Bailey was walking down the road, carrying his one and only pokemon: Rockruff. Rockruff was a special little pokemon, Bailey always knew that. Occasionally, Rockruff would get into battles and fight without Bailey's knowledge. It was very strange. Anyway, today, Bailey planned to train Rockruff.
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Madison managed to get a few more restless hours of sleep before she completely lost patience with the steel bed. She wandered into the night and wouldn't return to the abandoned hospital for a long time.
When she did, however, the pitch darkness had relaxed into an early morning blue, and the girl was cooking over a fire. There was so much to complain about, but in her exhaustion Madison couldn't even muster a single word. She just pulled her sun hat all the way down to hide the prominent bags under her eyes. Last night had been hell for her, and when it was finally over, she barely dragged her feet across the sand to wash two pans in the ocean.
It was not without results, however. In one pan, there were fried slices of Tropius fruit, sweetened with honey from a Combee hive she stumbled upon in the forest. The others must have been responsible for that. In another pan, there was a delicious Chansey egg, over easy. Madison still couldn't comprehend how such a rare Pokémon revealed itself to her in the blackness of night, a controlled Flamethrower from Gible her only light source. The nasty girl had to change her approach, feign kindness so that the Pokemon bestowed her the egg. Kindness was an overstatement, but the sleep-deprived Madison couldn't be as intensely unkind as she usually was, and that sufficed. Finally, both pans were sprinkled with Shoal Salt and spread with Cinccino oil for cooking.
"I'm not some ingrate..." Madison muttered, nodding off as the food cooked. "I get things done..."
She repeated the unrelated phrases, things she'd said on completely different occasions. She was neither ungrateful to Brandon for saving her life, nor was she ungrateful to the wild Pokémon who did the same. She got things done when she offered a seasick Jade her ginger candies, and she continued to get things done by finding food.
But Madison was dozing off now, and the words sounded more like sleep-talking. She wasn't used to any of this, wandering aimlessly in pitch darkness, fighting off Pokémon, consuming food from pans that hadn't been touched in a decade. The girl was too tired, however, to question whether she really belonged here.
When she did, however, the pitch darkness had relaxed into an early morning blue, and the girl was cooking over a fire. There was so much to complain about, but in her exhaustion Madison couldn't even muster a single word. She just pulled her sun hat all the way down to hide the prominent bags under her eyes. Last night had been hell for her, and when it was finally over, she barely dragged her feet across the sand to wash two pans in the ocean.
It was not without results, however. In one pan, there were fried slices of Tropius fruit, sweetened with honey from a Combee hive she stumbled upon in the forest. The others must have been responsible for that. In another pan, there was a delicious Chansey egg, over easy. Madison still couldn't comprehend how such a rare Pokémon revealed itself to her in the blackness of night, a controlled Flamethrower from Gible her only light source. The nasty girl had to change her approach, feign kindness so that the Pokemon bestowed her the egg. Kindness was an overstatement, but the sleep-deprived Madison couldn't be as intensely unkind as she usually was, and that sufficed. Finally, both pans were sprinkled with Shoal Salt and spread with Cinccino oil for cooking.
"I'm not some ingrate..." Madison muttered, nodding off as the food cooked. "I get things done..."
She repeated the unrelated phrases, things she'd said on completely different occasions. She was neither ungrateful to Brandon for saving her life, nor was she ungrateful to the wild Pokémon who did the same. She got things done when she offered a seasick Jade her ginger candies, and she continued to get things done by finding food.
But Madison was dozing off now, and the words sounded more like sleep-talking. She wasn't used to any of this, wandering aimlessly in pitch darkness, fighting off Pokémon, consuming food from pans that hadn't been touched in a decade. The girl was too tired, however, to question whether she really belonged here.
From a distance, he saw some girl cooking. "Okay, Ekans. Let's do this." he encouraged the poison type. It hissed excitedly at the chance to nab something. Silently, Peter slinked toward the girl with the pan. "Get ready just in case we need to run," Peter whispered to his faithful serpent. She seemed in a daze. Ekans slithered alongside Peter as they got closer. Quickly, Peter looted the pan from the unsuspecting cook.
Anthony woke up. It was the middle of the night when Ray suddenly came back to camp, anxious to show her egg to him. He looked at the egg. “Seems to be healthy,” he said. “My guess is that it will hatch in... maybe a day?”
Brandon started to walk back to camp when he saw Peter attempt to sneak up on Madison. He sent out his Blitzle, who used Thundershock in an attempt to alert Madison of the thief. He wasn’t going to step in unless Peter attacked, he would just get her attention and let her deal with him.
After all, he knew she would enjoy it more than him.
Brandon started to walk back to camp when he saw Peter attempt to sneak up on Madison. He sent out his Blitzle, who used Thundershock in an attempt to alert Madison of the thief. He wasn’t going to step in unless Peter attacked, he would just get her attention and let her deal with him.
After all, he knew she would enjoy it more than him.
Surprised that his plans were thwarted, Peter grasped the pan firmly and ordered an attack to cover his escape. "Acid Spray, quickly!" he shouted. Ekans reared up on its tail and sprayed hazy, toxic fumes in their direction. Peter scooped up his serpent and fled the scene of the crime. "Nice one, bud." he praised. A cheery rattle came from Ekans. Peter slipped into the forest hoping to be hidden by its foliage.
Bailey heard some noises, most notably a command for Acid Spray. "Huh?" They walked into the forest. "What is going on here?" They look around. "Rockruff, can you get a good scent?" The dog-like pokemon sniffed the air and started walking towards the smell. "Got something, boy?" He asked. The dog let out a bark. (@Mystic.25 if u want to RP together)
The Thundershock snapped Madison out of it a second too late. She caught a glimpse of Peter stealing from her before he disappeared under the cover of an Acid Spray.
"Get back here!" she screamed, when no one was there anymore.
Madison was tired and angry. She'd stayed up last night finding food, all for nothing. Of the two pans, the thief had taken the one with the delicious Chansey egg, the same egg she'd humbled herself in front of a pink blob to obtain.
"Thieves! Murderers! Sociopaths! Everyone here is a criminal! I'm the only decent person here!" she ranted.
Madison was more likely to end up a prison warden than a Queen if all her subjects were criminals. Ray was different, but she was forgetting that girl as she hadn't seen her in a while. If everyone was so horrible, Madison might just turn on the people she came here with and see them captured, just like a warden. She couldn't stand them as it was, avoiding them as best she could, but they continued to make her life miserable. Locking them up might be the only way...
Perhaps these wilds would turn her into the very sociopath that she despised, or perhaps she'd find someone who would steer her away from such a descent. Always vocal about her opinions, Madison never backed down, and not many people liked her for it. But in terms of her actions, she'd been working hard and doing all she could to survive, not bothering anyone.
Sleep deprivation stopped her thoughts there. The girl clenched her teeth, then sighed quietly and bowed her head upon realizing that there was nothing she could do now. Madison picked at the contents of the pan that was still in her possession. The fried slices of Tropius fruit were sweet, even if her mood was sour.
"Get back here!" she screamed, when no one was there anymore.
Madison was tired and angry. She'd stayed up last night finding food, all for nothing. Of the two pans, the thief had taken the one with the delicious Chansey egg, the same egg she'd humbled herself in front of a pink blob to obtain.
"Thieves! Murderers! Sociopaths! Everyone here is a criminal! I'm the only decent person here!" she ranted.
Madison was more likely to end up a prison warden than a Queen if all her subjects were criminals. Ray was different, but she was forgetting that girl as she hadn't seen her in a while. If everyone was so horrible, Madison might just turn on the people she came here with and see them captured, just like a warden. She couldn't stand them as it was, avoiding them as best she could, but they continued to make her life miserable. Locking them up might be the only way...
Perhaps these wilds would turn her into the very sociopath that she despised, or perhaps she'd find someone who would steer her away from such a descent. Always vocal about her opinions, Madison never backed down, and not many people liked her for it. But in terms of her actions, she'd been working hard and doing all she could to survive, not bothering anyone.
Sleep deprivation stopped her thoughts there. The girl clenched her teeth, then sighed quietly and bowed her head upon realizing that there was nothing she could do now. Madison picked at the contents of the pan that was still in her possession. The fried slices of Tropius fruit were sweet, even if her mood was sour.
Collax had been snoozing away in the same rubble pile he had been when Madison crept out in the middle of the night. None of the three Pokemon with him reacted either. They would remain asleep until the sun rose.
When the beams of light were shining through the decrepit ruins of the building, Barkley began to stir. The Phantump yawned and floated up to stretch, followed not a moment later by Collax. It didn't take long before all four of them were awake, creeping around the floor of the old hospital. It took him some notable time before he remembered where he was.
With a sigh, he began to explore the building to find Madison. Surely, someone like her wouldn't be waking up before he did. But as he soon visited every room, it was obvious she was no longer in the vicinity. Only the bed sheets on the kitchen table provided evidence of her presence. Collax, at this realization, was filled with a mixture of concern and relief. Had she been taken by something, kidnapped? Or had she just left? She was gone, that was all he knew. So... would he go search for her or continue on his own?
Providing for himself and the three Pokemon would be significantly easier than it would be for them and Madison. It was also a much more tolerable option. But, being the person he was, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was probably better to try and find her, provide help if necessary. Not better for him, albeit, but morally, he wasn't someone to shirk off another person if there was a sense of danger.
More than a little reluctantly, he gathered up what little belongings he had and stepped out of the husk of a medical center. The ominous building still spoke something very, very bad to him, despite having spent a night in it. It was no less unnerving on the outside than it was inside. He turned away from it and was about to set out to find Madison... when he was cut short at the realization that she was literally just outside, cooking.
Maybe he should have peeked outside before jumping to conclusions. A part of him felt like shaming himself for considering she needed help so fast, but a more arrogant side of him felt as though he was stupid for offering help so quickly for other reasons. Why should Collax be so concerned about her? What has she done for him besides insult him, his Pokemon, and his attitude? Well, as he could see here, she was cooking. Perhaps she didn't only consider her own needs.
It also did not evade him that she had indeed shown some present care for his well being, albeit hardly any, it was still something. And even if she didn't, it wasn't his place to return the sentiment. She was just as human as he was, even if she acted more so, and he shouldn't have to disregard her because of that.
So, with a sigh, he stepped his way towards the crackling fire Madison sat beside, picking at a pan with cooked fruit in it. She looked neither her usual cavalier nor any sense of energy at all. In fact, she appeared quite notably tired.
"Morning, Maddie. You feelin' alright?" He asked, trying his best to seem sympathetic. It dawned on him that she may not appreciate the sympathy, but whether she did or not, she'd have to deal with it. It was what Collax was going to provide her with for right now.
When the beams of light were shining through the decrepit ruins of the building, Barkley began to stir. The Phantump yawned and floated up to stretch, followed not a moment later by Collax. It didn't take long before all four of them were awake, creeping around the floor of the old hospital. It took him some notable time before he remembered where he was.
With a sigh, he began to explore the building to find Madison. Surely, someone like her wouldn't be waking up before he did. But as he soon visited every room, it was obvious she was no longer in the vicinity. Only the bed sheets on the kitchen table provided evidence of her presence. Collax, at this realization, was filled with a mixture of concern and relief. Had she been taken by something, kidnapped? Or had she just left? She was gone, that was all he knew. So... would he go search for her or continue on his own?
