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[EeveeBlueSisters]

Aura

Snow and Wally had took some hits from the rock blast but it only had a normal effect since Wally was part water type but had a super amount effect on Snow since she was part ice but managed to remain still standing. "Well done girls, for helping us out" she said giving them praise. "Vul!" "Spheal!" "Flareon!". She nodded before helping the girl with the male with his weight as she placed his arm around her neck.

"It's Aura"she answered. "Once we find a way out of here I will be out of your way, I don't want to cause anymore trouble then my stubborn attitude has already done.Also, thanks for your words, first time I get something like that." She said glancing to her with her silver eye color before she flinched slightly as she looked down at her leg seeing it was injured so she limber slightly. "-....Great....-"she thought sighing but she had to move to get out of here.

Wally looked to her trainer to get her attention. "Spheal!" "Spheal!" Aura looked to her giving a confused look. "What! Wally you can't carry him your small"she said giving a concerned look. "Spheal!"she said before she was engulfed in a white light. "Wally?"she said knowing what that light was as she saw her appearance grow bigger before the light disappeared evolving into Sealeo. "Seal!"she smiled now bigger then Snow. "Wally...you evolved into Sealeo...were you that determined to help..."she gave a smile. "Sealeo!"she smiled. Aura nodded before looking to her. "I didn't quite catch your name either even though I told you mine but Wally wants to help carry him"she said.-

 

[Zixal]

Collax's limp body went willingly with Madison, as he was in no condition to argue. Barkley clung tightly to his partner, refusing to budge from the boy's side, as Inkay and Skorupi joined Madison. Barkley was the most like Collax, having spent what was essentially his entire life with the boy, yet he was incapable of proceeding with his partner in such a state as this. In the face of this, it was Skorupi that seemed to take the lead in Collax's posse. With Barkley so emotionally distressed, it was on the insect to keep both the Phantump and Inkay under control.

Skorupi chirped at Inkay, who followed behind without hesitation. All three Pokemon could act on their own, but would be having significant trouble with it until Collax was once again conscious. So, as the acting leader of his party, Skorupi pointed Inkay forward to find their way out, as well as provide light for their following evacuation from the dimly-lit temple room.

Whilst Barkley and Inkay were occupied in their own business, Skorupi turned back to find the door they entered from, the one that had slammed them in prior to the Mesasauga's assault. The large snake had certainly damaged it, creating notable crevasses and dents in the titanic stone slab, but it had not fully broken. Skorupi knew better than to waste his time trying to break it with Pin Missile, remembering the attempt to open the stone wall at the entrance to this mystical forest. Perhaps there was another way out? Or a strong enough attack would finish what the Mesasauga had started on the door?

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"Hmm... well, it's certainly a relief... that you acknowledge your own shortcomings. My name... is Madison Cairn," she answered, omitting the customary declaration that she'd rule the region one day. Barely carrying Collax, she resembled a servant more than a queen and the statement would've sounded silly. Besides, she'd made it clear enough. "How nice that we're... formally introduced, Aura. I'll leave Collax... to your newly evolved Sealeo. After all, our Pokémon have proven that they do things... better than us trainers throughout this expedition."

Madison rested the boy on Wally's back, but she might as well have kept the weight. She had nowhere to go, anyway. Damaged as it was, the water-based door still stood before them.

"This stone slab... that traps us," she reasoned, "can be destroyed... completely with a super-effective move. Aura, your Pokémon is supporting my senseless knight... so Gible... will handle this with Iron Head..."

The little dragon registered the order even when her trainer was short of breath, promptly ramming the crumbling monolith so she didn't have to say it twice. Despite its condition the wall was sturdy, so Gible jumped back and charged into it once more. Wash, rinse, and repeat, though Madison had foregone a Water-type for a Steel move. The land shark was doing what she'd failed to do throughout the fight and using her head, eventually breaking open a sufficiently large gap to allow passage.

Then the entire room seemed to fall silent. Having survived the chaos, she barely noticed the little sounds anymore. Madison paid no mind to the hastened dripping and approaching rush of water beyond the temple walls. As far as she knew, they were on their way out.

