PhoenixEye9 said
"Calm down little man, you can keep her," Milo said looking at the Gible deciding to try and pet him instead to calm him down. Instead it resulted in a nip, "I got you little man." Milo was almost oblivious to the woman who came out and offered them a place to stay for the night. Looking around skittishly he eventually came to the decision, "If it's not to much trouble, I'll do my best to stay out of the way."Milo walked over to his ride, grabbed the climbing gear to act as his pillow, and his guitar no way would he leave that out all night. "Thank you again," he began walking towards the woman, then realized the other girl said yes to, turning around and smiling back to her, "Looks like we're roomies now, so guess I need to introduce myself to both of you my name is Milo. So whats yours?"

The Gabite, a dragon that stood over five feet tall--growled at the man. He wanted to bite his hand off for daring to touch him, but his trainer would be upset. He calmed again and placed his head on her shoulder with a happy little growl.

For her part, Tinder just laughed quietly at her Pokemon and rubbed his nose. The Gabite growled at the man, Milo, when he mentioned "rookies".

"My, you are jealous today." she kissed his snout and rubbed his chin to calm him down. "It's ok. The nice woman here won't let him do anything, Mk?" the dragon Pokemon looked at the strange woman intensely before he calmed once more. "Please, pardon him. He is possessive by nature, like nearly all Gabite. His attentions have focused on me since he is unable to acquire a horde of treasures like most others have." she says this fondly. "My name is Tinder, and this is my Gabite. We're still thinking up a nickname for him. He is picky." the Pokemon huffed and nudged her shoulder playfully.

Fateen smiled at both of them and motioned for them to come around the corner and enter her home. She took a long look around to make sure that there weren't any Cipher peons watching the trainers who had entered her home. The peons normally avoided her home. They knew that if they messed with her, the citizens of Pyrite would most likely cause trouble for them. Little but annoying problems would pop up for them. As she came around the corner she saw two unfamiliar trainers and a rather unruly trainer native to Pyrite named Cali approach her home. She let out a deep sigh as Cali knocked on her door with a good amount of force.

She silently stared at him for a moment, then walked over and slapped him upside the head. "What have I told you about calling me an Old Hag?!" She demanded as she opened the door and led them inside. She then turned to Cali again, this time her face filled with worry and a good amount of anger. "What is wrong with you, Cali?! You know Cipher could be listening for any mention of the Old Man and yet you still go shooting off your mouth. There's a reason we're trying to make sure there are no mentions of him." She said as she shook her head. She turned to the other trainers and smiled politely.

"Welcome. I am Fateen. I am known as the Mother of Pyrite Town. Before you all lay down to rest, let me ask each of you something: What are Pokemon to you?" Friends? Allies? Means to an end? Or tools? Tell me of your experiences with your Pokemon." She said as she sat down behind her Crystal ball.

Chev said
Fateen smiled at both of them and motioned for them to come around the corner and enter her home. She took a long look around to make sure that there weren't any Cipher peons watching the trainers who had entered her home. The peons normally avoided her home. They knew that if they messed with her, the citizens of Pyrite would most likely cause trouble for them. Little but annoying problems would pop up for them. As she came around the corner she saw two unfamiliar trainers and a rather unruly trainer native to Pyrite named Cali approach her home. She let out a deep sigh as Cali knocked on her door with a good amount of force.She silently stared at him for a moment, then walked over and slapped him upside the head. "What have I told you about calling me an Old Hag?!" She demanded as she opened the door and led them inside. She then turned to Cali again, this time her face filled with worry and a good amount of anger. "What is wrong with you, Cali?! You know Cipher could be listening for any mention of the Old Man and yet you still go shooting off your mouth. There's a reason we're trying to make sure there are no mentions of him." She said as she shook her head. She turned to the other trainers and smiled politely."Welcome. I am Fateen. I am known as the Mother of Pyrite Town. Before you all lay down to rest, let me ask each of you something: What are Pokemon to you?" Friends? Allies? Means to an end? Or tools? Tell me of your experiences with your Pokemon." She said as she sat down behind her Crystal ball.

