Continued from Seeking Something Special and The Beginning of a Prolongation

The rain pounded the rocky ground of Jade Lane mercilessly. Angry thunder sounded, and bolts of lightning pierced the sky. It had suddenly become extremely dark, in addition to the zero visibility that the sheets of rain caused. It was the sort of rainstorm that one would normally run from as fast as was physically possible, seeking refuge in the safe indoors. It was the sort of storm associated with lightning strikes and other such deadly and dangerous events.

And, for once, stereotype was right. For in the storm were two injured Pokèmon, both hurt, directly or not, from the fear-inducing lightning. The two, completely oblivious of each other's presence, were accompanied by two humans, who were also unaware. The sheet of rain blocking out all sights had somehow made two humans invisible, and so the two coexisted without ever being aware of the other.

That is, until one was finally informed of the other's existence. It was an unlikely event, at best, but it did happen, as if by destiny. Through the sounds of the pounding rain, the boy, Joshua, heard a girl whisper, "Please please please help this Surskit." And as if these were some magic words, the rain cleared, if just a little bit, just enough to inform the humans of each other's existance.

And so, Arishabelle caught a glimpse of a boy who was going through the same sort of ordeal as she, and Joshua likewise saw she who was sharing the rainstorm with him. It was as if the meeting were destiny....or else some strange coincidence. Either were possible, even probable.

[Linkeh]

He must be growing delusional now. The rain has been tricky but he was dumbfounded to hear a human whispering pleadingly and when he had looked at the person, the rain seemed to have ceased its violent tantrum. The young lady had acknowledged his presence too. He was tad smaller, younger, and in a soaker condition than her but it wouldn't be hard to tell any longer as the rain would soon put them in the same condition. If he didn't know better, she and him were in the same position already because then when Joshua had looked down to where this girl had been looking tearfully at, an injured little Pokèmon lay there motionlessly. Joshua was quite tired to make a comment. It was not easy to walk through the storm alone. He was already panting from the exhaust of energy he used fighting the ferocious rain but he did not feel any pity to her or the Pokèmon. The injured Pokèmon, in his opinion, is best left alone. Unlike him, Carbuncle was his only Pokèmon and ten times useful than some long-legged, tiny Pokèmon.

"Still, this hag is the very first human I have encountered," he thought, reconsidering. "She might have items...and more Pokèmon, but why won't she just return her Pokèmon in the ball? Is this twit really stupid? She does not appear to be a Trainer at all..." he thought, studying her in spite of the alarming circumstances. She was beautiful truth to be told, but Joshua was not interested in that. The rain did not look find for her and her dress was soaked too. When Joshua found her hair though, he felt disgusted. It was pink. Dyeing was very pathetic, and a way to reassure an insecure person. Dyeing is like putting a large ribbon on the head.

"Pauper, do you not have a potion with you?" Joshua asked flatly, narrowing his eyes. The Surskit was only wounded and while Joshua has a potion of his own, he suspected that another person existing might be another victim of the Woman he first encountered. If he was to offer his own potion, there must be a share from the bargain as well...

Would you look at that? The rain cleared to reveal a boy who seemed to be a bit younger than Arishabelle. It surprised her to see someone, and she found herself hoping that they could help each other out. She glanced at down at the Surskit and frowned. What if she caught it while it was like this? If she did, she’d be able to send it into a Pokeball and make things easier for herself. But that wouldn’t be right…

This Surskit helped her. She should not go and trap it when it didn’t even have a choice. She sighed and stopped walking. If this rain would let up a bit more then she’d be a bit more cheerful. All this rain was ruining her appearance. If this kept up, she would be even more irritated than she already was. Her dress was soaked for crying out loud! Soaked! How would she amaze the masses when her dress was soaked?! Soaked!

That boy didn’t seem to be that welcoming either. Should she just move on and ignore him? But that would reflect poorly on her. She would hate to have someone despise her- Grah. It’s not like she knew where her Buneary was. Maybe she should ask for help. Still she was unsure of what she needed help for. Why did things have to be so irritating anyway? Why couldn’t everything work out the way she wanted it to just like in those fairytales? Stupid fairytales had to put an image of ‘happily ever afters’ inside her head.

Why did that boy seem to have a look of scorn on his face anyway? What did she do? Of course, she could no be too sure that he was eyeing her with that disdainful look she seemed to see. The rain and the distance between them might have done something to her eyes. Perhaps the contemptuous look she saw was just fashioned up by her frazzled nerves.

That does it! She would at least try to strike up a conversation with this boy… whoever he was. He did not seem to be dangerous anyway. Oh, that was a thought! She would just have to take note of this possibility that this boy might be some terrorist person. Never judge a book by its cover for sure. She would have to remember that. Yes, now it would be time to move over…

Arishabelle hugged the Surskit closer to her chest and made her way to the boy. Hopefully they would be able to assist each other in finding shelter from this storm. Right now, her worry about the missing Buneary would just have to take the backseat. For the time being, this wild Surskit would take precedence over anything else.