"Hurry up," she prodded, limping behind Sealeo.

~~~

In dim light one hallucinated all kinds of things, but none was more potent than the illusion of progress. At their slow pace Madison was convinced that they were getting somewhere. However, the torches that led them back down the halls emptied into the earlier room with the snake pit. They were stuck, with the Yamask nowhere in sight, Inkay and Barkley having proven themselves unable to tote Collax across, and the rest of their Pokémon grounded.

"Well, this is just wonderful," remarked Madison sarcastically. "Though, I suppose this pyramid, with modern furnishings, would be felicitous accommodations for Lasrynian royalty."

She recognized a silver lining to this dark cloud, which came in the form of an impasse. What she did not see coming, however, was the following downpour, or rather, the straight flood. She interpreted a distant explosion as a sharp click, but that was enough for Madison to turn her head and be alarmed. A quickly gaining torrent was plowing through the corridor, seconds away from sweeping the girl off her feet.

She instinctively mounted the Water-type Sealeo beside Collax, just before the stream carried them away and filled the pit of Ground-type snakes with liquid. It was as if her successful capture triggered the pyramid to float them across and flush itself of their unwanted presence, like an ancient toilet. The current extinguished the hallway torches as it passed, expelling them from the serpents' chamber, into the room of Yamask that peacefully floated above water level and out of the temple altogether. Finally, it deposited them unceremoniously onto the familiar grass of the outdoors.

 

[Zixal]

The rushing tide carried just about everyone with it, including Collax and his Pokemon, until they rested within the clearing outside the temple. When they landed, Collax tumbled off of Aura's Sealeo and flopped over face-first into the dirt. On impact, he released a grunt, shortly followed by a pained groan as his head rolled sideways.

Barkley was already up, still soaking wet, and rushing over to his partner the moment he showed any sign of waking. Inkay floated up and shook himself off before joining Barkley. However, much to the Phantump's dismay, the boy went silent yet again, flopping his head back down without any additional movement. Inkay sighed, and Barkley groaned in frustration with his partner's lack of coherence. Why couldn't he just wake up already? Didn't he know what he's putting me through right now?

Skorupi, being the tiny insect he was, landed a good distance away from the group, on his back. The insect spent a moment trying to flip himself upright before turning back to once again lay eyes on the great temple entrance. The same entrance they had passed through not long before. He let out a chitter of contempt at the stone structure, as though he was condemning it for being what it was, before he started for Collax. Before he took his fourth step, however, he noticed the slightest hint of movement from the entrance of the pyramid. Snapping his head back to face the gaping doorway, there seemed nothing to be seen. Carefully, and keeping one eye on the temple, Skorupi scuttled his way back towards the group. If he had kept both eyes on the temple, however, he might have noticed the slightest flicker of light from down the now-drenched, torchless stone halls.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

Aura

She was able to get on Wally's back to prevent from being wet before they all came to the grass in the out doors. She got off Wally's back before helping the male sit up properly but was still slightly limping from her leg injury. "Well done Wally, for carrying them"she praised the Sealeo. "Seal!"she raised her flipper up before helping Madison down off her back. Snow and Ember were actually on Aura's shoulders as they leaped off to the ground. "Since we are slightly wet, it would be the right thing to warm up properly before we go our separate ways as this includes our Pokemon, Snow, Ember, if you will"she said looking to them. "Vul!" "Flareon!"they both smiled. "Wally I need your help with this since you can carry more weight"she gestured to the Sealeo. "Seal!"she smiled before the girls went to go fire some fire wood as she seemed to look up at the sky as it was slightly getting dark. "-sigh-...might have to camp tonight..-"she thought before shifting her eyes to Madison and the boy. She sighed before opening her side bag pulling out a couple of bandages and a Luxury ball having her last party member inside. She made her way to Madison before reaching out a bandaged to her. "Not that you want to hear it from me but it would be wise to fix up your wounds and rest before you move forward to where you want to go but that's your decision if you want to listen to me or not"she said stern handing her the rolled up bandage. "If you do decide then my last team member will help you clean them up"she said before the Luxury ball opened revealing a Glaceon in front of her. "Glaceon!" "Glacie, attend to her if she needs it ok"she said. "Glaceon!"she gave a smile before she sat down in front of Madison looking at her.

She left Madison for now making her way to the boy that was hit pretty hard. "Hey you alright? You need serious wound help"she asked holding him up. "You two know how to wrap wounds"she said referring to his Pokemon. "If you do here,"she added placing the rolled bandage on the ground next to him. Wally, Snow, and Ember returned with some fire wood with Wally holding the most of it before they placed it down. "Oh good girls you returned, alright place them here now Ember use Flamethrower on the logs here" "Flare!"she said before she used Flamethrower on the logs as a fire lit up. "Well done, rest for now girls" she said before she sat down tending her leg injury.-

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

Madison hadn't drowned, but she was coughing nonetheless—more blood. All that had really sunk was her mood, since she hated being wet almost as much as being dirty. Gible was dripping too, but her thick dragon hide didn't soak through like Madison's clothes. Lifting the sodden ends of her dress, the girl had no hands free to accept the bandages. Not that she needed them anyway.

"...I don't have any flesh wounds, so there's nothing to clean," she told Aura and Glacie flatly, once her coughing fit subsided. "I just took a hard hit to the stomach."

She didn't know if the same was true for Collax, who'd completely lost his senses. What Madison could see clearly, and tended to instead, was his dirty face. Awake, not awake, the boy was perpetually filthy, she chastised internally, hiding how worried she truly was. She splashed him with some canteen water and wiped him down with a second handkerchief. Herself, she dried by Aura's fire.

"Whatever. I can easily refill in the stream surrounding this place," she decided. "Then, I'll leave. I refuse to camp here for the night. Once I dry off and Collax wakes up, I'm going back to the lake."

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

She glanced to Madison silently keeping quiet as she stood up sighing after making sure the boy was ok as in this case he was. She pulled out Wally's, Ember's and Glacie's Pokeballs. "Wally, Ember, and Glacie well done return"she told them as they were all sucked in before she made them small and put them away. She sat down tending to her leg injury as she wrapped it properly before she stood up. "-My mask broke so I'll have to find a new one so for now the hood will do to hide my face-"she thought as she stood up again. "I'll be on my way now since I had said that I would be out of you two's way once this was over."she said before closing her side bag placing it around her under her hood. "I must be on my way, I have wasted too much time here, so I'll see you around or maybe not and my apologize's for being in your way along with my stubborn attitude. Come on Snow"she added as the white Alolan fox leaped on her shoulder. "Vul!" She said before waving goodbye to their Pokemon.

She left the two without another word as she was going to make her way towards another town she didn't investigate yet, besides she needed a full team in order to get to where she is going. She looked at a path as she didn't know where this would take her but she wanted to be distant to others as much as possible since they began to annoy her recently. She didn't need someone's mouth running off and have her stubborn way kick in since it was way worse then most people. "-I don't know where this path will take me but its for the best for now-"she said as Snow held onto her shoulder gently before Aura walked along the path.-

 

[Zixal]

The boy eventually began to actually come around, with a series of groans in pain. Barkley was already by his side, and his other two Pokemon were close behind. None of them had any other idea of how to help him besides wait, so he had only sat untouched until Madison pitched in to help clean up his face a bit. A few minutes after she had finished, his arm began to move, feeling for his head.

When he finally reached his forehead, he rubbed it with a heavy breath of the cleaner, outside air. As expected, he had a splitting headache throughout his entire skull. The sharp pain ran down his neck and spine as he tried his best to rise, and failed. Slight nausea set in as his eyes tried to adjust to where he was, and what angle he was lying at. Everything felt disorienting for some reason.

"....Bluh.. Wha's... wha's cookin' on the stove r'now, Ma... I think.. I fell offa rock... or hit a rock.. or somethin'...." He so-very-intelligently mumbled through his hand.

Barkley clung to Collax's chest and cried happily at the sight of his lifelong friend alive and safe. His clothes were muddy and soaking wet from the waterslide out of the pyramid, though the little Phantump couldn't care less. Skoupi chittered with delight and Inkay sighed. With Collax now mostly awake, they seemed to have nothing else to worry about in his case.

Still within the entrance of the temple, the flicker of light seemed closer. This time, Skorupi's eyes caught a glimpse of them, and his head swiveled violently to investigate. Finding nothing, the insect turned his head back to the others, this time watching the ominously dark opening with both eyes for just a second longer before turning his attention back to his trainer.

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"You've redeemed yourself, I suppose," Madison threw Aura a bone. Though Collax was still wet like a dog by the time her dress dried, she didn't give him any. But the girl spared him criticism of his unintelligible speech.

"That's how you normally talk, drunken sailor boy," remarked Madison, relieved that he'd regained consciousness and teasing him in delight, "so while you might not be, it sounds like you're better already. Just get out of those wet and dirty clothes or you'll get sick."

However their mental fortitude had weakened in this accursed region, the boat that brought them remained intact. There, she could get her sleeping bag, wash her clothes, and change into new ones. Collax should do the same, if he could only pick himself up. Madison had decided that the lake would be their camp, but there was no way in Lasryn that she'd carry the filthy boy there. Maybe he needed some more time to dry by the fire, which she'd allow, despite making it perfectly clear that she wasn't one to stand around. Let him fully come to his senses, she reasoned internally. Thankfully the way back wasn't as trying, since Gible's Twister had ripped a clean path through the dense jungle. So the flame wouldn't burn the rest of it to the ground, she'd have to heap some sand onto the wood pile before they left.

"To answer your question, nothing is cooking. The pans are by the old hospital, which is a short distance away from the lake. If you're hungry, I'll prepare the Chansey egg I saved," Madison offered. "I have Aura to thank for that."

 

[Zixal]

It took Collax to get his bearings again and find out what was going on. He only vaguely remembered what happened inside the temple, the only images distinctly being recognized were a mass of Yamask, falling down a pit, and a bright flash of searing purple light. Everything else seemed hazy. He still felt the burns across his face and neck, evidence of something attacking him, but all he had for anything else was an unreliable memory.

Sitting up with a groan, he rubbed the back of his skull in response to the soreness and sharp pain. Everything hurt, but his head primarily took the priority of that. When he eventually realized he was soaking wet, there was a fire next to him, and Madison was offering him food, he took his time trying to establish his thoughts. Everything was confusing right now. The only thing that felt comfortable was Barkley.

"Eugh... Oi, uh, Madeli... Ma- Madison. You... uh.. alright? I dunno what's... up.. ow." His train of thought was thoroughly derailed thanks to the events of the Mesasauga, and even he found trouble in formulating sensible statements. All he could do was blink to try to focus his eyes, and scratch his head in pain.

When he looked at his hand after rubbing the point on his head that hurt, he found slight streaks of red along his fingers. Blood, but not a dangerous or threatening amount. Split skin, but it didn't seem like anything major. Thank goodness, too. He didn't know what exactly happened, but he had a feeling that, whatever did happen, could have been much worse than it was.

He tried to stand afterwards, on very unsteady legs. Thanks to his Pokemon, however, he was at least mostly stable as Skorupi kept one of his knees from buckling, and Barkley and Inkay held him from toppling forward or backwards. Everything was slowly spinning as he tried to take a step forward. They needed to find a better place to rest, but he had the common sense to assume, by now, that Madison was going to avoid touching him at any cost. So, as soon as he could establish that he could walk at least mildly stably with the help of his Pokemon, he set to leaving the clearing.

"Ugh. Lezz... just get back to th' lake r' something.. boat would be nice, 's gots shelter at least... n' some extra fooOOoo-" He mumbled, teetering slightly. ".... ood. Gawd, do I feel tired as... tired. Let's.. get moving. I guess."

And so he started, with help, for the exit to the clearing, uncharacteristically leaving the fire burning. His focus was so very disrupted, he too would have missed the flicker of light making a dash out of the pyramid behind him and flee into the bushes, followed shortly behind by a shadowy figure.

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

Madison sighed. The boy didn't need to be out of his senses to leave the fire burning.

"Gible, cough up some sand. I want the flame as extinguished as Collax's intelligence."

The land shark had been on edge in Glaceon's midst but snickered happily at the command, vomiting the granulated heap as if she'd laughed too hard. The pile killed the blaze that marred the pristine grass, but remained, in the heart of the jungle, as evidence of a desert Pokémon's presence. Madison stepped away from the dry hill and refilled her canteen in the wet, paved stream.

"Right. We'll stop by the boat first and eat shortly after," she looked over at Collax and concurred. "Come on, Gible."

