an important organ had been ripped without surgical operations. He was missing something that these Pokemon had. “WHY?” The Druddigon yelled this time, his fighting spirit failing at the expense of a broken soul.

The druddigon rampaged and wailed, his sad eyes filling with hate and jealousy as they battled him. Sil wasn't sure what was up with this infected, but once Cass blazed in after she had called him, it turned to her. She didn't get a chance to thank the dumb horse as the dragon reached for her throat and grasped it firmly, his eyes fixated on her own. "Why... must you have it...

"WHY?!" it roared and her heart was suddenly in her throat. Her eyes wide with fear, her hooves lifted off the ground with his grip. No... She wasn't going to die like this, at the hands of some madman. No...

NO!


A flash of light, a feeling of intense heat and pressure. When she opened her eyes, she was suddenly taller than the dragon, and her body felt more powerful. But she didn't care what had happened, all she knew was that she was now free of the dragon's grasp. "DON'T YOU TOUCH ME!" she roared, and launched another Energy Ball at the feind, the attack larger and far more powerful than before. She launched another, and then another, in a barrage of green, wanting the dragon to leave. "GO AWAY!"

((Neg, since you said it was okay for me to attack your Drud I had Kinah take the shot instead of Cash. It still leaves room to dodge if you want. Cash is a little derp at the moment because Sil is hot. lol))


His Agility turned into a full out Flame Charge as he neared the Druddigon. The extra boost in speed had the blaze whipping around him like liquid fire, tendrils of flame curling around to lap at nearby trees. But then, to his horror, the creature picked up Sil by the throat. Terrified his attack would hit her instead, he dropped out of Flame Charge immediately and he skidded to a halt right before hitting it. He could only watch in terror as she started to choke, and then...glow?

A bright, white light surrounded the doe and after a moment, a beautiful Sawsbuck was in her place. She was so gorgeous, and he couldn't help but stare. Sil now had long, graceful legs, soft fluff adorning each one and her breast, she even had long, elegant horns curling from her crown. And she was free! And screaming..."DON'T YOU TOUCH ME!" When she began firing Energy Balls like crazy, Cassius was caught up in the crossfire. He stood there, dumbfounded, and looking right into a ball of light coming right for him.

_____________

Kinah flitted through the trees gracefully, quickly catching up to the sounds of battle. When she found her way into a clearing she stopped short and just stared at the cause of the commotion. ANOTHER. FREAKING. DRUDDIGON?! Didn't she just kill one of those before leaving Icciurs? Yes. Yes she did. And now fate would have the very next powerful infected she come across be one of these defensible monsters? REALLY?! With an irritated sigh she thought about leaving when she saw the signs of evolution coming from beside the behemoth.

An oddly colored Sawbuck stood before the beast, and a Zebstrika she didn't notice before. Another Sawsbuck? Female, too. Was this one infected as well? Was there going to be the Axew line growing off the trees here too? This was looking way to much like the place she just left, and it was aggravating. If all of her problems there followed her here she was just going to ask that damn dragon to eat her and be done with it.

Said Sawsbuck was currently in the process of a mental breakdown, again very familiar, and was launching attacks left and right at the infected before her. And one was heading right for the Zebstrika, who was standing there staring at it. And he wasn't moving. Idiot. She shook her head and charged for the stupid short-horse and knocked him out of the way. He let out a loud 'oof' as he skidded past a couple of other Pokemon Kinah didn't see before. At least none of them looked like her old group of renegade survivors.

With the idiot put in his place, she turned and faced down the Druddigon with a wicked grin on her face. "Hey ugly!" she called out, hoping to get the deer to chill out and the dragon's attention on her. "Guess what? I already wiped the floor with one of you! So forgive me if I don't feel like dealing with your bloody drama!" With that last statement she launched herself into the air, going right for its face with an Acrobatics attack.

The earthquake shook Etai to her roots and it was as if she felt the very trees shaking in her bones. Opening her eyes, she found herself on the ground close to where Hannibal was. Her head was spinning and there was a horrid ringing in her ears as she stood up shakily. The sounds of the battle were colliding around her in loud displays of chaos and she couldn't seem to make much sense of it. Shaking her head, Etai looked up and got blasted in the side by an Energy Ball the newly evolved Sil had created. Falling back to the ground she cursed herself under her breath for her weakness and stood up once again before her vision went fuzzy and she passed out.

