"Hopefully."

She 'mrrrrs' unhappily.

"Yeah." She crouches down to hug Intrepid. "I know. Not what I wanted either."

Unhappy snuggle.

(She doesn't like this whole situation but she really doesn't like someone else having her collar, which feels silly and unfair and petty but it's hers and it's how she talks to her Ellie...)

"Think you can trade off for a bit?" she asks Flareon, pointing at her neck.

She nods. "Yeah, I don't mind. I'll paw at your leg or something if I need to say something and can't wait for a tablet."

"Cool."

She swaps the collar over to Intrepid.

She doesn't even have many specific words! She would like to be picked up but maybe not while there's an evil guy maybe escaping.

"Should we - go after or look for the human more?" she asks, pressing against Ellie's leg (it makes her feel a lot better being able to talk to Ellie, at least).

"Harder to stick anything to them if they're not in the facility, and we'd have to restrain him somehow and I don't want any of you on an assault charge, which is more likely if there's a bigger organization here."

"Okay."

Lean.

"I don't like that there's people doing this."

"Are we going to stay until the police get here?"

"I think we should be able to hitch a ride back with them, so."

"That makes sense. Though the jolteon might not want to ride along - dunno how wary she is of people."

"Maybe, but- I'm tired. I want to sleep somewhere comfortable tonight. And Flareon should have a chance to check on her dad."

She nods. "Yeah. Maybe we can tell jolteon where to find us, if she doesn't want to ride along... She could go hide at Flareon's house, maybe."

"Yeah, should sort that out before other people get here." She ruffles Intrepid's fur. "Thanks for reminding me."

Headbutt! "You're welcome!"

Pet pet.

She calls over to Jolteon. "Hey, we're probably going to try to catch a ride back to the city with the police. If you want to come with us, you can, or you could ask Flareon if you can crash at her house for a bit. Or head off somewhere else, I guess."

...Mrrrrrrr...

She sticks her head out of the bush, squinting.

"Flareon's got food and a pretty nice house," Flicker says to her, "Those people do know where she lives, but might not come looking... But we can help keep an eye out for them if you're with us."

"Ellie's nice, though. Those people tried to buy me, and I ran away and then met her, and she's only helped me."

Suspicious mrrrrrr.

"Maybe at least come get food? We won't tell the police where we found you."

...Hrm.

She nods, slowly.

"Sounds like a fair compromise."

She huffs a little and crawls the rest of the way out of the bush.