Refuge from the Rain

It had been a disastrous few days. Shion had arrived in the area only to find it bathed in a horrible purple smog. She'd never been here before, so it had been a bit of a shock to find somewhere so toxic. It didn't matter where she went on the flatlands, it felt like she was breathing in something that disagreed with her. To make matters worse, the smog irritated her eyes and she was struggling to see where she was going.

Even here in this poisonous wasteland, it seemed there were some pokemon who thrived. Shion had considered for a moment that staying here in such a barren place might be for the best in the end. However, a surprising number of encounters with poison types over the last few days caused her to accept that maybe that wasn't a good choice for anyone involved.

After skirting around some sort of settlement, the greying clouds on the horizon had finally opened and provided a little respite from the smog. The area had been dry, with little vegetation and Shion found herself wondering how long it had been since the last rain here. Was she lucky that the heavens had opened? Or was this a great misfortune for those that lived here?

Although the smog's presence had been lifted slightly thanks to the rain, Shion was soon soaked through. Already feeling weak from the poisonous fog, Shion became aware that she would need to find somewhere to rest, dry off and warm up. Sooner rather than later, unless she wanted to remain out in the open and become ill.

Pushing herself onwards, Shion eventually spotted a giant house. Her first impulse was to avoid it. It was a house, so surely someone lived there. Getting closer, it was clear to her that the place was in a state of disrepair. The roof was patchy, parts of it missing and having fallen to the ground and vnes crawled through some of the woodwork. Soaked through and needing somewhere relatively sheltered to rest, Shion opted to take her chances.

Entering the house was relatively easy. Shion approached the front door, assuming that if anyone really did live there they'd be quick to stop her from entering. She pushed open the door and stood in the entrance way for a few moments. Nothing happened, so she headed a little further into the building. Perhaps the mansion was abandoned after all.

Shion didn't go far from the entrance. One room over was far enough to avoid the drafts from the entranceway. Shion shook the moisture from her feathers, her gaze filtering across the room. There was a chandelier hung from the ceiling, but most of the furniture looked sturdy. The area beneath the chandelier was a no-go; she wasn't going to risk it falling. Eyeing up the furniture further away from the centre of the room, Shion finally decided to perch on the back of what once might have been a seat of some kind.

With her perch decided, Shion took a moment to check that her belongings had all remained dry in her bag. Sifting through it seemed that most everything had remained dry except for the book tucked closest to the front. Thankfully she'd already finished reading it, but it was a shame to see its pages soaked. With a small sigh, she pulled it out from the bag. The Warmth of Suns. An unfortunate title considering it was now dripping cold rainwater all over the floor.

Gently, she laid the book alongside her on the perch, separating its pages and perusing the damage. The ink appeared to be fine in most places but had run in few places. What a shame. Alas, she could do no more than hope it was still legible when it had dried.

With her book drying beside her, Shion fluffed up her feathers and closed her eyes, hoping to sleep out the rain.

Spoiler:

Two pink children and a plant walked quickly through the rain. The smaller of the two held up an umbrella. She'd purchased it on a whim at the Grassveil market, seeing as it had been cheap, and looked, at the very least, pretty decent. It was black, with a wooden handle. It didn't really fit the aesthetic of either of the guild members, but it did a pretty decent job of shielding them from the heavy downpour. The youngest of the trio had on a small, navy blue beret, while the Skitty wore a poncho. It wasn't supposed to rain...

The Oddish, meanwhile walked along outside the umbrella's protection, practically danging as he took in the rain.

"Oh! I can't wait! Where did you guys say we were going...?"

"T-The R-Ruined Chateau..." The girl managed to mumble, but it didn't seem as though the easily excitable plant had heard her.

"Oh! That's right! The Ruined Chateau! Oh! Oh oh oh, I can't wait to evolve!" The Oddish did a little jig, before turning to face the two sisters, bowing to them. "Thank you so much for accepting my request! This really means a lot to me! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" The Oddish practically radiated joy, and while he had been nothing but nice to the two, he did tend to be more than a bit loud.

"Oh! Don't mention it, it's really no problem at all! Happy to help, you know? We're happy for ya! Really!" The Skitty said easily, smiling at the Oddish. Alki managed a smaller, more bashful smile as well.

