Dark business in Shadowhue

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[Energy: 19 - 10 = 9]

Yigo was returning from the Blacktooth Kingdom with a brand new item that would help him become more powerful. His stained and ragged Stamina Band, a scar that went from his eye to his nose and a bag hanging from his belt full of goodies were proof of his adventures. Grassveil was barely in his reach since he just needed to get past Shadowhue forest to arrive there. A nice relaxing day at that town was something he´d certainly use, perhaps hanging with certain Skitty or Jigglypuff while at it.

Yigo decided to get the main route, following the signs that he could now read thanks to some studying. It would be nice to avoid getting into trouble now that he was about to finish his journey. Now that he didn´t have to worry about wild pokemon, the sandshrew could enjoy the peace and the warm breeze that accompanied him. The darkness could get a bit annoying at times but, with senses as fine as his, there was no way that anything would be able to catch him by surprise. At least, that´s what he was thinking when he was about to enter a specially thick grove where barely anything could be seen; after all, if it was on the main road, it couldn´t be so bad.

As worried as she still was deep down, Tina couldn't help but find comfort in the way little Yigo responded to her gentle affections, which only encouraged her to put a more concerted effort into rubbing and petting his course body. Especially when he turned right over to expose his softer underbelly. She couldn't resist giving it a heap of attention right up until he spontaneously flipped back over in reaction to her comments.

Of course she initially assumed the worst, that he'd not appreciated her efforts, but when he didn't move away from her, she cautiously resumed petting him while he responded to Deimo's measured account of his goals and intended destination. The Fennikin had been interested in his story as well, but she was still stuck on his earlier comment about not being a hero. Well.. of course he'd say that. She wasn't surprised. What interested her was what he didn't say, though.

He'd spoken of pride and honor, in regards to an individual from his past. And though Tina suspected it was in reference to the loved one he'd mentioned losing before, once again the Absol skirted around the harrowing details. It peaked her curiosity, but not enough to grill him for an answer to the enigma he presented. That would've been rude. And considering her behavior thus far, she wasn't eager to broach a sensitive topic that might lead to another conflict. She already felt guilty enough for briefly considering attacking the Pokemon that had previously saved her life. Besides, they had bigger concerns right now, such as getting out of these woods in one piece. And she needed the trust of these two as much as they needed hers.

Luckily for Tina, the little Sandshrew beside her was eager to focus on happier, positive thoughts, steering the focus of the conversation to the Absol's tale of traveling the world. Though he seemed a little confused about how Deimos intended to explore the whole of a world that was always changing, implying he'd have to be immortal to achieve such a feat. That brought out an amused giggle from the Fennekin as she continued to trace a warm paw down his back. The boy was so adorably naive, she could only wonder how he'd wound up out here in this intimidating forest all by himself. So far away from the desert home he spoke of so fondly. And where were his parents? Why weren't they with him? He certainly seemed too young and inexperienced to be without them at this juncture in his life.

She didn't want assume the worst. For all she knew his circumstances were similar to hers, but she couldn't help worrying. At the very least, if his birth mother wasn't present to watch over him, she'd happily assume that role herself for the time being. He deserved that much for the part she played in getting him caught up in her mess. Until then, however, they needed to rest, and Deimos already seemed prepared to take the first watch as he laid down nearby. Yigo however was still eager to converse, rattling on about his own family before asking Tina about hers, and making some lofty assumptions.

The Fennekin smiled despite the memories dredged up by the mention of her parents. She didn't fault the young Sandshrew for being curious, nor did she have unpleasant history with them, but thinking of her mother and father gripped her already aching heart with even greater longing. It had been so long since she'd seen them. And her last contact with them had to be so overdue by now that they surely feared the worst. That she'd been gobbled up by the cruel and unforgiving world they'd cautiously agreed to let her explore. And convincing them to let her go hadn't been easy, especially after the ordeal she'd taken years to recover from. Her current predicament wouldn't be any easier to overcome, either. Assuming she survived it.

Tina shook her head slowly, pushing down her fears and worries, so she could answer Yigo carefully.

"Such a curious little thing, aren't you, Yigo?" she cooed warmly, continuing her steady, rhythmic stroking of his hide in the hopes she might gradually lull him to sleep while she addressed his many questions. In doing so, she felt his tummy rumble in confirmation of his hunger and added with a light chuckle, "Oh dear.. that berry must not have been enough to fill that empty belly of yours, hm? Maybe Deimos has something that could help."

