Ask to Join The Dark Tournament

[BurbleBurble]

The ride across the river was a soft and smooth journey, through the crimson waters. June, unlike everyone else, had stood during the travel, her clawed paws finding stability by digging them into the thin crevices made by the shell's scales.

Gerald sat silently next to Cassie, the girls murmurs fading out. Something about it still being there...sometimes he didn't understand her, but that was human nature. People don't always see the same picture. The red haired doctor was asking Cassie if she needed her Sylveon's assistance to heal Cassie's lip. Gerald wasn't an expert on human nature, much less Cassie, but she didn't exactly look in the mood to talk much. Though maybe she'd take the help.

He noted something on Salem though, other than the two Pokeballs, or the vertical scar stripping down the side of his back, or his lack of a shirt. No, it was three thin black ribbons that were tied around his bicep. They were always present for some reason, even when he was wearing his birthday suit...okay, last time he was going bring up naked Salem that day.

Once the turtle ran ashore, Salem jumped off and offered Aidinia a hand down. In a similar manner, Gerald assisted June down, who gave a nod to the Blastoise as a way of thanks, and the man then did the same for Cassie. Who was still lost in thought. Well, he wasn't going to be rude, so he simply waited, hand extended in the air. It took about twenty seconds for her to notice him, and step off the turtle.

Gerald and June now followed their new allies, until they stopped near a unusually quiet woman, off the edge of the small establishment.

"Ah, Miss Megan, I am pleased to see you up and about. These are our new friends. These are Sir Gerald, Miss June, and Cassie."

He noted the calm in Salem's voice, like he was going to startle th-Wait, wait, wait, Sir? No one had ever called Gerald that before. He had been called "Mr. Aster", but this was the first time he had been given a surname. And Miss June? Well...he didn't know how June felt about it. But he assumed she was flattered as well.

"Everyone, this is Miss Megan. She worked the Kanto desk at the reception two days ago, before she got dragged into this ordeal."

Gerald leaned in to shake her hand. "Hi, nice to meet you. You can just call me Gerald, same with my Delphox June." June nodded in agreement, not speaking a word. She wasn't really concerned with Megan, or Salem, or even Gerald right now.

It was Cassie who concerned the fox.

June hadn't known Cassie for too long, but she knew the girl long enough that she had occasional outbursts. Not of anger, but fear, as exemplified by the river. When the wicked emotional lightning struck, she needed a grounding rod, that grounding rod was her Ninetales. But Nine wasn't here.

So who was Cassie going to rely on now? There were still a good six days of terror left. Fire wasn't leaving the earth anytime soon. But eventually Gerald called the Delphox away, and the thoughts of Cassie's stability were held off.

-----

Collecting firewood was a tad more difficult than the previous day. In the jungle, the logs were much more wet and mossy than the ones on the hill. They wouldn't burn well. There were some dry sticks and other such pieces of wood on the outskirts however, and before long had a decent pile of wood in his hands. But he also needed to get something for them all to sit on...which those mossy logs would've worked for. He set down the pile of firewood and went to go recover the trunks he had thrown aside, but it seemed June was one step ahead of him, using a weak Psychic to levitate a couple of logs a few inches off the ground. They followed the fox, bobbing up and down, like a ducklings following their mother. June's creativity never ceased to amaze him.

But she only had three. They were small enough to only sit one, so he'd either have to find two more or one big enough to seat two, and that was only counting people. June would still want a seat, right? Hmm...Might a well get another in that case.

Eventually, Gerald and June were able to accumulate eight seats, the extras were for Lin and Arrow if they showed back up. As they went to ask Salem what else the duo could help with, he was attempting to light a fire with friction. Which was terribly inefficient. June whipped out her wand, and lit the pile of wood into a storm of flames.

"Thanks!" Said Salem, with gratitude showing in his voice and face. June returned his smile with one of her own, and a nod.

Figuring there wasn't much else to do, they went and took a seat on a mossy trunk, soon joined by Salem, who was attempting to crick his neck. Once again Gerald observed the black ribbons tied to his bicep , though he had also observed him inspecting June over the period of the day as well. Like he didn't know what a Delphox was. Well, good a times as any to ask him some questions. And maybe return his wicked looking blade, too.

"Hey, Salem. I've noticed those ribbons on your arms...what are they? A fashion statement or something?"

 

[Astralkitsune]

Megan
​

As soon as Megan had seen Salem and Cassie, she had blushed and hurried back to camp. "Does that man just attract hot tough talented hot girls, or is it just my luck because I like him." Megan had not been the straight A student in high-school, nor the captain of the cheer leading team. She was cute and above average in the looks department so she didn't have much trouble getting a boyfriend but he was never the quarterback or the valedictorian. Looking at Salem and how he acted she realized that she was out of her league. Megan sighed and did her best to tidy up the campsite in preparation for the new arrivals. "I don't even have a pokemon, and I can't fight. They will see me as useless. Maybe if I do enough cleaning and chores they will not kick me out of the group.

When the new combined group made it to camp she had done her best to make the place a little neater. She was introduced to the the new people and she politely greeted them. Her eye did linger on Gerald for a moment. If both girls were after Salem then perhaps.... Megan broke her train of thought and began helping the Dr. cook. "I can't believe she cooks too, and shes good at it. Life just really isn't fair."

 

[Astralkitsune]

Mina
​

Mina followed along behind the trainers as they hiked through the dense jungle. However her body was not used to such rugged travel, as she was a lady of wealth and influence. The girl was doing her best to keep up with the two older trainers but the effort was beginning to show. She started to falter slightly in her steps and Ecarte hovered behind showing concern.

As the two trainers began talking about music, Mina perked up and tried to catch up. She began to talk, but she hadn't caught her breath yet. "Classical musi...c is the..... only.. really true refined... music." She finally caught her breath, "I guess a bug pokemon does make a good guide in a jungle, but does he even know where we are going? For that matter big brother where are we going?" She stopped to trying to let her legs rest.

Ecarte dashed light past the group and in front of BeeDrill and held her arms out to the sides. "Gardeii" She then nodded her head toward Mina trying to get the other trainers to see. "Orion Mina needs a break please stop your trainer now."

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Camp SAM
Date: 2nd Day, early morning
Tagging: Salem, Cassie, Aidinia, Gerald, Megan
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Salem was in the process of stifling a yawn when Gerald asked his question. He blinked for a moment, then looked at the ribbons tied around his left arm.

“Oh these?” he asked pointing at them, then seemed to be considering something. “I suppose that’s what it would look like outside of the archipelago, and truth be told, even on the islands it has become something of a fashion thing.” He gave Gerald a sideways look and cheeky grin before he continued. “You see, where I come from men and women don’t wear a lot of clothing. They’re not really needed for warmth and often just gets in the way during activities, so there is very little for us to be fashionable about. The women have taken to making their ribbons look extra decorative, and I admit that we men like ours to stand out from one another, albeit in a more subtle fashion.”

Salem idly played with his ribbons for a moment, then picked up his story again.

“It is a cultural custom shared by the seven tribes of Regalo Del’Mar,” he said and held up his arm to give Gerald a better look at his ribbons. They were obviously unrefined and made of the simple material their shirts were from, yet even an untrained eye could see there was a pattern of black upon black and a surprising amount of fine detail in the weaving.

“Weaving a set of ribbons is a rite of passage that marks ones entry into adulthood. A set is comprised of four ribbons which the men wear on their left arms, while the women carry theirs on the right. Seeing someone with ribbons indicates to everyone that they are an adult, and that they are still unbonded, or unmarried as your people would likely call it.”

Salem lowered his arm and instead indicated his bare chest. “I feel more naked without ribbons than without a shirt. Whoever those people are that put us in this jungle, they stripped me of much more than just some cloth. So as soon as an excitable Scyther rendered my shirt unwearable,” he nodded at the blade resting besides Gerald, “did I salvaged the remains to make these temporary bands.”

Salem fiddled with one of the ribbons at his wrist. “Would you like one?” he asked Gerald, locking his eyes onto the redhead’s, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Let me tell you the other function these serve.” He pushed the tail end of a ribbon he just loosened into boy’s hands, then looked back over to make sure Aidinia and Megan were focused on the food and out of earshot. Satisfied they would not be able to overhear he leaned in closer to Gerald and whispered conspiratorially, “hold this, and listen closely.”

Salem was openly smiling now at some great joke only he was privy to.

“Where I come from you can tie your ribbon around the bare arm of the person you fancy. It’ll serve as a declaration of love and intent. You tie it around a man’s right arm to signify that you crave his strength and stability, and you tie it around a woman’s left are to indicate you desire her care and support. Of course the recipient gets to decide if he or she wants to keep the ribbon or return it. You can never ask for, or take your own ribbon back once it had been gifted though, it has to be returned voluntarily.”

Salem set back a playfully tugged on the ribbon Gerald held in his hand. “So long as the recipient keeps hold of your ribbon they have a right to your love and devotion. A single person can receive multiple ribbons and all wear them all proudly to show off his or her popularity. It is a sort of status symbol to some, and needless to say, these people rarely sleep on the same cod several nights in a row, if you understand what I’m saying.” Salem’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Before you think my people too liberal, or uncommitted, let me tell you about the bonding,” he said waving away all the playfulness and sounding more serious. “A recipient can decide to keep a ribbon received, and instead gift one of his or her own in return. If this ribbon also gets accepted and kept we know a match has been found and will soon see a bonding ritual held. I imagine it is something like your marriage traditions only instead of exchanging rings, our couples stand next to one another and get their ribbons tied together, symbolically binding them for life. Then they strip off all their other ribbons and return those to their original owners.”

Salem leaned back on his seat and laughed when he saw Gerald’s expression. It was a hearty laugh, not an insulting one. “Not quite what you were expecting, am I right?” he asked in between bouts, then pointed at the end of the ribbon still in Gerald’s hand. “So, what are you going to do with that?”

 

[PentheWonderful]

Like gears,

Spinning in place with the flick of a button. Everyone put to work the moment introductions had been completed. Dolls gliding through their designated paths, their designated purposes. Ever so smoothly coordinated.

Like clockwork,

And she was the one part that didn't fit.

A glimpse of fiery red from the corner of her eyes. Too close, too fast, her feet was shuffling her backwards before it could reach her, that red blaze. A face, it was a person, leaning in too close to her's and Cassie found she was jerking back, squirming away before her bubble's surface was broken and popped. Her hand instinctually grabbed onto her pokeball, silver eyes piercing through whatever may lie before it.

"If you'd like I can have Alex heal that for you, Cassie. It's very nice to meet you by the way." It was just the doctor, Aidinia Moon, speaking sincerely, and no doubt simply wanting to help her. But sometimes, Cassie felt she was simply beyond any medical help.

"... Don't touch me." Was her quick response, sharp and even, as she moved her hand away from Lady's pokeball. Doctor or not, nobody came into her space so suddenly, and especially not without her permission. That bubble, that hemisphere of space, was the only thing she had that she could call her own.

But then again, she always had a knack for losing things that were her own.

And just like that, the clockwork continued. She was once again expelled from its cycle, forgotten so easily by it's carefully coordinated movements. The last thing she remembered was June's eyes on her, watching her with a concern that could only be rivaled by Nine's own gaze. And she had returned the gaze and unintentionally communicated just how frightened she was.

However, in the next moment, the Delphox had simply left. Following Gerald into the outskirts, and she remembered June wasn't Nine. Only Nine would care about how frightened or frail she felt.

And she was quite ashamed to admit that perhaps she had chosen the wrong Pokemon to bring to the tournament.

'No.' She heard herself say. But it wasn't quite herself. It was part of her, yet not quite who she was. Of course, any normal person would be unnerved by hearing voices in their head, but, she wasn't a normal person was she? No, the absence of voices in her head was what unnerved her. She had gotten too used to Nine and Ryu communicating to her through their respective telepathy. In their absence, there was the void. And so to keep it at bay, she created her own voices.

'You came here to be strong on your own, didn't you?'

'Even though you knew.' It was a different voice joining the conversation now, and her feet were beginning to move on their own will once again, taking her through the camp. 'But you pretended you didn't. Now you're going to die proving a point.'

She glimpsed Aidinia and Megan, already settling in to prepare ingredients for a feast. Cutting, peeling, carefully washing. Where had they found the time to acquire all those edible goods? How would she cook them? Serve them? Well, apparently they already had meat and salad prepared for breakfast. Gator soup was for lunch.

Soup...

How would one make soup without a pot to hold the wet ingredients in while it cooked?

'Don't ignore me.' Yet she continued walking and continued thinking.

Even Gerald had settled into this clockwork pattern, she noticed. The man who was so awkward and confused but several minutes ago, now working to find wood for fire and seats. It was June who was helping this time. She supposed she admired that about him. How quickly he was able to roll with the punches and adapt. She remembered that clearly in the ruin, where he had to take care of not only himself, but also Curt, a good friend who was extremely high on morphine at the time. She could only imagine the horror of that management issue. It was a skill she'd once possessed and lost. And she found she envied him as well.

Drifting through, she somehow manages to catch sight of the white haired man yet again. At his lady's beck and call, providing for her every need. She watched him carry a large stone slab with Ajax's help, and place it down near the cliffside before digging a second fire pit below it in order to build a kitchen for Aidinia, and Cassie found answers for herself on who built the shelters for the camp. Impressed at how adept he was, how nimbly he worked, how hard and swiftly he worked, she was drawn, yet again to his hands, how well he put them to use, followed by his arms, biceps and triceps straining with each effort put in the job.