(OOC: I figured someone needed to get really hurt. xD She'll be conscious on my next turn.)

Cloud watched as the other fought the huge dragon pokemon. He hoped it wouldn't spot him, cause if it had wings, it could probably fly, and Cloud didn't like flying infected cause it was hard to get away from them. A new pokemon came to join the fight, and Mienshao, he had only seen a few of them, and from what his father told him, they where fighting types so us flying types would have the advantage.

The thing that made Cloud aww was the bright light that came from The Deerling, though when it faded, she was no longer a Deerling, but a Sawsbuck. Evolution, she had evolved into something much greater, much stronger. Cloud couldn't help but be amazed by it. One day, he to would evolve, he would then become a Braviary, and like her, he would become stronger. But, he was so scared, he hated to fight, he didn't want to, he didn't want to get close to the undead, he didn't want to die. Yet he wanted to help, so how could he help?

"I need to help!" Cloud said as he began to flap his wings. Suddenly a turbulent wind began to blow around his friends. Cloud didn't know what was happening, did he just learn a new attack? He hoped he didn't just attack his friends with it, but it didn't seem to hurt them. What attack did he just learn? The last attack he learned was Defog, and how useful that had turned out to be. The attack after that was... was... what was it? Cloud couldn't remember what attack he learned after Defog. He hoped the others would, and maybe he could ask after this whole fight was finally over.

((Cloud just learned Tailwind, so everyone but Nega's Druddigon should be getting a temporary boost in speed.))

Hannibal remained firmly out of the action, still resting against the tree trunk and watching the battle from afar. He tensed slightly as the beast lunged for Sil, a strange feeling of concern hitting his tired form. He persuaded himself it was jealousy – he would be the only one dining on venison. As he moved to assist, a bright light engulfed the deer’s form, dying away for the being to be replaced with a far larger species. Now, a sawsbuck was something he recognised. He smiled lightly, knowing that with her evolution and the sudden appearance of a mienshao, he wasn’t required in this particular battle. Just as he turned, a sudden wind gust about the group. A newfound energy rippled in his legs and Hannibal found himself moving at almost a jog rather than a stroll. In his attempts to slow himself, he narrowly avoided tripping over something on the ground. He frowned; not remembering having seen any tree stumps or hills, but on closer inspection, the houndoom recognised the obstacle as Etai.

Glancing over his shoulder back to the others as well as the druddigon, Hannibal was torn on how to react. He couldn’t just leave her to be trampled over. Gently nudging her shoulder with a paw, the houndoom peered down at her face, annoyed that she was as he’d expected, out cold. With another glance to the undead, Hannibal gently manoeuvred the leafeon onto his back, relieved that she was fairly light. Despite his skinny frame, Hannibal wasn’t to be underestimated. Years of battling left him with a surprising physical strength that his enemies wouldn’t know before it hit them. Checking the female was fairly secure, he began retreating to a safer distance. Using the speed boost to his advantage to trot past the rest of the group, he broke away from the midst of battle into a more secluded, untouched area ahead. Turning around, the houndoom could still see the battle, but at this distance, they should have a far better chance of survival. Sighing, he lowered his body so that the leafeon slipped back onto solid ground.
“What’s wrong with me?” Hannibal asked himself in a whisper, staring down at the leafeon he’d gone out of his way to protect. The last pokémon he’d ever protected was Mischa; since her death, he’d lost his understanding of friendship and love. He snorted, not wanting to dwell on the idea any longer. Turning away, he walked a few metres from the canine to stand watch of the battle raging up ahead. There wasn’t a whole lot he could do with the muzzle on, and anyway, he was certain the whole damn bunch would emerge victorious.

The Deerling had been caught in his grasp, but it only took a moment for her to rebuke and struggle - before his slowing mind could comprehend, she had evolved right before him, and launched Energy Ball after Energy Ball. Hunh? The first few green blobs of energy hit him square in the chest, but it did not hurt - his chest surely sizzled just a tad from the attack, but otherwise, he felt nothing. "GO AWAY!" He staggered backward, confused as a past life he forgot flashed before him. His trainer, abandoning him; his friends, dying next to him; his heart, breaking within him.

"Guess what? I already wiped the floor with one of you! So forgive me if I don't feel like dealing with your bloody drama!" A Mienshao had appeared, and immediately she had begun to assist these Pokemon. The fighting type jumped into the air, and darted downward, but Michelangelo swung himself to the side and dodged the attack. Why were they attacking him? Why were they making him hurt? He wanted something so badly that it made his insides twist in agony.