Providing for himself and the three Pokemon would be significantly easier than it would be for them and Madison. It was also a much more tolerable option. But, being the person he was, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was probably better to try and find her, provide help if necessary. Not better for him, albeit, but morally, he wasn't someone to shirk off another person if there was a sense of danger.
More than a little reluctantly, he gathered up what little belongings he had and stepped out of the husk of a medical center. The ominous building still spoke something very, very bad to him, despite having spent a night in it. It was no less unnerving on the outside than it was inside. He turned away from it and was about to set out to find Madison... when he was cut short at the realization that she was literally just outside, cooking.
Maybe he should have peeked outside before jumping to conclusions. A part of him felt like shaming himself for considering she needed help so fast, but a more arrogant side of him felt as though he was stupid for offering help so quickly for other reasons. Why should Collax be so concerned about her? What has she done for him besides insult him, his Pokemon, and his attitude? Well, as he could see here, she was cooking. Perhaps she didn't only consider her own needs.
It also did not evade him that she had indeed shown some present care for his well being, albeit hardly any, it was still something. And even if she didn't, it wasn't his place to return the sentiment. She was just as human as he was, even if she acted more so, and he shouldn't have to disregard her because of that.
So, with a sigh, he stepped his way towards the crackling fire Madison sat beside, picking at a pan with cooked fruit in it. She looked neither her usual cavalier nor any sense of energy at all. In fact, she appeared quite notably tired.
"Morning, Maddie. You feelin' alright?" He asked, trying his best to seem sympathetic. It dawned on him that she may not appreciate the sympathy, but whether she did or not, she'd have to deal with it. It was what Collax was going to provide her with for right now.
"No, Collax. I'm not."
Madison answered curtly, her sunhat preventing eye contact. It was a question he'd asked her before, back in the tunnel. But as soon as they got out of there, he went back to mocking her. Now Collax was again wondering if she was doing all right, and Madison couldn't tell if he was being sincere. There were thieves, sociopaths, murderers and... him. Did this eccentric boy come to mock her some more, feigning concern, when she was at her most vulnerable?
"...But thanks for asking."
She muttered. Madison had just been through worse and was too tired to overthink things. So his words settled in her head the way they were, not as sweetly as the slices of fruit, but at least without an ill-tempered fork to pick them apart.
"Right, a fork," said an unemotional Madison. "And two plates. Wait here."
She rose, leaving Collax and entering the abandoned hospital, then passed the boy again with plates and silverware as she headed down to the ocean. He'd be waiting for five minutes before she returned with clean dishes and utensils.
"Take these. Now eat. Because you asked nicely."
The girl wasn't saying much, and the few things she did say didn't make much sense. Though Collax hadn't asked her anything, the sleepy Madison interpreted the fact that he was still here, instead of running off with the food while she wasn't looking, as politeness. Normally she'd perish the thought that Collax was even capable of such a thing, but bad experiences allowed her to appreciate good ones.
Madison answered curtly, her sunhat preventing eye contact. It was a question he'd asked her before, back in the tunnel. But as soon as they got out of there, he went back to mocking her. Now Collax was again wondering if she was doing all right, and Madison couldn't tell if he was being sincere. There were thieves, sociopaths, murderers and... him. Did this eccentric boy come to mock her some more, feigning concern, when she was at her most vulnerable?
"...But thanks for asking."
She muttered. Madison had just been through worse and was too tired to overthink things. So his words settled in her head the way they were, not as sweetly as the slices of fruit, but at least without an ill-tempered fork to pick them apart.
"Right, a fork," said an unemotional Madison. "And two plates. Wait here."
She rose, leaving Collax and entering the abandoned hospital, then passed the boy again with plates and silverware as she headed down to the ocean. He'd be waiting for five minutes before she returned with clean dishes and utensils.
"Take these. Now eat. Because you asked nicely."
The girl wasn't saying much, and the few things she did say didn't make much sense. Though Collax hadn't asked her anything, the sleepy Madison interpreted the fact that he was still here, instead of running off with the food while she wasn't looking, as politeness. Normally she'd perish the thought that Collax was even capable of such a thing, but bad experiences allowed her to appreciate good ones.
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Collax waited in silence, watching Madison as she retrieved plates, washed dishes, and sat back down. He was focused on her response, and though he was considering for a moment whether he should go into depth, he eventually sighed and decided he might as well.
He noted Madison's very quiet appreciation for his question, but he wasn't quite sure if it was sarcasm or not. But as the girl went about her activity, it began to become more and more apparent that she certainly did mean she was not alright. And this spoke volumes to him.
Collax stared at the plate of Tropius fruit. She had gone through the trouble of getting them; the least he could do was enjoy them. So, without a second thought about the taste, he took a bite of the sliced fruit. It wasn't bad, in fact, was quite nice. Collax doubted Madison's cooking no more. As he continued to eat, he watched Madison, trying to figure out exactly what was wrong.
Though he continuously doubted if it was worth going into detail, he found himself unable to avoid the question at hand. Although he didn't quite know Madison nor very much enjoy her presence, it seemed they were stuck together for the time being, and they had both come to that realization. With such a dangerous enemy present with them, they both knew it wasn't a competition to explore the region anymore. It was survival. Survival is best in numbers, as long as those numbers could cooperate.
Collax stopped eating half-finished. He put the plate on the ground beside him, and the three Pokemon Barkley, Skorupi, and Inkay all dug in to what was left. It was enough to tie them all over for a while longer. Collax, meanwhile, turned his attention to Madison. Her response worried him. At first, he wouldn't have felt any incentive to help her, but after seeing at least some light shining through the cracks in her exterior personality, he found himself feeling a little more than concern for her well being. So, with as much of a breath as he could manage, he looked at her and spoke one more sentence.
"What happened... and, what can I do to help?"
He noted Madison's very quiet appreciation for his question, but he wasn't quite sure if it was sarcasm or not. But as the girl went about her activity, it began to become more and more apparent that she certainly did mean she was not alright. And this spoke volumes to him.
Collax stared at the plate of Tropius fruit. She had gone through the trouble of getting them; the least he could do was enjoy them. So, without a second thought about the taste, he took a bite of the sliced fruit. It wasn't bad, in fact, was quite nice. Collax doubted Madison's cooking no more. As he continued to eat, he watched Madison, trying to figure out exactly what was wrong.
Though he continuously doubted if it was worth going into detail, he found himself unable to avoid the question at hand. Although he didn't quite know Madison nor very much enjoy her presence, it seemed they were stuck together for the time being, and they had both come to that realization. With such a dangerous enemy present with them, they both knew it wasn't a competition to explore the region anymore. It was survival. Survival is best in numbers, as long as those numbers could cooperate.
Collax stopped eating half-finished. He put the plate on the ground beside him, and the three Pokemon Barkley, Skorupi, and Inkay all dug in to what was left. It was enough to tie them all over for a while longer. Collax, meanwhile, turned his attention to Madison. Her response worried him. At first, he wouldn't have felt any incentive to help her, but after seeing at least some light shining through the cracks in her exterior personality, he found himself feeling a little more than concern for her well being. So, with as much of a breath as he could manage, he looked at her and spoke one more sentence.
"What happened... and, what can I do to help?"
Content with his thievery, Peter plopped down in a grassy patch and took the Chansey egg. He threw the pan into the forest for someone else to find and take care of. He split it with his Ekans who was quite pleased with himself as well. "Awesome job, Ekans." Peter commended. He tossed the serpent half of the egg. They both devoured their halves in sync. He laid on his back with Ekans curled on his chest.
They both fell asleep now that their hunger had been vanquished.
They both fell asleep now that their hunger had been vanquished.
Madison looked up at Collax with tired, dead eyes that belied her surprise. Instead of mocking her, he had curiously asked a follow-up question further expressing concern. She sighed.
"Well, I stayed up most of the night looking for food," she began, "only for it to be stolen. By some lazy idiot who doesn't want to get his own. This abandoned hospital raises enough questions about Lasryn, but I wonder now if this is a region of thieves and killers. How can I rule such a place?"
Collax had asked, so perhaps there was no harm in telling him all this. But Madison knew he didn't take her claim to the throne very seriously, and she might have just opened herself to mockery. Whatever. She was too exhausted to care.
"After all that hard work, Collax, hardly sleeping... I was making a delicious Chansey egg, far better than what I've shared with you..." she continued. "I'm keeping away from savages, but I can't escape them. Maybe this is why the past expedition failed, because these untamed lands drove them to theft and madness..."
Madison was drained of everything but her pride. So her answer to the second part of his question was not uncharacteristic. "If you're serious about helping, the thief is long gone now. But what you can do is not steal from me. Don't backstab me, either. Pledge your loyalty. In other words..." she rephrased the sentence in a less pretentious way to the compassionate boy, "please stay by my side, Collax. Apparently, I can only get so far on my own working hard."
If this were a battle or a friendly competition, Madison would surely win. This, however, was survival. Treating everyone as an enemy, trusting no one, would likely make her succumb to the maddening wilderness. Earlier, she'd fancied them locked up, but Collax had offered help and it was unfair to lump him in with all the criminals running around.
"The first order of business is to find a spring or a lake where you can clean yourself up. We also need something to drink," Madison said, widening her eyes to force herself awake. The girl's voice regained some of its snappiness, but what she said next sounded more like a tease than an insult.
"Especially you, drunken sailor boy."
"Well, I stayed up most of the night looking for food," she began, "only for it to be stolen. By some lazy idiot who doesn't want to get his own. This abandoned hospital raises enough questions about Lasryn, but I wonder now if this is a region of thieves and killers. How can I rule such a place?"
Collax had asked, so perhaps there was no harm in telling him all this. But Madison knew he didn't take her claim to the throne very seriously, and she might have just opened herself to mockery. Whatever. She was too exhausted to care.
"After all that hard work, Collax, hardly sleeping... I was making a delicious Chansey egg, far better than what I've shared with you..." she continued. "I'm keeping away from savages, but I can't escape them. Maybe this is why the past expedition failed, because these untamed lands drove them to theft and madness..."
Madison was drained of everything but her pride. So her answer to the second part of his question was not uncharacteristic. "If you're serious about helping, the thief is long gone now. But what you can do is not steal from me. Don't backstab me, either. Pledge your loyalty. In other words..." she rephrased the sentence in a less pretentious way to the compassionate boy, "please stay by my side, Collax. Apparently, I can only get so far on my own working hard."
If this were a battle or a friendly competition, Madison would surely win. This, however, was survival. Treating everyone as an enemy, trusting no one, would likely make her succumb to the maddening wilderness. Earlier, she'd fancied them locked up, but Collax had offered help and it was unfair to lump him in with all the criminals running around.
"The first order of business is to find a spring or a lake where you can clean yourself up. We also need something to drink," Madison said, widening her eyes to force herself awake. The girl's voice regained some of its snappiness, but what she said next sounded more like a tease than an insult.
"Especially you, drunken sailor boy."
Collax's initial intention was to hike out into the forest and find out exactly where this thief had gone to, with an unshakable determination to give them a piece of his mind. But after Madison spoke about them being out of reach, he found himself almost sitting down to listen to her more intently. When she asked for a pledge of loyalty, Collax was left with nothing to say. He had no reaction at first, unsure what had brought about this concept within her head. What had happened to her since she got here? Madison arrived on the island as the most snarky and narcissistic creature Collax has ever met, but here, in the middle of an abandoned region, he could see the signs of wear and tear. Something was breaking down.
