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Rae Guns rolled 6 10-sided dice:
10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 3
Total: 41 (6-60)
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 Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2015 8:29 pm
Cimm A-Nuna B-Mana Kennick
Team Moonlighter
Nuna wasn't one to hide her glares. She openly did so to anyone who she found to be a reasonable target for them. What wasn't common was for the usually annoyingly clueless, rather upbeat Aron to find someone worthy of a glare. Cimmerian and Kennick had turned out to be exceptions to this expression. But it was very odd for the silvery Pokémon to be glaring hard at the timid ghost on their team. Which was what Nuna was currently doing. Her bright blue orbs were boring icy holes into Mana's gaseous form, and the ghost did its best to ignore it as it listened to its Captain, who had drawn the apparition close with a flick of his tail.
"Kennick and I are splitting up from you and Nuna. Pay attention to the psychic pulses and meet back here between every third and fourth pulse." He mentioned in a deadpan tone of authority as his flickering tail motioned around the main camp. They were simple enough orders to follow, but the spirit had to wonder why they were pairing off in this manner. It wasn't hard to guess after taking a second thought. Nuna was boisterous and hard to contain, a wild card that pulled the most unexpected moves. Mana, in stark contrast, followed orders regularly, even if the ghost disobeyed every once in a while, and was calm for the most part. If the Aron had to be paired with either the Luxio or the Shelgon, there would likely be complications. The Gastly's theory was proven correct when Cimm gave his next order, "Try your best to keep her out of trouble. But since that's pretty much impossible, just make sure she doesn't make things worse at the very least."
Mana nodded its only appendage before Cimm let out a satisfied huff through his nose and turned to Kennick, who was waiting at the edge of the dark jungle with a bored expression. The light tied around his large form made what shadows escaped his light seem even darker. Cimm refused to wear one since his night vision was extraordinary, and likewise Mana's not-so-solid form didn't allow the ghost to wear a light. Though it didn't really bother the Gastly to travel in the dark. But besides the assured confidence, or rather, complete lack of concern in Cimm and Kennick's demeanor as they turned to stalk out into the depths of the Mystifying Jungle, Mana had a sickening dread that things were going to get very tough, very soon.
---
Nuna also eyed the two as they turned and stalked quickly out of sight into the thick tangle of bush. Her cold glare flickered back up to where Mana was floating. An undesirable emotion welled up in the little Aron's chest. She couldn't quite place the exact feeling, but it felt like a mix between anger, contempt, and indignation. Betrayal, perhaps? No, that didn't quite fit the bill. But it sure was close. Whatever it was, it flared up when they had first arrived, after the Aron had seen Cimm call over Mana and begin talking to the androgynous creature in a hushed manner. The thoughts about the mysteriously bitter emotions stirring inside her chest were pushed aside when the purple orb of gases floated directly into the light of the headlamp Nuna was wearing. The white light didn't case a shadow were Mana was floating, eerily enough, but Nuna hardly paid it any mind.
"So, what's the plan?" Her tone was uncharacteristically void of emotion, angry, excited, or otherwise. Mana seemed to notice this, as a frown overcame its thin mouth. But the ghost recovered quickly and hummed a short note.
"Cimm wants us to stick together and meet back here after every three pulses." The spirit's faraway sounding voice came out quietly and calmly. It irritated Nuna just to hear it. This only gave cause for further confusion on the Aron's part, as she had actually come to enjoy Mana's company. What was it about the ghost that just bothered her so much today?
"Oh, really? Is that it? I thought it was going to be some confidential information that couldn't even be shared with the Team's Co-Captain. Ah. There it was. Nuna recognized the emotion now. It was one she felt whenever she saw shiny jewelry adorning the spoiled wives of rich Pokémon, except much stronger. Jealousy. But why would she be jealous of a floating lump of gas? Wait... hadn't she just said out loud why she was?
Nuna blinked when she realized Mana hadn't spoken for a couple of minutes of just standing there. The ghost was looking awfully bashful and ashamed, eyes glued to the ground in a forlorn manner. The guilt that welled up only put kerosene on the heated flames of irritation in Nuna's swirling bonfire of emotions. She huffed and grunted. "Alright. We'll show them. Let's go already!" Nuna wasn't sure what she was talking about herself, but it sounded confident and totally not like she was about to start throwing a fit. Totally. So with that, the little creature spun on its back leg and marched off into the jungle.
---
Mana couldn't help but to feel bad after Nuna's reaction. The ghost hadn't thought about it before, but now that it thought about how much more common it was for Cimmerian to rely on Mana, a recruited member, rather than Nuna, and assigned vice leader to the group, it was a pretty good reason to get angry. Mana felt privileged just to be relied on the little bit that it was by Cimm. The spirit knew it would be devastated if the Luxio suddenly had no need for it. In that way, the Gastly could empathize with Nuna's probable feelings. Though Mana never thought it would see the insecure light in the self-confident little rock and steel Pokémon's eyes, it didn't blame her. The purple ghost made a mental note to somehow let Nuna know that she was much better than anything the spirit could ever hope to be. Now was not the time or the place to put such thoughts into words.
Now they had to focus. And focus they did. It was the quietest Mana had ever witnessed Nuna. The shiny silver female trekked through the dense undergrowth of vines and roots, making a trail of sorts behind her as she snapped and pushed aside many of the weaker plants that got in her way. Mana had to wonder if the Aron was actually being serious about the mission, or if it was simply brooding in a childish manner of stubborn silence. Knowing the Pokémon's personality led Mana to assume the latter.
It wasn't long until the first pule went off and they adjusted their course so that they wouldn't be straying to terribly far on their first excursion out. And soon after that even, they heard harsh sniffling. Moving towards the source of the noise, the duo eventually reached an area that was a bit more clear of undergrowth than their path up to this point had been. There, slumped against the thick trunk of a particularly tall tropical tree, lay a wheezing form.
Mana instantly went to it, something aching in the depths of its soul at the sight of the weakened creature. The ghost had reached the prone Pokémon first, and Nuna's light was still a bit far back, but from what light did shine on the Pokémon, Mana could see it was a small Nuzleaf. The grass type's breaths were coming out with rattling wheezes, and its hands were constantly rubbing under its long nose, where the loud sniffling was emanating from. Tears were evident on the woody cheeks of the creature, and in its glazed eyes as it looked up at Mana blearily.
"You're going to be okay. We're taking you to a safe place." Mana had never used the comforting tone it was using now, and yet it felt so familiar to speak in such a fashion. It was as if it was second nature to comfort and sooth. New or not at this, it seemed to work wonders s the Nuzleaf soon began shedding more tears in its relief.
"N-n-not gonna-na... I c-can't get ou-out!" The tone was feminine and the desperate tone was evident. Mana managed a smile as it came lower to give further comfort. The ghost cursed itself for its inconvenient form, wishing suddenly to be strong enough to evolve and take on a more useful body. One that had arms to comfort and legs to carry the ill Pokémon out of the dreaded situation
"Don't worry. That's what we are here for." Mana softly spoke, wondering absently why Nuna wasn't here already. As if to answer the unspoken question, the light that had steadily been growing brighter was suddenly snuffed out. This gave cause for Mana to jolt and spin around. Too add to the ghost's anxiousness, the second pulse was given out and further confused matters since Mana was trying to understand what had happened to its friend. The psychic pulse that was supposed to have helped had only hindered the ghost's ability to comprehend what was happening. Fear rose in a torrent as the darkness consumed the area around them. The small Nuzleaf's panicked cry and heavier breathing only added more frantic concern to the Gastly's nearly fried emotions.
Soon they were relieved, though, as the light suddenly returned from the left, where a gasping Nuna suddenly burst through the bushed. Mana was about to ask what had happened, when a shadowy figure leaped out at Nuna from the trail she had just made. The figure landed in front of the Aron, the light from Nuna's headlamp illuminating the figure of a tense looking Sneasel.
"Wh-what's going on?" Mana's concerned and confused call was drowned out by Nuna's battle cry. The smaller Pokémon suddenly rushed forwards, and somehow caught the ice and dark type off guard just long enough to bash into it with her skull. The Sneasel let out a pained yelp as it clumsily leaped away. Its narrowed eyes suddenly caught sight of Mana and the Nuzleaf as it did so. The ghost thought it heard a disappointed tisking sound coming from it before the Pokémon leaped backwards into the shadowed surroundings in retreat.
"Oh no you don't!" Nuna's rage filled roar sounded off as she started forwards. Mana reacted quickly, putting itself in the Aron's path. Nuna skid to a halt and glared harshly at the spirit. Mana kne it had to get a word in before the stubborn and wild Pokémon seized the opportunity to take off again.
"N-Nuna, no! Please, I need your hep." The Aron seemed to pause at this, and Mana took a chance by floating away from the feisty girl, over to where the now sobbing Nuzleaf was. "Please. W-we need to get her back, an I can't d-do this on my own..." The admission was hard, but true. If the Nuzleaf suddenly collapsed on the way back, Mana would have to go and fetch help to transport the ill Pokémon back to the camp, and if left on its own, who know where the disoriented Pokémon could wind up? Nuna was looking at the two closely, eyes very slim. Then te tension was let up as Nuna nodded.
"Alright. But the next time that guy comes around, he's gettin' it, for sure!" Nuna responded adamantly with a stomp of her foot. Mana nodded in relief, glad to have curbed the irrational little Pokémon's outburst for the time being. Nuna quickly came over and allowed the sickly Nuzleaf to lay a hand on its armor in order to lead the Pokémon back to the camp via the beaten down path they had formed on their way in. All the while Mana whispered comforting words to the frightened girl who was struggling for every intake of air. By the time they actually reached the camp, the third pulse had long since gone off and they were nearing the end of the agreed upon tome for the rendezvous.
After escorting the ill girl to the proper aides, Mana set its sights to the surrounding camp. It looked for signs of the other two members of the team. Finding none caused concern to once again take precedence in the Gastly's mind. Fearing the worst, Mana located the proper authorities immediately and informed them of Nuna's attack as well as the missing duo. The fourth pulse came and went without so much as a rumor of the cat and dragon ever coming back into the safety of the camp.
"Oh, don't worry so much." Nuna had huffed nonchalantly when Mana voiced its concerns to her. "You know Cimm. He probably got sick of waiting for us since we were so close to the deadline. They're probably already out there, looking again. By the time we circle around again, they'll be here."
And so, on Nuna's orders, they circled around again. They didn't find any sick Pokémon this time, and before they could even reach the camp, an out of beat, intense signal of psychic energy reached them. One that clearly warned of danger. Apparently they had not been the only ones to run into trouble. Mana slowly turned to Nuna from where it had been searching out a dark place in the tangled pants. The Aron's eyes were wide open, but filled with determination and a rather excited light that filled Mana with knowing dread. The blue irises were halfway covered as Nuna smiled under her mask.
"I bet they've got themselves in a mess."
"M-maybe we should go look for them? That pulse was let out for good reason..." Mana tried to reason quickly before its current authority could decide to do what it knew she was going to do. Unfortunately, Nuna was never very good at listening.
"Nah! They'll be fine. Plus, they wouldn't come for me! Let's just keep going. They'll probably turn up later." Mana couldn't muster up the audacity to mention that Cimm, in fact, already had gone looking for her on a separate occasion. Of course, they had actually known that Nuna had been in danger. But now, they had no clue what was happening with their teammates. So instead of arguing, Mana quietly nodded and continued to follow the 'leader'. _________
C-Bahadur D-Herbert E-Byron
Team FortuitousWhen the three companions arrived at the scene, Byron was filled with immediate concern. First of all, the situation only became more clearly dire to him when he saw how tightly compacted all of the plants in the jungle were. He supposed it wouldn't really be a jungle if there was less growth, but it still surprised him at how crowded the trees seemed to be against one another. It didn't help that the nearly extinguished light of the sun was casting eerie shadows and playing tricks on his mind. The dark places only seemed to make the Mytifying Jungle more menacing to him. That was probably the second reason he was concerned. Third was that he understood just how easy it would be to get lost in this place. He was glad to have the small headlamp that shone brightly out before him, but he knew that those lost and sick in the depths of the jungle would not have the comfort of light. They were probably distraught, confused, and in pain. Byron's little Gligar heart ached with compassion for the group they were going to be looking for.
Even though he was moved to help them, he was still nervous and hesitant to actually enter the jungle when his Captain and Co-captain decided to split up. Bahadur kindly invited the winged Pokemon to join him while explaining that since Herbert was more attuned to the psychic pulses and thus less likely to get lost than they, he could make better time going on his own. Byron was glad to stick with his Captain for more than one reason. Not only was his leader kind and clever, he had helped him immensely by solving his father's case. Byron felt his heart clench at the thought of his father's crimes and tried hard to shake the emotions off. He could start anew thanks to the Dunsparce. He knew he would go far and change himself if he stuck to the noble normal type. He had to.
"Are you okay back there?" Bahadur's ever concerned and calm voice drew the Gligar out of his thoughts as they were searching through the labyrinth of undergrowth. He looked down towards the lamp strapped around Bahadur's waist. The Dunsparce paused in its slithering to look up at him when Byron hesitated to answer. "You seem awfully quiet. Coin for your thoughts?"
Byron sighed as he flapped his wings to stop his forward momentum and hover in place, "I-I'm fine. This whole situation is just worrying me a bit. Are y-you sure it was an okay idea to split up?" He watched as an immediate smile of reassurance came over the Dunsparce's features.
"Herbert will be fine on his own. I'm sure you've noticed that he's not one for conversation, but I have faith that he can handle himself." Was Bahadur's answer. Byron nodded slightly as he thought of the silent Bronzor with the dead stare that it constantly wore. He knew almost nothing about the steel and psychic type aside from its name, and that it never spoke. Though his Captain said he had faith in Herbert, Byron doubted that the Dunsparce knew much more about him than he himself knew.
"O-okay... Was the stuttering acceptance of the explanation that Byron gave instead of voicing his thoughts. Bahadur smiled and nodded, satisfied with this and after a moment of looking further at the Gligar in silence, turning to continue their search. It was a good thing they did. After a few timed pulses of psychic energy, the duo stumbled suddenly upon another duo. The difference between them was the fact that Byron and Bahadur were actually healthy, and not nearly identical to each other.
"H-help us..."
"P-please!"
The Plusle finished the Minun's sentence. Unlike most of their species, the two had the same grey tone of fur and their eye color was the same. The only difference between them was their markings. The rodents were hugging one another tightly against a thick patch of vines, shivering as their equally glazed beady gazes stared into the lights of their saviors. Once again Byron felt his heart go out to these sick Pokémon. They seemed to be so frightened and vulnerable. He was surprised they hadn't been attacked by any predators of the night.
"We will, don't worry. We're from the Guild of Eclipse in search of your group. Those pulses are being sent out to guide us back to where you can get help." Bahadur explained slowly as he approached the pair, not getting too close as they both began hacking out their lungs at the exact same time. Once they had gotten over their coughing fits and were left with rattling pants, Bahadur continued on, "Let's get you two out of here. Do you think you can walk on your own? The two nodded in reply, slowly helping each other to stand. The Minun wobbled on its legs for a moment, but the Plusle managed to hold it up, grunting with exertion that it really shouldn't have had to use on its little partner.
"W-we c-.... can w-w-"
"Walk. Thank..."
"You."
Bahadur nodded as he looked up warily at Byron. The Gligar gave his own concerned expression in reply. The electric rats didn't seem too convincing to him. But it was good that they could at least do this much. He didn't want to come into contact with anyone who was sick directly unless he had to. Who knew if this illness was contagious?
"Byron, if you would please lead the way..." Bahadur trailed off as a peculiar pulse reached them. It was odd how a wave of energy could carry a message. But Byron was glad it could, because he'd rather have been warned of the danger in the area rather than continue on blindly as they had been. His fretful gaze fell on Bahadur, who's eyes had narrowed so much that they looked like they were closed. "And we had better hurry. That doesn't seem like a good thing."
Byron quickly nodded as he turned and oriented himself n the direction of the camp. They were in for a long, tense, and slow journey back to safety.
---
At the same time, Herbert had just gotten the message from his position just a bit deeper into the jungle as his other team mates. He was not at all fond of the psychic waves that bombarded his sensitive awareness of such energies. That was why a nearly unnoticeable cringe went through him as the message of danger was relayed. It wasn't painful to receive such pulses, just disruptive. And it was because of this disruptive distraction that Herbert had let his guard down just enough for an unknown pursuer to land a hit on him.
Suddenly the steel faced Pokémon found himself flat on his back instead of hovering off the ground. On his face side two strong paws were holding him down, glinting white fangs grinning in his face silently. Herbert knew he was in trouble. He couldn't get a good look at his attacker as the light that had been secured to him had been knocked away by said mystery Pokémon. What he could see, though, were the bright yellow eyes glaring down at him. That was all he needed.
Herbert's own blank stare started to swirl as he gazed at his captor. The Pokémon above him faltered in its expression as he began emitting soft, lulling psychic waves towards the quadruped on him. Suddenly the Pokémon blinked and did not open its eyes again, shadowed form going lax as it keeled over sideways and landing on the jungle's floor. Soft snores wee coming from it even before Herbert had managed to lift himself back above the ground. Using a bit of telekenisis, the lamp was replaced to its original position and shined down on the silhouette. The form turned out to be a rather lithe, female Mightyena. Herbert debated momentarily what he should do with the criminal, who was obviously part of the reason the warning signal had been sent out in the first place.
He could take her back to the proper authorities, but he strongly doubted that this one Pokémon was the source of all their problems. The sick Pokémon he was on the look out for could be in more danger the longer he left them alone. On the other non-existent hand, he couldn't just leave the Mightyena alone. She would wake up eventually as his Hypnosis wore off and just go after another victim.
Mind made, Herbert guided some nearby vines with his psychic energy to tie up and gag his attacker before turning to look further in the jungle for those in need.
_________ "We will stay within hearing distance of each other. Call me if you find one of the sick." That was the last thing Tik's new Team Leader had mentioned before he had lost track of her. He was currently fluttering in a panic through the dark jungle they had suddenly been teleported to. The small lamplight dangling from his neck did little more than cause needless jumpiness on his part from the shifting shadows it cast. He wouldn't have been so frantic in his searching for Lin if not for the ominous warning pulse that had come out of rhythm to his awareness. He had called and called for her, his voice little more than a squeaking chirp in the dense gathering of trees. He hadn't gotten a chance to know the Mienfoo really, they hadn't even had a decent conversation, but he got the feeling something was off with her from the norm and it only increased his worry to know she was out in the dark jungle on her own with dangers potentially lurking around every corner.
"Lin!" He tweeted desperately once again, beginning to fear the worst. Two things caused him to stop his frenzied panic. The first was the orienting pulse of energy that came from the direction of the camp. It somehow made him wonder if his Captain had head back. The second was a weak voice. He might not even had heard it if he hadn't been brought back to the present by the pulse. "H-hello? Is someone there?"