And the ribbons ever clinging to his left arm. What were their stories? She just never seemed to be able to find answers for herself anymore unless they were presented to her. All she really knew was that Salem was going to be a key in their survival, just like the lovely doctor was, and she would have to be blind not to see that and decide not to stick around.

And yet, she found she was staying for reasons beyond that. Because he intrigued her much more than just that. In a way that she knew he had a story hidden behind those green eyes, and it was accessible if she simply asked. But no words could ever leave her. Why did she want to know? They were simply out of place.

Because what of herself? Where did she fit in with the perfect efficiency of the group?

She didn't.

Cassie was a dancer who was out of step. That one instrument that wasn't quite on tempo. The one blossom that just wouldn't bloom, despite the others having ripened to fruits already. She was out of place, standing in the corner of the camp. Having no purpose or directive as everything was already being done. And she was simply out of order. Out of time.

She soon found her legs were aching from just standing and doing nothing, and realized she had been standing still for a while now. Her lip ached from her finger's constant probing of it, but why? What had stopped her? 'Just look.' A third voice told her, and her eyes refocused to find Salem's, staring back at her in return. His gaze seemed far away, and yet focused at the same time. There was a familiar look in his eyes, a glint she felt she should be accustomed to. But recent events had left her memory so tattered, she couldn't begin to recall.

He waved at her, and she waved back.

And that was the end of that.

Cassie attempted to slip her hand into her pocket, and while in doing so, brushed against the smooth surface of Maverik's rib. She'd forgotten it was there. Well, might as well do something with that.

Finding a nice shaded spot beneath a palm tree, Cassie went to work refining the rib's shape with a stone, chipping away the bone to create a finer point on its tip and shaping an edge trailing several inches down, but also being careful enough as to not crack it or snap it in two. And then, she wrapped vines around its thicker end where the bone had snapped for a better grip.

Although, a fang from the Feraligatr carcass would really come in handy as well, now that she thought about it. But then, she'd already put in her effort trying to refine the rib. She yearned desperately to sigh and dwell on the energy wasted, but that would be counterproductive. 'This rib can still be of use.' She cheered herself up. Indeed, it was not going to be a very good weapon, or be as effective at cutting as a Feraligatr fang would, but it was just the right shape for a climbing tool, or perhaps even a boomerang-like projectile.

'Boomerang, huh...?' Already, she was beginning to stand in order to test it, but instead found herself distracted by a conversation Salem and Gerald were having.

"Hey, Salem. I've noticed those ribbons on your arms...what are they? A fashion statement or something?" Cassie heard Gerald ask, and she slid back down. 'The ribbons...' She thought. Once again, fate had to rub it in her face how she needed answers to be spoon fed to her, but she would take what she could get. Thus, in order to still appear occupied, Cassie proceeded to collect more vines and hanging roots to braid into rope. They'd come in extremely handy later as well.

“Oh these? I suppose that’s what it would look like outside of the archipelago, and truth be told, even on the islands it has become something of a fashion thing.” The archipelago... Regalo Del'mar, was it? He rambled on about it being used as a type of fashion statement there, but she felt that wasn't quite the true explanation yet, and thus, focused herself on braiding the vines and roots in the meanwhile. “It is a cultural custom shared by the seven tribes of Regalo Del’Mar, weaving a set of ribbons is a rite of passage that marks ones entry into adulthood. A set is comprised of four ribbons which the men wear on their left arms, while the women carry theirs on the right. Seeing someone with ribbons indicates to everyone that they are an adult, and that they are still unbonded, or unmarried as your people would likely call it.”

'Huh... It's a custom. No wonder he kept it on him in the river.' Her eyes were glued to the braiding of the rope, but her ears were peeled. She could tell from the tone of his voice that the story wasn't quite over yet.

“I feel more naked without ribbons than without a shirt. Whoever those people are that put us in this jungle, they stripped me of much more than just some cloth. So as soon as an excitable Scyther rendered my shirt unwearable, did I salvaged the remains to make these temporary bands.” 'So that's where he got them.' She concluded, but then her eyes traveled to the sleek black gloves on her hands. If Gerald found Salem's ribbons strange, then what did they make of her gloves? They were actual accessories that could not be made anywhere but a tailor's shop.

A mocking taunt from Team Rocket and yet, she wore them gladly. She wore them and she liked how they looked even though she knew she should've hated them and stomped them into the ground the moment she found them. And though they were inside out, she could still feel the red R against her skin. Itching, burning into it.

Yet, she needed them. Emotionally, physically, mentally, figuratively, and literally. Gloves were a part of her. But then, so were fedoras, and she'd survived without one so far. Barely. Sort of.

"Battle me in a pokemon fight Darlin. I'll use just one pokemon against yours and I'll even limit myself to four moves. You win, I tell you what I know. I win, you join Team Rocket and then I will tell you what I know." She remembered Mathew saying. And the memory echoed, repeating itself over and over in her head.

What did he know?

The world simply faded away, and Cassie couldn't hear any more of the conversation she had been unceremoniously eavesdropping in. The void, it was coming to get her, and so her hand quickly snatched the length of rope she had braided, which was about a good fifteen feet, looped it and tied it frantically to her belt, before then grabbing Maverik's rib and taking off.

If she had been unnoticeable before, everyone would surely notice her now.

'I'm working. I'm working, don't you see?' She told the void, the ever searching darkness. 'I'm going to test the rib boomerang and get a fang from the Feraligatr.' Her legs took her out of the camp, back down to the river. She focused on nothing but her feet, the winding path below. Her eyes felt heavy, oh so heavy, and the world was slowly disappearing around her. It was like trying to stay asleep inside a dream but finding your eyes wanting to open, and send you back into reality. You try to fight it, but it's simply beyond your control.

And by the time she looked up, she could see nothing but black.

"No!" She screamed, and her body mirrored with a quiet mumble. In her mind, she searched frantically, left and right, for that light to guide her out of the darkness and in reality, her body mimicked in a much, much slower and confused manner. As if she'd simply forgotten what she'd set out to do.

Cassie ran and ran, but there was no way to go. The body walked forward, and turned, along with her mind's abrupt change of direction, outside of the path to a thick tree secluded by the underbush. Within the void, Cassie found herself looking to her hands to catch sight of the black fabric of the gloves consuming her arms, wrapping its oil like tentacles around her and she stopped, and yanked, and pulled them apart, with little success. She crouched onto the ground, stomping on them as hard as she could while desperately pulling her hands from the glove's clutches beneath her feet. They only continued to grow and overtake her, and her body sat against the tree in defeat. Her head hung forward, with one hand clasping the rim of the glove on the other firmly. But they could not move it.

Her silver eyes were open, if only slightly, yet once again, they were far away.

 

[Chrocey]

“That’d be awesome! I haven’t heard that band before, but if they rock, then I’m in!” Delilah exclaimed in response to Damian’s offer of backstage passes. Beedrill on the other hand was thankful that there were others in their group who liked more mellow music. Classical being his favorite, as it was what Delilah’s parents had raised him on.

When Ecarte stood in front of the group, Delilah jumped a little bit. Startled by the bold demand that they stop walking. She and Beedrill came to a complete halt before turning their attention towards the back of the group at the exhausted Mina. It took a moment for her to register, but she nodded her head in understanding. “Oh...sorry about that, Mina. I think our heads were in the clouds. We didn’t notice you were getting so tired.” The bee trainer smiled sincerely, “we can take a break for now. When we get going again, I wouldn’t mind giving you a piggy-back ride so you don’t have to walk as much.”

Looking at Beedrill, she suggested, “hey, Beedrill, can look arou-”

Before Delilah could finish her sentence, Beedrill began hovering away. She watched as he flew passed the trees and stopped at a bush that was only a short distance from where they were standing. At face value, it was dotted with light-green berries. Upon closer inspection, the berries appeared to be Aspear berries, which were known for their hard skin and juicy, sour insides. Additionally, it was said that these berries would be able to defrost a pokemon that consumes it; the likelihood of them needing that in a humid forest was little to none.

“Whoa! I used to find those berries on Route One-Twenty!” Delilah couldn’t believe her luck. It was times like these that she was even more grateful to have Beedrill around. “Good job on finding us some Aspear berries!”

Beedrill carved an ‘X’ into the tree that the bush was next to with one of his drills, then returned to his trainer. There was a reluctance about his stature as he pointed Delilah towards the bush. He could only hope that she wouldn’t look too hard for the berries.

Delilah rubbed her hands together and licked her lips in an exaggerated expression of her hunger. “I’ll go grab everything, you guys wait here and take a break. I’ll be back in two wags of a Psyduck’s tail!”

Without waiting for a response, Delilah jogged over to the bush and started to pick out the ripest berries she could find. The excited girl flipped the bottom of her black shirt upward to act as a basket for carrying as many as she could back to her group. In doing so, she revealed her midsection, and the dark bruises she was sporting from her encounter with the Pinsir.

After gathering the ones that were obvious, she peared behind the bush in search for more.

“Delilah! Please! Delilah!”

Delilah heard the shrieking voice of her brother from her nightmare. She recoiled in shock, falling onto her backside while dropping the berries that were being held in her shirt. They tumbled to the ground in a scattered mess. As helpless as she felt.

Another victim. Of all places, another trainer simply had to die behind the bushes they’d been so fortunate to find.

Even after closing her eyes, she could still see the image of the trainer. His corpse burned and unrecognizable. A fire pokemon must’ve gotten him.

Delilah felt nauseous. Her head was spinning as flashing images of her nightmare played like a silent horror film inside her mind. Soon, the silence dissipated when the sound of the beeping smoke detector filled her eardrums until she was deafened. In an instant she was rendered invalid. A phone left off its receiver, unable to accept any communication from the outside world.

A cool feeling washed over her as a refreshing icy breeze caressed any part of her body that was exposed. Icy was a relative term in this instance, as it made Delilah realize just how hot her skin had become. Regardless, her mind managed to use that wind to sail back to the land of sanity. The illusion that she called her ‘safe zone’.

When she stood back up she found that she was sweating beneath the clothes that Team Rocket had put on her. Time had escaped from her clutches, and she wondered how long she’d been down. After her brain took a moment to calculate the time-frame of what just happened, she estimated two or three minutes. Though not long, to someone experiencing panic, seconds turned into hours.

Delilah quickly gathered the berries that she’d dropped and placed them back in her improvised shirt-basket, then carried them back to Damian and Mina. Taking a deep breath, she put on a big smile.

“Lost my footing there for a second. Don’t worry though! I actually think berries taste a little bit better with some dirt on them. Gives them a bit more of a natural flavor.” With a confident chuckle she said, “man...these things are sounding better and better as we speak!”

She grabbed one of the sour fruits that were inside her shirt, peeled the skin off with her nails, and flicked it into her mouth. Afterwards, she handed three to Damian, three to Mina, then kept the last two for herself.

Desperate to change the subject, Delilah pointed the direction that they’d been walking initially. “Once we’re done resting we should definitely keep moving this direction. If I remember correctly, this should take us right to where Alex fell. We should be there at the very latest by lunch time.” The bee trainer consumed another one of her berries. “We’ll need to pick up more food along the way, though. I definitely don’t think we’re gonna get full off of three Aspear berries.”

 

[Mega Gallade X]

Damian halted with the group as Ecarte stopped them, events seemingly taking place at a speed faster than he could acknowledge as he was momentarily zoned out.

As Delilah ran over to the bush to gather the berries Damian watched her for a moment, as she pulled up her shirt to hold the fruit her turned away toward Mina. He was aware she was just making the carrying easier, however he didn't want Delilah to look back over and assume he'd been gawking at her.

"I guess a bug pokemon does make a good guide in a jungle, but does he even know where we are going? For that matter big brother where are we going?" Mina said, resting.

"Well, I'm not sure entirely, I think we're going to look for the trainer that was shot out of the sky earlier, I'd assumed he wouldn't be able to survive a fall from that height on his own, but Delilah seems positive he's okay." Damian said, glancing back over toward Delilah who was now on the ground. He was about to make his way over to see what had happened but she was already collecting herself and coming back toward the group.

“Lost my footing there for a second. Don’t worry though! I actually think berries taste a little bit better with some dirt on them. Gives them a bit more of a natural flavor.” With a confident chuckle she said, “man...these things are sounding better and better as we speak!”

As she spoke her voice seemed to have faltered for a moment, then she was back to her perky self. Damian dismissed the thought and decided he might ask about it later, if there was ever a good time.

Delilah handed the berries out to everyone, Damian accepted his and placed them into his pocket, the three spherical shapes fit uncomfortably but he decided that was better than holding them in his hands.

“Once we’re done resting we should definitely keep moving this direction. If I remember correctly, this should take us right to where Alex fell. We should be there at the very latest by lunch time.” The bee trainer consumed another one of her berries. “We’ll need to pick up more food along the way, though. I definitely don’t think we’re gonna get full off of three Aspear berries.”

As the rest of them ate their berries Damian crossed his arms and began leaning against the nearest tree, thinking to himself. Aside from their pokemon, who admittedly would be formidable, the trainers themselves were nearly defenseless. He began looking toward the ground, eyeing stray sticks, none of which seemed sturdy enough to hit something and stay in one piece.

A few minutes had gone by as they sat in silence, it was mildly awkward, however Damian had only noticed the silence because it was present. This further hinted something was troubling Delilah, in the short time he'd known her she'd been quite... talkative.

Mina seemed to had gotten herself together and was ready to move, but he didn't want to assume, so he looked to Orion, gave a slight nod, and then back to the ground.

Orion watched Damian and nodded back, jumping up onto the tree his friend was leaning against. Landing on thicker branches he sat, scanning the immediate area. He was sure that if a threat was coming toward them, Beedrill or Ecarte would be able to tip the group off to its presence, however it didn't hurt to have triple security.

