(Open) A Fresh Start

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Radar smiled at the sight before him. Radar had arrived in Grassveil Town, what looked to be the town of trade or something like that, and it was a beautiful sight. Pokémon walking the streets of the town, laughing, smiling, telling each other stories. Shop stalls were set up in the town centre with Pokémon at each, seemingly buying something, obviously Radar couldn’t tell. The town had a soothing and relaxing atmosphere to the young Murkrow, feeling at peace in the laid back town, he couldn’t remember when he last felt so content; maybe when he was a kid? He couldn’t recall much of his childhood. He hated growing up in Grima Outpost because of his brother.

Radar's brother, Hiro, was an Outlaw, thus Radar had to live with him in Grima Outpost after his parents abandoned him. Apparently, according to his brother, it was a highly prosperous and abundant town or whatever, but now? It's decayed into a broken down wreck known as Grima Outpost, home to any and all Outlaws looking for refuge from the law! Radar got sick quite a few times there from the toxic smog radiating the area. Mild discomfort? Not for Radar! Needless to say, he was glad he ran away.

A whirlpool of emotions swirled around inside of the Murkrow, doubt, fear, anxiety, and more. Would this place be safe? There’s apparently a guild here, would they try to apprehend him? Would he ever make any friends here, or would they just betray him? Fortunately for Radar, one voice shouted the loudest, his feeling of content the atmosphere here gave him, the relaxation in the air that put him at ease. Just breathe he mentally reminded himself, everything's hella fine, you're hella okay... you're safe, Radar. You would never believe how much the dark type had to tell himself that. So, with a few shaky steps from his talons, he wrapped his fluffy black feathers around his quartz necklace he’d stole, using it as a source of comfort to urge himself to move on. He straightened his bag he had with him over his shoulder, his steps becoming a bit more firm as he planted his talons into the ground. He'd survived this far, what could possibly go wrong now?

Guess he’d just have to wait to find out the answer to that question.

"No... " Alki mumbled, speaking into the Zangoose's fur as she limply accepted the hug. They were wrong, both of them were wrong. They wanted to cheer her up, that much was obvious, but they couldn't! They both seemed so happy, so down to earth, and... despite the Zangoose's tearing up, they both seemed so helpful! That wasn't like her. Her bag weighed her down, and she brought it closer to her, afraid that the others might see what was inside. Still... she couldn't just let them get involved with her.

"D-Don't... Don't be my friend!" She said, gripping her bag tighter, trying to pull away from the larger pokemon. "I-I'll give you guys the tour. A-A-And... And I'll... I..." She stammered, failing to establish eye contact with either the Fletchling or the Zangoose. Instead she stared down at her feet, afraid of what they might say, but convinced that what she was saying was necessary. "T-Trust me... Y-You'll all end up l-l-like Yigo."

She balled up her hands into little fists, looking up towards the pair of pokemon teary-eyed. "I-I'm going to hurt you two, and I don't want that. O-Ok? J-just... just leave me alone, a-after this tour... A-Alright? Promise?" She thought of all her friends that had left her, or who simply hated her now. Yigo, obviously. And then there had been so many she'd barely seen at all! Morty. And Nightingale... And then there was Goro, who Darcy didn't want her seeing and whom would surely have forgotten her after so much time, and... who else could she really call her friend? Alki thought hard, and couldn't come up with anyone. Only Darcy was left now... and the Phantom Thieves...

"I'm bad luck..."

(Oh sh*t, f*ck the police!)

Radar knew guild Pokémon were nice. He normally didn’t have a problem with them as long as he was just passing through, but Radar wanted to stay in Grassveil Town for as long as possible. Maybe having a friend in Alki wouldn’t be so bad, he’d have someone on the inside who might try to defend him and hide any outlaw poster—he was sure his brother had one up there—but...no. Yigo seemed so upset at Alki, and in saying; It's all your fault! Alki had done something wrong, Radar just knew it! Then a tidal wave of relief washed over the bird as Yigo mentioned that he was afraid of the guild too...for different reasons. Still, he was afraid, which was perfect. Apparently Julie did want to join the guild too, so that was another Geopebble dodged...what about the Fletchling? Who cared, though, Radar was happy at his victory of having Yigo as a friend! He definitely made the right choice.

Then Radar saw it. A short shudder as Yigo wiped something away from his face, his head angled downwards away from Radar. The young Murkrow felt some kind of pain in his chest, twisting and wrenching his heart all from one little movement. These foreign emotions were all starting to scare Radar, terrorizing him, why was he feeling this way? His mind started to race, his worst fear was emotion, why did Yigo have to torture him with it. Everything started to blur around him, all he could focus on was Yigo. Is he feeling the same pain I am? Radar thought, feeling like he might’ve cried before pushing those feelings back inside...deep inside, where they’d never see the light of day again. How do I make this stop, Yigo? Radar felt like he was burning alive in excruciating pain, why did he feel this way!? Radar didn’t understand it...how could he?