His voice echoed through his own head as he was met with the eerie and hardly natural silence of the jungle that was supposed to be filled with living things. The Fletchling thought he may have just imagined the sound and was about to fall back into his worry when the sound came again, just barely clearer than last time.
"....elp..."
This time he was able to pinpoint the direction the painfully weak voice was coming from. His hearing, after all, was sensitive since he was an avian creature. His wings flapped a few times and tilted in the direction of the noise. He swerved around a couple of trees before a light wheezing sound reached his ears. He stopped in midair when he realized he was right over the source of the sounds. His dark eyes filed with confusion as he glanced around at where the light from his tiny lamp lit the jungle's floor. Various plants and flowers of different size, species, and color littered this particular area, making it hard at first to notice what was making the dreadful sounds.
It wasn't a movement that caused him to identify the prone form of the Flabebe, but the painfully wrong coloring and shape of the fairy type. The poor thing was clinging weakly to its flower, of which was wilted and dry looking in comparison to the lush foliage around it. A horrible squeaking sound came alongside the pained breaths of the fairy, and its head was lying limp against the ground. Beside it lay a small puddle of something foul looking that Tik assumed to have previously been in the stomach of the Flabebe.
"...ep.... ost...." The little Pokémon was obviously unaware of Tik's presence as it tried to call out again. Its words trailed off into a garbled mess as it tried to cough but ended up pitifully giving hard wheezes instead. Tik gulped as he alighted onto the ground beside the poor being. This was not good. And even though the bird didn't want to have to touch the ill Pokémon, who may or may not be contagious, he also realized that this fairy had little time left. Even as he hesitated briefly he could see the light continually fading from its eyes as it stared catatonically at nothing. Giving a determined nod, he flapped his wings in order to hover above the smaller Pokémon and gently maneuvered to take both it and its flower in the grasp of his talons. He was very glad that he had encounter one of the few Pokémon smaller than he was. Otherwise this situation may have turned out a lot worse than it already was.
"Don't worry, I'll get you the help you need." He commented a lot more confidently than he felt to the Flabebe he was almost certain couldn't hear him as he took to the wind yet again and sped as fast as he could back towards the camp without compromising his hold on his rescue. As he neared the camp, he couldn't help but to wonder if Lin was okay, or if she had run into something like he had and was just having troubles. He honestly hoped it was such a thing, no matter how awful it would be, rather than something worse... ((Finnallllly done. But there was no screeching, darnit!))
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 4:30 pm
Serrin, Rescue Leader
It was a good sign but it did little to ease the troublesome nature of what was going on. The kidnappings would continue and there was nothing that Serrin could do about it; withdrawing from the jungle meant leaving the ill to die. There wasn't the time or the people to comb the jungle for the missing. The guild would simply have to trust that the members within the jungle would do what had to be done; no more and no less.
The only thing that changed at all was that, on the exterior of the jungle, guild staff had arrived in an effort to provide care for the sick.
Perhaps what was so very worrisome about this was the masks and gloves that they wore.
But they were still out there, still lost in the jungle. Was there really a choice?[Rules!] Some have been lost to the kidnappers in the jungle...
More may be lost still.
The rules for rolls are the same as the previous round.
Maybe your characters will fare a bit better this round...
Or perhaps a bit worse.
They'll be out there, somewhere in the jungle, god knows where.
But remember...
Someone needs to save the sick.
Do you trust your friends or do you abandon your duty?
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Barkchewer rolled 6 10-sided dice:
9, 8, 3, 6, 9, 3
Total: 38 (6-60)
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 4:41 pm
Team CatalystMembers Present: Keivera (A - 7), Arlyn (B - 4), & Kent (C - 10)   After rescuing the Poochyena, Arlyn paused for a moment to look up at the moon. His thoughts weren't on the rescue. Instead, he thought about Keivera. He knew that Kent was right and that she would want them to focus on the mission, but he worried. Keivera was his best friend and she'd always been there for him. Despite knowing what she would wish, he still felt like he was betraying her by not doing anything. That feeling of guilt, outweighed his other emotions right now.
Wiping away the rest of his tears, his face turned into one that mostly resembled anger. Making himself mad was the only way he'd be able to get though this. "They have Keivera. How dare they attack her! They'll pay! I'll hunt them down! I'll show them!" He repeated this over and over in his head, working himself up. Then, without a word to anyone, he ran back into the jungle in the direction that he had heard her screaming earlier. Arceus help anyone who stood in his way. He was going to find Keivera and whoever had attacked her. They would be sorry they had ever considered attacking her when he was done.Meanwhile, Kent had a more difficult time guiding the Vigoroth he had found back to camp. By the time he reached where the guild employees were tending to the sick, Arlyn had already left. And Kent was none the wiser.
He looked out over the guild employees as one approached him to take the Vigoroth off his hands. He was alarmed to see that they were wearing masks and gloves. He thought Serrin had said they suspected poisoning by way of their drinking water. The masks and gloves were indicative of something far worse. Then again, perhaps this was merely a precautionary step that was being taken since it was hard to say for certain. At least, he hoped it was merely precautionary. If it wasn't, he hated to think what would happen to all the guild members out there helping the sick. What was originally a rescue mission would spiral out of control and the rescuers would in turn need saving themselves.
With a shake of his head, he cleared his thoughts. It did no good to dwell on such things. Right now, there were far too many pokemon still in need of rescue for him to concern himself with hypothetical consequences. He just hoped Serrin wasn't wrong about the water.
Without another thought, he turned around and headed back into the depths of the jungle. He let his nose guide him as he looked for more of the ill. It wasn't long before he found the trail of someone. Within just a few minutes, he was able to track them down. The ill traveler before him was a young looking Bidoof, small in stature. Overall the little guy looked in pretty good shape compared to those he had seen in the care of the guild employees just moments before. Slowly, he approached the youngster."Hey little one. I'm here with the Eclipse Guild. We came to get you all out of here safely. How sturdy are your feet?"The small Bidoof looked at Kent curiously, squinting his eyes against the light of the lantern. The light made it hard for the youngster to see Kent however his posture indicated he was at ease despite the situation. "I can stand...I think..."Kent nodded and moved to the youngster's side. "Lean on me if you need any support," he said, trying to reassure him.The Bidoof looked at him wearily as he got to his feet. "I'm a little dizzy mister..."Kent could feel the heat radiating off the child. He was likely running a temperature and it would need to come down soon before it caused any permanent damage. "Don't worry, I got ya. Let's get you to the workers who're here to help care for you," he replied as he steadied the small being, slowly starting to head back in the direction of the psychic pulses.[[End of Post: Keivera, Arlyn, & Kent]] Team VerrucktMembers Present: Viper (D - 8.) & Mortimer (E - 3)  Mortimer had heard the screams as other guild members were nabbed. Their cries echoed in his head. He did not like leaving them to whatever fate awaited for them in the darkness of the jungle night and whatever the kidnappers had in store for them. However, his duty to the sick came first. It was a hard choice, but his instincts had taken hold. Those of his kind were known for taking care of the sick members in their pack. And while these travelers may not be members of "his pack," they were still ill; this struck a chord in the deepest fibers of his being.
Within the depths of the jungle, it was extremely dark now. What sunlight was left - if there was any left - couldn't even begin to penetrate the dense clustering of trees, vines, shrubs, and the various other forms of flora that thrived within the confines of the jungle. Because of this, progress was now very slow. Tedious as it might be, he had to move slow in order to focus in on everything that was around him.
As he proceeded through the darkness, the only distinct sounds he heard was his own footsteps and the occasional rustling of leaves overhead. He wasn't entirely sure, but he didn't believe the movement in the treetops overhead were because of a breeze; he believed he was being followed by something. Knowing that there had already been many kidnappings and violent attacks already this evening only added to his feeling of dread, lending credit to his assumption. When the sound stopped, he knew there the attack had begun.
Without glancing behind him to see what might be there, he ran. His progress was impeded by the vines and tree roots that wove an intricate tangled web on the jungle floor. As he leaped across a cluster of roots, he was caught in midair by large sharp talons. His air was knocked out of him from the force of the impact. Glancing up, he was greeted with a medium frame body that was cream and brown in color and a head that sported long red crest feathers - a Pidgeotto. Morty wasn't going to make this easy for his attacker though. Opening his mouth wide, he let lose his Ember attack and aimed directly up at his attacker's head.
The Pidgeotto let out a screech of surprise as the flames hit it near its eyes. The pain was enough to make it let go of Morty.
As he fell, he braced for impact, but it did little to minimize the damage. The jungle floor was hard and only had a light covering of dead leaves and moss for cushioning. When he landed, he did so on his side with his left hind leg taking the brunt of it. He let out a yelp of pain; his leg was badly injured. He wouldn't be able to run from his attacker. He was going to have to stand and fight.
As he got to his paws, he turned his gaze to the treetops. The Pidgeotto was coming around for another attack, and it looked pissed. His previous attack had seared feathers on the right side of its face. As it drew closer, it began flapping its wings vigorously, producing a small swirling twister, which it launched at him. Morty jumped as best he could with his injured, barely able to dodge the Gust. This was enough to create an opening for the Pidgeotto to move in with a Quick Attack, striking him solidly in the side.
The blow hurt, but he reacted with instinct, turning his head and letting out a terrifying roar. With a stroke of luck, it found its mark, blowing the Pidgeotto back against a tree. Before it could take to the sky again, he shot another ember at its chest, damaging more of its feathers, and leaving it with a burn.
With a squawk it took back to the sky, retreating. Morty didn't think it would be back. If it damaged any more of its feathers it probably wouldn't be able to fly.
Unable to really do much else, Mortimer slowly made his way back to the base camp. With his limp, it would be a very slow trip.[[End of Post: Viper & Mortimer]] Team ForgeMember: Murdock (F - 4) With his previous attacker well out of sight, Murdock slowed down his pace. He didn't like the Rampardos getting away, but there was nothing he could do about it. So, he returned to the search.
It wasn't long till he came across a very weak, disoriented pikachu. He could barely stand. The illness had taken a strong hold on this one.
Murdock approached the Pikachu, calling out as he did so. "Hello. Name's Murdock. I'm on orders to bring you back to base camp because a friend of yours made it to the guild and requested aid. They said you all were pretty sick."The Pikachu lifted its head weakly. His voice was so low, Murdock couldn't make out what he was saying. "It's okay. You don't have to talk. Let's get you back to base camp. If you have friends in this area, don't worry. We'll get them. Think you can climb on my back? I can carry you if you can."The Pikachu simply lifted a paw in response, which Murdock took as an indication that the sick mouse was okay with being carried. Easing himself down next to the frail pokemon, Murdock nudged him with his head, propping him up slightly. This was enough to allow the Pikachu to climb up behind his head, between his head plate and the first back plate. It wasn't the most comfortable way to travel, but at least the Pikachu wouldn't have to walk.
So, with the ill pokemon in tow, Murdock headed back toward the guild employees where the Pikachu could get treatment.[[End of Post: Murdock]]
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DreamerDarkRequim rolled 2 10-sided dice:
10, 8
Total: 18 (2-20)
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 8:51 pm
 
Hanae and Bryant
Hanae fluttered along, trying to ignore the cool breeze. Honestly, why couldn't they be faster? Bryant was slowing her down--she needed to stop thinking like that. Their leaders had explicitly said that their partners were with them from the start to the end. How can she run her team if she thought Bryant useless or that he was slowing her down? Apparently she had been thinking quite hard about this as Bryant said, "H-hanae...? Are you alright?" The question shook her out of her thoughts.
"Yes, I'm fine." She replied as she hovered down to Bryant's eye level. "I'm just distracted with thinking about the next rescue. Do you know which way that plusle point to or did they just imply it was beyond that rocky outcropping?"
The swadloon closed his eyes as they moved through the underbrush. "I-I think they implied it...? Ah, there's the first string shot..." Hanae blinked and eyed the threads of Bryant's string shot that hung from a branch above their heads. She couldn't remember him doing that but at the time she'd been busy keep their path lit and the ill pokemon steady. Regardless this was a clear way to lead them back to where they had found the minun and plusle from earlier. After that it would be a straight shot to where ever the other pokemon the plusle had mentioned were.
She hummed. "So you left a trail for us? That was quick thinking, Bryant. I wouldn't have even thought of that..." Bryant blushed a light shade of green at the praised. She stifled a smile in response. Why did he blush green anyway? Did she do that too? Hanae had never seen herself when she blushed so she had no idea...
The time it took to get to the rocky outcropping was, at Hanae's estimate, about fifteen minutes. They had made good time in her opinion. Along the way she had cleared out their path so as to not lead any predators--or as Bryant kept saying kidnappers--along their trail. Thankfully she had yet to hear the sounds of any of the late night predators Serrin had talked about. Bryant on the other hand seemed to be vibrating out of nerves. Understandable as he he had always come off as a nervous pokemon to Hanae but it didn't make this any easier. What if that was what attracted others to them...?
A sound ahead of them shook her out of her thoughts and she realized they had long since left the rocky outcropping behind. Looking at the undergrowth proved that there had a scuffle recently and she narrowed her eyes. No signs of any injuries thankfully but it seemed that whoever had fought here would be weakened. She hoped it wasn't any of the ill pokemon they'd come to rescue from the forest depths. The torn and ruffled underbrush seemed to confirm Bryant's worst fear, however, judging by how he was shuttering. "Come on Bryant, we need to keep moving." The petilil murmured and her voice seemed to bring him back to reality.
"R-right. Sorry..."
Hanae muttered a soft 'it's alright' before the duo finally spotted the source of the sound from earlier. It was a mankey who seemed to be treating a pidove's wing. Said pidove's feathers were puffed out and its eyes were bloodshot. Every now and again it would make a strange barking tweet sound and Hanae realized that it was coughing. Sick, she noted. Meanwhile the mankey seemed mostly healthy, besides a few coughs here and there. As soon as it heard them arriving it stopped treating the wing and spun on them with an angry glare. "Who are you?!" It demanded as it fell into a defensive pose. It was clearly ready to fight if it came down to it. "If you're one of those guys from before, I've already told you I'm not going down without a fight--!"
Bryant was clearly distressed by this and was trying to stutter out that they were from the Guildof the Eclipse. After his third try and the mankey's slowly tightening battle pose Hanae intervened. "As Bryant has been trying to tell you, we're from the Guild of the Eclipse. We were sent out here to try and gather as many ill pokemon as possible and return them to the camp--"
"Liars!" The Pidove choked out. "That's...what they...said too..."
Aright so someone was pretending to be them then? That...made her blood boil. Somehow Bryant understood the look on her face on managed to speak up without stuttering, "Whoever you're talking about, we're not them. A plusle and minun mentioned that there were more pokemon in this direction earlier so we came back..."
"Came back?" The mankey asked. "Came back from kidnapping them you mean!"
Hanae groaned lightly. "No! We came back after they voluntarily came with us back to the camp. Look--we don't have much time. At some point the predators are going to come out and they're going to come after all the ill pokemon. We may be newbies to this rescuing thing but I'm fairly sure that making sure pokemon don't die is part of out job!" This all came out in a passionate rush and made the mankey pause. Whether it was because of how earnest she was or just that it was sick of sitting around and watching the pidove get worse she didn't know. At least they were coming and that was all that mattered.
The swadloon at her side scooted forward slightly. "D-do you think you can c-carry the pidove? We're s-still at one hundred p-percent so we c-can fight when necessary..."
Or I could just toss sleep powder at them until they stayed asleep to the end of the century was Hanae's private thought. Of course she didn't voice it as her comments often seemed to get her in trouble. Seeing as they had just managed to convince these two to come with them she didn't want to jeopardize that with said trouble making comments.
As they began their way back to the camp, the quartet stopped where Hanae and Bryant had spotted the scuffle. "I'm guessing this was you...?" She muttered to the Mankey.
"Somewhat." It muttered back. "Swala was being attacked by those that had claimed to be from the Guild of the Eclipse here and I came across her as I was trying to find a place to hide for the night. No doubt the plusle and minun you mentioned heard the fighting..." It coughs wetly before it's eyes fell on the pidove's injured wing. Ah, so that's how that happened.
She nodded in response. That was all she needed to know. Turning back to Bryant--who was starting up a new trail to follow--Hanae took the lead once again. They paused by the outcropping briefly so the the mankey could rest. Even though it was not even close to as sick as the pidove it seemed the fight and carrying the pidove around had taken it's toll. They made several more stops like that and each time Bryant made sure to leave a trail. Once they hit half way to the camp however Hanae stopped him. "It seems like you and Serrin were right about kidnappers," She said grimly, "Which means we don't want to lead them straight back to camp--even if they do already know where it is." Bryant flushed at the offhand scolding before stopping just as she had asked.
Once they finally arrived at the camp--and the duo's story of being from the guild were confirmed--the mankey and pidove thanks them. Hanae accepted it with her attempt at a shrug before she dragged Bryant off to grab some water and something to eat--they'd need their strength for their next trip out into the forest trees.
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Lunatalia rolled 4 10-sided dice:
4, 1, 7, 8
Total: 20 (4-40)
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 10:12 am
 Skye & Quil & ZahraSkye jogged along the narrowly-worn path, her paws light on the soil as she ran. She could see the pale figure of Zahra above her head, bright against the backdrop of the darkening canopy. She dared not to let the young bird from her sight, nervous of what might happen if she did. Serrin had already called his warnings, and she knew from experience that she’d do well to heed them.
It concerned her to know that Quil was missing, and the absence of her friend left a fresh and unrelenting ache beneath her ribs. She wished she knew what had happened to him, if he was safe, but she also knew that her chances of finding him were slim to none in this environment. In the best case scenario, he would be well enough to call back to her, to meet her in the middle. But in that case, he wouldn’t have needed her help at all. In any other scenario, she doubted her ability to find him in this environment, and at this time of night. Dusk had long since fallen, and the space of any shadows might be enough to conceal the fallen figure of a Pokemon who happened to be no more than two inches tall.
Besides- would he forgive her if she were to trade off the lives of dying children in order to find him? The thought was sickening. She wasn’t even sure if she’d be able to forgive herself if there were someone to die because of her insecurity in her partner. Quil would be safe until she had the time and resources to reach him alone. He would be, namely because he had to be.
Skye glanced up to Zahra, who soared easily between the trees. Occasionally, she landed on a branch to rest and survey the area around them. From her vantage point in the canopy, she could see all that lay below her. It was an excellent position for scouting out sick or injured Pokemon.
”Zahra- see anything?” she called up, her voice stretching to be heard above the great distance to the tree tops. It would give their position away, sure, but they had little choice. This was the most effective way to find more of the missing Pokemon, and with any luck they might attract the attention of those still with it enough to seek help.
She could see the Togetic twist from her perch in the trees, staring back down at Skye. She seemed to hesitate, and Skye twitched her ears in concern. ”I see… I think I see someone, but they’re acting kind of strange. They look more like they’re…
“Skye! Get over there, it looks like someone’s being attacked!” Zahra’s screech was sharp and panicked, and the Togetic swooped down from the trees to join her partner.