"Ouch!" Cail cringed when getting hit upside the head and shot a deathly glare at the elderly woman. "Oi oi, I'm not sugar coating your age Fateen." He commented upon what she said though he frowned when he was chastised by the old lady. "Sorry, sorry. I'll be more careful next time. I promise." He rubbed the back of his head and looked at Keiten. "This is where I leave you, good luck." And with that Cail turned around walked out of the house, making his way back home before he gets caught by Cipher.

Keiten looked at Fateen and analyzed her. He had heard of her before due to living in Pyrite for a few years though he had never actually seen her before. The young man sat down across from her with one leg crossing the other as he made himself comfortable. "My pokemon are my family, they are all I have and I won't let anything happen to them." He glanced down at his own snag machine, the light metal on his arm reflected some of the light in the room and the orb on his hand pulsed with dim light. "I won't let any pokemon suffer and if I can I will purify as many pokemon as I can and destroy Cipher from the inside out." His red eye was filled with determination, the eagerness to defeat Cipher and take his own brand of revenge on them.

Justine felt a little nervous as they stood in front of the door of the ‘friend’ Cail had mentioned, a small doubt still in her mind about whether she should trust these people. Jasper by her side remained a tense as always and though she was no longer growling, her eyes remained set in a glare as she eyed Cail and Keiten with suspicion.

When the door opened to reveal an old woman, who promptly scolded Cail for calling her ‘Old Hag’, she couldn’t help but give a little giggle and felt her worry subside a little. As Fateen led them inside the house, she felt a strange feeling of comfort. The place seemed... welcoming, lived in.

She also noted that she wasn’t the only trainer who had stopped by for a safe place to stay. There was a woman with a Gabite who seemed just as aggressive, if not possibly more than Jasper was. Jasper herself noted the Dragon Pokemon and gave loud bark of “Gurrr!” in its direction. Justine wasn’t sure whether this was meant to be a greeting, a challenge or a threat, though given that Jasper had never met a Gabite before, she may simply been acknowledging him.

Justine also noticed a male trainer who seemed friendly enough and seemed to be talking to the female trainer.

She turned her attention back to Cail and the old woman, who were talking to one another. They mentioned an ‘Old Man’, though Justine had no idea who that was or what that meant, but she got the feeling it was important and that it was secret that they were keeping from Cipher. Hmm... maybe these lot were thinking of doing something about the Cipher problem as well. It would be pretty cool to have some allies, though she didn’t say anything.

It was at that point that Cail made his exit from the group quickly made a shout of “Erm, oh, thank you!” in his direction, though wasn’t sure if he heard her. Oh well. She took a seat on one of the chairs in the house. Jasper sat next to her, keeping a watchful eye on the many strangers surrounding her, particularly the Gabite, who she obviously was extra cautious of.

Then, the woman, who Justine gathered was called Fateen, asked an unusual question. What do Pokemon mean to you? “Huh? That’s a strange thing to ask,” she said. She then glanced down at Jasper by her side and placed a hand on the dog Pokemon’s head. “But, if you’re really asking, my Pokemon are my friends. Particularly Jasper here. I’ve known her for a long, long time. She practically a member of my family.” At this, Jasper relaxed slightly and nudged her head against her trainer’s hand affectionately.

Justine smiled down at Jasper. She meant what she said. Jasper had always seemed to be there and had always been a constant support throughout her life. She loved her dearly. She loved her other Pokemon, Coral the Meditite, as well but... well, that was different kind of friendship. Coral was very different from Jasper, who wore her emotions for all to see and could switch from happy to aggressive in almost an instant. Coral was controlled, calm, quiet, and very indifferent to those around him. While Jasper seemed tense a lot of the time, Coral was always so relaxed. Justine had no idea what the Meditite thought of her, though he still listened to and obeyed her the way a Pokemon should do to their trainer. He just didn’t seem as affectionate to her or as happy to be in her presence as Jasper did. It kind of made Justine sad, but she guessed that was just the way Coral was and did her best to treat him as a friend as much she could. The only real reason she had decided to keep him in his Pokeball today was that, while Jasper was a fairly often-seen species of Pokemon and less likely to attract attention, Coral may gain a little more unwanted interest. He didn’t seem to mind being in his Pokeball though. In fact, part of her wondered if he preferred it in there. It was probably a lot more quiet and peaceful in there then it was out there. She couldn’t help but smile at that thought, but said nothing more.

