RyuHll

In Times of Darkness

It wasn't long before Feris saw another figure shoot out from the trees. It was a smaller dragon, not built for the same style of fighting as his own was. Quicker and more agile. While the storm dragons weren't slow by any length, they were easily outstripped in speed by the air dragons.

He crossed his arms, watching the dragon come towards them. It was definitely fast. He wouldn't trade Arnna Suula for anything, though. It matched him perfectly. He grinned a bit once he could see the girl atop the beast's back. He held up a hand in greeting before hearing her statement. He offered a bow, as best he could from the back of his own dragon. “It is an honor to meet you, Celer Ventus,” he offered with a smile. “This here is Arnna Suula. Stormbreath, in human tongue.” The last bit was offered to Krissie. It could be seen as a shot at her ancestry, but he didn't mean it as such. He knew Elven tongue could be hard for humans to master. He wasn't sure how hard it would be for Krissie to pronounce the name as a half-elf.

With introductions done, he pointed out towards where they had first been dropped off. “Shall we go? I'm sure our masters are awaiting our return,” he said. “We'll need to celebrate with our new companions.” He rubbed the side of Suula's neck as he said this, smiling down at his dragon.

It's some kind of madness, that started to evolve!

Leon looked curious at her comment, his blush having faded over time. They would see which one of them is the best? Did she mean through battling each other or as a result of their battle with Brock? He supposed he'd find out. He didn't really want to face Rasca in battle. As much as it pained him to say it, at their current level, he thought he'd win. Their Pokemon had similar training up until this point. The problem was, Leon had her outgunned and the type advantage in at least one case.

Ah, well, it wasn't worth worry about it. He grinned a bit at her mention of treats. "I can actually make some if we can find the ingredients. I've been studying up on it in preparation for this," he said. "If not, though, the Pokemart will have plenty to choose from."

In Times of Darkness

Feris was, of course, wary of the new occurrence. While he didn’t show it, he knew what the spiders meant. He had mix feelings of it, though. On one hand, it was a chance to prove himself, separating himself from his father. On the other hand, it would risk the whole of the country. The cons outweighed the benefits of another outbreak from the Darkness. That didn’t change their quest, though. The dragons were calling to them. They were waiting for them to arrive.

A roar pierced the silence. He looked to his partner and found that she had already taken off. The elf chased after her, dashing quickly to keep up with her. It wasn’t hard. While she did have the superior strength and speed of a half-elf, his was still greater, not having the human side to weigh him down. Of course, where his strength and speed surpassed her, her durability would pass him. For all of the hatred and reject they received, they were the most balanced of the races he knew of. Regardless, his speed kept him in pace with her, only a step behind.

Until he heard another roar, though. This one wasn’t a booming roar like the other, but one that crashed through the crevices of his mind. Strangely enough, he knew where it came from. He had slowed to a stop, looking in that direction. Then, he was off once more. He shot through the forest like an arrow, vaulting over a large root of a tree, his feet carrying him towards where he knew his true partner awaited.

As he approached a clearing, he slid beneath another root, overgrown and sticking from the ground. Rolling to his feet, he darted out again, his steps silent from years of chases and hunts through these types of forests. His pace, once again, slowed, however. He was approaching the edge of the tree line. It was a clearing, a small spring dwelling within. That wasn’t what slowed his step, though. It was the large gray eye staring out at him. It was almost like a large cat’s eye, but it held a great deal more intelligence. His smile betrayed his mood at seeing him. Instead of stepping forward, he held his hand out. “I heard you,” he said softly. “You were calling for me.”

The beast’s eye closed, its head nudging towards him as the snout pressed into his palm. In that instant, he could understand him. The dragon’s voice echoed inside of his head. ”I am glad you came, Feris.” It introduced itself, its name a garble of syllables impossible to both human and elven tongue.