The Espeon launched into a full sprint, the light on her harness bouncing and lighting up the trunks of great trees as they flashed past. She could hear the rapid wingbeats of Zahra behind and above her, chasing after her captain as they made their way toward the source of conflict. The sounds of someone struggling could be heard, and the feelings of telepathic fear and frustration washed over Skye.
She leaped between a set of low-hanging branches and burst onto the scene. Her small claws gripped tight to the rough and mossy tree roots, and were promptly torn out again as a dark shadow leaped for her throat. A burst of psychic energy flashed from her gem, lighting the clearing with an alien brightness.
The attacker withdrew, blinded, and a yelp of pain escaped his throat as he stumbled backward over the tree roots.
Without hesitation, Skye unleashed a shimmering beam of silver light. The dazzling gleam struck true, and the ashen figure scrambled away from them. Within seconds, he had fled into the undergrowth.
Zahra settled to the ground beside her, her small white hands touching to Skye’s shoulder in concern. The Espeon spared a glance for her friend, her heart still pounding in her ears from the panic and excitement of the moment. Then, as movement from the ground ahead of them drew their attention, both females stepped forward to deal with the second stranger in the clearing.
The tiny Pokemon huddled down into a gap between the tree roots, her fur matted and unkempt. It was a Skitty. The little Pokemon coughed harshly and Skye could hear the mucous that had lodged itself deep into her airways. It seemed likely from the smell of her fur that she’d been sick like the others, and she was weak enough that she seemed reluctant to leave the safety of her newfound hiding place.
Zahra approached her, kneeling beside the gap in the roots. ”Hey there. It’s okay, we’re here to help you,” she soothed. Her voice went very high and soft, as if she were speaking to a small child.
”Why should I trust you, young and fit as you are?” hissed the Skitty, her voice crackling with age. The laboured breathing and matted fur suddenly made a lot of sense to Skye.
”We’re from the Guild of Eclipse- a rescue team assigned to bringing medical aid to this area. We’re here because of all the sick Pokemon.” She addressed the elderly Pokemon as respectfully as she could, knowing that the age made communication all the more important.
The little pink cat huffed indignantly at this, but allowed herself to be gently lifted out of the gap in the roots. From there, it was a matter of supporting and guiding her back toward Serrin and his team. Ghost & AtiusGhost crept silently behind Atius, listening to the quiet hum of his metallic breathing. She could see the subtle shifting in his posture and altitude, the Metang seeming to listen to the psychic signals that she was told were flying in every direction. As a dark-type, she could hear next to none of this. Subtle changes in the air indicated fear, anger and tension… but she had no way of discerning from which direction they’d come.
The Absol stared up at her bodyguard with pale, icy blue eyes. ”Atius, should we not be helping the other guild members? They’re being attacked- can’t we help them?” Her claws twitched, raking across the damp earth with frustration. A cry of panic broke the hush in their part of the forest and setting a fresh, shivering chill into her spine.
The Metang regarded her evenly. ”I have no interest in aiding the other teams, little one. I am only here to help aid you in your mission to find the missing Pokemon. Besides this, they are much further from here than you think and we are the only ones still searching in this region. Whatever might be happening, it cannot be helped, and I’m not keen to abandon our post.” His reprimand was enough to silence the Absol, whose expression darkened with conflicting emotions.
”Very well, Atius.” Her voice was much quieter, and she followed obediently as he set a quick pace over the rough and heavily-forested terrain.
The Metang hovered ahead of her the entire way, still leading the search and their team. She felt disheartened by this, mind laden with the knowledge that she would never be the sort of leader that she saw in Atius.
Atius took pause, reaching down with his massive, metal claws. The sharp tips of his claws pushed aside the branches of a bramble patch, revealing a pair of weary-looking electric-types. The elder was a Luxio, his nose damp and his eyes were half-lidded with weariness. The younger was a Shinx, and he trembled nervously at the sight of the giant metal beast above his head.
Without a word, Atius tucked a clawed arm around the Luxio’s middle and hoisted him into his arms. Shifting the Luxio into the crook of his arm, he then plucked the little Shinx from the same thicket by the scruff of his furry neck.
Ghost hesitated, perched on a nearby boulder as her partner approached. She was then surprised, scrambling to catch the little Shinx as he was unceremoniously dropped in front of her. She too lifted him by the scruff, though with considerably more tenderness than her partner had done before.KeiranKeiran brushed aside a tree branch with a small pulse of aura, taking care not to let it fling backward into his face as he did so. The trees were closely-spaced in this part of the forest, with many interlocking branches and leafless undergrowth. What little light remained at this time of day was all but blotted out by the canopy overhead, and it made his little portable light invaluable to navigating in the dark.
He scuffed his paws against the soil with each step, ensuring that he never stepped on unstable ground or that he wouldn’t be stepping onto an unnoticed Pokemon. Even the small and fragile could be among the numbers of the sick, and he didn’t want to be responsible for worsening their state of health.
Despite his shuffling gait, the Riolu was near to silent as he continued to track the path of an unfamiliar Pokemon. His ears twitched with each sound around him, and he felt his heart race with every crack of a twig. Generally, it was the wind causing such noise, but there was certainly a small part of him that knew someone to be tracking him in turn.
His fur prickled with unease as the sounds from the bush suddenly dropped away. It was a characteristic silence, one that indicated the timing of an attack. He was being stalked, and certainly not so that someone else would shadow his technique. His mind flashed back to the warnings given by the head of the rescue division, and suddenly there was no room for argument.
As Kieran burst into a sprint, so did the Pokemon behind him. There were several of them, and clearly agile in the familiar setting of the forest. He wasn’t eager to see how well they knew the land he ran on. The Riolu darted through the undergrowth, dodging deftly around plant growth as he ran. Branches clawed at his face and arms, scraping against his skin.
He slashed openly at the air, using a raw burst of aura to break through the barriers ahead of him. The noise was immensely loud. With any luck, he’d alert more of the guild members to his situation.
Keiran could sense Riley’s aura nearby, and the Riolu turned sharply to bolt in his direction. He struggled to reconnect the telepathic bond that Riley had forged, trying to signal the imminent danger as he approached. ”Riley! Look ou-!”
Sharp pain split his head as a Pokemon struck him across the face. He stumbled under the weight of the impact, and his head hit the dirt.
When Riley arrived, the mossy ground would be torn with the force of striking claws and hurried footsteps. Broken pieces of branches and tree limbs scattered the area. A single light lay abandoned in the soil, dropped by the unconscious Riolu.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears rolled 3 10-sided dice:
4, 4, 6
Total: 14 (3-30)
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:52 am
Neo & Nyx & Air The trio was collecting their bearings when the new wave of staff members from the Guild arrived. Neo and Nyx were deliberating over which directions might not have been taken by other Teams yet, leaving Air to be the first to notice the peculiar nature of the Pokemon who had arrived to help. They were all various species which was normal, but all of them wore menacing masks that looped around their ears and covered their faces up to their eyes, and gloves that went as far up the arms or other appendages they possessed as was reasonable. The Ditto-Volbeat gaped at newcomers as they hurried by to the place where the sick were being held, and struggled to form any sort of words to respond. In the end what came out was ”Um…”
The Ditto’s voice was filled with trepidation enough to cause both Neo and Nyx to look over from their conversation at him, the former with concern and the latter with a slight look of irritation. ”What is it Air?” Neo asked. ”Are you feeling alright?”
Swallowing nervously, Air hovered just above the ground so his wings could deal with the anxious energy he felt. ”It’s just, uh, the others got here and…” He didn’t quite know how to explain the situation, so he decided to turn and gesture to one of the aforementioned staff members instead. Neo and Nyx turned to spot the Ampharos at the end of Air’s gesture hurrying a vial of something over to the larger group, and the partners’ eyes widened as they saw what had been troubling Air so much.
”...Oh Arceus…” Neo said weakly, staring at the precautions the medical team had taken. It looked like they were suspecting this illness could be passed between Pokemon by air or touch. That meant…
”Unbelieveable!” Nyx hissed through his teeth, the Vulpix’s eyes narrowing as he glared in the general direction of the group. Serrin had mentioned at the beginning that there might be some risk of the disease being a contagion, but this was utterly inexcusable. If they’d anticipated the problem would be this bad then there was no excuse for sending their own members out without providing them with protection against the illness that they were supposed to be eliminating; although some of the Teams appeared to have had some sort of means with which to create their own masks, this wasn’t a ready option for all of them. For a leader to be so careless or apathetic as to put so many lives of the Guild members on the line from something as preventable as a disease--that was far beyond being acceptable. The Vulpix briefly entertained the idea that Serrin may have acted on Veilmys’s orders, which was even more infuriating, but he dismissed the thought after a moment. He couldn’t be killed by something like an illness, so he would get to the bottom of it one way or another--for now the more important thing was his more vulnerable companions, who were staring at the group of staff members with expressions of dismay.
”It would seem the Guild has changed its mind about what sort of disease we’re dealing with,” Nyx said darkly, drawing back the attention of his two teammates. ”Furthermore, they’ve neglected to provide us with similar equipment now that we’ve potentially been exposed to the pathogens already, despite the fact that it’s possible for us to have avoided contact up to this point.” It was clear that Nyx was displeased, more displeased than either of his team members had seen him up to this point. The closest thing Neo could think of was his reaction to the Shuppet and Misdreavus on their first mission, but this quite clearly had nothing to do with that issue: it was something else entirely. ”Unfortunately, at this point, we’ve been backed into a corner. Our only choices are to proceed or stop working altogether.” Nyx’s voice dripped with thinly restrained anger, and his eyes glared daggers into the distance; the fools had put his partner’s life in danger for no reason at all, and kept the whole Guild representation trapped here, since they couldn’t risk leaving without receiving treatment themselves. It was a cruel trick and one that settled in the Vulpix’s mind and buried itself there, simmering in the background of his thoughts as he waited for a response from either of his companions.
”W-Well…” Neo began, stopping immediately to clear his throat when his voice trembled. ”Well we should have expected this,” the Meowstic said, though his expression showed that he was unconvinced, ”We were dealing with sick Pokemon, that always means there’s a risk of catching the disease.” But it didn’t help the fact that they’d seen what the disease could do to a Pokemon, and that seed of knowledge blossomed into a lingering fear of being overcome by the same thing.
”What do we do Neo?” Air’s voice was soft and scared, and the Volbeat form that the Ditto had taken quivered all over with the fear that the Ditto felt. If they didn’t find a cure to this disease then their clients might die, and now apparently they might die because of it too. Air didn’t want to die, he still hadn’t found the answers he was looking for about himself. Worse still, he could take any form he wanted to and it wouldn’t matter: a disease could still kill him if he looked like a ghost or a metal machine or anything else, because he was only a Ditto in the end--a very vulnerable Ditto. Tears crept into Air’s eyes as he waited for Neo’s response, though he ducked his head to try and hide them. This wasn’t right was it? The Guild was a nice place, not a place where the leaders would send them out to die.
Neo spotted the glimmer of water in Air’s eyes and fire in Nyx’s, and knew that now was the time for him to make his choice. It was difficult to say what was best, especially since it felt like they’d been betrayed by the person who’d sent them here to begin with, but in the end there really was only one acceptable option. ”...There are still Pokemon out there who are very sick,” Neo said quietly, deliberately neglecting to mention the truth that all three of them were painfully aware of: that they could easily become the same as the ones they were trying save if they did, in fact, contract the illness as well. ”We’re a rescue team, and it’s our job to help any Pokemon who need it, no matter what. Right now they need us out there, so we have to do our job for them. That’s all we can do.”
Nyx closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, breathing in the smoke that threatened to escape with his exhale. Of course Neo would say such a thing, his partner was too selfless to even dream of the alternatives that were flashing through Nyx’s own mind. There would be no changing the Meowstic’s mind either--Neo’s eyes had taken on a determined gleam that Nyx had come to recognize over their time together as something not to be challenged. ”Well then. I suppose we should head back out again.” Nyx forced calm over the words despite his internal seething. If they stayed he could investigate the medical staff’s gathering and acquire a cure for Neo at least as soon as it was concocted, but instead they would have to find out the information when everyone else did. The Vulpix silently decided to turn back the moment his partner displayed any sign of developing the symptoms whether Neo liked it or not--he would not see the Meowstic die here, that was the only thing certain here.
”Alright, let’s go.” Neo’s voice was confident again, fear banished from his tone. He would devote himself to the mission more than ever now that their time might be limited: it was better to save as many lives as possible than to try to selfishly spare one’s own life. Raising his lantern high, the Meowstic led his teammates back into the confines of the trees, heading down a path that he hadn’t seen anyone take during their time at the camp. Nyx and Air followed behind him, one tense and poised as he searched the shadows for any sign of aggressors and one quivering nervously, his tail light flickering as he tried his best to take deep breaths, praying that his body wouldn’t betray him as it had their clients.
The trio delved deeply into the jungle, the heat growing ever more stifling as the night thickened. The path they were taking was clearly less traveled, but there was enough of an indication of recent passing--according to Nyx--that they pressed on regardless; it was possible the group had gotten divided before the illness had struck for some reason, perhaps the hostile Pokemon who were hunting the Guild members had something to do with it? Either way, the three lights cast back the shadow and anyone who may have been hiding inside them as the search continued.
Eventually Neo’s ears twitched as he heard the sound of labored breathing, and he motioned his teammates to stop moving so that he could pinpoint it. It was coming from somewhere just off the path to the left, so he gestured for the others to follow him as he pushed through the brush to try and find the source. After a long moment, his light shone down on a pure white flower that stuck out like a sore thumb from its lush green surroundings, and Neo knew he’d found the Pokemon he was looking for.
”Hello,” he said softly, leaning down to turn the flower over gently, revealing a sickly pale Floette looking up at him with too-bright eyes. ”Hello there, I’m Neo. I’m here to help you.” Reaching down to pick up the dainty Pokemon in his paws, Neo raised her up from the ground to get a better look at her. ”Just relax,” he told her when the worried expression on the delicate creature’s face prompted a series of violent coughs, ”I’m from the Guild of Eclipse and I’m here to make sure you get some medicine, alright? I promise I’ll get you to safety.” The soothing tone of his voice seemed like enough to relax the Floette, as her body lost its tension as she coughed one last time before taking a deep, shuddering breath. Turning around, Neo spotted Nyx watching him and the Meowstic frowned, tail drooping. ”Nyx she’s in bad shape...We need to get her back as soon as possible.
Nyx frowned, disliking the fact that Neo was touching the Floette with his bare paws, but that was no longer something that could be helped. The Vulpix had been keeping a wary eye out for any signs of assailants who might be waiting for them, ready to defend his partner at a moment’s notice, and hardly spared a glance for the Pokemon they were rescuing because of it. ”Well then, we should go back. At least for this one we won’t need Air…” Trailing off, Nyx realized that there was a distinct absence in their group of the little Ditto, and he spun around quickly at the very moment a strangled cry cut through the air, one that very definitely came from Air himself.
A low hiss escaped the Vulpix’s throat as he began to race back through the brush, listening closely for the sound of Neo’s quick but careful steps behind him as the Meowstic hurried to follow but tried not to jostle their client too terribly in the process. The pair rushed out onto the main path, but saw no sign of Air at all. The only sign of the little Ditto was his lantern, which lay on its side, glass shattered and the flame extinguished completely. ”Tsk...” Nyx uttered the sound under his breath, tails falling back as he conceded that there would be no finding the little Ditto. It would be sure to be a detriment to Neo’s morale, that was certain.
”Oh Arceus…” Nyx frowned as the tone he was expecting leaked into the Meowstic’s voice. Neo stared down at the lantern mutely, still cradling the Floette close as tears began to swim in his eyes. ”I...I thought he followed us…” he murmured, guilt threatening to engulf him, ”I didn’t even notice he was gone…” The feline’s voice cracked as he spoke and quiet tears began to stream down his cheeks: tears that he didn’t dare wipe away for fear of exposing himself to the disease through his eyes.
”There was nothing we could’ve done Neo,” Nyx said softly, stepping forward to pat his partner on the shoulder with one of his tails. ”If Air hung back for some reason he knew the risk in doing so.”
”He was scared Nyx!” Neo cried, shaking his head violently, ”He was just scared! He doesn’t deserve to get hurt because of that!” The Meowstic’s voice rose to a panic, and he shuddered as sobs threatened to overcome him. He’d been so focused on his job that he hadn’t paid attention to his teammate--what sort of a Team captain didn’t notice when their members were in trouble? He should have heard what was happening; he should’ve heard it in time to save his friend!
”Neo!” Nyx’s voice was loud and firm, and he locked eyes with his partner, not allowing the Meowstic to look away. ”You must remain calm! How must our client be feeling right now--think!”
Sob catching in his throat, Neo looked down to find the Floette quivering in his arms, looking up at him with tears in her small eyes. With a small gasp, the Meowstic looked down at the little Pokemon with wide eyes, mouth struggling to form words. Unintentionally he must have been giving off Psychic signals of distress, which must be excruciating for a Pokemon as ill and emotionally attuned as a Fairy. ”Oh no…” Neo moaned, trying to shift his Psychic energy to give off more soothing pulses again. ”No… Don’t cry… It’s going to be alright, it’s not your fault.” Stroking his paw against the Floette’s face, Neo did his best to smile. ”Don’t worry, we’ll keep you safe. And my friend’s going to be fine too--right now we’re going to take care of you.” It killed him to say it, but Air was far more capable than the little Fairy who shivered in his arms, which meant that they had to take care of her before they searched for their missing friend.
A slight nod from the Fairy was enough to reassure Neo that he’d reassured the small Pokemon enough to proceed for now. Exhaling, Neo closed his eyes, ignoring the uncomfortable tear streaks that lingered on his face, but blinked them open a second later when a soft sound caught his ears. At first he thought it was just the rustling of leaves, but there was no wind to cause such a noise. Tension gripped the Meowstic as he glanced around, wondering if it was an aggressor, trying to return for them, but the sound continued even after; any hostile Pokemon good enough to kidnap Air without attracting notice wouldn’t make a mistake like this. Raising his lantern high, Neo peered out at the jungle, wondering what was making the soft rasping noise. ”Hello? Is anyone there?”
The question was met by a quiet squeak, and one that Neo recognized vaguely from a previous encounter. Staring around expectantly for a tiny yellow form, the Meowstic found it clinging to the side of a tree, nestled inside a knot in the bark. ”...Quil? Is that you?” Shifting the Floette to rest in one paw and placing his lamp on the ground, Neo approached the tree and raised his free paw upward to pull the Joltik off of the tree, surprised at how little resistance the tiny bug gave to his action.
