Cold has a smell to it. A crisp freshness, pure and clean, which Ren enjoyed. It was better than the smell of heat, thick and heavy that sometimes made it hard to breathe. Ren liked the smell of the cold, but that was just about it.

Heat had never felt like it was physically attacking him, and living in a desert had never prepared Ren for the harsh bite of wind whipped snow. It was like a sandstorm, only cold and wet, which Ren coped poorly with.

But Ren wasn't about to turn back. After some searching he had found the tracks of a Charmander leading out of town. If he left, they may very well disappear with the wind. Cast adrift with only her anger for company, Ren could only imagine what situation Jak would get herself in. So he pressed on even as the sun set and warmth was nothing but a memory.

Something flickered in the darkness before him, a brief impression of a darker shadow in the night. Ren stopped, squinting his eyes as he peered into the darkness. He didn't see anything there, but there had been something. A wild Pokemon wouldn't come this close to the village-

A soft, sodden object flew out of the night unexpectedly and landed on Ren's face, covering his eyes. His first thought was that he was being attacked, and his arms flailed about, bone club blindly striking at the air in front of him. His heart was beating wildly by the time he thought to simply reach up and remove it.

It was black cloth stitched with red, identical to the one Ren wore around his neck. The same as the one Jak possessed.

This was bad. Ren was good at understanding how people think, especially if he spent any length of time with them. He knew how Jak thought, and he knew what this symbolized for her. It was one thing for her to storm off, that was how she cooled down, but this was the equivalent of her shouting from the rooftops that she was leaving for good. She was throwing away the symbol of her pack.

Ren kept moving with the bandanna balled up in his fist. Jak's tracks were deep and fresh. She had to be close by... There! Through the growing darkness and blowing snow, a flame waved back and forth in the air not that far ahead of him. Ren tried his best to quicken his pace through the deep snow, hopping along in the footprints Jak had already made.

The flame, as bright as a torch, moved slowly, and Ren had no trouble catching up to it. As he got closer he was able to make out more details and saw that it was indeed the fire of a Charmander's tail he was following.

When Ren was only a few steps behind, Jak whirled around, claws outstretched and fire building in her throat. She saw who it was and the flames died, though she remained in an attack pose. She growled, long and low.

Ren didn't say anything right away. Jak was worked up, ready to explode, and if he wasn't careful he could lose her forever. He was certain she planned to leave forever. He could see it in her aggressive stance, in the defeat in her eyes that her anger was unable to fully cover. He could see it, the what, the how, the why.

He held out the hand with the discarded bandanna. Jak's eyes flicked over at it then back to him, trying to stare him down. She didn't move or speak. Neither did he.

Do not lose faith in what you are. Just because you do not understand does not mean you do not belong.

These were the words Ren wanted to say, but she would not appreciate them. Jak didn't like others telling her what was troubling her, especially if she didn't know it herself.

"Leave," Jak finally said, breaking the long moment of silence.

Ren didn't move. He stood as still as a statue, the bandanna held out in offering. Another tense moment passed.

"Fine," she spat. She grabbed it from Ren's hand then quickly backed away, never breaking eye contact. "Now leave."

Ren dropped his hand back down to his side but otherwise stayed as he was. This was good. This was progress. When he didn't move, Jak snarled angrily, then turned away and stormed off. Ren followed, matching her step for step.

This went on for sometime. She was aware that he was there, but refused to acknowledge his presence in any way. She tried speeding up. He matched her without complaint. She slowed to a Slugma's pace. He did the same. She topped completely. So did he.

"What do you want?! Speak!" Jak finally yelled, turning back and marching up so she was right in his face. To voluntarily get so close to another, she had to be near the edge, Ren knew.

"Why?" he said simply. Such a simple question, but also the most powerful. Something to make her really think about what she was doing.

Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. "Your pack is doomed to destruction."

"It is our companions, our fate, and our will to change it."

"Your pack," she hissed. "This one will have no part in a pack running to their own destruction, especially if the pack does not wish Jak to be there."

Ren felt a sick feeling in his stomach. "There can be no whole if the pieces are solitary."

Jak snorted, smoke leaking from her nostrils. "What does it matter to you? You never care about anything," she accused, and Ren could tell she believed it.

It was as if someone had stabbed him in the gut. Is that what she thought of him? Did the others see him that way, as some sort of uncaring, emotionless wall? He did care. He always had. Sol had to know that, at least.

"i have never once wanted you gone, and neither have Sol or Eevee," Ren said plainly and sincerely. There was no other way to say it.