And they were only making it worse - they were reminding him that he had lost this ‘something’ and he wasn’t going to get it back anytime soon. Michel roared as he swiped at his own face, rubbing the liquid in his eyes. “Abandoned me...” He moaned, eying the Pokemon around him. His arms felt as heavy as lead, and it was a struggle enough just to drag them around. His eyes were drooping, but they refused to close, the suffocating tears keeping his pupils wet. But it hurt, this something in his chest. The Cave Pokemon roared. “All alone! ALL ALONE!”

These Pokemon, they were in this together. “Betrayed...” He whispered, stepping backward. What was happening? Why did these Pokemon stick with one another? “Don’t go, please... don’t go...” He sobbed the words, backing up against a tree and falling down onto his bottom. Michelangelo’s shoulders shook, and tears fell, but he didn’t understand. Nothing made sense anymore, just that things were... “Gone...” His emotions, disarray. His heart, no longer beating. His family? ... Gone. The Druddigon’s claws dug at the earth around him, throwing around the broken up dirt. His eyes bore into each of the other Pokemon around, unreadable through the tears that blocked his vision.

Where the hell had the meinshao come from? She stood, shocked, as the obviously well-trained fighted launched from out of the trees into an attack that hit the druiddigon, yelling something about having to deal with one already. She then saw that her barrage of Energy Balls had not really been the brightest of ideas, since one almost hit Cass, and threatened to hit the others. Still, when she got a glance at Cass, he had just been staring at her. ...The hell?

She shook herself free of the distraction and put all of her attention on the crazy druiddigon. He kept shouting words about betrayal, alone and 'don't leave'... While this would have made her pity him if he were a normal pokemon, he wasn't, and all speech was rendered useless. He needed to die. Now.

She turned her back to him, head swiveled to watch him, readying her Double Kick. It still hadn't really occurred to her that she had evolved, her mind too focused on the battle. "Leave," was her simple answer.

Beautiful. There was no other word to describe the vision before him, and yet, it wasn't enough. To think that that brash, tomboyish Deerling had this radiant beauty hiding dormant within her. Cassius was in awe. He didn't care that he had been tossed aside like a rag doll by some Mienshao, or that she was currently using herself as a shield to defend their group. All that matter was the lovely creature in front of him. At least, until she looked at him.

Cass blushed madly and began to sputter, trying to act as though he hadn't just been staring at her. He was in luck, she didn't seem to notice his creepy staring and went back to focus on the giant, blubbering, undead dragon trying to kill them. Oh...right. That thing. Oops. Cass shook himself off and jumped back to his feet, readying a Thunderbolt to throw at the bastard.

"You know," he called out to the Drudiggon, trying to draw its attention away from the females, "the best therapy for a broken heart is some nice electroshock!" He saw the Meinshao and Sil both readying moves themselves, and hoped they would realize what he was doing and move out of the way. Sil would probably be fine after an electric attack, but he wasn't sure what the fighter's tolerance level would be. Everyone is a little different, after all. With that thought in mind, he let loose the Thunderbolt, gunning for the dragon.

______

Kinah jumped back up as her attack planted her firmly into the ground, making a deep crater. She missed, er, well, he dodged. Whatever. Thank whatever deity was watching that she hadn't used a Hi Jump Kick, because that would have hurt. She brushed herself off and turned back to see the dragon crying, moaning and carrying on about someone 'leaving'. She couldn't stop herself, and called out to the infected. "Pff. Really? All those tears...Maybe Axew's aren't the only complete nutters, maybe it is just you Dragon-types in general!" Didn't she have enough crazy already? Didn't she just leave a whole damn town of it? Curse her rubbish luck!

The Zebstrika finally seemed to have realized he was in a battle, and started gathering a large amount of electricity for an attack. Thunderbolt, from the looks of it. That would probably hurt like hell if she jumped in front of it, so she changed her fighting stance to a defensive one and let the Zebra do his thing. She didn't wait to see if it hit or not, because Kinah had a plan. Whether it got hit or, more preferably, dodged, her Drain Punch would be waiting. "Bring it, you flaming blighter!"

((Skip me, Cloud is just cowering in the trees watching the battle.))

