Lune (Chapter update - May 23, 2006)

[Charizard04621]

wheevee. I'd attempted one fic before, but it's over now, and I'm sorry to say that I haven't been visiting the FanFic forum as much as I would like. I'm trying to improve my writing skills while I'm at it. ^_^; So, here goes, my second attempt at writing a fic.

The introductory chapters develop quite slowly, and the plot is left intentionally vague until things speed up later on. I hope that's not a bad thing.

[EDIT]: Argh, I can't figure out how to work paragraph indentations! ;_;


~ Lune ~

http://www.angelfire.com/pokemon2/charizard04621/LuneEquipped.txt (http://www.angelfire.com/pokemon2/charizard04621/Lune.html)

[b]Chapter 1
The Sanctuary

It all began, Lune recalled, when chaos first broke out in the Sacred Kingdom. It hadn't always been this way. Life was enjoyable once. Lune shook his head sadly. His face was marked with the scars of sorrow, and his once brightly-lit eyes were dimmed with weary hopelessness.

And yet, what was an Eevee like him to do? He knew (or thought, at least) what would once more bring joy to the Sacred Kingdom, but he had neither the power nor the support to do what had to be done.

Sighing, Lune rested his head on the soft, sweet grass, allowing his long ears to droop down his neck side-by-side. With his bushy tail wrapped around his small body, he idly pawed at the white tuft of fur that grew around his neck and fell at his chest, frowning as he did so. The cold, smooth stone embedded in his forehead glowed slightly as the sun's morning rays cast warm light upon it. This Everstone would, till the end of time, prevent Lune from evolving into a more powerful form. Forever an Eevee he would remain. He yawned, peeking over the water's edge to look at his reflection. A pathetic creature stared back at him with its infinitely deep gray eyes, whose golden fur had long since lost its glorious luster. Truth was bitter.

This secret meadow was the one place he could find peace nowadays. The soothing melody of the rushing waterfall and swift stream would often help to calm his nerves. Here, in the midst of sweet, fragrant flowers, he could rest. There was no fear of discovery. Lune himself had stumbled upon this meadow by pure chance, and not without help. The only way in was hidden deep in the darkest corner of a mysterious cave. The cave itself wasn't very large, but many pokémon tended to avoid it because of its narrow, confining space and the risk of falling into unseen holes, never to be found again... Hidden and unnoticed lay the entrance to the meadow. Even from up close, it seemed like nothing special... just another crevice in a cave that was full of them. On the other side, though, was this sacred meadow, serene and welcoming. The best part? It was a secret, not to be seen even by air. Only one other pokémon knew of this sanctuary...

"Hey, Lune, plan on sitting there feeling sorry for yourself all day?" Shockwave crawled through the narrow crack in the stone, leaped through the waterfall's cascading curtain (his favorite part), and swam across the stream, coming out icy cold and thoroughly drenched: just the way he liked it. Lune had to give the Pikachu credit. That crazy yellow mouse never failed to brighten up the darkest day. Lune smiled. If Shockwave weren't here to cheer him up with his - literally - electric personality, Lune wouldn't know what he'd do.

"Seriously, though." Shockwave shook himself dry. "They're announcing the new Guardian today. You should come."

Lune blinked. He'd forgotten all about the new Guardian! Traditionally, there had to be at least two. They were chosen by the Emperor... At the thought of the Emperor, Lune grimaced. He didn't want to think about that just yet. This day, though, would be a very important one.

The Guardians held the responsibility of maintaining order in the kingdom. In times of war, they, along with the Emperor, (Oh, not the Emperor again!) would command the vast army. Of course, the choice would be crucial. Lune hoped that the Emperor - it pained him when he thought of that good-for-nothing - would at least be capable of making a decent choice. No one, in Lune's mind, deserved the Guardianship at this point. They would just have to make do. Unless...

"Hey, Kingdom to Lune! Kingdom to Lune!" Shockwave crossed his arms. "Coming?"

Lune grinned sheepishly. "Um, yeah. Sorry."

"I was afraid I'd have had to zap you," Shockwave teased. "Speaking of which, you don't appear quite alert yet. Perhaps it'd be a good idea, anyway."

"Oh, no you don't!" Lune snickered, playfully shoving the Pikachu into the stream. Shockwave emerged, spewing water and twisting his mouth into a sly grin.

"Race ya!" he called, already halfway across the stream.

"Hey! No fair!" Lune yelled, chasing after the rapidly-disappearing Pikachu, forgetting, for a moment, his pain and his sorrow.

[AquaBabe727]

Second attempt, huh? This would take some people lots of experience and editing to get a fic this good. I really enjoy it! I don't beleive i've ever read anything like it; it's just really cool. Some stories i read, i find i didn't really enjoy them, but i reply anyway because it's the nice thing to do. But this one I REALLY liked. I hope you post the next chapter soon! ^_^

[The Decapitated Mole]

Not bad. Not bad at all! Keep up the good work, I'd say!

[Charizard04621]

@Aquababe727 and o_O: Cool! Thanks! That's really encouraging. I didn't think people would actually read or reply, and certainly not this fast. ^_^;

I already had a rough draft of Chapter 2 written on paper before I posted Chapter 1, but I wanted to see if anyone was going to read, first.

So here it comes! *drumroll* (heh heh, just kidding ^_-) Chapter 2!


Chapter 2
A New Guardian

“The Emperor approaches! The Emperor approaches!” So the messenger Murkrow called, trailed by the Emperor’s procession. Several fierce Growlithe led the way, swishing their fiery tails impatiently. They bared their sharp teeth, snarling at anyone and everyone as if, at any moment, they would pounce upon their victims and rip out their throats with brute ferocity characteristic only of the canine race. It was hard to believe that these Growlithe were only puppies; If they were exposed to Fire Stones, their graceful, majestic evolution form, the Arcanine, would provide them with such power that they could now only dream of.

“Lune, bow!” Shockwave whispered in a tone of urgency. “Emperor Ryu’s coming!”

Growling, Lune cast a hateful glance toward his bane of existence. The proud, egoistic Ampharos had gained the title Emperor Ryu against the will of many. From the start, some had protested – the insightful ones who could see even then that Ryu’s coronation was a huge mistake (Shockwave had protested, and vehemently so) – but no one heeded them back then. Through time, it became evident that this poor excuse of an Emperor did not deserve to be an Emperor at all. Too late now…

“Lune,” Shockwave hissed as he tugged on the hostile Eevee’s leg, “There’s no time for this now! Bow, quickly, before they catch you!”

Glaring at the conceited Ampharos, Lune was again reminded of just how much he hated Emperor Ryu. The Emperor traveled around with a stuck-up gait, stretching out his long, black-banded neck and lifting his nose and ears so high up that he probably saw the sky whenever he opened his eyes. That is, if he opened his eyes at all. The thing about Emperor Ryu, though, was that he very seldom found it worthwhile to look upon his subjects and his kingdom. He was better than them all, and therefore, they didn’t deserve his time. To Lune’s utter annoyance, the Emperor began stroking his glossy yellow coat and playing about with the shiny red orb on his yellow-and-black striped tail. Lune gave Emperor Ryu one more second, and then he would…

“CHUUU!”

One thing about Shockwave: Being zapped by him was extremely painful when he wanted it to be.

Emperor Ryu raised an eyebrow. At his signal, the procession stopped. “What may we have here?”

At this point, Shockwave tripped Lune over, creating the illusion that Lune had made a very clumsy attempt at bowing and failed. As much as he hated to admit it, this was probably the best thing that could have happened to him at this point, even if he was forced to bow to someone that he didn’t recognize as Emperor. Lune knew he would thank the Pikachu later.

“Almighty Emperor Ryu, I sincerely apologize for this disturbance. I have a slight cold that went out of control, and I happened to sneeze on this very unfortunate Eevee.”

Yet another thing about Shockwave: He was a genius, a talented actor, a formidable battler, a fun-loving pokémon, and whatever the heck he wanted to be. He knew exactly how to get what he wanted when he wanted it. There was no mistaking that Shockwave was a prodigy.

Emperor Ryu shrugged, rapidly losing interest. “It’s just an inconsiderate Pikachu who should learn not to get colds on days like this. Move on.” The procession made its way to the center of the square, and there it stopped.

“Dearest loyal subjects,” Emperor Ryu uttered in the midst of a yawn, “I now pronounce Lady Naien as the second Guardian of the Sacred Kingdom.”

“What’s wrong, Lune?” Shockwave asked, upon noticing the look on Lune’s face.

“Oh – nothing. Nothing’s wrong.”

“Never believed he’d actually do something, huh?” Shockwave cocked his head aside. “Me neither.”

[Oddish17]

I actually read the first chapter right after you posted it, but then I went and got something to eat and completely forgot to post. Very nice fic, I saw you posted this and expected it to be well written, and I wasn't disappointed. Very nice job. I wonder how this emperor came to such a royal position in the first place. Actually I have quite a few questions that I look forward to being answered in future chapters. Leaving the beginning vague certainly opens up your later chapters to quite a few possibilities, and I await the surprises that will hopefully unfold. Keep up the good work :)

Edit: Perhaps you should try to get a mod to change the title to just Lune, rather than Lune (Chapter 1). It doesn't make too much sense now that you've already posted chapter 2.

[Charizard04621]

@Kenji: cool, thanks. I was hoping to introduce some element of mystery, and it looks like you caught on.

BTW, *cries* I totally forgot about the title thing... Do you know if I can just PM a mod and ask a favor?

[Damian Silverblade]

Sure thing Charizard04621. We're not cruel and heartless people (except DH13, but he's one of those cliché trainer fics writers ;) J/K)

Just give me a second.

[Charizard04621]

Wewt! Thanks a whole bunch BBP! ^_^

Hmm, I can have Chapter 3 up maybe Wednesday or something. Chapters are coming relatively fast right now, but that's probably going to slow down soon. I'm trying to get the first few up quicker, so that when Tennis season and stuff comes, at least there'll be a few chapters to read.

[EDIT]: O...kay..., maybe not Wednesday then. ^_^; Sorry.

[Charizard04621]

Vee! Chapter 3!


Chapter 3
The General Tournament

“It’s settled, then. The tournament begins in a week.” Lord Yoruno pronounced this, as he did with all of his statements, with a certain sureness that was characteristic only of himself. No one could match his unshakable confidence, nor did any else possess the wonderfully charismatic personality that was so distinctly his. This Umbreon, Lune thought, was remarkably competent, and possessed a certain military genius that almost always involved cautious unpredictability. It was for his obviously outstanding competence that he was made Guardian in the first place. Lune sighed as he thought, first, of Lord Yoruno, midnight-black coat gleaming with a splendid sheen, standing proudly as his fluorescent, ever-changing yellow rings added to his general majesty… and then of the sharply-contrasting Emperor Ryu. If only…

“We should start, then. There’s a lot of work to do to set this up.” Lady Naien seemed to love her new responsibility. Ever since she was made Guardian, Lune noticed an increase in the Houndoom’s enthusiasm and energy. He smiled. Lady Naien had wanted this for a long time.

As Lune gazed upon Lady Naien, the inner flame, he thought, just for a moment, that he could hope again. Her fiery spirit and sense of self-pride would serve her well in the Guardianship. The fact that she was a Houndoom – and, at times, though she never showed it, lived up to her demonic legacy – would not affect in the least her kind heart and her genuine desire to make things right. Perhaps the Sacred Kingdom had a chance…

“Since you both will need to deal with setting up the tournament,” Lune started, “I will be the only Adviser left free.” With nods from the two Guardians, Lune continued. “Then I will do my best.” With that, he left the forest clearing in search of Shockwave. He had a lot of things on his mind, and he thought it better to rest briefly before he began his arduous work as an Adviser.

The job of an Adviser was a very difficult one, filled with the pressures of those receiving the help and the anguish resulting from those who were irrationally, stubbornly persistent. Those who wanted to join the frequent peacetime tournaments often sought the help of the Advisers. They brought to Advisers their plans for special battle tactics that they hoped would surprise their opponents. It was common knowledge that each pokémon had his, her, or its own unique special abilities. Whether or not the pokémon knew fully what these abilities were, and how to use them, was the Adviser’s problem.

When a pokémon came to an Adviser bringing along hopes, it was the Adviser’s job to first determine whether the goals were realistic, explain the limitations and expectations to the pokémon, and, finally, help the pokémon bring out and use his, her, or its own special ability.

“KAIIII!”

Lune started, shocked. His heart pounded wildly against his chest. “Shockwave!” he whined.

Struggling to control fits of laughter, Shockwave came out of the bushes. “Sorry, but you looked so deep in thought. I couldn’t resist. Lighten up!”

Shaking his head, Lune couldn’t help but smile. “I need to Advise several pokémon soon. The tournament is set to begin in a week!”

Shockwave looked pleased. He never refused a good match, and tournaments were always loads of fun. For once, though, his expression turned serious. “I want to be an Adviser. I know I could help pokémon a lot that way.”

Lune knew that Shockwave meant it. Shockwave was very careful, as was Lord Yoruno, not to make any false commitments. When Shockwave promised something, though, he’d keep it. Young though he was, he’d definitely do an excellent job. He was, after all, a prodigy. There was only one problem.

“I have to convince Emperor Ryu to get a new Adviser…” At that, Shockwave groaned.

[Oddish17]

Okie dokie, let me see if I've got all this straight. Hmm. Theres now two guardians for this peaceful kingdom, there's a pathetic emperor, along with some other less important characters. Then there's Lune, who's an advisor for a peaceful tournament(for sport, I presume) and his loveable, yet clear-headed friend Shockwave the Pikachu. Nice collection of characters. I can't wait to see how this unfolds ^_^

BTW, completely off topic, but what exactly is a wheevee? It reminds me of an eevee just going "Whee!" all the time. I'm terribly confused :(

[Syberia]

wheevee (n). A form of self-expression, usually used to denote happyness (slang). Synonyms: whee, wjee, etc.

Nice job, Karin. Very well written. And this is only your second fic?

[Charizard04621]

@Kenji: Can't have all that info stuffed down your throat without someone to lighten up the situation, right? ^_^;

Basically, wheevee=whee-ee+eevee. It's very easy. People tend to get afraid of that equation.

@Syberia: Woo! definition=yez. And one more thing... I am the wheevee, the evil evil wheevee. (y)

[Charizard04621]

Whee!


Chapter 4
Heat Barrier

“Why can’t I grow wings and fly in battle? I want to grow wings and fly in my battle!” The Magcargo began to grumble.

Lune sighed. It had been like this all week. There was no end to the number of impossible requests. He had no magic. He couldn’t just grant a pokémon’s every irrational wish.

“You see, ma’am,” Lune tried once again to explain, “I don’t mean to be rude, but what you ask for is impossible.”

The Magcargo huffed, and her tail flame brightened with anger. Her usually light red body became a deep crimson. She was terribly flustered and irritated that she could not get what she wanted. “You Advisers are supposed to help. Help help. I come to ask you for help with my special ability, but no, you tell me. No, no. I’ve had it, you hear? Had it, had it!”

As the old snail rose with a sour look on her face, Lune couldn’t think of anything scarier than a frustrated Magcargo. He backed away cautiously…

It was when the sun’s rays shone upon the hardened, rocky shell that Lune noticed something.

“I’ve got it!” he cried excitedly. “I’ve figured out your special ability, and it’s awesome!”

“What what?” The Magcargo blinked. “You know how I can fly?”

“No,” Lune told her, “but don’t be disappointed. You’re capable of something far better.”

“Oh?”

Smirking, Lune examined the Magcargo’s shell like a child who’d just found a new toy. “Be right back. Don’t go anywhere!” Before the Magcargo could say anything, Lune bounded off. No sooner had he gone, though, than did he return again, carrying a container of water in his mouth.

“Don’t even think about bringing that near me. Don’t you dare, you hear?”

“Ma’am, you need not fear water at all.”

“You’re crazy! Crazy crazy. Every Magcargo knows water is bad. Bad bad! Stay away from me! Away I say!”

Putting the container down, Lune turned to the Magcargo and grinned.

“Please listen to me, ma’am. Just once is all I ask. If this doesn’t work, you are free to leave.” Unwillingly, the Magcargo gave her attention to Lune.

“Great! This is how it works. When you get angry, your body temperature soars to unusual heights. This heats the shell on your body dramatically – so much that it gains a red glow. I noticed that just now. My theory is, if you can control your body temperature and intentionally induce a rise in heat, you will receive protection from water.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“Here’s how you do it. First, withdraw all parts of your body under your shell. Remember to heat it, too.”

Full of doubt, the Magcargo shook her head, then pulled herself under her shell, keeping safely hidden. Before long, the hard rock achieved a deep, red glow, and the air around it turned into a mass of sweltering, tangible heat. Lune picked up the container and dumped the water onto the waiting Magcargo, who didn’t notice. Before the water could even reach her, it evaporated into steam.

“Come on, come on! Don’t have all day, you know,” she mumbled.

“It worked!” Lune yelled, jumping excitedly.

“What what?” The Magcargo emerged, and to her surprise, realized that Lune told the truth. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” she cried, rejoicing.

“No problem. Good luck in the tournament, ma’am.”

At that, the Magcargo, realizing that she had not yet registered, left in a hurry.

“Tomorrow…” Lune smiled to himself. “I’d better get ready.”

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 5
There is Always a Way
“And now, let Round One of the tournament begin!” The announcing Farfetch’d, tiring of spending so much time in the air, landed on the Emperor’s balcony before he continued. From high up there his voice would carry better, anyway. Emperor Ryu, for once, seemed genuinely interested. He believed he was a great battler himself, so the matter was worth his attention. Next to him, on either side, stood Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien. They, too, enjoyed the thrill of tournaments, and on occasion participated in them. The Farfetch’d, having had enough rest, cleared his throat. “Starting off, Lune the Eevee versus Shadow the Gengar! I bet we can already see where this one is going.”

“Boooooring…” Emperor Ryu yawned. “The poor Eevee doesn’t stand a chance. Normal attacks don’t affect Ghost types!”

“Get ‘im, Lune!” Shockwave yelled.

On the open battlefield, the proud specter cackled. “An Eevee with an Everstone on his forehead? What, not even an Umbreon? This battle was over before it even started!”

Lune remained silent. Instead of reacting to Shadow’s taunts, he scanned the arena carefully. Several layers of sheltered bleachers reaching around in a horseshoe shape, the Emperor’s marble roofed balcony perched high above directly in the middle of the U… and not much else, except the earthen floor. This was a standard, general arena, open to any competitors. There were no extra factors that would be present in special tournaments; water, ledges, closed roofs, and the like were not added. Lune nodded. So be it.

Apparently, Shadow expected Lune to make the first move. He began with a lightning-quick charge to catch Shadow off guard, but the Gengar was even quicker. The crowd gaped in awe as Lune fell right through Shadow’s body to the other side.

“He phased out from Lune’s Quick Attack, huh?” Shockwave mumbled to himself. “So that’s how fast he is. Pretty good.”

Again, and for the third and fourth time, Lune attempted more rapid strikes, and each time Shadow dodged, the same way as before.

“I see you don’t learn from your mistakes!” the Gengar called. “Then you must suffer the consequences!” A blue glow outlined Lune’s body, and as he was raised above the ground, he found it impossible to break loose. Shadow’s will was too strong, and his crushing mental force too powerful. Lune gagged. If this kept up, his lungs would surely explode… At that moment, the Gengar stopped squeezing and threw Lune into the dirt. Ignoring the “Had enough yet?”, he got to his feet and slowly brushed the dust off of his fur.

“He has to use it…” Shockwave whispered.

Calmly, Lune raised his right forepaw in the air. As if by signal, the darkness flowed towards that one central point, summoned by its master… The deep purple orb throbbed violently as it grew, threatening, at any moment, to explode. Without a word, Lune sent the ball on its path of destruction… Normally, the ethereal energy would have erupted with searing devastation upon contact with its target. Against expectations, it passed right through the intended victim’s body, crashing instead into the ground behind him. Shadow roared with laugher. “You think I’d just ignore my biggest weakness?” he snorted. “I can phase out of anything! Just try me!”

Shadow’s image flickered, then drew out into a long blur. Eventually, Lune could spot three Gengar… two of which, he knew, were illusory. He did not have to fear the mirror images, for they themselves had no substance, but until he figured out which Shadow was real, he had three targets to choose from. He wondered… Perhaps already? He only had to try. Lune smirked. “Ready, Shadow? Here I come!” Most unexpectedly, Lune began showering the three Gengar with a dense, seemingly endless barrage of solid yellow shurikens.

“What does that Eevee think he’s doing?” Emperor Ryu shook his head. “Swift is a Normal type attack! Normal attacks don’t affect Ghost types!” he declared knowingly.

Most of the crowd seemed to share the opinion. Shockwave tsked. “Fools.”

When the stars finally stopped coming, the dust settled to reveal an utterly astonished Gengar, alone. His mirror images no longer existed.

“What? How is that possible?” Emperor Ryu rose from his throne and bent over the bars of the balcony, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

“Phasing isn’t always automatic,” Lord Yoruno answered. “It takes energy for a Ghost-type to phase out of attacks. That repetition of Quick Attack was no foolish accident. Though Shadow was fast enough to phase out of all four, which alone is already an impressive feat even for a powerful Gengar, he did not do so without expending an incredible amount of energy. Lune played on this, wearing his opponent down without Shadow realizing it. The final deciding blow, though, was the unusually powerful Shadow Ball. Lune sacrificed a great deal of energy to create it, expecting Shadow to dodge. By doing so, Shadow played right into his trap.”

Lune grinned. Shadow fell for it! Excellent. “Hey, Shadow! Dodge this! That is,” Lune added mischievously, “if you can.” Before Shadow had the time to respond, Lune lunged, sinking his sharp teeth, crackling with dark energy into the Gengar’s arm. When trying to shake Lune off didn’t work at first, Shadow instead drove his fist into the stubborn Eevee’s side, forcing him off. Lune fell and did not move.

“You’re done for!” Shadow cried, clamping the palms of his hands together. Immediately they began to spark violently with electricity. “Take this!” The tripled bolt of lightning surged through Lune’s apparently limp body with a sickening snap. When he still continued to lie on the floor without making a sound, Shadow thought he could smell victory.

“Don’t worry, little Eevee. I’ll end this quickly. “The psionic blast rushed at it target, enveloping him in what seemed to the spectators like a spherical explosion of light. Not many could survive that. Lune was one of the few.

Lune’s ears perked up, and he got to his feet. The glint in his eyes screamed that something was amiss. Up to this time, he had been waiting, patiently, until the perfect opportunity presented itself. No one had noticed the faint white glow around his body.

“Now, Shadow, receive doubled wrath!”

The entire arena erupted with blue psionic energy, coupled with a severe thunderstorm. Massive bolts of electricity burst through the blast radius with boiling rage, tearing away at the helpless victim. Amazingly enough, Shadow survived… Not much, but he was still left standing.

Lune raised his front right paw once more, summoning the darkness that would spell Shadow’s destruction.

“I… can’t phase out of that…” Shadow gasped, struggling to speak. “But you can’t escape Destiny Bond, Eevee! I shall not lose!”

“Watch me,” Lune muttered. This time, his ethereal sphere sailed upwards, towards Emperor Ryu’s balcony, directly above Shadow.

“You missed!” the Gengar cried. “You missed!”

“Oh, really?”

The resulting explosion broke off a large part of the roof. As it came crashing down, Shadow realized with horror that he could not bind his fate to lifeless, falling rubble. With a curse under his breath, he gave way under the crushing marble…

After a long moment of drawn-out silence, the Farfetch’d opened his beak to speak. Voice trembling with awe, he announced shakily, “Incredible! Lune the Eevee has defeated Shadow the Gengar! He will proceed to round two!”

The crowd erupted in cheers.

[Wolfsong]

Nice. I kinda stumbled on this, but i like it. Keep up the nice work

[Kinglerlord2]

Very good! Apart from the odd spelling mistake I couldn't find much at fault with those chapters.

This is a very interesting idea you've developed and you're writing has made it easy for me to comprehend what is going on. Your characters are well developed and easy to relate to.

Great work here Charizard04621 i'll be looking forward to more of this!

[Charizard04621]

@Nala98: ty ^^; It's different from a trainer fic, because, personally, I don't think I can handle one. This one's a little easier to manage.

@Kinglerlord2: Easy to comprehend? Yay! ^_^ BTW, what spelling errors? XD

[Oddish17]

Now that I finally have more then 10 minutes of free time, I got a chance to come back and continue reading this. Of course I noticed you took a week long break, but oh well.

Lune is more powerful then I thought. Very nice job, I'll try to come and read this if I ever have any time.

[Charizard04621]

@Kenji: Wow, you must be really busy. Whatever it is, good luck. Hope the situation improves. And yeah, I meant to show that Lune isn't to be underestimated.

[Charizard04621]

Ta Da! Chappy 6!


Chapter 6
A Prodigy

“Lune! Lune!” Shockwave gave Lune a thumbs-up as the Eevee stepped off of the battlefield. “Guess what? I’m next.”

“Cool. Who against?”

“And, after that amazing battle to start us off, we can only imagine what exciting surprises the others will bring!” The Farfetch’d’s voice rang clearly through the air. “The Emperor’s broken balcony roof is only temporary, and will be fixed by tomorrow. Right now, though, let’s welcome our next two combatants: Shockwave the Pikachu and Amethyst the Golem!

“No sweat, Shockwave,” Lune winked.

“Piece of cake!”

Above, Emperor Ryu grunted. “Now THAT is a horrible match-up. Everyone knows Ground types always crush Electric types. Who does these stupid match-ups?”

“They are chosen at random,” Lady Naien replied firmly. “I made the pairings.” At that, Emperor Ryu bit his lip.

The earth began to tremble, and violent tremors followed, only to be abruptly ended. The crowd gasped.

“I don’t believe it!” the Farfetch’d cried. “Shockwave the Pikachu has completely avoided the Earthquake by jumping into the air! He has even struck Amethyst the Golem mid-air with a well-placed Iron Tail!”

Lune smirked. “That’s it, Shockwave,” he muttered to himself. “Show them. Show them all. Let them know the prodigy that you are!”

Amethyst snorted, rubbing away the metallic remnants from the large chinks in her boulder-like hide. “Don’t get cocky, you little rat! I haven’t even started yet!”

“Try me.” Shockwave mustered an extremely aggravating look that would, if he so chose to allow it, drive anyone absolutely crazy. Amethyst, no match for her opponent’s wit, took the bait immediately, flying into a vicious rage. No longer would her mind easily reason; her anger would think for her instead.

“That is IT, Pikachu!” Amethyst yelled, whilst locking herself into a tight ball. “I’ll bring out my secret weapon now! You can’t get away!”

At that, Amethyst began to roll, slowly at first as she started to accelerate, but increasingly faster, until she reached frightful speeds that no Golem could ordinarily achieve. Almost nothing at this point could outrun her.

Shockwave had not been idle. While his opponent gathered momentum, he had called silently to the skies above, and even now, dark storm clouds shadowed the battlefield. With a signaling rumble of thunder, they burst open to pour forth their full torrential fury, reducing the dirt ground to waterlogged mud in moments.

“Nice try, but I’m still rolling!” Amethyst cackled. “And while I do, no amount of rain can harm me.” Though slowed a little, Amethyst did not view this as significant enough to matter. She turned and started for Shockwave. At this point, Shockwave kicked off and sprinted, moving so quickly that he could only be seen as a yellow blur in the dark storm. Still, Amethyst could keep up, and the distance between the two lessened every moment.

“Whoa!” The Farfetch’d strained to be heard over the din. “It appears as if Amethyst the Golem is catching up to her opponent, even in this heavy rain!”

Lune shook his head. “Fools.”

Just as it looked as if Shockwave was finally tiring and had no means of escape, he jumped aside, leaving his hardened, silver tail directly on Amethyst’s path… Unable to stop or swerve, the Golem rode right into Shockwave’s metallic tail, was lifted several feet into the air, and crashed directly into the hard, marble wall in front of her. When she uncurled, she could immediately feel the stinging rain lash at her face.

“The water will drown me! Don’t let me drown!” she shrieked.

As if her prayer had been answered, an invisible force drove the clouds away, leaving the warm, friendly sun and the clear blue sky.

“You!” Amethyst pointed accusingly at Shockwave. “You did this! You will pay!”

The past events of the round had taken their toll. Amethyst was on her last bit of energy, and it showed. This was it: her trump card. Whether it succeeded or failed, she had to deal with the consequences.

A sparking, orange ball of energy expanded in between Amethyst’s clasped hands, crackling with chaotic matter. She was putting every ounce of her remaining strength into it. The ball grew… and grew… and grew. Every moment it seemed more dangerously out of control. Eventually, Amethyst had no more energy with which to power it, and it was now that she launched the plasma towards Shockwave in the form of an annihilating beam. The field erupted with the blast, blinding all with an orange flash of light. When the smoke cleared, Shockwave was standing perfectly still behind a shimmering energy barrier.

“So,” Amethyst whispered, “I fail…” With that, the Golem collapsed.

[Kinglerlord2]

Nice chapter, short yet fast paced and entertaining. That is one psycho pikachu.

I didn't pick up on any errors in that chapter though it is late at night so I could have missed something.

[Charizard04621]

@Kinglerlord2: Psycho Pikachu, uh huh. ^_^ I like Shockwave. Oh, BTW, everyone, my chapters don't get any much longer than that.

[Oddish17]

The chapters are fine, as long as you keep them coming. I already have more respect for Shockwave then Ash's Pikachu. Great job, can't wait to read the coming chapters about the tournament.

[Charizard04621]

@Kenji: Shockwave rules. ^_^;;; And here's Chapter 7. :D


Chapter 7
There are Never Guarantees in Battle
Silvery stars twinkled softly in the jet-black sky. The golden moon cast its luminous glow on the arena below. A warm, comforting silence from the subdued crowd served, in its own way, to encourage the final battlers of the day as if excited, enthusiastic spectators cheered on loudly from the sidelines. All eyes were on the two combatants.

One stood perfectly still, holding his metallic claws up and crossing them together in a defensive position. Starlight shone onto his gleaming crimson coat, revealing his slender figure, and, just barely, the gossamer wings on his back. His opponent pawed the ground impatiently. The bulldog snapped his huge jaws and pounded his fists together, threatening to crush the opposing mantis. A glint of mad fury remained always in his eyes, as if he possessed some burning killer instinct that taught him always to destroy…

Awestruck, the spectators looked on as the two stared each other down, wondering who would make the first move – Bill the Scizor, with his cool, yet slightly nervous gaze; or Thor the Granbull, with his reckless, frightful glare. Above, Emperor Ryu’s face twisted into a thoughtful frown. “Hmm… I’ve seen this Granbull in a lot of other tournaments. He’s good. He’s been champ in one of our earliest tournaments a few years ago. He knows Fire Punch. Scizor is quadruply weak to fire. He doesn’t stand a chance,” Emperor Ryu commented wisely.

As things went, the more experienced and incidentally the more aggressive of the two struck first. With amazing speed, Thor lived up to his name, smelting the red mantis with massive, sizzling bolts of lightning that blackened Bill’s delicate wings. Just as the Scizor fell to his knees, twitching in agony, a distant, steely cry drew Thor’s attention to a dim corner. Out of seemingly nowhere, a crackling orange monstrosity lanced forth, catching its victim by surprise… Thor shut his eyes tightly to endure the searing pain; It was not enough that he clamped his jaws close and clenched his fists. It was intolerable. In furious agony, the Granbull pounced on Bill, and, howling, drove his flaming fist directly into the Scizor’s chest. The impact shattered Thor’s target into pieces, revealing the real Bill some ways behind.

“Perfect Substitute…” Lune whispered. It was understood that no one should break the powerful silence.

“Quick thinking,” Shockwave agreed, “but he’s still not conserving his energy enough. Hyper Beam right off the start, not to mention how much he put into that Substitute for it to take both the Thunder and Fire Punch… He can win, though.”

“Yeah. Thor being a veteran tournament battler means nothing here save the experience. That does not guarantee him a win. Never has. Never will. Bill shows promise.”

Thor roared. “You sleazy trickster! How dare you pull a stunt like that! Don’t you know who I am?”

“Afraid not.”

At that, Thor began firing rapidly, one after the other, greenish-yellow orbs of electricity that traveled at frightful speeds.

“Wow! Look at the speed of those Zap Cannons!” the Farfetch’d cried. “Zap Cannon is supposed to move relatively slowly, but Thor won’t have it! They don’t call him Thor for nothing!”

“Zap Cannon barrage… Too fast!” Bill gasped, barely escaping the first with a starry, nearly impenetrable barrier, then narrowly avoiding the second by jumping aside.

“He’s losing confidence.” Shockwave bit his lip. “Come on, come on…”

The third of Thor’s electrical assault approached Bill rapidly. If the Scizor didn’t think fast, he would be subject to its wrath… Hoping for the best, he looked towards the sky, and his wings began to whir quickly. Just seconds before impact, Bill lifted off the ground, saving himself from the electrical orb that went skimming past his feet.

“You think you can escape through flying, Scizor? Think again!”

This time, Bill made no attempt to dodge, but instead, closed his eyes. Within moments, his gleaming red coat shone with a mystical aura - one that would keep him safe. As the highly concentrated energy struck him, he did not feel his muscles lock up like they would have under normal circumstances. He was free of the bonds of paralysis…

“Argh! Don’t get cocky just because you got a Safeguard in! I’m not through!” With a startlingly high leap, Thor managed to grab onto Bill’s leg with his right arm, then began to pound the Scizor repeatedly with his flaming red fists…

Gasping, Bill raised a claw and brought it down onto his aggressor’s head, at the same time charging his other with crackling, yellow-green energy…

“He’s seen Zap Cannon so many times, he’s had the opportunity to Mimic it. Yes! That’s it!” Shockwave cheered.

“Alright, Bill! Show that veteran that mere status alone must bow to the truly talented!” Lune yelled.

Bill regained his fighting spirit. He flew up higher... “Fall, Thor!” he cried, while slamming the energy orb into the Granbull’s face. Thor maintained a firm grip, but, as his muscles refused to cooperate, he was forced to release his hold and fall to the ground far below…

A sickening crack marked Thor’s landing, and it looked as if he was not going to get up… Slowly but surely, though, the persistent Granbull rolled over his side until he faced the ground, then pushed his body upwards with his arms and legs.

“As expected, the veteran Thor is still going!” the Farfetch’d announced. “And soon, he’ll just use Heal Bell to remove his paralysis. Too bad for Bill the Scizor!”

Bill shook his head. “Oh, no you don’t,” he muttered. “I’ve worked too hard for this. I think I have an idea…” Addressing Thor, he called, “Hey, are you really going to be wussy and Heal Bell? I wouldn’t, but I’m probably braver than you are. You can go ahead and be a coward if you want. I don’t care. My opponent is a scaredy-Granbull! Scaredy scaredy Granbull!” Bill danced tauntingly, working Thor into a rage.

“I’m no coward! I don’t need Heal Bell!” Thor roared. “I’ll get you!”

While Thor made futile attempts to reach Bill in the air, at times being overcome by twitching fits, the Scizor relaxed, waiting to regain lost stamina.

“You! Scizor! Too scared to come down?” Thor growled. Bill ignored him.

Finally, Bill’s raspy breathing evened again, and he decided to continue. “It’s now or never…” Gathering all of his remaining strength, Bill joined his claws together to house a violently sparking orb… It burned orange with its intensity, swelling as long as Bill could continue directing energy into it. At last, he began to lower himself, and Thor saw this as a chance to vent out his fury… When the Granbull tried, though, he brought himself closer to the energy beam’s searing devastation, throwing himself into the immediate blast radius. With a final cry of defeat, Thor fell and did not move.

“Totally unexpected!” the Farfetch’d cried. “We’ve seen close to a hundred battles today, but none as surprising as this one. The rookie Bill the Scizor will advance to the second round! This ends Round 1. Congratulations to all!”

[Kinglerlord2]

Whee! Another great battle chapter! Excellent description used in the chapter as well. Nice Work

[crazybone]

A rookie managing to faint a vet, two impossible to win battles with some serious type disadvantages, yet 3 for 3. x_<;; It's like you hate experienced vets or somefin. =p *hopes that at least one of the vets wil get to kill one of the lesser talented with gong-ho or something* XP

Good job with the fic (y)

[Charizard04621]

@Kinglerlord2: ty ^^; I hope I don't slack off on description, though. On my first fic, it started off very descriptive, then deteriorated. >_<;

@crazybone: No, only so-called veterans who think they're the greatest just because they've been around the longest.

[AntiAsh Superstar]

*stumbles across this coz the concept of an Eevee called Lune is not entriely unfamiliar* You love that guy, don't ya? :D Well, what can I say, reading that was a very nice way to kill some free time, you've got a cool writing style, and your characters are charismatic enough to keep the reader's interest (this, above all, is something I find necessary for a story, so thumbs up there!). And I for one will be sure to keep tabs on this fic. ^_^

[Charizard04621]

@AntiAsh Superstar: "You love that guy, don't ya?" Yup, sure do. ^_^; Hey, any chance I could test myself for an obsession? @_@;

[Syberia]

Go whack yourself over the head, and then see if whatever you're obsessed with is the first thing you think of when you wake up again.

Allow me to demonstrate *whacks self*
o_O that's odd...I woke up and I can't think of anything. Come to think of it, who am I?

[Charizard04621]

Originally posted by Syberia
Go whack yourself over the head, and then see if whatever you're obsessed with is the first thing you think of when you wake up again.

Allow me to demonstrate *whacks self*
o_O that's odd...I woke up and I can't think of anything. Come to think of it, who am I?

Heyyy... Good idea! =DDDDD

*whacks self*

x_X *groan* Uh, what happened? Who am I? And WHERE IS MY FURAIGON?! ;.;

Err, right. Anyway, I'm posting to say Chapters might be coming a little more slowly. I'll try to keep the pace up, though.

[Charizard04621]

wheevee. Silliness time. ^_^;


Chapter 8
Ignorance and Unrest
Voices… Lune darted off the golden pathway and into a dense bush of sweet-smelling flowers.

“This place stinks!” an Aipom commented, referring to the neatly paved, carefully decorated, peacefully organized Sacred Kingdom.

“Yeah, yeah, I bet we can make it better!” his companion, a Mankey said excitedly.

“Hey! Look, Elbuort!” The Aipom pointed at the large greeting sign ahead. Both stopped walking to examine it.

Elbuort scratched behind his ear and began to read. “Hmm… Welcome to the Sacred Kingdom. We pride ourselves in this beautiful realm. Please take heed of our rules to ensure a pleasant stay and a wonderful experience. For entertainment purposes, we host many frequent peacetime tournaments. If you wish to participate, please register at the beginning of each tournament. You may request an Adviser,”

“…who will work hard with you to bring out your true potential in battle,” Lune continued, emerging from his hiding place. “May I help you?”

“Toidi, this tournament stuff sounds fun. Don’t you think so?” Elbuort asked the Aipom excitedly.

“Yeah. Hey, you, Eevee, do you know where we can find these so-called Enticers?”

“Advisers…” Lune corrected.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Toidi waved it off impatiently. “Do you know where they are or not?”

“I happen to be one of them,” Lune replied testily. He had low tolerance levels for pokémon such as these. Unfortunately, he ran into them all the time. It was all he could do to keep himself from acting rashly. Whenever he lost his temper, despite his efforts to control himself, he always regretted it.

“First, I believe you should learn a few rules of the Sacred Kingdom. Don’t worry; we’ll do this one step at a time.”

“To hell with rules!” the Aipom yelled. “We’re not stupid. We know the rules already.”

