Michaline Walker "Mic"'s Story

Griff
The Trainer glanced up as someone called out to him. "Hey, isn't it a little risky to be walking around here without one of your Pokemon out?"

Griff recognized the girl. Well, that wasn't really saying much-- everyone at camp knew each other in some way or another, there were so few of them. Especially Trainers. Every Trainer had interacted in some way or another, whether by guard shifts or hunting parties or a coincidental meeting in the Pokemon Center while they waited to see if their injured Pokemon would live or not...

He shrugged and casually ruffled his hair, flashing Mic the half-smile that ladies went wild over. "Heyyy, we're close enough to the others here. S'all good, love." Suddenly, something occurred to him; he rummaged around in his pockets until he pulled out the crumpled up receipt that Oak had written his instructions on the back of. "Hey, Mic," he yelled, waving her over. "I got sent with this message from Old Man Oak, I's supposed to round up these Trainers back at the lab. You're on here. Dunno what he wants us for."

Griff rubbed the back of his neck. He hated asking anyone for help, especially women-- after all, he had to show them how masculine and protective he could be, right? But, his laziness won out, and he pointed to the list, saying, "Couldja help out a fellow Trainer, here? I's supposed to round up..." He read them off, "Jae Fuji, Taifuyu Chen, Nero, Loraine Leigh, Mic, Griff-- that's you and me, obviously-- and Melody Summers." He pointed with his thumb. "That's Summers' house right there, so I got that handled. But it might take me all day to round them up, so..." He stuck out his lower lip. "Pleeeaaase?"

At that moment, the door to the house swung open. "Always a pleasure to see you, Griff," said a woman's voice. Griff spun around, miming surprise at the sight of Melody. Despite it being her own house.

"Aww, Summers, what a koinky-dink!" He grabbed her into a (falsely) affectionate hug, even pretending to sniffle a little. "It's been so long, why, look how you've grow--"

At that moment, her Krookodile started barking and snarling. Griff yelped like a little girl, leaping backwards. "Keep a hold of your sand-mutt!" he shouted. "It's going nuts!"

Though Griff could tell the girl wanted nothing more than to let her Pokemon bite his leg off, she calmed it, and said, "Is it hunting related again? I thought we were okay for supplies."

"Oh, dear no, love," said Griff, smiling in that I'm-more-well-informed-than-you-are superior way. "I'm on a little quest for Old Man Oak. He wants me to grab some friends of ours--" he waved around the receipt, plainly marked with Oak's scrawling, cramped handwriting-- "and meet him back at the lab, and, oh, look at this!" His eyes widened as if he'd never seen it before, jabbing her name with his finger. "You're on here-- and I'm on here! Looks like whatever he wants us for, we're going to be partners, love." He beamed at her.

Then he realized the awkward scene had been fully observed by Mic. He shoved his hands back in his pockets and mumbled, "Oh, yeah, Summers, Mic. Mic, Summers. Mic's on the list too." He scuffed his sneaker in the dirt.

"...It's fine" the pokemon said to Loraine who was standing a couple of feet away. "Are you sure?" Loraine asked her pokemon. "Yes....it's aura is clean" said the lucario who had been assigned to check the aura of the wild butterfree that was sitting in the tree above them. "Wow. I'm surprised it's okay. You would think a butterfree would be dangerous around here" she said. "I agree" said her lucario. Loraine's lucario was one of the few who could speak with humans. Lora had raised her pokemon ever since it had hatched in snowpoint, and she felt a special bond with it.

Loraine looked out into the small lake that protected pallet, and let out to cinnibar.
"hey lucario...do you think..." she was about to ask when her thoughts were interrupted by the trainers nearby.
"what are they doing? Hopefully not planning something devious like escaping or something...c'mon lucario."
The pokemon bowed, then followed next to her.
She went up to the trainers and said in her policewoman voice,
"Excuse me, what are you kids doing? If you are planning to go out into the wilderness, let me remind you of the events that have happened just this week" Loraine stared at the one boy, waiting for his response. Her Lucario stood firmly next to her.