He watched her for a moment. The situation was quite difficult. It was like an island with only the worst company and stranger to be with. Joshua saw her hug the useless bug Pokèmon warmly before deciding then to stand up and approach him. He arched an eyebrow. He was not a social Butterfree at all and he did not want the woman to step forward too close to him. So then he had unconsciously stepped back. He was also cautious. Jade Lane was mysterious. This whole thing could be a ploy, a scheme, a plot--he was not paranoid. Joshua considered many possibilities. He has to be certain now so he would have to minimize his theories. First of all was to take precaution. They say to never talk to strangers and if he didn't know better, this attractive, kind-looking woman may be a trap to lure Joshua out of desperation to help her out and end up being tricked and foiled. And what more can lure a young boy but a big sister who looked like some role model, holding then by her arms an injured Pokèmon?

Joshua crossed his arms, narrowing his emerald eyes and frowning. He hovered his foot slightly from the ground and drew a short line between the two. It was childish, but he was a kid after all. He did not have to go through ways to show that he was some matured, prodigious child who has no plan of saving anyone but himself. He searched the woman's eyes before speaking amidst the rain, "If you're human, I hope you know what this line means." Joshua didn't blink. "If you're a friend, don't come closer to me. If you're someone else..." he paused. "Get lost."

As Arishabelle approached, she noted how the boy stepped back. What could be wrong? Was there something off about the way she was currently? Never mind that. She looked a mess. That could be why he did not want her getting closer. Still, she really needed to see if they could help each other out. Perhaps he was in a mess like she was. She could not be sure though. Was there something about his appearance that she could use to pinpoint some sort of problem?

There was no way to be sure. It was odd really, how they met this way. In fact, she was not even sure about calling this a meeting since they only glimpsed each other in the midst of a storm. It probably did not count as a meeting. Not yet, but maybe later they would introduce themselves properly. Oh, well. This was a matter that would have to wait. There was no time to be thinking of something that was incredibly unimportant at the moment. The Surskit was much more important, and yet she nearly forgot about the poor thing that she held in her arms. Arishabelle may be a smidgen of a narcissist, but she had to care about this charismatic bug Pokèmon. It was her only company for quite some time now. It may not be that long a time, but still.

She continued on her way to the boy then. Hopefully this person- the first she’s seen in a while!- would be a bit more welcoming when she was in front of him. Wouldn’t you know it? Soon after she thought that, the younger boy got territorial and drew a line between them. This would have angered Arishabelle had she not been in such a foul mood already. Then that boy began to speak.

There was one phrase that caught her attention. “If you’re human” Oh, human, hm? Was she human? She thought about this for a moment before deciding that yes, she was human, and now she was getting annoyed. She drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly. There was no need to be so upset. This was a kid after all. Now that she was a bit closer, she could see that. He probably did not mean it in such a pig-headed manner. Yes, it seemed quite pig-headed to Arisha. She disliked it, but who cares?

Taking in another deep breath, Arishabelle sorted through her thoughts. “Alright, I won’t move closer. I just wanted to see if we could help each other out in any way. Before you scoff since I realize I don’t look like I can help anyone given my current appearance, just give it a rest. My Buneary ran off, and her new friend” She gestured to the Surskit with her head. “Happened to get hurt so I’m keeping her under my care for now. I know I’m doing a very bad job at it, but don’t say it”

She looked to the heavens and closed her eyes, feeling the drops of rain on her skin. “I’ll be moving on a bit further for now. If you should choose to catch up, well…” There was a bitter smile. “I doubt I’ll be going very far”

He drew his breath, trying to recognize the honesty of the person. It was impossible to tell anyway. The truth is not a piece of real fact or occurrence, but the truth is really what a person believes on, thus making it a truth so matter how fictional it is. Joshua didn't know if this philosophy he made up applies to this world. How foreign the place was, it was so troublesome. He was trying to learn of his former world but it seemed like his knowledge from the past is not best suited to this magical, Pokèmon-inhabited place. These were not of his best categories, even Pokèmon. He only interested himself with Pokèmon who were special and if he knew he would be one day stuck in this place, he would have gathered and trained a team beforehand than building from scratch.

Joshua sighed. He rarely sighed, he didn't even think he would sigh. He was never stressed. He takes things cool and calmly. He does not tackle of anything that would only frustrate and endanger his pride. He was always prepared, he had always predicted everything that came to his way, but destiny outsmarted him from those few years. Destiny read his pattern, destiny made a twisted plan to finally destroy Joshua--by sending him to another world, a different realm and zone. For once, he wanted to go home and leave this place unexplored. He may be one day just coming back to study this but right now, he was unprepared and this matter is very troubling.

Vaguely he wondered if this was his weakness that maybe he finally had a taste of life in reality and that maybe, he was not at all ready to face life...

