[h2]Nouvelle, Lugere - - - Lumine Solaris[/h2] [h3]Time: 11AM[/h3] Lumine ducked her head into her cart of goods, but her attentions were on the fact that the hustle and bustle of the milling crowds and performers changed as a foreboding atmosphere permeated the normally rambunctious and lively city of Nouvelle. Something was amiss, even that dark haired youth sensed it and disappeared from sight. Something was very, very... amiss. Without preamble, she casually grabbed her cart by it's handles and pulled it along behind her at a slow pace. Inside her chest her heart beat like the wings of a flock of Taillows as they took to the sky, and she forced her feet to not take off with her heart. She knew at this time even looking suspicious would end badly for her. [i]Here's hoping this smelly cigarette does it's job for me.[/i] She thought nervously as a large cohort of armed men and women passed through exactly where she had been less than a minute ago, with a pair of Houndooms leading the way. Lumine veered off towards the inner parts of the city, down a small side street and away from the tents of the circus. She didn't know what was happening, but she wanted to be as far from that activity as possible. Unfortunately for her, she knew she wouldn't be welcomed in the inner city either. Too many people with their noses in the air as they played their instruments, or sang atop stages while they attempted to brown nose with each other to gain more influence and status. Her only true course of action was to exit into the forest as fast as possible, or stay put in the alleyways so she could escape this death-trap of a city during nightfall. [b][i]Sniff. Sniff.[/i][/b] She was brought out of her thoughts by an odd noise coming from the mouth of the alleyway just ahead of her. She was sure she heard it. Sniffing. Almost on instinct she had ducked behind her cart and peeked one eye out from her hiding spot. The face of a Stoutland emerged from around the corner of the alley ahead of her, and it's ears shot up as it looked directly at the cart. Lumine held her breath, but she was almost sure of it. [i]The little mutt knows.[/i] An armored guard appeared at the mouth to reach down and pat the Stoutland who was standing rigidly, staring pointedly at the cart standing apparently all by it's lonesome in the alleyway. [b]"Good find Hein, what is this?"[/b] She heard the friendly voice of the guard question his Pokemon companion, then the familiar sound of metal clanking together as he made his way to the cart slowly. Lumine ducked all the way back behind her cart, her back pressed flat against it and her eyes shut as she fervently thought of a way out of this situation. [i]What do I have at my disposal? Uhhh, a rare magma rock, some flint, no tinder... Should I just abandon the cart and run? Could they even catch me? Losing my goods... No! I can't abandon her.[/i] She ran a comforting hand along her cart's wooden surface. Glancing down at her legs, she gave a short prayer that they would be able to handle what was coming. She stood up just as the guard reached her cart, and he flinched in surprise at her appearance. She still held her lavender scented cigarette in her mouth, and a small bundle of bunched up cloth in her arms to secure the image that she had just been sorting her cart out. She faked surprise across her face, and laid the bundle down in the top portion of her cart. [b]"May I help you, sir...?"[/b] She asked, letting the sentence trail out as meekly as possible. [b]"Uh, yes, we're looking for Morphs or suspicious characters in the area. What are you doing in--"[/b] Before he could truly finish his sentence, his Stoutland, Hein, began to bark and growl viciously at Lumine. He looked down at his Pokemon, then back up at Lumine with a flare in his eyes - only to be met with her foot as she slammed it directly into his chest and sent him reeling backwards for a couple paces before he managed to catch his balance. His Stoutland was already trying to tackle Lumine in response, but she grabbed a stout cast iron pan from her cart and dropped it very bluntly onto the poor Pokemon's head, knocking it out temporarily. She swung her hand down to retrieve her pan, but thought better of it. It would weigh the Pokemon down even if it woke up soon, but it really soured her mood to lose valuable merchandise. Quality cast iron was difficult to come by! With a growl, she grabbed her cart by it's handles and rushed out of the alley way the way she had come, hoping that the guard would value the well-being of his Stoutland more than chasing her. When she nearly screeched around the corner in her haste, she began to hear the sounds from the circus camps outlining the city. Cries, vicious growling and metal against metal. [b]"It's a culling! Blood and bloody ashes!"