Spooky, Scary Forests [CATALYST] (Open)

Energy = 23 - 10 = 13

Music = Shadowhue Forest

Radar had never really liked Shadowhue Forest.

Understatement.

Radar hated Shadowhue Forest.

It's always been scary and creepy, and it made him feel really uneasy. The lack of light always made him nervous, too. Can you imagine? A Dark Type afraid of the dark? ridiculous, right? But...the dark was really quite...uncomfortable...for Radar. He was fine with the dark, a lack of light never scared him...he just preferred things to be filled with light than cloaked in darkness. It was just a personal preference, that was all. Just a personal preference...

There was only one reason the Murkrow was there in that creepy, spooky forest, and that reason was; Yigo.

After this is over... Radar thought. ...it's just Yigo and Radar Fun Time... Radar had forgotten all about not wanting to come to Shadowhue Forest, blindly rushing in because; hey, him and Yigo get to do something special and fun. Great! Yeah, never mind the fact that Radar'd rather be in Pecha Forest, where it was nice and safe and nothing would happen to him...instead? He was in Shadowhue Forest. The most awfullest, creepiest, most hella uncomfortable-est forest there was.

But...Radar was here to forage.

“So, umm...” He began, walking, starting to nervously fiddle around with his wings. Once again, don’t tell him he does that...he can’t help it, no need to make him self-conscious of it. Radar looked at the Sandshrew with him in this spooky, scary forest, feeling nervous before, but...seeing Yigo made him feel a bit better. At least he wasn’t alone in Shadowhue Forest. “See any berries around?” Radar was desperately trying to make small talk right now just to keep his mind off of the creepiness that was Shadowhue Forest.

He really didn’t want to be there.

[Energy: 23 - 10 (Dungeon entrance cost) = 13]

Shadowhue Forest once again.

Yigo's favourite place to forage. Not only was not too crowded which meant that there were more undiscovered berry bushes to forage but it also meant that there would most likely be less problems. Speaking of, Yigo had only had issues within this forest once and that wasn't neither his fault and he could have walked away from the issue unscathed. All in all, a personal favourite of the ground type.

He walked happily close to his partner, walking from one patch of light to the next as much as the path forward allowed him too. It was a simple mind game that kept him entertained seeing as racing any further into the Mystery Dungeon could distract Yigo from the main goal. He took a glance at Radar once he had raised his voice. By the body language of the Dark Flying type, Yigo would assume that he was feeling excited with all that fiddling and nervous attitude but his voice revealed that perhaps he was feeling scared. "I tend to trust my nose more than I trust my eyes in here and I've got nothing so far. I hope no one had the same idea and got ahead of us today, friend" He spoke in a neutral tone. He had dropped the playful and happy mood when he saw Radar feel the way he was feeling. And yet, Yigo didn't know. Radar was just acting weird and he needed to know why.

"Hey, hold on a moment" Yigo asked, wanting to see if Radar would stop "Are you feeling alright? Are you feeling sick or afraid? You seem... concerned"

Contrary to Radar's Terror, Deimos was fairly fond of the region, having much better experiences there-within than in the supposedly safer Pecha Forest. He couldn't personally count the original fiasco that had resulted in him causing a stampede, because it hadn't exactly been natives who'd forced his claws into service. He most certainly couldn't, considering it had introduced him to an interesting Duo and some amusing reactions from a certain Fennekin.

The original plan had been to quickly trek through the forest, intending to hurry back to his fancy tree based home over in Fallen Leaf. Establishing and organizing a floor for the Public and ensuring that dangerous information couldn't fall into peoples hands was a fairly important job. It was only natural as an Experienced member of the scouting organization to lend a claw if possible. Of course, travelling from one half of the world to the other wasn't exactly a speedy task when on the ground nor was it feasible to make the trip within the day, a nice rest was in order.

"Maybe travelling through the night wasn't the greatest idea" Deimos spoke, shortly followed by a large Yawn. Everspring was the name that he and his boss had decided on for the bast dungeon in the far east, the Fallen Island was in the west, Almost as far away as you could really get as a Land-bound individual. Shaking his head softly to try and stay focused, Deimos walked over to a large nearby tree, one that had been felled in the past by some unforseen occurance. He couldn't have gotten that deep into the dungeon in such short order after all, the that his claws had felled was much deeper into the forest.

Carefully setting his Reaper cloth sack aside, Deimos pulled out a tome bound in black and swirling white patterns and placed it before him. He felt that now was as good a time as any for a moments pause to recuperate, thus he cautiously opened his journal and skimmed towards the latter half, landing within the section he had dedicated to making notes on those he'd met. Specifically, he'd landed on the first entry, Russel's. Though the first page was fairly filled with text, the second dedicated page was mostly blank, but not for much longer. Russel knew how to draw quite well, much better than most, though that couldn't Dissuade him from trying, which was exactly what he intended to do.