"So, after we find your friend, did you have a plan to get off of the island?" Damian asked abruptly, looking up from the ground toward Delilah. "I had originally thought to make our way back to the resort, and see if we can communicate with anyone, but if you have something better?..." Damian continued leaving the conversation in a state of suspension.

 

[BurbleBurble]

Gerald was a tad surprised when Salem offered him one of intricately woven ribbons, and was about to hand it back, as he didn't need it, and it obviously ment a lot to the islander. However, Salem had more to say.

"Where I come from you can tie your ribbon around the bare arm of the person you fancy. It’ll serve as a declaration of love and intent. You tie it around a man’s right arm to signify that you crave his strength and stability, and you tie it around a woman’s left are to indicate you desire her care and support. Of course the recipient gets to decide if he or she wants to keep the ribbon or return it. You can never ask for, or take your own ribbon back once it had been gifted though, it has to be returned voluntarily."

Gerald's face began to redden. June's more neutral face started to twist into a smirk. And Salem had more to say.

"So long as the recipient keeps hold of your ribbon they have a right to your love and devotion. A single person can receive multiple ribbons and all wear them all proudly to show off his or her popularity. It is a sort of status symbol to some, and needless to say, these people rarely sleep on the same cod several nights in a row, if you understand what I’m saying."

Gerald's face got even more flustered. A soft chuckle came from the back of June's throat. Was she being a tad mean to Gerald? Yes. Was it funny? Yes. But her chuckle faded as Salem went into more specific details about the ribbons.

"Before you think my people too liberal, or uncommitted, let me tell you about the bonding, A recipient can decide to keep a ribbon received, and instead gift one of his or her own in return. If this ribbon also gets accepted and kept we know a match has been found and will soon see a bonding ritual held. I imagine it is something like your marriage traditions only instead of exchanging rings, our couples stand next to one another and get their ribbons tied together, symbolically binding them for life. Then they strip off all their other ribbons and return those to their original owners."

It stunned the redhead for a moment, as if he were simultaneously being embarrassed as all get out, while having his dreams come to fruition. Basically a perfect and worst situation all at once. Salem let out a laugh, who was soon joined by June's cackles as well. Occasionally the islander would stop to breath, which gave him time to ask the young man a question.

"Not quite what you were expecting, am I right? So, what are you going to do with that?"

"...Oh. Uh, there's, uh..." He didn't even know what to say! It...was a joke, right? Otherwise he wouldn't be laughing...Yeah, it was probably just poking fun at him. They barely even knew each other.

"Uh, as much as I'd love to have it, you can keep it, save it for someone a little more...worthwhile, that's the word." He stated this with a nervous smile, the red face he had matching the shade of his hair. His eyes met the ground, lacking dignity, as he released the ribbon. As Salem's and June's laughs died out, a more natural color returned to his face.

"Um, on another note, have you seen Cassie? Haven't seen her since we've arrived..."

 

[SUPERRNOVAA]

The Seviper approaching Swift snapped it's attention to Lily as she delivered a blow to it's mate, leaving it unconscious. It a fit of rage and anger, the Seviper lunged towards Lily. It stood inches away from her face however, Dynami slammed his palms on to the tail of the beast before throwing it up, and crushing it mid-air. 'Savage...' Floyd thought as the blood of the now-dead Pokemon shot out of its mouth and nose, raining down on Lily and himself. Both Seviper laid next to each other, one unconscious and the other slaughtered.

Surprisingly enough, tears ran down Lily's face and onto the dirt beneath her. She was muttering only barely audible words to her Pokemon. Was she seriously crying over something like this?
A large, furry hand rested on her shoulder, Dynami didn't exactly look happy either. Swift nudged Floyd in his leg in order to get his attention. Floyd looked down at his companion and shrugged, he didn't really know why they were crying. This is a survival situation, not some place of mourning. After wiping the tears off of her face and shaking her head, Lily spoke in a soft voice.

"Are you two ok?"

Floyd's mind was not fixated on her words, rather, the extremely large cut in her leg trailing blood down her thigh.
'Ice It Swift.' For some reason he thought instead of spoke. Swift traced the wound with a gentle beam of ice, before it finally froze over. The order had reached the Starmie somehow. Oblivious to the fact he just gave an command with his mind, Floyd looked up at Lily and into her two odd eyes.

"A-Are you okay?" Floyd unknowingly repeated the same question she posed.

 

[Astralkitsune]

Mina
​

Mina sniffed the berry that was handed to her and poked it. "These are used to break the frozen status, are we really supposed to eat them?" She cocked her head and then took a bite, her face scrunching up slightly. "Kind of bitter, but not to bad I guess." Juice dribbled down her chin and onto her shirt. Ecarte grabbed a nearby leaf and dabbed the girls chin, "gardeii." Mina giggled and smiled, "thanks Ecarte."

She looked toward Delilah, "The trainer that fell when this began, that was Alex Weston. He is a known bird trainer and he... was rather skilled." She turned to look toward Damien, "there is absolutely no way that he survived a fall from that height and he was injured when he fell." She looked back toward Delilah, "that nice lady is chasing a dream and we know something about chasing dreams. Isn't that right tedd...." She turned to the side and sighed, as she realized that her bear was not with her.

Then she turned back toward Damien, "big brother are we going to make it off this island?" She shook her head, "I don't want to wind up like Alex Weston or my pare....." Then she stopped, as if she had said to much. She rapidly changed the subject.

"Hey big brother, did you ask Orion if he got any stronger after training with Ecarte?" She smiled and giggled, "I will bet that he did, Ecarte is really strong, and she is older than me." She looked toward Ecarte and her tone got somber for a moment, "she is all that I have left from mommy now and I don't know what I would do with out her." Ecarte blinked and looked down for a moment wiping a hand in front of her face, as if wiping a tear. Then she looked back up and smiled before moving over to hug Mina, "Gardii."

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Camp SAM
Date: 2nd Day, early morning
Tagging: Salem, Gerald, June, Cassie
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Uh, as much as I'd love to have it, you can keep it, save it for someone a little more...worthwhile, that's the word," the red haired boy muttered and Salem’s laughter became an amused smile instead. He hadn’t quite expected so sincere a response from the other man, perhaps the joke was on him.

Seeing Gerald in a different light now, he let his eyes roam over the young man’s features. ‘Timid,’ he thought, ‘but not bad looking. Probably not very experienced, if his flushed state is anything to go by.’

Salem decided that, had their situation been less dire someone like Gerald could have been a lot of fun to fool around with. Pleasure isn’t something exclusively derived from the opposite sex, back on the islands there certainly weren’t any social qualms about having fun with whomever so long as things were consensual, but there was hardly ever any same gender bonding. After all, there were no children to be had from such relationships and in the end the desire for a family usually won out over mere carnal delights.

Salem was very much into women, this much he knew about himself. He would never end up tying himself to another man, but having said that, a man could sometimes understand what you needed better than a woman ever could.

He took the tail end of his ribbon back from Gerald and secured it around his arm again.

He had misjudged the situation and may have offended the man, so he offered a sincere look and a gentle smile for comfort.

“I apologize Sir Gerald,” he said. “I had intended a mere joke at the expense of your apparent innocence, but I see now that I may have acted in bad taste. I hope you won’t take offence.”

He then quickly took his que from the redhead and switched to the alternative topic brought up.

He had noticed Cassie passing by, near the outskirts of the campsite while he had been talking to Gerald. She had been carrying a decent amount of vines and had moved with a purpose. He wondered what she could be up to, and quickly found thoughts of his prank flee from his mind.

“I think I saw her head off in that direction,” he said, standing up and pointing towards the riverside. “Allow me to check up on her, the food will be ready soon, I am sure.” He then looked at June and seemed to be considering something for a moment.

“Excuse me, Lady June?” he began. “Seeing as you are undoubtedly better equipped for it than the rest of us, may I request you extricate the pottery from the fire over at the cliff? I believe it is time to let the clay cool and find out if we can use it to make soup with, later. He gave the attractive fox Pokemon an appreciative smile before turning to Gerald.

“Please look after the women for a moment, I won’t be long.” And with that he grabbed the Scyther blade and started on the path down towards the river, following after Cassie.
-

‘Where could she have gone?’ Salem thought to himself as he followed the river upstream and passed in front of the rock formation connected to their camp’s cliff side. ‘Surely she hadn’t gone across.’

He looked to the opposite shore and the current running between them. ‘Not very likely. She must be further on ahead behind the tree line then.’

Salem continued in that direction a little ways further and passed by the outermost trees. To his surprise he found a small, gentle looking clearing covered in soft grass. The light was a very subdued green here with the sun’s rays being filtered by the foliage overhead and the odd beam making it through, adding a sort of magical effect to the area.

There, in the middle of the clearing, propped up against a thick tree trunk, sat Cassie.

She looked so small and sheltered from where he stood, almost as if the tree was trying to hold her close.

Salem took a few steps closer, ready to appease any scornful looks she might throw his way for disturbing her peace, but she made no move to indicate that she was aware of his approach.

‘Odd,’ he thought, ‘she is usually so perceptive.’

He stepped closer to her and crouched a little to get a better look at her face, because her head was slumped forward slightly. Her eyes were half open.

One of those errant sunbeams shone directly in her face and reflected off her bright, silver eyes.

Never before had he had such a good look at them, and he felt a strange sensation in his chest. It was as if his heart constricted and squeezed a cold fire through his veins that set is nerves tingling. It was a strange sensation, but not at all unpleasant.

Her eyes glimmered in the light and seemed to almost be alive and liquid around the edges, but they were unfocussed and cold looking nearing the center. It was as if there was no one home. Cassie wasn’t there, not dead, just… out.

Salem pondered this for a moment. What was he supposed to do now? Jostle her out of it? Call her name? Simply leave? None of these seemed viable options, and he felt himself especially disagreeing with the last one, to his surprise.

‘I don’t want to leave,’ he realized with a jolt, as he looked down at the catatonic girl. ‘Or more specifically, I don’t want to leave her.’

Cassie looked at once the perfect picture of tranquility and unrest. The dense jungle was blocking most of the sound of the river, so that all they could hear was a feint rumbling and a gentle rustling of leaves. There was no breeze getting through so not even a single hair on her head moved, yet she looked weary, tattered, and at the same time alluringly beautiful.

Salem knelt a bit closer and held the back of his hand in front of her face. He could feel her breath on his skin, and this close he could smell her as well.

‘Like rain,’ he found himself thinking. ‘She smells like a rich meadow after a spring rain.’ He felt his eyes lose focus as his mind drifted to faraway places for a brief moment, then he pulled himself back to his senses and shook his head.

She still appeared blissfully ignorant of his presence, and he noted that this filled him with a strange sort of comfort.

Salem looked at the black fedora he held in his hands. He had grabbed it on impulse when he left camp to look for her.

“You can keep the fedora,” he remembered her telling him, but it had not sounded very convincing to him. More like she as accepting it as a sacrifice than her willing him to have it.

‘It’s too small for me anyway,’ he thought, and gently placed it on her head so that the ray of light was no longer directly hitting her eyes.

He leaned back and just looked at her. Not lustfully, not mischievous, not even playfully. He just looked.

“You have been haunting my thoughts on and off, for a while now,” he softly told her unresponsive form. “I thought that if I met you again it would all become clear to me, but the mystery has only grown.”

He started fumbling with the ribbon he’d teased Gerald with just moments before, while he continued; “One thing is for certain, dear Cassie. You intrigue me like no other has before.”

He noticed that she was holding onto one arm with her other hand, leaving it reaching a little further than the other. She had clearly been pulling at her gloves and as a result her bare wrist was exposed. Salem noted the scarred flesh of her arms once more. It occurred to him that he should find this unattractive, if not down right ugly, but he was surprised to find that he did not. In fact, it only added to her allure, made her seem more real, more... he didn't know what exactly, but it was something. There was so much he did not know about this mysterious girl with her captivating silver eyes.

Carefully he wound his ribbon around her wrist and secured the edges properly, then he bend over and brushed a feather light kiss on it. Leaning back he looked her in the eyes again.

“I do not fully understand why I am doing this,” he confessed, “however I do know that it feels right to me on some level, so I am willing to see where this will lead.”

There was still no response from her, and he sighed.

The temperatures were rising along with the sun, and here in this secluded little grove, it felt incredibly soothing.
-

Salem found himself at peace. His body was relaxing, and his muscles were slowly losing some of the tension they had built up that morning. Fatigue was taking hold of his consciousness. Between the heavy physical exertion lately, the lack of sleep, and the constant alertness to danger he was utterly exhausted. The gentle lull of the grove and his comfortable pillow were certainly not helping him stay awake.

Salem was laying, stretched out, on the soft green grass, his head resting comfortably in Cassie’s lap. He had not been able to leave her there by herself, and at the same time he had started feeling the effects of their circumstances. So Salem ended up doing what Salem does best in these kind of situations. He relented to his desires and gave in to his urges.

For a while he had managed to fight off the drowsiness, so that he could peer up into Cassie’s eyes, now shaded by her fedora, for any signs of life returning. He hadn’t lasted very long however, and was soon slipping away on tender clouds. A serene smile on his face.

 

[Chrocey]

"So, after we find your friend, did you have a plan to get off of the island? I had originally thought to make our way back to the resort, and see if we can communicate with anyone, but if you have something better?..."

“The resort sounds like a good idea,” Delilah said, touching her hand to her chin and looking up in a moment of thought, “but then again that could be Team Rocket’s base of operations for all we know.” She punched her fist into her palm, “in which case, we’d want to get there as fast as possible and take them out!”

