Hungry... So HUNGRY! D:

Sirius had a blank, vaugely confused look on his face. Pheonix just took out the Lopunny in one hit... and the fire... Sirius never knew fire could be used like that. Sirius went over and smelled the Lopunny. It was nicely cooked, though it still smelled gamy. As he leaned back to stand up strait, he caught another scent using his Odor Sleuth ability. It was a nearby buneary. Following Pheonix's example, he quietly moved behind it and delivered a powerful Bite, killing it, although he lacked the fire to cook it. He immediatley spat it out as the taste of blood went throughout his mouth. He picked up the limp Buneary and turned back to Pheonix...

[OOC: Wow, this is kind of morbid for pokemon... lol... BLACK HUMOR FTW]

[Oh yes. We're brilliant, and you know it. xD]

Phoenix watched as he brought down the Buneary. She frowned slightly through her mouthful of Lopunny as Sirius spat out his prey as soon as he tasted the blood. Had he never hunted before of something? She snorted, but covered it up as a sneeze, trotting off a little ways to stash her mouthwatering Lopunny so it wouldn't interfere with her sense of smell.

Tasting the air, she caught the scent of a Pachirisu. Growling contentedly, Phoenix dashed off, slowing only when she knew she was in hearing range. Creeping forward a little, she let loose a flamethrower, not allowing the Pachirisu to get an attack in. Soon the smell of cooked flesh was once again in the air, and Phoenix returned to Sirius, Pachirisu in her jaws, and tail wagging furiously.

Sirius uttered a quick laugh. Although Pheonix was a fierce killing machine, she was acting incredibly cute and humorous. He then sniffed the air again. One more pokemon should be enough. Sure enough, he picked out the scent of a nearby zigzagoon. He tried to be more quiet as he stalked this one, and as he got close, the Zigzagoon showed no sign of running off. He tensed for the jump. The zigzagoon munching merrily on the grass. Sirius jumped forward, delivering a quick Assurance to the poor little guy. He picked it up with his teeth, this time managing to hold it in his mouth even though the taste of blood still tasted foul. He carried it back to Pheonix. "If you don't mind, these will smell much better cooked."

Phoenix giggled, setting down her Pachirisu. It was just as she thought. This was most likely his first hunt. She missed the days when she could still taste the blood of her fresh prey... She waited until Sirius had set his kill with the other and stepped back, then used a bit of a Flamethrower on both. Once they were cooked to a sufficient enough level, she quickly went back to both of her kills. "Let's get these back to the pack... We can share it all~!" She grinned, then picked up her kills in her jaws, dashing off through the forest again, leading the way back to the pack.

Both Growlithe were yipping like mad by the time Sirius and Phoenix reached them, the scent of the kills so mouthwatering that it also drew out the larger arcanine. Each took a kill, leaving Phoenix and Sirius with the Lopunny to share. Phoenix dragged the Lopunny off to the side, motioning with her tail for Sirius to join her. She took but a few bites, then curled up off to the side, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

Well this was his first hunt, and if he wanted to act like the pack, he needed to eat like the pack. He took a bite of the lopunny, and since it was cooked he didn't mind the flavor. It was fresh and tender, and it wasn't long before he had another bite. He then reminded himself to eat slowly, as he was sharing this with Pheonix, but for the first time in a long time, Sirius finally had a decent meal.

~

After all that was left of the prey was scraps and bones, Sirius layed down on the grass and looked up at the sky. It was now night, and the entire pack seemed to be content. He listened to the sounds of the night, for the first time not afraid, and was about to turn his head around to smile at Pheonix when he heard the crunch of the nearby steps of a human...

Maikeru was in a pickle. There wasn't a town anywhere near here. He sighed. He decided that he needed to head back and try another direction. He might as well say hi to the pack on his way, although he doubted he could stay long. As he treked, he let Silver back out, hoping to give the pack a better reception.