A closer inspection revealed that this was not, in fact, the small co-captain of Team Sunstrike, but a different Joltik, whose eyes were filled with tears and glassy with the illness that all of their clients suffered from. This bug quivered in his palm, body twitching now and again as the painful rasping came from its mouth, very clearly a version of the same cough that had appeared in the others from being unable to breathe. ”Shhh…” Neo murmured, raising the Joltik up to his eye level so the small Pokemon could get a closer look at him. ”I’m here to help you. I’m from the Guild of Eclipse, and we’re here to get you and your friends back to your healthy selves, okay?” The words were repetitive but necessary--introductions were important when there were potential enemies waiting for these Pokemon around every corner.
”Th-They… They took…” The Joltik squeaked the words as loudly as she could, wanting Neo to hear, but the comment only resulted in another coughing fit.
”You don’t have to explain anything,” Neo said gently, his heart going out to the little bug who must have witnessed Air’s kidnapping. She’d heard their earlier discussion and was trying to help, but that would only hurt her more in the end. ”Right now we’re going to get you back to our base. Once you’re safe we’ll come back for our friend. He’ll be alright without us for a while.” Placing the Joltik on his shoulder so that he could return to cradling the Floette with both hands, Neo smiled slightly. ”For now just do your best to keep breathing steadily while we head back, alright? We’re all going to get through this.” Turning to look up at Nyx, who nodded quietly to indicate that they weren’t in any danger from outside threats, he gave his partner a grateful look. ”Let’s get going.”
The trip back to the camp went by much more quickly than the last one, since Neo held both of the sick Pokemon so they wouldn’t have to walk on their own, and they returned to the base camp without further incident. After dropping off the Floette and Joltik into the care of one of the many masked and gloved staff members, Neo returned to Nyx with a sigh, allowing the weariness to seep into him once more. His partner looked at him with a wary gaze, looking for signs of the illness taking hold, but it seemed like the Meowstic was more exhausted than anything.
”Are you alright Neo?” The Vulpix asked, concern seeping into the calm of his voice.
The Meowstic offered another sigh and looked back at him with saddened eyes. ”I don’t know anymore.”Air Erinn Erinn stared blankly at the reinforcements who arrived the moment he’d been about to leave, waiting for them to clear out of his path so that he could return back to the place where he’d found Anton and continue his search from there. The Paras’ eyes wandered over the faces of the volunteers, quietly noting the masks that covered them, but didn’t feel much of anything at the sight. He didn’t like the thought of dying from disease, but at this point he knew better than to think there’d be any stopping it; in fact, of all the things to die from, disease probably wasn’t the worst--specifically this one would be uncomfortable, but probably not too terribly painful. Cringing at the morbid thought, Erinn shook his head violently, pushing the thoughts away. Better to fight the fear of death than succumb to it--he could do that much.
A different thought then: a slight trace of anger that burned like fire in his stomach. The anger wasn’t so much for himself, since he didn’t have the sense of worth to resent the higher-ups for putting his life in jeopardy, but for the others put into the same situation. It was an eerily familiar anger, an anger that he recalled from Era’s eyes whenever she spoke of the Guilds since they’d left. This was the type of thing the Pikachu couldn’t forgive, this jeopardizing of the members’ lives without giving them the best chance they could. If she were here now, what would she have done? Probably continued her work, but reported the information to Veilmys when it was all over--even if she was dying of the disease she would have found a way to report Serrin’s decision to the Guildmaster, so that this woudn’t happen again. Erinn didn’t like the thought of speaking out against one of the sector leaders, especially when the Ivysaur had briefly mentioned the risk involved in the mission, but he did feel that there had been an injustice done here. With no way to address the matter though, and time slipping away from him with every passing moment, the Paras turned his gaze back to the jungle sullenly. He’d made a promise that he had to keep, and he would keep it or die trying: there was a Pachirisu who was counting on him to succeed.
Flicking off his lights so that he wouldn’t attract unnecessary attention to himself, Erinn made his way forward into the trees, eyes hunting for the first marking that he’d made. He found it after a minute or two and continued on to search for the next and the next until he arrived back in the place where he’d found Anton, which he’d marked with a circle instead of a line like the others. The moon had risen a little higher during his travels, so it was easily visible beyond the branches of the trees by this point, creating more shadows than before, and Erinn bit his tongue to keep from uttering a whimper as he locked eyes with something just beyond the treeline.
He hadn’t heard any sound to indicate the mysterious arrival’s presence, which meant that it couldn’t possibly be one of the sick Pokemon, and that meant it had to be one of the hostiles. The eyes seemed to glow as they stared out at him, and he couldn’t determine anything about the figure except that it stood a good deal taller than him and was watching his every move. The odd thing was that it wasn’t doing anything, just standing there and staring, creating a menacing presence that caused the Paras’ heart to flutter in his chest as he held his breath. What was it doing?!
They stood there together at a stand-off for a long time, Erinn hardly daring to blink or breathe, frozen in place by the piercing gaze, and his adversary showing no signs of reaction to the fact that he’d been spotted, except to keep his penetrating gaze on his prey constantly. After a time Erinn threw up his claws in surrender and ducked his head, unable to hold the hostile gaze any longer. ”Enough already!” the Paras moaned, ”Just do what you’re going to do and get it over with!” His shout echoed through the trees, and he cringed back, expecting the worst; he held that position for a long time, and as a result...nothing happened.
Daring to look up again, Erinn jumped backward when he saw the eyes still staring at him, but proceeded to do a double take when, for the first time, he noticed something strange about them: the eyes were oddly close together...had they always been like that? Swallowing nervously, the Paras scuttled forward toward the shadowy figure, pausing every few steps when the fear of being snatched up by jaws or claws welled up inside him, but eventually he got close enough that he should have been directly in front of his adversary. Instead, he found himself directly in front of a tree--a tree with a pair of glowing mushrooms growing off of it, not three feet above his head.
”...Are you kidding me?” Erinn was stunned and more than a little self-conscious about the mistake. On the other side of the tree there were several more of the same fungus growing, but they’d been concealed from his view at his previous vantage point. ”Oh Legends, I’m a fool!” he moaned, circling around the tree to find that the bioluminescent mushrooms glowed faintly on several trees in the distance as well. Unfortunate luck had made him spot this tree from the clearing once he didn’t have Anton to worry about--it had probably been visible even back then, but he’d been too preoccupied to notice. For once in his life, Erinn felt incredibly grateful that he was alone: at least fate had been kind enough to let him get away with this mistake. What the Paras didn’t notice was the set of tracks leading off into the jungle on the other side of the tree--tracks that were fresh enough to have been made mere minutes before--perhaps Erinn’s worry was more well-founded than he thought?
Recovering from his blunder took the Paras a minute or so, as he forced himself to breathe steadily and return his heartbeat to its normal rapid rhythm. Now that the “threat” was gone, he turned his attention back to locating Anton’s mate. He had a suspicion that she couldn’t be far from where he’d found the Pachirisu, since neither one would have wanted to part with the other or their child, and disease would be incapacitating enough for even a short distance between them to make it impossible for the two to find each other. That meant he had to check all the areas around the tree where he’d found Anton, and see if he could find the squirrel’s mate. Turning on the lights upon his mushrooms so that they could help the missing Pokemon to find him, Erinn began his search, taking up Anton’s cry: ”Maria! Maria where are you?”
He had to search for a while before he got any results from his work, and the results were hardly what he expected. The Paras let out a soft gasp as he heard a crunching sound beneath his legs and scurried backwards to see what he’d trodden on. ”...What?” With a careful claw Erinn plucked the object off the ground to examine it more closely and found it to be a yellowish thin object that had been lying, isolated on the ground. Eyes darting back down to the rest of the piece that he’d stepped on, Erinn found that another similar object was lying a few feet away, and when he approached that he spotted another. It was a trail leading him somewhere--he only followed it because he had a sinking suspicion about the nature of the objects he continued to find.
He didn’t have to follow the trail for very long before he stumbled across its ending, and a sinking feeling came over him as he spotted a puddle of a sickly-looking substance that covered certain large fragments of the broken object. ”Oh my…” Erinn murmured, staring at it with woeful eyes: the Paras doubted he’d ever seen a sorrier sight in his life. Before him were the shattered remains of an eggshell, though there was no sign of the Pokemon that may have been inside it, and beside it an Emolga lay belly-up, her eyes closed and mouth flecked with flecks of the substance that covered the ground beside her. For a terrifying moment he thought she wasn’t breathing, but eventually he saw the Electric Type’s chest rise ever so slightly as she inhaled a weak breath. ”Maria?” Erinn asked tentatively, though he knew better than to expect a response. ”You poor thing…”
Turning to stare at the eggshell, Erinn knew that he was faced with a difficult decision. This Emolga was full-size, meaning she wasn’t the Pokemon that had hatched from this Egg: that meant that the baby was out in the jungle somewhere alone. Both parent and child were equally defenseless out here in the open, and the odds of him being able to save both were minimal at best. He could try to find the infant and come back for the mother, or he could take the mother back first and pray that the child somehow remained in a safe place while he tried to rescue her: either way, the one who was left behind had a very slim chance of survival. Every second spent deliberating was another moment of wasted time, and Erinn knew that he couldn’t lose both of them for Anton’s sake. Another moment and he made up his mind--the Emolga would have to come first, since he didn’t even know where to begin looking for the child.
Mind made up, Erinn snatched a clawful of leaves from a nearby tree and set to wiping off the unconscious Emolga as best he could. Wiping off the vomit made his own stomach turn, particularly since the exposure could spell bad things for him, but it was better than leaving it to dry on her and rub off on him when he carried her back. ”Easy now…” he murmured, half to himself and half to his unconscious companion as he painstakingly dragged the squirrel onto his back much as he had her mate before, and groaned slightly under the added weight. Although it was hardly necessary, he dug a circle into the bark of a nearby tree just in case before turning to glance around one last time. ”Little one, hang in there for just a while longer,” he called out to the forest, hoping that perhaps the words would fall on newborn ears. ”I’ll be back for you before you know it.” He just hoped it would be soon enough.
Determination set in his gaze, Erinn followed the Psychic pulses back to the camp, marking his path as he went again since this path was more direct. He made better time now, though his load was just as heavy, because adrenaline coursed through his veins, fueled by fear and desperation. For this new family’s sake he had to do all that he could, and that meant giving them everything that he had to give. When the Paras arrived back, he didn’t stop to wait for someone to approach him, but carried the Emolga over to the first-aid area directly, approaching an Audino who seemed to know what she was doing. ”This Emolga is very ill,” he said firmly, after he’d gotten her attention with a poke to the leg, ”Her condition is worse than any of the others I’ve seen. I found her unconscious and she’s hardly breathing--I understand that you have lots of patients to tend to but please, please at least do something to stabilize her first. If she doesn’t get any treatment soon she might…” He couldn’t finish the sentence, but the statement was clear.
The Audino nodded, taking the Emolga off his back without hesitation: ”We’ll do everything we can.” Erinn nodded but said nothing, watching the Normal Type until she’d disappeared from view. Inhaling deeply, if only to assure himself that he still could without coughing, the Paras turned back to the jungle and began to make his way in without another word to anyone: there was still one last rescue for him to make before he could even think of resting.Riley Riley swept back into the jungle without further pretense, not sparing a glance for the staff who were pouring into camp as he left it. There was no time to waste on examining coworkers when there were still Pokemon who needed rescuing out there; it was irresponsible, and the Espeon was nothing if not professional when it came to his work. He made his way into the thick underbrush on silent paws, collars glowing brightly to scare off the dark, eyes set on the point in the distance where he would find the next Pokemon who needed his help.
The Espeon did a bit of toying with his Psychic energies as he walked, trying to push against the odd signals that were confusing his senses. It was strange the way that it functioned, like a curtain of blankness that existed on the peripherals of his awareness. If he tried to press against it, he’d end up dazed and a little disoriented, but if he kept his Psychic senses close enough, they seemed to function perfectly fine. Frowning, Riley sent out another pulse toward his partner and received an oddly stifled response. Was that a result of the enemy’s signals or was it done by Keiran’s choice? Either way, something stirred in the magician’s mind that signaled something wasn’t as it should be.
Altering his course so that he moved towards and not away from the energy of his partner, Riley crept through the trees, pushing his Psychic as far as it could go. Keiran was there, right before the oblivion caused by the nullifying energy, and from what he could sense the Riolu was nervous, far moreso than he should have been: his partner had a long history of working in circumstances quite like these, so what could be causing his aura to pulse with such concern? If he’d found an injured Pokemon it might have made sense, but there was no other life energy that Riley could detect, not anywhere close to Keiran at least.
The feeling of trepidation began to grow as he moved onward, trying his best to locate his partner’s position, but his idea of the Riolu’s location was vague at best: inexperience with Psychic combined with the interference were enough to ensure that. He moved briskly but not at a run, reluctant to make excess noise even though he hadn’t been able to sense any aggressors nearby. Or at least he did so until a painfully loud noise cracked the air, causing him to flinch back instinctively--a moment later he received the aftershock, along with the confirmation of what had caused the sound: aura.
”Keiran!” Riley’s shout sounded weak in the aftermath of the unexpected noise his partner had made, but the Espeon cried out with all the air in his lungs, desperately throwing his Pyschic for any sign of his threatened partner. There! Hardly giving the thought time to process, Riley shot off toward the faint sensation of the Riolu’s energies, racing through the underbrush without really seeing any of it: Keiran was in danger from something, and that was the only thing that mattered right now. A sudden overwhelming feeling of danger overwhelmed him a few moments later, and from somewhere in the distance he heard the faint sound of a cry, though he couldn’t discern the words. ”Keiran!” he shouted again, adrenaline pumping through his veins, ”I’m coming!”
Then, just as abruptly as they had come, the emotions vanished like a candle that had just been snuffed. That was perhaps the most frightening thing of all.
Riley didn’t stop running until he nearly passed the place where his partner had been taken, only reeling around when the glimmer of light caught in the corner of his eye. ”Keiran?” the Espeon panted, a feeling of dread growing in his stomach when the light didn’t move in response. ”Oh please…” he murmured quietly, hoping against hope that his fears were unfounded, but when he made his way into the area it was clear that what he was afraid of was true. His partner was gone--leaving only the signs of a struggle and a flickering light behind him.
Tail and ears drooping, Riley approached the light with painful steps, staring at the wreckage surrounding it. Keiran hadn’t gone down without a fight it seemed, but he had gone down in the end. The Espeon had no skills at tracking or reading prints, but he could tell that there was far too much destruction here for it to have been the work of a single Pokemon--Keiran was good, but anyone would struggle with a group of larger Pokemon, even experienced fighters were no exception in an unknown place like this. In one last ditch effort he sent his Psychic out, but there was nothing but the memory of Keiran here--no sign of what Pokemon had taken him and no sign of the Riolu himself. It was like they’d all vanished into thin air. He stared down at the light and removed his hat, placing it to the side for a moment as he bowed his head in a gesture of mourning: he never should have decided for them to split up.
A minute or two later, Riley picked up the light and turned it off with a gentle tap of the paw, placing the object inside his hat and replacing it on his head. Staring off into the darkness, a quiet resolve crept into the Espeon’s eyes and he flicked his tail irately. ”I doubt you can hear me Keiran, but know that I’ll come back for you,” he said, speaking as though his partner was right beside him, ”As soon as the others are safe I’ll find you--it’s a promise.” Touching the brim of his hat in farewell, he turned away from the site and continued to press deeper into the jungle, senses tingling with the sudden presence of another Pokemon nearby.
It didn’t take long to locate the creature once it began to send out Psychic signals. The action explained why the Pokemon had been indetectable earlier, since it must have been concealing its Psychic vibrations, but now they were being broadcast for his benefit, and Riley followed them to their source. When he arrived, a Beldum was waiting for him, single eye staring out at him from the confines of the bush, and its body caked with mud. ”...Thank goodness…”
Riley blinked with surprise at the small metal creature as it rolled itself out of the brush, eye never leaving his face. ”But you’re…”
”Sad, isn’t it?” the Beldum said forlornly. ”When my companions began to grow ill, I was supposed to take care of them. My kind isn’t the type to develop sicknesses--yet when I went out, searching for medicinal herbs for their benefit, I found myself overcome.”
Frowning slightly, Riley considered the thought. It was terribly strange for a Beldum to develop symptoms of any sort of disease that affected more vulnerable types, but perhaps it was possible. Regardless, this would be an important thing for the medical staff to know, and apparently the Beldum was unable to help himself, so he would give the creature the help it needed. ”I take it you’re not suffering from the breathing, but the mental aspects of the disease?” he said curiously.
”True enough,” the Beldum replied. ”I can’t seem to get myself out of this place, and any movement causes me a good deal of light-headedness. The most I was able to manage was getting myself under cover when I detected the end of a signal about some kind of danger.”
”Ah, that was one of ours,” Riley said, nodding. ”Forgive me. Riley: Leader of an Exploration Team of the Guild of Eclipse. I’m here with my coworkers to provide you and your companions with the aid you need.” The Espeon tipped his hat, suppressing the twinge of guilt that accompanied the word ‘coworkers’, Keiran’s loss still fresh on his mind.
”Ivilon. On behalf of my companions, please allow me to thank you for your assistance.”
”The pleasure is mine,” Riley said with a gentle laugh. ”Now then Ivilon, let’s get you taken care of.” Pressing against the Dual Type’s side, the Espeon did his best to move the small creature, but quickly found the effort to be fruitless--Steel Types were always far heavier than they looked. ”You say you can’t move of your own accord?”
”Not easily in any case,” Ivilon replied. ”And I certainly cannot levitate.”
”Can’t levitate? Or can’t levitate by your own power?”
”Hm, now that’s a question. What are you suggesting?”
”I’m not the strongest of Psychics, but if you use whatever Psychic energy you can and I use all that I can, you might be able to get back with my help.”
”Clever!” the Beldum exclaimed, eye shutting painfully as the word resonated inside his body, leading to a spiking pain in his head. ”Well, it’s worth a shot anyway,” he added quietly. With a painful sound, the smaller Pokemon began to glow with silvery Psychic energy, and lifted up off the ground a single inch; a moment later, Riley’s own Psychic wrapped around the Beldum’s and he lifted up a few more inches. Opening his eye uncertainly, Ivilon stared down at the ground with surprise. ”It seems that it’s working!”
”Right then, let’s get going!” Riley said, though the words came with a bit of effort; it was difficult to lift heavy objects even for those who were skilled with their Psychic, so the Espeon had to exert quite a bit of effort to help keep the Dual Type aloft. The journey back to camp was exhausting for both parties involved, though they managed it eventually, and Riley bade farewell to Ivilon when he placed him in the gloved hands of a Machop medical worker. Panting slightly from the effort, Riley detached himself from the Psychic sensations as he made his way back toward the jungle, not wanting to handle the added fatigue it would bring him when there were still rescues to be made.(( One part's complete, the others are in progress. Also took out Air and Riley's rolls since one's kidnapped and the other is now a solo team member. Erinn's is there though, for reasons.Two parts down and the sagas continue~And that makes three! Man these are fun, but they do take a while.))