Lune gritted his teeth. If Shockwave were here, he’d make sure Lune didn’t lose control of his temper at the wrong time. Lune just had to hope he could bear it long enough…

“All right, then,” Lune uttered with difficulty, “follow me. The forest clearing where we will have the training session is a short distance ahead.”


***
The sound of the rushing falls helped to calm Lune’s nerves. It was over… He was in the sacred meadow. He had to try to relax.

“And then, they demanded that I teach both of them to explode multiple times without causing injury to themselves!” Lune got to his feet, growling. His eyes blazed with mad fury.

“Shake it off, Lune.” Shockwave splashed cool, refreshing water onto the fuming Eevee’s face. “Hmm… What did you say their names were again?”

“Elbuort and Toidi.” Lune bared his teeth, and his mouth began to foam.

“Hey…”

“What?”

“Ever tried mirroring their names?”

Lune frowned, puzzled for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Shockwave, you rule.”

Shockwave grinned.

[Charizard04621]

wheevee! ^_^


Chapter 9
The Emperor's Wrath
The paved pathway sparkled with the rays of the afternoon sun. It was a perfectly lazy day. No one did much but relax. No preparations for the coming second round of the tournament would be made today; the traditional rushing would come tomorrow, the day before Round Two would begin. But today was meant to be lazy.

As Shockwave and Lune ambled casually down the path, heading for the heart of the Kingdom where all the fun idleness lay, a messenger Sandshrew barred their way.

“Are y-y-y-you L-Lune?” she stammered, staring at the Eevee as if he was an atomic bomb that could go off at any minute. He nodded, puzzled.

“Emperor Ryu has… has… has sent for you,” she managed. “He was v-v-v-very angry. He needed to see you about attacking v-v-v-visitors.” The Sandshrew shrank back in fear, trembling after every word she spoke.

Shockwave turned to Lune in horror. “You WHAT?”

“I had no choice.” Lune hung his head. “When I told them their demands were impossible to meet, they decided to turn on me.”

Shockwave remained silent. After a while, he began to speak, slowly. “Why didn’t you just tell me this before?” He looked hurt.

“Sorry…”

“Um, e-e-e-excuse me, but could you p-p-please hurry? Emperor Ryu doesn’t like w-w-waiting.”

“Lune…” Shockwave whispered, softly but clearly, “be careful. And this time, bow!”


***
Emperor Ryu had chosen a rather unfavorable place for a meeting. It was dark, hot, stuffy, and horribly depressing. Lune sat dejectedly in a corner, picturing various images of electrically fried Ampharos as he waited.

Lune was willing to bet that Emperor Ryu’s silence was intentional, that it was meant to make him angry, and that Emperor Ryu was bent upon wasting his valuable time. Finally, he could take it no longer, and he confronted the Ampharos, growling. “What the heck do you want from me, you… sleazy… ARGH!”

The Emperor withdrew slightly, but remained relatively calm. “Your behavior, Eevee, is unacceptable.”

“And yours isn’t, you good-for-nothing hypocrite?”

“That’s not the point right now. The point is that you attacked two visitors here.”

“Yeah? How do you know? You just take their word for it and don’t give me a chance to say anything in my defense? They didn’t even understand the rules! They turned on me! I am fully to blame and they are not?”

“Don’t you dare give me any of that nonsense about rules. You are pushing me over the edge. If I ever hear about you causing trouble again, you will be banished from the Sacred Kingdom forever! I don’t care what your excuse is. You are wrong, and you’d better damn shut up about it before it’s too late!”

Lune glared at the Emperor. Their fiery gazes met. Each was too stubborn to back down. Each wanted the last word. Shockwave’s warning rang through Lune’s mind…

This had gone far enough. Lune had foolishly let his anger control him; he needed to stop before things took a turn for the worst. Averting his gaze, Lune turned reluctantly away and forced himself to leave.


***
“Lay low,” Lord Yoruno advised.

“Shockwave…” Lune whispered, wishing the Pikachu were here, “What have I done?”

[Charizard04621]

Important Note: I'm gonna be gone for two weeks on Christmas break starting next Monday. This'll probably be the last chapter until then. Sorry ^^;


Chapter 10
A Promise is a Promise
“Ugh. I knew it. I was against his coronation from the very beginning. Then again, there certainly wasn’t much to choose from back then, either.”

“You’re not mad at me?” Lune felt relieved.

Shockwave shrugged. “At least you told me what happened this time.”

“Sorry… I won’t hide things from you again. I promise.”

“Okay.”

“Hmm, it’s almost time.” Lune got to his feet, shaking the blades of meadow grass from his fur.

“Huh?”

“I set up a practice battle with Lady Naien today. She said she would wait at Misty Lake. It’ll help keep both of us in shape. The Tournament of the Eternal Flame that she wants to join will begin soon. C’mon, Shockwave, let’s go meet her.”


***
A harsh wind rattled the flimsy skeletons of the dry bushes. Lune shivered, panting as he climbed with difficulty up the steep mountain slope. The biting frost was vicious. Cold mountain air did not get any more cruel than this. Shockwave, of course, moved along effortlessly, stopping to wait for the struggling Eevee from time to time.

Suddenly, the bleak, deserted landscape was gone. Rugged, rust-colored dirt slopes transformed into soft meadow grass. Here the ground leveled and the howling wind stopped.

The Misty Lake was named by no accident. High among the clouds, surrounded by a ring of lush, forested mountains, this vast crystalline lake was shrouded in a light, mysterious mist. It was a tranquil scene and well worth the perilous climb.

As the day came to its end, reflected across the lake were the red and golden rays of the setting sun. Lune sighed and settled down in the soft grass, smiling when Shockwave made the point of taking a dip in the icy lake water.

“You should come in too.” Shockwave smirked.

“Heck, no way. The water’s freezing!”

“I’ll drag you in!”

With that, the Pikachu got out of the lake and began to chase after Lune.

Lune broke into a run. “Not this time, Shockwave!”


***
“Looks like she isn’t coming…” Shockwave looked over at the disappointed Lune, who was gazing blankly at the stars above. “You were really looking forward to that battle, huh?”

“Yeah, but it’s not just that…” Lune dipped his paw into the lake water, watching the ripples spread. Lady Naien had promised, and Lune valued promises. Part of the reason Emperor Ryu disgusted him was the fact that the Emperor continually made empty promises that he would never keep. In Lune’s opinion, promises were not made to be broken. He knew Lady Naien understood this principle. She was just busy with other matters. He just wished that she had not promised…

Shockwave shrugged. “You can battle her some other time, you know.”

“Yeah…”

“Hmm. It’s too late to get back down now. We can spend the night up here and go back tomorrow.”

Lune nodded in agreement, then flinched. “Oh, no…”

“What is it?”

“The Tournament of Eternal Flame begins tomorrow morning. I promised Lady Naien that I would be there… I keep my promises.”

“If we get lucky, we’ll make it back by sunrise. Come on!” Shockwave darted down the slopes.

[Charizard04621]

wheevee. I'm back! I should get the next chapter up, hopefully tomorrow, at best.

[Charizard04621]

Here it is, finally. Sorry for the wait.


Chapter 11
The Tournament of Eternal Flame
The heavy stench of sulfur thickened the tangible air. The sweltering heat here was so dense that Lune could see it move. He found it difficult to breathe in this choking atmosphere. Even Shockwave displayed signs of discomfort. Yet they would endure it, for Lady Naien.

Hot, glowing coals paved the ground of this mysteriously natural arena. The smooth stones, white to begin with, gleamed red like blazing fire, somehow never smothered by the thick black ash that hung in the air. These, Lune suspected, had some sort of magical quality unknown thus far… He gazed down the gaping mouth of the dark cavern that seemed to lead down into the farthest depths of the land. The rough mountain range beyond was strange and unwelcoming; worse so than the dreary slopes that led up to the Misty Lake. Even Shockwave who enjoyed adventure would not venture there. The cavern itself was hostile. Lune had entered it once, and he had felt like he faced the wrath of an ever-raging inferno… He had barely made it out alive, and not without Shockwave’s help.

“Hmm, looks like Emperor Ryu will not be keeping track of this tournament. Lune? …Did you just hear what I said? Talk to me! I’m getting worried.” There was a slight tinge of alarm in Shockwave’s voice.

“Um…” Lune blinked, snapping back into reality. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little more tired than I thought.”

Shockwave laughed nervously. “Right. So, anyway, Lady Naien’s next. Look who she’s up against!”

An ever cool Umbreon stood calmly on the burning stones, not showing the slightest sign of pain. In fact, his face revealed no emotion of any sort. His dark, gleaming fur glistened even now in the filthy atmosphere, glorified even more by the luminescent glow of his bright yellow rings. He stood perfectly still and did not blink.

“Lord Yoruno?” Lune nearly fell over in surprise. “He doesn’t seem to care that the arena was chosen so that Fire types alone could long endure it…”

Shockwave nodded. “This should be interesting. The only question now is how good a fight Lady Naien can put up before Lord Yoruno prevails.”

Lune looked over at Lady Naien. The white skull crest on her chest glowed as her face did with determination. Her long, slender tail was lifted high in the air threateningly like a scorpion’s in an offensive stance, poised and ready to strike. Eyes blazing with fire, the Houndoom was ready to give this match everything she’d got.

“Lady Naien will try her hardest… Either way, she won’t be disappointed. I give her five minutes at most,” Lune said.

“Nah, she’ll last a little longer than that. When she does, you have to jump into the Misty Lake for however long she held out!” Such was Shockwave’s challenge, but Lune was unworried.

“All right, then, it’s a bet. But don’t count on seeing me get into those hellish icy waters anytime soon! I won’t lose. Not this time.” Lune was sure of it.

Enthusiastic spectators cheered the two combatants on, impatient for the match to begin. In the confusion, all but an attentive few failed to notice Lord Yoruno: Rings glimmering even in the haze, he began to fade, slightly at first, while his body grew ever dimmer as his faint outline shone – then, abruptly, he was gone. A cry of surprise rushed through the onlookers as they finally realized that Lord Yoruno had disappeared. Lady Naien scanned the arena uneasily. Like most, she had no clue as to Lord Yoruno’s whereabouts.

“He just jumped,” Shockwave whispered, pointing. “Now he’s making his way stealthily behind her.”

At first Lune was bewildered. He could not understand how Shockwave could have spotted the completely invisible Lord Yoruno. As he strained to see, though, he realized that several stones behind Lady Naien were weighed down, barely. Lord Yoruno had nearly gotten away with it, but even he could not conceal his step, however light. Still, Lune knew he would not have caught this if Shockwave had not shown him. Lady Naien remained oblivious to it all, and her searching eyes now displayed a frantic light. She could not find Lord Yoruno.

Suddenly, the hot white stones began to glow – in spite of themselves – the coldest blue that Lune had ever seen; he shivered, chilled by the cruel light. Willingly the gleaming stones rose, some from a circular perimeter around Lady Naien, enclosing her in a glowing prison as they flew into the sky and trapped her in a sphere; the others from below her, breaking loose of the layer of ash, coming out from under her feet and forcing her to stumble. Now, it seemed, Lord Yoruno had no more intention of hiding himself, and the Umbreon revealed his position a safe distance away. With a signaling nod, he commanded the suspended stones to strike, and all obeyed their master, flinging themselves at the horrified Houndoom within.

Lightning flashed in the sky, crashing through dark clouds of ill omen. To Lady Naien it seemed the raining of the stones lasted an eternity… But she did not know that once the vicious barrage ended, a new terror began. Water gushed forth from the clouds in torrents, stinging her no less relentlessly than the flying stones. She cried for the rain to stop, but instead of slowing, the storm worsened with renewed fury, and she gave up the mental struggle. Lord Yoruno’s will was too strong now.

Just when things couldn’t possibly have gotten any worse, the abundance of stones that had clattered to the ground rose for a second time, and it seemed that nothing would prevent another assault. Gathering her courage and strength, Lady Naien now looked to the shadows for help, and they came. In three balls around her, darkness collected swiftly, and, stripped of time, unable to wait for the throbbing orbs to reach their full potential, Lady Naien struck each one, sending them lurching forward in her panic. Three separate explosions resulted; the stones involved in the collision were annihilated in the rippling ethereal eruptions. For a fleeting moment Lord Yoruno’s psionic control seemed to falter…

Taking advantage of what she hoped was her opponent’s blunder, Lady Naien howled mournfully, calling for mercy, as she turned her head upwards to the hidden sun. This time Lord Yoruno did not fight back, and the tormenting storm clouds parted, leaving the sun to shine down upon the waterlogged land, tentatively at first, then stronger. With the sun beaming down upon her, Lady Naien felt, for the first time, that now she had a chance to launch an offensive of her own. The Houndoom’s coat dried quickly under the warm rays, and every moment she felt energy from the sunlight surge through her body increasingly faster… Lady Naien radiated with a golden glow, intense as the rays of the sun. Lune saw her body sparkle with light as she walked, painfully but determinedly towards Lord Yoruno. He gazed on calmly, making no effort to escape.

With a cry, Lady Naien unleashed her gathered power in a single stabbing pillar of light that engulfed the waiting Umbreon and shattered him to pieces. At that same instant, a crackling energy beam lanced forth from the real Lord Yoruno behind the Houndoom before she overcame her momentary confusion.

When she realized what had happened it was too late. Roaring, Lady Naien shook her head with vicious rage, driven mad by the searing agony that tore at her flesh. Her mouth foamed with thick, white froth, and though the energy had faded, she continued to twitch horribly, shivering with unwanted memory of the pain.

Lord Yoruno bolted, kicking up ash and stone as he ran ever swifter, until he became merely a black streak in the smoke-filled arena. Then he swerved and made straight for Lady Naien, lowering his head to ram her… Just barely, the Houndoom’s body, limned with a red glare, flashed suddenly – and, to everyone’s amazement, Lord Yoruno was thrown back.

Still calmly the Umbreon leapt to his feet, then approached Lady Naien, emotionless, but like a silent predator ready to deal the final blow to his hapless prey. Lady Naien, however, had one last defense. In a final burst of blazing fury, eyes flashing with one last hope, the Houndoom descended upon her opponent with a terrible rush of power, dealing blow after frenzied blow with frightening swiftness, transforming her pain and weakness into strength, and turning it into her opponent’s suffering and sorrow. For an instant it looked as if predator had been turned to prey, and prey to predator, and many thought that all had been reversed. But the past events of the taxing battle proved too much for Lady Naien to bear… Bringing his glinting tail of metallic silver crashing down upon the Houndoom’s skull, Lord Yoruno ended her assault swiftly. Long silence followed.

“Five minutes and three seconds, Lune!” Shockwave yelled. “Haha! I win!” Hearing no response from Lune, Shockwave paused, then saw that the Eevee lay on the floor asleep. His careworn face was filled with lined of worry. Shockwave wondered at Lune’s unnatural thinness and the frail softness of his fur. The Eevee had been troubled much lately, worrying about something he would not tell Shockwave about, and in the meantime neglecting to take care of himself. Shockwave sighed. He couldn't ask Lune to stop being close and reveal his feelings, but if Lune didn’t start eating soon, Shockwave would have to force him to come to his senses. Lune stirred.

“Are you staying to watch the rest?” Shockwave asked, already knowing the answer.

“I’m exhausted. I’m heading back to the Sanctuary. Tell me what happens, and I mean every single detail. I’m counting on you! Oh, and it seems I have lost the bet. I’ll fulfill the requirements after I get some sleep.” Lune winked, and was off.

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 12
Silent Assassins
Cool, fresh stream water lapped gently over Lune’s face. The sound of the cascading waterfall splashing musically upon the water’s surface above was soothing; almost immediately, as if in a dream, whatever doubts or tenseness remained in Lune was magically washed away by the silvery notes. Suddenly he just felt carefree, purged of his troubles by the sparkling radiance of the crystalline water and the warm, golden sunlight above all. This dive was the best thing in a long time that Lune had taken for himself. It was just so relaxing to roam freely underwater, gazing at the glittering sandy bottom of the stream.

A shadow passed overhead. Another lurked nearby. Lune caught the gleam of cold, evil eyes. When he turned, the horror that he saw set his heart pounding wildly. That sleek, blue figure… the red jewel on her forehead… the long, slender beak… those webbed hands and feet… Then a streak of green flew across the stream and waited on the grassy riverbed. There could be no mistake. Assassins.

But here? In the Sanctuary? Was Lune safe nowhere? Lune gritted his teeth. He had to think… fast. He knew he could match a regular Golduck in swimming speed, but assassins of every breed were the swiftest, stealthiest, and most skillful of their kind.

Only one advantage presented itself to Lune in this situation… He knew this stream’s very nature. The assassin Golduck was in foreign waters. Lune paddled even harder, kicking with all his might although his muscles were sore and tired out. The water surface was still out of reach. Up ahead, though, he knew there was a powerful hidden current above. Even the assassin Golduck would have trouble with it. Lune needed to go past it, all the time swimming directly beneath it, then pull up immediately after it ended. For, though his body could probably have endured the underwater flight, his lungs could not. He was out of breath, and he could already feel his lungs threatening to explode. His strokes weakened… Lune faltered… His pursuer crept up ever closer…

But Lune would not fail. Not after all he had done. Already he felt faint, but his mind pushed him on, and his heart, despite the lack of air, thumped hard against his chest. He could see the ending of the hidden current ahead. Just a little more…

Suddenly, Lune had gotten across. Everything seemed surreal; he felt like he was floating in a dream… But his body kept paddling, and steadily he rose, up, up, up, until he breached the water’s surface.

Then, in a shock, reality rushed back to Lune as he sputtered and choked, gulping in huge mouthfuls of air thankfully. He gave a cry of joy, for his pursuer had pulled up too soon and now she fought against the swift current. Still, Lune hadn’t much time… He paddled to the shore and dragged himself out.

Out of nowhere, Lune felt a sharp blow to the back of his head. He stumbled and fell. A wave of fear washed over him; suddenly he was afraid.

A sleek, deadly mantis stood over Lune, brandishing his cold, cruel scythes. Lune felt a trickle of blood crawl down his neck. Colors began to swirl together into a chaotic mass, and images blurred. The assassin Scyther snickered; a menacing gleam flashed through his eyes. His body was emerald green; his bared teeth were a pearly white; his wings fluttered in the wind, but they were no less cruel than the rest of him, for the topmost ones grew upon two sharp, long spines that pointed outward in opposite directions from each other. He opened his mouth and began to speak. Lune, wavering between light and darkness, had to struggle to understand.

“Fool! You should never have betrayed Emperor Ryu. Do you know what we’re going to do to you now?” The assassin Scyther paused to gloat upon the fear in his victim’s glazed eyes. When he saw that the Eevee was not going to respond further, he cackled. “Don’t despair; the blow I dealt you is nothing compared to what you will suffer next.” The Golduck pulled beside him, smirking devilishly.

“Now,” the Scyther continued, “we must say goodbye. You’ll pay for resisting Emperor Ryu!”

“Have you figured out your sorry fate yet?” the Golduck taunted. Lune did not answer. In fact, he could not; he had no strength left. He had lost touch with reality.

“We are going to disappear you,” the Scyther whispered in a sinister tone, with relish. “Just think: no one will ever know. They will wonder where you have gone. They might begin to panic. Emperor Ryu will reassure them. Then, in a regretful tone, he will inform them that you were found drowned in a treacherous river. He will say that you had been swimming too deep and were swept up by a current. He will tell them it threw you down a waterfall. He will say that you fell to the rocks below; with your injured head, you could not swim. He will present your limp body. They will believe him. They will mourn you for a while, and then slowly you will be forgotten. No one will know the truth.”

Lune listened, horrified but helpless. The glinting blade fell upon him… Everything went blur.

[Charizard04621]

If there're errors, please point them out and I'll fix them later... Right now my stomach is killing me for reasons unknown, and I'm going to put myself in bed before it gets worse.

[EDIT]: Mmh, I forgot to fix several paragraphs as well as add words in italics. X_x


Chapter 13
Awakened Fear
“Right. I’m going to check on Lune now. He still needs to jump into the Misty Lake. Bye!” Shockwave prepared to leave, but Lady Naien stopped him.

“No, wait,” she said.

“Err… For what? It’s getting late. I really should be going.”

“I can’t tell you yet, but it won’t be long. Just hold on; it’s important,” she pleaded. Lady Naien hurried off.

Shockwave turned his head skywards. The sun had already begun to settle behind the foreboding Mountains of Doom – now a dark shade of gray in the shadows – and it blazed a deep red, like a ball of fire sinking through the sky. For a moment, the sky looked like an inferno, burning with intense red, orange, and gold. The vibrant flame reached across the land, now and then casting tongues of color down on hills; or caves; or stones; or grass. Then the fiery intensity lessened, and the colors in the sky became softer, like pastels. A gentle lavender seeped into the reds and golds. Here and there several white stars began to emerge and sparkle as the sky became an ocean of darkening blue. Shockwave sighed. It was getting late – very late. And to tell the truth, pangs of worry gnawed at him constantly. He felt unusually ill at ease, and he desperately wanted to leave quickly to find Lune. The Eevee was probably fine, but still…

Hesitantly Shockwave lingered, until the urge that steadily grew inside him became too strong to ignore. Something felt horribly wrong, and he did not want to wait any longer. Just then, though, he heard two Donphan trumpeting, announcing the arrival of the Emperor.

Emperor Ryu made his way to a high platform set a little aside from the marble bleachers, then cleared his throat. All who remained there fell silent. Shockwave’s heart skipped a beat, for he had just spotted Lady Naien behind Emperor Ryu in the shadows. What was that Ampharos planning to do? And was it just Shockwave’s imagination, or did Emperor Ryu actually look stern and worried?

“Ahem.” The Ampharos raised his arms in the air. “Dearest loyal subjects, there is nothing I will ever regret saying more than the words I am about to utter. First of all, a certain Eevee-” Emperor Ryu cut himself short. To Lady Naien, he whispered: “What was his name? He had an Everstone on his forehead.”

“Lune,” she replied gravely.

“Ah yes. As I was saying,” he continued, turning to the crowd, “Lune the Eevee…” Emperor Ryu’s voice trailed off.

At this, Shockwave gagged. His leaden heart sank. “I knew there was something wrong. Lune, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Shockwave bit his lip to choke back a tear of frustration.

“Well, about Lune the Eevee, if he is out there, I would like to apologize to him.”

Shockwave’s ears perked up. “What the heck? What are you up to, Ryu?” he muttered.

“I would like to apologize to him for treating him so harshly. I must admit that my behavior was unacceptable, and that I was under a lot of pressure at the time he confronted me. That brings me to my second and more important issue.” Emperor Ryu took a deep breath, as if what he was going to say required all the strength he could muster. “I am resigning as emperor, and I am leaving the Sacred Kingdom in the hands of Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien.”

Shockwave stared up at the Ampharos in disbelief. Could Emperor Ryu really have said that? And why? By now, the uneasy feeling inside was choking him. “Lune, please be all right…” he said, making for the Sanctuary with all haste.

[100FangCroconaw]

I just finished reading. Nice work! And there aren't any mistakes that I can see.

[Charizard04621]

@100FangCroconaw: Wow, you read all that in one sitting? O_o; You must read fast.

By the way, I'll edit this post or something when I get the next chapter up. I have it written; just need to type it.

[Charizard04621]

Okay, yeah. One of my slightly longer chapters. On the other hand, I have an English Research project coming up soon, so my fic might move slower. I'll see what I can do, though.


Chapter 14
Living Nightmares
“NEVER!” Lune wailed, jerking his head upwards. He was bathed in sweat. The sun was beginning to sink beneath the forest trees. There were no assassins in the Sanctuary.

“What in the name of…” Lune cut himself off. He grimaced painfully. “Well, Emperor Ryu, looks like you win the war. I don’t know why that vision came to me, but it’s just as well. I must leave the Sacred Kingdom by sundown. So,” he added bitterly, “goodbye, kingdom of horror! I am going home to where I belong: far away from the likes of Ryu.”

Lune had not always lived in the Sacred Kingdom. Long ago, there was a time in which he never knew what it was - when the only places he ever heard mention of it were in old stories that no one knew were true. In his time of youth, he had very little to worry about. His days in the Forgotten Kingdom were the most carefree he would ever see. He was totally different then. Still, he hadn’t been content. Lune sighed. If only he had known…

He had been too naïve to understand, Lune thought. He had longed for adventure and glory. Well, he had adventure now, he thought bitterly, but where was the glory?

Lune choked. Part of him wished he had never left the Forgotten Kingdom. The other part reminded him of the reason he had come in search of the Sacred Kingdom, the only reason worth all this pain: Shockwave. Shockwave had left to explore the world before him, finding excitement in every corner. Eventually, Shockwave made his way to the Sacred Kingdom…

Getting to his feet, Lune shook the grass from his fur. “Shockwave!” he cried, “how could I have forgotten?” Lune darted off into the thick brush nearby, ignoring the thorns that scarred his side. He tore through the dense entanglement of branches and leaves in a reckless hurry. Abruptly, the brush ended, and Lune found himself in a forest clearing. He stopped to catch his breath.

A thick, brambly ring of towering undergrowth enclosed this secluded area. Above, the treetop canopies did not reveal the clearing, though during the day, golden light would come streaming through.

“This is the spot… Hasn’t changed much in ages. It’s like this clearing never feels the burden of time upon it. It’s a separate world.” Lune walked cautiously over the soft grass, turning his head this way and that, desperately trying to find something.

“Haha! There it is!” Lune pounced upon a small mound of grass cleverly hidden under the shadow of a tree’s magnificent roots. Growing upon it were small white flowers with many delicate outward rays, beautiful like stars. Lune dug up the soil underneath the flowers slowly, uprooted them, then placed them in the center of the clearing with intense care. “Something as beautiful as that deserves to spread across the land, wild and free.” Lune looked upon the starry flowers, and, for a brief instant, he was showered with doubt. If he left the Sacred Kingdom for good, he would never see anything like them again.

Lune shook his head. “No, there’s no time. I’d better finish this quickly.” Lune headed back for the uncovered mound, then frantically began to throw dirt, stones, and roots upwards with his paws. Finally, he struck something hard. “Yes…”

The cold stone glowed in the little light that was left. It gleamed silver in the rapidly approaching night, and as the sun sank lower, it began to glitter and shine stronger than before. Lune scooped it up and hastily carried it away in his mouth. He cast one last glance at the starry white flowers in the middle of the clearing, loth to let them leave his sight.

Then his expression changed. “If they grow here, why not in the Forgotten Kingdom?"” Lune scrambled to the edge of the clearing where the largest ancient tree grew. Its trunk was thick and knobbly with old age; its branches hung heavily overhead, laden with fat, ripe fruit; its strong, leathery leaves – a deep, dark green – were bigger than his face. Lune placed the Moon Stone at the tree’s roots and began to climb its short, bent trunk.

Soon after, Lune descended, grinning with a leaf-full of shining golden berries. He picked up the Moon Stone, then turned his attention to the flowers growing in the center of the clearing. Gingerly, Lune pulled one flower out from the grass, being careful to leave some soil between its intertwined roots. He placed it amongst the berries, then folded the leaf to conceal them. “Gold Berries and an Evening Star… What a treasure. I’ll need some Miracleberries too, though. But most importantly,” Lune added, eyeing the Moon Stone, “I need to show Shockwave that I left of my own accord.” Lune bounded back to the Sanctuary, stopping on the way to collect several small but mysterious berries. At times, they blazed red like an internal flame burned inside them; or they sparkled an icy blue, like delicate frost in a snowfall; sometimes they even gleamed a rich forest green, and their scent was as refreshing as crisp mountain air or a garden of mint.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lune finally set foot in the Sanctuary once more. There he left the Moon Stone between long blades of grass. Shockwave would find it and understand.

Back when Shockwave had left the Forgotten Kingdom, Lune had hardly known him, and would certainly not have considered him a friend. In fact, their first meeting had not been a pleasant one: Lune remembered that he had begun to argue with Shockwave over some silly, insignificant matter. The argument quickly escalated into an unfriendly duel, in which Lune totally despised Shockwave’s annoying ability to remain perfectly calm and cool. The worst part, of course, was when Shockwave actually decided to zap him “lightly”. What Shockwave considered a light zap seemed to Lune like a ferocious strike from a particularly brutal lightning bolt. It was more than just a little static shock.

After that, Lune decided that he hated Shockwave. Still, there was something about the Pikachu that drew Lune to him. When Shockwave left the Forgotten Kingdom in search of adventure, Lune followed soon after. That was when he discovered the Sacred Kingdom.

Lune remembered that he had been excited beyond his wildest dreams, especially when he learned about the frequent tournaments. He could not wait to settle down in the Sacred Kingdom, which, at the time, seemed to him a far more interesting place than the Forgotten Kingdom.

The Moon Stone had been won from a special tournament that tested teamwork. He had been puzzled when he needed to find a partner, for he knew no one there… Or so he thought. Unexpectedly, and very much to Lune’s surprise, Shockwave had invited Lune to join the Tag Team Tournament as his partner, and together they had defeated all opposition. Lune felt that Shockwave should keep the stone, for he believed that their victory had been largely because of Shockwave alone. Shockwave had laughingly shaken his head and refused both the prize and the credit. In that short period of time, Lune’s respect for Shockwave had shot up exponentially just as his hatred for the Pikachu had dropped to none.

As for who should get possession of the Moon Stone, they decided that neither should keep it. Since there was no practical use for the stone, they agreed that they should hold on to it as a reminder of their victory; later, when they discovered the Sanctuary, they hid it in the forest clearing, promising never to disturb it unless it was sorely needed.

Lune smiled. He needed it now, all right. Saying one final goodbye to the Sanctuary and all the good of the Sacred Kingdom, Lune padded off softly into the night, being careful not to leave any trace of his steps behind, not knowing which he feared more: to be followed by assassins, or by Shockwave.

[100FangCroconaw]

Actually, I'll confess that I read some chappies before without replying.Nice chappy though.

[Charizard04621]

@100FangCroconaw: Oh, cool. Nah, you're not the only one doing it. I know people are reading my fic, because the views are going up, even though they're not posting, so I'm okay with that.

[Charizard04621]

Ack! Sorry for the long wait. I got busy with Tennis tryouts and my English Research Paper. Here's the next chapter!


Chapter 15
Pursuit
As Shockwave ran, drawing in hasty gasps of air, his heart thudded urgently faster. A sense of alarm lingered about him; his face was filled with horror.

“He’s gone!” Shockwave cried, bursting through the palace door, coming crashing wildly into the wide lobby in which the two Guardians stood. Lady Naien looked concerned, but Lord Yoruno did not express more than just a slight interest in the matter.

Turning to Lady Naien, Shockwave uttered breathlessly, in a panic: “I can’t find Lune anywhere. Something happened to him.” Shockwave had hastened to the Sanctuary, but the only traces of Lune’s footprints in the grass had faded off rather quickly as he followed the tracks, until the trail abruptly came to a halt and vanished from existence.

“Check more carefully.” Lord Yoruno was not worried. Lady Naien, on the other hand, was beginning to panic, though she tried her best to hide it. The Houndoom looked over at the calm Lord Yoruno, who did not move or blink. Finally, Lady Naien gave up trying to simulate the Umbreon’s unfeeling manner, and she turned to Shockwave.

“How long has he been missing?” she asked. “Perhaps we could send out a search party.”

Shockwave shook his head. “You’ll never find him that way.” For once, the Pikachu could not hide his frustration when he wanted to. Suddenly everything had gone wrong. He had never in his life felt overwhelmed like this before; there was nothing, no matter how terrible, that could have shaken him. Now it was different. Crying out with exasperation, Shockwave raised his arms in the air. Anything within his immediate area erupted with chains of lightning; the white marble floor beneath him was charred black from the electricity. Slowly, to calm himself down, Shockwave took deep breaths. He caught Lady Naien’s surprised gaze. “I’ve searched everywhere.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Lady Naien began, after she recovered from the shock, “except that we’ll be looking.”

“There’s no guarantee he will ever be found,” said Lord Yoruno without emotion. “For all you know, he may be lying drowned at the bottom of some lake.”

Shockwave clenched his fists. “Or,” Lord Yoruno continued, “perhaps he’s stranded on top of an obscure mountain, buried under many feet of snow.”

Growling, Shockwave turned his back to Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien. “I’ll find him,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “I’ll find him without your help.” With that, he left through the doors.


***
Shockwave splashed his face with cool river water, disheartened. He had scoured the Sanctuary for hours, and still he found nothing. The full moon had risen up above the treetops, high among the twinkling stars. It was nearly midnight.

But as the reflection of the moon in the rushing water broke into an array of white light, Shockwave saw something that he had not noticed before: a glint of silver in the long meadow grass.

Panting from exhaustion, the Pikachu hurriedly uncovered the Moon Stone. Light of the stars shone upon its smooth, cold surface, intensifying its glorious gleam as if it were a small, silver piece of the moon itself. Shockwave picked it up.

“The Moon Stone,” Shockwave muttered grimly. “So the matter was urgent.”

Then, bit by bit, Shockwave began retracing Lune’s steps, hoping that he could discover the Eevee’s whereabouts. He went first to the forest clearing where the Moon Stone had been hidden for so many long years. There he discovered the patch of Evening Stars and the Moon Stone’s upturned resting place. He also noticed the tree laden with Gold Berries.

“Judging by the way those thick branches are bent slightly, the tree has recently been climbed,” he observed. “But why would Lune need Gold Berries? He would only bring them along if he planned to go on a long journey.”

Pacing back and forth, Shockwave began to sniff the air, then dropped to the ground on all fours and carefully followed a barely noticeable trail of slightly trodden grass out of the clearing. Soon, he came to the very tree from which Lune had harvested Miracleberries.

“Miracleberries? He was definitely setting off for a certain place. He’s always cautious; he’d never want to be caught unprepared, and he’d never leave in the first place without a plan.”

Shockwave frowned. “Lune left me the Moon Stone to tell me that he had left of his own will. However, that is the only thing he left me. He could have left me more. He was even careful enough to travel so swiftly and lightly that now I can’t even sense the path he took. That can only mean one thing: he thinks he’ll be followed.”

“But by what? Think, Shockwave, think!” he told himself. “Well, Lune’s been increasingly worried recently, after that incident with Ryu. He couldn’t be afraid of the incompetent Ampharos himself; Lune has no respect for Ryu. The only thing that would be capable of tracing down Lune if he had not hidden his trail from me would be… an assassin…”

Shockwave nodded. “It’s possible. Lune doesn’t know that Ryu resigned. Lune’s been thinking too much these days. It’s likely that all the worrying finally got to him; at some point, something must have happened to make him believe that assassins would pursue him.”

“Where is he heading for?” Shockwave whispered. He paused for a long while. “The Forgotten Kingdom… could it be?”

[Charizard04621]

*now feels guilty for slowing down*


Chapter 16
Flight from Peril
It was a cold night. The silver light cast by the glowing stars illuminated the paved golden pathway upon which Lune was so careful to tread lightly. After he had gotten through the narrow cavern, he had decided to travel by the main path, for two reasons: the very convenient and speedy passage it provided, and, more importantly, the frequency of its use. It would be impossible, especially the next day, for his tracks, trodden upon by hundreds of others, to be remotely traced. No assassin could follow that trail. Even Shockwave could not do it.

Lune sighed. He hated the fact that he could not say goodbye to Shockwave. If he had, though, Shockwave would never have allowed him leave alone. Lune knew that the Pikachu loved the Sacred Kingdom as if it were his own native soil. It would be unfair to Shockwave if Lune had let him set off on the long journey for home. Shockwave was happy in the Sacred Kingdom, and Lune did not want it to change. Besides, assassins were bred to kill coldly, and take pleasure in the killing. If they caught Lune, he did not want Shockwave to be caught with him. It never occurred to Lune that, regardless of what he did to prevent it, Shockwave would come after him anyway.

A fork in the road split the main pavement. One led far into the west, where green, abundant forest stretched on for miles. Flowers of every color of the rainbow were scattered across the grassy land; on the trees, an endless bloom of luscious fruit hung, sparkling under the moonlight. The other narrower road crawled into peaceful darkness, often mistaken for black, abandoned evil. For this reason, few dared venture there.

At the end would be a gate, a shadowed gray under the twilight, and a faded gold under the rays of the sun; it was barely noticeable, and would almost always be missed. Through the gate was a long journey by a secret valley, closed in on both sides by mountains tall and proud. Those on the left remained blossoming in eternal spring, while the range on the right raged perpetually with bitter cold winter. The valley itself, Lune recalled, smelled sweet, as a meadow in the summertime. The soft, young grass sprouted often with flowers of all kinds, and the field was a yearlong sea of joyous color. Here birds sang sweetly of their happiness, in such melodies few alive had ever heard. The journey, though long, would be one of great bliss.

This was the beauty that Lune remembered, from when he passed it long ago. Through that hidden gate lay a secret haven; beyond that haven lay his beloved home. Lune smiled, walking slowly down the lonely road into the darkness, dreaming of the wonders that lay beyond the gate at the end.


***
The gate was guarded. First to catch Lune’s eye was the apparent leader of the group, who now stood in the center of the circle, whispering inaudibly. The Sneasel, slightly taller than Lune would have expected one to be, was slender, muscular, and formidable. The way he stood with such confident pride reminded Lune somewhat of Lord Yoruno; but the Sneasel he saw had something else – energy, perhaps – and the spirit of a rebel fighting for a cause. Lune could see, marked on the Sneasel’s face, light of determination and the faint hint of great but well-hidden power. It looked as if the Sneasel was, like a coiled serpent, waiting patiently for something; and when the time finally came, he would strike. To Lune, though the Sneasel was of feline race, his features and the look in his eyes more resembled those of a fox: stealthy and cunning.

Behind the Sneasel was a large cat, whose pearl-white fur gleamed in eerie coldness under the moonlight. She flicked her short black ears tensely, remaining ever watchful, ever vigilant and distrustful. Blood red was the jewel on her forehead, glinting like the assassin Golduck’s did in Lune’s vivid dream.
To the right, a Nidoqueen sat on a fallen tree, tenderly rubbing her wounded foot with an herbal leaf. She appeared to have been injured in some kind of battle. Her left ear was notched; her rounded horn was blunter than it was supposed to be, and bleeding; the bony spines on her back were cracked at parts; and her tough, blue armor was covered with bruises and scratches. Worst of all was her wounded right foot.

“Ningai,” said the Sneasel softly, “how is the leg?”

“The pain is gone, Élan,” she replied. “These healing leaves are a blessing to us. They have saved our group from utter despair many times before. I should hate to imagine what we would do without the Seirin. This is the only place the plant will grow. We must never lose hold of it.”

The other group members nodded in agreement. A Slowpoke yawned, gazing into apparent space with such a blank expression that Lune could swear that it looked as if not a thought passed through the Slowpoke’s head. The Slowpoke swayed back and forth, seemingly out of boredom, and swished his pink tail in the air, lacking something better to do. His goofy resemblance to an undersized hippopotamus was mostly due to the fact that he had large lips, along with the only four big, flat teeth that he had in his mouth. His pink skin was smooth and unbroken, in sharp contrast with the rough, bruised hide of Ningai.

Slightly apart from the others lay a silent, pensive Dragonair. His long, snakelike body shimmered under the silver stars. If he moved, his skin appeared to shift color. First Lune thought it was a soft lavender shade, but it changed then to a deep, shadowed blue, and then almost to a glittering silver. Upon the Dragonair’s head was a small horn, but crafty and sharp. His milk-white ears were, in truth, small, intricate wings of delicate design. The magical carbuncle under his chin glowed brightly, as did the indigo beads near the end of his tail. The Dragonair was deep in thought, and did not speak.

