The Children Are Hunted

[Fuyu]

Melan merely shrugged at him. "No one said the dude in charge was particularly concerned. That's our job. IT doesn't mean we can always do it effectively due to circumstances. Ugh, politics." She glanced at the unresponsive Brie.

"Safe..." Brie's voice echoed softly.

Melan snorted. "You two," she began, looking down on Volt and Draco. "Are incredibly stupid. DO you realize how emotional are being, We let any one of you out without any warningwhat do you think will happen? There are kids here that are easily freaked out, scared of Pokemon, both, or some other terrifying metnal trauma's in their head that you might just push at. Your trainer, no matter how good he is, cannot account for the chaos you will inflict while looking for him and trying to leave, which I'm going to tell you ain't easy. So... we'll see what we can do. Maybe we can get one of ya out, maybe we can't. We'll try right Brie?"

Brie nodded blankly. There was an odd floating sensation in his mind, mostly due to the emotions of everyone around him. Mental shielding never worked with him. HE didn't even know it existed. Not that it mattered, what was in his head was too complicated for normal comprehension.

Melan nodded. "There's your answer. WE'll try if you stop being selfish little pricks, ya got it? Come on Brie, rounds aren't over yet." Brie left the food bowls where they were, pushing the cart after her.

He glanced back at them. "...Bye..." HE shut and locked the door behind him.

Melan was grumbling as she floated ahead of him down the hall. "Little buggers... thinking we have a choice in this..."

"...Worried..."

"That ain't the issue Brie! At least they're alive! Why can't people just be grateful for what they got? WHy can't they think about others for once? Seriously! If they tried that no one would be here right now. No one would need to be."

"...Different..."

"That shouldn't matter," she snapped."That shouldn't matter in the slightest." THey continued down the hallway as Brie stopped to work in silence. The few awake patients knew him, seemed pleased to see him as he worked. One of his patients, a woman almost fully grown, called to him.

"The new patient a keeper Brie?" Brie shrugged.

"...Once..."

"Eh, he's probably gonna make stuff interestin," the boy next to her comented. His fingers shifted for a moment, looking distinctly more like paws before he winced and turned them back, the digits bleeding through their bandages. "Nothin' will change though I bet." The woman shrugged, gently slurping her soup.

 

[Dawn]

Kai just sort of absorbed what little info she could get from what was said out loud, though she made no comment. This was no time to be asking questions about that. Regardless, she felt relieved when Garet said yes. Somehow, she had been expecting him to say no. Perhaps all this disaster had put her in a pessimistic state of mind in which she was now assuming the worst and planning from there. Kai let out a sigh of relief. Did ghosts even have scents? She wouldn't know, but the thought seemed interesting to her.

Kai briefly glanced at Leo as he spoke. She found herself disappointed in his reaction. She herself was hungry and one could not express how tired this adventure had left her. Yet, the lives of her friends took priority. Despite this, she said nothing. She supposed he just didn't understand how important this was to her, and urged herself to forgive him in hopes of moving on. Besides, there was not a whole lot she could do to change that.

Kai (Bulbasaur): "I think I can do that."

Kai had silently resolved to herself that she could find her way back to where she had encountered Shu. She was a mapmaker, not someone who didn't pay attention to her surroundings. Now all she could do was hope that Shu had found Kimiko and King. Yet, that hope seemed a bit far fetched. Despite this she was willing to hold out in hopes of getting lucky.

Meanwhile, Legend herself looked a bit tired. Though, she knew without asking that Kai would put finding the rest of their team before sleep, among many other things until they no longer had an option. It was simply something she would've come to expect.

 

[Nideous]

(OOC: OMG! Two posts in a row without Thomas or Esper?! Wow, that's amazing!)

Thomas's pokemon

"Grr! You ever talk to me like that again and I'll... I'll... Ragh!" Volt yelled at the closed door. He used Discharge on it, leaving a scorch mark running down the side. Amber frowned. This was getting them no where. She padded next to Volt silently and charged up her Solar Beam, unnoticed by the others, who were bickering again. She opened her mouth and blasted the **** out of Volt, lifting him off the ground and hurling him into a wall, where he collapsed, fainted. The rest of them fell silent and looked at her.