Beedrill nudged her softly, as he already predicted she would begin daydreaming of how flawless she would be when attacking them.

“Uh...right, anyway. As for a plan to leave this island…” Delilah drew in a breath before releasing it slowly. “...I hadn’t really planned on leaving. Like I said, I just formulate ideas the moment they are needed. All I really have on my to-do list is to find my friends. After that, we all decide on what to do next.”

"The trainer that fell when this began, that was Alex Weston. He is a known bird trainer and he... was rather skilled.”

‘But not as skilled as me,’ Delilah thought to herself with a toothy grin. ‘...and his name is Alex Winston, not Alex Weston...wasn’t it?’

“There is absolutely no way that he survived a fall from that height and he was injured when he fell. That nice lady is chasing a dream and we know something about chasing dreams. Isn't that right tedd..."

Those words hit Delilah like a ton of bricks. She gulped, making it look like what Mina said was literally a large pill she had to swallow. This little girl, how could she speak in such a way? How could she possibly have known? Perhaps this tournament had taken its toll on the child’s belief.

Ultimately, the bee trainer chalked Mina’s statements up to foolish child logic. ‘A pot calling the kettle black’ echoed a small voice in the back of her mind. The voice quickly fell to silence, and was promptly ignored.

Looking at Damian, Delilah rolled her eyes and smiled as if she’d had to bear through what Mina was saying. “What’ve you been telling her? The girl seems kinda doubtful for her age, don’t you think?”

 

[Mega Gallade X]

Then she turned back toward Damien, "big brother are we going to make it off this island?" She shook her head, "I don't want to wind up like Alex Weston or my pare....." Then she stopped, as if she had said to much. She rapidly changed the subject.

"Of course, I'll do everything I can to get you off safely." Damian said with a smile as he patted her head. 'Even if that means I don't make it along the way.' he thought to himself.

"Hey big brother, did you ask Orion if he got any stronger after training with Ecarte?" She smiled and giggled, "I will bet that he did, Ecarte is really strong, and she is older than me." Mina said, she seemed cheerful, referring to her pokemon as a type of maternal figure.

"Whaddya say, Orion? You feeling stronger?" Damian called up toward his Lucario, tapping on the tree.

Orion looked down, however he didn't answer.

“The resort sounds like a good idea,” Delilah said, touching her hand to her chin and looking up in a moment of thought, “but then again that could be Team Rocket’s base of operations for all we know.” She punched her fist into her palm, “in which case, we’d want to get there as fast as possible and take them out!” The girl had seemed to contemplate this for a few minutes.

Damian dismissed an all out assault, they probably wouldn't be ready for an organised attack on the place if that were true. Their supplies were somewhat nonexistent. Suddenly the man was brought up again, Alex.

Damian stood awkwardly as Mina discussed the passing of the bird trainer as if it were a casual conversation one would have over brunch.

Looking at Damian, Delilah rolled her eyes and smiled as if she’d had to bear through what Mina was saying. “What’ve you been telling her? The girl seems kinda doubtful for her age, don’t you think?”

Damian could tell Delilah seemed a little upset about the topic, but she also appeared to deny the possibility of Alex being dead. "Well, Mina's young but she is also pretty smart. And i've been meaning to bring this up at some point but... are you sure this guy is okay? He fell pretty far and his Pidgeot... definitely didn't catch him." he said looking at the ground for a moment. His pauses seemed like icy cliffhangers. Eye contact during serious situations was something he didn't excel at, it felt real when he looked someone in the eyes and discussed something important. Things like death, those were where he couldn't. However this time, he tried. Looking up into her green eyes, he could already tell this were a conversation he shouldn't have pressed further. "What if we're chasing a lost cause? Don't get me wrong. Mina and I will keep with you and find out for sure what happened to him, I just want you to be prepared in case you don't like what we find." he finished putting a hand on her shoulder.

He looked over toward Mina, he wasn't sure if she knew that sometimes people were touchy about these things. Then he looked back at Delilah and his grip on her shoulder loosened, he'd hoped he wasn't overstepping his boundaries.

 

[Chrocey]

"Well, Mina's young but she is also pretty smart. And i've been meaning to bring this up at some point but... are you sure this guy is okay? He fell pretty far and his Pidgeot... definitely didn't catch him."

What kind of question was that? Despite Damian looking away from her, Delilah stared at him with an almost uncharacteristic intensity. Her jaw was taut, as she quietly listened to what he had to say. Just like earlier, it was one of the few times that she actually managed to remain silent.

"What if we're chasing a lost cause? Don't get me wrong. Mina and I will keep with you and find out for sure what happened to him, I just want you to be prepared in case you don't like what we find."

Damian had reached out and touched her shoulder as if he were delivering bad news to her. In her mind, what he was saying didn’t ring true, no matter how fair his argument was. She couldn’t use his words to fuel her delusion, so they had to be thrown overboard.

Delilah placed her hand on top of his. She slid it off of her shoulder, a sign that she was rejecting the kind gesture. Instead of releasing it, however, she held his hand between hers and maintained her eye contact with him. The intensity her eyes were displaying earlier had melted into one of sympathy.

The small smile on her lips suggested that she’d once again just convinced herself to deny what was most likely.

“Oh, Damian. You just don’t know him like I know him.” Delilah shook her head gently, “what if he’s still alive?”

Delilah caressed the top of his hand with her thumb. “Look, I know that this tournament may have been hard on both you and Mina, but that doesn’t mean we have to start losing faith so soon.” She leaned her head down a little, as if looking for something in the male trainer’s eyes. “So smile, won’t you? Assume the positive. Alex is going to be fine, and I know exactly where to find him. Once we get him and the rest of my friends, then we’ll start trying to either find a way off this island or, more preferably, how to fight Team Rocket so that this sick tournament never happens again.”

Go figure, the woman in denial had now tried to turn things around on Damian. Treating him like the one with a problem.

 

[Astralkitsune]

Mina
​

Mina just looked at Damien and the two exchanged that wordless stare. Mina just shrugged, "let her have her teddy big brother if it helps her with the pain." The Mina stopped and her eyes widened, "teddy is gone...., teddy is gone...., I don't want to remember....." She placed both hands over her face, "No... No... I don't want to remember teddy is gone. Their dead, both of them and I am alone." She crouched on the ground crying uncontrollably.

Ecarte moved swiftly and wrapped her in her arms before placing a hand over the girls head. Her eyes glowed purple for a second and Mina stopped crying and instantly fell asleep. Ecarte gently picked up the girl in both arms and looked toward the two trainers. "Gardeii." She held Mina and motioned with her head for the two trainers to continue moving.

To Orion: "She can not handle the strain right now Orion. She never really coped with the deaths of Wilhelm and ...Selena her parents. The bear she got from her mother was a focal point for that and now that it is gone her illusion is shattering. This needed to happen at some point but not now. An Island full of crazed pokemon is not the best place for a mental breakdown. My hands are full so I will be relying on you to protect everyone. Do not forget your lessons."

 

[Mega Gallade X]

Damian pulled his hand away from Delilah as she ran her thumb over it. He was about to reply, his finger in the air, before he glanced at Mina and she spoke.

"let her have her teddy big brother if it helps her with the pain." Then Mina stopped and her eyes widened, "teddy is gone...., teddy is gone...., I don't want to remember....." She placed both hands over her face, "No... No... I don't want to remember teddy is gone. Their dead, both of them and I am alone." She crouched on the ground crying uncontrollably.

He turned his attention toward the child as she was embraced by her pokemon. Ecarte picked her up and the next thing he knew the girl was asleep.

Orion dropped from his branch perch and surveyed the situation, Ecarte and him holding a stare for a moment before the Gardevoir turned toward the other trainers and motioned them forward, then Orion looked at Damian and did the same. It was a simple gesture, a nod, but he understood.

Damian looked back at Delilah, he had no jokes. Optimism was one thing but ignorance could get them killed. Becoming delusional wouldn't help anyone, however he dropped the topic. What had been a somewhat easygoing outward personality now changed to his inner defended self.

"Lead." he said plainly to Delilah, placing both hands in his pockets, fiddling with the aspear berries. The girl seemed to think he was the one who was in the wrong for thinking like a realist, at least that was how he interpreted it. Damian wasn't mad, but he was definitely irritated. He let out a heavy sigh as they started forward. Perhaps the heat and humidity was getting to him.

As they walked, Damian looked back to Orion and Ecarte often, Ecarte was carrying Mina, beside Orion a few paces behind Delilah, himself and Beedrill.

He didn't want to find a body when they reached their destination, being right wouldn't make him feel better. However he was prepared for that outcome, even for a fight had wild pokemon attracted to the trainers body. He'd taken his hands out of his pockets, running a hand through his white hair.

He didn't know why but he felt as if this were a tense situation. In all honesty, he'd have preferred staring down massive Ursaring than social tension. People were erratic, you never knew what they'd do, or rather, what their emotions would make them do.

He glanced toward Delilah if only for a moment, to see if he could read any form of expression on her face.

 

[Loziana]

Aidinia organized supplies for the group in the camp. She gathered together the food and kitchen utensils in the make shift kitchen space so loving crafted by Salem. Afterwards, she helped Megan finish up cleaning up breakfast and gathered water and coconut and more greens and fruits to go with the plethora of meat from the gator. Aidinia walked back down to the rivers edge after setting the kitchen to rights. She bathed in the edge of the water cooling off and allowing her self to relax and calm herself from the earlier excitement of the morning. After washing away some of her tension, she walked away from the shore and rested back against a tree. She called Alex and pet her falling into a gentle nap.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Lost,

Where was she?

Flung so deeply into her own mind that Cassie could feel the unfamiliarity of the darkness. How much colder it is. How much lonelier. Somehow a deeper shade of navy blue than she was used to. It was similar to taking a plunge from the ocean's vast cerulean sandy bed, into a black chasm far below.

The water was different, and the feeling of solitude, of isolation all the more real.

Cassie felt... Cold. The kind of cold that allowed you to see your breath solidify before your very eyes. She told herself quietly that, and soon found her arms wrapping around a black silhouette she could only assume to be her body, or what remained of it, after the tentacles had consumed her. Existing, yet not quite above non-existence.

Click,

She could hear the switch of her tape recorder flick, plunging her into a memory where she remembered nothing but pain. Her head, her eyes, every fiber of her being. Cassie remembered straining her bruised wrists against leather restraints that were simply too tight. She could feel her hands grow cold. Her head locked in position with a metal brace, keeping her staring blankly into a bright, white operation lamp. She remembered being oh so exhausted, and yet she struggled to keep her eyelids from slipping. Voices came from a source she could see, and she wondered if she'd gone blind.

"Come now, Ms. Michaels. Don't make this any harder on yourself than it already is."

"Tell us. Tell us about your friends. Curt. Jacob. And Sai."

"We promise we'll make them suffer as much as you have."

Three names that were asked frequently to her. Three people who had been involved in the prevention of one Rocket plan, and one kidnapping. She was one of them, yet she could never answer any of their questions beyond their first names. Their last names? Where they lived? They'd only known each other for such a short time that she never even got to ask them that herself. 'And you think they're your friends? Just because you got stuck in a flooding cave together?' She remembered thinking. 'How pitiful, Cassie.'

Her eyes slid downwards, ready for slumber. But just as readily, the sound of a metal clang jolted her back awake. Eyes wide open, she wanted desperately to rise and run from the cold table she lay upon, but her ankles were also bound and she had nowhere to go. And she knew what struggling meant. She wasn't stupid enough to try and squirm out of her constraints. Again.

"Aww, aren't you sleepy Ms. Michaels? At least give me the satisfaction of watching y'all fall asleep, so we can have some fun together..."

That voice. It was always that voice. The one with the slight accent that she found so foreign and strange, but listening to it now, it was even more familiar than before. She never wanted to lay eyes on its owner. Always fleeting glances or brief glimpses.

'But you do know who it is.' That patronizing voice again. How did she find her way there? 'You've always known.'

Her body shuddered, and her throat was numb. She could neither feel pain, or know if it was alright. It simply felt as if wet cotton had been stuffed down its pipe, and she could neither speak nor breathe properly.

"Come on!"

A crack of a whip. So precise and accurate, lashing across her exposed torso. She wanted to scream out in pain, but only a pathetic cry came out. Her voice was long gone, and her eyes, growing only heavier. She was tired, oh so tired. She wanted to give in to the sleep, yes, just a moment's rest...

The metal clang sounded again, but she did not care for it anymore. She needed sleep.

"That's it, now..."

And then the cackle of electrons came and the metal brace clasping her head activated, sending waves of electricity into her temple, halting all thoughts and diminishing all feeling, and her eyes, they were back open once again. Her body convulsed, involuntarily struggling against their constraints and rattling the table,

While she watched the operation lamp flicker on,

And off.

"Please stop. Just stop."

Cassie was speaking, somehow. Ah, it was the voice of her present self, not the person she'd been witnessing the events through. The tape recorder hit stop, and the world faded around her. She was fortunate that day. It never did what she asked of it.

Once again, back in the void, clutching onto her own person for dear life. "I know what you mean now, so just drop it. Drop it and... Let me go. Please let me go." She whispered into her arm. Begging. Trembling from the cold. The utter pressure.

That voice, still ringing in her ear. So familiar and close, she could just reach out and touch it. Yet she despised it so. She burned in hatred at its very sound, and hated the fact it was forever burned into her memory. Why? Because it was Mathew. It'd always been Mathew, the sadistic blond agent who found joy in her utter pain and suffering. And that was why she despised him. That was why she had buried the memories so deeply in the void, and she found a strange swell of pride at how she was able to make herself forget so well.