Lune backed away from the moss-covered stone wall. He could not get by without being seen; confrontation was not an option. And so he realized that the Hidden Valley was closed to him, and that he would have to find another route. The Mountains of Spring, protected by dense forests, were out of the question. Lune turned fearfully to the range on the right, reluctant to climb into the foreboding mountains that towered overhead in eternal winter. He took a deep breath, gathering up courage. At that instant, he felt something quickly wrap around him, and uttered a muffled cry when the Dragonair looked him in the eye.

“I am Senryu. Struggle if you wish to die.”

[100FangCroconaw]

I'm very sowwy I didn't reply for so long.Anyway, what will happen to Lune?And will Shockwave save Lune in time if he comes to a Fight?Nice chappy.

[Charizard04621]

@100 Fang Croconaw - That's a secretttt ;)

Don't worry, I'm posting the next chapter. I think it'll provide some answers.


Chapter 17
Resistance
“I don't trust him,” the Persian hissed. “It was only yesterday that Ningai had to put up with those nasty officials. How do we know he's not one of them?”

“Who the heck are you pokémon?” Lune asked irritably. He did not appreciate being constrained by Senryu like a bound prisoner.

“How dare you say that? I'll tell you who we are!” the Slowpoke cried. “Our band fights against Emperor Ryu, and we want him to give up his throne. Not that he's a bad emperor or anything. He's just lazy, hypocritical, and mean. But he's still a good emperor!”

“Luktam, enough.” The Persian was annoyed. “You know that you can't say too much without contradicting yourself. Idiot. You should stop when you're ahead.”

“Oh, Charisma, give me a break,” Luktam retorted. The Slowpoke rolled his eyes. “I'm not that stupid, you know.”

“Emperor... Ryu?” Lune repeated, surprised.

“Yes, Eevee,” Ningai answered. “We despise him. Now, please tell us: are you working for the emperor?”

“He has to be!” said Luktam excitedly. “Why else would he be prowling around here and spying?”

“Shut your oversized mouth!” Lune snapped. “Do not speak of matters beyond your understanding!” By now, Lune was flushed with anger, and began to struggle. “Let me go!” Senryu squeezed harder. Lune whimpered.

The Sneasel held his hand up, signaling enough. “Release him, Senryu.”

Senryu closed his eyes and nodded slowly. He still thought that Lune was a threat, but he would trust in his respected leader's judgement. Lune broke free and shook himself, relieved.

Élan cleared his throat. “Unnamed Eevee, who are you, and why are you here? Please tell the truth. We do not want to kill you, but if you lie, we must.”

For the first time since his capture, Lune calmed down. “My name is Lune. This evening, I dreamt of assassins.” Lune sighed, weary. He walked to the center of the ring of logs and stood by the crackling fire. Then he turned to face his captors. “I had previously enraged Emperor Ryu in my defiance, and when I confronted him, he threatened exile. The dream I had today was horribly vivid. I'm afraid that assassins may very well be after me. For that reason, I fled. I'm leaving the Sacred Kingdom for home.”

Élan was frowning. “He couldn't do it himself, so he sent assassins instead.”

Shivering, Senryu withdrew from the group. Charisma, too, was bothered. Ningai rose. “Élan, please do not speak of the assassins,” she pleaded. Luktam alone remained unafraid. Whether this was due to ignorance or courage was not certain, but Lune was willing to bet on the former.

“Sorry,” Élan replied apologetically, “I won't do it in the future.” He turned to Lune. “Lune, as you call yourself, we won't obstruct your path. You are free to come and leave as you please.”

Lune smiled. “Thanks. I was hoping to pass through the gate into the Hidden Valley, but if Emperor Ryu's spies ask, you can't lie for me without putting yourselves at risk.”

“We don't have to lie about your whereabouts if you don't pass through the gate. When they ask whether we've seen you go through it, we can deny it, and we'd be telling the truth.” Élan smirked.

“Élan, should we really be trusting that Eevee?” Charisma asked. “For all we know, he may just be a brilliant storyteller.”

Luktam stepped in front of Lune, glaring. “You're not going anywhere.”

“Let him leave, Luktam,” said Ningai.

“I won't! Not until he takes the Oath!” Luktam yelled. “He's not one of us. Until he swears loyalty to our clan, I won't let him sneak away from us. I won't trust him until I see our mark on his ear.”

Élan placed his hand on Luktam’s shoulder. “He seems trustworthy enough. Believe me, Luktam, please. Let him be.”

The Slowpoke hesitated, but dejectedly gave in. He hated Lune, but he trusted Élan more.

“I’m sorry, Lune,” Élan said, “but Luktam gets excited at times. Go ahead. We’ve used up too much of your valuable time.”

“Actually, I’d prefer to stay for a little bit longer. What is the Oath Luktam talked about, and what is your mark?” Lune asked.

Smiling, Élan began to explain. “The Oath is taken by a pokémon who wishes to join our clan. It is an oath of loyalty that binds us together. Betrayal is punished with a permanent expulsion from the group; depending on the potential danger of the individual to us, we will either imprison or place the traitor under careful watch. We bear our mark on our ears.”

Only now did Lune notice that each of the pokémon before him wore, on the right ear, a sparkling ring of gold that shone with brilliant light.

“You do not have to take the Oath,” Élan told Lune.

“Any ally against Emperor Ryu is valuable,” Lune replied. “I was planning on hiding at home forever, far away from the Sacred Kingdom. However, seeing that I am not alone in my own resistance gives me hope. I will continue fighting against Emperor Ryu. He cannot cast me down any longer. I do not belong to him. I have had enough, and he will pay. I will not take his blows!”

“With such spiritual fire, I don’t see how you could have given up hope in the first place,” Élan said. “But all is well, it seems.”

“Well,” Lune began, turning to face each member of the group, “will you accept me now?”

“Gladly,” Élan replied. “You can travel by the valley. We will cover for you.”

“I won’t jeopardize any of you,” said Lune firmly. “I’ll travel by the Mountains of Winter.”

Senryu shivered, but said nothing. Ningai, as gently as she could, placed an open gold ring on Lune’s right ear, then let it clasp together, permanently sealed by magic. Lune flinched, but the pain vanished when Ningai treated the puncture wound with a Seirin leaf. Luktam merely watched in indignant disbelief, Charisma in wavering distrust.

“We look forward to your safe arrival at your home,” Élan said, waving goodbye to Lune, who was already disappearing into the shadows.

[Bandi [GHK]]

Nice story, Char. Keep up the good work. I like the way you developed the characters. What I really like, though, is the interaction between Luktam and Elan. Its really cool. Sounds like a good story so far, so keep writing the chapters, I can't wait to see what happens.

[100FangCroconaw]

Nice chappy.I wonder why Luktam distrusts Lune so much.

[Charizard04621]

@Bandi: Cool, you replied on TPM. ^_^ You really think the characters are developed enough? Neat. I was a little worried that I underdeveloped them.

@100FangCroconaw: I guess we'll have to ask Luktam that. ^_^;

@All: If anyone's been wondering why on earth Emperor Ryu ruled the Sacred Kingdom and not the Sacred Empire, I might as well note now that in this world, there is no political significance of the terms in the way we use them in real life. A King does not have to head a Kingdom; an Emperor does not have to head an Empire. I am glad to say that there are no irritating politicians in my story. I have decided, thankfully, not to include any.

[Charizard04621]

Veeveevee! Guess what I just diddddd.... *hyper*

Check it out. I felt like drawing a picture of Lune and Shockwave, so... yeah! *still hyper* Can someone please drain me of my excess sugar?

[EDIT]: Ack, the image tag won't work, and the thing is too big to fit in an attachment. ;_; I'll just give the link to where I've uploaded it...

www.angelfire.com/pokemon2/charizard04621/Lune_Shockwave.jpg

[100FangCroconaw]

Nice piccy.And if you highlight it with the mouse, then it looks like their faces are different.

[Charizard04621]

And a one, and a two, and a-

Oh, we're starting already? Um... Okay. Heeeeere's Chapter 18!


Chapter 18
The Mountains of Winter
It was unbearably cold. Harsh winds stung, biting at raw flesh. Lune’s right ear felt especially bare. Though totally frozen, the wound around the golden ring burned the worst. Whenever another hostile wind blew by, Lune shivered uncontrollably; for his fur was caked with fallen snow, and the freezing air felt magnified a thousand times, as if Lune had just jumped into the icy waters of the Misty Lake and was now in the middle of an arctic gale.

Ningai, along with giving Lune some strong vine rope so he could hang his carrying leaf around his neck, had packed several Seirin leaves with Lune’s berries just in case; but Lune found that what he needed most was the lone Evening Star that he had hidden among the rest of his pack. He often looked upon it whenever he felt that he could not go on; and in its celestial beauty, the jewel of all flowers, Lune found spirit and renewed hope. He had been travelling for days now, resting scarcely if he managed to find some shelter (usually in the lee of a small rock to escape a bit of the wind), and eating precious little. He had to save his Gold Berries for strength in times of desperate need. He had no idea how much longer this frozen hell would last. Through all the trials thus far the Evening Star had survived, and its loveliness had been preserved. Lune was glad of it. Otherwise, trudging on miserably through the endless blinding white, Lune would tire soon, and in his faltering die.

A trickling of water brought the dead wasteland to life. It was the only sound of anything remotely friendly that Lune had heard for days. Its silvery song was soft and comforting, but sad. There was mystery to its notes, as if something hidden deep inside – some dark secret, perhaps – that had laid concealed for eons of time, was yet to be discovered. Lune followed the gentle stream, which swiftly grew into a wide, easy river. Gates of snow closed the river in on either side. The only way past was through the water itself. Lune prepared to dive.

Suddenly, the frozen earth trembled. A large shadow, ominous and foreboding, rose from the dark depths. Its segmented, serpent-like body sparkled like the brightest blue sapphires of all, glittering as meager light cast shades of faded rainbow upon the specks of ice and snow upon its skin. As an aquatic creature, it had no legs, nor arms, but fins: jagged ones that gleamed white along its spine and at its tail. The ones protruding from its face on each side were the largest of them all. The dragon bore long blue whiskers beneath its chin; its jaws were cruel, filled with rows of teeth as sharp as knives. Lune had never seen a more vicious specimen of a Gyarados in all his life.

“Who are you, stranger?” the Gyarados questioned in his thundering voice. “My name is Surge, and I’m the appointed watcher of this gate. You won’t get through until I know who you are, and you won’t at all if you’re an enemy or spy.”

Lune was silent, too surprised to speak. Surge’s accent was intimately familiar, as was the very nature of his name. “Surge,” Lune began, “is not the kind of name that you would hear in any place but the Forgotten Kingdom, my land. Even your accent is one of that land of greatness. Let me pass! I long for home.”

Surge, however, was not convinced. “You sound different. If you were once from here, I can’t tell. Your accent is foreign.”

“No, not completely foreign. It has just been mixed with the dialect of another land. Don’t you hear traces of our tongue in my speech?”

“Well, maybe a little, but that doesn’t prove anything. You might just be trying your hardest to imitate the Forgotten Kingdom’s accent right now. By the way, if you were from the Forgotten Kingdom, you would definitely have preferred to go by the Hidden Valley. Why did you choose the Mountains of Winter? Please realize that your behavior is very suspicious.”

“Assassins would have pursued me. If I had traveled by the Hidden Valley, I would have been caught.”

Surge was still not convinced. “What is your name, Eevee?”

“I’m Lune. The Forgotten Kingdom is my home. Please do not keep it from me any longer!”

“Lies!” roared Surge. “Impostor! Lune the Guardian died many years ago; he was never found. He had gone on a journey, promising to come back soon, but never returned.”

“That was my mistake,” Lune sighed. “I was enchanted by what the Sacred Kingdom had to offer. I was selfish not to send back news of my whereabouts. I regret it now!”

“Lune the Guardian had glowing golden fur, unlike your dirty, dull coat. You’re too scrawny and unhappy.”

Lune shook his head. “He also had an Everstone in his forehead. Look at mine, and you must admit that I am the only one who ever showed that feature!” Lune drew back his hairs to reveal the small, glowing stone. Surge’s eyes widened for a moment, but he remained firm and stubborn.

“You’re a better impersonator than I thought. Whatever the reason you decided to lodge that Everstone into your forehead for your country, it must have been an important one: some devious plan to hurt the Forgotten Kingdom, no doubt. I have no idea why you would want to go through the pain otherwise. You can’t fool me with one thing, though. Lune the Guardian had good looks, which is too much to say for you. Sorry, but I can’t let you through.” At that, the Gyarados brought his long, heavy tail down upon the riverbank, missing Lune by mere inches. Growling, Lune carefully placed his leaf aside and prepared to fight.

[Drago]

Ack! Just no convincing some Gyarados'...

Well, I'm quite surprised I hadn't come across this fic earlier, I'm learning at a steady pace this way!! ;) I've always found that Eevee would be quite the good central character, there's just something so completely heroic about it. In its look, in its stature, it's nice to see that Lune is fulfilling the role of this, and then some!

Looking forward to the next chapter! C'mon Lune, fillet that fish!! :D

[100FangCroconaw]

Hope Lune makes it.Lune would probably be Dead Meat if he haden't had the berries.He'll probably need most of them in the battle.Yeah, and I also agree with DragoKnight, fillet that fish!

[chirindenryuu]

I absolutely love this! I've only begun reading it, I'm just into chapter Three and hope to see it to its end! Thiss tkidofsuff I love to read and write about--stuff from the pokemon view! The fantasy element sure doesn't hurt either!

[Bandi [GHK]]

Excellent chapter, Char! You writing style and descriptions just keep on improving. Nice use for a Gyrados, a watcher of a gate, a guard of some sort. That's one stubborn Gyrados. I can't wait to read the fight. You have a nice dynamic of style of writing, and a nice vocabulary as well. Keep up the good work, post more soon, and don't ever let this story turn sloppy!

[Oddish17]

Ack, thanks for reminding me about this Karin(that is your name, correct? Hopefully you have no objections by me calling you that. It's either Karin or C04621, which makes you sound like an inmate)

Enough rambling. Even though I had to catch up since chapter 8, due to my sadly forgetting about this wonderful fic(:( ), this is magnificent. This fic took plot turns I never expected. Lune heading back home, Emperor Ryu resigning, and a myriad of other events, it's all very exciting. There are many things I look forward to, as there are still a great deal of questions left unanswered.

Shockwave better remain an important character in this story, or I'll have to take my anger out on a doorknob. It's not a pretty sight.

[Charizard04621]

@DragoKnight: Eevee is deh coolest. :) Ooh, just you wait and see what Lune does. ^_-

@100FangCroconaw: Hehe, Lune should never be underestimated, especially by poor Gyaradoses. :)

@chirindenryuu: ^^; Thanks. I prefer writing Pokémon POVs; trainer fics are just not me.

@Bandi [GHK]: Don't worry, I don't want this thing to turn sloppy. ^_^

@Oddish17: Karin's fine with me. ^_^; And Shockwave is not out of the picture... Not by a long run. They need each other, especially in battle; but I'll elaborate on that meaning a little later. ^_-

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 19
Master of Darkness
“If you get past me, you can proceed to the Forgotten Kingdom,” said Surge. “But I’ll make it difficult for you.” The Gyarados rammed into the mountains of snow that formed gates beside the river. From the tops of each, broken rocks and great heaps of snow tumbled down the gates, piling up in the middle of the river and completing the blockade. Small gaps allowed the gentle river waters to flow through, but Lune knew that small as he was, he would not be able to fit. If he wanted to cross, he’d have to climb over.

“We don’t have to fight,” Lune sighed, “but if it’s a challenge you want, it’s a challenge you’ll get. I will get past you, no matter what the means.” Lune hastily collected a sphere of ethereal energy, almost immediately hurling it into Surge’s face. In the short time that the Gyarados had taken to recover, Lune had already created a perfect, lifelike duplicate of himself to act in his place, and was now swimming to the newly formed buildup of snow.

Meanwhile, Surge, oblivious to the trickery, was ready to knock Lune out quickly and mercifully before the Eevee tried anything. Trembling energy crackled at his mouth. Lune reached the snow banks and began to climb…

Surge’s beam lanced through the duplicate, reducing it to a pile of ashes. Quickly overcoming his surprise, Surge turned immediately to the gates; Lune was nearly over…

With a single lash from his tail, Surge brought the midsection crumbling down into the river. Although Lune paddled as fast as he could, his weary body could not out-race Surge. The Gyarados curled his tail around his captive… “Close, but not quite,” Surge snickered.

“You’ll be sorry you invited this,” Lune muttered, sinking his teeth through Surge’s hide and into tender flesh. Dark energy crackled through the wound. The Gyarados roared and began to thrash wildly; he had felt nothing like it before. Lifting his tail into the air, Surge lunged; but Lune, ready, let go and splashed into the water before he met Surge’s jaws. He swam to the bank. “Does the dark energy hurt, Surge?” he mocked.

Surge, already sparking violently with an incredible amount of electricity, shook his head and smirked. “No, but this will.” The charge surged forth in a loud, clattering din; if Lune did not dodge, he would be terribly burnt by the tremendous amount of energy. For better or for worse, the Eevee waited. In an instant, the electricity exploded upon him; the snow beneath melted; some even began to sizzle. Pain rushed through every part of Lune’s body. He lay crumpled on the ground. Still, he smiled; and when he managed to struggle to his feet, he cackled.

While Surge might have thought it, Lune had not been helplessly idle. On the contrary, Lune had been paying careful attention to every single detail of Surge’s recent strike. Now it was his turn to strike back. “Surge, you’ve just made the mistake that will spell your downfall.”

As Surge watched in horror, Lune began to spark in the same way as Surge had just moments ago; but the Eevee, bright yellow with the surrounding electricity, posed a more fearsome threat to Surge than Surge did to him. “Gyarados don’t like electricity, do they?” Lune taunted. “Eat this!” The energy burst forward like radiant light, blindingly bright and swift as lightning. But Surge, in his terror, would not allow himself to be subject to such torture. Just before impact, a starry barrier leapt up to save him; the energy was absorbed and dispelled. But Surge couldn’t keep that defense up forever. In the first place, such a shield cost great amounts of energy to build; and, as Surge attempted to create more of them, their chances of holding out against continued offensives would become increasingly slimmer.

“Argh! I’ve never been forced to use my special ability in real battle before!” Surge cried. “Congrats, Eevee, you get to die now. You’re too dangerous to simply keep imprisoned.” With that, Surge began to glow. Lune, hoping to interrupt the process, blasted the Gyarados with a particularly vicious bolt of lightning… But it was no use. Surge did not even display the slightest signs of discomfort. In fact, he looked energized. Lune remembered that as the energy had struck the Gyarados’s coat, it was absorbed.

Noticing the surprise on Lune’s face, Surge nodded, laughing. “You guessed it, Eevee. My special ability protects me from any regular energy-based attacks. As long as I keep up this protection, energy attacks feed me more strength. Sorry, but this ends now.”

Lune backed away. “You have traces of magic in your blood…”

“Yeah,” Surge replied. “I come from a line of gifted Gyarados. Our kind isn’t usually born with magic, but my family has some of it.”

“Looks like I have no choice but to do this, then.” Lune closed his eyes and bowed his head. “I apologize, but you leave me no other option.” The sky immediately darkened into deep shades of chaotic violet. Overhead, clouds of ill omen swirled together threateningly. Dread hung in the air, so strong that it was as unbearable as the stench of a rotting corpse. Surge, trembling, became overcome with fear; his white glow faltered, then faded altogether. Completely motionless, Lune was enveloped in an aura of darkness; no light dared to venture near. Surge could feel the blackness weigh down upon his mind, devouring it. Shadows emerged from infernal depths at their master’s call; they circled the Eevee, swaying from side to side, awaiting his command. They knew Lune as the master of darkness, ever since he had discovered them within himself. His was the true power to manipulate the awesome strength of the dark shadows. At his bidding, they came together, shivering with delight, cackling, every instant creeping closer to the horrified Gyarados…

“Wait! Stop! PLEASE!” Surge cried. For a moment, it seemed as if time itself had halted.

[Count von Dark]

Ohhh, goodness. So the Gyarados judges people by their looks, huh? Guess Lune will have to show his skills to pass. And what does Golden Berries do anyways? Sorry to bother.

[Charizard04621]

@Count von Dark: Gold Berries in the metagame heal pokémon by 30 HP. In the fic I use them as a quick source of energy; and, of course, food. Lune can't live without eating. ^_^

[100FangCroconaw]

Now, it's Surge that's in trouble!Nice chappy.

[Oddish17]

It's somewhat scary to think how powerful Lune would be if he was able to evolve. Nice chapter, although I'm unsure what attack Lune is using.

[Charizard04621]

@100FangCroconaw: Yup ^^;

@Oddish17: Scary, huh? ^_- By the way, the attack should be explained in the next chapter.

[Count von Dark]

I don't really know about Golden Berries 'cause I play the Japanese version of Gold, and it's just confusing. Thanks fo the imformation. *am waiting paitiently for the next chappy*.

[Bandi [GHK]]

Nice use of suspense. Just when I was looking forward to seeing the Gyrados being whacked into a wall or being swallowed up by some wierd darkness, you stop the chapter.
:mad:
Just kidding. Can't wait to read the next chapter. Those are some odd pokemon you got there fighting, a magic Gyrados and a dark Eevee or whatever. Nice attack description.
Keep up the good work.
Lune seems really smart for an Eevee, I mean analyzing all of Surge's moves and everything, Lune is really great at battle!

[Cyrus]

A very good fic. The descriptions of the battles are amazing, as is the character development.

[Charizard04621]

@Count von Dark: Oh, do you speak and read Japanese?

@Bandi: Maybe I should do more cliffhangers. ^_- Anyway, if Lune hasn't made it clear by this point, he's rather, um, special. The lodged Everstone in his forehead that prevents his evolution drives him to seek even more power. He refuses to be held back by anything. As for everyone's question, what Lune was in the process of using was Hidden Power Dark. It reflects something about his personality that (I hope) has already been somewhat developed in the story. I've also heard that when a pokémon is at its maximum DV strength for every stat, the result is a Dark type Hidden Power. If that's true, I'm flattering Lune a lot. If it isn't, it doesn't matter. It's not important.

@Cyrus: Thanks. ^^

Well, after the horrendously long delay, here's the next chapter.


Chapter 20
Lune the Guardian
“Lune! Lune the Guardian! I’m sorry!” Surge shook his head in disbelief. “It really is you… Welcome home.”

“It took you this long to realize this?” Lune frowned, but halted the progression of the shadows. The chaotic clouds cleared out of the sky, but there still was no light. “What made you change your mind all of a sudden?”

“Your Hidden Power…” Surge whispered. His voice trailed off. He had to take a deep breath before speaking again. “The only Eevee in our entire history who had the power to completely control the darkness was you. No one could fake that very easily at all. Besides, if you were an impostor, you wouldn’t have been so hesitant to use your dark Hidden Power in the first place.”

“Brilliant deductive work,” Lune muttered. “For a moment, I thought I had suddenly gained the ‘good looks’ that you insisted I have.”

Surge reddened with guilt. “I’m sorry about that…”

“Irrelevant. You also seem to have managed to destroyed my entire supply of Gold Berries and Miracleberries.” Lune sighed. “…The Seirin leaves are gone, too.” He pawed through the crushed mess, hoping for a miracle. If only…

“Guardian Lune, I hate to bother you, but what is that strange flower behind you? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Lune’s heart leaped. “The Evening Star… It survived.” He picked it up gingerly. He planned to plant it in the Forgotten Kingdom as soon as possible. Lune remembered from what he had seen earlier that the river ended almost instantly after the snowy gates; a long, steep drop followed. Far below, the water crashed into an unseen pool. Lune couldn’t just jump down and hope to survive; not without Shockwave, anyway.

“Surge, I need a ride down the waterfall immediately. After that, you will have paid your debt.” Without another word, Lune jumped onto the Gyarados’s back. Surge did not know what to say. He had just made the biggest fool out of himself, insulted Lune, and, on top of that, had actually tried to kill the Eevee. Surge had expected a much harsher punishment. Glad that he was given a break (for the time being, anyway), Surge got to work.

Even for a Gyarados, going down this waterfall was no easy task. Surge had to carefully make his way down the Crimson Falls, for the entire drop was steep and littered with sharp rocks that jutted out here and there, gleaming cruelly red as if they fed on blood. The soft, sorrowful song of the river changed here; instead, the music was loud and demanding. Exactly what it pleaded for was unknown, but it could not be denied that its tone was urgently compelling. Eventually, Surge got safely to the bottom of the falls.

Lune smiled. “Thank you, Surge. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to plant this very special flower and make sure that it is tended to with utmost care. It has saved my life many times. The next things I will look for are food, drink, and rest. I haven’t had much of any lately.”


***
Shockwave, despite his usually complacent manner, was rather agitated. He looked at the Sneasel before him, then at the Dragonair, Nidoqueen, Persian, and Slowpoke. He could sense that they knew something about Lune that they were hiding. When he had asked them whether they had seen an Eevee with an Everstone on his forehead, none of them reacted suspiciously; except for the Slowpoke, who had given it away by gagging, and then accusing Shockwave of being an official of Emperor Ryu.

“I’ll say this one more time,” Shockwave started, annoyed. “Ryu gave up his position as Emperor. Only Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien are left now. I know that you know something about my friend, and I’m not leaving until you tell me what I need to find out.” There was still no response. The Persian made sure that the Slowpoke didn’t reveal anything more.

“He could be in serious trouble, for Ho-oh’s sake!” Shockwave cried, throwing his arms up into the air, frustrated. “Lune thinks he’s being followed by assassins. I know him. He’ll be taking drastic measures to avoid them. You five know something about him. Tell me!”

Ningai cleared her throat. “I think he’s telling the truth.”

“Wait, that means Emperor Ryu isn’t Emperor Ryu anymore? Just Ryu?” Luktam asked, surprised.

“That’s obvious, you dolt.” Charisma hissed irritably.

“But that also means our clan is useless now!” Luktam said disappointedly. “We have to go our separate ways now. It’s too bad. I liked our clan.”

Senryu shook his head disapprovingly, but said nothing. Élan sighed. “Luktam, a clan does not simply have to disband once a single goal has been accomplished.”

“But we have no other purpose to be together now, do we?” Luktam asked with bewilderment.

“Our clan is not all about fulfilling missions, Luktam. It’s more than that… If you really must have a purpose, though, I can give you another.” Élan frowned. “Our war has just begun. Emperor Ryu’s resignation brings up new problems… Now that only two Guardians exist, we are in danger of a dictatorship.”

Shockwave interrupted. “You really should tell me what you know about Lune now.”

Senryu cast a questioning glance at Élan, who nodded. “Well,” the Dragonair began, “as you suspected, he was fleeing from assassins.” Senryu paused. He found it difficult to bring himself to say what he needed to next. “He was heading for his homeland by the Mountains of Winter…”

“WHAT?!” Shockwave cried. “I’ll be going now, then.” He bounded off at full speed with dread in his heart.

[100FangCroconaw]

Yay!The new chapter is here!Nice.Seems like Surge finally realized that the eevee was really Lune.Seems like Shockwave is going to be confronted by Surge.

[Charizard04621]

@100FangCroconaw: ^_- Not quite.


Chapter 21
The Crimson Falls
Shockwave had brought few Gold Berries along for the journey; they were simply too much of a burden. Instead, he slung across his back a container that held a juice of great virtue: of both Gold Berries and Miracleberries, so he could travel lightly with something that would supply him with necessary strength as well as healing. The golden juice had smelled marvelously sweet, and the soothing aroma of the crushed Miracleberries had alleviated Shockwave’s terror.

The case itself had been fashioned quickly but skillfully by Shockwave. It was made from the sturdy, lightweight shell of a large fruit that grew in the clearing where he and Lune had buried the Moon Stone. The fruit and its juices were bitter to the taste, and its durable shell hard to crack. Shockwave had broken it open carefully, though, and cleaned it with the rushing waters of the meadow’s stream. The way he had opened it, only the very top came off. Shockwave had cut into each exposed wall in such a way that the small top lid fit tightly back on the shell like a seal. The silver shell, shaped very much like a long gourd, was large, but very light; and it fit perfectly when Shockwave strapped it on his back with a tough vine. The mixed juice of the berries that he had poured inside would last many days. Before Shockwave had left the band of pokémon, Ningai had given him some Seirin leaves, which he crushed and added to the juice. It sparkled and shone like gold even without sunlight; the juice was clear, like a diamond, but it was every beautiful color that ever existed. It was, of course, extremely valuable, and Shockwave sipped it sparingly.

The Mountains of Winter were worse than Shockwave could ever have imagined. The frightening stories he had heard about them in youth could not even begin to express the torment that these mountains truly were. The land was bleak and dreary, an eternal desert of ice and death. Bitter cold dwelt here, lashing spitefully at trespassers with its frozen wind whips. Misery and despair were its powerful, evil weapons. If Shockwave had merely been lost here by himself, he would likely have perished. But he had a goal, and he would make sure that he accomplished it, no matter what: Find Lune… alive.

Running day by day through the blinding white, never stopping to rest, plagued by worries that he would be too late, seemed to Shockwave almost surreal. It was a strain to breathe as he ran, from doom to doom. The whiteness seemed to last forever. Finally, Shockwave could hear the magical sound of a trickling stream that opened into a wide, gentle river. It felt as if life had been reborn. Laughing with joy, Shockwave dipped his hands in the cold water, then dove in.

Shockwave could hear the loud roaring of water. The easy river current had suddenly become swifter, and increasingly more difficult to swim against. Shockwave, guided through the snowy gates by the rushing water, cried out in alarm. A waterfall! But now the current was too strong and stubborn. Try as he might, Shockwave could not move against its will. As he was thrown over the edge of the water, Shockwave, in mid-air, caught hold of a red rock and clung on for dear life. It was fatally slippery, and every moment, the water that beat against Shockwave’s hands tested his grip. Shockwave could feel himself slowly weakening… As Shockwave fell, his life flashed before his eyes.

[Oddish17]

It's good to see everything isn't going perfectly for our two stars. It seemed as if nothing they did could go wrong ^_^;;
Very nice couple of chapters, even if the last one was somewhat short.

[Charizard04621]

@Oddish17: They're good, but they're not perfect. ^_^ As for the last chapter, yeah, it was really short... I didn't realize it until after I typed it up, though. I guess I kinda lost track of length when I went on and on about the cool juice and the container. ^_^;;;

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 22
Unleashed Power
Rushing colors all ran into a blur. As the wind beneath Shockwave howled in his face, he could only wonder: Did Lune feel this, too? No, he thought. Lune would never have jumped into the river. Shockwave grinned to choke back his sorrow. Never again could he look forward to tomorrow, or wonder what surprises the next day would bring. If only he could find Lune one last time to say goodbye, it would be enough. But it was impossible. He would lie forever below the thundering Crimson Falls, unknown for eternity in his watery prison. It crushed his spirit to think about his lonely fate.

Then, as if in a dream, Shockwave heard a familiar voice calling: “Union of Soul!” Time seemed to slow almost completely to a stop. It was surreal; Shockwave knew he was floating in peace. He could not feel his body. The crash of the waters on the rocks beneath him became muffled, like a fading song, as if nothing existed anymore. Nothing had meaning. A great wave of relief and joy washed over Shockwave then; he had no more cares nor worries. If this had been the first time Shockwave had had such an experience, he would have thought that this perfect state of bliss must be what the dead felt upon death.

Shockwave could not feel his body because, then, he no longer had a body. His essence, his very being, was pure, a glowing light that shone with celestial radiance like a star. It was in this form of divine energy that he descended safely upon the earth, young and free. The Eevee who awaited him glowed also; his eyes were closed, and on his face was something Shockwave had never seen for what seemed like ages: a smile, simple and true. At that moment, Lune looked like a king again: his youth shone in his face, and his golden fur sparkled with splendor like it did in days of old. Lune was no longer the bitter, sad Eevee that had received much trial in his long, painful life; he was the Eevee of his childhood days, where not a single care crossed his happy mind. This Lune, reborn with the joy and vigor he used to have, was the one Shockwave entered as he was called. He did so gladly, and did not resist; and as he joined the Eevee’s body, Shockwave felt a great weight lift from his burdened heart. Lune was sound, and he was alive again.

Immediately sense and order was restored. Whatever sight and sound had been dull and gray before now surged back over Shockwave with vibrant bursts of music and color. Shockwave knew that he was alive, and so was Lune, once more.

We haven’t done that for ages, Shockwave echoed through Lune’s mind. I had nearly forgotten what your special ability was.

“It’s been too long, hasn’t it?” Lune smiled. Years ago, he and Shockwave had fervently traveled far and wide across the land in search of their special abilities, but no one could tell them the answer. Adviser after Adviser had tried and failed, directing them to faraway lands to seek help elsewhere. But all the time, the answers they sought had been within each other.

Lune remembered the day that he and Shockwave discovered their hidden potential. They had been exploring a deep cavern when Lune had fallen. The Tyranitar, whose lair he had disturbed, had immediately awoken in a reckless rage, and Shockwave, above, had been powerless to help. Lune remembered thinking that he would die that day; he remembered wishing Shockwave goodbye. But Shockwave would not accept it, and had cried out in fury. The change that overcame him was tremendous. All of a sudden, Shockwave was a well of power, awesome, omnipotent. Lune had felt a compelling force draw him into Shockwave’s body. He remembered how frightened he had been when he could feel his being, but not the warmth of the blood that ran through his body; and yet, he had felt strangely comforted, and knew that he was safe. When he had joined with Shockwave, the Pikachu had felt energized, stronger than ever before. Shockwave’s weariness and exhaustion had left in an instant; and Lune knew that Shockwave had become capable of far exceeding his limits in power. A while after they had escaped and recovered, Shockwave had called his power the Union of Spirit.

As for Lune’s Union of Soul, the effect was quite different. “Shockwave,” Lune began, “we’re going for a ride.”

All right! Shockwave cheered. This part is the coolest!

An aura of golden light enveloped Lune as he began to laugh lightheartedly. It was a feeling he had lately forgotten, and now, for the first time, he was getting to know it again. Joy filled his heart, and a sense of freedom. Gossamer wings seemed to sprout out of his back, soft like the clouds. Of pure energy, the silvery wings radiated with a brilliant white, and in them swam unmistakably the colors of the rainbow. As Lune leapt into the air, his soul leapt with him; he was free, and born again. He could not feel any happier, for now, his heart, overflowing with joy, would burst if he had any more.

Below, two ape-like pokémon envied the soaring spirit in the sky. “You know, Toidi,” said the Mankey to the other, “I bet he knew all along how to teach us our special abilities that would help us defeat every single opponent we faced without getting hurt, but he was too selfish to do it.” Nodding, the Aipom replied, “He deserves to be punished for his crime, Elbuort.” With that, the two left the Forgotten Kingdom and wandered off to visit other places that would benefit from their wise justice. After all, they were never wrong. (Well, in their eyes, anyway.)

[Oddish17]

What a surreal chapter. I must admit, I am quite confused as to what just happened. I assume that they're now flying? I'm lost ;_;

[Charizard04621]

@Oddish17: Err, I gotta admit; that was weird. ^_^;

Basically, it displayed Lune's special ability (Union of Soul) and showed where they found their special abilities from (it shows a past episode with Shockwave using Union of Spirit).

Lune's Union of Soul calls Shockwave into his body. For as long as Shockwave is in Lune's body via Union of Soul, Lune gains the ability to fly.

Shockwave's Union of Spirit calls Lune into his body. When Lune enters Shockwave's body via Union of Spirit, Shockwave is purged of all previous fatigue, and on top of that, gains a whole lot more energy to expend.

Err... wheevee! ^_^

[Bandi [GHK]]

Hm, great story. The characters are not too perfect, so that's always a good thing. But, the descriptions in that last chapter are kind of confusing. I get the explanation that you just posted. Let me get this straight.

Union of Spirit: Lune comes to Shockwave, Shockwave is no longer tired and has more energy.

Union of Soul: Shockwave comes to Lune, Lune can fly.

So, waitaminute. Are they using both at the same time???
:confused:

[Charizard04621]

@Bandi: Yeah, you've got the descriptions pretty much right. Shockwave's Union of Spirit is his special ability that calls Lune into his body(in pure white energy form); he loses all his exhaustion and gets a huge boost to his energy. Lune's Union of Soul is his special ability that calls Shockwave into his body(in pure white energy form); he sprouts rainbow-colored energy wings that enable flight. As of yet, Shockwave and Lune have not attempted to use their special abilities at the same time, although

****[SPOILERS]






...they might in the future. ^_-






[/END SPOILERS]****

[Charizard04621]

Cool, Lune won an award! Thanks for voting, guys!

Oh, and sorry for the huge delay... This chapter was kinda long, and I wasn't focused enough to sit down and type it all up in one shot.


Chapter 23
Sage and Blaze
Shockwave, don’t you ever do something like that again,” Lune scolded. He had, in fact, just awoken a short while before, when the sun had just begun to poke its warm rays through the morning clouds. There was a feeling of inexplicable dread inside of him, and something had dragged him to the Crimson Falls. He remembered the horror he had felt when he saw Shockwave shoot over the edge. It was worse than what he had felt when he himself had thought that the Tyranitar was going to kill him years ago.

Oh, come on, Lune. It’s not like I ran away from assassins that weren’t really there, Shockwave teased.

Lune blinked. “Huh?”

Ryu resigned the day that you left. He even made a special apology to you.

“WHAT?!” Lune crashed into a big cloud, struck, as if he had, for the moment, forgotten how to fly. As he fell through, wisps of cloud trailed behind his wings. Lune regained his balance, but he was still shaken. “…I can’t believe Ryu actually did something right,” Lune said after a while. “That’s just… miraculous.”

Uh huh. It’s just Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien now. Maybe I’ll finally get to be an Adviser.

“Yeah. Probably.”

How did you get down the Crimson Falls? You wouldn’t have jumped down, and you couldn’t have flown without me.

“I rode down on a Gyarados.”

What was a Gyarados doing there? Why wasn’t it there when I came?

“Surge was the guardian of the eastern gate. I released him from that duty when we got down. It was such a lonely job. He was really happy when he didn’t have to do it anymore. We don’t need a gatekeeper in the Mountains of Winter. We need to invite visitors to the Forgotten Kingdom, not shut them out.”

Lune, it isn’t fair to just sort of tell me what happened, Shockwave complained. You’re not going to make me guess, are you?

Laughing, Lune began to explain. “I followed the river to the edge of the Mountains of Winter. When I was about to get into the water, Surge emerged from the depths and told me that he was guarding the gate. He asked me who I was, and when I told him, he refused to believe me. It was amusing, but creepy at the same time. He kept insisting that Lune the Guardian had died a long time ago, and that he looked a whole lot better than I do now. Come to think of it, I took care of myself a lot better back then.”

Don’t stop in the middle of things.

“Well, after a while, Surge decided to discourage my progress by attacking. He made the mistake of aiming Thunder at me, which, of course, I Mimicked and threw back at him. Mine didn’t get to him, though; he raised a Protect barrier. Then things began to get interesting. He pulled out his special ability. I tried to zap him quickly with another Thunder blast to stop him from pulling off whatever he was attempting, but his special ability had already taken effect.”

He had an anti-electric ability?

“Worse. Surge’s Gyarados line has magic in its blood. When he activated his special ability, he could absorb any regular energy attacks and use every bit of the attacks to heal himself.”

What did you do?

“Hidden Power.”

Shockwave stopped breathing for a moment. You used your Dark type Hidden Power on him?