"Oh! Look! There it is!" Alki exclaimed, the loudest she'd been on this whole walk. The Ruined Chateau was right there! And just in time, too. The downpour had been increasing in strength, and while the house, with it's sundered roof, rotting wood, and vines every which way would've seemed dangerous under most other circumstances, she was happy to see it. With rainstorms came thunder, and with thunder came lighting, and she didn't want to risk getting electrocuted ever again.

"OH! OHOHOHOHOHOH! THERE IT IIIIIIIS!!!" The Oddish practically screamed, his odd dance increasing in ferocity. He seemed more like a top than a Pokemon, spinning around like that...

"Eeyup! There it is! Let's go inside!" Darcy said, before increasing her pace to a brisk trot, the other two following her inside the front door.

The girls' first thought was that it was very, very big. Alki's second thought was that there were a lot of shadows, which was... fortunate. That meant she'd have more to defend herself with. Darcy's second thought was that the Chandelier seemed very expensive, and very very pretty. All the furniture did, really!

The Oddish's excitement had reached a fever pitch, and he was alternating between squeals of excitement, and a renewed ferocity in his hop-dance of excitement.

"Do you think anyone lives here...?" Darcy said loudly, eyeing the sofa with interest. A small rest would be nice.

Alki was struggling to close the umbrella. It was much easier to open one than close one, and as she shook it and tried to force the cover down with her hidden power, water got everywhere, making quite a bit of noise.

The Oddish had still not recuperated from his excitement.

"H-Hey, Darcy, I'ma go check the next room over, if that's ok? I... um, well, I'd like to rest a bit if that's alright...?"

"Oh! Oh Oh Oh! Yes, of course, don't mind me! I'll just sit here and rest a bit too! You need to be well rested to evolve!" The Oddish was shaking, his eyes closed as he practically squealed his approval.

"Of course, Alki! Just... let us know when you're ready, ok?" Darcy said, tilting her head and smiling softly at her younger sister. Alki nodded, returning the smile, before entering the mansion, one room further.

She could see the Chandelier clearer now, and it reflected what little light there was to offer. It seemed dusty. A few of the candle holders were broken.  There was a sofa directly under it, and while the sofa cushions had a few tears, it seemed comfy enough. She was just about to climb on and take a seat when she noticed a Murkrow, her eyes closed a few metres away.

Was she ok? Sleeping, or... hurt? Maybe she'd been hurt in the rainstorm outside, and sought safety here...?  That could happen, right? If she was dangerous, Alki could just teleport away...

"H-Hey..." Alki mumbled softly, climbing onto the sofa, standing on her toes to see over the backrest. "A-Are you ok? Um... W-What's your name?" Alki asked, tilting her head softly as one of her ears twitched. The Murkrow had a bag, and it seemed well kept, so it was safe to assume she wasn't a feral...

There was even a book there!

"Woah... Y-You can read?" Alki mumbled, her small voice possessing no shortage of admiration. She was smart too...!

Shion awoke with a start, her eyes flying open at the other pokemon's voice. She's been roused from her light sleep, but in her drowsiness wasn't yet aware why or how. Her heart hammered as her natural preservation instincts kicked in. A quick glance around identified a jigglypuff who definitely hadn't been there when she'd drifted off.

Flinching backwards at the sudden presence of another, Shion spread her wings to steady herself, only to knock the drying book off of where she'd placed it. It crumpled to the ground, the crinkling of dry pages informing Shion that she'd been asleep for a decent amount of time.

Looking back to the jigglypuff, Shion was relieved to see that the stranger hadn't moved from their place on the couch. Raising a wing to her chest, Shion took a breath to calm herself. The stranger didn't seem like trouble, in fact they seemed somewhat concerned.

"I-I'm fine," Shion replied, shifting nervously. The truth of that was debateable, but she did feel better than when she'd fallen asleep. Hopefully that meant the effects of the smog were wearing off, or at the very least she wasn't noticing them quite as much. This jigglypuff shouldn't be worrying about Shion anyway.

Turning away from the balloon pokemon, Shion hopped off of her perch to reclaim the book from the floor. Lifting it with one wing, she used the other to sift through the pages, making sure none of them had stuck to any others whilst they were drying. The jigglypuff behind her spoke up again, asking if she could read. Shion paused, looking up at the stranger as they peered over the sofa's backrest. The quiet admiration that they were aiming at her made her skin crawl. She looked away. "...Yea."