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Cysic X rolled 2 10-sided dice:
2, 9
Total: 11 (2-20)
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:12 pm
Venari
Katherine, Arturius, Ty
It didn't mean much to them. The masks, the gloves... They were the tools of doctors. Medical specialists. Healers. The deeper meaning of the tools was lost to Katherine who had never met a proper doctor in her life outside of the guild as well as to Ty who had never had that sort of need. The only cause for pause was not fear but simply wear and tear. Arturius silently sheathed himself as soon as he was capable of doing so and Ty took the time to stretch himself as best he could. The way he had carried the very heavy, relatively large Croagunk had not exactly been ideal. His entire torso seemed to feel a little stiff, a fact that was impressive on its own as the Croagunk had been a bit taller than him and about three times the weight.
Venari stepped back into the jungle easily enough once the group had had a moment to rest. It didn't take long at all for them to find someone. Two someones, in fact; a Mareep and a Helioptile, both in similar condition. It was surprising that the two were so close to the edge of the jungle but it wasn't inexplicable; they both seemed to be doing fairly well. Their strides were uneven and dysfunctional but not incapable... it looked like they were making their way out slowly on their own. With that idea in mind there weren't any other real thoughts given as to the strangeness of the matter. Katherine stepped forward and crouched in order to be at proper eye level with the Mareep. "Are you okay?"
Baaa.
It wasn't exactly the kind of clear and intelligible response she had been hoping for but it wasn't like she had a choice in the manner. The Mareep seemed to be able to move alright... slowly, a little bit aimlessly but well enough. If the pair had just been left alone on their own they probably would have made it back in due time but such a thought never crossed her mind. It made much more sense to guide them back and that was what she intended to do. Katherine stood back up, stepped around to be beside the Mareep and gently pressed her hands against it. It could walk okay, it just didn't seem to know where it was going, all she really had to do was make sure it was going in the right direction. A gentle nudge here, a gentle tug here, some small words... "Come on, lets go." That was really all that was needed. The Mareep fell into an easy pace and the Helioptile wasn't far along. Ty had stepped back and followed suit. It wasn't exactly hard to guide the two of them along as the two responded easily to the gentle motions of Venari. It was a sudden tug, a sudden snap that disturbed the easy motions. Katherine felt the force against her waist keenly and she knew, even as she turned, what had happened.
Arturius had been taken.
A glance was shot back into the jungle. Another at the Mareep she was guiding, and then back again into the trees. With the lamp in hand, "Arthur!", Katherine abandoned her duty and charged into the jungle leaving behind a very disgruntled Pancham who knew he needed to be in two places at once. He didn't have a choice. Going after Katherine was what he wanted... but staying here and guiding the two pokemon was what was needed. He hated that feeling.
Robin
Jessica, Tobias
Jessica was concerned. The masks, the gloves... she recognized them, she knew what they were and more importantly exactly what they meant; the guild was concerned. For her, that didn't mean a whole lot. She had never been sick a day in her life. She was quite proud of her constitution, which was quite literally firey in nature; most things couldn't survive it. Her understanding of why that was the case was, of course, not quite so thorough but that fact did little to plague her confidence. The concern she held was not concern for her own well-being and safety but rather that of Tobias and the other guild members... Although Tobias was often difficult to understand and they had barely had any "real work" together, she didn't want anything bad to happen to him. That was doubly true because something that happened to Tobias wouldn't hurt just him but those around him. Balerd had fallen very much into Tobias's pace and she doubted that anyone else could ever replace him at this point.
But they still had to work to do. That didn't change. Their jobs didn't change, either. There was no walking away from it--this is what they had signed up for, this is what they had known was ahead of them. There wasn't any turning around. The very most that could be done was damage control.
It was with that in mind that the two moved back into the jungle close together as they had done so on the way out. The distance between the two of them never grew greater than a few feet which itself was a not-so-small distance for the smaller creatures. The lights they had would only go so far. If one of them got attacked, it was a given that the other would need to be close by in order to safely pursue. It made their progress... slow. There was no haste in their steps, no exuberance in how they moved. Every motion was careful. Jessica was clearly on guard. Tobias was too but much less obviously--it was always hard to tell with him.
It wasn't enough. Jessica had looked away for what could have only been a moment and the next thing she knew it felt like her head was splitting in two. The shrill, skull-splitting screech seemed to swallow the air around her. She looked over and the source was clear enough; Tobias had been grabbed but he wasn't taking it lying down. He had been hoisted into the air by a Pinsir and he had lashed out with the only thing left to him: his voice. The result was extraordinarily painful for both Jessica and the Pinsir who had made the mistake of assuming Tobias would be an easy mark. It struggled to maintain a tight grip on Tobias but the pain overwhelmed it and it let go as it struggled to get away from the source.
All that was left was the two of them, the silence and the swaying shadows as they breathed heavily from pain and exertion. "What the hell was that?"
"That was my birthright."
It was an answer that didn't really answer the question but it was all Jessica was willing to press for. Bubbling, useless cries from not far into the forest started mere moments later and the two of them went straight to the source only to find a Cleffa on the ground. Jessica quickly moved to pick the child up since it was now exceedingly apparent that it was better off for everyone if she carried the sick. Constitution aside... Tobias was clearly much better equipped to fight off anything they ran into but he couldn't do that if he was holding onto someone.
Cut
Theodore
The masks, the gloves...
They didn't matter a whole lot to Theodore. He knew what they were, he knew what they represented. He wasn't oblivious and he wasn't stupid; he was well aware of the basics when it came to things like medicine and he was sufficiently acquainted with the underlying theories so as to surmise the purpose of the equipment. There just wasn't anything to do about it. What was he going to do, up and leave? Because they might, maybe, be at risk of getting sick? So what? This was part of his work at the guild. Sooner or later bad things were going to happen to him... he had accepted that burden and that risk when he had joined. Nothing had changed. It was all exactly the same to him... he just needed to continue on acting as he had before.
Besides, they had been warned of the possibility at the start. He wouldn't have come if he wasn't prepared to handle that.
And so, whether it was powered by a callous disregard for his life, some kind of arrogance that he would be perfectly fine or simply a sense of duty(?) it was very much the case that Theodore did march through the forest with little concern for his own safety. The jungle was thick but it was a home to him. The light that had been tied around his body glared gently within the field of his vision but it wasn't a problem, or at least it wasn't enough of a problem. There was nothing to stop him aside from the passive threat of others in the jungle, a threat he was well aware of but ultimately unconcerned about. If there was anything Theodore could do, it was protect himself.
It wasn't long by a Swadloon's strides until Theodore managed to reach, of all things, an unconscious Chimecho. How convenient, he thought to himself; it was virtually the only pokemon he could actually carry.
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:32 pm
Cimm A-Nuna B-Mana Kennick
Team Moonlighter
Mana stopped dead in its tracks on the way to head back out into the Jungle, seeing the new team on the surrounding area where they had decided to reenter. The masks and other protective gear some of them were wearing sent sharp spikes of concern and panic through the ghost's mind. First the spirit was immediately concerned for Nuna. The saying went that idiots never got sick, but Mana wasn't one to believe such superstitions. In fact, the ghost worried that it was Nuna's lack of caution and awareness that may end up getting her sick. Mana couldn't help but to find its eyes glued to the Aron's back as they went on their search, looking for any signs of disease or weakness.
Then Mana worried about its missing teammates. Rumors had spread about the attacks on the guild members not being the main goal of the mysterious group of violent Pokémon hiding in the forest. Word of abduction was spreading like wildfire. That would explain things, but now there was another potential cause for the disappearances. What if the mystery disease they were facing worked so fast that it immediately crippled those it struck? The gases surrounding Mana's core expanded and compressed rapidly in the form of a shiver. It really didn't like the mental image of a weak, struggling, and incapacitated Cimm and Kennick lying vulnerable and confused in the dark and winding Jungle somewhere.
And that worry expanded to all of the guild members and those lost in the living death trap of a jungle. Mana had caught many glimpses of familiar Pokémon during the mission briefing that it had spied on during the previous guild mission and even some it knew by name. If anything happened to them, would there be anything Mana could do to help them...?
"Hey, I found someone!" Nuna suddenly yelled in what sounded very close to excitement. Mana started as the Aron suddenly broke into a dead run towards a shivering form in the crook of a nearby tree. Flashes of the sickly Pokémon Mana had located before along with the sight of the medical staff in waiting went through the spirit's mind. This gave cause for quick action on Mana's part as it maneuvered to put itself between the sick pokemon and the healthy Aron.
"N-Nuna, be careful! This illness is probably contagious." The Gastly warned as Nuna skid to a halt. She scowled deeply at Mana and gave a narrowed and sharp look towards the apparition.
"Is this gonna be a regular thing with you?" Nuna groaned in irritation, not only reminding Mana of Cimm greatly but also of what the ghost had done previously with the situation with the Nuzleaf.
"S-sorry... I just think you should be more careful..." Mana admitted in slight exasperation as Nuna rolled her eyes and went around Mana easily. A smile was lifting the Aron's eyes and it laughed heartily in a fashion much more common for the upbeat Pokemon.
"Well, its probably too late to be careful! Can't really help it if I get sick now, can we? Besides! We're already in danger with those creeps attacking us." Nuna pointed out as she neared the sick Pokémon who was gazing confusedly at them at the light from Nuna's headlamp allowed it to be fully revealed to them. It was a Growlithe of decent age, considering the greying fur around its muzzle. It was hard to tell if the flame canine had cataracts in its eyes, or if that was just the illness causing the cloudiness in them.
"Wh.... Who...? My... Daughter!" The growlithe started before breaking into a fit of caoughs and standing on wobbling legs.
"Nuna! From the guild. We're here to help ya!" Nuna introduced herself as she stepped forwards without fear and leaned quickly into the slightly bigger Pokémon when he began to topple over. He panted and looked gratefully at her through his delirium. Her eyes gave away her beaming smile. "Your daughter? Where is she?"
The Growlithe only shook his head slightly, watery eyes blinking rapidly. Mana stared down in concern before taking in a breath and closing its eyes. The ghost could sense life forces if it focused, but only if they were generally near to its location. Soon the spirit could feel it- another life source near their location. But that could mean many things.
"I can tell someone else is nearby, but I can't pinpoint the location." Mana informed Nuna and the elderly Growlithe as they began walking. "Were you recently with your daughter?" The Growlithe's eyes lit up with both hope and confusion.
"I.... I think so. Sh-she... Left so... suddenly..." Apparently the canine was unsure about the exact details. Mana sighed, knowing it would be dangerous then to call out to someone who may either be friend or foe and reveal their location. But that didn't stop Nuna, who had caught a bit of where Mana had been going with the idea.
"HEY! IS ANYONE ELSE OUT HERE?" The Aron shouted so loudly she may have been able to wake a sleeping Snorlax. Mana's anxiety levels shot up way past what they had already been, and the ghost found itself subconsciously turning invisible in self-defense, as if hiding and staying quiet would give it protection.
"N-Nuna! What if-" Mana managed to make out in a barly audible whisper before the sound of sharp and desperate whimpering met its ears. The trio turned to the source of the sound, which Nuna quickly abandoned her support of the old canine in favor of racing towards. Mana was too busy being flustered and indecisive between following after the hasty Aron and making sure the Growlithe didn't collapse. It hadn't even moved by the time it saw Nuna's lamplight stop suddenly and after a few moments, come back towards them more slowly. As the light neared, Mana could make out a second form trudging slowly next to the Co-captain.
A sickly and small looking female Growlithe wagged her tail lightly at the sight of her father. The two reunited with soft whines and touches of noses. It was apparent that the reunion couldn't last long though, as the strength of the older one was fading fast, and his daughter didn't seem like she was truly aware of what was going on at all. So the two guild members found themselves hurrying the happy greetings and prompting a return to safety on the sidelines, where care would surely be given to them promptly. _________
C-Bahadur D-Herbert E-Byron
Team FortuitousBahadur was not fond of the current situation he had found himself in. He had wanted to observe his newest additional team member without the added distraction of having Herbert's unreadable person hovering above them at all times. He personally liked to know what to expect from the Pokémon accompanying him at all times, but now he had two with him that he barely understood at all. Sure he had gathered plenty of useful information on Byron so far during this mission, but he still couldn't predict what the Gligar would do if they ran into any problems or troubles.
So the Dunsparce found himself to be overly tense as the trio trekked through the jungle in search of more sick and missing Pokémon. He had tried to get Herbert to travel separately from them when they had, by chance, met back at the camp at the same time. The silent Bronzor seemed to have other plans, however, as it stubbornly refused to leave them no matter what Bahadur said. The psychic and steel type just hovered over him unblinkingly. Maybe it wouldn't have bugged Bahadur so much if Herbert had actually explained why it didn't want to separate from them. But, no, the silent streak continued. At this point Bahadur was wondering if there was something fundamental lacking in the Bronzor's mind.
It didn't help to dwell on such things when he couldn't possibly hope to change them, though, and Bahadur focused on his search and keeping his demeanor as relaxed as possible so as not to show off any signs of his underlying agitation. The last thing he wanted to seem to Byron was as impatient. On their way through the Jungle, they had reached the outskirts and noticed several Pokémon wearing hygienic gear. This set off an alarm bell in the Dunsparce's brain, and apparently also in Byron's.
"N-no way! Are we going to get sick!?" The Gligar squeaked out as Bahadur led them once more into the forested area. Bahadur shook his head with a sigh.
"Let's hope not. Perhaps it's just a precaution that they are taking with the medical staff. After all, they are spending a much longer time exposed to the ill Pokémon that we are." He tried to reason as to calm the younger Pokémon, though he wasn't convinced himself of this fact. Surely something was discovered about the disease they were facing that caused them to take such measures. If so, it would only give cause for panic within the guild ranks who had already been exposed to the illness. There would be no reason to inform them of any possible contamination until the search was through. If they were going to contract the disease, so be it. They still had a job to do.
Byron only let out a small whimper as he continued to fly alongside the hovering Herbert. Things fell into a tense silence as they continued their search, the weight of all that was happening really sinking in. Bahadur tried to ignore the growing sense of apprehension stirring in him and listened intently for any sounds of wheezing. And soon he did.
"Over here." Bahadur quickly and quietly instructed as he turned to the source of the sounds. He squirmed through a thick patch of vines before turning left past a large, moss covered boulder. Immediately after he did so he was met face to face with the hulking mass of two Ryhorns and a Geodude. They were huddled closely together and shivering intensely. It was almost odd to see such normally intimidating creatures cowering in such a vulnerable way. Apparently they were skittish too. Though he hadn't meant to , his relatively quiet entrance had startled the rock types, and the closest Ryhorn to him let out a hoarse bellow of fear.
"Woah, whoah!" Bahadur backed up as the confused and ill Pokémon turned and reared up on its hind legs, kicking out weakly at him before landing again with a thud and nearly toppling over. Thinking fast, the Dunsparce looked up to Herbert, who was floating above him. "Don't let him hurt himself." He ordered roughly. The Bronzor seemed to understand and turned to fully face the other trio. Soon his yellow eyes swirled with pink energy and pulses of calming energy were shot out at them. The result was instant and effective. Perhaps a little too effective. Not only the panicked Ryhorn, but the other two rocky Pokémon as well fell limp to the ground, fast asleep and snoring with rattling breaths as they did so.
"Herbert! How are we supposed to get them back to help?" The leader immediately protested in exasperation. He wasn;t sure if his co-captain had noticed or not, but none of them really had any means of picking these hulking creatures up and guiding them to safety. The Bronzor was still for a few moments as Bahadur stared at him. But he did move eventually, a low humming sound emanating from him and a pink glow tracing around his form. Soon the pink aura surrounded the three sleeping forms as well, and they were gently lifted into the air. The Dunsparce blinked at the sight of this, having been unaware that Herbert's psychic abilities were strong enough to lift such heavy creatures. His amazement quickly subsided as Byron let out a gasp of awe.
"Wow, that's great!" Byron mused out loud. Bahadur huffed at this. Obviously Herbert was gaining respect from the little Gligar, something that Bahadur wasn't quite sure he had even earned yet. But it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If the Gligar could open Herbert up by looking up to him, then that would be a good thing for Bahadur.
"Yes, good work, Herbert." The leader managed to say in a cheery way, "Now, let's get going. These three don't look like they feel so well." He mentioned before turning and leading his team of three back through he Jungle to deliver the ailing Pokémon to more capable hands. _________ Tik hated this. He hated it more than anything he hated in his life. He was alone, sort of freaking out, surrounded by darkness and foreboding shouts and cries. He had seen the medical staff's new equipment and it only proved to further unnerve him. Perhaps he should be searching for Lin at this point, but he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to do much even if he did find her. Kidnapping had been mentioned several times around the main base, and the Fletchling wasn't one to doubt it since noneso many Pokémon were going missing. But what did this mean? Why were they being kidnapped? What was happening to those being held captive? Who was holding them captive? The bird shuddered midflight as awful and horrifying answers to these dark questions crowded his mind. Honestly he was more focused on his dark thoughts than he was his surroundings. Perhaps that was the reason he had been attacked so easily.
It came first as a blow to his entire right side, causing him to squawk out in alarm as he fell harshly to the ground. If the Jungle floor wasn't covered with soft moss in this particular area, he may have broken the delicate bones in his left wing. His right side smarted though, and he turned his head through the disorientation and pain to try and locate his attacker. The lamp around his neck allowed him to see the otherwise shadowed form of a snarling Zangoose staring down at him.
"S-stay away!" He chirped in vain as his attacker continued advancing. He fluttered his wings as he untangled himself from the where the moss had gripped his delicate feathers and took to the air again, flying backwards this time so that his eyes remained on the Zangoose. This ended up being a smart decision, as the tall red and white Pokémon soon took another swipe at him. Tik just barely managed to dodge the tips of the Pokémon's long claws. Seeing the danger first hand let a strange calm enter the little bird as he came to terms with his predicament. He flew up higher and cleared his mind quickly, allowing himself a moment to concentrate on using his Agility ability to allow himself more speed. The moment was nearly lost as the offending Zangoose leaped onto a tree and used it as a springboard to leap at him.
Having already heightened his ability to react quicker, Tik once again dodged the attack, aiming for the Pokémon's back as it jumped past him and using a lightning fast attack to its back. The Zangoose grunted out as it fell to the ground with the force of the attack, which had been a lot greater than one would think possible for such a small creature as Tik was.
Unfortunately for him, Tik knew he would be no match for the obviously much stronger Pokémon. Already the Zangoose was pushing itself up onto hits feet again and the bird had to think quick. He decided to land another Quick Attack on the fellow, the attack having extra speed added to it, and as the Zangoose fell again, Tik sped off into the depths of the Jungle once more. He decided he didn't want to risk being followed by the no doubt angry Zangoose, and dropped his lamp necklace in order to remain undetected. He had to wonder if somehow the lights were what was drawing attention to the guild members and thought it may have been the wisest choice he had made so far.
Tik did have to slow down in his frantic escaping in order not to hit any trees or vines on his way through the tangles mess of the Jungle. Soon, though, a pulse of psychic energy was let out and he orientated his flight back towards the main area, where he would check once again for the return of his Captain before heading back out into the dangers of the Jungle.
