Roleplay Thread

[Ribbons]

(OOC: Please be aware as you read this post that this is a writing snippet from when Islands of Origin was first in the works - that is, early 2013. I did get some editing help from @CompuCat , but it still probably won't be up to snuff when compared with my more current work. That said, I hope that you enjoy the beginning of Islands of Origin!)


Littna the Aipom || Feulis-Dweller || Greenleaf Forest


Swinging from branch to branch had never felt so good. The sun shining down seemed to speckle the shadowed ground with tiny drops of light, and the very same sunlight perked me up, pushing me forward faster and faster. I couldn’t help but let a sly grin make its way onto my face. My plan this time was the best one yet.


The forest was just beginning to wake up. The trees seemed to be stretching out their branches to the sky, and the leaves were starting to rock gently in the crisp morning breeze, bobbing their sun-dappled heads up and down. The scenery around me, bursting with life and energy, urged me forward, and as the wind whistled quietly, it almost felt like it was calling my name.


That is, until I realized something really was calling my name.


“Hey! Boss! Hey! Down here!”


I stopped in mid-swing, just before I was about to reach the next branch. And that smile was off my face in two shakes of a Mareep’s tail. I looked to the ground to see who could possibly be interrupting me and frowned when I saw it was a familiar face.


“Benji...” I snarled. “What are you DOING down there?! You’re supposed to be getting into place!”


Standing on the ground, looking nervously up at me was a Linoone. His wide blue eyes were shining with curiosity, and he looked like he had about a million and a half questions ready to fly out of his mouth. I could see a hint of nervousness in his stance - the way his eyes kept darting from side to side didn’t exactly make him seem confident. “Well, uh,” he said, swallowing a big gulp of air before continuing. “I just wanted to ask about th’... you know...”


“The ceremony?” I replied, trying to conceal my anger. He should’ve been down at the ceremony grounds ages ago. I couldn’t get over how hard it was for this buffoon to follow orders. Is it really so difficult to just sit down and shut up?


“Yeah, yeah, that...” he laughed nervously and averted his eyes. I could tell that he didn’t want to face me head on. How cute. “I, well. I just wanted to ask a few questions, y’see...”


“Go ahead,” I spat, urging him to ask them all the more. These had better be worthwhile.


Benji was getting even more nervous now. The end of his tail was beginning to twitch, and his ears were doing the same. I swear I saw a few beads of sweat roll down his forehead. Gross. “Well, I was wonderin’. Isn’t this whole ceremony thing a little... rude?”


Rude? What could he possibly mean? I was beyond confused. Nothing about this was any ruder than what we’d done before. I raised an eyebrow incredulously, staring right at him. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.


“Isn’t it wrong to get into th’ others’ business?” Benji murmured, as if he was trying not to be heard. “I, I mean, the other stuff was jus’ for good fun, but this is a little different, don'tcha think?”


I was still having trouble hiding my confusion. He’d followed me so obediently in the past, so what was so different now? Oh well. I figured a little manipulation would keep him quiet.


I let out a short chuckle. “Ah, Benji, Benji, Benji... It’s not rude at all!”


And then I saw just what I’d been waiting for. He stopped twitching, stopped jittering, stopped quivering, then raised his eyebrows in confusion. That’s it. It’s all going well so far.


“All these ceremonies... who are they for, again?” I asked.


“Well, boss,” he said, still taken aback by what I said. “They’re for that Celebi guy, right?”


“Exactly!” I said, giving him a big smile. “But, tell me, Benji, is Celebi real?”


Benji had to think about his answer for a second. He bit his lip and stared at the ground, racking his brains for an answer. And then he nodded hesitantly. “Of course he’s real, boss!”


Of course he’d say that. How could I expect anything otherwise? I shook my head in denial, confounding him once again. “You may think so, Benji, but he’s not.”


“...What?” Benji asked. “But, then, why would they be celebratin’ him?”


“Do you think I know?” I said, snapping back to my usual self. “I don’t know! He’s not real, no one’s ever seen him, and the idea of him is just preposterous anyways! We’re gonna show those villagers the truth!”


He thought about it for a second, almost as if he was processing the thought at the speed of molasses, a breakneck pace by his standards. And suddenly, it hit him. He nodded, a wide smile on his face. “I get it!”


About time. “Alright, then, go where I told you. And make it snappy!”


“Okay!” he shouted, as he disappeared into the bushes.


...But then, he popped his head back in, just to say “Wow, you sure are a good guy, boss!”


I couldn’t help but show off my widest, proudest smile at his compliment. He sure knew what he was talking about. “I know,” I said, raising my head high. “And don’t you forget it.”


Without another word, I dashed right after him, leaping through the undergrowth.


10 Minutes Later || Greenleaf Falls


I looked out towards the crowd, adrenaline pumping through my veins. How could I not be excited? Everyone from the village was here, and the mob of Pokemon seemed to stretch on forever. Noises passed through the swarm, whether they were the chatter of excited Pokemon, or the roaring of the massive waterfall behind them. Something about all the noise, the energized atmosphere, just perked me up. I knew I was ready to show them my best. Just to be sure, I shot a glance across the clearing, focusing on a massive tree. In return, Benji poked his head out from behind the tree branch, flashing a wide smile, one that was almost too big for his face. He was ready, too. Good. He couldn’t screw this up. This was the perfect chance to get off of this hellhole of an island, and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste. As I saw a duo of figures push their way through the crowd, I scurried farther up the tree I’d been clinging to, almost as if on cue. I sat atop the highest branch, staring down at the scene, with my heart pounding so loudly I swore I could almost hear it. Though my hands were shaking with anticipation, I managed to hastily wrap a stray vine around my waist. I fastened my bag just a bit tighter, taking a few last looks to make sure my tools were resting safely inside. “It’s all set,” I muttered to no one in particular. “They’ll never know what hit ‘em.”


One of the figures managed to climb out of the mob, and as soon as he stood in front of the massive crowd, each and every Pokemon fell silent, as if they were almost afraid to speak in his presence. A few knelt down, or bowed their heads. But he just waved a clawed hand at them, as if to tell them the gesture was unnecessary. I couldn’t help but let out an annoyed sigh when the audience clapped and cheered at the sight of him climbing atop the stone slab that hung above them. If I was in their place, I wouldn’t show even a sliver of respect for that fool. Yes, Bullet, that smartass of a Sceptile, was practically having them all swooning at his feet. If only they’d realize he isn’t really all that great. He’s the definition of bossy, uptight, and overall, he just really needs to take a chill pill. I couldn’t see how everyone else can stand the guy, let alone worship him.


The next figure slowly lumbered behind, and he was sure taking his sweet time to climb to the top of the rock. When he finally did make it to the top, I soon saw that he looked the same as ever. His eyes were closed tight, he was hunched over quite a bit, and he had that same old stupid, carefree smile plastered to his face. I hadn’t even been here for that long, but even I could tell that Glenn the Venusaur wasn’t getting any younger. Even though everyone said he was the leader, I could never believe it. He never did anything except lying around and taking in the sunlight. And don’t give me that ‘he’s old’ excuse - I’d hardly ever seen him move his gigantic warty behind, and I was pretty sure that’s not a quality a leader wants to have.


As the two stood, taking in the hooting and hollering, Bullet cleared his throat to speak, rendering everyone silent but the rumbling waterfall.


“Thank you all for being here with us today,” he began, being sure to enunciate each word precisely. “Though we’ve had to endure hardship after hardship yet again, we have our dear Lord to thank for being gathered here today.”


His statement, as completely ungracious as it sounded, was met with another round of applause. He held up a hand to silence the crowd, before they got too out of hand.


“It is during these difficult times when it is most important to give thanks to our Lord, who has never failed to our deepest desires, to guide us through the darkest of times, and to bestow Their blessings upon us.”


Ugh. I swear, it was all making me feel sick. How could these villagers blindly follow such obvious lies? I rolled my eyes in annoyance as he brought his speech to a close.


“All I ask of you is to give your utmost appreciation to our Lord, as we have never failed to do for the centuries that They have blessed our soil.” He turned to Glenn. “Leader?”


Glenn smiled and stepped forward, sweeping a kindly gaze across the audience before nodding slowly. “You may begin.”


The crowd turned their heads to the sky, with a small group slowly beginning their prayer.


For the dear, sweet emperor who alone embraces time...


A few voices joined in, as their words grew steadily louder.


For the humble traveler who lives a thousand lives...


One by one, each bird Pokemon took to the sky, circling above, filling the air with their preachy, irritating song.


The pure-hearted being who lets us live out our days...


And finally, everyone was praying, speaking in unison as if they were all but a single being.


Who lets not a single moment escape their gaze.


They reached their arms up to the sky, as if they were calling out to the sun.


You have given us the power, to love and to dream...


And for you, the holy one, all we can say is-


THWACK!


Each and every Pokemon fell silent as the sound echoed through the clearing. The bird Pokemon ceased their melodic cries, the praying stopped just as quickly as it had started, and the eyes of the Pokemon sitting in front widened in shock.


And then it came again. THWACK! A massive tree branch slammed into the back of Bullet’s head, taking him completely by surprise. And when he stood back up, rubbing the back of his head, he was glaring intensely at the ground, his claws clenching into tight fists.


“Alright...” he said through gritted teeth, quivering with rage. “Whose fault is this...?”
 


It took all my willpower to not burst out laughing. Bullet, who had held himself in such high regard, was shaking with fury. Even though he was probably the downright stupidest Pokemon I’d ever met, having Benji around really did come in handy sometimes. He’d gotten everything just right - the timing, the angle of the branch, and, as I saw the bushes off to the side shake, I noted that he’d gotten down the getaway, too. Step 1 had gone completely as planned. But they hadn’t seen anything yet.


Bullet was growing angrier by the second. To no one in particular, he shouted the same question as before.


“Who did this?! Show yourself!”


Not a single Pokemon said a word. They were too busy shaking in their skins, startled by his sudden burst of rage. And yet, they all seemed to know who it was. They all had a single name pursed on their lips, and yet, they knew better than to say it. Bullet stomped one foot to the ground.


“Alright, I’ve had enough!” He was shouting at the top of his lungs, the sheer wrath in his voice ringing loud and clear. “Littna, where are you?!”


“I’m right HERE!”