"Amber?!" Deluge said quietly. Razor folded her wings back and clicked her beak.

"What was that for?" Razor asked quielty.

"He was making my head hurt! We need to think, and no one can do that with him ranting and yelling and zapping everything in sight!" Amber said, her youthful voice a little quivering. She could not believe she had just done that. Volt was going to kill her when he woke up. She sat down with the other three and they began talking quietly among themselves.

Van

Van slowly woke up. He raised his head and looked around sleepily. He was still curled up next to Zoran, who was still asleep. Knowing if he moved he'd probably disturb the boy, Van stayed put.

"So, Thomas not back yet? Really, when you fly up into the sky like that, the decent thing to do would be to leave your cell phone number. So, what now you guys? Zaria find Esper yet?" Van said, still half asleep. He glanced at Mickey and Bryan and Ash, waiting for an answer.

(OOC: Marcus has Thomas's phone number, but he never left it with anyone else.)

 

[Fuyu]

Brie wandered back toward Thomas' room after making his rounds. He was going to leave Melan with him so the boy had someone to talk to. Brie didn't know much about the world but even he knew he was bad with conversation. He left the cart in its station, going into the room quietly to look at Thomas. "Okay..." he mumbled, neither asking nor stating. HE had seen Theo, the man's energy all over the room.

~~

"Zaria's probably found Esper by now, but is keeping hidden," Mickey replied with a yawn. "Zora's asleep so we can't be sure. And..."

"Thomas pro'ly just figured out what conscious was," Ash replied lazily. "After what he did, it'll be a miracle he wakes up at all. Though my skin's crawling. He's probably in deep. Again." She made no move to charge after him though, way too tired to try.

 

[Garet]

All the time, the Sableye and the Gabite had been listening to and watching the other Devisers; Karib was propped up against Carrie, who was still in the position she'd fallen in.
"What do you think TruthSeeker has in mind?" Karib asked quietly, so that only his partner would hear the question clearly. He was patiently waiting for a confirmation or denial, through the radio he held, concerning Garet's request to see Agatha.

"I don't really care at the moment," Carrie mumbled. "But if it's nowhere near the stupidity of recent actions, then I'm with him." There had been too much stupidity in the RDM's recent actions, in her opinion. It was enough, for Carrie, that the higher-ranking Devisers nearby weren't barreling off to do something stupid at the moment.

Garet suppressed a sigh before standing up. Looking down at Kai and Legend, he wondered what he really should do about them. Would they be a liability, if things got too far? Probably not, since Garet had only very recently met them and had not discussed any of his newfound plans with anyone. Yet, on the other hand, having a Mapmaker-team on hand could prove useful.
Garet finally did sigh. For now, he'd just concentrate on finding the rest of Kai's team. "Before we go," the white Arcanine started, "do you want to rest or eat or anything?" If Leo was unwilling to do much more than sit around without food or rest, then why expect a Bulbasaur and a Torchic to go without food or rest?

 

[Nideous]

Thomas

Thomas looked up at Brie as he entered the room. He smiled up at the boy.

"Hi there! How's everything going?" Thomas said, happy that a friendly face was back. He shook himself off and tried to concentrate on moving his feet. He sighed and sank back into the pillows. He was a little bored. He wanted to jump up and move. But he contained himself.

Espore

Espore flicked his ears back. There was something Garet wasn't telling them. He didn't even need empathy to figure that out. But there was something there. He could feel another presence. He stood up and slowly slipped away quietly. He didn't want anyone to follow him. He closed off his connection to Leo. He followed the strange presence in his mind until he found what he was looking for. It was a little girl, human, and about six or seven years old. That alone was not surprising. What was surprising was that she was floating. And she was semi-transparent.

"Hello. Who are you? Can I help you with something?" Espore asked her. He glanced up at her and began licking his paw.

Van

Van looked at Ash. He did not like the sound of that. Thomas in trouble... Again. Gah, and he was in the best shape out of everyone here, except for Alyss and the still sleeping Zoran. He yawned and set his head down again. Van sighed. He wasn't sure what to do next. He was a fox of action, and there was no action to have now.