Of all the things he expected Madison to say, this was not among them. Not remotely. He had been completely caught off guard. Madison was asking him not to betray her. Asking him to support her, so they wouldn't fall, as they both knew they would if they couldn't hold each other's weight. Collax did not expect her to recognize this. He much less expected her to ask him, of all people.
He was quiet for a moment longer after Madison's final 'Drunken sailor boy' comment. He could recognize the playfulness in her tone. It wasn't an insult, like all her comments prior to the hospital had been. He ruminated on this for some time, choice of action unclear.
Collax knew as well as Madison did that there wasn't a better option, but this wasn't why he agreed. Collax agreed with Madison's idea because he knew that nobody, even Madison, deserved to be abandoned in this world they were fighting in. It was do or die, and if people didn't learn to work together, then they would fall and crash, as Madison could tell. They would be dragged under by this overwhelming tide of all things bad that the Lasryn region spoke to them.
And there was, just barely, a slight hint of interest in Collax's mind to see if Madison really was changing. He was just as willing, as well, to provide his loyalty to her for the sake of friendship, if not just for survival.
Collax stood, looking back at Madison for another moment before he spoke again. Skorupi, Inkay, and Barkley all gathered around him. He turned to look out at the ocean that surrounded them, the endless blue sea that cut off this region from the rest of the world. This ocean is what leaves them alone, what separates them from the elements of comfort and provision. It was representing how abandoned they were in this region, and how much work it would take if they wanted to live to see the next sunlight rise. Collax was more than willing to stand up to that challenge, with anyone at all by his side. Madison was certainly not his first choice at first glance, but he wasn't sure there was anyone else he'd rather be forced to work with for the time being. In fact, he was willing to help just for the sake of helping. But they would get nowhere standing around.
"You have my word, Madison. Now, let's go find a spring fit for a queen, hm?"
He was already turning to head into the jungle as he smiled back at the exhausted girl.
Of all the things he expected Madison to say, this was not among them. Not remotely. He had been completely caught off guard. Madison was asking him not to betray her. Asking him to support her, so they wouldn't fall, as they both knew they would if they couldn't hold each other's weight. Collax did not expect her to recognize this. He much less expected her to ask him, of all people.
He was quiet for a moment longer after Madison's final 'Drunken sailor boy' comment. He could recognize the playfulness in her tone. It wasn't an insult, like all her comments prior to the hospital had been. He ruminated on this for some time, choice of action unclear.
Collax knew as well as Madison did that there wasn't a better option, but this wasn't why he agreed. Collax agreed with Madison's idea because he knew that nobody, even Madison, deserved to be abandoned in this world they were fighting in. It was do or die, and if people didn't learn to work together, then they would fall and crash, as Madison could tell. They would be dragged under by this overwhelming tide of all things bad that the Lasryn region spoke to them.
And there was, just barely, a slight hint of interest in Collax's mind to see if Madison really was changing. He was just as willing, as well, to provide his loyalty to her for the sake of friendship, if not just for survival.
Collax stood, looking back at Madison for another moment before he spoke again. Skorupi, Inkay, and Barkley all gathered around him. He turned to look out at the ocean that surrounded them, the endless blue sea that cut off this region from the rest of the world. This ocean is what leaves them alone, what separates them from the elements of comfort and provision. It was representing how abandoned they were in this region, and how much work it would take if they wanted to live to see the next sunlight rise. Collax was more than willing to stand up to that challenge, with anyone at all by his side. Madison was certainly not his first choice at first glance, but he wasn't sure there was anyone else he'd rather be forced to work with for the time being. In fact, he was willing to help just for the sake of helping. But they would get nowhere standing around.
"You have my word, Madison. Now, let's go find a spring fit for a queen, hm?"
He was already turning to head into the jungle as he smiled back at the exhausted girl.
Brandon had followed Peter to his next destination. When he fell asleep, he told Blitzle to use another Thundershock to get the thief’s attention. He jumped down from the tree he was in along with Blitzle and the electric move lit up in the darkness of the early morning.
Anthony had gone off in an attempt to find Brandon, since he hadn’t seen him for a few hours. He ended up not finding anything but wild Pokémon.
“Where could he have gone?” he asked himself.
Anthony had gone off in an attempt to find Brandon, since he hadn’t seen him for a few hours. He ended up not finding anything but wild Pokémon.
“Where could he have gone?” he asked himself.
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Peter was jolted upright in the grass. Ekans flew off his chest and hissed in aggravation. Once he saw the Blitzle and it's trainer, he coiled up and prepared to strike. "What's the deal? Can't a boy enjoy some sleep?" he asked angrily. He felt his instincts telling him to run away, only there was nowhere to do so. Ekans was ready to protect his trainer.
Madison couldn't manage a full smile right now, but her lips pressed closer together and the corners of her mouth perked up slightly. They were finding a spring fit for a queen, and not an incompetent one like before. She had expected Collax to mock her at every opportunity, but something in him had changed.
Perhaps it was because Madison had shown him her vulnerable side. No, quite the opposite. She had shown him her skill. People mocked her at first because they didn't take her seriously, but her hard work and cooking silenced them. The girl was certainly weary and less confrontational now, but her sense of pride was very much intact.
"So you finally acknowledge me, Collax." Madison managed an incomplete smirk and narrowed her eyes testingly. "Indeed, we will find a spring fit for a queen. And her filthy knight. It is my duty to make sure my subjects are clean and fed."
She finished the last of her fruit slices and picked up a canteen that she'd washed and placed by the log earlier. She could fill it up and brush her teeth, instead of spitting in the streams. Madison's purse contained several miscellaneous items, from ginger candies to berries she'd gathered and hygiene products. She had everything, but they could always go back to the boat if needed. Following the lava tube led them to a deeper part of the jungle, however, so it would be a long walk.
The girl kept moving forward instead, the soil gradually turning to mud under her feet and her expression gradually turning to a grimace. In the back of her head she knew it was a good sign, that they were nearing a water source. But she still hated dirt. Hopefully there was a beautiful spring beyond those thick leaves.
What Madison found instead was a vast lake, its rippled surface like a ruffled blanket as the Lasryn region woke up and the morning sun loomed over the horizon. She was reminded that even in times of hardship, even when her efforts seemed wasted, there were beautiful sights like this.
"A spring fit for a queen..." Madison quietly mused, "...can only be a lake."
Perhaps it was because Madison had shown him her vulnerable side. No, quite the opposite. She had shown him her skill. People mocked her at first because they didn't take her seriously, but her hard work and cooking silenced them. The girl was certainly weary and less confrontational now, but her sense of pride was very much intact.
"So you finally acknowledge me, Collax." Madison managed an incomplete smirk and narrowed her eyes testingly. "Indeed, we will find a spring fit for a queen. And her filthy knight. It is my duty to make sure my subjects are clean and fed."
She finished the last of her fruit slices and picked up a canteen that she'd washed and placed by the log earlier. She could fill it up and brush her teeth, instead of spitting in the streams. Madison's purse contained several miscellaneous items, from ginger candies to berries she'd gathered and hygiene products. She had everything, but they could always go back to the boat if needed. Following the lava tube led them to a deeper part of the jungle, however, so it would be a long walk.
The girl kept moving forward instead, the soil gradually turning to mud under her feet and her expression gradually turning to a grimace. In the back of her head she knew it was a good sign, that they were nearing a water source. But she still hated dirt. Hopefully there was a beautiful spring beyond those thick leaves.
What Madison found instead was a vast lake, its rippled surface like a ruffled blanket as the Lasryn region woke up and the morning sun loomed over the horizon. She was reminded that even in times of hardship, even when her efforts seemed wasted, there were beautiful sights like this.
"A spring fit for a queen..." Madison quietly mused, "...can only be a lake."
Collax followed Madison a few steps behind, still grinning at the prospect of her being queen of Lasryn. Instead of airing his opinion, however, he simply followed and let her be herself.
The three Pokemon that followed him were glad to be leaving the premises of the abandoned hospital, save for Barkley, given he was a ghost-type. Skorupi and Inkay, meanwhile, were nearly clinging to Collax as he stepped after Madison towards the jungle. It dawned on him for a moment that he didn't actually own either Inkay or Skorupi; They had followed him because they had nowhere else to go. With Lisa dead, Inkay had no trainer, and Skorupi never had one to begin with. Either way, they had been lost and stuck with Collax until now. He made it a point to fix that now.
As they walked, Collax rummaged through his bag to find a set of Pokeballs. He hadn't come to Lasryn with the intention of catching Pokemon, but it was good to be prepared. He lifted up two balls and prepared one, holding it out to Inkay.
"How about you stay with me, Inkay? I wish there was more I could do for ya, but I think this is for the best right now." Inkay, in response, found himself unsure for a moment. Lisa was dead, and now Collax was offering to replace her. He may not play the best role as a substitute, but as of this moment, there wasn't much of a better option. So the psychic Pokemon touched the Pokeball, which opened and pulled him in. A few seconds passed and the Pokeball locked closed. Inkay wouldn't be on his own anymore.
He then turned to Skorupi, kneeling down to its level. The poison-type crawled forward, more than happy to be under his ownership. Although the Skorupi lived in a region where trainers didn't really exist, he seemed to be just fine with the prospect and happily entered the Pokeball in Collax's hand.
Inkay and Skorupi had officially joined the party. Now, back to the task at hand. Water.
It wasn't long after trudging through mud that they came across the gorgeous lake. Collax beamed at the sight of the body of freshwater. They wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. The jungle was a fantastic place to live in comparison to everywhere else. An endless supply of water, possibly abounding in food to forage, and plenty to make shelter with. They wouldn't even need a tent, all they would need to do is cut down some large branches and set them up against one of the many thick tree trunks to create a temporary home. Now they were in business.
Collax approached the lake and dipped his hands in, cupping them and lifting the water to his mouth to drink. It was lakewater, so obviously it was filled with mud, grass, and the like, but all he needed to know was if it would be drinkable. His answer was more than relieving. With an improvised filter, they'd have clean water to drink. He looked back to Madison with a confident expression.
"How's this for the first part of your kingdom, eh? A whole lake, in the middle of the jungle. Don't think you're gonna find much better anywhere else in this region, truth to be told."
The three Pokemon that followed him were glad to be leaving the premises of the abandoned hospital, save for Barkley, given he was a ghost-type. Skorupi and Inkay, meanwhile, were nearly clinging to Collax as he stepped after Madison towards the jungle. It dawned on him for a moment that he didn't actually own either Inkay or Skorupi; They had followed him because they had nowhere else to go. With Lisa dead, Inkay had no trainer, and Skorupi never had one to begin with. Either way, they had been lost and stuck with Collax until now. He made it a point to fix that now.
As they walked, Collax rummaged through his bag to find a set of Pokeballs. He hadn't come to Lasryn with the intention of catching Pokemon, but it was good to be prepared. He lifted up two balls and prepared one, holding it out to Inkay.
"How about you stay with me, Inkay? I wish there was more I could do for ya, but I think this is for the best right now." Inkay, in response, found himself unsure for a moment. Lisa was dead, and now Collax was offering to replace her. He may not play the best role as a substitute, but as of this moment, there wasn't much of a better option. So the psychic Pokemon touched the Pokeball, which opened and pulled him in. A few seconds passed and the Pokeball locked closed. Inkay wouldn't be on his own anymore.
