Sethera

I just hope they don't ruin the game somehow. I have so many good memories of the original.

"That's the...uh, spirit." The Rising Star said, somewhat deflated from his earlier excitement. There was an awkward silence then he shook his head. "No, you won't throw me off!" He pumped his fist. "Alright let's do this; gonna beat this level and then move on to the next stage!" "Oh dear legends, you're just like Jacklyn," Belle said, eyes wide, tone slightly disbelieving as she shook her head. "This can't be. There can't be more than one of them. The world isn't that cruel...right?" Nobody answered her impassioned plea. She hadn't been expecting an answer, but still, it'd have been nice to get a "no" or an "I'm sorry" or something. Right? While the blue-haired girl stared up at the heavens beseechingly, the trainer had already released his first Pokémon--a spiky thing that looked more like a cactus than a Pokémon. Which made sense, considering it was a cactus Pokémon. It took Belle a second to recognize it. Cacnea wasn't really popular on the internet. Not like Pikachu, Eevee, or even Magikarp. Or Slowpoke, she thought, remembering that video she had seen. "You ran out of luck when you encountered me here!" the trainer proclaimed. "Cacnea's Sand Veil means you can't touch him in the sand! And, bleh, gack, ahem. And there's sand all around us!" Jacklyn chose that moment to shout back, "what a cad, using the dessert to his advantage! But don't let get to you Belle!" "Uhh...well, I mean, that's a legitimate strategy--" "It's your luck that ran out when you came across us! After all, no amount of hot sand or cheap planning will be able to stop us, so you better be ready to clear the way for us! Isn't that right Belle?" "Well, I mean, I wasn't really planning on losing, but the, pbft, sand does make this harder--" "Go on, Belle, show him what you got." "...Okay," the girl's shoulders slumped as she gave up. On arguing with Jacklyn, and on getting out of this fight. "Go, uhh, Pokémon," she said as she tossed the ball half-heartedly to the sand, watching as it landed with a soft thump. And sat there, still and motionless. "Let me try that, bleh, again," the girl said, spitting out sand. What followed was an awkward few seconds as she stumbled forward to pick up the ball, returning it to her bag. "This one's probably got something in it," she muttered as she picked up another one. It was just a feeling, but one she was sure of. Then again, she'd had that same feeling with the previous ball, so her feelings weren't really reliable. If only I was a better psychic, she thought. I'd have to deal with people being idiots about it, but they're all idiots anyway, and at least I wouldn't be embarrassing myself right now. Fortunately for her, this ball really did have a Pokémon in it. Unfortunately for her, that Pokémon was her Rattata. "Oh, this is bad," she muttered. Unlike last time, she couldn't send Moo out to keep the rat from mauling her face. And then she'd have to get Jacklyn's help again, and maybe even Ivan's, and worse yet, the person she was supposed to be battling right now. She would never live this down. Really, this was yet another reason she didn't want to ever leave her room. Situations like this were exactly the kind of thing she'd have avoided just by being a stay-at-home gamer geek. But it wasn't like she could do anything about it. As she prepared herself, clenching her fists at her sides as her Rattata turned toward her with a feral gleam in its eye, she heard what would end up being her saving grace. "A Rattata?! This is gonna be easy! Go, Cacnea! Use Poison Sting!" The rat was turned away from its goal of getting back at its trainer by the sudden, unpleasant sensation of stinging against its back. Turning around with a hiss, the normal type lunged for the Cacnea in a Tackle, knocking back the grass type with unexpected force. "What?! I can't believe this! How could a Rattata be this strong?!" "I can't believe my Rattata is this cute--I mean strong," Belle snickered. "They should make a cartoon about that." Her expression turned serious. "Rattata, use uhh, Focus Energy!" yet again she was ignored, but that wasn't surprising. I also need to figure out a name for this thing. While she began to mull that over, her Pokémon had moved back slightly, weight spread out evenly on all four of its paws, tail arched over its head like an Ekans as it stared down its opponent. "Okay, Cacnea, wear it down with Leech Seed!" The cactus nodded and aimed both of its spiky arms forward, releasing a small seed that shot straight toward the Rattata. The rat dug its feet in as it prepared to jump away, but it wasn't fast enough, the seed hitting it at the apex of its jump, causing it to plummet to the ground as leafy vines snaked over its body, glowing bright green and sending that same green energy back toward the Cacnea. The Rattata, however, seemed more enraged than injured, springing back up to its paws and charging toward the Cacnea once more. "Dodge it, Cacnea!" The grass type moved to the side then. The Rattata attempted to veer with it, but the sand had gotten in its eyes somewhat, and in that time, the Cacnea had moved out of harm's way. This Sand Veil thing's pretty annoying, Belle thought. Well, this thing's not going to listen to me, but I can't just let it run in blind like this. "Rattata, that thing has increased evasion in the sandstorm! It's going to be harder to hit, so use your head!" The Rattata paused, shifting toward her. It locked eyes with her for a brief second, causing Belle's eyes to narrow. I hope it doesn't attack me. And then it turned away, back to the fight. "Huh?" the girl stood dumbly for a second before shaking her head. Whatever, I'm not gonna look a gift Ponyta in the mouth. I just hope I can get this thing to listen to me...at least for as long as the fight is, anyway.

I listen to the discussion with listless eyes. "Not Lancer huh...so that means...we're going up against somebody who doesn't use a lance then? Does that mean anything?" I was still very obviously unhappy with the idea of fighting this random person and start to drift into thought.

Nikora shifted his stance and patted out some flames that were licking at the edges of his outfit. "This place, much like my home, is filled with many natural advantages for those who can claim them." Was that a hint? Had he already seen through Easter's half-hatched idea? Except it seemed he was referring to something else instead. As the fairy type jumped back to avoid the Pin Missile volley, his keen ears picked up a faint clicking noise. Coming from the...ceiling? Or at least from that general direction. Moments afterward a downpour began. So that's what he meant, then. The Godslyayer let out a sigh as the water absorbed into his skin. "While I'm here I cannot be stopped." Meanwhile, Easter's mind was whirring away at the implications. If it weren't for the clicking noise, he'd have thought the other was using Rain Dance, though he'd never heard of Cacturne being able to use that move. Though I do know of them having the ability Water Absorb...how annoying. Dashing forward, he grimaced. "I beg to differ." He held his hands together at his hips, bringing them up at the end of his run, palms outspread, to release a Moonblast. At the same time, a larger orb, this one green and covered with spikes, appeared around the Cacturne. The two powerful forces collided, but while the pink orb dissipated into nothingness, the green one remained, only to flicker and die out immediately afterward. Easter would've been disappointed...if that had been his only goal. Instead, his mouth formed into a grin as he aimed a hand up high, sending small pink stars whizzing up into the ceiling in the same general direction as to where he had heard that click. And best of all, Nikora can't stop me. After all, he had started his attack immediately after releasing the Moonblast. The other would be too preoccupied trying to block that to do anything about it. In fact, he might not even be aware of it until it was too late. The only annoying thing about all of this, he thought, is that this might not even be permanent. That damned dark type might just be able to turn it back on. But it was foolish to ignore the rain too. Not only did it give his enemy the advantage, but it gave his ally a disadvantage as well. I hope this doesn't turn into a back-and-forth, he thought. Perhaps before, such an idea would've been appealing, but now, he didn't have such free time to waste. As the Spiky Shield came down from around Nikora, the Cacturne stood there silently. And then, like a stone giant, slowly brought his fist back before bringing it forward in an explosion of power. Drain Punch. And it was at that moment...that Easter grinned again. As if sensing danger, the fist faltered, but it was too late. A bright pink glowing shield had appeared around the Sylveon, who was far too close to the other to avoid the Drain Punch normally, but this goes both ways. After all, the other was too close to avoid his counterattack. The punch met shield then, creating slight shockwaves from the force of the blow. Easter hopped a few steps backward before turning fully to run and create some distance between them, rolling to the side to avoid the Pin Missile sent after him, though he needn't have bothered, as the attack would've landed harmlessly against the tree to his left whether he had moved to avoid or not. Let's see how you handle a dose of confusion, then. So far, he hadn't really been doing much this fight, testing out the limits of his opponent's strength and getting battered in return. And had it been the Easter of before, he'd have played around for a little longer still. But he had places to be now and gijinka to protect, so he needed to hurry up and end this as soon as possible. -- It was strange to be fighting in the snow like this. Usually, Keanu could get a sense of where the others were when he was fighting. Nani was like a ghost, hell, she was a ghost, but she always appeared at the right time. Marie's never-give-up attitude meant he could usually catch a glimpse of her attacking out of the corner of his eyes. And Randy...it was kind of hard to miss the tiger when he was usually shouting out about how his "fist overflows with a powerful darkness" and inflicting the bulk of the damage on their foes. But here and now, he couldn't see his allies, and he couldn't hear them either. The snow deadened all sounds, making his ears almost useless. The only thing I have left...is that, he thought. Psychic power. With that, he might be able to get an idea of where everybody was. Except that he wasn't nearly experienced enough in that to figure it out. But...he could still try, right? Closing his eyes to concentrate, he faltered slightly, his instincts screaming at him to move. And they'd never been wrong before. The next second proved them right as an ice-cold arm wrapped around his waist in the frigid mockery of an embrace. It might've been romantic--especially considering who it was doing it--if it weren't for the large, sword-shaped claw that was aimed right for his throat. Keanu opened his mouth in a startled gasp but said nothing more as he felt the edge of the claw tickling his gullet. Gulping, he muttered, "We can talk this out, eh?" But it was clear from the way the claw pressed tighter against his bobbing Adam's apple that there would be no more talking today. "K'den." The next second, his eyes glowed blue as a Psychic power forced the Sandslash's arms away from him, then she was lifted entirely from the air before slamming into the floor, a flicker of fire around her form as what seemed to be a burn inflicted yet more damage to her. While he was tempted to run from her then, take advantage of his opportunity and escape, the Raichu instead summoned a wave of water that carried him toward the fallen foe. Who had now gotten up, sending out a barrage of ice shards at...the wave? Puzzled, Keanu continued his attack, the water washing over her and buffeting her to the ground once more. Ey, two attacks hitting in a row. That's gotta be a record. Flushed from his success, the Raichu picked up his foot to put some distance between them, when...he found out that he couldn't. Looking down, the electric type blanched. Ice had encased his feet almost to the ankles, and the snow he had been standing on had turned into ice. Ice that was firmly attached to the floor below. "That why you weren't aiming for me then?" he asked, but his foe didn't reply. Instead, she let out a mad giggle that sent chills down his spine. He was frozen to the ground now and at her mercy. Even Psychic power would have a hard time removing him from the ice. I think it's doable, at least, he thought. But it'll take time. And at that time, I'll probably already be dead. As a testament to that, the Sandslash had already picked herself up from the floor, brushing snow off of her in a leisurely manner before setting her sights on him with a smile. "You uhh...don't have to do this, ya know?" Keanu appealed. But it was as if he had said nothing at all, the ice type continuing to stare at him with that eerie smile. Her one visible eye looked empty, a dark blue pool of nothingness that made Keanu cringe back from her, though he couldn't do much more than that. Yeah, I'm toast, Keanu thought. Soon I'll look just like a Razz Berry jelly-filled malasada, jelly hole, and everything. He wasn't sure why his thoughts were flying so far from the realm of reality at the moment, but he attributed that partially to his impending demise. "Eh, could use some help here!" he shouted in one last-ditch attempt at living to see another day. As if reacting to his words, Kalia moved then, bringing up her sword-shaped claw as she began to charge toward the Raichu, the pointed tip angled slightly upward--once more, straight toward his throat.