She cast a glance towards the Absol, in part to make sure he'd heard, but mostly to give herself a little longer to compartmentalize, so she could talk about her parents without tearing up. The poor boy didn't need to see how terribly she missed them right now. So she focused on just the bare minimum in answering his questions.

"As for my parents, well... I wouldn't call them explorers, I'm afraid. Closer to the opposite really," she mused, "You see, something really scary happened to me when I was younger. Probably about your age. And since then, well... they were afraid to let me out of their sight for a very long time. That fear led to us settling down and making a home for ourselves. Of course, after I got better, I eventually want to go out on my own and see the world, to meet and make friends with others. Like you." She sweetly bopped the playful Sandshrew on the nose as she continued, "It wasn't easy to persuade them, but I was persistent. They cared about me deeply, and I don't blame them for worrying. I mean... just look at me now. Heh.. perhaps they weren't entirely unjustified. But--I'm still here. And when we get out of this place, you can see them yourself if you want to come along. I think you'd like my mother. Her name is Jinn and she's very tall and pretty with ears just like mine. My father is a Lopunny; he's the one who does the cooking, if you can believe that. He's surprisingly good at it, though. His baked goods are to die for; I've always been fond of his berry pastries..."

Tina trailed off into silence as she felt a tear threaten to escape one of her eyes, but a pointed rise in temperature forced it to evaporate. She didn't want to cry about the possibility of never seeing her parents again. Instead, she needed to focus on doing everything she could to ensure she would. With Yigo's questions answered now, so she didn't feel the need to press on further as she felt the Sandshrew nuzzling up against her, hopefully in preparation for a few hours rest before their inevitable confrontation with fate. She continued to pet him for a few moments longer, glancing towards the Absol once more before laying beside the younger Pokemon.

"Alright, time to rest now, okay Yigo? We'll need our strength for the journey," she said softly, before shifting her attention back to Deimos. There was still something on her mind that she simply had to voice before she too could lay her head down to sleep, but it took her a moment to find the words she wanted. So she gave him a long quiet stare before finally saying, "I know you don't think of yourself as a hero, Deimos, and that's fine, really. I would never expect you to. But... I just want you to know. You're a hero to us. You're a hero to me. No matter who you were, or what you did in the past. You saved my life, and... I'll never forget it." Offering a small smile and an involuntary blush, the Fennekin cozied up against Yigo to keep him warm and hide her face as she settled in to rest.

With a curt nod, Deimos took a seat next to the duo, deciding to rest his weary legs for the time being. Though he had been doing his best not to show it, it was true that he hadn't rested much since leaving his old family home and boy his feet were pounding. Having to sprint while pushing Yigo likewise hadn't helped in that regard, the Ground type was pretty tough after all. Temporarily, he removed the Makeshift sack he had carried for so long from his side, gently resting it on the ground before taking stock of his current Arsenal.

Carefully pulling out his Journal, Deimos took a quick peak towards the last few pages, intending to take a short moment to write some additional information down regarding his two current companions. From their familial discussion, he figured he probably had enough to begin writing up a basic entry for the duo. Upon hearing about the ground type starving however and Tina's redirection, Deimos let off a soft chuckle. "Let's see, I don't have a Gummi of your type but i think i have one and a couple extra berries spare in here. Deimos spoke, gently placing the open journal to the side, resting on a page detailing a few of his former acquaintances, primarily a bug type known as Russel.

Carefully, he pulled out the Pink Gummi, alongside a pair of Oran berries, placing them in between the trio. "If either of you two are hungry, you're welcome to them. I do have a spare Sitrus and Reviver seed, but i'm holding on to them for any emergencies. Can never be too prepared" The Absol spoke, moving to close his improvised bag. As he did so however, he noticed a certain special stone roll out, which he stopped with a single paw. The stone seemed ordinary enough, until one noticed the wondrous pattern within the center of the stone, clearly marking the item as no basic stone that one might throw. Carefully, he pushed the stone back into the bag before closing it.

"Please don't mind the stone. It's the item i was referring to. In a similar vein to your crystal, Yigo, it can allow one to use power much differently than one would normally have access to. Unlike yours which, from the sound of it empowers an attack, this stone allows those of special species the ability to temporarily evolve to a more powerful form. As much as i'd love to put it to use here, it still needs to be charged" He explained, attempting to remain clear and concise with his words and to keep it fairly easy for the young one to understand. His Mysterious Stone was a gift from someone he did indeed care about, as wild as that might seem to the imagination. Loosing it would never be an option he'd willingly take, in respect of all the trouble she must have gone through to get it for him.