"Hug me again and I won't calm down my 'sand mutt'." It was hard to resist a half smirk as Melody replayed the girly scream in her mind. When dealing with people like Griff she usually tried to restrain such urges, as it was usually seen as positive reinforcement. Goodness knows why Griff had decided to hug her, but she certainly did not want him doing that again. As he explained what the deal was Melody found her eyebrow raising. His superior, 'oh isn't this all fantastic!' attitude wasn't helping either, especially not when it was topped off with the announcement that they would have to work together. She'd usually returned to her house after a hunting trip with the so called 'lady killer' in a foul - yet thankfully concealed - mood. No, Melody wasn't that fond of Griff. Then again, she wasn't exactly fond of people in general. Give her Pokemon any day.

"Oh, really? My heart is singing." Clearly the female was unleashing all of the sarcasm she'd stored up over the days at this moment. "Looking forward to it, Griff." Without another word Melody turned around, her red hair shipping over her shoulder as she re-entered the small building. She could hear Griff talking behind her, but paid him no attention as she checked she had her Pokemon along with what few possessions she had, quickly zapping Krookodile into his Pokeball before he was left to his own devices for too long. Scooping up her bag, the trainer sighed and stepped outside, shutting the door behind her as she gave Mic a nod. Her own way of saying hello. Silently she approached Griff, standing at his side and glancing at him. Not too close, mind. "I think I can make it to the lab by myself, thank you, Griff. I'll see you there once you and Mic have rounded everyone up."

Before the male had a chance to respond Melody had started walking in the direction of the lab, her mind running wild with what exactly Oak could want.

Loraine was aggravated. Had the kids even heard what she said? The one girl seemed to just walk right on by without even acknowledging the prescence of Loraine. Loraine simply rolled her eyes and walked on by. Lucario followed.

Loraine thought about what the girl said before she left; how she was going to the lab. Loraine thought it was peculiar as to why someone would do that. There was really no place for the lab anymore, or at least, that's what Loraine thought. Old Samuel must have been dead....or was he? It had been a long time since Loraine had visited professor oak. If he was still alive, he mustve been extremely busy. It was not like Samuel to lose hope in a time of crisis.

Griff
The boy shrugged, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting after Melody, "See you there, then?" And, under his breath, "Antisocial..."

Then he heard a very familiar voice.

Wincing, Griff spun around to face the policewoman, Loraine Leigh. "H-hi, Loraine," he stuttered, unobtrusively clicking the button on his Pokeball so that his Dratini came free. Loraine and he had butted heads ever since he ended up at Pallet Town. He loved making mischief, she loved stopping it; it seemed like she was always on his tail. "As you can see, I have my Pokemon out; we're all nice and safe here. Mic and Melody are going to be my new best friends." He showed her the crumpled receipt. "On a mission for Oak." He didn't dare to call him an old man in her presence. "So we have everything handled here, you can just go along... your... way..."

His stomach plummeted when, looking at the receipt, he spotted her name in Oak's handwriting. He sucked in his breath, feeling bitter, and then sighed heavily, pushing his hair back. "Hey, Loraine. Old-- I mean, Oak wants you to go see him in the lab. Actually--" He looked around at Melody, Mic, and himself. "All of us are supposed to be there." There was a moment of grim silence as he gazed at the tall walls around Pallet Town. "Guess it's about the wilds."

"Rounding up the most powerful of us and sending us out? I think this has more to do than just hunting." Michaline said, sliding off Arcanine and taking him back into his pokeball. Without hesitation she threw another in the air. "All right Flygone, your turn." The pokemon gave a little cry as it came out, lighting on the ground next to its trainer. "I say we head back. Unless of course you have more people to round up, Griffin. We'll be fine, Loraine. You can head back, I'll make sure he doesn't get us eaten."

Loraine was one of the few people who didn't annoy Michaline, which was a little surprising. It seemed like everyone got on the trainer's nerves. She climbed onto Flygone's back. "Well Griffon, what's the report? More people, or back to the lab?" She even sounded annoyed.

"Rounding up the most powerful of us and sending us out? I think this has more to do than just hunting." Michaline said, sliding off Arcanine and taking him back into his pokeball. Without hesitation she threw another in the air. "All right Flygone, your turn." The pokemon gave a little cry as it came out, lighting on the ground next to its trainer. "I say we head back. Unless of course you have more people to round up, Griffin. We'll be fine, Loraine. You can head back, I'll make sure he doesn't get us eaten."

