End of the Line (MOD)

[Domathan]

There had been many adventures through this maze before and, always, Sterling found his way out. Of course, he usually never went so far that he'd get too lost. Just deep enough in that his memory of the correct path would let him go. But at this time of year, while it was so cold and empty with so little to do that was entertaining, Sterling dared to venture in farther. What he wanted was Pokemon. But it was winter and they all seemed to have gone into hiding or hibernation or whatever it was they did. Either way, it was pissing Sterling off. He was checking in every nook and cranny he could fit himself or his Pokemon into and there was nothing. Sterling was about ready to go to the extremes to find something. He wasn't even aiming to capture any Pokemon. He wanted a fight. Fighting wild Pokemon just pleased him because, if he saw the Pokemon to be a fit ally, he had the choice to catch it. Once he'd won of course.

The hedges were coated in the white and cold fluff. Sterling's outfit wasn't made for this weather. It was too cold to go in his jeans and t-shirt, so he wore his camo green jacket, pants and hat as well. But the green didn't go well with the winter wonderland. It stood out. So Sterling had given up on hiding for the time. If he found his target, he'd go after it. No more waiting for it to come along.

Sterling trudged through the snow, black boots falling a good four inches into it but still keeping his feet warm and dry. On his back sat his beloved Kecleon. It clung to the back of his jacket, shivering. For once, Espio didn't say a word and that pleased Sterling at least a little. He was tired of the Pokemon's constant bickering. Sterling kept rubbing his hands together, trying to keep them warm. He wore no gloves and almost regretted not buying a pair the last he was in town. Sterling turned his head around one corner of the maze, peering down. Every now and then, he found footsteps. Sometimes they looked like they could be from Pokemon and sometimes they looked like they might be human. That would be how he'd escape the maze. He'd hope dearly later that his footsteps hadn't faded and that he could get out by following them. But, until then, he picked up his pace, going at a face walk around each corner in the maze and having to turn around and retrace his steps at every dead end.

[Jay]

It was cold... very cold. Most of the grass pokemon in the area had moved south for the winter, and most everything was barren. However, gentle sounds of crumpling in the snow could be heard not far off. Would Sterling choose to follow the sound?

[Domathan]

Espio heard the noise before his own trainer did. But Sterling felt a tug on the back of his jacket and that was when the man stopped in his tracks and waited, listening for the noise that he was sure his Kecleon was hearing. There it was. The sound of something stepping on the snow. Or at least moving on top of it. Maybe it was rolling or just laying down but something had to be there. Sterling wasn't about to pass up the chance of a fight. Person or Pokemon, he didn't care anymore. But he wasn't sure who was crazy enough to be out here in this cold and in the middle of this crazy maze, none the less. But the same went for Pokemon. Why would they be here either? Unless they were an ice Pokemon. Sterling would have been happy enough even with one of those.

Sterling took a step in the direction of where he heard the noise, but was quickly distracted by the sound of his own boots crunching into the snow. There was a deep breath and, for a short moment, he considered taking them off to stay silent. He didn't want to risk getting frostbite. So he broke out into a jog, a squeal being heard from the unprepared Kecleon that hung around his neck now. But Sterling stopped in his tracks, not taking any breaks, even moments long, and instead quickly looked around each corner, searching for the source of the noise.

[Jay]

In the end what finally appeared to the green haired man was a pair of pitiful looking pokemon. An Oddish and a Bellsprout were helping each other through the snow but were slipping and sliding at every turn. They had missed the chance to go south, or dormant for that matter, and were now afraid of what lay for them if they didn't go south.

[Domathan]

Sterling's eyes twitched in annoyance. Really? Of course the only Pokemon left in a place like this would be pathetic. Just an Oddish and a Bellsprout. Maybe they could grow up badass one day but they looked weak enough to stay weak even at their strongest evolutions. Sterling strode closer, a few meters away from the Pokemon now, and planted his feet in the snow. He stood tall, hands on his hips and gaze hard as he stared down at them. "Pathetic. Pokemon who can't even make it south for winter. Really? Absolute idiots. If your families just abandoned you like this, I doubt they want you back. Tch," Sterling sneered, lifting a hand to straighten out his hat.

Though there was a Pokemon on his back, it went ignored. It didn't complain. Espio was probably too cold to get anything done anyways. So Sterling withdrew a ball from his pocket, watching it expand in his hand as he brings it up to hold it over his heart. "Are you worth the effort? With this benefit me in any way? You'd just freeze to death anyways if I left you here," the trainer points out with a roll of his eyes. The problem was the he didn't like to see Pokemon die. He liked to defeat them but he would never kill them or leave them for dead, unless they really deserved it. As far as he knew, these two Pokemon were entirely innocent. The man was just full of angry insults was all.

[Jay]

For a moment, a very fierce expression rose on the Oddish's face but seemed to die again as though it had been thrown in a pit of shame and depression. The Bellsprout didn't even seem to look up or register that there was a human there at all.

[Domathan]

There was a roll of Sterling's eyes and he clicked the button the Pokeball, the ball opening with a flash of red light and a rather feminine looking Pokemon standing in the snow in front of him. Samual, the Kirlia. Unfortunately, it sunk into the snow, falling rather deep and almost up to the waist. "A-ah! Sterling! Ah! I'm going in too deep again," Samual yelled, his eyes wide and his arms flailing as he tried to pull himself out from the snow to get on top again. But no matter how much he struggled, he would just sink in again, realizing that there was no getting out.

"Shhh! Samual. This isn't the time. You're not going to drown it so just pay attention," Sterling hissed at his own companion before his eyes drifted to the wild Pokemon again. He watched the Oddish first. He noted that he seem to have hurt it, not physically, but maybe in the mind or heart. There was a slight tinge of guilt in his own heart, having to remember that Pokemon could have big and sensitive hearts too. But the sight of the Bellsprout pushed the feeling away and he narrowed his eyes. Didn't it hear him? Didn't it care? "Do you think you stand a chance against me? I'm giving a choice... because if you aren't about to put up a fight, this isn't worth my time."

[Jay]

"Odish od," was the answer form the Odish as though he were saying the human wasn't worth his time before moving with the Bellsprout off in a different direction entirely. Well...hm... what would the trainer do with that?