Energy = 13

Music = Shadowhue Forest

“I tend to trust my nose more than I trust my eyes in here and I've got nothing so far.” Yigo explained. There were patches of light on the ground shining through from the trees above, and the Sandshrew was moving from one patch to another. Sure, there was some light...just not a lot to be considered...non-dark. “I hope no one had the same idea and got ahead of us today, friend.” No, they were getting berries! Radar did not come down to Shadowhue Forest to go back empty-winged! Sure, he was forgetting he'd stolen items that could give them quite a bit of Poké, but– “Hey, hold on a moment.” Yigo asked, having stopped. Radar had gotten a few steps away, stopping and turning around at the request to stop. “Are you feeling alright? Are you feeling sick or afraid?” Maybe Radar was...a little afraid of Shadowhue Forest...just a little bit, though. “You seem... concerned.”

“M-Me...?” Radar asked with a slight stutter, using his right wing to point to his chest. “I-I'm fine...” He lied, putting on a smile to try and help convince Yigo that he was fine. You survived dangerous Outlaws back in Grima Outpost...you're fine Radar... “B-Be pretty bizarro if I wasn’t.” He took a deep breath, turning his head back around and looking into the forest. It's just a forest, Radar, just a creepy...dark...scary forest. Radar started fidgeting with his wings again, starting to feel a bit more scared as he stared into the deep, dark unknown that was Shadowhue Forest. His nervous, fake smile was completely gone. “It's just a forest...nothing to be scared of...” Except for the, uh, lack of light, which meant that anymon could be there, waiting to come out and hurt him. He didn’t know where he was, and he didn’t know how to get back to town. He couldn’t fly above the trees in order to escape because there was nowhere to do so. The list goes on.

He was never coming back here.

The reply wasn't convincing in the slightest. Yigo could easily tell that something was off even before the fading smile. Yigo's ears dropped and groaned, upset at what he was hearing. Walking closer and standing straight, Yigo got an arm over Radar's back "There's nothing to be worried about, okay? Nothing scary" He patted his friend with the extended arm "I'm alwaaays watchful, nothing escapes me! If anything scary comes by, I will protect you!" His voice was all excited and brave, ears perking back up again and tail wagging slowly. Having someone to protect felt motivating, especially when he believed that it wouldn't be needed to go through his own words.

"So cheer up, okay Radar? Hehe... I bet a nap here would be legendary" He patted Radar's back once last time before getting back on all fours and walking ahead, his tail waving smoothly behind revealing that Yigo was teasing for something. He was trying to lure Radar into some small talk "Do you think that it beats napping back on the hill? I wonder if the leaves around here can be made into a pile that is more comfortable than the grass, haha!" Yigo looked back, eyes focused at Radar and showing a bit of teeth. There he was, hoping that Radar would take the conversation and go with it. He can't be that scared, right?

And so, Yigo continued with his perception wavering. Someone was lowering his guard in favour of a friend.

Deimos had soon realized the rather unfortunate difference between himself and the Mothim. His boss had hands, which made it so much easier to draw and sketch than claws that could tear. That little revelation was enough to make the Absol realize that perhaps leaving it to the expert would be better. With a soft yawn, the Absol rose from the ground, carefully putting his Journal back away within his old, weathered sack. Maybe a Replacement's in order.

With his Journal away, Deimos snuggled back down, resting alongside the fallen tree to try and give himself some visual cover while he rested. It was only natural that his species would be easy to spot amidst greenery after all. "Maybe i should just try and sleep" The Absol muttered to itself as it nestled down, quite happy to try and get a good nights sleep. He'd need it to get back to the Library.

Of course to sleep, it's usually best for it to be quiet. Deimos swiftly rose while preparing a set of sharp, Spectral talons. From nearby, the Absol had overheard a familiar voice saying that it would protect someone, again. Deimos couldn't help but chuckle at that, if he'd recognized the voice correctly, it would seem that he was being replaced. Can't have that now can we? He began to advance quietly, heading towards the source of his sleep deprivation, deforming the claw he'd summoned forth as a defensive measure. Soon enough he reached the nearby brush, peering through a large bush at the source.

Though he didn't recognize the Flying Type alongside the Sandshrew, Deimos couldn't help but grin as he recognized a friend. So it WAS Yigo, trying to redeem himself for panicking so much during the Cult Incident perhaps? Deimos did find it as somewhat of a cruel irony that the one familiar face was talking about having a nap. "We'd know the Answer if you were talking a little Quieter" The Absol spoke up with a chuckle as it pushed on and into clear view. "Considering what happened last time you said you'd protect someone here, mind if i tag along, Yigo?"

