[X] My Assistant

[Umbrae Calamitas]

How long had it been, since he had been adopted by the runt?

Ashleigh had his nose pressed to the ground, taking in the scents buried in the soil of the earth. He could smell a family of buneary who had hopped across this very path two days prior, and a small contingent of diglet who had chosen to pop up just twelve hours ago, before burying themselves again in the dirt and tunneling on.

He continued to sniff, however, for none of these scents were the ones that he was searching for. He did not care about the buneary or the diglet families. He did not bother with the noctowl droppings which littered the small fern nearby. He passed over the eevee scat and sniffed his way around the sweat that had soaked into the earth where a stantler had made her bedding the previous night, and there!

Ashleigh froze and tried to push his nose further into the dirt, taking in the unmistakable scent. The little one, of course, for that was whose scent he sought. She had passed over this area with swift footing, but there was also the scent of fear.

Fear of what?

With a growl, Ashleigh acknowledged that he did not have time to stay and seek a scent that might not be there. With a sure bark, he leapt forward, following the scent that now clung desperately to his nose. He leapt over a small brook no wider than he was fat, crawled under a large fallen tree, and dashed through the forest, stunned both by how far the runt had managed to run in such a short time, and still by how everything had been turned upside-down, when the beginning of the night seemed so perfect.

Ashleigh had lingered around the campsite for a little while, listening to the alpha read to the runt in strange words, and his mate read them normally. Ashleigh understood that they were teaching, but he didn’t understand why anyone needed to learn to speak anything but Pokemon.

Once the runt started yawning, however, the alpha had sent her to bed, despite her proclaiming that she “wasn’t tired” and she just wanted to “read one more chapter.” The alpha had been laughing, but he hadn’t backed down. And the runt had given in, not challenging the alpha, and that was good. The runt was nice and kind, but she would not make a very good alpha. She wasn’t strong enough. Not yet.

The alpha and his mate had gone to bed, as well, though they slept in separate beds, which seemed strange to Ashleigh, since they were clearing mates, but humans were weird, he had learned long ago. It was best not to question their behavior. It only worked to confuse a pokemon.

Ashleigh had curled up into a ball by the fire and he had tried to go to sleep, but it just did not want to come to him, so he had gotten up and trotted around the camp, looking for something to do.

He came upon the lightning dog, who was lying down but not sleeping. Ashleigh thought that maybe the lightning dog was just as bored as he was, so he did the only sane thing that a houndour does in this situation.

He tackled him.

The lightning dog had yelped in surprise at being attacked from behind and sent rolling, with Ashleigh snapping playfully at his throat. For just a moment, he had been worried, because he remembered that the lightning dog was older than he was, and some of the older houndour in his pack hadn’t liked being tackled by a runt, and they had snapped back, only not playfully, and sent him crashing on his back, and bit him, and then sent him away with hurt paws and whimpering.

But the lightning dog did not punish Ashleigh or bite his paws or send him crashing to his submissive position to prove he was superior. He had snapped back, but playfully, and then the two were wrestling and yipping and chasing each other around the camp, trying to see who was the fastest (the lightning dog won, of course), and then tussling until they were panting and couldn’t wrestle anymore.

And then Ashleigh, happy to have a friend, and finally tired, curled up next to the Jolteon – Romeo, his name was – and slept.

~*~

Zorro had been having trouble sleeping lately. It was, of course, expected. Although the bonita Mercury and his hermano had assured him that he didn’t do anything to hurt the bonita Mercury, he could still remember the ratta’s angry, accusing words. He could remember seeing the ripples that his hermano had told him to watch on his hermana, but which he was beginning to see in everyone, that showed him how much the ratta disliked him. He tried to remind himself that the bonita Mercury and his hermano liked him (though, he knows he annoyed his hermano sometimes), and his hermana liked him, and Dante did not seem to dislike him.

But still, it hurt a little, or maybe more than just a little, that the ratta did not like him.

He was thinking about this, when he heard the sound, or he thought it was a sound. He could not be quite sure, since he merely knew suddenly that something was outside of the camp, and it did not really matter if he had heard, seen, or sensed it.

He had not been more than merely dozing, his thoughts still quite lucidly focused on the ratta and bonita Mercury, and so he was instantly awake when he… when he knew something was there.

It did not seem like a good something, for some reason, but he did not know why it didn’t. Still, he knew that he should go and see what it was, in case it was a bad something and he would have to tell someone, like his hermano.

Zorro paused, thinking about waking one of the others. It would be smart, of course, for someone else to come with him, but he did not know who he should wake. He did not know the bonita boy’s or the rojo girl’s pokemon well enough, except for the little pokemon, but EggHeart was a baby and he was not so silly to think that she could help him.

He would not wake ratta, because he knew that she would not help him and she would be mad for being woken. The dark horse was in her pokeball, and Dante was curled around the egg that he had become keeper of. The shadow wolf was sleeping with one of the pokemon that Zorro did not know, and he did not want to wake him, because he did not know the wolf well, either.

Of the guerrero’s pokemon, Zorro knew best the bonita Mercury and his hermano, but he did not want to wake them. His hermano was protecting the bonita Mercury, he knew, and he would not take him away from her. The bonita Mercury had been hurt, and even if she said otherwise, Zorro still thought that part of him was to blame.

No, no, it was best if Zorro simply dash off to check out this strange knowing himself, and if it was bad, he would come back, and maybe he would wake the guerrero. If it was not bad, then everyone could stay sleeping and Zorro would come back and maybe sleep himself.

With a nod, agreeing that this idea was best, he dashed quickly but silently across the camp, and disappeared into the forest.

Zorro wandered through the heavy growth of the forest, seeking out this strange thing he knew to be beyond camp. He walked and bounded for a while, before he finally heard a sound that didn’t seem to belong.

It was a low, soft hissing, mixed in with the sound of something heavy being dragged across leaves. Zorro paused in his movements and listened sharply with his ears, trying to determine precisely what it was, and where. As he listened, it became apparent that the thing, whatever it was, was getting closer. In fact, he thought that it sounded like it was right… behind… him…

Zorro spun just a second too late.

He felt the rough scales of the seviper’s flesh as her body coiled around him, firmly locking him in place despite his struggles. He sank his fangs into her flesh, yelping loudly when she tightened her body around him, crushing his ribs. He threw his head back in agony, struggling against her hold, but to no avail.

There was a deep chuckle, as a group of pokemon stepped into Zorro’s darkening vision.

“Don’t squeeze too tightly, sugar, or he’ll pass out.” The toxicroak rubbed his hands together gleefully. “I want to play a little before that happens.”

“Q… Qu…” Zorro managed only a small whimper, as the seviper tightened her coils again at his attempt to speak, but then released him abruptly at a look from the toxicroak. Zorro collapsed to the ground.

“What do we want?” the toxicroak asked, correctly interpreting the riolu’s attempted words. He held her arms out, a plaintive look on his face. “Why, only to please our master, of course. And her orders were to deal with the lot of you.” He grinned suddenly, showing a row of pearly whites. “But, most especially, you and the brat.”

Zorro looked up sharply. He grit his teeth against the pain as he staggered to his feet. “You no touch mi hermana!” he said, and growled low in his throat.

There was a collective pause from the six of them, before they all burst out laughing, the toxicroak the loudest of them all. “Do… Do you actually think you could beat us?!” he asked, roaring with laughter. “Oh! Oh, this is too good! Forget noble riolus. I prefer the stupid, naïve ones!”

“I am no stupido,” Zorro said with a sharp nod. “I am no naïve. You no hurt mi hermana.” He fell into a defensive stance, clearly ready to take them all on. “I no let you.”

The toxicroak grinned, though all mirth was gone. His eyes held an amusement that was only for the cruelty he planned to act out upon the riolu in front of him. “You can certainly try to stop me, little doggie,” he said with a smile. “In fact, I would love to see you try.”

He swung his arm and Zorro leapt back with a cry, as a series of spikes slammed into the ground before him. There was a sharp snapping behind him and he yelped in pain as the seviper’s teeth clamped down on his tail. She shoved him forward roughly, and where her fangs had pierced his flesh, he felt a warmth coursing through his tail. He stumbled forward, into the spikes, and his paws and legs were scratched when the toxicroak threw a second layer of the sharp barbs. Zorro whimpered as he felt heat rising where his arms had been slashed, and the tingling in his limbs quickly turned to a burning sensation.

The toxicroak chuckled. “All that fight is fading, I see. What a pity. Corbin!”

There was a high pitched keening sound, and Zorro felt something grab him from behind. He yelped as the venemoth dragged him through the toxic spikes, and then thrown at the toxicroak. The large toad-like pokemon grabbed the scruff of his neck, pinching his spine. Zorro cried out and tried to curl up in an attempt to stem the pain of the toxicroak’s hold on him, and the pain of the fire burning through his veins.

“Now, I would thank you for giving us some entertainment, puppy,” the toxicroak said, as he held his right arm out, his claw glowing a dark purple, “but we really must be going.” He swung his right arm in, stabbing Zorro in the stomach with his glowing claw.

Zorro screamed in agony, throwing his head back and howling in pain. He struggled weakly against the toxicroak’s hold, though his movements were both sluggish and confused. He released a continuous whimper, as his limbs ached and his veins seemed to be filled with fire rather than blood. His golden eyes rolled in his head, unable to focus on anything.

There was a high chittering laugh from nearby and the venemoth swooped in, flapping his illustrious lavender wings. “’eya, boss, ‘e’s all doped up, in’ee?”

“That he is, Tyrone,” the toxicroak said, chuckling. He shook Zorro, but the riolu didn’t react, having gone limp in his grasp.

“Is’ee dead yet, boss?”

“No, not yet,” the toxicroak replied. He walked over to the edge of the small clearing, where a small brook had veered off from its larger sister-brook. He made a cursory glance, and then tossed Zorro toward the brook.

The riolu landed with more of a squish than a splash, his mouth beginning to foam as his body shuddered convulsively. The toxicroak smirked back at the venemoth. “It won’t be long, though, Tyrone, I can promise you that.” He grinned at his comrades, taking them all in - a venemoth, drapion, mightyena, seviper, and sableye. With he, a great toxicroak, as the leader, they were the perfect team for taking out these rogue brats. “All right, you lot. We’ve got our orders. Quiet as a rattata, swift as a rapidash, we take out the trainers first. We’ll deal with the pokemon after the humans are done. Now, let’s move!”

~*~

Tuesday woke with a start, completely conscious, without a lingering shred of exhaustion.

She was tense, her hands clenched into fists, her legs drawn up, her Lugia plushie clenched tightly to her chest, as though she could choke away a nightmare that she didn’t remember having. And this wasn’t the way she woke from nightmares, anyway. Nightmares left her tired, waking into a world unsure if she was conscious or still asleep, heavy-lidded and ready to close her eyes and fall into a dream.

She wasn’t tired, she knew she was fully awake, and she was ready to move.

Shaking suddenly, Tuesday leapt to her feet and bolted out of the tent. She immediately went in search of her pokemon, abruptly terrified that something had happened to them.

Dante was curled up around the egg that had become his charge, and Tempest slept near him, also curled up. Tuesday had seen Odysseus lying asleep in the corner of the tent and, after some searching, she found Ashleigh asleep with Romeo, Darryn’s jolteon. Tuesday walked silently around the camp, checking everywhere, but she couldn’t find Zorro.

She went back to her and Meiko’s tent and found her pack. When she opened it and found Zorro’s pirate hat tucked safely inside where he left it every night before he went to sleep and grabbed it every morning the moment he awoke, she knew something was wrong with this picture. Where was he, and why did he leave without his hat?

She couldn’t explain the feeling of terror and the need to find him that overwhelmed her, but she couldn’t ignore it.

Without a moment’s hesitation or a single thought to changing out of her pajamas or waking Meiko or anyone else, Tuesday slipped into her wet shoes, too worried to take time looking for her dry ones, and bolted out of camp. She didn’t know how she was planning on finding Zorro, but she could somehow feel that she was going the right way. So she listened to that feeling, prayed it wasn’t lying to her, and hoped that she found the mischievous riolu soon.

~*~

Ashleigh had left the sounds of battle far behind. He had been awoken by the princess, who was aware that there was some danger coming. Ashleigh had left Romeo to his team and bolted into the tent where the runt slept, only to find that it was empty, and the bed where she slept was too cold for her to have just awoken.

With a sharp word to Tempest, the houndour bolted out of the camp in search of his trainer. He heard the cries of pokemon and human alike, as the camp was attacked, but he did not return to them, for his trainer was alone and had no one to protect her.

Ashleigh pressed his nose to the ground and as he sniffed out the scent of his trainer, he had to wonder at this sense of loyalty he felt to her. It was stronger than it had ever been for the alpha of his pack, but he had been with them so much longer.

How long had it been, since he had been adopted by the runt?

[Living Arrow]

Darryn ran in the dark, endlessly searching for something. He didn’t know his target or destination – only that it was neverending. His hands would never hold the prize at the end of the race in the blackness, his eyes would never appreciate its beauty. Light would never grace the path, never lead him to the final goal and yet he did not care. He marvelled in the chase of nothing and not a thing in the world could bring him down.

<Prince Darryn.>

The voice in the dark shone like a star, flashing from all around like a million spotlights all on him. The spotlights were on him. He delighted in it. He craved it. He stopped running and took to the stage, allowing those spotlights to shine on him once more.

<You must wake, Prince Darryn!>

He heard the words but the thrill of the performance had gripped him. Words lost meaning when he was captured by the dance, his body becoming fluid that rippled like a millpond yet crashed like an angry sea. He let go of himself, accepting the ultimate surrender as-

<AWAKE!>

Darryn was ripped from the dream in an instant, his eyes forced open by the Vulpix glaring at him. Her face was directly in front of his, eyes glowing a malicious red, giving off a sickly yellow-green glow. Darryn blinked twice. The camp was still quiet and yet that colour…

“What’s wrong?” Darryn whispered quickly, sitting up and taking a peek outside the tent flap. “Why are you scared?”