"... enough about the guild. I-It's not even in the town so we don't have to worry about running into guild members." Yigo said, wanting to move on from a subject Radar was more than willing to move on from. Yigo then suddenly perked up, catching Radar by surprise a bit. A welcomed surprise. "If you want, I can guide you to my favourite stop in this town. It's in a park next to an statue in the middle of a big big big square!" Yigo's tone had shifted so fast, it took away any pain Radar was feeling. Yigo made him feel better...the dark type liked that...he wanted to stay happy with Yigo. "What do you say? Do you want to come? It's really pretty and it's smells really nice!" Yigo inquired, Radar practically pouncing at the opportunity. "Why would I want to do anything else!" Did that sound desperate? It sounded desperate, didn’t it? Radar didn’t care, the largest smile he’d ever had in his life was currently plastered onto his face, and nothing could remove it! "Lead the way!"

Radar couldn’t be happier. He had a friend! His new friend's giggles and laughter were contagious, the dark-flying type laughing and giggling along. Those giggles filled Radar with a cool feeling, like water extinguishing the fire that was hurting him, washing over all the burns and scorch marks on his heart. He felt nothing else could hurt him. He felt safe with Yigo, which caused him a great deal of bliss. He felt like a kid for the first time in a looooong while!

Obviously, he didn’t notice the Graveller watching, nor did he know it thought he had stollen a bag to give to his new friend...

If Radar did know, however, he may have done things differently given the second chance.

Maybe following Yigo wasn't the best decision...

(Edit: Just wanted to say hey, everyone. This is fun, isn’t it?)

Julian pouted, looking back at the adorable balloon Pokemon. She wanted to bring the mood back, but even with Trucy's help, Alki was too upset. With a heavy sigh, Julian could only shake her head.
"...you aren't bad luck. I can assure you that. After this tour I'm sure we'll all be feeling like we need a rest... Maybe then you'll... you'll come to your senses. I'm sorry any of this happened, but blaming yourself for something none of us understand won't get you anywhere."
The zangoose looked to the side, her expression a little more stern, "You're only going to hurt yourself by doing it. And pushing Pokemon away isn't going to help either."

(Yeah, it is. Sorry that I took so long to post ;3; I never got a notification and figured I was still waiting)

Trucy was saddened, “You don’t want to be our friend...? But... why..?” She looked down at the ground with a frown. Suddenly, she got a spark of determination “Please Alki, let us be your allies, your friends! Pokémon in times of need have to stick together, or else!” She said with her wing in the air. “Not to mention if we encounter those two goons again we can give ‘em a piece of our minds...” she said with a low, smug tone.

Trucy turned around, “Alright! Now where is our first destination on this tour?” She looked around all the different stores and the like. There were so many places that piqued her interest, that it was honestly hard to choose. “Uhmm...” she thought to herself as she looked at her choices. She then saw a café, built from a huge Tree. The sign close by read “Feather Café” “Ah!” She said “Hey! How about...” before she finished her sentence, she noticed the sign further read “Closed Down due to Renovations” “Oh” she said with mild disappointment, and began to look further.

(Edit: I’m having a good time RP’ing with you guys! I’d assume you feel the same way Temp?)

Was Radar pleased with the plan? It was really simple but it'd have to do considering Yigo's circumstances. What if Radar did not want to stay and play? The Murkrow had made his intentions clear before: he wanted to know the city better or staying in the market with him. It was only because of the eyes of passersby that Radar might have scratched the idea. Maybe that was for the best since Yigo had been shooed away for not having any money to spend. "Why would I want to do anything else! Lead the way!"

It was odd but, somehow, the beak shifted its shape enough for Yigo to notice huge happiness from within as well as for the tone and enthusiasm. He turned and focused on his attention on Radar, hopping on all fours as he giggled along with the dark bird and circling around Radar from time to time, tail wagging wildly. This was wonderful. When was the last time he has felt this happy? So happy that he couldn't stop hopping and laughing while staring at someone with calm and happy eyes just to delight on a similar reaction on them? It had been such a long time, yes, and he remembers who with does that familiar itch and desire come. They were not there but Radar was, why should Yigo care for them then? He should just focus on enjoying the remainder of the day in good company.

