Pokémon: Aftermath #3a - In the Thin Ice [IC]

[Flux]

Flux's expression was an unchanging beaming smile as they trudged through the snow. He had on thick snowpants, mittens, and a puffy white coat. His long black and yellow bangs stuck out as he pulled up his fur-lined hood, and he couldn't help but think that he must look like an eskimo. He seemed unaffected by the cold, trudging forward and past much of the group until he stood a short distance behind Fria. He smiled as he walked next to her.

"Fria, right?" he started. "My name is Flux, and I used to be a professor and researcher in my region before Dawn invaded. It's been a while since I last traveled far enough to see snow, but it's just as beautiful as I remember..."

[krim]

Trudging along through the snow slightly behind the others Nemir and Vis were doing their best to maintain energy and stay warm as they had when they first visited Snowpoint. Thinking back to that point in time Nemir wondered if the few kind folks who had helped them out there were still alive. "Probably not. Dawn's regime has driven so many into the ground....especially the kind ones." "I know...but I feel as though we could have helped them if we hadn't left when we did." " ..." As he was trying to drive those thoughts from his head he heard the milotic girl ask how much further it was and said "Not far. Still a trek but we would be about half way there had we started from Mt. Coronet. Try to conserve your energy if you can. It helps more than you might think."

Edited December 5, 2014 by DragonMasterKrim

[DarkLight]

Raito finally stopped frolicking in the snow when he saw a hand out of the corner of his eye. He gave a good look at the girl before he let out a cheerful bark, pleased with a friendly face. The Jolteon then went back to sniffing (or playing with, it's hard to tell in the dim light) the snow once more.

Miki let out a small laugh as Carissa stuck her tongue out at Adam. "Y-Yeah. Adam just left us as soon as he introduced himself back at the gym... I don't like introducing myself to a huge crowd of people either, unless necessary, s-so... Don't worry, I understand how you feel..."

A new voice from behind spooked her, almost making her trip into the snow. As soon as she found her bearings, Miki managed to turn around and see the source. This guy with a Lucario, she assumed, is a newcomer to Team Dusk, since she didn't recognize him (and the fact that she already knew who the only two veterans from the main force are). "H-Hi there, and thanks for the advice. It's probably something my Jolteon should listen to." She raised her voice slightly so that Raito would heed the advice. Once the Japanese girl heard a soft, complacent cry, she continued. "Anyways, um... Nice to meet you. I'm Miki and that is Raito." The trainer then saw her Jolteon rejoining her to observe the people instead. The snow finally lost its splendor on the yellow, spiky Pokemon.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Lupus had been towards the back of the group, he wasn't really the type to open up to strangers all that often. A lot of the ones here were younger than him. Miki was the only person other than Jory he had really talked to after returning from that battle. A battle he thought he wouldn't return from, but ended up bieng one of the few survivors of. He strode forward coming level with the bulk of the group, kind ahovering nearish to Miki. Lobo was running around playing in the snow. He would run up to a lot of the other Pokemon and give them a friendly bark as if inviting them before he would go back to his antics. He was still a kid at heart, he never really had a chance to be one with the life he led. Lupus always felt sorry for the hound. He took him in after his sister died. She had saved him. He was alone out in the wilderness as a baby. His parents killed by poachers. The sad look in his eyes were the same as Lupus's that day. They both couldn't believe that Serah was gone.

Lobo then ran up to Miki, he must have gotten the same vibe from her as Lupus did. He snorted at her in a weird but playful way. He looked at Raito then, barking at him in much the same way he did to the other Pokemon.

[Jory]

Jory chuckled lightly and looked backward, noticing the newcomer. "He's right, Carissa. In cold weather like this you want to stay moving, but make sure you don't break a sweat. That'll just make you colder." He looked over to Miki. At least she's opening up a little. It's nice to have normal conversations with people. Not like the ones at the briefings or the Gyms. He nodded at what Carissa had said as well. "Some people have a much harder time coping with loss. But then again, some of us have lost more than others," he added sadly. He then brightened up lightly as he noticed Shredder keenly watching Raito and Lobo. "Hey, buddy, want to go play?" The Zangoose looked at his Trainer incredulously. "When's the next time you're going to get to?" Jory asked Shredder. With that, Shredder seemed to think for a moment, then bounded off and tackled Lobo to the ground, rolling playfully in the snow.

Jory turned back to Carissa. "Where did you live before all this? It's not every day I meet someone who's trained another Hoenn native."