I dove out of the cover of leaves, dipping down into the crowd and then whizzing right back into the open air. And believe me, everyone’s expressions were priceless. A few jaws were dropped, and a few exchanged confused glances, but everyone’s eyes were wide open in shock. The only one who wasn’t astonished was Bullet, who shot a glare at me. “Littna, you get down here this INSTANT!”


And immediately, my comeback was ready. “Now, now, Bullet,” I said, coating my voice in sugary-sweet sarcasm. “Do you really think I’m going to do that?”


Bullet muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. Probably some curse words that were too delicate for my sweet, precious ears. But then, he decided to strike. At a speed that shocked even me, he leapt towards me, ready to tear up the vine keeping me suspended above the ground.


...But, he was immediately given a faceful of sticky sap.


Okay, I’ll admit it. As he fell to the ground, face covered in the stuff, I couldn’t help but giggle a little. Fine, it was more than a little. First, it was a throaty snicker, then it became a hearty chuckle, and soon enough, I was laughing so loudly that my sides started to ache. Oh, how I crack myself up sometimes. But my moment of glory came to a complete stop when I felt a clawed hand grab me by the scruff of my neck.


I knew full well it was Bullet, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to get me this time, too. I thrashed around, hoping to wiggle myself free, but his iron grip only strengthened. Finally, I looked straight at him, and shouted, “Hey! Let me go!”



“Littna,” he whispered through gritted teeth. “We need to talk.” He spat out the last word, and it sent shivers up my spine. And as he dragged me away, I was powerless to resist.

 

[Vanilla]

(OOC: Hope it's alright if I post! I don't know if there's any specific order or anything, but I was too excited to write with Tana again so I just went for it.)


Tana the Fletchinder || Soldier || Sanctum City, Military Base


“RISE AND SHINE YOU PATHETIC SUNKERN! LAST ONE TO THE FIELD THIS MORNING GETS TO TRAIN THROUGH BREAKFAST, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU YOU’RE GONNA NEED ALL THE ENERGY YOU CAN GET TODAY! NOW MOVE!”


The shrill voice of the drill sergeant pierced Tana’s ears, awakening her instantly as it did every morning these days. He was an exceptionally unpleasant Loudred, but by now Tana was accustomed to waking up to his voice, and in a strange way even looked forward to it each time she shut her eyes at the end of the day. The fierce, rumbling emptiness in Tana’s gut decided that that Pokemon would certainly not be her, and she darted out with the rest of the recruits as fast as her stubby bird legs would allow her. She wasn’t the first to the field, but she definitely wasn’t last either, and she was perfectly content with that.


Awaiting her was a wooden dummy, layered with cloth and straw and staked into the ground. It possessed no true ability to fight back, other than the springs in its joints which could allow it to whack you if you weren’t careful, as Tana had learned the hard way when her training first began. It was covered head to stake in scratches and bite marks, and was a wonder of the world, as it somehow still managed to stand after years of use helping to train recruits. Unfortunately the sergeant had forbidden the utilization of elemental attacks on the dummies, as they were for basic training only—otherwise Tana would have set it ablaze as soon as she learned Ember.


But, no matter how much Tana despised the wretched thing, she had to admit that it did have a purpose. Her speed and ability to successfully land sky-based attacks had improved drastically since she had begun training with it, and it wouldn’t be long now before the sergeant began to pair her up with other recruits to practice battling instead. For that day, Tana could hardly contain her excitement.


She started with her usual battle stance, if hovering above the Earth could be considered a stance. Truthfully, Tana was quite helpless on the ground, her legs too measly to support her during most of her attacks. No, she was definitely built for the skies, and the only time she felt truly alive was when she could feel the wind rippling through her feathers while she soared among the mountaintops. But fantasizing would have to wait, as she had dire business to attend to. It was high time for the stick-abomination to meet its doom.


She narrowed her eyes, locking them onto her target, not that there was much trick to it since it couldn’t even move. It just stood there, swaying slightly in the breeze, as if to taunt Tana. But she would have none of that. She readied a Quick Attack and zipped through the air so fast that for a moment, she was nothing more than an orange blur until she reached impact.


Truthfully, the collision damaged Tana a lot more than it had the dummy, which only caused her to grow irritated. She began to rapidly peck at it, ripping straw from its exposed belly like a rabid Mightyena. That would show it.


But alas, the dummy was ultimately unaffected by her actions, as it always was. She sighed, growing discouraged, but she knew that if she was caught slacking she would have much bigger problems than not being able to defeat a piece of wood. Around her, the other recruits were working hard to try and dent their dummies too, primarily the new and young ones. She was still embarrassed that she hadn’t been allowed to move up when she evolved, but the sergeant insisted that she still was not ready.


Well this was it. This time, she had finally had enough. She flew back to her original position on the field, directly across from her nemesis, the tension fueling the fire in her belly. Rather than go straight for the Quick Attack as normal, she decided that she would try something new first. She began to stir the air with her tail, preparing a Tailwind to help propel her across the field. As a Fletchling, her tail had never been strong or large enough to properly utilize the move, but now, she finally felt ready.


Feeling the vortex of air beneath her, she knew that now was her only chance to strike if she wanted this to work. She took a deep breath and once again zoomed across the field, only this time much faster. Dangerously faster.


As she collided with the dummy, splinters of wood, hay, and feathers alike flew up into the air. As it cleared, it became evident that Tana had emerged victorious. Mostly. While the toll on her body was clear, at least she could still say that she had a body. For the dummy, the impact was an utter fatality.


“WOAH! RAPTIS, YOU’RE GONNA OWE US ONE FOR THAT! WE’RE ON A BUDGET ‘YANNO! CAN’T KEEP REPLACING THESE DAMN THINGS ALL THE TIME!”


Too prideful to be embarrassed, Tana simply ignored the drill sergeant and stared at the damage that she had done. If she could do this to another Pokemon, the Mew-lovers wouldn’t stand a chance. The thought filled her with unspeakable satisfaction.


“HEY! YOU LISTEN TO ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU, ‘YA GOT IT? I GUESS IT’S TIME YOU MOVE UP IN TRAINING, BUT WE’LL WORRY ABOUT THAT AFTER BREAKFAST! EVERYONE EXCEPT OUR SITTING DUCKLETT—THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE—HEAD TO THE DINING HALL NOW! MOOOVE IT!”


Feeling eager and proud of her accomplishment, Tana rushed off to the dining hall to eat with the other recruits. The prospect of food sounded absolutely delightful, and she could barely stifle the furious growls emerging from her stomach any longer. She arrived to find that Caterpie Stew was on the menu once again, as it was for practically every meal. She was slightly disappointed at the lack of variety, but understood that there was a large population of flying type Pokemon in the Destirian military to cater to, including herself. She just couldn't agree with their opposition to serving Scatterbug Stew. Now that would be a meal worth rushing into the cafeteria for.


Food in tow, she was now challenged with finding a seat, the most awkward part of her day usually, since she didn’t really know most of the recruits. With all of her usual spots occupied, she decided to move to the corner of the dining hall, where she sat at the end of a long table, distanced from most of the other recruits. And with that, she began to dig into a well-deserved meal.

 

[Andydemon]

Ryuka the Riolu || Feulis-Dweller || Ryuka's House


In the midst of sleep, Ryuka found himself having a nightmare. It was a vivid recollection of the day he lost his parents. As he watched Lithulia disappear in his dream taking his parents with it he started stirring in his bed crying out "Mother...Father..."


Shortly afterwards Ryuka heard a voice calling out "Ryuka, are you okay? Wake up Ryuka!"


"Ahh!" Ryuka cried out as he woke up from hearing the voice. He then looked to see his best friend, Richard the Mienfoo, standing next to him.


Richard sighed with relief and told Ryuka "You looked like you were having a nightmare." He then asked him "Was it that day again?"


Ryuka nodded to Richard and started having tears form in his eyes as he hugged Richard while pressing his face against his chest telling him "Richard, I...I miss them so much..."


As he watched Ryuka crying Richard simply placed a paw on Ryuka's head in a comforting manner while replying "I know Ryuka...I miss my parents too."


They both waited until Ryuka finally calmed down before going outside. Once they did so both Ryuka and Richard noticed other Pokemon all heading in the same direction as if gathering somewhere.


That is when Ryuka remembered something and said "Oh ya, there's a worshiping ceremony taking place today."


Richard gave an anxious sigh and crossed his arms while replying "All right, my first time in one of those ceremonies you've been telling me about."


"I was surprised when you said you wanted to be a part of the ceremony. I was hesitant my first time." Ryuka told Richard happily.


Richard placed his paw on Ryuka's shoulder telling him "The Pokemon in this village have been kind to me even though I was an outsider, I thought I had to offer my gratitude to them somehow. Besides we're friends, I would've wanted to be a part of it with you anyway."


"Okay then, let's go to Greenleaf Falls!" Ryuka replied excitedly. Both Ryuka and Richard then started as fast as they could towards where the ceremony was being held.


Greenleaf Falls


When they reached Greenleaf Falls Richard stopped and looked on awestruck at the crowd stating "Wow, everyone from the village is here!" he looked at Ryuka and told him "Let's go up to the front of the crowd!"


Ryuka nodded to Richard and started towards the crowd behind him until he stopped for a moment feeling like something was wrong "Wait Richard, I feel like we're being watched."


Richard stopped after hearing him say this and scanned their surroundings, when he saw nothing he told Ryuka "I don't see anyone looking at us. If you're worried then just stay close to me."


Ryuka simply nodded in response as he followed Richard through the crowd until they made it to the front.


Ryuka and Richard both made it to the front just in time for Bullet the Sceptile and Glenn the Venusuar to take their places in front of everyone. As Ryuka looked at Bullet he couldn't help but feel intimidated by him. Ryuka and Bullet had only met a couple times back when Ryuka's father helped protect the village, and while they never talked to each other directly Ryuka knew that Bullet at least knows him by name.


After Bullet gave his speech he turned to Glenn, who said that the prayer may begin. At first only a small group recited the prayer. Then after the first line several more Pokemon, including Ryuka, began to pray as well.


After the next couple lines, Richard gave an anxious sigh before joining in the prayer as Ryuka had taught him before the ceremony.


Just as everyone was reciting the line 'And for you, the holy one, all we can say is-' the prayer was interrupted by a sudden THWACK! sound. Then when Bullet was struck in the back of the head by a tree branch Ryuka was about to head up to see if he was all right but was stopped by Richard, who set Ryuka back next to him saying "Hold on, I don't want you getting in trouble."