But there, she was in the memory's storage, and she couldn't find her way out.

“You have been haunting my thoughts on and off, for a while now,”

Cassie let out a small gasp.

Her grip slowly loosened, and her eyes traversed the darkness to find the source of that distant voice. That warm, welcoming, forgiving voice that drowned Mathew's so easily. So foreign to her, for no one had ever spoken so kindly to her. Never as sincerely. But she found strength in knowing it wasn't foreign at all. She had known a voice like that, though briefly, she did.

“I thought that if I met you again it would all become clear to me, but the mystery has only grown.”

She could feel her heart beating, her silhouette filling itself to form her person. Cassie stood, and she proceeded to walk, to allow his voice to guide her. Was it even real? It had to be, and even if it wasn't, perhaps it would take her somewhere better, anywhere but there. And if it was, she could come back. She could come back home...

“One thing is for sure, dear Cassie. You intrigue me like no other has before.”

Cassie was running by then, drawn by the faint Spanish accent she could hear in his voice, 'Had it always been there?' She wondered, and it kept her going. Her gaze was set forward, to the direction of the disembodied voice of Salem. In the distance, she could see it, the light. A mere pinprick in the surrounding darkness, but the waters had receded and the deep was far behind. She picked up speed, moving faster and faster towards the ever glowing light. Until it swallowed her whole,

And she felt warm.

The white slowly materialized into colors. Shapes and forms. Her breathing grew deeper, heavier, as if strained by a physical exertion that did not happen. Her eyes slowly came back into focus, and found that they stung. She only had to flutter her eyelids for a tear drop or two to drip from them, falling onto the golden skin of the man that lay in her lap. But she didn't know that yet.

Her hands reached up to cover her face, and though the fabric of her gloves had managed to soak her tears, the feeling of it against her skin induced a flurry of negative emotions in her. It felt offensive and devious, so with a scowl on her face, she quickly yanked the cursed gloves off her scarred hands, only to notice a ribbon tied around her left wrist instead. Cassie blinked, and the burning hatred inside her diminished instead.

This ribbon, this black, intricately woven accessory was Salem's. She was just hearing about how big of a significance they held in his culture mere moments- at least, they felt like moments, ago. Thus, what was it doing on her wrist? Or had it always been there somehow? No, that... That couldn't be possible.

At this, the weight on her lap became apparent. Her eyes shifted their focus from her arm down to the man in question, laying right there on her lap. For a moment, Cassie was simply stunned. She stared on with confusion and uncertainty, wondering over and over if this was real, or just another hallucination. She tilted her hand down a bit too far, and the fedora came tumbling down from her head.

Flinching slightly, she managed to catch the hat before it could fall on Salem. She stared at it with wide eyes, observing how it had been turned right side out again, but finding the red R missing. Had that been his doing? Finding this hateful gift from Team Rocket, fixing it, and then returning it to her? Somehow, it was a lot less hateful that way. And a lot more precious. She wondered if perhaps it was the knowledge that it was now his gift to her that made it precious.

So Cassie placed it back onto her head.

Her hand, now bare, carefully reached down to brush gently over his cheek, feeling the warmth it radiated and relished in the way it made her fingertips tingle. She could feel his breath against her skin, and she breathed in his scent, reminding her of warm, sunny beaches and endless blue skies above a vast, pristine sea.

It was electric.

And she knew he was real, and everything she heard was real, and he'd always been there.

"You brought me back..."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Cassie knew she should be reacting differently to finding a man asleep on her lap. Realizing how he'd penetrated her bubble of privacy so smoothly it'd hardly trembled. But then, this wasn't just any man. This was Salem.

She found she couldn't move her eyes away from his sleeping face, and her hand simply refused to leave it. Instead, they lightly trailed the well bred contours of his face, tenderly brushing across his closed eyes, down the bridge of his nose, and over the serene smile he held on his lips. And even further down to his neck, over his Adam's apple, before resting contently on his strong chest where she felt his heart beating against her palm. "I don't understand what's happening to me..."

Leaning on her free hand for support, she began to imagine him with his eyes open, just so she could stare into his bright green irises. Her mind played her the memory her eyes had recorded, and she simply gazed into the projected image and memorized further the tranquil look upon his face. She didn't understand how, or why he seemed so at peace and content in their current life or death situation, but couldn't help but find it infectious. And so she smiled too. Grinning even, as emotion choked her softly, and she found she liked that as well. "I've never felt this before..."

Her hand, once again wandering, moved from his chest back to his face, and it brushed away his hair from his closed eyes. Her eyes instead caught sight of the dirt smeared across his forehead, and decided she didn't like how it stained the color of his skin. So she picked her gloves back up, simply to clean away the dirt with. As carefully as someone would tend to a raw wound.

As carefully as he'd tended her.

Cassie cold feel her heart beating against her chest. She could hear it in her ears. And she found it only beat faster when she laid her eyes on him, and only him, and she jumped slightly at the butterflies tickling her stomach. Yet it was different from the butterflies and flutters she'd felt before. It was far more intense and real,

And she was simply lost, but she felt found at the same time.

"How do you keep finding me?" She wondered softly, putting the gloves away neatly beside her before her hand dared to take hold of his shoulder. His muscles were stiff. But that was to be expected, with all the hard work he'd done just that morning. Thus, putting her free hand to work, she proceeded to gently massage both his shoulders, the way she did when Nine would come and lay on her lap.

Cassie knew he wasn't listening, yet she found an odd sense of comfort and satisfaction in it. Security, perhaps. It made her brave. She wasn't afraid anymore. So leaning down, she pressed her forehead against his, and as her eyes slid shut, she whispered quietly,

"But I'm glad you do. Thank you."

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Secret Grove
Date: 2nd Day, early morning
Tagging: Salem, Cassie
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A cool sensation was the first thing Salem became aware of when his conscious returned. A cool sensation, but with the hint of warmth behind it. It felt comforting, familiar, and it triggered a memory.

The memory was one of goodbye. The last time he had seen his sister she had affectionately taken hold of his head and pressed her forehead against his own. There had been a million things Salem had wanted to say then, but that gentle pressure of her face against his silenced him completely. He had just stood there for a long moment, though not long enough, never long enough, and simply relished in the sensation of skin on skin and commit it to his memory.

“My dear Lemming,” she had said softly, affectionately using her baby name for him, despite him now being a fully grown man much taller than she was. He had placed his own hands over hers where they rested on the sides of his face. His mouth was moving, forming words, but no sounds came out. He didn’t know what to say or where to begin.

She had let him try for a moment, then silenced his lips with a gentle kiss. When she reared her head back she could see the heavy tears roll slowly down his dark cheeks, his green eyes glowing.

“Smile for me Lemming,” She had said, her own face serene, setting an example for his.

“Smile…”

Her voice had broken at that last word and Salem could see the effort she made to maintain her mask.

He wiped his face clean and put a smile on it. It was a true, genuine smile fueled by all the happy memories he had of his sister. It was the smile he knew she loved most of all, and he could see it calm her down. Shoulders, which had begun to tremble ever so slightly, squared and her breathing evened out.

She smiled shyly in return before she turned around to walk the long road towards the beach, white ceremonial robes billowing in her wake.​

He felt a tear escape the corner of his eyes and trickle down his cheek, but he was smiling broadly when he opened them. Cassie’s dark hairs filled his vision and her scent enveloped him.

“You’re back,” he croaked, his voice groggy from sleep and heavy with emotion. It was neither a question nor a real statement, just an observation.

He swallowed to clear his throat, then spoke again.

“Hey,” he said gently and with amusement this time.

 

[Chrocey]

When Mina started to cry, Delilah’s gaze shifted over to her. She thought about reaching her hand out to comfort her, but Ecarte already seemed to have the situation under control. In fact, she almost routinely used some sort of ability that made the child fall asleep. It seemed like a drastic measure, but even Delilah could recognize that sleeping would be better than going through whatever episode she might have been going through.

The bee trainer hoped that the small child would at the very least have a pleasant dream.

Delilah nodded to Ecarte in acknowledgement as she motioned for them to keep moving. Delilah felt they were so close to their goal that any breaks they took would only stir up frustrating anticipation. Alex was so close, she could just feel it.

“Lead”

Delilah looked at Damian again. She saw it in his eyes that he was slightly upset about their conversation. Though initially his body language made her want to argue with him, she resolved to simply not care.

“Okey-dokey,” Delilah said whilst letting out a deeply drawn-in breath. The way she said this expressed a little bit of her petulance, regardless of how hard she tried to hide it.

Beedrill watched as Delilah stood straight, almost stiffening. She turned to face him, waved her hand for him to start moving, then began walking once more into the forest.

“You still never told me about that scar on your eye by the way. Did you have a bad encounter with a Rattata or something?”

Not too long after they started moving, Beedrill’s eyes squinted. He could hear something. A loud thumping noise that was off in the distance. The bug pokemon tried to steer Delilah the same way he did before, but she refused. Instead she kept walking the direction they’d set off initially.

Her disregard for suggestion seemed to only be getting worse as they progressed. At least, if nothing else, then maybe her defenses were just up after Damian and Mina drilled her about Alex. Either way, her current mood wasn’t helping with their current situation.

Fortunately, if they kept going the speed that they were going, they’d be able to pass the possible threat before its path intersected with theirs. That was assuming that it wasn’t walking to the same destination that they were.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Cassie was roused from her thoughts when Salem's eyelashes fluttered against her cheek. Feather light touches, gentle as a Vivillon's wings. She opened her eyes, and looked straight into his brilliant green, taking in how delicately it was framed by the long, blond lashes that'd been tickling her cheek but moments ago.

And they were moist. They spilled tears down his cheeks, and told a different story than what his smile assured her. They clashed without harmony. A steady drum against a melancholic violin. But Cassie had always found that eyes don't lie, and so she chose to believe his them, and the great sadness they held.

Wondering why they mirrored her's so perfectly.

“You’re back,” He says to her, and for a moment, he sounded so broken. He sounded like her.

It didn't suit him at all.

Cassie began to remove herself from Salem, leaning back to rest against the tree while her eyes stared at him in bewilderment. Not for his tears, no. But how he'd seen her, and all her flaws and lowest points, yet there he was still, laying on her lap where others would've undoubtesly ran for the hills. She searched for answers, for intentions and hints in his clear, glistening eyes, but found nothing. As if he didn't quite know why himself.

"Hey." He said again, and she realised she must have been spacing out again.

Her eyes refocused on him and his tears, and for the first time ever, Cassie had no idea what to do with her hands. She simply left them there, on his shoulders in all their scarred and deformed glory and yet it didn't seem to bother him at all. She felt no fear of judgement, or prejudice and fleeting glances of disgust. She wasn't afraid of being left alone, and treated like a monster. Perhaps that was why she let them remain. To relish in the feeling of being normal, of being able to touch others with her own hands without repulsing them or shying away.

Daring to push her luck further, Cassie carefully removed her left hand from his shoulder, and with her thumb, gently wiped his tears away. Her hand came to rest against his cheek now while her right hand held him lightly against her, and she cracked a small smile for him in return and allowed him to bury his face in her stomach if he so wished. It something far less impressive than everything he'd done for her, and yet it was the best she could do.

It was all she could offer.

"I have a funny story." She began. "When I was twelve, I fell down a hole being chased by a wild Ursaring after trying to catch its young Teddiursa. It had knocked out all of my Pokemon, I was just praying to make it to a Pokemon Center when it happened. I broke both an ankle and a wrist, and I couldn't get out for three days." Her eyes drifted away from Salem, to the canopy above them.

"No one looked for me. Later I learned no one even knew I'd gone missing. I just kept looking up, hoping someone would find me. But nobody did." Her eyelids began to slide lower down her silver eyes, and she looked ever so ready to fall asleep. "On the third day, it started raining. Day in, and day out, and I thought I would die from the cold. But then... The hole flooded over and I could float to the top. And that's why I love the rain so much."

Seeming to realize the ambiance of her own story, Cassie opened her eyes and blinked them, almost in confusion. "Oh... I suppose that wasn't a very funny story at all. I'm sorry about that."

However, she then began to chuckle, and it turned into a quiet laugh.

"I'm terrible at this."

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Secret Grove
Date: 2nd Day, early morning
Tagging: Salem, Cassie
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Cassie wiped the tears away that Salem hadn’t even realized were there. The action bade him to refocus on her, and burning green eyes met with cooling silver ones. The moment stretched on, and then almost as if she wasn’t even consciously aware of it, she started telling a story. It was a memory of hers, a sad one, not at all fun to listen to, but Salem did so quietly and without looking away. She broke eye contact to look upwards, perhaps to hide any emotions she still felt for the memory.

Throughout her telling of it Salem’s smile had slowly grown, and when she looked down at him again at the end of her story he was full on grinning.

“Oh… I suppose that wasn’t a very funny story at all,” she said, looking almost confused. “I’m sorry about that.”

Salem started to shudder a little then, and when she began to chuckle he burst out in laughter as well.

“I am terrible at this,” Cassie laughed.

“Yeah you are!” Salem confirmed mirthfully. “But you know what? That’s totally fine.”
-

When their laughing had subsided somewhat Salem rolled off her lap and in a fluent, continued motion, sprang to his feet. He stretched noisily, shook his head and rolled his shoulders before turning back to the girl he’d used as a pillow.

“You make an excellent pillow,” he grinned at her. “We have to do this more often, I'll even reciprocate.”

He crossed his arms and nodded sagely, as if the conclusion had been a logical one and the decision been made. Then he extended a hand to her in a gesture halfway between a greeting and an offer to help her up.