"Quite useless," Joshua said. "Doubtfully is there a shelter around here and in the middle of a storm, it's very dangerous." Joshua stowed a thick wet hair from his eyes and adjusted the necklace around his neck. The beads by his child-made bracelet rattled and he explained with less suspicion at least but a hint of weariness, "My Absol is a much useful Pokèmon. He's our only hope in this situation. My other Pokèmon is not of use yet and with your Buneary gone, we should rely on him but he's been struck by lightning and is fatally injured. I'm not sure what, or if there are any useful items that can bring him back to health. However," he stopped, looking over at the fallen, half-bleeding Surskit. "Is that Pokèmon an inhabitant of this place?" he asked, eyes turning to the young woman. “It looks like a bug Pokèmon if I am not mistaken and I doubt bug Pokèmon live in this place since this place is a barren wasteland filled with rocks. The ground is not made out of sand though so it must have something to do with the climate that not even a dead grass had grown. The heat cannot let a bug Pokèmon alone live especially since many opposing elements of its type probably wonder here and a bug would prefer living with Grass creatures despite the dangers of Flying-types. If so then this Pokèmon must have something to defend itself mostly from the heat to survive. This is my best speculation though. It’s possible it is a Ghost-type to survive here as well but it is quite opaque so I doubt it. It doesn’t look like a Rock or Ground type, not certainly Steel or Dragon or it would not be hurt as easily like that.” Joshua then silenced himself, waiting for a confirmation.

Despite the fact that Joshua wanted a confirmation to his theory, a confirmation never came. This was in no way through fault of Arishabelle, but from the oh-so-wonderful rain, which began to pound down even harder upon a particularly loud crash of thunder, which ceased conversation with what could have been a "Shut up!" from the sky. Regardless, the rain now continued harder than ever, which would leave any ordinary person screaming for shelter.

However, it may have been due to the fact that Joshua had given up on finding a shelter that suddenly, through the rain, a cave was made visible to Joshua and Arishabelle. It was not the sort of cave that dared one to go inside and explore its wonders, nor was it one that one would expect to find all matters of odd white insects and bats in. Instead, it was a small little cave, perfect for a temporary shelter, but too small to hold hordes of scary little creatures, or one big one.

The appearance of this cave, however, was a bit suspicious. Why was it that neither person had noticed it before, and why was it that it was so visible and conspicuous all of a sudden? Perhaps the cave was a work of EVIL.

However, on the other hand, how much evil could a cave bring? It was too small to hold anything other than a few beings, and it looked completely empty. In addition, it was so, so dry underneath the stone shelter. It was definitely quite enticing, and probably quite a bit safer than standing out in the angry thunder and lightning.

As if the sky was hinting what to do, another large boom of thunder sounded, and the rain continued to come down in sheets. This had happened a few times before, and wasn't extremely scary on its own, but the next event made it all the more scary.

A bolt of lightning, in a brilliant flash of white light, shot down toward the ground, striking it and leaving a smoking black mark only feet away from where Joshua and Arishabelle stood. It was a wonderful thing, being on a hit list of the sky, and only time would tell where the lightning would strike next.

Oh, would you look at that? There’s a cave. Answer from heaven perhaps? Arishabelle did not really care at the moment. She did not care if the manifestation of the cave was suspicious. Why would she even care? When she saw that cave, her eyes lit up and her kips spread into a smile. Things just might work out for the better.

The cave might be the perfect size for her and that boy. If they wouldn’t fit then… Surskit deserved a spot! That poor thing did deserve a spot. An odd thought crossed her mind. Where did her Buneary go? Would she ever see it again? If she’d lost her first Pokèmon, what would happen to her anyway? Self-doubt began to cripple her. She was scared. There was a risk for failure, her failure. This journey just began. Now she was close to falling short of what was expected of her. People who opened books that engulf the world in darkness aren’t supposed to lose their first Pokèmon, right?

But this fear of hers had to wait. She had to run off to that cave, She had something with her to revive the Surskit, right? What was it again? It was something called a… revive-something or something-revive. Maybe she’d be able to use it when she got to that cave.

Then a flash of lightning struck the ground. Smoky traces of the wrath of the skies snaked upwards. She almost screamed, but she did not thankfully. Her shock was contained only because she was able to clutch the Surskit closer to her. Now she really had to go to that cave. She was all wet thanks to the rain. If all those volts of electricity went through her body –when she was exceedingly wet already!- would no doubt kill her. There was no choice in her point of view. She would have to seek shelter. That was the smart thing to do, right?

Arishabelle looked to that boy. Did he give his name already? She wasn’t sure anymore. Her thoughts were in a jumble. There was no doubt in her mind that all that she felt at the moment was displayed on her face. She was too transparent sometimes. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “I’m going to the cave, okay?” It wasn’t really a request for permission. It was more of a statement. There was no way she would stick around and turn into a lightning rod. She wasn’t built to be a conductor.