~~~

Indeed, the return trip was significantly less arduous than the trek there, and not only because of the cut they'd made in the thick vegetation. All of a sudden the jungle Pokémon seemed more servile to Madison, hiding in the growth and looking up at her fearfully. That's more like it, she thought, Lasryn has begun to acknowledge its future ruler.

The girl walked firmly for two reasons. One, her stomach was still in pain from Rock Blast, and two, she exuded a regal air and compensated for the shambling Collax's weakness. Sure enough, Madison made it to the floating chunk of civilization without opposition. She let down her guard entirely, even, at the sight of the sun setting on the shore. The temple crawl had taken most of the day, and most of her energy. The queen wanted to forget the whole ordeal, shed the memory from her mind like the soiled clothes on her back.

"Wait here," she instructed her disoriented companion, as she boarded the boat to change them. Since Collax was barely moving, he'd likely have no problem with that.

But if his vision was as bad as his speech, he'd have a problem seeing Madison in her new dress, a pink one to soften her blood red hair and complement the rosy sunset. Though she constantly desired attention, what could she expect from the boy in his current state? Lips pursed, she disembarked the softly rocking boat.

"It's your turn to clean yourself up. If you have trouble getting out of your mucky accoutrements, Barkley, Inkay, and Skorupi can assist you. As I've said, our Pokémon today have done what we couldn't," she told him, characteristically blunt but slightly more sympathetic this time around. "So give it a rest. I reckon there's time for a swim."

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

She had taken a different path then the other two but all she could find was ruins. This confused her as she didn't know why this city was is ruins. "-Something doesn't make sense to me....should I ask those...two but I did say I would be out of their way...but in order to further investigate...I need answers even if they seem pointless...-"she thought sighing but broke from her thoughts spotting an abandoned mask stand. She walked up to it looking at the mask's seeing just the mask she needed a wolf mask but there was two of them. "-hm exactly the one I needed-"she thought as she grabbed the both of them as she placed one on and the other away in her side bag. She looked to Snow on her shoulder. "Snow, we are going to head back to those two for answers about why this place is in ruins"she said to her. "Vul!"she said smiling but had looked in another direction seeing something. "Vul! Vulpix!"she said leaping off her shoulder before leaping off somewhere.

"Snow! Hey wait!"she said following her. She looked around before spotting Snow. "Snow, don't run off like that without telling me!"she said removing her mask. "Vul! Vulpix!"she said pointing at the hole in the ground. She glanced to the hole before bending down her level before a Trapinch popped out giving a smile. "Trapinch!"she said smiled. "A Trapinch? What are you doing in a place like this sweety?"she asked her. Trapinch gave a sad expression before coming out of the hole onto her lap. "You had a hard time didn't you" "inch..." She said. "You shouldn't be in a place like this...would you like to come with me?"she said pulling out a Great ball. "It's your choice if you want to, I won't force you ok"she said to the Trapinch placing her down.