Tinder smiled widely at the interaction between Fateen at the young man. She thought for a long while and thought on her own interactions with her Pokemon.

"That is...difficult to answer. I'd say they were all of those things to me. They are both my friends, my closest friends. They are also my allies in battle. They fight for me and in my defense against other pokemon. They are a means to an end, since they are the ones that allow us to free the other pokemon in Cipher's control. My pokemon are also tools, just as I am to them. My brothers spent over a year to breed my Metang. Just so I could raise it from a Beldam and realize that I could be useful. Gabite protected me, and showed me that someone other than my family could care for me enough to get mad when others mistreat me. And Metang taught me the love of something that you raised. The unconditional love I never understood, even though my foster parents did their best. It showed me that they WERE my parents. Just as I AM it's trainer, even though I didn't hatch it." the Gabite huffed in agreement and nudged her cheek. "I want to help rescue those Pokemon stolen by Cipher. I don't want them to suffer. They should feel love and care, while still being able to teach us." she said resolutely.

Chev said
She turned to the other trainers and smiled politely."Welcome. I am Fateen. I am known as the Mother of Pyrite Town. Before you all lay down to rest, let me ask each of you something: What are Pokemon to you?" Friends? Allies? Means to an end? Or tools? Tell me of your experiences with your Pokemon." She said as she sat down behind her Crystal ball.

Milo was hit hard by the question, he wasn't ready for this. It's a lie to the woman who apparently knows things, or tell the truth and possibly get screwed. Milo sat listening to the others, "Well my pokemon are all that I have left. My family is Cipher, and I left taking what you see with me, -pulls out Snag Machine- this Snag Machine, and my ride at the Pokemon Center. Some pokemon don't like me cause they smell the taint of my family which is why I think Gabite over there doesn't like me to much." Milo said pointing towards Tinder. "Well I guess you all have my secret now, it's up to you what you do with it."

From the darkness, Faust followed the three as they headed towards.... the fortune teller's? He thought he heard them say they had somewhere to stay the night, but Fateen's place wasn't necessarily fit for four. Carefully approaching, he paused when Cail called out to Fateen, not really hearing anything aside from "geezer" and "old hag". Faust got even more curious from this; how were they going to fit all those people in there? Moving in close, he overheard their conversation through the wall, but... it didn't really make sense to him. Cipher was looking for an old man? Why was that guy so important? Getting caught up in his investigation, Faust was about to move up to where the door was, but jumped back when he heard it open. For a while, he had to stand still against the wall until Cail moved out of there. Too intensely focused on timing his movements, he lost parts of the conversation.

As Cail passed, Faust slipped low behind him before turning his focus back to the talk in the building. As he listened, he heard a girl's voice, but it struck him odd how familiar it was. Even what she said made Faust think of someone he knew, but he couldn't recall who it was. The next person.... was a Cipher boss-leader's kid?! While Faust respected him for turning away from that kind of business, why the did he announce that he was literally blood-related to them in a room of people who despise Cipher? Shoulder pressed against the door, Faust got ready to barge in to help the kid if the situation called for it.

Fateen looked as the assembled trainers and smiled at them as they each told her their views on what meant Pokemon meant to them. She even gave the Cipher member a smile although it wasn't as big as the ones she had given to the other trainers.

She looked at the Cipher trainer and looked him up and down. "You don't like working for Cipher do you?" She asked frankly. "Let me ask you something: If you had the chance to leave Cipher and do something better with your life, would you do it?" She asked carefully as she pressed a button and the bookcase moved, revealing the hallway leading to the armored door."

"Young man, I would like to speak to you." She said addressing the trainer who considered Cipher his family. "It won't take long. The rest of you, why don't you head back there and knock on the door. My friends will see that you are comfortable. They may even have a surprise for you that may put everything in your lives in perspective. Please, head on back and let me talk with this one."

