Private/Closed Uncharted Waters

[Vergil Tanner]

Name: Dante E. Young
Location: Cliff Base --> Campsite
Current Team: Jason, Tails, Gary, Falcone, Ariel, Syl

Of course, at this point there was really no doubting what was happening, was there? He was the type to worry and hesitate inside his own head, second-guessing his own intuition time and time again even as he forged ahead with his chosen course of action. No matter how decisive he seemed, there was always that voice that told him that he'd gotten it wrong, or that he'd missed something, or that some critical piece of information had been forgotten or overlooked. Self-doubt and self-reflection was necessary for growth, of course, but too much of it could be crippling if you let yourself be ruled by it. But at this moment, this frozen moment in time as he stared into Cassie's eyes, saw the twinkling of a silver ray of hope that he had not seen in her face for over a decade...as he saw the curving of her lips into a gentle, genuine smile...as he felt her hands clutching at his like he was the last piece of driftwood in a vast, lonely ocean...such doubt was utterly illogical. In fact, it was more than that; it was almost laughable in its impotence. For how could he ever gaze into a face that hopeful and adoring and believe it was anything other than wholly genuine?

He didn't even need to see her nod to know her answer, to be honest. For the first time in her entire adult life, he imagined, Cassie was an open book, holding no secrets, keeping nothing back. He could see the answer written across her face, etched into her eyes, shimmering in those wide, hopeful, terrified eyes that she believed him, she wanted to believe him and that she was placing herself entirely into his hands. She was trusting him, something Dante knew was all too rare in her life, and that he would need to safeguard that faith, that trust, that love with every fibre of his being. Honestly, though she likely wouldn't see it that way, Dante knew that that act of faith showed just how strong Cassie really was. People got hurt, people got betrayed, they had their trust taken advantage of and their love denied and rejected all through life, and it was easy to shut yourself away. It was easy to push people away and keep your own heart close and safely locked behind that iron door, throw away the key, swear to never open it again.

That was the easy way out. Hiding from what scared you. But opening yourself up again, allowing yourself to feel despite knowing how painful it could be? That was bravery. That was strength. And he was going to make damn sure that no matter what, Cassie would always be rewarded for that force of will. Nobody was going to punish her for that bravery ever again...because now she had him guarding that part of her, too. And he knew in that moment, staring into her eyes, that she was doing the same for him. He had always locked his feelings away in that little box, too, bolted that door shut, buried the key...but now it stood open to her, and she knew it. And...he wasn't scared. Because he knew for a fact that as much as Cassie could trust him...he could also trust her in exactly the same way. It was an odd feeling, knowing that for a certainty, but it was comforting nonetheless. Terrifying, yes. But in a warm, exhilerating way. Or perhaps that was simply the pain from his gut wound screaming in his ears.

Of course, they could hardly spend the rest of the day staring longingly into each other's eyes, now could they? He would love to do so under normal circumstances, but he did not want to be stuck in the woods when the sun fell and the significantly nastier, more vicious Pokemon came out to hunt and prowl. Wild Pokemon could be very aggressive, even when they were used to Trainers, and he did not want to see what a feral nocturnal hunter could do in its home territory. So of course, they broke eye contact - though their hands stayed intertwined - and they resumed the long ascent up to the top of the cliff. Dante would love to say that it passed in a blissful state of euphoria, that he was floating on a cloud after his liaison with the most beautiful, strongest, most intelligent woman on the planet, and again ordinarily, that would be the case. Alas, it would be a lie. The pain in his gut returned with a vengeance - perhaps as revenge for ignoring it for so long - and every step Falcone took was literal torture. Every jostle sent a spike of pain through his gut, every breath he took was rattling and laboured, and he could swear that at several times, he felt one of his stitches nearly pop loose.

Judging by the lack of blood seeping through his shirt, that hadn't happened yet...but it was only a matter of time. His combination of adrenaline, awkward kissing position and the roughness of being carried up an uneven slope by a Pokemon more known for brute force than dexterity...well, it did not do much for his comfort regarding his gut wound, he'd say that much. Stars began to dance before his eyes, and though he was able to bite back his gasps and cries of pain - of which there were many - his hand was undeniably tight, almost white-knuckled, in Cassie's. His teeth grit so hard he thought they would crack, his nostrils flared and his eyes fluttering closed on several occasions when Falcone had to shift her weight to climb over a particularly large boulder in the path, and every step of searing agony that lanced through his body made every second feel like a blazing eternity. The sound of the forest faded away, replaced by the pulsing of blood in his ears and his own soft grunts of discomfort that were the only sounds of his pain. He even temporarily broke out into a soft sheen of sweat, too, but he refused to call for a break; they had dallied long enough, and they needed to reach camp by nightfall. He could endure. He had to.

Though the journey felt like an eternity, the burning in his gut eventually dulled to a low, aching throb as they found flatter ground, then came to a slow stop. He floated there in a hazy blur, focusing on his breathing to try and numb the pain, taking laboured, steady breaths and focusing on compartmentalising his discomfort. He took the pain, the physical sensations, and did his best to block them out, shoving them into a little box that he buried deep. It was still painful, and his body still felt like it was going to collapse...but hopefully he could at least think straight now that he had stopped being jolted and jostled everywhere. He blinked open his eyes just in time to see Cassie moving to support him - belatedly moving to fish himself unsteadily out of Falcone's arms - as he stepped onto the grassy exterior of what looked to be a den amongst the tree roots.

His knees nearly buckled beneath him as he tried to place his weight on his legs - a face full of grass being prevented only by Cassie's support and Falcone's timely intervention - and a wash of vertigo-induced dizziness crashed over him. The world span and his vision swam, struggling to see past the surface of the wavering world before he grit his teeth and forced it into focus. He grunted at the twinge in his gut, lines of fire spreading out from his wound - which were stubbornly ignored - as he staggered his way into the den and practically collapsed the first chance he got...which just so happened to be a bed that Cassie had forged for him. How long had he been in a daze outside in Falcone's arms? He actually felt a little embarrassed, then, but he dare not voice it. He doubted Cassie would be happy that he was denigrating himself for having a life-threatening gut-wound.

Of course, his mind soon drifted to Cassie as soon as he was able to think of anything past the crash of relief he felt at finally being able to stop moving, and he turned his head to look at her (with difficulty) through the lingering stars in his vision. She had gotten some healing from Ryu, it seemed, since her arm was now in practically perfect working order. Smart, of course, given that his wound was going to take significantly more energy and they needed at least one of them to be guaranteed to be in fighting shape...though he did feel a little embarrassed and useless that he was - at that moment - more of a burden than a help. He forced himself to sit upright a little, leaning on a nearby root - which made his gut twinge again, though mercifully not as much as before - and took a deep, rasping breath. "No," he said ruefully, "Healing is...one thing that Sylveons...do not excel at." He sighed softly. "She has Heal Bell...which can...keep the wound from becoming infected...but I fear that for the most part...we shall have to allow nature...to take its course...with my wound."

He grunted as he shifted his weight, then winced. "I apologise, Cassie," he said quietly, "It seems that for the foreseeable future...I will be more of a hindrance than anything." He looked away, frowning. He had plans for everything, contingencies for any eventuality...he had survived in the wild for months at a time before, and here he was, bedridden from a gut wound. If Cassie wasn't there, he'd have been dead for sure. And yet...here she was, putting her own survival at risk for him. What had he actually contributed yet? What had he done to improve their chances of survival? Nothing that she couldn't have done herself. "I have a feeling that you shall be...shouldering the bulk of this...survival attempt," he said softly between deep, steadying breaths to keep the pain at bay, "I apologise...that I have not yet...been of more help." Of course, he was happy that she was capable and could survive. But it was a bitter taste in his mouth that for all his preparation...he was a handicap, pure and simple. It was not a pleasant realisation to come to, especially when the life of somebody he loved hung in the balance. He would have to work out some way to contribute to their chances of survival...he just didn't know what that would entail yet. But he knew one thing for certain; he'd need to work it out bloody fast, for both of their sakes.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Of course, the moment Dante had shifted to sit upright, she was pushing him back down gently - yet firmly - with her hand on his chest. She shook her head at him, telling him silently but sternly 'no.' As happy and floaty as she had been on their journey there, it was impossible to ignore the sounds of pain that had come from him. Every bump, every shift, she felt his hand tightening around her own. She heard his breath stop, hitch, and labour. He was gravely injured, and the last thing she wanted, the last thing she could handle was... Losing him. Yes, she was physically intact now, but her mind was in shards. Scattered and disjointed and barely functional. Yes, you could technically see your reflection in a shattered mirror, but the moment you try to mobilize or fix it, you cut yourself and everything falls apart. Parts were missing, drawing blanks or the light refracted in an odd way and showed different things than what was placed in front of it.

She hadn't thought about it. She worked very hard not to let the thought cross her mind, but if there was one thing more unnerving than her last experience being stranded on an island with nothing but your Pokemon and the shirt on your back, then it was the fact that they were taking refuge in a cave. All the worst things in her life had happened in caves, subterranean settings. It affected her so much that she couldn't even take the subway or travel down to basement level. Anything below ground. It was greater than her fear of fire, but it was also their best shot at survival at that moment. It was a naturally occurring shelter, well hidden and secluded and sturdy enough to withstand any sudden weather changes. And yet, she wanted nothing more than to run outside into the open. Even her own mind was trying to kill her.

And so, she put it to good use instead, trying to think of solutions to help Dante. To stop her lifeline from snapping. She was half-listening to what he was saying and half running her mind through the encyclopedic knowledge of Pokemon abilities she had gotten from her father, but what he said surprised her quite a bit. Sylveons... Can't heal? But... Her mind drifted to that island, the one she had tried so hard not to think of. To the doctor with fiery red hair and her Sylveon companion. How those ribbons had saved her and others' lives countless times. Her brows furrowed together, but she was snapped out of her train of thought when she heard Dante apologizing. Why was he apologizing? He hadn't done anything wrong. None of this was his fault in the slightest because the fact was, she had chosen to stay by his side then, and she had accepted the consequences that came with it.