“You told me to call you Cassie, but may I have the honors of hearing your full name?”

 

[Mega Gallade X]

“You still never told me about that scar on your eye by the way. Did you have a bad encounter with a Rattata or something?” The girl asked a few minutes into their continued trek forward.

Damian remained quiet for a few minutes more and figured that total silence would just create more awkward tension so he decided to dismiss the events that had just taken place. Even if the girl was delusional.

"Something like that." Damian said as he thought for a moment how he should go about telling the tale.

"If by Rattata you mean ninjas. Essentially, yeah." he continued. "They don't really call themselves ninjas, but they're a trio from Unova. The Shadow Triad. Bad people." he said in fragments.

"There was a fight in a city, Castelia. I'd been visiting a friend there. We were in the central plaza, its pretty much dead center of the entire city, and suddenly the right side of this building blows out, fire, smoke. The works." he continued.

Damian could almost envision the story as he told it to her.

Damian had made his way to the destroyed building, carried by his Braviary. As soon as he got there, he saw two figures scaling the side to the rooftop, where he proceeded to land, his Braviary circling above him. Two people, dressed in black with long white hair, it wasn't similar to his. Their hair seemed faded, almost grayish. Smoke billowed upward from the side of the building. Damian covered his mouth and moved closer to the center of the roof, the two figures circled him slowly. The one on the right seemed to be a little bulkier, in terms of muscle mass and was holding a small pyramid shaped item. The one on the left thinner, almost sickly looking. Neither of their faces could be seen, as they were covered up to the nose. All Damian could see was their forms in the night illuminated by whatever light was being off put by the nearest skyscraper.

The two exchanged looks for a moment, and suddenly the one holding the trinket tossed it to the other, whom caught it in the air and dived off the side of the building.

'Hey!' Damian shouted after him, however as soon as he got a few steps forward three small blades were thrown in his direction, two cutting his torso at the sides and the third slid across his cheek. He almost thought the man missed but he could feel the blood as it trickled down his face. In one hand, the gray haired man held another small blade, and the other a pokeball.

The man tossed the pokeball upward, a high throw, it puzzled Damian for a moment before he realized it was so the pokemon coming out of it could get the jump on his Braviary.

A Bisharp materialized from the pokeball, a few feet above. 'Metal Claw!' The man shouted. The Bisharps right arm light up, illuminating the side of its body as it collided with Braviary mid air and they both fell, the bisharp landing on its feet near Damians pokemon, whom fainted in one hit.

Damian ran forward but the Bisharps arm pointed toward his chest with a shining Metal Claw as he approached his Braviary.

'The new master said it would be you. He knew you were here. Said... to be careful.' The man seemed to almost chuckle at his own words. 'Champion... Such a naive title.' The stranger continued. 'He wanted us to wait to steal the splicer until you arrived in the city. So you'd see.' he said recalling the Bisharp to its pokeball.

'See what?' Damian yelled in response. He knelt beside his pokemon, it seemed to had taken a lot of damage from the Bisharps attack. The mysterious mans pokemon was definitely strong.

'Team Plasma is back.' The man said, falling backward off of the building. As soon as he did so, Damian ran over. He didn't see the man or his partner, whom presumably he'd been giving more time to escape to.

The rooftop was suddenly lit up by the searchlight of a helicopter. That was where Damian concluded the story.

He sighed when he finished telling Delilah. He hadn't talked about that incident with anyone else, and that was the first time he'd known of the new Team Plasma. Since then they'd rapidly become more active in Unova, and he'd had more encounters with the gray haired mystery men, only finding out about their names from the books in the champion archives. He'd yet to encounter the new boss they mentioned.

Seemingly lost in thought, he noticed the Beedrill attempting to guide Delilah a different way, and her dismissing him.

"I think he's saying that way is dangerous?..." Damian said as he stopped walking and pointed forward.

 

[PentheWonderful]

A moment of true bliss.

Laughing freely without a care in the world. It was a luxury she never had, or even fathomed. But she found she loved it, and it eased the pain like ice over a burn. Very soon, too soon for her to accept it, Salem had left her lap and sprang to his feet and Cassie, the ace trainer who was always four steps ahead, found she was left just a step behind.

There was something about him that did strange, yet, wonderful things to her. But she wasn't quite sure if she should be glad, or very afraid.

“You make an excellent pillow,” He was grinning, and again she wondered how he manages to be so happy. “We have to do this more often, I'll even reciprocate.” But she simply pulled her legs up to her chest when he crossed his arms, and propped her arm up against it when he nodded, before finally resting her chin on her hand while he decided they would do this again.

"You'd better swear on that." She said instead, evidently catching herself off guard in doing so, before she quickly accepted his offer to help her up. 'Brush it off.'

Her hand, slipping perfectly into his, and she found that wholeness she'd felt in the river once more. Without her gloves, she could feel his rough hand, his warmth, and his gentleness, concealing the great power and strength they possessed, and Cassie found herself holding onto it a bit longer than she should have, even after being on her feet.

“You told me to call you Cassie, but may I have the honors of hearing your full name?” He asks, and she moves her eyes to once again lock gazes with him. 'I wonder if I'll ever get tired of looking into his eyes?' She wondered briefly for a moment. But then the question registered in her head,

And only then did she release his hand. Far too abruptly.

Steel and ice took hold of her bewildered eyes, and they returned them to the monster, while the girl hid away. Her face changed at that moment. Gone were the childlike light in her eyes, and the softness in her face. It grew cold. Frozen over with a frost that seemed well practiced, and her walls once again back in place. "It's just Cassie." 'Not Cassandra, not Miss Michaels, or Lady Michaels anymore. Just Cassie.'

And once again, she broke eye contact.

In favor of walking passed him with long, elegant strides. Playfully knocking her shoulder against him while making a half circle around him, stopping only to reappear on his opposite side. She stood there idly, completely ignoring his presence, perhaps teasingly so, while she fiddled with the black ribbon now tied to her left wrist.

"The strangest thing happened when I came to." She began, her voice a cooler, more collected tone. And yet, somehow, it was more playful as well. "Aside from the fact there was a topless man on my lap, I'd also found this ribbon tied around my wrist." Her finger traced the hidden pattern within its woven fabric, and only then did she eye him from the corner of her eyes.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Secret Grove
Date: 2nd Day, early morning
Tagging: Salem, Cassie
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Salem smiled at Cassie’s demand for assurance on the promise of future naps. Her smaller hand in his, thumb running idly across her scarred skin as if looking for a pattern, he had been so distracted by the sensation that he had missed the change in her demeanor and the steel creeping into her eyes, in response to his question. When she jerked her hand free he snapped out of his reverie.

“It’s just Cassie,” she said with the kind of finality of someone forced to accept it long ago. She looked away, then strode gracefully around him, nudging him as she passed. It was probably meant to be playful but Salem didn’t believe it.

Her movements flowed, the pose was right, and her face was set in the appropriate smile, but something was off. Salem didn’t consider himself the ultimate authority on human behavior, far from it in fact, but he did always pick up on things intuitively. All his senses were telling him that she was alright, that she was happy, but his heart refused to believe it.

‘Don’t look at the vision she presents you with,’ it seemed to be telling him. ‘Search for the truth, look into her heart.’

Unfortunately Salem wasn’t confident he possessed the skill to do so, and he wasn’t about to confront her with whatever was bothering her, that just wasn’t his style. He would simply be patient, and be there for her when she decided she was ready to be honest, by herself.

“The strangest thing happened when I came to,” She began, recapturing his attention. “Aside from the fact there was a topless man on my lap, I’d also found this ribbon tied around my wrist. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about, would?”

Her smirk and tone suggested she was baiting him, teasing him, but Salem would not get drawn into any other pace than his own.

He put a hand on his hip, slipped that confident smile onto his face and relaxed into a casual pose.

“Of course I do, I put it there myself,” he told her matter of fact.

‘She’s not ready,’ a voice in the back of his head whispered. ‘She won’t accept it, give her more time.’

“It is my present to you. A promise of more happy moments like this one just now,” he told her, and found that he meant it. Whatever else the ribbon symbolized to him and his people, this was all that mattered for him and her right now.

“Please consider it a charm that will keep you safe and guide you towards the next peaceful encounter.”

His smile turned into a smirk then as he continued; “I only hope that encounter will be with me and see you sleeping in my lap then.”

‘I just want to keep you safe.’

 

[PentheWonderful]

Cassie watched him transition from a firm, sturdy oak, into a fluid, calming willow. However still firmly planted. Unmovable.

“Of course I do, I put it there myself,” He spoke with confidence and certainty, two things she seemed to lack these days. It was as if the world had nothing on him. A man who came and went and thought and spoke and did as he pleased, whenever he pleased, wherever he pleased. But she still could not seem to comprehend him. She still couldn't grasp him.

The answers.

Right there, looming, and yet spawning thousands more. No matter how hard she searched his eyes, he gave nothing but that same, serene gaze. So knowing, holding answers that she sought. He was challenging her. Was he challenging her because she withheld the answers he sought?

It was that gaze again, the one that carefully attempted to crack the combination to her vault of secrets. And he seemed to have a clue, while she had absolutely none.

“It is my present to you. A promise of more happy moments like this one just now,” Assurance. The sincerity in his eyes told her so and their warmth slowly melted the frost that held her. Within his tone, she could find no faults. It was not a deception, yet, not quite the entire truth. 'What are you doing to me?'

Her hand only ever continued to trace the ribbon on her wrist. He was neither judging, or probing her, despite what he knew and what he wanted to know. It gave her comfort, and by then, she'd realized he had once again so easily entered her space. And she enjoyed him being there.

“Please consider it a charm that will keep you safe and guide you towards the next peaceful encounter.” Cassie watched his smile turn into a playful smirk, and yet somehow, she could still see it lingering on his lips. “I only hope that encounter will be with me and see you sleeping in my lap then.”

She could sense his restraint, fear, and apprehension, and she could see it in his eyes, and she wondered what it was that held him back from telling her the entire truth. And the fog lifted from her eyes, and the girl with her childlike curiosity had returned. She blinked, slowly, and finally decided to break their gaze in order to stare at the ribbon on her wrist. 'It's important to him. It's special.' She concluded. 'It's the only thing he has left to connect him to his home.'

And she found she was soon smiling at it.

"I hope you're sure about that." Cassie spoke, and yet the facade had disappeared. Her voice sounded softer, somehow more girlish, yet it was still ever careful and guarded. "Because you're not getting it back this time." A small laugh left her.

It'd been so long, she realized, since someone had simply spoken to her honestly and treated her like a real person. Not a glass figurine. Not a tool, nor a monster. But a person who had feelings and those feelings could get hurt. "Thank you." 'For not hurting me.'

She glanced back at him with her tired eyes and smiled. It was nowhere near as dazzling a smile as Aidinia could offer, it wasn't even close to the light Gerald's smile could hold, nor was it as soft and tender as a smile from Megan. But it was all she had, and all she could offer. A broken smile on an injured lip.

"Je vous remercie." Cassie said with a small crack in her voice, but her smile only ever brightened. This time with a different glint in her eyes. It was life, and hope. 'For giving me a part of you.' "I won't lose it. Promise." 'I need your strength.'

And for a moment she just stood there, smiling so tiredly, yet, openly. Because there was nothing more to say, or ask or do. Except perhaps, to let him go. To give him the okay to leave and resume his life. The problem was, she didn't want to. 'But you need to.'

Relenting to her voice of reason, Cassie instead proceeded to reach upwards in order to take his face within both of her's, and gently pull him down to her height. She leaned forward, but moved to the side at the very last minute, when their lips were inches apart, and instead pressed her's gently against his cheek. First the left, and then the right, relishing his warmth on her lips, but caught herself from lingering too long each time.

And finally, she was able to let go.

"Faire la bise." She said softly while taking a step back, successfully, yet tenderly expelling him from her space. "A custom from my culture. I can tell you about it, sometime." Another, quiet laugh, casting her gaze to the side. She held onto the ribbon on her wrist affectionately, and then continued, "It was lovely spending time with you."

And she turned. Controlled, elegant, efficient. And she began to leave. Back to her original directive.

 

[BurbleBurble]

Honestly, the boy hadn't expected Salem's genuine response, and did appreciate it...though hopefully he didn't take the fun out of his joke.

But he also had an answer to his Cassie question. She had walked off, and he was about to set off to fetch her. But not before telling the two to protect the women, and get some pottery out of the fire pit.

Well, they had orders, right? June had no objections to fishing out the pots from the makeshift furnace. And Gerald was guarding the women. Not hard. Not hard at all.

...Wait, where did the Doctor go? Luckily for the newly appointed guard, he saw her walking off with her Sylveon. Well, Sylveon were pretty strong last time he checked, so she'd be fine. And if she really needed help, the woman could call. If Gerald didn't hear the call, June would. Maybe he could see if Megan needed any help, so he wasn't just sitting around..."Protecting" her. It only now occurred to him, other than June, the only thing he had to defend himself with was the stone knife, which was most likely for utility than bodily harm. Oh well, what was the worst that could happen?

"Hey there, Megan. I'm supposed to be, uh, protecting you or something, but is there anything I can do to help? Because I'd hate to be sitting around doing nothing while your up and doing things..."

June's hands were lathered with flames, yet they were more of a minor annoyance than an actual injury. The clay pots were firm enough to grasp, but still wet enough to stain her paws an earthy brown color. The earthen works were but placed a decent distance from the pit, where the heat couldn't reach. The Delphox gave an aside glance to where Gerald chatted with Megan, considering sneaking off to wash up. She couldn't sense any danger around here, but her sense of hearing and primal urge to live wasn't as acute, as say, a Lopunny.