Loraine was one of the few people who didn't annoy Michaline, which was a little surprising. It seemed like everyone got on the trainer's nerves. She climbed onto Flygone's back. "Well Griffon, what's the report? More people, or back to the lab?" She even sounded annoyed.

Loraine could hear Griff's voice behind her.
"Hey, Loraine. Old-- I mean, Oak wants you to go see him in the lab. Actually--" he looked around at the other kids, "All of us are supposed to be there."
there was a moment of silence, and Loraine looked back at Lucario for a while, until Griff said, "Guess it's about the wilds."

Loraine thought about it. Could Tony Griffin be lying? No...the note or whatever he was holding had Samuel's handwriting.

"Alright. I'll come with you kids." Loraine said coldly, "But just for Professor Oak. If this is a prank or whatever, mark my words, you'll all be in SERIOUS trouble. I mean it." she said, glaring at the kids.

"Well Griffon, what's the report? More people, or back to the lab?" Michaline Walker said. Loraine thought Michaline was a nice girl. She always followed orders, and she seemed to take Loraine seriously. Michaline reminded Loraine of when she was her age.

Griff
He blinked and straightened up as they turned to him. He was usually the last person whose opinion the survivors asked. Too much of a troublemaker, a hoodlum. He coughed as they asked him what they ought to do. It was strangely nice to have his opinion count.

"The lab," he said decisively, straightening his collar. "Let's just see what the old ma-- what Oak wants. Everyone else is probably scattered all over town, anyway. I bet Oak wants us back before dark anyway."

His Dratini snaked around his legs, rubbing its head against his cheek. Embarrassed by his Pokemon's overly affectionate ways, he pushed its head away from him. He loved his Dratini, and his Feebas-- well, one day his Feebas would be a beautiful Milotic, and he would decide his feelings about it then. In the meanwhile, though, his Pokemon were only in their first stages, rather weak in comparison to everyone else... it was kind of glum to remember.


Samuel Oak
The professor turned from the PC, closing his eyes. I'll only allow myself three seconds of mourning. That was all. One. Two.

The door opened, and he jumped about a mile. With wide eyes, he whipped around, only relaxing when he recognized the Trainer at the door.

"Melody," he said, in both relief and embarrassment. He smoothed back his perpetually mussed-up hair. "Sorry. I'm easily startled nowadays." He smiled as her Emolga flew around his head, weren't Unovan Pokemon cute? Well... probably not, if the Noise had anything to say about it. No! Why did he think that? There was no way a wireless radio signal would reach all the way to Unova... no, certainly not. But then, why hadn't they received Unovan help?

He shook his head. Don't let your old mind get off track, Samuel. He knew that Tony called him "Old Man Oak" behind his back, but he regarded the nickname with amusement. The apocalypse had certainly aged him.

Speaking of. Oak peered around Melody. "Only you? Where are the others?"

"The lab," Tony started to say, "Let's just see what the old ma-- what Oak wants. Everyone else is probably scattered all over town, anyway. I bet Oak wants us back before dark anyway."

Loraine nodded. She looked back at Lucario again, and then back at Griff.
"If you want.." she started to say, "i can look for the other trainers on the list. I think it would be best if both of you made your way to the lab, and then i'll meet you there. I don't want you two out during the night. It could be dangerous. And besides...." Loraine put her elbow on lucario's shoulder and gave a small smile, "Lucario here can see their aura. He'll know precisely where they are. Right, Lucario?"

The pokemon nodded, although Loraine could tell that Lucario was a little bit annoyed. The pokemon was so serious, so Loraine would give Lucario affection whenever she wanted to joke around with him.

Loraine's small smile turned into a serious face as jae playfully pushed her.
"For your information, it is against my moral code to harass people, Jae. My job is to protect people and keep them out of harms way. You know how dangerous these times are. In fact, you better be heading home. It's 6:30." Loraine said, checking her watch.
She then turned back to Griff and Mic, still awaiting his response.