Blinking a few times, Arishabelle wondered if this was going to be the right decision. Remembering the lightning was more than enough to convince her. She ran. She was not going to look back. Right now, she did not care if that guy thought she was an absolute coward. She had to worry about herself and this Surskit. Oh, and there was her Buneary too. Wasn’t this absolutely wonderful? Her only Pokèmon was missing in the middle of a thunderstorm while she carried along its unconscious friend. Great. Things really were looking up. Yeah, sure they were.

{{Grah. I suck so much. >.>}}

[ I'm better than you...in sucking o.o that sounded a bit wrong ]

He said nothing at the mysterious appearance of the cave between the cloudy showered of rain. Was the rain slowly becoming lenient with them and had made such a cave be seen in their sights like a bubble popping out of nowhere? Joshua felt something was bound to happen now. Just when he was close to a better lead out of this stormy situation, the thunder had dropped a clanking piece of iron and demanded silence between the two; thus, providing suddenly the cave for a shelter than for Joshua to get an answer. Joshua wondered if everything in this world is filled with so much irony, if so then this world would be quite predictable even if it was a patience-testing game.

Still he was quite a child, a child who wants to learn. He wondered what this ominous cave has intended for them, or rather, for her. Joshua didn't give any sign of acknowledgment as the girl broke in a sprint, not looking back and simply heading the safety of the new shelter they have fortunately found. Joshua felt like the girl was acting too desperate, but he sensed her hesitance and had perhaps seen also the ominous potent the cave has. Alas a shot of lightning from the clapping thunder had an encore once more and a blackened mark like a scar has been left just very few feet away from here he had stood.

As if finding it interesting, he stared at the marked spot. More threats coming their way, more threats in that cave for sure but he was not an idiot. He as well would need to be rescued by the small compartment the cave has only to offer. He began to walk with a hand then hidden in his pocket, ready to withdraw his other Pokèmon. He had no choice, but he would have to see what the witch would encounter before he could be assured that he was not entering the territory of a predator, or a trap.

Darkly he looked at the cave while he approached it as if he can see the enemy lurking within. The witch was going to be a scapegoat in short and if anything happens to her, he would take the necessary actions and precautions, snatching the items she has and go. He did not care what would happen to her; he has other things to take care of and he still did not fully trust the woman.

He was not the hero in the story, nor was he the villain. Joshua would have to be the one in between, the one who decide which side wins.

Arishabelle, who had made a run for the cave, quickly found herself in the dryness inside. It was a wonderful shelter, that was for sure, and to make it even better, the floor was bone dry. It was the perfect temperature within the little shelter, and it was hard to even feel the moisture in the air that the falling rain brought with it. Surskit sighed in Arishabelle's arms, still unconscious but apparently all right. Perhaps even the little bug Pokèmon felt the safety and refuge that the cave offered. Now, for the young woman, looking out into the rain wasn't unpleasant at all, but in fact comforting, for she knew that she had escaped its clutches.

Thunder continued to roar, and apparently it was roaring at the safe Surskit at Arishabelle, as if their safety was a taunt to the storm.

Joshua, however, continued to face a different world entirely. His opportunistic actions, waiting to see what would happen to Arishabelle as she entered the cave, resulted in no real knowledge except that the cave appeared benign. The rain's pounding against the ground lightened a bit more, and the cave became even more visible, as if calling out to him. Then, as quickly as it had calmed, the rain's descent sped, pounding Joshua, the ground, and the top of the cave furiously. Another threatening roll of thunder sounded, and another bolt of lightning was made visible in the sky, and then was gone as if it was never there.

It appeared that Joshua's suspicions were for naught, for the cave seemed to be perfectly all right for a shelter, and not at all dangerous. It remained his choice, however, whether to remain with the pouring rain and dangerous lightning or seek refuge in the cave.

It was a relief for her, Arishabelle, to finally be in a dry place. She even felt like breaking into song. That was how relieved she felt. She placed her bag on the floor and rested the Surskit against it. For now that would be its spot. She would try to find a way to keep herself warm. After all, even a quick run in the rain would soak any person considerably. For Arisha, who had been out there for quite some time without so much as an umbrella to shield herself, she was drenched. There was a chill from her head all the way to her toes, and she shivered in the dark. Rubbing her hands together in the way most people learned to, Arisha wondered how her family was doing at the moment. Were they in this place called Oracle Zone as well? Well, at least that was how she understood it. Opening that book sent every single person and whatever else that anyone could stuff into some dark depressing place known as the Oracle Zone. For now, she did not want to care about it. Her literally cold feet were a much more pressing matter.

Moving her hands down to her shoe-covered feet, she tried to warm her feet in the same way she attempted to warm her hands. There was no effect, and Arishabelle rolled her eyes, went ‘duh’, and whacked herself on the head. Something was definitely malfunctioning up there. Perhaps the guy in charge of coherent thought decided to go on vacation and the guys underneath him had a sick day at the same time except for the one person who never called in sick but stayed at work only to sleep. Haha. That probably was the problem. How else would she have been able to come up with an idiotic notion like that?

