"Shall I carry him?" Vrid asked, almost too eagerly. Chloe felt a chill run down her spine as she felt his desire for knowledge creep through his psychic link. She glanced at Rowan, sleeping soundly on Ollie's' oversized coat. Beside him laid all their supplies, giving Ollie time to rest up before the trek home. The Machoke sat cross-legged between Rowan and Vrid.
"No," Ollie replied, tapping his fingers on his knees. "I know you're excited but there's no proof he knows anything about the human besides, he's not some lab Rattata for you to test."
Chloe nodded her head in agreement as Vrid snorted derisively.
"You don't get it do you?" Vrid argued. "This is history! We have an opportunity to learn what made humanity go extinct! Look at him!"
The psychic type gestured toward Rowan. Chloe had to admit she, too, was interested in what the Pokémon had to say and she was still wary of letting the Alakazam be in charge of him. More importantly the Glaceon was head and shoulders far more unique than even herself. She had always prided herself of the pattern of her pelt being different from the rest of her ilk. The fur on her back, feet, and ears were far more intricate and had a much lighter shade of cyan, aiding in her ability to remain undetected. However, while his fur retained the more normal colors of their shared species, Rowan had by far the most intricate design she had ever seen.
Along his back, instead of the normal diamond pattern, Rowan sported a pattern that could only be described as deep blue tendrils flowing down his back. The further they traveled, the more they intertwined they became before colasceing into his tail. Each streak seemed to be a slightly different shade of blue. His tail, as a result, shimmered in the light with an almost gem-like appearance. Each paw sported something similar, albeit much less so. The most eye catching of all however was his crown. The frozen fur shared the same quality as his tail but the ice coating it made it positively enchanting to behold. Chloe had to admit he wasn't normal.
"Your point?" Ollie replied. "He's hurt. You can ask a million questions if you want after he's well and awake. Procedure dictates that we hold him in for some questioning anyway right?"
"You both make some really good points," Chloe intervened. "But Ollie's right. There's no need to get answers right this second is there? What will we do with that information out here in the middle of nowhere."
Vrid audibly sputtered, trying to argue but offered no rebuttal. The only thing the other two felt from their connection was his disappointment and his decision not to pursue any further.
"Fine, but if Ollie is going to carry Rowan then I'll carry the human." Vrid replied as he levitated the corpse from the ground as Chloe and Ollie grimaced.
"Why?" Chloe asked warily. "You can't read the mind of a corpse…..can you?"
"Of course not," Vrid laughed dryly. "But you can dissect one."
Vrid must have seen the revulsion on their faces before he quickly added. "Relax… I intend to fully give it a proper burial but we can't pass an opportunity like this can we?"
Ollie sighed before giving Chloe a questioning look. Shaking her head she padded over to him and whispered to him.
"Look, I know its gross and wrong but he's right. Besides, something isn't adding up here. Why was Rowan so close to a human body?"
Ollie grunted in disapproval but made no effort to argue.
"I know but I still don't have to like it." Ollie replied, his tone filled with disdain.
"No one asked you to. Now come on, get Rowan. We have to leave before Felix sends another team after us."
Having volunteered to carry extra bags in exchange for him carrying Rowan, Chloe panted as they traveled through the forest. Chloe feared the body may thaw through their travels from its resting place, deciding to completely encase the body in a rugged block of ice. Vrid seemed to approve of this plan, wordlessly carrying the titanic chunk with his psionic prowess.
Chloe couldn't understand why, but she was continuously drawn to their precious cargo. Occasionally, as she walked along beside Ollie, she caught herself staring at the sleeping pokémon. If Ollie noticed, gave no indication of it. Feeling heat rise to her cheeks, Chloe focused on the ground below her as she walked, trying her best to suppress it.
The trip home was uneventful, much to her satisfaction. With their base in view, the group breathed a collective sigh of relief as they approached. It wasn't as fancy as the top teams but it was home. It comfortably housed the whole team of her, Felix, and a few others with its large size. Each member had more than enough room to have their own private room as well as a common area for guests. The sizable building offered relatively adequate amenities. Suddenly the front door slammed open.
"About bloody time!" a voice came through the doorway. Out stepped a Buizel, bubbling with rage that belied his small stature. "Ya know how much this is gonna cost us eh lass?"
"Well hello to you too Fergus" Chloe sighed. "Look, I can explain."
"Oh aye, I'm sure you could" Fergus replied, angrily shaking a book at him. "But can you explain the costs my dear?"