As Bullet demanded to know who was responsible for the interruption, Ryuka became visibly frightened by Bullet's anger as he turned away from him shaking and whimpering.


Richard noticed this and held Ryuka close to him while he watched as Bullet raged.


They both watched as the culprit, Littna the Aipom, revealed herself. While they've never spoken to Littna and have barely seen her, Ryuka and Richard both heard of her as being a reoccurring trouble maker in the village, so it was no surprise she'd be the one responsible for this.


After the short scrap that followed ended in Littna being caught and dragged off by Bullet, Ryuka calmed down and told Richard "I'm sorry this happened Richard, I wanted this ceremony to go perfectly since it was your first time."


"Don't worry about it. This wasn't your fault, it was Littna's. We can try again whenever there's another ceremony." Richard reassured Ryuka, he then paused for a moment to think before wordlessly walking in the direction Bullet had dragged Littna.


Curious about what Richard was doing Ryuka started to follow him saying "Wait Richard, where are you going?"

 

[Ryve]

(OOC: Pip's signup isn't done yet, but I'll try to post it soon since I start from his perspective.)


Pip the Pidgey || Soldier || Runark Tunnels


Fwap-fwap clack! Click click click, fwap-fwap!


The sound of a Pidgey’s furious wingbeats, interspersed with the clicking of talons on stone between each angry hop, echoed against the reddish-brown rock of Runark’s tunnels. The prior conversation echoed in his mind, making him huff in frustration as he ran to build up speed.


“Hey, Daeana?” he had began hesitantly as he sat on the floor of the infirmary, drawing shapes and letters on a scrap of paper.


“Yes, Pip?” Her voice was gentle, but distracted as she organized the medicines in their proper shelves.


“I was wondering… why you haven’t started teaching me how to fly?” He shuffled his large feet, staring at them so he wouldn’t have to look at his adopted mother. The Umbreon snorted in amusement.


“Pip, I can’t fly. I’m hardly suited to teach you.”


Pip’s beak clenched as he remembered the exchange, his feathers ruffling in irritation. Clack! Click click click, fwap-fwap! Fwap-fwap! His wings tried desperately to force the air downward and himself upward.


“B-but..” Pip could tell the air was getting tenser, “But I have to learn from someone! Leona keeps asking and all the other flying types my age know how to fly! I’m gonna be left out!”


“Don’t worry,” Daeana said, though the comfort of her words was not matched by her stern tone and her rigid stance, “You don’t have to fly anywhere soon.”


His feet hit the floor of the tunnel once again. Clack! He huffed from both frustration and the effort of attempting to fly, shaking his head. Click click click click! fwap-fwap fwap-fwap! His feathers caught the air and he began to feel the air moving under and across them just as it was supposed to.


“But I’m supposed to fly!” he said, hoping the Umbreon would understand, “I need to learn! Don’t you want me to be strong?”


“Pipperon,” Daeana said sharply as she turned to face him with a hardened expression. Pip knew that he had touched a nerve and decided to back off.


“I… I’m sorry… I just want…” he trailed off and returned to his drawing. Daeana hesitated before also returned to her business of sorting medicines.


Pip broke into a triumphant grin as he managed to keep his feet from skimming the floor, hazarding a glance back towards the infirmary. “Hmph! I can learn how to fly! This isn’t so-” CRASH!


The tunnel turned rather sharply so flying headlong into it was somewhat understandable, but Pip’s short first flight ended very suddenly in a rocky tunnel wall with a chirp of pain and the smack of bird against stone. When he landed on the floor the wind was knocked out of him and he wasn’t sure whether to be impressed with his ability to take himself out, or if he should feel bad about how weak he was.


“Ouch…” He shook the dust off of himself as he rolled over and stood up again, aching all over.


“At least,” Pip declared to the empty tunnel, “I flew a little!” He smiled and puffed out his chest proudly.


Daeana the Umbreon || Soldier || Runark Infirmary


He’s supposed to fly. Daeana’s thoughts buzzed with concerns and misgivings about the Pidgey, occupying her thoughts as she crushed herbs in a mortar. You can’t keep him grounded forever.


“I know…” she sighed aloud through the pestle in her mouth. What good is keeping him from the war? A bright young Pidgey like him is bound to draw Griff’s interest.


“If he can’t fly, he won’t be accepted,” she hissed to herself, grinding the herbs a little harder. She looked down into the stone bowl and realized that she’d been trying to crush already liquefied leaves for Mew knows how long.


You were too harsh. Daeana’s head hung and she dropped the pestle. “I know,” she murmured, her remaining ear laying back against her head in shame.


“Dae! Dae!!” Pip’s excited cries bounced off of the tunnel and into the infirmary, getting louder as he fwap-fwap-fwaped into the cave. “Daeana, I flew! I flew for the first time!” He chirped breathlessly, still bouncing on the spot and flapping his wings.


Daeana hesitated as a paralyzing fear swept over her. He was growing up too fast, pushing too hard, He was headed for the war just like the countless others who came before him. His beak was even bruised. The excited Pidgey stopped hopping and cocked his head, concern starting to creep onto his face.


“Heh… All on your own?” She said, smiling to cover up her anxiety and adopting an impressed tone, “That is quite an accomplishment. You should be proud.” Using her stump of a left leg, she drew Pip into a hug, hoping that he would interpret it as happiness for his progress instead of feeling the fear twisting and knotting up in her chest. He’s that much closer to being a soldier now.

 

[QuickSilvi]

(OCC: I have never done a roleplay before and the main writing teacher I ever had, never taught me grammar, or punctuation so I apologize for any errors! Also, all berries/herbs mentioned do appear in the Pokemon Universe, one of them just in the anime however. Just thought you should know. Also, I'll get Xola's NPC thing up soon, I promise. Especially since I control him a bit this post. Also, I was listening to God help the Outcats while writing Xola so If you are reminded of that during reading it then thats why. Any feedback would be appreciated!)


Frost the Eevee || Northern Nitraga || Ice Flow Beach


Frost dashed out of the cave, a small sack beside him.


"Let's see.... We are low on Aspear Berries from when that Inkay was frozen solid, Salacs from when Xola and I were attacked by that group of soldiers, Orans and Sirtuses from general everyday use, and Rinkas for any illnesses! Those are the berries I need to gather..." Frost said to herself as they started to travel across the icy ground of the beach, crunching and snapping underneath light steps.


"What else.... I know I need to gather some Revival Herbs in case someone isn't conscious after we use a berry, then I need to find an Energy Plant for the roots and leaves, and then I'm pretty sure those wild carrots I found last week still have some harvestable ones left. If not, then some lettuce heads should be near the Energy Plants, and mushrooms tend to grow near the Pine Grove." Frost muttered to themself as they went on a supply run.


It was their duty as Xola, his beloved mentor, lost his left leg and had trouble getting around Northern Nitraga's icy plains. How he managed to get supplies and move to Ice Flow Beach in the first place. Xola just simply never talked about it and Frost, crushing the curiosity inside her, didn't ask.


With that they continued to run, using quick attack to enhance their speed. Until they ran into a tree, because of the speed of said attack and said tree.


Which therefore left them dazed for several minutes, until several minutes later she stood up and shook the snow out of her fur. "That... Was not a good idea, at all."


With that they continued to run towards the berry trees... Well, they were more bushes in Nitraga's weather. Still the plants grew on, some rouges said it was a blessing from whatever god they worshipped. Frost just found it as a source of random chance; in fact the reason people still believed in stories and myths ancient pokemon created still was unknown to them.


Honestly, if "gods" existed, why hadn't they shown themselves? Why would they have any reason to destroy Lithulia, an innocent island filled with innocent pokemon if every damn teaching said that they were kind and merciful. (The exceptions were Darkrai, Yveltal, and Giritina... And then there was the batlike one that no one could identify in some carvings fighting a lion. The bat was always painted black and the lion was always painted white. Frost would bet ten revival herbs that the lion was supposed to be the 'good guy'.) 


Even then Mew, Arceus and the so called "god" of Life, Xerneas (who Frost loosely followed the teachings of because it spoke of peace, diplomacy, respect for every living thing, and to give a helping hand to anyone who needed it, no mater if good or evil. She didn't believe in the "god"), were Pyschic, Normal and Fairy types according to the mythos. Thats not suspicious at all.


Seriously, if it wasn't all so biased and made up Frost could believe in it, possibly. But records show that dark, ghost and poison types were regularly hunted down and killed until a few centuries before Odin, and all the unmerciful ones were dark, and ghost types.... Very suspicious. Add in Lithulia being destroyed by one of the "evil" ones in any legend, they were never shown to have that power.


Besides, none of them would have any time. With Giritina trapped in an alternate realm only Dialga, Palkia and Arceus could touch; Yveltal battling with Xerneas and Zygarde 1v1v1, and Darkrai in an eternal battle with Cressilia according to the mythos how could they also destroy an entire island and not have the merciful and benevolent "gods" take a break to save it.


Unless no "god" actually existed and the portals were.... Actually Frost was still searching for a good reason for the portals. The only reasonable people with that power would still be Dialga and Palkia... Who didn't exist.


Frost would find a good reason eventually, for now she had a supply run to complete.


Xola the Clefable ||Nothern Nitraga|| Frost and Xola's cave


Xola sighed, breathing in slowly to calm the nervous feeling inside of him. Frost probably had gotten into a debate with someone or had been distracted by a shiny rock. (Evolutionary stones were rare and Xola had taught Frost at an early age how to identify them so she wouldn't evolve until he was ready.) They were clever, and fast. They were not in any danger.


Walking across the cavern, Xola kneeled down as best as he could at the tapestry that depicted every major god side by side at a feast. Clasping his paws together and bowing his head, he softly began to sing:


"Almighty Ones, hear my prayer. Show them the way, even though she does not believe in you anymore. Keep Frost safe, she is barely an adult and works so hard to save everyone. Keep her safe and show him the way through the storm outside.


Please, tell me why you decided to destroy my home? What did your children of Lithulia do wrong? I have followed your teachings for years and been faithful to each one of you, even the ones in the dark. So please answer me in what Lithulia did to get this punishment? I see these pictures of your faces and wonder why this all happened to the young ones who lived on the island? My brothers and sisters in the church are gone, the friends I grew up with are gone. At least let them sleep in your embrace.


In your names I ask this of you, although it is not my place.


