Cradled in a blanket of warmth and prosperity, the inhabitants of this temperate land live a more easy-going life than those of their neighbors in Lugere. Vast farmlands are the life-line of the country, and they dot the land nearest to the sparse lakes, rivers, and streams that vein across Ayero. The sun is harsh and snow is an unknown phenomena to most of the continent, but the occasional monsoon gives life to the thin forests dotting the landscape and keeps the rolling hills their vibrant green color. In the more quaint villages and towns, wood makes up the majority of the buildings, and children play carefree alongside the domesticated Pokemon who live there. Life for the farmers is peaceful and fulfilling.

In the center of the land lies the capital city, the queendom of Hidan, ruled by Queen Ellysian la Ayero the III. The queendom was named after a man a thousand years dead, who had the good grace to build the castle and surrounding city on the Luminescent Hills. Accompanying the queendom are plentiful villas resting on the hills, where lordlings and ladies hold magnificent galas and festivals throughout the year, without an idea of the more humble lives of their farming neighbors.

Queen Ellysian herself is from a long line of queens before her. Not a single a male heir had been born from their bloodline after Hidan and his sons had passed away, and the kingdom had hundreds of years since become a queendom, to be ruled by the female heiresses and their Ho-Ohs. And on any typical day, Queen Ellysian would have been overseeing the Queen's Guard, yet these days such is not the case.

She, and a select council of trusted advisors, have spent their days locked away in the council hall, deliberating over the fate of their country. Their eyes had been looking to the north as of late, to the land that was once known as Egyel. Untold riches were told to rest in the ruins inside the dense jungles that populated that continent. But lately, more pressing news had aroused from the mouths of merchants and gypsies. War seemed to be a rumor that swelled and boiled over on their whispering lips, yet no one knew where it originated from. Whether it began in Ayero or Lugere, it didn't seem to matter, as these rumors fueled the agendas of many conniving nobles and statesmen, and it started a fire that wouldn't be easily put out.

To add on to the Queen's worries is the newly proclaimed Lotus Triumvirate. Morph-sympathizers who seek to add the abominations that had been hellbent on desecrating the lives of the citizens of their noble country. Dealing with Morphs individually had been a longstanding challenge of the Ayero militia, seeing them band together as one... Things were going to become more hectic.

And so, in these trying times, Queen Ellysian la Ayero the III has sent out couriers to the noble houses of Ayero to send their most capable heirs, heiresses, warriors, and Pokemon tamers to aid the Crown, no matter how minor or major the house.



A polar opposite to Ayero, rimmed with snow capped mountains to the north, west, and south of the continent. Accompanying these majestic figures are abundant waterfalls coming down from the mountains that feed into great, glacial rivers that twine through pine forests and beautiful valleys. Covering the entire continent is a chill, yet it normally isn't bad enough to send everyone indoors. The people of this typically harsher land are hardy folk, and extremely hardworking. They make their living from mining the Stardrop Mountains, or lumberjacking in the pine forests. Nearer to the great rivers and lakes fishing is plentiful. The yearly snows were nearly upon them, which would slow down trade to a crawl until people and their Pokemon carved out safe paths through it. However, though the people grumbled about the snows, they whispered fervently of the curious rumors they had heard from far-traveling merchants and performers.

Rumors of bands of troops from Ayero voyaging north to claim the land of Egyel as their own permeated as the most common rumor, and discontented many Lugerians against Ayero. And, even more dire, rumors that Ayero wanted to go to war with Lugere to eliminate their competition for the riches of Egyel. These whisperings were carried by word-of-mouth all the way to the kingdom of Maccus, capital of Lugere, ruled by the King of Lugere.

The kingdom was blessed with the fortune of being built near to the Barrier Sea on the east coast of Lugere so as to enjoy a less harsh environment than most of the rest of the country that it rules, and sees a good fishing and silk trade. Unfortunately, these days the King and his advisors have sequestered themselves into their great halls to discuss how they should react to the uncouth actions of their neighbors in Ayero, and how to prove if the rumors are true beyond all else.

And if the soon-to-be yearly snows and the insidious rumors weren't enough, lately a faction called the Lotus Triumvirate has reared it's head as Morph-friendly. Nobody knows where they located so that they can send troops to eradicate them before they become a problem for the humble folk of Lugere, yet they have made themselves known, for better or worse.

In these troubling times, the King has sent his fastest couriers only to his most trusted of the nobility, disregarding status and influence in favor of secrecy and the ability to count on those he has summoned.



Lately, in the country side towns, villages, and some larger cities, posters have been found plastered against the walls of buildings, primarily inns, and are quickly torn down by any normal citizen of the country for what they depict: A lotus unfurling and three crowned stars that circle it. Normally it would be counted as a work of art, save for the fact that most folk know now what that lotus represents. The Morphs. Sometimes, in more rural areas, people don't even touch them for fear that they might be accused of being a Morph. They are incinerated by the more radical Morph-haters, and simply thrown away in the trash by anyone else... and yet, if people were less superstitious, maybe they would have realized that each poster was just slightly different. Perhaps they would have been able to stop the cloaked figures who came in the night to put more of the pesky posters up so that any Morphs who might possibly be willing to join their cause could eventually find them by the clues hidden in each of those posters.

The problem is, how do you get your hands on one without being found out?



Something about this day ignited a petulant attitude in Corivana. Perhaps it was her summons back from the high seas to the land she had come to despise that erred on her poor disposition? Or was it the fact that the guards of her home town, Haven Port, now looked at her with grimaces on their faces? Every little bit added up, and it got under Corivana's normally sarcastic, go-with-the-flow personality.

She stood with a hand at the hilt of her sword, and the other was digging out her breakfast from in between her two front teeth while she listened to the Council of Elders berate her with nonsensical questions. She knew she had made a mistake coming through Haven Port on the way to the capital, but she didn't know it'd be this bad.

"Corivana du Espada, listen when your betters speak!" The Eldest slammed her judgement rod upon the thick oaken desk she sat behind in irritation. They had noticed that Corivana wasn't paying much attention, after near an hour of gabbering? Corivana couldn't suppress a scoff before it escaped her throat, and some of the Elders gasped at her behavior, while others frowned and furrowed their brows.

"Blimey, ye bilge-guzzlin' old fools, punish a lady for sayin' 'ello eh? I just came back to this shoddy old village to pay my respect to ye land-lubbin' wretches. This lass 'as got more important things to be doin' right now, to be sure, so let me leave 'ere before one of yer old sacks gets a hernia by lookin' at me pretty little face ye all love so much." Corivana folded her arms under her breasts and looked the Eldest in the eye while her voice carried across the whole Council room. The Eldest, a woman who held the most power on the Council, near to being the ruler of Haven Port, met the pirate stare-for-stare.

"Let the girl leave. Apparently respect hasn't been pounded into her thick hide, even under the strict rules of the Queen's Guard. You will learn the error of your ways yet, Corivana du Espada." She gave a dismissive wave of her hand, while the Elders gathered around muttered under their breath. Corivana's lips quirked into a smirk as she turned her back to the Council and swaggered to the door, but as her hand gripped the door handle the powerful voice of the Eldest rang in Corivana's ears. "Kyogre has been taken to the pokemon center to be treated, and I couldn't help but notice that our deity has many injuries since the last time you thought to bless us with it's presence. You will need to be more proactive in your care for it, or you may find that we remove you from it's presence."