[Tacos]

Carissa smiled at Jory's warmth and kindness. She even let out a light chuckle as Shredder went off to play with the other pokemon. "He's quite cute. And very excitable too. It's a mystery how he could be so cheery in this dark a world." She looked Jory in the eyes before continuing to speak. "W-would you mind if I h-huddled closer to you for w-warmth." I sure hope he thinks the stuttering is just a side affect of me shivering. I wouldn't want him to think I'm leading him on or anything... yet. Without waiting for a response, Carissa lightly pushed herself into Jory's side, tilting her head so it was barely laying on his shoulder. Without looking him in the eyes, she began to speak again. "Well, I originally lived in Lavaridge. But I moved to Lilycove by myself after an... incident. I would show you Lila right now, but she would be angry at me for sending her out in such conditions. She can be quite the drama queen sometimes. It's almost like she forgot she was once an ugly little Feebas." Carissa let out a soft chuckle as she walked in sync with Jory.

[krim]

"Hello. I'm Nemir" he said as he held out his hand for Raito to sniff as his eye glittered in amusement over the pokemon's antics in the snow "And I am Vis" "We've been out this way before and pretty much all over the region, although that was years ago before the Church got as bad as it is, so if you need to know anything about what to expect location and survival wise let me know and ill see if I can come up with anything." Overhearing the question the other man, Jory was it?, asked he then said "Are you from Hoenn? It's not far from my homeland of Orre, and I visited friends there from time to time." "Although those friends are probably dead now..." he added sadly.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Lobo was taken by surprise, having Shredder smack into him. He kicked snow all over the place as he tried to get up. He barked in protest. He started to jump around the mongoose pokemon barking with his tongue lolling everywhere. He batted the air around Shredder, flinging snow at him with his paws.

"You never know unless you see it with your own eyes. They could still be out there." Lupus said to Nemir. "Resourceful people have been avoiding the church for years, who's to say your friends haven't? Then Again. maybe I don't know very well. Kanto wasn't affected until much much later. It took awhile before Dawn could even get a foothold there, let alone take over the area. In fact it only fully fell in recent years. There was enough time for those people to flee though, I don't think the other regions were as lucky."

[Felicity]

Adam looked back at the others, specifically the two huddling together. What on earth were they doing? "Hey, instead of flirting and getting all cuddly, how about you start moving quicker to warm up, huh?" He yelled at the two. "Dipshits" He mumbled under his breath.

[Jory]

Jory turned a bright shade of red but said nothing, instead reaching his arm around Carissa for warmth. Well, as long as it's for warmth, he figured. Then, Adam started hurling insults. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the almost comical nature of his teammate's hostility. "There he goes again," he said quietly. "And Shredder and I are of the opinion that we need to take advantage of this world while we can. Because with a job like ours, you can never be too sure which day will be your last. Personally, I hope mine is at least one day after Shredder guts Dawn," he said harshly. Realizing his anger had bubbled once more, he did his best to calm it. Lilycove? he pondered. I never saw her around. "You know, it's funny that you say you're from Lilycove. I lived there most of my life, actually," he said quickly, trying to brighten the mood. "Hey, do you remember the Department Store? And I mean before it became one of those Conclaves. All the PokeDolls and TMs... It was a Trainer's dream. And the view from the lighthouse is what I remember best. Going up there with my brother... Those are some of my favorite memories of what used to be my home."

[Tacos]

Carissa shot an angry look to Adam. It wasn't usual of her to react like that, but the nerve of the boy to interrupt to people just having a nice conversation! She looked back up at Jacob. "That's a great philosophy to live by. Maybe tweak it to add one little detail. Don't let people like him get you down." Carissa pointed over her shoulder at Adam, attempting to make it as conspicuous as possible in order to annoy Adam. "You've also probably never seen me in Lilycove because I only lived there for one year. You were probably gone by then." She paused. The Department Store. "Did you know that they made the first floor into a miniature shop to get on the citizen's good side recently? I never got the chance to experience the original Department Store though, considering I've only been there a year, as I've stated. Anyway, it was an incident there that actually inspired me to come here. I was forced to watch a man being beaten by a few acolytes for not following her. I was stuck watching because an acolyte was checking out my items, and I obviously didn't want to waste money. So I came here." Carissa paused and had a puzzled look on her face. I've never talked this much to someone before. Why is it now of all the times that I seem to be speaking word vomit. Is... there something about this man?

[DarkLight]

'Oookay, things are heating up, literally.' Miki could feel herself blushing as Carrisa and Jory began to huddle together "for warmth." Even she, a bookworm who rarely spends her time with other people, would know that this is the time to back off and let the conversation continue its course. She was so glad when the newcomers behind her began to introduce themselves (even though she was shocked by suddenly having a voice inside her head), which gave Miki a reason to slip behind the duo and avoid the awkward situation. It turned out to be a good decision when the ever-lovable Lobo snorted at her before he was tackled by Shredder. Miki laughed before turning to face Nemir and Lupus, who caught up to his fiery dog.