The park was not exactly near yet that proved to be an advantage that allowed Radar to know more of the town. There was this cafe called 'Spice n' Dice' in the shape of a volcano with some fake lava at the top "Radar! Look!" Yigo stopped for a moment and nudged his friend for him to pay attention "This was... uhm..." he tried to focus on the letters but Yigo had not advanced all that much in the task that was reading so he shook his head and tried to ignore it "This is a place where they serve you buns full of tasty... uhm... salsa! Some people cry and shout when they eat them, I don't know why. It's heavenly" he brought his paws together while his eyes glittered at the mental image of the house's speciality. Next on their path was a post office in the shape of an egg with a nest at the top. A Delibird had just left the building wearing a green cap with a badge at the front and a heavy sack on his back. The Ice-type stared at the kids for a moment as he was passing by, grew a little flustered by the attention, giggled and waved a flipper at them "Good day, kids!" to which Yigo sat stood on his back feet and waved back with a smile "Hiiii!" before both pokemon continued on "See, radar? People here are really nice. Did you see that Delibird? He seems as nice as you! Oh! Are all birds this great and awesome?" before Radar could answer, Yigo once again hopped forward unable to contain himself and laughed aloud "Of course you are! If you can reach the skies all above the dark clouds you must bring the happiness and calm that it brings to the rest of us, don't you?" Yigo paused, hopping forth and walking back on the route "I bet that you'd make a great messenger. You fly fast and were able to spot even when I rolled so fast"

The last noteworthy building on the way to the park and the statue was one made of smooth and bright stone from which columns of steam rose to form a small harmless cloud into the sky. Yigo stood in front of the entrance and sat next to the stairs that lead to the main door. Seconds later, a Hariyama and a Trapinch had passed by the door smelling particularly strong which Yigo could easily notice but wouldn't mind since he himself sees odour as a part of oneself and something to be respected. What might have been debatable to him was them entering the building to which Yigo grumped a crossed his arms for a moment "Naaaahw... those two had a really powerful smell... I wonder why they want to get rid of it..." he mumbled, mostly for himself but was easily audible. He turned to Radar and urged him to come closer "I think these are the baths... or maybe this is a training hall? No! Definitely a bathhouse!" Yigo swiftly corrected himself in a rush so as not to try to ill-inform Radar. He had to be right and not make a single mistake or else his friend might be disappointed with the Sandshrew "You come here to get clean and smell... uhm... differently? At least they don't have just water. Last time I was here there was a pool fuuuuull of sand that was begging for me to dive into it" as he describes the size of the pool, Yigo extended his arms to the sides to add a sense of scale. "If you want to talk to someone important or meet with friends you need to come here first. They don't like it if you smell like home or like a traveller. How odd..."

Finally, after some more exposition, Yigo made his way up to the park he mentioned before. The square's most important feature was the statue of a Furret dedicated to the town's police chief, Sweets. Surrounding it, there was a crescent-shaped pool from whose ends two smaller statues of Clawitzer poured water from their large claws. Surrounding the pieces of art, a field of greenery extensive enough to contain a large tree twice the size of a Trevenant in one of the edges, a field of flat and colourful flowers at the opposite edge and a dedicated path with benches on its edges for pokemon to feed Pidove or simply rest. Of course, the most coveted spot was below the tree for those that could not reach the higher branches which, at the time, a sleeping Abra was occupying. Yigo complained with a low whine but could do nothing about it. The psychic-type had come first and Yigo had no right to ask the Abra to leave the spot.

"Daaaw... We are late..." As if he had lost his strength, Yigo simply left the weight of his body make him fall onto his side. For a while, he looked apathetic now that his plan had been ruined, huffing and growling low about their bad luck. Would Radar find something interesting to do or would they just move on to some other, more important location within Grassveil's walls?

((OOC: Having fun is an understatement. This is awesome! Thank you all guys!))

Alki frowned, kicking at the ground, defeated. They wouldn't leave her alone, and she was the one who'd said that they were making a scene... Both of them were doing their best to cheer her up. It didn't feel anywhere near enough. Yigo had been one of the first Pokemon she'd met in this whole town. Outside of Darcy, and yet... He hated her now... He wanted nothing to do with her. And it's not like she could say she didn't need him... If she didn't, then this wouldn't hurt so much...

"O-Ok..." Alki said, practicing a smile. She looked down at her feet, trying her best to steady it. She wasn't doing a very good job, but it would do for now. She hoped. She lifted her head towards them, and showed off what seemed like a smile. Maybe it'd get them to stop telling her lies... "O-Ok, if you guys are sure..." She was bad luck. Both of them were wrong, but Alki didn't want to upset them more than she already had. People didn't like it when she was sad. It'd probably be for the best to not show it too often then...