The name had a common sound, though. Feris smiled brighter at that. “It is nice to meet you, Arnna Suula,” he spoke the name in Elven, liking the ring of it. Stormbreath. It was fitting for a StormDragon. “I shall look forward to working and fighting alongside you, Astaldar.” The term was used to describe the dragon’s appearance, a valiant beast of power.

The dragon snorted in response to the second name. ”Flattery will get you nowhere, pointy ears,” its voice boomed. ”The valiant ones are the ones who came before me. The ones who fought the Darkness. I am simply a pup compared to them.”

Feris was surprised by the humility, always having thought dragons would enjoy the attention. At this, though, he gave a nod. “Well, before anything, perhaps we should find my other partner. There was a girl who came in with me. We separated when I heard your voice,” he explained.

The dragon gave a nod. ”She has found her pact partner. We shall take to the sky and meet them,” it replied. It lowered itself, the silvery scales of the beast glittering even in the darkness. Feris smiled a bit, approaching his new friend and quickly climbing atop its back. With a booming roar, signaling to Krissie and Celer Ventus that they were taking off, it flapped its mighty wings, taking to the sky and shooting out through the trees that blotted out the sun.

Arnna Suula

It's some kind of madness, that started to evolve!

Leon's face colored ever so slightly as her hand came to rest atop his. He glanced away quickly, hiding his embarrassment and let his hand drop from her shoulder. He gave a nod at her assessment, already agreeing with it. Two Nidorans could probably take Brock. Nidoran could learn Double Kick, a move that was already super effective against rock-type Pokemon. Their advantage was only added to when you put in Bulbasaur and Oddish. They would be fine, without the need of a third member. He just felt odd having three Pokemon when she only had two. He knew Rasca was competitive. It was part of the reason he wanted to get away from Yellow's hut rather than accepting the praise.

His thoughts were interrupted as she posed her question, though. He raised an eyebrow for a moment, considering it. "Wouldn't hurt," he replied. "Even if we come out without having to use them, I'm sure they'll help while we traveling between cities with no Pokecenter in sight." His smile faded as he scratched the back of his head as he came back upon his previous line of thought. "I...kind of wanted to apologize for back at the hut, though. I don't know what Yellow sees in me, but I don't think I can beat Red or Blue or any of them alone. I think her praise was a bit much. I'm just knowledgeable. I think you're a better battler than I could be." His smile returned, sheepish as he commented on her skill. "I think she's being a bit overzealous about it." He glanced away again, more unsure about this line of thought. He had begun to think on why Yellow would have helped him and, given what he was able to do, he had formed a theory. How true that theory was could still be debated, though.

It's some kind of madness, that started to evolve!

Leon smiled a bit at their antics. "Well, I suppose we should follow after them," he said with a shrug. Nido rushed off, Oddish on its back. The small Nidoran had taken to caring for the grass type, even carrying it around until she was sure it was fully healed. Charmander had remained by Leon, keeping a steady pace behind him as they walked after the group. It was a rather diverse party at this point. Nido had taken to mothering his other caught Pokemon and Charmander seemed to have a thing for positioning himself at Leon's side. Oddish was a little bit scared most of the time, but it appeared to be getting comfortable with his other Pokemon.

As he caught up with Rasca, he placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling a bit. "Are you trying to catch another Pokemon before we leave? Or do you just want to make straight for Pewter City. Bulbasaur and Superior will have an easy time with the gym's rock types," he explained. "I'm relying on Oddish and Nido on my end." It seemed he was planning to enter the battles to now. He had sounded like he wasn't going to previously.

In Times of Darkness

Feris was quiet, listening to her description. It was curious. An air and a fire dragon almost contradicted each other. A fire dragon would perceive a fierce, fiery temper. Strong offense overall. She didn't seem the type to want that. So...perhaps the air dragon was what masked her hidden potential. It was a lesser well known dragon, faster but weaker. A fast and fierce attack would be something promising in a Guardian. Not that it counted for much, but he approved of the choice. It was interesting, at the least, and would be sure to be proven useful.

