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A gun. The last thing he wanted to see but first thing he wanted in his hands right now. Pupils dialating in nervousness and fear, Thomas would put down the pokeball and reach into the glovebox in order to wrap his hand around the grip and lift the weapon. It was heavier than it appeared...

Almost like I have the weight of someone's life in my hands... the young man thought to himself.

He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth before swinging the gun around to face the rider who had been speaking, who he assumed was the leader. The gun was only getting heavier in his untrained hands, and it clearly shook in his grip.

"Back off ******bag." he shouted, his voice a strange mixture of hatred and fear. "I know I can't shoot this very well...but think for a moment eh? Would you rather have a trained gunman put a hole in dat head o' yours, or some rookie like me mess up and leave you with a crippling injury for the rest of your pathetic power-hungry life?" he tried to smirk confidently, but only managed to look deranged and homicidal... as for wether or not he'd actually pull the trigger...?

A smart gambler wouldn't bet against it.

((Thanks, Shaula ^^ Business: Richard Allbrite has been awarded to... *drumrollrollrollrollrollllll* o-Angilis-o! She therefore receives the accorded 15 AP. I will play Richard until this little segment is over. Thanks those who submitted! On to the post.))

Richard brought himself around in a slow, rumbling circle as Abe screeched to a halt. "You okay, son? Oh, 's been a while since you've eaten, hasn't it?" He could see from how pallid the man's face was that his body was being pushed to its limits. Damn engineers.

So Richard waited for him to catch his breath, or whatever it was he needed to do. "Few hours, if that. Shouldn't be more than an hour if we get a clear road." Once the younger man was ready, they set off to the south again.

Richard's ear twitched a bit at Abe's question, though he did have to ask for a repetition once against the wind. He hesitated for just a second before answering, his smile very nearly faltering to neutral. "Did it look psychic, son? Fire-type. Just something I learned, is all. Anyone can do it." As he spoke, a smirk reawakened his features.

---

The Howards listened closely to what Gerard had to say, and exchanged looks with one another as he spoke. The boy seemed - horribly detached. To first say that Glenville had been attacked and was fighting a losing battle, and then that the Drs. Oak were doing fine? And to smile afterwards... It was unsettling, in a word.

"Allan, call the Oaks, please," Billie said quietly. Her husband got up with a last, disconcerted look at Gerard, then walked out of the room. "The Pack 'led' an attack? That's absurd." She sniffed, as though the sniff would undo the assault. "The Pack may have finally gone mad enough to turn on the city, but they certainly didn't think about it."

"Hmm. The phones are dead," Mr. Howard said, walking back in and taking his seat. He appeared to have aged significantly over the past few minutes. "Assassins must have cut them."

"Well, that only leaves us one option," Billie said briskly, folding her napkin and standing up. "Allan, do you still remember the codes, or should I get them?"

Her husband looked at her slowly, clearly thinking about something else. He nodded. "Yes... yea, I do." She nodded back and went out of the room. Gerard, let me see your pokédex. You should have one the Oaks gave you."

After retrieving the small computer, Mr. Howard invited the two to watch over his shoulder and began moving his fingers with slow, steady precision, opening different files and tossing around lines of code. When his wife came back, she handed him a minidisk that he inserted into the pokédex's disk drive. The drive whirred to life, and immediately an audio file began playing. Anyone who had known Beatrice Oak immediately recognized the voice.

"You've survived so far! Thank God!" she exclaimed joyfully. "Bring this back to my boys, as quickly as you can. Alexis, Gerard and... oh, that other child; I can never remember all of you. I'm so proud of you. You always were promising children. I believe in you - you can avert this crisis. Sig and Eddy will know what to do; if Glenville still stands, get these to them, and your pokéballs. There is a way to safely awaken the mew. The world is counting on you!" They could hear the relieved smile in her voice, and then the file cut off and deleted itself. A single new icon appeared on the screen, labelled simply, "Trio_1."

In the silence that followed, Dr. Howard ejected the disk and handed it to Lexi. "Just in case you need it," he said, his eyes sparkling as he shook his head, thinking about the old Professor Oak. "You children should get on your way. We'll make sure Mr. Thatcher wakes up all right." He spared a short glare for Alex, who hadn't joined them and flinched at his eyes. "If you really think you can trust this girl, take her with you."

"I- I- I'll protect them, I swear!" Alex suddenly blurted. Her ears reddened and she put her hands over her mouth instantly, looking down.