“I really didn’t have much choice. He got so frightened that he begged me to stop, so I called it off before any damage was done. By then, he finally realized that I really was who I said I was, and that he was wrong the whole time.”

There was a brief silence, but not for long. Shockwave still had questions left unanswered. You knew I was falling.

“I knew something bad was going to happen near the Crimson Falls. As soon as I arrived, I saw you shoot over the edge.”

We’re telekinetically connected, I guess. Shockwave shrugged. I felt the same way when you were leaving the Sacred Kingdom. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what.

“Strange, isn’t it? Most Eevee and Pikachu are not born with Psychic abilities.”

I don’t think we were born with any telepathic connection. I think our link was made.

“Yeah…” Lune was silent for a while. He spread out his energy wings so they glittered in the sunlight like a rainbow, and let the wind carry him wherever it would. He loved the peaceful sky.

You have a gold hoop earring.

“Hmm? Oh. Yeah. I offered my alliance to a clan that resisted Emperor Ryu, and the earring is their mark.”

Kind of late, huh?

“Yeah. At the time, even they didn’t know that Emperor Ryu had resigned. I didn’t really bind myself to them, though. I don’t belong with them. I think Élan understood that. I did it partly to shut the Slowpoke up, actually. He was going to be a nuisance otherwise; Luktam, I mean.”

Wait, there was an annoying Slowpoke named Luktam? And they all wore gold hoop earrings?

“Yeah.”

I think I met these pokémon.

“Really?”

Uh huh. They pretended not to have heard about you, but I knew they were lying. When I mentioned your name, Luktam gagged and sort of freaked out; he began yelling something about Ryu’s officials. I think it was kind of funny, actually.

“Hmm, I should introduce you properly to them sometime. I’m actually planning to invite them to stay in the heart of the Sacred Kingdom instead of on its outskirts. It’s pretty lonely out there.”

You’re coming back to the Sacred Kingdom?

“Yeah.”

What about your Guardianship here?

“Hmm, good point.”

Not like the Forgotten Kingdom requires a lot of care, anyway. This place isn’t close to as busy as some others.

“You’re right. There are already two excellent Guardians here. I don’t think I’ll be worried if I leave the Forgotten Kingdom in their hands.”

Sage and Blaze are still here?

“Yeah. I talked to them several days ago. We should go meet them. They’ll be overjoyed to see you. When you left your Guardianship to me and went away, the Forgotten Kingdom wept for you, and not just because it had lost you as a Guardian. You were sorely missed.”

Okay, let’s go see them.


***
Lune had landed and separated himself from Shockwave, who was relieved to be in his own body again. The flight was fun, but after a while, being in energy form made Shockwave feel empty and hollow. Returning to his solid body made him feel whole again.

“Where are Sage and Blaze?” Shockwave asked.

“Blaze is probably in the House of Guardians right now; he might be monitoring parts of the Forgotten Kingdom in the magical Pond of Sight that lies in the backyard. Maybe he’ll still be eating his breakfast.”

“What about Sage?”

Lune sighed. “Sage has gotten solitary over the years; even more so than he was back then. I think he’ll be taking a walk in the Lonely Hills over there in the north. He’s keeping a constant eye on the Forgotten Kingdom, though.”

“Let’s go see Blaze first, then.”


***
To Lune’s surprise, Sage was talking to Blaze when he and Shockwave arrived at the house. The garden outside had been left untended, but here and there things sprouted of their own accord with uncontested beauty. The day before, Lune had planted the Evening Star in their midst, knowing that it would thrive there, wild and free.

“Shockwave? Is that really you?” Sage asked, amazed. “Welcome back!” The Clefable smiled a sad smile. His eyes did not sparkle like Blaze’s, for Blaze was full of energy; Sage’s eyes were deep, dark, and filled with lonely sorrow. Although his spirit was damp, his physical build was nearly perfect. His black ears were sharp as ever, and he could hear the smallest sound; his glossy, white fur was thick and shone in the light. His sturdy legs and muscular arms could rival the strength of a Machoke. On his back, the pink fairy wings that were never meant to carry his species into the sky were so uncommonly large and strong that it looked as if Sage could actually fly.

Blaze, too, was in good health. The flames on his head and the ones that came out of his lower back burned brightly, and his fur – jet black on top and cream beneath – was smooth as silk. Most Quilava preferred to walk on all fours, although they could stand on two legs; but Blaze hardly ever set his forepaws to the ground. He never tired of walking upright. With his sleek mongoose body, he could run swiftly. Lune wondered why Blaze, who was in prime condition, could not seem to evolve into his ultimate Typhlosion form. He had evolved from a Cyndaquil easily enough.

“Hey! Shockwave! Good to see you! What’s up?” Blaze asked.

“Hiya,” Shockwave responded. “How are things going?”

“The Forgotten Kingdom is very peaceful nowadays. Sage and I don’t need to do much but watch. We’ll be fine managing it even without Lune,” Blaze answered cheerfully.

“That’s great,” said Lune. “Sorry to leave again like this, but I really can’t stay here if Shockwave is going back to the Sacred Kingdom.”

“Don’t worry,” Sage said reassuringly, “Blaze and I can hold the fort. You’ll visit once in a while, won’t you? It’s a nice surprise to see you and Shockwave here again.”

“Yeah, we’ll visit sometime,” Lune promised.

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 24
The Hidden Valley
The cheerful singing of the birds blended in perfect harmony with the silvery voice of the calmly flowing river. All about, the sweet fragrance of the beautiful flowers in the meadow put hearts at ease. A pleasant afternoon breeze carried the soothing aroma far across the Hidden Valley.

The clan had awoken early and decided to go hunting, for they had not had a decent meal in days. Before long, they had been drawn deeper and deeper into the enchanting Hidden Valley, dumbstruck with awe. Inside, they silently scolded themselves for never coming into such bliss before. Now they knew why Lune had looked as if he would die when he could not travel by the Hidden Valley.

It had been two fortnights since the clan had watched Lune head home by the dreaded Mountains of Winter. Ningai was slowly roasting a skewered Raticate and several Pidgey that Charisma had caught, at times adding flame to the fire. She had to wait for the fire below to cook the meat, for if she simply tried to roast it with her own flame, the food would be hopelessly burnt in an instant. Senryu, meanwhile, who did not fancy rat or bird flesh, hunted down Remoraid in the river and swallowed them whole. He preferred fresh fish, for they lost some of their virtue if they were cooked.

Lying by the river, Charisma patiently fished with her claws. Roasted Pidgey flesh was deliciously sweet, but she liked the occasional taste of a young Poliwag or Horsea. But the tadpoles were slippery and the little seahorses extremely difficult to catch, especially because Charisma did not swim. Being a Persian, the weight of water caught in her fur would literally crush her to death in a short time. Charisma looked up. She had smelt something unpleasantly filthy, and wanted to either get rid of it or move out of the way.

Yelling with mischievous delight, the Slowpoke burst out of the water with a large Krabby in his mouth, splashing Charisma with the warm river water in the process. A glittering blue stone slipped quietly away from Charisma’s right forepaw, unnoticed, until it was too late…

“Luktam, you idiot!” Charisma shrieked, immediately shaking the water out of her fur. It was then that she noticed the tiny blue glow in the river, her precious gem floating away… “My sapphire! No!” she yelled, stretching over the riverbank and making desperate efforts to retrieve the blue stone. As it began to sink, a playful Horsea stuck her head out of the water, and, seeing the sapphire, picked it up and darted off, much to Charisma’s dismay.

Charisma had found the sapphire long ago, in a land of spectacular beauty that she… No, she wouldn’t think of it now. Not after what had happened there. How could she have been born there, how could it have been her home, if something like that could happen? But the sapphire reminded her of a time when things could not have gone wrong, and without it, only bitter memories remained… She needed her sapphire back.

Snickering, Luktam began to bounce around happily, as if he had just accomplished something highly respected and desirable. It wasn’t a particularly clever move. Charisma hissed. “It’s not funny! I’ll turn that stupid grin into an agonized frown!”
The Persian sprang forth, and would have easily caught her fleeing prey between her sharp claws and teeth had it not been for Senryu, who wrapped his tail around her and gently lowered her to the ground. “You do not want to touch Luktam,” he told her. “I have seen where he has recently been. Do you know where some Krabby and Kingler hide?”

Face twisted in disgust, Charisma said, “I’ll get even with him later.” Senryu smiled.

“I saw that Horsea take off with your sapphire. I know how much it means to you. Do you want me to try to retrieve it?”

“You would do that for me?” Charisma asked, somewhat surprised, and very hesitant.

“Certainly. Give me a few minutes to find the little thief. I’ll stun her temporarily with a mild Thunder Wave, just enough to get the sapphire back.” Senryu winked, and was gone. Charisma lay deep in thought.


***
“Luktam!” Ningai called. “I’ve cooked your Krabby. The Raticate and Pidgey are ready, too. Charisma, Senryu, Élan, come!”

Senryu did not hear. He had gone far upstream in search of the Horsea, but could find nothing, not even in the hiding places where colonies of Horsea usually dwelled. Perhaps word had gotten throughout the river that a Dragonair was hunting. But Senryu did not wish to return empty-handed. He would do anything to see Charisma smile, for nowadays, the Persian was never happy. Senryu could not remember the last time that Charisma had not put a barrier between herself and the rest of the world. Pokémon were not born to desire utter loneliness. Charisma’s bitter coldness had been made. Senryu’s face darkened as he recalled Ningai’s story. Poor Charisma…

Élan was making his way down a tree when Lune and Shockwave arrived. The Sneasel held several eggs in his hands, all from the nest of the Pidgey family that Charisma had caught. The eggs would be a treat, for he had not had them in a long time. Besides, it would have been wasteful to leave them there to hatch into a world where there were no parents left alive to care for them.

Lune was just as surprised as Élan when the two saw each other. “Élan? What is the clan doing in the Hidden Valley?” Lune asked.

“We were hunting,” Élan replied. “I feel sorry now that we had not desired to enter this place sooner. It is a wonderful paradise.”

“It’s that evil Pikachu again! And Lune brought him here! I knew there was something sinister about that Eevee. Traitor! Oh, no! We’re all gonna die!” Luktam cried, running about on his short legs in a panic and frantically waving his tail in the air. “Shut up,” Charisma demanded as she slinked slowly towards the group.

“Relax, Luktam,” Lune said, trying to hide his irritation. “This is my friend, Shockwave. To my understanding, the clan has not yet met him properly.” Lune began the introductions, pointing at each clan member as he did so.

“So,” Élan began, “where did you go, Lune? You told us that you were going to your homeland, but not where it was.”

“The Forgotten Kingdom,” Lune said, with a tinge of pride.

Upon hearing the name, Charisma hissed. “Do not mention that place any more.”

Lune was puzzled, but one look from Ningai told him that it would be wise not to pursue the matter further at the moment. Instead, he asked, “Where is Senryu? Shockwave has yet to meet him.”

“I’ll find him,” said Charisma. No one challenged her wish. “If he hasn’t found my sapphire by now, I’m going to ask him to stop looking.” With that, the Persian ran, heading upstream.

“Care to join us for lunch, you two?” Ningai invited. Lune could feel his mouth water inside. He had not had meat for a while, for he disliked hunting. He could never find it in his heart to kill, although in battle he would be vicious. For the past few weeks, his diet had consisted mainly of berries – something he felt tired of at the moment. Shockwave, however, took one look at the dead Raticate and felt sick. He did not show it at all physically, but Lune alone could feel it. Shockwave himself was a rodent, and the sight of the Raticate made him feel ill at ease. “It’s okay. I’ll stick to berries. Berries are good,” he said. Lune accepted portions of the Pidgey, but did not touch the Raticate. Meanwhile, Luktam, having already finished his Krabby, wished that he had caught more than one. Charisma and Senryu were still gone.

After everyone had eaten their fill, and there was still no sign of Charisma, Lune ventured to ask the question that had been bothering him for a while. “By her name, it sounds as if Charisma was born in the Forgotten Kingdom. Why, then, does she hate its mention?”

Ningai sighed, and for a long while, did not speak. Finally, she said: “I know it is hard to believe, but Charisma was young and carefree once, when she lived in the Forgotten Kingdom. But…”

“Tell us what happened! Tell us why Charisma is so mean,” begged Luktam, bouncing excitedly.

Casting a stern look at the Slowpoke, who immediately became dejectedly quiet, Ningai continued. “First I will tell you about Laurelin. She was an extraordinarily beautiful Bayleef, with leaves of gold in a ring around her neck, and one large, sparkling leaf growing from the top of her head. Her eyes were a bright sky blue, and her silken coat shone with the gold of her leaves. Laurelin and Charisma used to do everything together. They were inseparable. There couldn’t have seemed to be a more wonderful pair. Charisma thought that Laurelin was her friend; she trusted the Bayleef with her life.”

There was silence for what seemed like a painfully extended moment. Then Ningai gathered up the strength to speak again. “One day, Charisma and Laurelin were taking a walk in the Lonely Hills of the Forgotten Kingdom. Something happened, and Charisma fell, but managed barely to cling on to a ledge. Although Laurelin could easily have saved Charisma with her Vine Whip, she refused to help, and simply walked away. It was only later, after Charisma escaped from death alone, that she found out that Laurelin had pushed her off the cliff, intending to kill her. Charisma discovered that for all the time that she thought that she had been friends with Laurelin, the Bayleef was only looking for revenge. Charisma learnt that a while back, her parents had helped the existing Guardians of the Forgotten Kingdom to secure the banishment of Laurelin’s father from the land. He was previously proven to have viciously murdered seven pokémon, who had come to the Forgotten Kingdom to visit, but he still maintained that they deserved to die. He gave no reasons. His actions antagonized all of the lands from which each individual visitor came. For a time, the Forgotten Kingdom lay in threat of a seven-way war. Fortunately, the Guardians managed to convince the other lands to remain peaceful… But the Forgotten Kingdom has had edgy relations with them ever since that incident. That was long ago. Charisma still has terrible recollections when she hears mention of the Forgotten Kingdom. Forsaken, she left and never went back. Charisma trusts no one now, for fear of being hurt again. She forces herself not to feel any love or compassion. I worry for her.”

“She told you all these things, Ningai?” Lune asked in a saddened tone.

“Yes, and no one else,” the Nidoqueen replied.

At that moment, Senryu and Charisma came into sight. “I do not wish to break my promise,” he said to her. “I promised you that I would get your sapphire back.” Charisma thought that the Dragonair sounded genuinely sincere.

The Persian shook her head. “If you still haven’t found the Horsea who took it, she is probably gone,” Charisma said, somewhat disappointedly.

But Senryu tensed suddenly, distracted. Without warning, he disappeared into the river. He had felt something small brush by him: something with fins and a long, curled tail. The curious red eyes stared back at him, but soon, the Horsea’s inquisitive attitude changed into one of great fear. She prepared to bolt, but Senryu had already zapped her with constricting static electricity.

Senryu emerged from the river triumphantly, carrying the rogue Horsea and gently removing Charisma’s sapphire from her snout. He released the little seahorse, who, struggling, gratefully slipped away in a flash. Charisma followed behind, and could not hide the fact that she was a little pleased. As the two returned, Lune could see a noticeable change in Charisma’s expression: For the first time since he had met her, she did not wear a frown. But she did not smile, for she still could not tell if she should.

“Senryu showed her that we care for her. Perhaps there is still hope,” Lune heard Ningai whisper.

[Count von Dark]

So Lune and Shockwave have finally decided to turn back... And the clan has some secrets revealed. I think you didn't discribe the way Charisma felt too well. But the rest are fine. I really can't imagine what's it like to eat a Remoroid, though... XDXD

[Charizard04621]

@Count von Dark: Aww, really? I thought I did it okay... So Charisma doesn't seem to come out as the bitter type that is afraid of trusting anyone again, huh? I guess I'll have to work on that later.

Gosh, sorry for the HUGE delay...


Chapter 25
Breaking Bondage
Lune waited until Charisma had finished eating the food that had been saved for her. “The southern entrance Valley is only a few hours away,” he said. “Why don’t we head for it now before the evening fades?”

Élan shook his head. “You and Shockwave can go ahead if you want. I think we would like to stay here a little bit longer.” There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the clan.

“Well, we were kind of thinking that you could come to the heart of the Sacred Kingdom with us instead of living in exile on its outskirts,” Shockwave explained.

“Ryu can no longer terrorize you,” Lune continued. “There is no reason to continue living as if you were shunted from the community.”

Élan gathered the clan together, deep in thought, and, for some time, they held a serious discussion in whispers. Finally, Élan returned to where Lune and Shockwave were waiting. He neither frowned nor smiled. “We are greatly thankful for the invitation,” he said carefully, “but we must refuse. We have grown accustomed to our lifestyle, and do not wish to change it yet. Thank you for your consideration.”

“This means goodbye, then,” Lune replied. “Perhaps we shall meet again.”

“Perhaps,” said Élan, even as Lune and Shockwave prepared to leave.

“Hey, WAIT,” Luktam screamed, “You’re not just letting Lune break from the clan like this, are you, Élan? Clan members are supposed to stick with the clan! If Lune wants out, he has to defeat you and Ningai first.”

“Oh, no, Luktam, Lune’s not really-” Élan was cut short.

“It’s all right,” Lune said, smirking. “Shockwave…?”

“Yeah, let’s do it.” Shockwave grinned too.

Lune nodded. “We’ll battle you. Let’s make this one count.”

Ningai and Élan exchanged looks, then prepared to battle. Luktam laughed childishly. “Haha! You guys are nuts! You can’t beat Ningai and Élan!” he jeered.

“We’ll see about that,” Lune muttered under his breath, building a more intense dislike for Luktam every time the Slowpoke opened his mouth to speak.

“Caution is necessary, of course,” Shockwave whispered. “Lune, I want to see their reaction when I seemingly disappear and you grow wings and fly.”

“Right now?”

“Right now.”

“Okay, then,” Lune replied. “Ready, Élan and Ningai? Let’s go!”
The rest of the clan members moved a safe distance away to spectate, under the lush foliage of shady, fruit-laden trees.


***
The ground shook with utter ferocity, tearing apart the earth with its violent fits. Shockwave had sprung upwards immediately to avoid Ningai’s powerful tremors, but Lune had not been quick enough; he was thrown off his feet. From that point, all he could do was cling onto the trembling ground tightly, hoping to avoid further injury. The world began to spin around him, and it was difficult to see. Meanwhile, Shockwave, mid-air, had leapt for Ningai, and, hardening his zigzagged tail until it glimmered a metallic silver, sought to strike the Nidoqueen in the face with its iron sting. Ningai dodged, but in so doing, ceased creating the violent tremors, giving Lune and Shockwave the moment that they needed.

“Union of Soul!” Lune cried, barely managing to struggle to his feet. The evening sky flashed momentarily with blinding light. Shockwave, now in his purest state of being, a glorious white radiance, was drawn into Lune’s body. Shining rainbows burst from the Eevee’s shoulders, forming the wings with which he could fly. He laughed as he took to the air, a free being, liberated from the confinements of the ground. He loved the feel of his energy wings as they beat against the sky; it put him at ease, somehow, and yet gave him a feeling of great jubilation.

Élan, who had until now been hanging on to Ningai’s shoulder, safely away from her Earthquakes, slid downwards to the grass below. “Looks like Lune won’t be grounded again,” he said. “At least, not until we make him come down.” Ningai knew that Élan already had a plan. But neither understood where Shockwave had gone; all they remembered was the intolerable flash of light, and the sudden sprouting of wings from Lune’s back.

They seem a little confused, huh? Let’s give them a hint. With that, Shockwave called massive storm clouds into existence high above; the sky darkened as they cast their ominous shadows. The gray forms seemed to throb and swell, threatening at any moment to burst. A roll of thunder followed the frightful flash of lightning, then, the rain, as if answering the urging call, burst forth in torrents. Ningai tried to hide her pain, and did not wince, but it was plain by the look of suffering in her eyes. The water stung her viciously. Then Shockwave made the river waters rise to towering heights, into one massive wave that grew larger as he fed it with the rain. Ningai watched in terror; Élan, horrified, finally understood.

“Ningai,” he screamed, “They’ve combined! An Eevee cannot summon a tidal wave like this, but a Pikachu is capable of using Surf. Shockwave is inside Lune’s body!”

“What phenomenal synergy they must have,” Ningai whispered, “to have special abilities that complement each other! I’ve never heard of something like this in the past.”

“Yes… But the wave approaches.” Élan was right. The river water loomed over the two, ready to come crashing down upon them, to engulf them with its dreadful might. “We both are capable of using Surf, too… Let’s turn it back on them together. Shockwave may be a strong battler, but I doubt he can take two at a time.”

With that, Ningai and Élan focused their mental strength on repelling the tsunami. Inch by inch, they pushed it back, and its overflowing waters slowly receded. Shockwave’s will and the power of the raging river were not alone enough to withstand a double assault. But just as Ningai and Élan began to think that they were winning, Lune snickered.

“You think I’m just going to beat my wings in place and watch you two mentally fight against Shockwave, without doing anything myself, just because an Eevee like me isn’t capable of using Surf any time I want to? What, have you forgotten about one of my obvious options?” Lune called.

Shockwave grinned. Mimic. Too bad you don’t permanently learn the moves you pick up during the battle, though.

“Hey, I like it anyway,” Lune replied. He had been following Shockwave’s thoughts carefully ever since the Pikachu had first begun to build up the wave, and he had enough – at least temporarily – to duplicate the effect. Lune added his newly acquired strength to Shockwave’s, urging the wave forward once more with renewed vigor. The ferocity of the mental assault caught Élan and Ningai by surprise; their control over the river faltered, and in that moment of hesitation, they lost the mental battle. The tidal wave submerged them suddenly, like a starving beast, too impatient to consume its prey slowly, and instead swallowing whole, and all at once. But the waters receded rapidly this time, downhill, back into the riverbed; and the heavy downpour slackened, then eventually stopped altogether. Gray clouds no longer hovered over the sky; the sun was free to shine again and give warmth. The river, now calm once more, seemed as if it could never have been the monster that it just was - never that ferocious. But the bitter sting of the ice cold waters, sharper than a thousand daggers, served as a constant reminder to Ningai that it was no dream; and even now, Élan still coughed violently, at times spewing forth the river water that had forced itself into his lungs. The nightmare was a reality.

Élan knew that it had to stop. Ningai, being a Ground type, suffered horribly from water-based assaults, for their stinging wrath caused her pain beyond the wildest imagination. Although Ningai herself was powerful and could take much punishment, she had not yet fully recovered from the wounds that she had received a month ago from the conflict with Ryu’s dirty officials. Élan could tell that this battle had already put an intense strain on Ningai; it could not continue. “Enough,” he cried in defeat, “We forfeit.” He did not say anything about Ningai’s previous injuries to Lune and Shockwave, who did not know. They were not at fault, after all, and he did not want to make them feel guilty.

Lune lowered himself to the ground beside Ningai and Élan. His wings, folded, slowly faded away, and in their place stood Shockwave, back in his own body. Both were confused, and both smelled disaster.

“SEE? I told you they were nasty! Look what they did to Ningai!” Luktam came running (or rather, in his case, stumbling – he was an extraordinarily fat and lazy Slowpoke, who scarcely got the exercise that was good for him) towards the four, followed by an irritated Charisma and, as usual, a calm but concerned Senryu.

“I… I thought we were just battling,” Lune said, almost half-whispering. He felt small, like a despicable murderer who had taken advantage of some helpless victim. Shockwave gripped Lune’s shoulder tightly; Lune could feel the Pikachu’s hand trembling.

“It’s not your fault,” Élan told them. “It’s mine. I should have been wise enough to stop her from participating in that battle in the first place. Ningai, I-”

“It’s all right,” the battered Nidoqueen said weakly, pushing herself slowly and painfully up to her feet, “I’ll be fine. It’s getting dark,” she observed, looking up at the late evening sky. “Lune, Shockwave, you two should head home. No excuses,” she added sternly. “I don’t want you two travelling too far into the night.”

“Um, okay…” Shockwave answered half-heartedly.

“Sorry,” Lune whispered, as Luktam mocked him with accusing glares. He turned around to follow Shockwave. Their forlorn frames soon disappeared into the darkness.

[Cyrus]

Great chapter.

[Charizard04621]

@Cyrus: vee!

Hmm, this one's not very long, but I like it. ^_^


Chapter 26
The Final Straw
Shockwave had gone to the busy central square to relax. It had a friendly atmosphere, especially in the evening; Shockwave loved to watch as pokémon went by. It was interesting to see what they did. The evening sunsets were breathtakingly beautiful, and somehow, the gentle lavenders, and pinks, and golds, brought upon a sense of calmness and quiet joy. It was unfortunate that Lune, who had needed to work for the Guardians since they arrived in the morning, could not accompany Shockwave.

Grand though the Guardians’ palace was, Lune wished that he could have gone to the central square with Shockwave. He was in a quiet, pensive mood, and would have much preferred to sit in silence while he watched the graceful sunset. But he had been away long enough, and had much to do.

“Since you are alive and well, I suggest that you show up at the general tournament tomorrow,” Lord Yoruno told Lune.

“I’m still in the tournament?” the Eevee asked, surprised. “I thought I would have been kicked off of it a long time ago.”

“You will be if you miss tomorrow’s round,” Lord Yoruno replied. “You were already disqualified from Round Two. You’ll need to battle your way out of the Loser’s Bracket if you can. It’s a double elimination tournament. One more loss and you’re out.”

“Oh, wonderful. I wonder whom I’m up against,” Lune said to himself.

“Find out tomorrow like the rest of the pokémon,” Lord Yoruno snapped. “Stop fishing for advantages.”

“I didn’t ask for an answer,” Lune said quietly, avoiding Lord Yoruno’s gaze. The Umbreon tended to assume that Lune had ignoble motivations for all of his rhetorical comments. Lord Yoruno probably did it to everyone without realizing it, but Lune still hated it. Of all the virtues that Lune valued, honor was what he cherished most. The second in importance was competence. Lune hated being viewed as some sleazy criminal who always had dirty purposes. It hurt his pride.

Lord Yoruno broke the uncomfortable silence. “We have two new Advisers.”

“Finally!” Lune exclaimed, relieved. He was tired of having to deal with all the pokémon who needed an Adviser’s assistance. Although Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien were technically Advisers, too, Lune usually did most of the work. At last he could have help from two others; his burden of duties would be relieved somewhat. “Who are they?” Lune asked.

“You can find out when Lady Naien and I announce it tomorrow,” Lord Yoruno told him.

“I hate it when you do that…”

“Do what?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Lune sighed, turning away.

“Well,” Lord Yoruno continued, “don’t think that this puts you off the hook. You still have to do the work if you want to keep your job as an Adviser.”

“I did not need something that obvious pointed out to me,” Lune snapped, irritated. Lord Yoruno said nothing. “Stop it! Just STOP IT!” Lune yelled suddenly. Ever since he had first met Lord Yoruno, Lune had resented the Umbreon’s attitude of superiority; but he had controlled his burning anger, and bottled it within. Now, way past its due, the volcano that had lain dormant finally erupted. “I will NOT continue being treated like this!” Lune stormed. “You always talk to me as if I am stupid. You always tell me obvious things that I already know, and explain them to me as if I am not capable of understanding anything at all. You always assume that I am some sort of lowly criminal out to fulfill my own selfish, greedy purposes.” Lune roared, and his eyes, mad with fury, blazed with inextinguishable fire. “I have had enough! I am NOT some inferior, sub-intelligent life form! I am NOT an idiotic, sleazy criminal! STOP TREATING ME LIKE I AM!”

Lord Yoruno was taken aback. Amazement was in his face, and he was stung with guilt. He had never realized before that Lune, or anyone else for that matter, felt this way about his manner. “I’m sorry!” he replied meekly, as if he was retreating. “We can talk about anything else!” Lord Yoruno quickly changed the subject, and Lune, satisfied, eventually cooled down.

“Sorry about the outburst, but it was necessary,” Lune said after a while.

“It’s fine,” Lord Yoruno replied. “It’s just your competitive spirit. Use it well, and it will bring you far in life.”

As if drawing from a faraway thought, Lune answered: “I’m afraid I have too much.” With that, he left the palace silently to prepare for the tournament round that would take place the next day.

[Charizard04621]

Vee. And stuff.


Chapter 27
Might Versus Wit
“Shockwave, what on earth happened to the general tournament arena?” Lune whispered, nearly too surprised to speak. What he saw before him was a barren field of cement roughly upturned and blasted full of holes. The marble booth had not been repaired, and few of the once existing bleachers were anything but black charred masses.

“Erk.” Shockwave was just as dumbstruck as Lune. He had left on the morning following Lune’s departure immediately when there was enough light to see, having previously packed all that he had needed for the journey. He, too, had been disqualified from the second round of the general tournament, and did not have the slightest clue about what had happened to the arena.

“I thought you two might be here,” said Lord Yoruno, who had just come up from behind. “Some brilliant pokémon decided to ignore the tournament rules that serve obvious purposes. When it became clear that he could not win, he decided to detonate himself, to the alarm of thousands of spectators. The Explosion reduced this arena to a pile of rubble. It might be a while before it is fixed.”

“Ack! Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Lune cried out in alarm. “We’re late!”

“I suppose there will be no harsh penalty if you leave now and get to the substitute arena as soon as possible. Follow me.” Lord Yoruno dashed eastward, a black streak in the morning sunlight. Lune and Shockwave silently followed.


***
It was dark. The indoor arena was considerably smaller than the original one, and when it became packed with rowdy spectators, the air became hot and stifling. The little light that was provided came from lit torches that were lined up along the walls.

“Isn’t there any electrical lighting here?” Lune asked, surprised.

Shockwave shrugged. “Maybe the power blew out or something. You should go ask someone.”

“Why me?”

“Because I don’t feel like it.”

“Okay, okay… I’ll go find Lord Yoruno or Lady Naien. They should know.” With that, Lune vanished into the shadows.


***
Apparently, there had been a terrible electrical failure: the yellow crystals that were supposed to generate power had been hopelessly shattered. The Guardians suspected vandalism, but they could do nothing about it. Even their backup crystals had been found and destroyed, so there was no choice but to resort to torches until new crystals arrived to replace the ones that were so thoughtlessly smashed.

“Hello, ladies and gentlemen,” called a harsh but clear voice over the blackness, “I, Pukcus the Murkrow, am your wonderful announcer for today. Kento the Farfetch’d, your regular announcer, is sick and unable to attend this tournament round. It’s a pity about his sickness, but you really can’t complain when you’re lucky enough to get a great announcer like me as a sub!”

“On and on and on he goes,” Lune groaned. “Kento, why did you do this to us?”

“So, anyway,” Pukcus continued, “let’s begin! First up, let’s see… The first pairing is: Lune the Eevee versus Shadow the Gengar!”

Lune nearly tripped over when he heard the announcement. “What? That’s weird… I’m battling Shadow again?”

“Crush him,” Shockwave said, giving his friend a thumbs-up.

“It’s really dark in here,” Lune commented softly.

Shockwave caught Lune’s gaze. “Shadow’s the one who should be worried,” he whispered, after being silent for a while.

Lune nodded slowly, then stepped into the arena. Darkness cloaked him almost completely, except for the light of the fire in his blazing eyes.


***
“Shadow, you’ve improved tremendously,” Lune commented, panting. He leapt aside from a flashing surge of lightning, which struck the earthen floor and baked the sizzling dirt. He had been doing this for quite some time, but Shadow did not seem to be tiring.

Smirking, Shadow replied, “Too much for you to handle this time, I think.” The Gengar overtook his opponent with amazing speed and, hovering in front of the Eevee with a large grin spread across his face, arms held out as if to block Lune’s path, asked, “Going somewhere?” With that, he threw his burning fist, red and golden with scorching fire, directly into Lune’s face, sending the Eevee flying backwards through the air, only to come to a crashing halt as he hit the ground.

“Wow!” Pukcus yelled, “That was amazing! Unfortunately, Shadow only hit Lune with a measly Fire Punch, which is a Fire type move that only affects a Normal type like Lune with regular effectiveness. I wonder why he didn’t go for the powerful Fighting type move, Dynamicpunch, which would have been super effective against an Eevee?”

“Because,” Lune muttered inaudibly, rubbing the remaining embers away from his singed fur, “fast though Shadow is now, by the time he finishes charging up enough energy for a Dynamicpunch, I would be ready to dodge.”

Shadow cackled maniacally. “Like my new speed, Lune? When I lost to you the other day, I forced myself into intensive training that increased my agility and endurance exponentially!”

“Geez,” Lune exclaimed, shaking his head, “and I thought you were fast before. Few Gengar can phase immediately while being faced with Quick Attack. That day when we first battled, I thought you had the quickest reflexes of all the Gengar I had ever seen.”

Then it was Lune’s turn to laugh. While Shadow had been distracted by talking, Lune had secretly been gathering ethereal energy around his hidden forepaw, and now it all formed a formidable sphere of power, which would, at its best, cause Shadow brutal torment and indescribable agony. “Eat this!” cried Lune, as he revealed the orb and launched it in a flash. The Gengar, shocked, nearly failed to avoid the treacherous energy, but in the end, his countless hours of obsessive training prevailed. Shadow was able to alter his form into a state of being which seemed almost empty; for a moment, it looked as if he did not exist. In this way the phantom managed, on such short notice, to miraculously phase away from the ghostly orb that threatened him. Little did he know that Lune had expected this, for even Shadow had not expected it of himself. In fact, Lune had not put much strength into that particular Shadow Ball, for it was only meant to provide a distraction that would allow Lune to slip away unnoticed, leaving a persuasive, lifelike copy of himself to act in his place.

“Damn you, Lune,” Shadow cursed, “you nearly got me that time! You crazy little Eevee… I need to watch out for you. Maybe you won’t cause trouble if you take a little nap. Pleasant dreams, Lune! I look forward to eating them.” With that, Shadow locked gazes with the Eevee, casting seducing rays that forced his victim’s eyelids to slowly droop; the Eevee tried time and again to fight off the spell, and at times his eyes would open for a moment, but sooner or later, they would fall shut again. Finally, the Eevee fell into a deep, sleeping trance, helpless while Shadow loomed over him, ready to feast on his dreams.

“Well, well!” Pukcus exclaimed, “Looks like this battle’s almost over. Shadow has successfully used Hypnosis on Lune. Now all he has to do is keep using Dream Eater to feed on Lune’s dreams. He’ll sap away valuable energy for himself while Lune, in his slumber, doesn’t notice as his strength ebbs away.”

Unfortunately for Shadow, the real Lune was far from asleep. He had, from a safe distance behind Shadow, all this time been calling forth the shadow that enveloped him, harnessing all into a single throbbing orb that he held and watched with satisfaction. He waited as it grew, and grew, and grew, into a thing of beauty, a rippling sphere of deep purple that possessed the ability to cause utter destruction.

Shadow was frustrated. He had both hands placed on the sleeping Eevee’s head, but try as he might, could not draw a single dream from his victim’s mind. Either the Eevee was far more cunning than he thought, and could somehow willfully hide dreams, or the Eevee did not dream at all, which was unusual. Either way, Shadow did not want to waste any more time. Since the Eevee was asleep, and could not dodge, Dynamicpunch was very possible. Shadow took his time, charging his fist with as much chi energy as he could muster, making a conscious effort to power up the blow as much as possible. An opportunity like this was rare, and he had to make full use of it in order to give himself a decisive advantage in battle.

This was time dearly spent, for every moment that Shadow spared meant that Lune’s Shadow Ball grew even more powerful. At last, when Lune saw that Shadow was ready, he sent his ethereal orb on its path of annihilation. Just as Lune’s body double crumbled under Shadow’s lighted fist, the Gengar was struck from behind and thrown to the ground; and then, when the orb erupted, shooting forth its searing energy, Shadow shrieked: a long, agonized cry, that of a tormented soul in utter despair.

“I… Uh, I knew it!” Pukcus cried, “I knew it all the time! Lune used Substitute. Shadow fell for it, but I can assure you, I didn’t! Ha ha!” The Murkrow cawed with false amusement, flapping his feathery black wings in a somewhat distressed state, trying to hide his shock. “I knew it all along, but I just didn’t want to spoil it for ya!” he claimed.

Meanwhile, Lune was engaged in a staring contest with Shadow. The two glared at each other unblinkingly, both stubborn and irritated, neither backing down. They stood stationary in the arena, with neither one so much as breathing. Hostility lingered in the air.

“Well you really did get me,” Shadow said after a long while, with a tinge of bitterness. “I won’t let my guard down anymore. From now on, I’m going all out!”

Shadow’s eyes blazed with unbreakable determination. He had come this far, and he refused to lose without fighting with all the strength that he had. It was with this courageous spirit that his face glowed, and he could feel power surge through his veins, as if his blood boiled in anticipation for combat, and all his strength poured forth from his soul.

To his amazement, Lune could see the beginnings of Fighting energy glowing from Shadow’s skin. His heart skipped a beat. Could it be…?

“Here’s where you finally lose, Lune,” Shadow told him. “You can’t stand against my Fighting type Hidden Power!”

“Shockwave, did you hear that?” Lune called. “Shadow has the same type of Hidden Power as you!”

“Whoa!” Pukcus cried, “Looks like Lune really is finished now! Surprisingly, Shadow has a Fighting type Hidden Power, which is super effective against Normal types like Lune!”

“No, I am not through!” Lune shouted. “Shadow, I’m sorry, but I have to do this. I can’t risk being wiped out by your Hidden Power.”

Suddenly, Lune’s expression grew cold. He shut his eyes, and his face displayed a cruel, chilling frown. An eerie breeze blew by, lifting his hair and fur up into the air; and as it left, his fur floated down again, slowly, as if also in Lune’s deep trance. When the torches that surrounded the arena ring were abruptly and simultaneously extinguished, the spectators cried out in terror and fear, not daring even to breathe. A frightened Magby tried, to no avail, to re-light the ring of torches with her tail flame. Each time a torch seemingly caught fire, the flame would immediately die down, sinking into a mass of glowing red embers, and then vanishing forever into gray dust. The only light that existed came from torches at the far walls of the building, and these flames danced eerily; those who saw this felt chills run down their shivering spines.

Darkness rushed from Lune in a wave, and no one could see his face any longer; he was drowned in a black aura of darkness. The shadows about him came to life, towering and formidable in the artificial night. By this time the Gengar was trembling, and, as his glowing energy faded, he cried fearfully, “I forfeit.”

Almost immediately, the sense of impending gloom and fear lifted from darkened hearts, and the shadows fled back into hiding. The Magby, who still had been having no success, suddenly jumped back in surprise as the torches burst into flame.

“What?” cried Pukcus, slowly absorbing the situation. “Although Dark moves are super effective against Ghost types like Shadow, Fighting types are strong against Dark types. Why did Shadow quit?”

Shadow, looking at Lune, shook his head and smiled. “You are full of surprises,” he said. “I couldn’t have fought back that darkness even if I tried. Now that you’ve managed to defeat me twice, I know I can accept the fact that you’re better than me.”

[Cyrus]

Amazing Chapter.

[Charizard04621]

@Cyrus: Thanks.

To everyone: I might be slowing down on the Chapters somewhat; it's approaching the end of the year, and I suddenly am finding a lot of stuff thrown in my face at once. Sorry for future delays.

[Count von Dark]

A silent reader I am, but I've been following every single chappie! I really like the descrptions, but to point out- you use too much language when battling. That's not realistic, instead, the focus should be aroun the fight.

[Charizard04621]

@Count von Dark: Really? Blame it on me watching too much Prince of Tennis. Hehe.