(Current Energy: 33)

Energy = 13

Music = Shadowhue Forest

Radar felt Yigo's arm wrap around his back, causing a little shiver to run down the bird's spine. “There's nothing to be worried about, okay? Nothing scary.” Yigo reassured the bird, patting his back. “I'm alwaaays watchful, nothing escapes me! If anything scary comes by, I will protect you!” This actually made Radar feel a bit better. Sure, he was in one of the spookiest forests he's ever been in, but Yigo was there to protect him. Sure, the same Sandshrew had panicked and freaked out, screamed, and clung to Radar tightly when a police officer touched him...and Yigo was probably just saying that he'd protect him, but it worked. Radar actually felt safe with Yigo. Still scared, but...safer than he was feeling before. “So cheer up, okay Radar?” Yigo assured Radar, giving him one last pat before getting back on all fours and walking ahead of him. “Hehe... I bet a nap here would be legendary.”

Would it?

Radar was genuinely curious, his ability was insomnia.

No joke.

Radar’d learned that all Pokémon have what’s called an ability. It's a special, unique thing about the Pokémon that gives them, well...an ability. Radar's ability was not sleeping. Yeah. He hated it. Why he left the burrow most mornings was because he was restless from a night without sleep, only just trying to sleep by closing his eyes or, instead, just staring up above him. It was really quite bothersome and annoying, and Radar wished he could change his ability very badly. But you can't...because that's ‘witchcraft’ and it’s not okay or welcome. Radar just wished it was. Oh, how badly he wanted to sleep. He didn’t feel tired, his body didn’t need sleep like other Pokémon’s bodies needed it, but it was just a desire of Radar's to finally sleep.

Yigo was walking in front of Radar, the young bird wanting to follow along. Just walking, though, he didn’t feel like flying in here. The Ground Type's tail was just moving back and forth, back and forth, it was kinda fun to watch. “Do you think that it beats napping back on the hill?” Yigo asked. “I wonder if the leaves around here can be made into a pile that is more comfortable than the grass, haha!” Radar had to admit, that would be nice. It was weird, but Radar was starting to smile. Maybe he could enjoy Peace and Quiet on a bed of leaves, just looking around. H-He'd have to take some leave to Pecha Forest, o-obviously, Peace and Quiet here seemed...not okay...

Music = Rising Fear

“We'd know the Answer if you were talking a little Quieter” A voice called out from nowhere, followed by a chuckle as a Pokémon walked out into view. It was a quadruped Pokémon with white fur, and a blade on the side of his head that looked really sharp. It was an Absol, a Pokémon species Radar had only seen twice before now. Guess they weren’t extremely common? Radar couldn’t move, he felt so afraid that he just froze in place, staring at the Absol. He felt terrified, this Absol looked really really scary, this was how Radar died. At the paws of a horrifying Pokémon in the creepiest, darkest, scariest forest Radar had ever been to. He was dead now, he was going to die. “Considering what happened last time you said you'd protect someone here, mind if i tag along, Yigo?”

Last time? Y-Yigo knew this Pokémon?

Looking back meant that Yigo was not paying all that much attention to his surroundings. At the moment, what mattered most was Radar's wellbeing. So when the familiar voice spoke loud and clear at the same time a figure was coming out of some bushes, Yigo could do little more than flinch while facing this intruder.

His ears peaked and his heart started racing hard, almost painfully so. Luckily, this wasn't a threat at all. This was Deimos! "Who-? You are Deimos, right? Hellooo!" The Sandshrew sat down and waved his arm  at the approaching pokemon "And I succeeded the last time I said I'd protect somemon...! I think? Yes!" This was a moment for the child to show off his success to his friend, Radar, with a witness to confirm it. Speaking of Radar...

Yigo glanced at his friend with his proud mood only to find a very scared Murkrow. There was not a doubt now that Radar was feeling afraid and maybe believed that this Absol was a monster. Yigo sympathised with this view because, to be fair, Deimos looks intimidating. To help Radar ease into Deimos, he walked up to his child friend and stood by his side, pointing at Deimos with a smile "Radar, this is Deimos. He is an explorer but not like those from the guild, no" Then he took a glance at Deimos to introduce Radar to him "And Deimos, this is Radar. He is... uhm..." He grew flustered a little bit thinking what to say. What is the right word? "We are great friends! We are also looking for food so... tagging along might get boring. B-But you can help if you want!"

Deimos couldn't help but chuckle once again at the scene before him. Yigo had never seemed to be much of a bragger so the young Sandshrew was fairly easy to take at face value. That and after the Cult incident and helping the little one get food, Deimos had no reason to assume the Sandshrew was lying in any capacity. If it was indeed true that Yigo had developed as a protector, the Absol could only approve. Can't be around all the time to save em, after all. "Then clearly you've improved from our last encounter here, on the protecting front. Guess i won't have to cut down any more trees or petrify half the forest like last time"

As for the Murkrow, Deimos merely took a seat for a moment, searching the pokemon clearly with his gaze. After a moments deliberation however, he shook his head and rose. "Well, Nice to meet you then Rada, I'm one of Yigo's older friends. helped him out in this very forest so no need to fear. As you heard, i'm Deimos" The ashen beast spoke, using a fairly friendly and respectful tone, hoping to at the very least abate some of the avian's clear terror.