Corivana's hand gripped the knob till her knuckles went white and her face contorted into a fierce scowl at the older woman's words. She managed to smooth out her features into her characteristic smirk when she looked over her shoulder at the Eldest. "Kyo goes where she pleases. Iffin' that aint with me, then she'll be lettin' me know... savvy?" And with that she opened the door, swaggered out, and let it fall closed behind her with a loud creak.

Outside the massive town hall, Corivana took a deep breath of the salty air of Haven Port. Home. It wasn't quite how she remembered leaving it, every building had rough edges, and every face was harder still. There was even less time for the children to enjoy themselves outside, and nearly all of them were in the dojos or in the school houses of the town, perfecting their chosen path in life. The only few that weren't forced into being taught weren't Espada children, and thus not restricted to their harsh reality. People in the gardens and farms slaved away, and guards sweated beneath their armor while they stood erect and focused on their tasks. In the various shops lining the streets, people toiled at their crafts endlessly as foreigners and neighbors alike perused and bartered for goods.

She was pulled out of her observations by a gaggle of foreign women passing by, all in their summer dresses with glameow and persians at their sides. Corivana smiled for real this time, her face lighting up brilliantly. "Good day, ladies. I must say you all look prettier than a bouquet of rosalia." Corivana said, losing her pirate accent and flourishing her jacket behind her as she took an extravagant bow. The ladies paused and looked at her in confusion, but before any of them could blink Corivana continued. "And for your beauty, I say that you all deserve a rose just as beautiful as you are." And with that she produced a rose for each of them from somewhere on her person. The women held their delicate hand fans to their faces and giggled in turn.

When they left a few minutes later, all huddled together and glancing back at Corivana, the latter felt a rush of pleasure at watching their retreating figures. One or two of them had given her their beautifully scented silk 'kerchiefs to remember them by, and Corivana had placed them in her own brassiere. Women. She loved them enough to forget what she had been doing. With a start of realization, she made her way through town, dodging and ducking through the crowd in her rush to the pokemon center where her companion surely waited for her.



A jumble of ever-revolving emotions festered at Sophia's core and she couldn't stop herself from pacing the length of her stately dining hall. Every step was accentuated by a sharp clicking sound as the butt of her crystalline cane hit the marble flooring. Silvery blonde hair spilled out behind her and swayed with her movement, not yet braided in her rush to hear what her father had to tell her after summoning her from a dead-sleep.

"Lady Sophia, please sit and rest, you will tire yourself out before your morning meal even comes from the kitchens." One of the usually demure maids lining the walls of the dining room spoke up, and Sophia turned to look. It was Evangeline, a woman with quite a curvaceous form and a motherly aura about her. Evangeline was also one of Sophia's oldest maids, and the one who had begun to bring her books back when all she could do was lay in bed as a child.

"All but Evangeline please go take a respite before tending to your other chores." Sophia said with sharp rap of her cane against the ground. One by one the maids poured out with glances back at their lady and their fellow maid. Finally, the doors clicked shut and the room was cascaded in silence. Sophia looked her maid up and down, trying to determine if she trusted the woman with what she had to say. She needed to speak with someone.

"Evangeline. I... Lugere may go to war with Ayero." She finally said with a sigh, falling into the high backed chair at the head of the table before continuing, "I am to go to Maccus and attend the court there as a representative from Skyheart, with Neva at my side. To show that we are loyal to the throne. Evangeline... I haven't been beyond the Hoarfrost Temple, nor have I been to the cities that I will someday be the Lady of. How can I just go... all the way to Maccus? Alone?"

Evangeline strode to Sophia and took her lady's hand without a word. Sophia rose her thin eyebrows a notch, but Evangeline smiled serenely and shook her head, as if to say "all in good time." The maid led her out through the mahogany double doors of the dining hall, through the arched marble hallways with stained glass in the images of Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres and Lugia lining the walls, down the grand staircase covered in thick velvet carpet, and past the guards stationed at the impossibly big stained glass double doors that marked the main entrance into the Manor of Skyheart. The guards gave them odd looks, especially at their lady who was wearing not much more than a nightgown under her beartic fur coat and some slippers. Sophia shook her head to stave off their assistance and kept following her maid.

Suddenly, they stopped at the edge of a railed awning overlooking the nearby lands, with the Hoarfrost Temple in the distance. From here, Sophia could hear the beautiful cries of the ancient pokemon who dwelt in that temple as he started to awaken from his slumber. Evangeline pointed into the distance, towards those cries. "My Lady Sophia, that is the very reason why you must not fall to fear. Do you not hear Articuno's love for you in that song? Articuno comes for you every morning as you even step a foot outside the manor walls, and he protects you each day against inconsequential things. Sometimes, you even have to stop him before he goes too far. He is raw power in a cage, and you must exercise him wisely. To that, I say exercise him in the name of Lugere, of Maccus, and do your family proud."

'A few wise words from a maid soothed the majority of my doubts.' The thought made her smile, and she gave Evangeline a quick kiss on her cheek. Before she could thank her maid in words, a gust of wind caught both of them off-balance and they had to grip the rail to stand upright as a large swirl of blue landed in the snow next to them. When the white powder settled, they saw Neva cocking his head this way and that as he regarded Evangeline being so close to Sophia, it was almost as if he inspecting an insect that would have to be gotten rid of either by beak or talon.

Sophia ran up to to Neva, her arms wide as she hugged the arctic bird pokemon. Neva swirled it's wings and plumes around her with a happy cry. "Neva, you can't eat Evangeline so don't even think it." She whispered into his ear, and the pokemon gave a disgruntled sound in it's throat as a reply. He wasn't happy about being told what he could and could not do, but he endured it for Sophia's sake. "Neva, how do you feel about taking a trip away from here for awhile?" She looked up at his eyes and she was met with a fierce gaze. In those eyes, she could tell he was ecstatic about the thought of leaving the area. She gave his beak a stroke before turning around and pushing his wings out of her way gently.

"Alright, Evangeline, it's time to pack up. I leave today if I want to make it there before the great blizzards come down from the mountains." Sophia announced resolutely. Before she could even blink, she was escorted back inside in a flurry so that she could prepare for her journey, servants seeming to spill out of the woodwork to undress her and dress her. In the same route, an unhappy Neva was also ensconced into preparation, outfitted in his armor and saddles, with supplies for their journey packed in compact and neat into each saddle-pouch.

It was just hitting seven in the morn by the time that Sophia and Neva stood outside of the manor gates, with the entire retinue of the Skyheart servantry lined up behind her parents to give their daughter farewell. Her father, a hard man with white lining his temples, came forward with her mother, a dainty and beautiful lady with an air of grace about her.

"My daughter," He began in a voice low enough that only his wife, his daughter, and the Articuno could hear what he was saying, "Go swiftly and carefully. Neva will attract attention at every turn, so make sure to follow the map we drafted. I have letters for each of the lords or ladies you may encounter, make sure you do not lose them."