She turned to look at the Cipher trainer and motioned for him to sit down across from him.

"Tell me young man, why did you join Cipher?" She asked as she poured herself a cup of tea from a kettle near the end of her desk and poured a second cup and offered it to him. "What motivated you to make the life choices you did?" She asked.

Gabite gave a vicious snarl at the Cipher member. He wanted to rip his head and limbs off, slowly...by sawing with his teeth and powerful jaw. He could do it...he would do it. If he even so much as looked at his trainer in a way he didn't like, he'll be in pieces. His hatred for the male had just intensified and had become justified.

For her part, Tinder didn't say much, but...having the kid of Cipher so close? She wanted to send his body back to them, just like they had with her brother. Her hands shook in fury and she had half a mind to just release her Gabite to do as he pleased. The reason the young man was still breathing was only because she was raised to respect another's house. Especially one that offered hospitality. She shifted away, quietly fuming, and made her way through the secret entrance. "Come along, Gabite. I am sure we will run into some Peons later. We can release this stress then. For now, let us not destroy this home." Gabite followed her begrudgingly and made sure the other male saw the mouth full of teeth. The meaning was clear, "Stay away". That would be his only warning.

The moment the trainer known as Milo confessed the truth about his relations to Cipher, Jasper suddenly let loose an incredibly loud and angry bark and began snarling at him. Her trainer's reaction wasn't much better.

"Excuse me... what did you just say?" Justine said. She stared over at Milo in shock, a man she had previously filed away in her mind as seeming 'nice', before her face became a scowl. "You... I should... if I...!" Her anger had become so powerful in a matter of seconds that it was preventing her from being able to form sentences. She tried to say something but all the words mushed together. She had no idea what to say to that. All she could think about was how much she wanted to go over and slap Milo in the face... or worse, set Jasper on him. She stood up from the chair, her hands forming into fists. "What the hell are you even doing around here!?" she said at last. "Cut the whole 'I quit Cipher' crap! For all we know, you could be a spy!" She was so angry she completely ignored Fateen's request. No way was she goingto just walk away after hearing something like this!

Keiten shot a glare at the Cipher trainer and his instincts told him to throw one of his knives into that guy's head and end him already though he restrained himself, quite literally by grabbing his own arm tightly so it wouldn't move. Maybe he really didn't like being in Cipher though his hate for them was something that he just couldn't control. Looking down at the two pokeballs on his belt, he took them out and tossed them both gently into the air and with two rays of light, a shiny Charmeleon and a Shadow Electabuzz came out. "Sorry for keeping you cooped up for so long." He caught their pokeballs and reattached them back to his belt before petting the Charmeleon's head and pat the Electabuzz's head. "Apollo, Thor, follow me."

The three of them walked over to the armored door. He didn't expect to find anything like this here though then again in a town filled with crooks and deceivers it shouldn't have come as much as a surprise. Right now there is no turning back; once he goes in and meets the old man then whatever safety and security he had even if it was temporary would be gone. He took a deep breath and exhaled, relieving tension from his body. Apollo nudged his head against Keiten, causing the young man to smile at him. "Are you ready?" He asked the yellow flaming lizard.

"Char char, charmeleon!" The reptilian creature said with a great confidence that was contagious towards his owner.

He chuckled at what his friend said and arched his brow at him. "You bet your flaming ass you are? That's an eloquent way of putting it Apollo." It was good to have pokemon around him, they were always his friends even when he was a child. He glanced at Thor, the Electabuzz who kept emitting a slight shadowy aura. That pokemon had always been cold though ever since its heart had been opening up it had been much more friendlier to him.

"What the hell are you even doing around here!?" she said at last. "Cut the whole 'I quit Cipher' crap! For all we know, you could be a spy!"

Fateen didn't even look up from her tea. "Young woman, please settle down while you are in my home. I'll have you know that I once had the pleasure of meeting the hero who stopped the first Shadow Pokemon crisis. He was a good man, but did you know that before he stopped Cipher he stole Pokemon for Team Snagem? He was able to change and as a result of his decisions, Orre was saved."