Now she was in a staring contest with her laces. Obviously she would lose, but since her shoelaces did not understand the concept of winning and losing, she would pat herself on the back later on and say she won anyway. She laughed. She was losing her mind. Only a few hours in this forsaken place and she was already losing her mind. Oh, what a sad sad cause she was. She was an idiot. Why didn’t she realize that sooner? Why did she have to open that book? Why did she have to eat only a slice of bread for dinner yesterday? Why were there so many whys? WHY WERE COOKIES ROUND ANYWAY?

Now that was completely off-topic and only concretized the idea that Arishabelle was indeed going mad. As it turned out, it didn’t take much to destroy her spirit. No all she needed was a little bit of prodding in the wrong direction, and she would go mad. Oh, there. She kicked her footwear off. Oh, that was so much better. She wiggled her toes. They were going a bit numb. Then she began to whack the poor things, and there was that tingling sensation that one would only think to describe as electricity running through the affected body part. The only difference was that it only felt like electricity and was not actual electricity running through her toes for she was soaking wet, and electricity running through her body would only kill her. The Surskit would die without her!

Moving closer to the Surskit, Arishabelle decided to stay awake. Even in her frazzled state of mind, she realized that the cave could still hold potential danger. Being only a person with no available Pokèmon whatsoever, she concluded that it was only right that she would stay awake. She would only wait until the rains finished with their concerto and lights show. After that, she would grab the Surskit and dash into the sunlight. Yeah, that sounded perfect enough to her. Yeah. Gosh, she felt retarded.

There was no point anymore trying to choose between the open fields of the wasteland where the strange weather phenomena continue to rule over the area. Joshua entered the cave. It did not seem like there was any dangerous Pokèmon lying around or any monster the place holds. At the distance, he knew by instincts that the cave was shouting a very strong danger call but by the time he was in it, it seemed like the cave was nothing more but an empty void of rock. He stood by the mouth of the cave. Now that he was somewhat in the cave, he felt the real chill the merciless rain had on his skin. He liked the cold but this cold was something his young body could not withstand and cold was different from wet.

Joshua wished he had a handkerchief. If he did have brought one, it would be wet right now. It wouldn't be enough for a single handkerchief to dry his clothes and hair though but it was his face he wants to dry. Having water on his face makes him feel like he just woke up from bed and his eyes feel quite sore right now. Joshua brought his hand up to shield his eyes as if to let darkness, one that is overstepping its presence already, spread to let his eyes sleep for a while. He has a perfect 20/20 vision so it wasn't the fact he needed contacts that he had to rest his eyes. The only time his eyes would sore is when he would be tired, very tired. Maybe water on his face wasn't so bad right now. He would have to stay awake especially since he was defenseless right now and he is accompanied by the least creature he wants, a human, and a girl. Joshua opened his eyes, letting himself sigh so that his heartbeat would pump faster to keep him awake. He had nothing against humanity, men and women, or at least nothing against them personally but girls, young ladies, women were just too emotional or too passive generally. His impression on the girl she met was nothing different from his general point of view.

He looked up at the ceiling of the cave. How big was the cave? He brought his hand to touch the wall of the cave. He would have to do some exploring but he has to secure Carbuncle's safety and his right now. He was left with only five Pokeballs and 2 Potions. Joshua knew by the chemical contents of the Potions that it would not help Carbuncle from the electric shock. The girl may have items he wants and what Carbuncle needs.

The rain continued mercilessly, the sound of thunder constantly resonating within the walls of this shelter. Contrary to your wishes, the rain only got bigger and bigger as time passed. Darkness approached the wastelands; it seemed that more dark clouds would soon be chipping in the downfall. There was no doubt that the rain would not stop anytime soon, and there is a possibility that it might even last till tomorrow. Warmth was slowly seeping out of the small cavern, and the temperature only dropped dramatically. Anytime now, you'd be suffering from hypothermia...

And yet, despite the freezing temperature, this cavern stood the tests of the downpour, and proved to be a shelter from the heavens. As Arishabelle cuddled with Surskit in the corner, Joshua paced within the cavern, looking for signs of hope to drive away the despair that came with the rain. None of you would have liked to stay in the cave in the long run, but it is a godsend for anybody that wished to keep out of the rain. Judging from the seemingly ever-lasting downpour, life seemed much better just by staying in the cavern.

Then, out of the corner of Joshua's eye, a shadow seemed to stir; a magnificent figure in the depths of the wastelands, with its mane flying in the air, and its head facing the sky, as though it was praying for the rain to stop. The wind began howling unnaturally, and there was a sudden flash of lightning... it only seemed like some oddly-shaped rocks formed to look like a magnificent figure, but Joshua could have sworn that the creautre he saw was real. Joshua's perfect eyesight could have helped in identifying the sculpture, but it seemed so real.

Unable to believe his eyes, Joshua stared at the sculpture again. It did seem like it was just an ordinary statue, and nothing more. Joshua's sigh did get some attention from Arishabelle, but not for long - each returned to their own world, where their troubles existed within the four walls of their mind that the other could not access.