Sophia nodded obediently throughout the conversation, giving hugs to both her parents when her father finished his instructions. She turned and swung up Neva's saddle, fighting back tears in her eyes. "Sophia, take this." Her mother tip-toed up to place a small metallic object in her hands. Sophia frowned as she looked at it: it was the signet ring of her family, something she wasn't allowed to have until she turned eighteen. When she opened her mouth to question her mother, the woman had beaten her to the chase. "We may not see you before that day, so wear it proudly through your journey. It is proof of who you are beyond a doubt."

Sophia felt tears pour down her pale cheeks as she slipped on her ring, and she gave a wave for the rest of the people lined out in the cold snow. "Good bye everyone! Stay warm!" Before she could say anything else, a great flap of shimmering blue wings and chill wind propelled her away from everything she had ever known.

Commotion on near the edge of town was drawing quite the crowd. There was a vicious fight at the Chanson tavern, which was one of the rougher places in town due to its proximity with an unrecognized circus group who sat outside Nouvelle. Generally poorer than other artisans of the city, their only entertainment and time off came from booze and hooches. It wasn't just this circus group, however, as many traveling performers came to Nouvelle for recognition and a shot at fame and wealth. But with this city, everyone knew that you start out on the edge of the town, performing for the circuses or taverns, working your way into the heart of the city. Every performers' goal was to eventually find themselves on Cheviot Hill, where only the most famous and expensive talent was located. On top of that, many starving artists and writers also tried to lay a claim to fame here. Like the performers, they started out at the edge of town, selling their work for minimal pay hoping someday that they achieve success. The crowd gathered just outside the reach of debris that a crazed Ursaring caused. A few guards, armed with pikes and burly squad of Machoke, threatened anyone that came in for a closer look. A few men were arrested and pinned by the threat of death. The Ursaring that caused this was slain and lying dead just inside the tavern. The chaos that was within was quelled late the previous night and guarded up until now. They waited command from a superior on what to do with the detainees but they were in for a shock on who would give the order. -- Millicent Cheviot had been up and about earlier this morning with a training regiment that Mel and herself did every morning. It helped them both stay fit and in fighting condition. On her way back she saw that a crowd had gathered and went to investigate. It wasn't just her as father insisted an escort follow her in town and despite Milly's nature, she was okay with that. The people in this town were always looking for recognition and the people on the edge of town were the most desperate. They would never stop pestering her, or worse like threatening her, for her to recognize their talents. The guard, which consisted of four armored swordsmen, two armored Gallade, and two armored Machamp, kept a lot of those pesky beggars away. Milly approached and, like a disease, people noticed that a Cheviot was nearby and they swarmed in. The guards held firm and weren't afraid to shove anyone back. The people hollered and pleaded for Milly to read their work, watch their performance or buy their painting. Half probably didn't even know her name. "Get back you filthy lot! Lady Millicent wants nothing to do with you!" The lead guard shouted as he and the two Machamp pushed their way through the crowd, parting it. It wasn't always this bad and the closer you are to the center the better it is, but the loss of their precious tavern must have made them extra desperate. Once Milly reached the tavern, the combined guard force formed a phalanx and blocked out the commoners. Mel just behind Milly as she entered the building. "Lady Millicent!" The commanding officer at the scene sounded shocked but hastily bowed and saluted. The two other guards, guarding the prisoners did the same. "At ease boys." Milly said with slight tone of boredom. "What's the deal here? What happened?" The guard stiffened and explained the story of the brawl and how the Urasing that was lying dead had rampaged and caused most of this destruction. The detainees, as he explained, were the most violate in the brawl. After hearing the synopsis, Milly rubbed her forehead as she compiled all the data. She walked over to the largest man, likely a circus strong man and who reportedly was the instigator, and inquired about the brawl. "You started this and now you have to answer for it. Why?" She asked sternly. Despite the man's massive size, his voice wavered a bit as she spoke. "I-I wasn't the one who started it! Honest! Some punk bumped into me and sucker punched me! I swear!" Of course this guy would try to avoid blame and not face due process. Probably a bold-faced lie, seeing as how he didn't name anyone in arrested so the sucker puncher fled. Still, Milly was fair. "Very well. I'll take that into consideration. Give your description to the guard and if we find him, you'll be spared. If not, you get full blame. Until then, you wait in a cell. Five days is all I give you." The man wanted to protest more but Milly turned and addressed the guard. "Get the description and put a bounty on him. Five days and then execute whoever has full blame. Understood?" The guard stiffened again, "Understood, Lady Millicent!" Without further word, she left the tavern, having her guard force themselves through the crowd and back into the city. The harsh desert wind picked up and buffeted the small community of Bahariya. The town was bustling this early in the morning as everyone was trying to beat the day's heat. But the heat was already creeping in and people were already ducking under the shade of umbrellas and awnings. Emile Varrot, a man of Lugere, was not accustomed to the heat of the Rust Desert and underneath his Keffiyeh scarf, his head was moist with sweat. "Fuck the heat..." The man of twenty years of age said under his breath. "Fuck these sand snakes." He said in a harsh whisper as he navigated his way through the busy main street of Bahariya. Emile didn't belong here but he sure played the part. He was covered from head-to-toe, hiding his pale skin from the sun, only a thin strip showed his piercing gray eyes studying every passerby. He effectively blended in and the only dead give away that he was from somewhere else was hidden in plain sight. Emile's shadow was dark and very profound, unlike every other shadow on this street. Something was stalking him but Emile knew what it was. Darkrai crept along in Emile's shadow because he too, wanted to avoid the sun. He would only drift away from his master's side to stir any sleeping creature out of its dream with a great fright. The occasional yelp and squeal of mental agony delighted both Darkrai and his companion. Darkrai's sadistic hunger for dreams sustained him and Emile relished in his companion getting a good meal. He needed Darkrai to be at his best for what was to come. -- A few hours would pass and the party of Emile and Darkrai would achieve a few things in that time. First was a quiet raid on Morph hideout. Much to their dismay, it produced no new leads. At this point, Emile decided to abandon this worthless town. This wasn't what he had expected as somewhere in this massive desert was a small Morph community who he would just love to meet... That same day found a caravan leading away from the city and decided to sign on and hopefully escape this desert heat. The caravan was set to depart this evening when the sun's heat would be receding from these lands. So Emile found a cozy spot in one of the caravan's covered wagons and slept. Darkrai was free to wander but by he loved to occasionally come back just to haunt his companion's own dream.

Nouvelle, what a strange place to find oneself in, with it artists everywhere, all working to perform for the Cheviot family, their ambition so great, it made it a requirement for the members of the family to walk arpund town with an escort if guards to hod the rabble back. Guards he was currently trying to avoid, as he had sorta started a fight in the nearby tavern, but he couldn't help it, the guy had come up to him, all big and tough, only to go down with a couple punches. The man Ursaring hadn't liked that, and went crazy trashing the place. That was the moment when Sebastian made his escape, not wanting to lose his head for a crummy barfight gone south. Now, the Ursaring lie dead, soon to be followed by the big man that had challenged him. A pretty good way to end things, in his opinion, though it'd be better when he left the city. Currently, he was hiding on a nearby rooftop, looking down as the Cheviot woman and her guards looked around for him, though it was obvious the woman didn't believe the man and was only doing this out of courtesy. Stupid courtesy, if not for that, he'd be gone by now. 'It's fine, she is busy looking on the ground for the culprit. Nobody ever thinks to look up high for anything. Such is human nature.' And so, Sebastian waited for the eoman and her guards to leave, so he'd be able to make his escape.