"Have you caught a chill? You seem to be stammering. If you're sick you'd best stay out of the battle as best you can." "N-N-No..." Oh spirits, this was so embarrassing! But Yue knew she needed to focus right now. They needed to save Alexis and get back the boat! As the Jouran took off into the air, killing one of the enemies--she was so cool--Yue gulped and, despite her worried over Rona, ran forward instead of after the wyvern rider, aiming an arrow at one of the...what were they? Pirates? At one of the enemies in front of her. The man had already begun to run forward, but fell down with a gurgle as the girl shot him straight in the throat. It was so much easier to kill people than animals or monsters. Animals were innocent, monsters couldn't help being what they were, but people...people chose to be evil. There was another person running for her now, and unfortunately he was too close to her now. Maybe I should've followed behind Rona after all... Yue shook her head. No! I have to prove I can do this! The girl took a hit from the slice of his axe with a wince, blood flowing freely from her shoulder. Even if this looks bad...I have to stay strong! I'll be just like Rona. "I-I'm not afraid of you!" she shouted, eyes tearing up slightly from fear and pain.

"Stay sharp and keep up the pressure. You don't want him standing in the same place for too long." "Got it," Easter nodded. Nine's words helped to jolt him out of his previous--dark dark dark kill kill kill play play play--haze. He couldn't let himself get distracted in this fight. There was too much at stake to play around. Even if he so wanted it. No. Think of Dora, he thought. I'm different now. I'm not the same gijinka I was before. As Nine started fighting against the Cacturne--yes, the dark type--the man spoke. "You may think you know how to defeat me. However one fight is not enough to truly know what your opponent can do. Just because I grow stronger staying in one place doesn't mean I can't take the fight to you if I must." He glanced over towards Easter. "Though it seems you both are on equal footing. It's a shame you have come here to my territory." Following that was a hissing sound as several snakes began to crawl toward the fairy type. Scoffing, Easter released a wave of Swift stars which went for the snakes, downing most of them, though a few remained. That was just fine with him. Stomping down on one, he lifted his foot just before it could strike at his heel, grabbing its neck in a lightning-fast maneuver and throwing the serpent at Nikora. The Godslayer seemed surprised by that, retaliating with a Pin Missile that speared the snake straight through its gullet. "This isn't the first time I've fought snakes, both literally and figuratively," Easter said with a bland smile. "Though they were usually much bigger than this, and gijinka, but the same principle applies." He spun on his heel then, stomping another snake flat with his other foot. Seeing that they were all either dead or knocked out, he shook his head. "Now for the main prey." While Nikora was distracted against Nine, the Sylveon shot off a Moonblast. This time, the Cacturne ducked instead of took out his shield, bending low against the ground like a blade of grass bowing to the wind, causing the attack to soar harmlessly overhead. "Tch," the Eeveelution clicked his tongue. "Guess you're not just a stiff after all." The Cacturne didn't respond to that, sending out an Energy Ball toward the fairy type. Eyes narrowing, the Sylveon attempted to evade it, but found himself crashing into a tree. Damn forest, he thought as the attack hit him. I'm not used to this. But... he glanced up at the trailing vines. Not all of this is unfamiliar. But that can wait. The Sylveon sent out a Psyshock this time, even knowing the attack was useless. Nikora said nothing as the attack hit him, though he was probably wondering what the point of it was. It didn't matter though. Easter had already shot forward, punching the Cacturne in the abdomen and getting thrown back against a tree for his troubles. Grunting, the Sylveon picked himself up, not much the worse for wear still. Running up one that selfsame tree, upon reaching the apex of his climb, he flipped off, heading straight down toward Nikora like a torpedo. The man put up a Spiky Shield, but whether it was because he had used it so often against Nine, or shock from the snake loosening his concentration, the move failed, and Easter crashed into the gijinka full-force.The man's eyes narrowed, throwing out a Punch toward the fairy type which Drained some health, forcing Easter to jump off of him. "Sorry, but I'm not into that," he winked. -- "Finally. I was wondering when you were both gonna shut up, and put your dukes up!" Taiga said, raising her fists in the air. "Sorry about yer precious Alola, but Adarid's still kickin' bitch!" Taiga laughed, but it was soon cut short by a swift slash to her arm, which seemed to enrage the Sharpedo. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I talk too much. Is it too much to ask to try to avoid a scrap?" Keanu asked wryly, though he looked a little nervous at seeing the water type take out a gem the color of the night sky, disappearing somewhere into the hailstorm. At the same time, Lok fired off a Will-O-Wisp in that direction. "I already knew you wouldn't care. I'm the only one. The only one left to do what must be done." "No, you just think da kine!" Keanu shouted into the storm. He knew she wouldn't listen, but it was frustrating to see Kalia reduced to...this. Sending out an Electro Ball toward where he had heard the giggle, Keanu ran forward, following his attack and watching it reach its mark with some satisfaction. The next second, a rain of Icicles Crashed into the ground around him, one of them even spearing down into his arm. "Aiâ!" he shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling the icicle out. Almost immediately, he retaliated with a Thunder Wave, but by the sound of a giggle as the Sandslash faded out of view, he knew he had missed. "This storm is plenny annoying," the Raichu muttered.

Belle grew increasingly frustrated the further they walked. She appreciated the fact that Jacklyn was taking care of the Pokémon they came across, but that didn't help them one bit when it came to their main issue. "How could nobody...not know where they are?!" she eventually exploded, throwing her hands in the air in a fit of pique. "This is insane! This is. The. Desert." She had never been in the desert before. At least not before today. But she knew enough about it to know that it was dangerous. Video games had been sure to show her that. "I don't see an oasis anywhere either, so if we don't find our way back to the road soon, we'll be toast! And then it'll be night, and we'll be chilled toast! Do you get that?!" she glared at the others, but especially Jacklyn, the idiot who had gotten them off track. Before she could continue her rant, she noticed that...Jacklyn wasn't even listening to her! She was talking to a boy who...apparently knew where Gemupet City was? Belle hadn't memorized the map of Korova she had seen, so she had no clue what the city was called that they were heading toward, only that it was civilization! Fresh water! Cool air! These things were very, very important, even if her two intrepid companions didn't seem to think so. "I saw lines like that in video games and always wanted to try it myself." Belle snorted despite herself at that. "Is that so? Well, my team won't back down from a challenge like this!" Yep, she knew that would happen. Not that Belle minded. Far from it. "Isn't that right Belle?" Wait, wait, wait, what?! No no no no no. This wasn't part of the plan. And since when was Belle on her team? She wasn't a Pokémon! Before the girl could protest, she was pushed forward, "go on and show him what you're made of!" She glanced toward Ivan with desperate eyes. He would want to battle...right? He just got a new Pokémon and all, so it would make sense. "Well, looks like this one's all yours." He said instead with a pat on the back and a yawn. "Can't let me and Jacklyn get all the battling done, after all." Belle shot a glare at the traitor before turning away with a grumble. It looked like she had no choice. "Guess I have to battle you then, huh?" the blue-haired girl asked with dead--betrayed--eyes as she stared at the boy in front of her. "Oh well. Let's get this over with then," she said, reaching in to take out a Poké Ball. She had no clue which Pokémon was in it, or if it even had one inside, but she would figure out a system for that later.

Wada nodded his agreement. "Right right, that's a good idea. We should find out where these things are coming from so we can smash 'em!" He turned back towards the priest. "Oh, actually... did anything happen a month ago? Like anything that would cause evil monster... things... to appear and attack people?" “These attacks, we know not where they start...however we do know they happen to attack and torment those within the town.” Risf turned to Lachlan. “All I can say for certain, during the witching hours is the specific times. Aside from this, I can say that there is an ominous dark fog that descends into the town...this signifies that the creatures come.” The man then answered Wada's query. “Odd question to ask, if I may say so.” the priest stifled out a chuckle, before closing his eyes to think. “...the only thing I know is that only one of these creatures were seen at the beginning. How it multiplied and gained more followers, I know not. But I do know that everything is currently keeping everyone in a state of despair, the Church of the Morning is doing what we can to bring their spirits up.” "An ominous fog...that sounds really bad. But also good, because at least there's some warning, right?" Lachlan ended his question on an unsure note. But it was the next answer that really puzzled him. "One creature...and then more?" That sounded like something right out of the fairytales he used to listen to. In fact, he had a few ideas for what it could be right off the bat. But he didn't want to say them out loud yet. He tugged on his necklace absentmindedly, opening his mouth to ask about something, when his companions spoke up first. "Well than, it's been lovely getting to know you good sir, do expect us and perhaps our group to further inquire on this matter in the near future. For now I'd highly recommend we meet up with the others. I believe a fair amount headed for the tavern on the way in? Should make for a decent meeting point." "Yeah! That sounds like a good idea. Meet up, exchange information, and then go beat up these creatures! Sounds like a plan. Let's go! Goodbye mister!" "Ah...but...I..." Lachlan's mouth opened and closed. Eventually, his shoulders slumped. "Yeah...we should go. Thanks for answering our questions, Mister Risf. Sorry, to, er, have bothered you." Even though the man hadn't answered his earlier questions, had in fact ignored them, and hadn't answered the questions he still had, he didn't want to take up more of his time than he possibly wanted to give. Also his companions would leave him behind otherwise, and Lachlan wasn't sure if he'd be able to find them again very easily if he got separated from them now. Ah weel. Ah mightn't be righ' aboot this, he thought as he followed the others out the door. An' t'would be a mite embarrassin' tae be wrong. Not just embarrassing, but deadly if they ended up preparing to face the wrong type of enemy. He clenched his fists. Aye, ah'll just goo wiv the floo, soo they say. It'd be good to see what the others had come up with too. In the tavern, Lachlan felt...a tad overwhelmed. It was too noisy, too closed-in, too full of people. Shivering slightly, the boy scrunched his shoulders up in an attempt to take up as little space as possible. More than once, he had had to veer to the side to avoid somebody brushing up against him. Part of his success in these endeavors was due to his water-nature. A person...or Jaeger, in this case, learned to be sensitive to vibrations in the current, which had carried over to his situation on dry land. If somebody moved, they created a slight air current. It wasn't much, and he had to be on the verge of touching them, but it helped. And he needed all the help he could get. While the others introduced themselves again, Lachlan moved over to lean against the wall. Not the corner, as it meant he would be boxed in with no exit. But with the wall to his back, he didn't have to worry about trying to turn his head to glance behind him every so often. "Hi..." he said, giving a wan smile. "I'm Lach." He waved his hand back and forth for a few seconds before realizing that he looked...kind of dumb doing that. So he stopped.

Gonna try a different tack this time and choose my nominations through RNG. Clefairy Golduck Wooper Donphan Monferno Eelektross Virizion Hawlucha Huh, not as weird as I expected. I like all of these Pokémon all right.