Hannibal could hear the dragon’s incessant crying and moaning from where he stood – obviously it wasn’t dead yet. Whilst he wanted to help, it would be suicide to barrage into physical combat, aided by only his horns and bodyweight. He growled lightly at the thought of being so useless, almost vulnerable. But no, he would just have to wait. The houndoom had battled for years; there was no way he was losing his touch due to a lack of practice, right? He glanced over his shoulder at the leafeon, wondering whether he truly was growing soft. Smiling lightly to himself he shook his head, we need to change that.

The houndoom began slowly walking back to the midst of battle, not willing to fight quite yet but there was nothing wrong with a little observation. These youngsters were probably doing it all wrong anyway. He hovered a little away from the trio battling the druddigon, crimson eyes scanning each of the fighters, assessing their abilities. From the look of it, Sil was as taken to her evolution as much as ol’ Romeo was. And then there was this newcomer, a mienshao. Hannibal could remember one he’d fought back at that hellhole – a stubborn little bugger that had the nerve to try and wear him down. He snorted at the memory; its flesh had had a spicy tinge to it. As he watched the female, realization suddenly hit him. His eyes widened a fraction, hands...
“Perfect,” He muttered to himself below a whisper, a grin sliding up his face. It was just a matter of time now. If the others were so opposed to removing the muzzle, then he’d just have to prove his undeniable charm to the mienshao. He’d already committed one good deed of helping Etai, maybe he could boost that to two. Hannibal glanced to the trees, seeking out Cloud.

It took a moment, but he eventually spotted the creature cowering in the branches and with a glance to the druddigon moved to offer his assistance.
“Cloud?” He called in as pleasant a tone he could possibly manage. Using the tree for support, he placed his forepaws on the trunk in an attempt to reach the bird’s level. He was still a distance from the rufflet’s branch, but he had much better vision of the youngster now. He ushered a weak smile, invisible beneath the muzzle. “Come on. It’s not safe here. That undead lets loose a flamethrower and this tree won’t stand a chance, you with it...” Hannibal had no idea what powers the druddigon possessed, but he presumed that from his reputation, it might take some persuading for the rufflet to warm up to him. Scaremongering usually did the trick. He met the bird’s eyes, a false glint of concern in his own.

"Pff. Really? All those tears...Maybe Axew's aren't the only complete nutters, maybe it is just you Dragon-types in general!" They all rebuked him with cutting words, and in short saying he was long gone. Perhaps he was, but... Michel got to his feet, thrashing his arms crazily as he snapped the trees around him in two. He hurt, and they were only making it worse. They assembled themselves around him, verbally beating him up.

"You're all the same..." He growled, his body beginning to function before he understood what was happening. The Druddigon rose his claws up menacingly, clawing at his face to rid of the water. The hurt needed to end; and he would do that by decimating those who are causing the pain. Not having the willpower to stop his rancid and mindless train of thought, Michelangelo stared at the Zebstrika as it released a Thunderbolt, the Druddigon charged forward and through it, taking the hit straight on. As the Cave Pokemon lumbered onward, he felt the paralysis kick in - and he couldn't move, just like the time that his loved one had fled and he could not follow.

With a shaking fist as Michel forced his muscles to cooperate, he prepared to use Revenge on the zebra. With the damage he had taken from the Thunderbolt, he could do twice that hurt onto the Zebstrika. His whole body bristled with the static electricity that he had taken, but he trudged forward, until he stood in front of the quadruped devil. Michel rose his claws up in a fist, and brought it downward...

Creating a gaping hole right in front of the Zebstrika. He could not do it. Somewhere inside of Michelangelo's deteriorating body and mind, he still had a slimmer of a conscience; and he could not kill like this. These Pokemon... They had a future still, much unlike him. His road ended a long time ago, but these Pokemon? They were lucky. "If only... I were as... lucky..." He whispered, just loud enough for the electric horse. With that, Michel forced himself to move from his position in front of the Zebstrika, dragging his feet away from the living Pokemon.

Electricity and paralysis caused the Cave Pokemon to stumble, but he had gotten away from the others. Looking to the setting sun, Michelangelo saw a shimmer of a memory, seeing the same sun set as his only true friend left him to die. The memory was gone and lost the next moment, but it left the Druddigon crying once more. His head numb, Michel yelled in empty despair, the echoes following him as he flew away from the forest.