"So, what do we do now?" Van asked quietly. He was a little subdued. He had so many things he needed to do!

 

[Fuyu]

Brie looked up at his patient curiously. "Patient's... good...you...okay...Theo..." He could feel odd emotional remnants from Theo. They seemed strange. Adult emotions were always muddled, always tangled within webs of words and thoughts. It was why Brie hated grownups. "Bored..." he added as an afterthought to Thomas.

~~

Zaria looked down at the Espeon. She knew it was Esper yet it didn't feel like Esper. She tilted her head sadly. "I'm Zaria. And I'm dead. Who are you?" She didn't see it as a big deal to talk about though to this POkemon it was odd. THe girl did not react much, sensing a strange sort of feeling from her brother's sleeping form. Zaria was always able to tell when the boy was sleeping. He was having a nightmare by the feeling of it. It was sorrowful but about what she couldn't see.

~~

Zoran made a sad, small whimper in his sleep. Ash glanced at the sleeping boy and sighed. "Nothing right now. Not until we're sure where Thomas is. And when we know, we'll kick things right into gear and help the idiot." Alyss blinked quietly from where she sat, Zanna padding around and around her trainer in a circle. She seemed concerned about something but was debating over it.

 

[Nideous]

Thomas

Thomas looked up at Brie. Surprisingly, he didn't even need to ask Melan what he meant. He kind of knew already.

"I'm glad the other patients are doing well. And yes, I'm fine. Just a little bored, as you said. Theo was here ealier. He plays a pretty deep game. Hm... I'm still playing catch up with him," Thomas said. He didn't feel ashamed to admit that he was in the dark somewhat with Theo. That fact would only make it better when he finally won. But there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it now.

Espore

"I am Espore... Though it feels you already know me... Or someone like me at any rate. Hm... Anyways, I'd best be getting back to my companions before they come looking for me. I'll see you around Zaria!" Espore said. She felt sad. And the was terror there, but it didn't feel like hers. Hm... Maybe she was psychically connected with someone? Well, she was a ghost. Ghosts are always bound to someone or something. Still, it wasn't his concern. He stood up and flicked his tail at her playfully before beginning to walk away.

"Oh, I would caution against following me any further than this. My companions have a powerful Aura user among them, and I'm standing at the edge of his range. Any more, and he would sense you. Just thought I'd let you know," Espore said as an after thought before making his way back to Trigger and the others.

Van

Van looked at Zoran with a concerned look on his face and shifted himself into a closer spot to the boy. He glared at the others, daring them to comment.

"Yeah, that's all well and good, but we're still two members un ancounted for. Esper and Winny are messing! We need to find them too!" Van said quietly after a moment. He looked at them. Esper he knew was able to take care of himself, assuming he even survived the flood. Winny... Not so much. And for a stalker, she was surprisingly nice. He wanted to find her. Granted, when he did, he'd wish he hadn't. But that was in the future.

 

[Roserade]

Enter Ven, Leader of the Poison Tribe. Enter Crystal, Princess of the

Ven.​

Simon hadn't been seen for days. The Gyms were getting worried, after all that commotion up in Venice. He had just gotten word of Simon when the new story had been printed. It described the storm as a "brief rain" and with "small floods". Obviously, something had been covered up. It was only then that he saw the boy slowly climbing towards his gym. The gym was located in the midst of the Madagascar Jungle, but somehow, the boy had managed. Ven noticed a look of confusion on his face as he stared into the depths of hus gym. To anyone but him, it would appear scary. A huge snake stretched from the entrance to the end, bone sticking up all around, and a hint of danger in the air. To Ven, a perfect smell. ​

"I want a battle." the boy cried. Ven's sharp observation skills were put into play. Scratched knees and uncut nails. He had been wandering his land for a while for only his territory had dirt of that silver color. Another look and his eyes widened. He had come from Venice. Out of the boy's left pocket a small pamphlet jutted out, Home of the Beautiful Waters, was typed neatly on the visible side. ​

Ven grabbed him, "What happened in Venice? What happened, truly?"​

"Venice? Venice..." the boy began to think, "I guess I don't remember that far back. I don't remember a few things." he shrugged, not seeming to identify the importance of his words. Ven kicked the dust as he pushed him away.​