Show your Mercy to them and keep Frost safe. He is my child in all but blood. She is all I have left after all these years. I ask you to show your mercy on the survivors of Lithulia. I can get by, but they are so less lucky than I. Give them the strength to live after the horrors they have been through.


Please help the survivors and Rouges, when so many ignore us, and are beaten by soldeirs whenever found.


A-mon."


Xola finally, grabbed his staff and stood as Frost burst into the cave the two called home.


"XOLA! I'm sorry if I worried you! I had to gather everything and the carrots weren't ready so I had to go and get some-"


Xola raised a paw to silence them "It is alright Young One. At least you got the berries and herbs?"


"Yup!" Frost chirped, taking off her sack, and beginning to carefully remove the items.


Xola smiled "That looks like everything Young One."


"Really! I thought I might have been forgetting something again," Frost said, grabbing his mortal and pestle from the driftwood shelf suspended with caterpie string.


"Aspear, Oran, Sitrus, Rinka, and Energy Plant for healing, Salacs in case we need to escape from a battle outside, and then kale and potatoes for food. That's everything Young One." Xola said, smiling as Frost began to grind the leaves of the Energy Plant into dust.


Everything was peaceful on Nitraga, but then why did Xola have a feeling something terrible was going to happen soon?

 

[Bunny Prince]

(OOC: I expanded on my writing sample for this post and I'm really feeling it. I haven't written like this in a long time and it feels great. If anyone would like to interact with Percy, I'd love that, and if anyone has any suggestions for what to do when they get to Bygone Burrow since no one is playing a Runarkian rouge, I'm all ears! c: )


Percival the Goomy||Soon-To-Be Soldier||Runarkian Tunnels


Percy glanced around at their group, knowing that everyone was watching to see them slip away. Percival hated training. Their friends always got so wrapped up in it, the technique, the strategies, the imagined glory of battle. Percy just wanted out of it all, and it didn’t help that everyone around him was constantly watching to make sure he was playing along. He looked up as the group’s mentor began addressing each Pokemon individually. The dusty, scarred up Grovyle was not suited for a life underground. She looked half wilted and it was a wonder to all of them how she had the strength to fight so ruthlessly. None of them knew her name, she was simply Grovyle, and she didn’t know any of their names either.


“Growlithe, pair up with Durant. Tangela, you’re with Sentret…” Percival stared ahead with a fake look of attentiveness as he listened to Grovyle drone on, but their eyes snapped up to meet hers as she barked their name. “Goomy! You’re with… Kirlia,” She decided, hoping to keep him on his toes.


“Yes, Grovyle,” Percy replied, internally rolling his eyes. Grovyle loved putting them at a type disadvantage to try to get them to pay attention. However, training battles were a perfect way to escape. The battles happened simultaneously and there was always a layer of dust kicked up from each attack. By the time everyone was done battling the tunnels were hazy and he was always nowhere to be found. Percival slid over to his starting line with a grimace at the way the dust and rocks felt against his skin. They couldn’t wait to escape this hell for good. The Kirlia gracefully tiptoed to his own starting line, and as soon as the battle began he made the move Percival needed. Confusion came hurtling at Percival full force and he quickly closed his eyes and used protect. They smiled at the explosion and opened their eyes as protect began to fade, seeing the thick layer dust kicked up around them. They flattened themself to the ground and quickly slid themself up the wall and out of sight onto the shadowy ceiling. They chuckled to themself as they slid down the next tunnel and heard the Kirlia shouting for Grovyle when the dust cleared.


Percy sighed and let themself plop down onto the ground as soon as they knew they were far enough away from the training tunnels that no one would see them and make them go back. With a groan he leaned himself back against the wall, looking down at the rocks embedded in his flesh. He hated these damn tunnels and rocks, he constantly felt dried out and literally everything stuck to him. Leona had tried to figure out a way that they could move about without being in such constant pain but nothing she tried seemed to work and eventually Percy had to convince her it was alright to give up. Out of everyone in these forsaken tunnels, Leona was the only one Percy really cared about anymore. Sure, she sometimes helped Griff with training, but she wasn’t nearly as caught up in all of it as everyone else. Percy had thought about trying to convince some of his friends to go with him when he left, but the way they had been acting since training had started was enough to put him off of talking to them completely. At times like these Percy really wanted to just leave on his own. Their whole body hurt, they were covered in dust, and they were sure to be in trouble for running away again once they went back to Leona. However, they had promised themself they would see if anyone in Bygone Burrow would come with the before they planned their escape. Percy thrived in the company of others, and they’d been quite lonely since training started and they realized they simply couldn’t stay in Runark with the Pokemon they’d known their whole life.


“Alright, time to move…” Percy muttered to himself, getting back up and looking around. He didn’t hear anyone coming and decided it was safe to stay on the ground for now. If someone did happen to see him he’d just act like nothing was wrong and hope they didn’t ask questions. With a sigh he set off in the direction of Bygone Burrow, his antennae on alert for anyone coming along.

 

[Jigen]

Charr the Noibat || Soldier (Mew) || Runark Tunnels


Hanging from a stalactite from the high ceiling was a sole Noibat with tousled fur, his eyes squeezed shut. Barely seen under his folded wings, a soldier's badge glinted ever so slightly, a proud symbol of his military achievement. To Charr, becoming a soldier was the lowest achievement he could possibly attain at this point--he still was just a grunt, a nobody within the countless ranks of Runark's army. Still, it was a proud thing to serve under the word of Mew, and he couldn't think of anyone else more worthy to hold such a position.


It was his time for tunnel patrol, looking out for any ruffians or, Mew save them, rogues. But it wasn't like anyone was going to miss one little Noibat from the shift. He had barely gotten enough time to sleep last night and would much rather spend the time relaxing in the tunnels where no one could notice him. Besides, it was easier for him to listen for troublemakers than actively search them out.


The tunnels were great for a Noibat like him to relax and just listen to the rhythm of Runark. He could hear almost everything going on in the caverns. If he tried hard enough, he could hear the echos of the council chamber and the chattering of the little ones with Leona.


Little ones--he had said goodbye to her a week ago, even though he knew he would see her again while on his duties as a soldier. Charr wondered if he would meet any Pokemon under her care who would become future soldiers. Maybe one day, after he had evolved into a Noivern,, he would be able to become as great a soldier as Griff and train those Pokemon. He would be revered by everyone on Runark, and everyone would be sorry for making fun of him.


His ears twitched as he heard the tap tap tap of a bird Pokemon's talons--a Pidgey, maybe, somewhere along the tunnel system. The tapping was rather labored and was accompanied by noisy wing flapping. After a few moments, he heard a loud CRASH--the poor Pokemon had probably hit a wall somewhere. Not that he really cared. He made a mental note to ask some other soldiers to maybe check it out later.


Charr began to drift off to sleep when his ears perked up again. Here was an interesting sound--the quiet, almost inaudible schloorp of slime along the cavern floor, seemingly closer than the Pidgey before. A groan of pain was heard. Curious, Charr cracked open an eye, peering about the darkened tunnel before seeing a beat-up Goomy sliding along the rocks. Their antennae was standing up on end, as if trying to find anyone sneaking up on them. Did a gang of bullies just beat this poor Pokemon up?


He kept watching the Goomy for a few moments until he cleared his throat and spoke up. "Where d'you think you're headed, kid?"

 

[Bunny Prince]

Percival the Goomy||Soon-To-Be Soldier||Runarkian Tunnels


Percy had only made it through a few tunnels before they heard a voice echoing through the walls surrounding them. His antennae swiveled towards the sound before he’d consciously located it and he followed them to the source. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he looked the Noibat up and down. The stranger’s soldier badge caught Percy’s eye immediately. They’d gotten good at spotting the shiny little accessories, knowing that anyone wearing one was probably best avoided. Unfortunately, there was no avoiding a nosy Noibat who’d already addressed him. Percy quickly wracked his brain, trying to think of a plausible answer. They considered the direction they were heading, realizing they were going in the opposite direction of Leona but that the infirmary was


still ahead of them on their way to Bygone Burrow. Perfect.


“O-Oh, I’m going to the infirmary, sir.” Percy said, casting their eyes down and hoping the Noibat would buy the respectful act after the few seconds they’d spent collecting themself. He was obviously at least a fairly new soldier, he was unevolved and didn’t appear to be much older than Percy themself. That either meant that he would be overzealous and eager to prove himself, or unsure of himself as he struggled to learn the ropes. Percy supposed they’d find out soon.

 

[Jigen]

Charr the Noibat || Soldier (Mew) || Runark Tunnels


Still only having one eye open, Charr looked the Goomy up and down. They were clearly worse for wear and had a nervous tone in their voice.


"The infirmary?" he echoed, his voice smug. "There's no need to go to the infirmary for a little scrape like that."


He hesitated in the middle of his sentence. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to say that to the poor Goomy. Maybe they were a soldier in training. Technically, it was still his shift, and if this kid went and cried to his supervisor, then he would probably get in trouble....


He would go to Central Square to go and find some other people to bother later. If there was one thing he disliked about being a soldier, it was that he had a whole lot of responsibility all of a sudden. Why couldn't he just fly around the tunnels, doing as he pleased? Mew would totally understand, right? Griff would probably do that, too, if he could fly.


He really hated having to help people, especially when they had to walk along the ground so slowly. Reluctantly, he spread his wings and flew down onto the ground next to the Goomy. He was not much bigger than them, much to his dismay.


"But, if you really feel like you have to go, I'll help you get there. You know you shouldn't be wandering the tunnels alone, you know."


Without bothering to wait for a response, the Noibat roughly patted the Goomy on where he thought was their back and began pushing them along, a forced grin on his face.

 

[Bunny Prince]

Percival the Goomy||Soon-To-Be Soldier||Runarkian Tunnels


Percy could barely keep themself from rolling their eyes at the Noibat’s comment about his “little scrape”. Of course they didn’t need to go to the infirmary, they looked and felt beat up every day they spent in these hellish tunnels. What they needed was to get to Bygone Burrow to see if any rogues would follow them out of this damned place without a little toy soldier too big for his britches getting in their business. They briefly considered starting a fight in order to escape, but decided they had enough people reporting them to Griff for one day. He’d see how this played out and leave violence as his plan B.