Zaegar looked around cautiously as he headed closer to his destinantion. He was just about to snatch the poster off the wall when someone beat him to it and ripped the papar apart angrily tossing it to the ground. Zaegar looked in dissapointment at the shreds, seemed that whenever he got near one of these posters they always got destoryed somehow. And everytime it happened he got more and more curious to actully learn more about this "Triumvirate"

Up above in the moderately overcast Lugerian sky, one with enough skill could tell it was nearly 11AM in Nouvelle, Lugere, and that meant it was that time not only here, but in their sister-continent, Ayero, as well. Many people in this day and age started ignoring the skill of telling time by the sun in favor of the grand clocks in town squares, with all of their springs and sprockets, and gears whirling to tick down the seconds, but Lumine Solaris, Procurer of Rare Goods and Merchant Extraordinaire, did not. She had a small sundial strapped to her wrist as well, just in case, but she had found herself traveling through rugged valleys with Beartic chasing her, or hiding out in meadows with hives of Beedrill in an uproar because she had decided to snag a wee-bit of their discarded Kakuna shells more often than not. Time was a valuable thing to understand, determine, and get yourself out of danger with. Beedrill calm down at certain times of the day, and Beartic will stop chasing you if you manage to waste enough of their time. A plan will always pull together with enough persistence. And that was why she now stood in plain sight, standing next to her highly decorative and flamboyant cart, which ended up being just another part of the scenery in Nouvelle, which was known for it's art, music, and dance. Circuses lined the edge of the town, but she had managed to finagle her way closer in to the actual town with some fast trading and ass kissing. It had been worth it. From the corner of her eye she had observed a young man, some years younger than herself, after the very same thing as herself. Those fucking posters. She thought with some fraction of amusement as she took another puff of her lavender scented cigarette. Puckering her lips together, she blew out rings of smoke into the air above her. She knew, from just practical observation, that this wasn't the time of day for what they sought. Distractions were necessary, and that fight in the Chanson tavern hadn't been enough to make the locals slack in their duty to tear down the posters. The posters that would sell very, very well to the right people... Such as that young man who had been trying to get his hands on one. Was she just assuming things? Dangerous things, if she were wrong and the young man wasn't what she suspected. Could he be a lordling? An undercover agent from the King? She mused over ridiculous possibilities, possibilities that could very well happen to be the case, no matter how small the chance of them occurring. She knew that the posters would be back, no matter how many were eradicated. Nouvelle seemed to be a prime location for the mysterious Lotus Triumvirate to recruit members, and no wonder from the numerous circuses that could easily conceal Morphs within. Not many people went around to police the rougher tents on a regular basis, and they certainly didn't bring even a handful Pokemon capable of sniffing out Morphs, even if they wanted to. Having a Pokemon who stood out in this part of town was foolishness, bait to be kidnapped by any one of the foreigners and gypsies with low moral values, people who could easily slip away to another city with your valuable Pokemon in tow to sell to a lucrative buyer. Pokemon who could sniff out Morphs included Legendaries, or most Legendaries anyway, and those Pokemon belonged almost primarily to the seriously influential noble Houses, people you didn't mess with if you wanted to live to see another sunrise. Even if you could steal a Legendary, that is. They were notoriously strong, it would take a team of lesser Pokemon to take one down on a good day. Other Pokemon who could sniff out Morphs were rare, and the breed doesn't usually matter, as it is on an individual-Pokemon basis. That being said, many Stoutlands are born with the ability as Lillipups, so much so that they've become the popular go-to Morph hounds. If Lumine had to guess, around 65% of all Lillipups had the ability, a much higher rate than any other Pokemon known to date. And though she found no good part in her heart for Lillipup, Herdier, or Stoutland, she appreciated the fact that they were popular enough to be used by most every Morph-hunting team, and so they were easy to avoid. It's always easiest to evade enemies you can see coming... The other Pokemon who could sense Morphs, the rare ones, she hated with a passion. She had been nearly caught on more than one occasion by a Rhydon she passed off as ordinary, or a Tentacruel that she hadn't seen at all. She leaned back against her cart, blending into the scenery once again, as her sharp eyes followed the young man with dark hair. She planned to meet that man again so that she could make a tidy profit, one way or another. She just had to wait till the night to get a poster before it was posted. As Corivana walked up to the Pokemon Center, she noticed that something wasn't right. It was unnaturally quiet, too quiet for a place that was supposed to be a Pokemon hospital, filled with injured and recovering Pokemon. At least, she was sure it was filled, based on the Pokemon battles she had been forced to participate in growing up. The Pokemon were usually well kept by her House, but she didn't like the fact that they were used to train many aspiring Pokemon tamers and battlers in the Battle Arena here in Havenport. It was a distasteful practice, in her opinion. But it always meant this Pokemon Center was filled to the brim and noisy, with Pokemon chittering and growling at one another through the bars of their cages as they were treated by the Nurses. She rushed in, pushing the doors aside in her wake, and found total disaster. Cages were overturned, and the Pokemon that were in them at one point where all gone. The Nurses, two ladies she recognized from growing up with them, were tied up behind the receptionist counter, bound hand to foot with large wads of cloth shoved into their mouths. Corivana rushed to pluck the gags out of their mouths, and they filled in the unnatural quiet with stuttering and crying, and incoherent explanations all in a torrent over each other. “Giselle, Penelope, calm yourselves! What happened? Where are the Pokemon?” Corivana managed to lose her pirate-accent in her loosely concealed panic. Her mind raced as she waited for one of the two Nurses to compose themselves enough to tell her why this had happened, and more importantly, how. Kyo would never let this happen! Giselle, a blonde little thing with amber eyes, spoke up. “C-Co-Corivana! They took them all! They took the Great One too!” Giselle managed to get out in her high-pitched voice, before Penelope spoke over her in a much steadier tone. “They told the Great One that if it did not comply with their demands that they would slaughter all of the Pokemon here, and us as well. The Great One saved us by going with them, but how can we ever atone?” Penelope's voice went shaky near the end of her explanation, and she cast her gaze downward. Giselle followed suit, hanging her head in shame. Corivana, in her disbelief, ran up the stairs to the second floor where Kyo, her companion and friend, should have been. The room was starkly empty, the polished wooden floor pristine and gleaming by the sun streaming in through the open windows. She felt her heart pause for a moment, her breath catching in her throat. Bandits. Pokemon thieves. Bastards! They took Kyo, and the rest of the Pokemon being nursed here. But how!? How could they get in, and get out of a highly guarded town? Her mind reeled, and only one possibility came to her mind. “The had help. Insider help.” She whispered into the empty room, and she realized what that really meant. One or more of the guards in this city knew she was passing through, and sold that information to... a rival House? Pokemon thieves? And then tried to cover up the fact that they only wanted Kyogre, so they used the rest of the Pokemon and Nurses as leverage for the gentle Legendary Pokemon to obey them. That meant that whoever did this knew how Kyo couldn't just let innocent Pokemon or humans get hurt, even if it meant sacrificing itself. That meant that she was betrayed by a friend. She stomped back down the stairs, and Penelope and Giselle were propping the cages back upright and putting them back into their rightful places. “Who did this, Giselle?” Corivana's voice carried loudly across the room, causing both Nurses to jump. Corivana immediately noticed the worried glance that Penelope shot Giselle. So they're in on it too? Or just afraid to reveal who did this? Corivana was sickened. They used her home-visit to majorly screw over a lot of things. “The Queen wont be happy if I come back without Kyogre. That anger can easily extend to the rest of the Espadas. And, knowing how much the Queen adores my work, I could focus that anger directly onto your families. So!” Corivana slammed a fist down on the receptionist's counter to punctuate her statement, “Tell me what I want to know. Now.” The last word lost all emotion, and punctuated her sentence better than her fist-slamming did. The two Nurses shared glances for a silent moment, worry painted obviously across their faces. Finally, Penelope pushed her glasses up her nose and took a step forward. “Cassius let them in, Cori! I promise you, we wanted no part in this, but we couldn't stop him! He and a gang of men came, and said that taking Kyo would be for the best.” Corivana couldn't believe what she was hearing. Cassius – her very own brother – betrayed her! Sure, she had given him enough reason to dislike her, but this? This counted as treason, not only against his own House, but against the Queen! She couldn't help it, but she barked out a laugh. “Fine, let me go see why my brother thinks this is for the best.” She turned and made her way out of the Pokemon Center. She didn't need to hear any more, she knew where he would take those Pokemon. Kingler Cove, secluded and to the south of Havenport, it was an easy place to smuggle anything in or out of without interference, unless you counted the Krabby and Kingler who made their home there. If Corivana could appeal to their sense of kinship, they might even help her with retrieving Kyogre from the clutches of her traitorous brother and those thieves. It was worth a shot. Anything to rescue Kyo. Wind and sleet assailed them as they flew through the Lugerian sky high above the coastline. She had been told to follow it and to stay out of sight for as long as possible, but the cold was seeping into her very bones. She had been up here for hours and hours, and her hands were stiff against Neva's reins, and Sophia was sure she couldn't take it anymore, even with the Bond that she had with Neva to stave off the intense chill. She nudged Neva on the side of his torso with her knees, but at the same time a large chunk of hail knocked her in the side of the head, knocking her unconscious atop Neva's saddle. The only thing keeping her from plummeting to the earth below were the straps across her legs, holding her in. From below her, Neva gave a frightful cry and started descending in swooping circles. When his claws touched the ground below, he found himself on the edge of a forest road bordering the rocky coastline that bordered the Barrier Sea on the Lugere side. No sandy beaches were found, and instead coarse gravel and rocks dominated the coast. He could feel Sophia flopping around on top of him, and tried to turn his body this way and that to reach the buckles that kept her held to his saddle. He needed to know that his Sophia was okay. To any passerby, it probably would have looked comical, but Neva was giving off increasingly distressed noises as all of his attempts failed.