"Fine, a battle, then." he whispered with his slight accent walking off his dry tongue. He led the boy to the main lobby where he took a seat and examined his bag. Six balls poured out, red on the top, white on the bottom. This boy had gone through a lot. The balls were rusted and dirty, the cracks so wide it looked as if it would crack any second. Next, the boy pulled out a small red computer. This was truly a sight to behold, he had never seen something like that before. Third, the boy pulled out three badges. Two, Ven recognized from other gyms. One, however, looked awfully strange. It was a fox, with slanted red eyes. Ven tossed out a Pokeball whih landed with a crash. Out came the poisonous Arbok who slithered 'round his back.​

"Ready?" the man asked.​

Clair​

Anywhere was better than here. Clair looked around at the confusing hallway before digging her face into her shirt. They had taken Arlanda to who knows where and here she was, wandering the strangest rooms she had ever been in. She had been transported twice to random locations. One, she recognized as Tokyo. But, the other, she had no idea. She hid the foxlike badge in her bag and continued forward. The cold hit her before she could run back into the warm tunnel. Then, she saw the face.

The girl was wrapped in a blue robe, matching that of ice. Clair knew exactly who she was. She was said to be the strongest of all the gyms. Crystal. Clair looked at her, happy to see some company before realizing two things. She was somewhere in Siberia and Crystal knew about the Black Tunnels.

"Welcome, to my sector of the Black Ones." she whispered, "You must be Clair, I've been expecting you. My friends have told me you would arrive soon."

"Your, friends?"

"Yes, the North Wind and the East Wind. Articuno seems to have gone, I'm afraid. Suicune seems to have vanished as well. Pity. Come, let us talk about warmer things, than danger."

Agatha

Two hours. Two whole hours with the C-RDM and she had still found her body stiff and broken. But, what could she do? At least she was well enough to return to her base and scout about for her next plan. Esper had been welcomed unto her side and Karen was out on some secret mission. Agatha had felt hurt, and a tad suspicious, when Karen kept things from her. But, what could she do? Spy on the girl? That was the best option. Her cold lips curved as she located Karen. Well, it seems Karen has spotted one of the CT's. Zoran, I believe.

Dust -er- Shauntal

She hung from the prison like one returning from the gallows. Head down and scared stiff. Her power would not help here at all. Not with the chains. She looked around and searched for any escape, but found there was none. She stared, in defeat, at the earth. The blue light under her went completely unnoticed. The aura sent off signals that she couldn't ignore for long. The Lucario looked at her.

It nodded to her as it broke one of the chains with an Aura beam.​

 

[Fuyu]

Brie


"The other patients want to meet you," Melan told him cheerily. "THey always want to meet their fellow morons strapped to a bed so don't take it personally." Brie glanced at her and away, unconcerned to what she was talking about. He predicted what she would say next. "Also dude, your Pokemon are a bunch of paranoid jerks. We try to explain why Brie can't fix your legs and they yelled at us."

"Worried..." Brie mumbled.

"I worry about you," she retorted. "And anyway, Thomas," she added, turning back to the bedridden male. "Do you think there's any way to convince them you're all right and to calm down. They want to send a message out but we don't have the leeway to just go and do it."

Zaria

Zaria looked down. "Wait..." she said softly. "Please don't leave me here... I can't go home yet... let me go with you... please..." She wasn't quite sure what she was doing but... she knew it was best to not leave this Pokemon alone.

~~

Ash sighed. "Then wake up the kid sleeping next to you and talk to Zaria on Esper. For Winny... you're the only one who can help there man. So not much we can really do on that." Alyss looked quietly between them, not sure what to say.

 

[Nideous]

Thomas

"Ah... I'm not sure... Short of seeing me with their own eyes, which I'm not sure is a good idea without Esper here to keep them from crawling all over me, I can't think of anything. And I bet when you said pretty much the same thing that it didn't go over well, did it? Hm...Razor is usually pretty level headed. She's also a good judge of character. When they all calm down tell her I said not to worry. That I'll be seeing her and the others as soon as my legs heal up. I'm really sorry to do this to you... Really. I know how difficult they can be," Thomas said. He really was genuinely sorry about this. He was surprised that they didn't come back with little bolts of lightning jumping off them. Still, his pokemon needed to calm down and recover themselves. Even if they were healed, the wounds they had suffered mentally and emotionally would not heal so easily.

