She thought that she was alone, but Shane's questioning begged to differ. This was her problem, not his, nor anyone else's. She wouldn't let her problems be a burden ever again, she wouldn't be a burden ever again. Her teary eyes shone in the firelight for just a moment, meeting with the concerned Shane's just before she blew out the torch, plunging them both in darkness as she recalled Flint and disappeared deeper downward into the cave without a trace. She'd be sure that she was alone, light a fire, and wait for them to be joyously on their way without her. That'd be better for them, right? A nomad didn't know how to make friends, or maintain a group anyways. She could be impulsive and headstrong without fear of prosecution all on her own.
It was really getting cold down there now. She released Flint, and he immediately snuggled his way back into her jacket. With the torch re-lit, she started walking onward, waving the torch a few feet in front of her in case of wild Pokemon. Hugging the right wall of the cave, it came to a sudden dead end, although something did catch her interest. Imprinted into the rock was a shell pattern, almost like wire mesh with little symmetrical dips on either side. Hey! Xavier would love this—Xavier... was still up top then, wasn't he?
Still, for whatever reason, Hester felt compelled to take it. It broke off from the wall fairly easily, and managed to stay intact. Fossil in one arm, and torch in the other, she came to a small, illuminated tunnel. Barely managing to squeeze through, she noticed that the cave in this area had gone from ice back to rock, and was a little bit less freezing than the other section. It was a habitat of sorts, with a lake of partially-frozen water slush. Bergmite clung to the ground in clusters, Shellder burrowed into the slushy mess, and a couple of Seels sat nearby, watching her carefully. Illuminated mushrooms, probably the work of hibernating Paras, kept the room fairly well lit, and the light reflected off of the lake below. Hester didn't feel right invading the wild Pokemon's space, so she was quick to leave. Before she could make her way back through the tunnel however, a single inquisitive "bwark?" sounded behind her. A Seel was shimmying up alongside her heels, and he turned his head in response to the new sight. Slowly, she patted him on the head, and seeing as he was friendly enough, tried hesitantly to pick him up. One of the Dewgong's nearby, however, did not like that idea, and shot a pressurized water pulse at her in territorial anger. The torch was out in an instant, and so was Hester. The Seel burrowed into her jacket alongside Flint, letting the trainer reflexively grab the fossil before she bolted out of there.
The Pansear's warmth seemed to fade as Hester was wracked with shivers. She opened her jacket, letting Flint fall into her arms as she dashed away from the angry Dewgong. The water had knocked him out, so both of her light and heat sources were were now completely extinguished. When she had made it a safe distance away, she sat down to catch her breath, hugging the compliant Seel close in the total darkness. She was soaked from the water, and freezing, colder than she had ever been in fact. Now this is what being impulsive gets you. Bitterly freezing to death and bereft of human contact. She really was going to die down there, hugging the little Seel even closer as her body grew numb.
It was really getting cold down there now. She released Flint, and he immediately snuggled his way back into her jacket. With the torch re-lit, she started walking onward, waving the torch a few feet in front of her in case of wild Pokemon. Hugging the right wall of the cave, it came to a sudden dead end, although something did catch her interest. Imprinted into the rock was a shell pattern, almost like wire mesh with little symmetrical dips on either side. Hey! Xavier would love this—Xavier... was still up top then, wasn't he?
Still, for whatever reason, Hester felt compelled to take it. It broke off from the wall fairly easily, and managed to stay intact. Fossil in one arm, and torch in the other, she came to a small, illuminated tunnel. Barely managing to squeeze through, she noticed that the cave in this area had gone from ice back to rock, and was a little bit less freezing than the other section. It was a habitat of sorts, with a lake of partially-frozen water slush. Bergmite clung to the ground in clusters, Shellder burrowed into the slushy mess, and a couple of Seels sat nearby, watching her carefully. Illuminated mushrooms, probably the work of hibernating Paras, kept the room fairly well lit, and the light reflected off of the lake below. Hester didn't feel right invading the wild Pokemon's space, so she was quick to leave. Before she could make her way back through the tunnel however, a single inquisitive "bwark?" sounded behind her. A Seel was shimmying up alongside her heels, and he turned his head in response to the new sight. Slowly, she patted him on the head, and seeing as he was friendly enough, tried hesitantly to pick him up. One of the Dewgong's nearby, however, did not like that idea, and shot a pressurized water pulse at her in territorial anger. The torch was out in an instant, and so was Hester. The Seel burrowed into her jacket alongside Flint, letting the trainer reflexively grab the fossil before she bolted out of there.
The Pansear's warmth seemed to fade as Hester was wracked with shivers. She opened her jacket, letting Flint fall into her arms as she dashed away from the angry Dewgong. The water had knocked him out, so both of her light and heat sources were were now completely extinguished. When she had made it a safe distance away, she sat down to catch her breath, hugging the compliant Seel close in the total darkness. She was soaked from the water, and freezing, colder than she had ever been in fact. Now this is what being impulsive gets you. Bitterly freezing to death and bereft of human contact. She really was going to die down there, hugging the little Seel even closer as her body grew numb.