~

Maikeru made it back to the pack, who like he assumed they would, were on guard. He waved and smiled, letting them realize it was him, then looked again. For the first time since he came back, he saw a boy who looked about 9 sitting there. Upon furthur inspection, he realized he was also part pokemon, like Pheonix. "Well hello, its nice to meet you."

Phoenix heard the steps of the human right as Sirius did, and immediately sprang to her feet, growling until she recognized the scent. Both Mae and Olympus were napping, their bellies finally full for the first time in a LONG time. Yoruie watched Phoenix with one eye, not moving from where she lay.

Her tail wagged furiously as she recognized who it was, and she let out a short, happy bark. She ran toward him, then stopped halfway between Sirius and Maikeru, looking back and forth between the two of them with a slight whimper, caught in indecision. Who would she rather be beside?

Ears flattening, she whimpered again.

Sirius saw the confusion Pheonix was in, and decided to come closer to the human. He hoped he wouldn't startle them with what he was about to say. 'My name is Sirius. Judging by how Pheonix is acting, you must be Maikeru. Yes... you are familiar. It is nice to meet you as well." He eyed the Eevee on Maikeru's shoulder. That would be a problem if the pack hadn't just ate. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Maikeru was taken aback at this boy talking. He assumed he couldn't talk human because Pheonix couldn't. "Actually, yes. One, I would like to know how you can talk, and two, where is the nearest town or road? I've seemed to have lost my bearings." He noticed that Silver wanted to jump down, so he let him. Silver went over to the boy, Sirius was it? Sirius picked Him up and started to pet him. Silver obviously enjoyed it, so Maikeru let it be.

Phoenix was a bit puzzled when Sirius began to speak, her ears staying flat. At least she wouldn't have to choose who to go to now that they were both a bit closer. She watched the Eevee with wide eyes, smiling slightly as her tail wagged, glad to see the little guy was still okay after being stuffed into that pokeball. She would have offered a paw to pet Silver, but that was just it.. She had paws, not hands. So, instead, she stood there patiently, happy that she could be surrounded by people she knew.

Sirius thought about it... "I belive the nearest town is a mile or so east. There is a path to it just about 500 yards south. Follow it and you should reach it." He set the Eevee down. "As for me talking.. I was raised by my mother, so I guess I learned the same way you did. I can understand Pokemon well enough though. At this the Eevee looked up. "Really?" the Eevee asked. Sirius nodded. The Eevee jumped down and went back to Maikeru. "I hope you find your way to town."

"Well, thank you, but I think I want to stick around for a while. If its all right with the pack." Sirius looked at the pack, and Pheonix was nodding ferouciously. Maikeru took that as an assent, so he walked closer and sat down. He held out a Spicy poffin to both Pheonix and Sirius. He would give one to the others but they were fast asleep. Sirius smelled it, wrinkled his nose, and shook his head. He took out a sweet one and held it up, and this one Sirius took. He smiled and let Silver snuggle into his lap.

Phoenix followed the conversation without much difficulty, frowning for a moment as Sirius gave directions and seemed about to send Maikeru on his merry way. When Maikeru asked to stay with them for a little while, her face lit up and her tail wagged a mile a minute as she uttered a short happy bark. She sat beside the trainer, leaning against his arm a bit as she head-butted his shoulder, demanding attention after he had given Sirius the poffin.

Sirius laughed. If she knew how silly she looked for a girl, Pheonix might not have done that. He saw Maikeru take a spicy poffin, in fact the one Sirius turned down, and held it out to her. It all seemed so pleasant, but something bothered him. He switched to Poochyena and asked the Eevee "Why doesn't your master know where he is and where he is going?"

Maikeru didn't understand the yips and barks from Sirius, but Silver's ears perked up and then flattened, as if he was scared or frightened. Silver gave a few yips and barks back, and Sirius started to look worried. As he thought about it, his head started to hurt, and he absentmindedly rubbed the back of his head...

