Raiden, Current Location: Southeast of Driftveil City
A loud Screech shattered the silence of the forest as a wild Mienfoo crashed through the undergrowth followed hotly by a rapidly fluttering Noibat, its purple and black body blurring ever so slightly around the edges. The Mienfoo turned and swung out a fist in the general direction of the bat Pokemon, attempting to use Pound only to be knocked back by a vicious Thunder Shock by the Pikachu hot on its tail. The Fighting type Pokemon braced itself to attack once more, but right before it could unleash its attack a Growlithe and its trainer emerged from off to the side. A focused Roar from the Growlithe sent the Mienfoo bolting back into the forest and out of sight. Dante, the Pikachu, let out a frustrated, raspy cry and took off after the retreating Pokemon. The Noibat swooped around in a circle all the while chittering at the the tall teenage boy, causing the trainer to hold out a hand and wave him off.
"Go on Kenny. Keep an eye on Dante and meet us by the coast." Kenny let out a low shriek of agreement, before turning tail and setting off in the direction of the departed Mienfoo and Pikachu. Raiden, the young teen, turned with a sigh pulling his beanie from his head and running a hand through his pitch black hair. A small bark drew his attention downward to the orange and black tiger marked dog, once the Growlithe had his trainers focus he leaned over and rested against Raiden's leg.
Raiden's blue-grey eyes sparked with slight amusement as he reached down and gave his best, and first friend, an affectionate pat to the head, scratching behind his ears momentarily. "Come Ven." Raiden said softly, before turning and making his way back through the woods and out to the small coast line that came down from Driftveil City all the way around to Virbank City and Liberty Island, and down to end at Aspertia City. Aspertia City. . ., he thought to himself. That's where they were slowly making their way to.
Raiden glanced down to the side where his PSS was attached to a secure loop on his charcoal grey cargo pants. The screen was dead now, the battery all dried up and the device itself nearly destroyed beyond repair. A huff of irritation slipped past his lips as he looked at the broken and cracked screen, the utility tape holding some of the pieces in place, and the small hole where the original attachment had been. He wished that the thing had held out for just a little longer, but its destruction had been inevitable in the world he found himself in now. World wide the cities that had once stood tall and unyielding now lay in rumble and ruin, the people who had made those places their home either gone or in hiding.
"Aspertia. . . the last hope, huh Ven." The Growlithe looked up to Raiden and let out a low bark, rubbing slightly against the trainers leg in a comforting way. He would follow Raiden to the end of the world and back, to death and beyond. This he vowed. By the time Raiden and Ven re-emerged from the shadowed forest both Kenny and Dante had joined back up with the two, Dante sporting a new bruise, but Raiden disregarded it in favor of keeping a watchful eye on his Electric Pokemon. Ven huffed, nudging the Pikachu sharply in the side from where Dante had stopped to throw Play Nice after Play Nice at the Krabbys gathering across the sands causing the crab Pokemon to wander in circles, clacking their pincers all the while. "Piiika!" Dante hissed at Ven, showing sharp, small teeth.
"Lithe!" The Fire Pokemon barked back, prodding his teammate insistently, directing him back toward the direction the group had been traveling.
"Nooii-bat. . ." Kenny grumbled from where he was perched atop his trainers head, clinging snugly to the black beanie. Raiden grunted back in agreement to his Noibats complaints, after all Ven and Dante where always getting on each others nerves and the two were most certainly used to the bickering. Raiden stopped with a small sigh and lent against a nearby tree, before reaching into a side pocket and rummaging around for his World Map. After a moment or two his fingers found the battered and faded map, pulling it out he gently unfolded it to avoid ripping the creased paper even more. "Mmm Ven, Dante."
The two Pokemon whipped around, pausing in their fighting to turn their attention completely on the lanky teen. "Grouw?" Ven questioned, while Dante's tail twitched to and fro. Raiden looked to the two Pokemon before carefully re-folding the map back into his pocket, adjusting Kenny higher up on his hat for more balance and straightening up. "Come. Lets go." he called.