He then turned to Skorupi, kneeling down to its level. The poison-type crawled forward, more than happy to be under his ownership. Although the Skorupi lived in a region where trainers didn't really exist, he seemed to be just fine with the prospect and happily entered the Pokeball in Collax's hand.
Inkay and Skorupi had officially joined the party. Now, back to the task at hand. Water.
It wasn't long after trudging through mud that they came across the gorgeous lake. Collax beamed at the sight of the body of freshwater. They wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. The jungle was a fantastic place to live in comparison to everywhere else. An endless supply of water, possibly abounding in food to forage, and plenty to make shelter with. They wouldn't even need a tent, all they would need to do is cut down some large branches and set them up against one of the many thick tree trunks to create a temporary home. Now they were in business.
Collax approached the lake and dipped his hands in, cupping them and lifting the water to his mouth to drink. It was lakewater, so obviously it was filled with mud, grass, and the like, but all he needed to know was if it would be drinkable. His answer was more than relieving. With an improvised filter, they'd have clean water to drink. He looked back to Madison with a confident expression.
"How's this for the first part of your kingdom, eh? A whole lake, in the middle of the jungle. Don't think you're gonna find much better anywhere else in this region, truth to be told."
"Hmph. You act as if you have this region all figured out, Collax… but there's a surprise around every corner, if surprise is not a mere euphemism for every lie exposed. An abandoned hospital in an uninhabited place. A desert and jungle, side by side. A good start, I suppose, but there is hope for more breathtaking sights in my kingdom yet."
Her phrasing notwithstanding, Madison was more fascinated than unimpressed. "This is nice, but what more do you have to show me, Lasryn? I want you to become increasingly beautiful, so that the Queen knows every jewel in the crown of her empire and is rewarded with a new sight after each day of hard work. And to balance out Collax's increasing grossness, of course," she said, looking out onto the lake and affectionately reproaching the boy for drinking its dirty water. Madison didn't approve of his ways and wouldn't fail to make it known, insulting him for the most egregious offenses and teasing him for lesser ones.
"Perhaps that water suits you the way it is, my unrefined knight, but we can filter it through separate containers, plastic buckets from the hospital janitor's closet. Or I can drain the water through my handkerchief into a pot, then boil away any pathogens. Iodine pills are another way to treat contaminated water, if I can find some in the medical building. And if none of that works," Madison paused, clearly flaunting her knowledge, "let's just hope that a Pyukumuku that knows Purify washes ashore."
Her phrasing notwithstanding, Madison was more fascinated than unimpressed. "This is nice, but what more do you have to show me, Lasryn? I want you to become increasingly beautiful, so that the Queen knows every jewel in the crown of her empire and is rewarded with a new sight after each day of hard work. And to balance out Collax's increasing grossness, of course," she said, looking out onto the lake and affectionately reproaching the boy for drinking its dirty water. Madison didn't approve of his ways and wouldn't fail to make it known, insulting him for the most egregious offenses and teasing him for lesser ones.
"Perhaps that water suits you the way it is, my unrefined knight, but we can filter it through separate containers, plastic buckets from the hospital janitor's closet. Or I can drain the water through my handkerchief into a pot, then boil away any pathogens. Iodine pills are another way to treat contaminated water, if I can find some in the medical building. And if none of that works," Madison paused, clearly flaunting her knowledge, "let's just hope that a Pyukumuku that knows Purify washes ashore."
Collax released a slow and exhausted sigh. He had literally woken up less than an hour ago, and he already wanted to go back to sleep. Here we go again, back with Madison's narcissism and insults. The boy had enough patience this time, however. He understood plenty now that this was they way she was. He'd just have to work with it.
As Madison continued to provide her different ideas for cleaning the water, Collax sighed and stood up. This wasn't even saltwater, which would be much harder to filter out. This was at most simply murky. Although Madison had a point that it was fit for him, he knew she wouldn't tolerate such an uncomfortable act. However, he had his own solution to the problem.
"Oi, if you got a handkerchief, then this whole mess won't be a problem. All we need's a bucket with a hole in the bottom, that hankie, some sand, gravel, and a bit o' charcoal. C'mon, I'm setting up a fire." Collax stepped over to some of the thicket to gather tinder and kindling. He needed large chunks of charcoal, however, to create the filter that saved his hide on multiple occasions. A log the size of someone's forearm would do the trick just fine.
Madison may have her knowledge, but Collax had experience. He knew what he was doing because he had done it plenty of times before. Food probably wouldn't be too hard to gather in this jungle, and once he had some charcoal, neither would drinkable water. Whether or not Madison would get off her high horse long enough to help was another matter that Collax had no control over.
Meanwhile, Barkley followed after Collax and opened the Pokeball containing Skorupi. The insect popped out, skittering around for a moment until the Phantump explained what they were doing. Skorupi chirped and followed after Collax, ready to help with the endeavor, pursued quickly by Barkley.
As Madison continued to provide her different ideas for cleaning the water, Collax sighed and stood up. This wasn't even saltwater, which would be much harder to filter out. This was at most simply murky. Although Madison had a point that it was fit for him, he knew she wouldn't tolerate such an uncomfortable act. However, he had his own solution to the problem.
"Oi, if you got a handkerchief, then this whole mess won't be a problem. All we need's a bucket with a hole in the bottom, that hankie, some sand, gravel, and a bit o' charcoal. C'mon, I'm setting up a fire." Collax stepped over to some of the thicket to gather tinder and kindling. He needed large chunks of charcoal, however, to create the filter that saved his hide on multiple occasions. A log the size of someone's forearm would do the trick just fine.
Madison may have her knowledge, but Collax had experience. He knew what he was doing because he had done it plenty of times before. Food probably wouldn't be too hard to gather in this jungle, and once he had some charcoal, neither would drinkable water. Whether or not Madison would get off her high horse long enough to help was another matter that Collax had no control over.
Meanwhile, Barkley followed after Collax and opened the Pokeball containing Skorupi. The insect popped out, skittering around for a moment until the Phantump explained what they were doing. Skorupi chirped and followed after Collax, ready to help with the endeavor, pursued quickly by Barkley.
"You seem to know quite a bit yourself, but I doubt those few sticks will produce the desired amount. Since your hands are dirty, I'll hold on to this handkerchief for now and return with a bucket shortly."
Madison got straight to the point and left. She'd taken the time to detail the various purification methods she knew, but Collax just sighed. So why should she waste her breath this time? It irked her how he sighed constantly, as if she was a burden and a nuisance. Madison didn't like to be underestimated when she worked so hard, even on things that most would consider trivial, like dress and cleanliness. Maybe her annoyance at Collax's dismissiveness was a sign that she was waking up, regaining the energy to be pissed at the small things. Or maybe what happened this morning inclined her to get mad at the slightest provocations that followed, feeding into a self-fulfilling prophecy that today was not going to be a good day.
But being away from Collax didn't make it any better, she realized. Madison was back by the abandoned hospital, trying to drag the log on which she'd sat. The fact that it was too heavy bothered her. How could her mood improve with this log weighing down on her physically and mentally?
"Fine... this is too much for me to carry. A cut of this should do..." she conceded.
Madison produced the Pokéball that belonged to the Surgeon Pokémon, Probot. It looked just as tired as she was, eyes red and narrowed. That bothered her even more. Why did this android surgeon appear so exhausted, when robots didn't even need sleep? Madison on the other hand, whose eyes were equally narrowed and bloodshot red, had every reason to look like that.
"Just give me a horizontal cut of this log."
Probot moved more quickly than the sleep-deprived girl could and sliced the top off the wood.
"This is good. The next thing Collax said he needed was-" she paused, picturing the daunting expanse of beach and not wanting to tote sandbags all the way back. "I'll just have Gible cough up some sand."
Madison left the abandoned hospital, the smaller log in one hand, a pot and plastic bucket in the other. She had the Surgeon Pokémon pierce a hole in the bottom using its probe, and brought the pot to boil away any unfiltered contaminants. Collax had completely ignored that idea, but that was how men were. They never followed through on the whole process, cutting corners and disregarding potential dangers.
"Still, he knows a lot. Where does he come from, anyway? What was his life like?" Madison wondered aloud. "And... why do I care?"
Madison got straight to the point and left. She'd taken the time to detail the various purification methods she knew, but Collax just sighed. So why should she waste her breath this time? It irked her how he sighed constantly, as if she was a burden and a nuisance. Madison didn't like to be underestimated when she worked so hard, even on things that most would consider trivial, like dress and cleanliness. Maybe her annoyance at Collax's dismissiveness was a sign that she was waking up, regaining the energy to be pissed at the small things. Or maybe what happened this morning inclined her to get mad at the slightest provocations that followed, feeding into a self-fulfilling prophecy that today was not going to be a good day.
But being away from Collax didn't make it any better, she realized. Madison was back by the abandoned hospital, trying to drag the log on which she'd sat. The fact that it was too heavy bothered her. How could her mood improve with this log weighing down on her physically and mentally?
"Fine... this is too much for me to carry. A cut of this should do..." she conceded.
Madison produced the Pokéball that belonged to the Surgeon Pokémon, Probot. It looked just as tired as she was, eyes red and narrowed. That bothered her even more. Why did this android surgeon appear so exhausted, when robots didn't even need sleep? Madison on the other hand, whose eyes were equally narrowed and bloodshot red, had every reason to look like that.
"Just give me a horizontal cut of this log."
Probot moved more quickly than the sleep-deprived girl could and sliced the top off the wood.
"This is good. The next thing Collax said he needed was-" she paused, picturing the daunting expanse of beach and not wanting to tote sandbags all the way back. "I'll just have Gible cough up some sand."
Madison left the abandoned hospital, the smaller log in one hand, a pot and plastic bucket in the other. She had the Surgeon Pokémon pierce a hole in the bottom using its probe, and brought the pot to boil away any unfiltered contaminants. Collax had completely ignored that idea, but that was how men were. They never followed through on the whole process, cutting corners and disregarding potential dangers.
"Still, he knows a lot. Where does he come from, anyway? What was his life like?" Madison wondered aloud. "And... why do I care?"
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By the time Madison would come into view of Collax, he and his Pokemon had gathered some decent burning material, of which Collax had sparked with a set of flint he kept in his bag. He didn't pack much, but what he did pack were essentials. The fire was already starting to pick up, and to keep it from spreading too far, Collax had his Pokemon surround it with stones, while he cleared the area of flammable brush and other materials. He wanted a fire, but not a big one.
During this time, Inkay had been released to gather handfuls of gravel, which he had piled beside the fire atop a leaf. The gravel was wet, having been well scrubbed of sediment using some clean water from Collax's depleting canteen. He didn't worry, it wouldn't be long before they had plenty to replace it.
Madison caught the attention of Barkley, who tugged at Collax's coat. When he looked up to see what she was bringing, he smiled. She got exactly what he needed. A large piece of wood, a bucket with a hole, and a pot. Collax realized he neglected the concept of boiling out what the filter didn't, even though Madison suggested it a moment before he provided his own. He felt a tad bit dumb for a moment, resuming the burning of the fire until she got closer. He looked up, his face slightly less filthy than before, his hat much neater upon his head. He'd wiped himself down with a wet leaf as a substitute for a wash cloth.