I tend to put commentary in battles to sneak in explanations for stuff that I think might have been confusing, or for stuff that I am purposely trying to stress as important. Sometimes it even helps to develop a character. The commentary I insert is supposed to make a point... If there's too much, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure that I can help it; it's just my writing style. ^_^;

[Charizard04621]

Aiee, a month and stuff... And then I won't be able to post any while I'm off the whole month of June... Sorry, guys. Anyway, here it is...


Chapter 28
Silver Starlight
“Match sixty-four, last one for today,” Pukcus yelled, “Shockwave the Pikachu versus Hyperion the Charizard!”

“That’s no ordinary Charizard,” Lune cried out in alarm, pointing shakily at the shrewd, draconic warrior who stepped calmly into the ring. By this time the magical yellow crystals had been restored, and the brightness of the powerful electrical lights that shone upon his silver coat gave it a sparkling luster, glorious with its starry splendor. Regular Charizard had orange skin, but Hyperion was a rare exception. His largely varied appearance indicated that there was strong magic in his blood, of the most potent sort; Hyperion was born with remarkable cunning. Surge, in comparison, did not possess even half the magic that Hyperion had at his disposal; that was why he was still a normal Gyarados. Only pokémon who were fortunate enough to be born with such a glorious destiny were distinguished through their appearance; their parents were not necessarily equally lucky. It was more a question of fate rather than heritage.

“I remember Hyperion,” Shockwave commented. “He totally owned in a couple of tournaments in the Forgotten Kingdom a long time ago. Not many pokémon could match up to him. I guess he got bored of staying at home and came here, too, where there’s more competition and activity. I haven’t actually met him in person, though.”

Lune stood puzzled. “What’s a silver Charizard doing in the Loser’s Bracket? It’s not like Round 1 or 2 competition is that tough.”

“Got ambushed by the gang of the Feraligatr he beat in Round One,” Lune heard someone behind him say. “Three of ‘em. Big pokémon, too. A Tyranitar, an Aerodactyl, and a Machamp. The Feraligatr couldn’t believe that a Fire type could beat a Water type like him, though. Says he cheated. Poor Charizard got away, but not before they managed to break his left arm. Pity that it happened the day before Round Two started. Poor thing had to sit it out and take an automatic forfeit.”

“Jerks,” Lune muttered under his breath. “Cowards had to make it a four-on-one before they felt safe, huh? Good thing his arm healed in time for this round. Shockwave, be careful.”

“Right,” he said, hastening to the ring.

Since Hyperion did not make any effort to attack first, Shockwave took the initiative, quickly but cautiously. A stalemate was undesirable, but Shockwave suspected a trap. With a quick burst of speed, he darted forth, charging for Hyperion, prepared at any moment to evade at the slightest sign of trouble. The Charizard held no intention of luring his opponent into a trap, however, and merely pulled aside, immediately taking to the air. His massive body was far more mobile in flight than it could have been on the ground.

This was exactly the opportunity Shockwave had been waiting for; the Pikachu jumped and grabbed Hyperion’s tail, emitting a charge of static energy that was meant to lock up his opponent’s muscles. What actually happened, though, was not what anyone would have expected. The faint, silver aura that sparkled on Hyperion’s skin seemed to erupt and swallow the electricity. Then Shockwave felt Hyperion’s tail hardening under him, and the cold, smooth feel of metal. He knew what was coming next. Before the Charizard brought his now metallic tail crashing into the ground, Shockwave released his grip just in time and rolled away from underneath, narrowly escaping the crushing force.

“Wow,” Pukcus shouted, “Hyperion did something weird with Shockwave’s Thunder Wave attack. Somehow he didn’t get paralyzed like he was supposed to. Then, when he was about to smash Shockwave with Iron Tail, the Pikachu jumped off in time! Amazing!”

“What an inspirational explanation of Hyperion’s immunity to Thunder Wave,” Lune muttered inaudibly, rolling his eyes. “The next time I try to sound like a genius, I’ll remember to state the obvious.”

Beads of sweat rolled down Shockwave’s neck. “Is it electricity, or…?” he whispered. He sent crackling bolts of energy surging through Hyperion, who gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly, trying not to cry out in pain.

“I think I know now,” Shockwave said, splattering a dark, venomous fluid all over Hyperion. The poison slid off his skin and onto the floor, repelled by his silver aura. “Status effect immunity,” Shockwave immediately stated with complete certainty.

“That was quick,” Hyperion responded good-naturedly, “It took my last opponent a long time to figure that out. You did it with three shots. This is going to be an enjoyable match.” Having said that, Hyperion mentally forced the ground to erupt with seismic fury, throwing it apart with earth-shattering tremors. Groaning, and shoved off his feet, Shockwave reached for Hyperion’s hanging tail and managed to grab it, clinging onto it for dear life. The Charizard, in an effort to remove his little hitchhiker, spewed forth intense turquoise flame, deadly and destructive. As the searing draconic fire met his skin, Shockwave could feel boils rising with knifelike, stabbing pain.

Shockwave gripped Hyperion’s tail even tighter, and, when he felt assured that he could maintain his hold, zapped the Charizard with the most vicious electrical assault that he could muster. Sparks sailed all over the place, and Hyperion jerked suddenly, now no longer containing his tortured cries of agony.

Golden energy gathered in an orange ball inside Hyperion’s mouth. Every moment, as he fueled it, it grew in strength, until it looked as if it might have been able to hold no more. At this point Hyperion released it with his head upturned, shifting its position rapidly as it tore through the ceiling, until he successfully created a hole large enough for him to easily fit through. Threatening sparks flew from the broken wires, and large chunks of dangerous debris fell. While Hyperion took cautious evasive maneuvers to avoid the hazards, Shockwave formed a translucent barrier above his head. As soon as the danger was over, though, he allowed the barrier to fall, for maintaining it cost a lot of energy.

Shockwave took the opportunity presented by the gaping hole in the ceiling to play a Fire type’s greatest weakness: if there was anything Charizard hated more than electricity, it was water. Already gray clouds gathered overhead at Shockwave’s summoning. They throbbed heavily like a live pulse, with lightning occasionally flashing across their swirling mass, and the loud rumble of thunder that sounded terrifyingly close. Rain poured forth in torrents, and, in massive amounts, flooded in through the ceiling like a cascading waterfall. Hyperion’s eyes were shut; the mighty dragon himself was silent, making no noise but for the beating of his great wings. His heart pounded hard in his chest, but he did not feel or hear. He was locked in a deep trance, oblivious of the outside world and of the icy, stinging water that rushed over his skin and dampened his faltering tail flame.

Finally, Hyperion awoke; his expression brightened; his eyes were filled with a blazing fire: of determination, and of hope. Then it was as if he was blessed with starlight; his sparkling skin seemed to dance with celestial radiance, as if the very glow of the heavens now lay upon him. Nothing passed through the glorious light; Shockwave could hear the pounding of the rain on the ceiling above, but as he watched the drops, they seemed to infinitely slow, until they were right before him, frozen in time, and then, as if by magic, gone.

Lune, below, could see Hyperion advancing, flying higher against the rain, effortlessly because of the divine protection. The Charizard seemed to have planned carefully: forcing Shockwave onto him, opening access to the sky, using his special ability to its fullest extent. It was as if… he was preparing for…

“Crap!” Lune screamed, “Shockwave, JUMP!”

Shockwave heard, and tried to let go, but he could not. When he looked down, everything began to spin; he could not see; he was too dizzy. Shadows of memory returned to haunt him at that moment: the thunderous boom of the waterfall crashing against the rocks, the treacherous, slippery surface of his failing hold, the critical loss of his grip as he shot over the edge, and his terrifying fall through the sky… The only thing that Shockwave could do was hold on tighter, for he knew that he could not let go. It was impossible. So Hyperion flew higher, and higher, and higher, until Shockwave could see that thick, dark clouds surrounded them outside the light…

Then suddenly, Hyperion held his arms to his chest and began to spin, as if on an axis: slowly at first, but exceedingly rapidly as time went on. And Shockwave could feel his grip on the Charizard gradually weakening, just like the red rock at the Crimson Falls… The memory of that horror returned to him again, as he found himself failing to maintain his hold: the fear of his fate remaining forever unknown, the tremendous voice of the rough waterfall, the realization that he would die…

But Shockwave snapped out of his fearful state; for this was not the Crimson Falls, and here he knew he was not alone. It had occurred to him that, legally, he could complete his Union of Spirit without being disqualified for receiving outside assistance. All special abilities were legal in this tournament, and the announcer would have to accept the fact that Shockwave’s just happened to call on Lune for help.

Crackling plasma throbbed in a growing ball, threatening, every moment, to explode. It lanced forth in a single pillar of light when Hyperion released it on its path of destruction, ready to annihilate anything in its way. But Shockwave was prepared; a shining, concave barrier was erected before him, and when the beam struck, it glanced off and scattered into many different directions. Hyperion had not failed, however; the sheer intensity of the offensive pushed Shockwave down even more rapidly, and it looked as if nothing could be done to save him.

“Union of Spirit!” he cried, looking at the approaching ground through the hole in the ceiling. A brilliant silver light shot upwards from below, and, with a blinding flash, seemed to be gone. Hyperion raised his guard; he needed to be prepared for anything.

“Lune, I can’t grow wings and fly like you,” Shockwave whispered. “Getting an energy boost is good, but what are we supposed to do now?”

You see that Kadabra over in the bleachers on the right?

Shockwave felt his eyes being guided to a bright corner where the electrical lighting shone from directly above. A calm Kadabra was observing every detail of the battle; she did not blink.

Throw Swift stars at her.

“WHAT?”

Throw Swift stars at her.

“Lune, I can’t attack an audience member!”

Trust me. Throw Swift stars at her.

“Okay…”

As Shockwave fell through the opening in the ceiling, he aimed several sharp shurikens at the Kadabra, who, being alert, immediately responded by diverting their course with her mental powers. She eyed Shockwave in curious amusement.

Got it!

“Lune, the ground! We’re going to hit the ground, damnit!”

Lune snickered. Have faith. Suddenly Shockwave was surrounded by a blue glow, and then time seemed to stop. It was as if he were falling through the air in slow motion; he did not feel it rush sharply at his face, nor did he see the ground reach out to claim him. He was suspended in midair; Lune had quickly imitated the Kadabra’s defensive maneuver, and now he himself possessed enough mental force to slow Shockwave’s fall and clear him for a gentle landing.

“I don’t ever want to fall like that again,” Shockwave gasped.

The battle’s still going, Lune replied, and you’ve got enough energy to cream Hyperion now. But first, let’s surprise him a little. Shockwave allowed his right arm to be lifted, and stood still as the shadows from hidden places of darkness rushed towards its center to form a rippling sphere, terrifying in its ethereal beauty. Hyperion stared at the sailing orb with mouth agape, in somewhat confused disbelief, but at the last minute he pulled aside, and the energy erupted on the ceiling when it crashed.

“So I wasn’t imagining that Shockwave was talking to someone,” Hyperion commented, beginning to understand.

Pukcus flew by, yelling, “What in the name of Ho-oh is going on? What just happened here? I saw this really bright flash of light, and then impossible things started happening.”

Hyperion shook his head and smiled. “Shockwave and his partner, whoever it is, seem to work together with amazing synergy. They’re synchronized; they have to be, if their special abilities focus on helping out each other. I cannot defeat a team like that on my own, and therefore, I forfeit. Shockwave, congratulations. I’d like to see you and your partner battle Tag Team style someday. It would be a fight worth watching.”

“You’ll see us in such a match sooner or later,” Shockwave replied. “By the way, Lune, how’d you know the Kadabra would respond with Psychic?”

I didn’t, Lune answered mischievously. If he could have done it, Shockwave might have zapped the Eevee right then and there.

[Cyrus]

What is a month's wait for something of that quality.

[Count von Dark]

Whoopee! Long time no see, and you're back with an all new, exciting chapter! Feel sorry for Hyperion though, he's so good and got eliminated, but that Feraligatr is doing illegal stuff! He should get banned! Where are those law inforcers!

[Charizard04621]

@Cyrus: Thanks. ^_^;;

@Count von Dark: Yeah, it isn't fair, is it? XD, it would be SO funny if the police caught them. Imagine the look on the Feraligatr's face. He'd be like: "Oh, crap X_X RUUUUUUUN!!!!!!!!"

[Count von Dark]

LOL! The guy would be like, running like hell and yelling:"GANGWAY!"

[Charizard04621]

@Count von Dark: And then he'd trip over a banana peel. That would be classic. ^_^;

Hmm, one more chapter before I leave for a month. Yay?


Chapter 29
False Pride
It was nearly the middle of the night, but the central square was bustling with life. Virtually no one was asleep, and excitement filled the air. It was time for the Guardians to announce whom they had chosen as the new Advisers.

Lord Yoruno held his black paw up for silence, and suddenly all were so quiet that their breaths of anticipation were the only things that could be heard throughout.

Lady Naien, clearing her throat, announced, “There were several qualified individuals, but we’ve managed to narrow them down to the best two. Many congratulations to Shockwave the Pikachu and Haldir the Scizor! Welcome to the team. Please report to Lord Yoruno and me for further instruction tomorrow. It’s time for bed. Goodnight, everyone!”

Excited chatter immediately broke out among the crowd as all the pokémon began to depart. Some, talking between themselves, pointed to Shockwave, while others stole quick glances when they thought he wasn’t watching. Eventually, as more and more pokémon headed home to rest, the noise began to die down.

“Shockwave?” Lune slapped the Pikachu playfully on the back, smirking. “Why didn’t you tell me that you applied?”

“It was kind of a secret,” he said. “We weren’t really supposed to tell anyone. But I guess it worked out, huh?”

“Yeah. Awesome. Now you finally get to be an Adviser like you’ve been wanting to.”

“You’re going to show me some stuff since you’ve been at this longer, right?” he asked. “I guess I could ask the Guardians about lots of things tomorrow, but it would be much easier just getting the answers from you.”

“Mmm, sleepy,” Lune commented drowsily, not paying much attention to a word that Shockwave was saying.

“Go to bed,” Shockwave told him, half-laughing.

Almost everyone was gone by then. The two were about to set off for the Sanctuary when a tall Scizor approached them.

“Hey. I’m Haldir,” he said, kneeling and extending his red metal claw to Shockwave, who shook it. “You must be Shockwave. And you?” Haldir turned to the Eevee, who was falling asleep as they stood there.

“Lune,” he mumbled, still somewhat dreaming. Suddenly, his drooping ears shot up, and he shook himself awake. “Bill?!” he cried.

“Yes, I used to be called that,” Haldir replied, smiling. He seemed amused. “Apparently, someone entered the wrong name under my tournament registration, although I specifically turned it in under Haldir. Ever since the mix up, confused pokémon have been referring to me as Bill. I was finally informed yesterday that the problem has been fixed.”

“Bill from Haldir?” Lune asked skeptically. He frowned. “I wonder if Emperor Ryu or someone similarly absent-minded was charged with the duty of entering data into the Guardians’ computer.”

Haldir laughed. “Well, it only matters that it’s fixed now,” he said. “Wouldn’t want to be known as Bill the Scizor all my life, now would I?” He winked.

“Mmm…” was Lune’s response. He was feeling sleepy again.

“Er… Haldir, we’ll be going now,” Shockwave said, waving goodbye as he pushed Lune forward. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow when we go to the Guardians’ palace for our briefing.” Shockwave stopped to prevent Lune from tripping over a rock. “Damnit, Lune, don’t make me drag you back,” he whispered.


***
Shockwave had gone to be instructed by the Guardians. For the first time in what seemed like ages, Lune himself didn’t have any pressing matters to deal with. All he had to do was help a single Spearow with her special ability, and then he would be free for the morning. He felt relieved, for, usually, if he was left in a position like this, with no Advisers except for himself, he would be overwhelmed with swarms of pokémon who demanded, often impatiently, that he assist them with their special abilities.

When Lune arrived at the grassy forest clearing, he found the Spearow already there. She was a small, rugged bird, with jagged orange feathers sticking out messily from her wings, and a rough pink beak that was hard enough to crack the outer shells of tough berries.

“Are you Ebannaw the Spearow, and did you request an Adviser for today?” Lune asked.

“Yep yep,” she replied. “That’s me, all right.”

“Okay, then. Let’s see… Where to start…”

“You can start by bringing out my hidden psychic powers that will tell me exactly what my opponent is thinking every second,” she told him.

“Uh… That’s what you think your special ability involves?” Lune asked hesitantly, beginning to think that he would have more trouble than he expected, after all. Spearow, being common, violent birds of prey, were not naturally born with psychic abilities. Although some who were exceptionally talented managed to pick up a few of these skills over time, after working extremely hard, such practices could only be performed by those of high mental capacity.

“I have natural psychic powers,” Ebannaw insisted. “It shouldn’t be that hard to make them come out. I’m a very smart Spearow, yep yep. Very smart,” she said. “My dear, sweet Pukcus tells me so.”

Lune nearly choked, but he controlled himself, showing no outward signs of distress. Right then he just felt as if he would rather die than try to help Ebannaw to accomplish something so utterly impossible. In a resigned tone, he said, “Okay, here. We’ll practice with these first.” Lune picked three distinct stones from the earth beneath a large tree root: one a luminescent yellow, another a deep red, and the third a sparkling sky blue. “We do this to test individual pokémon psychic abilities. You will close your eyes, and when I tell you that I’m ready, you will tell me which colored stone I am holding.”

“No!” Ebannaw yelled, “That’s too easy. Are you doubting my special skills? If you are doubting my skills, you are basically saying that for all the time I’ve been here, I haven’t had any psychic skills at all. That means that I’m not special at all and that’s not true. You know, no one has ever told me that I don’t have psychic powers except for you. That to me is a big insult indeed.” She folded her wings across her chest sulkily.

“Have you ever asked for anyone else’s opinion before forcing yours upon them?” Lune muttered disdainfully.

“What? What did you say?”

Lune sighed. “Look, I never said that you didn’t have psychic powers. All I was doing was my job. As an Adviser, I am supposed to take things step by step systematically. Please cooperate so that we can finish up more quickly.”

“If I do this simple exercise then I would be lying about my true potential because I would have to go down to a lower level for you. Then I might as well lie every time to make you happy. What’s the point? Maybe I should get a better Adviser.”

Miraculously, Lune managed to maintain his composure. “Ebannaw, I understand that you believe that you possess high psychic potential, but please bear with me. I need to bring you through this entire process, and this mental exercise is the first step.”

“Fine then!” the Spearow snapped, shutting her eyes. “Hurry up and give me this test so that I can show my true power.”

Lune picked up the yellow stone. “Okay, Ebannaw, which stone am I holding: yellow, red, or blue?”

“Is it blue?”

“No.”

“Red, then.”

“No.”

“Aha! I got it! It has to be yellow!” she exclaimed triumphantly, opening her eyes to see if she guessed right. “You see?” she said, with a smug expression pasted across her face, “I told you I have natural psychic abilities! Now can we do something that’s not a waste of time?”

“I’m afraid not,” Lune answered.

“What? WHY NOT?!” Ebannaw demanded, screaming at the top of her lungs. “You’re useless, you know that? You’ll never change! There is no help for you!” she scolded, beginning to leave.

A winged black figure descended from the treetops, cawing out in surprise. Pukcus landed beside Ebannaw, and they embraced for longer than Lune would have liked.

“Hello. What’s up, my lovely Ebannaw?” the Murkrow inquired.

“That Eevee says I don’t have psychic powers, even after I proved it to him,” she said, pointing at Lune. “He asked me what stone he was holding, so I said red, and he said no. Then I asked if it was blue, and he said no. Then of course I knew it was yellow, but then he told me that I didn’t have any psychic powers!”

“You predicted it right. That’s perfect proof,” Pukcus replied. He turned to Lune. “What’s the big idea, hmm?”

Lune felt ready to puke, but he remained calm. “Pukcus, what Ebannaw did didn’t involve the use of psychic powers; it was just a simple process of elimination.”

“You and your big words.” Ebannaw spat. “You’ll never stop being so arrogant. Come on, Pukcus, I don’t want to see this guy anymore.”

The Murkrow and Spearow flew off together, and Lune waited until he could no longer hear the sound of their wings before he beat his head against the forest floor in frustration.

[Cyrus]

Ebannaw... I hate people like that... Good chapter, I pity Lune for his position. Advisor doesn't sound like an enjoyable position.

[Syberia]

Another great chapter, and good job with the nicknames. I won't ruin anything for those of you who haven't figured them out yet ^_-

[Charizard04621]

@Cyrus: Ooh, goody! I actually managed to get sympathy for a character where I wanted it! ^_^;;;

@Syberia: ^_- If people really wanted to know, they should go check out what Shockwave said to Lune when he was freaking out about two monkeys earlier on... By the way, like my new sig and avatar, Kyle? ^_^

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 30
A Plot
It was a warm afternoon. The hot sun shone brightly upon the Sacred Kingdom. Lune was still left by himself, for Shockwave was receiving Adviser training in the Guardians’ Palace with Haldir. The heat was close to unbearable. Lune was about to head to the Sanctuary to swim in the cool river when he heard familiar voices.

“Looks like there are a couple of new tournaments to choose from, Luktam,” said Élan.

“I’m gonna go for the Azure Championship,” the Slowpoke announced confidently.

Lune rounded the corner, passing the trees hurriedly. “Élan?” he called in surprise. “I thought you wanted to stay near the Hidden Valley?”

The Sneasel laughed. “We still live there. I’ve always come to the main part of the Sacred Kingdom regularly, regardless. You just hardly see me in tournaments – never, in fact – because I’m unfortunate and tend to miss them.”

Luktam had shriveled up in disgust and slinked sulkily away upon Lune’s arrival. He could not stand the sight of the Eevee.

Lune ignored the Slowpoke, whom he did not like very much either. “So, what tournament will you try for this time?” he asked Élan.

Élan’s eyes flashed with a glint of excitement. “The Tournament of Impenetrable Darkness.”

“That one, huh?” Lune replied thoughtfully. “It’ll be held in the Sea of Darkness.” Lune said this is an ominous tone. The Sea of Darkness was well known for its complete lack of light even on the brightest of days. It was a large area of barren earth where not even the hardiest of plants could grow, and it was surrounded by miles of foul-smelling bog, in which the skeleton frames of tall, black trees with thick trunks and evil-looking tangled roots stretched out their many bony branches. The air there was unwholesome, but stronger than the stench of death and decay was the terrible sense of fear that lingered there. Typically, only Dark and Ghost-type pokémon could bear the dreadful atmosphere; even Shockwave could not utter the name of that horrible place without so much as a shudder. Lune, however, was not afraid. This was unusual for a Normal type, but Lune, the master of darkness, had nothing to fear from it.

“Lord Yoruno will be there,” Élan said.

“He will?”

“Yes, and I intend to defeat him this time.”

Lune nodded solemnly. Up to this point, Lord Yoruno had a reputation for never losing a battle, although many pokémon had tried to beat him. Lune had only managed to tie Lord Yoruno before, but he had never won. “Good luck,” he said.

“Thanks. I was so close last time…”

“Élan, are we going to sign up for those tournaments or not?” Luktam asked grumpily.

“Looks like the Slowpoke is getting impatient,” Lune commented, smirking. “Aww, poor thing. Élan, you’d better go before his little brain explodes. See ya.”

“Later,” Élan replied.


***
Two figures sat opposite each other in the darkness. One was tall and slender, and had his thin arms folded across his chest. Between his bony yellow fingers, he held two silver spoons, one in each hand. His long moustache fell past his chest and flared out to the sides. On his forehead he wore a large red jewel wrapped in gold, which formed a circle about the stone and drew around the front in a semi-circle around his ears to point forward: a sign of royalty in his homeland.

The other was a small creature with a tail as long as his body. He resembled a little monkey with large, round eyes and a big mouth filled with grinning teeth.

“Come on,” the Aipom said, “I walked all the way here instead of ordering transport so that your location would stay secret. Remember that the Slith Territories has an alliance with us! You owe us help.”

The Alakazam unfolded his arms and let out a sigh. He stared at the spoon in his right hand, which promptly bent over and folded in half. He straightened it perfectly with mental force, then looked his visitor in the eyes. It was handy to have his spoons as stress relievers, though they served far more important purposes.

“Your request is inconvenient, you understand,” he said. But in his mind, he doubted the stupid Aipom could understand anything remotely logical. “The Slith Territories has no wish to attract attention by committing foolish acts such as the one you are suggesting, especially now, when research for the development of our new weapons is coming to a close, and their actual fabrication has become possible.”

A long time ago, every existing independent State had signed a treaty banning weapons forever. In fact, this was done in response to the Forgotten Kingdom situation, for it was with weapons that Laurelin’s father had disposed of the visiting pokémon. Killings due to these weapons happened very often and almost instantaneously, for the technology behind them was very advanced. And of course, once you have it, it is far more difficult to make technology less effective than it is to improve on it. This strictly enforced rule did not bother the Alakazam (He preferred at all times to remain unnamed, as did many pokémon from the Slith Territories, for they were a secretive lot) at all. The aged wizard had no qualms about ignoring the fact that weapons were forbidden.

“But this is important,” Toidi demanded. “That Eevee is a real troublemaker. And those damn Guardians like him! I don’t know what’s so special about him, anyway. I bet he kisses their asses. The only Guardian who had sense was Emperor Ryu, but he resigned.”

The Alakazam snorted. Very undignified for someone like him, and he would tend to avoid such unrefined public displays, but the monkey’s ridiculous logic was getting to him. He knew the Sacred Kingdom for having high, noble standards, and he hated them for it. All this nobility… Who needed it when evil was the most effective way to go? Of course, those goody goodies in the Sacred Kingdom were very competent as well. Which was why their army managed to beat off this Alakazam’s own twenty years ago, when he had attempted an invasion to steal their fertile land. It did not occur to the Aipom that pokémon who gained favor from high-ranking officials did so because of their own talent. Of course, nothing logical ever occurred to Toidi, anyway. He was a lost case. Most pokémon born in the Savage Wilderness were. Especially the Guardians there, for Guardians in any State were chosen to represent their State’s image. Those of the Savage Wilderness had to be masters of Illogic, Stupidity, and Thoughtless Arguments. Toidi was a leading, well-respected Guardian of the Savage Wilderness.

“Did you say that the Guardians of the Sacred Kingdom like this Eevee?” The Alakazam began to show more interest.

“Yes, yes! It’s so annoying! Emperor Ryu put him under threat of banishment, but when he stepped down, the two Guardians cleared him!” Toidi felt morally wronged.

The Alakazam ignored Toidi’s annoying rants. “There might be no need to wait for our new weapons if we can use this Eevee to our advantage. If the Guardians really care about him, they will not hesitate to come to his rescue. They will not attempt to fulfill the terms on the ransom note sent to them, as those terms will be intentionally absurd. When they try to retrieve him, we will capture and destroy them.” He cackled menacingly. “The Sacred Kingdom will pay for humiliating us. Oh, revenge is sweet.”

“Great! So you’ll send out the ransom note and stuff?” Toidi asked eagerly.

“No,” the Alakazam answered coldly. “We will secure the Eevee. The rest is your own business. What is his name, by the way? We need to make sure we don’t waste our time on the wrong one.”

“Lune,” Toidi replied distastefully, as if he were uttering an unspeakable word.

The Alakazam’s face darkened. “Him? This is going to be more difficult than I thought. He is a Guardian of the Forgotten Kingdom. His capture will antagonize his State, as well. War against two powerful armies will be difficult.” He became silent, as if debating strongly with himself about something important. “No matter,” he sighed, “I will take the chance. I shall send Stealth and Hunter. They are elite Retrievers, more highly trained than the Assassins that nitwit Ryu used to have. They shall not fail.”

[Charizard04621]

Ack! Sorry, guys. My prolonged absence is due to er, ah, some... problems with setting up our new wireless internet connection. Everything's good now, though. ^_^;;; Um, I have four chapters in a row to post for you today. Yup, four.


Chapter 31
So Much to Do, So Little Time
When Lune woke up, light was already pouring into the Sanctuary, a sign of late morning. The Eevee stretched, and, counting to three, plunged into the cold river. He emerged moments later, spewing water and shivering. Lune quickly swam through the waterfall and clambered up onto the rocks hidden behind its veil, immediately shaking the icy water out of his fur.

Lady Naien was ill, Shockwave had told him. It was no surprise. Lune had known that she was susceptible to sickness. He planned to pay her a visit before he started the day’s work.

Lune squeezed himself through the crack in the wall and hurriedly made his way through the dark cave. He smiled as he breathed in the fresh air. The golden, sunbathed stone parkway felt warm beneath his feet.

“Hey, Lune!” called a little Meowth, whose golden charm flashed on her forehead as she waved.

The Eevee stopped. “Hi,” he said. “Need something from me?”

“Actually, yes.” The kitten nodded, embarrassed. “My yellow scarf got blown into this tree, and I’m too short to reach it. I’d climb up myself, but I pulled a leg muscle yesterday.”

“Ah, no problem,” Lune replied, leaping up and grabbing a branch. The bark of the tree trunk was rough and uncomfortable when he pushed against it, but he tried not to grimace with pain. He didn’t want the Meowth to feel guilty for no reason: something she tended to do quite often when she asked for favors from him.

Within a short time, Lune reached the branch that held the scarf, which, unfortunately, was stuck on the very tip. Deciding against trying to reach it, he shook the branch vigorously until the cloth decided to fall.

Now, Eevee are not accustomed to climbing trees. They are typically a little over a foot tall, and do not have a very muscular build. Unlike cats, they do not have sharp extendable claws on their paws to aid them in climbing. Out of necessity, however, Lune had learned to climb in the Forgotten Kingdom simply because there were many trees there, and he felt stupid being the only one who couldn’t climb one properly. There was only one slight problem: although the wings he gained from Union of Soul could take him far into the sky, Lune wasn’t very fond of heights. When he flew, things were all right because Lune would never have to look down. Now, up in the tall tree, however, there was no way to avoid it. Lune felt quite dizzy and very uncomfortable. By clinging tightly onto the tree trunk, however, he somehow managed to make it all the way down, albeit rather slowly.

The Meowth (who was called Ana Lightfoot, by the way; she came from the Sparkling Forest in the south, so named because it was rich with bright precious gems), already having wrapped her yellow scarf around her neck, smiled and said: “Thank you so much. I’m really sorry for bothering you.”

“Oh, no, anytime,” Lune said, smiling back to prevent himself from thinking about his sore feet. “No trouble at all. Never any trouble.” With that, he set off to the Guardians’ Palace.

On the way, Lune passed the house of a particularly old Espeon who needed routine treatments from a pharmacy an hour’s walk away, under the shade of the mountain on top of which sat the Misty Lake. Otherwise, her silver fur would turn unattractive and dull, the skin beneath her four paws would flake off, and she would lose the hair on her two long, thin tails. It just so happened that she needed to collect the herbs from the shop that very day. She was, however, getting too old for long journeys.

“Oh, Lune,” she called as he walked by.

He turned around. “Need me to do you a favor?” he asked.

“Oh, if you would be so kind,” the Espeon pleaded, “I am not as strong as I once was, and long trips are very taxing on me in my old age.”

“What do you need?” Lune asked.

“There’s a pharmacy below the Misty Lake at the mountain’s foot,” she said.

“Yes, I think I know the place.”

“I need to collect herbs from there, but I don’t have the strength.”

“Right. I’ll go get them for you after I visit Lady Naien,” he told her.

“Oh, thank you!” cried the Espeon. “You’re such a dear.”

“No problem,” Lune replied.


***
“How are you feeling, Naien?” Lune asked.

“Ugh… I could be better,” she said. The Houndoom lay on her side with her tail and legs dangling off the soft feather bed. Her usually orange muzzle had a greenish tint to it, and a somewhat dazed look lingered in her eyes. “My lungs have decided that it would be funny to fill up with liquid and make me cough until I feel faint,” she groaned. At that moment, she fell into a fit of coughing so severe that Lune thought she would cough her brains out if she didn’t stop soon.

“Hmm… I’m going to the pharmacy under the Misty Lake. I’ll see if I can get something for you.”

“If you want.”

“I’ll ask the medicine guy about it. See ya later.” Lune nodded and left.


***
The pharmacy was an hour’s walk away from the central part of the Sacred Kingdom. The keyword was ‘walk’. Moving quickly, Lune arrived in slightly over half an hour. The building he was looking for was a simple wooden shack hidden under the shade of leafy trees, with a single painted label on the outside that read ‘Medicine’. Lune knocked tentatively and entered.

Surprisingly, the inside was well lit and quite spacious. Bottles of all shapes and sizes were arranged neatly upon the many rows of sturdy shelves attached to the walls. Strangely, there was no one to be seen.

“Hello?” Lune called. “Anyone here?”

“Oh, pardon me. I was not aware of your presence,” replied a voice. An aged Hypno with faded yellow skin stepped out from behind a tall stack of boxes. He held his suspended pendulum in one hand and a small package in the other. The once thick ring of fur around his neck had grown thin over the years. On his face was a look of wisdom, the kind that made you feel at ease. “I was expecting Hana (he meant the old Espeon), but she has not come for her herbs yet.”

“She sent me to get them for her,” Lune replied. “She’s not feeling up to long journeys these days.”

“Oh, poor soul!” the Hypno exclaimed. “At least she found someone young to collect these for her. She sorely needs them.” He handed Lune the package, which, now, the Eevee realized, was wrapped around dry medicinal leaves.

“Hmm, I’d better not break these,” Lune said to himself, holding the package gingerly.

The Hypno chuckled. “Oh, it’s quite all right. Hana has to crumble them and boil them in water, anyway. You don’t worry about it.”

“Hmm, all right,” Lune replied. “By the way, I need to ask you something about a friend’s condition.”

“Ask away,” the Hypno said.

“Lady Naien’s lungs are loaded with some kind of nasty fluid. Apparently it irritates her body so much that she can’t stop coughing. And I mean, really coughing.”

The Hypno’s eyes grew wide. “You don’t mean Lady Naien, our Guardian?” Lune nodded grimly. “Oh, dear me!” the Hypno gasped. “But I know just the thing that will help,” he said. He rummaged through a drawer, and, after a few moments, drew out a tiny bottle of shocking blue liquid triumphantly, which he gave to Lune. “Take it for free; it’s a pleasure to help Lady Naien. Tell her to drink one drop a day until the potion is finished. No more, no less,” he warned.

Lune nodded. “I understand,” he said, “And… thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, one more thing,” the Hypno said.

“What’s that?”

“Could you please remind Hana that she needs to pay me again? She doesn’t mean to, but the dear thing forgets,” he said.

Any other Eevee would have cursed his luck at this point, but not Lune. He was used to this kind of thing. If a pokémon did not ask him a favor during the course of a day, he would not only be surprised; he would probably get bored, as well. Pokémon asked him to help them, he did the work. It was as simple as that.

Lune knew very well that he would have to make another trip back to the pharmacy, so he put Lady Naien’s bottle temporarily among the dry herbs and made his way back to the heart of the kingdom at full speed. As soon as he reached Hana’s house, Lune extracted the bottle and held it tightly. He did not want to lose it.

“Oh, thank you, dear,” the Espeon said upon receiving the package.

“No problem,” Lune replied. “One thing, though… The Hypno says he wants to be paid.”

“Oh, by Ho-oh, I forgot again!” she exclaimed. “Oh, dear. I feel guilty asking this, but do you mind…?”

“I’ll take it to him,” Lune answered.

“How can I ever thank you?” the Espeon asked. “Oh, I know… Wait here, will you?” She disappeared into her house.

Quite soon she came back out again, carrying a bag of gold in her mouth, along with a curious-looking amulet. She handed both to him and said, “The sack is to pay for the herbs, but this amulet is my gift to you. I don’t need it anymore. The crystal measures the balance of light and darkness in your heart. When it turns black, beware! Do not let the light go out, or there will be little hope for you.”

Lune accepted the amulet thankfully and hung it around his neck. It was a beautiful thing with a sparkling silver chain, and the mystical crystal sphere that hung from it was remarkably clear. At the moment, it looked as if half of the inside blazed with white fire, great and glorious, while the rest was black flame brooding in darkness.

Placing the medicine bottle inside the sack, Lune thanked the Espeon and moved on. As Lune walked to the Guardians’ Palace where Lady Naien lay, he decided to heed Hana’s strange advice, for words of the old were filled with much wisdom. Besides, an ominous feeling crept over him when he gazed into the magical crystal: a warning, perhaps, of the evil that might befall.

When Lune went into the Houndoom’s bedroom, he found Lord Yoruno there. Lady Naien was sleeping. “Oh, so the Umbreon knows how to worry, too,” Lune teased. Lord Yoruno had a reputation for being apathetic.

“It is not pleasant to run a kingdom alone,” Lord Yoruno replied. “Hopefully she will get better soon.”

“What’s this? The Umbreon has feelings? I know your secret now!” Lune winked at Lord Yoruno. “Anyway,” he said, becoming serious, “I brought her some medicine that I hope will work.”

“Let’s see it,” Lord Yoruno said.

Lune produced the bottle. The blue liquid sparked inside it. “Exactly one drop a day until she finishes it all,” he said.

“I’ll be sure to remember that,” Lord Yoruno answered. “By the way, before she went to sleep, she asked me to tell you to watch the two new Advisers and take care of any Adviser business.”

“Will do,” Lune replied, and he set off for the pharmacy, holding the sack firmly between his teeth.


***
Afternoon was already giving way to evening when Lune returned. A pleasant, cooling breeze was blowing, and the sun shone gently from behind a cloud. Lune was happy to make it back so swiftly, for he still had time to tend to Adviser duties, and then some.

Lune found Shockwave taking a late-afternoon swim in the Sanctuary. He popped his head out through the waterfall curtain. “I’m going to do Adviser stuff,” he told the Pikachu. “Wanna come?”

“Er, okay,” Shockwave said, swimming to shore and drying himself.


***
When Lune and Shockwave arrived at the forest clearing where Advisers conducted their sessions, they found Haldir there already finishing up.

“You mean you took care of all of them?” Lune asked in disbelief. There had not been anyone who had made such quick progress since Lune himself was first hired. He was enthusiastic about the job then. Now he found it a painful burden.

“Yup,” the Scizor responded.

Lune shook his head, smiling. “Amazing,” he said. “Thanks. Now I won’t have to deal with any for today.”

“Where have you been, anyway?” Haldir asked. “I haven’t seen you around for the whole day.”

When Lune recounted all that he had done, Haldir was shocked. “Well, at least you can relax now,” the Scizor said.

“Nope, can’t,” Lune said. “Now I’m going to see what I can do to fix the General Tournament arena that some ingenious pokémon decided to blow up in spite of the rules. If Lady Naien and Lord Yoruno don’t have the time to fix it, I will. Shockwave…?”

“Erk… I have a battle scheduled with Élan quite soon,” Shockwave replied. “Really, I do.”

“Okay,” Lune said, “See ya later. Good luck!” With that, he headed to the central square where the arena lay.

Shockwave, seeing the look on Haldir’s face, laughed and told him, “He’s used to it.” The Pikachu left to meet his opponent.

“Well, someone’s got to help him,” Haldir said to himself.


***
“I smell him close,” the winged terror whispered coarsely. “But I may be mistaken. The hair that Toidi brought was a very old one. The idiot. But Master wants this done, so it must be beneficial to the Slith Territories. He doesn’t tolerate idiots for no reason.”

“Hmm. Hunter, I think I see the Eevee down there. Your eyes are sharper. Can you confirm?” asked the Venomoth of his fearsome partner. They hid behind a cloud, so as not to be seen.