Alki tilted her head, suddenly feeling a bit guilty of having startled the stranger. Her eyes were panicked as she seemed to tilt awkwardly, taken aback by her presence. She spread her wings out, probably to try to maintain balance, but the book took a tumble because of it. Oh dear... "S-S-Sorry! Sorry!" Alki squeaked, hoping that she hadn't damaged the book too much. She should've been more... quiet? Maybe wake her up more gently, somehow, but... Oh boy. She felt bad. She wasn't sure whether she should grab the book though. The Murkrow didn't seem like the bad sort, but she did seem quite nervous, and wary... Maybe it'd spook her? She didn't want to frighten her...

She said she was fine. Was she? "You seem pretty w-wet t-to m-me though..." Alki mumbled, ears flattening as she climbed up onto the sofa backrest. Balancing herself on her own perch now. Her feet were getting tired, and if she didn't stand on her toes, she wasn't tall enough to see the Murkrow. The Murkrow hopped off her position, and reached for the book. It didn't seem too damaged... "S-S-Sorry a-again, f-for spooking you. What's your name...?"

Alki managed a small smile. Ever since that time with the Alolan Vulpix, and with the strange version of her sister, she'd felt... Well, not happy, but at least... a bit optimistic? That she wasn't that bad a person? The Ralts and the Lanturn had been quite nice to her, and so had Robin and Darcy, and now she was going to at least try to return the favor...

"Y-You should be more p-proud of that! I'm k-kinda d-dumb, I-I can't really read... Y-You must be r-really smart. A-Are you cold? I-I t-think I p-packed a blanket..." Alki mumbled, reaching for her own bag. She didn't seem like a particularly outgoing person, but she seemed nice, and smart... And she wanted to make sure she'd be ok. Alki produced a blanket, that was just a bit too big for her, but perhaps just the right size for the Murkrow? Big blankets were nice though... It was nice to hide under the blanket, so no one could see her, and she couldn't see anyone...

"Here! You should warm up a bit! I'm alright! W-W-What's y-your name, b-by the way?" The girl asked, smiling softly at the stranger. She hoped she'd accept the blanket she was holding out. It'd certainly make her feel a lot more useful...

Shion spent a few moments meticulously checking each page of the book. She closed it, flipped it over and stared at the cover. It was adorned with an engraving of a sun. Shion's attention snapped back to the jigglypuff as they continued to speak with her. She couldn't read? That was... unfortunate. Shion had learned to read as she'd grown; her parents taught her alongside her sister. Shion shivered. She couldn't imagine seeing an interesting book and not being able to discern its contents.

The jigglypuff seemed to catch on to the chill that ran through Shion. The balloon reached for their bag and Shion quickly objected. "If you packed a blanket, then you should be the one to use it," she protested. It was only right. They would have packed it for a reason, so it wasn't worth giving it to Shion. Despite this, the jigglypuff held the blanket out to her.

Shion stared at the stranger. Their smile was kind and their intentions were good. It made Shion feel warm that someone would go out of their way to help a stranger. She wanted to accept their generous offer. The added warmth from a blanket was just what she needed to ease the chill that had wormed its way through her body and would help prevent Shion from getting a cold. However, if she took it and this pokemon wanted to use it later, it would already be wet from the moisture clinging to Shion's feathers. They'd said they were alright though. Perhaps it would be fine, just this once?

Her thoughts were interrupted as the jigglypuff asked her name once again. The simplicity of the question was a relief as Shion struggled to decide the best course of action concerning the blanket. "I'm Shion," she answered, clutching her book a little tighter, "A-Are you sure you won't need it?" The murkrow seemed to shrink in on herself as she spoke.

Alki watched the Murkrow curiously, as she seemed to flip through the pages faster than she'd ever seen anyone read before. The cover was pretty. There was a bright, yellow sun on the cover, and it made Alki resent the clouds and rain and snow that constantly fell. She hadn't realized it, but... She sort of missed the sun.

"Did ya read it?" Alki asked curiously, pointing at the book in question. It seemed quite large, or thick, at the very least. Darcy had explained once that the thicker the book was, the more words were in it. Reading was hard, but she wished she could read... Everyone she knew seemed to enjoy it a lot. But the letters ran into each other, forming... strange shapes, to say the least. How anyone could discern those strange runes was beyond her understanding. They were just smarter than she was. "You r-read r-really fast..."