~

Although his master couldn't understand him, Silver understood what the young boy said, and responded in kind. "I'm not really sure, I heard a lot of rustleing nearby and then I was sent into my pokeball. I still heard quite a lot, and it sounded like a fight, but when I was let out, he looked fine and was acting kind of strange. Then we walked a lot and came to this pack. I was scared then too, but we left. We walked a lot more and came back, and here we are. I'm sorry thats all I know."

Phoenix took the spicy poffin with a smile directed toward Sirius, starting to nibble on it a bit, her tail wagging as she sat there, completely content. One of her ears perked up as she heard Silver and Sirius converse. Phoenix hadn't even thought about any ulterior motives the trainer might have. What if he wanted to try to capture her or her family? Feeling her hackles raise a bit, Phoenix stood, moving closer to Sirius and away from Maikeru. She suddenly didn't feel so trusting.

Yoruie gazed with one open eye at the trio, watching cautiously.

Silver saw Pheonix come closer, realizing she only heard part of the conversation. He quicky kneeled down and explained to her what Silver had said, then went over to Maikeru and sniffed him. He smelled vaugely of Skarmory and he had a large bump on the back of his head. He walked around to face him. "I think I know why you don't know where you are, you smell of skarmory and you have a bump on your head. You must have fought them and somehow hit your head on a rock or something, giving you slight amnesia. Silver said he had heard a fight inside his pokeball, which supports this. I think it is better that you stay here under our protection until the bump heals. Besides, Pheonix seems to really like you, but I think she thinks you want to catch her.

Maikeru started to laugh, which seemed to wake up the younger cubs a little, but they went promptly back to sleep. Maikeru turned to Silver. Can you please tell Pheonix I have no interest in Catching her?

~

Silver nodded and turned his head to Pheonix. "[i]Don't worry Pheonix, he isn't trying to catch you and put you in the ball. Although, if I may ask, why are you so afraid of it? Its nice inside the ball."

Olympus and Mae yawned at the same time, Mae rolling over before they both did indeed fall asleep. Phoenix's ears flattened, and she backed up a little. "Nice inside that thing? Being stuffed inside something smaller than your paw is NOT what I'd consider nice. Oh... And I can understand the human just fine, he just can't understand ME, obviously."

Sirius started to understand. He looked over at Silver and then Maikeru, remembering the commercial about pokeballs he saw as a kid. "Umm, Pheonix, while it is true that the ball is smaller on the outside, its... magic i guess you would say makes us smaller than it, so its quite comfortable. You have plenty of room in it. It is a little scary at first because you've never been inside one before, but according to a magic box called the T.V., once you go in there is nothing scary about it. Silver is very happy, and doesn't mind going in." Silver nodded. Sirius smiled and let Pheonix absorb the info.

Maikeru didn't know what the three were talking about, but it seemed to be informing Pheonix about something. He let it slide and watched the stars near the horizon. As he watched, he slowly drifted off to sleep. He occasionally forced his eyes open to watch them, but when he did his head hurt. Finally he just drifted off completely.

"Still... That feeling of being held captive. That's something you wouldn't be able to shake." Phoenix whined, her tail tucked between her legs and her ears flattened as she backed up a few more steps.

Sirius had to agree with her there. His feeling of loneliness would only skyrocket if he was caught by a trainer. He looked at her again, and adding a little force to his voice to make sure she got it, said "He is NOT trying to catch you. You are his friend, and thats all. There is no reason to be afraid of him." He then looked at Maikeru. "You have to forgive her, she still thinks you want to catch her. I keep telling her thats false, but she seems reluctant to believe me."

"I see." Maikeru went over to Pheonix, who shied away, and started scratching her behind the ear. "There is nothing to worry about, Im not going to catch you." He sat and continued to scratch, waiting for a sign to stop or a sign that she understood.

Phoenix whimpered softly, indeed a little reluctant to believe Sirius' words. Her tail wagged halfheartedly as Maikeru scratched behind her ear, but her eyes flicked over to Sirius, "And my pack...? What about them?"