The great prehistoric creature slowed his large stone wings and turned his piercing gaze downwards. “It is definitely an Eevee,” said the Aerodactyl, showing his sharp, dagger-like teeth in a sinister grin, “And apart from wearing a golden earring, he has an Everstone stuck in his forehead. He is the Eevee, all right.” Hunter cackled.

“Perfect,” Stealth said, with pleasure. “As soon as I loose my Sleep Powder upon him, he will not stand a chance.”


***
Lune was refilling the holes in the ground with debris and fitting cement coverings over them as well as he could, but most of the relevant pieces had been blown into worthless rubble. He would have to come back the next day with new cement and some tools.

He did not see the large shadows that loomed up behind him, but he heard the rapid movement of a pair of insect wings. “Haldir, is that you?” he asked, but then he heard more wings. Huge wings. He turned around to face the Retrievers and cried out in horror. “Wait, you’re not-”

Lune never finished that sentence. The blue cloud sedated him almost immediately, and he fell to the ground unconscious. Hunter silently scooped the limp Eevee up in his talons, and, nodding to Stealth, headed for the Savage Wilderness.

[Charizard04621]

Number two of four... GAH, does anyone know how I can make words stick to the right? TPM ignores my spacings and empty ubb code thingies, so "The Savage Wilderness Authorities" is STUCK ON THE LEFT! ~_~


Chapter 32
The Savage Wilderness
Haldir blinked. He could not believe what he was seeing. In his hand he held a note that he had removed from the blue Sleep Powder spores on the cement floor. A hasty message had been scrawled onto the piece of paper:


We haff Loon the Iffy. U herd that Lord You’re Uno + Lady Nayen?
We haff ur preshus Iffy. Now give up ur power rite now…
Or else…
~The Savage Wilderness Authorities

“I don’t like this one bit,” Haldir said, and he sped off to find Shockwave.


***
Lune groaned. For some reason, he had a splitting headache, and his body ached horribly. He opened his eyes to discover that he lay in a spherical force field that encompassed his body. There was little room for him to move. He poked at the clear blue energy wall before him, only to find that whenever he did so, it would throw his paw back to where it came from with a vicious jolt of electricity. The shield was impenetrable.

“Ah, so he finally awakens,” said a soft, icy voice. “You slept like a Snorlax, Eevee.”

Lune would have jumped from surprise if he could have. As the room stopped spinning, he saw the Alakazam look at him with cold, cruel eyes. “Who… Who are you?” Lune asked weakly.

“Since you are under my control, I shall tell you,” the Alakazam answered. “I am the sole Guardian of the Slith Territories. I shall not reveal my name, however, and you shall never know where my hidden State lies.”

“Yeah, and you’ll never guess that it’s in the Eastern Marshes, either,” Toidi added.

“Fool!” the Alakazam cried, lifting the Aipom in the air and slamming him into a wall with mental force. “Keep your mouth shut! Stealth, put both the Savage Wilderness Guardians to sleep before they do any more damage.”

“With pleasure, Master,” the Venomoth replied. Elbuort and Toidi began to snore. “It’s a pity Hunter could not fit into this pathetically small room, or he would have enjoyed scaring these two out of their wits. They wouldn’t have dared to utter a word then.” In fact, the Guardian Tower was quite spacious. The only problem was, Hunter’s wings could have spanned close to thirty feet. He couldn’t come through the tiny entrance doors at the bottom of the tower, nor could he hope of squeezing through the flight of pointlessly narrow stairs.

For the first time, Lune realized that the Alakazam was not the only one in the room. His mind was still in a torpid state, and his headache had gotten worse. He looked around. The Alakazam was sitting in front of his prison and looking down upon him, and the Venomoth who had put him to sleep earlier was watching over an unconscious Mankey and Aipom. There was also someone far in the back of the room that Lune could not see very clearly.

“What do you want from me?” Lune asked the Alakazam.


***
“There’s a lot more to this than it looks,” Shockwave said. “Notice how ‘Savage Wilderness Authorities’ is spelt perfectly while the rest of the stuff er… isn’t? Someone wanted to make sure that Lady Naien and Lord Yoruno went there. And there’s no way Savage Wilderness representatives could have kidnapped Lune. They’re too stupid.”

“We’re going to find him now,” Élan said. “Lady Naien and Lord Yoruno must not find out about this at all costs. Whoever is really behind this wants to draw them into the Savage Wilderness. There’s bound to be a counterattack in the Sacred Kingdom itself. Those two will have to handle it.”

“We won’t be needing this, then,” Haldir said, tearing up the note into miniscule pieces.


***
The Alakazam cackled. “You see the force field you are trapped in? I hold in my hand the only device that will shut it down.” The Alakazam waved the remote control in front of Lune’s face, taunting him with his fingers on the lever. “Slith Territories technology. Very advanced, you must admit. When Naien and Yoruno come to get you back, they’re going to have a few problems. The Sacred Kingdom will fall, and the Slith Territories will be avenged!” More maniacal cackles. “By the way, as you might have guessed, Stealth and Hunter, my faithful elite Retrievers, were born in the Forgotten Kingdom. I snatched them as eggs and trained them myself.” The Alakazam paused to gloat.

“You are sick,” Lune cried. “You’re not going to get away with this. I don’t think you know what you’re dealing with.”

“We’ll see about that,” the Alakazam replied indifferently. He beckoned to the obscured pokémon. “I’m done. You may torment him now.”

The pokémon crept out of the shadows. He was a rather big snake about six feet long, with sharp red fangs that could puncture the toughest hides. His body was black, with several yellow dots here and there surrounded by bright rings. The top of his head and his entire lower jaw were also yellow. Indigo bands streaked down either side of his face, and along his neck and tail. His eyes were blood red, as was the triangular cleaver blade on the end of his pointed tail. Lune recognized the Seviper immediately. “Ytos,” he said darkly.

“Hello, reprobate,” the Seviper replied. Ytos was originally born in the Savage Wilderness, but his ability to formulate bitter schemes of vengeance upon those that he found a reason to hate (which were many) quickly scared the natives of the State, and he left to find someone who shared his evil and hateful will. The Alakazam welcomed him and gave him a place for his scornful thoughts to grow. Unfortunately for Ytos, ‘ability’ was not a word in the dictionary of the Savage Wilderness, a thing that, surprisingly, they happened to have.

“You are calling me a reprobate?” Lune answered mockingly. But he couldn’t hide the fact that he was extremely offended. His voice gave him away.

“You are a killer at heart and you know it,” hissed Ytos.

“I have never killed anyone in my life, and I have absolutely no intention of ever doing so,” Lune replied angrily. The crystal on his amulet was almost completely black. Lune checked himself. Hana’s advice rang urgently in his ears.

“You’re not as good as you pretend to be,” Ytos said. “How else do you explain your Dark type Hidden Power?”

Lune froze. His Dark type Hidden Power was not something he liked to talk about, and he was more than reluctant to use it. The unfortunate victim of a complete assault would go irreversibly insane, regardless of his strength of mind. He would be reduced to a mumbling fool, unaware of what went on in the world, imprisoned by his eternally lingering fear. The cackling shadows would haunt him forever, and he would never again find peace of mind for the rest of his terrible life. Lune had never completed an assault before, nor had he even gotten close. No one had withstood the fearsome darkness for long. Lune knew that, if it should come to it, he would rather lose the battle than allow the shadows to progress. No pokémon deserved to live in perpetual terror.

“Ha! Just as I thought,” Ytos sneered. “You can’t say anything because you know I’m right! Hidden Power types reflect the character of their owners. Not so deep inside, you aren’t the good pokémon you pretend to be.”

Lune was silent for a while. Ytos’s words had some truth in them. The Seviper himself had a Poison type Hidden Power, for his thoughts were malicious and bitter, and his heart rotten. But when Lune thought about his own Hidden Power, he always thought: Why? Why darkness?

“You’re just mad because I’m an Adviser with a sense of right and wrong,” Lune finally answered, somewhat shakily. A while ago, Ytos had been in the Sacred Kingdom. He had demanded that Lune teach him how to manipulate the shadows, but Lune had refused, because he knew that Ytos would not hesitate to imprison others in a fate worse than death. It was gifted pokémon with black hearts like Ytos who gave their Dark type Hidden Powers a bad name.

“Stupid Eevee,” the Seviper hissed. “You have a vicious nature and you know it. Stop changing the subject.”

“Oh, quit whining,” Lune retorted. “Everyone who doesn’t give you exactly what you want is labeled vicious, stupid, illogical, and blameworthy. Get real! The world does not revolve around what you want, and no amount of slander or hateful remarks will make it that way.”

A dangerous look flashed in Ytos’s eye, but he could find no response. Cursing maliciously, he slithered into a corner to brood darkly upon revenge and evil.

Lune thought grimly of Elbuort and how his words could easily have applied to the stubborn Mankey as well. Savage Wilderness pokémon… They were all the same. And they never failed to have double standards. It was just one of those things.

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 33
Forgotten Fury
“Er, Élan, I really think we need a more solid plan. We can’t just barge right into the Guardian Tower,” Shockwave said.

“We’ll sneak in,” Élan replied. “Haldir may have to crawl up the stairs, though.”

“That’s not very different,” Shockwave said.

“Élan, I think you are absolutely crazy,” said Haldir. “Might I remind you that we are walking into a trap set for someone else?”

“Why, of course.” Élan winked. “Now, come on!”

And when Shockwave and Haldir looked, first at each other, and then at Élan, they realized that the Sneasel was completely serious.

Haldir sighed. He gave in only because wasting more time would mean a smaller chance of survival for Lune. “Fine, but you’ll have to tell me the way,” he said, as he held Shockwave under one arm and Élan under the other. His fine, steely wings buzzed to life, beating faster than a hummingbird’s so their movement was marked only by a single blur to most eyes.

“No problem,” Élan said, “Luktam has brought me to visit the place plenty of times before. We’re only two hours away.”


***
Toidi and Elbuort stirred. Immediately, Stealth looked outside at the position of the sun, then turned and nodded at Ytos. The serpent slithered towards the two small monkeys and whispered something so viciously in their ears that they turned very pale, but they nodded and promptly disappeared. Lune blinked.

“Those were my teleporters, Lune,” the Alakazam answered before Lune could ask. “Mechanically induced for those not capable of doing it naturally the way I can. Technology is wonderful for those who lack the appropriate magical abilities, is it not?” The Alakazam nodded dismissively to the Venomoth and Seviper. “You may go.” And they vanished.

“Now what?” Lune muttered.

“I think you would like to know that a host of angry Sacred Kingdom residents, most of whom were born in the Savage Wilderness, is on its way right now to wreak havoc at the Guardians’ Palace. The pokémon can’t teleport directly into the heart of the kingdom, of course, or they will risk re-materializing irreversibly into something solid, which would be a real disaster.” The Alakazam smiled smugly, very pleased with himself. “They will appear about a five hours’ march away from the palace, in a special meadow I discovered at the foot of the Mountains of Spring. It is a large area empty of rocks, trees, and the like. Perfectly foolproof. They’ll have to make their way through the dense forests, of course, which is the reason for the annoying delay, but at least they can’t complain about being hungry. Those forests are the richest with fruit in land.”

Lune turned away. He was getting sick of the Alakazam’s gloating. “You have not won yet,” he whispered. “Lady Naien and Lord Yoruno will not come.”

The Alakazam merely laughed with amusement. “You expect me to believe that?” he jeered.

Lune was silent. He had felt moments before, somehow, that Shockwave knew. And he had felt hope again. Light now flickered visibly in the blackness of the amulet’s crystal.

“You’re boring me, Lune,” the Alakazam said. “Do something interesting.” At that moment, he fixed his gaze on the Eevee’s right foreleg, and his eyes filled with evil pleasure. He willed it to break, and it did, with a sickening snap.

A sharp pain shot up Lune’s leg, but he was determined not to scream. A look of indignant mockery flashed across his face. “Is that the best you can - AAAAAH!” he cried, as the Alakazam shook his broken foot vigorously with mental force and jammed it into the electrical force field, which crackled and hurled the bleeding thing back. Lune’s face was twisted in horrible agony.

The thing about the Alakazam’s telekinesis was, it could pass through the electrical barrier while everything else could not. And Lune was determined to use it to his advantage. The Alakazam, in his arrogance, had neglected to realize that he was, in using the only method of getting into the force field, he was providing Lune with the only method of getting out. Lune had already temporarily copied the Alakazam’s telekinesis silently with Mimic, and now all he needed to do was wait. But he hadn’t much time. The effects of Mimic lasted, for an average pokémon, no longer than half an hour. Lune had intentionally trained himself to draw this time out to two.

But it turned out that Lune need not have worried. The Alakazam’s only intention was to abuse him with telekinesis until someone else came, so Lune found plenty of opportunity to refresh his memory. It seemed like hours had passed before the Alakazam stopped crushing his lungs, throwing him against the force field, and viciously shaking his broken foot.

The Alakazam pointed to a small monitor that had been set up beside Lune’s prison. “It seems that some of your friends are here,” he said, evidently disappointed that he had not lured the Sacred Kingdom Guardians. “They won’t make it past the security system that I installed. It’s too bad I don’t get to see the lasers vaporize Naien or Yoruno, however.”

Lune cried out in horror. “You brought weapons? You have weapons?” The Eevee whimpered. He whimpered because he saw on the screen, unmistakably, the silhouetted figures of a rodent, a feline, and a mantis.

The Alakazam smiled. “Three, two, one,” he said. And suddenly, huge streaks of light, all focused upon the three intruders, collided in the middle and exploded, chucking debris all over the place. When the smoke cleared, Lune could see the three bodies on the floor. He turned away and did not look back. The Alakazam did likewise. If they did chance a look, however, they would have seen three very surprised pokémon stagger to their feet, winded but unhurt.

Lune glared at the Alakazam, narrowing his eyes. “I hate you,” he said quietly. There was only a miniscule speck of light in the now flaming black crystal.

Deep purple, negative energy gathered into a sphere at Lune’s left forepaw. The ball was huge in less than a second; Lune had channeled his anger into it. The Alakazam looked frightened, for Psychic types like him suffered horribly from Ghost type assaults, but he still believed he was safe, and that the Shadow Ball had nowhere to go. That’s what he thought.

But when Lune willed the switch on the remote to flick off and the electrical sphere containing him faded, the ethereal energy exploded in the Alakazam’s face before he could say or do anything. Lune leapt off the floor and rammed hard into the Alakazam’s chest, pinning his prey down upon the floor. “You really shouldn’t have done that,” Lune told him.

“If you kill me, my army will turn on the Forgotten Kingdom,” the Alakazam replied. “Karkas the Second shall not go unavenged!” For Karkas, revealing his name was a big step; a pokémon born in the Slith Territories only did so when he believed he was facing death.

“There are some things worse than death,” Lune whispered, and the lights in the tower were extinguished. For a moment the beautiful stars outside promised a false peace, and then even they were no longer visible. Everything was in darkness. Lune laughed, a nervous, high-pitched laugh that rang with his crazed anger and denial. He did not want to think about what he saw on the screen. He did not want to believe it. Then the Eevee’s laughter changed into maniacal cackling. A shadow came over his face. “Goodbye, Karkas the Second,” he said to his terrified victim.

Karkas gasped. He could hear voices, cruel voices, jeering at him. He could sense the presence of… of… things; he could feel them near him, and he knew they were drawing closer. Shadows had erupted into life, and they surrounded him, closing tightly around him… Karkas felt them wrap around his throat, felt them choking him, and then, to his alarm, felt them ready to destroy his mind…

But that moment never came. Lune was wavering for two reasons. Firstly, he was not emotionally ready to reduce anyone into a lost lunatic that muttered gibberish, even though he thought the subject in question had just murdered three of his closest friends; and secondly, he thought that he had felt Shockwave close by, alive… And suddenly his amulet glowed brightly with urgency, and white flame erupted within.

“You’re getting too emotional, Lune,” called Shockwave’s voice from the stairs. “Do you really think that’s necessary?”

At that, the shadows retreated, leaving Karkas dazed but sane. Lune smiled, and although light had not yet returned to the room, he could have sworn that Shockwave had grinned back.

“Impossible,” the Alakazam moaned. “I programmed my lasers to fire at all intruders and to make especially sure that they kill all those of Sacred Kingdom blood.”

“Well, there’s your problem, then.” Haldir smirked. “None of us seem to be of Sacred Kingdom blood.”

Karkas’s face suddenly turned haggard. He blanched, then looked weakly up at his enemies. As if answering the pale Alakazam’s unspoken question, Haldir and Élan said at the same time, unintentionally, “The Silver Havens.”

Lune gaped in wonder, but Élan and Haldir were even more surprised. They had never met each other in the Silver Havens before.

“That’s pretty cool,” Shockwave said, and left it at that.

The Silver Havens was a legendary state, the very first, for it had risen to order before the rest, and had somehow spread harmony throughout the entire world. The ancient land of this blessed realm was the first to receive the gift of life from golden Ho-oh, the fiery phoenix of seven colors. But soon after all the States had come to power, the Silver Havens had vanished out of known existence. Only its inhabitants knew where it lay hidden. There was a rumor that the Silver Havens was hidden because it guarded something important, something that would preserve the good of the world forever.

“Those from the Silver Havens know where it lies hidden,” the Alakazam croaked. “I will find it still. And when the First State falls, the world will be mine!” Karkas’s image flickered, but before anyone could stop him, he had gone.

“Damn! I should have drained some of his energy as soon as we got here so he wouldn’t have had enough to Teleport,” Élan hissed.

“Let him run,” Lune said. “We’ve got bigger problems. I’d go into a Rest trance right now to heal all my injuries, but there isn’t time. I’ll do it immediately when we get back. Right now, we need to fly. Union of Soul!” he cried. The room flashed. “By the way, the Slith Territories lies somewhere in the Eastern Marshes.” Without another word, Lune shattered the large glass window with an ethereal orb and leapt out, wings spread. Haldir clutched Élan tightly and followed, guessing that Lune would fill them in on the way. He did.

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 34
Attack and Defense
Pukcus was delighted when Toidi and Elbuort warped into the meadow with the army, which consisted of disgruntled Sacred Kingdom residents. He wrapped his wing around Ebannaw and smiled. “Today, my dear, we will put up a historic fight that will never be forgotten,” he told her. Pukcus was a bit of a confused bird. He had previously gotten in trouble quite often with Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien, mostly because of his big mouth and inability to follow logical reason; he had harassed many Sacred Kingdom residents pointlessly with his sharp tongue, and had ignored multiple warnings from the Guardians that his behavior was inappropriate. So, when they decided to take further action, Pukcus had rounded up a little band of followers from the Sacred Kingdom – the poor, gullible ones who had nobody better to listen to – to march in his little army (more of a mob than anything else; real armies need to have some form of organization).

The Murkrow had preached to them about how they were all being wronged, how it was their moral duty to rid the Sacred Kingdom of ignorant tyrants, and how, if they took power into their own hands, they would be able to rebuild the broken kingdom and transform it into a wonderful land of eternal peace and harmony. Of course, he never said anything about the fact that he had an incurable, scathing tongue that shot out unnecessary, illogical insults like an erratic machine gun (a skill Elbuort had, too, for those he was jealous of or disagreed with), or about the fact that he was only trying to recruit them because he was about to be banished from the Sacred Kingdom for his miserable wrongdoing. With his biased words and lies, Pukcus made himself seem like an honorable martyr.

Pukcus conjured up many evil rumors, twisted words and the meanings of actions, and used Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien as scapegoats in order to intentionally incite blind rage into the hearts of those who would listen, making sure that he made everything good about the Guardians look bad and everything bad about them look worse. In that way, Pukcus managed to create a false, distorted image of the Guardians, who were viewed by those who listened to the Murkrow’s poisonous words as evil, reckless, power-hungry tyrants who did not care a single bit for the pokémon. In fact, Pukcus’s one-sided slander spree was so convincing to weak-minded fools that his lies shut out the real truth in his dirty mind and replaced it. From a very young age, ‘truth’ was not a real word in Pukcus’s vocabulary. He used it often, of course, telling his followers that the evil Guardians begrudged them the truth, but the truth was that Pukcus never truly understood what ‘truth’ meant. The Murkrow’s entire life was about formulating lies, lies, and more lies, to get him what he wanted. His ‘darling’ Ebannaw was a useful tool to him, and he liked her for that reason. ‘Love’ could have no real meaning to demented pokémon like him who were born only to hate.

The army, fortunately, did not contain any large pokémon. They wound through the dense forest undergrowth easily enough, so they did not lose much speed. It was a miracle that they all managed to stick together instead of getting hopelessly scattered and lost. It usually took some form of intelligence to escape such a large forest, but somehow the entire army got lucky.

As Pukcus flew with Ebannaw overhead, a thought occurred to him. Thoughts did not generally occur to pokémon of Savage Wilderness birth, but, to be fair, Pukcus had a complex mind for pokémon of his race. He had the ability to formulate plans and calculate advantages, although, admittedly, they were founded on the basis of Illogic, which was a virtue much worshipped by those of the Savage Wilderness. Sadly, the three main principles of the Savage Wilderness (Illogic, Stupidity, and Thoughtless Arguments) existed all over the world in varying concentrations, which was why Pukcus had managed to convince a small number of Sacred Kingdom residents (especially the newest, unsuspecting ones), and was continuing to do so. What had occurred to Pukcus was that he would need to gain favor from a certain pokémon who was not a Guardian of the Sacred Kingdom but was likely to receive a lot of support from a majority of the residents when the army got rid of Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien (Pukcus had no doubt that they would succeed in freeing the oppressed land from its tyrants). That certain pokémon was Lune. “Yes,” Pukcus said to himself, “I’ll have to make myself very friendly with him.” And he told Ebannaw that he wanted her to be nice to the Eevee in public, to which, of course, she agreed immediately, with proud affection for Pukcus on her face. What Pukcus planned to do himself, obviously, was ‘suck up’. Unfortunately for him, he did not realize that honorable pokémon did not respond well to brown-nosing.


***
“Lune, you plan on meeting that army by yourself in front of the Guardians’ Palace?” Shockwave asked, a little doubtfully.

“I’m going to disguise myself and talk to them,” Lune replied. “And the way Karkas said it, I don’t think we’d really have to worry about a real army threat.”

“Er, okay, but I’ll be perfectly content just watching,” he said. “Élan and Haldir should be nearly done drawing everyone they can to the Guardians’ Palace, so the army will definitely not go unopposed.”

“I won’t be needing wings, but you’ve got to stay with the crowd close by in case you have to back me up.” Lune sighed. “I’m going to warn the Guardians now. You go help Haldir and Élan.”


***
The army had arrived: a wild-looking group with blank expressions on their faces. Some were scratching their heads, others muttering while they shoved each other back and forth; one was even picking his nose. This was not a very impressive army, if it could be considered an army at all. Their numbers were small, and the individuals did not look very threatening, unless stupidity was a contagious disease. Still, the crowd of Sacred Kingdom residents who were gathered at the sides of the pathway leading up to the palace seemed interested. The most sharp-sighted ones might have noticed a shadowed Seviper in the very middle.

Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien were waiting on the marble porch of the palace when the mob came, showing signs of intense displeasure when they saw Pukcus and Ebannaw flying in the lead. Fortunately, Lady Naien had just taken the Hypno’s medicine, and had stopped coughing out her insides for the moment. The mob stopped moving. And then, suddenly, the storm burst.

“Tyrants, haters of order and peace!” Pukcus bellowed. “We are here to tell you our grievances, so listen!” The Murkrow cleared his throat, as if preparing for a big speech. “You are dictators, and you don’t care what we want,” he accused. “We, the people, are sick and tired of being oppressed by the corrupt government. It’s time you listened to our voices!” At that, the mob roared in agreement. “Until now, pokémon have been frightened of speaking up. But now,” Pukcus said, a tear of pride in his eye, “we are standing up for ourselves! Now we have the courage to speak against you! Listen to what we have to say!”

Toidi hopped up and down excitedly. “I’ve been here for quite a while, and what I have to say is, you two are too uptight! And that Lune is a bitch too!” The Aipom nodded. “Look what me and Elbuort do for the Savage Wilderness,” he said (grammar was never the strong point of any Savage Wilderness pokémon), “We don’t care if anyone breaks laws, laws shouldn’t be enforced! You should have good laws, we do, but if you make pokémon obey laws, then you need to loosen up!” Toidi withdrew, completely satisfied with making himself look like a bigger idiot than he already was.

Elbuort, however, remained silent and tried to hide his face. He wanted to pretend that he had nothing to do with the mob’s outburst. Somehow he had blocked out of his mind the fact that Lune had seen him at the Guardian Tower. Denial was one of his best attributes. With it, he even managed to fool himself that he was a likable and popular pokémon who never did any wrong. He also managed to believe that he was a nice pokémon who insulted others constantly only because it was the right thing to do.

A Zubat named Fel Loudwing (He was born in the Sparkling Forest) flew up to the front next. “For all the time I was here,” he said in his squeaky voice, “I was scared to say what I thought. I was scared because of what I thought Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien would do to me if I said anything. But now I’m glad I told everyone all I was thinking.” He returned to the mob, completely unaware that he had not told anyone anything worthwhile. Of course, he hadn’t lied; when he said that he had revealed all his thoughts, he told the truth, for there wasn’t a thought in his head.

Then, to Lune’s utter disgust (He was hiding and watching, preparing to spring out and counter the gross criticism when he felt it was time), Ytos slithered forward. For quite a while, he presented bits and pieces of incomplete recordings of conversations from a small black box that he carried in a bag slung around his fat neck, with Lord Yoruno saying undesirable things that made it sound as if he was a usurper and coveter of power. Lune gritted his teeth, for he could not present evidence that would explain the truth. Only those who knew Lord Yoruno well would know the truth, for Lune knew that the recordings Ytos possessed were taken out of context, and that Lord Yoruno was joking at the time. It was never Lord Yoruno’s nature to desire power through corruption. There would be no explaining that to anyone. Finally Ytos finished, after having left a nasty comment about Lune being a Guardians’ pet. Lune hissed quietly, but he was glad that Ytos could not see him in the audience. It made the Seviper’s revenge less sweet to think that the Eevee had not been present to hear his snide remarks.

The verbal abuse continued, with everyone making criticisms and no one suggesting any productive solutions to whatever they thought the problem was (In their whiny ramblings, they had managed to make it unclear). When it seemed that the criticism party had ended, the mob began to chant, “Down with Yoruno! Down with Naien!” so loudly that Lune found it difficult to concentrate. He clouded his identity and dashed in front of Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien, shouting for quiet.

A hush fell upon the crowd. Some strange being had just leapt in front of the Sacred Kingdom Guardians and looked as if he was about to speak. He was veiled by darkness, a darkness so fine that it was beautiful like the mysterious night sky above that glittered with stars. His features were shadowed, and the nebulous cloud about him that continued to shift in shape gave no visual clue as to his identity. A few attentive pokémon could pick out a faint glitter of gold in one corner of the cloud, or the strange, indistinct mingling of white and black somewhere indefinite, but they shrugged, dismissing it all as a hallucination.

“What ill has befallen this kingdom!” he cried, his tone grieved and weary. “Pokémon, please have some sense. Tell me, have you ever known what it is like to starve?” The being paused, turning his head around, glaring with eyes of cold fire, as if daring someone to speak. Those in the mob muttered unsurely amongst themselves, but finally, they were forced to shake their heads. They had all been fed well. Satisfied, the being continued. “Have you ever been forced to serve these two?” He gestured at the Umbreon and Houndoom behind him. They shook their heads again. “Have these two ever physically hurt you to get their way?” More shaking. The being snorted indignantly. “Then you obviously don’t know what dictators are, or you would not have accused Lord Yoruno or Lady Naien of being such… things. As far as I have seen, and you’ve agreed yourselves, these two have always taken good care of the kingdom, making sure that everyone gets enough food to comfortably live. None of you have died of malnutrition or poverty. Gee, I’m sure these two don’t care about your needs, huh?” he said sarcastically. There was a painful silence. “None of you are slaves. None of you do anything to help Lady Naien and Lord Yoruno if you don’t want to. These two have never forced you into physical labor, nor have they ever resorted to any form of torture. Did you know that once upon a time, there used to be Assassins?” A shiver ran through the crowd. Those who had been around long enough remembered the terrible days. “Guess what?” the being continued, “These two don’t have Assassins to kill pokémon with. They don’t want assassins to kill pokémon with. And you call them dictators?” The being made a curious sound, a mixture of a groan and a cry of exasperation. He was extremely annoyed. “I have news for you,” he said. “Dictators have absolutely no concern for their subjects, couldn’t care less if pokémon are starving as long as they themselves have more than enough to eat, regard subjects as worthless unless they work as slaves, and torture or kill (or both) anyone that remotely annoys them. Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien do not fit this description, and therefore are not dictators. Pokémon, I beseech you once again: please have some sense. I have never before seen more honest, caring Guardians than these in the Sacred Kingdom. You should be rejoicing that they are in power, not doing your best to drive them away. That said, I take my leave.” And he melted into the shadows.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with you guys?” shouted an audience member at the mob. “It looked like you were doing nothing but saying bad things about the Guardians. I only saw one side. You claim to speak for all of us, the pokémon of the Sacred Kingdom, but we don’t all agree with you!”

Then Haldir raised his voice. “You know,” he said to the mob, “the Sacred Kingdom may be a nice place to stay, but there are other good States to go to. If you don’t like it here, why don’t you just leave for someplace else instead of whining?”

“You guys are so immature,” a Charmeleon said. Her name was Kera Stardragon, and she was a well-respected Guardian of the Sparkling Forest. She swished her flaming tail in annoyance. “I think this is ridiculous. There’s nothing wrong with the Sacred Kingdom Guardians. You guys are just being babies.” Pokémon of Sparkling Forest origin were well known for their pleasant behavior and courtesy towards others. They seldom fought amongst themselves, and could hardly ever find it in their hearts to be unkind to others.

Some of the audience members were even laughing at the mob, which was now shrinking… and shrinking… and shrinking… Obviously, the pokémon involved had expected support, not ridicule. They were quite disappointed at their reception, and very embarrassed.

Lady Naien cleared her throat. Everyone fell silent. “The accusations brought here today have no solid basis, and it is obvious that the evidence provided was tainted or distorted. It seems that your sole intention was to slander and insult us,” she said, addressing the mob. “We will gladly accept any real constructive criticism and productive suggestions, but we will not waste our time listening to pointless insults. Thank you, and good night.”

To Lune’s surprise, Pukcus and his mob suddenly began to grovel and apologize, pretending to be regretful of the trouble that they had caused and trying to sound sincere. It was a very disgusting and sorry sight.


***
“What a nightmare,” Lune said as he lay on his back in the soft Sanctuary grass, staring up at the stars.

Shockwave shrugged. “I think your disguise was pretty cool,” he said. “You worried me when you started with ‘What ill has befallen this kingdom?’ though. I thought you were going into dramatic mode.”

“What’s wrong with dramatic mode?” Lune asked, grinning. He pushed Shockwave into the river, only to get pulled in himself. “Hey!” he yelled.

“It’s my fault you pushed me in first?” Shockwave asked. They splashed each other until the late night gave way to dawn.

[SneaselReborned]

Awe. Some. Period.

I read the entire thing...but some of the character's I can't get references...Prodigy said there were like 7 references to ASB people...so...erm..yeah. =D. Good fic.

[Count von Dark]

Kick me. I simply can't believe how facinating and just... well, fantastic. AWESOME.

[Charizard04621]

@SneaselReborned and Count von Dark: Hehe, thanks guys. ^_^; I started working on the next chapter today, but things keep coming up... :\ I hope I'll get it done by the end of the week...

[Hexae]

So amazing! :o Great fic, I hope the next chapter comes soon!:D *waits eagerly* I've been lurking for a while.

[Charizard04621]

@Hexae: Er, thanks. Hehe.

The next chapter, in my opinion, isn't particularly exciting... I've got it written up, and I just have to type it up now so I can post it.

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 35
A Challenge
Gentle morning rays crept into the Sanctuary, leaving little spots of light in places on the grass. It would be a reasonable assumption that the two who lay there would want to continue sleeping until the afternoon sun arose.

Lune’s ears perked up, and he got to his feet to wash his face. Shockwave was still sleeping comfortably, but Lune would soon fix that. “Shockwave?” the Eevee whispered, placing his paw on the sleeping Pikachu and shaking him gently. When there was no response, Lune chuckled silently to himself. “This is payback for what you’re making me do today,” he said, as he slowly pushed the Pikachu towards the river, then abruptly dunked Shockwave’s head into the cold water.

The Pikachu awoke with a start, so suddenly that, in his surprise, he fell completely into the river with a great splash. Shockwave emerged, spluttering, and shook himself dry when he pulled himself onto the grass. Lune was laughing hard, enjoying every moment. “I don’t understand all this sudden hostility,” Shockwave said.

Lune smirked. “You’re fun to tease,” he answered. “Anyway, it’s your fault for winning the bet against Lady Naien by three seconds. Three seconds less and I wouldn’t have had to jump into the Misty Lake. I hate you.” He smiled as he said this.

Shockwave grinned. “It’ll be good for you,” he said.


***
Lune was on the verge of smacking Shockwave really, really hard. In jumping into the Misty Lake, he had experienced, in his mind, several seconds of icy hell that seemed to stretch out into an eternity. The look on his face when he was in the water must have been something worth seeing. Luckily for Lune, the wind wasn’t blowing on the mountain when they descended, and it was already getting close to noon. “Shockwave,” Lune muttered through teeth that chattered from the memory, “I don’t ever want to do that again.”

“At least now you can claim that you’ve done it once,” Shockwave answered. “I mean, come on. It’s not like you swam to the middle and back or anything. You walked into a few inches of shallow water and immediately walked back.”

“Oh, shut up,” Lune answered, grinning. Shockwave was right.

“By the way, where’d you get that necklace from?” Shockwave asked.

“Amulet,” Lune corrected.

“Necklace,” Shockwave maintained.

“Amulet,” Lune replied stubbornly. Shockwave was just messing around, and he knew it. “Amulet sounds a lot cooler than necklace.”

“Oh, sure,” Shockwave agreed. “So, where did you get that necklace from?”

Lune sighed. “I got my a-mu-let from Hana the Espeon, who gave it to me for running errands for her. Amulet, amulet, amulet, amulet. It’s an amulet!”

Shockwave shrugged. “Whatever you say,” he replied, grinning.

Now that they were down the mountain, they were only an hour’s walk away from home. Mischief sparkled in Shockwave’s eyes. “You should race me back,” he said. “It’ll be fun.”

“You’re on,” Lune replied. “Three, two, one… go.” And they bolted off.


***
Shockwave had gone to gather fruit from the lush forests at the western end of the fork that lay at the outskirts of the Sacred Kingdom. The fruit there was delicious, and were excellent for a change when even Shockwave began to get bored of berries. After stuffing a few berries in his mouth, Lune, however, had gone to gather supplies for the broken arena instead. It was a good thing that Haldir offered to help, for Lune would not have been able to carry the heavy things all by himself. He was, after all, just over a foot tall, while Haldir approached six.

They were busy filling in the gaping holes with wet cement and smoothing them over with their tools when Pukcus arrived with Ebannaw.

“Hey, guys, what’s up?” Pukcus called cheerfully.

Lune was surprised. “Um, hi,” he said. He hadn’t been expecting the Murkrow and Spearow.

Haldir waved at the two, smiling. “I invited Pukcus and Ebannaw here,” he said. “We could use some help.”

“Indeed.” The Murkrow grinned, bowing. “Pukcus and Ebannaw, at your service. So, whaddya need us to do?”

Lune blinked. “Hmm… You two can’t risk getting wet cement in your feathers, or you can say goodbye to flying for a while. Haldir and I are filling in the holes, but the cement will take a few hours to dry. It would suck if someone stepped into some before that time, so maybe you two could help warn them?”

“Sure thing,” the Murkrow replied, and Ebannaw nodded. They flew off together to stand guard at the entrance.

Shockwave came in the middle of things, bringing along some of the fruit that he had picked. He was surprised by the unexpected amount of pokémon there, but luckily he had brought enough to spare. They all took a break to enjoy the fruit, which turned out to be a wonderful treat. It tasted even better than Lune had expected it to.

After that, Haldir, Shockwave, and Lune finished the job quickly while Ebannaw and Pukcus kept watch.

“You know what would be cool?” Lune mentioned while leaving the arena, “To be the first ones to battle here once it’s dry tomorrow.”

“I accept that challenge,” Pukcus replied. “I would like to see how I fare against you in battle. I’ll probably lose, you being the excellent battler that you are, but I am sure as heck going to do my best, so don’t underestimate me. Of course, the mere honor of battling you is great in itself,” he said.

Lune was silently doubtful. Aloud, he said, “Why don’t we make this a Tag Team? That way, no one gets left out.”

“Hmm,” Pukcus said, rubbing his chin, “It won’t be easy against you and Shockwave, but Ebannaw and I are prepared to battle strategically against a disadvantage,” he said. He was referring to the fact that electrical assaults were very effective against Flying types.

“Who said anything about Shockwave?” Lune answered. “Haldir’s going to be my partner.” Lune looked at Shockwave. “You don’t want to be Announcer, do you?” Lune asked, knowing the answer.

Shockwave shook his head. “You didn't need me to answer that question.” He grinned. Shockwave hated being Announcer. Such unnecessary responsibility.

“In that case,” Pukcus said, wrapping his wing around Ebannaw and looking at her tenderly, “Ebannaw, my love, would you be our Announcer? You’re such a wonderful Announcer, and beautiful, too.”

“Of course,” Ebannaw replied affectionately. “I’ll be a very good Announcer.”

“I’ll… watch,” Shockwave said. “It’ll be a good battle to watch.”

Pukcus seemed deep in thought. “Hmm, I will ask Kera Stardragon to be my partner,” he said. Kera Stardragon of the Sparkling Forest was a tough Charmeleon whose final evolution form was a powerful Charizard like Hyperion. Being a Fire type, she possessed attacks that were deadly for Haldir. The Scizor had attributes of Bug and Steel, both types that resisted fire poorly. Needless to say, Haldir was excessively weak to fire. It didn’t bother Lune. It just gave him all the more resolve to win the battle.

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 36
Sacrifice
It was a warm, sunny day, and the scent of flowers filled the air. The late morning was peacefully silent; few were awake at that lazy hour. It was a perfect day for battle.

Kera was not happy when she found out that Pukcus wanted her to be his partner. She did not like the Murkrow very much at all; she found him rude and immature. On top of that, she thought that he was just using her good friend Ebannaw, and that he did not really care as much for the Spearow as he said he did. But Ebannaw had wanted her to join him in the battle, and so she had agreed, for her friend’s sake.

Lune and Haldir were already waiting when the three arrived, and Shockwave, along with Élan, was watching from the bleachers. Two Chansey were also there; they were skilled medics, and remained to help those in poor condition after the battle. Ebannaw flew up into the air, beckoned for the battlers to take their positions, and cleared her throat. “Begin!” she yelled.

A lot of things happened at once. Lune shot off and disappeared into a blur; Pukcus, who was trying to peck him, blinked when he saw that the Eevee was no longer there; and Kera’s jet of flame glanced harmlessly off of Haldir as he spun rapidly in place like a miniature whirlwind.

Lune came from behind Pukcus and jumped on the bird, who squawked, and was promptly pinned against the ground. Lune was about to begin hitting the Murkrow in the back of the head when Ebannaw intervened, pulling him away from her mate and muttering something about dishonorable behavior.