Out there, the rain is still pouring mercilessly.

[ Ate Rae, would you like this to be PG-13? ]

His scan in the cave was not in vain. In the corner of his eyes, he caught suspicious movement moving by the shadows. Joshua held his breath and attempted to examine it by watching silently and stiffly as if a single false, unnecessary move would send out an alarm. Yet here was the rain, dancing and prancing in its elation or perhaps throwing tantrum and frustration at whomever and whatever it can smites. His sight was blinded for a moment with the flash of lightning. A sudden flash of light made it more for his ability to see the stranger and yet, it appeared like he was mistaken. He moved forward to look closer but all he saw was the damned rocks he had seen all day. They had merely formed a natural figure that has fooled his eyes in the darkness. While this seemed to logical especially for his slight tiredness, the very feeling he had before entering the cave and the dark enigmatic aura the zone holds made more reason for him to believe that something else was lurking around.

He tried to think but failed. Joshua rubbed his temples, closing his eyes to rest. His eyes were aching from slight exhaustion. He was tired, but not exhausted, maybe somewhere in between. He suffered enough adrenaline for a day when Carbuncle has been blasted by lightning.

Joshua decided to remain standing, leaning against the wall of the cave. He wanted to sleep badly now. A short nap wouldn't be so bad. He couldn't think when tired, and he hated thinking when tired. He didn't like his eyes becoming sore and dry and he didn't like his mind to be half-dense in its attempt to slow down its pace to rest. He looked at the girl. If Carbuncle were here, he wouldn't go through this right now so he had to ask directly.

"What items do you have?" It wasn't direct enough. "An item to revive a Pokèmon,” he continued. He didn't know what item it was exactly but anything that would bring Carbuncle to consciousness. “Or any strong healing potion.” He really had to spell it out for her.

Sure, why not?

That boy was speaking to her. Lord knew she wasn’t paying attention since she was so delirious at the moment, but then again maybe she was listening. Arishabelle patted the unconscious Surskit. It really was so cute, but she did not know if it were a boy or a girl. Arishabelle stifled her laughter. Oh, well.

She sensed impatience on the part of the boy though, so she turned her attention to him. A few words registered in her mind like ‘revive’ and ‘potion’. Of course, she did have something that he could use, but she would not give it to him. No way. Not unless…

“I do have those things” she began solemnly. “But I won’t give them to you. Well, not right now at least. I have to go look for my Buneary”

Arishabelle eyes the child before her. Sure, he was only a few years younger than her, but still he was a child. She knew he looked down on her, but right now she did not care. She was much too sopping wet to- Oh, crap! That’s right. She looked ridiculous. Arishabelle unzipped her bag and quickly found a brush. She proceeded to fix her wet hair all the while cursing under her breath. Then she returned her gaze to the boy.

“My name is Arishabelle. You don’t care about that, but I assume you prefer to know the name of the one you’re currently stuck with. You’re precautious from what I understand. Now… I will give you my Max Revive… No, I might give you my Max Revive. There’s a condition though. Assist me in finding my Buneary”

A cold look settled in Arishabelle’s eyes. Irritation was seeping throughout her body. Although she felt quite delirious earlier, now she felt agitated. She had to find that Buneary. First she would catch this Buneary. Since the Pokèmon was knocked out, she’d have no problem, right? Sure, she’d feel a bit guilty about it later on, but if she failed now, she would never achieve her dreams. If she did not, she would never forgive herself. That would be a worse fate.

Standing up and taking a Pokeball into her hand, Arishabelle threw the Pokeball at the Surskit.

“I will find my Buneary” she muttered.

"Don't get your over dramatic love over the mechanics in this game," Joshua said sharply. He said to himself that he would talk directly to get straight to the point and he found himself getting more bad-tempered with every second of loss of sleep. The girl, Arishabelle, had refused, or rather, indecisively refused for she has to look for her Buneary. Joshua could not care more for the Buneary of hers but Arishabelle was determined to find the Pokèmon, willing to make a condition to a stranger like Joshua to trade his requested items as long as he is to assist her in her search. Joshua did not know if the girl was even paying attention, or maybe if she was simply dense.

"I will not assist you in your heroic quest to find your Buneary," Joshua said firmly, glaring at the girl. "However, if you will not assist me, then you will no longer be able to find your Buneary. All you have by your arm is a burden, an injured Surskit who cannot stay even in this storm long enough before blown away. I, however, have a more formidable Pokèmon, an Absol to be exact that can defend me, and even you, if I would want to of course," he added but continued without letting the girl retort, "But he's been knocked unconscious. I would need any healing items that can nurse him back to health and consciousness." Joshua crossed his arms, looking straight at the eyes of the girl. "Do you have that many options? If we remain like this, we might lose another life," he said, glancing at the Surskit. "If we, or you, take a risky plan to venture in this storm, then we will end up dying and your Buneary and your Surskit are, by default, doomed. But if only we have a capable Pokèmon who can defend us, then maybe there are better chances of saving two lives, but including us, that would be four. Although we are in the same situation, I am not willing to join journeys with you but if you have what is helpful for me, then I will take it. Since I have too what is useful for you, then I don't see why you're not being smart and accept the help I have."