"I was actually on a long trip back to Fallen Leaf to be honest. Been travelling through the night. I wouldn't mind helping out with foraging as i could use a chance to resupply" Deimos replied with a curt nod. No harm in killing two birds with one stone... Metaphorically of course. He had no intent to blow Radar away with Stone Edge.

"By the way Yigo, the group i work for got reorganized recently. I got promoted to second in command and the Base's first floor got converted to a Public library. You interested in taking a look some time?"

Energy = 13

Music = Shadowhue Forest

“Who-? You are Deimos, right? Hellooo!” Yigo greeted the scary Pokémon, sitting down and waving at them. “And I succeeded the last time I said I'd protect somemon...! I think? Yes!”

The scary Pokémon just chuckled at Yigo. “Then clearly you've improved from our last encounter here, on the protecting front. Guess i won't have to cut down any more trees or petrify half the forest like last time” They praised.

Yigo looked back at Radar, walking up to him and standing by his side. This made things feel a little better, but...not extremely better. Yigo than pointed at the new Pokémon, smiling. “Radar, this is Deimos.” He began. “He is an explorer but not like those from the guild, no” Yigo than looked at...‘Deimos’. “And Deimos, this is Radar.” Yigo told ‘Deimos’. “He is... uhm...” Yigo than paused for a bit, stopping to think about something for a little while. Radar slowly started to back away, still feeling scared of this ‘Deimos’ as everything around him started to slowly turn a shade of orange. “We are great friends!” The Sandshrew stated.

Music = What...?

The Absol sat down, searching Radar with his gaze. He felt himself stop on the spot, unable to move, he was going to die because he couldn’t move. What is wrong with him? Radar used a wing to clutch his head, wanting the voices to shut up right now. Not in front of Yigo. “Well, Nice to meet you then Radar, I'm one of Yigo's older friends. helped him out in this very forest so no need to fear.” ‘Deimos’ introduced himself, standing back up. “As you heard, i'm Deimos” He added.

“We are also looking for food so... tagging along might get boring.” Yigo told ‘Deimos’. “B-But you can help if you want!”

“I was actually on a long trip back to...” Radar started to tune the Absol out, not listening, he was always a great listener! Amazing listener! He stumbled a bit, having very little balance as he started to back away again, sooooo coooordinated, Radar, wow. The Murkrow managed to stay up though without falling, even though he looked like he was beyond dizzy and disoriented. What was your plan, Radar? You're stuck in Shadowhue Forest with somemon who looks like he's going to kill you. Everything around him started to become disjointed, the voices getting louder and louder all around him. “By the way Yigo, do you mind telling me you're even friends?” Wh-what...? “You can do better than a thief and Outlaw like Radar, he hurts everymon around him.” Wait, he knows!?

Music = Rising Fear

Radar started to quite visibly panic, moving away a bit faster now, looking at Deimos in fear. Terror. I mean, you had to have thought that somemon would know and tell Yigo, you ignorant fuck. Being honest here, you hella deserve to get caught and found out. Radar's heart was pounding fast, ooh, maybe he'll have a heart attack and die! No one'd care, anyways. Than...something snapped. “I'M THOSE THINGS IN ORDER TO HELP YIGO!!” Radar screamed, standing up for his actions as of late, trying to stop himself from crying even though the upsetness and sadness was quite audible in his voice. What's wrong, Radar? Don’t want to accept the consequences for your actions? “And I don't HURT anymon, EITHER!!” He added. “I DON'T!”

Energy: 20 - 10 = 10

Balancing precariously on a thick, gnarled tree branch, barely fifteen feet from the forest floor of Shadowhue, Tina had to ask herself for perhaps the hundredth time today why she'd decided to return to this awful place. Not only was it full of bad memories, and the spawn of a scant few good ones, it was riddled with real dangers lurking in the deepest, darkest shadows. She'd personally witnessed and endured the cruelty of the Pokemon that called this place their home. So naturally, just being here made her skin crawl with a terror that she'd been working tirelessly to overcome, but it was also a constant reminder of her goal. The pursuit of justice. And... perhaps peace of mind.

The group of cannibalistic Pokemon that had been stalking her ever since she'd escaped their clutches, had gone curiously silent ever since the last assault almost a season ago. Though the bizarre cult's absence had been a huge relief, the fear they'd instilled in her had taken much longer to fade. It was only a few days ago that she'd finally had the nerve to even migrate back to the dismal place, but now that she was here, those old wounds threatened to reopen. What if the were still active? If the silence was merely some ploy to lure her back here? The Fennekin certainly wanted to believe they'd simply given up, though. After all, who could hold a grudge that long?