Mrs. Howard put her hands on her hips and scowled. "And what makes you think you can protect them?"

"I'm... I am a trained a- assassin, Mrs. Howard," she whispered. "And I know the Exterminant... I can... I can help."

A tiny piece of the resistance in the Howards' features seemed to break at her desperation. "Well," grumbled Mr. Howard, giving the pokédex back to Gerard, "you protect them, then, though I don't think they'll need it if they made it this far. Billie, how about packing these children some food for the ride?" His wife nodded shortly and went about wrapping leftovers in tinfoil. In a few minutes, it seemed everything was ready to go.

"Good luck," Mrs. Howard said, giving Gerard and Lexi hugs. Her husband nodded, and saw them out the door to their motorcycles. "Oh! And if you need anything like gas or potions, there's an abandoned bunker a mile or two east; Allan and I used to hide things there before Janis figured out the illusion."

The old couple smiled and waved from the doorway, once again looking like any innocent, elderly pair. It seemed the world could really only change you so much; some things really did last.

---

Smiling to himself, Willam led the older man down a series of halls. At first, they were well-decorated; surprisingly well so, in fact. Ornate tapestries adorned the walls, many of them clearly hand-woven, the floors alternated between dirt and swept cement, depending on whether they were using passages that had been built before or ones that had been tunneled more recently. This meant that the echoes were decidedly disorienting - sometimes, they were muted by earthen walls; other times, the noise of footsteps seemed to come from all around. As they continued to go, the environment became less friendly; cracks in the walls, roots hanging down from above, and air so dry that dust from the various surfaces puffed up in stifling clouds.

Willam was a talker. He chattered as he walked, not really seeming to care how far behind Paul got. He talked about the Haven, how it was such a load of bulls**t, how he knew - and no one else did, just him - that people were too greedy for something like that to work forever. He had suspected opiates in the food for a long time; Paul had probably already ingested them. Jñan was a crazy b***h - she'd been eating it for long enough it didn't matter to her anymore. She was a more dangerous adversary than anyone he had ever met in his life.

Abruptly, he vanished around a series of corners and stopped talking. Paul heard the distinct clicking of a handgun's cocking mechanism.

---

Meanwhile, Jñan had nodded in her usual gracious manner to allow Juno to bring Evie with her, stood, and led the young woman to a small, beautifully-adorned door in a wall. She opened it and ushered Juno in, then followed and closed it behind her.

"Please, sit," she offered, and took a seat upon one of the tremendous, silken pillows that practically covered the floor, then waited for Juno to do the same. Oil lamps burned pleasantly in the corners of the small, close room. Small bells and chimes hung from the ceiling, glittering in the light. With a simpering smile, the Light began to speak.

"Juno Galledeigh. If you have indeed been given a quest by the great Professor Oak, then I cannot delay you any further. Unfortunately, I suspect your friend Paul McCulloch is a danger to you, and therefore, my least trusted aide is disposing of him as we speak." She said it as though it were an inevitability; there was no turning back time.

"Now, the passages of the Haven lead almost all the way to Riverdale; I would be happy to escort you through them myself. In addition, I will provide you with enough food to ensure your comfort if you are somehow unable to find any. Don't worry," she said, smiling reassuringly, "none of the food is tainted. I saw you avoiding the meats, and that was unnecessary, although I applaud your caution. I simply avoid it because I am a vegetarian.

"What say you to my offer, Juno Galledeigh?"

---

Marcus turned his steed around and laughed loudly at Thomas' threat. "Kid, I don't think you can even hit me from there." He leveled his own piece at the boy, then smirked as the ponyta that had been on the car kicked contemptuously behind itself, knocking Thomas easily to the ground before returning its attention to the more important target. Marcus changed his aim again and shouted to Bogdan, "Hey, you ready to lay down and die yet, old man?"

---

In the not-blackness, Terrian blinked at Elian a few times. His image flickered more severely than it had at first and he started stumbling over his words. "Well, I- Elian, I'm a scientist, and- and hey, I have to figure out what Beati wants, and, you know... stuff." He trailed off and scratched the back of his head.

"I kinda... well, what I meant was, what'd you learn about the Exterminant? I shouldn't be able to talk to you, but you punched a hole in whatever barrier they have, or the mew did, or something, so here I am." He shrugged helplessly, as though he hadn't even meant to end up there. "So do you know anything about the barrier? Or what Beati's up to at all? Or how to get inside? I know there are codes and stuff. I really - sorry about the question. I like the Mew; I do. It's.. it's pretty much awesome, isn't it? I mean, I knew they wanted you for that, so I figured I'd ask what it was like, and..." He trailed off yet again.

