//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16 
// Story: New Faces, New Friends 
// by ZephyrStrife 
//------------------------------//

	Emma held Gwen and Mick close as they began travelling back out into the cold of the exposed tunnel, by now a few groans could be heard in some of the nearby wreckage, prompting the small group to quickly make their way over and investigate. It took quite a bit of work, as well as several generous applications of [Ember] to get the debris out of the way so that a small family of diamond dogs and their Hitmonchan travelling companion could be freed from their car. The fire types wasted no time in getting the Hitmonchan's help in creating a makeshift camp in the middle of the wreck.

"Alright... I think that may be able to stave off most of the wind chill..." Mick says with a slight yawn as they finish putting some sheets up to block the whipping wind.

"I've got the fire." Emma declared just before she let out an [Ember] on a pile of broken boards, getting the safety-fire roaring with fuel and a small, warm area to regroup at.

Mick nodded, "Good, Emma, I'm going to need you to come with me; we're going to look for more survivors. Gwen, you are going to stay and make sure that any survivors we have are alright, I'll keep the medical supplies with you and we'll send back anything that we find." He smiled a little when the Quilava and Ekans gave him short nods. "We have a short time to save as many as we can... let's hurry." He dropped to all fours and darted into the wreck of the train with Emma following close behind him.

Gwen picked up his bag that had been left behind and kept it by the others. "Is everyone good?" She asked as she looked to the small family. When the father nodded she gave him a small smile.





Mick wiggled his way under a few angled boards as he made his way to a pup that was clutching his mother. A new cold seemed to close around him as he moved closer, each inch drawing a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach the moment he had entered the room. "Hey..." He whispered as he got out from under the boards, drawing the pup's attention. The dog let out a small growl, but seemed too weak to really do anything else. It was a second icy stab to the heart as he saw the tears at the edge of the pup's eye. He turned back to where Emma was, "Emma... go on ahead... make sure there aren't any others in this cabin." Once he heard her hesitant pawsteps leave the partially collapsed room he slowly walked over to the pup.

The little dog's eyes were brimmed with water just before Mick opened his arms for a small hug. After a few seconds the pup wrapped the Cyndaquil in a tight hug and began to sob. Mick closed the hug, gently petting the pup's back and giving him a place to cry in peace. 

It was one of those times that felt like it took forever and no time at all to end as the sobs slowly gave way to an all-consuming silence. Mick indicated towards the hole he had come in through. With a small nod and a sniffle the pup quickly starts making his way out of the car with Mick in close pursuit. Once outside of the broken room the little Cyndaquil held the pup close while they both walked back to the campsite.

Several small groups were huddled around a slightly larger fire now that several cars had been cleared for survivors. "Alright... Emma... Any more cars we have to check?" He asked as he helped get the pup situated by the fire, Gwen quickly made her way over and curled up next  to the pup.

"Just the back of the last passenger car..."

"Then let's get going." Mick replied with a determined tone, there were already more survivors than he had expected, but getting them further than the wreck would be incredibly hard. His breath came in slight pants as he made his way back to the passenger cars, all of the work that was going in to helping the survivors was definitely taking its toll as he struggled to get up to the raised floor of the ruined car. Emma quickly helped him up, the use of her stronger fire to burn away debris was starting to exhaust her strength as well. Nonetheless they pushed onward, the hope of more that managed to survive the wreck was a motivator in and of itself.

Mick's hearing had vastly improved compared to when he had been human, it was either his own heightened senses or the near-dead silence of the wreck that was helping him pick up the faint breathing several rooms down. He picked up the pace of his walking as he got to the door, the glass was shattered and the metal was bent in a few different places that made it almost impossible to move on its own. "Emma... Can you help me get this out of the way?" Mick asked her as she walked up next to him. 

"Fire... not work... too cold... can't think... straight..." She panted as she seemed to look at the door with an unfocused stare.

Mick's eyes widened. "E-Emma? Are you alright?"

She quickly reeled her head back and rushed at the door, clanging against it with a resounding echo. Mick simply stood there stunned as the [Headbutt] had managed to bend the door enough for him to get inside. "...Emma?" He squeaked.

With a sigh and a groan of pain she slowly pulled herself to her feet "I... I think I need to sit down..."





The Aggron stomped to the edge of the huge hole in the ground, bracing himself against what ground was available beneath the snow and threw a rope down into the depths. Several diamond dogs began to rappel down. The elderly pony that had met the Aggron was watching with a deep concern. "Look!" He exclaimed as he pointed to the glow of the makeshift camp. "Survivors!" With that declaration the dogs seemed to move even faster.

Medics went down first, followed almost immediately with scouts and then other volunteer relief. There were a few quiet cheers as the relief workers made their way into the camp and began to pass out some supplies and much-needed medical care. The rescue team was actually surprised by the number of... well... creatures that had been rescued, from diamond dogs and ponies to pokemon. 

Several rescuers turned to see a Cyndaquil making its way out of the wreckage towards them. "Hey! We... We have survivors over here..." He called out before skidding to a stop. "Send... Send some over.. towards that car..." He pants as he points to one of the derailed passenger cars. Two rescue workers nod before heading to the wreckage, a third one comes over to wrap the little cyndaquil up in a blanket... within seconds the warmth of the blanket itself, even if it wasn't that warm, was still good enough to make him wrap himself tightly in it before falling asleep.