But still, she knew how he was feeling. One look at him, and she could see the guilt and anxiety on his face clear as day. The feeling that you were just a burden. That you were useless and the world was better off without you. She knew that feeling, and she knew how difficult it was to feel so... Incapacitated. That had been how she felt when her Pokemon had been taken from her. Like she had lost a limb. But Dante, his injuries were also physical. It would actually kill him if they weren't careful and she knew how terrifying that must be for him to think about as well. He was in his prime, with so much life left to live. They had just reconnected again. They had just made their feelings for each other known. There was so much left to lose. She didn't know how she knew, but, she felt it. The feeling of self-loathing from burdening the person you loved. To not be able to help them carry their burdens. It hurt her more than she could ever imagine knowing that Dante felt that way. Because the fact was... She just wanted him to survive.

She took his hand once more, and she settled down beside him on the makeshift mattress. She wanted to pull him into her arms, but, that would probably hurt him more than help him, so she simply laid there, letting him know she wasn't leaving just yet. That the situation was not dire. That she was not in a hurry. That they could just lay there, for a moment. "I met a doctor once, who was travelling with a Sylveon. They were part of the tournament in Jinko. Somehow... That Sylveon was healing people left and right, including myself. I never really thought about it at the time, but... Considering we were trying to survive against giant man-eating Pokemon... I chose not to question it. I wonder how it did that. I suppose... I just assumed your Sylveon could do that too." She spoke, seemingly lost in her own thoughts as she stared up into the ceiling. She smiled softly and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "I promise I didn't ask from a lack of knowledge."

After a pause, she continued, "And... Don't apologise, Dante. You've been more help than you know." Her eyes grew dimmer, and she let out a soft sigh. "My mind..." She hesitated. Would he see her differently if she told him the truth? Would he think less of her? Would he realize she wasn't who he thought she was and ruin everything? Would he realize that... The biggest liability among them, was actually her? But more than that... Would he still love her the same? "It's not the same. Some days... Most days... It feels like it could snap at any moment. Every time I remember things, every time I try to process what happened to me, it feels like it's breaking apart more and more. Something is inside of it. This... Shadow. A curse that infiltrated the cracks in my mind and never quite left. Telling me to succumb and do awful things. Sometimes I can't tell if it's even me anymore." She squeezed his hand tightly. "But then you came, and... Suddenly I remember happy things. Memories I didn't even know I still had. My strength comes from you, Dante. Your sound mind. I don't know what it is about you... But..." She turns her head slightly, to get a better look at him. "You're like a still lake. Clear and reflective, undisrupted no matter what's happening around you. It makes my thoughts quiet. And I feel that... Everything is okay."

And it was all true. If it hadn't been for his composure, his grounding presence, she was certain the situation would have been too much for her mind to handle. To be thrust into a situation so similar to Jinko, the place that had been so close to becoming her final resting place, would have broken her completely. The only reason she even got up from that beach in the first place was the hope that she would find him. That he might be on that island too. And the only reason she had kept her composure so well was from copying his energy.

Copying...

Wait...

"Copycat..." She murmured suddenly. She sat up looking over at Dante. "Sylveon can use Copycat! If I get Peridot to use Heal Pulse on you, and Syl uses Copycat on Peridot, she can use Heal Pulse too!" She grabbed his hand in both of hers, lifting it up carefully against her chest and looking at him with determined eyes. "It can work. And once Heal Pulse runs out, Peridot also has Life Dew, which isn't as strong, but it would affect more of us. We should save that for when we really need it."

 

[Vergil Tanner]

Name: Dante E. Young
Location: Campsite
Current Team: Jason, Tails, Gary [Incapacitated], Falcone, Ariel, Syl

Much as he was loathe to admit it, Cassie didn't have to push on his chest particularly hard to make him recline back into the makeshift bedding, a soft grunt escaping his lungs at the sharp contact of his back on the hard floor beneath him. Just that simple act of attempting to sit up under his own power had set his core to burning; as he lay there, he felt the tickling fingers of fire licking up and around the dip of his muscles, tearing through his stomach and once more provoking the inferno of agony that was his gut wound. He let out a sharp hiss between his teeth - more of an intake of breath, really, but it was still far more audible than he would have liked - and winced at the straining flash of white-hot agony that set stars dancing before his eyes. This was what he was reduced to. An act that seemed so simple that very morning, an action that was part of his daily workout routine in its dozens, and now he could barely manage half of one. How fragile he really was, he realised, that a simple errant piece of wreckage could render him as useless and defenceless as a newborn babe in the woods.

All of that work, all of that practice and study to be the very best trainer and the most competent adventurer he could be...and yet here he was, laid low by a simple shipwreck. It was funny, when you thought about it...in a pathetic, somewhat ironic way. He closed his eyes against the flash of white light before them, heaving a hefty sigh. Cassie was correct, of course; he shouldn't be moving in his condition. It was logical, it was rational, and it was ever so difficuly for him to accept. It was important for him to maintain a realistic assessment of his capabilities and limitations, but it was not easy for him to accept that the former list was now practically empty, and the latter was too long to bother even trying to count. He simply felt so...useless. Here Cassie was with these amazing ideas and skilled team, and all he could do was add addendums to her plans, or basic support to her squad. Were he healthy, he could provide much more in the way of physical assistance, but as things were now, he was actively damaging her chances of survival, and he had a feeling that they both knew it.

Her presence as she appeared next to him on the mattress was a surprise - though in hindsight, perhaps that was simply him being melodramatic - but not an unwelcome one. Though the thoughts in his head were unlikely to be silenced any time soon, if past experience had taught him anything, there was something undeniably soothing about Cassie's presence. She'd always been able to make him smile when he was younger, and it seemed that that skill had only grown in the interim. Considering what they'd just shared - and the afterglow it had left, which served to take a little of the edge off of his intense discomfort - feeling her beside him, holding his hand...it helped him settle the tumultuous thoughts tumbling through his head. He would not be free of his uncertainty or doubt any time soon, of course, but focusing on the warmth beside him, listening to her steady breathing, running his fingers over the curve of her hand and just allowing himself to float in the memory of that stolen kiss by the cliffside...it didn't make things all better, of course, but it made them bearable. And that was enough.

He still couldn't quite believe what had happened wasn't a dream or a hallucination, of course, but absent any evidence to that effect, he would allow himself - for the time being - to believe that it was more than just the frantic imaginings of a fevered mind desperate for some kind of hope or happiness to cling onto. Generally speaking, he knew his own mind well enough to know when it was playing tricks on him, and the kind of betrayal his mind liked to employ was often far more insidious and crirppling than false sensations or lucid half-dreams visited upon him without warning. He would likely suffer from those bouts at multiple times during this impromptu expedition, but he knew the signs enough to know that he was not having an episode at that moment. For the time being, his mind was his own, and he was relatively certain - as certain as one could ever be, at any rate - that what he remembered had, in fact, happened. And that knowledge was almost enough to make him smile like a loon despite everything else.

Cassandra, the girl he had quietly loved back as children and the woman he had followed with wide eyes and immeasurable admiration as she grew older, the woman who had grown from an energetic, effervescent young girl to an enigmatic, beautiful, elegant lady of the moonlight...an experienced adventurer, a champion, a cunning and intelligent battler and a sharp, inquisitive mind that challenged even him to be at his best at every moment...less than a day after they'd reconnected, there they were, sharing affections that he had never considered could be reciprocated. Sharing whispered secrets that he'd doubted would ever truly be spoken, exchanging touches and caresses that lit him ablaze more than even his wildest fantasies could have predicted...sharing intimacy that he even now believed he would never truly deserve. His thoughts still churned, his anxieties bubbled, but that memory of that gentle, affectionate kiss layered over the top and allowed him to at least recline in peace for a few quiet moments as he re-gathered his decorum and reset his stoic, determined resolve.

This was not the time to shatter into pieces and fall prey to inner demons, after all. If he didn't keep his mind focused on the task at hand, then he really would be dead weight and he refused to allow his mental state to drag him into a self-fulfilling prophecy. He was better than that, and if he wasn't, then he needed to strive to be. Either way, the conclusion was the same. And he knew enough to know that Cassie was not without her own demons that she had to fight. What he didn't expect, however...was for her to whisper them quietly into existence right then and there. He paused, tilting his head and quieting his own turbulent mind to pay keen attention to her soft - almost frightened - admission, and he felt his heart growing and aching for her. He knew what she meant with that black ichor infecting the cracks in her psyche. He knew how that felt all too well, and it pained him to know that she suffered from it, too. Maybe not in the exact same way, but that was the problem with an infection, was it not? It behaved differently depending on the person it corrupted.

"I understand," he said after a long moment of silence, reaching over with his free hand to cup hers in his own. "Believe me, I do. It crawls in and hollows you out, creates its own little infected den and soon wires itself directly into your nervous system. It takes control of everything you do, and soon enough, nothing you say or think is safe from its reaching tendrils." He suppressed a soft shudder. He remembered one such time that it nearly convinced him to do something...awful, and awfully final. It was by the barest stroke of luck that he hadn't succumbed, and he couldn't even take credit for the escape. He squeezed her hand firmly. "But you are aware of it, Cassie, and you are fighting it. Every day it fails is another victory for you, and considering how many people would have fallen to it years ago...it is no exaggeration to say that you are easily one of the strongest, most determined people I have ever known." He sighed quietly. It did not seem like much, but if his presence could keep her grounded...well.

He had no doubt she would fight and find a way to survive without him - it was the kind of woman she was, never giving up, never saying die - but maybe he could allow himself to believe that, if only for a few days. Maybe. "You would survive this without me, Cassie, I know you would. Beneath this calm facade lurks a much more murderous depth, an inky blackness of nightmares, and it's only because you are here right now that those horrors do not break the surface." He confessed to her quietly. She would still be alive without him, but he was under no illusions that he would likely not survive the week were it not for her. And then...the conversation shifted, and he had to blink a little at the suddenness of her change in energy. It took him a moment - mind clouded by pain, exhaustion and dark thoughts of his deeper insecurities - to catch onto what she was saying, but as soon as he did, he realised that she was right. There was a brief flash of bitterness as he heard her idea, he was ashamed to admit.