I don't say much throughout the meeting, not even replying to Berserker's vague comment. "Ah...all right then. Cool," I say with a nod.

Alois, Penelope, Gunther, Edrick, and Abdul "Sixteen winters!" Mene had replied to Edrick disbelievingly. "Yer even younger than Alois!" she shook her head disapprovingly. "You boys, always goin' off to adventure and fight. Alois is like that too." “Nonsense! One has not truly lived until they have experienced tea, not to mention that we are in the presence of royalty,” Abdul exclaimed while gently gesturing towards the curious Penelope, “I would be remiss if I did not share some of my finest!” Mene looked a little surprised at Abdul's enthusiasm. "My, my, ye do seem enthusiastic about it, young man," she smiled, moving to set down the bowl of poultice. "If'n it's that good, I might as well--" the bowl slid from her hands to clatter onto the floor, leftover vulnerary poultice splashing onto the wooden slats. The smell of medicine drifted around the group, mixing with the scent of the tea to form a slightly overwhelming aroma. "O-Oh my, ahaha," the woman laughed nervously as she grabbed a rag, stooping down to clean up the spill. "Pardon the mess. Ye caught me off guard with yer joke." She rose up from the floor, stuffing the rag into a pocket of her apron mindlessly, though it still dripped with the poultice. "I'm not very good at jokes, y'see. That was more my husband's thing. Could have the lot o' us rollin' on the floor from the wit of 'em some days." She smiled fondly before turning to Alois. "An' Alois here is the very spit o' him in that respect." The woman moved to the kitchen then, opening the oven to take out a stone tray covered in small bars. "As if royals would come here," her voice shook slightly. "Not to this little village, oh no." She turned around then with a trembling smile, though it disappeared when she heard the way Abdul addressed Penelope. "I...er...made some pasteli earlier. So they're not hot anymore, but I thought t'would go well with the tea." She set the tray down to grab a handful of clay plates, setting a couple of bars down on each, and passing them around to everybody, including Edrick, though she laid the plate close beside him so he could grab it without much trouble. "S'not much, especially for, erm, folks like yourselves, but enjoy." On closer inspection, the bars looked to be made of small seeds mixed in with some nuts and held together with honey. Since they had been allowed to cool, they were hard enough to pick up without worrying about sticky hands but soft enough still that they were chewy rather than crunchy. Alois would recognize them as her famed sesame-seed bars, the honey taken from local bees that had gathered nectar from plants such as clover and thyme. Depending on what was available, she would add extras. This time she had put in pistachios, their mild flavor mixing with the honey for a gentle sweetness that neither underwhelmed nor overwhelmed the palate. It would also combine well with the tea, softening the drink's natural piquancy to create a more balanced flavor that would be less of a shock for those unused to spice. Mene, herself, seemed captivated by the tea, momentarily forgetting the events of earlier. "Why this reminds me of that wine o' the mayor's!" she exclaimed. "Though it's got a certain difference to it. It's..." she paused, lips pursing in thought. "It's got a certain earthiness to it the wine lacks. And the flavor is different, but it still has a way of stingin' yer tongue like nettles do." She smiled at Abdul. "Thankee much for this, young man. I would love to hear what all goes into this. That is, if'n ye'll allow it," she winked. "I understand if'n ye want t'keep a gem like this secret. The mayor never lets any o' us know what goes into his wine, after all." -- Link and Citron The trio gave Link and Citron understanding nods, though they all looked a little disappointed, even Thile, though, for her, that disappointment was mixed with relief as she jerked back reflexively at seeing Rohns jump toward her. "All righ', well then take care, ya hear?" Achos waved at them. "We'll hafta drink together another time, maybe." "Yes, that sounds like a fine idea," Pheodea gave a gap-toothed smile. "Aye, another time fer sure," Thile mumbled, still staring at Rohns. The three left then, Achos lifting up multiple crates of fruit with ease as they followed Thile out of the square. The two would find their way back to the town hall easily enough, where they would find Catriona sitting on one of the long benches, Ciela lying at her side. Adel was gone, but Acantha was still there, watching over Peaches. The wyvern's injuries had closed up for the most part, and her green eyes, which had been clouded over with pain, shone in a brighter hue. Her scales, which had been a dull pale rust color from the marble dust, were now a glossy burnished apricot. "You're back," Catriona said, tone flat as usual. She glanced at Link with a confused blink, but said nothing more. "Hmph, I thought you'd never come back. You sure kept your wyvern waiting," Acantha huffed. "Next time, be a bit quicker, why don't you?" She looked at Link. "And weren't you supposed to be with the others?" -- Sienna "Oh, ye know her? Should've known, whit wiv ye both bein' foxes an' all," Theusido said. "Aye, I saw her. Was a while back though." He closed his eyes, head tilted up toward the ceiling as he mulled it over. Eventually, he nodded, looking back down at Sienna. "Aye, she was black all righ', an' big. Bigger than any normal fox. Seemed in a right hurry too, besides. I wis down the street from the town hall at the time. She almost ran me right over, tha' she did." He shook his head. "Hrrm...thought I was a goner fer sure. Didn't see where she was goin' though, only that she wis goin'." He turned to a young man nearby who looked to be around Catriona's age. Like most of the villagers, he was dark-haired and dark-eyed, but he wore clothing similar to that of Cora and Acantha, with bandages around the head, neck, and waist. "Oy, Melesus, did ye see the black fox?" The man shot Sienna a venomous look. "Ain't seen no foxes sides that one there. Don't be fooled by her looks; she's a hells-born horror, is what she is. I was almost burned to death cuz of her." "Ach, stop whining, lad. From what the mayor said, ye'd still be a beaver if'n it weren't for her an' her friends." Theusido shook his head. "An' you'll be right as rain in a tennight or so, more's the pity." He turned back to Sienna. "Ignore him. He's me sister's grandson, but he was born with more brass than brains. Now as fer yer foxy friend..." he closed his eyes again before opening them with a blink. "I dinna know where she might be, but Amas might. Or leastways he can find out. His dog's got a sense of smell tae put the hounds o' the seven hells t'shame," he stared down at Icleias, who had followed the Protean all the way to his shop, pointedly. "An' since his dog likes ye, an' yer doin' him a favor an' all, he might be inclined tae help." "If'n I were's him, I'd toss her out on the streets--ow! What was that for?!" Melesus whined, holding his head and glaring at Theusido. "Why'dya think, ya eejit?!" the man retorted, turning to Sienna then with a wave of his hand. "Anyhows, there ain't much else I can tells ye. Ye'd get more from Amas, methinks. Thanks fer the furs, by the by." With that, he turned away from the Protean to get back to his carving. Melesus tossed Sienna a glare, but said nothing more, stomping away from the woman with a huff. Were Sienna to return to Amas, she would find the man in the same place she had left him at, still whittling away at the long piece of wood in his hands. "Oh, yer back." He commented flatly. "Looks like ye got a good deal. I knew Theusido'd like the furs." He nodded toward a space in front of his house. "Ye can just leave 'em there for now." -- Tsetseg Though Tsetseg seemed to recognize the voice, it was clear it was not very welcome as she replied, "let's go fish." Phai cast the girl a troubled look, biting her lip slightly as she gazed at the house. "O-Okay," her voice firmed as she clenched her fist. "Let's do that then! And instead of eating the dried fish at my house, you'll get to try freshly-caught fish! It's even tastier!" her voice rose higher and higher in excitement. "Come on then!" in talking about fish, the last of her sniffles had died away, and the crying girl of before seemed nothing but a lie. The girl then proceeded to march on past Mene's house. "The pond where I like to go isn't actually in the village, but it's not far outside either. Or at least, not that far. Not for a pro fisherman, anyway," she jabbed a thumb at herself. "And Mene's house is right next to the village wall, so we'll get there even more quickly!" she skipped on through the simple gate, the cobblestone beneath their shoes giving way to dirt and grass. Phai made sure to provide a running commentary on everything they passed. "And that's the shepherd's boy, Timotheos. His father's the one that actually owns the sheep, but he watches over them during the day. Over there is his dog, Lassie. Everybody knows she's the one that really keeps the sheep in line. Why, one day, when Timotheos fell down the well, she let us all know about it. We all think she's probably the smartest dog there is." As they entered the forest that encircled the fields, the girl continued to ramble. "--and Acantha always told me not to go into the forest, but I kept doing so anyway. Alois was worse, though. He was always getting into a lot of trouble with her, especially because her little siblings would always try to use him as a reason to go out themselves. She'd always get really mad," the girl giggled. "And I know she was just worried, but I couldn't just stay away! Not when all the fish were waiting to be caught!" she nodded. Eventually, the two would reach a large expanse of water, as still and reflective as a mirror. "This is it!" Phai beamed. "I call this place Fish Pond because it has fish! And also, if you look at it from above, like from a tree, it's in the shape of a fish too!" she approached a rough lean-to nearby. "This is where I keep my fishing rods, and where Polantho keeps his too. We'll leave his alone, but I've got an extra rod here, see?" she held up what looked to be a long stick at first glance, but upon closer inspection, Tsetseg would see that it was sectioned into three parts, each with three different kinds of wood. The first and longest section at three meters was about as thick around as the girl's arm, the handle wrapped in iron bands, the other end tapering slightly with a hole drilled in. That and an iron spike connected it to the second section at one meter, which was also connected to the one-meter section at the end through glue and twine. The last, and thinnest section, was made of a darker wood than the other two, tapering to a fine point with a loop made of cord at the end. "The line snapped last time, so I gotta tie up a new line to it," Phai said, opening a wooden chest and taking out a long loop of glistening grayish-green twine. "Our lines are made of catgut," she smiled. "The shepherd's nice enough to give them to us when we need new lines. And now I attach a cork for a float, and then a hook to the end like so...and...there!" she held up the rod proudly before handing it over. "When I first started, I just used a long bendy stick and attached a line and hook to the end, but Polantho taught me how to make a real rod, so I use these now. He was grumpy about it at first, but I think he actually likes the company." She looked around. "He's not here now though. Too bad." "Anyway," the girl dug around in another chest, coming out with two wriggling earthworms. "Attach these to the end of your hook. Here," she handed one over to Tsetseg. "Now that's done...it's time to fish! Watch me first. I'll show you how it's done." She moved apart from Tsetseg. "You gotta make sure you're not super close to anybody first, but you just lean back and swing the rod in an arc...like this!" she threw her weight forward, the line whizzing out into the distance before landing in the water with a soft splash. "Now you just wait for a fish to bite! You can tell, cuz you'll feel a pull on the rod." -- OOC