Upon the Murkrow's apparent refusal of the blanket, Alki seemed to wilt slightly. Why not...? She didn't want it... Well, she did, it was one of her favorites, but she didn't mind this stranger borrowing it! Alki shook her head, a small, nervous smile still on her face. She didn't take the blanket back. This was an opportunity for her to be useful! She really wanted the Murkrow to take it. If she didn't, she was just being useless again...

A waste of space...

Alki gently hid her right wrist from sight. A small, red ribbon was tied around it, and what was beneath it was something she didn't want anyone to see...

"Nice to meet you, Shion!" She blurt out, almost without thinking. The smile came after the statement. How nervous had she seemed...? She'd just been thinking about it... Not for too long though. Just think about the Murkrow, Shion... Try to help her. Helping others helped her too... It made her a bit happier...

Did that make her selfish?

The paleness of the jigglypuff seemed to dissipate slowly, as her smile regained it's naturalness. Or was that an illusion too? Even she didn't know... She'd be happy if she agreed to take it. Alki held it out farther, so the Murkrow could grab it. If she wanted to.

"N-Nah. I-I'll be f-fine. I'm w-wearing a h-hat, a-and we had an umbrella, s-so... I'm p-pretty warm... d-dry, at least..." Alki smiled wider. Was she being desperate...? Maybe. "P-Please take it! I d-don't r-really n-need it r-right now, a-and you'll g-g-get sick... Um... I-It is a bit b-big though. I... It's a lot bigger than me. I just like h-hiding under it, w-when I'm in m-my bedroom..." Alki laughed softly, before giving Shion a small nod. "I-It r-really i-is n-nice to meet you, S-Shion. I'm A-Alki..."

"Y-yea, I've read it already," she replied quietly. The jigglypuff had one thing wrong though; Shion hadn't read it all just now, only checked it for damage. The murkrow gently corrected the other. She didn't want them to think she was some amazing speed reader, when she wasn't anything of the sort. "But it got wet in the rain, so I was just making sure it had dried."

Shion felt like she'd just be causing more trouble for the other pokemon if she accepted the blanket, but they were doing their very best to convince Shion that wasn't the case. However, they were right. She would probably get sick if she didn't get warm. After another moment of hesitance, Shion repositioned her book underneath one wing and reached out for the blanket.

"Thank you, Alki." Shion flashed the jigglypuff a tiny smile, gone as quickly as it arrived. She clutched the blanket to herself and hopped back up onto where she had previously been perched. This way, if the blanket was too long, at least it wouldn't be trailing along the floor where it might get dirty. Shion wrapped the blanket around herself. It was cosy and she found herself nuzzling into the material, already feeling warmer.

Placing her book alongside her, Shion rummaged through her bag. Surely she had something in here that she could give in return for Alki's kindness. Eventually she produced a berry. It was plump and ripe. Offering it out to Alki, Shion hoped it would be enough of a gesture of appreciation.

"Please take this. As thanks." Shion would have loved to have been able to give the jigglypuff a book. She could think of nothing better than the gift of a good story, but as Alki had said she couldn't read, Shion did not want to offer something that Alki would be unable to enjoy.

Alki smiled softly, taking in the Murkrow's explanation. So she'd read it before, not just now. It had gotten wet in the rain, so she'd been making sure it was fine, undamaged... The fact she could read at all still impressed her though. There were so many cool Pokemon she knew, and all of them could read. As far as she knew, she was the only one who couldn't... It was impressive, really...

"Ah, that's cool. I hope it's ok..." She said quietly, nodding as her ears twitched. A hint of admiration was still present in her voice, as she softly rubbed her right wrist with her left hand. She was lucky that the bandana was red too... Alki coughed, distracting herself from her own thoughts, just in time for the Murkrow to express her thanks.

"A-A-Ah, no p-problem!" Alki said, blushing as she returned the Murkrow's fleeting smile. It really wasn't a problem, truthfully, (Was this selfish...?) the Murkrow was helping her just as much as Alki had helped Shion. It was nice to make herself useful, even in small ways, cause that was more useful than she usually was...

She watched as Shion sifted through her bag, seeming to search for something, and she climbed down from the sofa. Shion was much taller than she was now, but that seemed oddly fitting... She was more important, after all. Who wasn't...?