It was an excellent idea, and a lateral one that not many people would have thought of, but he couldn't help but feel disgusted with his own stupidity and incompetence. Syl was his partner, after all, and yet the strategy had not even occurred to him until that very moment; it did not make him feel much better about his lack of contribution to their survival efforts thus far, if he could not even rely on his own supposedly sharp mind to remember key capabilities of his Pokemon. The story of a Sylveon that was capable of healing was unusual - and he would need to investigate if he ever escaped the island - but that was not important right at that moment. It was a curiosity, but one he could not focus on. Syl could not heal. Whether this other one could or not or whether the skill could be taught was not a question he could answer at that moment, and therefore not one he should waste time on. He furrowed his brow. "That is unusual," he admitted, shaking his head, "and not something I've ever heard being possible." Either it was, or there was some trickery or chicanery involved. Either way, not his problem at that moment.

He considered for a few seconds before nodding slowly. The idea would work, but they would only have as many Copycats as they had Pulses remaining, and things like Life Dew should also be kept in reserve as long as possible. "An excellent idea," he said after a moment, "Though I feel I must warn you that Copycat's power will be nothing but a pale imitation of the original move. It is unlikely that the combination will restore me to full strength without depleting one of our only methods of healing." His face twisted into a frown. "If it is not enough to heal Gary, then it will not be enough to heal me." He cast a glance downwards to where his gut wound lay, every twist and turn sending a lance of raw agony pulsing through him. He wanted to tell her not to waste the charges, that they might need it for her, or their Pokemon later considering they didn't have any potions or Pokecenters available, but he knew that the way he was now - unable to so much as walk without getting light headed - he was far too much of a burden.

Eventually, he nodded. "I should take four - two pulses and two Copies - to patch myself up. That should be enough to at least repair any internal damage, prevent infection and remove the worst of the discomfort. Any more than that would be a waste, and would be better used on Gary or another of our teams should they become injured." He knew he was volunteering to stay injured, but it only made sense. They had an extremely limited amount of healing power available, and it made no sense to waste it all on him. They needed to ration it. He had a sneaking suspicion that they would soon encounter more than a few residents of the island, and they needed to be prepared for when they did. Who knew what else was on this island besides just them?

 

[PentheWonderful]

It was a difficult time for him. Perhaps more so than it was for her at that moment. If there was one thing she knew about Dante, one thing that remained the same even after all those years, it was his pride. Less so pride on how others perceived him and more of... How he perceived himself. Ever since he was young, he worked tirelessly to sharpen his mind and physical prowess to be among the best of the best. To rightfully earn the title of being the heir to his family fortune and legacy. The pride of House Young. Even from a young age, he believed that he needed to work harder than everyone else to be worthy of everything he had in life. That somehow, his own self wasn't enough. Though it was admirable, Cassie understood - perhaps better than anyone - that it was an anxious compulsion.

It was a lack of self-worth that you tried to fill with anything you could. Some people chose to fill that void with superficial things like expensive clothes and cars; Dante had chosen to fill his with skill and achievements. He prided his ability to think, to survive in any condition and thrive. He prided his physical fitness, his ability to push onwards where others would have fallen over and died. But now, both of those things had been stripped away from him so easily, and there was nothing he could do about it. Suddenly, he was helpless and weak. Suddenly, he needed to rely on someone to survive, and she knew how demeaning and frustrating it must feel. But perhaps, the worst part of it all was that... He was just going to have to bear with it.

It didn't need to be said, she was certain he already knew, but for the time being, he would have to rely on her to get them through these first few hours. She knew the thought made him angry. She knew he was frustrated at himself for not being able to contribute, to feel like he was a burden when really, without him there, she would have no reason to be, either. It broke her heart, baffled her really, that he felt that same, yawning despair she did. She could not begin to understand how someone as strong and composed and put-together as him could be a rotting mess like her, but... She supposed it was the same way he believed that she was better off without him and not the other way around. He believed her to be so strong. A fighter, he says. She wondered how she looked in his eyes. A fierce, self-assured woman who exuded confidence in everything she did, perhaps? A fearless adventurer who never fails to keep her demons at bay? A survivor? She was neither of those things.

She hadn't fought to stay alive, something out there simply did not want her to die, just so she could live and suffer another day. So she could continue to experience this purgatory over and over. And so knowing that... She wondered what hid behind his walls and many masks. What his truth was. "You give me far too much credit than I deserve." She responded, shaking her head. "The truth is... I'd stopped fighting a long time ago. It's that darkness that keeps me alive now, keeping me from dying. Because without me, it dies too." She looked at her hands, the black dust that corroded her veins. "I have no reason to keep going. Everything I've wanted to do, I've done. There's no reason for me to be here, yet... Here I am. It keeps me here, in this rotting state. When I try to fight it... Well, there's no real way to fight it. Not unless I die alongside it." She looked over at him, then smiled weakly. "But you'll protect me from me, won't you?"

And though it was unsaid, she was certain he knew what she meant. Stay alive. Stay alive so that I will too.

She nodded at Peridot, who shuffled closer to Dante and placed her little hand on his wound. She closed her eyes, a glow emanating from her tiny frame as she focused Heal Pulse to his wound, stemming any bleeds and leaks and rapidly stimulating torn tissue and muscle to knit back together.

 

[Vergil Tanner]

Name: Dante E. Young
Location: Campsite
Current Team: Jason, Tails, Gary [Incapacitated], Falcone, Ariel, Syl

And there it was. That uncertainty, that doubt, the spreading tendrils that networked through her and stopped her from feeling any real, genuine confidence or self-assurance. The voices that whispered in her ear and undermined anything she achieved, infecting every victory with self doubt and self loathing. The voices that had somehow convinced her that they were a necessary part of her, that they were keeping her together, when in actuality...it was them that was tearing her down. That yawning chasm of blackness worked like that, he found; it was like a toxic friend, somebody who wormed their way into your life with poisoned honey dripping from their tongue, convincing you that as hurtful and harmful as they were...you still needed them. It was like an abusive partner, come to think of it, gaslighting you into believing their twisted versions of events and making you doubt your own competence, your own very sanity so that the parasite could stay feeding off of a vulnerable host. And of course...she believed completely the opposite.

She was wrong.

The darkness was not keeping her alive; it was feeding off of her, making her believe that she couldn't survive without it, that she survived because of it rather than despite it. He knew it was a faux pas to assume you knew somebody elses' mind, especially after he'd just acknowledged that infections like this worked in very different ways across different people, but...he couldn't help it. That darkness had nearly killed her – the thought broke his heart, knowing how easily that could happen in their situation – and convinced her that it was her fault. The darkness was a part of Cassie...he knew that, as much as his own darkness was part of him. It would never leave, not truly, because it was him. It was his deepest insecurities and uncertainties, it was his own fears and worries, simply given form and function. The voice that taunted him on the edge of hearing was a distorted version of his own, and he knew that he could no sooner rip it from him than he could remove his own lungs, or discard his own heart. But that didn't mean that it kept him alive; she could survive outside of its direct influence, and though she might not believe that now, he was going to make it his mission to prove it to her, one way or another.

Peridot approached, and Dante gestured for Syl to follow - who carefully bounded into his lap, looking up at him with curious concern - but he didn't pay attention for the moment. His brow furrowed into a deep frown as he reached out, taking her smaller, pale hand in his with a firm, steady, demanding grip. His jaw set a little, and he made certain to catch her gaze; his eyes went firm and steely, demanding attention. "There is always a way to fight," he said firmly. "If there wasn't, I..." He hesitated for a moment, and he wondered if she would think less of him if she knew. If she knew how close he had come to losing, how nearly he had fallen off of that tightrope and plunged into the endless darkness that waited below. It was a stupid worry, considering what she'd just told him – he knew she would understand, more than anybody – but it was still an anxiety that was hard to shake. Just another thing the darkness had infected him with. With that in mind, he knew he couldn't come right out and say it - it was a painful, shameful memory for him even now - but he could at least....imply something serious, to make her understand just what he was saying. "....if there was no way to fight it, Cassie, I wouldn't be sitting here right now at all."

He looked away, then, a gnawing pit of guilt and shame and self-loathing washing over him. He did his best to push it down, to ignore it, but it rose around that little bubble of sanctuary in his mind nonetheless, inky black waves rolling over the protective dome that kept him...maybe not safe, but at least stable. Shaking his head to clear it, he forced himself to look back up to meet her eyes. "You are more than you let yourself believe, Cassie, and I am never letting you think otherwise. You don't need the darkness. The darkness needs you. There's a difference." He squeezed her hand more firmly. He couldn't do much...but if he could keep her stable, if he could help her find her way in the dark, if he could make her feel a little less alone in the shadows...then maybe there was a use for him here after all. Because no way in hell was he going to let those demons drag her down again. No way was he going to let them nearly kill her again, and blame her. No way in hell was he going to let her go through another minute of that struggle on her own, come hell or high water.

A wince lanced across his features as he felt a sharp stab of pain radiating from the wound as Peridot began healing him, a pulse running through him as his stitches gave way and flesh began to knit together into a dull, throbbing scar. It only healed halfway - mostly dealing with the initial infections - which was when Syl came in. Her Copycat didn't heal as much, largely finishing up the infection and - on the second usage - the scar, but...well, the searing pain whenever he breathed was allayed a little, and at least he could move without getting vertigo. It was still tender and felt tight and aching, a dull throb making him suck in a soft inhale of breath every time he moved too quickly...but he was functional, at least, and was able to pull himself into a sitting position without much discomfort. He scooped Syl up into his arm and gave her a rewarding fuss, then glanced up at Cassie once more. His eyes shot down beside him, stretching his arm out for her to slip beneath into a side-hug. "Take a seat," he seemed to say, lifting an eyebrow. It had been a hell of a long day. If anybody deserved a quick rest and a comforting hug...it was her. Something told him that comforting, supportive human contact was something she had been missing for far, far too long...and that was going to change, right the hell now.

 

[PentheWonderful]

It took her a few moments - perhaps, a moment too long - to work out just what he was requesting. Not because his gesture had been unclear, no. More because... It simply didn't occur to her that he was inviting her for a hug. Her first thought was perhaps he was gesturing at or pointing to something, so her first instinct had been to look around and see what he was directing her attention to. Immediately her eyes flickered outside, to see if something was watching them, then up to the ceiling, to see if something was hanging over them, and then feeling silly and a bit confused when she realized that probably wasn't what he meant. She didn't know why the thought of someone inviting her to sit near them, let alone a hug felt so unusual, so strange to her. Perhaps, it was simply because people usually scattered away from wherever she sat or gave her an unnecessarily wide berth when she walked past. It was painfully obvious now what Dante meant and it was only natural that he would want her next to him now that they were together, but old habits die hard, and she can't help but feel a little silly.