“I mean… If you don’t think I need to go, I shouldn’t waste your time having you escort me there…” Percy said timidly, keeping their eyes down still. He winced when the Noibat patted him and began to push him along. He barely kept his cool, wanting to fight the Noibat there and then. He was making rocks dig into them sharper than before by pushing them like that, and they could move just fine on their own. Percy hardly managed to keep himself from launching an attack on the Noibat, telling himself that if he didn’t talk his way out of this by the end of the tunnel (or the Noibat didn’t get a lot more tolerable), he’d make a break for it.


“Please, sir. I know how to navigate these tunnels, and it hurts when you push me like that.” They raised their eyes to look up at the soldier, making sure to keep an innocent, humbled look on their face. “I don’t want to keep you from your important soldier duties, I really can get there on my own…”


If this didn’t work, Percy had no idea how they were going to get out of this one. The Noibat could easily flap away a dust cover, and the ceiling wasn’t exactly the best place to hide from someone who flies. He’d have to attack and then make as many turns as he could to try to disorient the Noibat. Maybe he’d have to regroup on this attack plan once he made it to the infirmary after all...

 

[ectoplasmius]

ooc: sorry this ended up a few days late! or at least a few days later than i originally intended. i have a really bad memory and it's been a while since i've needed to remember that Roleplaying Exists. i'll work on doing better next time! also there's a few things in here that i just sort of Assumed were true about the hideout's rogues, so let me know if those assumptions contradict anything that's been set up, and i'll change what i can!


Shira the Bagon || Rogue || Crevice Canyon, a Tunnel Near the Surface


"They'll keep me safe, right?"


It must've been the tenth time Shira had asked that, but Dorian kept grinning at them anyway. "Absolutely," he assured them, "and if they don't, well, they'll have me to answer to!" A round of chuckles passed through the small group of Pokemon. Shira's anxiety overrode any similar comforts.


"I just–" they began, too quietly. They tried again. "I just don't...I've never been out, so I don't know if..." They trailed off, all the words they'd wanted to say tangling together in their head. Sneaking glances at the sky through the cracks in the more open tunnels was one thing, but actually going out into the open was an entirely different matter. A heavy lump had settled in their stomach and throat.


Dorian gave them a sympathetic smile, and a gentle talon on their shoulder. "Listen, kiddo. I know it's scary to do something you're not used to. Remember why you wanted to do this in the first place, alright? If that's not enough, let me know and I'll let you go back down. It's your choice, y'know."


"I know," they said, swallowing. They could be lost, they could be seen by Crusaders, they could be–gods forbid–forced to fight for them...did they still think that was worth a chance to ride on a flying Pokemon, to feel the wind for the first time? The stories they'd heard and experiences they'd begged others to relay of flying through the air could only get them so far. What if a feeling of being in the air would help them get an instinct for flight when they became a Salamence? What if they didn't do this, and finally got their wings just to not know how to use them? They shook their head forcefully. They needed to do this now, or they'd be too nervous to try ever again, they were sure of that. "I still want to do it. I'm scared, but I want to do it."


The wide grin returned to Dorian's face like it had never left. He laughed and clapped Shira roughly on the back, making them stumble a bit. "That's the spirit! Keep that attitude with you, and you'll be just fine." They tried not to let too many doubts pop up in response to that, and just nodded instead. "They're not gonna go anywhere you need to worry about, anyway. This is just a trip to gather up some food for the stocks. Nothin' special or dangerous. And they've promised not to try any flips while you're ridin' with 'em."


"That's good," they said seriously, "I already figured out that stress tests won't help me evolve any faster."


Dorian's smile faltered for a moment, but it was back before Shira noticed anything. "Alright then. Let me show you who you'll be flyin' with." He led them between the small crowd of Flying-types and the few riding scavengers to a gruff-looking Crobat, who warily raised an eyebrow. Dorian scoffed playfully and shoved Shira forward. "I can trust you with this, can't I, Rosemary?"


A sinister pause, and then Rosemary laughed–though it was really more of a shriek. "Only for you, Dori, only for you," she said, her voice as gruff as she was. "Is the kid going to introduce themselves, then?"


Dorian stepped back to give them the floor. They cleared their throat. "Aeshira. Call me Shira, please," they declared, holding out their claws. Rosemary hesitated a moment, then offered her wingtip for them to shake. "I want to feel what the wind is like when you fly."


"...Huh." Rosemary pulled her wing back, looking skeptically at Dorian. "You sure know how to pick 'em, don'tcha?" Dorian just kept a bland smile, and Rosemary rolled her eyes and turned back to Shira. "Well, I can't promise you the smoothest of fights, but I can help you just fine with 'feeling the wind.' Just don't expect to stick around without puttin' in your share of the work, got it? No free rides."


They nodded, sincerely and repeatedly. Rosemary, seemingly despite herself, smiled a bit, and Dorian gave the signal for them to head out. The two of them lagged behind a bit while Shira situated themself firmly on Rosemary's back, but they quickly found a sturdy spot, and found themself launched through the narrow opening.


And into the air.


A Few Hours Later || Destirian Cliffs


The sensation of the winds at this altitude was something Shira would never let go of. Their scarf had snapped back and forth with the force of it, at several points nearly coming off entirely, their ears rang with the noise, their scales stung, and they felt better than they ever had down in the Hideout. Rosemary had given them an amused glance or two as they stumbled dazedly around as they landed, but they were so thrilled by the whole thing that they couldn't care if they tried. She'd left them alone–they'd gain more by scavenging separately–and they used the solitude as a chance to absorb it all.


They felt like they hadn't been breathing until they'd been up in the air, and were a little concerned that they'd choke underground on the staleness. Everything was so fresh and sharp that it almost hurt to look at things. This was going to be their home someday, they were sure of it; those scattered mountain clouds felt safer for them than a hundred Hideouts. How could anyone give this up?


Then they thought of scars, and clashes of claws and teeth, and the reason why a lot of the Rogues looked so ragged, and they had to frown. It was so easy to forget the Crusades existed when they weren't looking right at it. Unable to regain their peace, they pulled their scarf in tighter and began looking around their few footholds for anything they could bring back to the Rogues. At the very least, they might be able to ease their worries with some foraging.


Probably, anyway. Their worries were hardier than most.

 

[Ryve]

Pip the Pidgey || Soldier || Runark Infirmary


Pip could hardly contain his energy, bouncing up and down on his toes, as Daeana looked him over for other injuries, smiling down at him every so often. He let out a light chirp as she smeared an herbal mixture on his bruised beak, making it feel oddly tingly. “It was amazing!” Pip squealed, “I could feel the air just sort of… lifting me up!”


“Stay still, dear,” the Umbreon said, a chuckle rumbling in her chest as she ruffled the feathers to show a cut on the Pidgey’s chest, most likely from a rock jutting out of the wall. Pip flinched slightly, feeling the cool air hit the injury. Receiving a chastising chance from Daeana, he tried to settle down, but his wings flitted and his feet tapped.


“I had to flap really hard to stay up, but it was as if I was climbing the air! All the way up to the sky!!” Pip’s face lit up, remembering the feeling of wind over his feathers. He extended his right wing and mimicked the motions of flight, closing his eyes to relive the moment.


“Alright, Pip, this will sting a little,” Daeana warned as she pawed the salve into the wound. Pip held his breath and closed his eyes until the stinging faded and then continued his excited rant.


“Do you think once I get good enough, I can fly to Nitraga? Oooh!! Or even Feulis!?”


“I think… you should keep your horizons smaller for now,” Daeana said, the chuckle in her voice coming out a little forced. “And I would caution you to wait until your injuries have healed a little.”


“How long do you think that’ll be?” He said, jumping up and wincing slightly from his cuts and bruises.


“Hmm…” She hummed and stroked Pip’s head-feathers. “I would give it a day or two before you try to fly again. We don’t want your flight muscles pulling the wound open before it heals.” She smiled down at the Pidgey gently, but Pip sensed a note of deep concern now that he'd calmed down enough to notice it. And, while he was disappointed, he nodded in understanding, trying to keep his wings folded to his sides in spite of his eagerness to test them once more.

 

[Jigen]

Charr the Noibat || Soldier (Mew) || Runark Tunnels


“Please, sir. I know how to navigate these tunnels, and it hurts when you push me like that," spoke the Goomy, looking innocently up at Charr. He hated when Pokemon did that--trying to use their weakness to their advantage. When he was younger, he obviously would have never done that. “I don’t want to keep you from your important soldier duties, I really can get there on my own…”


The Noibat hesitated for a moment. He wasn't used to being called sir, but it was a welcome change that made him feel more important. Technically, his soldier duties weren't all that important, but he did really want to get back to resting in the tunnels....But he didn't want to get caught snoozing on his shift. Maybe he could check in later with the infirmary to make it look like he was getting things done.


He folded his wing and let out a huff. "Fine. If anyone asks what I've been doing, I've been patrolling the tunnels, alright? Don't get lost or faint on my shift, it'll make me look bad." Not looking down at the Goomy, he ruffled his head fur to make it look messy before spreading his wings and flying up to the ceiling. He gripped a rock formation with his claws before hanging down and turning to stare at the Pokemon on the ground. There was no reason to suspect the Goomy of any wrongdoing, but it wouldn't hurt to hear if they really were heading to the infirmary so he wouldn't have fly all that way and check in later. Maybe once he was done, he'd spend some time hanging around Central Square, pun intended.


With a yawn, he shut both of his eyes, ears alert. Sound continued to echo throughout the tunnels as usual. The regular rhythm of Runark.

 

[CompuCat]

Ditto the Ditto || Rogue (Quartzir) || Alleyway off of Main Street, Spiracle City


“Some…more…money…in...done!” Ditto stepped back and admired his handiwork: a red tent with simple frame of (stolen) wood in place of one wall, painted with classy black paint (albeit “borrowed”), with majestic crimson curtains fit for a theater. He thought the contraption quite good-one of the more elaborate devices he had built for his scams. Those curtains, though…eurgh. Man, that was close. He shivered, remembering how he was nearly caught by police while carrying away a spare set of curtains from Spiracle City’s Grand Theatre. Viewed from the front, it almost appeared to be an ornate mirror. There was also a small sign with a little chute next to it that read:

“Who said that reflections were merely reflections?

Most people do, until they see the dazzling

MAGIC MIRROR!