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:44 pm
Serrin, Rescue Leader
So he waited.
He waited even as the noise and the shouts within the jungle rose.
There was little else he could do.[Rules!] This is the final round. You do not need to roll this round.
However, the ranges have been adjusted:
1-4 represents a kidnapping. All kidnappings are noisy and your characters may delve into the jungle to find their comrades.
5 represents an attack.
6+ represents a victim.
Characters that are immune may rescue a victim or be attacked at the preference of the author.
This round will close in 48-72 hours.[If I missed anything directed at Serrin, please OOC me and I'll fix it immediately. I skimmed. The last few days have been trying for me in terms of focus, time and energy.]
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:08 pm
Hanae and Bryant
Bryant cringed. The echoing battle cries had just gotten louder since their last trek through the forest. It made him shiver and wonder: Are we next? But Hanae ignored the cries and pressed forward down the path they had marked. They both cleaned up the silk string that had been left behind after their last trip and Bryant couldn't resist his urge to peer out into the darkness of the forest as they did so. "D-do you think the o-others are alright, Hanae?" The petilil only hummed as she knocked the string shot from a tree branch. He looked up at her with a frown and she sighed.
"They'll be fine," Hanae said. Her tone was very self-assured as if she was certain of this fact. "They're members of the guild right? Which means they have some combat experience. Even if the kidnappers have been able to grab some of us the rest of us could just...gather together and track them down to rescue our comrades."
The swadloon looked up at her startled by her declaration. Rescue...them? Sure, he was certain the guild leaders would think of something but the fact that Hanae was already planning for it...Bryant eyed her almost warily as he trailed after her towards the next part of the path. This one wasn't one they've been on yet so he left a spittle of string shot on the first tree before they stepped into the darkness. Of course they shuffled along, they noticed that the sky had been lit up and through the trees they could see a distant flickering light--and smell smoke. "Wonderful," Hanae said grumpily, "Someone has set a fire." She seemed to shiver and he realized why: they were both highly flammable. She tacked on a 'We need to hurry' before racing ahead.
....That's right. If they were too slow they'd never make it to the rest of the sick in time. The fire would likely kill them if the predators or the kidnappers didn't first. Bryant cringed again at that thought but rushed after the petilil. The light around her neck bounced as the small two man team scurried through the underbrush to find--two more of their targets. Just like the last ones one of the pokemon--a little caterpie--moved to defend the other. This time though, they seemed to be almost as bad as the plusle from before. "We're h-here to help." Bryant muttered.
The caterpie seemed to want to argue but Hanae got down and into his face. No doubt the light hanging from her neck was blinding it. "We don't have time for your petty argument!" She snapped viciously. "There's a fire coming from somewhere so we need to move now before it catches up to where we are." The caterpie shrunk before her anger and Bryant cast a look at the weedle behind the caterpie. That one was almost as sick as the Pidove...
While Hanae and the caterpie continued bickering despite the closing in fire Bryant stepped over to the weedle. "H-hey? I-I know you're sick and all, but this p-place is dangerous. We n-need to get you b-both out of here." The weedle blinked bloodshot eyes at him before finally moving and latching onto his back. It was heavy but not as heavy as a weedle should be which just proved how long it had been sick for. He glanced back to notice that both Hanae and the caterpie had quieted. The former seemed...proud of him while the latter just looked irrtated and resigned. "T-time to go?"
Hanae made a gesture that he knew symbolized a grin before she nodded. "Yes! Alright you stubborn caterpie, you're coming with us too. And we better hurry, that smoke is getting too close for comfort...."
As the quartet of sick and healthy pokemon hurried down the path back to the string shot`d tree, Bryant swore he saw one or two shadow-y pokemon rush past. Kidnappers maybe? If they were they'd either gotten their catch or they were running from the fire themselves. Bryant frowned but he knew he couldn't do a thing about it. After all, they had sick pokemon to get back to camp.
The underbrush den the Mankey and Pidove sheltered in and the rocky outcropping for the plusle and minun--they both sped past as they hurried as quickly as possible back to the camp. They needed to find out why a fire had started Bryant mused but first of all they needed to get their two charges to safety. Hopefully Serrin and the camp itself would still be there even with the fire going on in the distance...
As soon as they arrived, Hanae intructed Bryant to lead the two sick to where the others in the camp were. "But w-what abo-out y-you?" He asked, almost frantic.
She sighed. "I need to find Serrin and find out what in the world is going on. I'd like to think none of our guild mates started that fire but he would know for sure." Bryant nervously nodded in response and the petilil hovered away in a rush as she went to go find Serrin. He glanced at the caterpie and felt the weedle on his back before sighing and gesturing to them both to follow him: Hanae had left him with a task to do and he wasn't about to let her down...Not here, anyway.
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:24 pm
Skye & Quil & ZahraThe distance from the guild’s medical tents to their segment of forest seemed immeasurably far to walk after the umpteenth time making the journey. Skye felt a leaden weight in her legs, and her small paws felt sore and tender. It was difficult work, particularly as the weaker Pokemon often required much more care and attention than they had been previously warned for. Many of them could no longer stand or support their own weight enough to sit up, and so it generally became faster to carry them for the last stretch of distance toward camp.
The Espeon kept a careful watch on her surroundings, glancing every now and again toward the Togetic that fluttered between the trees above her. Zahra was still young, and she couldn’t help but feel responsible for her. After all, she was a part of the team. Then again, Skye had to admit that their difference in age wasn’t actually that significant. Perhaps she had a year or two on the fairy, but that was likely all.
The forest now was eerily quiet, the silence occasionally broken by the cries of fear and anger from other Pokemon. These cries, she had come to discover, were the cries of her coworkers- guild members that had fallen prey to the adversary that lurked among the trees. The idea that someone would prey upon rescue workers and medical officers in such a crisis… ”There must be a reason for all of this,” she justified, though the hollow tone to her voice clearly noted her distress and frustration. There might be a reason, but she was fully aware that such reasoning would never be within her beliefs and values. There was no reason for this that she could ever accept.
She wanted to help, to save the lives of friends and strangers alike, but the forest was still around her now. The Pokemon she’d most recently tried to save had been gone on her arrival- swept off by the mysterious force that lurked in the darkness. She hadn’t even had confirmation of what might be out there, or if any of their missing companions had been spotted after the kidnappings. …Or if they were alive.
Her stomach twisted painfully, and she suddenly found herself wishing that she’d skipped that pre-mission meal. Walking off the nausea, Skye sent another weary pulse of psychic energy across the forest.
Above her, Zahra chirped in confirmation that she’d received the signal. She had taken to doing so after more and more Pokemon began to disappear from the area. It was a safety measure, and even the rebellious Zahra knew better than to test her luck.
Skye sent another pulse of psychic energy to her friend, filled with the tired and anxious emotions that clouded her mind. It was a signal to stop and rest so that they might gather their wits and catch their breath. She was personally exhausted.
Zahra, who had scarcely touched ground since their arrival to the forest, seemed to be just as weary.
The Togetic touched ground roughly in front of Skye. Her feet touched earth with a loud thump, instead of the graceful descent that she had grown to know. The Togetic trembled, cold and tired from the long trek, and Skye felt herself immediately warm to the snarky fairy. She was still new to this, and it was clear that she’d been trying as hard as any other to find those sick Pokemon amongst the trees. Even now, with all that had happened to their guildmates, she was still pressing forward.
”Zahra- I wanted to thank you. I know this isn’t easy, or enjoyable… but you’ve been pushing yourself to the limit to help these Pokemon.” Skye’s voice was filled with the same exhaustion that she felt inside, but there was a warmth within it that was hard to ignore.
The Togetic met her gaze with a frustrated expression, softening as her captain spoke. She shared a rare smile with Skye, stepping closer to lean in against the Espeon’s shoulder. ”Quil would never forgive me if I didn’t… and I don’t think that Cirra would have, either. These Pokemon never asked for this.”
Skye smiled at the mention of her partner, allowing the warm and soothing emotions for her best friend to spill over into the psychic aura that spilled from her mind and spirit. If Zahra deserved anything after all of this, it was to feel happy, and to remember what happy felt like. Sometimes that was enough to bring the hope back into someone’s eyes.
They sat together in the darkness of the forest, with only the lights that they carried and the soft glow of Skye’s gem and markings to see by. Night had now fallen in the region, and it was very difficult for Zahra to see under these conditions. Skye, whose species evolved by the light of the sun, was also disadvantaged. She could see far better than Zahra, but only just. Most of her navigation now would be guided by the psychic pulses that she spread around her.
A twig cracked in the distance, and suddenly both females were alert. They rose to meet the stranger in the distance, Skye squinting to make out the figure beyond their sight.
”Hello?” Zahra’s voice was tentative and suspicious, unsure of whether or not the Pokemon was friendly. It could be anyone lurking beyond the light of their lanterns. ”Show yourself! We’re not messing around!”
Skye growled for emphasis, the fur rising along her spine as she sensed the growing threat. She stepped protectively in front of her friend and snarled a silent warning as the Pokemon approached. Her eyes glowed with psychic energy. It was a clear display of power, to ward off the aggression of the approaching Pokemon.
Then, just as her eyes adjusted to the shape of the figure before her, she felt something strike from behind.
She hissed, spinning to face the second threat. A confusion attack spun around her like a whirlpool, trying to ward away the attackers and place a protective barrier between them. The attack lasted for but a moment, however, as Skye registered that Zahra no longer stood beside her.
Panic welled in her chest, and the Espeon sent out a flurry of psychic messages to locate her friend. She caught the sound of beating wings above her head, and claws raking the tree trunks. Someone had hit a tree in their fighting.
Another figure swept in from the darkness surrounding Skye, aiming to strike her while she was focused on Zahra, and quickly found himself beaten back by a dazzling gleam of energy. She slashed in every direction with psychic attacks, fending off the shadowed figures.
There was more noise from above, and Skye struggled to see who might yet be airborne. Zahra’s flashlight dropped to the earth in front of her paws. The panic changed to dread, and she realized now that she had come to lose another partner. She screamed Zahra’s name, but couldn’t hear herself speak. All she could hear was the heartbeat in her ears and the fury that whirled inside her head.
Why?
Tears of frustration welled at the corner of her eyes. ”Zahra!” She called, desperate for an answer.
Her chest heaved with every breath and the psychic weighed her options in her mind. Once again, she had little chance of finding Zahra in this sort of darkness. Whoever had taken her would not linger long and take the risk that Skye might find them. Their tactic had been to separate them, to weaken them, and it had succeeded with flying colours. But what could she do now? What should she do now? She owed it to the sick Pokemon to find them and to help them- it was her mission, her responsibility, and her passion as a rescue team captain. Then again, she also owed it to her team that she make every effort to protect them. They were a part of her responsibilities, and a part of her family.
Her throat felt raw from calling for Zahra, unsure if the Togetic would have even been awake to hear it in the first place.
It was too risky to go it alone at this point in time. She was very far from the guild, and under the cloak of near to total darkness. She could guide her way by the swath of psychic signals that linked her to the other guild members, and avoid attracting attention to herself once her light had been turned out.
She had to report the disappearance of Zahra to her section leader. Serrin would be displeased to hear it, but he was generally displeased to see her anyway. She wasn’t sure what else she could have done under the circumstances. Ghost & AtiusGhost padded into camp behind her partner, the young, now unconscious Pokemon hanging from her mouth. He was just a tiny thing, with his dirty fur and limp muscles. Perhaps it was because he only weighed a fraction of his normal bulk, but Ghost had little to no difficulty in carrying the little tyke.
His eyes cracked open, staring with a blank and half-lidded gaze at his new surroundings. Ghost could only offer him a muffled hum of comfort, trying to distract him from the chaos of their medical tent. Pokemon were shouting to be heard over each other; calling for their missing friends and partners, asking for help, and crying out simply because they were scared. It was not a restful atmosphere, particularly for the sickened little one that she held protectively by the scruff.
A Leavanny hurried to their side, accepting Atius’ charge from him and racing back to place the Luxio into an empty bed. A second Leavanny, this one slightly paler than his friend, extended an arm to accept the little Shinx as well.
Ghost felt a glimmer of hesitation, but resisted the urge to flinch back. This Shinx needed all the help that he could get, in such a state as he was, and she knew well enough that it was not her help he needed now.
She allowed the Leavanny to take him, smoothing the fur on his forehead with a gentle paw as the bug turned away to bring his newest patient into the tent with his brother.
”I thought you did not like children, Little One.” Atius’ deep voice was not as mirthful as it could have been, instead filled with his usual deep and serious nature. His orb-like eyes fixed on hers, and she wrinkled her nose in displeasure at the question.
”Sick ones are different,” she replied, shifting her glance back to the retreating back of the Leavanny. She could see the little golden star that tipped the Shinx’s tail, but the rest of him was hidden from view as the doctors swarmed their latest patient to have a good look at him. ”They can’t take care of themselves like adults can- little ones like that. When they get hurt…”
Her voice was very soft, but there was a deep sadness to her tone. ”I’ve seen it before. That’s all,” she quipped dismissively, turning away to return to the forest. She could hear the thoughtful hum of her partner as he processed what she’d said, what she hadn’t. It was still very uncomfortable to speak to him. He analyzed her every word, and she wasn’t sure how she was meant to feel about it. She didn’t speak much to other Pokemon in the first place, but how was she to know what she should or shouldn’t say with him?
She felt a jolt of surprise as something cold and solid pressed the top of her head. ”You are confusing, Little One,” Atius told her quietly, keeping the same soft tone that they’d shared all along. He gave her an odd look, appraising her as if he were looking at a stranger. Then, she caught a glimmer of warmth in his expression. ”But perhaps we have more in common than I thought.”
He lifted his hand away, and hovered ahead of her in the lead to find more missing Pokemon.
Ghost stared blankly after him. She felt confused about what it meant for her. She was more similar to Atius than he thought, apparently, but in what context did he mean that? Perhaps he had a soft spot for children, although she wasn’t terribly sure about that. And as it was, she herself still wasn’t too fond of them.
So why then, had he said that? What quality could she possibly share with such a stoic Pokemon? His confidence, intelligence, and poise seemed unattainable to her.
She shook herself to clear the thoughts from her mind, taking a deep breath. Nothing had changed- whatever cryptic meaning he had hidden in such words, it had no meaning on what they had to do now or what would happen next.
After a pause, the Absol walked silently toward her waiting partner.
- - - - -
Atius took the lead in their return into the forest, arranging his path to avoid contact with other guild members. While he was aware of how dangerous their mission had become, how many Pokemon had gone missing or become injured as a result of their expedition, he did not intend for Ghost to know the full extent of it. He had seen a fraction of the stresses on her mind at the camp and it troubled him to understand that there were other aspects of protection that he could not as easily provide to the Absol.
A new aura came into focus on the path ahead, and Atius quickly focused his psychic energies around it. Two Pokemon lay in hiding, and he could feel the fear and stress that radiated off of them. These ones, he noted with relief, were a far cry from the young pair that they’d aided before.
”Stay here, Ghost. Keep a close watch on your surroundings,” he ordered, surrounding her with a protective swath of energy. He wanted to know if anything came even remotely close to the Absol.
Approaching the two shaken Pokemon, he immediately noted the smell of vomit. A Manetric and her Houndour companion were huddled closely together at the base of a tree. Around them lay broken branches and charred earth, as though someone had passed through in the middle of a fierce battle. The aura still lingered in the area, though it was from a couple of hours before, and he realized that the two canines had been drawn here long after whatever had happened. Perhaps the noise had called them to investigate?
Whatever the case, Atius wasted no time in introducing himself. Within several minutes, he had pacified the confused couple enough for them to allow him to carry them both. Levitating above the ground, he could help them back to camp much more easily than before. Ghost, of course, was immediately at his side to follow on the trek back.
This time he did not look her in the eyes, uncertain of what mixed emotions he might find. He valued her physically, but it made him somewhat uncomfortable to open up to her in an emotional context.
He had never really taken the time to imagine that they might share something in common, especially something as intimate as their ability to empathize and will to protect other Pokemon. Now he could only imagine what else she had hidden from him. His mind was reeling, and it was in this rare moment that he realized he knew very little about the Absol he'd been watching over for the past month and a half.
That simple idea would have consequences. When he did eventually come to discover who Ghost really was, what she'd done, what she'd do in future... would he still want to protect her after he truly knew her for who she was? Would that same logic apply to the others they helped in their work, particularly since their job would require the death of other Pokemon in order to accomplish that help and protection?Keiran-
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Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 6:28 am
Neo & Nyx & Air ”What do we do now Nyx?” Neo’s question was filled with the exhaustion that was written on his face. The Meowstic wasn’t just tired, but mentally drained from the mission’s events as well. His heart ached for his lost teammate, his head ached from trying to make the right choices, his paws ached from wandering through the jungle for hours, and he felt so small and vulnerable here on the side of the camp that he was beginning to doubt even his own capabilities. There were screams and cries echoing from the jungle so frequently he didn’t even flinch at them anymore, just stared outward into the jungle with sorrow deeper than the darkness in his eyes.
Nyx observed all of this quietly, sitting with his tails wrapped round his paws as he waited for Neo to collect himself. This was taking a toll on him doubtless, and there was little question why. Several other Pokemon who had joined them on this mission seemed equally disheartened and disturbed by the events of the night as well, and what was their Sector Leader doing? Nothing. He didn’t speak a word to ease the minds of his subordinates, didn’t offer an expression of sympathy or an apology, didn’t even consult with the medical staff to report on the progress being made or organize a search party for the missing Guild members. He was watching them like they were being put on trial, and the fiery disapproval in the Vulpix’s stomach burned ever brighter at the sight. Whatever this was, there was too much about it that wasn’t right. If the Guildmaster had been here things would have been different, he had very little doubt, and he was keeping track of each detail he observed to report to the Sylveon after about his Ivysaur subordinate’s actions on this expedition.
Turning back to Neo, whose large, green eyes were searching his curiously, Nyx rose to his paws and shook out his tails gently. ”There’s nothing more to do than what we’ve been doing,” the Vulpix replied. ”Since we haven’t been told otherwise, there must still be others out there who require assistance. It would seem that we’ve been left to act on our own, but that doesn’t change our initial objective any. Our best option would be to continue searching for the ill but keep our eyes out for any sign of the hostile Pokemon’s base of operations while we travel. If we locate that, we may be able to do our fellow Guild members quite the service--”
The Vulpix cut off quite suddenly as Neo made a sudden movement towards him, stiffening instinctively in response; his eyes widened in shock when Meowstic pulled him into a hug, burying his face in his shoulder, and Nyx found himself speechless. ”Thank you…” Neo whispered, sending a chill down the Vulpix’s spine with its sincerity. ”I’m so lucky to have you as my partner.” The pair remained like that for a long moment, Neo unwilling to let go and Nyx unable to respond, until finally the former drew back, blinking back tears from his eyes. ”I’m ready now.”