A soft flush of embarrassment dusted her cheeks, chuckling apologetically at Dante for the little slip up. Hopefully he found it at least a bit funny, so then she could claim it had some sort of silver lining to it rather than appearing incredibly sad. But nevertheless, she crawled over to him and as soon as she drew near, it was just like clockwork. It was as if the years had never passed. To her, he was familiar, warm, and safe. As she breathed in his scent, it did not evoke the hesitance of an unfamiliar scent or the moment required to adjust to it, decide whether you liked it or not, and then take the leap to come close. As soon as she was near him, she fell right into place, tucking herself under his arm and pressed against his side. She fit so perfectly against him it was like finally finding a part of her she had always been missing. It was familiar, yet, It was also a completely new experience. It carried the old and added a newfound warmth that hadn't been there before. This pleasant bubbliness, comfort and hope. Just the fact that she could still feel all those things by being held by Dante... It was a miracle that he had come into her life when he did.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, realizing just... How much she missed this. How much she missed being held, feeling the warmth of another human body keeping you close and protecting you from the big, bad world. She had been fending for herself for years now, with the only comfort and contact she received being solely from her Pokemon. It was a luxury she didn't think she could afford anymore. And now that she had it, it was shocking just how quickly she went soft, melting into his touch and drinking in his affection as if it were a cool oasis in a scorching desert. His body was firm and strong, even with his injury he held himself proudly and gracefully. His arm was more comforting than any duvet or blanket as it wrapped around her, and in her mind, she wanted to stay that way forever and forget about everything else. Forget about foraging and trying to survive. If everything ended there, she would be content.

Yet still, she found her mind drifting back to what he'd said before. About the ghosts that haunted him just the same. Of course... How could she be so ignorant? She didn't know what Dante had been through while they were apart but she didn't doubt that it had been crippling all the same. You don't tend to achieve that level of success without hell to pay in exchange. It broke her heart knowing that he had to go through the same torture she had been subjected to, but, she was also incredibly proud of him for being able to get through to the other side stronger for it. Perhaps... That was how he felt about her too. The realization dawned on her. And everything he said in the ballroom, moments before disaster struck, and everything he was saying now... She finally realized that he had been speaking the simple truth. His truth. He hadn't said it because he thought that was what she wanted to hear, he hadn't said it because it was perhaps the 'right' thing to say, he said it because he genuinely believed it was true. And that was all that mattered.

She knew just how difficult it was to come out and talk about those things, because talking about it also meant that you had to relive those moments, you had to process them and then word them in a way that could be understood. And when you relived those moments, those feelings you had come to associate with those moments came rushing back, and that was perhaps the worst part. Seeing the look of guilt and shame and disgust on his face felt all too familiar, because those were the same emotions she felt when she thought back on her past. It never got easier, but perhaps... It could. When you had someone who understood and didn't need explanation.

She give his hand a tight squeeze, interlocking their fingers together as she turned her head to look at him. She smiled softly, reassuringly, nodding to let him know that it was okay. She understood now. Of course it would be Dante that helped her realize that. There was no one else she would rather have. "Thank you." She said after a moment, "I needed that."

Having sensed both of the trainers' emotions and recognizing the turmoil inside Dante, Peridot approached him. She cooed softly, and after a moment of hesitation, the little Kirlia gave his arm a reassuring hug.

 

[Vergil Tanner]

Name: Dante E. Young
Location: Campsite
Current Team: Jason, Tails, Gary [Incapacitated], Falcone, Ariel, Syl

It was, frankly, heartbreaking to see the look of confusion and bewilderment when he offered her his embrace. Hesitation at the show of intimacy when their relationship was still new, he had expected. Trepidation at being so vulnerable would have been normal. Concern for whether he was in a state to comfortably offer such comfort would have been understandable. But confusion? A genuine lack of understanding of what it was he was even suggesting, as if the idea of somebody offering support and affection and comfort was somehow alien to her? That was...heart-rending, he had to say. The idea that human contact, that affection and companionship and love had been withheld from her for so long that it didn't even occur to her was absolutely criminal, and he knew right then and there that if he ever met her parents, her family or anybody who claimed to be her friend, they would be getting an absolute earful from him over letting her mental state deteriorate to this level.

No, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't that her mental state had deteriorated; the blood loss and exhaustion was addling his words. It was more that her trust in people and her self worth had been crushed to the point where it didn't even occur to her that she deserved to be offered affection. No, it was past that; that would have been hesitation and suspicion. It was so bad that it didn't even occur to her that anybody would offer her that level of human contact, and it was that that was disgusting. It was that that incensed him so, that the world around her had ground her beneath its heel so much that something as simple as somebody caring about her and wanting to hold her was a thing that could happen. Of course, Cassie attempted to play it off as a joke - something to laugh at, then forget - but Dante wasn't about to let that pass without noting it. Talking about it wasn't the right move, even he could tell that much, but it was a reaction he was going to have to condition out of her. There was not a single day that would ever go by from this moment on where he didn't let her know precisely how much she meant to him. She would never be surprised by his affections ever again, that much he swore.

But Cassie, at that moment, was trying to save face. She was trying to avoid the obvious questions and the pity that would come with that reaction being talked about. He knew Cassie well enough to know that whilst she would accept his sympathy...he had to be careful not to cross into pity, or it would only make her feel worse about herself. That kind of darkness fed on her insecurities, and having the condescension often connected with pity directed at her would only hurt her in the long run. So instead of doing what he wanted to do - tell her that it wasn't funny, that her reaction was appalling and that he would never let it happen again - he obliged her and returned the smile with a wan, wry look that was just the right amount of sad...but also putting a slightly sardonic spin on the whole thing. He lifted his arm up as she crawled towards him - a sight that, despite itself, earned a more warm, genuine smile as he took in what it represented - and placed it heavily down around her shoulders as she snuggled in close.

She felt warm, of course, warm and far softer than she had any right to be. He felt her body pushing up against his side, her head leaning against his shoulder and her hands resting on his chest and stomach as he pulled her in tightly under his arm, leaning back a little to rest them against the roots of the tree they were hiding beneath. His hands reached over and pulled her into position so that she was lying half atop his chest, cheek and shoulder and chest intertwined with his as he cradled her against him, one hand wrapped firmly around her back and waist, holding her beautiful curves tight against him, keeping her nice and safe and secure, whilst the other reached up to play with her hair gently, running his fingers through her dark, luscious locks. Granted, they were somewhat tangled and knotted from the sea and the physical exertion it had taken to get to this point, but it was gorgeous nonetheless. He teased out some of the knots with a smile, and rested his nose and forehead against the top of her head. "Anything for you, Cassie. Always," he whispered softly.

He glanced down as he felt a pressure on his arm, and found himself smiling softly at the sight he saw; Peridot, the little Kirlia, had hopped up on a nearby root and taken to hugging his arm tightly as if to give him some comfort, too. He turned his arm - taking his hand away from Cassie's hair for a moment - to give Peridot a sort of half-reverse-hug in gratitude. "And thank you, Peridot," he said with a genuine note of warmth, "for the healing. And thank you for looking after Cassie." Cassie might not think she was worth much, but the devotion of her team told another story; Pokemon were very emotionally in tune, and if she'd earned not just their devotion but their affection, then that told him all he would ever need to know about who she was deep down. He turned his head back to Cassie, her face lingering so close to his, eyes drooping a little shoulders relaxing...he could feel from her breathing and her snuggled posture that she was comfortable hugged tight to him, and he could have left it at that. But...no. No, she had gone without real affection for far, far too long.

They had had to stop on the road, but now that they were taking time to recuperate before their next move...now was the perfect time. Returning his hand to her hair, he slipped it onto her cheek, tilting her face up towards his caressing the side of her face lovingly. "Cassie," he murmured gently, "We are going to survive this. Together." And with that, he leaned down and pressed a slow, gentle, loving kiss to her lips, gathering her in, sealing his mouth around hers and flooding her with all of the warmth and love that she made him feel. His heart skipped a beat as warmth exploded into his body, a soft, quiet, happy little moan escaping from him as he tasted her once more, now in a far more intimate place and posture. The arm around her waist tightened, pulling her in closer as his tongue began to gently tease at her plush, delicious lips almost playfully, as if daring her to lose herself in the embrace and have some light-hearted fun. The darkness in his mind receded a little at the flash of light and warmth her touch gave him, and he kissed her harder still, chasing that high, chasing her high as adrenaline and intoxication spread through his body. The day had been one disaster after another, but with Cassie in his arms thinking of all the things they had shared, the feelings they had voiced...he couldn't help but feel that in that moment...it was all worth it, and he wouldn't change a damn thing even if he could.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Cassie could barely remember the last time she was held like this. Or, if that was something she had ever experienced at all. Perhaps she had, a lifetime ago, but the memories became so entwined with painful feelings that she had deigned to forget them. What had started off beautiful, steadily eroded into rust and disrepair until there was nothing left for her to revisit. Her worry hadn't been that she had forgotten them, no. It was well and truly that she would never get to experience them again, yet here she was. In Dante's arms, she remembered how much she used to love affection. Touch. Warmth. All of those basic human experiences that she had convinced herself she disliked or wanted no part of, just to protect herself from the pain of being deprived of them. Or perhaps, it was simply because he was the one holding her, as opposed to any other man she could have met. No, it was definitely because it was Dante, and no one else.

After all, how could anyone else possibly compare to him? How could anyone else achieve what he has achieved? How could anyone else do what he did, think the way he thought, and fight the way he fought? His intelligence and determination were unmatched, his physique and strength second to none. And above all else, how could anyone understand her, know her as well as he did? Dante was a fine man and even without his wealth, he would have undoubtedly achieved just as much success as he has. He could have anyone he wanted, yet, he chose her. A complete liability. As she felt the weight of his arm around her, guiding her to lay halfway across his chest and hold him in return, Cassie can't help but feel like an impostor. A wolf in sheep's clothing. Deceiving him into thinking she could be what he wanted, that she could make him happy. When in reality, she knew she would only make his life so much harder. She brought down everyone around her. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to be happy. She didn't deserve him.