Lady didn’t correct him. She didn’t ask how he knew. She knew how he knew. But this time she wouldn’t offer him advice or pass comment. Fear was so deeply embedded in her that her crimson fur literally bristled with tension.

<From before. I worked out what the feeling was!> She darted a looked back into the night. <Mightyena fangs! Like on Mount Carello!>

Darryn drew in a sharp breath. It couldn’t be. Not again. The only people that had used such a trick to disperse the telepathic abilities of a psychic Pokemon were… Team Deception.

“Crap!” Darryn cursed, shaking Jaima roughly to wake him. “Jaima! Wake up! We’re in trouble!”

Jaima’s bleary eyes cracked open and his face screwed up tightly.

“Wha-? Darryn?”

“Team Deception!” Darryn hissed, producing the reaction he had been looking for. Jaima’s eyes widened and he fumbled quickly for his glasses. “Go to the girls – I’ll wake the Pokemon.”

Jaima nodded and as quickly as possible, both scrambled from the tent.

Darryn gasped as the cold night air caressed his skin. In his haste he had not bothered to put on any extra clothes and so his boxer shorts were the only stitch he had on. Even so, he could deal with being practically naked if it meant getting away from those disgusting people he had met on Mount Carello.

<Lady?> Darryn tested, unsure if his ability would work without her starting the conversation.

<Yes, Prince Darryn?> Came her urgent reply.

<Wake the psychics – prepare them for battle.>

<Yes, Prince Darryn.>

Dashing through the camp, Darryn threw his arms around November’s neck and rocked her quickly to wake her. Those large brown eyes slid open smoothly and blinked with expectation. Darryn lent his mouth to her ear.

“We may be under attack. Keep your fire low as possible and stay alert.” He ordered her, leaning back to see if she understood. A slow nod and a look of confusion showed on her face. Darryn nodded back and he moved on. Romeo woke quickly and instantly flickered his head around quickly, seeming to look for something. Not finding it, he jumped up and sniffed the ground, looking off distantly into the dark. Darryn left him and roused Bravo and Victor.

Across the camp, Darryn could see Shadow leaning low to Grondir, Ember and Tsunami while Fang and Mercury stirred among the gathered members of Meiko’s team.

<Something is coming.> Mercury’s voice filled their heads. <But something isn’t right.>

<I count two but surely there would be more…> Lady alerted them.

Darryn shuddered – part from the cold part from his own worry. Team Deception were ruthless criminals who had no problem with attacking kids. In fact, one of them had punched Darryn clean in the face and a Houndoom had bitten him – neither of which he was prepared to accept again.

“We should form a circle and-” He didn’t managed to finish the sentence.

A large, rough, scaly arm slammed directly down into Darryn’s shoulder, knocking him clean from his feet to face the impact of the ground on his bare skin. Immediately, chaos ensued.

Screams, roars and the clash of battle erupted in the night as dark shapes flooded the campsite and launched themselves at human and Pokemon alike. Despite the campfire being dead, light immediately illuminated the clearing as fires were ignited and electric attacks were delivered.

Romeo raced past Darryn, Charge Beam screaming from his lips. The dazzling white of the spat lightning burned across Darryn’s vision, impairing his already poor sight in the deep gloom. He didn’t look back to watch the fighting and instead bolted for the tent. It never worked out for those who were unorganised and he knew it.

“Romeo, return!” He hollered, activating the Quick Ball and aiming it at the strobe lighting that was flickering around the Jolteon’s body. In a flash, he was gone.

“Bravo, return! November, return!” Bravo, a dark shape in the night sky, squawked with surprise as he was dragged back and November managed to let loose a terrified whinny.

*Romeo’s electricity will just blind us even more and Bravo and November rely on the light to move freely. Where’s Victor?*

“Squirtaaaaaal!” The Tiny Turtle tumbled end over end as he was bowled from his feet by the foes hidden in the dark. He crashed near to Darryn’s feet, struggling to get back on his feet.

"It’s OK, Victor!” Darryn rushed to him and cradled the small Pokemon in his arms. “I’ll call you if I need you but right now it’s best to return.” Victor looked up with shock as he exploded into blue light and disappeared back into the Dive Ball.

<Prince Darryn!> Lady warned. Too late. The claw clamped around Darryn’s ankle and yanked him harshly onto his back, dragging him across dirt and twigs. He felt the skin of his back split and the sting of pain roared in him immediately. He cried out, kicking with his legs with all his might but the fearsome pincer would not shake free.

“Vuuuul!” Fire blossomed in the air all around, the lick of flames escaping Darryn by a hair as it hit the target holding him. The large insectoid Pokemon slammed Darryn back to the ground and finally released him, turning to focus on the Fox Pokemon.

“Lady! Move!” Darryn pleaded as he dragged himself back to his knees. His Vulpix, fast as she was, was having difficulty in dodging the barrage of needles that were flying at her through the night. Several thudded into the ground where her feet had just been and move landed where she was about to be. She leapt them and flipped through the air, spying her target again then letting loose with another Flamethrower. The foe, a monstrous creature with long, snapping claws screeched terribly but on the whole did not appear to be overly phased by the assault. “Extrasensory!”

<I can’t!> Lady replied suddenly, dodging another Poison Sting. <I’ve already tried but can’t touch it! That’s why I didn’t sense it sooner - It’s a Dark type!>

Darryn hissed under his breath. Lady couldn’t dodge forever and the timing between her own attacks was lengthening – she’d lose unless he did something. Grabbing a rock and a hefty branch from the ground, Darryn pitched the stone then ran at the creature himself. Brandishing his weapon, Darryn jumped and swung. A claw snaked around Darryn’s stick-weilding arm while another stuck around his throat. He gurgled the breath out of his lungs and let go of the branch, forced to struggle to release the grip on his neck.

A small dark flash and Lady was on the assault, bolts of Energy Ball slamming repeatedly into the monster’s side. Its head turned and the claw holding Darryn’s arm let go – changing direction to grab the Fox out of midair. Lady yelped as the pincers dug into her flesh, crushing her tiny frame. Darryn kicked and squirmed, fighting to reach his beloved Pokemon but try as he might there was no release from the iron-like claws holding him.

Stars floated across Darryn’s vision as he began to asphyxiate, no air drawing into his lungs despite the frustrated attempts he made. His fingers went numb and his legs slowed, unable to fight without oxygen driving them. The monster appeared to laugh as Darryn’s eyes flickered closed from exhaustion.

“CRANI!” Zulu’s head jarred so forcefully into the evil creature’s arm that it screamed loudly with pain and dropped Darryn like a sack of potatoes. He sucked in air automatically, revelling in the presence of cool air, drinking it hungrily like a thirsty Numel. He could only just make out the shape of his trusted fossil Pokemon in the dark, skirting the foe carefully.

*Of course! Zulu spent so long in those caves that he must be used to battling in the dark!*

“Go! Zulu!” The Cranidos didn’t need telling twice. Battle-hunger had set in like it did in the Arasam Contest and now the Pokemon was back in Powerhouse territory. Darryn took a step back to find his bag open on the ground next to him. He snatched up the Pokedex and aimed it at the looming figure in the dark.

[Drapion. The Ogre Scorp Pokemon. It has the power in its clawed arms to make scrap of a car. The tips of its claws release poison. Its body is encased in a sturdy shell. Its head rotates 180 degrees, eliminating blind spots.]

“Never heard of it… But it sounds really tough.” Darryn winced as the cut in his back reannounced themselves to him with a surge of pain. “Zulu, be careful!”

“CRANI!” Zulu rushed the Drapion angrily, his head slamming the thing’s chest. Although the Drapion slid back a little, it didn’t look like the hit had done much damage. Instead, a clawed limb reached down and grabbed the fossil’s neck in much the same way it had done to Darryn.

“Vuuul!” Lady raced out of the night, Flamethrower roaring up the Drapion’s side. It wince and turned it’s head, spitting Pin Missile to keep the Fox moving. Meanwhile, Zulu struggled under the thing’s grasp.

“Come on, Zulu! You can do it!” Darryn urged, unable to think of any way for his Pokemon to get free.

*If I rush in it will only grab me as well… And Lady would fry me next time…*

“DOS CRANIII!”

Darryn’s thoughts were interrupted as Zulu began to glow white. Darryn blinked and looked away. Why did the Emotaglow have to show itself now?! He gave a start. He had only ever seen white in an Emotaglow once… and it hadn’t been Zulu!
The Cranidos continued to roar as his bdoy grew upwards and outwards. It doubled in size, rearing up to full height a good head taller than Darryn himself. The Co-ordinator stumbled backwards, clearing himself of the area as his new Rampardos began to attack.

A sharp Headbutt to the gut knocked the Drapion up into the air and before it knew what was going on, Zulu was in the air with it, his arm glowing.

“That’s it! Hammer Arm!”
A massive fist slammed home into the Drapion’s head, crushing it right into the ground. With an exhausted wheeze, the Drapion folded easier than paper.
“Way to go, Zulu!” Darryn began to run towards his Pokemon but brought himself short. “Hey, Zulu! Stop that! You won already!”
The fossil Pokemon ignored his trainer and continued to pound on the Drapion’s hide again and again, producing cracking and snapping noises with each blow. It was sickening to watch – a truly brutal act of violence that simply wasn’t called for.

<He’s gone berserk!> Lady gasped, retreating from her teammate. <Call him back!>

Darryn fumbled for the Luxury Ball. “Zulu, return!”

*What the!? What’s wrong with him? Did I do something wrong?* Darryn minimised the ball and stuffed it in his bag, deciding to deal with his new Pokemon when their lives weren’t in danger.

“C’mon, Lady!” With the nimble fox at his side, Darryn dashed to help the others, not looking back to see the Drapion drag itself away and into the night.

[Master Houndoom]

His dreams were... sporadic. Skewed. As if he were three people, dreaming three dreams, and rather than them following one after the other, they tried to overlap each other, overlay, so that each dream merged and melted into the others like candle wax. At one point, he was playing with his sisters, but then he was battling them, but everything was dark and frightening and full of pain, and his siters were battling, but they were lost, but they were having lunch and laughing. Horrid, cackling laughter from mouths lined with black teeth.

"Jaima! Wake up! We're in trouble!"

He woke up, and though there was no light, light seemed to explode behind his eyes, causing him pain. His face screwed up. "Wha- Darryn?"

His mind was still fuzzy, but cleared instantly with the next words Darryn spoke. "Team Deception!" Jaima tensed, as if splashed with cold water. "Got to the girls - I'll wake the pokemon!"

Jaima gave a sharp nod and dashed out of the tent, a split second behind Darryn. He scampered silently to the girls tent, not heeding whether or not there were rocks under his feet or whether the night air was cold. Like Darryn, he had not put on a shirt, though his pants covered more than Darryn's boxers.

He unzipped the tent slowly and slid in, as silently as possible, touching Meiko's shoulder. She groaned and rolled over, and Jaima shook her harder.

"This better be life or death," she snarled sleepily.

"It is," Jaima whispered back, leaning close. "We're under attack. Darryn's rousing the troops." By this time, Meiko had turned over, her face pale in the small amount of moonlight that had come through the opening in the doorway of the tent. "Wake Tuesday and meet us outside!"

Meiko swallowed, then nodded, her face becoming grim. As Jaima slipped out of the tent, Meiko rolled over, pulling herself out of the bedding.

* * * * *

Shadow's eyes opened a split second before Lady appeared. Wake up! Wake up! Her voice was agitated, and Shadow and Mercury came instantly alert. We are under attack!

Where? It was the only thing that interested Shadow, who rose smoothly. Mercury, however, was agitated.

Lady, what is it? What's wrong?

What is wrong is that you are not moving fast enough! Lady snapped, rushing to Darryn's side.

Mercury peered after her, but moved, rousing Fang. She's scared, Shadow. Terrified. Get the others up, please. I'll wake Meiko's. Shadow moved to comply, but he could tell, she was shaky, scared. He sent a soothing thought to her, and she looked back at him. Distance was no challenge for their ability to communicate.

I'm scared. If she's scared, there's something to be scared about.

She floated, rousing Desertdancer and Ramhorn. Rockclaw glared at her and snapped his claws, but Desertdancer reached out and slapped him in the back of the head. <<Now is not the time for your foolishness! Our trainers are under attack, which makes us under attack! Prepare to defend them!>>

<<You all can kiss my chitinous red butt! I was asleep, and I'm staying asleep!>> The ruffian pokemon rolled over, facing away from them. Desertdancer's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could do anything, Rockclaw's foot came down and held the crawfish down.

<<'EY!>>

<<You have forgotten what Meiko has done for us. You, especially, owe her. You will fight.>>

Desertdancer put a claw gently on Mercury's arm, distracting her from the spectacle that left her wide eyed. <<Ramhorn can handle this, dear. You'd better see if you can get Little Tuesday's pokemon roused.>>

Mercury nodded and floated off, hearing Rockclaw's protest of, <<All right! All right! I'll fight!>> before she came to the spot where Tuesday's pokemon lay.

Tempest was dashing about the camp quickly, and Mercury hailed her as she sailed past. She did not stop. Instead, Mercury roused Dante, who carried the egg to the relative safety of the tents, and Ozymandius, who rose slowly, stretching, but making his way after Dante. Mercury noted, with a little bit of relief, that Ashleigh was not around, but neither was Zorro or Wraith.

<<I can't find Tuesday!>>

The voice was full of panic, and Mercury spun. What do you mean, you can't find her?

<<She's gone! I can't find her! The Mutt and Ashleigh are gone too!>> Like the electricity that was her power, her mood shifted from panic to anger, sharp and tangy, like the aftermath of a lightning strike. <<He's lead her off somewhere! If she's hurt, I'll kill hiM!>>

We have more pressing matters! The camp is under attack! Defend what you can, I'll alert Trainer Jaima! Without waiting for a reply, Mercury concentrated. It was getting harder to find Jaima, but for now she refused to think of why. Trainer Jaima! Tues-

* * * * *

"-day is missing!"