Now noticing he left his Journal open, Deimos quickly grabbed and closed the customized book, revealing Russel's handiwork, swirling white trails that upon the cover. Softly shaking his head, he quickly placed it back in his makeshift sack. With that crisis averted, Deimos turned his attention back to their discussion, mulling over what was said in order to make up his mind on a certain matter. Shortly after, he nodded, before returning his gaze to the duo.

"I don't doubt that i will fail to see the entire world, but that's not why i travel. Though i continue to travel in respect to a loved one, in truth over the course of my journey, my goal has changed somewhat. Before, i traveled just to see the world, now my travels are focused instead of all over the place like before. Though i still travel to witness the world, it's the memories and knowledge i seek now. That is why i joined Windrose. So i could truly experience the world, so i could make memories i'd be proud to share with others. The world will always change, that's the nature of these dungeons, but that just means there will never be an end to how many memories one can create!" Deimos spoke with a surprising amount of enthusiasm. Even with his short time with the duo, he'd noticed himself slipping back into that gaze, that voice that always seemed to scare people. He didn't want that anymore, at least not now.

Stretching out somewhat, Deimos now came to terms with Tina's statement, running it through his mind repeatedly. A hero? He still didn't believe himself being worthy of such a title, but instead of refuting her again, he merely gave her a short nod. It felt quite nice, being viewed as such in comparison to the usual reactions he called. "I see. I won't try and dissuade you then. But... To change the topic, i suppose i could speak a bit about my own family, since the two of you have already done so. If... the two of you want to know i suppose. Admittedly i met up with them again quite recently" He spoke, though he seemed less enthusiastic than before, he felt as if it would have been rude to avoid the comment after Tina'd gone in depth about her own.

Eyes started to grow tired with each passing second and after each stroke of a warm paw. Lying on the floor, the shrew had a hard time keeping his eyes open. Normally, his instincts would kick in an urge him to dig deep down into the ground for both warmth and safety. Back where he lived, spending the night outside was a frosty death sentence as temperatures drop drastically in the nighttime in the desert. In this forest and time of the year... The weather was nice. Yigo had taken shelter next to the fur of a self fueling ember who also had the softest - and probably the only- paws he's felt in a while. The gloomy forestry eclipsed the sky, making sure little to no light reached them and making it feel like it was an eternal dusk. It didn't feel all that different from a burrow. He would just hear Tina talk in that soft voice until he was no longer awake.

Of course, it wasn't that easy as a boop to his nose caused Yigo to dart his eyes open, tilt his nose at at the ground and get his paws over it. A sneeze would soon follow this reaction which caused the ground type to delay his rest. His eyes turned to Tina as she continued talking, seeing as her move was purely playful and meant no harm to him. Her description ended with a note about food which made Yigo even more eager to accompany Tina once this was over. At last, he was invited to rest until tomorrow. If only she wouldn't interrupt him this time.

Mere seconds later, his stomach growled again, right before Deimos had the time to show his goods. Something was not right. It was not just hunger. His body was fighting off something and the tummy growls were just part of the side effects. A mild pain gathered around his belly area, causing Yigo to lie on his side, gather his paws around it and curl into himself a little "Oooh! So much food!" Yigo stared at the berries not without a tongue tentatively licking his lips at the sight of it. Unfortunately, one of his mother's teachings came to mind, advising never to have a full stomach as hunger is a valuable ally and overweight an encumbrance. The Sandshrew had to reflect on the words and begrudgingly deny the extra ration he was offered "But I don't think I need them right now"

Yigo's feet wiggled after talking, tail curling into him until he almost resembled a ball. His stomach raged some more accompanied by some more noticeable pain. It was going to be tough to fall asleep if that kept on "But... We will eat a lot when we get out of here. I need to see what your dad has to offer" he directed that at Tina, offering a gentle smile along with the shared dream. His gaze then settled on Deimos as he listened with care what his take was on exploration. Apparently, he wishes to roam some places to gather memories and knowledge. The kid smiled for a moment. Deimos felt so enthusiastic at the moment, breaking his default cold and calm attitude. That task must really make the absol happy. When the latter mentioned that he could talk about his family if the others requested it, Yigo immediately followed with a nod from his head. It was always great to know about someone's family. He could already imagine it in his mind if he closed his eyes a little: Deimos, his wife, maybe a cub or two, living below a portable tent to travel the world around with. If only he could meet such a group in circumstances outside of the ones they were leaving...

Alas, Yigo's eyes didn't open back after the signal allowing Deimos to explain himself but his ears remained alert, tensed up catching up any sound should the description start. After all, Yigo's eyes were the only ones needing some rest... For sure...