Meanwhile, Haldir faced multiple Charmeleon, only one of which was real. He showered them in sharp yellow shurikens, causing the mirror images to fizzle away into nothingness. While he was distracted with this, though, the real Kera spewed flame from behind him, catching him by surprise. His fine metallic wings were badly burnt, and the fiery scars on his back tortured him with searing pain.

Concerning himself at the moment with defense, Lune had, unbeknownst to his opponents, left a very convincing lifelike double to act in his place, while he crept quietly behind Kera with a purple orb in his paw that grew larger each second… “Haldir, whack her!” Lune cried, thrusting the ball at his target and cheering silently when it exploded upon Kera’s back, sending her skidding face forward into the ground. The Scizor immediately responded, bringing his claw down upon the back of her neck. Kera gasped and remained still.

Pukcus was busy making many mirror images of himself, which both Lune and Haldir promptly wiped out with sailing stars. The Murkrow, exposed, squawked in fright, fled from Haldir, and crashed directly into Lune’s duplicate as he hurried, reducing it to pieces.

Kera had gotten to her feet. She had with her rubble that she had collected from the sides when nobody was paying any attention to her, which she hurled as hard as she could at Lune. The Eevee was about to move out of the way when Haldir stepped in front of him and raised a protective energy dome, upon which the sharp chunks of debris shattered.

Lune was surprised. “Haldir, save your energy for yourself,” he told his ally. But whether Haldir had heard him, Lune didn’t know, because at that moment the Scizor had begun to spin again, dispelling Kera’s fiery assault.

Pukcus had flown up above them, and, opening his beak, let loose a chill wind that left frost on their faces. Lune shivered. “I can’t reach him up there,” he said.

Suddenly the Murkrow vanished from sight; his presence could only be detected by the beating of his wings. Kera wondered what her partner was up to, for he had been doing things randomly at whim instead of trying to work with her. She guessed that he was preparing for a sneak attack, and, following her cue, sent a burst of fire at Haldir, who, of course, reacted by spinning into a whirlwind to evade the flame. At that instant, Pukcus appeared out of nowhere, wings outstretched, diving sharply in a fierce position and reaching Haldir before anything could be done. The glowing Murkrow crashed into his target’s head with terrific force, nearly shattering his own bones as he hit the hard steel carapace. Nevertheless, Haldir was very much affected, and he fell to his knees in pain. “I can’t see,” he whispered. “Spinning…”

Kera seized her chance. A massive tornado of swirling embers headed Haldir’s way, but the poor Scizor could do nothing to escape. Lune shrieked. “Haldir, get to the side and recover. I’ll handle them while you’re resting,” the Eevee cried. But Haldir shook his head and wearily scrambled upright, attempting to defend them both with a feeble barrier that he struggled mentally to maintain. Lune jumped out of the way. He had to. The flames ignored the shield and passed through, lashing at Haldir ferociously and trapping him in the scorching vortex. Lune, knowing that nothing could be done, was seized with a wild fury; he dashed blindly at the Charmeleon, cuffing, scratching, and pounding her whichever way he could, not relenting until she looked as if her legs would crumble beneath her. Then, regaining his senses, Lune rushed to Haldir’s side and placed a paw on the injured Scizor’s forehead.

“Haldir, Haldir!” he cried softly. “What ill fate that you should be the first to fall. You were valiant and courageous, a truly noble ally,” he whispered. “Fear not, Haldir, for your fall shall be avenged, or, if not, then I shall fall trying! If we do not triumph in the outcome, we will still fall in blazing glory. I will fight until I reclaim your honor, or until I can fight no more!” he vowed. Lune could see Shockwave in the bleachers giving him the ‘You’re going into dramatic mode again’ look, but Lune ignored him. He was fueled by his desire to give the fight everything he had left, and win in the process. He did not plan on losing.

With a final, respectful nod at Haldir, who lay weakly on the ground battling against unconsciousness, Lune left the Scizor regretfully to stand against his two remaining opponents alone.

Pukcus was somewhere that Lune could not see, but Kera was in plain sight. Using the same trick that he employed earlier, Lune deceived his opponents with another false copy of himself and managed to get behind Kera before she dug her claws into his double and broke it. By that time, it was too late. Lune raised his right paw, and, in one swift motion, brought it down precisely at a point that he had learned in the Forgotten Kingdom to attack in times of desperate need. The Charmeleon dropped like a lead weight to the ground, stunned and immobilized. She would remain that way for half an hour, enough time for Lune to bring the battle to an end before she recovered. “Sorry, friend,” he whispered, “but you were a large threat that I could not afford to ignore.”

Lune heard Pukcus muttering about how, if he were a civilized gentleman, he would not have attacked a girl. The Eevee, outraged, cried: “She’s done a whole lot more damage than you have. You think being a female makes her weak and vulnerable? You’re insulting her!” Kera was actually a good friend of Lune’s, and he respected her spirit and strength. She was a Charmeleon with ambition and the talent to achieve great things if she tried hard enough. She did happen to be a little naïve at times, though. Lune’s thoughts shot almost immediately to Ebannaw, and he shook his head.

The sound of Pukcus’s wings overhead was loud, and although he had turned invisible again, his lack of caution easily gave his position away. Lune, ears erect, listened carefully and sprang into the air, catching the unseen bird by the feet and dragging him to the ground. His concentration lost, Pukcus was one hundred percent visible again. Ebannaw, whose attention had wandered far away for an extended period of time, was reminded that she was supposed to be an Announcer when she heard the Murkrow’s call for help. She saw, to her horror, that Lune had sunk his teeth into Pukcus’s neck.

Dark energy crackled excessively as Lune shook Pukcus in frenzied agitation, tearing away at the Murkrow’s flesh. Specks of blood and tattered feathers flew out in all directions as Lune continued mercilessly. He was the predator, and Pukcus the prey. His victim tried frantically to escape, but the struggling only tore open more wounds, and more blood trickled out. Ebannaw, screaming, yelled, “Stop! Cheater! Somebody stop his cheap attempt to win!” But Lune would not stop for anyone, and definitely never for Ebannaw, especially after she called his perfectly legitimate tactics foul play. He was not going to throw away his chance for victory.

Shockwave nodded from afar. “Nice Va’szlain execution,” he said.

“Va’szlain?” Élan asked.

“It’s an attack combo I came up with, the weakest version being a fusion of Bite and Flail, which Lune is using, while the strongest consists of Crunch and Thrash. Imagine a predator shaking its bleeding prey vigorously, and you have the basic idea. Just think about what a Tyranitar would do with a combo like this.”

“Niiiiiiice,” said Élan.

A soft, weak cry came out of Pukcus, and had Lune not been so close, he would not have heard it. “Forfeit,” the Murkrow managed to whisper. “It was an honor battling you. I knew I’d get stomped.” Pukcus laughed softly.

Lune spit the Murkrow out onto the ground, spit to remove the taste of blood and to decontaminate his mouth of the foul flesh. When he walked over to Haldir, the Scizor smiled widely at him before losing consciousness.

[Lady Vulpix]

And so, we're even once more. :D
I'm impressed. This fic has everything! Intelligence, originality, creativity, great descriptions, a good dose of mystery, loveable characters... It's really amazing! Thanks for turning my attention to it, Karin. You've found a reader for as long as this fic stays up! :yes:

By the way, Shockwave often did and said the same things I was thinking. I would have never thought I'd have that much in common with a Pikachu. But then again, this fic is full of surprises. :)

[Edit: I meant dose, not doze! x_x]

[Wolfsong]

Whew, another fic caught up on, now just a few more left. Keep up the great work ^^ I really enjoyed it, and I'm glad that i was able to find it again.

[Charizard04621]

@Gabi: Really? ^_^ Well, Shockwave's a neat character, so I guess that's a good thing for you. Hehe.

@Amy: Oh, cool, you're still reading. Nice to know you enjoy it. ^_^

[Count von Dark]

Oh man, I am really amazed by how well you handle this fic, charizard04621. And I am also baffled by how fast you produce these awesome chapters! I mean look at you! You're posting so fast, always more than one chapter at once!! Ohhh, I think I have just risen to one of your most loyal readers. 8 posts... I just can't resist praising this story!

[Charizard04621]

@Count von Dark: Wow! I feel so good now! ^_^; Anyway, I try to put up Chapters regularly, but I've got to admit that sometimes I just can't keep up. Thanks for your thoughts, though. :)


Chapter 37
An Unexpected Turn
“I… don’t think I’ll be battling another Charmeleon for a while,” Haldir said. He had been revived and restored by the Chansey medics, and his burns were all treated gently. It had been difficult, however, and it was evening when he finally awoke.

Lune smirked. “If you didn’t keep trying to protect me, you wouldn’t have gotten into that situation,” he said.

The Scizor laughed merrily. “Well, it worked out, didn’t it? That’s all that matters.”

“Yup.”

Shockwave jumped out of the bleachers and ran over to Lune and Haldir, followed by Élan. They were the only pokémon there now; the others had already left.

“So,” Shockwave whispered in a low voice, “what are we going to do about Karkas?”

“I have to talk to Lady Naien and Lord Yoruno about it first,” Lune replied. “I mean, if we need to send an army…”

“I’m not so sure we need an army just yet,” Élan said thoughtfully.

Shockwave nodded. “Lune, we need to know exactly where in the Eastern Marshes Karkas’s hidden base thingy is.”

“Wait a minute,” Haldir said, “Are you suggesting that we’re supposed to find this place on our own before saying a word about it to the Sacred Kingdom Guardians?”

“That would be the recommended course of action, yeah,” Shockwave replied.

“A smaller group can take on Karkas by surprise more easily,” Élan added, “especially since he’s probably on heavy guard right now.”

“Then let’s give it some time,” Lune said. “Since he’s expecting a counterattack soon, shouldn’t we just wait for a while before we go?”

“Lune, I don’t like the idea of giving Karkas time to build up more nasty weapons and other such things he may have already,” Shockwave answered.

“Now, if only we can figure out a way to do this without nearly getting killed by lasers this time,” Haldir joked. “Unless, of course, any of you want to be killed, which, I assure you, I don’t.” He grinned.

Lune smiled. “I doubt any of us do,” he answered.

“I don’t plan on it,” Shockwave responded.

“Me neither,” Élan replied.

“Good,” Haldir said, “Then we’re all in agreement. None of us want to die.”

“Uh huh. How are we supposed to go about doing this, though?” Lune asked.

Élan frowned. “Hmm… I’m not quite sure yet,” he admitted.

“We can call a meeting whenever one of us gets a solid plan,” Shockwave suggested. “I don’t have one at the moment.”

“Agreed,” Haldir replied.

“I don’t think I could choose a better team to pull this off with,” Lune said. He smiled.


***
Lune popped his head through the waterfall curtain. “Um, Shockwave, we really need to get the heck to the General Tournament arena right now,” he said. The bright midmorning light streamed into the Sanctuary.

“We do?” he asked, slightly surprised. “Any particular reason?”

“Uh huh,” Lune replied. “We have to go now. Lady Naien and Lord Yoruno got organized surprisingly quickly after I told them the day before that the arena was fixed. Round Four started a few minutes ago.”

“Lune, why don’t you find these things out earlier?” Shockwave asked. They ran so fast that they thought they would drop dead when they arrived.

A Rapidash was galloping around her opponent, her fiery mane trailing behind as she moved gracefully like the wind. Her opponent was a blue Altaria, who floated above ground, riding in her circling clouds. She looked, oddly, more like a bird than anything draconic, although she was partially of the Dragon type. Her long neck was arched like a swan’s, and her blue feet resembled those of a hawk’s. Long feathers grew out of her head and bunched together as her tail.

Lune could feel the ground tremble slightly as the Altaria began her assault. The fiery unicorn realized what was happening and swiftly sprang upwards. She looked as if she was floating in a dream; she seemed to fall very slowly, like a soft feather in the air.

“What gives?” Lune heard someone ask.

“She used her special ability,” some other audience member replied. “She becomes almost as light as air when she wants to be.”

Special ability or not, the Rapidash could not stall her fall forever. The Altaria saw this, and, seizing her chance, increased the power of her tremors until even the pokémon in the bleachers could feel them. The Rapidash crash landed on the shaking ground and fell to her knees, unable to stand again. This continued for quite a while, with the Rapidash occasionally firing off shots at the Altaria or trying to shield herself from the perpetually shaking ground, but in the end she gave in to the Ground type assaults.

“Oh!” Kento shouted (Yes, he was back), “It looks like the poor Fire type couldn’t stand all those Earthquakes. The victory goes to Mystic the Altaria!”

“Too bad the Rapidash couldn’t get to the core of the Earthquakes,” Lune thought aloud. “If she had gotten directly over the source instead of moving further away to reduce the damage taken, she wouldn’t have felt the disturbance.”

“It would have been cool to see Rapidash jump on Altaria,” Shockwave agreed.

“And now,” Kento blared, “time for our next combatants! We have Shockwave the Pikachu versus Lune the Eevee!”

“No,” Lune said. “No way.” He turned to look at Shockwave worriedly. He had never thought of battling against the Pikachu.

“Oh, come on, Lune, it had to happen sometime,” Shockwave told him. “Think about it. We’ll have some fun before I cream you, too.”

“And who said anything about me being creamed?” Lune answered back. This time he was smiling.

[Lady Vulpix]

Yes, it had to happen, eventually. :D
Another cool chapter, Karin! And with a nice cliffhanger too. :rolleyes:

[Charizard04621]

@Gabi: Sorry, I ran out of good cliffhangers. :P

[Count von Dark]

The Eevee would win, surely? It's the emotions of them I worry about... another good chapter Charizard04621. Keep them coing!!

[Charizard04621]

@Count von Dark: Yup, their emotions might be a cause for
concern. Oh, and thanks for reminding me...

I feel like posting a poll. [/random]

Who do you think will win this battle?

[Lady Vulpix]

Hey, copycat! :P
It's ok, post as many polls as you want, I like them.
Well... so far neither of them has lost a battle, so it could be a draw. Or something else could come up and interrupt the battle.

[Count von Dark]

Depends...

If you focus on plot twists, then Shockwave.
If you plan on the boring old steady kind, then Lune.
But I guess the most likely would be a tie. Hmm... How about using Union of Soul at the end of the battle?

[Charizard04621]

Hmm, interesting to see what you guys think. It's good to see that you know it's definitely going to be a close match. You'll have to wait for the next chapter to see what happens... ^_-

@Lady Vulpix: I'm a copyvee. Yup. :D

@Count von Dark: The thing about Union of Soul and Union of Spirit is that it requires mutual cooperation. Basically, if one of them doesn't want to combine, it's not going to happen. They both know it, so they won't even try it. I'll tell you that much, but no more. ^_^;

[Charizard04621]

And... here we go. ^_-


Chapter 38
Shockwave versus Lune
Lune had really not expected things to turn out the way they did. He had gotten so used to making plans with Shockwave, doing things with Shockwave, and fighting battles with Shockwave that he had nearly forgotten about their old rivalry. It seemed hard to believe that he had actually ever been against Shockwave before. Now that he had to battle against the Pikachu, his old memories came rushing back.

His first meeting with Shockwave had not been a pleasant one. Lune had, in his younger years, been rash and unguided, an Eevee without a sense of order and balance. He had done things at whim that he would only regret later, after he had failed to think about it. He used to strut around with a superior attitude, believing, foolishly, that he was as good as or better than everyone else. He had been arrogant. It was Shockwave who had put him into his place, an action that the Eevee had hated him for until much later.

Lune remembered being utterly humiliated in front of the crowd of Forgotten Kingdom residents on that day. He and Shockwave had gotten into an argument over a trifling matter so small that Shockwave would surely have forgotten about it now; but Lune, unlike Shockwave, remembered these kinds of things. They were quarreling about how effective electrical attacks really were, and it had become so violent that they decided on a battle. It wasn’t really even a battle. Shockwave had Lune screaming for mercy in two seconds flat. After that Lune had always tried to prove himself to be better than Shockwave. He took every opportunity he could to attempt to defeat his rival.

But things had changed since then. They had grown, grown in individual strength as well as grown used to each other. They worked together as a team, and had never felt bitter towards each other for as long as they had been friends. After a while, they had begun to think alike. They knew each other that well. Lune wondered if perhaps that was what forged their telepathic link.

The amulet that hung around Lune’s neck displayed a confused array of mixed emotions: excitement from the re-ignition of his former rivalry, reluctance to battle against his close friend, fear of Shockwave’s immense potential, and the determination to emerge from the battle triumphant, as he had gotten used to doing. Strangely enough, it was not even clear whether the flame in the crystal was white or black, no more than it was that there was any flame at all. It was an odd gray mix that was unpronounced, like fog, but looking at it produced a puzzling sensation that made it seem as if the answer to the mystery was just out of reach.

“Come on, Lune,” Shockwave called out, “This will be fun.”

His words knocked all the doubt out of Lune’s mind, and the Eevee nodded, smirking. He planned to win this match just like he had done with the others.

Shockwave began by dashing rapidly at Lune with sparking cheeks, thrusting himself forward for a double assault. The Eevee reacted with a shining, nearly impenetrable barrier, which Shockwave had already been watching for. With reflexes just as incredible as the speed he used to propel his body forward, the Pikachu did an aerial back flip, avoiding a collision with the mental wall separating him from Lune. His cheeks stopped sparking.

The Eevee allowed the shield to fall, and he grinned widely at his opponent. “No quick Thunder Wave for you!” he called. “I’m not getting paralyzed this early in the match.”

But Shockwave had already jumped again, feinting to the right in the air and landing on the left. Before the Eevee could get away, he splattered his target with brutal venom that would deal out pain that would grow exponentially as time went on. The Eevee looked immediately sicker and positively frightened.

“That didn’t seem quite right,” Shockwave said. “It was too easy. How could you just let me get you with Toxic like that?” he asked. “Don’t tell me you let your guard down.”

Lune smiled from afar. His Substitute was a good actor, but Shockwave knew him too well. While Shockwave’s cheeks surged with electricity, Lune crept up from behind him, trying not to make a sound. The Pikachu’s vicious bolts reduced his Substitute to a pile of ashes in no time, but Lune was already in mid leap. Shockwave turned around just in time to see him and duck while Lune sailed over him, swinging a temporarily metallic tail at his head that the Pikachu met with his own. Metal clashed against metal, and Lune landed on his feet, swerving around to look at Shockwave.

“I think this is a pretty even match,” the Pikachu said, grinning.

Lune nodded, and, without another word, sprang onto Shockwave and sank his teeth into his arm! The dark energy crackling around the wound made the Pikachu’s blood sizzle, and even Shockwave’s usually unperturbed expression was broken slightly with signs of pain. The Pikachu reacted quickly, however, using the close contact as an opportunity to channel highly charged electricity into his opponent, who screamed and had no choice but to let go.

Ethereal energy swarmed around Lune’s raised paw at his command, forming a deep purple sphere that pulsed like a throbbing heartbeat as it grew. He watched Shockwave warily, noticing that the Pikachu was waiting and watching… Lune knew that Shockwave had a planned counterattack, and he knew to be extra careful. The Eevee feinted to the right and changed direction mid-swing, tossing his Shadow Ball from the left and immediately shielding himself in a protective dome of energy, fully expecting his attack to be turned back against him in some way. The Pikachu, however, just shook his head and grinned mischievously. Lune was bewildered. That is, until Shockwave shattered into pieces when the Shadow Ball exploded on him.

“Substitute!” Lune cried out in horror. He swung around just in time to receive a faceful of chi energy from Shockwave’s glowing fist. The blow knocked him clear off his feet and sent him skidding roughly into the ground.

“Ohhhh,” Lune groaned. His head was spinning. Shockwave’s Dynamicpunch had left him dazed. He could not battle effectively in such a condition. There was only one thing he could do… He had to focus. Lune closed his eyes, falling into a meditative trance. His breathing became calm and even, and he did not move a muscle. Slowly but surely, his scrambled thoughts began to fall into a state of order, and when he opened his eyes, he was smiling triumphantly, having dismissed the mental hindrance. “Maybe I should use Focus Energy more often,” he said to himself.

The smile soon vanished when he found out what his opponent was up to. Shockwave had his eyes closed and his arms raised, as if he was calling for power. His facial expression was blank; he was in a state of deep concentration, and his entire body surged with power. Shockwave was surrounded by an aura of burning white energy, a sight that filled Lune with dread. This was it: Shockwave’s Fighting type Hidden Power…

Lune knew that he would have to act quickly. It was already too late to stop the progression of Shockwave’s Hidden Power, but he could still try to pull out a victory before his time ran out. As soon as Shockwave came out of his trance, he would be able to fight with greatly increased strength, agility, reflexes, and endurance. Lune needed to gain a decisive advantage before that happened. He looked grimly at the cement floor and nodded. Hardening his soft tail so that it glinted of metal, he smashed the cement under it, shattering it into many pieces. He scraped away the broken bits, took one last look at Shockwave’s position, and began to dig.

Shockwave’s intense focus was disturbed when Lune erupted from the ground beneath him, pinning him down and going into a berserk frenzy. The Eevee was desperate, kicking about wildly and attacking in a rushed, agitated manner in an effort to do as much damage as he possibly could in as short a time as he could manage. Shockwave found it very difficult to break free of the Flailing Eevee’s frenzied assault, and when he did, he sighed with relief and tried to support himself with his wobbly legs. Lune’s act of desperation had taken a lot out of Shockwave. Still, it didn’t take long to renew his glow, and he felt strength coursing through his veins once more.

Lune shot to his feet and tore around Shockwave like a mad dog, and soon it became clear that the blurs dragging along behind him were not a result of his high speed, but rather his created mirror images. They got mixed up pretty quickly as they slowed to a stop, and Shockwave found himself closed in by a circle of smirking, stationary Eevee, only one of which was real.

Suddenly all of them converged upon Shockwave, darting towards him like lightning. The Pikachu felt teeth sink into his flesh and could smell his fur burning with the crackling dark energy. Which Eevee had attacked him, though, he didn’t know, although it would have been good if he did, for only the real Lune could have hurt him at all. Mirror images had no essence.

Shockwave stood up firmly, thrusting his arms outwards as the white energy radiated impressively from his glowing form. Blue sparks shot out of his body, forming an enclosing sphere with him at its core, and then the electricity surged outwards in an expanding spherical wave that annihilated Lune’s false copies and left only the real one standing.

Kento screamed with excitement. “Did you see that? Shockwave just cleared the field with his Shock Wave! Don’t confuse the attack and the pokémon, now,” he joked.

Silence fell on the arena. Lune and Shockwave locked gazes, both of them panting very heavily. Each had eyes that blazed with determination, and each smiled at the other for pushing him to his limits. Neither of the two would last for very much longer, and it was obvious that this would be the final conflict. It all came down to this. Not a soul dared to breathe.

Lune and Shockwave shot at each other at the same time, with Lune lowering his head and diving for Shockwave’s stomach while the Pikachu charged forward. At the last moment Shockwave leapt into the air, and Lune swerved, jumping and ramming into his opponent from underneath, but when he noticed the chi energy charging on Shockwave’s fist, it was too late… The punch connected with his head, and both combatants tumbled to the ground, rolling away in opposite directions. Shockwave barely even managed to stop himself; it was all he could do to turn his head in Lune’s direction.

“Okay, Shockwave,” Lune said slowly, grinning stupidly with a dazed look on his face, “You win.” Everything went black.

[Lady Vulpix]

Great battle, Karin! It's good to see that they both did their best and put a lot of thought into it. They had to, since they knew each other so well. Excellent work! :yes:

[Count von Dark]

I can see that you went for the plot twist after. Good choice, as usual, nad the batle was very descriptive, but surprisingly short, I guess it was a tad rushed, but the quality is still quite amazing. I should say, the battle wasn't as i planned to be, but turned out even better!! Good work Charizard04621!

[Charizard04621]

@Lady Vulpix: Glad to see you like it. :)

@Count von Dark: Oh, you caught that too? Yeah, I had a problem with figuring out good moves and counters because Eevee has a surprisingly... small... moveset. ^_^;;


Chapter 39
Treasures of the Silver Havens
When Lune finally awoke, he discovered that he was lying on a soft couch in Haldir’s house. Élan, Shockwave, and Haldir were sitting at a circular wooden table, leaning in close and speaking in low voices for fear of disturbing Lune. Of the four, Haldir was the only one who lived indoors, and it seemed appropriate that the meeting be held in his house, for security’s sake. They couldn’t be overheard there.

Lune stirred, pushing the down-filled pillows off him and sliding onto the floor. “Mmh… How long was I out?” he asked.

The three turned to him in surprise. They had not noticed that he was conscious. “Several hours,” Élan answered. “In fact, we were just about to have an early dinner. Hungry?”

Lune looked groggily at the food on the table and shook his head. He didn’t feel like eating at the moment. The scent of the revival herbs lingered in his head, and it made him feel somewhat detached. Potions were much better at revival; they came into effect almost immediately after exposure, and nothing negative resulted from using them. Potions, however, took a long time to brew, and required a skilled potion maker in order to produce the best results. They were also very expensive, and therefore, for public tournament purposes, quite impractical.

“You’re refusing dinner?” Haldir asked, incredulous. “Fine by me, but it’s your loss.”

Shockwave agreed. “Lune, this stuff is really good,” he said.

“Are you sure you don’t want to try my cooking?” Élan asked, faking a sob. “I’m hurt.” He winked at Lune, who was still not quite alert.

“Mmmhmm,” the Eevee answered. He jumped back on the couch and lay there. “Since we’re all here, I’m assuming we have a plan. What is it?” he asked. He soon discovered that it was very difficult to understand words coming between mouthfuls of food. Sighing, Lune waited until the others were done eating before he asked about the plan again.

“Er, I’ll leave it to Élan to give the plan summary,” Shockwave said.

“We’ll be sneaking into the Eastern Marshes with the help of some equipment,” Élan said simply. “We’ll find Karkas’s base and sabotage it ourselves. There’s no time to return for reinforcements once we’ve found it, and a big army will warn Karkas from many miles away.”

Haldir rose from his chair and disappeared into a room full of ancient chests. When he returned, he held a glistening sword three times as long as Lune was tall. Its golden hilt, carved in the shape of Ho-oh the phoenix, sparkled with the glint of the shining jewels set upon it: rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds. The flawless blade had a glow of silver that seemed cut as sharply through the air as the finely wrought metal itself. It was truly an impressive sword; all who saw it were awed by its presence. “This sword will cut through anything,” Haldir announced softly.

Next, Élan produced a shadowed medallion that bore the engraved crest of Ho-oh. The faded gold seemed to have lost its luster, which was replaced by gentle darkness that cloaked it entirely. The medallion hung on an intriguing band made of a soft material so perfect that it felt soothing to the touch, but did not tear easily. It looked like a veil of evening stars shining softly with faded glory, shadowed under the dusk. “My medallion can cloak us all, and so much more,” the Sneasel said, with a tinge of pride.

Lune blinked, thoroughly confused. “Where did you… get these things?” he asked finally, after a long pause.

“They’re our farewell gifts from the Silver Havens,” Élan replied.

Brave pokémon of Silver Havens descent who chose to set foot outside of their homeland were given one parting gift before they left. Most born in the Silver Havens continues to remain in the paradise for the rest of their lives. The ones who chose to leave had to have a firm resolve, for once they made the decision, there was no turning back. A pokémon who left the Silver Havens would never be allowed to return again. The only part they would have of their land of ancestry was the single piece of treasure they were allowed to remove from there. This artifact was the most precious possession of a wandering pokémon of Silver Havens birth.

“We’re going to sabotage Karkas’s mechanized, weapon-packed base with a sword and a cloaking device?” Lune asked.

“Pretty much,” Shockwave answered. He shrugged.

“This is not just a sword,” Haldir reminded the Eevee, “This blade can cut through any material, including energy. No matter what Karkas’s things are made of, they don’t stand a chance.”

“And this is not just a cloaking device,” Élan continued, “As long as we’re under its influence, this medallion can fool anything and everything into thinking that we don’t exist. Basically, even Karkas’s high-tech weaponry can’t detect our presence when we’re cloaked. DNA or body heat searches won’t do him any good.”

“Are we going to get away with this?” Shockwave asked.

“We should,” Élan replied. “And if we don’t… eh…”

“If we don’t, we’ll be dead, or worse,” Lune finished. “Probably worse, especially if Karkas mentioned his little experience with me to Ytos. Leave it to the Seviper to find something new that causes extreme suffering.”

“You’re sure confident,” Haldir joked, smirking.

“So, how do these things work, anyway?” Shockwave asked. “I’m particularly interested in seeing what this medallion can do. How and when do its effects come into play?”

“My medallion is directly connected to my mind,” Élan responded. “It cloaks whatever I want it to, for however long I want it to; at least, as long as I can think straight. The good thing about this is, you guys can be thousands of miles away from me and still be cloaked. As long as I know you personally or have you within my range of sight, you’re good to go.”

“Awesome,” Lune said in wonder.

“That’s pretty cool,” Shockwave agreed.

Haldir nodded. “Silver Havens artifacts tend to be that way,” he said, smiling. “I still prefer my sword, though. Anyone else think I might just be a little biased on that?” He winked.

Lune laughed, and Shockwave and Élan couldn’t help but smile.

It was already late evening, and the sun had just begun to set. The sky was a flaming orange, and the setting sun, falling under the clouds, a crimson flare. “Well,” the Sneasel said as he made for the door, “I’ve got to run. Catch you guys tomorrow.”

“Wait, you’re not going to leave us to do the dishes, are you?” Shockwave called as Élan walked through the door. The Sneasel poked his head back in.

“I cooked, you clean,” he shot back, and he left, snickering.

“Fair enough,” Shockwave said.

Lune eyed the dirty dishes mournfully. “But I didn’t even eat anything,” he whined. “Whatever,” he sighed, giving in, and he went to help Shockwave and Haldir with the washing.

[Lady Vulpix]

Nice objects! ^_^
And nice deal Élan made, only that it didn't turn out well in the end. :P He ended up cooking and cleaning! :/

[Charizard04621]

@Lady Vulpix: Yeah, I like the objects too. :) And btw, Élan ran off and made everyone else do the dishes. ^_-


Chapter 40
Separate Ways
Élan was difficult to reach the next day. Lune had looked all over the central square and even around the Guardians’ Palace, but the Sneasel was nowhere to be found. With the sun already shining brightly to signal the coming of noon, Lune finally made his way to the fork in the road at the easternmost path’s end, where the hidden gate lay. Senryu was there, deep in troubled thought.

Lune approached the silent Dragonair. “What’s wrong?” he inquired softly. “Where are the others?” Suddenly realization struck. The gold hoop earring on the Dragonair’s right ear, the sign of the clan – it was gone. An ugly hole remained in its place.

Senryu looked mournfully up at Lune. “Disbanded,” he said. “Forever.”

“Broken apart?” Lune cried in disbelief. “What? How did this happen?”

A shining tear fell from the Dragonair’s eye. “They’re dead,” he said quietly. Lune blanched. His eyes widened with horror. “We were asleep,” Senryu managed to say. His voice was trembling. “A noise awoke us. Ningai and Charisma…” The Dragonair could not continue. He burst into loud sobs, hanging his head. The blue carbuncle under his chin was dull, and his long, slender neck was bent in sorrow.

Lune placed a paw against the Dragonair’s neck softly to provide comfort. “Who did it?” he asked darkly.

“They had weapons,” Senryu answered painfully. “They were laughing… They killed Ningai and Charisma for fun, and then they left before we could catch them. They took two lives for fun…”

Upon the mention of weapons, Lune’s eyes narrowed. He growled fiercely. There could only be one possibility.

“It was a Seviper and an Alakazam…” Senryu’s voice trailed off. He was emotionally drained. He felt as if he did not have the strength to even talk. Sighing, he continued. “Luktam and I built a funeral pyre. We threw our earrings into the fire and bowed our heads to show them respect. We sprinkled their ashes into the river that flows through the Hidden Valley. They deserve that kind of peace. Ningai and Charisma were good pokémon…” The Dragonair broke down again. Tears streamed down his face.

“Ytos and Karkas are going to regret this,” Lune muttered to himself. Senryu’s words still bothered him… “Why did only you and Luktam built the pyre?” Lune asked. He sensed something wrong.

Lune’s fears were confirmed by Senryu’s answer. “Élan came home late last night,” said the Dragonair. “By then, Ningai and Charisma were gone… When he found out, he fell to his knees by the river, gazing far upstream after their ashes… But Luktam blamed him for everything, accusing him that it was his fault, saying that Élan should have been there to help… Even the Slowpoke realized almost instantly after he said it that he had made a horrible, unkind mistake. He apologized, but Élan just remained silent and looked away… After that Luktam left on his own and didn’t speak to Élan again. I stayed here, turning to sleep as my final means of escape… I wished that when I woke up again I would find out that I had been dreaming.” Senryu shook his head, devoid of all tears. He had cried until he could cry no more.

Closing his eyes, Lune allowed Senryu a few moments of silence before he spoke. “What will you do?” he asked the Dragonair. Senryu sighed.

“I’ll stay here,” he replied. “I’ll remain to remember them and honor their memory. I’ll make sure the river of the Hidden Valley is always kept pure. Nothing will taint it as long as I am alive to do something about it. Their resting place shall remain undisturbed, or, at the very least, I shall die trying to make it so.”

Lune nodded, averting his gaze. “I’ll keep my earring to remember them,” he said with an air of sadness. “Take care, Senryu.” With that, he turned to head home. “And so the war begins,” the Eevee whispered to himself. “The Slith Territories has made the first move. Now it’s our turn to strike back.”


***
Shockwave was quiet after Lune told him what had happened. There was anger in his eyes, so uncharacteristic of the Pikachu. He usually did not show such powerful emotions, even if he felt strongly about something. He only did so when the situation was serious enough to call for it. “We’re going to stop them before they kill anyone else,” he said finally. “Innocent pokémon should not have to suffer like this.”

“Yeah, we’ll put those two out for good,” Lune replied. “They’ll never cause suffering again.”

Shockwave nodded. “Let’s find Élan and Haldir. The sooner we do this, the better.”

Even the soft Sanctuary grass could not provide enough comfort to relieve the sorrowful air, and the waterfall seemed to join the lament with its sad, mournful tune.


***
They found Haldir first at his house. Lune wasn’t sure if the Scizor understood the whole story. First of all, he didn’t even know Ningai and Charisma, although he was outraged when he heard that they were murdered by weapons; and secondly, he seemed critical of Élan. Lune had gotten a slight feeling that Haldir had never liked Élan much in the first place, but he was not sure yet why. The Scizor was distrustful of the Sneasel. Nevertheless, he went to fetch his sword, and the three went to search for Élan.

Élan was sitting alone in a forest clearing scrutinizing a piece of wood. His medallion hung forlornly around his neck. At first, Lune thought, judging by the collection of shavings on the grass, that the Sneasel had spent his time idly scraping away at the wood to keep his mind off Ningai and Charisma, but it turned out that it was not so. What the Sneasel had actually done was carve out a detailed map of the Eastern Marshes onto the wood.

Haldir frowned slightly behind the group, but Lune didn’t notice. He had already walked up to Élan. “Whoa. How’d you do this?” he asked, pointing at the map.

Élan looked up from the piece of bark. “Have you met Senryu already?” he asked. Lune nodded. “Good, then I don’t have to explain anything,” the Sneasel continued. He turned back to the map. “After last night, I collected all the information I could about the Eastern Marshes. I know a Sableye who’s traveled around a lot, although he’s a shady character and doesn’t like much of anything to be known about him. Not a lot of pokémon even realize that he exists; he spends his time hiding away from prying eyes, and he’s got a very secret living place that no one’s ever going to stumble upon without looking hard for it. He is very useful when it comes to these kinds of things, though, and I wasn’t disappointed when he traded me the info I needed for a large portion of my gold.” Lune noticed the earring missing from Élan’s ear. The Sneasel nodded. “That earring was very valuable. The Sableye has a thing for magical gold, and he’s been eyeing my earring for a very long while. He knows how much it’s worth.”

“So you do have dealings with shady characters, huh?” Haldir muttered nearly inaudibly under his breath. It was so soft that perhaps none of the others managed to catch it.

“The Sableye gave you this map, then?” Shockwave asked Élan.

“Well, sort of,” the Sneasel answered. “He told me every single thing he knew about the Eastern Marshes, and I had to memorize it. He even mentioned his favorite hunting spot. Anyway, I broke this piece of wood away from a log and shaved it myself. I’ve been carving out this map for a very long time. I hope I didn’t forget something.”

“Great work, Élan,” Lune said in admiration. He respected the Sneasel’s undeniably incredible talent, as well as his ability to think properly most of the time, even under stressful situations. “Now we’ve got a map to go by. You’ve thought of everything, huh?”

“Oh, so now I have to carry that piece of wood, too?” Haldir said a little bitterly. Lune looked at him in surprise. “Excuse me for having doubts about going into enemy territory, having to trust a Sneasel’s memory and the word of a ‘shady character’, in his own phrasing.” The Scizor frowned.

“I was planning on carrying the map, actually,” Élan said quickly, avoiding Haldir’s glare. He picked up the piece of wood and slipped it under his arm. “Right. Let’s go, shall we?”

Shockwave nodded. “Are we going into invisible mode right away?” he asked, looking at Élan’s medallion.

“We’ll wait till we get a little closer first,” Élan answered. “Constant use of my medallion tires out my mind.”

“Makes sense,” Lune said.

“Okay,” Shockwave answered.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I found out later that the enemies could see me when we get there,” Haldir said to himself. He followed the other three pokémon as they set off on their journey.

[Count von Dark]

I have a bad feeling about this... The truth will be that either Haldir or Elan will have to die. I think it's going to be Elan but I'm not sure. Failure will not happen. They are going to succeed, but at the price of the death of one teammate.

My predictions are always true :D :D

[Charizard04621]

@Count von Dark: Dead pokémon make me sad. ;_; We'll see what happens, shall we?


Chapter 41
Cloaks of Invisibility
The eastern sky was a deep, quiet shade of blue. Behind the four, in the west, the setting sun was disappearing below a sea of red and gold. Wisps of clouds reflected the fiery light, looking like flaring sprays of foam in the orange sea. Soon, the moon would rise among the twinkling stars, when color faded and the blazing brilliance gave way to a soft, dark calmness. Travelling by moonlight gave the group a chance to advance quickly, as they were quiet and skillful enough under the darkness (especially Lune and Élan) to avoid prying eyes.

Lune was unfamiliar with this route. He knew the way to the Forgotten Kingdom in the North, had been to the Sparkling Forest once in the South, and had learned that the Savage Wilderness lay in the West. The Eevee, however, had never set foot to the East. In his childhood, he had been told terrible stories about the lands that lay there, of the frightening evil and dark terror that lurked in the shadows, waiting. The stories gave him an ominous feeling of foreboding, and he had trembled in fear whenever he listened to their telling. Although he was not afraid of darkness, a shadow fell over his heart when the lands to the East were mentioned.

Night was falling. The evening sky was a veil of cool darkness. Several stars poked their way hesitantly into the night sky, and, upon success, shone with confident brilliance. More joined them, and soon the sky was speckled with the glory of celestial radiance. The silver moon, tinted with faded gold, hung overhead in full splendor, casting its cooling light downwards and guiding the travelers with its friendly glow.

The group progressed for hours like this until they reached a monstrous, roaring river; on the other side was an unwelcoming forest full of large, evil looking trees with messily entangled, gnarled roots, and many sharp, spindly branches that were long and crooked. The trees stood like sentinels in the night, guarding the path like an unsurpassable wall and glaring coldly at prospective intruders, as if to warn them, ‘Beware.’