"Nice to m-meet you, Nemir and Vis," the Japanese girl greeted politely. She could also hear Raito give an approving bark towards the two before she heard him run off again. "Lupus, I'm not sure if the region matters too m-much. Like you said, if they are resourceful, they could avoid Dawn no matter what. A-And, since they are from Orre, I'm sure there is still a high possibility that they are safe. I lost my parents when the Church attacked my home but..." she paused to take a deep breath to fight back her tears, "I-I shouldn't give up on them until I see their bodies. My father was one of the gym trainers and my mother was a nurse, so I don't think they will go down that easily!"

The Houndoom's invitation and the consequent play fight proved to be too much for Raito to just sit back and observe. Lobo and Shredder's infectious laughter and the soft flurries of the white powder finally made the Jolteon run straight towards them, only to receive a pawful of snow to the face by Lobo. With a playful growl, Raito lept onto the Houndoom's back, as if he was attempting to bring him down. He even called to Shredder for backup.

[Felicity]

Once more, Adam looked back, this time to see a fight erupt with several pokemon. He immediately turned around to try to find the owner of the Houndoom and the Jolteon, he didn't want to bother with the guy he thought was the Zangooses owner. "For the love of all that is holy, this isn't a fucking playdate, we are marching to our potential deaths, perhaps you all could treat it with the gravitas such a mission asks?!" The young man hissed, incredulous at the fools. "If you find it difficult to march on, maybe I'll have Lockhart summon a storm, maybe that will motivate you all some more, with a Tailwind at your backs?" He grabbed Lockharts pokeball, ready to release him should he have needed.

[SilverJakler]

Seth noticed the conversations happening around him, and thought he might as well get in on the action himself... until Adam decided to start something.

Seth ran in front of the groups as Adam reached for his Pokeball. He did the same and said "Yo, you really want to start something over a few conversations? Not much of a team player huh?"

[Felicity]

"I just offered to help everyone here get a move on. You do know what the move Tailwind does, right?" Adam explained through gritted teeth, though he did fail to mention how unpleasant such a tailwind would make things for everyone.

Adam could deal with it.

[Jory]

Jory's expression darkened as he heard what had driven Carissa to join Team Dusk. "It's disgusting how they treat people with ideas different than their own. My parents told me that's what made the world so great before Dawn took over. The free exchange of different ideas and viewpoints made the world a beautiful, vibrant place. Now it's dark and oppressive. And to hear that they did that to a man in a store of all places... It breaks my heart. But for what it's worth, I'm glad it happened. Otherwise Team Dusk would be down a fighter, and that's something we can't afford these days." Suddenly, he heard Adam having another whispered outburst. He can't appreciate the levity of a hike through the woods, even if it's at such a morbid time. I'm glad he's on our side, though, he thought to himself. He looked down at Carissa. "The Lilycove I remember isn't the Lilycove that I left. I prefer to store those memories somewhere that they won't corrupt the better ones. You should have seen what it looked like the night there was a Staryu swarm in the bay. It was a beautiful light show. Hundreds of eerily beautiful rubies glistening just below the surface of the waves," he continued wistfully, almost able to smell the salt air once more. "The stars were so bright that night. It was the night the power went out. I was seven." The Trainer chuckled at the memory.

"And then my brother... He just said, 'Jory, look up.' And I did. And Carissa, I've never seen something more incredible in my life. I felt so small compared to the hundreds of thousands of stars that you could see out over the ocean. Without the city lights and on a cloudless night, you can see everything in the sky over the ocean. The way the ocean mirrored the starlight and those ruby red spots in the tide... It's moments like those that I fight for. And I fight for my brother." Jory stopped himself for a moment. I just met this girl and I haven't told anyone else on the team about him. So why does this feel different? He shrugged off his misgivings, remembering what he'd said earlier. Carpe noctem. "He was one of the first people the Church targeted. If you think I'm strong, you should have seen him fight. It took over half the Conclave before his Flygon went down. But they didn't stop there. They made an example of him." Jory's gaze hardened. "You don't really know fear until you see the strongest person you know publicly executed." He then looked down at Carissa. "He fought for the same things I did. But he didn't know how to pick his battles. I bided my time. I knew that one day there would be enough people who had simply had enough of Dawn's tyranny. And here we are," he finished. "I'm sorry to pour that out on you. You're the first person I've told in a long time. But it was refreshing to at least tell someone."

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Meanwhile, Shredder crept through the snow, his white fur making him hard to follow. He knelt near the Houndoom's legs, suppressing his chuffling laughter and waiting for the Jolteon to push.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"We are moving. Pushing ones self in a snowy environment can be bad. And the Pokemon need to keep moving to stay warm. No need to speed along to a potential grave as you put it. We need to be well rested and prepared for what is too come, not ragged. I fought Gardenia, and she was no slouch. I can only imagine how much more powerful the other leaders under Dawn are. So, we walk, and the pokemon stay active, but we don't push it." Lupus said cracking his neck. "Don't be so eager to rush in, it got some into trouble before. And the last one I saw like that brought down a building on top of me and the team I was with. So I hope you aren't liek that...whatever your name is." Lupus said rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, didn't catch it before."