Joshua pushed himself off the wall of the cave, walking towards Arishabelle. “Hand it to me already,” he said. Now was the perfect time to see how she would react. Joshua did his best to manipulate her and he was being smart for both of their sakes. Of course, he did not say everything but she did not have to know that. All he wants what she has.

Surskit didn’t so much as move as the ball made contact with its body, and it was sucked into the orb. It didn’t so much as wriggle, instead just gave a soft ‘dong’ and lay still. It was rather eerie, that sphere just laying there, unmoving as if it had not just sucked a creature into its depths, as if it did not contain a living thing.

It seemed the two trainers had reached an impasse. Through meeting each other pure through the wish of fate in the middle of a storm, to this cave, and finally here, and perhaps one could feel the slight tension. Joshua seemed determined to get the one item that would be of use to him—the one item that he needed, for his Absol to become useful and be able to defend him again. And this girl just so happened to possess it, but…was withholding it. She, too, was determined; to find her Buneary was the most important thing to her right now, and, looking at her options, it seemed she should just give him the item and cooperate. In all likelihood, it was the better option, and more safe option considering her own defenselessness without her Buneary or any other Pokémon. His manipulation was clever and his reasoning sound—there should be no reason why she would refuse his request.

Until, of course, he moved towards her with his demand.

Humans, as naturally stubborn creatures, do not react well to intimidation by others, and perhaps Arishabelle would not react well to a near-stranger approaching her with a demand for her item. Some may view that as threatening, and react negatively. Fight or flight—the instinct held within us all. We react to a threat with either one of those, and, as Joshua moved, he left a clear path for her to dart past and back out into the storm, if she so desired. That is, if she felt threatened by his words. Not unlike animals were humans—rash and impulsive, and perhaps a truce at an early stage would result in Joshua not having to demand the item from her. Desperation was a strange thing, especially in this place, where the resourceful and the clever tried their hardest to survive. Some would fail.

Outside, a fork of lightning illuminated the sky, and the rain roared downwards.

A soft smile played on Arishabelle’s lips when she saw that the Pokeball had contained the Surskit with no trouble whatsoever. Despite her earlier reluctance of being in the company of the Surskit, she found that it would be nice to have a Pokèmon by her side for the time being albeit an unconscious one. It was rather adorable as well which would mean well for Contests. However, the other occupant of the cave was dampening the spirits that otherwise would have been lifting. She aimed a glare in his direction as he chided her for wishing to catch her Buneary. What right had he to question her wishes? Had he no fondness for his Pokèmon?

Taking the Pokeball containing the Surskit, Arishabelle took a deep breath and exhaled just as deeply. There was little need to allow this boy to rouse such anger in her. ‘Just let it pass’ was the thought that she forced to meditate on for a few moments. Shutting her eyes, Arishabelle attempted to listen to Joshua with level-headedness. Her heart beat rapidly, however, despite her attempts at calming herself. Soon his words began to make sense to her, just as she suspected he hoped. Perhaps she should simply hand over her Max Revive and beg him to assist her. Shuddering, Arishabelle shook her head to herself. There was no way she would resort to begging for his help. For all she knew, that was precisely what he was waiting for. She couldn’t give him the satisfaction.

Blinking, Arishabelle realized that giving him the Max Revive would be the perfect thing to do. Then she would ask him kindly for help. If he would refuse- which she fully expected him to do-, she would go after the Buneary by herself. If she succeeded, Arishabelle knew that anyone who heard this story would simply love her, think her diving. Not only would she be generous, she would also be a hero to her Buneary! So with that crazed thought, Arishabelle turned her attention back to the boy who was nearly done with his speech.

He began to walk towards her. Eyes widening, Arishabelle could do little else, frozen to her place. What did he mean by moving closer to her? It might be a form of intimidation. Arishabelle glared at him and pulled out the Max Revive from her bag, shoving it at him when he was close enough.

“You know what, you can have the stupid thing. Be pig-headed, why don’t you? Don’t you care- even slightly- about how anyone around you feels? So you can have the Max Revive. I have other items which can be used for both our benefit, but you don’t care about that, do you? All you want is that Max Revive, so you can heal your precious Pokèmon. Well, my Pokèmon is precious to me. I need to ensure its safety… somehow.”

Looking elsewhere, Arishabelle tried to restrain the tears that were threatening to spill. No tears, she begged to herself. Then placing her Pokeball carefully into her bag, Arishabelle moved towards the mouth of the cave, watching the rain. She hated herself for saying too much, for letting all that emotion spill out. Quietly, Arishabelle debated with herself on whether or not this was the right time to bolt. There was too much stress, and the tension in this space was growing all the more unbearable by the moment.