"Ey, that's perfect, Maddie. We're gonna have clean water in no time. Just sit that log over the fire and we'll get crackin'." And he stood, picking up the gravel bunch. He was confident that, despite occasional disagreement, they could get shit done.
During this time, Inkay had been released to gather handfuls of gravel, which he had piled beside the fire atop a leaf. The gravel was wet, having been well scrubbed of sediment using some clean water from Collax's depleting canteen. He didn't worry, it wouldn't be long before they had plenty to replace it.
Madison caught the attention of Barkley, who tugged at Collax's coat. When he looked up to see what she was bringing, he smiled. She got exactly what he needed. A large piece of wood, a bucket with a hole, and a pot. Collax realized he neglected the concept of boiling out what the filter didn't, even though Madison suggested it a moment before he provided his own. He felt a tad bit dumb for a moment, resuming the burning of the fire until she got closer. He looked up, his face slightly less filthy than before, his hat much neater upon his head. He'd wiped himself down with a wet leaf as a substitute for a wash cloth.
"Ey, that's perfect, Maddie. We're gonna have clean water in no time. Just sit that log over the fire and we'll get crackin'." And he stood, picking up the gravel bunch. He was confident that, despite occasional disagreement, they could get shit done.
"I don't know how you're so optimistic, Collax, but that cleaner face of yours makes it more convincing," Madison smirked. She noticed little things like that.
"However, I believe we need to wait until the fire burns out completely, then heap dirt over it and let it sit for a few more hours. So having clean water in no time is an overstatement," she added more seriously, dropping the log onto the fire. Madison ripped a jungle leaf off its thick stem, placing it flat on the ground and setting down the pot and bucket.
"There's so much we could do in the meantime. Get any essentials we might have left on the boat, like my sleeping bag. Charge any dead devices there, like my PokéNav Plus," she suggested, but it was clear that she was mostly concerned about her own belongings. "Go for a swim, perhaps..."
It had gone from "mostly" to entirely about herself and what she wanted to do alone. Her mind had trailed off and when she realized that a shirtless Collax would be with her, a flustered Madison rushed to clarify her last statement. "A-anything to get that dirty coat off."
She sent out Gible, whose sudden appearance allowed her to change the subject. "But first, you needed sand, and my Pokémon can produce more than enough," she relaxed, turning away from the boy and addressing the little dragon. "No Sandstorms, now. A small heap of sand should do."
Madison stroked Gible under the chin, coaxing her into coughing up the right amount.
"However, I believe we need to wait until the fire burns out completely, then heap dirt over it and let it sit for a few more hours. So having clean water in no time is an overstatement," she added more seriously, dropping the log onto the fire. Madison ripped a jungle leaf off its thick stem, placing it flat on the ground and setting down the pot and bucket.
"There's so much we could do in the meantime. Get any essentials we might have left on the boat, like my sleeping bag. Charge any dead devices there, like my PokéNav Plus," she suggested, but it was clear that she was mostly concerned about her own belongings. "Go for a swim, perhaps..."
It had gone from "mostly" to entirely about herself and what she wanted to do alone. Her mind had trailed off and when she realized that a shirtless Collax would be with her, a flustered Madison rushed to clarify her last statement. "A-anything to get that dirty coat off."
She sent out Gible, whose sudden appearance allowed her to change the subject. "But first, you needed sand, and my Pokémon can produce more than enough," she relaxed, turning away from the boy and addressing the little dragon. "No Sandstorms, now. A small heap of sand should do."
Madison stroked Gible under the chin, coaxing her into coughing up the right amount.
Collax looked at Madison, slightly surprised that she seemed to know what she was talking about. However, Collax still had other ideas in mind. He smiled and jabbed a thumb at the fire.
“If it’s burns too much, I won’t have the kind of charcoal I need. Just wait until the log more or less falls apart and we can dump some water on it to put it out. Smoke ain’t too big a deal.”
He picked up the sand Gible had upchucked, inspecting it for a moment to see if it was clean. It was plenty clean. Collax smiled. Now he didn’t need to wash any sand, which was by far the hardest part of making the water filter. He could get right to building it. “I’m gonna need that hankie, now, Maddie. Just lay it flat over that hole in the bucket there, bottom of the inside.”
He had mostly disregarded Madison’s statement about swimming and his filthy coat. Even as she spoke about it, though, he noted the slightest, smallest stammer. He didn’t have a clue as to why she might have hurried her sentence, but he ignored it as well. Collax had more important concerns as of now.
“If it’s burns too much, I won’t have the kind of charcoal I need. Just wait until the log more or less falls apart and we can dump some water on it to put it out. Smoke ain’t too big a deal.”
He picked up the sand Gible had upchucked, inspecting it for a moment to see if it was clean. It was plenty clean. Collax smiled. Now he didn’t need to wash any sand, which was by far the hardest part of making the water filter. He could get right to building it. “I’m gonna need that hankie, now, Maddie. Just lay it flat over that hole in the bucket there, bottom of the inside.”
He had mostly disregarded Madison’s statement about swimming and his filthy coat. Even as she spoke about it, though, he noted the slightest, smallest stammer. He didn’t have a clue as to why she might have hurried her sentence, but he ignored it as well. Collax had more important concerns as of now.
Madison covered the bottom of the bucket with the handkerchief and parted with it half-jokingly. "Such a cruel fate, forever banished to the realm of filth. You've been there and back many times, but this time there is no return. Goodbye."
Thankfully Collax hadn't pressed the issue of her stuttering, so she comfortably settled into conversation with him. Madison still didn't understand why she cared so much, but he had probably felt the same way about asking her what was wrong earlier.
"I leave the rest to you, knight. Regrettably, my knowledge is rather lacking from here on out. But I wonder..." she placed her index finger beside her lip in contemplation. "How come you know the ways of the woods so well? What was your life like before Lasryn? You weren't actually raised by wolves, were you?"
Thankfully Collax hadn't pressed the issue of her stuttering, so she comfortably settled into conversation with him. Madison still didn't understand why she cared so much, but he had probably felt the same way about asking her what was wrong earlier.
"I leave the rest to you, knight. Regrettably, my knowledge is rather lacking from here on out. But I wonder..." she placed her index finger beside her lip in contemplation. "How come you know the ways of the woods so well? What was your life like before Lasryn? You weren't actually raised by wolves, were you?"
Brandon approached the boy with an angry look in his eyes. “Rotten thief...” he muttered under his breath. He went to kick Peter in the stomach while Blitzle stood in front of Ekans, looking down on the snake Pokémon as if he was telling him to stay back.
Anthony walked back to the camp. “I brought a fishing rod,” he told Ray. “You good at fishing, or do you think I should do it?” he asked her. He got the rod from his bag.
Anthony walked back to the camp. “I brought a fishing rod,” he told Ray. “You good at fishing, or do you think I should do it?” he asked her. He got the rod from his bag.
He crumpled to his knees. "Ugh, c'mon. I'm just trying to feed my Pokemon." he explained. "Call me a thief all you'd like," he cracked a smile. "You don't scare me." Ekans reared up on it's tail ready to strike should the Blitzle do the same. "You here to kill me or something? Go ahead and do it." he taunted. Peter wasn't fazed by this boy's offensiveness. He was ready to fight for his Pokemon and his own life.
"Knock it off!" An unfamiliar voice yelled as a rather speedy Beldum charged in between the two boys who seemed....less than pleased with each others company.
"Your both acting like fools, we were all sent to this island with the goal of discovering its secrets and maybe even bring other people one day. Our research here is just as important as the journey itself, and we wont get anything done if your at each others throats like this." The voice spoke again, revealing himself to be a dark hair boy who exited from the nearby brush, a book in one hand and some sort of gps-like device in the other.
"Belduuuum...." His small Pokemon rumbled, its eyes darting back and forth between Brandon and Peter, ready to break up any more violence that may occur.
"Apologies, I havent introduced myself yet. Im Zander, ive been sent here to assist in the task at hand, seeing as you all have clearly had some complications." He added, sliding the book in his back pocket before slowly approaching the group, a calm yet uneven expression on his face.
"Orion, calm down bud, we can all see your ready to stop them if need be." The boy now revealed as Zander said to calm him partners bold nature, the Beldum responded with a small nod, grumpily and hesitantly, backing away from both trainers, keeping his guard up as there pokemon seem ready to charge as well.
"Now if your hungry, im sure we can get our hands on some food from all this vegetation, and if not...." He paused, pulling out a small sack from his back pocket that contained an assortment of pokemon treats. He pulled out a soft, purple treat and tossed it Ekans direction.
"Im sure that should help for now." The reassured the snake pokemon with a small smile, awaiting a response from the others.
"Your both acting like fools, we were all sent to this island with the goal of discovering its secrets and maybe even bring other people one day. Our research here is just as important as the journey itself, and we wont get anything done if your at each others throats like this." The voice spoke again, revealing himself to be a dark hair boy who exited from the nearby brush, a book in one hand and some sort of gps-like device in the other.
"Belduuuum...." His small Pokemon rumbled, its eyes darting back and forth between Brandon and Peter, ready to break up any more violence that may occur.
"Apologies, I havent introduced myself yet. Im Zander, ive been sent here to assist in the task at hand, seeing as you all have clearly had some complications." He added, sliding the book in his back pocket before slowly approaching the group, a calm yet uneven expression on his face.
"Orion, calm down bud, we can all see your ready to stop them if need be." The boy now revealed as Zander said to calm him partners bold nature, the Beldum responded with a small nod, grumpily and hesitantly, backing away from both trainers, keeping his guard up as there pokemon seem ready to charge as well.
"Now if your hungry, im sure we can get our hands on some food from all this vegetation, and if not...." He paused, pulling out a small sack from his back pocket that contained an assortment of pokemon treats. He pulled out a soft, purple treat and tossed it Ekans direction.
"Im sure that should help for now." The reassured the snake pokemon with a small smile, awaiting a response from the others.
Collax held back a chuckle at Madison's parting words with her handkerchief. It was hard for him to tell if she was serious or not, so he let it go and went back to what he was doing. He dumped the sand into the bucket, enough to make a layer of sand on the bottom of the bucket about a centimeter thick. Not the best, but it would be fine. After the sand, he piled in the gravel to create a layer of the larger, more spacious rocks. The gravel layer was about two inches, which was plenty. Now he just needed to wait for the wood to burn enough.
In the meantime, Madison had begun conversation with him. Though Collax was quite the person for chatting, he wasn't sure what to expect from Madison. Most experience with her consisted of insults laced with a few questions, so it wasn't promising. But the interest she showed in his past said something. The fact that she bothered to talk to him about HIM might suggest, like many of her recent actions, that she didn't just care about herself. So, he found himself plenty happy to talk.
"Maddie, if I was raised by wolves, I'd be howling in the middle of the night. Nah, nah it wasn't that interesting. I used to live out around the old lush jungle of Akala island, y'know, in the Alola region. Hard to get lost in a place where all ya gotta do is walk in one direction for an hour to get out of. But... I always liked the place. Hell, spent most of the waking day in there. I know that place like the back of my damn hand. Never used a tent, never brought a sleeping bag... just me and Barkley sitting around in the middle of the jungle. Climbing, foraging, eating, swimming, sleeping..." Barkley smiled and twirled around Collax in the memory. He came to rest atop Collax's grey trilby as the young trainer sighed. "It wasn't about proving nothing, not about toughness, or survival, or any of that. I guess I just picked those skills up over time. It was just about being free, y'know? Not being part of society. Not being surrounded in this ocean of asphalt in the cities, or cornered in by houses. Not being held on schedule by a school bell, or a job, or anything. Exploring as far as you want, stopping when you want to stop, eating when you want to eat... I tell ya, some people experience that kinda freedom only once in their life, if ever at all, and they hardly know what to do with it."