Alois, Penelope, Gunther, Edrick, and Abdul Upon first entering the house, Gunther, Penelope, and Abdul spoke up with their thoughts on their host and the house itself. "Oh, think nuthin' of it," Mene smiled at the knight. "And thankee," she bobbed her head at Penelope and Abdul. "It don't hold a candle to Pylauses's place, but it's home." Later, after being confronted with his deeds, Alois froze. "Well uh, how about that. Guess we have similar tastes?" "I see. So that incident wasn't your first time. You're experienced in such things. I must say I'm rather shocked." Mene's smile twitched further into a frown then. "Oh? So he's done this more than--" she cut herself off as she struggled to get Edrick set down in the bed. "Don't bleed on my bed, it takes forever to get out." The lancer laughed at that, though he seemed to regret it immediately. "Oh...oh it hurts to laugh." "Shh, it's okay," Mene told him, turning around to send Alois a disappointed look, missing what Edrick said next in the process. "Now, Alois, don't be bothering this boy too much, ya hear?" Eventually, they did manage to get the Pontic situated in the bed. Mene draped a gray woolen blanket over the boy. "Despite what my boy said, you don't need to worry about no bloodstains," she told him. "I'll wash it all out later." The woman stepped back, placing her hands on her hips as she nodded to herself. "Phew, what a workout. I'm startin' to get out of shape, I think." "Sorry I'm not skilled in first aid. If you need help moving him again I can do that but I won't be of much help otherwise." “The boy will need to rest for a while here, at least until the wound closes. Many thanks for your help and hospitality. Please, allow me to repay this kindness.” "No worries, you two did more than enough," Mene's turned away from Edrick. "Wouldn't have gotten him situated if t'weren't for the two of you," she smiled warmly at Gunther and Abdul then. "Such polite young men. Alois could stand to learn a thing or two from you." The woman didn't spend too long talking, however, turning the bulk of her attention to Edrick. "I have some vulneraries 'round here somewhere. One of 'em got crushed after I turned into a deer, dear me," she chuckled, turning to a rough-hewn wooden chest next to her bed. "But there is still a couple 'round...here! Got it!" she held up a small, familiar brown pouch triumphantly, setting it down next to Edrick and opening it up. Taking a handful of herbs and mixing them into a poultice in a wooden bowl with some water, she began to apply it to the boy's wounds. She was extremely gentle, though her hands trembled slightly as she took in the extent of the damage done to the boy. "I hope ye don't get into fights like that often," she said. "It's not good for such young children to have to fight like that." “I believe some tea to end the day is in order!” Mene tapped her chin quizzically. "Tea? What's that?" she stared down at the strange container and the silk bags with blank eyes. "It smells...like herbs? Spices?" she looked back up at the Isaurian with a smile. "Oh, that's far too expensive to waste on the likes o'me." In fact, many of the group might not have heard of tea, as it was mainly drank in Isauria, though Locris had their own variety that involved yak butter and salt. -- Link and Citron Thile didn’t seem entirely convinced by Link’s assurances on Rohn’s behavior. “Ye’d better,” she said, giving the man the stink eye, shuddering slightly when she caught sight of the wolf at his side. Her attitude soured further over the course of the work as it soon became clear that Rohns would take any opportunity to torment her. However, even with the threat of a wolf nearby, the woman managed to keep at her work for the most part. When Link managed to procure some rope, however, she had calmed down enough to smile. “Looks good ‘nuff fer the job.” She took the rope from him, stretching it out and musing over its length while to the side, Citron began to speak. “It’s, probably a long shot, but,” the wyvern rider gestured. “Could we take the wood from my stall?” She paused, turning to look for her stall, pointing with her finger. “You'll know which one it is, because it's the one that’s been made not only shoddily-” she coughed, “-Er, simple, enough, to be able to be disassembled and packed onto an animal’s back for travel, but also sturdy enough for said beast to land on it…” She trailed off, cocking her head to the side before muttering something under her breath. “Do you think that could work, for at least part of the wood?” “I think so,” Pheodea replied. “What’s good for one stall should be good enough for another one.” “I’ll be grabbin’ the wood,” Achos said as he walked toward the stall. Eventually, with the help of Link and Citron, they managed to get the new stall built in about an hour. It was simplistic, matching the style of the others in the square. There was no roof or walls, just a framework of wooden boards with canvas cloth attached over it. Thile stood, hands on hip, nodding to herself as she looked the stall over. “Aye, good thing as I had some crates an’ barrels fer this,” she said. “Now t’looks good as new! Though I’ll hafta be taking me fruit back fer the day…s’gettin’ toward evening now.” “And we couldn’t have gotten it made half so fast without these two young’uns,” Pheodea smiled at the two visitors. “Aye, thanks fer the help. Much obliged,” Achos said. “Guess ye did good,” Thile muttered, squinting at them before relaxing. Pheodea clapped her hands together. “Well, now that that’s done with, what say you we all take a bit of a celebratory drink at my place?” “Ye got any o’ dat Dragon’s Breath, then?” Thile asked. “Of course, of course, who do you take me for?” the older woman smiled, before turning to Link and Citron. “You two are invited too, of course. As thanks for all you did.” -- Sienna The man looked up at the strange fox-eared girl from his position kneeling on the ground before getting to his feet and walking toward the open entrance of the store from Sienna's side, hefting himself over with the energy of a much younger man. "Aw righ' then. I've been a mite busy lately, whit wiv aw the repairs needin' tae be done, but I can spare some time. Specially if'n Amas sent ya, an' I'm sure as sure he did, from the looks o' these furs," he gestured toward them. "I know's old Pheodea's been askin' after em fer a high price, so's he must really need the stone if'n he's comin' to me first." He chuckled, eyes glinting, "Specially knowin' I'll be the one to give her these 'stead. I'll finally get her to look me way!" he pumped a fist, before pausing and coughing with some embarrassment. "Pretend y'didn't hear that, lass," he waved a hand. "In exchange, I'll give you some extra stone." He said, before going into the back and coming out with a wheelbarrow of his own filled with stone and lime. Transferring them to Sienna's, he waved at her. "Aw righ', we're all done." He paused for a moment to stare at her ears. "Tae think I'd see not just one, but two fox people in one day," he shook his head after a second. "Though I was a fox meself not too long ago. The world's full o' strange things." He backed off then. "Sorry tae keep ye. Give Amas me thanks." -- Tsetseg Phai's face lit up at Tsetseg's response. "Really?! Uhh, not that I was doubting you or anything," she blushed. "And thanks! Well, I never did manage to become the village fisherman. Old Man Polantho's the one with that title. But I was gonna become his replacement! Not anymore though, since I'm a militia girl through and through!" she nodded proudly, puffing out her chest. "But I already said that! Argh! Acantha's always telling me I repeat myself too much, and talk too much," she drooped slightly. "A-Anyway, umm...let's go then!" she turned around and began marching off, only to stop. "Er...I mean...let's go...this way!" she turned around once more, this time heading the other way. The two would pass by multiple villagers while walking, who greeted the two with bright smiles. They looked wary of Tsetseg at first, but many relaxed after a second, eyes softening as they took in her youth and spirit which seemed so similar to the girl beside her. "Oi, Phai, who's that with you?" "Oh, this is Tsetseg! I'm taking her to have some of my fish!" "What, really?! Lucky girl. Save summat fer me when yer done." "Ehhh?! But Dorosid, didn't Nausa tell you you needed to lose weight though?" "Well, just don't tell me wife then! She nags too much anyway!" "Oh, hi Nausa!" Phai waved cheerily at the woman who had exited the house the man stood in front of, hands on her hips as she scowled at him. "What did ye just say, Dorosid?!" "Oh?! D-Did you hear that, honeybunches? I uhh, I meant uhh, that yer a kind an' thoughtful lady who's concerned for my health?" They continued on past the couple, though they could hear the woman's angry shouts for a while yet. "Heheh, they're so funny, aren't they?" Phai grinned at Tsetseg. "Anyway, we're almost there." After some time, the two approached a house with a camel in front of it, and began to walk by it, before Phai stopped in her tracks suddenly. "Ehh?! What's that? Is that a horse of some kind?" she seemed to have just noticed the creature, approaching it with the innocent curiosity of a child. "Have you ever seen something like this before, Tsetseg?!" She turned to the archer, eyes sparkling. “I believe some tea to end the day is in order!” a voice could be heard coming from within the house. "Oh! Mene's got guests! Let's not bother her! Unless..." Phai's eyes widened. "Are those the friends you came with?" She bit her lip then. "Do you uhh...need to return to them? Sorry if I kept you...or anything." OOC