And yet, selfishly, she continued to enjoy his embrace. She continued to hold him and share in his warmth with her hand resting across his chest, her cheek against his shoulder and her leg atop his. She listened to his breathing, his heartbeat, breathed in his comforting winter scent and traced along his tight muscles. Despite those thoughts, those voices in her head, she was happy with him. And nothing they said could change that. Because with him... She didn't want to listen to them. She wanted to feel his fingers running through her hair and feel embarrassed at all the knots they got caught in. She wanted to feel his forehead and nose pressing against her own, and feel his warm breath against her face as they looked each other in the eyes, as he told her he would do anything for her. Watching him gently show affection to the smallest member of her team, thanking her for her hard work and seeing her positive reaction to him - chirping and cuddling closer - she felt like... A proud parent. Like she wasn't alone. And that Dante would make an excellent father someday. She wanted this moment and nothing else.

When he looked at her once more, how could she not melt beneath his gaze, his loving touch? Drawing in a breath as his rough fingers glided over the side of her face, almost shuddering from the bliss she felt. He kissed her, and all of her doubts and worries melted away. All of them ceased to matter. What mattered now was the surge of warmth engulfing her body, the weightlessness and uplifting bubbliness that brought her up to cloud nine. She sighed contentedly, her hand reaching up to caress the side of his face and draw him closer as she leaned in to deepen the kiss, trembling upon the brush of his tongue against her lip. Her stomach did a flip as if it were her very first time feeling tongue. A jolt of electricity ran through her body, her heart hammering in her chest. There was just something about him that made it all so exciting and new. So precious and meaningful. She drew closer, crushing their bodies together within his embrace and opening her mouth to excitedly welcome him inside... And the rest was history.

 

[Vergil Tanner]

Name: Dante E. Young
Location: Campsite
Current Team: Jason, Tails, Gary [Incapacitated], Falcone, Ariel, Syl

Dante didn't need to be a Psychic Type to know what was going on in Cassie's head (Not that he would have been able to use his powers anyway, since Cassie was clearly a Dark Type if anything), and he didn't need a year of psychotherapy or slowly getting to know her through gentle prods and pokes to understand how she felt. In that moment, having her look up at him in the seconds before their lips met in a gentle carress, he could see through them and into her very being. She was always so good at hiding her emotions, keeping them under control and adopting the masks that had gotten her through so much in her life, but here, now...they had cracked and fallen away, leaving only the scared, uncertain, insecure girl behind the mirrors cowering in the dark. He could see that self-doubt, that self-loathing eating away at her, and he knew without needing to be told that she felt...unworthy. That she felt like she didn't deserve affection or compassion or warmth, because he knew that feeling. He'd felt it himself before, many times, and probably would again in the future. Because...whilst they experienced it differently, perhaps, they were both infected with darkness. Maybe not the same darkness per say, but...similar shades, perhaps.

But he also saw...something that gave him hope. A flicker of defiance, a slight ember of the beginning of a candle in the shadows that fought back. Not against the darkness, but against the beasts that resided within them. Something that one day, maybe, could be a way to ignore their whispered taunts...a way to enjoy the moment, without worrying about whatever poison those whispers were trying to trickle into her ear. It was a brief flash, but he knew what it meant; in this moment, she wasn't listening to what her demons were saying. Like him...she had embraced the moment, thrown herself into it, decided to allow herself- just this once - to enjoy it. And how could he do anything but recriprocate? He knew he was broken, he knew he was distant and aloof and emotionally impaired. He was a mess, despite the confident, stoic facade he adopted, and he knew on some level that he wasn't worthy of her, that his strength was a lie, that without his physical skill he was nothing but a liability that would get her killed if she had to stop and wait for him due to his injuries. But feeling her curled up against him, feeling her hand moving across his body, her head pressed against his chest, feeling the rising and falling of her breath as the silence stretched and consumed both of them in quiet happiness...he didn't want to listen to those voices either.

So he didn't. He gathered her into his arms as they leaned in towards each other, hands running over her back, gently massaging and caressing her comfortingly to try to coax her into a more relaxed, more dreamy state. He, for once in his life, let go of the constant contemplations running in his mind to focus, completely and totally...on nothing. Every day, every moment of his existence, he was always thinking about a hundred and one different things. He was an intelligent person, and his mind was always dealing with several issues at once in the background. Food, shelter, water, considering new training regimes, making to-do-lists of chores, worrying about his own insecurities, focusing on maintaining the mask he hid behind to avoid facing his own inadequacies, maintaining a conversation with whoever he was dealing with at the time...just constant, ever-present noise and activity buzzing away all around his conscious thoughts. But now...he let it all go, forced himself to relinquish all of that and allow the noise in his head to die.

Instead, he focused on her, her lips, her breathing, the shape of her body as she pressed up against him, the warmth of her back beneath his hands, the taste of her lips and the mixing of their breaths. How her hands caressed his cheek, slipped into his knotted hair, how she tried to gather closer despite how much he very obviously stank after their ordeals, and how his own mind was more than happy to ignore her own...rough hygiene to instead just feel more of this blissful silence. She opened her mouth beneath his advance and his tongue was more than happy to accept the invitation, pressing inside and tangling with hers, running along her lips, twisting inside to explore and make itself at home, memorising every detail. His breathing hitched and turned shallow, nose flaring as a soft, happy groan echoed from his lungs. His fingers followed the curve of her body, pulled her closer against him to feel her shape molding to his more tightly, relishing the warmth and heat of her body, how soft she was to the touch despite the pain and hardness she'd gone through. His pulse quickened and his heartrate heightened. He turned his body slowly and gingerly to lie on his side, pulling her against his chest, crushing them together so that no iota of space remained. His hands explored her, his mouth devoured her, his tongue danced with her, his mind focused on her and only her, falling into her embrace fully, leaving the stresses of the world outside for just a little while...

And it was the happiest evening of his life.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Things were… Getting a bit too exciting in their makeshift base, Nine had to admit. Being as old as he was, he knew exactly what two adult humans – or any creature, really - got up to when they ‘loved each other very much’ and he figured it was about the right time they gave the two trainers their privacy. Especially before clothes started flying off. Thus, he felt it necessary to shield the innocent eyes of Peridot and usher her out of the little den with his tails before that happened, Ryu following closely on their heels.

It was not the first time they’d experienced something similar, but it had been a very long time since the last occurrence. Nonetheless, Peridot was not too happy being babied, and the little Kirlia swatted his tails away in frustration. “Nine! I’m not a child, I don’t need you to babysit me!” She whined, stomping her foot down. In response, the fox simply snorted, almost in offense at his luscious tails being ruffled. He looked at them in displeasure, and idly began fussing over them, putting his fur back in place. “You have a peculiar way of saying ‘thank you’, Peridot.”

The Kirlia seemed to puff up with annoyance, “Because you keep treating me like a child! I’m as much a part of this team as you a-“ However, a sudden, indistinguishable ‘pop’ of a Pokeball came from inside the den, interrupting Peridot’s words. Out came Lady, pouncing on top of Nine, knocking him over and disorganizing his well-kept fur even further. “Goodness gracious, Peridot, have you no respect for our elders?” The Liepard grinned, blissfully continuing to tussle and wrestle with Nine. Peridot only seemed to seethe even more. “LADY! I swear to Arceus I will hex you!” The Ninetales growled, managing to position his hind legs beneath her and kick her off of him.

The Liepard landed gracefully on her feet and laughed with mirthful glee, rolling around on the leaves and dirt while Nine hopped onto his feet and shook out his fur. He laments all the leaves and twigs now stuck in his tails and mane and hissed a puff of flames from his mouth. “If you weren’t one of us, I would’ve torn you to shreds.”

“Whaaat? Me? What did I do? It’s not my fault you make a convincing Braixen.” Lady cooed innocently, tilting her head back and glancing at the others who were – in her vision – upside down, making their frowns look like smiles. “You love it, really.” Ryu, who had been silent and seemingly deep in thought before, growled in annoyance. “Shut up, you two. We’re in a foreign environment and we barely have any supplies to live off.”

“Oh please. You’re acting like this is the end of the world.” Lady rolled her eyes, twisting her body the right way up and earning herself a sharp glare from Ryu. “If all goes to shit, we’ll kill something out in the wild and eat it. Easy.”

“Well, maybe if we were as mentally depraved as you are, we wouldn’t be so concerned!” Peridot snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Awww, and maybe if you weren’t so tiny and pathetic, we’d stop treating you like a child.” Lady sneered back, showing off her menacing fangs, but Peridot wasn’t backing down. The Kirlia, frowned, straightening her arms and stepped closer.

“You better watch your mouth. I’m still your senior.”

Lady rose to her feet, stalking towards the smaller creature. “And yet, I was the one who made it into the main team. Isn’t that right?”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Ryu barked, stepping in between the two of them. He spared a glance to Peridot, who seemed visibly shaken by what Lady had said. That statement cut her deep, and Lady knew it. He turned back to the Liepard with a scowl. “Lady, you are way out of line.”

Lady rolled her eyes. “Weren’t you the one who told me not to pick fights I couldn’t win?” She snorted. “Maybe if you spared some fatherly advice to the pipsqueak, she’d actually get somewhere.”

“And maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass, we’d have an easier time working together as a team!” Ryu snarled.

“I can play nice when I need to. Besides, I don’t take orders from you.” Lady scoffed and turned her back to him. She began stalking off into the forest, but Nine, still in a rough state, stops her in her tracks. “And where do you think you’re going?”

Lady shoves past him. “To find something to feed your sorry asses.”

And she disappears into the undergrowth.

Ryu let out an exasperated breath. "Well. Someone needs to go after her."

But Nine and Peridot pretend not to hear him. The Lucario lets out another huff. "Fine. You two go find a clean water source and some medicinal herbs if you can. I'll... Figure it out with Lady."

And before Ryu could change his mind, Peridot and Nine took off.