Collax stopped for a moment, staring out at the lake. The crackling of the fire was the only thing to be heard for a few seconds.
"When dad died, I hadn't gotten through school yet. Mom was in out in Hoenn, or somewhere. Travel agent. Always all over the place, visiting region after region. Saw her prolly' once a month. If even that. I lived with my cousin for a while, but I was always out in the jungle. Out there, I didn't care about what happened to me, or anything else in the world. Dad was dead? Well, I mourned, now I'm free again in the jungle. Flunked a grade in school? So what, I was too far away to begin with. I learn from experience. The only thing I ever got outta school was the ability to write and do basic math and algebra. S'all I needed, or more like all I wanted. Only thing I wanted besides that was to just be free. I wouldn't give up that jungle for the world."
There was another moment for silence as he leaned back and eventually lay down in the mud, hands under his head. Barkley flopped down on his stomach, and Skorupi curled up next to his side. Inkay took Barkley's place on Collax's hat.
"...I thought Lasryn would give me a new jungle, new freedom. A place where nobody could hold me back, slow me down. Sure, I knew there'd be others with me, an' I just hoped they'd understand that. This was supposed to be a wild region. Unknown, unexplored, uninhabited... A place where we could all be totally free and explore. Poke around every corner of the region, climb the trees and mountains, and enjoy every minute of it..."
"Then Lisa ends up dead in a hole in the ground."
From there, he seemed to have nothing else to say. What he didn't would surely already be understood.
In the meantime, Madison had begun conversation with him. Though Collax was quite the person for chatting, he wasn't sure what to expect from Madison. Most experience with her consisted of insults laced with a few questions, so it wasn't promising. But the interest she showed in his past said something. The fact that she bothered to talk to him about HIM might suggest, like many of her recent actions, that she didn't just care about herself. So, he found himself plenty happy to talk.
"Maddie, if I was raised by wolves, I'd be howling in the middle of the night. Nah, nah it wasn't that interesting. I used to live out around the old lush jungle of Akala island, y'know, in the Alola region. Hard to get lost in a place where all ya gotta do is walk in one direction for an hour to get out of. But... I always liked the place. Hell, spent most of the waking day in there. I know that place like the back of my damn hand. Never used a tent, never brought a sleeping bag... just me and Barkley sitting around in the middle of the jungle. Climbing, foraging, eating, swimming, sleeping..." Barkley smiled and twirled around Collax in the memory. He came to rest atop Collax's grey trilby as the young trainer sighed. "It wasn't about proving nothing, not about toughness, or survival, or any of that. I guess I just picked those skills up over time. It was just about being free, y'know? Not being part of society. Not being surrounded in this ocean of asphalt in the cities, or cornered in by houses. Not being held on schedule by a school bell, or a job, or anything. Exploring as far as you want, stopping when you want to stop, eating when you want to eat... I tell ya, some people experience that kinda freedom only once in their life, if ever at all, and they hardly know what to do with it."
Collax stopped for a moment, staring out at the lake. The crackling of the fire was the only thing to be heard for a few seconds.
"When dad died, I hadn't gotten through school yet. Mom was in out in Hoenn, or somewhere. Travel agent. Always all over the place, visiting region after region. Saw her prolly' once a month. If even that. I lived with my cousin for a while, but I was always out in the jungle. Out there, I didn't care about what happened to me, or anything else in the world. Dad was dead? Well, I mourned, now I'm free again in the jungle. Flunked a grade in school? So what, I was too far away to begin with. I learn from experience. The only thing I ever got outta school was the ability to write and do basic math and algebra. S'all I needed, or more like all I wanted. Only thing I wanted besides that was to just be free. I wouldn't give up that jungle for the world."
There was another moment for silence as he leaned back and eventually lay down in the mud, hands under his head. Barkley flopped down on his stomach, and Skorupi curled up next to his side. Inkay took Barkley's place on Collax's hat.
"...I thought Lasryn would give me a new jungle, new freedom. A place where nobody could hold me back, slow me down. Sure, I knew there'd be others with me, an' I just hoped they'd understand that. This was supposed to be a wild region. Unknown, unexplored, uninhabited... A place where we could all be totally free and explore. Poke around every corner of the region, climb the trees and mountains, and enjoy every minute of it..."
"Then Lisa ends up dead in a hole in the ground."
From there, he seemed to have nothing else to say. What he didn't would surely already be understood.
Ekans snapped up the treat in a flash. Equally as fast, he slithered up onto Peter's shoulder. "Don't patronize my Pokemon!" Peter yelled. Ekans spat out the treat reluctantly. Peter did the best to not meet the boy's eyes. He felt unnerved just glancing at them. The Beldum made Ekans feel a bit uneasy as well, given the type matchup.
"I don't have time for you two. I was just sleeping and this... cretin jumped me." he spat. He didn't have the patience nor the strength to take both of them on.
"I don't have time for you two. I was just sleeping and this... cretin jumped me." he spat. He didn't have the patience nor the strength to take both of them on.
“Maybe next time actually find the food you eat instead of stealing it from another hard-working explorer,” Brandon retorted. “And your Beldum wouldn’t land a hit on my team,” he said, turning to Zander. “I own a Chimchar, and that thing can only learn Take Down, a move that lowers its own HP.” He walked off in the direction of his camp, Blitzle following closely behind.
Zander simply shook his head at the responses he received, highly disappointed with the people he would be calling his 'comrades'.
"Is that what you think?" He retorted, a laugh escaping as he spoke to the Chimchar trainer.
"You think they'd send less naive trainers to populate a new island, then again, if we all die....its not like there losing much I suppose." He complained internally, looking on at the camp that Chimchar boy approached, a few other trainers visible with him.
"So he's the odd one huh?" Zander concluded, a small frown forming on his face as he looked back over to the boy with the Ekans.
"Whats the point of making enemies? You both cant be so self obsessed with your own path to greatness that youd rather risk dying out here than working together, can you?" He questioned neither of them in particular.
"Is that what you think?" He retorted, a laugh escaping as he spoke to the Chimchar trainer.
"You think they'd send less naive trainers to populate a new island, then again, if we all die....its not like there losing much I suppose." He complained internally, looking on at the camp that Chimchar boy approached, a few other trainers visible with him.
"So he's the odd one huh?" Zander concluded, a small frown forming on his face as he looked back over to the boy with the Ekans.
"Whats the point of making enemies? You both cant be so self obsessed with your own path to greatness that youd rather risk dying out here than working together, can you?" He questioned neither of them in particular.
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"That's exactly why we need to be there for each other, despite our differences," replied Madison, focused and serious. But then she bowed her head, very subtly, and muttered under the shade of her sunhat.
"...Because no one was there for Lisa."
The silence that followed was not oppressively awkward, because the phrase had been uttered so quietly. It wouldn't last, anyway, since there was a lot to respond to. From fond memories to unfulfilled expectations, Madison had listened to every word carefully.
"Well, I would chastise you for slacking, Snorlax," she began cynically, but tapped into the skills she'd used to finesse a Chansey egg and changed her tone. "Putting it nicely, doing poorly in school is just not something that I can relate to. In Hoenn, the Cairns are as renowned as the Winstrates, and I'm heiress to that name. Failure was not an option, so I've always excelled at academics."
Madison sounded like she was constantly touting her accomplishments, so even if she unwittingly proceeded to reveal what she lacked, the girl phrased it in a way that suggested nothing short of success.
"I received further private lessons in battling, because I must become a successful trainer and follow in my mother's footsteps. My extensive studies kept me inside whenever I wanted to play with children my age. But I realize now that I was better than they were and had much more important things to focus on than fraternizing with commoners. My mother was right. How foolish of me to ever entertain the idea."
Perhaps that was why Madison was so condescending. She was raised to be that way. The girl was fully confident and didn't understand this herself yet. But every time she instinctively pushed someone away, part of her begged that person to stay and give her the attention she'd been denied all her life. Madison had asked just that of Collax, but only because Peter had stolen food from her. This was a much deeper sentiment that she didn't know how to express.
"Freedom and not being part of society aren't the same thing. I would know."
It was a passing comment, one that she didn't completely understand. Madison had even zoned out as she'd said it. But the cryptic statement suggested that the girl knew deep down that she'd never been free to do what she wanted, however alone.
"So we have nothing in common, Collax. I don't know how you could neglect your studies, or lie in the mud the way you do," she continued, pursing her lips. "And you don't seem very happy doing it. But if it's any consolation, the fact that Lasryn is not the uninhabited region you thought it was is a good thing. You came here knowing that it was unknown, so when you find out that isn't true, it adds to an even larger unknown. Indeed, I have even more questions now. Why is there a hospital here? Why did the last expedition fail? Who was that man who threatened me with death, and how dare he? And still, the ever-persistent question of what we're both doing here, when one of us grew up in a jungle and the other in a lavish estate."
Her mother had pulled strings to ensure that Madison would catch the exclusive boat ride to Lasryn. Most young trainers started their journeys in settled regions, but after years of rigorous schooling her daughter was surely ready for the next level. Collax came from humbler beginnings, so how had he ended up on the same boat? And why was Madison trying to make him feel better, when Lasryn was as much of a sham to her as it was to him and she didn't believe a word of her own consolation?
"...Because no one was there for Lisa."
The silence that followed was not oppressively awkward, because the phrase had been uttered so quietly. It wouldn't last, anyway, since there was a lot to respond to. From fond memories to unfulfilled expectations, Madison had listened to every word carefully.
"Well, I would chastise you for slacking, Snorlax," she began cynically, but tapped into the skills she'd used to finesse a Chansey egg and changed her tone. "Putting it nicely, doing poorly in school is just not something that I can relate to. In Hoenn, the Cairns are as renowned as the Winstrates, and I'm heiress to that name. Failure was not an option, so I've always excelled at academics."
Madison sounded like she was constantly touting her accomplishments, so even if she unwittingly proceeded to reveal what she lacked, the girl phrased it in a way that suggested nothing short of success.
"I received further private lessons in battling, because I must become a successful trainer and follow in my mother's footsteps. My extensive studies kept me inside whenever I wanted to play with children my age. But I realize now that I was better than they were and had much more important things to focus on than fraternizing with commoners. My mother was right. How foolish of me to ever entertain the idea."
Perhaps that was why Madison was so condescending. She was raised to be that way. The girl was fully confident and didn't understand this herself yet. But every time she instinctively pushed someone away, part of her begged that person to stay and give her the attention she'd been denied all her life. Madison had asked just that of Collax, but only because Peter had stolen food from her. This was a much deeper sentiment that she didn't know how to express.
"Freedom and not being part of society aren't the same thing. I would know."
It was a passing comment, one that she didn't completely understand. Madison had even zoned out as she'd said it. But the cryptic statement suggested that the girl knew deep down that she'd never been free to do what she wanted, however alone.
