The Lone Traveler [Open]

[Oakey]

``RYAN; MY LONE TRAVELER

The small creature, standing only about a foot tall, was bathed in the moons pale light, his head raised slightly to the treetops.
Patches of the pale light, filtered through the thick braches, speckling the ground. It felt different to be under the trees, rather than in the open spaces, to be walking on trampled undergrowth instead of sharp rocks and bones. It felt weird not to be able to see the moon, but the cubone just lowered his head, held back his tears and continued walking through the dark forest. The pale moon's light was his only guide.
Ryan was oblivious to the fact that there was another Pokemon, close to him, watching him from the surrounding growth. He wasn't used, to detecting other Pokemon, and kept walking.
After only a few moments, Ryan did get the senation of being watched. He stopped, in another shed of moonlight, and raised the bone he was weilding in his hand defensivley.
<"Hello?">

[Umbra]

Charon was currently padding calmly through the forest on his hind legs, the raichu's whip-like tail waving back and forth gently with each step. It was pitch black out, but the muscular raichu wasn't really concerned about this... He was learning to be more active at night to avoid humans, and predators knew better than to tangle with him. Most pokemon were smart enough to not tangle with a raichu... They were seen as aggressive, battle hungry bullies... Even among other chus.

Frankly, Charon wasn't sure if that was a good thing... It kept others from bothering him... And he preferred solitude... But then again, someone... Something to talk to... Usually wasn't around.

It didn't help that others treated him like a monster when he was fully aware of what he did in the past... Humans... Such horrible creatures... Forcing him to do such terrible things...
"But you broke free"... He argued with himself... "But if that was really the case... Why haven't you moved on?

Wonderful... He was hearing voices in his head. The large raichu took note of this with narrowed dark amber eyes. He was going insane now apparantly...

<"Hello?">

Charon suddenly stopped, heart beating, crescent moon shaped ears pricked and alert. STUPID! He wasn't even paying attention! The vioce... It sounded like it was coming from a clearing about 10 yards from his position... <"Yes...">, Charon called out cautiously, <"Who is it? State your name and species."> The raichu was still in the treelines... He wouldn't be seen, but neither could he see other pokemon...

[Oakey]

``RYAN; MY LONE TRAVELER

Ryan froze at the unfamiliar voice, s chill rising up his spine. The cubone spun the bone in his head, his palms getting sweaty with fear.
He had never encountered another Pokemon before.
Isn't this what you want? You needed to get out of that shell of solitude of yours!
<"Ryan... c-cubone...."> he replied to the voice.

[Umbra]

Charon ~ level 66

OOC: Note Oakey, every two posts you do with your pokemon, he or she gains a level... During a battle they gain a level every post. ;D

The raichu carefully listened to the reply... head tilted so his ears could hear... Muscles tense.

<"Ryan... c-cubone....">

Charon furrowed his orange brow in thought... "Cubone?", Charon thought strangely... What on earth was one doing here? Cubone were strange pokemon... They had strange relationships with the dead... In areas where a lot of pokemon have died, small communities tended the graves and lived there. Legend has that they were cursed from Arceus from sort of crime they committed in the past. The females of the species have a slight chance of dying after child birth, and the species by far were very reclusive... The eeriest thing about them was the fact they wore the bones and skulls of their dead.

Charon also knew they were ground type... Meaning if the cubone was strong, Charon wouldn't be able to do much... Yet despite himself, the raichu was drawn to something about the voice... It sounded scared, despairing... Terrified even... <"Well hold on Ryan, I'll come to you... Try not to be shocked by my appearance.">

A dark shape entered the clearing... Standing almost 4 feet on it's hind legs... A large, muscular raichu. It was male, and his fur was a dark orange, with brown stripes going down his back and tan white belly. His front paws and back legs were also brown, and rippled with muscle. It's ears were crescent shaped, and one looked slightly scarred... Indeed... There were a few white scars and even a larger one trailing down his back... He obviously looked like he fought a lot. He fixed the Cubone in front of him with a cautious, yet sympathetic look in his amber eyes.

Charon spoke softly, or as softly as his deep, raspy voice could accomplish. <"Ryan... What are you doing here? There are several predators in these parts that are too big for a little guy like you."> The raichu did his best to ignore the skull that the little ground type wore... Creepy... But from what he understood, Cubones viewed the relationship between their dead as precious, so he wouldn't say.

[Oakey]

Ryan ~ level 22

[Note: So cubones evolve into Marowaks at level 28, would he just.... evolve?]

<"Well hold on Ryan, I'll come to you...">

Ryan relaxed slightly, but didn't lower the bone. He may have lived in solitude all of his life, but he was smart enough not to trust a stranger in the dark forest, and by the sound of the creature's deep and raspy voice.... he was a tad bit taller than the puny one foot that he stood.

<"Try not to be shocked by my appearance.">

At these words, the small cubone tightened his grip on the bone again. His brow furrowed, and the perspire continued underneath the protective skull, and down the arm that weilded the bone. He gulped, as he heard the rustle in the bushes, signaling the creature's entrance.
Whatever gave Ryan the thought, that he had prepared himself effectivly, disappeared as the larger creature stepped into the clearing, blocking the cubone from the moon, sheilding him from it's pale light, and obscuring him in darkness. The cubone didn't know which one made him more uncomfortable.

<"Ryan... What are you doing here? There are several predators in these parts that are too big for a little guy like you.">

Ryan thought about the question carefully, running it through his mind, and playing with it on his tongue. He blinked slowly. <"I don't know my purpose..."> he whispered, <"...but I know there is one..."> he added after a long breath.
The small cubone, scuttled into another shed of moonlight before asking, <"Uhm, what are you, and what is your name?">
He had only rarely seen another Pokemon, and not one as close as this one was.