She watched silently as she was offered a berry. Shion's berry. She didn't want it... Well, it looked good. But it wasn't hers. She wasn't going to take it. Shion had already been kind enough to her, she didn't want to steal anything from someone like this...

"N-Nah." Alki said, taking a tentative step back. How to get out of this...? "I-I'm... a-allergic. I appreciate it t-though!" She said, taking a seat by the couch, looking up at the bird. "Um... H-How about y-you tell me w-what the s-story's about?" Alki pointed at the book, smiling softly. "I wish I c-could read, b-but I'm not smart enough. I do l-like stories though... M-My big sister reads to me s-sometimes... S-She's here, if you'd like to meet her? She's a lot cooler than I am, b-but... Um, if you'd rather not, I can keep you company a bit longer..."

Shion's eyes widened and she quickly pulled the berry back. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" She shuffled the berry back into her bag, wanting to keep it as far away from the jigglypuff as possible. She couldn't believe she'd only known Alki for a few minutes and she'd already nearly killed her. The murkrow pulled the blanket a little closer, silent until Alki spoke up again.

The jigglypuff indicated the book that she still had tucked under her wing. Shion brought it out, staring at the brightly coloured sun on the cover. She held it out to Alki, in case she wanted to take a look. "It's called The Warmth of Suns. It tells the stories of different pokemon moving to find new home," she explained, falling into a short description of the book with ease. Shion wasn't sure if the story was based on truth, or if it was completely fictional, but she had been able to relate to some of the characters and events due to her own nomadic nature.

Shion was happy to hear that despite having never been taught to read, Alki wasn't missing out on stories in general. Reading out loud was a good way to share them. She supposed that it was the same as when stories had only been told through word of mouth. At the mention of meeting Alki's sister though, she grew hesitant.

"I don't think that's a good idea..." she replied, wringing her wings nervously. She'd already nearly harmed Alki with a berry she was allergic to. Who knows what misfortune Shion might bring to Alki's sister. In such a ruined place they could easily fall through rotting floorboards, or have a roof collapse in on them. Though, the fact that the place was so ruined in the first place begged the question as to why someone like Alki was here in the first place. Shion had only come here to take shelter from the rain. Had the sisters done the same? But Alki had said herself that she had a hat and umbrella.

"W-what brought you both here though?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"O-Oh, i-it's ok, d-don't worry about it..." Alki said softly, nervously rubbing the ribbon on her wrist. Had that been a bad choice? She just didn't want to take the Murkrow's stuff, and that seemed like the easiest solution. But maybe it wasn't the best...? Shion seemed quite shaken by the lie that Alki was allergic to this berry. She didn't seem to disbelieve it, though...

If she didn't believe it, what was left to be said? If she took it back, she'd just out herself as a liar. And... well, she was, but she didn't want people to know that...

Alki continued to rub at her the ribbon around her wrist as she listened to the bird's explanation of the story. The Warmth of Suns, huh? That sounded like a pretty fancy name... And the story itself sounded quite interesting! It was about a bunch of different people going out into the world in search of a new home. She leaned in, her eyes ripe with interest the more Shion explained. She had been sort of like that, once upon a time, hadn't she? She'd left Pecha Forest with no real destination in mind, just bouncing along in the general direction of Grassveil...

It was kinda cool that somebody would write a book about people like that. Of course, she imagined the characters in the book were much more admirable than she was...

"I-I like how that b-book sounds..." The girl said softly, ears bending forward as she reflected more on the story. She really missed the sun... She missed how pleasant the heat was, rather than the permanent cloudiness in the sky. At best, it seemed like a wet, april afternoon. More often than not, however, it was just cold... "I-I r-really wish the Sun would came
b-back, though. I miss it... Heh."

Alki nodded as she expressed her unwillingness to meet Darcy. Maybe she could just hang out here, with the Murkrow? By herself? Tell Darcy that she should go on without her, but... That seemed dangerous. And after everything she'd gone through in Coral Forest, the last thing she wanted was to separate herself from her sister, who still loved her, and who she still loved...

"A-Ah, t-that's ok.." Alki said, pulling apart her left hand from her right. The ribbon was still tied securely, which was good. She had to make sure of that a lot... "W-What brings us here...? Um... W-We're a rescue team. I guess... Although she does most of the rescuing. She's a lot better at guild stuff than I am, I... W-Well, I'm her little sister, s-so I just sorta... have to be along for the ride..." She trailed off, kicking her feet back and forth as she reflected on her role in the team... Which really didn't exist... What did she do for Darcy that Darcy couldn't do herself...?