Chloe rolled her eyes as he began listing item after item out of his book. From behind her, she could hear both Vrid and Ollie chuckle. The verbal lashing she got from Fergus was less than intimidating coming from such a small pokémon; honestly it was more annoying than anything.
"Are ya listening?" Fergus demanded, throwing the book at Chloe. It bounced off her chest harmlessly. "How are we going to afford food for the rest of winter ya daft snowflake?"
"Yes!" She yelled before clearing her throat, pointing a paw in the levitating block of ice. "Go look at that first before you keep yammering for Arceus's sake."
The Buizel looked at her puzzled before waddling over to it. His anger quickly dissipated, replaced by shock and awe. Fergus reached up to touch it but was quickly seized by Vrids' psionic grip and levitated away.
"Put me down ya lavvy-heid wankstain!" Fergus protested, squirming mid air before being dropped into the snow unceremoniously. The angry otter turned to Chloe as he brushed off the powder from his fur. "Is that what I think it is?"
"That's not all." Ollie added. Walking forward he knelt down so the Buizel could see Rowan.
"Fine, fine, fine " the otter relented, bringing his volume to a more appropriate level. "Ya saved someone and found a body but that doesn't mean you're off the hook. I'll meet ya in your office to discuss our finances. With an extra mouth to feed, we're gonna need cash and fast. I can apply for aid to treat the Glaceon but administration won't give money just to feed him."
"Team Cosmic will assist in finances." Vrid said flatly, surprising the small otter. Fergus's eyes lit up immediately, rubbing his hands together as he chattered excitedly with the psychic type. Chloe scoffed, knowing full well why he was making such an offer. The ulterior motives of Vrid were as plain as day.
"Ollie, can you bring Rowan inside?" Chloe asked, eager to leave the scene before Fergus's ire was focused on her once more. The fighting type grunted and followed her inside.
The interior of the building was much nicer than its outer appearance suggested. Banners stretched across the hallways emblazoned with their team emblem. The emblem itself consisted of a paw print from each member in a circle. The circle itself was black while the prints were white.
She led him into her personal quarters. With Rowan being a Glaceon like herself, it would likely be the most comfortable. With a press of her paw, the door panel sunk in slightly and the door slid open, revealing her room. Inside stood a tree made of ice, its branches sprawled upwards and gripped the ceiling. In its center was a hollow space filled with blankets and pillows. Outside of it, the room had very little decorations.
"Impressive" Ollie murmured. "Do you replace this every winter?" he asked as entered, marveling at its beauty.
"No. It's made of Never-melt Ice" Chloe replied as she pointed to her bed. "Lay him down there, I'll sleep later after I deal with Fergus."
Ollie nodded as he knelt down and gently laid Rowan onto the supple pillows. Reflections of the patterns on his fur were sent through the entirety of the tree, leaving Chloe breathless in its beauty. She wondered if he would ever awaken, if ever. The thought of Rowan dying in his sleep sent a pang of alarm rushing through her before vanishing as quickly as it came.
"What's that about? Why am I so worried? I've spoken to him all of one time" Chloe thought to herself. "I guess I might be more tired than I thought."
Sure, she didn't want anyone to die but her strange concern for this stranger's well being was more than strange in and of itself. Ollie took a step backwards and stretched, his absurdly muscled arms bulged with the effort.
"I don't have the same status as Vrid does with his team but I can ask our boss if we can send a medic here to tend to Rowan for a bit if you want." Ollie offered.
"I would like that" Chloe replied, overjoyed at his kindness. "I'll be sure to pay you back after we get some money."
The Machoke grunted and shook his head.
"Nah, I think our teams could be good friends. I'll cover that cost for you. I have a feeling you're going to be in for a mountain of paperwork after all." Ollie laughed. His laughter was infectious, making Chloe giggle in turn.
"Yeah…Fergus will see to that." Chloe halfheartedly joked before thinking to herself. "He really will too…"
"Anyway, how did you get the ice tree thing?" Ollie asked as they turned and left the room; the door creaked as it closed.
"It was a gift," Chloe answered. At the end of the hallway, next to the office room stood Fergus. The Buizel tapped his foot as he pointed to the office door, looking much calmer than before but nonetheless irritated.
"Looks like I'm going to get an earful" Chloe sighed. "I'll tell you the story next time."
"No worries. Glad there will be a next time." Ollie grinned.
Ollie headed down the stairs as Chloe walked to her office to be chewed out by her own accountant. If she had to guess, Vrid would offer a hefty sum of money in exchange for the right to keep the corpse as well as to question Rowan after he awoke. Grimacing at the thought, she ignored Fergus' grumbling as he closed the door behind her.