Meiko's voice was filled with panic, and Mercury's communication stabbed in his head, popping like static at the same time. Jaima winced.

"What?"

"I can't find her!" Meiko was able to keep her voice down, but she was near tears, her face pale. Jaima had slipped back to the tent to get his bandoleer, and she had taken the time to grab her own belt.

Ember was at Jaima's feet, peering around. There was a slight tremble in her, but nothing like her earlier fear. Jaima, too, peered around, unable to penetrate the darkness enough to see more than Dante's flames, dampened to keep their position as hidden as possible, and whatever the moon chose to show. It wasn't much.

"Kuso," Jaima hissed. "Tell Darryn. One of us will have to go find her. She might be the target."

"Do you think they took her," Meiko hissed, a sudden darkness clouding her face. Jaima looked away, trying to find Tuesday, find their enemy, find anyone. "I don't know, but they'll pay if they have."

Meiko nodded and moved to where Darryn was. She was a good ten feet away when Jaima gave a cry, and suddenly there was a shape before her, with a spiked purple glow coming at her, and she had to move to save herself, and hope that Jaima was safe.

* * * * *

<<No no no no no, they'll eat me, they'll eat me, I so scared, I'm useless, I have to help Meiko but they'll eat me so much!>>

Grondir heard the plaintive whisper in the bushes near the tents and peeked out, then trotted over. There was a battle happening, but he couldn't see. He was next to useless, and it irked him. And now, someone was feeling similarly (he had no fear of being eaten; that alone told him who it was who was whimpering). He stuck his head into the bush. <<Cosette?>>

<<NO!>> A flurry of razor sharp leaves lashed out at him, and he opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out; the orifice was suddenly stuffed with leaves. Cosette blinked at Grondir, then began to shiver. <<I'm s-sorry, I tho->>

Grondir spit out the leaves carefully. If it wasn't for the situation, he'd laugh. <<Come, Cosette. Come with me. We'll be safe in the tent...>>

<<I'm... s-such a coward...>>

<<There's no shame in it. Not after what you've been through. Come on, with me...>> Grondir's gentle voice coaxed her from the bush, and she followed him to the tent.

There Dante was waiting, pacing, claws flexing as he looked out the tent. Near him was the egg, his charge. Grondir nodded suddenly.

<<We'll protect the egg, Dante,>> he said in his low, gravelly voice. <<They'll need you out there, and we can't see well enough to fight. We'll protect the egg.>>

Dante peered at Grondir, glancing at Cosette, and nodded, dashing out of the tent. Before long, there were cries and thuds outside. The battle had started.

Cosette huddled next to Grondir, and could feel his tension, his trembling. Somehow, she knew it wasn't because of fear.

* * * * *

Jaima had been watching Meiko walk away, distracted by the fact that she was wearing his silk top from the contest, and had, evidently, been sleeping in it. It was completely extraneous, so far from the situation that he couldn't believe it was occupying even a second, but his mind clung to it, as it if were some kind of lifeline.

Then, suddenly, he was on the ground, his forearm pressed against the chest of a creature, keeping it's claws and large teeth away from his face, with mixed results. The creature was snarling, trying it's best to claw its way to Jaima's throat, and Jaima twisted desperately to avoid those claws.

<<GET OFF OF TRAINER JAIMA!!>> The voice sounded in the air, as pokespeech, and in Jaima's mind, and a flurry of leaves struck around the creature, missing Jaima as if by magic. The creature leapt off of Jaima's body and faced Mercury, hissing. The air between the kirlia's horns shimmered intensely, and a bolt of pure energy flew at the form, slamming into its target and nearly exploding on impact.

The being shooke it's head, grinning with wide, sharp white teeth. <<Nice try, bitch>> it snarled, intelligible to Mercury, who began to tremble. <<I almost felt that one. But you know what?>> The creature stepped into a thin shaft of moonlight, a gleam sparkling off the gems that served as its eyes. <<It's my turn now!>>

Jaima saw Mercury trembling, tears leaking from her eyes, and understood. He was a dark type, it seemed. She was terrified. Slowly, she backed up, trembling.

"Mercury, use Magical Leaf again!" She did not seem to hear, and the creature's claws glowed purple.

<<Oh, Giratina you're shaking in your tutu!>> The thing hissed a cruel giggle, and raised the claws so that she could see them. <<I could take care of you quick, see? Hit you with an ominous wind, or maybe slap you around with some shadows, yeah? But, see, I've discovered something. Your fear? It's tasty. And while I'd love to get you out of my way so I can have a little human blood to enhance the fear..? My master likes poison, and I would love to keep you writhing for a while. Watch as I gut your master.>> The grin on the creature widened impossibly. <<It's a good thing my master taught me the best way to slow you down, innit?>>

The creature's claws rose, then fell, quickly, and Mercury flinched back. There was a scraping sound, as if the claws had struck a metal wall, and when Mercury opened her eyes, her vision was filled with the light colored back and dark arms of Shadow, blocking the claws.

<<You're not the only one with an immunity, fool,>> Shadow snarled. Jaima called an attack, and Shadow reached back, his paw glowing with blue energy as he struck forward with Force Palm.

The attack passed through the creature.

The grin widened yet again. <<Bet you didn't see that coming. Sableye aren't afraid of you punchy types, either.>> With a hiss, he kicked off of Shadows chest, leaving gouges on either side of the spike that protruded there. <<I can tear you both apart before you figure out what to do to hurt me. Watch this!>> The sableye stepped back and clenched his fist, setting it on fire, before charging at Shadow. Shadow flipped to the side, pushing Mercury in the opposite direction. The sableye followed Shadow, to Shadow's relief. The creature hissed in rage. <<Once I take care of you, Flippy, I'll go and poison that skirted slip of a psychic, real nice! Play with her, drink her fear, eat her despair! Just like we did that runty copy of you in the forest!>>

Shadow's eyes widened. Copy of-

The fist came crashing down, and Shadow barely dodged, hissing at the stinging burn along his left thigh. He couldn't kick it away, and Jaima did not know what they were dealing with yet. Without Mercury to tell him, Shadow couldn't afford the concentration to do so himself.

Suddenly leaves flew into the side of the sableye again, causing it to hiss and spin away before he could strike Shadow. Mercury floated to Shadow's side, face dark, eyes glowing, leaves spinning around her as the only attack that she knew could do anything to the beast.

<<If you've hurt Zorro, you'll pay!>>

Shadow dropped into a stance, claws of silvery energy growing from the backs of his paws. The sableye hissed in laughter. <<Is that his name? It'll be needed for his tombstone!>>

There was no more time for talking, but Mercury took enough time to alert Jaima. Trainer Jaima, this thing calls itself a sableye! It's somehow immune to psychic and fighting moves! It's dark, and I can't touch it except for Magical Leaf!

Jaima's mind worked hard, but he couldn't think of why it was immune to both of his pokemon's types.

* * * * *

Meiko shrieked as the claw jabbed at her, again and again. A large clawed arm interposed itself between her and the toad, slapping the arm away. Before she could catch her breath, Ramhorn's large form interposed itself between the toxicroak and Meiko.

"Desertdancer, Sand Tomb!" The sandshrew began to spin, whirling up sand from the crevices in his pebbled flesh, and sent it swirling at his opponent. Snarling, the toxicroak stepped toward the small shrew pokemon, but was once again intercepted by Ramhorn.

The toxicroak's spiked fist cocked back and sent a strike at the bug, causing him to stagger back. He stepped forward again, causing the toxicroak to snarl again.

"Stay away from him, Desertdancer! Rockclaw, Vicegrip!" Rockclaw glared, but scuttled forward and clamped his claw on the forearm of the frog pokemon. With a contemptuous sneer, it backhanded the ruffian, sending it back into a rock, where it fell, unconscious.

This was going to be a long, long battle, and no one knew where Tuesday was.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

His paws pounded rhythmically against the earth, sending vibrations through his entire body as he hailed across the land. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as his stubby legs carried him as fast as they could. He could smell the runt growing closer, her trail fresher than it was before. He could also smell fear – a bitter, sweaty scent that lingered too long on his tongue, not fading with the exhalations of hot breath that rushed over his tongue like wraiths of heat.

He saw another tree that had fallen to the forest floor, this one lying flat against the ground and leaving no room for him to crawl beneath it as he did the one before. He dodged to the left and crawled up a steep hill of rocks, his short but sturdy legs carrying him to the top. Standing on the peak, he peered through the darkness, his luminescent eyes easily catching what meager light there was and allowing him to see what others might have missed.

It was only thanks to this that he saw the mightyena.

She clearly hadn’t seen him, and he was upwind of her and so her nose betrayed her. He could smell her ire and her excitement, and he could smell her heat, and part of him wanted to whine and call to her and go play. His mind, however, knew that she wasn’t here to play and there were more pressing matters to attend to. So he kept silent and leapt down the other side of the rocky hill, slipping into the darkness and moving slowly toward her through the shadows.

He figured that they saw the runt at the same time.

She was sitting at the bottom of a slope in the forest, surrounded by brush, the trickling of a small brook masking the sound of her breathing. Ashleigh saw the mightyena tense and lower herself to the ground, ears flattening against her head, and he moved.

He snatched a glimpse of the runt as he dodged toward the great wolf with a snarl. She was sitting on the ground, something dark blue and black clutched to her chest, her body shaking.

And then he was on the mightyena.

She smelled divine, but the urges of his body were quickly quelled by the feeling of her teeth sinking into his flesh. He snarled and snapped back, his jaws clamping down on her forepaw, his fangs drawing blood. She yelped and bit and scratched and the forest was filled with the sound of their snarling.

She was far larger than he was, and more powerful. She moved quickly, he teeth snapping in his face and at his throat, her claws slashing at the short fur of his back. He went for her legs, his jaws snapping together wetly, her eyes narrowed and crimson in rage.

She rammed into him, sinking her teeth into his side, and Ashleigh rolled until she was underneath him, and then he sank his teeth into her throat.

He choked on her thick mane of fur, and then she’d rolled again and pinned him to the floor, and her long legs were slashing at his underbelly as her fangs tore at his flesh. He managed to leap backward when he blinded her with a fire attack to the face, but when he was out of distance of her direct physical attack, he realized that he had left the runt standing behind her, unprotected.

From this angle, he facing the runt, he could see that she was holding the trickster dog in her lap, only something wasn’t right about him. He wasn’t moving, and when the wind blew across their form and to Ashleigh’s nose, he wanted to gag at the smell of sickness that permeated the air and froze his senses.

He heard a chuckle from the mightyena, and then a rush of leaves as the dark wolf turned and leapt at Tuesday.

There was a split second when Ashleigh felt a wave of heat envelope him in a rage, and he lunged for the mightyena with a snarl.

~*~

“Don’t use your electric attacks, you’ll blind everyone!”

Easy for you to say, Tempest thought at Dante’s words, your attacks help everyone see a little better. She dodged nimbly to the side as the seviper lunged forward, fangs snapping. She leapt up and landed on his nose, and then allowed the electricity to flow through her fur. It wasn’t powerful enough to work as strobe and blind or confuse the others, but it would give the seviper a little static shock.

The snake hissed and shook her head, dislodging Tempest. The pikachu hit the ground, kicked off a tree, and slammed her entire body into the serpent’s. She rolled under a lunging face of fangs and quick attacked the seviper from the other side, catching the creature on the side of the head.

She leapt back, kicking off a tree to get further away as the snake lunged for her again. She could hear noise all around her, the sounds of battle echoing off of the trees and rocks and ground. Her ears were focused behind her, however, and she could hear the familiar scraping of claws on the ground. Dante was waiting.

The seviper before her reared back, raising its head high. There was the sound of a long, steady scrape of claws behind her, sifting through the dirt like a rake searching for gold. The seviper opened its mouth and hissed, sharp and loud.

The scraping stopped.

The seviper lunged.

Tempest waited two seconds, holding perfectly still. She could see in the serpent’s eyes that she was certain Tempest had become prey to not only her fangs, but also the fear of an animal facing a predator far greater than it. But Tempest wasn’t stupid.

In the last second, she quick attacked to the side, leaving the pokemon standing directly behind her open to the lunging attack.

And the seviper open to his.

Dante’s eyes were dark with rage, but the claws on his right paw were white. He gave the seviper only a moment – a moment to get closer and a moment to realize what exactly she was throwing herself into – and then he raked his glowing sharp claws across her face in a slash attack that tore open the skin.

The seviper hissed loudly with pain and reared back, shaking blood out of her eyes. Her torso bared, Tempest lunged, slamming her body into the seviper’s body and throwing the serpent into a coiled ball. She hissed loudly, raising her head and opening her mouth wide.

“You’ll pay for that, appetizer,” the seviper said, opening her mouth to bare all of her fangs.

Tempest’s ears flattened against her head and she hissed back. “I’m no one’s appetizer!”

The seviper grinned wide, a very disconcerting sight. “Oh, I would have to disagree.” She lunged again.

“Tempest, jump!” Dante screamed.

Tempest didn’t question; she didn’t have time to. She kicked off the ground and leapt into the air, flipping backward to land behind Dante just in time to see a burst of night-blue flames erupt from his mouth.

The seviper screamed long and loud and Tempest had to clamp her paws over her long ears to shut out the sound.

The sounds stopped and the heat that Tempest had been feeling on her fur diminished. She opened her eyes, not realizing that she had closed them, and lowered her paws. Dante had stepped away from her, his attack done. He was standing where the seviper had been, staring off into the forest. Tempest looked around frantically, but the snake was nowhere in sight. She looked back up to see Dante watching her.

“I let her go,” the charmeleon said.

Tempest’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You what?!”