It was...quite humid. It reminds me of some of the days I've spent aboard the S.S. Showdown. Or even his hometown, though it was quite a bit colder there. It was a bit of a nostalgic feeling. The strange forest around them, however, was not, though he had heard that eastern Adarid had more of a variety when it came to their plant life. Except... His ears twitched. There's no sound. And that's not right. There should at least be animals or something, but there aren't. He tensed. This is another room, isn't it? And then he saw the man. A lone figure sitting on a worn-down statue. Several moments passed before he slid off the stone and stepped closer. When he spoke, he crossed his arms, as if disappointed. "I suppose Ankou failed. And there's only two of you." He shook his head. "At least there only being two means I will have less sins to contend with once I kill you. Not that it changes much." Sins? So he knows he's doing wrong? It still felt a bit odd to phrase it like that. Wrong. As if striving for power and taking down the powerful was wrong. It wasn't wrong. At least, Easter didn't think so. And it was that very same philosophy that had initially convinced him to go along with Mewtwo's plans. The Godslayers had taken down the legendaries, which meant that they were more powerful than gods. They were the current kings of the hill, and if Easter wanted to become the king of the hill, he just had to change his goal from being a Chaser to being a slayer of Godslayers. That was all. Except, somewhere along the way, that goal had become muddied till it was nigh unrecognizable. There was more to life than power and striving for it, and so, now he wasn't here just for power, but to protect those he cared about from the power-hungry. From fellow monsters like him. So as the Godslayer turned to Nine and addressed him, Easter decided to just attack. After all, there was no point in reasoning with monsters. "I am a detestable person. So don't hold back. I certainly won't." "Well, thanks for the invitation, then," the Sylveon said as he charged forward. Not using a move, just throwing a few punches to get a feel for the other's fighting style. The other blocked with his arms crossed over his front, pushing the fairy type back slightly. The Godslayer didn't attack back right away, tilting his head and studying the other before holding out a hand and releasing a hail of Pin Missiles that forced the pink-haired male to jump clear of his previous position to land next to a clump of grass. "I can see you're going to be a pain," Easter said, smiling. "But that's fine. I knew that coming in. Ankou was also a pain, but she went down as well, and so will you in the end." "Maybe you're right. It's not as though this fight matters either way. No matter who makes it through, those two can't be stopped. Yet that doesn't mean I will just step aside." Easter cocked his head. He hadn't been able to tell right away, with how the other was bundled up, but he was sure now. That gijinka was definitely a Cacturne. Which meant he was a dark type. "That's not very nice," his voice turned slightly syrupy, a tone Nine would find frighteningly familiar. "Are you telling us we don't matter then?" "Yes." "Aww, you're no fun," the fairy type pouted. "You know what they say. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...though actually...what is your name?" "I suppose I can tell you that much. The other one already knows. I am Nikora." "Nikora, huh? Cute name. Mine's Easter, by the way," he grinned flirtatiously. "Hello Easter. And goodbye." The other said, holding up a hand glowing with green power. Immediately afterward an Energy Ball was released, sending Easter crashing backward into a tree. Except the fairy type was still smiling. "You really don't hold back, do you?" he shook his head. "That's not good. It's only polite to be gentle in rejection." His eyes gleamed. "Like this, see?" he sent off a barrage of Swiftly shooting stars toward the other. He didn't get an answer, but he didn't expect one either. The Cacturne had already shown what a stick in the mud he was. And just like a stick, he stayed still as the Swift hit him, seemingly unaffected by the super-effective attack. -- Taiga had introduced herself with a flair worthy of Alola. As Taiga the Terrible Tyrant Toppler. "What a mouthful," Keanu replied, and the Rotom beside him seemed to agree. His name was a lot simpler, just Lok. Keanu would probably have an easier time remembering that than Tony Tiger the Twisted Terror Topper. See? I'm already getting it wrong. And then it was time to go. The others agreed, Taiga getting up to her feet and stretching from side to side. "Guess not. Why the rush though? The others can handle it..fufufuf. Just kiddin'! Let's make this quick, I wanna be the first ones done!" "If you need to rest, go for it, but I'm down to march onward whenever everyone else is! We didn't come this far just to be left behind!" Lok began to march toward the door ahead of them. "All right, all right, I'm coming, I'm coming," Keanu grinned as he followed up behind them. "Good luck, everybody!" Yuffie called out just before the group of three stepped into the teleporter. The room they had been transported to was much different from the previous one. The ice-like floor was covered in a thin layer of snow and several spires of ice broke up the cold white monotony of the place. "This is just like when I visited Mount Lanakila," Keanu murmured, his breath coming out in a pale cloud. He looked around. "Don't see anybody...does that mean that there's nobody here and we can just go on through?" he asked hopefully. And then he heard a giggle, and his heart sank. Soon afterward, he saw the last person he was expecting to see here, in the Godslayers' lair. Kalia. One of the most famous wahine, if not the most famous wahine, in Alola. And one of the most beautiful. She had been Keanu's first crush, not that he knew her personally. It was probably similar to how his brother was a fan of wrestlers. Keanu was just a fan of beautiful wahine. Still, superficial as it was, it was still enough to make his easygoing grin turn upside down as he frowned. Why is she here? And why does she seem so...different? Before she could be compared to the pure, drifted snow, but now, it was as if she had frozen completely into shards of ice. It seemed that she recognized him too, or at least that he was a fellow Alolan, as her eyes widened, muttering to herself in Alolan before raising her voice. "You, you're Alolan. Why. Why are you here? You should come with me. Did you see those Beasts that attacked our home? Did you witness their power as they ripped apart our brothers and sisters? The Legends failed us. Even Tapu Koko couldn't stop their onslaught." She shivered and started to giggle again before calming herself down. "But he. He can gain great power. Greater than any other. He has promised to save our homeland. Join me or stay with them. If you come with me you will be a hero. If you don't...you will die alongside those strangers." Keanu paused. "Save...our homeland?" He had joined this fight to protect his ohana because he just knew Randy and Marie would stick their noses into Adarid business--they already had, after all--but he would be lying if he said he wasn't hoping for the legendaries to help out Alola afterward. It was something that Nani had brought up, and had stuck with him ever since. But it was never a guarantee. Why would the legendaries want to help them, after all? Even if they did help, how much of a difference would they make? Enough for the legendaries to risk their necks and save them? That was a doubt that just wouldn't go away. He wasn't sure if the others in the group besides Nani had even thought that over though. But here was somebody who had already offered to help. Somebody who was very obviously powerful if he could shake up a whole region like this. And that was just the kind of earth-shaking power that they needed against those Beasts. Kalia was saying something to the others then, but Keanu wasn't listening. He was too busy thinking about what she had said earlier. He looked up then, to see a hailstorm had started, and the gijinka had disappeared. "Wait!" he moved past Taiga and Lok as he walked into the storm, wincing slightly when the hail hit him. "You said he, whoever this bruddah is, promised to help? And you're sure he wasn't just talking lies?" It just seemed too good to be true. He heard Kalia gasp somewhere in the hailstorm, "Lies? No, of course not. How could you think that? He said he was honest. We need to save our home don't we?" "Ae, yeah, we do," Keanu replied, voice hesitant. "But...how do you know he's not just using you?" How do I know the legendaries here aren't just using us? "There are uku, lots of issues in getting back to Alola, like, how do we even find our way back in the first place? And the Beasts...would these people even want to leave Adarid, even if temporarily, just to help us out?" the Raichu shrugged. "I'd like to believe your braddah will help us out here too, but realistically, there's not really anything in it for him to help us out, is there?" There wasn't anything in it for the legendaries to help them out either. "He said he'd help. It's all I have left. Stop trying to take it away from me!" The Sandslash appeared like a ghost out of the snowstorm, lunging at him with a Crushing Claw. Keanu winced as the attack hit him, but he stood strong. "I get that!" he shouted back. "We're all just trying to cling onto hope here. Not just you. Me and the other Alolans who came with me, and even the legendaries. Solgaleo...Lunala...we're all fighting so that we can hopefully get help to reclaim Alola. But..." he looked down. "None of us can guarantee that they'll help. Not the legendaries, and not your Godslayers either. We gotta be honest about that." "No, no no, no one else can help! Not without the power he's taking! It's the only chance. The only one! They're too strong. Too many. This is the only way!" Keanu's heart sank as he listened to her speak. It didn't sound like he would get through to this wahine. Something in her had shattered since her time in Alola. Something in myself had too...but I had Randy, Marie, and Nani to help pick up the pieces. And Kalia...she had nobody. Nobody except this brah she keeps talking about... It wasn't like he was trying to convince her to go against that braddah either, but he needed the full picture here before he decided what to do. "I never saw those Beasts myself...but I saw what they did," Keanu replied. "If this brah can help, then good, maikaʻi loa, I just...don't know if he will help. All of us Alolans, we might be on our own trying to get back to our home. But I think we gotta stick together, eh? So why don't you stop fighting for a second so we can figure this out?" Kalia's voice rang out in the storm. "There's no TIME. It's now or never. He'll have the power soon. If I don't help then there's no chance! You didn't see them. They're horrific! If you won't help me save them then you can just die!" While the Godslayer herself did not appear, Keanu was soon buffeted by a stream of icy shards. The Raichu felt his patience fraying. "K'den, if da kine's how you want it! We'll just beat you first and then we'll talk!" With that, he fired off an Electro Ball in the direction where the shards had come from. Unfortunately, it didn't sound like it hit anything. "This is gonna be a hard scrap," he muttered. But honestly, when were they ever easy? This had become his new normal as soon as he stepped foot on Adarid soil.

It was over. Which was good. Belle didn't think she could take much more of fighting like this under the hot sun. Flopping to the ground, she shot back to her feet at the stinging sensation on her thighs. "Ouch!" she groaned. "Can't even lie down. Sand's too hot..." She grumbled as she brushed some of the sand off. Turning toward Jacklyn, she asked, "So...what now?" They were in the desert, and had gotten a bit off course trying to help that Bearble. But now that it was helped, they would have to find their way back to the path. But it seemed as if there were still things they needed to do. Or the Bearble thought so anyway. It looked fine at least, but she could see it was gesturing toward Ivan's jacket. "What's up with that thing?"