Besides their secret was out, so it wasn't like they had some vested interest in making her disappear now. So there were only two possible answers in Tina's mind. They'd either disbanded, or been dismantled by authorities... ooor... they were still secretly plotting revenge, in the hopes of committing one last act of cruelty against her, as payback for what her escape had done to their group.

Deep down, she personally hoped it was the latter, because much as she denied it, she still held a nugget of resentment and anger. She wasn't here for vengeance though. No, never. This was a Poketarian venture. A scouting mission of sorts. If she just so happened to stumble upon the cult though, in the act of harming others, well... she'd be well within her rights to reduce the offenders to charcoal, right? Right. And besides, who'd come to the defense of a couple charred husks of evil? No one, that's who.

Tina intensified her determined expression as an outward display of her assumed role as a deliverer of justice. Despite herself though, it softened again as she let out as shaky sigh. "Ugh... what are you doing, Tina? This was a terrible idea," the Fennekin groaned with a small slouch.

It hadn't been easy just getting into this tree, given her quadrupedal handicap. And now that she was so high off the ground, vertigo was becoming an issue. She'd been working on this tactic for weeks now, though. So turning tail and retreating was not an option. If she could just master travelling through the trees, the chances of being surrounded by enemies would easily drop to single digits. Ngh... why does the ground have to be so far down, though?

Daring to stand on quaking legs, Tina steeled herself and gingerly took a few steps forward on the wide, sturdy branch. It didn't budge under her minimal weight, so the sensation of movement was all in her head. That's what she kept telling herself, anyway. Focus... don't look down... don't get distracted... Look where you want to go... and then--!

Taking a deep breath, the Fennekin closed her eyes briefly and broke into a sprint, running down the length of the branch as it narrowed and began to sway. Relying on her other senses, Tina kept going until she felt the right moment to take the blind leap. Then she sprang from the limb majestically, sailing toward the mental image of the receiving branch. When she opened her eyes with an adrenaline-fueled gasp, she was both amazed and grateful to see her target loom out of the darkness, greeting her tiny feet with only a modest creak as she landed firmly, hunched and stiff until the limb stopped swaying.

After a few moments, her heart sank back into her chest and Tina resumed breathing as the reality of her success hit home. It wasn't so bad actually. Terrifying yes, but effective. She'd not only been stealthy with her jump, but also her landing. Now she just had to keep doing it. Over and over. All day. Until she was sure the cult was gone. The Fennekin involuntarily shuddered at the thought of making that jump more than once. So one might've thought she'd be thrilled by the sudden, shrill squawking that arose in the distance, as a potential indicator of a Pokemon in great distress. Instead, however, a sharp chill crackled up Tina's spine as she trembled very briefly in horror.

It didn't take long however to calm the timid kit in her heart and raise her defenses. Already on her feet, the bark beneath her paws began to sizzle from the rise in body temperature as she prepared for a possible fight. Unfortunately, it took considerably more focus to even make her legs move, but once she made the inevitable leap to a nearby, lower branch, it got significantly easier to keep going. Tina had to battle fear as well as anticipation as she eagerly leaped from one tree to another, nearing the source of the indistinct cries of what sounded like a avian of some kind, just as it fell silent.

As the Fennekin landed, she froze, daring not to make a sound as she listened intensely in the silence that followed. There was no lack of ambiance in Shadowhue, of course. Amidst the clatter of branches being rattled by a persistent sea of conflicting and arguing wind currents, it was hard enough to hear a conversation at her distance. Worse were the sounds of life all around her, hiding in the dark. Were there other Pokemon watching her watching someone else? And if they were, did they have malicious intent? There was no way to know really, but she had to assume the worst and keep her defenses up.

In a place like Shadowhue, everything was an enemy until it wasn't. That didn't mean however, that she would cower in the dark this time. Even if she wasn't willing to admit it, Tina had partly returned here with the desire to pick a fight. And that meant not hiding. In fact, in a place as dark an foreboding as this, there was one surefire way to do the exact opposite, by drawing all attention to her. And if the Pokemon that had cried out wasn't going to reveal itself, then Tina intended to draw the aggressors to her instead.

Sitting on the branch with her back turned, the Fennekin strategically dangled her long, fluffy tail over the side, the increasingly hot appendage sizzling against the wood. Focusing energy into her elemental fire, the tip of her tail began to glow red, gradually growing brighter as the light traveled further up her tail, until she had her own little specter of light. A beacon in the dark that swayed to-and-fro like a lost spirit with every of flick on her tail.

It wasn't easy to maintain, as it required her full concentration, nor was it especially bright, but it already proved effective as the indistinct sounds in her immediate surroundings feel suspiciously quiet. When she wasn't immediately attacked like she'd expected, her confidence grew. Now all she had to do was wait and watch. And listen.