...Maybe she missed her fellow companions, and that's why she made the connection. Maybe she missed the danger sensing rabbit's adaptability, or the speed and physical strength of the Megapede. Perhaps the nonchalance of the Shedinja, or the brevity of the blades. Maybe even the wildness and unpredictability the Noivern had, despite the creature being relatively new to the team.

She hoped they were getting along alright.

It seemed while June was lost in her thoughts, she had walked out to the riverside. Now snapping back to the reality of it all, she gazed around. Other than Aidinia and Alex resting peacefully under a tree, there was nothing other than the clear water, the red of the Feraligatr's life source washed away. Kneeling beside the banks, her clawed hands dipped into the shallow water, the faint smell of char and clay coating them washed away. A sigh escaped from her maw, as she remembered there was possibly danger afoot in the waters.

Her hands retracted from the water, and the fox began to walk back.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Secret Grove
Date: 2nd Day, early morning
Tagging: Salem, Cassie
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“I hope you’re sure about that,” she said, “because you’re not getting it back this time.”

She had no idea of course, but Cassie had just said exactly the right thing and it was all Salem could do to keep from laughing out loud right there and then. ‘I wonder if she’ll be embarrassed or feel betrayed when she finds out the true meaning behind that statement, if she ever finds out,’ he thought.

Cassie seemed very happy about the whole thing. Perhaps she did know more than he suspected, or perhaps the ribbon held significant meaning to her on a personal level. Whatever it was Salem, was happy with the way things turned out. He had only ever given away a ribbon once before in his life, and the circumstances surrounding that were completely different.

He blinked to clear his head before more memories could distract him. Instead he focused on what else Cassie was saying.

She said something in a foreign language he did neither understand nor recognize, but from the way it flowed off her tongue so smoothly and musical, he could deduce that it might be her native language. Her accent seemed to make more sense to him now as well. He had quietly enjoyed the slightly poetic way she enunciated certain words, and had hoped she would speak more.

She sauntered closer to him and reached for his head. Salem was a bit taken aback by the intimacy of her actions, but let her do as she pleased nonetheless. She made as if to kiss him, but turned to his cheeks at the last second. She muttered a few more sexy sounding words, and before he could help it Salem felt himself stirring below the belt. He swallowed.

“A custom from my culture,” she explained, and he understood the message. ‘Very clever indeed,’ he thought admiringly and got himself quickly under control.

Then came the farewell statement and Salem felt himself panic despite himself. He did not want to end their interactions here, not yet, this was merely the beginning! Wasn’t it?

“Wait!” he blurted, hand outstretched and a step in her direction before he caught himself.

“I mean, allow me to escort you back to camp first. Breakfast should be ready by now and Miss Moon’s cooking is an absolute delight. Besides, we will all function better on a full stomach.” It sounded like an excuse, even to him, but he didn’t care. He knew what he wanted and Salem was never one to ignore his desires.

“Perhaps you will allow me to assist you in whatever it is you are trying to accomplish. I may not be too bright, but I am quite handy and will surely be of some use to you.”

He was getting his emotions under control now, and his confidence returned.

“There is actually something I would like to request your help with as well,” he told her. “You seem exceptionally intelligent and perceptive, therefor I would like you to accompany me to inspect my Lure Station after we ate.”

Salem was being completely sincere, and being comfortably with that, his smile returned full force.

“What do you say? Think you can suffer my company a while longer?”

 

[PentheWonderful]

“Wait!”

Cassie had honestly, wholly, and sincerely seized at Salem's sudden exclaim. Moving on instinctual behavior, she bent her knees and lowered her body, hand hovering over Lady's pokeball and ready to hurl it at a moment's notice. She watched the tree line in her nanoseconds, scanning it for any spontaneous movement while expecting some sort of deranged Pokemon to spring at the same time. Yet, nothing was happening, and she soon raised an eyebrow in confusion.

She dared to cast a questioning glance over her shoulder at Salem, but observing his stance and body language, she realized his alarm hadn't been for an emergency situation. Well, at least not what she'd classify as an emergency. The point being, there was no eminent threat afoot. Thus, Cassie straightened her form, moved her hand away from her belt, and let out a small sigh. 'I'll have a heart attack one of these days.'

“I mean, allow me to escort you back to camp first. Breakfast should be ready by now and Miss Moon’s cooking is an absolute delight. Besides, we will all function better on a full stomach.” She could so easily hear the embarrassment held in his voice. The way he grasped at straws. Cassie couldn't help but find herself amused, tilting her head slightly while her eyes peered at him through the brim of her fedora.

'I like that I can read you like a book.' She decided.

“Perhaps you will allow me to assist you in whatever it if you are trying to accomplish. I may not be too bright, but I am quite handy and will surely be of some use to you.” 'I don't want you to be alone. I won't let you leave me.' She could almost hear him say, and she simply could not control the way her lips tugged into a discreet smile. 'It's amusement.' She told herself, though it didn't seem quite right, and held off any comments for after Salem got his point across. “There is actually something I would like to request your help with as well. You seem exceptionally intelligent and perceptive, therefor I would like you to accompany me to inspect my Lure Station after we ate.”

"Lure Station?" Cassie hummed in a contemplative tone, all the while she could feel her eyebrow quirk in interest. The idea bounced about playfully in her head; a spot to attract the attention of the wild, violent pokemon within their general vicinity where they could undoubtedly slaughter each other for food, or whatever rewards had been left there. Incidentally, all the death and gore left from the smorgasbord would draw in even more pokemon wouldn't it? As a result, sharply reducing the amount they'd have to face. Perhaps even that Feraligatr was just on his way there.

'And he says he's not too bright.' She couldn't help but smirk at the thought.

“What do you say? Think you can suffer my company a while longer?” Cassie turned her attention back to him, and settled her gaze on his hopeful green eyes. In a normal circumstance, she wouldn't have thought twice about walking away and simply shutting him down. But this whole predicament wasn't normal, and the idea of seeing him work and working with him intrigued her.

She wanted to get into his mind. She wanted to unravel the puzzle that is Salem. Put together all his little pieces and discover everything there is to know about him. It was greedy, Cassie realized. But then, she'd always known herself to be a bit selfish.

"I suppose I can manage." Was her conclusive statement while she fiddled with the ribbon in the absence of gloves. She found its presence there comforting. Even more so than any glove she ever owned. "Breakfast does sound ideal, and I can test my utilities on the way."

Cassie took a step forward, once again back to him, back to the direction from which they came, and her bare feet hardly made any noise as she neared him, moved past him, and allowed her gaze to linger on him for a while too long. Simply to ensure it was her that captured his attention. "Now tell me a little about the lure station you built."

Their walk back to the camp was occupied with Salem's enthusiastic explanation of a clever concept he designed to better their survival; a long grill with a fire underneath to roast the remains of a Nidoqueen. The scent would undoubtedly attract hundreds of starved, carnivorous pokemon where they would fight each other to the death over food. And Cassie found she was more and more intrigued by him. Not only by the way his eyes sparkled in glee, or the way he moved so gracefully, but also in the way he thinks, and the way his mind works. Yes, she wanted to discover it all.

But wait, did he just mention a Nidoqueen?

Cassie gazed at him in surprise now, as if she'd just placed together a puzzle piece within its appropriate place in its frame. Her hand raised, and grabbed his arm lightly without her realizing it. It was the only way her body knew how to get his attention without interrupting his speech. "You found a Nidoqueen corpse?" For that very clearing was also where she saw Ajax again. The incident occurred only a day ago, and yet, it felt a lifetime away. "Is that also where you found the fedora?"

'Did you really come to look for me?'

Her eyes were wide, and a storm of emotions swirled inside her silver irises. Confusion, hope, sadness, uncertainty. "I saw Ajax there, but... You weren't..." 'But then Mathew was instead.'

Her grip slowly loosened from his arm, in tune with the softening of her gaze. She drew back, and her hand hovered in the air for a brief moment before she walked on. She wasn't walking particularly quickly. Perhaps slow enough for Salem to catch up, and also leave a contemplative tone in its wake. But everything left she had to say, she found she couldn't say them, and so she allowed them to be lost in time. All except,

"I had wished you were."

And upon their arrival in camp, she'd settled back into her facade again. Sticking with it while she grabbed her breakfast to go. She noted Gerald's shy conversation with Megan, and June and Doctor Moon'so apparent absence, but figured she would let him have his little moment with the Kanto girl.

Ever so silently, separating herself beneath a shady palm tree, she released Lady from her pokeball to eat. The feline stretched leisurely across the ground and sniffed the ribbon tied around Cassie's wrist. She glanced mischievously at her, and Cassie merely squinted in response. 'Don't even think about it.' She expressed, and when the Liepard finally did turn to her food, she could have sworn she saw her chuckling.

And her gloves remained in the clearing of the lonely grove, but a distant memory of Team Rocket's clutch on her.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Camp SAM
Date: 2nd Day, mid morning
Tagging: Salem, Cassie, Ajax, June, Aidinia
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Salem’s excited recounting of the details surrounding his Lure Station were suddenly interrupted by a hand grabbing hold of his arm. The small, scarred appendage seemed all the smaller for the timid hold it took on him. He followed the arm all the way up to Cassie’s face where he took note of her surprised look.

“You found a Nidoqueen corpse?” she asked hesitantly. “Is that also where you found the fedora?”

Salem turned to face her fully. “Of course, I came lo…” he began, but was interrupted when she continued as if having to complete the thought that was plaguing her mind.

“I saw Ajax there, but… You weren’t…” she said, her hand sliding from his arm.

This time Salem remained silent, and waited until she was well and truly finished. Her mouth had stopped moving but her eyes were still clearly talking to him, until she slowly turned from him and continued walking again, albeit slower now.

He watched her go and heard her mutter: “I had wished you were.”

‘The poor girl,’ he thought. ‘The kidnapping must have been pretty hard on her.’

He winced then, from a stinging sensation in his hands. When he looked he found them balled into fists so tightly his nails were digging into his skin. Salem raised an eyebrow at this and forced himself to relax and unclench his hands.

He looked up after Cassie again and seeing her walk there, so slowly and alone, he suddenly wondered how he could have ever thought this small, frail looking, scarred girl to be strong and independent.

‘She’s not independent at all,’ he realized. ‘She just acts so convincingly that she fools not only others, but herself as well, into thinking that she is.’

But then he remembered the fire in her eyes and he smiled, a strange sort of pride filling him.

‘No… She really is strong,’ he told himself, ‘strong enough to break the shackles of fear she’s got wrapped around herself for protection.’

He began walking after her again.

‘One day soon, she will break free and it will cause her to stumble.’ He jogged lightly to catch up to her, then matched her pace, walking silently beside her.

‘When she does, you will be there to keep her from falling, because…’ He paused to question his line of thinking. How did he have such faith in her? Why was he so concerned for her? Why should he be there to catch her?

He glanced to the side at the small girl walking besides him, lost in her own world. His eyes fell on hers, those brilliant silver eyes now filled with the faintest glimmer of hope, and the answer came to him then.

‘Because, she will expect you to.’

The thought made him smile.

‘And because you simply want to.’
-

Back in camp Cassie seemed to have re-donned, what he came to see as, her social mask and she isolated herself with some food and her Liepard. This was fine for now, he would come find her soon enough.

Salem hastily scarfed down some of the food himself, and took some to where Ajax lay sprawled out near the huts. He prompted the big Pokemon and slunk back when it snapped at him grumpily upon waking. Then it noticed the food he’d brought him and his demeanor changed somewhat.

Ajax greedily tore into the delicacies that Aidinia had whizzed up for them while Salem stepped closer to give him a reassuring pet. When the giant turtle eyed him quizzically he just smiled and pointed to where Cassie was seated beneath a palm tree.

“She’s safe buddy,” he said. “No need to feel guilty anymore.”

Ajax followed where his trainer was indicating and seemed to visibly relax when he spotted the small human female and her Liepard.

Salem petted his partner reassuringly for a moment more, then left the Blastoise to his food and rest.

He turned towards the makeshift kitchen area where he noticed June had indeed taken the pottery out of the fire. It was still too hot to touch directly, but felt solid enough when he tapped it with his blade.

‘We’ll just have to wash them in the river and see if they hold, once they’re sufficiently cooled down,’ he thought as he looked around for the attractive fox. She wasn’t in the camp, and neither was the doctor he noticed. When he said as much to Gerald and Megan nearby, they directed him to the river.

Salem quickly grabbed another portion of breakfast and jogged with to where the others had indicated.
-

On his way to the river Salem ran into June.

“Oh, Lady June,” he greeted her cheerfully and offered her some fruit. “I am glad I found you. I wanted to thank you for your help with the pottery.”

Then he noticed Aidinia and Alex slumped against a tree when he glanced over the fiery fox’s, slender shoulder.

“Actually there is more, I would very much like your assistance in dealing with a fiery monkey,” he told her. “If it is not too much to ask of course.”

Salem walked around her without really awaiting a response, to kneel before the sleeping redhead, his thoughts already elsewhere.

Alex raised her head at his approach, then lowered it again when she saw it was only Salem. Salem for his part reached out to scratch the protective Sylveon affectionately, before turning his attention to the sleeping woman.

He took a moment to really look her over. There was no denying Aidinia Moon was a gorgeous looking woman, stunningly so even despite the numerous scrapes and bruises marring her otherwise flawless, white skin.