The Trapinch looked to her before at the Great ball thinking but then smiled before touching the Great ball as it opened as she gave a smile to her before she was sucked into the Great ball with a red light. It shook once, twice, and a third time before it clicked. She grabbed it picking it up before she let out her other three. "Glaceon!" "Flareon!" "Sealeo!" "Girls meet your new party member"she said letting the Trapinch out. "Trapinch!"she smiled seeing her party members. "Girls meet Drayco, she will be on our team now"she said to the girls. "Glaceon!" "Flareon!" "Sealeo!" They said greeting her. After the greeting she returned the four girls as Snow leaped on her shoulder. She placed her mask back on before going back in the direction to where she came from to get answers as she used the trees to get a faster lift.-

 

[Zixal]

Collax sat down, his head having been cleared slightly through the walk. Memories were still a tiny bit fuzzy, but he was generally back to normal, save for a mild headache. He and Barkley stuck by each other's side while Inkay floated around happily. Skorupi lay down beside his trainer on the beach as they awaited Madison's re-arrival.

Thankfully, (or unthankfully, depending on perspective), Collax's eyesight was perfectly functional. He wasn't sure how to react to seeing Madison bust out yet another seemingly-fancy dress. He considered, for a moment, dismissing it like he had the first one when they met, but he held his tongue. She hadn't recently been avoiding sharp words of her own, but there was less intent to cut than there was to joke. Besides, it didn't feel necessary to chastise her, even if she had him many times. It just felt like it would have only burned more bridges, so he again said nothing. He just offered an approving smile.

In response to Madison's prod to change, he stood up and clambered back into the boat. He brought extra clothes, but not many. When he reappeared from the boat, he was dressed in a collage of brown. Light brown shirt, dark brown pants, while he still wore his coat, trilby, and boots. He stepped back onto the beach with a slight grunt.

"Say now, you wanna go swimming? Sun's settin' soon, and whatever happened in the temple apparently got ya plenty soaked. Aren't ya startin' to get tired, Maddie? It's been a long day. Like, a really long day."

Despite his comment, he wasn't planning to argue if Madison did actually feel like swimming. Though he did feel like he was missing either a joke or some other side meaning that went directly over his head when he asked. He was more tired than he usually was, thanks to the jungle pyramid, but he was still just as willing to follow along with Madison if she asked him to.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

Aura

She came out of the shadow's appearance hidden before she spoke. "You two seem to be well acquainted with each other," she said showing herself as she crossed her arms against her chest. Snow stood on her shoulder resting as she watched the two cautiously. "My apologies for intruding again but I need answers to something about this region," she said in a more calm voice this time not wanting to cause a personality scene mistake. Snow, on the other hand, was more interested in the scenery of the ocean as her eyes sparkled a bit. "Vul?"she said before looking to Aura.-

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"Never mind. Forget I said anything."

Sometimes Madison gave suggestions instead of orders. She'd pitched the idea of a swim precisely because it had been a long day. Blind, wet, and ultimately dirty, they'd been exploring for several hours without rest. This was a rare moment of sympathy for her unfortunate ally, who'd taken a much worse hit than she had. Madison returned Gible, who'd been loyally following, and let her sleep. If that was the only kind of rest Collax needed, she understood.

She was tired herself anyway. Not too exhausted to forget it, the girl quickly returned to the boat to fetch her sleeping bag. When she disembarked again, the unsurprising sight of Aura reinforced in her mind that she couldn't be on her own for minute, that she was in fact hopeless.

"You need answers, do you?" replied a cynical Madison. "We all came here on the same vessel, so we're as ignorant as you. But fine, ask away."

Already at the end of the dock, she didn't wait for Aura's questions. The queen had started toward the lake, and if the masked girl wanted some kind of response out of her, she'd have to catch up.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

Aura

She sighed before catching up to hee quickly. "Has this region always been in ruins or is it just a coincidence"she asked voice stern yet calm as she folded her arms against her as Snow leaped on her shoulder again curious about the view of the ocean.-

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"As if disasters fall out of the sky," scoffed Madison at the masked girl's use of the word 'coincidence.' "What I know, Aura, is that we're not the first to set foot on Lasryn. The abandoned hospital by the lake is the remnant of a failed expedition 10 years ago. The temple is something different, not a crumbling, manmade structure but an active, Pokémon-infested dungeon. Who knows how long that's been around?"

She'd rounded the forest and lesser jungle to reach the deep part of it, from which they'd emerged earlier.

"The hospital, the pyramid—Collax and I first found all of this when we crawled out of a lava tube. Perhaps volcanic activity reduced the medical building to its current state," she continued. "As for the neatly trimmed temple grounds, I can only imagine that they're some kind of walled city. I didn't exactly see any walls beyond the thick vegetation, but there's no other way that they'd be spared the ravages of an eruption. Everything outside said barriers wasn't so lucky."

The ill-fated clinic towered before them now. The uncanny thing was not that it dwarfed Madison, but that it stood at all. Whatever insight the structure offered into Lasryn's history, whatever tools of survival she could salvage from its ruins, she regarded it with contempt. The hospital did unto her dreams as nature had done unto it—destroyed them, exposed her journey as a sham. Still, Madison remembered what she'd told Collax. She'd been sent here to explore, so she'd find out the truth of the region whether she liked it or not.

"This forgotten relic, for example. The short answer to your question is that Lasryn didn't look so forsaken until the end of the last decade. I'm not sure how far that expedition went, or whether there is other desolate architecture on this island," Madison finished. "In untamed, disease-ridden lands, a medical site is always the first to be built, so seeing this alone doesn't prove that the first exploration got anywhere."

Even if there were more ruins, it was uncertain whether people or Pokémon left them behind. The pyramid was virtually inaccessible, so those that did exist must be similarly secluded. But Madison had enough of exploring for one day. She was right back where she'd started this morning, lighting a fire by the abandoned hospital. The only difference was the Chansey egg, which hadn't eluded her this time. The girl cracked it on the edge of a pan and watched its contents spill satisfyingly into the center. It'd be the perfect note to end on, the golden yolk slipping down her throat as the golden sun slipped down the horizon. Madison had promised, so she'd share it with Collax and Aura. If not that, then she simply wanted their approval of her cooking. Feeding her ego was as important as feeding her stomach, after all.

"I'm clueless as to what befell this region in this past," she confessed. "But this meal is the present, so enjoy it."

 

[Zixal]

Collax turned and hiked after Madison, having hardly packed anything for camping besides a small, roll-up hammock. It was surprisingly easy to pack, and could take quite the beating. So he had nothing else in mind as they made their way back to the lake. In response to Aura, he only gave a shrug and a still-slightly-fuzzy response after Madison finished her own.