The tension was palpable now—perhaps both by your outburst and conjured to light by your very own mind. It was an oppressive weight weighing on your skin, and an eerie, tight silence fell over the inside of the cave. The rain seemed to slacken outside of the cave’s broad mouth, and what seemed like a slip of light illuminated the soggy ground through the heavy, dark clouds. It wasn’t exactly ideal conditions for going to find a Buneary but…would you rather opt for staying in this cave with the boy, instead? And…it looks as if the storm is clearing up, so perhaps it would be for the best to just go now…

And…there is also the case of the Buneary. Whilst you whittle away time here, who knows where it has gone too… By now, it could be far past Area 001, into some unknown place. And it could be getting further and further the longer you spend time in here. Who knows how the boy will react, either, to your outburst and his attaining of the Max Revive.

The outside seems awfully tempting in comparison to the dark interior of the cave.

The small star-like item was now in his hands. He looked at it, feeling the surface of the medicine, wondering if this could bring Carbuncle back to consciousness. Why did the lightning have to strike his Pokèmon? Joshua had already gotten over that. While the Max Revive might not bring Carbuncle to his perfect health, it was the only chance he has. With little knowledge of this Trainer business and little knowledge of the plane, he just has to believe.

Joshua also has little knowledge of girls.

He was slightly surprised by the reaction of the girl, enough to make him quiet and let his emerald eyes stare deeply at the girl's eyes. He was trying his best to persuade the girl to give him the item, convincing her by pointing out flatly the facts. While he expected her to be slightly angered, he didn't expect her to sound in pain. He wasn't blind. He could sense her eyes were about to shed tears. Unsure why and unsure how to react to it, Joshua just watched the girl head through the exit of the cave.

"Are you going to go?" he asked. It didn't sound like he was concerned, but he asked since she was at the mouth of the cave and the weather wasn't as worse compared before. Already taken by surprise from her emotional outburst, he wondered too if she would run out of the cave to find her Buneary with reasons beyond Joshua's knowledge.

Apparently the boy had little care for her feelings. However, that matter was of little consequence to her now. She planned to leave as soon as she got the chance. At the very least, Joshua had not said a word all throughout her emotion-ridden speech. Had he, she would have been all the more antagonized. Antagonized, hm? What a word it was. Arishabelle stared out into the sky, darker than she could recall it perhaps due to the depressing mood she was in. The world had a tendency to be like that, she thought to herself. It darkened and brightened to suit the mood.

Another thought crossed her mind. She had done as she had planned to. The Max Revive was given. Upon finding civilization, she would tell the tale and be adorned by the populace. That cheered her somewhat, but the thought of her faint Surskit and the Buneary that had frolicked away continued to provide her with a sufficient amount of despair. Life had its up and downs, that she was sure of. What she could not understand was why all the downs had to come one after the other. She wanted a rollercoaster ride filled with thrills yet with safety, not a leap down a cliff.

“Are you going to go?” the boy asked her. Turning her attention to him, Arishabelle was left unsure as to whether or not she truly was leaving, but now confronted with that query, she had to make her decision quick. There were only two choices, this or that. Arishabelle mentally tossed a gold coin in the air, pleased with how the gold glinted in the light she conjured within her mind. It landed. Tails. She was leaving.

Trying her best to keep a cool look, she opened her mouth to speak then closed it. She turned away for a moment to dab at her eyes, a gesture which she hoped would remain unseen. Turning back, she nodded. “I suppose so. The storm is clearing up. I think this is the best time to act. My Buneary’s waiting… Ometochtli is waiting.”

Turning away from him, she stepped past the cave’s entrance into the rain. “Is there anything else you’d like to say?” she whispered, knowing that she said it too softly to be heard.

Expecting no answer, she walked away, prepared to find her Buneary.

[ *cries* ]

Joshua rubbed his right eye tiredly, blinking and forcing them to stay wide awake, his eyebrows rising up to his forehead. The girl was getting blurrier from his image. He was getting tired, or he needed glasses, but Joshua just had a perfect vision a minute ago. Exhaustion it was. While he was trying to get a clear view, he saw her mouth open slightly. He would ask again what she said, but he wasn't sure if she really said anything. He didn't hear her either so Joshua gave no response.

And then, the girl walked off and Joshua made no effort to stop her. It was finally the parting of their ways. He didn't want to keep a burden with her around. While Joshua did not really keep his supposed end of the bargain, the girl didn't seem to be willing for his help anymore. That was good; he didn't want to help. Joshua tiredly sat and leaned against the cave, his hand clenching the Max Revive. Maybe if he can close his eyes a bit, then he can rest...

Weakly, he fought against the tendency of children to fall asleep easily. He grabbed the Pokeball, twice larger than his hands. Well, maybe not twice, but definitely bigger. He then released Carbuncle, and kneeling up to where he would materialized unconscious to use the Max Revive on his Absol.