[ooc: lol I feel like I'm holding this team up so I'ma just leave. =w= Nice role-playing with you all!]

Sil jumped a little at the ferocity of the meinshao and Cass as he decided to finally fight the dragon. However, with them distracting the dragon, she finally had the time to notice she evolved. She stared down in awe at the silvery fluff that adorned her breast and ankles, and became aware of the new weight on her head. She... She had evolved... Embarassment flushed through her face as she realized why Cass had stared, her ears flicking backward. Did it startle him, too? Probably. But was that a look of horror she had seen? Were her horns too masculine or weird or... wait.

WHY DID SHE CARE.

She shook her newly heavy head free of the worries that temporarily plagued her and looked back to the fight. The dragon was sobbing, leaving finally. It was strange that it left of its own voilition, when just earlier an entire pack had tried to slaughter them... but it was gone, and that's what mattered. She then noticed the drop in numbers in their group, and her eyes show to Hannibal immediately. But when she saw the muzzle still firmly attached, she was left with only confusion.

"...Where's... Where's Etai? And the lightning dog?" she asked, looking around. She looked to Cass and the mienshao and her ears flicked back. "You ok, Cass? And uh... thanks, Miss, for coming like that. Not a lot of pokemon would do that now... I'm Sil." Going the nice route with introductions might be a better one, especially since she had just kicked a druiddigon's butt packing... and the type advantage and all that.

Cassius came down from his Thunderbolt to see the Druddigon leaving, and was relieved to see it go. That meant Sil was safe. Sweet, beautiful Sil...wait. What? he shook his head, mane tossing about, as he tried to clear that image from his mind. What had gotten into him? Just because Sil had grown into her boyish frame didn't mean her attitude had. And when he looked back to check on her, saw an odd blush to her cheeks as she checked herself over. Guess she didn't realized why the world was smaller until just now.

He looked at the Mienshao, who was letting go of the energy from her unused attack and decided he should at least try to introduce himself. While he wasn't sure that Sil's attack would have done any damage, she had risked herself to knock him out of the way. he needed to at least say something. "Uh...thanks. I think," he said from behind her. He was a little nervous, since the chick looked like she could take on an army by herself without flinching. He liked tough females, but she was bordering on scary. Especially with that creepy grin.

He heard Sil call for him and backed away from the fighter, giving the newly evolved deer a nod. He tried smiling at her, but its usual charm was lost due to his fatigue and slight paranoia about the female he was standing next to. He gave a weak laugh before heading back over to check on Cloud, but the hound was there already. Why did they keep this guy around? It was just like asking for trouble. Hopefully, Cloud was still alright and the mutt didn't eat him.
_______________

The thing was bawling like a tot, and Kinah just stared at it angrily. Sure, she was surprised that the thing was just going to up and leave, especially since it had seemed so interested in eating them not a few moments before. But, that wasn't the problem. The Mienshao still had some issues to work out and her golden opportunity was disappearing between the trees. But soon a black and white monochromatic beast stood in her field of vision, blocking the retreating undead.

"Uh...thanks. I think," he muttered uselessly. Kinah just sighed heavily, putting one paw to her face to pinch her bridge. "You always this articulate, mate?" she asked sarcastically, peering over her paw with one eye. He looked a little affronted, and backed up a bit. Guess he didn't take well to be called out, oh well. The look on his face was pretty funny though.

"You ok, Cass? And uh... thanks, Miss, for coming like that. Not a lot of pokemon would do that now... I'm Sil."

Kinah turned to look at the doe, who other than a wispy, silvery coat, reminded her a lot of Pure. And her name was Sil, how quaint. She frowned as she looked at the grass type's expression, like she was trying to hold back something. Kinah hated that. "If you've something to say, get it out then," she said flatly, looking pointedly at Sil. "Because I haven't the patience for pleasantries." Her arms where crossed in front of her as she stared the Sawsbuck down, waiting for any sort of response. She was hoping for one that wouldn't make her feel like she was thrown back into Iccirus.

Who was he kidding? Of course, there’d be no way in hell Cloud would ever trust him! Hannibal gave the bird a long stare, before snorting and slowly returning to solid ground. Glancing about him, he was pleased to see that the battle had been brought to a halt and now, the battling trio were lacking an opponent. The houndoom smirked slightly, watching the group regain their composure from a truly fierce fight. The mienshao had especially been worth watching.

"...Where's... Where's Etai? And the lightning dog?”