”I…” Nyx began, staring at Neo with confusion in his eyes. ”...I suppose we should go then.” He didn’t know how to return this type of affection--courtesy was simple, but this was foreign to him. ”...You’re sure you’ll be alright?” he added, the phrase uncertain on his lips.
”With you there beside me? I’m sure.” Neo’s response was so confident it made the Vulpix’s fur prickle with unease. He didn’t doubt his own abilities, but the easy faith that his partner was giving him; the only choice he had was to make good on that faith, and try to keep it from extending to others in the future. Dipping his head to the Meowstic, Nyx gestured for the feline to lead the way, sweeping after him into the confines of the underbrush. Perhaps he was getting himself in too deep here. Then again, considering the circumstances, perhaps that wasn’t the worst thing.
The pair made their way some distance into the jungle without incident. The traveling was quiet aside from the occasional scream that broke the still of the night, and the further they traveled the more frequent those screams seemed to become. Neo’s fur bristled with fear as he lifted his lantern high, trying to spot any signs of life nearby. He kept hearing a strange sound from behind them, even when he would change direction it would start up again at their backs, as though it had been there all along. Whatever the sound was, it wasn’t accompanied by any breathing loud enough for him to hear, which left one likely option for its source.
”Nyx,” Neo breathed, pausing and leaning down very deliberately to check a churned up patch of dirt, so as not to arouse suspicion. ”I think we’re being followed.” The Vulpix nodded wordlessly, expression unchanging, but ears perking up as he listened to try and hear what his leader was referring to. It was terribly quiet now, and there hadn’t been any screams for a while, which wasn’t a good sign. Casually striding over to the other side of his partner, Nyx stared down at the patch of ground as well before shooting a quick glance upward at the trees beyond. Shadows moved before his eyes in unnatural ways just out of the area of the light--Neo was right, they were being stalked.
”I doubt we’ll be able to run at this point,” Nyx murmured, lips scarcely moving, ”We should stand and fight. It’s our only chance.” That being said, he didn’t intend to let Neo get involved in the battle any more than was necessary, but the Meowstic had proven himself an asset in combat before, and Nyx trusted that he would do much the same here. ”In a moment, I’ll make the first move. Perhaps we can surprise them and send them running first if we’re lucky.” Neo nodded, biting his lip nervously, but looking determined: he was ready to do his best for his partner, just as his partner had been doing for him. Then, without warning, the chaos began.
Turning his head slightly, Nyx shot a Fire Spin through the trees, the attack flying out past the lantern-light and wrapping itself around the pair of unknown Pokemon. As the flames leaped higher they kissed the leaves of the trees but remained contained, only evaporating the excess dew off the plant life since they weren’t warm enough to catch completely. The aggressors responded instantly. A quadrupedal form leaped through the flames, howling as he charged the pair with jaws spread wide, and a bipedal creature remained in place, trapped in the flames, though its eyes glowed with Psychic energy as a pulse was directed toward the partners in the wake of her comrade’s attack.
Nyx jumped forward to meet the Houndoom--which he quickly identified now that the dog was in full view--lunging forward with a quick attack strong enough to direct the canine’s path away from Neo. The larger Pokemon growled and Nyx returned the warning sound, fur bristling as he placed himself firmly between the Houndoom and his partner. He was waiting for the creature to lunge again and pushed back with another rapid attack, but this time he followed through, continuing forward with an eerie light forming by his side. With a flick of the tails he sent the orb towards his adversary, setting it to spin around the Dual Type and confuse him so that he would have a harder time pinpointing them--the Houndoom was the more important of the two to incapacitate, considering the damage it could do to Neo if given the chance.
”Nyx, watch out!” The fox turned only to be shoved to the side by his partner as a devastating burst of Pyschic energy hit the place where he’d been standing moments before. Now Neo was there, and the feline’s knees buckled under the force of the Future Sight, but he sprang back up again after a moment, panting heavily. The Houndoom took advantage of the moment to rush them again, but with a simple flick of a tail, Nyx sent the creature crashing into a tree, his orb providing the distraction necessary to keep the Dual Type from achieving success.
Spinning to face the Gothorita, who appeared to be preparing a Psychic attack once more, Nyx shot some embers at her feet to keep the Psychic distracted. It worked well enough, the light fading from her eyes as she tried to dance away from the flames, and a weaker Psychic wave collided with the Vulpix that was hardly enough to even daze him. Bounding forward toward the distracted Gothorita, Nyx vaulted into her with a Quick Attack, sending the delicate creature falling backward. Flames licking at his throat, he pulled back and prepared a burst of fire to send at the fallen Psychic, but suddenly found himself shoved to the side once more.
Spinning around, Nyx’s eyes widened in shock as he watched the Houndoom’s jaws close around Neo’s torso, and he let out a growl of rage as he watched his partner’s form go limp, knocked unconscious from the powerful Dark Type attack. ”Neo!” he shouted, pain sounding in his voice, ”Neo wake up!” But the attack was too strong and the Meowstic too weak, his consciousness already gone before his partner managed to speak. Lunging towards the pair, Nyx found himself immediately pushed back by the Psychic power of the Gothorita, who had regained her feet just in time; he wriggled helplessly in the air where she held him still, and then found his vision filled with dirt as he was pushed down viciously into the ground.
Blinking the soil out of his eyes, Nyx regained his sight just in time to see the pair slipping back into the shadows, and the Vulpix felt the burn of hatred within his chest. The one Pokemon in the world he had to protect was being taken, and his kidnappers actually thought he was going to be stopped by their parlor tricks? ”I think not.” His words were low with outrage, and he allowed the emotion to feed the fire that was forming at his maw. Tilting his head to the sky, Nyx shot a Fire Spin up into the heights of the trees. Fueled by fury, the flames weren’t their usual reddish-orange but pure white, and hot enough that even the moistness of the jungle trees couldn’t prevent the fire from catching.
The row of trees he’d aimed at alight, Nyx looked back down to spot the product of his work: an incredibly startled-looking pair of kidnappers altering their path to return to the shadows. Spotting the limp body of his partner still in the Houndoom’s mouth, Nyx’s eyes narrowed and he began to pursue his adversaries, another Fire Spin forming in his mouth as he did so. ”No use hiding,” he murmured through the flames, ”I can do this all day.” The remark was accompanied by another burst of flames crowning the next set of trees before him, these ones catching even more easily than the first now that the air was growing drier. His legs worked quickly and his lungs burned like the fire he left in his wake as he continued his pursuit, but it didn’t matter: he’d get Neo back if he had to burn the entire jungle to the ground.Neo & Nyx Erinn The path back to where he’d found Maria was easy to follow, despite the fact that he’d made it so hastily on his way to camp. If he didn’t move quickly then everything he’d been working for could very well have been in vain. It wasn’t that he felt he’d accomplished nothing--two lives saved was better than none--but the little Paras didn’t think he had the heart to tell the Electric Types that he hadn’t been able to save their newborn child. To escape that horrible conversation, he had to find the infant: there would be no way for him to rest easy otherwise.
When his lights shone once more on the abandoned eggshell and the circle on the tree just beyond, Erinn let out a sigh of relief and hurried over to them, hoping to get a closer look. He stared at the eggshells, but found nothing to indicate where the baby might have gone from within it, not even the usual fluids that accompanied a hatching. Instead the egg was eerily dry to the touch, and the pieces appeared to be out of place from where they should have been. Thinking about it more, it occurred to Erinn that he’d followed a trail of eggshells to get here, which was unlikely to have happened while the mother was carrying the egg--what if…?
Spinning around, Erinn made his way back toward the luminescent mushrooms in a hurry, eyes scanning the ground for the eggshells he’d stepped on before. To his delight, they were still there, but further examination of them was enough to speed up his heartbeat again. He’d only stepped on one of the shells, he was certain of that, but there were many other pieces that seemed to have been crushed by the footsteps of something far larger than him. Swallowing the fear that rose in his throat, the Paras continued forward, praying that it was coincidence only that the other Pokemon had walked this way as well. ”Where are you little one?” he murmured, shivering nervously as he smelled the scent of smoke on the wind. Legends forbid the little thing was caught up in anything like that.
The little bug followed the trail until it disappeared, the last of the eggshell bits leaving him without a clear direction. ”Ohhh…” Erinn fretted, turning his body from left to right to try and glimpse some sign of the missing child up ahead. His search was interrupted by a soft clearing of the throat somewhere nearby, and the Paras nearly jumped out of his exoskeleton when he turned to find some of the nearby shrubbery shift as a Grotle moved forward into his line of sight. Balking back, Erinn pressed himself against a nearby tree, quivering as the Pokemon approached him, maw open wide...and began to speak.
”Is something the matter little one? You seem terribly distressed.” The turtle’s voice was deep and matronly, and her gaze was gentle as she stared down at the little bug.
”I-I-I…” Erinn stammered, looking up at his unexpected companion with concern. ”I-I’m from the Guild. I’m here on a rescue mission, looking for a sick child.” He didn’t know the identity of this Pokemon, friend or foe, sick or aggressor or other, and he was afraid to find out. It didn’t occur to the bug that there were other Pokemon who lived here; Pokemon who called this place home and might be uninvolved with the events he was facing.
”A sick child?” The Grotle repeated slowly, eyes darkening with concern. ”What sort of child?”
”I...don’t know exactly,” Erinn said honestly, still uncertain of the Dual Type’s motives, ”A Pachirisu or an Emolga probably. It’s just newly hatched and probably very ill with the disease its parents caught. I had to take them both back for medical care first, since I couldn’t find the child anywhere, and now I don’t even know where to begin looking.”
”Hmmm…” The old turtle turned her gaze heavenward, aged eyes cloudy with thought. ”A sick baby separated from its parents. That’s quite the tragedy. A small squirrel like that though, finding itself alone in the wild… It would probably find the place that felt most natural to it, wouldn’t you say?”
Erinn frowned considering the theory. ”You mean the trees?” the Paras said after a moment. It seemed unlikely that a sickly child would be able to manage the climb, particularly if it suffered from the same breathing problems its parents had been having, but maybe instinct had been powerful enough to get the infant up out of danger. ”But where would I begin?”
The Grotle offered a sigh as a response, looking around the treetops herself. ”I’m sure I don’t know,” she said after a moment, her voice weary with uncertainty. ”But perhaps a gentle voice and light will do you good. The child will be expecting to find its mother, who would possess both of those things as a small Electric Type.”
The mention of his lights brought a look of surprise to Erinn’s face, and he stared upward, wondering if the stranger’s plan would work. He could start at the tree closest to where the shell trail stopped, and maybe… ”You might be on to something,” he said softly, growing braver with anticipation, ”Thank you for your advice.”
”Anything for a gentle soul like yourself little one,” the Grotle replied with a low chuckle. ”I hope you and the one you are searching for return home safely. This place can be dangerous for those who lose their way.” Before he realized what was happening, Erinn found himself scooped up in a vine and lifted up to a nearby tree branch, where he was placed securely before the appendage retracted. Down below the Grotle smiled at him. ”Best of luck on your search. I will be here, if you have any further need of me.” Blushing, Erinn nodded, feeling both embarrassed and flattered to be coddled so; it had saved him a difficult climb though, so he couldn’t complain.
Securely on the branch, the Paras turned around in a slow circle, careful not to lose his grip as he shone his light on each of the trees around him. He didn’t see any sign of the child from his current vantage point, but he didn’t spot any hostile Pokemon either, meaning that this place was at least relatively safe. Stepping forward along the branch, Erinn progressed to the next tree and repeated the process, gently calling out ”Little one!” with every step he took. The results were fruitless for a long while, but finally the Paras caught sight of an unusual glimmer in his light--a glimmer which turned out to be a set of wide eyes, staring at him from the other side of the branches. Tentatively Erinn stepped further out onto the branch, his lights shining true, and he gasped when they caught the small form that was watching him: a miniature Emolga with electric blue markings just like its father’s. ”Oh thank goodness,” Erinn breathed, eyes bright with quiet joy, ”It’s you!”
Making his way across the branches, Erinn began to talk to the child, never quieting his voice as he drew closer. He explained who he was and what he intended to do, he described the child’s parents to the best of his ability, and he told the child the strange set of circumstances surrounding its birth; of course the infant wouldn’t understand any of this, but it would familiarize the child with his voice, which was important. His tone was gentle as he moved forward, and opened his arms to the small squirrel and eventually, after several long moments of nervous staring, the child came forward into the hug, nearly causing the Paras to collapse with relief. Somehow--against all odds--he’d managed to find the child, and better still she seemed unharmed. Her breathing was shallower than it should have been, and her eyes glossy, but she was alive and could be returned to her parents: all was well.
Transferring the child to his back, Erinn instructed her to hold on tightly to his mushrooms, guiding her small hands to the fungi and waiting until they grabbed on. He then proceeded to climb down the tree, thanks on his lips prepared for the Grotle who had helped him, but he found the Dual Type to be oddly absent. If he’d been less distracted by the need to get the child to safety, it might have struck Erinn as odd how she’d appeared when needed and vanished when the problem was gone, but for now he was too preoccupied to think of such things; deciding he would search for her to thank her later, the Paras turned toward the Psychic pulses instead and followed them back to the safety of the base where he would hand off his young charge to one of the medical assistants. It wasn’t until much later that Erinn would learn an odd truth: there was no Grotle who suited the description of the one he’d met currently living in the jungle--the natives were quite certain they’d remember a Grotle who bore the leaves of the Gracedia on her back.Riley Thoughts of Keiran still raw in his mind, Riley didn’t spare any time on his trek back through the jungle. The screams were all around him and the number of victims was beginning to dwindle by the looks of things, since he’d heard whispers of Teams taking longer and longer to return when passing by a pair of Chatot assisting the medical staff. That, or they’re being taken. The thought was bitter but far from unfounded. It was difficult to keep track of which Pokemon were members of Teams and which were Guild staff, but he could tell from the encroaching emotions of fear and dread that things were not as they should have been. Were there any Teams that hadn’t suffered a loss as he had? Perhaps, but it seemed far more likely that most all of them were missing a teammate or two--the worried looks and hushed whispers were evidence enough to support his theory.
These thoughts churned in Riley’s mind as he wandered through the jungle on quiet pawsteps, eyes hidden by the rim of his top hat. He didn’t like that Serrin was standing by and doing nothing--he’d failed to notice it before but he’d caught a glimpse of the Ivysaur upon departure and the image had haunted him ever since. There was something off about it--something that he couldn’t quite place. Though Serrin was stoic, he knew how to do his job and must have continued to be good at it if the new Guildmaster sought him out for the position; the problem was that he wasn’t doing his job, he was only watching. There was no organizing of search parties, no investigation of the illness, no communication between the leader and his subordinates at all, and that was very wrong indeed. Frowning, the Espeon stared out into the blackness, wondering what it could mean...and found that it was blackness no longer.
”...What?” The magician’s senses tingled as the scent of smoke reached his nose, and he stared outward to find that the trees were lit up more than they should have been. Turning his head to follow the light, Riley took a few steps back as he craned his head upward, spotting the flames that were beginning to reach up into the sky. ”But how?” he murmured, suspicion in his tone. He would have felt the change in the weather if this place was due for a forest fire, but this was a jungle. The collision of fronts necessary to create such a thing was definitely something he would have sensed, meaning it had been started deliberately. The flames glowed in Riley’s eyes as he contemplated the situation for a long moment and then began to hurry towards them--he didn’t know the source of the flames, but he did know that the chances of there being Pokemon at risk in that area were very high. If they couldn’t move then the fire would be a grave danger to them, and that wasn’t something he could just stand by and watch.
It didn’t take long for the Espeon to find himself in the thick of the fire, surrounded by the crackling of burning branches above him. The area he found himself in didn’t have many fallen branches yet, but the more time that passed the greater the risk of getting trapped in the heat. Cape whipping back and forth in the gusty heat, Riley peered around the area with careful eyes, searching for silhouettes against the flames and listening for cries or shouts. Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, he changed his approach, continuing to run through the burning trees and shouting out into the distance, accompanying each cry with a Psychic pulse in case his voice was drowned out by the flames. After several minutes of searching, and just when he was about to give up the search, he heard a faint cry in response to his own, and immediately zeroed in on a nearby life force, a Taillow.
The small bird was in dreadful shape when Riley found it, its feathers singed by the flames and its eyes dull with sickness and fear, but its expression grew hopeful when it caught sight of him. ”Help... Please... My wings...” The bird’s voice gave way to incessant coughing from the smoke and illness, but Riley didn’t need further prompting.
”Of course,” the Espeon replied. ”On my hat if you please my good sir.” Removing the head piece, he lowered it to the Taillow, who awkwardly pulled himself on top of it with the help of Riley’s free paw. Passenger in place, Riley replaced the hat and glanced around the burning foliage with watchful eyes. ”Hang on tightly!” he shouted up to his small companion, ”We’ll need to move fast!” With that he began to run.
The Psychic’s lungs cried for oxygen as he sprinted, filled with smoke as they were, and his eyes stung with tears from the heat that collided with them. It was a painful journey, but Riley didn’t even consider the idea of stopping: falling embers and creaking branches were enough of a warning to dissuade even the most foolhardy of non-Fire Types, and Riley was anything but a fool. He didn’t stop running when he cleared the fiery area of the forest except for a moment, and continued the minute his passenger affirmed his presence with a weak chirrup; by the time he reached camp he was breathing heavily, trying desperately to cycle the smoke out of his lungs.
”We’re...here…” he panted, removing his hat and helping the Taillow off carefully, before allowing himself to sit and rest his paws for just a moment. The small bird shot him a look of concern, but Riley shook his head, beckoning to a nearby Zangoose. ’Look after my friend, will you?” the Espeon said, his voice grating as his own ears as it escaped his throat. ”I’ll be fine, I just need a minute to rest, but he’s...he’s pretty sick.” A bird that couldn’t fly away from a forest fire was cause for concern no doubt; all Riley could do was hope that they’d find a cure soon as he watched the Normal Type staff member sweep the little Pokemon away.(( IMPORTANT: The first part of this post may affect other teams: in chasing after Neo, Nyx is setting fire to the trees, and it's creating a big beacon which he'll continue to expand on as he follows the kidnappers. Your characters might not know what's happening, but it is something they might want to look into or at least be aware of. Also I apologize for Riley's part of the post--it's not at all what I would have liked but the end of the chapter prompted me to make something quickly. I randomly generated the Taillow as well, just so everyone's aware in case it becomes relevant.))
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2015 3:53 pm
Team CatalystMembers Present: Keivera (A - 9), Arlyn (B - 8 ), & Kent (C - 3) Kent was the only one left out of Team Catalyst still combing the jungle for the sick. However, it was a fact he was unaware of. Having missed Arlyn's at the base camp, he believed his young friend was continuing to do what was necessary - looking for the sick as Keivera would want.