Want to look? Put some money in the chute. If the curtains don’t open,

put some more money in.”
​

It was marvelous. Genius, even. Most importantly, though, it was key to his further insight into what made the people of Quartzir tick. It had only been a month or two since he had been exiled from Destirae, and while he had already learned much about his new home’s residents, there still existed a great element of mystery about them. Most would be content to know people as well as Ditto knew them now...but Ditto had always prided himself on knowing as much as he could about as many people as he could. Oh, the fun he could have with this! So many people to see…so many people to scam…but it would have to wait until tomorrow. For now, he resigned himself to another night of excited sleep.


|| The Next Morning ||


As the sun was just beginning to show its face over the coastline, its glistening rays barely lit the street as Ditto slowly pushed the red tent out of the alleyway and onto the curbside. Just as the vendors were beginning to slowly roll their carts out for the Sunday market, Ditto slipped inside his little contraption, settled in, and began waiting. It wasn’t the most comfortable inside; after all, it was meant to be a good-looking scam tent, not a cozy hideout. Besides, Ditto had long ago found the solution to all of his comfort problems: Transform into a rock-solid, unfeeling, hard-as-a-rock, inconspicuous, and just plain rockin’ awesome….rock.


Thus he waited until a short, red-vested Aipom happened to saunter past. Excitement grew in Ditto’s mind as the soft clinking of Quartzirian currency announced the 11:00 showing of the Magic Mirror.

 

[MrSunshine]

Esmond the Slowking || Rouge || Spiracle City

 
​

 A warped sunbeam shot through the glass dome of Spiracle City. Esmond awoke to the sight of a bleak alleyway wedged in between two apartments.
​

“You finally up, scatterbrain?” a voice called to Esmond. Drowsy and confused, he scrunched up into the smallest ball he could. “Esmond, are you okay?


I’m up here, remember?” the voice said, more concerned than before. Esmond looked up all the way to the roof of the dome, looking for the voice, but saw nothing. Esmond rubbed his eyes awake until his eyes came into focus. Remembering what the voice was talking about, he looked as far up as he could to see a Shellder looking back down at him.


“Hey,” the Shellder said, waiting for Esmond to snap out of his trance.


 “Morning, Wyatt,” Esmond said, letting out a big yawn. He took a big breath and stood up, stretching as much as possible.


 


“You awake now?” Wyatt asked. Esmond gave a small, affirmative nod. “Great, then get your butt moving! We've got a big day ahead of us! Get up!” Wyatt yelled. Even though Wyatt couldn't technically yell out loud, he could still be very loud, Esmond assures you. After Esmond’s ears adjusted back to normal, he lowered his paws from his ears, gave himself a little slap on the face with both of his paws, and gave the most determined look he could muster.


“Okay, let’s go!” Esmond said, stopping after about two steps down the alley. “Where exactly are we going again?” Wyatt gave Esmond a patronising look and let out a small sigh.


“We are going to check if the guards left any boats unattended today so we can get off the island.” Wyatt replied, having calmed himself down from his annoyed state.


“But they haven't left any boats unchecked since we got here. What makes you think they will leave one today?” Esmond asked earnestly.


“I don’t know, Esmond,” Wyatt replied, “But we need to check just in case, because we’ve been here for a while now and we still aren’t any closer getting off Quartzir since the day we ran away!” Esmond didn’t say anything for a while and he could tell from a slight shiver on his head that Wyatt was beginning to fret that he’d accidently hurt his feelings.


The silly pink Pokemon put on the biggest smile he could muster and said, “Okay, Wyatt, I trust you.” After Wyatt had a small crisis of not knowing to respond to pure genuine emotion by spewing incomprehensible noises, Esmond left the alley and started moving to the edge of the glass dome. They had to travel through lots of passages to get there to make sure they weren’t seen. They had been in Spiracle City for a while with no place to stay the night, and the dirtier Esmond got, the more and more clear it was that he was a rouge.


Esmond didn’t especially like being a rouge. In fact, it was the worst. It was nothing but being homeless, persecuted, and scared. But, if he wasn’t, his family would definitely find him and he would be punished. Looking up through the glass dome, Esmond could see the outline of the boat fleet Quartzir used to send Pokemon to and from Destirae.


“There they are!” Wyatt said. After he formed the words he quickly got far less excited. When Wyatt had bitten the Kings Rock on Esmond’s head, he had accidentally done it backwards, because they were in a rush. This made it so Wyatt's eyes face out front instead of on the back of Esmond’s head, it also made it possible for Esmond to still be able to see most of Wyatt’s facial expressions when he looks up. Esmond usually really liked this, but now Wyatt was making a face that Esmond really didn’t like, it was almost like a blank stare with a hint of worry that Esmond could see in Wyatt’s eyes. Esmond couldn’t really figure out why, but didn't want to seem stupid in front of Wyatt... Again... So he looked really closely at the boats and saw what they had seen all the other days. Figures of Water-type Pokemon guarding the boats from all sides, making sure that nobody but soldiers could get on the boats.


“I don’t know why I built myself up for this.” Wyatt said suddenly. Wyatt then did something pretty unusual for him - he stayed silent. Esmond could feel Wyatt shaking a bit on his head. Esmond had no idea that this would break Wyatt up so much. It shocked him. Esmond wasn’t always the best with others feelings. He understood them, but he never knew how to react to them. Not knowing how to respond to Wyatt, his ability to function began to break down, and anxiety began to take over reason. He folded his arms and started tapping his feet, trying to come up with something to say, but it wasn’t helping. In the nick of time, Esmond’s stomach made the loudest growl either of them had heard up to this point.


“Want to get something to eat?” Esmond said to Wyatt, still a stammering mess. Wyatt took a breath, looked down at Esmond, and said


“Yeah, let’s do it!” Breaking the tension completely. Esmond and Wyatt made their way through the city's alleyway to the local market that they had been stopping at in the slightly more wealthy part of Spiracle City. Esmond had been able to get away with buying food before when he first got to Spiracle City using his parents money and presentable demeanor, but now was a different story. Wyatt had advised him that they needed to save what little money they had left for important matters, and with the amount of filth that Esmond had accumulated. everyone would know he was a rogue now, so for the past few days, Esmond had been eating out of the store’s trash to get by.


Esmond and Wyatt share nutrients with each other, so Wyatt didn't really need to eat, but he still liked to have Esmond put small strips of food in his mouth for him anyway. Esmond had lived eating expensive or complex dishes up with his family growing up, so this was very hard for him. He didn’t want to admit this fact to Wyatt to preserve his feelings. Esmond knew that Wyatt grew up in a rough environment, so this kind of thing wasn’t really new for him. The Slowking had a hard time gathering all the food from the trash, he kept dropping or fumbling it. He still wasn’t used to his new paws, and normal daily functions were hard. After a few moments of eating, it became hard for Esmond to swallow the old food he had in his mouth and it began to show in his facial expressions. Wyatt made a worried look that almost screamed pity. His eyes were looking off to the left, and Esmond could feel Wyatt clench, a bit. It took Esmond a while to understand what the look meant but after he realized it, he immediately wanted to say something to change the mood like before.


“Soooooo...” he said awkwardly. “I wonder where this shop gets this food anyway. I mean... Right?”


“Yeah,” Wyatt replied lazily. Esmond figured he wasn’t helping, so he went back to eating. “Wait!” Wyatt exclaimed. When Esmond looked back up at Wyatt, his eyes were wide. Esmond began to ask what was wrong, but was immediately cut off by Wyatt’s shushing. After compiling all of his thoughts, Wyatt took a big breath and said “I know how we can get off of Quartzir!”

 

[Bunny Prince]

(OOC: So sorry it's been so long since I posted! It's been a wild, tiring couple of weeks. Last week was my last week in town before going to my dad's and then this week I had to get here and then lately I've been waking up with like... negative spoons and just laying on the floor all day. This one is a little short while I get back into things but I'm going to be doing my best to post again soon! I kinda need to figure out what I'm gonna write when I get to Bygone Burrow though since there's no one there... Oops ^^; )


Percy the Goomy || Soon-To-Be-Soldier || Runarkian Tunnels


Percy watched the Noibat closely as he mulled over their words. They had to keep themself from grinning when they saw the Noibat give in a second before they relented out loud.


“Of course, sir.” He said, bowing his head to the Noibat. They waited until he’d settled back onto the ceiling to start heading down the tunnel once more. When they reached the fork at the end they paused. Right was to the infirmary, left was to Bygone Burrow. He could get to Bygone Burrow from the right but it would take a lot longer… He realized the Noibat would probably go check with the infirmary later, but he didn’t have a lot of time to lose if he wanted to get to Bygone Burrow and back before dinner. With a sigh he glanced back at the dozing Noibat, braced himself, and then quickly headed left.


“Bygone Burrow, here I come...”

 

[Vanilla]

Tana the Fletchinder || Soldier || Sanctum City, Military Base (Dining Hall)


The end of lunch was met with chaos, brought about by an unlucky messenger reporting from some scouts stationed high up near the peaks of Sanctum Sanctuary. The only leaders about had begun to scurry around and speak among themselves, leaving the recruits without instruction. All that Tana could do was attempt to pick out pieces of their frantic chatter over the sea of voices produced by conversations of the other recruits.


“A Bagon? And a Crobat?”


“If this is some kind of prank--”


“No, they said Alma herself sent the messenger. What reason would there be to lie?”


“And you're sure it wasn't just some civilians?”


“Civilians should know better than to be on that side of the island. We evacuated them when the first wave of Nitragans invaded. Alma thinks it might be rogues.”


“D'ya think they could lead us to Dorian? Vic would--”


“Vic doesn't know, nor will he find out,” a voice snapped back aggressively. “He's far too busy with the crusades to worry about matters such as these. We'll have to keep it from him for now, or else he'd make it his priority. It could be civilians after all.”


“We need to send--”


“We can't risk--”


The final voices were lost in the crowd, despite Tana's best efforts to pick them out. All she could do at this point was wait until the leaders concocted a plan—if they could even manage to reach an agreement, that was.


A While Later || Sanctum City, Military Base (Training Field)


It was mid-afternoon by the time Tana was personally summoned by her drill sergeant. After lunch, the trainees had been sent back to the field to practice indefinitely while the higher-ups had continued to plot. Now they were calling upon random recruits, attempting to create a group of some kind.


“GATHER ROUND, KIDDIES! WE'VE GOT A REAL MISSION FOR YOU THIS TIME AND IT WON'T BE EASY, ESPECIALLY FOR WEAKLINGS LIKE--”


“Pipe down, Harold. They're the best we've got right now,” A Skarmory interjected, cutting the Loudred's typical speech right off.