Espore

"Skyhigh, I'm alright. Don't worry about me for the moment. I found something that I find rather interesting. Not particularly dangerous or useful, just interesting. I'll be out here. I'm leaving this channel open, so you can contact me if you need me. Ok?" Espore said to Leo through the reestablished link with him. He turned back to Zaria and sat down, his eyes twinkling. She was sad... Slightly protective... And a little afraid. He decided to humor her, as he was fairly interested in why this ghost had manifested here and was talking to him.

"I've told me comrads where I am. If they need me they will call. What is it that you require Zaria?" Espore said to her. He wondered if she would want to meet his companions. That would not be a good idea. She had already said she had somewhere to get back to as well. So why stay here? Unless something was wrong. Well, if there was he would try to help. That's what Devisers did, right?

Van

Van looked at Zoran a moment before settling himself down again. Why were they wanting him to do something about Winny? It's not like he knew where Trigger took her... No, that's not true. Trigger would have brought her to the highest ranking Deviser he could find. And that meant Garet, Merin, or Agatha. If any of them were still here. He knew Garet was here. He had fought him not too long ago. And he'd probably have to fight him again if he went after Winny.

"Nah... I'm going to rest and get my strength back a little more before rushing off after my crazed stalker. I'm actually a little glad to be away from her at the moment," Van said with a ruefull smile on his face.

 

[Fuyu]

Brie

"...Tried..." Brie said softly. He wouldn't have noticed being shocked or anything but he was quite sure Melan would have.

"They didn't really listen," Melan stated. "We'll talk to them later. I'm sure they'll notice the food eventually."

Brie almost nodded but then he paused. He could see people at the depths of Thomas' mind. A few he knew by sight but one stood out. "...Alyss..."

Melan whirled around. "Brie! Stop looking in people's minds!" She gave Thomas a look. "Sorry, he can't help it. He doesn't know the meaning of boundaries."

Zaria

"I..." she whispered, looking down at her feet and sitting. "I don't want to be alone... I can't go back now... they'll, he'll find me and find them... I can't... I can't let him know... But..." Zaria let herself tremble, let the transparent tears fall. "I'm scared to be by myself..." In truth she was more afraid of letting this spacey Pokemon alone with his companions, who she felt she knew. But she was afraid to go back. Theo had found them last time through her. It was likely because of that kid Gabriel, who had been with him. Though that child felt strange to her, very strange...

~~

Ash snorted. "Suit yourself then." She rested her hand over her eyes, glancing at Zoran. "Dang," she muttered. "He is out cold. Rare." ALyss heard her friend whimper again. She told herself to ignore it, listening to the wind in silence.

 

[Dawn]

Kai glanced back at Legend, just sort of looking at her with no visible communication going on. It was of course implied to Legend that she was being asked if she could handle it. Legend had been around enough to know that although she could attempt to delay the search it would disappoint Kai. ...Not that that stopped her. Heck no.

Legend (Torchic): "Maybe a quick bite to eat..?"

Kai seemed a bit surprised. She honestly hadn't expected that. She had been expecting Legend to rise to a potential challenge. After a moment she realized she had probably underestimated how much of an effect the day had had on the younger pokemon. Sometimes she simply forgot that she was the only one on this team who could just roll with such heavy punches and be ready for more. Kai looked back up to Garet. She supposed it was only eating. She would've been less willing to sleep, seeing as how that would've taken a lot more time. She figured she could bend on this, though.

Kai (Bulbasaur): "Yeah... That doesn't sound so bad..."

She seemed a bit hesitant, but she really couldn't help but be a bit anxious. The lives of her team were not something she could ever regain if she wasted too much time and it turned out they perished. It was sort of a really big deal to her. Despite this though, she remained reasonably calm. If it came to the worst, she felt satisfied that she was trying hard enough. Legend moved closer to Kai, and Kai seemed to be waiting to hear what Garet might have to say. That, or she was waiting for him to lead the way. Probably either.