“I let her go,” Dante said again, unconcerned by the pikachu’s obvious ire. “There wasn’t any fight left in her and no reason to keep her here.”

“She could have told us where Tuesday is!”

Dante gave her a disparaging look. “You know as well as I that wherever Tuesday is, Zorro likely is, as well.”

Tempest hissed. “Yes, I know that! The damned mutt dragged her off again! Who knows where she is!”

“Considering that we are under attack,” Dante said, his eyes scanning the area and taking in the various battles, “that may have been a blessing. Tuesday is strong, but these are fierce enemies. She may be safer away from here.”

“You may be content to let her in the hands of that idiot, but she is not safer away from me!”

Dante turned swiftly to face her, his eyes full of fire. “And could you draw your rage away from Zorro for long enough to protect her?!”

Tempest jerked back, stunned by his ire and his accusations.

“You have been spending your time making certain that everyone is capable of seeing how much you hate Zorro. We know you hate him, Tempest. We know you wish he was gone. However, that does not mean that we have to feel the same way!” He snorted heavily, a cloud of smoke erupting from his nostrils. “Grow up, or get out yourself!”

He didn’t wait for a response, but turned and bolted into battle, his fire lighting up the night.

Tempest stood alone in the middle of a raging battlefield. Suddenly, she didn’t feel so good about herself, anymore.

~*~

The sound of snarls and barking interrupted what was previously some semblance of silent peace in this area of the forest.

The mightyena’s claws were fierce, but her fangs were fiercer still. She snapped at Ashleigh, sinking her fangs into his legs and his sides, but the houndour would not back down. He stood between Tuesday and the mightyena, and he refused to move, even as the harsh wolf pokemon battered him. He had once fought his alpha to protect this girl, and though he had fallen then, he had done so before he even knew her. He knew her now, however, and he refused to fall unless he took the mightyena down with him.

He yelped loudly as he was thrown to the ground, landing heavily on his side. Panting, he rose to his feet.

“Give it up, love,” the mightyena said, laughing softly. “Even if I have to kill you, I’ll still get that girl. I told my master that I would finish her, as planned.” She grinned, baring a full set of teeth. “The runt’s already taken care of, after all. The rest of the battle is more for fun than anything, but I suppose it’s keeping everyone else busy, now isn’t it?” She crouched low to the ground, snarling. “Give up the girl, and I’ll even let you join my pack, hot stuff.”

Ashleigh snarled, hunkering down and baring his fangs as he salivated in rage. “I wouldn’t mate you to keep my life!” He lunged for the mightyena at the same time as she did him. The fire that he had been feeling, the heat that had slowly been growing, burning through his stomach and making his every limb tingle, seemed to explode at that moment, erupting outward and consuming him.

His strength seemed to both strengthen and lengthen, and when he slammed into the mightyena, it was she who was forced back. Ashleigh roared with rage, his jaws snapping, and he tasted blood in his mouth as his teeth sank through her fur and into her flesh. His paws were sticky as his claws slashed, and a continuous growl rumbled in his chest.

The mightyena was yelping, now on the defensive, leaping and dodging out of the way, but failing much of the time. Ashleigh was fast, and he was angry, and he refused – he refused – to let her hurt the runt!

With a roar, he let loose a fire attack from his mouth and slammed his head into the mightyena’s side, throwing her backward. She landed with a loud yelp, ears flattened to her head as she looked up at him from her prone position.

He took a fierce step toward her, and she was on her feet in a second. With nothing more than a fearful glance his way, she turned and bolted away as fast as her injured legs would allow her to limp.

Growling low in his throat, Ashleigh stared after her to make sure she was gone, before returning to the runt.

~*~

Dante’s fire attacks were lighting up the dark battlefield as he fought with the venomoth, the poison moth’s wings flapping in attempts to cast ailing powders his way, but to no true avail.

Odysseus, who had been battling the venomoth before the charmeleon showed up, had left the battle to him when he found someone wandering a little too close to the battlefield.

The sounds of battle were still as fierce as ever when the buizel poked his head abruptly into the tent, startling the creatures inside.

“Ahoy, chief,” he said, nodding to Grondir. “Good to see yer well. How’s the lass?”

The ivysaur glanced at Cosette, shivering at his side. “She’s doing well,” he replied. “She’s helping me guard Dante’s charge.” Grondir nodded at Tuesday’s brown and pale egg.

Odysseus nodded sharply. “Good t’ hear, chief. Got another ‘un for y’ to watch ov’r.” He nudged a small creature with his hind leg. “Com’on, little ‘un, quick as y’ like.” EggHeart danced into the tent, not a care in the world. Odysseus sighed. “Keep an eye on ‘er, eh, chief?”

Grondir nodded and Odysseus spared a glance back out to the battle. “I best be off. Keep an eye out. I might be draggin’ a few o’ th’ rats in ‘ere soon, if’n they don’ wake up.” He had seen Ember, Tsunami, and Fang passed out, put to sleep by the venomoth, and had been guarding them from attack during his fight with the creature. Only EggHeart’s appearing too close to the battle had given him reason to leave their side once Dante arrived. “I'll be off,” he said, nodding sharply. “This ‘ole thing’s gonna turn int’ a damn gagglefuck soon if’n we ain’t careful.” He gave a final sharp nod to Grondir, and then disappeared back into the battle.

His water gun was the first thing he released at the venomoth when he arrived, soaking the creature’s wings, and he was pleased to see the rat had returned. They’d end this swiftly, after all.

~*~

It was foolish to stand around feeling sorry for herself, Tempest knew that. It had only taken her moments to regain her senses and bound after Dante. Not too long after, Odysseus appeared, soaking the venomoth and giving Tempest a perfect conductor for one good electric attack. It would be blinding to the others, but if they finished off the venomoth, they could go help the rest.

The fried moth had just collapsed to the ground with a crunch, her wings smoking, when Tempest heard it. A loud, long howl erupted into the night from far off into the distance, echoing eerily in the darkness of the wood.

Tempest felt chills race through her and she turned swiftly, seeking out the kirlia. She caught sight of her in battle, but she could multitask, and Tempest needed her help.

“Blue!” she yelled, and saw the kirlia twitch. No doubt she heard the her words and felt her racing fear. “Tuesday's in danger! Someone needs to go to her now!”

[Living Arrow]

When the howl came, Darryn nearly jumped out of his tired, aching, bleeding skin. It’s tone was shockingly painful and stark, a call of waning, anger, pain, urgency. It chilled the Co-ordinator straight to the bone and instantly goosebumps reared their heads and set him shivering. If anything, the howl made things in the camp worse. Though the call was far away it seemed to pierce through the trees and night so that it felt only inches away. Whatever it had been, the Pokemon went wild.

<The young female is where the howling is.> Lady informed Darryn, darting past the tents and joining Jaima’s Kirlia and Tueday’s Pikachu. The Electric Mouse was making, understandably, a noisy exclamation – probably about Tuesday’s whereabouts – while a seething red aura screamed from her small body. Darryn winced, the intensity of anger from the Pikachu stung his eyes so much that he actually had to stop himself from turning away.

Around the camp there were still battles taking place. Meiko was busy with what appeared to be a Toxicroak and a small Pokemon with nasty-looking claws and glittering eyes was facing off against Jaima’s squad. Whatever they were fighting, these Pokemon were at a higher level than any of the team’s own. This time, Team Deception had been better prepared. Darryn’s stomach lurched.

The sound of noisy wings was the only warning Darryn had before the screeching call of four Zubat rained on his ears. He clapped his hands over them as quickly as possible and chanced a look up at the flying rats. They circled him and descended.

Automatically, Darryn loosened Zulu’s Pokeball but stopped himself from going any further.

*I can’t trust him out here anymore…*

His fingers transferred to the Repeat Ball.

“November, go!”

The Ponyta burst from the ball and erupted into flames, her scarlet fires burning brightly enough so that Darryn could see the Zubat a little clearer. Despite the addition of fire, visibility was still poor and long shadows were immediately cast all around which moved suddenly and distracted the eyes of anyone watching.

“Use Fire Spin to drive the Zubat away!”

November whinnied and reared up, scattering her flames into a wide spiral around herself and whirling them upwards into a column of dancing flames. The attack had been modified to show off her ability to control her flames but, thankfully, had turned out to form an effective shielding attack. The perfect combination of offence and defence. The Zubat, however, were co-ordinated.

As one, all four bat Pokemon climbed into the air and swept their wings in perfect timing. A four-corner Air Slash broke through the flames, scattering them like motes of dust before each bat folded its wings and plummeted at November in a streamlined assault. November cried out as the first sank its teeth into her hide but her screams only escalated as the other three all managed to find a hold on her body, their teeth hooking deep into her flesh. Bite became Leech Life, a sickly green glow lighting up around the bats as they worked their nasty scheme.

Darryn ran to his Pokemon, aiming to tear the little flying monsters off her but a sturdy shove sent him right back.

“Sir, Pinsir!” The great bug Pokemon’s mesh of teeth rattled together as it advanced on Darryn, blocking his path from November. The equine Pokemon’s squeals, terrible as they were, began to wane – her energy was being drained far too quickly with so many opponents on her.

“I don’t have time for this!” Darryn moaned, jumping back from the bug and clicking free the Dive Ball at his belt. “Victor!”

“Squirtaaaal!” Victor leapt from the ball and gasped as he was snagged from the air by Darryn before he even had time to prepare himself for battle.

“Look, Victor – We’ve got to get to November and fast. I’m faster than you – no offence – so just go with this, OK?” Darryn urged his newest Pokemon to obey and was pleased to see the Tiny Turtle nod confidently up at him. “Right! So, use Bubblebeam!” Darryn held Victor out like a shield, darting around the Pinsir as hardened spheres of water burst all over his carapace from Victor’s attack. “Might want to use Rapid Spin!” Darryn suggested as he threw, yes, THREW, Victor at the Pinsir before sprinting right at November.

“November!”

Darryn’s Ponyta dropped to her knees, her cries so weak that they were barely audible. The Zubat scattered as Darryn threw his arms around the equine’s neck, trying to drag her upright.

“November! November?!”

Her large brown eyes rolled back, her breath catching short. Darryn squeezed her harder and dragged her head up to face him. “You get up, November.” He demanded, vaguely aware that blood from her long elegant neck was covering his arm. “You get up and battle these stupid Zubat! November!”

<Just get up, you stupid horse.> Lady sneered from somewhere in the dark.

As though lady’s words were the trigger, November’s eyes rolled into focus and her hooves drew together under her body. Slowly, she forced herself back up to stand on wobbly legs before letting out a high-pitched scream to the sky. In an instant, the forest was blazing with light, a glow emanating from everywhere and yet nowhere dispersing the gloom and casting fresh light on the battlefield. November’s wound rapidly closed and strength visibly filled her as she made the attack.

“What?” Darryn gasped, still holding to November’s neck. “What move is that?”

With no-one to answer Darryn’s question, the Co-ordinator began his assault afresh.

“November, keep it up! Go, Romeo! Help Victor take down that giant bug!”

With the night burning bright as day, the tables had turned and soon the battles would be over. Darryn, however, still clung to November counting his blessing his mistake to make her battle hadn’t been a deadly one.

[Master Houndoom]

There were two things that worried Meiko about this Toxicroak. It was one of the few species that she'd studied at the pokemon university when she realized that Chompwater was not a male, so she knew that it evolved stronger than most of her own team. Ramhorn's type was keeping him standing, and his tough exoskeleton was keeping the poison from being effective, but the damn thing was strong, and Ramhorn was getting tired.

The second was that Rockclaw had woken up, and he didn't look happy. She was afraid he'd get hurt.

Rockclaw shook his upper torso, trying to clear the haze in his brain. He looked up and saw the tall shape of the toxicroak silhouetted in the fires of the battles around it, and clacked his claws angrily.

<<'EY! Nobody kicks ME to the side and forgets about me!>> The toxicroak ignored him, and Rockclaw stepped forward, clacking his claws in agitation. <<You listenin' to me?! ARE YOU?!>> When there was still nothing, the corphish' left eye twitched. <<AAAAAHHHH!>> With that final, defiant scream, Rockclaw charged, claws above his head and beginning to glow. He didn't see the toxicroak roll his eyes, but did see his enemy turn and launch a kick that set him sailing backwards. He crossed his claws as he flew. <<This is gonna get really old, really fa->>

That was when he hit the rock again, and tumbled back into the darkness of unconsciousness.

<<I sometimes wish I could do the same, when he gets like that,>> intoned the bug who was now behind him. <<But he is my teammate. He is not yours.>>

It was the only warning the battletoad got. He turned and was met with a horn to the face, staggering him. As he straightened, trying to get his bearings, a claw picked him up and slammed him down, face first. When he was finally able to get up, he growled, deep and gurgling in his throat.

<<Now you've pissed me off...>>

* * * * *

<<Blue! Tuesday's in danger! Someone needs to go to her now!>>

Mercury sighed, frustration coursing through her veins. She could barely handle the presence of this frightening creature with no weaknesses. How was she going to find Tuesday, let alone send someone to her?

She'd have to do it, she decided. She'd have to open her mind, her heart, again.

With a mental sigh, and after sending another cavalcade of leaves at the dark type, Mercury opened up.

Tempest was terrified, for Tuesday, but there was another feeling, a glimmer, or rather, a shadow, of guilt. She was burying the guilt, but the terror was very real.

Dante was beyond pissed off. He was channeling it, but his anger at his opponents was bleeding over toward his teammates.

Odysseus was calm. He'd seen his share of battles, and while this one was startling, they were just pokemon. Someone would win, someone would lose, and in his experience, the one with the most to gain from winning usually did. That was his side.

Grondir was itching to fight. He was with Cosette, who was scared but trying to be brave, and being near Grondir was helping. But Grondir wanted to be out there, fighting. Only the egg, and Cosette, and Eggheart (who thought all of this was a little loud and a little mean, but so long as she wasn't hurt, and her friends weren't hurt, she didn't mind so much) kept him in the tent. (Mercury filed this away: She would have to congratulate him on his treatment of Cosette.)