"So we have nothing in common, Collax. I don't know how you could neglect your studies, or lie in the mud the way you do," she continued, pursing her lips. "And you don't seem very happy doing it. But if it's any consolation, the fact that Lasryn is not the uninhabited region you thought it was is a good thing. You came here knowing that it was unknown, so when you find out that isn't true, it adds to an even larger unknown. Indeed, I have even more questions now. Why is there a hospital here? Why did the last expedition fail? Who was that man who threatened me with death, and how dare he? And still, the ever-persistent question of what we're both doing here, when one of us grew up in a jungle and the other in a lavish estate."
Her mother had pulled strings to ensure that Madison would catch the exclusive boat ride to Lasryn. Most young trainers started their journeys in settled regions, but after years of rigorous schooling her daughter was surely ready for the next level. Collax came from humbler beginnings, so how had he ended up on the same boat? And why was Madison trying to make him feel better, when Lasryn was as much of a sham to her as it was to him and she didn't believe a word of her own consolation?
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"I'd rather die by my own hands those of another trainer, and his Pokemon," he grumbled. He started to walk off into the woods in an attempt to get away from the pointless quarrel. His Ekans tightened around his upper arm. "Ekans, stop it," he ordered. He gave Peter pleading eyes to go back to the other two trainers. "They're not important, boy," he told the snake. His poison Pokemon rattled it's tail in agitation. "Stay in your ball. I need to concentrate," he said angrily. Peter pulled out Ekans' Dusk Ball and returned him. He continued to trudge alone into the wilderness.
"Feel sorry for that Ekans, with a trainer a trainer that irrational its probably scared out of its wits." Zander studied Peter carefully as he walked away, hoping to get some sort of assessment on the situation before turning his attention back to the other trainer and his small settlement, pondering the decision for a moment before heading into the camp shortly after.
"So, did something prior to my arrival spark this rivalry? Or was it just now when he stole the food?" The dark haired trainer questioned, "Not that its really all that important, just would like to know what all the fuss is about. And how are the other trainers? The alive ones that is." He finished, standing only a few feet away from Brandon now.
"So, did something prior to my arrival spark this rivalry? Or was it just now when he stole the food?" The dark haired trainer questioned, "Not that its really all that important, just would like to know what all the fuss is about. And how are the other trainers? The alive ones that is." He finished, standing only a few feet away from Brandon now.
It was reasonably hard for Collax to feel sentiment for Madison as she continued to gloat endlessly about how perfect her life was. Of course, she's just going to be that way whenever she gets the chance, isn't she. And Collax would just have to put up with it. As stupid as it sounded, and as irrational as it may seem, he promised her, gave Madison his word, that he wouldn't leave her on her own. That he'd stay on her side and not push her away in this abandoned region. So he simply lay down and let her talk. Although it didn't seem like it, he was listening to what she said, despite how much he didn't want to hear her belligerence again.
As she explained her life excelling in studies and simply trying to be the best there ever was, Collax noticed something about her. Even as she spoke with pride and arrogance, there was a hint of ignorance about it. As though she didn't exactly mean what she said, either because she didn't understand it, or she did and wanted to deny understanding it. It was hard to notice, but there was something undermining her prideful success story.
It wasn't much a mystery as to why when she talked about her mother being right. Her mother had taught her to be the way she was. Every drop of belligerence came from her childhood and how she was raised. Maybe there was something about her that denied that, refused to accept that this facade wasn't what she was intended to be as a person, but had been snuffed out. The thought lingered for a moment until Madison continued to speak.
Unlike Madison, who was interested with the new unknowns, Collax wanted nothing more than to be free of them. He didn't come here to be part of a murder mystery, nor to be an accomplice in some history-revealing shenanigans that risk life and limb. The only life and limb he wanted to risk was for the sake of exploration and his own, natural discovery, not to be threatened with death and have to hide, survive, and discover the truth of this mysterious region. He felt like he was part of a movie.
"Look, Maddie... I don't want to care about these people with swords or this abandoned hospital. I don't want to be stuck hiding and surviving from the same things that drove me out here to begin with. I just wanted a region, or any place at all, where I wouldn't connect with the world or any of its business. But instead it decided to bring its business to my front fuckin' doorstep in the form of some weird, well-versed trainer with a sword and more than enough capability to use it. In the middle of this accursed region with abandoned hospital, lava tubes, deserts and jungles sitting side by side, and who knows what the fuck else. I didn't want this kind of adventure, Maddie. I wanted one where myself and everyone with me could just... disappear from the world for a while and live on our own, without having a sword pointed down our throats."
It was obvious that he had been fine with the region until the event with the blade-wielding maniac and the discovery of the decrepit medical building. Now, after discovering that his new jungle, his new freedom had been tarnished and invaded, that he had been lied to about what he wanted, he had nothing more to do with it. Until they could get rid of this looming sense of doom because of the "enemy" at hand, Collax couldn't bring himself to see Lasryn as anything more than a lie that he was forced to investigate.
As she explained her life excelling in studies and simply trying to be the best there ever was, Collax noticed something about her. Even as she spoke with pride and arrogance, there was a hint of ignorance about it. As though she didn't exactly mean what she said, either because she didn't understand it, or she did and wanted to deny understanding it. It was hard to notice, but there was something undermining her prideful success story.
It wasn't much a mystery as to why when she talked about her mother being right. Her mother had taught her to be the way she was. Every drop of belligerence came from her childhood and how she was raised. Maybe there was something about her that denied that, refused to accept that this facade wasn't what she was intended to be as a person, but had been snuffed out. The thought lingered for a moment until Madison continued to speak.
Unlike Madison, who was interested with the new unknowns, Collax wanted nothing more than to be free of them. He didn't come here to be part of a murder mystery, nor to be an accomplice in some history-revealing shenanigans that risk life and limb. The only life and limb he wanted to risk was for the sake of exploration and his own, natural discovery, not to be threatened with death and have to hide, survive, and discover the truth of this mysterious region. He felt like he was part of a movie.
"Look, Maddie... I don't want to care about these people with swords or this abandoned hospital. I don't want to be stuck hiding and surviving from the same things that drove me out here to begin with. I just wanted a region, or any place at all, where I wouldn't connect with the world or any of its business. But instead it decided to bring its business to my front fuckin' doorstep in the form of some weird, well-versed trainer with a sword and more than enough capability to use it. In the middle of this accursed region with abandoned hospital, lava tubes, deserts and jungles sitting side by side, and who knows what the fuck else. I didn't want this kind of adventure, Maddie. I wanted one where myself and everyone with me could just... disappear from the world for a while and live on our own, without having a sword pointed down our throats."
It was obvious that he had been fine with the region until the event with the blade-wielding maniac and the discovery of the decrepit medical building. Now, after discovering that his new jungle, his new freedom had been tarnished and invaded, that he had been lied to about what he wanted, he had nothing more to do with it. Until they could get rid of this looming sense of doom because of the "enemy" at hand, Collax couldn't bring himself to see Lasryn as anything more than a lie that he was forced to investigate.
Collax was pissed off, swearing, addressing Madison as if she actually enjoyed having a sword pointed down her throat.
"Whatever," she replied dismissively, turning away from him and shutting up for a moment, allowing the background noises of the waking jungle to dominate. Madison took a deliberate step forward, heavy with contemplation, then pivoted suddenly and faced Collax once more, the bags accentuating the reproach in her eyes.
"But stop whining. You wanted one thing, and you got another. You know more about the wilderness than I do, so you should understand that it's unpredictable. You got way too used to it, learned how to get exactly what you need, but life threw you a curveball, put a desert right next to a jungle, and reminded you that nature ultimately holds the master card out here. Despite your skill. And for the record," Madison paused, relating to Collax through all her tough talk, "I didn't want this either. My first journey was supposed to be in an uninhabited region, a more intense experience for someone of my caliber, but then I find out that it's a sham. What else can I find out here? A football stadium? What else is going to show that I've got nothing to prove here, when someone's already been there and done that? So I've set a goal for myself: that I would become Queen of Lasryn, conquer the region if simply exploring it is pointless. Bring order to this clusterfuck of biomes. I'm doing this for myself and myself only, not my mother, who wants me to become a successful trainer. I have my own goal to work toward, even if it's a joke to you."
At first, Madison had wanted to rule Lasryn to feed her ego, but it became something more. The part of her that desired freedom saw it as an assertion of independence from her family. Collax didn't get it, but he didn't understand anything, really. For all his knowledge of the woods, the boy was extremely naïve. Madison didn't have much room to talk, though.
"We're both naïve, Collax. Because even if Lasryn really were the uninhabited region that it was cracked up to be, it's not just about us and what we want. Even kids who travel settled regions are asked to complete the Pokédex. There's a research purpose to exploring, so if you thought that you could do whatever you wanted without anyone to please back home, you should've known it was a sham when you signed up. I have my own goals and that's fine, but I cannot be ignorant of the special interests that brought me here in the first place."
There was no way an international program decided to burn some money and ship inexperienced kids out here just to please them, unless there was something to gain from it. However thin the string, they were ultimately tied to society, and they had to discover the mystery of Lasryn whether they liked it or not. Map out the region, observe Pokémon behaviors, catch new species that were found nowhere else, and record the history that was unfolding before their eyes. Or else they weren't exploring. They were just fucking around.
"Check the fire to see if the wood is burned enough," Madison muttered. If the fire reflected her temper, then it should have burned the wood to Collax's satisfaction by now. The girl sighed and calmed down, moving onto her Pokédex. The device displayed a rough map of Lasryn, no cities, no routes. She pressed a button, moved a cursor over the area of the abandoned hospital, and marked it electronically.
"Whatever," she replied dismissively, turning away from him and shutting up for a moment, allowing the background noises of the waking jungle to dominate. Madison took a deliberate step forward, heavy with contemplation, then pivoted suddenly and faced Collax once more, the bags accentuating the reproach in her eyes.
"But stop whining. You wanted one thing, and you got another. You know more about the wilderness than I do, so you should understand that it's unpredictable. You got way too used to it, learned how to get exactly what you need, but life threw you a curveball, put a desert right next to a jungle, and reminded you that nature ultimately holds the master card out here. Despite your skill. And for the record," Madison paused, relating to Collax through all her tough talk, "I didn't want this either. My first journey was supposed to be in an uninhabited region, a more intense experience for someone of my caliber, but then I find out that it's a sham. What else can I find out here? A football stadium? What else is going to show that I've got nothing to prove here, when someone's already been there and done that? So I've set a goal for myself: that I would become Queen of Lasryn, conquer the region if simply exploring it is pointless. Bring order to this clusterfuck of biomes. I'm doing this for myself and myself only, not my mother, who wants me to become a successful trainer. I have my own goal to work toward, even if it's a joke to you."
At first, Madison had wanted to rule Lasryn to feed her ego, but it became something more. The part of her that desired freedom saw it as an assertion of independence from her family. Collax didn't get it, but he didn't understand anything, really. For all his knowledge of the woods, the boy was extremely naïve. Madison didn't have much room to talk, though.
"We're both naïve, Collax. Because even if Lasryn really were the uninhabited region that it was cracked up to be, it's not just about us and what we want. Even kids who travel settled regions are asked to complete the Pokédex. There's a research purpose to exploring, so if you thought that you could do whatever you wanted without anyone to please back home, you should've known it was a sham when you signed up. I have my own goals and that's fine, but I cannot be ignorant of the special interests that brought me here in the first place."