 

[Vergil Tanner]

Syl reluctantly appeared from the tangled tree roots alongside the other Pokemon, glancing back every so often to try and get a glimpse of what was happening beyond Nine's tails; whilst she wasn't being herded out specifically, Nine's tails were large enough that they effectively ended up pushing everybody out whether they liked it or not, which resulted in Syl being bounced out of the hole even as she tried to avoid it. She let out a soft little whine as she shook her head to clear it of the fog that temporarily descended after her tumble, and moved as if to slip back into the roots to see what was going on; Nine was very insistent on getting everybody out, after all, but he hadn't been talking to her, surely! Master never wanted her gone! Why, she'd never been so much as kicked out of his bed before when she went up for a snuggle in the middle of the night, so she couldn't see why it would be any different now! She popped her head back into the tree roots, but felt a sudden pressure on the scruff of her neck, stopping her body from following her through! OH NO! A monster!

She twisted and thrashed in response, whining loudly for somebody to save her as she tried to escape the grip of whatever evil wild Pokemon had her in its hungry clutches, and scrabbled at the tree bark to try and stop herself from being pulled out. Her ribbons wrapped around whatever they could find, alas, in vain as she was heaved bodily up into the air. She recoiled and cringed, kicking weakly in the air...and opened her eyes to see the rather disapproving face of Falcone. She paused, then relaxed sheepishly with a little chuckle. "Um...hey, Falcone!" She smiled, wrapping her ribbings around Falcone's arm. "Can you put me down?"
"Nope. You're comin' with me."
"But I wanna go back to Maaaaaaaaster!" She mewled in protest as Falcone turned and carried her towards where Tails and Jason were lying on the grass, frowning as they watched a rather...heated looking exchange between Lady-Master's pokemon team nearby.

"No," Falcone said again, "Master Dante needs his...privacy." Tails perked her head up at that, slowly turning her head towards the larger Rhydon.
"Oh~?" She purred, tails coiling around her like the coquettish fans of a floating socialite at a ball. "I knew he had taste, but he usually isn't this fast." She chuckled, shimmying her long, flowing mane behind her. "Good for him. He certainly needs some relaxation. He's been wound very tight recently."
Syl huffed. "I can relax him just fine! Master always loves my snuggles!"
Tails reached up with her snout and booped Syl on the under-belly with her nose. "Yes, he does. But there are some types of cuddles that only humans can give other humans. Do not worry, Syl, he will call for your cuddles soon as well."
Syl paused, looking at Tails grumpily. "You promise?"
"I promise."
"...okaaaaaay...you can put me down now, Miss Falcone. I won't go back until Master calls me."

Falcone gave Syl a searching look, but after an approving nod from Tails, proceeded to set Syl down on the ground. Whilst the temptation was strong, and she did indeed give their new camp a lingering look, she sighed and padded over towards Tails, who opened up a gap in her tails to let Syl enter her small ring of fur. Tails pulled Syl close and patted her back with her snout, before looking up at Jason who was still watching the argument unfold before them. "I'm surprised you aren't being more protective," Tails commented, nudging him with her shoulder. Jason shook his head.
"I know her. If there's anyone who I think ain't gonna fuck 'im over, it's her." He nodded towards where the group of Cassandra's Pokemon had just split off from each other, in three different directions. "I'm more worried 'bout them. If they can' get along wit' each other, how're they gonna work wit' us?" He growled softly. "I ain't got pleasant experiences've Liepards m'self, but if we're gonna survive..."
Tails nodded solemnly. "I am aware. But teamwork does not come easily. Remember those first few months after Gary evolved? Things were...not particularly easy. But with patience and understanding, we perservered." Jason sighed.

"I know." He got to his feet slowly, glancing over the three of them. "I'll go..." He frowned in distaste, remembering the dinner and the condescending chat he had with the Lucario, "...talk to the Lucario. Assumin' he can hold back his condescendin' Taurus-crap long 'nuff." Arceus knew he was used to being profiled due to his Typing and it made him sick, but...as needs must, he supposed. They were the leaders of their respective teams, and if Dante had taught him anything, it was that sometimes you had to do things you didn't like in order to achieve your objectives. Tails nodded slowly, but was wearing an...odd expression. Jason frowned. "What?"
"As I remember it, neither of you covered yourself in glory at dinner," she said with a lifted eyebrow. "He was rude, condescending and clearly very judgemental towards you...but you acted like a smug, boorish brute who was trying to be the Big Dog On Deck. Honestly, it was rather embarrassing to watch you two bicker like hatchlings."
Jason growled at her darkly as she spoke, his ears flattening against his head in indignation. "Y' saw how he looked 't me, and y' heard what he said t' me."

Tails nodded. "I did. And I heard what you said to him, and I saw how you looked at him. What was that saying? Six to one, half-dozen the other? Meeting hostility with hostility doesn't make you superior. It makes you just as thuggish as them." She met him with a long, penetrating look. Jason did his best to meet her gaze, but...he knew she was right. He had not comported himself well at that dinner, and in hindsight, perhaps he had met the hostility with a little too much of his own. He broke the gaze first, and heaved a sigh. Tails reached over with one of her tails and patted his shoulder. "I am not asking you to like him. I am not asking you to beg for his forgiveness. Reconciliation takes recognition of fault by both parties. But I am asking you to - for the sake of the team - put it aside for the time being."
Jason huffed, but after a moment, nodded reluctantly. "...Fine. Yeah, alright."
"Thank you. And well done," she said genuiney. "And what would you have us do?" Jason sighed, then glanced around the new campsite. What would Dante have them do? Given the terrain and the lack of natural defences...
"Campsite Security," he decided after a moment. "Syl 'n Tails, do a lap've the perimeter. Make sure t' find every approach y' can, and make sure we ain't bein' snuck up on. Falcone, get t' gatherin' rocks 'n wood. Knock down some trees if y' hafta, you know Dante will want construction materials."

The trio nodded and split off in their own directions to follow the commands, leaving Jason on his own, albeit after a quick leg-rub by Syl and a nudge to his shoulder from Tails. He sighed, shook his head, and swallowed his pride as best he could. He and the Lucario had not given each other the best first impressions in the world, and perhaps Tails was right; they were both at fault for that. Just as Jason didn't want to be stereotyped for being Dark, maybe he shouldn't have assumed ill intent just because the Lucario was a Fighting Type. Bad treatment by other Fighting Types didn't mean all of them were assholes, and he knew that. It was just hard to remember it sometimes. Jason turned and padded over to the Lucario, deciding to open with a joke at first, to at least try to break the tension.
"We could always eat her first 'f it came to it. Might save y' some headaches in th' long run," he chuckled as he sat down next to the Lucario, giving a wry smile. "Though y're right. Somebody needs t' go after her. She seems like th' type t' bite off more'n she can chew, only t' choke rather'n admit it...'n the last thing we need is another injured team member." He glanced at the Lucario out of the corner of his eye, and ventured further; he had been watching the altercation and whilst the Liepard had been...irreverent, she had certainly not been the one to take it to a nasty place.

He started again slowly, "...though I will say, y' didn' handle that well 't all. The other two were just's guilty as her f' how things went down, if not more so." Jason thought 'more so,' but he decided saying as much would lack tact. "She only got nasty after th' Kirlia got threatenin'. 'Fore that, she didn' really do nothin'. I might've said somethin' similar if I had two've my so-called team-mates jumpin' down my throat f' no reason...and as th' leader, y' can't go losin' y' temper on her when she has a right t' feel attacked. She gets insulted 'n threatened - twice, migh' I add - 'n the second she bites back, y' yell at her for upsettin' who she clearly thinks is your favourite. No wonder she ain't listenin' t' y'." He stretched out a little. He wasn't the biggest fan of Liepards in general - they tended to be way too catty for his liking - but he'd also been in the position of being blamed for stirring shit up just because of his Typing. And he had to admit...she hadn't really said anything to deserve the shit she got until after the Kirlia had tried to 'pull rank' on her.

It was clear just from watching that she was the black sheep of the team, and considering the position they were in...well, maybe it was better not to play favourites for the time being. Just because somebody was a pain in the arse, didn't mean they didn't deserve somebody in their corner when people weren't being fair to her. "So. How're y' gonna get her t' calm down 'n come back? Now ain't the time for squabblin' or grudges, after all." He glanced at the Lucario, and had to suppress the urge to bite back the words that were about to come out of his mouth. It was all he could do to not snarl, but he managed to push the words out without a growl or bark, thank Arceus. "...'n tha' means between any've us." He turned his head to scan the surrounding treeline, just in case...though to be honest, it was partially to avoid having to look at the Lucario's face. "We got off on th' wrong foot," he eventually managed, "'n tha's as much my fault 's yours. So..." He paused, shaking his head and turning it back towards the Lucario. "Why don' we try again? Clean slate, 'n all that crap." Arceus, he hated being the bigger man. It was so hard, and with practically no guarantee of it working. If this Lucario threw it back in his face, he swore to Giratina, he was gonna lose it...

 

[PentheWonderful]

As soon as the other members of his team disappeared from sight, all the tension that had been holding Ryu up on his feet disappeared from his body, reminding him of how completely and utterly spent he truly was. Cassandra had gotten herself into many misadventures, of course. This was not their first rodeo being stranded in the middle of nowhere with limited supplies, nor was it the worst circumstance they had ever been placed in. But it was different this time.

It was different because back then, their team was happy. It was functional and close. Everyone understood each other and worked together. Everyone got along, and things were simple. But now… Everything was different. And as much as he tried to pretend everything that had happened was in the past, they still followed him to this day. Because at the end of the day, he hadn’t been there. All the times that Cassandra had suffered the most, all the times that she needed him more than ever, he hadn’t been there. And now, she and the Pokemon that had been with her grew and changed while he stayed the same. And one step behind.

That guilt still weighed on him, and despite himself, he couldn’t help but direct that animosity to the Pokemon that had been there for her. Why? Was it because he was jealous? Because she was growing faster than he was? Because she was now closer to Cassie than he was? Did he fear that he was being replaced? It was absurd, he knew. He should be grateful to her for keeping his trainer safe when he couldn’t, but those feelings haunted him at every turn. Plus, it didn’t really help that she wasn’t exactly the easiest Pokemon to get along with either.

The canid rubbed his paw against his head, trying to soothe the pounding that was beginning to set in. At that moment, he felt like he had been thrust into a dysfunctional household where he was now unwillingly the parent of. And he had no idea where to start. But it shouldn’t be up to him. He knew that. It was up to everyone else to make things work just as much as it depended on him. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right.