Alois, Penelope, Gunther, Edrick, and Abdul "No, you're right, being there isn't a crime. Yet I would question it still. I will be upfront, sir, but I believe your companion to be of the shady sort. And I would think a man such as you would want to investigate so as to not have such a person at your side. But we have plenty of time to learn the truth. And we will that much is certain." "Shady?! Perish the cerebration!" Pylauses exclaimed. "As for comprehending the legitimacy, I will not halt you, for there is nothing to disguise!" the man laughed. "As it stands I would, personally, prefer to go with this lady. And that is where I shall go. I won't stop anyone from taking you up on your....generous offer but I will not be one of them." "What?!" the noble reared back, mouth agape. "You would turn down my most benevolent offering...to visit some roughshod shack?!" "Now, wait just one minute, Pylauses," Mene replied. "My home mightn't compare with yours, but it's got four walls, a roof, an' a warm bed fer this feller," she nodded at Edrick. "An' that's what he really needs right now." The man was about to retort when the others, including the one who had accepted his offer earlier, gave their goodbyes, some with more decorum than others. Pylauses spluttered in confusion, as if the very idea of refusal was a foreign concept. As they left the two behind, the noble regained his ability to speak, stomping his cane against the ground as he did so. "Why the nervitude of them! They don't recognizate just what they declined!" "Er...Lord Pylauses, sir...what was that man over there saying just now?" the squat man asked, scratching his head. "Like, ee-nah-tay something?" "Not now, Hanikap," the man dismissed. "I'm occupied." "But it sounded funny! You think he's, uhh, funny inside too?" he coughed. "In the head?" The noble was about to say something when he paused. "...Perhaps. Or it could be disparate." He stared after Edrick with some intrigue. "What modulation did you say you descried again?" Meanwhile, Mene continued to lead the group through the village. Every so often she would stop and respond to the cheerful greetings that came her way from fellow villagers working to repair their homes. Yet at the mere sight of her son, grinning teeth and upturned eyes melted into thin-lipped stares and heavy, hanging brows. The rest of the group caused a strange, almost animalistic reaction. Shifting onto the balls of their feet, knees slightly bent, eyes rolling slightly to show their whites. It was as if they had encountered a wild beast. And then the villagers relaxed, recognition lighting up their faces, and they were people once more, adjusting their worldview to the presence of strangers in their village as they sent the group wary nods and careful smiles. If Mene noticed, she didn't show it. "Did you hear that Alois?" she beamed. "Dorosid says we can have some of the new carrots he's grown!" Said man shot Alois a glare while the woman's back was turned. Eventually, Mene stopped next to where the wall opened up into another gate, though this was much simpler than the one they had seen at the front of the village. It was but a simple stone arch with two stout pillars at its sides. Beyond the opening the group could see a field where fluffy sheep grazed within the boundary of a wooden fence. A single black-and-white dog rested beneath the shade of a ramshackle lean-to, a boy with a crooked cane sitting beside him. Yet the woman paid no mind to this, gesturing toward a simple wooden hut with a straw roof. "An' we're here. Sorry fer the walk," she seemed to mostly be addressing Edrick and Abdul. "As ye see, we live on the edge o' the village, 'gainst the back wall. I heard it was cuz me great-something grandda herded sheep, so he wanted to live out in the fields, but me great-something grandma put her foot down. She refused to live outside the village." The woman laughed. "So they settled on this location as a compromise." "All righ', now, come in, come in. Sorry fer the mess," she opened the door and beckoned them inside. Despite Mene's warnings on the "mess," the place was rather tidy. The wooden floor had been swept clean, and the entrance, as well as the area next to the beds, was covered with rush mats. The beds themselves were a pair of simple wooden frames stuffed with straw and draped with coarse linen. The kitchen was a homely affair consisting of a stone oven and a stone counter with a pail of water nearby. Those with sensitive noses would pick up the faint whiff of something sweet coming from the oven. The only sign of wealth was the single glass window on the far wall, as well as a couple of books resting on top of one of the beds. Mene didn't waste any time before moving her attention to Edrick. "Now, let's lay this boy down 'ere in Alois's bed. I'll move these books here first though," the woman said, picking them up and glancing at the titles. "Oh, yea, Alois Reinhardt," she spoke up, her voice taking on a familiar tone. The tone that the boy had only heard when he was in trouble with her. "I found these books underneath yer bed. They look mighty familiar. Mightn't I have seen these in Mayor Dresogon's house before?" She turned around, still smiling, but her mouth was twitching downward, eyes narrowed into slits as she stared down at the fighter. For a second, it seemed that she would start scolding him then and there, but her eyes flicked back to Edrick, her lips pursing as she turned away from the fighter pointedly to concentrate on the Pontic instead. "Let's get you settled in now," she said, attempting to help him into the bed. She was surprisingly strong for her frame, but still struggled to get the lanky boy fully situated. -- Link and Citron Pheodea nodded in satisfaction at Citron's reply. "Yes, good good. I thought you'd say so. Much better than playing housemaid for a month, I'd say. So long as you don't jostle your arm, I don't think we'll have problems." Link, however, had other ideas. And while Citron tried to protest, the villagers themselves had no issue with it. "Yeah, 'm fine wivvit. So long as ye keep yer demon wolf away," Thile muttered, glaring down at the wolf while at the same time backing away to stand behind Achos, nose wrinkling much like a hare would. The bulky man laughed. "I don't think we'll 'ave much issue there, right?" he moved to slap Link on the back, though he wouldn't take offense if the other avoided it. "Not if'n the way he handled tha' there wolf earlier means aught." "Yes, yes, the more the merrier," Pheodea gave a gap-toothed grin before clapping her hands together. "Now, less yapping, more working!" With that, the group began to work on repairing the stall. Or, to be more accurate, building a new one. The old stall was little more than split wood and ripped canvas at this point, and the new one little more than a couple beams planted into the cobblestone of the square, held up only by the villagers. Fortunately, Achos had brought up most of the lumber they would need from the local carpenter. "I gets a discount cuz I'm the one who's supplies the man," he told them. "But..." he frowned. "Looks like we need some cloth." "Well, that's what I'm here for," Pheodea replied. "As the village weaver, I always plan ahead," she held up a long sheet of canvas cloth she had brought up with her, staggering somewhat under the weight. "Ey, lemme grab that," the brawny man said, grabbing the cloth and setting it down on the ground nearby. "Now..." he looked over the stall. "I ain't no carpenter, but I'm thinking we need more wood too. And some rope. Didn't expect the damage to be this much." "Didn't expect?!" Thile cried. "Not when I's told ye there was a winged lizard tha' crashed into me stall?! Wut, ye thought'd was a mere salamander?!" "All right, all right, calm down now," Pheodea cut in, much to Achos's relief. "So it looks like we need some wood and some rope, right?" She turned to Link and Citron. "Do either of you have any of that?" -- Sienna Sienna's journey through the village would be fairly short. She didn't have to go far from the plaza to get to where all the merchants had set up their storefronts. Finding the right one was more difficult, and asking the villagers came with its own difficulties. She was a beacon of white and red in a village of muddy grays and browns, and her fox ears drew lingering eyes wherever she went. Upon approaching one man, he leaned slightly away from her like a tree reaching for the sunlight, but here it was more like he was reaching for an escape. His eyes quivered in their sockets and his voice came out in a nervous stammer. "G-Go that way," he pointed down the road, turning and fleeing as soon as the Protean had been sufficiently distracted. Yet many stood still and watched her, postures stiff but eyes wet with gratitude as they bowed their heads briefly. Eventually, the girl reached a store built of a mixture of wood and stone. Unlike some of the others, it was in good shape. In front, a man wearing a dusty apron chipped away at a piece of stone with a pick. Despite his age, his movements were swift and sure, untiring as he shaped it into a block. "Old man Theusido," one of the villagers pointed out helpfully, to which he looked up with a grunt, wiping away the sweat from his brow. "Aye, that's me. What business do ye 'ave wiv me, miss?" he asked, setting down his pick and turning fully to face Sienna. -- Tsetseg "Tsetseg..." the militia girl said slowly as if getting used to the sound of it, before giggling. "I've never heard of a name like that before!" She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror immediately afterward. "I-I mean uhh, sorry!" she squeaked. "I didn't mean to say it that way. It's not a bad name, not at all!" she shook her head so hard it seemed she would grow dizzy before she stilled, mouth agape. "Ehhh?! Never fished?! Not the right person?! Are they daft?!" she punctuated each phrase with a comical widening of her eyes, till it seemed as if they would fall out of their sockets. "Fishing is one of those things that anybody can do! It's like, uhh," she paused to think, "like a universal thing! That's it!" she nodded. "So them telling you not to do it, why, that's just dumb. They probably just wanted to keep all the fun to themselves." By now, the last of her tears had dried. "I caught and dried some fish this morning, before everything went uhh, south," she said. "So they won't take long to cook! You really gotta try some! Or if you want, we could go to the river or the pond so you can try fishing some yourself!" she cheered, face lighting up, before sobering slightly. "Uhh, that is, if you're uhh, fine with that," she said. "I-If you're not, that's fine too. I know you're probably, uhh, busy. Being a hero and all." OOC

Hug Tyranitar, Catch Aggron, Fight Haxorus Hug / Catch / Fight Spinda Scizor Squirtle I find it amusing that after RNG I ended up with three Pokémon that started with the letter S.

It was finally over. Easter couldn't help but echo Nine's sigh of relief, turning to face the other upon being addressed. "Another day another godslayer down. Way to go out there partner." "Oh?" Easter arched a brow. "Do you do this often?" What kind of life must the Houndoom lead for this to feel everyday for him? It must be exciting. Then again, I guess I'm the same way. "And looks like they're not going to take the loss lying down. If memory serves, I know that there are at least three other godslayers of the group. Maybe four. But of course, I've never met Ankou before so who knows how many more there are holed up down here." "So the show isn't over yet," the Sylveon laughed. "Guess that means we have to keep going. Soon enough, either they'll run out of fighters, or we will. Let's hope they're the ones who run out first, though." He grinned at Nine. "But if the other fighters are anywhere near our level, then I'm sure this will be a piece of Poké Puff." The two rested for a moment, the fairy type offering a couple of the sweet Poffins he had "borrowed" from the S.S. Showdown. "They're no Poké Puffs, but they'll do in a pinch," he said. Before long, Nine had gotten up with a, "ready to go on when you are." The Sylveon rose from his slouch, punching his fists together in bloodthirsty anticipation. "When it comes to fighting, I was born ready." -- It was obvious that this Rotom boy had been affected by the Godslayers as well, probably even more so than Keanu had been, as a native of Adarid. And his passion had translated into his attack, the Thunderbolt being enough to end it. "Phew, thank the legends that that's over," Keanu breathed, slumping down to the ground. "Hopefully we won't have to battle anybody else." He looked up at the others then. "Hey, good work out there. And I never got your names earlier. I assume yours is Taiga, though, if what that wahine was saying was right," he addressed the Sharpedo directly then. "Mine's Keanu." Yuffie stared down at Veronica's fallen form sadly. "Even perfection has to fall sometime, I guess..." "So, uhh..." she looked up to see the strange-looking Raichu from before. "What're ya gonna do then, sistah?" "Sister?" she murmured, eyes going blank for a second. "Oh," she shook her head. "I'm going to stay here, with Veronica. "Thanks for back there, by the way." "It was no problem," the Fletchling replied, turning to look at the other two as well, giving Taiga a little wave of recognition. "Actually, I want to thank you three. I...hope that, when she wakes up, she'll have changed her mind. About the gods, Adarid, and...her life." "Yeah," Keanu felt a little awkward. "Here's to hoping." Honestly, he wasn't so optimistic that that lolo buggah would ever change her mind, but he supposed miracles did happen. Also, he wasn't going to try to argue that with the one who had brought him back from unconsciousness. He'd almost want to stay in the room still and forget about fighting for the rest of the day, but two things were stopping him there. One, he was afraid that wahine would get up and try to fight them again. And two, he needed to keep moving forward. For his ohana. Still, there was nothing wrong with taking a breather. The Raichu offered the others some of the berries from his berry pouch before leaning his head back against one of the poles, closing his eyes in the process. But soon enough, he forced himself to rise again. "Wouldn't mind resting a little longer, but I guess we can't put it off for too long, eh?"

That thing's laughing at us... Belle gritted her teeth, clenching her fists. It reminded her of the people she'd fight on League sometimes. Scum who took any opportunity to taunt their opponents and put them down. They usually shut up quickly though when she beat them. Either that or they started swearing. Well, she would just do the same thing here. It wasn't League, but she could pretend it was. Moo was obedient enough that she could treat him like a champion. And the Vullaby had gotten overconfident, coming in close for a Fury Attack. Without even needing to be prompted, Moo had retaliated with a Tackle, knocking the bird down to the ground. "Once more," Belle commanded. She could see that her Pokémon was injured, but he was sturdy enough that she trusted him to manage regardless. And he did. Just as the Vullaby was starting to get up, the grass type had charged into its side, knocking it down to the ground for good this time. More and more, Belle was glad that she had chosen the starter that she had. Even facing a type disadvantage, Moo had come through. Returning the Poamoo to his ball, she glanced over at the others. Huh. Maybe I should've waited on returning him. It looks like there are still a couple of Vullaby able to fight.

"Sorry..." I say, feeling a little guilty despite myself. But not guilty enough to change my mind. "I just...don't want to do things like that if I can help it..." I glance at Caster. "I suppose...but...if I have the choice, I want to believe that I'll take the less violent one. Even though I know I might have to shed blood eventually. I'd like to hear this idea of yours, though."