The tour. Right. She was supposed to be giving a tour. Trucy had other ideas, however, and she half-flew towards... the closed Cafe. Huh. Yeah, that was a shame. She'd heard there were some stalls in the market place that were rather pleasant. Maybe she could take them there? Maybe that'd impress them.

"T-There's some food stalls in the market place, if you guys would l-like to go there? Before the guild?" She offered tentatively, more nervous than she had any right to be over something so simple.

(It's certainly very fun RPing with you guys! Thank you!)

(Holy long posts, Batman! 2000 words, I’m obviously enjoying this! 3500 views, talk about entering this world with a bang, amirite? Thank you all for the views so much, I never thought this would get so popular!)

And so, the tour seemed to unintentionally begin. Radar was off with his new friend, down the streets of Grassveil Town, giggling and laughing all the way as Yigo seemed to decide to run circles around him every so often. Radar's heart fluttered, enjoying seeing the Sandshrew's tail wag, back and forth it went, did the Murkrow make him happy? How? How could a freak like him make anyone happy? Radar took a short, deep, shaky breath...Hiro isn’t here, Yigo is, Radar, he thought, just focus on Yigo. The Murkrow's smile had faded significantly, but, it was still there. Just a small yet oh-so-happy smile that could speak how happy he felt better than a thousand rays of sunshine. Radar was happy for the first time in a long while...he just never really had anything to be happy about before. He was finally in Grassveil Town, and he could appreciate seeing all the townspokemon going about there business, houses set up all over, this paradise and refuge seemingly for everyone to come and be welcomed with open arms...

Something else caught the Murkrow's red eyes more than what was currently on the tour...he saw a Pikachu run down the streets, desperately weaving through pedestrians as somemon called out to somemon else—possibly the Pikachu. There was a dark alleyway that the Pikachu had run through and slipped into the darkness, possibly some kind of hole somewhere. Radar couldn’t make out any details, but the Electric Mouse seemingly vanished into a solid wall. The Pokémon chasing the Pikachu was some kind of shop owner, calling the poor electric type a thief and chasing after him...what did he steal? And from who? The store owner, a Persian, seemed to have lost the “thief” when he ducked into an alleyway. Should he say something? No.

No, he shouldn’t get involved. It wasn’t his problem...

Yigo seemed oblivious to this, too busy running in circles around Radar. He didn’t have to worry about any Pikachus or Persians, just Yigo. Arceus, was he ever okay with that...no more Hiro...no more Grima Outpost...he was safe from his shackles...free as a bird, literally. Radar's attention was brought back to the tour as Yigo urged him to look at what was ahead, some cafe called “Spice N' Dice.” "This was... uhm..." Yigo explained, seemingly struggling to remember the name...if he didn’t remember, it was right there for him to read... "This is a place where they serve you buns full of tasty... uhm... salsa! Some people cry and shout when they eat them, I don't know why. It's heavenly"

And so, just like that, Yigo was off again, Radar following behind, nothing could make this day better.

There was this huge building that looked like an egg with a Delibird outside of it. He wore a green cap on his head with a nice, shiny badge in the front of it, and had a heavy looking sack slung over his shoulder, resting on his back. The Delibird raised his flipper to the two and said hello, as Yigo said hi back. "Hiiii!" Radar's smile only grew. That was adorable. Radar just felt so light this day, like he could travel above the clouds and back again while barely having to flap his wings. A convenient sensation, as, after the two kept walking, Yigo explained that the Pokémon here weren’t that bad, to which Radar had no doubt in his mind...well, maybe the guild Pokémon are, but it’s not their fault, they’re just doing their job...that job, in this case, was bad, for Radar

"Did you see that Delibird? He seems as nice as you!" Nice? "Oh! Are all birds this great and awesome?" Radar felt his face get uncontrollably warm, his heartbeat started to pick up it's already quite speedy pace. "Of course you are! If you can reach the skies all above the dark clouds you must bring the happiness and calm that it brings to the rest of us, don't you?" Yigo exclaimed, hopping forwards and laughing to himself aloud. Radar, on the other hand, didn’t really feel up to laughing. The increased heat around his face grew in intensity, particularly just over his beak, it was a good thing he had his feathers, because his face looked the same. Underneath all those feathers, though, Radar's face was red, blushing uncontrollably. He th-thinks I’m...great a-and... Radar thought to himself, staring at the Sandshrew who'd just complemented him. Granted, it was in a rather roundabout way, but it was still better than an insult...

H-He thinks I bring happiness?

Radar than realized Yigo was leaving without him, the bird flying fast as he snapped out of his compliment-induced, pleasant daze. He caught up just in time to hear something about a messenger and him catching Yigo, which he didn’t actually do, that Sandshrew just looked like Yigo.