Not for the first time Salem wondered if perhaps he should commend on the injuries. He suspected she had sustained them during interactions with her Hitmonlee, and that it must be a matter of pride or symbolism that prevented her from healing herself. Otherwise, leaving this divine body afflicted in such a manner would surely be considered a crime against humanity?

‘It is not my place to meddle,’ he decided once again. ‘Aidinia is a professional, she knows what she’s doing. I don’t need to understand, I just need to have faith in her.’

Her breathing was steady, Salem could tell that much from the gentle rise and fall of her glorious chest. Her amazing cleavage on full display for all who deemed to look and Salem was forced to swallow when he felt his mouth water at the sight. It would be so easy to just reach out and steal a touch, his hand was already hovering over her shapely thigh. He moved it higher up her body, following its attractive curves but still not quite touching.

Salem let out a sigh he hadn’t realized he was holding and gently shook his head to clear the haze muddling his thoughts. He reached up a bit higher and settled his hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently.

“Miss Moon,” he spoke gently. “Miss Moon wake up, there is an injured Pokemon in desperate need of your medical attention.”

 

[Chrocey]

‘Not only is he a champion, but he faced off against ninjas?! This guy’s a real-life action hero!’ Delilah thought to herself. However, her bitterness continued to perpetuate a little into her speech. “Whoa...I didn’t even know ninjas were a real thing. Always thought they were some fake thing you only really see in movies, kinda like pirates or happy office employees.”

Delilah had enjoyed the story immensely in spite of herself. Part of her wanted to ask what happened next, but she didn’t want to seem too eager. Perhaps later on he’d continue. For now, she settled for what he’d given her.

"I think he's saying that way is dangerous?..."

The words made the bee trainer look to her Beedrill quizzically, before he nodded in acknowledgement. Delilah stared at him for a moment.

“Fine.” The green-eyed trainer willingly followed where Beedrill was leading them. She was stubborn, but she held enough love for her Beedrill not to argue with him.

Whilst continuing their journey, Delilah decided to speak up once more. “Oh yeah, I forgot. You’d asked me how I managed to get that Ursaring to follow me.” She puffed her chest out a little in confidence. “I suppose since you told one of your stories, I should go ahead and tell you mine.”

Delilah walked with a visibly more confident stride.

“Beedrill and I were traveling, and we’d just left behind that Apollo guy I told you about, when all of a sudden we came upon a horrible scene.” The enthusiastic trainer turned and walked backwards so she could face Damian, Orion, Ecarte and Mina, even though the child was sleeping. “Poachers seemed to have taken advantage of a poor pack of Pachirisu! One was all mangled, while the others were simply bones. It looked like the Pachirisu took care of one of the poachers, while the others may have just fled the scene.”

Delilah smiled as she told the story, clearly excited to get to the meat of her story. “Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a giant Ursaring burst out of the trees and knocked me out of the way. It seemed to be wanting to eat the dead poacher. That’s when Beedrill and I decided it best to get its attention so we could at least give the guy a proper burial.”

The bee trainer’s smile turned to a grin. “Little did we know the stamina of that thing. He wound up chasing us for a while, and we were totally about to outrun it. Then we passed your guys’ cave and thought that leaving the Ursaring for your group to deal with just wouldn’t be fair.

“At the last second, Beedrill had the great idea of hitting it in the eye and then poisoning it.” She waved her hand dismissively, “it was really just another day for a crack-shot like Beedrill, though. He pretty much hit the Ursaring in the eye his first try.”

Beedrill buzzed louder for a brief moment, taken aback in amusement by the exaggeration. He shook his head and continued leading the group.

 

[Mega Gallade X]

Damian kept pace with her as they proceeded toward their destination. Delilah felt the need to regale him in one of her own stories in response to his.

“Beedrill and I were traveling, and we’d just left behind that Apollo guy I told you about, when all of a sudden we came upon a horrible scene.” The enthusiastic trainer turned and walked backwards so she could face Damian, Orion, Ecarte and Mina, even though the child was sleeping.

Damian was a little startled when she turned around. Also looking back toward Mina the way she had.

“Poachers seemed to have taken advantage of a poor pack of Pachirisu! One was all mangled, while the others were simply bones. It looked like the Pachirisu took care of one of the poachers, while the others may have just fled the scene.”

Suddenly Damian remembered the Pachirisu Orion and Ecarte had fought, Mina eventually ended up having a meal out of one. He looked sheepishly to the ground and was glad she wasn't awake to voice that to Delilah.

When she continued her story it was apparent she didn't suspect the two of them as the 'poachers'.

“At the last second, Beedrill had the great idea of hitting it in the eye and then poisoning it.” She waved her hand dismissively, “it was really just another day for a crack-shot like Beedrill, though. He pretty much hit the Ursaring in the eye his first try.”

"Wow that's so interesting." Damian feigned as he started walking again. He wondered when they would come upon... well, anything really. He would welcome new surviving trainers mostly, but he expected sooner rather than later to find out whether or not her friend was actually alive.

 

[Astralkitsune]

Megan
​

Megan jumped as Gerald addressed her and very nearly lost her grip on the coconut shell half she was carrying. She fumbled with the coconut shell moving her hands about wildly trying to catch it. It seemed the gril might almost pull it off but then her last attempt tipped the shell upward and forward as she watched in horror, at the scene that seemed to play forward in slow motion to her. The coconut shell flipped through the air and upended it's contents of water over Gerald's head. Luckily for the red- head the water was being brought toward the fire and was not yet hot.

Megan brought both hands to her cheeks and gasped, "oh my god I am so sorry!" She quickly looked around for something to dry the young man off with. Not finding anything in the vicinity but leaves she quickly stripped off her shirt and threw it over Gerald's head, being thankful she still had a bra on underneath. Here let me get that for you, "she began drying Gerald off with her shirt, as she thought. "He is going to think I am such a clutz, I can't believe I did that. I do not need to ruin my chance with possibly the only other guy on this nightmare Island."

 

[Chrocey]

“I know right? It’s definitely something they’ll put down in the history b-”

Delilah’s sentence was cut off as her heel collided with something while walking backwards. She lost her balance and fell harshly onto her rear with a loud grunt. Upon closer inspection, it looked as though the object she’d tripped on was none other than a human body.

“What in the-?!” Delilah quickly kicked her feet and slid herself away from the presumably dead body. The mere sight of it made her blood run cold and her skin crawl. It looked like something between the realm of reality and fantasy, mostly because she hadn’t expected to run into another dead person.

As odd as it was to think, the body didn’t look similar to the other corpses Delilah had found today. This one appeared older, and with longer hair.

The bee trainer shot a glance to Damian, as if to check his reaction. Her eyes returned to the body and she slowly stood and approached it. Her movements were cautious, as though she were expecting it to jump up at her at any moment.

“Dang it...not another one,” Delilah murmured, “poor lady…”

She looked to Damian with a pair of hopeful green eyes. “What’d we want to do with her? I mean, the least we can do is give this woman a proper burial, right?”

That’s when the body started moaning. It moved slowly as if trying to stand up.

Delilah jumped back in shock. “Aw come on! Don’t tell me this island has living dead people now!”

 

[Loziana]

Aidinia started at Salem's touch.
......in desperate need of your medical attention.” "Wha' Who Who's hurt?!" Aidinia said suddenly wide awake from her comfortable nap. She saw Salem. In a few seconds she tried to assess the situation. He didn't look injured to her, so she wondered who could have gotten injured. How long had she been asleep? She glanced around her. She saw no one in the immediate area who looked injured. "What's wrong Salem? Who's hurt again?"

She searched his eyes as she waited for his answer.

 

[Astralkitsune]

Dr. Nevashi
​

Erejast moaned and opened chocolate brown eyes blinking slowly. "Yes dearie I would love the full spa treatment." Dr. Nevashi moaned and slowly lifted a hand to rub his head. His eyes finally focused on the trainers before him. "Oh dear I wasn't expecting company." Dr. Nevashi sat up, and then gave a dazzling smile before hurriedly jumping to his feet.
The man before them was of indeterminate age, looking for all the world to be in his early 30s at most and possibly late 20s. Even with the dirt and blood matting his hair, a few cuts scrapes and bruises and the unflattering black outfit, the man was still absolutely beautiful.

He stood about 5ft 8in tall and his build while having toned musculature was lithe and slight. Erejast's hair brushed the curve of his lower back. His raven black hair bounced playfully with a full body that would make many models envious, even tangled in it's current state. His rich tawny colored tanned skin was supple and soft like the skin on a peach. His teeth where perfect and pearly white with a dazzling smile painted on his face. Despite the loss of most of his makeup in the capture and subsequent wilderness survival. The man still had perfectly tattooed eye liner and naturally long luxurious eyelashes.

The Dr. jumped to his feet and took a small bow holding out his hands, "Dr. Erejast Nevashi at your service." After the flamboyant entrance the Dr. stumbled a bit and caught himself on a branch, "and I seem to have suffered a mild concussion and some bruising around my L4 and 5 vertebrae." The Dr. held up his hand, "one moment please." He reached down toward his pokeball slowly.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: River side, just below Camp SAM
Date: 2nd Day, mid morning
Tagging: Salem, Aidinia, Alex, June
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When Aidinia locked her eyes on his’, fluttering her lashes and asking him what was wrong, Salem almost gave in to her allure, tell her that it was him who was hurting in places and in desperate need of her attention. He managed to keep his head however, swallowed again and held up a Pokeball in front of her.

“It is the little monkey that saved all of us from the river ambush earlier,” he explained. “It feinted after the fight and I couldn’t tell if it was from injury or exhaustion, so I need your help. Cassie seemed to be intimidated by its flames and for that reason I’ve kept it in this Pokeball until now.”

Salem focused hard on the round shape in his hand in hopes of not getting distracted by her round shapes looming at the bottom edge of his vision. 'Just don't look idiot!' he berated himself. 'Business first, pleasure later, you know this.'

“I would like to see if this Pokemon would be willing to aid us in our struggles,” Salem continued, after a brief pause. “If it does then it will likely need a new trainer, at the very least until we all get out of this tournament.”

He pushed the Pokeball into the doctor’s hands, stood up and purposely turned his head away from her. His eyes lingered on her body from their corners however. He reached out a hand to help her to her feet.

 

[Loziana]

Looking at the pokeball now in her hands, Aidinia reached out with her right hand and took Salem's hand in her own, pulling herself to her feet. She released the infernape from its ball and began looking it over.

The poor little thing was exhausted and it's hands were injured from hitting the gator's hide. "Alex, love, this little fellow needs your help." She cuddled Alex a moment and turned her attention to the man with her.

"Salem, you should take care of this little guy, he needs someone strong. You're the strongest of us. He's a fighting type. He will need a strong trainer to keep him busy."

Aidinia searched Salem's face for his thoughts. She wondered if he had a better idea of who to give. The little fire monkey to.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: River side, just below Camp SAM
Date: 2nd Day, mid morning
Tagging: Salem, Aidinia, Alex, June, Infernape
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Salem considered the beautiful doctor’s words carefully as he looked over the simian sprawled out unceremoniously on the ground.

Albeit briefly, he had seen the Pokemon’s passion and fighting spirit. It hadn’t even blinked twice in the face of the Feraligatr which had literally towered over it and clearly held a type advantage. In fact, Salem recalled the little monkey issuing it a smug challenge and promising defeat, followed by a confident flick of the nose before promptly passing out after making good on said promise.

He grinned at the memory and couldn’t help but feel impressed and excited at the prospect of potentially training such a feisty Pokemon. They could be good fit. Both of them were relatively small, familiar with hand to hand combat, and neither of them would likely back down from a challenge.

But there were other factors to consider as well. While there was a chance that Salem might be able to connect with Pokemon on some instinctual level, the fact remained that he knew nothing about it. He had never seen its kind before, didn’t know where it came from, heck he didn’t even know what this species was called.

Had they all the time and space he would have jumped at the opportunity to take on a Pokemon such as this, but that wasn’t their current situation.

Salem looked over at June questioningly. The lady like fox hadn’t gone anywhere and was just watching things unfold it seemed.

‘She is a fire type I have never seen before either,’ he considered quietly. ‘Perhaps her trainer, Gerald, would have the knowledge and skill to properly coach this explosive fighter.’

He studied June a bit closer and let his eyes roam over her form, her features and her posture. She appeared calm and confident, and he knew her to be intelligent and willful.

‘If Gerald can train a Pokemon like her, then surely he could train a pokemon this little bruiser,’ Salem thought, settling his eyes back on unconscious monkey. ‘I’ll have to ask him his opinion.’

He took out bits of food he’d snatched from the breakfast plate earlier and knelt at the simian’s head.

“Do you know what this Pokemon is called?” he asked Aidinia, looking up at her, taking a small bite of food and chewing it appreciatively.

“This is delicious by the way,” he grinned.

 

[Loziana]

"I wasn't trained by a professor of Pokemon species, but I'm pretty well traveled from helping with the Drs. Abroad program. I think he's called an infernape. There was a young trainer back at the hotel who had a pokedex, if we could find it we could find out more about him. However, I have a feeling, him being a fighting type, he'll be a lot like Savior. Willfull, and spoiling for a fight. He's not going to bow to anyone. He'll only listen to someone he respects." Aidinia looked at some of her own bruises then. "Thank you for the complement about the food by the way"

Aidina admired the dance of ribbons and sparkles she had begun to associate with Alex's use of wish when healing others. This trip had not turned out the way she had intended. But she was getting to experience the land of her parents in a unique way.

Her mind drifted back to the present and she handed Salem back the pokeball. "He should be feeling right as rain. Up to you what to do with him now." Aidinia smiled a smile that could light the world. As she cuddled Alex and told him he had done a wonderful job.