"You won't be disappointed, I assure you, Yigo," she responded sweetly to the Sandshrew's comment; he really seemed to have a sizeable appreciation for food.

Yet, though Yigo had decided against an additional snack, even despite his rumbling belly, Tina wasn't quite so eager to pass up another meal. Considering the conditions she'd been held under, such vital sustenance had been difficult to come by, as her captors only gave her enough scraps to stay alive. Even when she'd found a considerable food source for them, what made it to her plate was little more than twigs and seed pits. So a big, blue, juicy berry like the one she'd just consumed earlier, might as well have been a four-course meal and dessert all in one.

Still, when she made a reach for it, the Fennekin tried not to show the desperation and greed behind the action. Gently nipping the stem, she dragged the berry over by her side, just as Diemos was moving to close his satchel. When the curious stone toppled out and drew her attention though, it's mysterious nature wasn't what caught her eye. Instead, Tina's gaze immediately gravitated to the open journal the Absol had left nearby, just close enough to see the pages within.

For a brief moment, she wrestled with the morality of stealing a peek at the Pokemon's personal thoughts, but seeing as Diemos was distracted with his explanation and comparison of their respective stones, Tina couldn't help but lean forward slightly and spy the open pages from the corner of one eye, keeping the males in view with the other. She didn't know exactly what she should've expected from a quadrupedal Pokemon like herself, but a finely printed, cursive script was what she found.

He must use his claws to write... Tina thought to herself, daring to direct more attention to the pages, but she struggled to read the fancy script.

Being used to an entirely different alphabet consisting of different shapes she could make with her paw, she might as well been trying to read another language. She attempted to parse some of the words though, at least enough to glean that the page was referencing an acquaintance named Russel. A bug type of some description, from what she could make out from the crude illustration Deimos had included. Now that curiosity had a hold of her though, Tina dared to extend a limb and flip a few pages back in the journal, skimming for any details on the information he'd been thus far withholding.

She only managed to flip through a few more pages of other acquaintances she didn't recognize before Deimos finished speaking, at which point Tina retreated back to her original position, blushing ever so slightly for having had the nerve to poke through his personal diary while he wasn't looking. More disconcerting though was the paranoia brewing in her mind now, based on that one bug-type entry. While she still saw the Absol as the hero he rightfully was, a darker side of her couldn't help wondering if that relationship was a sign that he might not be telling them the truth.

Tina didn't want to believe that Deimos might sell them out at the last minute to a horde of insects and their hired muscle, but the fear was there now. And difficult to shake as she watched him tuck his journal away, seemingly unaware that she'd been snooping. She continued to lay next to her Oran berry, listening to the Absol enthusiastically discussing his travels and shifting goals as she battled with that dual mental image of 'hero' and 'traitor' all the while. It was only after he'd settled down to rest as well, that Tina was able to relax the tension that had been brewing in her muscles.

The Fennekin was still undecided about Deimos' loyalties, though. He'd played the role of hero flawlessly so far. But was it too flawless? Was it an amazingly elaborate ruse? No, it couldn't be. She certainly didn't want it to be, not now that she'd been smitten by his bravery and selflessness. But all that time spent with Pokemon who had once seemed friendly and in need of help, only to turn savage the second they had her successfully fooled, had poisoned her mind and damaged her trust in others considerably. In fact, it was beginning to make her really question the wisdom of a plan that put her directly in the path of harm, should her paranoia be proven warranted.

She wouldn't let herself be talked out of it, though. Not right now, at least. She needed to rest, and more importantly, keep one eye on Deimos until she was certain beyond doubt that she could trust him. How she could still have such reservations, was a testament to the psychological warfare that had been inflicted upon her, but when the Absol spoke up again, with the suggestion of discussing his own family, Tina found herself leaping at the offer. Both out of genuine interest, and as always, that little twinge of paranoia. Would he fabricate a story? Or tell the honest truth? Either way he looked reluctant to proceed, so where Yigo was content to drift off to sleep, the Fennekin jumped at the offer.

"What's this?" she cooed teasingly, tilting her head as she looked up at the disaster-type, "The mighty Absol warrior is willing to share about his past?" Continuing to tilt her head cutely, the Fennekin rolled against Yigo, flopping onto her back beside him as she smiled at Deimos with a sparkle in her eyes, "I'm all ears, my hero..!" In a bid to be disarming, she went so far as to raise her front paws to her fluffy white cheeks in exaggeration, to show she was purposely being silly.