Everything was upside down and he no longer had any idea which way was up. His family… His once happy, tight-knit family was falling apart. And he was still in that ocean, beneath those dark, crashing waves. Drowning. Such that he failed to notice the Houndoom when he approached. However, his voice interrupted his thoughts, his downward spiral, and the Lucario glanced at him with tired ruby eyes. Like Lady, he too had mixed feelings about Jason, but perhaps, less complicated. He did not hate the Houndoom. On the contrary, he respected his strength and training. Perhaps, he could become a worthy rival to him.

They hadn’t started on the right foot, but Ryu was keenly aware he was mostly to blame for that. Any member of the team would attest that he was never the best at interacting with other Pokemon. On top of that, they’d only known each other for a night and the level of stress he had meant he could barely remember what happened on that boat. He was tired. Too tired to hold onto pride or poorly placed words. “Oh… Jason.” His voice was resigned, his ears lowering slightly from their upright position on the top of his head. Relaxing, perhaps. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

With a long-suffering grunt, Ryu too lowers himself to the ground, seating himself. His gaze is long and unfocused. Far away. Looking at nothing at all. But just because his eyes were tuned out, that did not mean his ears were. And he listened to Jason closely, explaining things from an outside perspective and bringing to his attention things he’d missed or twisted differently. He could tell from his aura that the Houndoom was genuinely trying to help, so he had no reason to believe he was trying to deceive him. Logically, he knew that would be the case too. What good would turning on each other do? Lower the survival rate for both their teams, that was what. And he knew Jason was right. “I know. You’re right. It's just… Hard to think when you’re in it.” Ryu huffed. “Feels like I’m a step-parent to a headstrong teenager who didn’t even want me as her dad, y’know?”

He wasn’t usually this forthcoming, but… At that point, he was at the end of his rope with no one to really talk to. It would be foolish of him not to accept a truce, or a listening ear for that matter. And really, Jason’s offer of a clean slate touched him. He hadn’t expected him to take the first step, but he was glad he did. It was one of the few things that went right that day. Ryu offered Jason a tired, yet nonetheless grateful smile. “Yeah. I’d like that.” After a pause, he continued. “And thank you. For listenin’ to my silly troubles.”

But now… Came the hard part. What was he going to do about Lady? He was probably the last person she wanted to see right now. If he showed up to talk to her… Well, she was going to try and rip his face off, and he’d have to restrain her, and that wasn’t going to make her any more pleased with him. And then they might lose her for good… “We didn’t use to be like this…” He murmured to himself. “We used to be close. Happy.” His gaze drifted to the gloomy sky above. “But times change. And we’re all strugglin’ to change with it.”

He sighed softly, then glanced back at the Houndoom, almost blankly. “I’m not getting’ through Lady today, or any time soon, I think. But the others’ll still listen to me if I talk to them.” And then, a light bulb seems to switch on in his head. “But maybe… She’ll listen to a stranger.” And finally, his ruby eyes focus on Jason. In a moment, he hopped back onto his feed, ears standing at attention. “Jason. I normally wouldn’t ask a Pokemon I’d just met for favors, but… I think you know how dire our situation is at the moment. If you could talk to Lady… That’d save me and my team’s skin.”

 

[Vergil Tanner]

Whilst it wasn't necessarily easy for him to relate to a Lucario - their species were about as different as two creatures could be, even being diametrically opposed on the typing graph to boot! - the tired slump of Ryu's shoulders and the slightly sleep-deprived hooding of his eyes was something Jason was all too familiar with. It was the same look any Partner Pokemon with an ambitious trainer ended up having when their team grew; as the Partner, they automatically took on the role of second in command, and that often meant corralling and shepherding the rest of the team whenever the trainer was busy or looking elsewhere, and when the Trainer couldn't understand the pokemon well enough to solve interpersonal disputes...they all ended up going to the most senior member. IE, the first Pokemon that trainer had caught. Whether they liked it or not, the burden of leadership fell to them, and that meant everybody's pain in the arse problems became theirs, too.

Jason was lucky in that Dante was a stickler for discipline, and drilled them all far too hard for them to have enough energy left at the end of a training session to bicker or squabble, and for the most part with some minor exceptions, everybody got along just fine. He couldn't imagine having some kind of event that pushed a fissure into the team. Because that was clearly what happened; Ryu spoke of a previous happy time, and something like that doesn't get split apart at random. Something clearly happened to fracture the team's coherence, and whatever it was...it had clearly left its marks on Ryu, at the very least.Honestly, Jason was relieved in his own right. It had certainly not been easy to swallow his pride and reach out, but the fact that Ryu was willing to listen and not rub it in his muzzle was appreciated. They might not be friends, but...at least they could work together now without being at each other's throats.

And for as annoying as it was to admit, Tails had been correct. Neither of them had put their best foot forward that evening, and neither of them could claim any kind of moral high ground. So it was best to put the past behind them and largely pretend the whole sordid affair had never happened in the first place...for the sake of the survival of their pride, and the rest of their teams. The latter was more important. Obviously. The big question was what to do about Lady. Clearly, Ryu's current method of dealing with her left a lot to be desired, but when you had a Pokemon who went into the conversations expecting a degree of hostility, it was going to be very difficult to get her to not react defensively to the smallest slight. A rod that Ryu had made for his own back, to be certain, but one that had to be dealt with if they were to move forwards with any kind of cohesion. He shook his head slowly and sighed.

"They ain't silly troubles," he said simply, "They're pretty much th' every day've command. Though if y' want some advice...maybe tha' feelin've bein' her stepdad is part've the problem. She ain't a teenager, and y' ain't her dad. From her side, tha's gonna feel migh'y condescendin', 'specially if y're always jumpin' on her. If y' ain't gonna listen t' her, why in Distortion should she listen t' you?" There was a moment of quiet...and then Ryu's next request took Jason entirely off guard. His head shot up and he looked at the humanoid Pokemon next to him in disbelief. Sorry, what? Ryu couldn't deal with Lady's mood, so he was sending Jason as a sacrifical lamb? Since when did Jason agree to that? And what made Ryu think that sending a canine to talk to a feline was a good idea? That'd worked out SO well for Ryu, hadn't it? He shook his head. "Y've gotta be kiddin' me," he said with a snort. Not necessarily a derisive one, more of a...disbelieving one. "I don' know her from any other Pokemon, 'n y' want me t' go find her? What in the world would possess y' t' think tha's a good idea?"

He scowled to himself. This was what he got for being the bigger Pokemon! Still...something in Ryu's voice indicated that he wasn't trying to stitch Jason up, and that he genuinely believed for whatever reason that Jason would be a good fit for the job. Jason had said it himself; somebody needed to go after her for her own good and theirs, and Ryu was right...if he did it, things were going to escalate. And if they were to take this olive branch and move forward...he glanced back at where Tails had been sitting until recently. She was gone, but he knew what she'd say. He heaved a reluctant, resigned sigh. "....fine. Bu' the next time it's bedtime 'n Syl hides in a tree t' avoid it, y're talkin' her down." He shook his head and heaved himself to his feet, bending his neck to get a good whiff of where Lady had last been, catching her scent against the backdrop of the other Pokemon fairly easily; Dark Types had a distinctive scent, especially to other Dark types, so it wasn't hard for his keen nose to find her trail. He sighed and looked back at Ryu.

"I'll do my best, bu' if she scratches m' up, I'm givin' y' matchin' marks." He tilted a brow, barked a short, sharp, mirthless laugh, then turned to start following the trail into the surrounding undergrowth. Hopefully she hadn't gone too far...and hopefully he could find her before something else did...or something else found him. Goddamnit, the things Tails ended up talking him into. He could have left well enough alone and been out gathering sticks and twigs, but no, here he was tracking a pissed off Liepard through the jungle like a moron. This could only end poorly, and yet, here he was. He'd get Syl hopped up on raspberries before her next bedtime and get Ryu to deal with it, he swore to Arceus....oh well. He was committed now. He put his nose down, his ears up...and slowly began his search. He only hoped this was a quick search and he got back to camp soon, for all their sakes. If Lady had wandered too far, it could be all of their necks on the chopping block...not just hers. He could only hope he wasn't too late...

 

[PentheWonderful]

Ryu knew it was a long shot. It was unreasonable and frankly, selfish, to entrust such a big responsibility to a Pokemon he barely knew. The decision did not come without guilt. There was a part of him that felt like he was running away from his responsibilities, that he was just passing on his burden to someone else. But the rational part of him knew that if he pushed the issue, it could very well end up becoming the straw that cracked the Numel’s back. Jason had been right. He neede to re-evaluate his approach and the way he perceived Lady before he could have a productive conversation with her. And until that moment came, and he found the right words to say for an apology, it was for the best that he take a step back.

He knew this applied not just to hm, but the entire team. Perhaps it had been out of envy or frustration, but Lady had always been ‘othered’ among them. It was horrible but singling her out made them feel more… united. As if they had a common enemy and something to stand against in their turbulent, uncertain circumstances. And he had foolishly fallen into that toxicity. Of course, Lady had not done herself any favors in the way she behaved either. She was immature, boastful, and vain. She hadn’t earned her keep the way they had. She simply rose to the top out of circumstance and didn’t seem to recognize that. It only made disliking her so much easier.

Cassie was a tough trainer. She demanded the best and had little tolerance for less. If you didn’t meet her expectations, she would drill you until you did. Everything you did, everything you accomplished was measured and charted. Training was adjusted accordingly. She was precise and calculated. She pushed you to the ends of your limits, but never punish. If you failed, you would try again and again until you succeeded. She never gave up on them. In a sense, her patience was boundless, and you end up going through lengths to avoid her disappointment. But that was how their team grew strong.

But Lady… Lady was not like that. She was strong. Naturally gifted from the start. But that was not what he envied about her. She may be naturally gifted, but he was well-trained, and his training and experience was much more reliable in combat than her natural talent. No, what he envied most about her was – and perhaps, the envy of the others on his team as well – was the natural connection and understanding she had with Cassie.

It had taken him over a decade to even begin to decode and comprehend his enigmatic, complicated trainer. She naturally held others at a distance and struggled to show vulnerability and true affection. It always left you wondering if you’d done something wrong. It was hard to tell if she really liked you. But it all made sense if you met her family, and the Pokemon they raised. But from the way she trusted her Pokemon unconditionally, you knew that her team was more like her family than her own family were. The bond between them was forged through trials and tribulations. Through highs and lows, the rare moments where she would let her guard down, and you just knew, plainly and simply, that she cared deeply for him and every single member of her team. Perhaps he could ever know.