Ari was almost attacked, and he was sure, if the hit had connected, he would have been down for good. But it didn't happen, because Mac was there. The Litleo grinned at her. "Thanks, Mac. You...always come through. Always...liked that about you." He coughed out more blood before getting out of the way as the Godslayer and Jabari exchanged blows. When the dark blue-haired girl released an attack that looked similar to his giant fireball, Mac's giant lightning ball, or Kazo's giant meteor, except made of water, he was doubly glad that he had moved back. Getting hit by that would for sure knock him out. Thankfully, it wasn't targeted toward him, but toward the Godslayer, exploding in a shower of rainfall that caused the fire type to wince. The girl collapsed immediately afterward. It was obvious that she had used her all in that attack. Which meant Ari couldn't fall behind either, running forward in another Return toward the Godslayer, yet again managing to hit him. Maybe he was too distracted by that previous attack? Still, as the Litleo fell back to avoid any retaliation, he couldn't help but feel that he was one step away from collapsing himself. In fact, he'd already done so a couple of times. So maybe it was more accurate to say that he was one step away from collapsing for good? -- Easter listened to the other two banter with a grin. And when Ankou reappeared, he was ready. Moonblast ready. The attack was enough to make her stumble, throwing out a Thunderbolt that shot past him. Running up and kicking her in the side, he waited when she Teleported. Ears twitching, he turned around, slamming a Psyshock into the reappearing Gardevoir's side. "It's time to end this," he muttered. "Any last words?" Except instead of a reply, he got a Psyshock in return. "Oh I see, I'm not good enough to talk to," he teased. "I'm sorry that I'm lacking in Nine's debonair charm. But I will say..." he winked. "I'm a lot cuter than him, at least." With that, he threw out a Swift. Though the attack didn't do much damage, that wasn't the point. While the Godslayer was busy taking the attack, he had run up and tackled her to the ground, a pink glowing ball forming in his hands. The Gardevoir twitched before stilling, eyes widening when nothing happened. "Oh, did your Teleports run out?" the Sylveon asked. "You were using that move quite a lot, so I'm not surprised. Guess this is the end of the line for you." "It's not the end...It can't be. This isn't how it ends. Not here." Easter's eyes softened for a second. "None of us are infallible," he murmured. "I'm much like you, unable to be put down no matter what others want. But even I have limits." His mouth set into a grim line. "And so do you." The next moment, the Moonblast exploded. -- He had woken up. Or revived. Or something. He was pretty sure he had fallen unconscious, at least for a little bit, but he was awake now, the taste of Sitrus in his mouth. "Are you awake?" a soft voice asked, and Keanu blinked at the sight of a familiar-looking Fletchling crouching next to his fallen form. "Y-You're..." he croaked. "That's good," she nodded. "Veronica has never been good at holding back. It's part of her charm," she smiled sadly. Keanu just stared, breaking his gaze only to glance over at his pack, which had been opened, spilling out some of the berries he kept within. "So...I know you've been out cold for a minute...but would you mind like, maybe I dunno...helping us knock your friend out?" a familiar voice caused Keanu to jerk slightly in surprise. Eh? This the same wahine as before? She sounded exhausted...which wasn't good. But she had at least lasted longer than him, so that was something. Keanu felt a little ashamed that he had gone down as easily as that. What good was he, or his evolution, if he couldn't even last one battle? But he was never one to worry too much about things like that. He would just keep fighting, and keep his ohana safe. The Fletchling stood up from her crouch then, and Keanu followed suit. Neither one of them were in one hundred percent shape, but that didn't matter. "You!" Veronica hissed, stumbling forward. "You're even more of a pain than I thought! Can't even stay down long enough to keep out of the way," she coughed out blood then, the sight causing Keanu to wince. But this was his time. While she was weak, and he was awake. The Raichu began to rush forward then, heart leaping into his throat. It was now or never. And then the Fletchling held out a hand. Seconds before he would've slammed into her outstretched arm, Keanu skidded to a stop. That was close. He had almost hit her. "Ey, why'd you stop me?!" "Let me talk first..." she whispered, before raising her voice. "Veronica, please, don't do this." The Godslayer stomped her foot. "Don't do what?! Don't smash these plebeians into the ground?! They asked for it! I won't let anybody get in the way of our goal." "What goal?! To kill off the legendaries who keep Adarid running? Literal gods? Don't you see Veronica?! What you're doing is wrong!" "No, it's not wrong. It's right. It's this world that's wrong." The Fletchling shook her head. "Betty wouldn't have wanted this." The Crobat narrowed her eyes. "Don't presume to know what she would or wouldn't want! You might be her little sister, Yuffie, but that doesn't mean that I'll let you put words in her mouth. After all," she coughed, "I'm doing this for her." Keanu was confused. For her? Who was Betty, and what were these two even talking about? And why weren't they fighting? Then again, he wouldn't say no to a reprieve. He could see Taiga was also trying to get back her strength, and the Rotom had disappeared. As if reading his thoughts, the Godslayer turned to the rest of them, causing Keanu's heart to skip a beat. Out of fear, not attraction, though she had looked pretty fine at the start of this fight. Gods damn it, why are all the beauties here so fricking lolo?! "You think these gods of yours are so great?" she sneered. "I thought so too. And then they took my best friend from me." She shook her head. "Elizabeth was so kind, the kindest gijinka I had ever met. And talented, unbelievably so. I was always competing against her, commoner though she was. It seemed as if she would burn brightly forever, but in the end..." she chuckled hollowly. "There was a rampaging legendary. Like a flash fire, the candle of her life was snuffed out, just like that," she clenched a fist, slamming it into the ground. "After all, what is the life of an ordinary gijinka to a god?" "Veronica..." Yuffie murmured, taking a few steps closer to her. "Gods, hah! Just what about them is godly?" the Crobat let out a bitter laugh that ended in another cough. "They're more like rabid beasts. And just like beasts, they need to be put down!" her eyes went dark. "And I'll put down anybody who stands in our way as well." "No you won't," Keanu gritted out. "I know you were wronged, but that doesn't mean that all gods are like that." He remembered the Tapu, who had stayed behind to help fend off the beasts in Alola. Of Solgaleo and Lunala, who had sat in the boat with such sad looks in their eyes. Of Moltres, who had been almost killed by Allie. Sure, Yveltal had been about to kill them all for just being there when she woke up, but even she had let them go after they had given her a good pummeling. It wasn't as if legendaries were unreasonable beings. At least not the ones he had met. There were probably a few bad apples...or at least one anyway, but that didn't mean they needed to throw out the bunch of them. Or whatever analogy he was trying to make. "And how can you guarantee that?!" Veronica shook her head. "No, I won't give them the chance to kill any more gijinka, and if you're going to stop me, then you're going down as well!" she shouted, flying into the air and starting to spin in a very familiar, and deadly dance. "Stop, Veronica! You're in bad enough shape already! That move will kill you at this rate!" "And so what?!" the Crobat screeched. "Even if I die, that just means I'll get to be reunited with...her. But if I can stop you three from continuing," she coughed out a splatter of blood as fire flickered around her form, remnants of the burn inflicted upon her, "then I'll have done my part to make this world...a better place." Keanu couldn't put it off any longer. He had to fight. Even if that meant killing the gijinka in front of him. But he had been prepared for that since the start. Summoning up a wave of water, he rode it toward the Godslayer, crashing into her and forcing her to stop her spin. "This is over!" he shouted, ignoring the pain shooting across his form as she retaliated with Leech Life. Concentrating, her threw her into the wall with Psychic. "I don't know anything about shaping the world, but killing others isn't right either!" He could tell that the move had had some effect. The Crobat stood still, panting in exhaustion and pain, eyes closed, immobile. And then she moved, firing out a Cross Poison at them, still attempting to fight, even in the condition she was in. The Raichu stood still, glancing across the room toward the others. This needs to end.

I nod, "Yeah, sorry, I just don't really...want to fight people unless I absolutely have to. You know?" I look to Caster's Master for their response to their Servant.