Shadow was frustrated, and worried that the creature would hurt Mercury. It comforted her from her own fear.

Ember, Fang, and Tsunami were slumbering, an unnatural slumber. Ember, for her part, was frustrated in her sleep. She felt foolish. Fang and Tsunami had been caught unawares. Mercury was slightly surprised at Ember's thoughts. It was the first time she'd ever felt the quilava desire to have roasted something when she had the chance.

Desertdancer was concerned for Meiko and Ramhorn, and ashamed of his own uselessness. She sent him encouraging thoughts automatically.

Ramhorn was... oddly resigned. He was fighting to protect Meiko, and only death would stop him... so why did he also think he would be stopped soon?

Rockclaw was unconscious.

Jaima, Darryn, and Meiko were all scared, but fighting, brave and bold, beating back their enemies in their mind, because it was the only option.

There.

Tuesday was inconsolable with grief. Terrified, angry, to be sure; but her grief was so deep that it drowned everything else out. Tentatively, still sending leaves to keep the sableye distracted as Shadow fought him, she delved deeper to find out why and where.

The situation hit her like a brick, and she actually cried out, her tiny hand moving to her mouth in horror. Shadow's mind flickered with concern, but he could not be distracted.

T-trainer Jaima... T- She had to stop and regain her bearings, ignoring but not shutting out the cacophony of emotional noise around her. Trainer Tuesday is in the forest. Zorro has been hurt, and she's... she thinks he's dying!

Mercury felt rather than saw Trainer Jaima's face pale, but then his mouth set in a line. The battle between the sableye and Shadow was evened only by the distraction that Mercury caused. But there was something floating in the back of Trainer Jaima's mind...

Suddenly he hit on it, and called out, "Shadow, use Foresight!"

Shadow's eyes glowed, and a smile, feral and full of the thoughts of vengeance filled him. "Force Palm," Jaima commanded. The Sableye looked upwards as if rolling his eyes, though the great crystals that were his eyes didn't move. He crossed his arms and waited for Shadow to come...

Which is why he was launched into a tree, gasping for breath. <<What the HELL..?!>>

He didn't get an answer, that Foresight allowed attacks that ghosts were immune to to hit them. Shadow was on the sableye with a vengeance, kicking him around the clearing they were in with abandon.

"Mercury, where're the rest?"

Mercury had to concentrate again, but with the sableye occupied with Shadow, she had more time. Fang just woke up, but Ember and Tsunami are sleeping still. They were ambushed with sleep powder by the venomoth.

Jaima glanced at the battle, but by now Shadow needed no instructions, and the sableye was weakening rapidly. "Go see if you can help Meiko, Mercury. Shadow can handle this. Then we'll go find Tuesday."

Y-yes, Trainer Jaima...

As Mercury teleported to Meiko's side, she could hear Shadow mentally laughing, exulting in the battle and his vengeance. And as frightening as the idea of a truly angry Shadow was, Mercury felt herself rooting for him.

Trainer Meiko, Tuesday is in the forest, and Zorro is hurt badly! As she spoke this, Ramhorn toppled like a great tree and moved no more.

"Dammit!" cried Meiko as the poison frog came stalking toward her. "Desertdancer! Sand-Attack! Keep that thing off balance!" She recalled Ramhorn and looked around frantically. "Mercury, do you know where Eggheart is?!"

Yes, Trainer Meiko, she's in one of the tents with Grondir and Cosette. She is safe.

Meiko's shoulders sagged in relief. "I could use some help with this one..." Her voice betrayed her worry, but Mercury was finally facing an opponent she could do something against. She turned to the toxicroak, which shuddered, looking over his shoulder at Mercury. Her eyes glowed, and the space between her horns shimmered and distorted...

Neither saw the Pikachu coming, slamming into the toxicroak with lightning surging around her form before rolling back and shaking her head. <<What's taking so long?!>> the Pikachu snarled. <<Tuesday's in danger!!>>

A flash of light shone in the distance, lighting the camp area, revealing the terrain to everyone. As if this light were the source of inspiration, Mercury nodded. Trainer Meiko, go find Tuesday! Fang bounded up at this point, ready to fight, but Mercury showed him another purpose. A more awesome purpose (shown with a hidden mental rolling of the eyes). Fang yipped at her in assent. Fang will lead you!

Meiko hesitated, but Tempest was already launching herself at the toxicroak, and a psychic attack was set to hit it from the other side. "Desertdancer, keep it blinded for as long as you can!" called Meiko, following after Fang, who kept his tail high and lit up to lead the way.

* * * * *

The flash of light, Grondir thought, would have made him happy otherwise. It meant he could see, which meant he could go out and fight. Except for one thing.

The back of the tent was revealed to hold several beady eyed rattata, all drooling and staring at the egg, and the baby. Grondir loosed some vines, and Cosette stared in shock.

<<We're going to get eaten, aren't we, Grondir?>> she asked in a voice that seemed far away. Grondir growled.

<<We're not eaten yet,>> he snarled in the direction of the grouped rattata, waving his vines menacingly.

They weren't intimidated. One, the largest and evidently the leader, leaped, squeaking in anticipation, at the egg. Before the beast could reach it, and before Grondir's vines could grab it, a delicate, cute roar of "NY!" sounded, and Eggheart leapt up, Pounding it out of the air.

The rattata shook it's head, it's underlings staring in shock.

<<You can't have egg! We pwotect egg!>> Eggheart stood, her tiny arms cocked as if her hands would be at her hips, if only her arms were longer. The rattata hissed, then lunged, only to be knocked down again by the happiny.

<<I said NO!>>

The leader was beside itself in rage. Finally, it made to attack the happiny herself, and gave out a surprised squawk when she started to rapidly Double Slap it.

<<I. Said. You. Can't. Have. Egg. So. Stop. Twying. To. Take. Egg!>> Each word was punctuated by a slap, and when she was finished, the rattata leader staggered sideways, falling on its side.

<<Don’t... just... stand... there... get... them!>>

The rest of the pack lunged forward, and Grondir found himself battling three at once. With the leader down, that left three others that weren't being handled. Grondir began to despair of protecting the egg.

<<Nooooo!!>>

Grondir turned to Cosette, expecting her to be on her back and struggling, but instead found she was charging the next largest rattata. With wide eyes, he watched as she Tackled him, then used Razor Leaf to strike another. Eggheart tumbled out of the tent with the third and last, and while Grondir worried, he had to keep his mind on his own battle. He would have to praise Cosette later. She battled like a pro!

<<Don't eat me!>> Even as she cried this, razor leaves struck at the pokemon attacking her. Grondir shook his head with a chuckle, and went back to his battle.

Outside the tent, Eggheart grabbed the rattata that she was fighting by the whiskers and Pounded it's head against the ground, giggling all the while. Finally it fainted, just as Meiko passed, in a rush.

<<Mommy?>>

Eggheart tottled after Meiko, running as fast as her little legs could carry her. <<Mommy, Mommy, I beat the baddies! Mommy wait up!>>

* * * * *

Meiko ran, as fast as she could, her heart pounding even before the exertion set in. She was still confused by the attack, but thoughts, bad thoughts, were running through her mind. If this was Team Deception, and she had no reason to disbelieve Darryn and Jaima, then what if the object was to separate Tuesday? Did they know about Tuesday's ability?

She ran harder, keeping up easily with Fang, wondering if Jaima and Darryn were behind her, wondering if the toxicroak was too much for Mercury, Tempest, and Desertdancer, wondering if she wasn't herself falling into a trap. It didn't matter in the end. She had to get to Tuesday.

They found her at the merging of a brook with a larger stream. She was cradling Zorro, who lay limp, panting in her arms, foam dribbling from his mouth. He convulsed, once, then twice, as if he had been seizing for hours and was running out of strength to do more. It was a bad sign.

As soon as Meiko breached the clearing, a houndoom took off running, back toward the camp. Meiko shuddered. Had Tuesday been close to death?!

Meiko stopped next to Tuesday and reached out a hand. Tuesday shifted away from her, violently, crying out, "No!"

"Tue-chan," Meiko said, her voice quivering. "Tue-chan, I'm not going to take him from you... I'm not. I just want to see how he is."

Tuesday did not release her hold or move him closer. Instead she rocked a bit, sniffling. Meiko stroked her back, but again Tuesday twitched away. There was no violence, but the message was clear: She did not feel she deserved to be comforted. Meiko ignored the message.

"Jaima and Darryn will be here soon, and we'll get him to safety. Even if we have to go back to Arasam." Tuesday shook her head, her grief lending the action vehemence. Meiko looked at the riolu, who's twitches were losing strength.

A sound behind them startled Meiko, who spun to a standing position. Fang interposed himself between Meiko and the rattling bush, but then stopped, blinking.

Eggheart stepped out of the bush, crying gleefully when he spotted Meiko. When her eyes fell to Fang, she rushed over and hugged him, then moved to hug Zorro. Fang held her back.

This gave Eggheart enough time to see that Zorro was not in good shape. She blinked, then tears poured from her eyes. Instead of wailing, like everyone else seemed to want to do, she pulled away from Fang (bopping him in the nose with a perturbed "hap!") and walked to Zorro. Even Tuesday did not shift away.

Eggheart's tiny arms wrapped around Zorro's left arm, which dangled, and she raised her eyes to look at his head.

"Piiiiiiiii.... Nyyyyyyyy..."

Her voice was as clear as a bell, and lingered and rose as if one had been struck.

"Piiiiiiiii.... Nyyyyyyyy..."

She began to glow in a soft blue light, causing Meiko to blink.

"Oh, Eggheart..."

"Piiiiiiiii.... Nyyyyyyyy..."

Zorro's breathing evened, and he relaxed, no longer convulsing. The last of the foam dripped from his mouth, and though drool followed it, it was not followed by more foam. Even his breath smelled sweet, now, not the sickly sour smell that Meiko hadn't even been aware she'd noticed.

"Piiiiiiiii.... Nyyyyyyyy..."

Finally, the glow subsided, and Eggheart stepped back, clapping and giggling. Tuesday looked down at Zorro, and began to cry, letting out the grief that she didn't dare show before. Meiko hugged her.

"We have to go, honey. He's still weak, and we have to get him to a pokécenter, OK?"

Tuesday sniffed. "M-my uncle... he lives close by... I think he m-might be closer..."

Meiko brought up her pokégear on her wrist and pulled up the map function. "Can you see where on this map?" Tuesday pointed it out, and, though she wanted to go back to the camp, the home was closer than it appeared. Meiko nodded.

Picking up Eggheart, she looked at Fang. "Tue-chan, do you have any pokemon with you? Or a pokéball for Zorro?" The girl shook her head no, and Meiko bit her lip. "I only have Ramhorn, and he's fainted. Fang, will you go with us?"

Fang's chest puffed out, and he nodded. Just then, a lucario came crashing through the bush. Specifically, Shadow.

Sensei Jaima sent me to find you. He made to take them back, then spotted Zorro in Tuesday's arms. He blinked, then gasped, looking at Tuesday. If her power was active at all, she knew what he now knew. His aura was weak. Almost gone.

Meiko took charge. "We're going to Tuesday's Uncle's house. It's close by. Fang will lead us. Tell Jaima to meet us there, please."

I have told Little Mercury. I will go with you, in case there is a ground type between us and there. In truth, Shadow wouldn't have left them even if ordered, unless Sensei Jaima had given the order.

Fang snorted Shadow hadn't fooled him, though he thought it was Awesome that he didn't make it sound like Fang couldn't handle anything that came along.

* * * * *

When Shadow had finally run the sableye off, Jaima finally allowed himself to breathe. He was sore, and scratched, but he was worried more about Tuesday and Meiko.

He looked over and saw that Mercury, Tempest, and Desertdancer were still battling the toxicroak. Mercury lashed out at it with a confusion attack, hitting it just as Tempest's thunderbolt did. He still didn't fall, but confused and blinded, could not hit any of the others.

Until Tempest rushed him, determined to get it off its feet and down. Instead the toxicroak grabbed her tail after she hit it, and drew back a claw.

<<If I'm going down, I'm taking one of you with me!>>

He tried to move his poison tipped claw forward, but it didn't move. He looked back, and there was the point at the end of his fist, in the vice-like grip of a corphish claw.

<<I'm not happy, Toad. Ask me why. No, on second thought, EAT CLAW!>>

The toad kicked out, but Rockclaw's Claw Hammer came down on his head, sending it, finally, to unconsciousness. Rockclaw's claws clacked, and it spit water on the toad.

<<Use ME as a kickball... ruin MY sleep...>> he grumbled.

Mercury turned, hearing Shadow's voice in her head. Trainer Jaima, Shadow is with Trainer Meiko and Trainer Tuesday. Zorro is very weak, and they need to get him to a pokécenter. Trainer Tuesday has a relative nearby, and Shadow and Fang are going with them! I can guide you there.

Jaima nodded, then sighed, looking around. The enemies had dragged themselves away, but all the pokemon were pretty much the worse for wear. Rattata came flooding from the tent, those unable to run dragged roughly by those who could, and Grondir and Cosette gave chase until it was clear that the rattata would not return.

Jaima looked around. "OK, guys, pack up as quickly as you can. We have to catch up. Grondir, please have Cosette and yourself flood the area with leaves once we're done packing. I don't want them to be able to tell we were here."

Darryn seemed to also be finishing his battle, and Jaima turned to talk to him, to tell him what was going on. He was struck from behind with icy claws, pitching forward before they got too deep.

* * * * *

She watched, and waited, itching to fight but not permitted. The one like her, though weak, had acquitted himself well, and she now had to fight the desire to mate with him rather than kill him.

Maybe she'd do both.