“Etai passed out. I moved her just up ahead,” Hannibal answered honestly with a motion of his head, surprised at the words that had left his own mouth. Had he really willingly saved her? He’d only tried to assist the bird out of need to make good impressions on the newcomer, but the leafeon, that had been on impulse. Shaking away the thought, he continued. “I can’t say I’ve seen the manectric though,” With a few steps forward, the frail canine’s attention turned to the fighting-type, Sil and Cassius in the midst of an introduction. He still stood a distance away from the group, simply observing their conversations with a smirk hidden beneath his muzzle. The newcomer was going to be harder to persuade than he’d thought; she was already irked by something Sil had, or hadn’t said.

Glancing back to where he’d left Etai, he soon spotted the canine’s outline, slumped motionless against the tree trunk. For once in his life he’d done a good deed, and something nagging at the back of his mind told him there was no way he was receiving any praise. Admittedly, it could seem a little suspicious to a group that didn’t have the greatest opinions of him. Sighing he turned back to the small gathering, adopting a sitting position as he resumed his observations.

"If you've something to say, get it out then," the meinshao retorted flatly to Sil. So much for the nice route. "Because I haven't the patience for pleasantries." Sil couldn't help an indignant snort and a stomp of a hoof. What the hell?

"There's no need to snap at me," Sil began, her stance a little more aggressive. "I really was just thanking you, but if you don't have time for that, then I guess go back to whatever you were doing before having to bother with us. Sorry to trouble you." She could keep whatever emotional baggage she was carrying with her. Hypocritical b.

Hannibal's smooth voice caught her attention as he answered her earlier question. “Etai passed out. I moved her just up ahead. I can’t say I’ve seen the manectric though." His answer shocked her a little; he'd saved her? If she had any wounds, other than the one she saw, there would be a dead dog to add to the death toll. But... his words of the other, the manectric rang true. She had just... disappeared. For a girl so confident, Sil was sure she'd see the electric type in the fray like the rest of them.

"Weird," she found herself muttering. "Didn't seem the type to just run off..." She trotted over to Etai, and her expression became worrisome. Those wounds didn't look all that great... "...I'm no medical girl, but... that doesn't look good."

Cassius sputtered at the Mienshao's indignant reply to Sil actually trying to be nice. It took him all day to get her to do that! And that was just the once! This chick was just acting like it was no big deal. He stomped his hoof in irritation, glaring hard at the female Fighting-Type, who pretty much just ignored him. Great. Where was his great charm when he needed it?

Hannibal's voice broke through his ire and Cass turned to glare at him, too. Why did they keep that stupid mutt around? Hannibal mentioned something about saving Etai, which made Cass snort in disbelief, and made a mental note to check her over for any signs of Houndoom handiwork. When Lightning was brought up he stood at attention, using the added stretch in his spine to look around a wide area. The female was just...gone.

He saw Sil heading over to the Leafeon and he quickly sauntered after her, wanting to make sure that damn hannibal didn't do anything to her. She looked rough, and wasn't sure how much of it was from the fight or from the mutt. Guess he would have to wait until Etai woke up so he could ask her what the canine might have done to her.
_______

Kinah broke out into a snarky grin at the Sawsbuck's reaction. It seemed she wasn't so like the one the Mienshao just left, this one had some spunk. She chuckled to herself at the drama queen's reaction and unfolded her arms. Between the Sawsbuck and the Zebstrika, she was getting glared at from both sides. Seemed like riling them up would be kind of fun, and really easy.

Everyone's focus went to the dark hound approaching them, and Kinah's smile went to a frown. She didn't recognize the species, and wondered why it was walking around with some strange contraption attached to his face. No one else traveling with him seemed to trust him, either. Which could only mean she would have to keep one eye on him as long as she was with them. They mentioned that some of their companions where missing or hurt, and for the first time the Mienshao realized that there were more than just those three.

The quadrupeds all gathered around a fallen Leafeon, who looked to be in a great deal of pain. She had some serious wounds that needed tending to, and it didn't look like any of her friends would be able to do it. ...I'm no medical girl, but... that doesn't look good." yup. They were clueless. Kinah let out a hefty sigh and knelt down next to the injured female, checking her over. "If you can find some healing berries around here, I can help her," she told the Sawsbuck. It would probably be the only time she volunteered to help, but if they accepted then she would do her best to take care of their friend.