"The hell are we to know how long this place's been wrecked? We only got here, like, yesterday. Nobody told us there'd be a broken-down hospital sitting in the middle of an 'uninhabited' island region. We've got no idea why this place is like this. All we got is a reason t' keep lookin'."

And so Madison offered the Chansey egg. Collax would gladly take some of the egg, as he had enough food to split with his other Pokemon, and had the capability to forage for more should they need it. He hoped so, anyway, considering he still had horrible focus thanks to his headache.

Barkley looked back at the hospital that served them shelter the night prior. He and Collax would be fine sleeping in it again, but what worried the little Phantump now was, as did it Collax, was what did indeed happen there. It seemed plenty stable structurally, but one could never be sure. Collax, for one, wasn't really feeling like sleeping on rocks this time around, anyway. He was already beginning to set up his hammock in the treeline near the hospital, next to Madison's cooking fire.

"Ya made some killer fruit for breakfast earlier, so I'll take whatever else you make in that pan in a heartbeat. I ain't really feelin' like foraging right now anyway.." He said, feeling utterly exhausted, mentally and physically.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

Aura

She had listened carefully to what Madison had explained to her about this region. She actually was confused as she shook her head before sighing. She gradually accepted the egg before taking a bite herself. At least she won't be spotted here by the people who are far her. She was alone in this since she had no siblings to back her up. "It's a delicious egg...thank you..."she said in a calm tone as Snow went to sit on her lap looking up at her. She looked down at Snow gently petting her before offering a piece of egg to her as she smiled by how tasty it was. "Vul!"she said looking to Madison as if praising her about the food she made. She slightly chuckled before removing her mask placing it down next to her before removing her hood. "-....I need to know more about this region...but it will be difficult...since this place is in ruins...-"she thought looking up at the sky eyes slightly filled with concern.

???

"Did you find her yet!?"a voice said. "N-No...sir we haven't found her yet...its like she disappeared off the grid..."an employee said. "There is no way a girl like that could have disappeared that easily off the map! Keep searching until you find her!" "Y-Yes sir!"the employee said before running out the door. "-You won't get away from me that easily Aura, you are the piece of the puzzle I need to complete this experiment and your Alolan Vulpix-"he thought.-

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"Well, I'm glad you all like it," responded Madison, honestly. "Now get some rest, Collax."

Though the jungle darkened her face lit up at his and Aura's praise. Only for a fleeting moment could they see her smile, as it quickly disappeared behind the last piece of egg. The yolk diffused throughout her mouth and fulfillment, into her complex mix of emotions. She entered the hospital where darkness gathered like a throat, her own satisfied, and returned with the sheets on which she'd slept the night before. Not wanting her bedroll to get dirty, she lay them out on the ground first. Madison didn't mind retiring outside, by the fire and her companions, the few sources of warmth in this rapidly cooling air.

"So Aura, why do you even wear a mask, when you have no problem showing us your face?" she inquired, now wrapped comfortably in her sleeping bag. What she revealed was her straight, blood-red hair, setting her sunhat on the sheets beside her. If not out of genuine interest, Madison was making conversation because the answers would put her to sleep much faster.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

Aura

Her eyes remained shut as she became slightly annoyed to Madison's question but remained her posture as she sighed. "It's a personal reason as to why I wear it, lets just say its for my own protection from a person I am trying to hide and run away from. Since being here I haven't been found yet by them but I can't be too careful, never the less, reckless. I'm pretty sure eventually they will find me and I will have no choice but to fight back...another problem I have to face on my own with Snow and my other team members....."her voice softened slightly before she closed her eyes giving a sigh. "Life isn't easy for me for a girl like me but I know I must keep moving in order to survive"she said stern as she placed her mask on her head just to the side so it was off her face. "But I also wear the mask because I like to wear it so I don't get distracted when I'm fighting and battling and also to avoid being hurt..."she added referring to her bandaged right arm that had a scar injury.-

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

"Don't be too reckless," repeated a smirking Madison. The Chansey egg was rich enough, but she couldn't get over the fact that Aura was saying this when she'd jumped straight into a snake pit. Perhaps embarrassment was the personal reason that she wore a mask. As far as being pursued, Madison could relate.

"I had a close encounter with a sword-wielding brute yesterday," she confessed. "I'm not sure if he belongs to the same group that wants you, but I can say for certain that the uninhabited Lasryn is a sham, if not a trap."