"Pi-ka!" Dante rushed forward forward, not only eager to lead the way, but to see if there was anything else for him to pick a fight with. "Grow-lithe!" The small fire like dog called after the Pikachu, irritation written clearly across his face. Raiden stepped forward, intent on continuing down the uneven coastal path and on to Aspertia City. "Ven." He said softly. Ven glanced up a his trainer, his question written into his body language. "Leave him be." "Grouw. ." Kenny scuttled to the very top of Raiden's head adding his own two cents into the conversation. "Noi!" Amusement colored the Noibat's shrill, accompanied by a few flutters of his wings. Ven huffed, but followed close by Raiden's side none the less. The sun was half way across the sky by the time the group spotted the first building marking the beginning of Floccesy Town. The small wooden house was situated right along the edge of the treeline with a small stone path that steadily led further into the town and right up to the entrance of the city's famous bell tower. Raiden stopped with a small sigh, they had finally made it. What had possessed him to follow the coastline in the first place? Oh, yes, that's right the nose dive he had taken from the Driftveil Drawbridge trying to protect Kenny from a strangely high leveled Swanna.
The teen rubbed at his left side, the bruises left behind from hitting the water aching at the mere thought of them. He was pulled from his thoughts by a firm tug on his pants leg accompanied by a, "Piika?" Dante let go once he had his trainers attention. The large Pikachu gestured about with one small paw and forcibly shivered, trying to convey his sense of unease about the silent town. Raiden gave a short nod. He understood, after all the sheer silence hanging over the town gave the whole place an eerie feeling. He crouched down half-way and held out an arm, silently offering the Electric Pokemon a perch upon his shoulder. Without hesitation, Dante lept from the ground to Raiden's arm, and from there to his shoulder and wrapping his semi-flexible tail softly, but firmly about the lanky teens neck.
With Kenny still clinging to his hat, Raiden waved with one hand, gesturing for Ven to follow. Almost as one, Raiden and the Growlithe stepped forward placing their first step within the town, and into their last leg of the journey to Aspertia City. "Noiii." Kenny huddled his small, purple and black body closer to Raiden's head, half burrowing under his black beanie. "Quiet now Kenny." Raiden said softly. He didn't mind Kenny's usual chattering, but with the way the town set him on edge he wanted the least amount of distractions.
His steps sure but cautious, Raiden lead the way through the streets, passing by several houses and the run down Poke Center before stopping dead in his tracks. Ven looked up at his trainer tilting his head in confusion. "'Lith?" He rumbled questioningly, and craned his neck to peek around the frozen teen. What he saw made the Fire Pokemon gag.
Before them laid three mangled, broke, and bloodied bodies, two of them Pokemon and the other that of a boy. Silently, Raiden moved closer until he was but mere inches from the gore covering the ground. A Teddiursa, he'd recognize that brown fur anywhere, and. . . a Dewott? The Water Pokemon laid sprawled over the boys chest obviously having had taken the brunt of an attack meant for its Trainer. With a steady hand and dark eyes, Raiden reached down and pulled the leather corded necklace he spotted from the dead kids neck and whipped the clinging blood off onto his shirt. Using both hands, Raiden hooked the necklace around his own neck, avoiding Dante's tail, and tucked the red, tear drop shaped pendant under his shirt.
"Come Ven." The black haired teen said as he made his way toward the Route leading to Aspertia City, not looking back even once at the bodies behind them. "Grou." Ven agreed, loping after with sure strides.
Raiden had relaxed somewhat since stepping foot on Route 19, more than happy to leave the bloody, mangled bodies of the unknown trainer and his Pokemon behind. He was more comfortable outside the cities anyways with only his three companions beside him. They didn't meet much resistance from the wild Pokemon, though it seemed that Dante and Kenny had made it a game to see who could make the wild Purlions and Patrats run the most. Ven was content to guard his trainer from close by his side and to keep a stern eye on his team mates. Raiden tensed as they rose over a crest and Aspertia came into view, his shoulders set themselves. He reached up to grip the necklace he had taken from the dead boy through his shirt. A sigh escaped him as he glanced down at Ven, "Well, we're here now aren't we Ven." Raiden had relaxed somewhat since stepping foot on Route 19, more than happy to leave the bloody, mangled bodies of the unknown trainer and his Pokemon behind. He was more comfortable outside the cities anyways with only his three companions beside him. They didn't meet much resistance from the wild Pokemon, though it seemed that Dante and Kenny had made it a game to see who could make the wild Purlions and Patrats run the most. Ven was content to guard his trainer from close by his side and to keep a stern eye on his team mates. Raiden tensed as they rose over a crest and Aspertia came into view, his shoulders set themselves. He reached up to grip the necklace he had taken from the dead boy through his shirt. A sigh escaped him as he glanced down at Ven, "Well, we're here now aren't we Ven."