Next up was a stone building with steam clouds above it, it looked somewhat intimidating to Radar. Yigo sat next to the stairs that lead to the main door, Radar flapping his way over there. Wasn't this cute, two Pokémon sitting together that'll soon go their separate ways because Radar's nothing if not a terrible friend! Radar clutched his head with his right wing, the furthest away from Yigo because honestly, this little friendship wouldn’t last long, trying to regain control of his mind. The voices were back, they were talking, telling him just how he'd be able to and will hurt Yigo in the future, and that the freak should just hurt him now because it’s blatantly obvious the two weren’t friends. No, Radar was just too much of an idiot to see that, he honestly thought he’d made a friend? All of this was probably going on without Yigo knowing, him being too busy in his explanation that Radar couldn’t focus on right now because he's such a sh*tty friend. The voices wouldn't go away...all these voices and whispers and mutters and shouts, all reminding him what a miserable, psychopathic, little monster he was. Because let's just be real here, once Yigo actually finds out who Radar really is...how could there even be a hope in hell for a friendship between the two! Radar'd ruin this, just like the screw up ruined everything...

He looked at Yigo, his eyes—which seemed dull and lazy save for the smallest hint of emotion—as desperate for help as he could manage, and all the Sandshrew did was extend his arms because he didn’t care about the bird enough to help him! Radar found one of the greatest friends in the history of great friends...astounding, really. What was the Sandshrew even talking about again...? And...where even were they, again...? The world started to turn orange and out of focus, hazy, he couldn’t even focus on controlling his wing as it seemed to move down to his side or up to his head in just a blink, Radar having to blink to regain his focus. This was—unbeknownst to Radar—all fake, and no matter how much he always tried to fight his hallucinations, they’d never go away...that craziness would never go away, not until it’s done. It always seemed so real, so vivid...all the light around him got even brighter and even more foggy and blurry, this was all natural for when the Murkrow would start going crazy. The orange vision, bright lights, lack of focus and blurriness were his schizophrenia, his hallucinations acting up, and all sights he was used to seeing. It never meant it was okay in Radar's book to see these things, hear this voices thanks to his delusions...none of it was okay...

Yigo was on the move again, and for some strange, foreign reason, Radar followed him, walking instead of flying. He was going slower than usual, uneven steps were made as he almost tripped and fell over a few times, wing clutching his necklace for comfort...“Please...just stop, not right now...” Radar futilely pled through muttering, begging this all to stop even though he deserved every...single...second of fear, or discomfort, or paranoia these hallucinations provided him with. He deserved this sense of being in danger thanks to his paranoia and general, all-around delusional self, and it would always be what he’d feel. Radar will never be safe from insanity...his mind will consume him, the psychotic monster's only delaying the inevitable.

There was a park, sure, but Radar couldn’t be bothered with it. Radar couldn’t focus, his mind running and shifting everywhere, his body or Yigo's body moving anywhere around before being back in place with a blink. All he could really look at was Yigo, and even that, in itself, was hard, due to the constantly bright lights threatening to drown the Sandshrew out from Radar's line of vision. Or the constant risk of Yigo disappearing somewhere, or Radar being right back where he had started in the Marketplace...maybe he never left! He couldn't see the statue, the pool, the tree or the greenery, it was too hard and he might lose Yigo. Everything...everything just seemed like light...this blurry, bright light that’s engulfed everything and everymon...everything seemed like it was gone, it was impossible to focus on. All Radar cared to focus on, however, was Yigo, who’d collapsed to the ground and started huffing and growling angrily? Th-that didn’t seem right...that had to just be a hallucination...but then, where’s the real Yigo...

Radar, somewhat involuntarily, collapsed a little bit behind the Sandshrew, his right talon just slipping and buckling under his weight. His heart started to race again, being around Yigo and all...not like he even deserved to be anywhere near the Sandshrew. Radar, noticing he was somewhat near his new ‘friend,’ decided to speak...or try to, that is... “H-Hey, wh-what's...what’s wrong?” He asked, his tone sounding almost completely incomprehensible and nearly monotone if not for a few traces of emotion that may have leaked out. His words all sounded jumbled and mashed together, but he couldn’t really help it, he couldn’t even think straight. Plus, it fit, being the idiot he truly was. Who knows, maybe Yigo won’t bring it up? Besides, Radar wanted to know what was bothering him, not have to explain; I'm insane, but don’t worry, I’m harmless.

(Yay, Radar's gone loopy! Anyways, this is my first time writing something like a psychotic break so please go easy on me if I messed a few things up, I’m really sorry and, trust me, it will get better...)