She was only to gather information, though. As much as it galled her, she watched as the team was slowly decimated, and the reserves were also routed. She watched as the one like her dashed off.

She watched, with a smile, as the final attack was made. His duty, which she wished was her own, was to cause as much damage as he could to demoralize the humans. And that meant he got to, in his words, "play with the delicious looking psychic".

Which, after taking down (but not out, no... he wanted to have fun with the pokemon, not waste his claws on humans) the big blonde one, the sneasel turned to the kirlia, licking his claws and grinning.

Kill it while the trainer's looking, she thought, grinning herself. That will thoroughly demoralize him...

The shiny lucario leaned back to watch. Finally, this job was interesting.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Ashleigh’s entire body was quivering. His muscles were taut, his body tense for movement. His crimson eyes were wide as he scanned the forest for the danger that he knew was present. Even if it was as far away as the camp, it was still there, within the folds of darkness, lingering.

It would not be permitted to touch the pup.

Strange, how his view of the little one had changed. He supposed it had something to do with his growth, for his views seemed to have differed, his senses strengthened, his understanding intensified. The pup was young, and therefore still a pup (and so the name), but she was strong, and she was growing, and someday she would not be a pup anymore. Ashleigh was stronger than she was, larger, faster, and in many aspects, greater, but though he called her pup, she was still the bearer of more authority than he.

But she was young and right now she had no strength within her to fight should danger present itself, so Ashleigh remained. Even if there was no chance for danger, he would have remained, for he was needed to be here. The pup needed him here.

She was sitting half in a small brook, her pants and feet soaked, her legs curled under her, and not caring for a moment about any of it. She held the trickster in her arms, and he smelled sickly-sweet, like burning sugar and vomit. Ashleigh spared himself a small whimper, not loud enough to be heard over the mutterings of the pup as she rocked back and forth, trying to comfort the dying riolu or herself, he did not know.

The trickster was only held up by her embrace, his own paws hanging limp. His eyes were closed and his body was bruised and battered with scratches and cuts, dark red blood soaking into his blue and black fur. He twitched now and then, not of his own accord or even holding to consciousness. His body would abruptly tense and shake, the foam at his mouth dribbling out at his sickness. Ashleigh’s eyes narrowed, his body quivering with rage and the desire to hurt the creature who had dared to do this. The trickster was dying, and the pup was following – not physically, like the riolu, but emotionally. Ashleigh could smell it on her – how the once-so-prominent scent of innocence, sweet like honey and daffodils, was fading away. Soon, it would be like it had never been, and he wondered what the pup would become, if broken by the death of one she held so dear.

But she held them all so dear, didn’t she? – she clutched them close to her heart. It was an honorable quality, to be so loving and so kind. But it was dangerous, and self-damning, for if ever one of them should leave or fall, then a part of her would go with them, never to be reclaimed.

It was a loyalty that a dog, above all others, understood. The child was called Tuesday to the humans, and bore different names to each of those whom she cared for. Ashleigh called her pup, but she had the heart of a wolf, and perhaps he should instead call her by her heart’s true name.

Perhaps, one day, he would call her Alpha.

~*~

Tempest didn’t speak. It was a rare occasion when her anger did not give way to words, but she could find none to suit her purposes. In truth, her rage was so great that there were no words that she knew powerful enough to vent even the smallest bit of her ire. Tuesday was in danger, Ashleigh had said, howling out his dark-ringing song like a death knell, and there was no time to waste. The very presence of the toxicroak had held back the forces that would have otherwise dashed off immediately upon her admittance, and this fact drew forth a rage in Tempest that she did not think that had ever felt before. Nothing this strong had ever raced through her veins. It was as though she were no longer a conduit – a channel – for the electricity that pulsed in her cheek sacs.

She was lightning personified.

Electricity as hot as lava erupted around her, making her golden brown fur stand on end. She appeared larger than she was as she raced across the ground, paw over paw, lightning exploding around her. She was her own battery. The Energizer Bunny couldn’t hold a candle to her. She could light up the world.

She’d settle for cooking the toxicroak like a well-done TV dinner.

Her body slammed into the poison frog pokemon with such force that she saw only blackness for a moment before stars began to stumble and stagger drunkenly in her eyes, too shaken to dance. Tempest pushed herself to her feet, having realized that she was lying on the ground, her fur flattening down after the electricity had faded.

She shook her head as she rose and was disgusted with herself to realize that the toxicroak was still standing, looking hardly the worse for wear against an attack that had practically knocked her out.

She rose to her feet slowly, trying to ignore how heavy her legs were, as she listened to the toxicroak making his threats. She lunged at him again, sending lightning to dance the Foxtrot across her fur. She leapt at the toxicroak…

And let out a scream of rage and pain as he snagged her out of the air by her tail and swung her around. Tempest watched him draw back and claw and was horrified at her own weakness against such a pathetic pokemon. Hadn’t she once faced a trainer like this? How could she have been so foolish to be caught twice in the same way.

Shame on me, Tempest mused, and watched the claw.

She was surprised when it didn’t descend.

She was pissed when she realized she had been saved by the garbage-eating lobster.

She dropped to the ground, landing on her feet and losing her balance. She sighed as she sank to her belly in the dirt, panting for breath.

Maybe she wasn’t quite as strong as she liked to think.

~*~

Ashleigh’s paws pounded the dirt as he raced through the forest. He did not crawl under fallen logs or waste his time finding a flatter route around a steep slope. His powerful legs carried him fast and strong across the ground. He leapt over the fallen logs that had been obstacles before and race up rocky slopes that had previously seemed mountains. He was stronger. He was faster.

And he was pissed.

The fire that had burned within his body before his evolution, exploding outward to allow him to grow, was back. He could feel the flames, coursing through his veins – hot blood that was pumped through his body with every throb of his fast-beating heart. The wind was cold as it brushed along his thin fur, but his rage had lit fires that made his skin hotter than normal, and as he passed through the trees, he left a trail of wafting steam behind.

Any who saw him would have no doubts that he had escaped from the prisons of the Underworld. Spawn of Cerberus with the burning heart of Ares, God of War, he was not to be trifled with, not to be ignored, not to be defeated.

But he had been trifled with. His pack had been attacked, threatened, and some injured. He planned on making it so no one in the camp would ignore his presence – they would know he was there and they would know to never trifle with him again.

There was no question about his defeat. It wasn’t possible. Not now, and not so long as he had a say in it.

And he was a Houndoom on a mission, Lord of the darkness he would send, Master of the pain he would inflict, Bringer of Death, King of Shadows, Ashleigh the Unstoppable.

He saw a light through the trees – sunlight in the darkness – and though he did not know what was causing it, he knew that was where the rest of his pack lay. He could smell the too sweet, cold scent of fear, the burning metallic scent of rage, the icy, salty choking smell of hatred. It burned his nostrils and brightened his already glowing crimson eyes.

He heard a cackle – high and cruel and giggling with dark intent – and then a voice that matched it well. “C’mere, c’mere and let me taste you, yummy, yummy, yummy little psychic bitch.” The creature, whatever it was, spoke with words almost too quick to understand, his voice interposed with the sounds of knives being unsheathed – claws.

The sounds of battle erupted, a sharp, haughty voice snapping like fire at the attacking creature, and the dark one’s retorting cries. Ashleigh dodged around a tree and took in the battlefield in a second.

The Alpha was lying on the ground, one hand covering the back of his head, the scent of blood permeating the air – not thick, but still there. Ashleigh teeth snapped together.

The princess was snarling as she fought with the creature who bore the scent of the Alpha’s blood on his claws. His dark eyes kept flitting to The One Who Did Not Taste As Good As She Smelled.

She, the Smell Good One, the sparkly dancer, looked weary and spent and hurt and ready to give everything up and just lie down, her face full of exhaustion, her body language bearing pain, her eyes lacking of hope for any further existence.

Too much darkness, and though Ashleigh knew that he, too, bore this darkness, he also knew that he would never use it to harm the sparkly dancer, the Smell Good One. He would never hurt her, though she feared, and it was the dark ones like the Alpha’s attacker who had led to this fear, and Ashleigh did not like that. That was not right, it was not to be.

It would not be allowed to happen.

There was a moment when he was sure that he had grown wings. He paws raced across the dirt floor, kicking up soil and leaves and sticks in his path, and then he leapt, and he was flying.

In retrospect, he would realize that he had raced down across a rock protruding from the forest and used it as a springboard to fly over the prone body of the Alpha. In the moment of his attack, however, that did not matter. All that mattered was that the fires within him were hotter than they had ever been, that his eyes were glowing crimson and he could see clearer than he had ever thought possible, and that the source of all of his current rage was positioned directly at his landing point.

Ashleigh let out a howl of rage and anger and ferocious, bloody intent. He ignored how the others jerked away from him or froze in fear, how eyes widened at his presence, how the too-sweet scent of fear erupted in the air. His eyes were for the weavile alone.

He hit the creature with his forepaws, and the rest of his body followed.

He did not cease his momentum, but let gravity thrust his head right into the body of the creature, his mouth open. He felt flesh between his wide jaws and instantly clamped his teeth together, as he hind legs came down and his claws sank into the weavile’s belly, ripping at flesh.

The weavile let out a scream of pain, rage, and quite possibly a myriad of other emotions. Ashleigh ignored the sounds around him. All that he could hear was the blood pumping through his veins, his heartbeat slamming against his temples like a sledgehammer, the fire burning holes in his veins that hurt and just made him angrier.

He took his anger out on the weavile.

He would wonder later, what attacks he used, where he dodged to, how many times he got hit. He would think about it for a long time, pondering the fight, but he wouldn’t be able to remember.

For those watching, there were two well-fitting descriptions of Ashleigh in the moment of his battle against the weavile.

One rather cliché metaphor was that he danced around the field like he was on stage.

A second description, perhaps more appropriate in the eyes of the weavile who had become the victim of his own assault, was the Ashleigh was death on four legs, and every bit of his body was the scythe borne to destroy.

The weavile relied primarily upon the speed that it used in order to snatch eggs for food in the wild. Ashleigh relied on instinct and strength born purely from rage and a need to enact vengeance.

A duck, dodge, leap, fire attack, jump, bite, dodge to the left, duck, lunge and slash with his leg, Ashleigh moved parallel to the weavile, as the cat-like pokemon quick attacked, slashed, dodged, leapt, ducked, rolled, slashed, and lunged.

Teeth, claws, fire, ice, speed, strength, the two battled for what seemed an endless amount of time between the two. Blood coated the ground from cuts sustained by both creatures, wounds that burned as the wind touched them and opened further upon greater attacks.

They each ignored the scars already borne. There were yet more to give and receive.

In the end, what won out was rage and vengeance. Some might argue that type advantage had something to do with it, or the fact that the Lady Foxtrot had previously been fighting the creature before Ashleigh had torn the weavile right from her grasp. There would be those that debated how one creature’s emotions could win a fight, but the one of them would always know.

Ashleigh knew. He was defending his pack. No one would defeat him that day. The next day, maybe, but not the day that he fought to avenge his packmates, to fight for the pup, to protect the sparkly dancer.

Tomorrow, maybe. But not today.

~*~

The walk to her uncle’s house was done in silence, for her part.

She was pretty sure that Meiko, and perhaps even Shadow, had tried to speak to her at some point, but she couldn’t remember what words had been said. She had been lost in a place that she hadn’t known existed. It was a world much different from the one she lived in, and a far cry from the place she often went to when thinking deeply. It was a world of darkness that she found she feared, of despair and self-hatred and longing for that which one could never have. It was a world that was cold, and empty, and where she was lost.

The world made her want to cry, but there was no way to shed tears there. There was no one to hug or to curl up with so that they could assure that everything would be all right. This was a world where nothing would ever be right. A world of wrongness.

She had heard murmurings on the edge of her consciousness, and that’s what made her certain later that at least Meiko had tried to speak to her. She had felt Shadow’s paw on her arm more than once, but she remembered jerking away from him, despising the act of comfort. She didn’t deserve to be comforted.

This is all my fault.

Somehow, she was sure of that. If not for her, none of this would have happened. Bad things seemed to keep happening to her friends and had been happening since she met them. In fact, bad luck seemed to follow her like a wraith – her own personal poltergeist of doom. She was haunted by something, though she did not know what.

She wished it would leave her friends alone.

Sitting on a chair in her uncle’s living room, Tuesday still didn’t say a word. She remembered being maneuvered into this room by someone with kind words, a gentle touch on her shoulders, but she couldn’t remember who it was. It might have been Meiko, or Shadow. Maybe Uncle DeBrody had gotten a psychic pokemon, or he had a girlfriend.

Tuesday would have laughed if she could have remembered how.

Zorro was with Debrody.

It had taken them ten minutes to get the riolu away from the little girl, and though she couldn’t remember a lot of it, she was pretty sure that she had thrown a rather pathetic hissy fit when they finally stole Zorro from her grasp. DeBrody had taken Zorro away, into another room, and locked the door.

Someone had grabbed Tuesday and held her tight, because she had been fully intent on going and trying to kick in the door. Never mind that she probably would have broken her foot, or that she was shivering almost too badly to stand.

When had it gotten so cold?

Whoever it was had held her tight until she stopped fighting and simply broke down crying into their chest, sobbing for the riolu that she was sure was dying and what was DeBrody doing with Zorro and why wouldn’t he let Tuesday hold him anymore if he was just going to die?

Tuesday wanted to scream, to ask why, but she had screamed, and she couldn’t bring herself to bear the strength to speak, and so she sobbed until she couldn’t breathe and then she breathed until she wanted to cry again, and then someone led her into the living room and sat her down in a big comfy armchair, and stole her shoes.

Tuesday wiggled her toes experimentally, realizing that her socks and pants were gone, too. She was wrapped tightly in a big quilt her mom had made for her uncle. It was decorated with images of salamence in various poses, flying through the sky or roaring. Tuesday sniffled softly but did not cry. She didn’t know if she had the strength.