"I'm... not a very good guild-person. I'm not very smart, or strong, and... Well, honestly, I'm just bad news for her more often than not..." The girl added softly, shifting her bag from one ear to the other. She managed a small, timid smile despite the self-depreciative thoughts that had already begun to simmer in her mind... She really had no idea why Darcy liked her so much... Or why she still let her come on missions like this... She just didn't want to get anyone hurt, and she felt that was such a big possibility for her...

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Ruined Chateau :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Ruined Chateau :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Ruined Chateau :

Mada carried out 1 launched of one Ruined Chateau :

Shion: 22 - 16 or entry = 6

Alki's words struck a chord. Shion turned her gaze back to the book's cover, tracing the lines of the sun with her feathers. She missed the rays of light that peeked through the clouds after a short shower of rain. She missed how it would warm the feathers on her back as she travelled, and most of all she missed how a sunny day would brighten Himari's smiles, almost as if the light itself fuelled her optimism.

"I miss it too..." She agreed quietly, tearing her gaze away from the engraving to slip the book back into her bag.

Shion was glad that Alki didn't question her want to stay away from her sister. If they were anything like Alki, Shion could only assume they too were kindhearted. She had nothing against someone like that, but she wasn't going to put someone else in danger if she could avoid it. Shion was already forcing Alki to stick around whilst she utilised her blanket to warm up.

A rescue team? Shion's eyes widened. She'd read about those before! There were only a few non-fiction books that she'd seen on the subject. In all of them the rescue teams, otherwise known as exploration teams, were entrusted with helping others wherever possible. From smaller personal problems, to helping fight natural disasters, they were portrayed as pokemon to look up to and Shion couldn't help but agree. Even if Alki was still in training, it meant that she had chosen to devote a part of her life to helping others and Shion found that admirable.

In fact, contrary to what Alki seemed to believe, her actions in the short time Shion had known her proved to the murkrow that Alki was more than suited to being a guild-person. Shion couldn't validate whether the jigglypuff was strong or smart, but she was most definitely kind. The murkrow paused to think on her words before she spoke up.

"I don't think you necessarily have to be strong or smart to be good at helping people." She shifted a little, timidly lifting the edge of the blanket with one wing to emphasize it's presence. Alki had helped her with something so simple. No matter what Alki thought, there was no way that Shion could believe the jigglypuff was any worse news than Shion was herself. Alki wasn't the one who brought misfortune wherever she went.

Solilo carried out 4 launched of one Ruined Chateau :

, , ,

Alki let the silence around them persevere for a few minutes, biting her lip as she reflected on the sun. Back when she'd lived in Pecha Forest, it was one of the most pleasant things around her. She'd run away in the middle of the day and hide out, somewhere in the forest. She'd just lay there, a patch of sunlight, a tree root serving as a bed to her, and stay. Hours at a time; once she'd even slept outside, and had that been the best night of her life. Of course, it would take her a while to be brave enough to actually stay gone, and every time, she'd come back home, get told hurtful truths about her nature, about her intelligence, and sent to her room. No food for the day. Maybe tomorrow, too? There wasn't enough to go around for everyone, you see, and she'd misbehaved...

She looked up at the Murkrow, and couldn't help but feel worried at... was that admiration? Was Shion admiring her? Her eyes were wide, and she seemed to look almost... impressed? With her... Oh, if only she knew... Alki tightened her ribbon, and lowered her head, unsure of what to say. If she just told her to not admire her, would she stop? Would that be rude...?

She didn't want to be rude...

Shion spoke up, almost seeming to try to encourage her... Alki's ears folded over as she looked up, seeing Shion gesture with her wing, drawing attention to... Oh. The blanket. The girl adjusted her hat, looking down once more, unsure of what to say. It really wasn't that big a deal... In fact, her motivations for sharing the thing had been just as much tied to her own happiness as to Shion's health... That made her selfish...

Darcy wasn't selfish, and she was... The thought only made her admiration for her sister grow, and her already destroyed self-esteem to sink a bit further. She gave a small, nervous laugh, hoping to stop her emotions before they got to out of hand. Every time she was emotional, it was a bad time for people around her... "A-Ah, n-naw, t-that's... t-that was easy. N-No big d-deal, t-the blanket, I m-mean... a-anyone woulda d-done that, r-right...?" The girl offered tentatively, but before she could say anything more, she heard another voice in the room.