Yes! Deimos was impressed with Yigo's capabilities as a protector. The acknowledgement caused Yigo to be full of happiness and warmth, tail wagging from side to side as a broad smile appeared on his face. He was being a great Pokémon! He even felt like responding to the explorer's comment with a quip of his own. If only he had thought of one. He was getting distracted anyway with all the flattery, giggling to himself and getting his paws together. The only thing that brough him back to reality was Deimos' question about whether or not he'd want to visit someplace with him.

Yigo was... confused for a moment. The name of the place was not familiar to him "Lie-bra-ry" he spoke, trying to get the sound right. Oddly enough, that wasn't the dominant sound as Radar cried in anguish something confusing... Doing what to help him? Yigo had stepped back in confusion just in case he had been the one to cause Radar to shoot out what he said. Panicked himself and shaking a little, his tail tensed as if he had been caught out of guard, Yigo took a moment to examine Radar from afar yet... the only thing he could feel was Radar's emotion, empathy doing the work that the absence of a cold, calm mind would. The dark bird was scared, afraid, sad. These emotions came into the shrew like a cold, ghostly touch to the spine. It reminded him about the time Yigo and Radar knew they would be sticking together, when Yigo had fled from those to-be guildmons and that one guild memeber who had made it clear that the guild was more important than Yigo. The Sandshrew could feel some of that which caused him to act impulsively.

The kid readied himself and pounced onto his best friend, pinning him onto the ground and looking at him with a very concerned expression. His eyes were sparkly yet dull, his mouth trembling as if wanting to say something whose words are fleeting and his ears low of shame. A small light that flickered from somewhere gave enough light to notice that. It didn't care where the pulsating light came from or what was the origin. It just revealed Yigo's concern. "R-Radar..." he stuttered for a moment before hugging him tight, right then at the dungeon floor. Yigo was oh so afraid of making Radar afraid. They should have never came here. It was too scary! There could have been another place! "R-Radar... I-I... You are not hurting anyone. Okay? You would never do that! I know it!" His voice was desperate as if he was about to cry "I'm sorry for having brought you here... D-Do you want to go back home? We will play a-and... and we can tell stories and..."

Yigo was at a loss for words. he only wanted to fill Radar with confidence or to just make him stop! He didn't know how to do it but the least he could do was try.

Deimos chuckled softly at the young Sandshrew's reaction, being more than happy to let Yigo have his own moment to shine in front of his friend. The little one had clearly improved from their last encounter with the 'The Cult', no longer reacting in terror to the forest around him like he had in the past. "You kids seem to develop pretty quick these days. It wasn't even that long ago where when i had to rescue you and Tina after all. You seem much more confident in this forest than before" Deimos praised with another soft chuckle. Still irresponsible to be travelling at such a young age but hey, can't deny it does wonders for your development.

"Yes, Library. It's basically a place where a lot of information is stored and that people can go to in order to learn things. It can be pretty helpful for explorers and travellers to know details about a region or dungeon before they enter it right?" Deimos explained with the intent to reveal more, though he was swiftly cut off by a sudden outburst of screaming by the Murkrow. You are those things in order to help Yigo? you don't hurt anyone? the sudden outburst admittedly confused the Absol. Yes it was true that the Ashen beast's physique was fairly imposing and intimidating, this didn't sound like anything to do with that.

Yigo pounced the Flying type without a moments hesitation, clearly doing his best to calm the Pokemon down and apologizing profusely for bringing the Avian into such a forest. Deep in the back of his mind however, Deimos doubted it was entirely the Forest's fault. Back at the library, he'd grown a bit of a habit of looking through new books and reports before assigning them to the public or forbidden floors of the library, a natural task for one in charge of helping out the library. Certain books had to be kept out of public hands in accordance with Russel's wisdom. Outlaws finding critical information that could harm people had always been one of his concerns.

Deimos began wracking his brain, searching for any information that might help explain just what had gone on in the Avian's mind to cause a complete breakdown. Wait... Breakdown? Was he suffering a nervous breakdown?! Deimos suddenly remembered a tome on the subject that he had sent to the public floor. Though he couldn't remember all the details, he could remember some of the symptoms, one of which stuck out most of all.

"If i'm remembering my books right, it looks like he's having a nervous breakdown. Yigo, what kind of job does Radar have? Is there any chance it might be causing him a great deal of stress? Beyond that, does he have some kind of ability that prevents him from sleeping or invokes paranoia? If we don't find out, we can't address the issue at the source" Deimos questioned swiftly and precisely as he advanced closer, a concerned gaze forming across his face. Deimos barely knew the Avian but if it was one of Yigo's friends... He couldn't just abandon the Murkrow.