"You look like you know where those damnable poke theives are headed." A voice called out to Corvianna from the shadows of pokemon shelter. A man stepped out of the shadows and quickly fell in step beside the pirate woman. Hewas tall and had a well muscled frame, covered head to toe in well-used plate armor with his helmet being held in his left hand. His face was somewhat handsome, with sharp, angular jaw line, piercing blue eyes,and a shining smirk on his face. His hair was short, straight, and colored like gold, making his blue eye shine out even more. A detracting factor, however, was an old burn he had that started at his right cheek and travelled downwards to his neck, an ugly characteristic put one good look,at the way the man held himself, and it was clear he was proud of it. "Good thing too, because those assholes have my Haxorus, Axia, as well. So if you don't mind, I will be following you to where these theives are, so It'd be a waste of breath trying to stop me, and a waste trying to lose me. I make a living tracking down morphs, so don't think I can't track one human woman. Besides," John laughed as he lifted his mace, an intimidating weapon made of a strange black metal, the blades that circled the top of it being edged with a red color, and placed it on his shoulder. On his back was a large shield, though the metal was strang and seemed to have strange ridges and bumps along the face of it. "I doubt they're unarmed and taking on a bunch of bandits by yourself is tantamount to suicide." John smirk never dropped from his face, but one could tell from a look in his eyes and the drumming of his fingers against his greaves that he was truly worried for his partner and was quite desperate to find them.

The pair had been looking for an inlet all week so Piscis could follow him upriver and too a town. Not that it mattered any, they were broke and had absolutely no money to their name, being a masterless made him automatically a figure of distrust among some of the noble houses and they would not hire someone they didn't trust, so the pair had been making camp on the coast with him camping just beyond the tree line at night and him trying to walk along the rocky beaches. Garet supposed walking among the damp rocks and balancing on them would make him a better fighter, and they did keep in his mind sharp as he had to look down sometimes to find the right balance. Somewhere above him he heard a sharp cry and the sounds of Piscis splashing into the waves so she could disappear, both of them not wanting to fight a bird pokemon when it came down to swoop for them. This bird pokemon did not come swooping down on him, instead it landed a good distance away and even at this distance he could see that it was one of the legendarys and it was in distress, he quickly ran for the bird nearly tripping over several rocks before he reached it and in a soothing voice and showing it his hands he spoke. "It's alright I'm here to help. What's the matter?" When he saw it was reaching for buckles on it's side he moved up to it trying to avoid getting knocked over, if he wasn't scared that the thing would take his head off he would be in a state of awe. He reached for the buckles looking to see if the bird would allow him.

Korrigan was walking the forest road along the Barrier coast, traveling towards the capital to respond to the king's summons, when he heard a familiar cry coming from nearby. 'Wait a minute, is that Neva? What's he doing here?' Neva was the legendary guardian for House Skyheart, and his master is Sophia Skyheart, so if he was here and making that kind of noise, that meant the Sophia was there as well and she must be in some kind of trouble. Korrigan moved quickly, coming upon Neva screeching and moving about and another man appearing to try and calm the bird down. But what immediately caught Korrigan's attention was Sophia's limp body, as she wasn't moving at all, with some blood running down the side. Korrigan quickly ran past the man, not waiting or asking for permission as he went to unbuckle Sophia, his eye's filled with a good amount of worry for one of the few friends he had in the world. His eye's glanced at the other man, wondering if he was the cause of this, but quickly deciding against the notion. If that man had done it, he'd have been an bloody mess on the ground right now. "Neva, quit moving already, you'll make what ever damage that has been done worse by flopping her around like that." If Neva stopped, than Korrigan would gently remove Sophia from the saddle and lay her on the ground, placing her head on a tree root to keep it elevated. He'd then reach into his pack to pull out some basic medical supplies. Nothing much, just some bandages and oran berry salve, but it was better than nothing and should be fine until they get her to a more practiced healer. Once he had the wound dressed, he'd turn to the man he'd found trying to help. "Do you have any idea how this happened?"