Her idealized depiction of the island region had been banished to the dream world a long time ago. Her bedroll zipped, her eyes closed, and that portal opened, Madison slept soundly and returned there. Hopefully she'd be well-rested in the morning, though the onlooker could never tell from her perpetual irritation.

~~~

The sleeping bag was a much softer mattress, but she didn't let herself get too comfortable. The girl repeated the events of the previous day, rising early and foraging for berries while her companions were still asleep. By sunrise she'd prepared three jars of compote for breakfast, already tired of hour-long hunts that yielded comparatively small portions and tired in general.

But Madison didn't let herself slip, save the yawn that she let slip from her mouth. Of all that Lasryn took from her, a sense of purpose wasn't one. Only when the region turned her to a ragged castaway was she defeated. So she persevered with the routine conditions of survival, proudly awaiting Collax and Aura's awakening, knowing in the back of her head that stagnation would be her sole undoing.

 

[StormingCobra]

Brandon

As Brandon got up in the morning, he realized that he hadn’t yet returned to camp. He looked at his watch, which read 4:52 AM.

“Probably not gonna be awake yet,” Brandon said, referring to the members of his camp. “Couldn’t hurt to explore a bit. Don’t wanna wake them too early.”

As he wandered the region while the sky started to turn from dark blue to bright orange, he couldn’t help but notice the slight sound coming from behind him. It almost sounded as if there was something following him.

He turned around, but there was nothing in sight. Just an empty space where he was standing seconds ago. He turned back around to continue walking, but he was hit in the forehead with a bat. As he hit the floor, his vision went blurry. He couldn’t see much, as he was losing consciousness.

“You’re coming with me,” a somewhat distorted voice said. He couldn’t make out who said the words, as his head hurt so much that the voice was unclear. He blacked out, and immediately the person grabbed him by the legs and dragged him off into the bushes.

The person threw a Pokeball down, revealing a Hydreigon. “Fly him back to the base,” the man said. The three-headed dragon nodded, picking up Brandon and flying off.

The man smiled. On his walkie, he heard the boss’s voice.

“Do you have any hostages yet?” the boss asked.

“Just got one right now, actually,” he responded. “The kid with the Chimchar. Hydreigon is flying him back to the base right now.”

The boss chuckled into the walkie. “He will be the first to hear the ultimatum, then,” he said. He smiled before saying his last message.

“Well done, Jax.”

The message ended as Jax smirked, running back into the forest to find more survivors.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

She looked to Madison when she said that giving a "tsk" in sound. "I don't get too reckless unless you do" she smirked giving a chuckle slightly. She remained silent after as she let her hair loose from her ponytail to breath as Snow curled up on her lap as she fell asleep. She looked up at the sky for the moment thinking before giving a sigh as she closed her eyes to try and get some rest. "-I need to clear my mind and sleep just forget about it, for now, Aura..." she thought before sleep slowly took her as her arms remained crossed against her chest with her legs folded out but kept her ears alert from any sudden movement inside and outside.

???

Did you find her yet?" "No, not yet sir, this time she hid pretty good," an employee said. "hm, then we have no choice but to use the Houndoom and Salamance to find her, "the boss said. "Get them ready asap!" he ordered. "Yes sir," one said before he left the room. "-You can't hide forever Aura, where ever you are we will find you. A Houndoom's nose never fails to find a target-" he gave a smirk.-

 

[StormingCobra]

Griffin

Griffin had been sent after the group in the forest. As he sliced down the plants in his path with his axe, his Luxray and Arcanine dashed through the forest on either side of him. They stopped as Madison, Aura, and Collax came into view.

He managed to stay out of their line of sight. He ducked behind a tree and returned both Pokémon he had sent out. He sent out Heracross, who ducked behind a tree as well.

“Get to the other side of them and cause a distraction,” he said. Heracross nodded. He ran to the other side of the group and stepped on a twig intentionally, attempting to draw Madison’s attention to him.

Chance

Chance had Shaynuh in his sights. He was attempting to sneak up behind her and send out his Machamp, but he accidentally stepped on a twig.

“Damn,” he whispered under his breath, awaiting any reaction from Shaynuh.

 

[Skittles09]

The Totodile wasted no time in using a Water Gun attack, directly hitting Charmander which left the fire pokemon drenched, shudder in anger and disgust. The flame on Charmander's tail . "Smokescreen! Then follow it up with Ember!" Shaynuh directed, confident in her Charmander.

Opening its mouth, Charmander shot out a cloud of black smoke that grew large, covering the area and Totodile. Unable to see where the Charmander was, Totodile began to shoot water from its jaws in nearly every direction, hoping to hit its opponent within the thickness of the smoke. Without warning, a burst of fire hit the Totodile from behind, causing it to shout out in pain and run, jumping into the water once the smoke dispersed. The fire pokemon stared at the water, waiting for the Totodile to emerge.

Lunging out from the water, the Totodile used Bite, its jaws clamping down on Charmander's tail. The fire pokemon cried out in pain before scratching furiously at the water pokemon, trying to make it let go of its tail. "Charmander, use Dragon Rage!" Shaynuh spoke, watching the battle intently.

Parting its jaws once more as a ball of fire forms in its mouth, gathering energy as the flame on its tail grows large. The Totodile continues to hold on tight, refusing to let go as Charmander releases a ball of orange energy from its mouth on the water pokemon. It almost looked like an explosion as dust and smoke billowed around the two pokemon, clearing to reveal that Totodile had finally released Charmander and was hurt from the attack, but looked like it could still put up a fight. Charmander was ready to continue the fight with no sign of backing down.

However, before Shaynuh could give Charmander another attack, a Gastly appeared behind Totodile. Staring at the ghost pokemon, she watched as it used Lick on the Totodile, effectively paralyzing the water pokemon before disappearing. Charmander had seen the Gastly as well, confused by its appearance before taking the opportunity to attack, sending a blaze of flames at the Totodile.

Weakened and paralyzed from the attacks, Shaynuh pulled out an ultra ball and threw it at the Totodile, watching as the pokemon was quickly encased. The ball shook three times before a ping sounded, making her smile. She walked over to the ultra ball, picking it up and putting it away as she looked down at her Charmander with a smile.

"Great job, Charmander. You did amazing!" she commented, giggling when her Charmander struck a triumphant pose.

The sudden sound of a snapping twig grabbed her attention as her body tensed up, ready and alert as her eyes searched the area around her. Aron heard the snap as well and immediately readied itself to fight the unseen intruder. Shaynuh wasted no time in returning Aron to its pokeball as she continued to look, taking a glance at Charmander before making the decision to return the fire pokemon to its respected pokeball. Once she was sure all three pokeballs were safely tucked away, she pulled out her bowie knife, gripping it tightly in her right hand as she held it at her side.

She was unable to shake away the bad feeling that could be felt as she listened in silence.

 

[Zixal]

Collax seemed to sleep on a mixture of obliviousness and hair-trigger reactivity. The moment the sound of the twig sounded through the quiet of the night, Collax shot awake in a flurry of surprise. It could obviously be many things, but every moment since he and Madison left the hospital was one wherein the back of his mind, somewhere, there was a sense of dread that they might again meet their enemies. It felt both reasonable and unreasonable to assume such a thing, as there were others on the island, but Collax had been through enough in a couple of days to easily default back to the much worse alternative.