There was no way an international program decided to burn some money and ship inexperienced kids out here just to please them, unless there was something to gain from it. However thin the string, they were ultimately tied to society, and they had to discover the mystery of Lasryn whether they liked it or not. Map out the region, observe Pokémon behaviors, catch new species that were found nowhere else, and record the history that was unfolding before their eyes. Or else they weren't exploring. They were just fucking around.
"Check the fire to see if the wood is burned enough," Madison muttered. If the fire reflected her temper, then it should have burned the wood to Collax's satisfaction by now. The girl sighed and calmed down, moving onto her Pokédex. The device displayed a rough map of Lasryn, no cities, no routes. She pressed a button, moved a cursor over the area of the abandoned hospital, and marked it electronically.
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As he plunged further into the brush, he spotted a lake. It's waters were cerulean-blue. Peter gave an audible sigh of relief. "Finally, some water. All for me, too," he gloated to himself. It would have to be filtered and boiled for bacteria, no doubt, but he didn't care. As long as he had water on him, he could survive out here. Nearby, a Dunsparce was drilling out of the ground. Peter filled his canteen and inched closer to it.
It seemed dazed; almost like it was confused or blinded by something. Peter stroked it's tiny wings. They fluttered pitifully. It turned in his direction with begging slits for eyes. It crawled it's way to Peter's leg and nudged it affectionately. For a Pokemon to be showing Peter any sort of affection was new. Other than his Ekans, no other Pokemon seemed to give him a second glance. "Hold on, little guy," he told the land snake Pokemon. He dug through his bag and pulled out a glossy Premier Ball. Dunsparce tapped his tail on the pearly ball and was encapsulated inside of it.
He released Ekans from it's own ball. The snake was still disappointed in it's trainer. "I know we shouldn't have left, but then we wouldn't have found this spring or met this guy," he began as he also released Dunsparce. Ekans quickly lit up. Dunsparce seemed... excited? You could never really tell with them. The small wings on his back fluttered with a bit more energy. "See, I knew you two would hit it off," Peter said... excitedly? Maybe he was part-Dunsparce. Peter wasn't happy too often, so this was a good change for him. Though, he still needed to get out of sight.
"Dunsparce, could you maybe dig us a little shelter in the side of that rock," Peter requested. It nodded in agreement. Peter picked up the small thing and took it to the humongous boulder he was speaking of. Dunsparce positioned himself where his tail would do the most damage. He went to work while Ekans and Peter went to forage for some berries. Ekans found a patch of Sitrus Berries and Peter found a small bush full of Persim, Chesto, and Pecha berries.
With his bag full of fruity goodness, Peter and Ekans went back to Dunsparce to see his progress. The mass of earth had been hollowed and Dunsparce was soundly resting within it's stone walls. Ekans slithered inside waiting for Peter to join the two snake-like Pokemon. He gathered a few branches and leaves to make somewhat of a bed. He also made a little door for the shelter. After some hard work, Peter got some much-needed rest with his two pokemon by his side.
It seemed dazed; almost like it was confused or blinded by something. Peter stroked it's tiny wings. They fluttered pitifully. It turned in his direction with begging slits for eyes. It crawled it's way to Peter's leg and nudged it affectionately. For a Pokemon to be showing Peter any sort of affection was new. Other than his Ekans, no other Pokemon seemed to give him a second glance. "Hold on, little guy," he told the land snake Pokemon. He dug through his bag and pulled out a glossy Premier Ball. Dunsparce tapped his tail on the pearly ball and was encapsulated inside of it.
He released Ekans from it's own ball. The snake was still disappointed in it's trainer. "I know we shouldn't have left, but then we wouldn't have found this spring or met this guy," he began as he also released Dunsparce. Ekans quickly lit up. Dunsparce seemed... excited? You could never really tell with them. The small wings on his back fluttered with a bit more energy. "See, I knew you two would hit it off," Peter said... excitedly? Maybe he was part-Dunsparce. Peter wasn't happy too often, so this was a good change for him. Though, he still needed to get out of sight.
"Dunsparce, could you maybe dig us a little shelter in the side of that rock," Peter requested. It nodded in agreement. Peter picked up the small thing and took it to the humongous boulder he was speaking of. Dunsparce positioned himself where his tail would do the most damage. He went to work while Ekans and Peter went to forage for some berries. Ekans found a patch of Sitrus Berries and Peter found a small bush full of Persim, Chesto, and Pecha berries.
With his bag full of fruity goodness, Peter and Ekans went back to Dunsparce to see his progress. The mass of earth had been hollowed and Dunsparce was soundly resting within it's stone walls. Ekans slithered inside waiting for Peter to join the two snake-like Pokemon. He gathered a few branches and leaves to make somewhat of a bed. He also made a little door for the shelter. After some hard work, Peter got some much-needed rest with his two pokemon by his side.
“I never met that idiot until he decided to steal food from another person here,” Brandon replied. “A hard-working person loses her food because some no-good kid is too lazy to get his own, and instead resorts to stealing it from another person.”
Anthony looked at the two figures coming towards the camp. One was distinguishable.
“Brandon, where have you been?” he asked. “I was getting worried those people came back in the middle of the night.”
Anthony looked at the two figures coming towards the camp. One was distinguishable.
“Brandon, where have you been?” he asked. “I was getting worried those people came back in the middle of the night.”
The shaggy haired boy took in Brandon's words with a cold look of contemplation.
"Cast him out then, aggressive actions arent necessary. People can change on there own terms, for right or for wrong is there decision, but you lashing back with violence may sway that decision in the wrong direction. What im saying is, we're all alone stuck here together, if making enemies isnt necessary, you shouldnt, his actions were wrong, not unforgivable." He retorted, hoping his words would make Brandon contemplate his decisions better in the future.
"And who might you be?" Zander questioned, turning his attention to the unfamiliar figure approaching.
"Cast him out then, aggressive actions arent necessary. People can change on there own terms, for right or for wrong is there decision, but you lashing back with violence may sway that decision in the wrong direction. What im saying is, we're all alone stuck here together, if making enemies isnt necessary, you shouldnt, his actions were wrong, not unforgivable." He retorted, hoping his words would make Brandon contemplate his decisions better in the future.
"And who might you be?" Zander questioned, turning his attention to the unfamiliar figure approaching.
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Collax found it difficult to listen to another long speech by Madison, but payed attention to it nevertheless. And as much a sense he hated to admit it, especially about Madison of all people, she had a point. This was to be expected, and Collax acting as though his experience had been ruined by this was selfish. This wasn't about him, even if he came here expecting it to be. This was about something larger, and it involved everyone, not just himself. He should have expected more than some new jungle to hide away in.
At this realization, Collax began to feel both more confident and much better about the situation. He was marginally surprised that talking to Madison would help bring this realization to him, but it might just work out for the better. Her blunt, say-things-as-they-are attitude just so happened to be exactly what Collax needed. Surprising. That was far from what he expected would lift his spirits. It was strange, feeling better after having been reminded that it wasn't about him. He wasn't sure why, but he embraced it and hopped to his feet to check the fire. As he did, he looked back at Madison with a tweaked grin on his face.
"Y'know what, Maddie? You're right. You're absolutely right. An' I never thought I'd be sayin' that to you, but you really are. I shouldn't have been so selfish. I mean, you ain't really that much better, but I'm feelin' like I finally know what I'm doin' now. Thanks, Maddie. Really."
With that, he checked the fire. The main log had cracked away just enough that he could break it with a stomp if he needed to. He only needed chunks of the log, enough to pile on top of the gravel and sand to make the progressive water filter that always saved his bacon in the Lush Jungle. So, with that, he popped open his canteen, downed some of the remaining fresh water, subsequently passing it to Barkley, Skorupi, and Inkay to do the same, and stepped over to the lake to fill it. He gathered the lakewater and flung it onto the fire to snuff it out, bottlefull by bottlefull, until the fire was entirely gone. After running the back of his hand a centimeter over the top of the log, he determined that it was safe to lift. So he did... and immediately rammed it into his knee, shattering the fully charred material into dozens of about-an-inch-in-diameter chunks.
"Hey, that's one of my better ones, right there. Fresh water comin' soon." He said with another grin, picking up the pieces of charcoal and, one by one, quickly swishing them around in the lake to make the marginally clean. He'd need a lot of water to clean them fully, but the water here would do the job plenty. After washing most of the charcoal from its excessive dust, he dumped them into the bucket, creating a pretty clean layer of the black substance. After rearranging most of them for a bit, he stepped back and looked at the bucket. The filter was basically complete. Now, if they wanted to take the extra step of boiling water, they'd just have to make another fire, which wouldn't be hard, thanks to the surplus of loose bramble, dead leaves, and other material to burn.
"If we set that bucket on top of the pot, hole on the inside, all we gotta do is pour some lakewater into it and it'll progressively filter out basically everything you don't want. If you wanna go and boil it from there, it'll already be in the pot for ya, and we can stick it over another fire to do the job. How's that sound?"
At this realization, Collax began to feel both more confident and much better about the situation. He was marginally surprised that talking to Madison would help bring this realization to him, but it might just work out for the better. Her blunt, say-things-as-they-are attitude just so happened to be exactly what Collax needed. Surprising. That was far from what he expected would lift his spirits. It was strange, feeling better after having been reminded that it wasn't about him. He wasn't sure why, but he embraced it and hopped to his feet to check the fire. As he did, he looked back at Madison with a tweaked grin on his face.
"Y'know what, Maddie? You're right. You're absolutely right. An' I never thought I'd be sayin' that to you, but you really are. I shouldn't have been so selfish. I mean, you ain't really that much better, but I'm feelin' like I finally know what I'm doin' now. Thanks, Maddie. Really."
With that, he checked the fire. The main log had cracked away just enough that he could break it with a stomp if he needed to. He only needed chunks of the log, enough to pile on top of the gravel and sand to make the progressive water filter that always saved his bacon in the Lush Jungle. So, with that, he popped open his canteen, downed some of the remaining fresh water, subsequently passing it to Barkley, Skorupi, and Inkay to do the same, and stepped over to the lake to fill it. He gathered the lakewater and flung it onto the fire to snuff it out, bottlefull by bottlefull, until the fire was entirely gone. After running the back of his hand a centimeter over the top of the log, he determined that it was safe to lift. So he did... and immediately rammed it into his knee, shattering the fully charred material into dozens of about-an-inch-in-diameter chunks.
"Hey, that's one of my better ones, right there. Fresh water comin' soon." He said with another grin, picking up the pieces of charcoal and, one by one, quickly swishing them around in the lake to make the marginally clean. He'd need a lot of water to clean them fully, but the water here would do the job plenty. After washing most of the charcoal from its excessive dust, he dumped them into the bucket, creating a pretty clean layer of the black substance. After rearranging most of them for a bit, he stepped back and looked at the bucket. The filter was basically complete. Now, if they wanted to take the extra step of boiling water, they'd just have to make another fire, which wouldn't be hard, thanks to the surplus of loose bramble, dead leaves, and other material to burn.
"If we set that bucket on top of the pot, hole on the inside, all we gotta do is pour some lakewater into it and it'll progressively filter out basically everything you don't want. If you wanna go and boil it from there, it'll already be in the pot for ya, and we can stick it over another fire to do the job. How's that sound?"