Milly had hardly touched her portion of the breakfast feast that sat before her. She was to busy focused on what her father had just told her to do. "You want them jailed for something they can't control? Why? That isn't fair to them and you know it!" Milly said with the last bit sounding convincingly as if she had just been offended. Milly's father, Maurice, a balding of a man with a plump belly, rose his hand in defense as if Milly was going to lash out and attack him. "I'm not making the call, Millicent!" He paused and threw back the rest of his wine, causing Milly to roll her eyes. "You know I'm fair to all and that's a rare thing in this age, but we can't just do whatever we want! We have to obey the King, even if we may disagree!" He leaned back in his chair after his brief lecture and rubbed his goatee as if contemplating his words. "You know how forgiving King Garroth has been when other lords would have our heads for simply hosting audiences from Ayero." Maurice added in a hushed whisper as if they were being spied on. "What we do now will be reported to those in Maccus and if it is not to standards. We can't half-ass this so even though it may sound excessive, we have to do it." He finally finished and leaned back stroking his chin again, waiting for his daughter's response. Milly glanced down at her father and then over to Mel who was politely eating across the table from Milly. She had been quietly eating and minding her own business but Milly knew she was listening and already knew her opinion without even asking. Thankfully they were the only three present for breakfast at the moment, otherwise this conversation wouldn't be happening. "So who was he?" Milly asked quietly, which made Maurice lean forward in his chair and tilt his head as if he hadn't heard her. "Who was the traitor?" She said again only louder and bring her attention back to her father. Maurice cocked one eyebrow if he had wondering that himself but he picked up the parchment on the table and scanned it quickly, just to be sure he had read it right. "Tyris Varrot." He said plainly, like the name meant nothing to him. Milly chortled and stuck her hand out for the letter. Maurice passed it to her and she quickly read it.

Lord Maurice Cheviot of Nouvelle,

As of the day of the new moon (One week ago) came to pass, a traitor to my rightful claim to my empire had come to light. Tyris Varrot was discovered to be a Morph and introduced as one of the Lotus Triumvirate by his son, Emile Varrot. Emile has been name acting lord of Runswick Keep and Trevenant's Hollow and all other Varrot claims. Effective immediately. Tyris is in my custody and is being interrogated for information on the Lotus Triumvirate. Until such time that the Lotus Triumvirate is no longer a concern and I deem so, you and all holdings must interrogate and imprison ALL Morphs. Any Morph under suspicion of being connected to the Lotus Triumvirate is to be executed immediately. Failure to uphold my command is treason and will not be taken lightly. Signed and Authorized,

King Garroth of Maccus, Imperator Aeternus Eternus

Milly tossed the paper onto her table, visibly upset. Maurice rose from his perch and took a step towards his daughter but she shot an arm up to halt him. "Fine." Was the only word that came from her mouth as she got to her feet started heading out the door. Mel was quick to follow with a bit of a spring in her step. They were going to lead this Morph hunt at the bequest of Maurice Cheviot, lord of Nouvelle and a complete coward for many reasons. Nouvelle's city guard, most of them at least, was mobilized and joining them was several cohorts of levies and volunteers. Milly and Mel paced through their ranks as if inspecting them, but Milly was lost in thought and Mel was probably just showing off. Milly reached the front of the cohorts and eyed them all. They were armed well and each cohort had several hounds of various breeds to sniff out the Morphs. Most were non-threating like lillipup and its evolutions but at the head of each cohort were two special Houndooms, bred for pursuing, hunting, and killing game but they also had the ability to smell out Morphs. Joining Milly at the front of the cohorts was her own guard and a few other officials for the city and thankfully one of those was Nouvelle's Pokemon Trainer, Ursa. She was a grizzled old veteran and Milly's role model. "Your father is only trying to give you experience. I wouldn't get so worked up about it." Ursa said in calmly, her voice rough and unfeminine as you'd expect. "He's a coward for making me do his dirty work." Milly spat as she rose her hand to call the men to attention. "You all have your assignments! Go and do it!" Milly called out and the men and women obeyed immediately. It would take only a few minutes for the armed bands to vanish from sight. Almost all the Morphs in this city were out in the circus camps and each cohort was assigned to one camp. Milly and her guard would assist and oversee the operation. "Well we aren't getting any younger, we should make way for Emboare's camp." Ursa suggested as she stretched her old bones. Milly didn't respond but she did start heading that way. Emboare's camp was one of the larger ones so it was probably best to start there. So far the camp and the surrounding area had been undisturbed as the cohort assigned to it circled around to force anyone trying to escape back into the city to hopefully be caught by the guards around the perimeter of the actual city. Milly and her group had gathered and waited a moment, listening for the signal. For awhile only the sounds of music could be heard as most people tended to avoid milling around a large group of armed figures. Finally after another few minutes, some cries, screams and vicious sounding barks were heard from the far side of the camp. The hunt for Morphs had began.

Zaegar stirred himself from his stupor when he heard the unmistakeable sound of many many marching boots. He turned and quickly moved through the winding streets curious to see what was going on. Unsurprisingly he saw a large amount of assembled men gathered together, but what was surprising what, from what little he heard, was that a Morph hunt was going. This had never happened before, sure they were frowned upon and mistreated sometimes but it had never been taken to this scale before. Zaegar cursed and retreated to the rooftops, he would find who was responsible for this and take care of them, no doubt it wouldn't stop the hunt but perhaps at the very least he could delay it. He briefly considered going outside the city and warning the morph camps but as he looked the soilders ran by charging for the camps, there was no way he would make it in time to make a difference. He saw one group that seemed more heavily armed than the others and had one of the nobles in it, the one that called Milly. Zaegar's lips curled in a silent snarl, he watched the group from the shadows and waited for a chance to take out the noble. It didn't matter if she had started it, she had to have had a part in it, and anything he could do to burden the noble folk he would do gladly.

"Hey idiot, don't do what I know you're about to do. Unlike you, I like my head attached to my body, something that won't happen if you try and kill that woman." Sebastian said as he saw the dark haired youth jump on to his roof, cursung Quazar for takong so long to get here, and the Cheviot woman for suddenly deciding to go on a damn Morph hunt. "Look, I don't know if you're a sympathizer or a Moroh yourself, and I honestly don't care, but please take yoyr suicidal attempts at justice to another roof, please."

Zaegar leapt down his face easily assuming that of a naive, curious, and slightly confused kid. "Sorry mister but I'm not looking for justice or anything and I'm certainly not trying to commit suicide." He said as he slowly came closer to the group of people. "I was just wondering if any of you know who started the Morph Hunt, i would love to meet such a courageous person." Zaeger stated, his admiring child voice perfected from experience. Of course he suspected that "Milly" was behind this and would likely end up trying to kill her regardless of what was said but if he could find the prime source of this idiotic action then all the better. His armory of knives was well covered by his cloak and he hoped that the musky herbs he rubbed on himself would distract whatever Morph detection they had long enough for him to accomplish his goal. Zaeger's hatred was well hidden behind his innocent mask but none the less he could barely control the anger that was causing his fists to just barely tremble.