She wondered who had stolen her shoes, and why. She had a distinct feeling that whoever had taken them had also told her to do something, but she couldn’t really remember. She guessed it didn’t matter.

Tuesday raised her head and looked at the doorway that her uncle had gone through with Zorro. It hadn’t opened yet, had it? No, she would have remembered that. That was important.

Tuesday’s eyes hurt and she wanted to cry, but tears would blind her from what was important. Zorro was behind that door, and though the bright blue glow that always surrounded him and no one else had faded, Tuesday still hoped that maybe she could hold him again. Maybe just… once more?

She sat staring at the door, until exhaustion took pity on her despite her protests, and sent her screaming silently into unconsciousness.

[Living Arrow]

"Jol-TEEEE!" Romeo span through the air, lightning dancing off his body like golden knives, impaling the four Zubat to the surrounding trees where they shrieked and fell silent.

"Squiiiir!" Victor blasted the Pinsir off its feet with a wave of Water Pulse and followed up with an Icy Wind that encased the foe in an unbreakable sphere of ice that trapped it completely in a frozen jail.

Darryn knew he could trust them - even Victor, despite his only very recent capture - and so had left them to finish their work. It was Lady that he was concerned about. Yes, she was fast on her feet. Yes, her attacks were powerful and precise. Yes, she had the willpower to fight fiercely against a tough opponent. But no, she could never hope to defeat that Weavile on her own.

He struggled to reach her, but he was tired. And his back was wet. So wet.

*****

The Weavile advanced on Mercury rather deliberately. He raised his claws to lick them with expectation as he drew nearer, intent on spilling the beautiful Emotion Pokemon's blood. His eyes flashed with menace as she back away through the air, unable to look away - mesmerised by the impending danger. He closed the distance faster than she could make it, fear disallowing her flight and escape.

"Back off, Sharp Claw." Lady spoke with her tongue, moving in between the Weavile and his target like molten lava. Her fire sacs roared within, filling her with passionate flames.

"Oh?" The Weavile appraised Lady swiftly, his narrow eyes raising. "Are we devolving to such rudeness already?"

"Why draw things out?" Lady squared off, her back to Mercury. "I'm not one to hang around to get my win."

<What's wrong with you, ChromeDome?! Move!> Lady urged Mercury into moving away faster. It was not shame to find fear in something that could overpower you - it was natural - but allowing fear to control you was contemptable. Lady chanced a looked behind. <I've got you covered!>

<LADY!> Mercury shrieked back.

"Fu-" Lady sprang clear of the claw swiping towards her eyes, nimbly backflipping and darting away as the Weavile gave chase. Trust a Dark-type to attack when you weren't looking! He falshed after her, a shadow in the shadows, a midnight mark on a field of ink. Lady dodged.

"I said, BACK. OFF!" Lady changed direction and sprinted directly at the Weavile, Flamethrower roaring from her mouth. It jumped and swept behind a tree, disappearing from view for the briefest of moments before he appeared on the other side of Lady, claws stabbing straight into her side.

Lady's impaled body flew limply threw the air as she was tossed aside. Discarded.

"Now that that is over..." The Weavile turned his attention back on Mercury. "We can get back to the real event."

"Y-you..." A voice whispered from behind. "You get back here."

The Weavile turned to find the silky Vulpix panting heavily yet stalking towards him. He folded his arm with contempt.

"It's not very becoming to nag." He stated, shooing her away with a claw. "Buzz off."

<Oi, 'Dome! You've got to attack while his atention is on me - I'll do the rest.> Lady warned Mercury as the Weavile advanced on the fox slowly.

<I-I...>

<Remember when I battled in that Gym. Remember the move I had with the bird?>

<Y-yes... but we can't defend against him - he's too strong!>

<Who said it was for defence?>

"Now, let's try that again. But this time, I'll have a pair of fox-skin boots!" The Weavile lunged.

<NOW!>

A myriad of shimmering leaves leapt from the ground in a swirling hurricane of foliage around the Dark-type, allowing time for Lady to jump away and unleash a Flamethrower. The leaves immediately caught alight, flaming as they swirled around the part-Ice Pokemon. Lady and Mercury moved in sync, circling the foe and using their psychic powers to bombard the Weavile with flaming projectiles.

<We did it!> Merucry delighted.

"Parlor tricks won't work on me." A voice whispered in Lady's ear. She turned her head.

*That's impossible! When did he-?*

Claws embedded themselves in Lady's back, digging deep as they slashed along her fur. She didn't have time or energy to scream - she just fell. She fell as laughter filled the air and the sorrowful wail of a Kirlia began. Lady's knees hit the ground and she stared up blankly. There was no way that Weavile could dodge the attack so easily. No way. She caught a flicker of a hesitation in the Dark-type's movement... There! They had landed a direct hit to his side! But it wasn't enough. He was still raring to go and they... well, they were done for.

The claws descended again but this time, Lady didn't feel them. She was floating. Up and away, soaring through the air caressed by the powers of the glittering Kirlia.

Lady's paws touch the ground lightly, strength urging her to stay standing and continue the battle but she knew it was pointless - they couldn't win. Even so, she staggered forward and growled deep in her throat.

*I will prove that I can win this! I will show my sisters that I'm no walk-over!*

And that was when Ashleigh arrived.

*****

"Lady..." Darryn whispered as he knelt by her, his hands unable to touch her damp blackened fur. She had fought so hard and taken so much damage. Gouges in her back mirrored his own, bloody red furrows that wept openly for everyone to see.

<Prince Darryn...> Lady replied softly, resting her head on his knee.

"Return."

<Yes, Prince Darryn.>

The Heal Ball clicked open and a flash of pink consumed the Fire Fox, sealing her away to take a truly deserved rest. Romeo and Victor rushed over to help but the attackers were all down. They fussed their trainer who struggled to stand, aided by his still-glowing Ponyta. He held to her neck, leadingher towards the tents where Jaima was. They didn't need to talk more than a few words to know they had to move quickly to find Tuesday and Meiko. Jaima was clearly worried - Darryn, too - and no amount of talking would mean finding their friends any faster. Quickly, they managed to dress, despite the pain of their injuries, and packed away their belongings with the aid of their Pokemon.

"Romeo?" Darryn asked his Jolteon quietly. "Can you follow Meiko's scent?" The golden canine nodded once. "Please, go ahead and scout once more for me today. I need to know they are alright - then you can have a sleep." Romeo stretched out his legs and put his nose to the ground. In a flash, he was gone.

With November glowing and leading the way, two very tired trainers and their Pokemon began to walk.

[Master Houndoom]

Mercury was on her last nerve. She had faced no less than three dark type pokemon, and been startled to near tears by a fourth. One of them had severely challenged her belief that she could be protected by her team, and the other had surprised her when she thought the attack was over.

The third, luckily, had been handled by Darryn's team, but it was still very frightening to look at.

She held Lady steady until Darryn recalled her, unable to come up with words of comfort. Finally, as the light enveloped the vulpix, drawing her back into the ball, she sent her, mentally, Thank you, infusing the mental words with all of the emotion she could place behind it. It wasn't enough, it wasn't near all of what she wanted to say, but it was the best she could do under the circumstances.

She steeled herself, then, and turned to the creature who had rescued them both, fighting so fiercely that she was too stunned to realize it was yet another dark creature. Lady was away, and this beast from hell (why did all the dark types look so vicious?) stood away, head down, tail drooping, making it clear to anyone that he wasn't a threat. Mercury approached him.

<<Who... who...>> She swallowed through a closing throat, willing her heart to stop pounding. <<Who are you?>>

The beast's tongue lolled out, and Mercury forced herself not to imagine the teeth in his mouth clamping down on her throat. <<Wow, do I look that different, Sparkly Dancer?>>

Mercury's heart rose in her throat. <<Ashleigh?! You... you saved me... again?>> The Houndoom stepped forward, tail wagging, and she backed up, her heart now pounding. <<You're not going to lick me again, are you?!>> This elicited a growling chuckle from Ashleigh.

Jaima heard it. "HEY! Get away from her!" he shouted, striding forward as if about to take the houndoom on himself.

No, Trainer Jaima! It's Ashleigh! He... he saved Lady and myself! Don't hurt him!

Jaima stopped, put a shaky hand to his face, then seemed to strengthen himself, and looked up at Darryn approaching with November, Victor, and Romeo around him, worried over their trainer.

Mercury didn't listen to the words they spoke. There weren't many, and she already knew what they'd say; Get to the girls as fast as they can. Instead, she floated to Ashleigh, watching him warily. He merely watched in return, blinking but not moving either away or toward. Finally, Mercury was close, and, closing her eyes, slowly wrapped her arms around Ashleigh's neck. <<Th-thank... thank you.>>

Ashleigh's body quivered, but his voice was soft, earnest. <<I can give you a ride, if you're tired.>>

<<I... I have to guide Trainer Jaima and Trainer Darryn to where Trainer Meiko and Trainer Tuesday are.>>

Ashleigh nodded, but looked at her, eyes happy. <<I can find them.>>

Mercury looked at him, then climbed up and laid on his back. Before long, her mental exhaustion caught up with her, and she fell into a deep sleep.

* * * * *

The gardevoir popped in next to her. What the hell just happened?!

<<Vhot do you mean, Herr Housenfrau?>> She sneered, speaking to him audibly, hoping he would get the hint. He did not.

Oh, hilarious, Perdi. Ha ha. Shut up! How did that... he used a swear word so vehement, so ugly, that a translation did not exist in the human tongue. The lucario sneered again. ... kirlia block me out?!

<<Perhaps you are not as strong as you like to think, ja?>>

The gardevoir glared at her, crossing his arms. That's. NOT. The point! She is only a kirlia. She shouldn't be able to block me like this! He began to pace, dainty feet that had no distinction from the rest of his leg tap tap tapping on the ground. I told him to wait on the attack. To let me get to work first! I managed to get the girl out of there, right? Separate her? But no, as soon as she's out, the rest of that goon squad has to jump the gun. I could have kept the damned humans asleep! That would have made this simple. But that stupid vulpix has actual ability, and that stupid lucario's a resistant, and that, and once again he used the swear word that has no translation, kirlia is blocking me somehow!

The lucario had to admit, to herself, that Squit had a point. Had the leader of the raiding party not been so hasty, this group of humans giving her master so much trouble would be eliminated now. She stood, stretching.

<<Take me back now, freulein. I haff a report to giff.>>

* * * * *

Meiko's hands were still shaking. It had been close, for a while. Tuesday had not responded to her on the trip, but her feet seemed to know how to get where they were going. Now that the journey was over, she was more worried about the girl's heart than where they were going.

Every touch had brought an attempt to pull away, from human and pokemon alike. Only Zorro was not shunned, and that was because Tuesday carried the poor riolu.

She was so angry right now, though. Too angry. She felt as if someone had tried to violate he- them, all of them, and her hands shook, and her stomach was tight and she wanted to lash out.

And her heart was pounding, and her palms were sweating, and she found herself looking over her shoulder, because she knew there would be a face, and hands grabbing, and...

She jumped when she did see a face, but it was only Tuesday's uncle, looking worn himself.

"The riolu will be fine... Just needs rest and all. Is there anything I can get you, miss?"

Meiko shook her head, swallowing. "You've been very kind already."

The man looked at her, head tilted, then nodded. "Why don't you get some rest? Plenty of room here. West wing's a bit occupied, but just down this hall are some more rooms, if you want."

Meiko shook her head again. "I'll take Tuesday to one, but... I want to wait here. For the rest of the group..." Her heart pounded. Were Darryn and Jaima all right?

Tuesday's uncle nodded. "Sui t yourself. I'll take the kidlet. She'll be in the second room on the left. There's four rooms there, so if you want to sleep in a room by yourself, that's fine." Without further ado, he gathered Tuesday. Shadow was at the door way, and Tuesday's uncle bowed to him, surprising both Shadow and Meiko, before heading on.

Meiko leaned back in the chair she was in, watching out the large window and willing her hands to stop shaking.

* * * * *

Jaima's head hurt. And he was worried, so worried, about Meiko and Shadow and Fang that he had to force himself to slow down. As it was, only Ashleigh, Mercury, November, Tempest, Romeo, Grondir and Cosette were out with them, so that they could make better time.

Darryn's back was a mess, and judging from the stickiness he could feet on his neck, Jaima's head wasn't much better. Still, he could rest when they got to where the girls were, and he knew that Darryn felt the same way.

He made a mental inventory, terrified that he'd somehow forgotten someone or something. The egg was with him, carried by Grondir in the bag that Cosette had been stored in. There were no new cracks, but the clothing that had kept Cosette safe and cushioned would help prevent any more damage happening to it.

Ember and Tsunami had still been asleep, so he recalled them. Fang and Shadow were with Meiko. Mercury was dead asleep on Ashleigh's back, though she did wake, briefly, and float away to tell Fang they were coming. That was his team.

Tempest rode on Asleigh's back with Mercury, keeping an eye out, but her gaze flickered to the sleeping kirlia often. Dante and the buizel were in their pokéballs. Presumably Zorro was with Tuesday, but he had been hurt. Still, that was Tuesday's team. Her pokéballs were carried on her belt over his shoulder. Meiko's belt was on his other shoulder, with Ramhorn, Rockclaw, and Desertdancer in them.

... Where was Eggheart? He didn't know, and he almost turned back when Mercury, coming back from contacting Zorro, confirmed that Eggheart was with Meiko.

That was their team. Jaima was certain, after watching Darryn check Lady over before returning her, that he'd not have forgotten anyone on his team.

The gear was a mess, and if not for Grondir, who carried the tents and Meiko's backpack along with the egg and Tuesday's gear, and Cosette, who carried Jaima's and Darryn's backpack, strong and surefooted despite her tiny size, the going would have been slower.