(Edit: Just wondering if you guys would be up for setting the time to maybe late evening or something? Just cause I imagine it would be getting pretty late after 37 posts :P)

She knew Alki's smile wasn't genuine, but she didn't want to bring back bad thoughts and make her more upset then she already was. She a small sigh, the chubby zangoose smiled a little herself before hearing her tummy growl and chuckling nervously, "Heheh, yeah, food sounds great right about now~"

Waiting for Alki to start leading, Julian thought back to Yigo... She wanted to know what the heck his problem was...
Everyone did.
It was hard to think about that while hungry, though. She didn't want to think about it. On all fours, she looked to Trucy, moving beside her, before looking back to Alki, "You ready, hun?"

(Glad to hear. And oof, wow, a post about as long as some of my older short stories. Wow. o.o
This serves as a really good distraction from the problems I'm dealing with. ^^;
And btw, Mada, wow - she seems to be going through genuine depression. Imagining a Jigglypuff going through this is so sad ;3; )

Trucy looked back at the Jigglypuff, who finally was able to deliver a smile, while it wasn’t the most genuine smile ever, Trucy looked past it, though, she was just glad the Jigglypuff was finally opening up!
She looked towards the sky, the Sun starting to set, the Fletchling then realized, she hadn’t eaten anything after leaving Aileron! “Food would be great! Could we just make haste... please?” Her stomach growled. “It’s pretty obvious why i’d like it that way.” She said jokingly.

It was nice to think of something else for a change, the Fletchling was tired about worrying about the split up, and needed some time to think it over. She didn’t want to see Yigo and Radar as bad Pokémon, but what they did still stood, they blamed Alki for nothing, she didn’t know why and they didn’t know why, they just made Alki the scapegoat for their problems, and that wasn’t something Trucy could just look past...

Trucy drew her attention back to the topic at hand, and looked back at the others, “So Alki, What do you think is the best place for food? I figure you know this place better than us two newcomers.” She said eagerly. The thought of food came back to her, she was excited to finally eat something outside Aileron, and maybe even find a new favorite!

(Psychotic Breaks and Food Discussions... a perfect combination! Also dang Temp, 2000 words? Stop putting me to shame!)

Yigo had been right in the middle of the road staring at the Abra enjoying their time below the tree. It was infuriating how rotten Yigo's luck had proven to be. Everything had been so perfect right until now... and after escaping Alki, of course. However, someone else had hit the floor which only added to the Sandshrews streak of bad luck. The bird pokemon had seemingly slipped upon walking and fell over! Yigo wasted no time in getting up, collecting himself, and dashing to Radar's side right as the dark pokemon was wondering about what had just happened.

"Radar? Have you lost your footing?" he got a paw on Radar's 'hat' and caressed it with care. The Sandshrew stared at the downed and confused Murkrow with a gentle smile as if trying to convey him a sense of peace and the message of 'Everything is going to be alright' without speaking a word. "There there, friend. Are you hurt?"

"Hey, you two! What's going on in there!?" Someone asked from right behind Radar. It was a Graveller, stoic and with a look that gave away the fact that he didn't have many friends. His words had been tough and clear as if wanted to make his presence clear as day to the two pokemon on the path without needing to point to his police badge. Moreover, he was carrying a downed pokemon himself on top of his head: a Pikachu. The electric type had been knocked unconscious and was wearing little handcuffs and chains should the rodent wake up "You should know by now that the road is not for playing, it's for traversing so CLEAR THE WAY!" The Graveller demanded of the two young pokemon, causing Yigo to panic and simply grab Radar as his eyes closed and screamed "Gaaaah! Ple-Please! Don't hurt us! Radar! Alki! Anyone, please, heeelp!"

Yigo was sitting on his haunches, the Murkrow being held tight in an embrace on his lap all while the ground type's snout was buried between the bird's more than fluffy chest in fear while the Graveler stared at them in disbelief. The officer looked around for a moment, trying to see if he could find a Sandslash or a Honchcrow that might be the parents of any of those two but no one seemed to have answered the kid's plea "Look, kid. Don't go on crying all about this. I'm not going to hurt you but just ge-" The Graveler extended his arm trying to push Yigo and Radar to the side of the road, all while pokemon all around them stared at the actions of the adult pokemon. Nevertheless, the attempt was unsuccessful as Yigo simply screamed even more as he feared being harmed "Gaaaaaaah! Radar!"