Garet shook his head. "This articuno landed moments ago, your guess is as good as mine at this point." He said, kneeling down by the girl, this man bothered him deeply. Something about him put the knight off perhaps it was the eyes but then he was just another man, the knights hand stayed on the hilt of his blade just in case while this man was around. The knight crouched down by the girl taking in the head injury. He sighed and spoke once more. "If she was flying, and she has a head injury i mean something had to hit her." He said, and he open his mouth to speak once more but the sound of distant splashing brought him out of it. "Excuse me." He said, and walked off towards the beach. As he met with his Magikarp he noticed she seem distressed and noticed a pelipper in the distance, so he picked her up with much effort and walked with the squirming fish all the way back towards the Articuno and put her in a small little pool of stagnant water. "Don't get any funny ideas." He said, both to the Articuno and the stranger.

Korrigan "Too late, just had one and it's hilarious." Korrey joked as he stood up, dusting himself off as he looked down at Sophia, a worried expression over taking his momentary mirth. "She's alive, but we should probably get her to some place safe soon. Oh, wait, I've been rude haven't I." Koirrey turned to face the man, giving a wave and a small bow as he introduced himself. "My name is Korrigan Umbraisis, and this-" He snapped his fingers, causing the shadows of the forest to stretch over to his and grow into a huge, dark mass before it burst open, revealing Shade's giant form with a mighty shriek. "-is my partner Shade, who9 is an over dramatic bastard." Korrey finished with a rather tired tone in his voice, indicating this wasn't the first time he had to deal with this. Turning back to the man, who was probably just a little freaked by this, he gave a small bow in apology. "I'm sorry if Shade shocked you with that, he has a flare for the dramatic. So, I've told you my name, how about you tell me yours. And the name for your magic carp, which I must say is an interesting choice for a companion." Korrey said, giving the red fish a look before returning his attention to the man, appearing to be at complete ease to all but the most trained eye. He wasn't going to let his guard down against this guy, especially with Sophia unconscious just behind him. Sebastian Sebastian rolled his eyes at the dark haired youth's attempt to weasel out information, and his lack of paying attention to details or knowing his targets. Everyone who's anyone know stat the Cheviots are some of the more Morph friendly of the nobles around, something that tends to put them at odds with the king and the ever radical House Umbraisis. Taking that into account, as well as the look of displeasure on the Cheviot woman's face, one could tell that this was clearly an action forced by the king. What the motive was behind it, probably something to do with the Lotus Triumvirate. "Use your head and figure it out, kid, the answer is right in front of your face, you just have to look for it. And cut the act, you're fists are shaking and the attitude doesn't match your face. Especially your eyes, nobody with eyes like your acts like that. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I'll take advantage of this action to escape the city, as I'm kinda wanted by the guards or a little tussle at the tavern." With that Sebastian walked away from the raven haired youth, moving in the shadows towards the outskirts of town and trying his best to avoid the guards as they went to raid the morph camps. 'Okay, I'm actually glad Quazar isn't here. One look at this, and things would not be pretty.'

Garet was mildly surprised about Shades arrival but he did not let it show on his face, but by the way he grasped his sword one could know. When he realized it was no threat he released his sword and nodded to the stranger. "I am Garet, and my friend is Piscis. We are trying to make our way to the city perhaps we can find work there." He said, looking over at his Magikarp he smiled at the little red fish and looked back at Korrgian. "But we are kind of limited in our way of travel, seeing as she doesn't have feet she isn't as mobile across land as I'd like we've been trying to find somewhere to head inland from for a couple days. But still she is my only friend and family so I would not abandon her." He said, reaching down and patting the fishes top spike and going quiet.

He remained quiet for quite sometime before looking at Korrigan and Shade once more. "It's not everyday someone has a god in their company, are you a noble of some sort? Your family name sounds familiar yet unfamiliar." He said, nothing appearing on his face nothing that could betray him and end up with his head on the chopping block. If he knew any nobles he knew they were very picky and that they would kill for the slightest infraction, not that he cared if he died but the thought of leaving Piscis alone bothered him he wouldn't let that happen.

Lumine ducked her head into her cart of goods, but her attentions were on the fact that the hustle and bustle of the milling crowds and performers changed as a foreboding atmosphere permeated the normally rambunctious and lively city of Nouvelle. Something was amiss, even that dark haired youth sensed it and disappeared from sight. Something was very, very... amiss.

Without preamble, she casually grabbed her cart by it's handles and pulled it along behind her at a slow pace. Inside her chest her heart beat like the wings of a flock of Taillows as they took to the sky, and she forced her feet to not take off with her heart. She knew at this time even looking suspicious would end badly for her. Here's hoping this smelly cigarette does it's job for me. She thought nervously as a large cohort of armed men and women passed through exactly where she had been less than a minute ago, with a pair of Houndooms leading the way.

Lumine veered off towards the inner parts of the city, down a small side street and away from the tents of the circus. She didn't know what was happening, but she wanted to be as far from that activity as possible. Unfortunately for her, she knew she wouldn't be welcomed in the inner city either. Too many people with their noses in the air as they played their instruments, or sang atop stages while they attempted to brown nose with each other to gain more influence and status. Her only true course of action was to exit into the forest as fast as possible, or stay put in the alleyways so she could escape this death-trap of a city during nightfall.

Sniff. Sniff.

She was brought out of her thoughts by an odd noise coming from the mouth of the alleyway just ahead of her. She was sure she heard it. Sniffing. Almost on instinct she had ducked behind her cart and peeked one eye out from her hiding spot.

The face of a Stoutland emerged from around the corner of the alley ahead of her, and it's ears shot up as it looked directly at the cart. Lumine held her breath, but she was almost sure of it. The little mutt knows. An armored guard appeared at the mouth to reach down and pat the Stoutland who was standing rigidly, staring pointedly at the cart standing apparently all by it's lonesome in the alleyway. "Good find Hein, what is this?" She heard the friendly voice of the guard question his Pokemon companion, then the familiar sound of metal clanking together as he made his way to the cart slowly.

Lumine ducked all the way back behind her cart, her back pressed flat against it and her eyes shut as she fervently thought of a way out of this situation. What do I have at my disposal? Uhhh, a rare magma rock, some flint, no tinder... Should I just abandon the cart and run? Could they even catch me? Losing my goods... No! I can't abandon her. She ran a comforting hand along her cart's wooden surface. Glancing down at her legs, she gave a short prayer that they would be able to handle what was coming.

She stood up just as the guard reached her cart, and he flinched in surprise at her appearance. She still held her lavender scented cigarette in her mouth, and a small bundle of bunched up cloth in her arms to secure the image that she had just been sorting her cart out. She faked surprise across her face, and laid the bundle down in the top portion of her cart. "May I help you, sir...?" She asked, letting the sentence trail out as meekly as possible.

"Uh, yes, we're looking for Morphs or suspicious characters in the area. What are you doing in--" Before he could truly finish his sentence, his Stoutland, Hein, began to bark and growl viciously at Lumine. He looked down at his Pokemon, then back up at Lumine with a flare in his eyes - only to be met with her foot as she slammed it directly into his chest and sent him reeling backwards for a couple paces before he managed to catch his balance. His Stoutland was already trying to tackle Lumine in response, but she grabbed a stout cast iron pan from her cart and dropped it very bluntly onto the poor Pokemon's head, knocking it out temporarily.

She swung her hand down to retrieve her pan, but thought better of it. It would weigh the Pokemon down even if it woke up soon, but it really soured her mood to lose valuable merchandise. Quality cast iron was difficult to come by! With a growl, she grabbed her cart by it's handles and rushed out of the alley way the way she had come, hoping that the guard would value the well-being of his Stoutland more than chasing her.