The energy seemed to drain out of Jak and she slumped out of her aggressive stance.

"Jak cannot stay."

"Why?" Ren pressed. "You do not wish to see the pack destroyed, yet that is what you are doing."

Jak's eyes immediately locked onto Ren's. Her glare was intimidating, but Ren couldn't afford to skirt around this.

"Think of how Sol will react when she hears you have decided to depart on your own? She will refuse to leave without you, leaving her without the instruction she needs to defend herself against this new threat."

"Jak cannot stay."

"Why?"

"Jak cannot!" she screamed at him. With that she spun around and stormed off deeper into the night. Ren shook his head and followed.

...

Riley was weird. But so was just about everyone Sol knew. But where they were weird in the 'do whatever they feel like' way, he was weird in the 'follow rules to the absolute extreme' way. Even his toys followed rules.

It really wasn't what Sol had been expecting. Toy soldiers? She hadn't known what exactly she expected the self-righteous control freaks to do with their spare time. Meditate? Spar? Talk down to strangers? But not play with toys.

He wasn't so bad, Sol thought. At least he kept to himself and didn't bother her. Not like Eliza. But he was strange. After so long being surrounding with chaotic crazy, she was faced with the novelty of ordered crazy. It was almost fascinating, really, and helped to keep her mind of things she'd really prefer not to think about.

Things were bad, and they were going to get worse. That was the feeling Sol had. Someone, and they had no way of knowing who, had tried to kill her in what had to be one of the most unsettling ways, and now she was going to be shipped off to some alien place filled with strangers she had no choice but to trust with her life.

She couldn't think about that now. She needed to focus on something else, anything else.

"What are you doing?" Sol asked.

"She is being imprisoned for treason and insubordination," he said, placing one of the blue figures in a small, triangular area formed between two books standing upright.

"What?"

"Her actions alerted the enemy of a critical pass, which they used to flank the blues main forces and crush them."

"It's a her now, is it?"

He paused, placing a second soldier in front of the prison as a guard. "Yes."

"So now what?"

"The remaining blues will have to retreat to the river and regroup, though that means they'll be trapped-"

"No, what happens to her?"

"Oh. She'll either be exiled or executed. It depends how the trial goes."

Trials. He put his toys on trial. They were in Wigglytuff territory now.

"What if she escaped."

He stared at the arrangement of toy soldiers, face scrunching and brow furrowing as if he had eaten something sour. "Why would she do that?"

"Because they might decide to kill her? Self-preservation is a great motivator."

"You have to take responsibility for you actions," Riley said, still looking confused. Was disobedience really such an alien concept for him? Maybe Sol should keep as far away from the clans as possible.

"That doesn't have to mean waiting around for someone to kill you. What if she escapes and tries to find a way to make up for what she did? Or maybe she defects and joins the other side. She's already accused of treason, may as well take it all the way."

Riley looked up at Sol with such horror you'd have thought she had just suggested they go burn down the village.

"It was supposed to be a joke!"

"That's not funny," Riley said.

"I know you suffer from a stick up your ass, but you really need to lighten up."

"There is nothing amusing about betrayal and abandonment. Do you see anything funny in how Jak left you?"

Sol stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean Jak left?"

"I already told you."

"No you sure as Hell didn't!" Sol struggled to get upright. Damn these casts! "Where's she go? Is anybody even bothering to go look for her?"

"Dhiren left after her."

"I need to talk to Eevee," Sol said. Jak was always going off on her own, but why'd she have to leave now? It could be hours before she decided to wander back, and with everything going on, the attack, the clan, Sol was feeling uneasy enough as it was without her team up and leaving her.

Riley didn't do anything for a moment, staring down at his two armies, then simply got up and left. Sol huffed in frustration and let her head fall back on the pillow, fuming.

...

This was a mess, literally and figuratively. Floorboards were torn up and scorched, furniture was destroyed, and dirt covered everything. The only reason the Shaymin running the hospit didn't kick them out was because Sol was recovering upstairs. That and he was terrified of them.

Eliza did her best to smooth things over, promising to pay for the damages, making this the second time she had to do such a thing since encountering this particular group of Pokemon. Team Wanderers was a walking disaster.

She was inwardly glad that the Charmander had run off. Jak would not be a calming influence on Sol and would no doubt fight tooth and nail to keep the Riolu from going to the clans with little regard to how it would harm her. Sol would be difficult enough to convince on her own. This brought up the question of why Eliza bothered. Sol had already said no, why not move on? Her life would be so much easier. But life wasn't about what was easy. It was about duty and responsibility.

