[color=a2d39c]His friend's grumblings were to be expected, given their recent string of unfortunate luck.

Still, Nathan knew they were doing good work and that Cori felt the same way. If she didn't, she wouldn't be struggling in the marsh alongisde him. "Oh I'm sure he does and when we get to him, everything will work out and it'll be worth it." He promised her sweetly, though in his voice, there was a small bit of strain. As Cori attempted to pry herself free from the mud's ironclad grasp, Nathan was trying to make sure they were heading in the right direction. Once you began moving through the area, it was dangerously easy to get lost and feel overwhelmed. The last thing they needed, was to spend time and energy going the wrong way. Then again, if they somehow circled back the way they came, it would at least give them a means to take a break. But he and Cori were much more interested in moving forward and doing their job right.

He turned to see Cori trying yet again to free herself, this time with a bit of tree. He did his best to not laugh because he knew she could easily just use him as an anchor and he didn't want to be pulled into that sticky, smelly predicament too. Just when it appeared she'd made the unbelievable escape, a quagsire put any progress, let alone success, to a literal screaming halt. He just stared as the pokemon then just opened its mouth and slide back under the thick muddy gunk where it had originated. His eyes then went back to his partner who looked mortified. Nathan couldn't hold it in anymore and started to laugh. An arm wound around his stomach as he kept on laughing until his stomach began to ache. Cori wanted to teleport which he understood. He had hoped to cover better ground on foot but that was an endeavor that was not paying off in the slightest. "Alright, alright." He agreed when he finally quieted down.

"You don't want to take your new friend along?" He teased.

It had been decided though, to teleport to the old haunted house and search there. Cori summoned her trusty claydol and took them on the outskirts of where the haunted house had rooted itself. Nathan was happy to have grass under their feet now. It was squishy and slippery but an improvement from where they had come from only seconds ago. "Thanks." He gave them a smile before the pokemon was put back in its pokeball so they could cover more ground. "Hang on." He then threw his pokeball up and golbat came out. "Hey bud, we need you to look around the area for someone. He'll be wearing a yellow shirt. Use your supersonic to reach further areas but come back here in 15 minutes." He instructed, not wanting his pokemon to get too far or even lost in the area. 

Turning back to Cori, he motioned to the rickety building and headed that way. "Jaspor?" He called out, wondering if the boy was around. "Jaspor?" He called out again and gave a shrug. He walked up to the wooden home and pushed the door open, it giving a timid [i]creeeeak[/i] as he did so. Inside there was no light except for what could filter though the cracks in the walls and roof around them. The house had a large room and then beyond it, a few doors and hallways. It was compact but obviously sensitive. "Jaspor?" He called out as he stepped inside and tried to spot any sign that someone was inside. In the middle of the room was where a fire once had burned, the logs now damp and mostly ash. As much as he strained his ears, he could only hear the wind whipping around the home. "Let's stay together and check the rooms." He suggested. The boy, Jaspor was in fact in the home but he had fallen into the basement, through the floor in the second bedroom and had ended up snapping his ankle.

He had been in the house for over a day and with his pokemon being a zigzagoon, he had no way of getting the help he needed.[/color]