[b][u][color=f49ac2][h3][center]~Melody Hemlock~[/center][/h3][/color][/u][/b]

[color=fff79a]“Okay, let’s do that. Be careful though, no playing ‘hero’ if this goes wrong,” [/color]said Ryley.

Melody nodded vigorously. Well, yeah, of course... she might have made a startlingly reckless decision with the whole "lead the Onix away... with YOUR BODY" thing earlier, but honestly, she wasn't too big on unneccessary risk-taking.

It was just... Abigail had been in [i]danger.[/i]

[color=fff79a] “Stay in this bush,”[/color] he continued to his Chikorita. [color=fff79a]“Don’t move unless I tell you to.”[/color]

They lay in the dirt like that for a few seconds. Gross. But as time crawled by, it started to feel… like there was hope. Maybe she wouldn’t die after all.

But here’s the thing. Sometimes the universe decides it likes you, and you [i]don’t[/i] get eaten by the giant rock snake. Sometimes you get lucky like that.

This… was not one of those times.

Fuck you too, universe.

And how did Melody know that the universe had officially decided that she and Ryley were, in fact, done for? Well… Avery showed up.

She had nothing against Avery personally, of course. In fact, she rather liked him. He was the type of guy who was incredibly difficult to dislike, and he [i]had[/i] defused the fight between Abigail and Peggy. And he'd even supported Abigail in her decision to go to Blackthorn... which was out of the question, for now.

But sometimes, suffice it to say, Avery was [i]not[/i] the person you wanted to appear out of the blue. Actually, Melody wasn't sure she wanted [i]anyone[/i] to appear out of the blue. She'd been touched by Ryley coming to help her, but when it came down to it... she'd been trying to lead the Onix away from the group! The whole point of the exercise had been to have the majority of the group go in a different direction, away from the Onix... right?

Of course, Avery was a particularly bad person to be showing up. Why? Well...

[color=f9ad81]“NO! Give them back! GIVE THEM BACK!”[/color]

Yeah, they were all done for. Or at least, Avery was.

She hadn’t closed her eyes, and stared in horror at the sight before her. Avery, trying to fight the Onix. Nope. Avery, throwing a rock at the Onix, which it then ate. Nope.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

If she was perfectly honest, Melody was not okay with this development. But on the other hand… she didn’t want to give away her and Ryley’s position, either. Torn, and paralyzed by indecision, she bit her lip. What should she do? How could she protect Ryley and Avery at the same time?

Was there even the slightest chance that she’d be able to see Abigail again?

Thankfully, she didn’t have to answer the majority of these questions, because it was just then that Ryley —who Melody was starting to think was some kind of genius— tossed a pokeball at the Onix.

“We’re not dead! Quick, hide or play dead, or something!”

Well, that sounded like one hell of a good plan to Melody. [color=f49ac2]“Good idea with the pokeball, there,”[/color] she whispered, and then quickly shut up, trying to remain still. Very, very still.

And hopefully Avery would do the same… right? [i]Right?[/i]