His train of thought was soon interrupted however as a soft red light began illuminating the area. Deimos turned and began looking for it's source without hesitation, summoning forth a pair of spectral talons. Radar's scream must've attracted some attention, potentially hostile! Yigo was too busy trying to help get Radar back, he was defenceless! The Absol had no intent to let either of them get hurt. "Yigo, don't move off of him. I don't know this light, but radar's yelling may have attracted some agressive natives. He can't fight in that condition. You said you've improved when it comes to protecting others, so it's time to put that into action!" Deimos called back as he carefully watched the light. Was it some kind of fire? A ghost heralding it's appearance? He honestly couldn't say with complete certainty. "Hold position here, i'll go check it out and force it away if it's hostile. Radar's mental state is already fragile enough. If he gets attacked now for all we know he might be incapable of recovering. If i yell, take him and run back to town, don't hesitate" Deimos ordered in an attempt to avoid any kind of panic spreading to the Sandshrew, before he advanced cautiously towards the light. Alright spirit, show yourself so i can cut you down!

Suuuuure, hey, weren’t you an Outlaw? Don't you have a Wanted Poster somewhere? Somemon would only have one of those if they were a bad, cruel Pokémon...like you. You get a Wanted Poster for being an Outlaw. And in order to be an Outlaw, you need to be a bad Pokémon, liar. The world slowly started to return to its original colours instead of orange, Radar slowly starting to feel less disoriented. See, there’s something you should know about Radar here...he suffers from what’s called Schizophrenia. Of course, one might think; why the word ‘suffer’? See, schizophrenia—or early onset schizophrenia for those of you who want to be specific—causes Radar to see and believe things that aren’t actually real. Now, this is not the only side effect, but it’s a big one. And sometimes...most times...these hallucinations and delusions are...

Less than favourable.

More often than not, they take the form of ‘The Voices’, hurtful individuals that preyed on Radar's confidence and self-esteem—and occasionally paranoia—from the shadows. They just came out of nowhere, these random voices wishing to hurt him, to mock him, so they can laugh at his misfortune. When they’d come, the world would start to turn orange, Radar's vision becoming slightly blurry as he started to feel disoriented. They’d panic him until he popped, lashing out at no one visibly around him. And if he didn't lash out in an attempt to hide the fact he was having to listen to Pokémon who—in hindsight—didn’t exist, than they’d just berate him endlessly about how much of a freak he was. They’d list off everything wrong with him, tell him just how insane and mentally ill he was, how no one could ever love a Pokémon like Radar. They'd all remind him of that at least weekly, because there was no better joy than picking on the winged psycho!

Radar didn’t have the healthiest relationship with The Voices.

And just as quickly as they can come, they can leave. The world—after a few moments—started to return back to its normal, un-orange-tinted colour, the sense of disorientation fading away, and the realization that all of it was fake now hitting him. See, The Voices liked to do this thing where they’d make Pokémon say things they weren’t actually saying...little did Radar know, Deimos never actually accused him of being a thief or an Outlaw, or that he hurt other Pokémon. Yeah, he actually just said something about a library. Radar sure heard that one wrong. And on top of that, after having just starting to feel better, Radar was on the ground, Yigo having tackled him. “R-Radar...” He stammered out before hugging Radar tightly, causing Radar to feel a little bit better knowing that his friend didn’t hate him yet.

Most important and emphasized word being; yet...

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~~ Radar's heart started beating faster and faster. Yigo was on top of Radar, squeezing the bird after he had pounced onto him. And Radar was loving every second of it as he stared into Yigo's blue eyes. All the affection and warmth Yigo seemed to give was loooong overdue for the dark type... never stop this... he thought. A small, content smile curled across the corners of the Darkness Pokémon's beak, he didn’t want this to end. “F-Friend?” Yigo seemed really upset, which was kind of understandable after what had happened... ~~

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The memories of his first day in Grassveil Town had come drifting to the front of Radar's mind, the hug—tackle—reminding the bird of the tour he had went on before the snow had come. “R-Radar... I-I... You are not hurting anyone. Okay?” Yigo told Radar, his voice sounding like he was about to cry. “You would never do that! I know it!”

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~~ “I-I'm not a good friend, Radar. I-I'm... I can't have friends!” The Sandshrew practically shouted out, getting off of Radar and lying on his belly next to the bird. Not really what Radar wanted... ~~

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“I'm sorry for having brought you here...” Yigo apologized. “D-Do you want to go back home?” Yes, but...there’s still foraging to do, food to find...Shadowhue Forest still really wasn’t a nice place to be. “We will play a-and... and we can tell stories and...”

“If i'm remembering my books right, it looks like he's having a nervous breakdown.” ‘Deimos’ had said to Yigo, starting to move closer. “Yigo, what kind of job does Radar have? Is there any chance it might be causing him a great deal of stress?” No, Radar didn’t have a job. Sure, foraging was a little bit annoying at first, but not anymore. Radar had gotten used to it by now. Besides, he got to do it with Yigo, so that was always nice. “Beyond that, does he have some kind of ability that prevents him from sleeping or invokes paranoia? If we don't find out, we can't address the issue at the source.”

Shit, he did.