 

[Nideous]

Thomas

Thomas looked at Brie with a level and calm expression. He was baffled. How had Brie slipped past his shielding without even being felt? The light began to stir at this, and he settled it back down. The last thing he wanted was to blow up the room.

"How did you do that? My mental shielding was at it's best... Well... And don't worry about it. I'm used to sharing my mind with one person or another... Just got a bit shocked, that's all," Thomas said slowly. He smiled at them both, waiting for an idea to come to him.

Espore

Espore was sad for her. He was projecting his feelings again and didn't even realise it. He looked at Zaria.

"I'll stay as long as you want... Don't be afraid... I'm here," Espore said soothingly, though he was still broadcasting his sadness. He wasn't meaning to. He didn't even know he was doing it. But... He was sad. And he wanted her to not be scared. He walked over and sat down next to her and began purring... Until a butterfly distracted him. He pounced on it... And missed. Silly thing. He chased it around, trying to catch it. But he never forgot about Zaria.

 

[Fuyu]

Brie

Melan would have grinned if she had a mouth. "Brie doesn't know what shields are. So he can't be blocked. As such he can't block either." Brie stared emptily at Thomas.

"...Alyss..." he seemed to press. He had seen her, an odd version of her anyway, in THomas' mind. He knew Alyss, he had woken Alyss. He saw Zoran too. He had helped him once. But Alyss was more important. She had only spoken to him or Theo for a long time. "...Alyss..."

Melan sighed. "You'd better tell him. He will not shut up about it until you do."

Zaria

Zaria almost smiled at the Espeon, almost. "He's going to find you," she whispered. "He's going to find you and kill you. He's going to kill my friends, my family. He's going to destroy all the hope left in this world. And I can't stop him. Not anymore. He... I'm scared."

 

[Nideous]

Thomas

Thomas sort of got a puzzled expression. There was more to it than that. Simply not know the existance of things didn't negate them. Just because he was not aware Thomas had shields didn't mean that they weren't there. So, there was simply more to it than that. He decided not to press the issue.

"Alyss? What about her? Do you know her or something?" Thomas asked. He thought the answer was probably yes. He would try not to give anything away, though he didn't know where Alyss was now. Or any of his friends. Or even how long he had been knocked out.

Espore

"Who!? Who is it Zaria?" Espore said, forgetting for a moment that humans simply did not understand his meowing. He shook his head when he realised this and tried again.

"Who? Who are you so frightened of? Perhaps I can do something, even if I'm not strong enough to fight him head on. Maybe there is something I can do, but you're got to tell me what is going on first before I can help you!" Espore said urgently. He shook his head. Maybe the RDM had a new enemy? He would have to let someone important know about this after he got some more information out of Zaria. And if she would not tell him, then... No, he didn't want to just rip the information from her mind, no matter how desperate he was. He was trying to help, and destroying her mind was certainly not helping, and he didn't have the delicate touch to be gentle. No matter what happened, he wasn't going to just take what he wanted from her.

 

[Fuyu]

Brie

"Alyss..." the boy mumbled with relief. "Alive...Alyss... alive..." He went very quiet, still mumbling incoherently.

"Alyss was one of his patients," Melan stated with a quiet nod. "She was his first when he got here. He was there when she woke up a few months ago. When she disappeared from the hospital, it worried him. We weren't told where she went or anything."

"Keep... safe..." Brie struggled a moment. "I...have to fix them...my patients...I have to keep them safe and well...it's my job..." he fell silent, having spoken too much.

Zaria

"Theo..." she said numbly. "he will use the cursed children, the humans, the Pokemon. He'll-" She froze suddenly and shook her head. "Theodore Ebony. He's been waiting, watching for his chance. And because of you, of those groups, he's gotten it. Everyone... is in chaos. The miracle is over, the dawn is dark. That's what he said. That's-" She fell silent, staring blankly ahead.She couldn't say anything else. Any further and- Even her thoughts cut off the punishment.