When she nearly screeched around the corner in her haste, she began to hear the sounds from the circus camps outlining the city. Cries, vicious growling and metal against metal. "It's a culling! Blood and bloody ashes!" She cursed, and her eyes darted around for some sort of vista of safety. The only thing she could think of to do at this point was head to the roof tops, but where to hide her cart?

That was when she saw it: A cusp of bushes, out of the way and memorable enough for her to return to to retrieve her cart. She pulled her cart in, and began to lock all of the compartments she could remember to lock in her haste, threw a dull brown linen sheet over the top and rushed out of the cusp. She was sure that it would be okay. Nobody would pay attention to it with all the rest of this chaos ensuing. It was her best hope.

She scaled the nearest building and laid low against it's rooftop. Just moments later from below her she heard the clank of metal and barking as the guard and his Stoutland rushed past. She let out a long sigh. She had just barely managed to escape, but staying here wasn't going to do her any good for much longer. She had to get further into the city and out of sight.

Today was going to be a painfully long day.




Corivana's eye glanced back at this newcomer with the odd burn that only slightly diminished his strikingly good looks, and she narrowed it as he half-threatened, half-reasoned with her that he should come with her, and wouldn't take no for an answer. "Aye mate, even if ye no did be speakin' all yer nonsense, if ye come with ta be takin' yer Pokemon back, I do no be 'avin' a hissy fit over it. The more the merrier, and ye seem ta be able ta 'andle that mace there well enough ta be puttin' a few 'oles in their masts." She said, her pirate-accent strongly laced with her anger at the situation.

She paused momentarily during her speech to look him over. "We do be 'eadin' ta Kingler Cove, mate. And if ye be lucky enough ta live at the end o' all this, I will be 'avin' ta take ye ta dinner as thanks. After all, me blood-brother do be the idiot that 'as decided ta steal our Pokemon." She decided that leaving out important information that could piss off this weird stranger later was unwise. "Iffin' ya know that now, mate, do ye still be wantin' ta work with the blood-sister o' a dirty Pokemon swiper?" Her single eye stared directly into his blue ones with a fiery intensity.




Neva grew still while Korrigan retrieved Sophia from where she had been strapped to the saddle slung across his back. The arctic bird Pokemon had no true amount of love for Korrigan Umbrasis, as he was a man and therefore untrustworthy, but Neva knew Sophia was friends with this particular human. The other human, however...

Neva's fierce eyes followed the stranger, another man much to the Articuno's woe, but this stranger seemed somewhat more genuine than Korrigan Umbrasis. After all, just moments ago the stranger had tried to help Sophia... or was he trying to rob them? Neva swooped his wings around Sophia's limp body protectively as she lay on the ground, his eyes all the while following the unfamiliar human and Korrigan.

When the stranger, Garret by his name, brought over a Magikarp, a silly little Pokemon that Neva knew not to underestimate by what it would eventually evolve into, he told both Korrigan and himself not to get any funny ideas. The Articuno couldn't help but scoff through his beak, a small indignant little noise that was filled with pride. He wouldn't touch the scaly little fish even if it provoked him. Gyarados were not Pokemon that Neva preyed upon, and in his long life Neva had seen many Magikarp evolve during the midst of danger into that raging monster, which was usually more trouble than it was worth.

Sophia stirred, hearing the noises of conversation and the soft lap of water against rocks nearby. She blunk her eyes open against the sun that was barely shadowed by Neva's wings and the shadowy figures of two people. "Unn... Where am I? What's going on?" She said weakly, one of her thin hands coming up to shade her face. With a start, she pulled it away as she felt bandages across her temples. Her eyes widened and she struggled to sit up so she could inspect the rest of her body. She blunk against the brightness, and the familiar form of Korrigan Umbrasis, one of her better friends, came into view. "Korrey...?" She mumbled incoherently.

Sebastian had been making his way towards the outskirts of the city when he happened on a confrontation between a merchant woman and a guard, one that quickly turned sour as she launched an assault against him when the Stoutland sniffed her out to be a Morph. From the shadows, he watched as she quickly hid her cart before leaving the area, the guard and Stoutland coming just as she disappeared up into the rooftops.

Well, well, what a wonderful opportunity that has been presented to me. Sebastian thought with a mischievous grin, sneaking his way to the hastily hidden cart, reaching into his pack to pull out his lock picking gear as he approached. Good thing to, as it had been locked, though so hastily that he could easily break into a few compartments, taking a few of the shinier looking bits and baubles, such as a few evolutionary stones, some regular jewels, and even a quick claw.

After he had gotten all he could risk taking, putting it in a hidden compartment inside of his pack, he re locked everything and made for the forest that surrounded the city again, at a much more hurried pace. He still made sure to keep to the shadows, but he knew that some morphs had a damn good nose, so he didn't want to risk sticking around long enough for her to find him. He did put down some liquified shavings of Quazar's scales, the scent of the Legendary very much overpowering his own, over and around the area of the cart, but that still didn't guarantee anything.

He would make it to the forest a few minutes after leaving the scene of his crime, in which he would take flight through the trees, moving as swiftly as an Ambipom through the branches away from the city towards a campsite he had made a few leagues away from the city. He really hoped that Quazar would come by soon, as he didn't want to be at that camp if the Morph did end up finding his trail.

John Flares

"I see, a family dispute is it? Damn shame Axia had to get caught up in all of this, but at least it gives me an excuse to bash in some skulls. Your brother's can be one of them, if you don't mind, or do you want to save that honor for yourself." John said with a smile as he stared back into her eyes, the concern that had filled them before warring with the madness that was starting to rear its ugly head, causing the the drumming of his fingers to take on a violent, yet rhythmic pace as he turned to look forward.

He made a gesturing motion for her to lead the way with the hand that held the mace, the sunlight glinting of the sharp, blood red edges. "Please lead the way, as I'm not familiar with the area. Also, my names is John Flares, in case you're wondering, and would you please tell me yours. It's always best to know the names of the people you go to battle with."

Korrigan Umbrasis and Shade

Shade puffed himself up as Garet called him a god, causing Korrey to rolls his eyes and elbowed the legendary, receiving a half-hearted peck in response.

"I'm a noble in name, if not manner, and the fact that you are only vaguely familiar with my house means you must've really been out of the loop, wherever it is you lived, since House Umbraisis is one of the oldest and most influential of the Lugereian Noble Houses, as well as the house that reigns over the Lugerian Military. Shade here is the family guardian, Yveltal, and my companion since I was chosen as a little boy. But that aside, pleasure to meet you."

Korrey may have gone on from their, but he heard Sophia shifting behind him, so he quickly turned to see if she was alright. "Glad to see you join the land of the living Sophia, now can you tell me how you got injured? Do you think you can get up, as we should really get you to a healer. I did my best to patch you up, but my medical knowledge is severely lacking." Korrey smiled at her, before turning back to Garet and Picis. "If you want, you're free to join us, Garet, at the more the merrier I always say."

Shade, seeing as how there was presently no need for him anymore, slipped away into Korrey's shadow.

@Aphelion
@Enalais