Collax's Pokemon were all out of their Pokeballs, but only Barkley was so quickly awake as he was. The little Phantump warily looked in the other direction from the sound as his partner poked Inkay awake. When the squid floated up and yawned, Collax pointed him towards the noise.
"Shine some light o're there, quietly. An' don't get too far away." He told him in a whisper. The little glowing squid responded slowly; it was very apparent that the sudden tension was setting his nerves off as he pointed his glowing figure towards the sound, in hopes of illuminating something.

While Barkley carefully watched their back, not hardly as tired as the rest of his team thanks to his ghostly nature, he considered what it might have been. Or rather, who. Barkley hadn't met the sword-wielding jackass who apparently attacked Madison and the others, but he and Collax both knew that the person was still out there somewhere. In the dreary hours of the settling night, it would be the perfect time to catch them off guard.



Not far away from their camp and its activity, something moved. Something that had followed Madison and Collax back from elsewhere in the jungle. It was faint, but a flicker of light for less half a second was the only indication of its presence as it waited at a distance from the group.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

She shot awake quickly after hearing a sudden sound as she placed her hand on her mask moving it to cover her face. Snow shot up in defensive mode hearing the sound of the twig as well. She shifted her eyes to Collax and Madison. "Somebody is hear...I can tell"she whispered before looking to Madison seeing she was already up.-

 

[StormingCobra]

Griffin

The Heracross walked out from behind the trees, while Griffin walked out from the other side. “I don’t suppose you know who I am,” he said to the three. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Griffin, and I need you three to come with me.”

He sent out his Luxray and his shiny Arcanine, who began to circle the group, growling at them menacingly. “If you don’t come willingly, I’ll have to take more desperate measures,” Griffin said. “And I’m sure no one here wants that.”

Chance

He sent out his Machamp and Dragonite. “I’m just gonna tell the truth here,” he said to Shaynuh. “You have two options. Get on the Dragonite with me, I’ll take you to a safe place where we will help you get stronger. You refuse, you’re killed where you stand.”

“I don’t wanna kill you,” Chance said. “That would be such a waste of potential. So are you coming or not?”

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

She stood up as she became annoyed as her stubborn attitude came in. "I don't have to listen you your orders! I'm sick and tired of others who appear ordering me around! If you answer my question as to where you are taking us then maybe I'll listen!"she warned throwing out Wally and Drayco as they stood in front of her. "Sealeo!" "Trapinch!"they said giving eyes of warning and attack by her order as Snow followed.-

 

[StormingCobra]

Griffin

“Madison already knows where we’re taking you,” he said, pointing his axe at the other girl. “If you don’t come willingly, I’ll have to take you by force. Let’s just make this easy and you’ll see when you get there. Unless, of course, you’d rather die.”

Arcanine and Luxray began to close in as Heracross eyed Aura’s three Pokémon. “What’s it gonna be? Life or death?”

Jax

As he walked towards the lake, he could see Anthony’s camp come into view. He sent out his Weavile, who fired an Ice Beam at the tent.

Anthony heard the attack and dodged it. “Jax,” he said, walking over. He sent out his Flareon, who attacked Weavile with Fire Blast. “When are you guys gonna give up?”

“When we have what we want,” Jax retorted. “We already have Brandon. And the others are surrounded. You have no chance against us.”

Suddenly, Jax’s Nidoking and Alakazam appeared behind Anthony, having been teleported there by the latter Pokémon. Nidoking slammed his tail into Anthony’s stomach, knocking him to the ground. Alakazam pinned him down with Psychic.

“You’ll never capture all of us,” Anthony said. “There’s always more to come.”

“Wrong,” Jax said. “Madison, Collax, and the new girl are surrounded. Chance has the other girl trapped. And Sterling is stuck back in that cave. He buried himself down there when he attempted to help the dying girl. And now, you’re gonna end up in a cell with Brandon.”

He slammed the butt of his sword down on Anthony’s forehead, knocking him unconscious.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

She was really annoyed but she wasn't reckless. "Tsk...whatever...I'll obey only for the sake of my friends here safety but not the likes of you! Wally, Drayco!"she said returning them. "I'm not reckless for death so I will follow you!"she said sternly as Snow leaped on her shoulder giving an annoyed look.-

 

[Zixal]

Unlike Aura, Collax was not someone to comply. Even as the girl followed Griffin's commands, Collax spited the man and had shot from his hammock. He didn't have that many Pokemon, and they weren't all that powerful, but his goal wasn't to fight. He had all the tools he needed.

Barkley already knew what he was doing. Collax nabbed a still-burning log from the campfire Madison had made as the Phantump turned around and used Forest's Curse on the Heracross. Purple vines erupted from the ground and grabbed at the insect, attempting to restrain it. At the same time, Collax flung the burning log directly at Griffin, shouting commands at Skorupi and Inkay. Inkay let loose a confuse ray at the Luxray, and Skorupi slammed his claws down into the dirt that separated the opponent and his Pokemon, blasting up a blinding cloud of sand with Sand Attack.

None of the moves his Pokemon made were direct attacks, as Collax and his team knew very well they were outclassed. All he needed to do was keep them at bay, and that was exactly what he was going to do. If he escaped a Nidoking and a Jolteon in a tight, straight corridor, then he could most definitely escape a few Pokemon in his home habitat, the jungle. With the Forest's Curse attempting to cut off the Heracross, the Luxray being targeted by Confuse Ray, and the cloud of sand blinding anything between Griffin and his targets, Collax was determined to give this man a run for his money.


The figure that watched from the side flickered again, still dim. This time, however, there was a notable five separate lights at once. Seeing the boy begin to resist sparked the lights again, and they did not hesitate to act. From the bushes behind Griffin and his Pokemon, a blast of String Shot was hurled forwards, targeting the Arcanine from behind. Should the strings connect and entangle the wolf, it would be impossible for it to take the initiative attack, or any attack, until the bonds were broken.

 

[Skittles09]

Watching Chance reveal himself, Shaynuh stood firm in her spot, staring at him as the grip on her knife tightened. Her mind began to race as he spoke, thinking of every possibility there was to get out of this alive and unharmed rather than take his word and willingly leave. Her eyes shifted from Chance to the Machamp and Dragonite that belonged to him, crushing her hope of a successful escape plan. She said nothing in reply as she took the time to study Chance and his pokemon, observing them as she made mental notes in her head.

Both pokemon were fully evolved and powerful, so if she were to take off running, they would most likely have no problem in chasing after her. She did not want to fight against them, knowing her pokemon would be too weak to battle two fully evolved pokemon. Causing a distraction seemed like a better option, but to put her own pokemon in danger to cause said distraction would fill her with guilt. She was beginning to lean towards making a run for it and find a safe place to hide.

It seemed to be the only option at the moment, until a familiar black orb surrounded by purple appeared in front of Chance and his pokemon. A small light of hope formed inside her as Gastly began to make silly faces in an attempt to be funny and entertain its audience. It had been watching the interaction and felt a somewhat dark intention coming from Chance. Gastly made the decision to intervene as a way of helping, continuing to make faces until a mischievous grin formed.

Gastly then opens its mouth and releases a stream of thick black smoke at Chance and his pokemon, using its Smog attack as the black smoke began to surround them all. It was now or never as Shaynuh immediately took off running away from Chance, moving as fast as she could to create more distance between them. She kept her knife at her side for the time being if worse came to worst, ready to use it for defending herself.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