And yet, Lady appeared one day and bypassed it all, yet the trust and understanding she had with Cassie was all the same. And that was difficult to accept. It was unfair. But was that really the truth? All this time, he only knew his side of the story, after all. He knew nothing of what she had gone through. Perhaps, there was more to it. And perhaps… He had purposefully neglected getting to know it. “…I appreciate it. Really.” Ryu said in a low tone, after moments of half-listening in silence and being lost in his own thoughts. “I just think that… Well, she’s probably had enough of me for a while. And it’s a better idea than to let her run loose all on her own. She might bite off more than she can chew.”

With a nod, Ryu rose to his feet once more. “I am indebted to you. I will be happy to assist in your responsibilities as you require.”

He wished he could say more, but… He supposed there was nothing left to say, and all there was left to do was hope.

-

It was another jungle on an isolated island, surrounded by an endless stretch of water. It was another dark, unpredictable, uninhabited, dangerous terrain that they had no way of escaping. It was another place she felt powerless and small, oblivious to the dangers that may lie ahead. Unprepared for whatever might come to kill her. The physical punishment and pain she would experience.

She had stopped running a while ago, chasing every bit of movement that attracted her eye. She had loudly proclaimed that she would be out hunting, but really, she just wanted to get away. She wasn’t sure where she had ended up. Some sort of clearing canopied by the trees. She created a circular path in the fallen leaves where she paced, going around and around.

She was scared. Anxious. Reliving those days that had been a nightmare come to life in the Jinko Tournament. She couldn’t settle down. She could taste blood in her mouth, feel flesh beneath her claws. She remembered the wild, bloodthirsty gazes of every single Pokemon on Jinko. They did what they could to survive. She thought it was all in the past. Something to forget and never revisit. She thought she would be fine, but evidently, she was wrong.

The past had come back to haunt her.

She had changed since that experience. Grown a little. Put a bit more thought into her actions. Mellowed out, even. And yet, it still felt as though nothing had changed. No matter how hard she tried, she was still that same, brash Purrloin that never found a place to belong.

And she hated it.

 

[Vergil Tanner]

Ordinarily, tracking a Liepard through an unfamiliar wilderness based on scent alone would have been nigh-on impossible for most Pokemon, on several levels. First off, in an alien jungle filled with strange scents and crossing trails, identifying one specific scent and isolating it from the tangle would have been a challenge, let alone the trail of somebody you'd only briefly met in passing. It wasn't like he was familiar with her unique profile, after all, she was essentially a stranger to him. So her scent may as well be just as foreign as the other animals and Pokemon that likely populated this jungle. Add onto that the moistness of the air from recent rains - if he had to guess, a jungle this lush definitely saw frequent showers at the very least, and water made it tricky to follow trails in the best of circumstances - and you had a hell of a tall order on your plate.

And that was if he was just tracking a "normal" Pokemon! Dark Types in general tended to have a more muted scent than other types - besides Ghost, obviously - due to their connection to the shadows; it helped them slip around undetected, and kept them safe from certain predators that might take exception to their not-so-popular typing prowling around. And Liepards? Well, Liepards were sneaky and stealthy even by Dark Type standards, their primary method of hunting being stalking the shadows, leaping silently from ledge to ledge and biding their time until the moment was right to strike. Liepards could often hide from the best trackers, and even Jason's keen nose could struggle to keep up with them sometimes. He had his methods - Liepards often tended to be prideful, vain and too mischievous for their own good sometimes - but those methods only worked if they were somewhere nearby. If he was just trying to track them down, beyond Odor Sleuth and his natural perceptive nature, it really was a battle of wits and determination.

Luckily for him, "Lady" didn't seem too intent on being particularly sneaky. Oh, being a Liepard she was naturally lighter on her feet than most other Pokemon besides maybe the Pokemon who didn't have any...but it was clear that she was in a little bit of a mood from the way she'd passed through. Copious amounts of broken branches, torn leaves, even a few deep gouge marks in the tree-bark that were clearly recently made and matched the pattern and spacing of a fully-grown Liepard. He doubted there were any other pissed-off Liepards prowling around - and if he was wrong, he'd probably meet them soon - so Jason felt secure in assuming he was on the right trail. Not that she didn't have a right to her feelings, of course; he'd meant what he'd said to Ryu. Their little team seemed to be crapping on Lady quite enthusiastically for very little reason, so was it any wonder she got...well, catty with them?

Now, he didn't generally like Feline Pokemon - Felines and Canines didn't get along brilliantly in general, which might be another reason for her and Ryu's animosity towards each other - but he knew a little something about being scapegoated. Dark Types in general had a slight stigma amongst other Types for their "sneaky" and "untrustworthy" and "crooked" stereotypes, whether they deserved them or not. Ghosts got it in the neck a little too, but Dark Types got the lion's share of the distrust. It was one reason why despite him acknowledging species-wide trends in biological impulses and strategies, he tried not to stereotype on a personal, individual level. Another reason...well, even amongst Dark Types, Houndooms often got categorised as violent, aggressive, moody, hard to control monsters who would rather cause chaos and get into a fight than do anything productive.

Of course, Jason would be the first to admit that he did have a bit of a temper sometimes, but he didn't go around looking for fights and he would challenge you to find a Pokemon more loyal to their Master than he was to Dante. And yet...the stigma remained, people assumed he was a dangerous monster that was only barely held in check by an exceptional trainer. Some Houndooms were rebellious, aggressive little pieces of crap, sure, but he could say the same about humans, or Arcanines, or Eevees. Goddamn Arcanine Boyscouts...how did they get the stereotype of just being cuddly, loyal friends who just want to play? They're six feet tall and can melt steel! It was because they had a cuter face and softer fur. That was what people judged on. Oh, Houndooms look scary so they must be troublemakers. People - Humans and Pokemon both - could be such cretins sometimes.

In any case, Jason understood something about "Otherism" and stereotypes and baseless assumptions. As much as felines and canines had a natural inclination towards distrusting each other, he wasn't about to let Lady go running off on her own somewhere this dangerous, and he wasn't going to let her think she was alone in this. He'd seen enough of how they'd treated her to know that it was wrong, regardless of what species she happened to be. Dark Types had to stick together, right? Nobody else was rushing to look out for them. So, when he found a particularly deep gouge into a tree, he padded forwards and took a good, long inhale to get a feel for her scent. It was muted, but it was there; a musty, smoky spice of some sort...a wood-bark paprika, perhaps, with a smoky finish, peppered with the slightly obscuring, watering down effect of an evening mist. A unique scent, though one that was hard to pick up when other, louder smells were nearby. But now that he had it...he could at least follow the general direction.

And so he did; moving from side to side, zigzagging across the woods in a way that implied...distraction, perhaps? Stalking one thing, then the other, then deciding to go off in a random direction before her angry pacings took her to turn sharply away...the kind of aimless wandering you do when you just need to walk, just need some distance and don't have a specific route or destination in mind. When you're doing things based on instinct or impulse, which made sense given the circumstances. Every so often he'd find another claw mark, or a piece of caught fur on a bramble, or a footstep in the mud where she'd lingered for a few moments before deciding on her next direction. Most other Pokemon might have missed it, but Jason was the designated tracker of the team, and for him, following a trail this comparatively wide was fairly simple. So it was that eventually...he came across a certain canopied clearing, a certain copse of trees, a certain cliff in the distance and a certain scowling, prowling Liepard damn-near muttering to herself as she paced back and forth.

Jason paused on the edge of the clearing, eyes doing a quick sweep of the area, scanning the treeline for any predators, prowlers or attackers. They hadn't seen much in the way of other Pokemon of note in their time on the island thus far, which in and of itself was concerning...but the further they got from the group, the more likely it was that an opportunistic predator might decide the time was ripe for some hunting. Still, he didn't see anything of note beyond a cluster of Metapods in a nearby tree, which indicated that either they were safe for the moment, or that it was already too late and that they were living on borrowed time. His muzzle swung back to face Lady as she stalked the clearing, considering his approach. If he tried to be too sly or clever, he'd look a fool. But he didn't want to come in too aggressively, or she might get her hackles up and it would turn into another argument that would lead to her storming off. But Lady didn't seem like the type to appreciate sympathy or - as she would see it - pity either.

And yet, something was clearly bothering her; by her body language alone, she was obviously agitated by something, and he got the feeling that it was about more than just the fight she'd just had. But he couldn't just ask her; she'd tell him to piss off and then bounce herself if he tried to pry. So. A conundrum. In the end...it seemed like the best approach was a direct one. Announce his presence so that she didn't think he was sneaking up on her, be direct and honest about why he was there and what he thought, but don't be too simpering or pandering, or she'd take it as insincere, mocking, pitying or some combination therein. Besides, he wasn't a smooth talker. Anything other than a direct approach risked coming off as hollow and performative. He knew this likely wasn't going to be an easy conversation, but then...when was the last time he'd had one of those, eh? Shaking his head, he padded his way into the clearing, into direct line of sight from Lady even if he was downwind and his scent wasn't reaching her just yet.

"Lady, right?" he called out across the small stretch of grass. "I saw wha' happened. Tha' Lucario c'n be a right pretentious prick sometimes." He snorted softly. "Had th' gall t' ask me t' come find y' as if I was gonna....I dunno, talk 'im up or somethin'?" He rolled his eyes and settled into a half-sitting position on the grass. "Can' imagine dealin' with that crap on the reg'. I'd've toasted him ages ago." Not a lie, either. If Ryu treated Jason the way Jason had seen him treat Lady, there would have been a brawl or two by now, he could say that much! He could reign in his temper at times, but even he had his limits. "Didja find anythin' tasty lookin' at least? Or are y' more used t' juicy steaks 'n caviar these days?" He lifted an eyebrow at her. It was a little...not mocking, but definitely teasing. But something told him she would appreciate the distraction of being playfully needled over whatever was eating at her. Besides, Jason was a sassy little bitch sometimes. He couldn't help it, ok? And from what he'd seen earlier, Lady would at the very least understand that impulse! Common ground where-ever you could find it, right?