Alki shifted uncomfortably, looking around at both Trucy and Julie. They both wanted to go with her, huh... and they really wouldn't leave her alone? Alki waited for something to happen, anything, for them to change their minds. But after a while, it seemed quite apparent that nothing of the sort would happen. She put on her wavering smile again. "Y-Yeah, I guess I'm ready then... she mumbled, leading off towards the town center and towards a stall that specialized in deserts. That seemed like it'd be nice. Pancakes always made Alki feel better, and Arceus knew she really needed something to comfort her...

Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Who was she kidding... She wanted to go to the hide out and just be alone for a bit, there. She was there often, and she'd gotten used to being alone... quite honestly, she preferred it that way. She could avoid all kinds of drama if she were just alone...

Yigo couldn't even be around him...the Sandshrew jumped when Radar fell next to him, wasting absolutely no time getting up. Of course...of course his one friend wouldn’t even want to be around a freak like him. How could you be so stupid? Of course he isn’t your friend! Radar felt like his mind was attacking him from all sides, his thoughts becoming so loud they were all he could hear. You just can’t get it through your thick skull, idiot...you screw everything up! Above all else, though, what stung the most was his so called ‘friend’ having to come back and rub salt on his wound...figuratively... “Radar? Of course you lose your footing.” Yigo's voice was venomous and spiteful...why? What did he do? Duh! You took Yigo away from his friends, caused a rift in his life he didn’t even need! Of course he hates you, Radar...

The bird's heart had sank down to a place he was all too familiar with, aching in pain as it did so. The Dark-Flying Type was having such a great day, and Yigo was such a great friend, and the Murkrow was having such a great time! But now? Radar desperately and futilely tried to crawl away, Yigo looking very intimidating all of a sudden as he stepped closer, looking down at the bird. Get out of there, Idiot! He’s going to hurt you! Radar's mind started to panic, feeling like it was collapsing in on itself from his thoughts. Of course Yigo's own end goal was to end up hurting you, how could you not even realize that, freak? Radar could feel his heart pounding, mind racing, he tried to beg Yigo to stay away or scream for help but nothing came out of his beak, eyes wide with fear. You have absolutely no one to blame for your stupidity but yourself, Radar.

What happened next, though, was almost incomprehensible to Radar.

All Yigo did was gently touch the Murkrow's crest, stroking the Dark-Flying Type's feathers in a kind and loving way...why? Radar felt a sense of peace wash over him, the bird silently cherishing this moment for as long as he could. The voices seemed to die down, the world getting a little less blurry, and the orange had all but faded away, leaving only a slight tint visible in the birds vision. “There there, friend. Are you hurt?” Yigo asked, definitely confusing Radar. Why was he being nice? After being so mean, how could he just be so nice and caring? “I...I-I'm...” He could feel his beak moving but no words would come out, his eyes now wide with shock rather than fear, Radar didn’t know what to do. The young Mon didn’t want this to end, but—at the same time—he was also wary of it, frightened by it, was he just going to trust that Yigo was nice now? Thankfully, that issue was solved in the form of a distraction. Unfortunately, that ‘distraction’ was none other than a police officer, the badge shining against a Graveller that wore it.

“You should know by now that the road is not for playing, it's for traversing so CLEAR THE WAY!” That sentence made the bird jump a little, eyes going wide as he partially recoiled away from the officer. Yigo—on the other wing—just grabbed Radar and screamed; Gaaaah! Ple-Please! Don't hurt us! Radar! Alki! Anyone, please, heeelp! Radar was being held in a tight embrace from Yigo as his snout was buried in the Murkrow's chest. The Dark-Flying Type didn’t know what to do, his heart pounding in fear as he stared at the police badge, eyes wide, painful memories coming back...

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

We're _______, Radar, okay? We _____ ____ to __.”

“___?”

“Because __ we don’t, they’ll hella ____ ___ you ___...”

“That’s ____. ____ ___, you’re gonna need __ send them ____! _ need ___ __ go __ ___ door ___ ____ ____ _'_ not here, ___ you do that?”

“____'s lying!”

“Some____s you ____ __ lie __ _______ yourself, Ra___. __!”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“Look, kid. Don't go on crying all about this. I'm not going to hurt you but just ge–” “Gaaaaaaah! Radar!” The Graveller had tried to use his hand to push Radar and Yigo away—off the road—only to result in more screaming from a Yigo. Radar started searching his brain for what he could do, not knowing exactly what would help as the Pikachu above the officer started to stir. Than, the next words that came out of Radar's beak seemed almost purely instinctual. “I'm hella sorry, sir. It's just that my brother gets a bit a scream-y and crazy when a big, strong, intimidating Pokémon such as yourself tells him to do something.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“I'm hella sorry, sir. It's just that my brother gets a bit a scream-y and crazy when a big, strong, intimidating Pokémon such as yourself tells him to do something. We're both mentally ill~”

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

“We're both mentally ill, you see...” Hiro had said this plenty of times to other Pokémon, wouldn’t it help now? What am I doing! Shut up! The Murkrow had entered a web of lies now, one that he’d strung himself. Why did you just lie to a Police Officer!? Radar didn’t know what to say, what to do next, this was different than that stupid Gabite, he’d actually have a chance of seeing this Pokémon again!