"A-Alki...?" The Skitty said, poking her head into the room, one paw  suspended in midair as her ears quivered. She didn't seem to notice the dark-colored bird, instead scanning the room for any round, pink life. Her voice quivered with an uncharacteristic nervousness as she searched.

She'd been stupid to let Alki out of her sight... After everything that had occurred, and the warning she'd been given, not to mention all the things she'd said that had been tipping her off to her fading self-esteem for... months now, she'd let her out of her sight, and now she had to find her...

"Y-Yes...?" There came a small, squeaky response, and Darcy breathed an audible sigh of relief, just as the Oddish poked into her room. As the Skitty walked in, her confidence slowly returning to her as she approached her sister, who was seated behind the couch, for some reason...?

"Alki, it's dusty down... Oh!" She jumped slightly, the presence of another Pokemon taking her by surprise. She smiled bashfully, ears perking up as she nodded. "Sorry, I didn't see ya there!" She said cheerfully, the Skitty's personality juxtaposing harshly with the younger guild member's. The Oddish smiled at her, and gave a small bow.

"Hullo!"

"Y-Yeah, t-this is S-Shion, um... S-She's really nice, b-but, um... S-Sorry Shion..." She said, adding in that last part quietly, so only the Pokemon it was directed to could hear the apology.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Shion! I'm Darcy!" The Skitty said, her tail flickering softly as she took a seat before her, positively beaming at the sight of another Pokemon. Alki had been in the room alone with this Murkrow for quite a while. If she was bad news, Alki would've gotten into trouble by now. Or at the very least, run back into the main room...

The jigglypuff didn't seem to respond well to Shion's words and the murkrow shifted nervously. Had she said something wrong? Had she touched on something she shouldn't have? It was just her luck that she would find the wrong thing to say to someone who had done their best to help.

"Not anyone..." Alki's protest that anyone would have done the same didn't sit right with Shion. She knew that wasn't true. Back in her home village, majority of the other residents would not have even stopped to see if she was okay, never mind offering a blanket. As much as it hurt, Shion couldn't blame them for not wanting to be around her. Hell, she wouldn't blame Alki if she wanted nothing to do with Shion either. It was entirely possible that Alki had only acted so kindly because she didn't know what Shion was. But it was understandable and thus it didn't make the gesture any less meaningful to her.

Before Shion could find a better way to convey this verbally, an unfamiliar voice called Alki's name. Shion shrank back into the blanket, making herself smaller and less noticeable. Was that Alki's sister calling? Perhaps that was Shion's cue to leave. The weight of the fabric wrapped around her suddenly felt like a chain, tying her to the room. She couldn't steal the jigglypuff's blanket.

Shion began to tug at the blanket around her. If she was quick, she might be able to slip away. Hopefully Alki wouldn't hold it against her - or maybe it would be for the best if she did. Unfortunately the skitty was sharp and quickly spotted her, apologising for not noticing her presence sooner. Alki quietly apologised as well, probably for Darcy's sudden presence. "I-It's fine," Shion assured both sisters, all the while slowly edging away from them. Her movement was subtle, only a pace or two, but any measure of distance was better than none.

One pokemon was relatively fine. The odds of something happening immediately were low. But three? Surely that just increased the likelihood of something unfortunate occuring.

"A-ah it's nice to meet you both, but I think I should be going-" The thought of something happening was overwhelming and Shion promptly decided it was best to remove herself from the location as fast as possible. She began to pull the blanket from her back, already missing it's warmth. "Th-Thanks for lending this to me."

Shion: [6 - 14 = 0] [0 + 10 = 10]

Alki cocked her head as Shion protested her statement. Not anyone...? Well, it didn't make her action any more impressive. Meeting the bare minimum of being a decent person wasn't satisfying to her. Why would it? She rubbed her wrist softly, thinking about what to say. Her ears perked up, before flattening once again. She really seemed appreciative, but Alki didn't feel like she'd done anything to earn that appreciation. After all, all she'd done was give the Murkrow a piece of cloth. While she wanted to protest this statement further, Alki simply let it slip with a soft "Maybe..." , knowing full well that there was no maybe about it. The act didn't make her any better of a person...