"Sorry. I know I'm not making a lot of sense. I get excited about the so-called 'legendaries' - and besides, I've been trying to get in here since Beati made the place." He licked his lips unconsciously. With the innocuous excitement in his eyes, the movement was something between nervous exhilaration and hunger. "He thought he could keep me out, the b*****d." With the last two words, a malicious grin stormed his features, his mien very briefly changing, before he shook his head quickly, as though to clear it, and smiled with very real, innocent anticipation.

(('kay, this is my last long post 'til finals are done; good luck on exams, to all to whom that applies!))

Elian found her arms quick to cross over her chest as an impatient eyebrow raised. Terrian's first words were stumbling over each other, providing no useful information or even the slightest answer to the question she just posed. Floating there, Elian continued to stare, finding that her impatience only served to fuel the bubbling anger boiling within.

"...Terrian..." Elian tried to interrupt, but the man had found himself rambling; he had now become the one to pose the questions and Elian was left to just float there and take it, only receiving partial answers to her own questions in return. With a small sigh, Elian raised a hand to pinch the skin above her nose, deciding to take one more shot at interrupting.

"Terrian!" Elian opened her eyes, only to receive further rambling as the man finished his long inquiry. Elian only truly paid attention as the man visibly darkened. It was obvious that him and Beati had formed a relationship at some point. Now, starving for answers and information, Elian put her hands to her side and clenched them into fists.

"Alex Terrian!"

Having to nearly yell his name, Elian simply floated there in the silence for a moment, making sure she had the man's full attention before speaking once more. It was like dealing with an excitable child, except this child could appear in random places and convince you to get yourself kidnapped by a cult.

"I will tell you everything I know, in person." Elian explained, her clenched hands relaxing as she crossed her arms once more. "I have information, but nearly having yet another bullet lodged into my brain was the last thing on my agenda." A long sigh escaped as Elian finished, the true anxiety and fear flashing on her face as she slowly shook her head.

"I've come near to death more times in the last twenty four hours than I ever had working on a ranch that bred flaming horses. Now, please, get Aislin and myself out of here..." Glancing around at the dreamscape, Elian let herself calm a bit by staring at the brilliant, shining orbs that so closely resembled stars in the darkness.

"Also, there's a pokemon here who would probably be willing to help us, but I don't know when I'll wake up, or when help will come for me. I want to make sure he gets out with us, if he wants." Elian explained, unsure of how to properly explain the situation. One minute, the Kadabra was laying lost within its mind, the next, it's helping her break into the core of the facility. Unsure of what kind of debt the pokemon owed, Elian now knew she owed Solomon something in return for putting him in danger. Whatever the trio had saw, was not something anyone planned for them to experience; while Elian knew that she and Aislin would be relatively safe, Solomon was not exempt from whatever the Exterminant had in store.

"His name is Solomon, a... Kadabra, I think they're called. He helped me get information and I'm afraid of what the Exterminant might do to him. I don't know what I did to convince him to help me, but now I've put him in danger too." Pausing, Elian focused on Terrian, the previous frustration and anger replaced with concern.

"Please, Terrian; I don't know what they'll do to me, and if I can really trust you, you'll get me out of here before I can find out." That would be the deal. In exchange for her, Aislin, and Solomon's safety, Terrian would get information. Elian found the trade to be fair, and hoped the confusing, excitable man would act on it soon.

Gerard thanked them warmly for everything they had done. Hopping on his bike, he glanced down to notice that his gas was sliding towards low. Well, more like half, but along with the promise of potions, getting more gas was more like a bonus than a chore.

"Let's go to that bunker," he suggested. Only it wasn't a suggestion, because as soon as he finished saying that, he put on a pair of goggles and began to move in the direction the Howards had specified.

((On the one hand, 7 1/2 hours of studying might be considered overkill for a final. On the other, I find geology fascinating. Good luck everyone!))

When offered the seat, Juno graciously took it. She sat cross-legged, and Evie plopped herself on Juno's lap. While listening to the woman across from her, she was running her fingers through Evie's fur. I need to keep myself doing something or else it'll be clear how scared I am. She had a nasty habit of biting her nails when nervous. However, all thought of bad habits left her mind when Juno heard what was going to be done to Paul. "H-he's going to die?" NO! That wasn't what she wanted! "I'm sorry, but there's been a mistake, I think. I mean, he is very suspicious," - no duh - "but he's not done anything to deserve that!" She stood up quickly (making Evie huff in irritation) and exclaimed, "I don't want someone to die because of me again!"