A groan of pain came from atop the Graveller's head. “Pain...so much pain...” The Pikachu slowly tried to move, before seeing the handcuffs and uttering a curse under his breath. “Morning, my precious sunshine, how are we today? Fifth time this month?” The Pikachu let out a pained laugh, Radar just now noticing the weird blue markings all over his yellow fur, the tips of his ears dyed teal. You can colour your body? Radar wanted that. He wanted that beyond badly. He needed it. “At least I make your ‘Number of Pokémon Arrested’ or whatever it is...‘Average of Arrests?’ At the very least, I make it look good, Mr. Graveller~” He joked, wincing and recoiling in pain. “Was all this even necessary?”

(Yay! More. Long. Posts!)

Julian was glad things had finally started moving again, and followed after the depressed jigglypuff and their fletchling friend with a tired look. Still a bit emotionally drained, glad to just be doing something.
Upon seeing where Mada was heading, she suddenly had mixed feelings. Deserts? Who was she to complain about sweets, but she was expecting a legitimate meal. Well, hey, as long as the place had ice cream, "This place looks pretty nice. But... Wait, whose paying?"
Upon saying that she suddenly felt a spike of energy and anxiety as she felt like a bum given she didn't know if she had enough to help out. She looked into her purse inns rushed fashion, hoping she'd find something of worth...

After what seemed like forever, the group finally decided to get the ball rolling! It made Trucy glad that Alki and Julian were able to get over the emotional ride that they were thrust upon, and now they were getting food! She was excited to finally put her stomach’s growls to rest, it seemingly made her more energetic than she once was! She flew towards the stall along with Alki and Julian, only thinking about what she would choose to eat. But when they all arrived, Julian asked a question that made Trucy tense up...

“This place looks pretty nice. But... Wait, whose paying?”

After asking that question, Julian went into her purse, and Trucy quickly followed suit, but... to no avail, the only thing she could find in her pouch was her book and only a bit of money... “Uh oh...”  Her body temperature almost doubled when she realized she had next to nothing to fork over for the food, as it was exceedingly embarrassing for her to ask Alki, a Pokémon she had just met, to pay for her food. With basically no Poké in her current position, it put Trucy in a very tight position, there was basically nothing else she could do... It made the Tiny Robin feel... powerless... A feeling she despised. She stared awkwardly at the ground, and was forced to swallow her pride. “Uhh, can I get some help here...?” She said, blushing. “I hate to say it, but i’m basically broke as of right now...”

"Mentally ill?" The Graveller was sceptic about any of it. Kids shouldn't know what being mentally ill even is, then again, they might have heard it somewhere as an excuse and use it to try to bail themselves out of responsibility. The rock type assured to himself that it must be the case and simply ignored. What could not be ignored was the sight of other pokemon staring the scene and taking him for the bad guy. Could the police officer simply... move the kids out of the road without a word and be fine that way?

Luckily, the less likely of Pokémon brought him a way out of the mess he got himself in. He just has to answer the Pikachu and let this slip... "Hmmf..." he grumped proudly "My reputation goes up the LEAST crimes are committed, not by the number of times I've arrested YOU" he casually moved to the side of the road and moved past the two kids "Each time we let you go we expect you to behave and stop stealing from the people! And you are doing this alone. Sometimes I wonder if you just want a stay in the cell or..." This rambling continued for a while as the Graveller left the sight of the kids to the police station that was next to the park.

Yigo still held strong to Radar, not daring to look for a couple of minutes. His ears registered everything but didn't rely it on to his brain until he calmed down and felt the danger gone. He took his face off of Radar's chest and looked to his eyes, his own glittering and with a wary expression. "B-Brother?" Yigo didn't know why but that word made him feel better. The young Sandshrew didn't get what mentally ill meant so he took it in a context of the panic attack "I'm... I'm okay now" he added, slowly pulling back and sweeping some embarrassing dust off of his snout.

He stood on all fours and looked around. The eyes of many were settling on the two with a mixture of disappointment, pity or rage. Yigo felt cornered by the pokemon who once saw as kind and polite, their eyes striking at him as those of predators looking at the loser of a battle or simply the spoils. He needed to leave, now! "R-Radar... Let's leave" he asked, staring at the crowd before refocusing his eyes and blinking. There was no time to waste.