“MORE LIKE THE ONLY THING WE'VE GOT!” He managed to retort, before succumbing to silence.


“Ahem,” the Skarmory stood tall, facing the recruits. “Well, you probably have a lot of questions. I guess I should begin by reminding you that desertion of the Destirian military is a crime punishable by death. However, you should also know that in these troubling times, finding new soldiers isn't an easy feat. So, we've altered the rules a bit. We're going to offer re-enlistment before execution, which is why we need you,” the Skarmory explained.


“I'm sure you know what a rogue is, right? Yes, well, unfortunately most rogues in Destirae are wanted deserters of our brave military. However, they've also been able to hide themselves very well throughout the years, including our most beloved deserter Dorian.”


Tana felt the flame in her belly grow with rage once Dorian's name was mentioned. A traitor, as all of the nation's military had come to remember him. Even though Tana had not been enlisted at the time of Dorian's betrayal, she had known never to forget nor forgive his actions, for the sake of her hero Vic and the army that she now stood for.


The Skarmory continued her speech, whilst Tana and the other chosen recruits paid close attention to every word. “We've spotted two Pokemon flying in an area that had been evacuated by all civilians weeks ago, and we have reason to suspect that they might themselves be rogues. If we are correct, they may even lead us to the main rogue settlement.”


The steel-type unraveled a sheet of parchment before the small group, containing a list of names and pictures—wanted deserters of the Destirian military.


“We chose you because we believe that you are the best-suited recruits we have for this mission. Prove yourselves and we may even consider sending you into actual battle,” she announced, studying each of them with her beady eyes. “I will be the leader of your squadron. You may call me Alma.”


A Few Hours Later || Destirian Cliffs (In the Sky)


There were few things in the world that Tana feared, but Alma was certainly one of them. Unlike her regular drill sergeant, the Skarmory was silent and calm. The expression on her face was perpetually one of calculation, and Tana knew that one wrong move in Alma's eyes would be a grave mistake.


The steel-type flew ahead of the others, naturally leading the “V” formation and scanning the cliffs below so carefully you'd almost think she could see right through them. Tana followed behind to the left, keeping pace with a Ducklett to her right. She hadn't even had time to learn the names of her fellow soldiers before Alma demanded they take off, determined to catch the mysterious Pokemon before they returned to wherever it was they were hiding.


Behind her followed a Staravia and a Swablu that kept lagging behind, despite Alma's commands to pick up the pace. Tana couldn't help but pity the poor Pokemon, whose cloud-like wings clearly weren't meant for any type of strenuous flight. How is this pathetic, rag-tag group of recruits supposed to stand up to fully-evolved rogue deserters? She thought sadly. Well, at least they have me. And Alma seems really strong.


After what felt like hours of flight, it soon became apparent that Alma had noticed some type of movement along the ragged cliff-side, as she sharply led the squadron downward towards the left without warning. They all followed suit, Tana squinting to make out what it was that Alma could have seen, until she suddenly noticed a figure moving through some sparse brush—light blue and bipedal. A Bagon.


“You there! I command you halt in the name of the Destirian army! Tell me your name and alliance this instant!” Alma shouted at the Pokemon once they were close enough. Tana fluttered behind the Skarmory, doing her best to look brave and tough as she glared at the dragon-type below.

 

[MrSunshine]

Esmond the Slowking || Rouge || Spiracle City

​

    


Three years ago, a Wailord had gotten stuck in the coral on the edge of Driftdeep reef. This Wailord happened to be the same one that delivered food to Quartzir twice a month from Destirae on his back. He had gotten hit by a sudden current of water into the reef and couldn’t get out. If he tried wriggling himself free, he would risk dropping the food he was carrying into the ocean, so he just sat there, waiting. The water Pokemon that were sent to guard the Wailord had headed into town to get help. The Wailord had stayed there for a long time, not moving an inch, when a family of Shellder happened to pass by.


The family saw the Wailord’s predicament and began breaking the coral and moving it farther away. By the time Wailord’s guards had returned with help, the Wailord was already freed, with a proud family of Shellder triumphantly standing next to him. The youngest of the family gave off a taunting look, as if to say, “Me and my poor family did your job better that you wealthy soldiers!”


The Wailord could tell by the Shellder’s excessively slow movements that they were in need of food, so as thanks he offered them some of the food he was carrying. They gladly accepted, and since that day, twice a month, whenever the Wailord passed over the Shellders’ home in Driftdeep Reef he would “conveniently” drop just a little bit of food into the water for them to eat. One day, after his job was done, he had dropped off all his food, and his guards had left him, he began his voyage back to Destirae, the Shellder family decided to pay him a short visit. This began to become a routine, and they all eventually began close friends.


“And that’s how I met Allen...” Wyatt trailed off.


“Wow,” Esmond said. “It’s pretty cool that you’re friends with a Wailord.”


“Yeah...” Wyatt replied, but it seemed to Esmond that he was lost in another head space. “So, what do you think?”


 “What do I think of what?” Esmond asked with a confused tone.


 “Our way off the island.” Wyatt informed him.


 “Huh?” Esmond replied, still not catching on.


 “Allen!” Wyatt chided persistently.


 “The Wailord?” Esmond said. “What does he have to do with anything?”


 “We are going to see if we can ride off the island on him!” Wyatt yelled.


 “Ooooooohhhhhhhhh!” Esmond said, finally understanding. “So, does he know the way to the other islands?” Wyatt let out a big sigh before answering Esmond’s question.


 “Well, I know Allen knows his way to Destirae at least, and any place is better than here, that’s for sure,” Wyatt assured Esmond. “Plus, we wouldn’t even have to steal a boat or anything, we would be all set!” That made Esmond’s eyes sparkle a bit. The thought of the two of them getting away from this placed filled with anxiety at every turn. Just him and Wyatt…


 “Esmond,” Wyatt said, pulling the Slowking out of his trance. “Let’s get going. I know for a fact that Allen only delivers his food shipments twice a month and one of those times is later today!”


 “Okay,” Esmond replied hurriedly. And with that, the two of them were off, walking through the alleys of Spiracle City. The section of the city that they were in before wasn’t that bad, well it wasn’t glamorous either, but the closer they got to Quartzir’s loading bay, the worse it got. Eventually, it got to the point where they didn’t have to stalk the alleyways away from glaring eyes anymore, because the inhabitants looked even worse than Esmond did. Tattered clothing covered with grease and grime that the Pokemon had plastered onto their faces as well. Most of them might even be rouges, Esmond thought. Nervously clinging to the walls, Esmond shimmied his way through the neighborhood. Esmond didn’t think less of the Pokemon around him, but he had been sheltered his whole life. He didn’t know what to do in a situation like this.


 “Esmond, are you going to be okay?” Wyatt asked worriedly.


“Yeah, I’m okay, let’s keep going,” Esmond replied. After a quick pep talk in his mind, Esmond closed his eyes, puffed up his chest, and marched through the street, trying to look as brave as possible. The other Pokemon were probably giving him strange looks, but it didn’t matter anyway, because Esmond never opened his eyes. He was busy thinking about whether or not Wyatt thought he was cool. Though, ultimately, he should have, because he ended up tripping and falling flat on his and Wyatt’s face.


 “ESMOND!” Wyatt yelled. “Watch where you’re going, be careful!”


 “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Esmond said frantically, scrambling up. “Are... are... Are you okay?”


 “Y... yeah, and you?” Wyatt replied sheepishly in a drastic mood shift. Esmond nodded, and after a moment, was about to continue on when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It looked like a red tent with a sign next to it. The sign read,

“Who said that reflections were merely reflections?

Most people do, until they see the dazzling

MAGIC MIRROR!

Want to look? Put some money in the chute. If the curtains don’t open,

put some more money in.”
​

Esmond stared at it for a good long minute before Wyatt caught on to what he was thinking.


 “Oh no,” he said. “You are not going to spend what little money we have left on a sideshow attraction.”


 Esmond didn't say anything, but memories flashed back to when his Mom and Dad used to take him into town. He was always embarrassed by how much money his family had, so whenever he saw a small business on the reef, he would make sure to spend some of his money there. It became almost second nature to him, like that was what anyone would do, but now he had to save their money.


 “Come on!” Wyatt persisted. “It’s obviously a scam! I would know, my family’s done a few before.” He voice got a little more uncomfortable when he said that last part. “Let’s just go already.”


Esmond walked up to the tent and after a few seconds of staring, Esmond said “Okay,” and they began walking on their way again. It was definitely a good thing that Wyatt had evolved backwards, or he would have noticed a small coin lying in the dirt behind them that a certain Slowking had dropped there.

 

[Ryve]

Daeana the Umbreon || Soldier || Runark Infirmary


Daeana lay in a nest of cloth, curled around the sleeping Pidgey. Pip, having worn himself out with his flying endeavors, fell asleep shortly after Daeana had finished treating him, so she had taken it upon herself to make him comfortable.


Daeana glanced down at Pip’s cuts and bruises. Luckily, Runark was safe from the turmoil of war, allowing the former medic to take the time needed to properly care for an injured pokemon rather than hurriedly making sure they last until the end of the battle. I hope to whatever good creator exists that it stays that way.


Pip’s large feet kicked in his sleep and he snuggled into Daeana, cooing as he got comfy. Letting out a huff of amusement, the Umbreon groomed his crest feathers back affectionately and swept her tail protectively around him.


“… Dae?” Pip said quietly, his eyes still closed.


“Yes, Pip?”


“Were my parents good fliers?" Pip asked, wiggling his feet idly, "Do you think I can be like them?”


Daeana stiffened, caught off guard by the question, the image of Pip’s parents in their final moments blocking out any other memories. Their smoldering feathers, burnt bodies, disfigured faces… Pip was all too similar to them.


“Dae? Are you okay?”


Daeana’s attention snapped back to Pip. The Pidgey was looking up at her with a worried expression. The Umbreon sighed and pushed herself up on her good leg, walking with her uneven gait out to the entrance to the tunnels. She turned her head to respond, her expression looking unreachable and distant as she didn't bother to stop walking. “I’ll be fine… I’m just going out for a short walk…”

 

[ectoplasmius]

ooc: sorry this is kinda late! i had a lot of trouble putting this one into words. also there's more worldbuildy stuff in this one, so once again, let me know if this doesn't align with what you had in mind, and i'll fix it up.