Okay, Radar had what was called an ability; Insomnia. Abilities are something every Pokémon has, and it’s like a special quirk that gives a Pokémon a...well, an ability. Radar's ability was called ‘Insomnia’, which meant Radar didn’t need any sleep. At all. He never felt sleepy or drowsy, and he didn’t know how to sleep. Seriously. It's why sometimes he leaves the burrow at night to go do stuff, because he didn’t want to just lie down and do nothing...even though sleeping with Yigo was really nice. Radar liked the contact. Sometimes, he would just lie down and close his eyes, relaxing with Yigo at night...it was about a forty-sixty split as Radar would usually ‘sleep’ with Yigo most nights.

Before Radar could say anything, the Absol had turned around as Radar could notice a red light shining somewhere. “Yigo, don't move off of him.” ‘Deimos’ ordered, Radar not feeling like he could say anything. What could he say? Even if Radar did get a chance to talk, he didn’t know what to say. Maybe he could just...say that he was nervous and blame Shadowhue Forest, it had to be better than Yigo knowing he was insane. “I don't know this light, but radar's yelling may have attracted some aggressive natives.” Aggressive? “He can't fight in that condition.” He can’t fight at all, nor will ever choose to. “You said you've improved when it comes to protecting others, so it's time to put that into action!”

Great, so Radar brought an angry Pokémon there...great. Wait, what kind of Pokémon could create a red light? “I'm sorry...” Radar half mumbled and half whispered to Yigo. Fun fact, Yigo had great hearing. He could hear anything...and also smell anything. Yigo'd hear Radar, the Murkrow was sure of that. “I’ll explain...” He didn’t know what he'd say to explain, but he'd think of something. He just didn’t want to deal with explaining it right now. “Later...” He added.

‘Deimos’ hadn’t stopped, though, still talking away. “Hold position here, i'll go check it out and force it away if it's hostile. Radar's mental state is already fragile enough.” Always was, but, uh... “If he gets attacked now for all we know he might be incapable of recovering.” Okay, Radar's been attacked and hurt and abused by his brother after The Voices had come, and he's fine...sort of... “If i yell, take him and run back to town, don't hesitate.” And just like that, ‘Deimos’ was off, heading towards the source of the light.

And Yigo was pinning Radar down to the ground.

If a Pokémon came and tried to attack him, he'd very much prefer not to be on the ground, even though he was loving the hug. Once ‘Deimos’ had gotten a bit further away... “Can I get up now...?” Radar shyly and quietly asked his friend, really wanting to get up. Whether or not Radar actually attracted a hostile and aggressive Pokémon to where they were, he felt like this was all a giant overreaction on everymon's part.

As she watched and waited, ears tuned to the forest floor below, Tina let her tail sway in the wind that tugged at the slightest hint of flames amidst the fur. The pulsating glow it emitted was actually doing her no favors though, as it cast shadows it all directions and made it hard to track movement among the foliage below. So rather than rely on sight, she listened.

"...I.. ..you.. hurting... I'm sorry.. ..brought you.. ..go back..."

Somewhere below, but out of sight, she could hear the faintest hint of conversation drifting her way on the unreliable winds, but she couldn't make out many of the words, much as she strained her ears. So, naturally, her imagination was happy to fill in the blanks in her attempt to eavesdrop on what she both suspected and hoped were criminals harming a Pokemon in need. What she'd heard so far painted a very grim image in her mind, only worsened by the tone in their voice, which made her shiver with sympathy.

There was another voice as well, one that bore considerable authority and confidence. It was too deep for the words to travel, but the chuckle was unmistakable. The Fennekin scowled darkly then, having in her mind, found her target. She listened to the male rumble on for a while, trying to decipher some kind of meaning from the lower pitch that blended in so well with the forest's natural ambiance, when it suddenly got tense and quieter.

She recognized the shift as a rise in caution. Perhaps an indication that they'd become aware of the light she was producing. Good, that means they'll send out their strongest to investigate, Tina thought with a small smirk. And sure enough, only a few moments later, after the voices had fallen silent, the fox's large ears twitched in response to the smallest movement in the direction they'd been coming from. Whoever it was, was considerably stealthy in their approach, making it impossible to pinpoint them by sound, but as they gradually drew closer, the glow from her tail glinted briefly off a blade in the brush.

Tina sat up sharply then, clawing digging into the tree bark as she realized just how close it was. Not only were they quiet, they were fast too. Don't panic! she reminded herself. After all, she'd planned for this day for weeks. She wasn't about to let the bad guy get the drop on her. It was time to put all that practice into action. To show them what she was really made of.

Suddenly, without another thought, the Fennekin sprung to life, leaping from her branch to the nearest one she could find in the dark, before breaking into a circular sprint around her foe. Her tail, still ablaze like a burning bush, trailed behind her in such magnificent fashion that even had one the vision to see in the dark, they'd likely have been too mesmerized to see the body connected to it, but she wasn't going to waste time trying to hypnotize her attacker, merely taunt until they responded with violence, and then swoop in to strike during the resulting confusion.