((MegaKooala12-- I think that the other people who signed up won't actually be active. ^^; I believe that Melody, Griff, Loraine, Jae, Nero, Mic, and Oak are going to be the only active characters. So it will be unnecessary for Loraine to go hunting for them.

(: Let's try to get everyone back at the lab ASAP, people.))

Griff
"Oh, yo, Jae!" Griff's face split into a grin at the sight of his friend. "Sup, man? Oh!" He looked at the list. "Hey, Jae, you're on this list here that Old Man Oak gave me. He asked me to round up everyone here on this list, and bring 'em back to the lab, and I's found most of them. Actually, all of them, just not this... Nero." He frowned. The name was unfamiliar. "Aw, whatever."

Glancing back up at Loraine, his voice took on a meeker tone (and better grammar) as he said, "I, uh... I don't think it'll be necessary to find this Nero guy. He's the last one on the list, so I think all of us can just head in together." He glanced instinctively over his shoulder at the western wall. Softly, he reminded them, "Sun's almost down."

If Nero wasn't in Pallet before sundown anyway, it really would be unnecessary to go find him. The gates closed at sundown. No exceptions. Even if you were at the base of the walls, crying to get in, the gatekeepers weren't allowed to open 'em up. Oak's orders, but nobody disagreed with him. Last thing they needed was for a rampage of night-dwelling Pokemon to get in just because some loser didn't make curfew.

Only one Trainer had ever been caught out after curfew, anyway. That was a long night, one that haunted Griff's nightmares. The kid had screamed and cried and got torn apart, just within the forest outside of Pallet, fifty yards away from the gates.


Oak
The old man nodded. "I'm sorry for distressing you like that, Melody. Of course you don't know what's going on. I apologize. I just figured it would be easier to tell you all together, instead of expecting that child Griff to be able to convey the message." Of course, at sixteen, Tony Griffin was hardly a child, but by how he acted... "I asked him to gather up six Trainers. It's for a... a mission. I chose you all very specially, and-- oh, in fact, here's one now."

The professor beamed as Nero slipped in the door. Maybe Griff was doing his job after all. "Nero, are you and Melody acquainted?"

Mic nodded. "All right then, see you two there." Without another word, the girl hopped on Flygon and flew off, keeping her eyes on the forest below. It took her maybe seven minuets to reach Pallet Town, where she let all of her pokemon out, so that they could stretch and relax in the safty of camp. While the other five wandered off, Raichu stayed close to her. The electric pokemon was one of her oldest friends, and she cherished her.

She made her way through the camp to the lab. "Professor? She peered in, seeing two other trainers, one being Melody, the other she'd seen before, but didn't know his name yet. "Hey. Griff told me to come by. He and Loraine are on their way."

(( yeah, i kinda noticed that as well XD ))

Loraine nodded at Griff's words.
"alright then. Let's go." she said, walking towards the direction of the lab. Lucario followed, glaring all around the area of Pallet Town.
Once Loraine got to the lab, she paused for a moment, and looked at what the building had become. She remembered when the building was the brightest part of Pallet, but now, it was dull and chipped. It only seemed like yesterday when Loraine stepped into the building for the first time when she was eleven.

Loraine opened the door, and peered her head inside the room.
"Professor Oak?" she called. "It's me, Loraine, and the others are near."
Loraine wondered whether or not Oak still remembered her.

Griff
The boy followed closely on Loraine's heels, breaking into a jog, his Dratini close on his heels. As they ran, there was a roar behind them somewhere far out in the trees. Griff shivered as a flock of oversized Pidgeys burst into flight, startled by the noise.

He didn't completely relax until he was inside the gates of Pallet, giving the gate-openers a wave, but they just rolled their eyes at him. He slowly lowered his hand. He sure had a reputation 'round here.

"H-hey! Wait up, Loraine!" he yelled, turning his head back to the policewoman and seeing that she was already pretty far ahead of him. He picked up the speed and weaved around people, darting toward the Pokemon lab.

He slowed to a stop behind Loraine, hearing voices from inside the lab. "...told me to come by. He and Loraine are on their way." Griff could see four figures inside the lab already. He glanced at Loraine and walked past her into the lab.

"Yo!" he shouted, lifting a hand in greeting. He noticed a boy he didn't know, and figured it was the mysterious Nero, so he winked at Oak and said, "See, y'knew you could trust ol' Griff to get everyone here. Safe and sound!"