She saw what Collax was up to as this seemed to amaze her suddenly. She gave a smirk as she felt like an idiot to obey easily. "-hm this guy seemed to amaze me hehe I might as well let my stubbornness take over. "Actually, I won't obey since I'm just that stubborn!"she smirked as she made a note that his Heracross was eying her. She looked at the Arcanine seeing he was trapped with webs from a string shot holding it. For the Luxray and Arcanine she could use Drayco for both or Wally and Drayco and use either Snow, Ember, or Glacie for Heracross, possibly both .She couldn't be reckless here but if it was for the people here with her she will do anything to protect them. She grabbed three of her party members Pokeballs, Wally, Ember, and Drayco's as she let them out. Wally and Drayco stood in front of her while Ember and Snow stood to the left of her facing the Heracross. "Wally Hydro pump, Drayco Mud shot, Ember Flamethrower, and Snow Blizzard!"she commanded as she slightly glanced behind her eying Collax for the moment. The girls didn't hesitate as Wally used Hydro pump on Arcanine as Drayco used Mud shot on Luxray. Ember followed with a Flamethrower at the Heracross hitting him as Snow followed with a Blizzard right after. "Did you honestly think I would obey that easily? If you did then your a nuisance not to mention irritating!"she said coldly.-

 

[StormingCobra]

Griffin

Arcanine tugged hard on the web in an attempt to pull the opponent into sight. The confused Luxray was returned by Griffin, but the burning log flew straight towards the trainer.

Suddenly, Griffin sent out his Garchomp, who chopped the log in half and sent the pieces flying into the air.

Heracross, restrained by the vines, developed a new plan. He began to use Swords Dance, raising his attack stats so that when the vines wore off, he would be able to strike even harder.

Chance

The Smog engulfed Chance and his two Pokémon, but he had a backup plan. “Manectric, after her!”

His Manectric darted out from the treeline and chased after Shaynuh. He began to use Extreme Speed to catch up to her, and he eventually cut in front of her to keep her from running further.

Chance ran out from the Smog and brandished his knife. He ran up behind Shaynuh and threw the knife at the tree next to her.

 

[Zixal]

Thankfully, none of the opponents had attacked yet. That was all he needed.

Collax kicked at the embers of the firepit into the wall of blinding sand that sat between him and Griffin's team as he shouted another command at his Pokemon. Barkley's Forest's Curse was holding fine for now, but it would soon wear off. However, it didn't need to last any longer. As Collax and his team began their next phase of escape, the same one who had String-Shot the Arcanine had let go of the strings and let loose a blast of fire, directly towards the Heracross.

Collax had no fire-types, so he didn't consider the fact that Forest's Curse also added Grass-type to the opponent. With the Heracross immobilized, and now Bug, Fighting, and Grass-type, it might take quadruple the normal damage from the fiery attack by the unknown assailant.

But he couldn't wait around to figure out who that was. Inkay, just before the fire attack had been launched, had turned and used Topsy-Turvy on the Heracross at the notice of its Swords Dance, thus reversing its strength boost from a drastic increase to a drastic decrease. Collax returned the squid a second later. Skorupi followed his trainer's command and dashed forward, swerving around his opponents and making for the thick undergrowth of the jungle, through which it would be nigh impossible to find the little insect again. Collax, meanwhile, flung a final piece of burning wood through the sand wall, which would surely appear out of nowhere from Griffin's perspective. Using that opportunity, the wild boy grabbed at Madison's hand, (who I assume is still with them), and ran forward through the barrier of sand, taking a leap past Griffin and his Garchomp as he passed. Barkley followed over the sand, blasting one last Confuse Ray in defiance at the Garchomp from above before disappearing into the thicket.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

She had seen Collax took the opportunity to grab Madison's hand and disappeared into the thicket, unlikely she had a plan to get away as well. "Snow Mist now!" she commanded. "Vulpix!" she said as the area was surrounded in a thick mist to prevent Griffin from seeing them. She returned four the girls into their Pokeballs before feeling Snow leap on her shoulder. She used the trees, mostly the branches to get away more quickly as she followed Collax and Madison as she as she disappeared into the thicket as the mist was up for a while.

 

[Skittles09]

She had made it far from Chance, but not far enough as the Manectric suddenly stood in her path to keep her from going any further. Despite that it was helping Chance, she refused to use her knife against it as she skidded to a halt, staring at the electric pokemon with sad and upset eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked softly, making an attempt to maybe help her, but she was unsure if Chance had a bond with his pokemon to keep them loyal to him. It was worth testing it out to see if it was true. "Would you let him hurt me, only because he commands you to? Are you as bad as him?"

Shaynuh didn't expect the pokemon to answer her as she stared at it, only to be startled by the knife, its blade half embedded in the tree next to her. Chance was close and her path had been blocked by the Manectric. She searched around her for any other possibilities of escape until her gaze landed on the knife embedded in the tree. An idea formed as she calmly backed away from Manectric, creating just enough distance before stopping in her tracks.

Using the strength she had, Shaynuh began to run towards the Manectric, as though she were going to take a chance to jump over it, but ran towards the tree instead, using all of her momentum to run up the base of the trunk. Lifting her left foot, she used the knife as a foot hold to help push her up the tree, able to grab a branch that was just within reach. She began to pull herself up, thinking she was in the clear from Chance and his Manectric.

 

[E.K.A.N.S.]

For a girl who claimed to be tough and stubborn, Aura was quick to surrender. Apparently she had a spontaneous burst of courage and changed her mind a second later, choosing to fight. Madison was used it by now, the masked girl's brain short-circuiting as often as it did. Like when she'd jumped into a pit of snakes and reached her hand out to a guy who was falling headfirst. Like when she'd given her a bandage for something that wasn't a flesh wound. And right here, when she'd sent her Pokémon out only to return them immediately after.

Madison had a little more respect for Collax, who for a second had fooled her into thinking that they'd stay and fight. She stored the three jars of berry compote in her purse, but this was by no means a sign that she was about to run. She watched in awe at Collax's magnificent display of battle strategy, even at the outside aid from the bushes, marveling at how everything came together.

"We're not going with you, jerk!" Madison told Griffin sternly, rallying her companions like a general—and a future queen. She smiled proudly at her knight. "Collax, I must say, being around me has had a positive effect on you, because you have the makings of a fine tacti-"

She didn't have the chance to finish her sentence as he pulled her unceremoniously from the scene, and into a cloud of dirt, no less. Of the many things Collax was trying, Madison's patience was consistently one. The dust on her new dress irked a vein to appear on forehead, which became more prominent as she realized that they were fleeing. Her arm swung wildly as he leapt past Griffin, and she stumbled after him into the thicket.

"How dare you handle me so roughly, Collax! At least carry me like royalty deserves!" she snapped, as soon as she regained the poise to run on her own. Madison was simply caught off guard, with nothing else to nag him about. He'd made a good call, getting them out of there, since they were no match for Griffin's fully evolved Pokémon. Just yesterday, she'd caught an undiscovered, powerful species that nearly destroyed their combined team without the guidance of a trainer, but she hadn't battled with it yet...