[/b] She cursed, and her eyes darted around for some sort of vista of safety. The only thing she could think of to do at this point was head to the roof tops, but where to hide her cart? That was when she saw it: A cusp of bushes, out of the way and memorable enough for her to return to to retrieve her cart. She pulled her cart in, and began to lock all of the compartments she could remember to lock in her haste, threw a dull brown linen sheet over the top and rushed out of the cusp. She was sure that it would be okay. Nobody would pay attention to it with all the rest of this chaos ensuing. It was her best hope. She scaled the nearest building and laid low against it's rooftop. Just moments later from below her she heard the clank of metal and barking as the guard and his Stoutland rushed past. She let out a long sigh. She had just barely managed to escape, but staying here wasn't going to do her any good for much longer. She had to get further into the city and out of sight. Today was going to be a painfully long day. [h2]Havenport, Middle of the Ayero Barrier Sea Coast - - - Corivana Espada & Kyo[/h2] [h3]Time: 11AM[/h3] Corivana's eye glanced back at this newcomer with the odd burn that only slightly diminished his strikingly good looks, and she narrowed it as he half-threatened, half-reasoned with her that he should come with her, and wouldn't take no for an answer. [b]"Aye mate, even if ye no did be speakin' all yer nonsense, if ye come with ta be takin' yer Pokemon back, I do no be 'avin' a hissy fit over it. The more the merrier, and ye seem ta be able ta 'andle that mace there well enough ta be puttin' a few 'oles in their masts."[/b] She said, her pirate-accent strongly laced with her anger at the situation. She paused momentarily during her speech to look him over. [b]"We do be 'eadin' ta Kingler Cove, mate. And if ye be lucky enough ta live at the end o' all this, I will be 'avin' ta take ye ta dinner as thanks. After all, me blood-brother do be the idiot that 'as decided ta steal our Pokemon."[/b] She decided that leaving out important information that could piss off this weird stranger later was unwise. [b]"Iffin' ya know that now, mate, do ye still be wantin' ta work with the blood-sister o' a dirty Pokemon swiper?"[/b] Her single eye stared directly into his blue ones with a fiery intensity. [h2]The Barrier Sea Coastline, Lugere - - - Sophia Skyheart & Neva[/h2] [h3]Time: 11AM[/h3] Neva grew still while Korrigan retrieved Sophia from where she had been strapped to the saddle slung across his back. The arctic bird Pokemon had no true amount of love for Korrigan Umbrasis, as he was a man and therefore untrustworthy, but Neva knew Sophia was friends with this particular human. The other human, however... Neva's fierce eyes followed the stranger, another man much to the Articuno's woe, but this stranger seemed somewhat more genuine than Korrigan Umbrasis. After all, just moments ago the stranger had tried to help Sophia... or was he trying to rob them? Neva swooped his wings around Sophia's limp body protectively as she lay on the ground, his eyes all the while following the unfamiliar human and Korrigan. When the stranger, Garret by his name, brought over a Magikarp, a silly little Pokemon that Neva knew not to underestimate by what it would eventually evolve into, he told both Korrigan and himself not to get any funny ideas. The Articuno couldn't help but scoff through his beak, a small indignant little noise that was filled with pride. He wouldn't touch the scaly little fish even if it provoked him. Gyarados were not Pokemon that Neva preyed upon, and in his long life Neva had seen many Magikarp evolve during the midst of danger into that raging monster, which was usually more trouble than it was worth. Sophia stirred, hearing the noises of conversation and the soft lap of water against rocks nearby. She blunk her eyes open against the sun that was barely shadowed by Neva's wings and the shadowy figures of two people. [b]"Unn... Where am I? What's going on?"[/b] She said weakly, one of her thin hands coming up to shade her face. With a start, she pulled it away as she felt bandages across her temples. Her eyes widened and she struggled to sit up so she could inspect the rest of her body. She blunk against the brightness, and the familiar form of Korrigan Umbrasis, one of her better friends, came into view. [b]"Korrey...?"[/b] She mumbled incoherently.