((this is too Adam btw.))

[krim]

"Yes....they were always resourceful. And everyone always seems to ignore Orre, even on the maps. It took Dawn a long while to even learn about the region, and I doubt she even has it controlled fully now. None of the other regions even cared when Orre faced a major crisis long ago...." Realizing he almost revealed too much, which could potentially be an incredibly dangerous thing, he continued with "I've even heard rumors of resistance there.....Not as large as ours...but from what I've heard a Colosseum leader is heading it..." "I wonder- he was cut off as Vis said "There's hostility in the auras up ahead. Those two are not happy with each other. Do something" Groaning Nemir went on ahead to hopefully settle the argument. As he reached the two men he said "Is there a problem?" while popping out and retracting the spikes of his nekode methodically, after he heard Lupus speak with them.

[SilverJakler]

Seth put Giga's Pokeball back on his belt.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, man." Seth could tell he was bluffing, the Tailwind would just be another obstacle, like a forceful shove from behind. They wouldn't need something like that, not here. He swore if this guy didn't lighten up soon, there were gonna be more issues than a macho contest in the snow.

He turned his attention to Nemir. "No problem at all, least not from me..."

Edited December 6, 2014 by SilverJakler

[Felicity]

"No, i'm not stupid enough to rush into a bloodbath, but it feels like almost everyone here is fucked in the head just enough to be light-hearted about this mission. Say what you want, but if those pokemon need to stay warm, you can keep them in their fucking pokeballs, not let them play in the snow at night which is probably doing them more harm than good. There's a reason we have pokeballs you know. It's times like this that the trainer protects the pokemon." Adam truly didn't understand why these guys were acting as they had. Surely they were just as scared as he? Why were they practically frolicking in this godforsaken region? At that point another man appeared, inquiring about what was happening. "Yes, there's a bloody problem, but if none of you can see it, you won't be able to at all!" He spat at the man.

[krim]

One of the men gave a short answer of no, and Nemir nodded in reply, whereas the other one started getting angry with him. He just looked at him calmly before saying "Vis and I have made this trek before. We've even had to live here for a few weeks. So if anyone knows our limits in these conditions, it's us. Not you. So I would...recommend...not telling us what to do." "And in case you were unaware, going at a moderate speed as we have been saves energy over time, which is needed so that we don't freeze our asses off." His one remaining eye shining he waited for a response.

[Chevaleresse]

Sarcus stopped and turned to address Adam. "I've got a question for you. Are you fucking stupid? This is prompted by a number of things, not the least of which is the fact that a Pokemon's body contains so much energy that a blizzard is basically a cool breeze to most of them. The real problem here is the fact that you seem to forget that the whole point of this fight is so people can enjoy their lives and do what they want. If you think that isn't a noble goal, then I have another question and a statement. Why are you here? And if you agree with the idea that people SHOULDN'T be able to do what they want, I'll put you down myself, right here, right now, because that's siding with the Church."

[DarkLight]

"G-Guys, calm down please! We're on the same side. We shouldn't be fighting!" Miki pleaded with the feuding boys. She was shaking from head to toe as Adam was verbally assaulted them. "Adam, t-they are only play fighting. Pokeballs work to keep them warm, too, but a little exercise and familiarity with the area couldn't hurt either. Plus... What if... What if something happens to us, all of us? T-They will need to fend for themselves in case that ever happens. They might as well have their fun and get to know one another before it's too late... Don't you w-want Lockhart to be happy?"

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As soon as Shredder was out of sight, Raito had a feeling that the Zangoose was ready for the sneak attack. Going by his instincts, the Jolteon pressed his full body weight onto the Houndoom's side, hoping to topple the dark type onto his awaiting teammate...

[krim]

Nemir watched as the boy left. "Well, somebody is not happy. We can't do anything about that now though...Sorry if I made it worse." Looking up to the sky he made a bird call by putting his hands over his mouth, hoping the boy's pokemon would be better natured than he was.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Lobo went flying along with a ton of snow. The clumsy hound fell for the sneak attack.....of course. He landed on his back covered in snow. He leapt up shaking it everywhere. Some of it melted in his fur as he was pretty warm to the touch. ((he was a Fire type after all.)), but most of it came sloughing off in big chucks. The snow on him melted just enough that it stuck in clumps. He picked up some of the clumped snow with his tail and flicked it at Raito.

"Glad that is taken care of." said Lupus with a rather nervous expression on his face to Miki. "I get tensions are high, but this is silly. Then again, I rarely understand people."