The professor seemed a little pained at Griff's grammar. He gave the boy a weak smile, which turned genuine when he saw Loraine loitering at the doorway. "Come in, come in!" he cried. "In fact, everyone have a seat, just giving me a moment..." He waved for them to follow him deeper into the lab; he produced six cushions from a cabinet for the Trainers to sit on, and waited to speak until he saw they were all comfortable.

"Now, the reason I have gathered you all here today..."

((I HAD TO DO THAT I AM SO SORRY. xD))

((I apologize for my absence. ;u; I love you all. May this roleplay never die.))

The Professor
Oak sat behind his desk and ran his fingers through his balding hair. "Nice to see you, Jae." He waited for the boy to take a seat. Then he slowly began to talk.

"It's been almost eight months since the Noise."

Silence in response. In the audience, Griff's eyes widened. Few people kept track of the time anymore; watches and cell phones had stopped long ago. Their battery supply had been one of the first to go. He wouldn't have ever guessed it was that long.

"I know that everyone is getting as anxious as I am. Why haven't we received any aid? Where's the League, the Gym Leaders? We haven't even had any refugees. What's become of Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova?" Oak bent his head, privately mourning his grandson. "And we've all lost someone we love, or even worse, are left in the dark as to what has happened to them..." His forehead creased with worry.

"Do any of you know--" The professor rattled off five names. All Trainers. Griff's hands clenched the sides of his cushion. "Perhaps you've already heard the news, as it's traveled fast. But today, they were all killed... young Griff there found their bodies guarded by an enormous Arbok." Griff looked away.

The professor turned and pulled down a huge regional map of Kanto, then spun around to look at the six Trainers again. "Anyone want to tell me where Arboks are found in the wild? That's right," he said, not waiting for an answer, his words growing more feverish as he grabbed a Sharpie, "not here!" He scribbled a circle around Pallet Town and the surrounding areas and routes. "My fear is that the more vicious Pokemon who live to the north, east, and west have expended all their food sources and are migrating south to try and find more. In other words, I'm afraid that all the other cities..." He looked at the Trainers, exhaustion suddenly spreading over his face. "...are gone."

There was quiet. Oak placed the Sharpie on his desk and gave them all an intense stare. "Everyone knows that six is the most powerful combination of Pokemon to have in a team. You can have an amazing type variety there. You can take down almost anyone you meet." He eyes scanned over the Trainers. Griff, Melody, Nero, Jae, Lorraine, Mic. "You six are here because... well, because I'd like to ask a favor of you." He took a deep breath. Oh boy, how would they react? "Will the six of you accompany me north to try and discover if any city other than Kanto is still alive?"

The moment was powerful and shocking until the professor started mumbling to himself, abashed, "I mean, I know it's practically a suicide mission, and practically nobody has come back even from trying to get to Viridian, and with the more powerful Pokemon showing up every day it's sure to be really tough, and you'll have to leave Pallet, but..." His voice got quieter and quieter until it faded out, and he looked at them hopefully and nervously.

Loraine looked at Oak's hopeful and nervous eyes. Her brain told her that Oak was crazy, but her heart told her that she shoud go on the mission.
After all, the world was pretty hopeless anyway. It would have been better to die while trying to save the world then sitting around and hoping for things to change. She didn't quite know the other trainers, but if Oak had gathered them together, then she knew they had to have been strong. This also made Loraine remember her past; how strong she used to be before she got a job. She remembered running through all of the regions, battling all the people she could until she made it to the pokemon league. She remembered all the gym badges she collected, now probably a part of the rubble in Celadon. And then, she remembered when she was only eleven, choosing the fiery pokemon called charmander. She remembered Oak's smile afterwards, telling her that she had made a good choice.

Loraine took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and clenched her fist tightly. She couldn't believe what she was about to say, but she knew she had to. It was Oak. Without him, she would've been one of the many victims of the noise.

Loraine opened her eyes, justice, bravery and concern filling her face, and she boldly said to Oak, "Yes, Samuel. I'll go. I don't know if the others here will, but i'll accompany you. If nobody comes, leave the mission to me."