 

[Garet]

No berry for me, Leo thought grumpily. Why were they all just sitting around, anyways? The Lucario didn't pay too much attention to the Espeon when Espore left the group again; instead, he stood up, then walked over and grabbed the berry Espore had left. Leo then turned and walked over to toss the berry towards Kai and Legend. "You need it more," he said simply. "Now, Garet." Leo turned to the white Arcanine. "Personally, I don't see why the lot of us are just sitting here instead of doing something. Yes, I know you're gonna help these two-" Leo waved a paw at Kai and Legend. "-but we all need to at least eat something. I, at least, am going to go find food. The C-RDM can't be too far."

He paused as Espore relayed:
"Skyhigh, I'm alright. Don't worry about me for the moment. I found something that I find rather interesting. Not particularly dangerous or useful, just interesting. I'll be out here. I'm leaving this channel open, so you can contact me if you need me. Ok?"

If any other RDM member had said what Leo had just said, Garet would've had the urge to reprimand him or her. This was the partner he'd ended up with, though, and they'd had a friendship, of sorts, between them, which meant that Garet let Leo get away with some things and vice versa.
"Then you'll stay with Trigger, Espe- Espore, those two, and her," Garet replied, indicating Karib and Carrie, then the unconscious Winny. "If you all go together to find others with food, then fine with me. I'll see to these Mapmakers." Turning back to Kai and Legend, he asked, "Is that berry going to be enough, or do you need more food?"

"Finally," Carrie grumbled. "Something sensible to do." The Gabite pushed herself up until she was standing.
Karib stood up before he fell over and stretched his arms. He agreed, but the Sableye wasn't the type to vocally voice every opinion he had.

Leo turned his attention back to Espore, ready to relay that they were going. That was when he felt a chill going down his spine. He'd felt that same chill at least twice in recent days... Espore had said he'd found something interesting. The Lucario cautiously extended his Aura-sense to the area surrounding the Espeon, then felt the creepy chill again. That death-related Aura was with Espore.

Leo's Aura-sight had finally dropped back to normal; he switched to his normal eyesight. "I'm going to fetch Espore," Leo said briefly before turning and walking away from the group. What the Espeon had found was indeed...interesting.

 

[Nideous]

Thomas

Thomas smiled at Brie. He brought the memories of Alyss to the forefront of his mind.

"Yes, last I heard she is doing quite well. And it's a very good thing you are doing here Brie. I want to say thanks for getting me patched up and sticking with me. Heh, you two are pretty cool in my book!" Thomas said sincerely. He really was glad to have them here. They were good people.

Espore

"Theodore? Hm... Well, I don't know what he has planned, but if it is as bad as you say, then I think I should do something. And my companions will probably agree with me. We are a very strong group... And speaking of my companions, here comes one now!" Espore said to Zaria. He had sensed Leo making his way toward them. Great... Just what he needed right now. He had just earned the spirits trust. Now Leo was going to come along and frighten her... But Leo outranked him, if he remembered correctly, so he couldn't just tell Leo to step off.

"Leo Skyhigh, be careful how you deal with this girl... She's very... What's the word... Shaken. Be... A bit more gentle than I've seen you be. Please?" Espore said to Leo. He looked at Zaria to see her reaction to what he had told her.

 

[Fuyu]

Brie

Brie didn't smile or react much. He just did his best at his job. It was all he was good at. He nodded at Thomas, reading the memories in silence. Brie shook his head. He couldn't smile at the sight. She was still an interesting girl. As long as she was alive, he didn't have to worry. He sat in the nearby chair, head against the wall.

Melan seemed to grin. "He means to tell ya no problem kid," she said cheerfully. "Now, question, would ya like to get wheeled around and meet some people? We got a couple hours yet until curfew and you look bored out of your mind." THe Lampent floated up and swung herself on the ceiling, looking slightly amused.

Zaria

Zaria was torn between laughter, tears, and fear. Let the RDM sort out Theo? Oh that woud play right into his hands. She settled for shivering, staring in the direction Espore's companion was coming from. She could sense anger, mostly. "Scared...." she muttered the word half-heartedly and worriedly. She wasnt sure what to tell Espore? What could he do? She was afraid to find out, very afraid.