"So," Eliza said, finally leaving the front desk and going over to Eevee. Workers would be called on in the morning to repair the floor. "I believe you were going to tell me the true story of what happened with the Time Gears."

Eevee nervously chewed on his lower lip. "Well," he began, indecisively, "the article was right in the beginning. Time was stopping, and Time Gears were being stolen... Dusknoir came to Treasure Town and said he'd help catch Grovyle, who was taking them..."

Eliza was reminded of young Riolu in the clan who had done something they shouldn't. When told to explain what had happened, each word was emphasized, each sentence stretched out for an eternity why their minds raced to think up a lie. Not that Eliza thought he was lying. He was figuring out what parts he could leave out.

"Then Dusknoir laid a trap for him... Grovyle was caught..." Eevee's face scrunched up like he tasted something sour. "AndthenDusknoirtookGrovyletothefutureandalsousbecauseSolisahumanfromthefuturewiththeDimensionalScreamandthefuturewashorribleanditturnedoutDusknoiristhebadguyandGrovylewastryingtofixthingsandSolwasactuallyhispartnerbutshelosthermemory," Eevee blurted out in a rush, took a deep breath, then continued. "SoCelebisentusbackbutnoonewouldbelieveusbutthenChatotdidsowewenttoTemporalTowerandDusknoirwaswaitingandGrovylegotpulledbacktothefuturethenSolandmefoughtDialgathenSoldisappearedandtimewasfixedbutnoonecouldrememberherexceptmebutnowshe'sback."

Eevee was left practically gasping for breath after he finally got it all out. Eliza got only about a fraction of what was said, but some things stood out.

"What was that about a human? And the future?"

Eevee's ears dropped and he avoided looking at her. "... I think I should talk to Sol before I say anything..."

Sol will never let Eevee say anything to me, Eliza thought. But I can hardly force him to tell me. Perhaps Eevee will be able to calm her down enough to see things rationally.

Riley ran down the stairs at that point and came straight to her. "Theynin, Sol found out that Jak left..."

Sigh. Or maybe not.

"... She asked to speak with Eevee."

"Well, I better go then!" Eevee leapt at the excuse to leave and practically sprinted up the stairs in his haste to leave.

Eliza sighed. "She will not be satisfied by anything Eevee will say. Tell her I left to search for Jak as well."

Riley frowned but made no other protest. He didn't shake with fear at the prospect of being left alone with them. Progress. With a nod he went back up the stairs, albeit at a much slower pace than he had gone down them.

Eliza sighed once more and left the building, breath frosting in the frigid air. She missed the clan. Things were simple and straight forward there. You had your responsibilities and you did them, and that was that. But there was no point in focusing on what you wished would happen, only what was happening. Night had fallen but that was no problem for Eliza, as adept in the aura as she was. With a slight pulse of her aura she was able to sense her surroundings without relying on sight. The blowing snow made it harder, disorienting and almost nauseating with all the small flecks of movement around her, but she was no novice. She knew how to cope with it.

Jak had been frothing with rage when she had stormed out, and such strong emotion left impressions. Eliza could taste the imprint her aura had left in the air, yet to fade, and it was a simple matter to follow the trail it left. Dhiren had been calmer and Eliza could feel no trace of him left, so she would have to assume he had gone the same way.

Eliza followed the trail with her aura. It led her well out of town, the anger she sensed turning to despair. Then anger spiked back up again suddenly. Eliza had been chasing the scent for awhile before she was able to see the bold, clashing colours that made up Jak's aura, clearly visible through the snow. Close by hers was the calmer, earthy colours that Dhiren's aura consisted of. So had had found her. But why had he not brought her back?

Eliza slowed down her approach. They weren't moving, either of them. When she got closer she saw that Jak's arms were folded across her chest as she glared daggers at Dhiren who sat peacefully in snow, staring right back but without any of the hostility.

Jak hissed when she saw Eliza, then focused her attention back on Dhiren and otherwise remained silent. The Cubone didn't turn.

"We should return inside," Eliza said. She wasn't sure what to make of this staring contest out in the middle of the snow.

"No," Jak spat.

"There comes a time when one cannot allow another to fend for themselves," Dhiren said.

Eliza waited for some sort of clarification, but none came.

"Sol is wondering where you are."

"Jak will not return," The Charmander hissed, spun around and marched farther away from the village. Dhiren immediately got to his feet and followed.

Not a single member of this team was reasonable.