She looked up at the trainer. "Please, go to the back room while I speak with this young man. I guarantee that you will find something back there that will interest you and perhaps later one you will find what motivated this trainer to make the decision he has. Perhaps it was for the greater good that he joined Cipher, or perhaps he joined Cipher so that he could protect something or someone close to his heart."

She turned back to the Cipher trainer. "Please, answer the questions I asked you." She said as she placed the tea on the end of the table within arms reach for him.

Velis looked up sharply as she heard the sounds of the door beginning to open. "Who is that? Are you expecting anyone else?" She asked carefully. Krane looked towards the door and nodded over at Velis. "Fateen has a good sense of people's intentions and what sort of person they are. Believe me, if anyone were to try and get past her she does have the means the stop them from getting back here."

Velis watched nervously as she saw the door open and two trainers stood in the doorway. One was standing next to a Gabite and the other was flanked on each side by a Charmeleon and an Electabuzz.

"Welcome." Krane said as he placed the finished machine on a table alongside a few other machines. He, Duking and and Gonzap turned to look at the new arrivals. "It appears that Fateen has selected you along with our first guest." He said pointing at Velis and her two Pokemon. "I can still hear voices behind you coming from Fateen's home. Please, have a seat while we wait for Fateen to finish her business. She needs to be here for this. After all, it was her intuition that made all of this possible."

Justine stared at Fateen as if she were crazy. "But... he...!" However, after listening to what the old woman said, she couldn't help but admit she had a point... annoyingly. She gave an annoyed sigh, but she also knew that it probably wasn't the best idea to try and murder someone in another person's house after that person had already been polite enough to offer you shelter. She glanced over at Jasper. "Come on, Jasper, let's go join the others," she muttered bitterly. She marched into the other room, though not before stopping to say "I'll be watching you!" to Milo.

She and Jasper made her way into the other room where Tinder and Keiten had entered with their Pokemon. She also noticed other people inside the room, a woman trainer and three men. Normally, she would have greeted them, but she was too annoyed at the moment to say anything.

'So this is the old man huh?' Keiten thought to himself as he entered the room along with his pokemon. He noticed two overly muscular men in the room though he easily recognized Gonzap. He remembered his mother telling him about team Snagem and how they went on a rampage of stealing pokemon from their trainers in cahoots with Cipher though he could see that they don't have that sort of relationship anymore. As well as the men, he noticed Velis and her two pokemon, a Quillava and a Croconaw, were standing there was well. It seems that there are more trainers being gathered to fight back against CIpher.

Pulling up a chair for himself, he sat down with one leg crossed over the other and his armed folded. His two pokemon decided to go and meet Velis pokemon. Apollo was much more eager than Thor though the Electabuzz walked over to go and make sure that the Charmader wouldn't do something stupid. "So...who are you people anyway?" Keiten inquired, his brow arched as he looked at the people in the room.

Tinder looked over the people that were gathered. She released her Metang then sat down. Gibite remained at his trainer's side, still fuming. The young woman looked over to Velis and her Pokemon with a small smile when the Charmeleon and Electabuzz went over to them. It was nice to see Pokemon interact with each other.

Her Metang, a shiny with silver metallic color with a golden "X" on its face, hovered over to them curiously. Gabite huffed quietly when she urged him to join the others. He did so, but let the Metang interact with the others on his behalf.

"My name is Tinder. I am from Agate Village. Metang and Gabite are my Pokemon partners." she introduced after she slung an arm over the back of the chair.

Velis smiled slightly as she saw her Pokemon interacting with the others. Croconaw seemed a bit nervous around the others but Quilava seemed to be getting along well enough. She turned to look at the other trainers. "So...uh...Nice to meet you all." She said awkwardly. She hadn't really talked with other trainers while hiding out in the Under. After all, you couldn't have been too careful back in the Under even thought it was a bit safer then most of the other places.

"My name is Velis." She introduced herself as she looked over at the other trainers and their Pokemon. "And don't mind my Pokemon, they're kind of wary regarding strangers, not surprising considering what these two have gone through but they won't hurt anyone. Well, anyone who isn't with Cipher." She said with a trace of bitterness in her voice. So tell me, did Fateen offer you a place to stay as well?" She asked.