[Umbra]

OOC: You can do it whenever you think he's ready... but it's required at 28 at least.

Charon's normally harsh amber eyes softened as he gazed down at Ryan.<"I don't know my purpose...">...<"...but I know there is one..."> It was so strange... A weird feeling of deja vu swept over the raichu as he continued to stare at the little cubone.<"Uhm, what are you, and what is your name?"> Charon snapped out of his thoughtful stupor before he glanced at Ryan with amber eyes. <"You mean... You don't know?"> He sounded genuinely surprised... But then he stated, <"Wait... Of course... My apologies... My name is Charon, and I am a raichu...">

[Oakey]

[Okay, but does he just.... pfft, i'm a Marowak?]
Ryan ~ Level 23

<"You mean... You don't know?"> Ryan blinked slowly, at the surprised tone in the creature's raspy voice.
"Am I supposed to know?" he thought, but after a moment he realized most Pokemons would have a good knowledge of their surrounding neighboors. Unlike Ryan.
<"Wait... Of course... My apologies... My name is Charon, and I am a raichu...">
Ryan relaxed slightly, and the bone dropped to the ground, his hand still wrapped around it. This... Raichu? It seemed as if it wasn't going to hurt him. It actually seemed sympathetic, yet Ryan was not angered nor did he feel any self pity. Ryan was relieved he wasn't going to have to explain his lack of knowledge, for he wasn't sure he could.
<"Well Charon, it's nice to meet you."> "And not get eaten... he thought, resisteing the urge to shiver. <"What is the name of this forest I am... traveling through? Is there a place... where I can safely reside?">

[Umbra]

OOC: I see it as a steady growth until they do evolve, usually in a situation of happiness, stress, etc...

Charon ~ level 67

Charon merely nodded curtly at the compliment, but then raised an orange brow at Ryan's last question. <"What is the name of this forest I am... traveling through? Is there a place... where I can safely reside?">

<"I'm afraid your out of luck there kid... Your in the Emerald Forest, though there is nothing "emerald" about it this time of year, and your in it pretty deep... The chance of someone like you finding a perfectly safe place from predators at your current power is slim..."> Charon concluded.

[Oakey]

<"I'm afraid your out of luck there kid... Your in the Emerald Forest, though there is nothing "emerald" about it this time of year, and your in it pretty deep... The chance of someone like you finding a perfectly safe place from predators at your current power is slim...">

"Just my luck..." the cubone thought with a small sigh. He raised his head to the sky, but couldn't see the moon through the tree tops. It was rather unsettling. and Ryan let out a much longer sigh, and held back the tears he knew he couldn't expose to this Raichu.
<"Well, Charon... what do you propose, a little guy like me should do?">

[Umbra]

<"Well, Charon... what do you propose, a little guy like me should do?"> The raichu knew the younger pokemon was terrified, and right now he was undergoing an inner turmoil himself, though his outward expression was calm.

It felt like a war was going on... Part of Charon, the part that experienced loneliness and a thirst for companionship, was all for helping the cubone, if not just for conversation's sake. Another part, his independent survival part, told the raichu it wasn't his business. His sympathetic, kinder side told him that he wasn't a bad person, and that helping someone who couldn't help themselves proves that he wasn't a monster, and that he would like help if he was helpless pichu as well. His darker side... The side was unconcerned with the plights of others told him to leave the little scrap. His business was unconcerned with the little pokemon.

Finally, Charon sighed and said with crossed arms. <"Allright... Tell you what. You can come to my den and rest for the night... And then I'll escort you back out of the forest, away from the danger zone with all the predatory pokemon. Once we reach the outskirts, what you do from there is your own business."> The large raichu informed.

[starwave]

OOC: Do you mind if I join in?

Lying under a tree, not far from where the noise came from was a fox-like pokemon who was gazing at the treetops. The sounds of leaves seemed to calm her, letting herself slip into the memories of her mother and father. A quiet night, the small little fox lying against her mother's side and being protected by three of her Nine tails. Singing her a silent lullaby into her little ears and mother smiling as she spoke.
<"Don't cry, my little Star. Mother's here."> She said, nudging Star's head gently and soon lifted her head up to her father, who was sitting down next to her mother.

Before she could re-live her father's face, a noise broke the silence and made Star jump to her feet. "Now what!" She thought, her ears moving back and fourth and her hazel eyes wide open. "They better not try anything, or else fire will burn." She let a small flame escape from her mouth and sat down again with her six tails curled up against her back. Star was more alert now, remembering that she still has a long way to go before getting strong. <"At least I have a better chance of keeping up."> She spoke to no one at all and was unaware of what was going on, at least not yet.

[Umbra]

OOC: I don't mind, ;D though I personally don't know how to introduce your character into the scene... I'm just gonna wait for Oakey to reply.

[Oakey]

Level 24

<"Allright... Tell you what. You can come to my den and rest for the night... And then I'll escort you back out of the forest, away from the danger zone with all the predatory pokemon. Once we reach the outskirts, what you do from there is your own business.">

Ryan was hesitant to reply, his mind racing. His thoughts returned to the possibilty that this whole thing was a trick, and he couldn't trust Charon. Yet a much larger, dominant part of him leaned toward the possibility that he could, although he was still uncertain.

The small cubone, opened his mouth to reply, but a whisper in the nearby foilage, caught his attention, saving him from conversation. <"Who's there?"> he said instead, his voice wary.

[Umbra]

Charon sharply looked around. Now that the cubone mentioned it, he did hear something as well.

[starwave]

<"Who's There?">

Star's ears flicked back, but wouldn't respond and let another small flame escape her mouth with her eyes narrowed. "Don't say anything and maybe they'll go away." She thought, still eyeing the spot where the voice came from.