As they hit the webs, his eyebrow rose in curiosity. "Think about what? We go forward," he stated. "We don't have much of a choice." He bent down and picked up a stick, using it to take the webs and move them to the sides. He stood to the side, allowing his partner to pass first. "Just try to ignore the webbing. I'm sure we'll figure out what's causing this soon." At least, he hoped so. He was curious as to why the spiders would be more populous now. It could be a number of reasons. However, the dragons were less needed now. It could easily be their absence that allowed this growth. It was something that he truly hoped wasn't the case.

It's some kind of madness, that started to evolve!

Leon was quick to get them out of the house. Nido had went with Superior, the two coming back rather quickly and letting the group get out with their stuff packed. As they all got outside, he let out a small sigh. "We should be good now," he said. "If we keep along north, we should hit Pewter City in a few hours. If you still want to rest, we can stop and do so. I just didn't want to stay stuck in her hut all night." He smiled a bit, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry to wake you like that. We can find a place to camp out if you want to sleep some more."

In Times of Darkness

Feris listened to her story in silence, frowning as she described Duni taking her in. He thought it was foolish. Why waste an opportunity because of heritage? He saw know point in that thinking. While not as physically gifted as the purebred elf, the half elves were still stronger and faster than a normal human. What more, it was the best connection either race had to the other. Something like that, in his opinion, should be treasured.

At her next question, he perked up, looking curious. The roar was at least a little bit helpful. It meant they were wanted here, the dragons urging them on. For the moment, though, he focused on the question. "I really haven't thought to hard about it," he replied. "I've always had a tendency for Storm Dragons. They're known for brewing storms in their wake. They might not have the same destructive power as, say, a Red Dragon with its flames, but they do well to mask approaches and guide one through storms. Plus, they have a destructive power all their own, spewing lightning from their breath. What about you?" He glanced over at the girl, curious to see what she would want. While his reasons were for the way he could get around with ease, he figured knowing her ideal dragon's type would do wonders for figuring the girl herself out.

It's some kind of madness, that started to evolve!

It didn't take long for everyone to settle down. Leon took to staying nearby Rasca with his Pokemon and Yellow, eventually, retreated to her room. In what appeared to be less than an hour, the two were left alone together in the small hut. Leon had taken to caring for his Pokemon, ensuring that Charmander and Nido were both alright. As it turned out, Oddish had joined him, staying near the other two. It seemed to have taken a liken to him after the sudden rescue.

A few moments passed in silence before Leon glanced towards his friend's sleeping form. "Hey...Rasca. Are you awake?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder lightly. He didn't like waking his friend. He simply did not want to stay in the hut much longer. Yellow had been kind. Their journey still awaited, though. "We could probably sneak out if you wanted to now. Yellow's gone to bed."

It's some kind of madness, that started to evolve!

Leon was confused at the praise he received, if nothing else. He didn't know why Yellow would think him so qualified to face Red and the Elite Four. He personally didn't see it as much. He had the knowledge, but none of the power. Rasca would make up for that, though. She was strong. She was always standing up for him and helping him out. It only made sense that she would be the one to make it further. He wasn't even sure if he would get a single badge, let alone face the Elite Four.

With those confusing thoughts running through his head, he began to eat slowly. He glanced over, feeling a pair of eyes on him and caught Rasca's eyes. That was...a strange look. Why was she looking at him with that? Instead of asking, he simply smiled pleasantly at her, as if he understood, turning back to his food to finish his meal.

It didn't take long for the group to finish, filled up by the portions Yellow had offered. As she started to take the dishes back to her sink, Leon leaned over to Rasca. "We should get going soon. We probably can't make it out of here before nightfall, but we can get close to the edge of the forest at least," he said. As much as he was enjoying Yellow's company and learning much from it, he didn't like how Rasca seemed to be ignored by her. He had a suspicion as to why she was ignoring her, but it would have to wait. He'd rather just be back on the road to Pewter City with his friend. Of course, his feelings could have been making him biased in that desire, enjoying the time with Rasca despite the fact that he was sure his feelings were not returned.