As Darcy came in to the room, and found Alki sitting there, on the floor, the girl stood up hastily, unsure if she'd done something wrong by choosing to sit there. She mumbled a quiet apology to Shion, before managing a shaky smile at her sister and their client. She watched as Darcy introduced herself, but Shion seemed repellant to their presence... Was she that shy...? Alki watched as she began to peel the blanket off of herself, on the verge of holding it back out to her.

"N-Nah, it's... y-you c-can keep it, f-for n-now... P-please don't go t-though, it's n-not s-safe... " Alki stammered out, taking her own step back, as though afraid of her own blanket. Truthfully, she just didn't want Shion to leave. Had she made a mistake somewhere? Maybe she was leaving cause she didn't like her, and was just trying to be polite...

"S-Sorry..." Alki managed again, as she looked around to her travelling companions. Darcy seemed more confused than anything, and the Oddish seemed to be quite nervous as to what to say, uncharacteristically quiet, more than anything. Alki repeat her apology, almost inaudibly, to those two as well. She was about to make a scene, wasn't she? She should just shut up...

~

Darcy cocked her head, visibly confused as the Murkrow already began to excuse herself, ready to leave already. "But we only just met..." Darcy said softly, a soft sense of melancholy seeping into her voice. The Murkrow stuttered quite a bit as well... Now, who did that remind her of? She watched as Shion held out Alki's blanket... Well, technically hers, but she was fine with it being Alki's...

"Besides, Alki's right, it's not safe for you to be alone, and I wouldn't want someone like you to be stuck alone in here, or outside flying through the rain..." Darcy said, softly interjecting with her own logic. She smiled at the Murkrow. From the way she talked, and the way she acted, she seemed quite a bit like a certain sister of hers... Only figures Alki would be the one to meet her first. Birds of a feather flocked together, and all that...

The Oddish nodded meekly, unsure of what to say. He was always so loud and excitable, but for now, he was just worried about saying the wrong thing. The Murkrow seemed rather shy, and he didn't want to scare anyone away... He was loud, but not mean...

"You should come with us!" He said, smiling softly at the Murkrow as well. "Safety in numbers, and all that!" He hopped in place a bit, clearly hoping that Shion would agree to stay. It'd be nice to meet someone new in this dungeon as well...

Shion flashed Alki a tight smile as she began to fold the blanket. She held it out to Alki, but the jigglypuff backed up a few steps, as if the blanket would burn her. "I don't want to ruin it," Shion confessed, "If I keep it, it'll just get lost or damaged."

It pained Shion to be ignoring Alki's pleas to stay. She didn't like hurting people, physically or emotionally. The jigglypuff's concern for Shion's safety was admirable, but the words only solidified her decision to leave. Alki had no idea that the murkrow's presence was probably going to make it less safe for everyone else. Even if it was dangerous, Shion didn't matter more than three other pokemon.  It would be better for them if she left the ruined house so they could conduct their business here without her around.

Seeing as Alki clearly wasn't going to take the blanket, Shion gently laid it down on her perch so that it would be easy to collect. She fluttered over all three of them, landing near the doorframe. Sifting through her bag, she double checked she hadn't forgotten anything. Finding everything in order, Shion spread her wings to leave the room, but halted at Darcy's words.

'It's not safe.'

Alki had said it too and even the oddish seemed to agree. Shion turned to the trio. Their smiles were pleasant and warm. They were so, so welcoming; like the light of a hearth in the midst of winter. Shion wanted nothing more than to say yes. That she would stay here and spend time with them and get to know them more. But what right did she have to do that when she would be putting them in danger.

"It's safer for all of you if I go." Shion's voice was cheerless. Her doleful gaze traced over each of them once last time before she flew off into the next room.

The murkrow landed near the centre of what should have been the entranceway. With a quick look around, it was clear that this was no longer the case. Where there had once been a wide open room, now there was a more enclosed space. There was various furniture, all covered with white cloth save for some fancy looking candle holders tucked in one corner of the room. Glancing around, Shion wondered if she had made a mistake somehow. But how could she? There had only been one entrance to the room she'd slept in.

Worrying at her wing feathers, Shion stared up at where the large front door of the ruined house should have been. Instead she was greeted with nothing but a solid wall, empty except for a framed painting of a meadow.