Shira the Bagon || Rogue || Destirian Cliffs


In the wake of the most sudden onslaught of sheer terror she'd ever felt in her life, Shira briefly wondered if that Skarmory up there would let her take a look at some of their feathers. Considering the circumstances, she reasoned, numbly, somehow I don't think so.


Her teeth felt hot enough to burn her tongue--she tasted smoke--she was digging her claws into her side--her mind was screaming a thousand fears and curses and worries--her heartbeat was hammering in her ears--but all of it was distant, muffled, like it was underwater. She stood motionless, of half a mind to bolt and the other half to curl up and wait for death. An entire squadron, just sent after her...but no, wasn't Rosemary around somewhere? Crobat were fast, some of the fastest fliers out there--would she have come back to sweep them both back home, would she have gone for help, did she even know this was going on? Rosemary would have known what to do here, she'd looked grizzled, like a veteran, she would've known the drills...


A light went off, shining through the haze of panic. The drills.


Every Rogue in the Hideout had them memorized. Dorian had made sure of it; when you lead a group of deserters and outlaws, there had to be some response to the ever-present fear of being caught. Shira herself had been tested on them before she'd been allowed out. Her scales itched with sudden shame: the first rule of those drills had been don't panic. Hopefully if she made it back alive, no one would blame her.


She slowly relaxed her claws, wincing a little at the scratches she'd made on her scales. With something to focus on besides how scared she was, the memories were easy to seek out.


One: don't panic. Best to skip that one.


Two: assess the situation. If you fought all your opponents, would it be an easy, quick victory? Can you make an escape and know that none of them will be able follow you? If she'd been a Salamence...well, if she'd been a Salamence, she probably wouldn't have gotten caught at all. As it stood, she doubted she'd be able to do either of those options.


Three: if you can't fight and you can't flee, play along. Get their guard down and bolt when they least suspect it. That'd work. She just had to seem unthreatening--something she definitely couldn't do as a Salamence, so at least her current state helped her there. She stood up a little straighter and took a deep breath.


"My--hhkh--" She hacked out, having inhaled the Fire Fang her body had been building up. Smoke and embers spilled out of her mouth as she doubled over, holding up a hand to ask for patience. One day, she inwardly grumbled, in between coughs, that will be a Flamethrower, and I will look back on this and laugh.


"...My name is Aeshira. I'm not allied to anyone," she finally announced, spitting out a last bit of ash. "What do you want from me?"

 

[Vanilla]

ooc: no worries! take all the time you need on responses, i completely understand the struggle. i really enjoyed reading your post, and i love your idea of drills! c8


Tana the Fletchinder || Soldier || Destirian Cliffs


As steam began to rise from the Bagon’s mouth, Tana felt a nagging wave of sympathy wash over her. Whether it was fear or bravery talking, the Fletchinder couldn’t know, but it was clear that the lone Pokemon wouldn’t stand a chance if they seriously planned to attack. Please don’t do it, she hoped desperately. While Tana was always prepared to fight in the name of Destirae, a victory against one measly Pokemon could hardly be considered honorable.


Alma watched the Bagon carefully as they sputtered on smoke and ash before revealing their name and alliance. Aeshira. Unallied.


If looks could kill, Tana was sure that the poor Bagon would have been a goner. The Skarmory glared at the dragon-type with a venom in her eyes thick enough to poison a Muk, clearly displeased by their response.


“Typical. You expect me to believe that you’re out here alone, simply enjoying the day, don’t you?” Alma swooped down and landed right beside the Pokemon, her talons leaving impressive welts in the rock beneath her. She looked down, directly into Aeshira’s eyes. “You do realize that we evacuated this side of the island weeks ago when Nitragans attacked, don’t you? So what business is it that you have out here?”


The rest of Tana’s squadron remained airborne, trying their best to maintain a serious composure. Deep down, Tana felt afraid for Aeshira. She wanted justice for Destirae’s military as badly as Alma, but interrogation was never a noble means of acquiring information. Would Vic be okay with this? She couldn’t help but wonder. Has he done it before himself? Will I have to do it too someday? The thought perturbed her. She felt she was ready for this, prepared for anything, but now she wasn’t so sure—and they weren’t even on an actual battlefield yet.


“Where is the other Pokemon you were with? A Crobat, if I’m not mistaken—and I’m usually not mistaken. I know you weren’t out here by yourself; our scouts spotted you flying together.” Alma hissed, towering over Aeshira, the steel in her feathers glistening as sharply as her beak. “You are alone, outnumbered, and in one the harshest of environments on the planet—especially for a Pokemon that can’t fly. In the name of Arceus the divine I highly suggest that you cooperate, for your sake.”


Tana felt herself shudder, and could see that the others in her group were also visibly disturbed, especially the Swablu who had shifted out of formation to cower behind the Staravia. Though true combat was far worse, this reality was considerably harsh for nothing more than a bunch of trainees with no experience in the field. What if they withhold information? What if Alma asks us to attack them? Tana’s mind raced. How could I do that? It wouldn’t be a fair fight at all. Would Alma even give them the choice to join the military first?


“So, you’re unallied. Is that correct, Aeshira? Because I would have hoped someone that calls this wonderful island their home would at least consider themselves allied to it. Unless you’re deliberately avoiding being drafted to fight in the crusades by hiding out here...a bit like someone I believe we both know, if that’s indeed the case. Dorian.” There was ice in Alma’s voice, cold enough to give Tana a chill. “Do you know that name, and where I can find him?”

 

[CompuCat]

(OOC: Apologies. I’m hideously late. I know, it’s short, but I can’t really do anything more until @MrSunshine replies. Also, Jigen: you of all people would find Ditto’s language amusing.)


Ditto the Ditto || Rogue (Quartzir) || Alleyway off of Main Street, Spiracle City


That sound.


That wonderful, oh-so-lovely sound!


That amazing, luscious vibration of air, the chink of metal upon metal, the glorious ringing of money entering the chute!


Yes! cried Ditto, though quietly. A small coin had entered the chute-not just any coin, but a coin stamped with Sepres’ insignia. Most would have discounted the small coin as merely a penny, but ones with insignias such as these were worth a fortune to scamme….uh, street performers like Ditto. He could buy a new curtain! (Not that he intended to return this one, of course.) He could buy some more food! (Another appealing thought.) He could….


I could stop blubbering on and get on with the show, you buzhidao! (While the word “buzhidao” is, in fact, a Pokemon-speak word, translating it would be pointless as it would be immediately censored.) Ditto proceeded to peer through the peephole, looking for a sight of his generous donor. Aha…a Slowking, but why the backwards Shellder? Ah, never mind. This ought to be good.


Drawing the curtains back, the Slowking within the tent shouted out a boisterous “Hey there!”


|| Further Down, at the Spiracle City Library ||


The streets were busy as always, with shoppers dashing to and fro along Main Street to the market and back. Nearly every building had somebody entering or exiting…barring the library. The library, lonely as always, simply sat there-an unloved landmark of the times before war, when more people had the patience to read a good book. The government was debating whether to close it down or not-every day of every month, the books sat on the numerous shelves just as they had for decades.


Today was different.


A yellow blur darted out of the door, clutching a small journal, an idea, and a need for a foxy friend.

 

[Jigen]

[[yay!! we're gettin into the swing of things again!!]]


Charr the Noibat || Soldier (Mew) || Runark Tunnels


He didn't know how much time passed--maybe just a few minutes, maybe an hour--but the Noibat was rudely awaken by a loud CRASH from above. Startled, Charr nearly dropped from his stalactite, his tiny claws gripping the rock like a vice. He swung to-and-fro before finally settling. Groggy, he shook his head clear to see what was going on.


It seemed that he was in no apparent danger. That was good. Another old tunnel must have collapsed. Occasionally, the original tunnels that the first Runarkians dug would weaken with the expansion of other tunnels and eventually cave in. Luckily, other Pokemon knew to stay away from the unstable areas, and new tunnels were always being built to ensure that there would be enough space for everyone.


Perhaps it would be best to get up and check if there was anyone hurt. A soldier would be expected to report to the scene, after all. He'd need to head to the infirmary and get some first aid supplies in case anyone had gotten hurt. Muttering quietly to himself, he slowly descended to the ground and brushed off his fur.


"C'mon, Charr," he muttered, "you'll only do this stuff for so long--soon, you'll be part of the real army...."


His ears twitched as he heard someone walking his direction from the infirmary. The Goomy from earlier? No, those definitely sounded like paws. Whatever. He began to walk in the direction of the infirmary, too sleepy to fly off through the tunnels.

 

[Ryve]

Daeana the Umbreon || Soldier || Runark Tunnels


“The essence of triage…” Medic’s words looped in Daeana’s mind as if dubbing the images that were playing inside her head.


An Electrike, a young recruit just barely out of training, cried out in pain, begging to be saved. She could if she were able to stop and heal them, but she could save three others in the time it took to patch their near mortal wounds up.


“Sacrifices must be made…”


The Charmeleon was a proud soldier, refusing to let his imminent death scare him. If she had the bandages, perhaps she could have saved him, but the supply had run dry and he had to manage without, trying to swallow his pain as he faced his gradual demise.


“You can’t save everyone…”


And the Pidgeot… Pip’s parents…


Movement in her peripheral vision snapped out of her trance. She looked around wildly, jolting in surprise upon realizing that she was sharing the tunnel with a tiny Noibat. Her eyes were drawn to the badge framed by the soldier’s chest fur. She blinked slowly, indulging in a moment of internal pity for him. He seemed so young…


“Hello. Were you on your way to the infirmary? Can I get you anything?”

 

[Jigen]

Charr the Noibat || Soldier (Mew) || Runark Tunnels


He blinked at the voice, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. An Umbreon. He'd seen her around in the infirmary but hadn't actually talked to her.


"Hey--uh, yeah," he yawned, scratching his ruff of fur. "You're a medic, right? I just heard a tunnel collapse and I was going to get first aid in case anyone was hurt." Not that he could administer first aid, but if he brought supplies, no one could blame him for slacking off. "Y'know, doing my soldier duties and all that."


Charr did his best puffing up his chest and making himself seem bigger and stronger. Obviously, as a soldier, his #1 goal was to look as capable as possible.


"If you don't mind, I'd like to get those supplies quickly," he continued, making his voice a little deeper. "Don't want anyone dying on us, right?" A fake laugh. He was trying his darn hardest, here.