She looked ready to cry. It was unusual - she honestly didn't like the man. She was worried that he was a freakin' slave trader. She found him to be rude and suspicious. Still, there was something that kept her caring for Paul McCulloch. I don't want him to end up like Mom and Dad. I may not like him, but I don't want him dead! She clenched her fists. "Thank you for telling me about the passageways and all your hospitality, but I can't leave till I know that Paul will be okay." It couldn't be too late to help him - it just couldn't.

It'll be okay. I'll save creepy stalker dude, get out of here with my stuff, and do my mission. "Please, I don't want him to die...take me to him. And if he's d-dead," she stumbled over the word, "well, I still need to see him. For closure," she explained.

((Once again, I am sincerely sorry for my disappearance.))

Andrej was never one to shift himself suddenly. Not since he was a younger man did he ever move at anything above a jog, and with his body damaged from the first attack on his home, he was limited to a fast canter at the absolute fastest. With the sudden explosion of activity around him, though, some of his younger fighting spirit began to return. Before he could even think, the man on the horse was firing at Vuk. He trusted his old friend and hoped with every fiber of his being that he wouldn't be harmed. However, there was absolutely nothing that he could do to stop bullets. He could, however, help direct his other Pokemon. With the Ponyta coming toward him and the one going after Ptica, it was a hearty nod from Kolega that reminded him that the pokemon was more than capable of defending the both of them. Ptica had never been one for fighting, though, and would need a bit of coaxing.

Andrej stared hard at Marcus, feeling that same vim and vigor in his body. "You will never get me to say die, you thug."

In the mean time, as he went through his lightning thought, something caught his eye. The ball of electricity around Vuk had collapsed in tightly around his body, making a shimmering haze of power. While no human and most Pokemon would not be able to see a bullet moving and even fewer would be able to outrun it, the huge boost of ether to Vuk's body had sharpened his senses and reactions to a razor's edge. In a flash of light, the field of ether surrounding his body sank inward and he leaped sizeways. Paws planting and sliding into the ground, the Jolteon traveled nearly ten feet sideways, the ground still crackling from the ether output. The hound barked and snarled, lowering its body. As soon as Andrej said those words, that he would never say die, it then began to charge toward the bandit. It pushed itself harder than it ever had, and yet still felt no limit as the amber pumped back all of the ether that had been stored for those many months. As he got nearer, every quill on its body began to rise, crackling and arcing with electricity.

From a distance, and from the split second that Andrej saw it, all that would have been seen was a crackling bolt of lightning impact the side of the Rapidash that Marcus was seated on. Vuk charged and leaped, slamming its body into the Rapidash's flank while discharging the huge amount of electricity that had built up along its quills. Having braced for the impact, Vuk bounced off and landed on his feet, readying to see whatever happened to the Rapidash and its rider.

As the Ponyta came at him and Andrej, Kolega moved forward and cracked his short knuckles. With a slight grin, it waited as the Rapidash approached. His body began to relax as he saw his opponent approach, feeling out the pattern of its gallop. At the last second, shortly before the diamond hard hooves would have collided with his short frame, he sidestepped around them. Rapidly coiling his body, Kolega let out a mighty roar. It was one of the first noises that he had made in a very, very long time. With that roar, it threw a massive uppercut into the Ponyta's ribs. Ether exploded from its knuckles on contact, mimicing the same force that a sonic boom would have. After throwing the punch, much the same as Vuk, Kolega leaped back to watch the results of its work.

While all of this happened around Andrej, his eyes were up on Ptica who was now circling above the battlefield. "Ptica, do your duty!" he shouted. The Pidgeot looked down and turned her eyes to the Ponyta that had kicked Thomas. With a loud shriek, it dove toward the Ponyta. At the last moment, it pulled its whole body up and spread its wings. Ether surged through its body, keeping its wings from snapping under the pressure. With another shriek, it brought its wings down hard. Using the energy it had built up, the downward snap of the wings was enough to cause violent, almost explosive turbulence in the air. That field of turbulence shot for the Ponyta, the winds whipping at a speed that would nearly shred flesh from bone.

[[Sorry for the OOC only post, but nothing has been going on and I wanted to let you know that starting tomorrow I will be travelling until the 30th and I don't know what the internet access will be like, so I will post when I can!]]