Before long, there was a light, and then a house... no, much more than a house, a manor, an estate, that filled the horizon. It was a long country house that had two wings to it, and Ashleigh yipped lightly on seeing it. Mercury rose automatically and moved forward.

We're here, she sent wearily, and floated the rest of the way next to Jaima. As they approached, a lone figure appeared in one of the larger windows, and Jaima's heart skipped a beat. It was Meiko, pale, weary looking, but looking out, watching for them. She stood, slowly, and grinned, rushing out to meet them.

* * * * *

She made them clean up, first, helping Darryn who's back was scratched down its length, and then Jaima, who couldn't very well see the back of his own head. She took the gear and piled it near the entry way to where their rooms would be, then hugged each boy as firmly as their wounds would allow.

Darryn moved to find a room, but Jaima stayed, sitting on the chair nearest where Meiko had kept vigil. His eyes were tired, his face lined, and he looked so lost that Meiko knelt in front of him.

"It's not your fault."

"I know," he rasped, looking at her briefly. His eyes flicked to the hallway. "How's Tuesy?"

"Jaima, don't be mad at her. It might have been Aura that pulled her away, or it might have been just that Zorro was-"

"I'm not mad, Mei-chan." He sounded tired, but not angry, not even annoyed. "If it'd been one of us, we'd have done the same thing."

She looked at him, and pushed hair from his face. "Come on. You need rest, Jai-chan."

He didn’t protest, but let her take his hand and guide her. They were at the corner of the hall when Jaima stopped her.

"You too," he said, looking in the dim light as if he were ashamed.

Meiko smiled. "I know. I do. And once you get some rest, I will."

Jaima licked his lips, nodding, and Meiko leaned up to give him a quick, chaste kiss.

Adrenaline does funny things, however, and that quick, chaste kiss became a kiss that was not so quick, and not so chaste, and while parts of her screamed to stop this before it got too far, the rest of her needed it, needed to be close and to feel something other than dread and fear and sickening worry.

All in all, for someone without a lot of experience, Jaima was proving to be a good kisser.

A great kisser.

To be fair, Meiko had little more experience at it than Jaima did, but anything that cropped into her mind past "Wow, I really like this!" was lost in a kind of static.

Jaima was very sweet about it, blushing at first until she leaned into him, kissing him softly, and pulled back, looking up through her lashes at his beautiful blue eyes. Then he leaned forward, and kissed her, and it was... like a puppy. Awkward, clumsy, but too cute to stop, and both his and her techniques improved after a short (or seemingly short) time.

Neither of them knew who was more in control at this point, and neither of them cared, until Meiko became aware of things other than the kiss, and other than normal things that one became aware of when lost in the first kiss. She did not notice the difficulty breathing, or the fact that they were, for all intents and purposes, out in public. She did notice that he was close, and larger than her, and his training with Shadow had made him very, very strong. She noticed that his hands were at her hips, and his fingers seemed to tighten a little too much, sending a chill up her spine that had nothing to do with mere lust. She noticed the proximity of the walls, the one at her back getting closer, it seemed, where she could be trapped...

But it's Jaima, cried a rapidly quieting side of her mind.

"Meiko-chan," Jaima moaned, and it sounded so frighteningly familiar that Meiko's adrenaline spiked.

"NO!" she cried, shoving against Jaima and pushing them apart. And that was bad enough, but somehow something had happened and she stood there, staring at him, taking in details that seemed to not fit.

His left cheek was red.

His left eye was tearing up, but there was no crumpling as if he were going to start crying...

The redness on his cheek flared angrily, forming into the shape of a hand, and, in a wild, desperate moment, she thought, who snuck in and slapped Jai-chan, before she realized that the print was similar in size to her own hand, and he was staring at her incredulously, confusedly.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head, to herself and not to him, because, really, he'd done nothing wrong.

It wasn't his fault that she'd been frightened. She hadn't even known... she was over this! But Jaima's cheek was there, red and white where his discomfort and shock had made him pale, and he opened his mouth, but there was only confusion and a sense of loss in his eyes, not anger, and Meiko couldn't take it.

She put her hand to her mouth, and ran for her room, as fast as she could. There, she fell to her bed, drawing her knees to her chest. Her eyes closed almost of their own accord, but she ignored the hot tears squeezed out of them.

What have I done?!

Jaima was left blinking after her, and then, instead of following her, went back out to the sitting room, confused, dazed. He sat on a chair and looked out the window, his gut sinking. He had messed it up. He had pushed too far, and he knew he shouldn't.

Maybe, he thought, she wouldn't want to be his girlfriend anymore.

What have I done?!

Near the doorway, near the gear, Ashleigh lounged, sleeping peacefully, with Mercury's head on his stomach, also in deep slumber.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

"Ah, kidlet, what've ya gotten yourself into this time?"

Marcus DeBrody ran a calloused hand through his red-brown hair, brushing back the messy bangs and revealing more of his heavily-tanned forehead. He gazed down at his niece, fast asleep in the large bed. He'd tucked the dark red covers up to her chin, tucking her in soundly. He knew how cold the manor could get at night, and Tuesday was accustomed to sleeping with fire pokemon. The warmth would hopefully calm her down and erase the strained, dark expression from her face. It lingered there now, even; present still in her slumber. He sighed. She hadn't changed much over the years, it seemed. She still cared too damn much.

It was a trait they shared.

"Damn it, kid, I told ya." DeBrody ran his fingers down a heavy white scar on his right forearm. It stood out sharply against his darkened flesh. He'd gotten the scar for the same reason that Tuesday had sobbed herself into exhaustion. He'd cared too much.

"It is an honorable trait." He understood now what his grandfather had meant when he told him that years ago, after he'd gained this very scar. "You care, Marcus, and it is an honorable trait. It is not, however, one that you can carry without suffering from its presence. You, more than anyone else, are prone to feel the pain that comes with caring. Remember that, Marcus, and it will help you understand in the future the way your father and mother feel now."

His grandfather had understood, where his mother and father had not, that to try and rid him of this potential to feel for others more than for oneself would be to rid him of who he was. It would be a kind of cruelty that was generally only committed by Team Rocket, and then later, Team Deception. They hadn't understood that, but his grandfather had and he had stood up for him against them. Although he had not been able to change their opinions, he had been able to keep them from trying to turn him away from this path.

As his grandfather had said, it was his choice what path he took, and he would learn through his experiences whether or not it was a path worth following.

There had been many times since when the pain had been harsh, and some times when he thought it was more than he could bear. He had come to that point where he had to decide whether it was worth it, to keep caring so much. Whether it was worth fighting, when it was likely that he would have his own heart ripped out and shredded before his life was over.

He'd thought the choice had come many times, until the day he lost his first pokemon.

Stuka had been his best friend, raised from a tiny charmander to a powerful charizard. It was on his back that DeBrody took his first flight, and had his first fall. It was Stuka he won his first battle with, and also lost his first, his second, his fifty-seventh... he was always with him.

But as DeBrody learned, life was often very cruel, and though pokemon were strong, sometimes they still weren't strong enough. DeBrody had made a bad decision and in his attempts to protect his trainer, Stuka had taken on a foe he could not defeat. They'd had some time together before the charizard had fully faded, but those memories were clouded by tears and regret, and so much pain.

DeBrody sighed, running the back of his fingers down his niece's cheek. "You have to make your own decision, kidlet, how much you'll care, which path you'll take." He shook his head softly, a sad smile on his lips. "You're so much like me, and ya already know how cruel the world can be." He sighed. "I guess you've made your decision already. I have my doubts you'll ever doubt it, or regret it. You always were a fighter, too stubborn to give up. Too caring to quit."

He tucked the blankets tighter around her and ran his fingers through her hair, hoping to calm her tense nerves. He sighed when it didn't have much effect. He really hadn't expected a lot. With a gentle kiss to her forehead, he quietly left the room.

DeBrody knew that sleep wouldn't come easy that night. It often didn't when Tuesday was over. He wondered vaguely if it was because she had a habit of getting herself into trouble. Still, it had never been this bad before, and he assumed it likely had something to do with the riolu asleep in his lab. He ran a hand down his face and decided that he should probably check on the little guy, just to make sure that the sedatives had him sleeping soundly.

He didn't make it quite to the lab, however, as he found a wayward trainer still awake in his sitting room.

The boy was sitting in one of the thick armchairs, but even that couldn't hide his height. His long blonde braid looked frazzled and unkempt, but that was to be expected, since he and his teammates had just recently come out of a harsh battle. The boy looked weary and drained, sitting hunched over, his glasses in one hand and rubbing the bridge of his nose with the other. DeBrody shook his head softly. Here was another who cared too much.

"You'd do well to get some rest, kid."

He didn't miss the way the boy's muscles tensed, as though preparing to jump away or into action. He bit back a sigh. Kids shouldn't have to worry about being attacked.

"Relax, kid, I'm not gonna hurt ya."

He was stunned by the sheer amount of the boy's chagrin, as he flushed with what appeared both embarrassment and shame. He rose quickly and bowed, though that appeared to be out of manners, considering the way in which he moved.

"Thank you, sir, for allowing us to stay here. I am sorry for reacting as I did. It's been... a rough few days."

DeBrody wanted to chuckle and relieve the tension, but there wasn't much to laugh about. He knew what the lot of them had been going through; he'd been getting updates.

"It's fine," he assured the boy instead. "It's clear you haven't much reason to expect anything less." DeBrody made his way over to a nearby chair and collapsed into it, after which the boy sat back down. "You're Jaima, I take it?"

The boy blinked in apparent surprise, then nodded. "Yes, sir-"

"Just DeBrody's fine. I never much cared for sirs or ma'ams, and I'm not too fond of the name Marcus, either." He leaned back into the cushions, regarding the boy before him curiously. "I've been getting some updates as to Tuesday's journey from letters her brother has sent me. For some reason, my niece seems to think that she'd be bothering me by sending me letters or even stopping, except for the unfortunate emergency that had arrived-"

"How is Zorro?"

Jaima grimaced at having interrupted, but DeBrody waved a dismissive hand as he rose. "Why don't we go check on him, shall we?" he offered. Jaima nodded in agreement and quickly followed the older man out of the sitting room. They stepped lightly around Mercury and Ashleigh, sleeping together on the floor, and DeBrody led the way into his lab, flicking on lights and dimming them quickly to a soft glow.

The glow was sufficient to light the room and the single occupant of the table in the center. The riolu looked even smaller than normal, lying on his back on the operating table. He was uncharacteristically silent and still, but for the small, almost imperceptible rising and falling of his chest. DeBrody stood back and watched as Jaima walked directly up to the table so he could see better, and stared silently at the dog-like pokemon for a time.

White bandages were wrapped around the riolu's stomach and chest, as well as his rear paws. There was an IV stuck into a vein in the small pokemon's arm, with a bag of fluids hanging above him. DeBrody watched the boy glance at this and tighten his jaw. He sighed softly and stepped forward.

"The fluids were more a precaution than a necessity," he explained, touching the riolu's chest just under his chin to check for fever, before quickly taking note of his pulse. He didn't look at Jaima as he spoke, but busied himself with the riolu's care, making sure that everything was in order. He felt that the boy needed to know this, for his own sake, and perhaps it would be the best way for Jaima to be able to reassure Tuesday. The girl had been beyond distraught earlier. DeBrody had only seen her like that once before.

"As the young woman, Meiko, explained to me, when she arrived, Zorro was having what appeared to be a seizure, though his convulsions were weak with fatigue. His seizing, and gods know how long that lasted for, worked to dehydrate his body, which had adverse effects even after he was cured of the severe poisoning."

"He was severely poisoned?" Jaima asked softly.

DeBrody nodded, admiring the boy's efforts to seek clarification. "From what I can gather of his wounds, Zorro was struck with a powerful poison jab attack in the chest, which alone has a tremendously devastating effect on a pokemon. That was coupled with the poisoning effects of toxic spikes, which he appeared to have been dragged through, further poisoning his bloodstream. In truth, without the intervention of Miss Omura's happiny, Zorro never would have survived the journey here." He gazed down at the riolu and rested his paw on the creature's forehead as he shook his own head softly. "I still think it's a miracle I was able to heal him. He wasn't do well at all when he arrived."

He closed his eyes and was forced to take a deep breath, remembering the way Tuesday had reacted when he'd tried to take Zorro away from her. It hadn't been her crying that had devastated him, but the screams that tore loose from her throat. Even the way her eyes shone with a golden glow as the lucario held her back didn't draw as much attention as the raw pain that tore from her with every cry. He would have thought that she was the one who was dying.

DeBrody coughed to clear his throat and turned back to the riolu, pulling a thin but warm blanket up to the creature's chin, before gazing at his human companion. "Well, young man, I do believe it's time you follow the same path your friends have taken and get some sleep. It'll be morning soon and I think it's best you get some rest."

Jaima looked ready to argue, but DeBrody held up a hand, stopping him. "To put it simply, Mr. Kuonji, from what I have heard, my niece thinks the world of you and you've all been through a tough ordeal, I understand. However, you were not here when she and your friend Miss Omura arrived last night, and you did not see the way that Tuesday reacted to my even reaching for Zorro. Your lucario companion had to physically restrain her so she wouldn't hurt herself. Or someone else," he added softly.

He met the teenager's observant eyes. "I do believe, with the strongest faith, that you're one of the few people capable of making my niece see reason and pull herself out of that world she so often tosses her mind into. Tomorrow, I don't know if Zorro will be conscious yet or not, but if he is not, then I think that Tuesday is going to need your strength." He bowed his head softly, asking for agreement. "Please, Mister Kuonji, won't you sleep for just a few hours?"

It didn't take long for Jaima to agree to DeBrody after that, and slip off to find a room. DeBrody turned off the light in his lab and quietly slipped out. He took a final walk around the manor, checking everything, before he decided that taking his own advice would be prudent, and perhaps he should sleep for just a little bit.

Tomorrow, they would see what the world had in store for them.

This is the end of this RP!