Sticking his nose to the ground once again, he began tracking an unfamiliar scent. However, as he continued his tracking, another scent filled his senses - fire! This wasn't good. There were still a lot of ill pokemon out here and most of them were in no shape to flee what Kent could only assume was a large blaze from the amount of smoke he was smelling. He had to save them, or at least as many as he could. Without any thoughts of what it could mean for him, he ran in the direction of the fire. Unfortunately, he would never make it anywhere near the flames to rescue any of those unfortunate enough to be in its path. In his rush to save the sick from a fiery death, he ran head first into someone who was neither ill nor a member of the guild, and they definitely weren't friendly.
Kent was faced with a Dodrio, immediately receiving a harsh Peck from each of the three heads. It was painful, and he was sure it had split his head open.
In order to get some distance between him and the large bird, he lifted his head and bared his teeth as he let out a loud terrifying Roar. This caught the his enemy off guard, causing it jump back several feet in alarm. This gave him the distance he needed to use his Flamethrower.
The flames found their mark easy, and it was enough to send the Dodrio running. However, just to ensure that the bird would keep going, Kent pursued it for the first several yards, Biting at its heels, careful to stay slightly to the side in order to avoid its sharp talons.
After a few seconds, he skidded to a halt and snorted. He was satisfied with the knowledge that the Dodrio would think twice about attacking him again. [[End of Post: Keivera, Arlyn, & Kent]] Team VerrucktMembers Present: Viper (D - 6) & Mortimer (E - 9) Mortimer could smell the smoke from the blaze that was raging nearby. He wasn't concerned about himself because of his immunity, but he was concerned for any who needed rescuing that might be near the blaze. In his current state, he wasn't fit for a massive rescue effort, but he could possibly save one from death if he was quick enough. Hobbling as fast as he could, he turned toward the flames and began scouring the foliage for any signs of life. His efforts were rewarded when he almost tripped over a small still form around thirty-five yards away from fire; it was a Rattata. It appeared to have possibly passed out due to smoke inhalation.
Carefully, Morty lowered his head and picked the tiny rat up by the scruff of the neck. Then, as quickly as he could without causing damage, he started limping back to the base camp. It was unlikely that he would have time to come back and save another, but at least this one would be safe.[[End of Post: Viper & Mortimer]] Team ForgeMember: Murdock (F - 3) After dropping the Pikachu off, Murdock once again trudged back into the forest. Even with his lantern attached to his head, visibility on the jungle floor was low. Worse, smoke from a nearby fire was also obscuring his vision. As a steel type, fire was bad news. He was going to have to get as far away from it as possible and trust that his fellow guildmates were able enough to rescue any who were unfortunate enough to be in the path of the blaze.
Before he could get completely clear of the smoke, however, he was charged and hit from the side with a Take Down from an attacker. The smoke made it hard to tell what his enemy was exactly, but he knew his attacker was solid - a steel or rock type for sure, and perhaps a combination of both.
The blow made him stagger slightly, but his center of gravity was low enough to keep him from being knocked too far. Now, he had a chance to repay the favor. Having guessed at his attacker's type, he gripped the earth beneath him with his claws before slinging his body sideways and launching a Mud-Slap in the direction his attacker had come from. He was rewarded with a small grunt of pain.
It was a glancing blow; his enemy had had enough time to move out of the way just enough to ensure that he wouldn't take full damage.
The enemy, unbeknownst to Murdock, raised his physical defense with his Iron Defense, hardening the armor on his body further.
Murdock, still unaware of his attacker's identity, lowered his head and charged with his Iron Head just hoping that he was still aimed in the right direction.
The Bastiodon heard Murdock coming though and flung itself to the left at the last second, dodging Murdock, who slammed into a tree instead.[[End of Post: Murdock]]
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Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2015 4:02 pm
Cimm A-Nuna B-Mana Kennick
Team Moonlighter
It wasn't like Nuna was enjoying this. Really, it wasn't. The smile on her face as she and Mana hiked through the jungle was only there because of the growing excitement she was feeling with the new dangers presenting themselves around every corner. She was not happy to know that Cimm and Kennick had been kidnapped, and she really wasn't fond of the way Mana obviously fretted over the two's safety. Sure there weren't any shiny things to be found during this mission, and its not like it would really benefit her, but it was exciting nonetheless. Well, perhaps there was a bit of enjoyment with the situation. After all, she was going to be able to rub this whole thing in Cimmerian's face after he showed up again... If he showed up again.
"Hurry up, you!" Mana loudly threw over her shoulder to Mana in an effort to banish the negative thoughts that floated along the edges of her relatively positive mindset. The ghost was lagging behind a bit, glancing nervously into the deep shadows as they passed them. Mana jumped when it was called and hurried to Nuna's side. The Aron rolled her big blue eyes, "Quit worrying about things so much!"
"S-sorry..." Mana quickly yet quietly replied, only seeming to become more antsy on the account of the land trotting Pokémon's high volume. Really, Nuna wished that the ghost would actually fight back just once. She wasn't fond of she and Cimm's bickering, but would rather have that right now than feel guilty for snapping at the spirit. Instead of apologizing, though, Nuna just huffed and continued on her way through the dense parts of the Jungle. They were getting to a point where it was impossible to walk through the plant infested place without brushing against a nest of vines or get caught up in the spindly roots of the smaller plants. It didn't bother Nuna too much since she could literally just plow through the tangled mess with her sturdy body. Still, Nuna would rather be able to phase through the thick foliage like Mana was able to. Being a ghost sure seemed handy. It would be very easy to get stuck in the mess of plant life.
They continued to trek on through the Mystifying Jungle regardless, and Nuna began humming a random tune to block out the silence that fell between herself and the anti-conversational Mana. The humming also proved useful in warding off thoughts of what could be happening to the Luxio and Shelgon that Nuna was acquainted with. Otherwise she would start to worry. Yep, it sure was good that she knew how to hum, or else she'd be thinking right now about possible scenarios of torture, mind control, wounds, blood, guts, gore, death, dying-
"Over here." Mana's hurried tone of voice cut through the Aron's now racing thoughts. She hadn't realized she'd stopped humming. Nuna looked over to the direction in which Mana was floating and spotted a huddled form amongst a patch of vines that were dangling from the trees. The creature was shivering and whimpering pitifully, coughing as it did so.
"Oh, another one!" She piped up in excitement as she bounded ever closer to the sick Pokémon. As she neared her headlamp revealed the details of the form. It was a small Snubbul, wrapped and tangled in the thick vines suspended from the trees. Nuna would have laughed at how the dog was awkwardly wrapped by its left ankle and right arm to the vines if not for the obviously deathly ill state it was in. "Wow, buddy! You don't look so good." Nuna mentioned in an only half-joking manner as she pushed her way through the strong web of vines and came up beside the Snubbul. She didn't get a reply from the pink fairy, and that only increased the urgency in which Nuna began unravelling the caught Subbull's appendages. Soon the ill Pokémon was laying on the ground, free of any plant life that had been stuck to its body. Nuna hummed in thought as she looked over the thing, observing its heaving and pained breaths, the slackness in its unberbit jaw, and the trail of drool coming out the corner of its mouth. Its eyes were puffy from crying and even though it had them closed, Nuna could see the redness around them.
"Nuna!" Mana's voice was filled with an urgency that snapped Nuna's attention to it immediately. The ghost had a frantic look about it as it stared off into the distance from above, a faint orange glow detailing its features.
"Where's that light coming from?" Nuna asked, but had a sinking feeling she already knew. Her instinctive fear was already kicking in.
"Fire!" Yep. Nuna knew it. She let out a groan of displeasure as she shifted around to shove her head under the Snubbull's prone from, gently lifting it and maneuvering so that it slid down her back and rested limply across her small form. Unfortunately the fairy ha snagged the lamplight on he head and the device fell uselessly to the ground. Not that she needed it with the new light from the fire that was no doubt quickly filling the jungle.
"Come on, Mana, let's-" The Aron was about to suggest that they make a bolt for it when a scream ripped through the air, coming from the direction that Nuna wanted to run away from. The two conscious Pokémon stared in the direction from which the sound came. "No way...." Nuna gaped in disbelief. Someone was obviously in danger because of the fire. And that meant they were supposed to go and save that person.... Right?
"N-Nuna, I can-"
"Alright! You stay here and watch this guy!" Nuna interrupted, leaning sideways to let the newly mounted Snubbull slide off her back. Mana gave her an incredulous look that only made the Aron snicker, "I have a few tricks to fight back against fire. Besides, its not like you can carry anyone out if they need it, right? I'll be back soon!" Before Mana could even hope to argue, she was off at full speed toward the inferno. Though she couldn't see it yet, she could already feel its heat blazing through the trees.
Soon enough she was catching glimpses of embers, ashes, and smoke. A light thought wondering about if there had been a drought recently in the Jungle that had led to them catching fire so easily drifted though Nuna's mind in passing as she raced as fast as her little legs would carry her. She had to stop soon when she realized she didn't know where exactly the scream had come from. She was answered soon enough when a scared shriek was let out to her near left. Turning in that direction, Nuna wriggled her way through a curtain of long moss and came upon a scene straight from her nightmares. Well, not including melting shiny things.
Fire was burning high and bright before her, consuming the trunks of tall trees and licking at the air wildly as they tried to grow. The vegetation surrounding the area was shriveling as the moisture was rapidly being sucked away from it, and fire engulfed limbs were already falling away from the smaller trees in the area. And right in the middle of it all was a Spinarak that was about her size. It was skittering in circles and shrieking randomly as it looked around wildly at the flaming mess around it. Even though there were several clear shots out of the burning area, the arachnid seemed to confused and panicked to make its own way out. Nuna assumed that the cause of this was the disease that they were battling against.
Trying not to think too much about the inferno before her, Nuna leaped into action. She avoided the direct flames of the fire as she made her way over to the frantic bug type, but could still clearly feel the searing heat against her vulnerable metal body. When she came close, the Spinarak seemed to sense her wand whipped around to face her.
"H-help!" Was all it squeaked as it stared wide-eyed at her. Nuna nodded once very sharply before turning with her back facing the Pokemon.
"Latch on, and let's go!" She ordered with a twinge of concerned fright in her voice. The spider seemed to quickly catch on, as it leaped up and wrapped its legs around her form instantly. Nuna could feel the tremble in the Spinarak's limbs that came from exerting itself to hold on, but there was little that she could do about that so she chose to ignore it in favor of getting to safety as quickly as possible. As soon as she was sure her load was secure, she began racing back to the place where Mana was, only for her path to be blocked as she tried to escape by a flaming limb that crashed to the ground in a fiery heap.
Nuna managed to hold back her shout of surprise as hot embers were jolted away from the burning limb and made contact wither face. Feeling slightly angry with the tree branch for burning her, she grumbled and knew she'd have to find another way around. She would use her new Water Pulse technique like she had been planning to, but there was no water around to use and she hadn't quite figured out how to work her new power quite yet. Creating water just wasn't something she was prone to naturally.
So instead of extinguishing the flames like she had hoped to, Nuna backed up and tried circling around the area in search of another exit. She soon found one in the form a two bouldlers that were protecting a patch of still moist moss from the heat. Crying out triumphantly, Nuna raced towards them and squeezed through the narrow path the rocks formed. Once on the other side, the path was clear of flames and she made a break for the area where she had left Mana.
"Nuna!" The ghost called out upon sighting them. Nuna grinned and jogged over to where the spirit was floating close to the ground, near the wheezing Snubbull.
"Let's get out of here, I don't wanna stick around while that fire grows." Nuna managed to laugh through it all, mainly because her adrenaline was giving her such a rush. Mana nodded slightly and hesitantly looked at the spider latched onto the Aron's back. "Yeah... I don't know how we're getting both of them back at the same time." She said, sensing her fellow teammate's doubt and the cause of it immediately. Mana hummed as its eyes flicked over to the Snubbull and back to the spider.
"Do you think you can weave a string and attach it to Nuna's shell, and the other end to this Snubbull here?" The purple orb asked as it neared the Spinarak. The ill and scared Pokémon looked at Mana briefly as if it were weighing the question, and then in nodded slowly. Nuna heard rather than saw the web being made, a gentle hum that quickly stopped as the spider finished and fixed the end of the string onto Nuna's side and throwing out the other end to stick to the fairy that was laying on the ground. Nuna grinned up at Mana approvingly.
"Good thinking! Now, let's go already!" She said hurriedly as she pulled against the weight of the Snubbull and began dragging her load back to where they could get medical attention, out of the reach of the flames.
_________
C-Bahadur Herbert D-Byron
Team FortuitousIt hadn't been too long before everything went to hell for Team Fortuitous. The first sign of something going terribly awry was when the heat reached Bahadur. It wasn't blazing or scalding in any way at first, just a simple, misplaced warm breeze running through the trees. Then he smelled the smoke.
"There's a fire coming in from the East. We should steer clear." He let his two teammates know, noting the direction in which the draft was coming from. That was when he noticed the second thing wrong. He turned to look at his team members, only to discover that one was missing. Irritation was the first thing he felt hen he noticed the void spot where his co-captain had been previously hovering. The Dunsparce really just had no clue as to what he should expect from the Bronzor. First he was okay wit separating, then one moment he was adamantly sticking to them, and the next he was gone! "Byron, where's Herbert?" Bahadur managed to keep the grumble of annoyance out of his voice as he inquired of his newest team mate.
"He's right.... here?" The Gligar started, trailing off when he turned to see that their most silent companion was no longer just behind him. Stunned, Byron began whipping his head around in all directions, the beat of his wings picking up in pace as he struggled to stay in the air through his panic. Bahadur would have attempted to try to calm the boy down if in the moment he had opened his mouth to speak a loud gong like sound rang through the air. He recognized the timber of the metallic sound and immediately knew it was the missing Bronzor.
"Quick, this way!" Bahadur told his remaining team member as he began hurriedly slithering to where the sound was coming from. The only other time he had heard that sound was when Herbert had been trying to get is attention during the previous guild wide mission. If he was trying to get his attention now, that could mean one of two things; Either he found some sick Pokémon, or he was under attack by the mysterious group in the Jungle. Soon he came upon a scene that let him know it was both.
The Dunsparce had wriggled his way under a thick patch of briar, not getting through without a few scratches mind you, when his eyes fell upon a scene that looked to be straight from a battle field. Purple and pink flames were dwindling from where they were burning on various plants around the clearing he was looking at now. The ground was torn up and charred black, and several tree limbs had been snapped and were now lying uselessly on the ground. To top the traumatic scene off, Two small Pokémon were huddling just outside of the circle of destruction. A Poochyena and Leydian. An odd pair, really, but both shared the same look of horror and weakness. Bahadur could hear Byron gulp as the Gligar landed solemnly on the ground next to him.
"Wh-what happened here?" The Gligar asked as it brought its wings around to hug itself for comfort. The Dunsparce eyed the young one for a moment, observing what this new display could mean. Obviously Byron was not comfortable with the situation, and even looked fearful. For his own safety or that of Herbert's, Bahadur did not know. But he did know that the distant look in the Gligar's eyes was most likely due to some unpleasant memories being thought of.
"It seems like the rumors of kidnappings were true." Bahadur mentioned honestly, ignoring the startled gasp from Byron as he turned to start heading to the two ailing Pokémon that were shrinking away from him. "Perhaps these two could shine some light on the subject. Do you know what happened here?" He asked as he got nearer. The Leydian shook its head wildly as it moved slightly in front of the cowering Poochyena. They seemed dazed and a little more than out of it.
"What are we going to do?" Byron asked in a whisper as he walked up beside Bahadur, who had stopped coming close to the two when they seemed to only become more fearful of him.
"What do you mean? We clearly have to take these two to where they can get proper treatment." He let his gaze trail over to an unsure Byron. The Pokémon's clawed hands could be heard snapping anxiously, and Bahadur took another mental not on this nervous tick.
"But what about Herbert?" The Gligar's voice was little more than a squeak now. Bahadur sighed and shook is head.
"We will have to go looking for him later. Right now, these two need our help, along with whoever else needs treatment and is still lost in this Arceus forsaken place." Byron only whimpered slightly as Bahadur spoke.
"You're... here to help... us?" The Leydian suddenly spoke up and caused both of the Team Member's attention to snap to it. Bahadur managed a small smile and nodded, taking the question as an invitation to come closer.
"Of course. Can you two still walk alright? We can lead you to where you can receive some help." He asked gently, receiving a nod from the bug as it shakily stood and coaxed the small dog up with tender words of its own. Once they were standing and proved that they could take at least a few steps on their own, Bahadur turned and began leading them back to safety. His mind did not wander to the whereabouts of *********, but strayed to Byron's reaction to the news as he analyzed the Gligar's speech and actions over in his head. He knew it was better to stay separated. He seriously couldn't focus when Herbert was around. _________
It was unnerving, to say the least, to travel alone in the Jungle at night, without a light, trying to stay as silent as possible while avoiding collision with the trees as one tries to avoid being detected by violent criminals while at the same time looking for the sick and delusional, as well as a missing team member. Okay, it wasn't unnerving. It was downright terrifying. And stressful. Tik could feel his brain pulsating with an oncoming stress induced migraine as he fluttered as quietly as possible through the trees. His keen vision did little to help him avoid all rough contact with the various branched and vines that seemed to be in place just to snag him. He was tired, panicking, worried, anxious, and on guard all at once. To be honest, it was a bit much for the small bird and he was well aware of the face that he would have to stop soon. He just wasn't built for this kind of solo mission.
Just as he was contemplating taking a break on a nearby tree branch to weigh his options, he realized he could actually see. A warm and familiar orange glow was exposing the dark areas around him to the light. It cast the shadows aside just enough for him to be able to glide more easily through the tangled mass of plants. He recognized the light source as fire. Something he had been around his whole life. Instinctively he found himself turning towards where he knew the flames would be, though he wouldn't get to close to them. Though his species was related to fire, currently he did not have any protection against the burning energy. That would come with his eventual evolution. That, and because of his inherited bug type background from his mother, he was a bit more sensitive to fire than most Fletchlings. All of that aside, though, he still found himself drawn to it. How did the saying go? Like a Mothim to the flame?
But the fire's beckoning to him was drowned out by the sounds of frightened whimpers. Tik stopped his flight by rearing up and flapping his wings backs a few times, looking over his shoulder towards the ground to see that in his quest for the comfort of the familiar flames, he had nearly passed by the tiny specimen of an ill form. Guilt hit him hard as he turned sharply and quickly landed next to the clearly ill Pokémon. It was a small Joltik, even smaller than the usual for the species. If not for his bird like senses, he may have skipped over the creature entirely. All because he had let himself get consumed by his fears and got distracted by the fire. The little arachnid looked up at him with its blue eyes and it nearly broke the Fletchling's heart over again to see the pleading despair that was there.
"I'm so sorry... I'll get you someplace safe, I promise." Tik muttered, mostly to himself since it seemed that the little yellow Pokémon was mostly incoherent. He delicately took the creature in his claws, just as he had with the Flabebe earlier, and took off into the air once more, the flames of the blazing fire at his back.
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