Alois, Penelope, Gunther, Edrick, Link, and Abdul The metamorphosis of Pylauses's expression was a sight to behold. Going from an assured smile to a smug sneer after Link and Gunther spoke, to confused annoyance after Penelope's remark, easing up slightly after Abdul's concession, before finally settling on red-faced acrimony after Alois's insult. What was equally interesting was his companion's coloring, which had paled to ash white after the princess's question. "I...I-I..." the stout man stumbled over his words, obviously not having expected this particular subject to come up. Before he could continue, Pylauses interrupted. "Affirmative, so you have descried Hanikap priorly, and so?" his tone was one of clear dismissal. "It is no felonicity to be so witnessed in this unpretentious community. Indeed, though I am loathsome in admittance, we are ourselves burgesses of this burg." "Yeah yeah, right!" Hanikap nodded along. "What he said! We're burger burglars!" "Not burglars, burgesses, you bumbling buffoon!" the taller man tripped him with his cane. "Extend him no attention, ladies, and gentlemen!" he shook his head. "Though I cannot assert the nobility of your personages in aggregate, most keenly in regards to conclusive particulars," he finished with a sneer at Alois and a point of his cane toward the boy in question. "Now hold yer horses," Mene cut in, bristling slightly. "I don't know what all this is about burgs and burglars, but I know Alois ain't part of it," she finished with her hands on her hips. "So beggin' yer pardon, Mister Pylauses--" "It's Lord Pylauses to you, Mene--" "But I'm thinkin' ye'd best git going." "Non, non," the man shook his head with a superior-sounding sigh. "Mene, Mene, sometimes I am stricken with the most awful of awes over you and the other settlers. I am not presently present to give offensiveness to any figures. That is an occupation that your most...esteemed scion has undertaken himself. Non, I am in attendance merely to offer a more decorous dwelling for these fair foreigners." "Um..." Mene rubbed her head, her eyes swimming in confusion. "Then, thankee? But to me it sounds as if'n these 'ere good folks want ter follow me," she finished. "That is purely by virtue of them not being conversant in the particulars of my manor's manners," the man replied. "Not to mention, though I am uttering such presently, but they are not in overflowing accord," he spread his arms wide, turning toward Abdul. "And my responsiveness is...indubitably! I would be most acquiescent to take in this impoverished fellow. And as he is currently leaking his sanguinity all over the terra firma, might I advocate for a most alacritous evacuation?" he nodded at the boy's wounds, which had reopened somewhat after being moved. "Oh dear me!" Mene gasped upon noticing the boy's condition as well. "It's a good thing I have some vulneraries at home." "As if mere vulneraries are what this youth necessitates," Pylauses sneered. "I am in possession of concoctions and even, conceivably, elixirs." "Well, ain't like they'll bring his blood back," Mene frowned. "We jus' need to get the wounds closed and all, an' vulneraries are good enough for that." "Perhaps, now that these visitationers are au courant of my giantesque inventory, we should let them adjudicate." "To your health, Milord!" Hanikap said, bringing out a handkerchief and offering it to the other man. "I said adjudicate, not achoo, you dimwit!" "O-Oh," the squat man replied, lowering the handkerchief. "Er...sorry, Lord Gaston." The nobleman sighed before turning back to the group. "Neglecting priorous events, what is your determination?" -- Citron As soon as Rohns had been removed from the square, Thile crumpled to the cobblestone ground, legs trembling underneath her. "That...was too much..." she panted. "But at least...the demon wolf is gone." "It's 'cause yer outta shape," Achos snorted. "An' yer scared o' a baby wolf," he whistled, shaking his head. "Never thought I'd see the day." "Oh can it, ya overgrown lunkhead. Not all's of us can turn into a moose. Sees how ye likes becomin' a hare an' afearin' fer yer life," the woman shot back, though her tone sounded more exhausted than angry. Upon Citron's approach and subsequent apology, she went silent, though there was still a furrow present between her brows. "Money ain't the problem," Thile frowned. "With my stall destroyed by yer overgrown lizard, I won't be able to sell my stock till it's fixed. An' I don't know 'bout other places, but here in Phar, we don't use gold or even silver to trade. That's more the mayor's thing. We just barter here. So unless you can gimme summat'll cover all the days lost from my destroyed stall," her frown deepened, "yer gonna have ta work it off. And not by lettin' ye run off with empty promises of sending stuff back. Mightn't be ye never come back." She glared at Citron, hands on her hips. "No, no, yer gonna hafta stay. Could use some help 'round the house for a tennight or two, make that a month if'n ye wanna get fed an' housed too." The older woman who had been talking with them earlier coughed. "Well now, let's not get too hasty. I don't think this young'un really needs to stay that long. Probably has things to do and such. Youngsters always do." Unlike the other two, she had a more refined air to her, though her back was slightly stooped from age and covered in a shawl. "What about this? You, girlie, what was your name again?" she gestured toward Citron. "Why don't you help us rebuild this stall first off? And then see if your friends can help cover the cost of the damage. If need be, you might have to give the rest of your stock to Thile here, but I think that's a better offer than sticking around here for a month." "An' this is why Pheodea is Pheodea," Achos nodded. His dark hair was cropped close to his head. Shirtless despite the cool autumn air, his burly figure made it clear that he likely hadn't been lying about being a lumberjack. "She always knows jus' what t'do." "I guess that'n might work as well," Thile said reluctantly. "Though I wouldn't 'ave minded a housekeeper fer a month." -- Sienna As Sienna set about cleaning up Amas's house, she would hear Icleias start to bark, before being told to "siddown" by Amas. The puppy went silent then, but it wasn't long afterward that it followed her into the house, literally dogging her steps. It seemed pretty fascinated with her scent, as it kept sniffing at her, tail wagging. "Oi, Icleias, don't go makin' this lass's job any harder than it needs t'be," Amas's voice caused the pup to sit down with a thud in the corner of the house, tail thumping against the ground still. It wasn't long before Sienna finished up with her cleaning. The shortbow and chimney were still broken, but that would take more time to do. Amas ended up saying as much himself. "The bow's shot, so forget about it. I'm workin' on a new one right now, see?" he showed the piece of wood he was slowly working into a bow shape. "As for the chimney, well," he scratched his cheek, "that thing needs good stone and lime, two things I don't have right now." The man paused. "Tell ya what. Here," he handed Sienna a few furs. "If it helps, these aren't fox pelts. See, that's rabbit," he pointed at a gray one, "that's beaver," he pointed to a brown one, "and that's pine marten," he pointed at a darker brown one. "That should be enough for some stones and some lime. See if'n you can get some from Theusido. He's the local quarrier, supplier o' rocks and stuff. He'll be over thataway," he waved toward the other end of the square. "Over there's where all the shops are. The ones that ain't stalls, anyway. Theusido's probably busy, but if ya tell him Amas sent ya, it should be fine. I'd go meself, but I want to get this bow done afore dark," the man shrugged. "Remember, we need chimney stone and lime. Tell him exactly that. 'Bout five pounds worth maybe. Oh, here," the hunter pushed a small wheelbarrow over. "If ye can't carry it all, just put them in here. Git going then," he returned to the barrel and his carving. As Sienna set off, she would find that the puppy, Icleias, seemed determined to follow her. His owner raised a brow but continued working without comment. He didn't seem too worried about letting the pup follow the fox. -- Tsetseg The militia girl seemed to calm slightly as Tsetseg continued to pat her on the head, but the archer's first words caused her to straighten in shock. "Huh? Y-Yes, I'm the beaver, I mean, I was the beaver. Did I forget to say that? Oh, rats, I did didn't I?!" the girl started to flail her arms around in panic. "I can't believe this! Argh, I'm so stupid! Not a good fighter, can't even introduce myself right..." she drooped slightly before sitting up higher, face set in determination even while tears still streamed down her cheeks. "My name is Phaidra! Phaidra Francos at your service!" she gave a sideways salute that made it clear she was still learning how to do them right. "But you can just call me Phai. Everybody else does." "Well when a cute fluffy creature like that is in danger I have to save it!" "W-Wow, you really are a hero. You even talk like one!" Phaidra's eyes shone. "B-But I've been pretty rude, haven't I? I didn't even ask your name? So...on that note, what is your name, Miss Hero? And uhh...do you like fish?" the tears had finally stopped, though she was still sniffling. "I might not be very good at fighting, but I'm pretty good at fishing! See, I was gonna try and be the village fisherman, but then I wanted to fight like my cousin! Oh, you might not have met her yet. Her name's Acantha! She's a little..." she cringed slightly, "sharp. But she means well! At least...I think so," she trailed off. "Anyway, uhh, I got off track again, but I wanted to say that I have fish! Or that I fish. Er...if you want fish...I have fish?" she grinned sheepishly. -- Catriona, Ciela, and Adel "Yeah, Phai's a bit of a scatterbrain, but she tries hard," Acantha said. "It doesn't really make up for her mistakes, though." "With time, her efforts will bear fruit," Catriona pointed out. "What are you, a fortune-teller or something?" the cavalier snorted. "Anyway, don't let me hold you back. Didn't you have a task for that woman?" she pointed rudely at the pegasus knight. The white-haired woman shook her head. "I am not comfortable with having her set off at this moment. Her head--" "I'm fine, Your Highness," Adel said, walking over to stand in front of the princess. "My injuries were light, and I am steady on my feet now." Catriona glanced over the other before nodding her agreement. "In that case, I need you to deliver a message to," she paused, "my father." This had been an idea she had considered since the pegasus knight had joined their party. It's too risky to send a carrier pigeon because it could be intercepted, she thought. But a verbal message through a trusted pegasus knight should be fine. "If the guards refuse to let you through, show them this," she handed over a signet ring. The crest on it would be recognizable to anybody familiar with Galtean heraldry. The crest of House Nabudis. It looked slightly different, as it showed the personal coat-of-arms for Catriona, but the crest itself was unmistakable. She had mixed feelings over giving the other her ring. On the one hand, she never parted with it, not even after being kidnapped. It was a mark of her identity. On the other hand, if discovered on her person, that would reveal her identity immediately, which would only hinder her attempts at anonymity. "Bear this to my father along with the message that I am in Histia, and not to trust Lord Sebastian. Also..." she paused, before stepping closer and lowering her voice. What was said afterward was heard only between the two of them. Stepping away, her voice returned to her normal pitch, though it was still rather low for a woman. "It may be difficult to find us afterward. See if my father has any further instructions for you." "By your command," Adel nodded, her stoic face belying the torrent of emotions she was feeling underneath. Confusion was dominant, mixed with some amusement, fear, and relief. I'm not sure I want to go back to Galtea, but at least I'll be leaving this village. Still, there's something ironic about me of all people being sent to that place. Catriona stepped back once more. "You may leave when you see fit. And...thank you," the last few words came out awkwardly. "You're welcome," the reply was much more natural, the amusement showing more openly. "I'll go now, while there's still daylight left," the pegasus knight began to walk toward the exit. She stopped at the doorway, turning back once to look at the princess, who had returned to the bench where Ciela's prone body had been placed. "Good luck, Your Highness." Without waiting for a reply, she faced forward and left the building. It didn't take long for the woman to find her pegasus. Tyltalis hadn't wandered very far from the mayor's house. Getting on the pegasus, and ignoring its annoyed whicker, the woman kicked its sides, spurring it to gallop forward and flap its wings before powering itself into the air. The two flew higher and higher, then farther, until they became little more than a dot in the sky. OOC

"I uh, I can't say I was expecting to see this." Upon seeing Leon and Rona, Yue felt a tightness she hadn't realized was in her chest, start to loosen. She wasn't very good at doing things herself or knowing what to do. She had just been flailing around and hoping it'd do something. But now that these two were here, she felt that, no matter what happened, it would turn out all right in the end. That was probably what it meant to be a leader, or dependable, or something like that. "I take it you found his boat?" Yue nodded while at the same time, the man beside her burst out into an angry roar. One which sounded more like a large beast than the rooster which his hair reminded her of. “YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOIN’ ON MY BOAT?” "Y-Yes," the archer replied, though by now, the two had probably figured that out from Susanoo's angry shouts and his following charge down into the pier. "That man didn't drag you here, did he?" Rona asked. "Or did you willingly join with him...?" Before Yue could answer, Cormag let out a roar which sounded remarkably similar to Susanoo's, but at the same time, more terrifying. Though maybe it was more terrifying that a person's roar could be compared to a wyvern's? After getting permission from Leon to engage, the Jouran climbed onto her wyvern, holding a hand out. "If either of you want a ride, now's the time." "U-U-U-U-Um!" Yue stammered. "R-R-R-R-R-Ride? W-W-With you? Now?" She blushed. Oh spirits, she couldn't handle this! Riding with Rona...she'd probably have a heart attack or something. Shaking her head furiously, the archer looked down at the cobblestones beneath her. "N-N-No, i-it's fine. You can r-ride with, umm, Leon." Just saying those words made her mouth taste bitter, but she really didn't think she could handle riding on the wyvern alongside Rona. Anybody else, yes, but not Rona. Instead, the girl started to follow after Susanoo, taking her bow out at the same time and stringing it as she ran, something she had gotten better and better at doing since joining the Iron Falcons. As she ran, she realized that it was probably for the better that Leon rode with Rona. After all, he was a front-line fighter, so the sooner he got to the fight, the better. So...I really shouldn't be so upset! she thought, lip wobbling as her eyes teared up in frustration.

Lachlan was a little depressed that none of his questions had gotten answered. But he supposed it was more important that they find out what was causing the attacks. He wasn't off on his own anymore, but on a mission, so he would have to just try to keep to the mission and satisfy his curiosity another day. Aye, an' ah might 'ave overwheelmed the lad a wee bit. Ah tend tae doo tha'. The talk of witching hours reminded Lachlan of Ellie and Cory. Mayhap either of them would ken exactly what was going on then? In which case it would behoove Lachlan to meet up with her and ask her about that. But first... Tricky Oberon had glided up next to Risf, asking him some things Lachlan couldn't quite hear. Presumably about their mission, though even if they weren't, Lachlan couldn't really hold it against him. After all, he'd started to do much the same himself. What he did know though...was that this didn't sound good. "A-and do you know where these attacks are uhh...coming from?" Lachlan asked. "That is, I mean, uhh, where do they usually uhh...happen? Sorry if that's er...insensitive or anything. Or if you don't know, that's fine too. I was just wondering. I figured it's good to know, uhh, everything there is to know. So, on that line, if there's umm, anything else you can tell us, please do so. Not that we'll hold it against you if you decide not to. Or at least I won't. I don't mean to speak for these two, just myself. Sorry." He ended his spiel in a mumble. Hopefully nobody would be offended by his blunders. If anybody did, well, that would just end up being something he would have to deal with. Probably by running away so he didn't get punched or something, which would cause a whole new string of problems.

Moo took the Gust attack with surprising stoicism for a grass type, but Belle knew that that probably hurt. Moo was just really, really docile. "Okay, Moo, use Vine Whip-pfth on it! Keep-pfth it from flying around!" Belle shouted in-between mouthfuls of sand. The cow let out a low at that, one which was also interrupted by spitting out sand, but it didn't stop the Pokémon from sending out its vines. The Vullaby managed to avoid it at first, retaliating with a Fury Attack on the vines, but was unable to do so on the second round. "Slam it-pfth to the ground now." The cow nodded, having learned its lesson from before, and followed her instruction. Unfortunately, the ground being sand, it was a much softer landing than either Belle or Moo had expected, and with a shake, the bird managed to get itself free. However, it was now grounded. Which meant... "Tackle!" Moo ran forward, but his pace was slowed by the sand, and by the time he reached the Vullaby, it had soared back up into the air. It let out a harsh warble then, Leering down at Moo. Belle crossed her arms in annoyance. This might be a harder fight than I originally thought. But I won't let a stupid birdbrain beat me. I know just the move to use from that one anime. "Moo, use Vine Whip to propel yourself toward the Vullaby!" The Poamoo nodded and lifted itself into the air with its vines, standing on an equal level with the Vullaby before slamming himself into the startled bird. However, it quickly retaliated with a Gust that sent the cow flying. We can't keep this up forever. If only that dumb rat was dependable, then I wouldn't have to use a Pokémon that's weak to flying types!