Faust felt a cold sweat as the mood of the room suddenly changed and shouts of contempt were heard inside. Blood pumping in his ears, he couldn't hear them speak anyone Tensing up, he wondered whether this would be the time to step in. But just as he was about to do so, everything suddenly calmed down after Fateen said something. Quietly sighing in relief, Faust thought to himself, "God bless that old lady." Leaning back away from the wall, he looked at the streets. Peons were coming out now. It was best he went to the hotel now, before he drew attention to the house. Turning to the direction of the hotel, he strode away from that place, ready to rest for the day.

When Faust checked into the hotel, he became much more aware of the glares people gave him when he pulled out his Cipher ID. Although he was used to the dirty looks before, listening to those other people just made him think about it more. Once he got to his room, Faust took a moment to take off his clothes before crashing into bed. In the darkness, he began to think about those people; could they really be a threat to Cipher? And why did some of those voices sound familiar? Even though those thoughts still lingered, Faust slowly drifted off to sleep.

Justine looked over at the new female trainer, who had introduced herself as 'Velis', and the many others around her. Her bitterness slowly melted away and she slowly relaxed herself. Being among the company of those who were in the same boat as her made her feel a little safer. Also, she noted that people were bringing out their Pokemon, and reminded her of Coral, currently tucked away in his Pokeball. She took the Pokeball from her belt and sent out Coral. The Metitite materialised in his usual sitting position, his body not quite touching the ground and seeming to float slightly from the floor. His eyes were shut as if he were sleeping and he didn't seem to notice all the starngers around him, unlike Jasper who was currently regarding each one of them with a cold and wary eye.

"I'm Justine," Justine introduced herself to the others, particularly Keiten who had asked. "These two are Jasper and Coral, my Pokemon." She motioned to the Mightyena and the Meditite. She managed a smile. "Oh and don't mind, Coral. He's always this, err... distant."

As if to prove this point, Coral the Meditite didn't even open his eyes when Justine mentioned his name. He didn't even twitch. Had it not been for his calmed and relaxed breathing, one may have questioned whether the Psychic Pokemon was even alive.

Keiten listened to the others introduce themselves. It was a comfort to know that there are other trainers like him, after all there are strength in numbers. He glanced over at the group of pokemon and smiled happily that his pokemon are able to interact with their own kind rather than just him. They maybe his family though it had to be hard to not converse with others of your own kin. "My name is Keiten Ballad. Those two are Apollo and Thor." He motioned at the Charmeleon and Electabuzz, who were conversing with the other pokemon. A frown came on his face when he saw hi Electabuzz's shadowy aura over him, something that most people can't even see.

Apollo, the Shiny Charmeleon, poked Coral to see how it would react. After waiting a second he poked it again and again until Thor dragged him away from the Meditite so he wouldn't keep bothering it.

As usual, Coral made no sign that he even noticed Apollo, remaining as still and dormant as ever, a fact that caused Justine to give a small snort of laughter. It never failed to amuse her - and disturb her - how aloof Coral could be at times.

Jasper, on the other hand, did notice the Charmeleon going over to poke Coral and gave both him and Thor a sharp "Aaark!" in order to tell them not to bother Coral. Justine sighed at this. Jasper probably didn't mean to be so hostile but it had been a while since she had interacted with other Pokemon besides Coral in a non-battle situation, and even what Jasper and Coral did could hardly be considered 'interacting'. The two of them were complete opposites and tended to keep a distance from one another. Justine remember when she had first introduced Coral to Jasper. Jasper had only been a puppy then and had been boisterous, constantly barking and snarling at Coral and at one point even biting him. Over time, she had come to tolerate him as a member of the group and the two could be surprisingly good in battles together. However, Justine often wondered if having only her trainer for proper company made Jasper lonely. Considering Jasper's behaviour, it was difficult to tell. Oh well. Maybe hanging around all these other trainers and their Pokemon may do some good for her. Maybe it would do some good for Coral too and he might finally stop acting so indifferent.