Here Élan held up a hand and signaled the group to stop. He made sure his map was still with him. Then he looked tentatively at Haldir, then the treacherous river, and then back at the Scizor again. “That thing has a lot of hidden currents and whirlpools,” the Sneasel said softly. “It takes pleasure in smashing heads against sharp rocks. Nothing trying to swim over can survive. The river will eat it alive.”

Haldir had his arms crossed and was watching Élan warily, as if calculating something. He saw Lune look at him expectantly, so he nodded. “I’ll carry you over,” the Scizor said. “Just don’t touch my sword, or else…”

Haldir’s sword was not actually a problem. He had it slung across his back in a clever fashion so that it maneuvered around his wings perfectly, allowing him to still use them without any kind of hindrance. The sword lay in a case made of the same shining material so that it could not cut through. There was a magic seal on the outer casing to reinforce its strength.

“Thanks,” Élan replied. He closed his eyes momentarily. When he opened them, he looked as if he were in a dreamlike state. “We’re invisible now,” Élan informed them, with a distant look in his eyes. “We still need to be careful, though,” he continued. “Be really, really quiet when we get into those woods. Don’t break anything. There are supposedly a lot of spies in there.”

“Wonderful,” Lune said, sighing. “Ready, Shockwave?” he whispered. “Union of Soul!” The resulting light seemed to be held in by an invisible barrier; none of it disturbed the night outside. No one but the cloaked few could see the rainbow energy wings sprout out of Lune’s back as the light faded.

The magical cloaking itself was strange. Lune could see, barely, the twinkling outline of a magical veil that surrounded his body. Whenever he moved, the outline moved with him. He could also see the other two quite clearly, enshrouded in a similar outline.

A Noctowl flew directly overhead, and Lune jumped around, making faces at it. The Noctowl, hearing the soft thudding, looked down to find its source (Maybe a juicy Rattatta for dinner?), but it saw nothing there. When the thumping continued to get louder, it stared hard at the empty spot, blinked in surprise, and then flew off with a frightened screech, convinced that it had gone insane. Lune snickered in amusement.

Lune, I don’t think that was a particularly good move. Shockwave’s voice echoed through Lune’s mind.

“But it couldn’t see me,” Lune protested.

Still.

“Shh, you two,” Élan cautioned. “When we get into that forest, let’s try not to make a sound. I’ve studied the map, so I should know the way. Just follow me closely, and don’t talk if you can help it.”

“You’d better not lead us the wrong way,” Haldir said.

Élan looked at the Scizor doubtfully. “I don’t plan on it,” he answered, after a moment of silence.

Are we going or not? Shockwave asked.

“Shockwave wants to know whether we’re actually going or not,” Lune repeated for the others to hear.

“All right, fine,” Haldir said, picking up Élan and flying across the river. Lune spread his wings and followed suit.


***
Shockwave stretched. Being in energy form was tiring, even though this time he hadn’t even done it for that long. He looked at the dark forest that loomed overhead.

The trees were even more frightening up close. Their large, jagged roots tore up from the ground at places and curved over to touch the soil, forming what looked like cages with many imprisoning bars. The bark on the thick trunks was rough, and the barricade of trees as a whole was uninviting. They looked like they were frowning, daring trespassers to enter and never come out alive again. It was an intimidating sight. Shockwave was glad that Élan had decided against attempting to get through the forest that night. “On second thought, maybe we’d better tackle the forest tomorrow,” the Sneasel had said. Thank Ho-oh for that.

There was a problem, though. Élan’s cloaking medallion wouldn’t work while he was asleep. And out in the open, stuck in unfamiliar territory, the four would be live bait to be picked off by anything hostile that lived around there. They needed to find shelter.

After frowning in thought for a while and poring over the etched wood, Élan began to chuckle softly. “I knew it would be useful to record that Sableye’s favorite hunting spot somewhere,” he said. “It should be right… here,” he continued, pointing a claw at a mark on the map slightly further south along the forest line. “The river we crossed begins there, but the Sableye specifically mentioned that there are no hills or mountains for miles. The river has to originate from something. If it’s not hills or mountains, there’s really only one last option: a cave, which explains why the Sableye likes it so much.” Élan paused to let the words sink in.

“Awesome,” Lune said, smiling.

“Ah, excellent work,” Shockwave replied.

“Well, at least now we don’t have to worry about sleeping out in the open,” Haldir said. “You do know how to get there, right?”

“Yup,” Élan answered. “Come on, guys, we get to sleep tonight.”

“I’ll take the first watch,” Lune volunteered.

“And I’ll go second,” Haldir added.

Élan looked at Shockwave, who was whistling and gazing intently at the moon. “Fine, I’ll get the third shift, then,” the Sneasel said, giving in.

“Well, since you guys have decided it and all, I guess I’m left with the last one,” Shockwave said, not quite so interested in the moon anymore. He grinned. “Just saying, y’ know.”

[Lady Vulpix]

Nice move, Shockwave! :P Things got serious. I'm intrigued about how everything will unfold, and especially about the reason of Haldir's distrust towards Élan.

I'll miss Charisma and Ningai. :( That was quite sudden, but it makes sense that they would attack when they were least expected.

[Charizard04621]

@Gabi: Yup, you'll find out later. And yeah, dead pokémon make me sad, too. ;_;

Sorry for the wait... One word: school. >_<


Chapter 42
The Haunted Cavern
The others were on the floor, sound asleep. As Lune watched their chests heaving gently up and down, then turned his head to scan the dark cavern, he wondered how he was crazy enough to offer to watch first. It was nearly midnight. The mournful howls of the Houndoom outside was a disturbing sound, and the eerie dripping of water against stone sickened him. He couldn’t tell what it was, but something did not feel quite right. Even looking into the vast stretching distance sent a shudder through his bones. As he continued to gaze deeper into the pitch-black interior, he caught a whiff of something that scared him… And maybe, just maybe, he thought he could hear strange noises coming from the darkness: soft, creepy moans that made him shiver. The blackness seemed to reach out to him with probing tendrils, seeking to pull him in and hold onto him forever.

Lune shook himself. He should have known better than to allow his imagination to run wild. What was so terrifying about darkness, anyway? He could control it. It did not make sense for something that he had great control over to be potentially terrifying. And yet – why were his teeth chattering? Why was he afraid? Why did the scent of fear linger in his mind? Why did a feeling of dread weigh down upon his heart? There had to be something else…

And then he heard it. It was unmistakable: a sharp, taunting cackle. And suddenly, a shrill, close-by shriek nearly made him jump out of his skin. The Eevee looked around fearfully. He began to tremble. “Who… Show yourself!” he demanded, though his voice quivered.

“Wahahaha!”

Lune turned to where the voice came from, but there was nothing there.

Again, “Wahahaha!”

This time it was on his left. Curses, the fiend had escaped again. Lune growled a low, menacing growl, tensing into a fighting stance and silently drawing shadow energy to his paw…

“Wahahaha!”

Above now. This time, Lune caught the culprit, who was not amused by the orb that exploded in his face.

“Why you!” screamed the Banette, descending to the sandy floor. He frowned, glaring at Lune, who, despite his resolve not to show fear, shivered a bit. The Banette’s body was jet black, but his eyes and wide mouth burned orange like a glowing jack-o-lantern. More orange flared out of his back, shaped like an expanding cone with petal-like edges: a tail of some sort, perhaps. The Banette was a live possessed doll that had been corrupted to evil; Lune did not want to know what made him function. The ghost stood on the ground with his two legs, crossing his arms and frowning. The dangerous look in his eyes was intimidating; Lune had not been so frightened of a Ghost type pokémon before. But then again, the only other one he had encountered up close was Shadow, and the only thing he had been concerned about then was defeating the Gengar so that he could advance to the next round of the tournament. This Banette, in his home environment, was different…

With difficulty, Lune managed to free himself from the locked gaze, which was difficult, considering his eyes were drawn to the Banette’s for unexplained reasons… Avoiding direct eye contact, the Eevee asked, “What do you want?”

The Banette shrieked with laughter. “What do I want?” he repeated mockingly, a sinister gleam flashing in his eyes, “Wahahaha!”

At that, he vanished, and the last thing Lune remembered was a peculiar red flash. All fell silent, and it seemed as if the ghost had disappeared, but Lune felt suspicious. When he looked behind him, he screamed in horror.

There, laying sprawled on the floor, were the bodies of Shockwave, Haldir, and Élan… Well, sprawled over the floor would be a more accurate term. Their heads, arms, and legs were detached from the scattered pieces of their bodies and lay in a bloody mess; the red pool expanded fast, and before Lune knew it, he was standing in the stuff. He jerked his feet up in fright and disgust, feeling sick as he saw the blood continue to paint the sandy floor red…

Then, as Lune continued to watch, eyes widening further and mouth agape, the sickening body pieces began to rise into the air! He saw it all: torn flesh, sinew, bloody bone, and cut veins dangling out of the chunks of meat that now began to dance about wildly in the air as if possessed. The bodiless heads of the Pikachu, Scizor, and Sneasel joined the bloody fragments, and their lifeless eyes rolled towards Lune, accusing him…

They sang a haunting song that froze Lune’s heart, a chant with cold, cruel words: We trusted you, and now we’re dead. You failed in times of need. You shall be ours now to behead; repay us for your deed!

“Aaaaaaah!” the Eevee cried in terror, running away as fast as he could. His entire world was spinning; nothing made sense. The hysterical cackling of the floating heads was frightening enough. It was worse that he did not know where he was heading; he just kept running deeper and deeper each moment into unknown terrain. He chanced a backward glance, and to his relief, the maniacal heads were no longer following him. Then the reality of the matter sank in. Things making no sense. General confusion. The red light before the Banette seemingly left. They all pointed to one thing: Confuse Ray. He had been hallucinating all along! By the time he realized it, it was too late. The blackness swallowed him whole.


***
Haldir awoke to the sound of tortured cries in the distance. How strange… The Scizor yawned and stretched slowly, still not fully awake. He idly wondered why Lune had not woken him. Where was the Eevee, anyway? What a strange time it was to go exploring… Suddenly, Haldir froze. LUNE! The Eevee was missing! He was gone! Haldir frantically shook Shockwave, trying to wake him.

“Hmm? Five more minutes,” the Pikachu begged, flopping over on his side to sleep.

“No more minutes,” Haldir told him. “Lune’s gone.”

“Huh.” Shockwave shot upwards, blinking. He shook himself to remove the remaining traces of grogginess and then began to shake Élan, who was right beside him. “Wake up,” he said. “We have to go find a missing Eevee now.”

The Sneasel got up quickly and rubbed his eyes. “Wait, what happened?”

“Lune wasn’t here to wake me for my shift. Someone’s screams acted as my alarm clock. Three guesses whose,” Haldir said, frowning.

“Erk… where’d he go?” Shockwave asked.

The Scizor pointed down he seemingly endless mouth of the hungry cavern. “In there,” he replied.

“No sense cloaking in this place,” Élan said. “We’ll be making a lot of noise as we hurry, anyway.”

“How are we supposed to see where we’re going?” Haldir asked.

Shockwave grinned. “Like this,” he said, as light began to flow from his glowing cheeks. It was a cool light, and not too bright, just enough for the three to find their way by it.


***
“Look, this isn’t funny,” Lune snarled, trying to get around the ghosts who blocked the maze’s open exit. “If you don’t like trespassers in your cavern, just say so and we’ll be on our way, never bothering you again.”

“But that’s just it,” snickered the Banette whom Lune had met earlier, “We love visitors. Don’t we, Phobia?”

The Misdreavus beside him smirked. Her red bead necklace sparkled, enhancing the deep vermilion shade of her eyes. Next to her floated a Haunter, who took pleasure in bothering Lune with his detached arms and making faces at the frustrated Eevee with his long pink tongue. Lune’s hair was ruffled messily, and full of dirt that the Haunter felt like mixing into it.

“We hardly ever get visitors who aren’t ghosts,” Phobia said, “and the resident Zubat, Spinarak, and Rattatta don’t like playing with us, for some reason. I can’t imagine why.”

Lune hated Phobia’s voice. It sounded so bubbly and gentle, so innocent, but Lune knew better. The Misdreavus was evil. She, like her Banette and Haunter friends, enjoyed tormenting other pokémon.

“Let’s make him do the maze already,” the Haunter urged. “This one seems pretty smart; I don’t think he’ll get skewered by spikes so soon like the last one.” Lune did not like the sound of ‘maze’ or ‘spikes’.

Then the Haunter made a grave error. He extended his detached hands, grasping Lune’s amulet and taking it away. The effects were immediate. Lune growled, springing into the air to snatch the amulet back, but the Haunter floated out of his reach, cackling mischievously. “You want this back?” he asked tauntingly. “You run the maze, and we’ll meet you at the end to hand it back. Of course, then you’re on your own. You either figure out how to retrace your steps, or you chance entering that maniacal Alakazam’s freaky base that’s loaded with all sorts of nasty weapons. Either way, you won’t survive.” The Haunter snickered. “So, which will it be?”

Lune’s heart had skipped a beat upon mention of the Alakazam, but he kept calm and showed nothing. He had to find out more. “You want me to go into some laboratory run by a nameless psycho, who, for all I know, might blast me into pieces if he sees me?”

“Bingo! And that’s Karkas the psycho to you, by the way,” the Banette answered, grinning. Phobia cackled. The Haunter fingered Lune’s amulet with curiosity…

“Okay, that’s it,” Lune said testily, uncomfortable with his amulet in the Haunter’s possession, “I’ve had enough. You’re going to give me back that amulet. You’re also going to allow me to leave this cave. Stop blocking the door, or else.”

“Ooh, I’m scared,” the Banette jeered. “What are you going to do to us?”

Phobia giggled. “We’ll make you a deal. If you manage to defeat all three of us in a battle, we’ll let you leave any time you want.” She said this slowly and gently, as if talking to a baby. It irritated Lune greatly.

The Eevee frowned. “Three to one?” he asked. “As you wish. I only have to make one move.”

Raising an eyebrow, the Banette closed in to attack, while Phobia and the Haunter circled close by, ready to lend a helping hand. Suddenly, the three screamed. Their eyes widened with fear. Cold darkness pressed upon them, trapping them… Maniacal laughter rang through their heads…

“Hidden… Power… Dark,” the Banette gasped, “I don’t believe it…”

“Stop!” squealed Phobia, trembling.

“Enough, you win!” agreed the Haunter. “You can have this back!” he added, tossing the amulet at Lune. To his relief, the shadows receded. As soon as he was free, he cackled. Lune saw, too late, that a large panel coming out of the side of the wall completely blocked the opening of the maze. The chamber was left in complete darkness.

“What the?!” yelled the Eevee. “Not fair!”

“Hehehe, but it is fair,” said an invisible Phobia from somewhere above. “Remember, I promised that we would allow you to leave anytime you want. We’re not physically preventing you from leaving, now are we? Go ahead and leave if you want! We’re playing completely fair this time, see?” With that, the Misdreavus whisked away with the Haunter and Banette to cause grief to others.


***
“This is not looking good,” Shockwave said. They had been searching for hours, and day was probably already breaking far outside, but Lune was nowhere to be found.

“Well, he’s in here somewhere,” Haldir answered, “and I’m not giving up on him anytime soon. Never, in fact.”

Élan looked at the Scizor carefully. “Neither are we,” he said, gazing directly into Haldir’s eyes. “We’re going to keep on looking until we find him.”

“Hmm, I wonder,” thought Shockwave aloud. The others looked at him questioningly. Sensing their puzzlement, he decided to explain. “If I concentrate really, really hard on a thought… Concentrate on trying to reach Lune… Maybe he’ll hear me. We’ve got some sort of telepathic bond, and I think I can get this to work.”

“Worth a shot,” Élan answered.

“Since when did a Pikachu have psychic powers?” Haldir asked. He shrugged. “Anything’s worth trying, I guess. As long as we find Lune in the end.”

“Right… Let’s hope this works,” Shockwave said. He closed his eyes.


***
Lune examined the rectangular stone panel. It was carved from solid rock, and definitely unbreakable for him. He couldn’t get through it. Digging under it was not a better option, for, although he could attempt to create a deep enough hole for the stone to fall into so a space would open up above, attempting it would be dangerous; his paws could be crushed at any time. His only option, if he wanted to make progress, was to go through the maze alone and hope to put an end to Karkas’s weaponry by himself. That was impractical; even with Élan, Haldir, and Shockwave, failure was always lying in wait at every step of the way. The only thing Lune could do was wait to be found. He sighed.

Suddenly the Eevee’s ears pricked up. He thought he could hear someone whispering his name.

Lune… said the familiar voice. Lune, are you there?

Realizing that the voice was inside his mind, Lune began to tremble with excitement. He knew whom that voice belonged to… Shockwave? he thought. Shockwave, is that you?

There was silence from the other side. Lune felt a peculiar tinge of relief and jubilation, as if there was a celebration. Then the Pikachu answered. Good, it worked, he said. Now, Lune, here’s what we’re going to do. Do you know where you are?

Trapped at the entrance of a maze behind a door, Lune answered. If you want directions, though, I can’t really help. I was under the influence of Confuse Ray most of the time, so I have no idea where I am in relation to you guys.

That’s not good…

Yeah… But Shockwave, listen. I’ve found out that there’s an entrance to Karkas’s base at the end of this maze. We don’t have to go through the forest, and we don’t have to look for it, because we KNOW where it is now.

Really?

Yeah.

Hmm. Shockwave was silent again.

Shockwave, I’ve got it, Lune said suddenly. Union of Soul. There won’t be a nasty glare from it here. The light’s going to be obvious in the darkness, and, if they’re fast enough, Élan and Haldir can follow it.

Ah, Union of Soul! Good work, Lune!

Hmm, Haldir should carry Élan. We only have one shot at this, so we’ve got to make sure we don’t mess up. I have no idea what’s between you guys and me, so flying’s probably our best bet. And anyway, even if this doesn’t work, at least they won’t be separated.

Oh yeah, good thinking, Shockwave answered. We’re going to have to synchronize, of course… We have to be extremely careful. Failure is out of the question.

Yeah, Lune replied. Tell me when you’re ready.

Okay, hold on. I need to tell the other guys the plan. There was a long silence from Shockwave’s end. After a while, Lune began to panic. Perhaps he had lost the telepathic connection? What if he couldn’t contact Shockwave again? His fears, however, turned out to be unnecessary. Shockwave’s voice echoed through his mind once more. Right, we’re ready, he said.

Great… Okay, I’m going to count to three. As soon as I reach three, give Élan and Haldir the signal. Ready? One… two… three. Union of Soul! Lune cried.


***
Haldir’s wings buzzed frantically. He couldn’t lose sight of the shooting energy form in front of him at any costs. The stakes were too high. But, flying as fast as his body would allow him to go, pushing himself to the limit to keep up with the white streak, he felt more and more fearful that he would fail… For once, he was actually glad of Élan’s company, for the Sneasel, with his sharper eyesight, could help to keep track of the light. Finally, the light seemed to vanish through a wall. Haldir stopped. Now what?

“Hey, Haldir! Élan!” Lune called from behind. “Shockwave got here okay. Are you guys there?”

“Somehow, yeah,” Haldir replied.

“Present,” Élan answered, glad to be on his feet again. The high-speed flight had been very uncomfortable and quite unnerving.

“Great,” Lune answered. “Now you guys just have to get through the door. Haldir, Shockwave says that he wants to see some neat sword tricks.”

“As you wish,” the Scizor said, drawing out his blade and effortlessly slashing the rock to pieces. He returned it to its sheath, the metal still unscratched from the experience and perfect.

Lune was waiting with his wings spread out. “Time to reach the end of this maze and mess up Karkas,” he said, grinning.

[Lady Vulpix]

Great chapter, Karin! I'd thought of the same solutions (more precisely Hidden Power, telepathy and Union of Soul), but didn't know if they would work until I saw they did. And I'm glad they did, because it was great to read it! :D The ghosts' actions did catch me by surprise.
As for the visions... How nasty! That Banette was really vicious! And all the Wahahaha was beginning to get on my nerves, so I really wouldn't have liked to be in Lune's place.
Keep writing like that and I'll keep reading every single letter you type! :D

[Charizard04621]

@Gabi: Lol, you seriously predicted it all? You're good. =P And yeah, "Wahahaha" was supposed to be really annoying. *scurries off to read your fic* x_X

[Lady Vulpix]

Not everything, only those 3 things. And thanks. :)

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 43
The Maze
“So what happened to you, exactly?” inquired Haldir as they continued to walk. His worried look had disappeared when he saw that Lune was all right.

“Ghosts,” Lune answered. “A Banette lured me deeper into the cave… He and his friends thought it would be funny to watch me go through this maze.”

“Lune, you let an evil possessed doll lead you far into a dark, unfamiliar place?” Shockwave asked. He had recently returned to his own body again, once there appeared to be only level ground for miles. “How could you be so careless?”

“Well…” Lune shifted uncomfortably. There was a tense silence. Then, as he forced himself to speak, words began to spill out of his mouth: cluttered words and incoherent strings of thought that were difficult to make sense of. “Confuse Ray… You guys… Dismembered limbs… Blood… Floating heads… Laughing… Glaring… Red everywhere… Thought you were dead…” Lune trembled violently as memories of the horrifying visions returned to him. He stood rooted to the spot, unable to continue. The Eevee, closing his eyes, tried to calm himself, breathing deeply. He concentrated on the fact that the visions weren’t real, and that his friends were right there beside him, alive and well. But he couldn’t stop shivering, and, although he had managed to expel the images from his mind, he felt as if the nightmare would never end.

“That’s all right,” Haldir whispered soothingly. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Élan nodded in agreement, much to Haldir’s surprise. He had thought that the Sneasel was heartless and arrogant. “Those were some pretty nasty visions, by the sound of it,” said Élan. “You don’t have to relive that kind of thing.”

“Happy thoughts, Lune,” Shockwave said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, “That’s the key.” He grinned convincingly. Lune had to smile.

Something swished by the four strangely, like a breeze. But there could be no drafts in this part of the cavern.

“What’s this? New visitors to play with?” giggled a feminine voice delightedly. The Misdreavus revealed herself in front of them, accompanied by the Banette and Haunter.

Lune, obscured in his position, stepped out from the shadows. “If you thought you were going to have fun, think again,” he said in a low, threatening tone.

“Uh… Um, it’s that Eevee again,” whimpered the Haunter. He cowered behind the Banette, detached hands grasping the other ghost tightly. Was it his imagination, or was the darkness closing in uncomfortably again?

“I’ll make a deal with the three of you,” Lune said slowly and softly. There was a cold glint in his eyes. “You lead us to Karkas’s base and I won’t give you nightmares for the rest of your lives.” His amulet flashed dangerously.

“Eh heh… Sounds fair,” the Banette said, quivering. Phobia, beside him, nodded, speechless. Her eyes were wide with fear.

“Good, then. Shall we continue?” Lune suggested, smiling cheerfully. But his burning amulet warned the ghosts not to cause any more trouble. Its black fire, although enshrouded by pure white flame, scared even them with its evil.

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” the Haunter answered, terrified.

“I… I have a question,” Phobia said meekly, as if Lune would tear her to shreds for speaking.

“Go on,” Élan replied. “It’s not like he’s going to eat you. That is,” he added, smirking, “at least you hope so.” The Sneasel snickered.

“Nah, I think he’d much rather do something more painful,” Haldir said on cue. “I know I would, after what you jerks did to him.”

“But you know, Lune’s really not that bad,” Shockwave said in feigned assurance. “Trust me. You shouldn’t worry about things like that. It’s bad for your health.” The Pikachu winked.

Phobia wasn’t very assured. She personally believed that the Eevee before her would be far worse for her health than simple worry. It was not until Lune prompted her to speak that she continued.

“Well, I… I was wondering… Why do you want to go to that meany Karkas?” inquired the Misdreavus. “He’s crazy! He has all these nasty weapons, and… and…”

“And…?” Lune asked expectantly.

“He won’t let us play with them!” Phobia pouted. “He makes us go away when we try to touch them. It’s not like we’ll do anything. You know what I mean?”

“Uh huh.” Shockwave grinned.

“We want to go to the ‘meany Karkas’ so we can play around with his weapons,” Élan mocked. The ghosts missed his sarcasm.

“Really? Really?” The excited Haunter had an almost childish expression on his face. He bounced around happily. “We’re gonna bother that Alakazam! Yay!”

“You know, it would be interesting to watch you die… I mean, um, diestroy… No, de-stroy, that’s it. It would be interesting to watch you destroy some of that selfish Alakazam’s stuff just to make him mad,” the Banette said. “He always manages to chase us away somehow. But you – (He looked at Lune as he said this) – yeah, I have a feeling you guys can torture him right.”

“So what are we waiting for?” Phobia said brightly, suddenly cheerful. “Let’s go pay back that meany Karkas already!”


***
Hours had passed, maybe even days. But they had carried on, without food, without rest, as if obsessed. They were in total darkness. Even Shockwave’s Flash did little to penetrate the black void. Lune had fused with him again, and Élan walked close to Haldir, for the ghosts had warned them of sudden, steep falls. With the almost complete absence of light, the dark holes were practically invisible, hiding the sheer drops that awaited the unwary traveler…

The floor here was rough. Lune frowned uncomfortable each time he took a step. The vicious material scraped away at the bottoms of his soft paws, exposing raw flesh that stung horrendously.

His thoughts were interrupted by Phobia’s warning. “Be careful,” she hissed. “We’re approaching the spikes.”

That’s good to know, Shockwave said.

“Yeah… Thank Ho-oh we have wings,” Lune responded.

“Er… Haldir? Care to give me a lift?” Élan sounded nervous. It probably had something to do with the mention of spikes.

“Yeah… If I ever manage to find you,” Haldir replied, groping around in the darkness. “Where are you, anyway?”

Erk… Hold on, Shockwave said.

“Shockwave’s going to Flash,” Lune reported. “Get ready.” A flash of light illuminated the area momentarily, long enough so Élan and Haldir could see each other.

Soon, they were all ready, hoping that the ghosts would guide them properly over the spikes.

“You have to be careful,” Phobia warned. “Don’t fly too high, or you’ll hit the stalactites.”

A loud clunk was heard, followed by a groan from Lune. “Too late,” he said. “Argh, what are these things made of? They’re hard!” Shockwave stifled his laughter. Not that it mattered, anyway; Lune could sense his amusement. “You know,” he told the Pikachu, “I don’t think you’d find it very funny if you smashed your head into a stalactite. I have a headache…”

“How much more of this is there left?” Haldir asked. “Élan’s slipping…”

“It would be nice if we could get back on land before I fall to my doom,” said Élan. He had no intention of being skewered by spikes.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there,” the Haunter promised. “Yup, almost there.”

“All right, when I say so, immediately dive,” the Banette called out. “You guys may not be able to see it, but the stone ceiling is very low overhead, and the stalactites there are sharper.”

“That’s… nice,” commented Lune nervously.

“Ready? DIVE!” shouted the Banette. Lune folded his energy wings and plunged… Haldir allowed himself to drop, with Élan hanging on for dear life.

A light came from an opening ahead, and, instinctively, they followed it. It lit a wide passage below. The soft, cool light drew them in, and they landed, as if in a trance. A clear crystal, the central core, radiated brightly in the room. This part of the cave was enclosed; the ice blue walls were smooth, unlike the rough stone surfaces Lune had scraped his feet on.

All three ghosts had stopped at the entrance of the area and now trembled in fear. “Th-th-th… We’re not going in there,” the Banette said firmly. “Not again. The last time we did, weird stuff happened… And we don’t really want to go near Karkas’s place anytime soon, anyway. He’s got some new mean stuff that looks really painful. He’s right on the other side. You can’t miss his place. Really. You don’t need us anymore…”

Is there an alternative route to Karkas? Shockwave asked.

“Shockwave wants to know if there’s another way,” Lune reported.

“No, sorry, this is it,” Phobia answered. “This is the only one we know of. We’ve always used this way – touching the crystal, I mean – but lately Karkas made light come out of it… I don’t want to go there again…”

“So you expect us to go by ourselves into something that for all we know might be a trap?” Haldir asked skeptically.

“No, it’s not a trap, we swear,” the Haunter said, waving his detached hands frantically.

“Go ahead and say what you want,” said Élan.

“The light… Please don’t make us go in there,” the Banette begged. “It’s scary!”

“I can quickly change your opinion of what is scary and what isn’t,” Lune threatened. “Remember your end of the bargain. You’re coming with us until we get to Karkas’s base.”

“Oh… okay,” replied the Banette submissively.

They gathered around the crystal, making sure that their ghost guides touched it first. A bright light enveloped the entire group, shooting up from the ground. In effect, they appeared to be encircled by a flat hemisphere of soft blue light. Suddenly the scene changed, and the smooth walls of the cave disappeared, to be replaced by only a dark void. Lune felt a strange sensation that steadily became more severe, from a slight tingling to an almost lurching feeling, as if he were being thrust forwards violently. He found it difficult to breathe; his heart seemed to have been pulled down to his stomach, and his lungs felt like they were going to explode. Then, Lune came abruptly to a halt. It took a while before his head stopped spinning so he could finally look around. The change of scenery came as a shock.

[Lady Vulpix]

Wow! I really didn't expect the ghosts to join forces with the good guys. :D Excellently played!

Now, will you tell me next time you post a new chapter, please? I wouldn't like to miss it. :)

[Charizard04621]

Lol, sure, Gabi! ^^ I'll remember to tell you when I get a new chapter up next time. :) As for the ghosts, yeah, it was kinda lucky that they agreed (eheh, were forced, rather) to guide the group through the maze... Spikes would have been nasty. >_<

[Charizard04621]

Ugh... Sorry for the long wait... Writer's block, coupled with lack of time. And, considering that next week I'm gonna be on a school trip for three days, this chapter probably won't be satisfactory... Really, really sorry.


Chapter 44
Into the Fire
Bright red light shone upon them, light that seemed revealing in more ways than one. Lune shuddered, feeling as though he was being pierced by the probing rays. But there was a cloaking sphere around him; Élan had prepared well. Lune watched silently as the ghosts, thinking that the four must have gone elsewhere, touched the glowing crystal once more. Their forms retreated beneath a white flash, and they were gone.

Lune surveyed his surroundings. They were in a low-ceilinged room, probably underground, bathed in the glaring crimson of the unfriendly light. Cameras were mounted everywhere: behind boxes, hanging from ceilings, obscured in corners of the steel floor. Wiring was plainly visible in many places, as were all the metallic parts that held the room together and supported the one above. Jutting out of the walls were great pipes and large metallic oddities – levers, gears, computerized equipment, and such – that all shone with a sinister glint of silver, tinged with the deep blood-red light.

Shockwave had been separated from Lune on the journey. While the Eevee had sat, dazed, Shockwave had already sprung to his feet and begun to investigate. Lune still felt dizzy, although whether his sight was blurred due to his disorientation or the effects of Élan’s cloaking medallion, he could not tell.

Haldir had landed close by. His only problem lay in the fact that he was too tall, and the ceiling, too low. Even while sitting, his head touched the low hanging ceiling, so that standing was practically impossible. The Scizor grumbled to himself. First he needed to crawl up the steps of the Guardian Tower, and now this. Being tall just wasn’t very fun at times.

Meanwhile, Élan, having examined the various levers and overhanging cameras, appeared somewhat satisfied. He checked around carefully to make certain that no one else was within hearing range before he spoke. “Let’s not mess with the cameras,” he said. “If we turn them off or block them, Karkas will know that someone doesn’t want him to see something.”

“I assume we should be looking for an opening elsewhere, but I don’t see anything,” Shockwave commented. “I think the cameras have everything covered.”

“I know. I checked,” Élan replied.

Lune was puzzled. “Hmm… How to get up there without being spotted… Well, they can’t see us because we’re cloaked, but they’ll notice if part of the ceiling moves or something.”

It was then that Haldir made a connection. “Wait. Didn’t you say that you could cloak anything?” he asked.

“Yup.” The Sneasel nodded. “I’m going to cloak the panel. These cameras seem to have a horizontal 360-degree range, but they’re hanging pretty low down. A camera can’t see what’s happening to the small part of the ceiling directly above it. If I cloak the piece of metal, we can take it out and wave it in front of the camera without it spotting anything.”

Lune turned his head upwards. A camera hung from the ceiling a short way in front of him. The thing was supported by a beam that, attached to the ceiling, was shaped in the form of a capital L, so that part of it came down vertically and the flat camera itself rested on top of a circular plate on the horizontal ledge. The camera was a curious object; its sight range spanned a horizontal area of 360-degrees. It was circular in shape, and could rotate of its own accord on its metallic plate. The red band that marked its eye glared coldly at Lune, as if it saw through his invisibility. This, of course, was strictly the Eevee’s own imagination; he had the tendency to worry excessively and blow concerns out of proportion. That was part of the reason that Shockwave could always relax, while Lune remained stressed and on edge.

“That metal ceiling seems solid,” Shockwave observed. “How are we going to move it?”

“I have a sword,” Haldir pointed out.

“You’d have to cut very carefully,” warned Élan. “Er… can you do it?” Haldir couldn’t so much as draw his sword, even though he tried. There simply wasn’t enough room for him.

“Um, guess not,” Lune said. “Shockwave needs to do it. Élan has to concentrate on cloaking the sword and the piece of metal; plus he’s already cloaking us right now.”

“Well… If you say so,” said Haldir reluctantly. Wandering Silver Havens pokémon were never eager to allow others to touch their treasured belongings. “I’ll lie flat on my stomach, and you pull out the sword. If possible, though, I would really appreciate it if my head is still attached to my body at the end of this,” he half-joked, laughing nervously.

What seemed like an eternity later, they had reached the level above, Haldir got his sword back, and they had replaced the large tile. Fortunately, Shockwave had thought to cut diagonally outwards as he sliced up the thick layer, so that the top would span a larger area that the bottom, effectively forming a sort of bowl that allowed them to replace the piece of metal without having to weld it back in place.

The upper interior was, unlike the reddish basement below, brightly lit. Lune found himself in an extraordinarily large circular room. They seemed to be standing in the middle, which was a vast open space. High above stretched an impressive dome of glass, which now let in the radiance of the stars in the night sky. Lining the circular walls were so many doors that Lune did not even try to count them. He wondered what horrors could be lurking behind each one…

“Karkas, it’s dinnertime,” called a poisonous voice. Lune recognized it immediately. Ahead, to the right, a pair of automated doors were thrown wide open, and the Seviper came slithering out. Somehow, Lune managed to prevent himself from lunging at the snake and tearing him apart, though his blood boiled at the very sight. A curious sensation quelled his anger as delicious smells wafted out of the kitchen. The enticing scent reminded Lune just how hungry he was, having neglected food and drink for days. He cast a meaningful glance at the others. They had the same thoughts. Carefully, they crept into the kitchen through the open doors.


***
Having secretly eaten their fill, Lune, Haldir, Élan, and Shockwave remained in the kitchen. Karkas had closed the automated doors upon entering, and they had to wait until the doors were open again to leave, so that they could avoid discovery. To pass the time, they played tricks on Karkas and Ytos as the two ate, stealing food from under their noses and prodding them occasionally. Once, Lune even sank his teeth into Karkas’s foot. The Alakazam howled, cursing the infesting Rattatta, but when he put his head under the table to look, he saw nothing there. Lune had to stifle his laughter when the Alakazam bumped his head against the table on the way up.

“This is getting strange,” Ytos commented. “We seem to be under attack by invisible pests.”

At that moment, Haldir felt particularly mischievous. Quietly, he picked up Karkas’s food and drink, then walked away with it, waving it in the air out of the Alakazam’s reach. Grinning widely, he slowly emptied the contents of the glass upon Karkas’s head and smeared the food on his victim’s face.

“It’s those pesky ghosts again,” hissed the livid Alakazam, clearing the food off his face impatiently. Apparently the light didn’t scare them away. Fine. The next time I upgrade that teleporter, I will make sure it hurts them.”

“Shall I get out the specialized weapons to exterminate them?” asked Ytos.

“That will not be necessary,” Karkas answered. “Those ghosts are cowards; they hit and run. They’re probably gone by now.” As if to confirm his statement, there was no more movement or mischief.

“How disappointing,” Ytos said. “It would have been fun to see the looks on their faces once we stripped them of their ability to turn invisible and phase out. After that, the lasers would have handled them well. Remember the pathetic Nidoqueen and Persian? Priceless.” The Seviper cackled. Élan’s and Lune’s faces had turned sour. The Sneasel clenched his fists.

“Those two? Yes. Unfortunately for them, they saw us when we were setting up teleportation points in the forest for our full-scale invasion. An annoying interruption, but they provided some entertainment, nonetheless. It is a pity that they didn’t put up much of a fight. I prefer to hunt elusive prey.” Karkas shrugged. It didn’t really matter to him. “I should be making my final preparations. We will revisit that site again today. This time, we shall successfully create our warp point. Come, Ytos.” As the two left the kitchen, the cloaked pokémon silently followed.

[Lady Vulpix]

Originally posted by Charizard04621
Lol, sure, Gabi! ^^ I'll remember to tell you when I get a new chapter up next time. :) As for the ghosts, yeah, it was kinda lucky that they agreed (eheh, were forced, rather) to guide the group through the maze... Spikes would have been nasty. >_<

You'll remember to what? (^_~)
It's ok. Good chapter. Ytos and Karkas are really hateful.

[Count von Dark]

HO! And um, no, I'm not dead. Heheh. Just posted to show you that!! I'm still a loyal fan of Lune!! :D k. seems that they are in it for good. But why wouldn't Lune kill Karkas before he can react though? Sure saves a lot of trouble!

[Charizard04621]

@Gabi: Yeah, hateful maniacs who enjoy killing and torturing.

@Count von Dark: Just watch. The next chapter should explain things, or if not that, the one after. And remember, Lune is not a killer. Despite his dark powers he doesn't like causing hurt.

[Charizard04621]

ARGH! One word: Chemistry. >_<


Chapter 45
Karkas’s Lair
They crossed the center of the room. Now that the moonlight was directly over the central ring, Lune noticed that a circle, previously invisible, was drawn there that was not metal but highly decorous marble, which had been meticulously laced with gold. On the gold were beset jewels, precious stones that sparkled under the light of the twinkling stars above. Beautiful as they were, the gems could not match the enchanting splendor of the radiant stars, which, through the crystal dome, shone magnificently as if they contained all the light in the world. But under the revealing moonlight, now that Lune had the time to pause and look, the purpose of the marble circle was revealed. Here Karkas had stopped to smile and gloat at its beauty.

“Splendid, isn’t it, Ytos?” voiced Karkas softly. “This map alone contains more riches than some of the puny States could ever dream for.”

“And some of this did indeed once belong to these weak States, didn’t it?” Ytos asked. Karkas’s eyes gleamed wildly.

“The precious stones mark the States which have already submitted to my control. Poor fools. They pay me tribute just to stay alive! They will do anything I tell them to, under the false impression that I won’t dispose of them once they are of no use to me. Hahaha!” The Alakazam smirked. “They will fight if I say fight. They will bow if I say bow. And once the time comes, their armies will die under my name, fighting for my cause, for my ultimate profit. And the Sacred Kingdom will be the first to fall. Eventually, all States will be marked, and I shall rule. Ah, life is good.” Karkas snickered, satisfied.

Ytos was studying the engraved compass. “You have full control of the East already, sire,” the Seviper remarked, “and the Savage Wilderness dominates the West with its sheer numbers. The South is beginning to weaken, but we have been unable to penetrate the Sparkling Forest. Their Guardians are too virtuous to be swayed, try as we might. Argh, stupid stubborn goody-goody females… Then, of course, there are the northern States.” Ytos’s face darkened. “But no matter how strong a hold the Forgotten Kingdom and Sacred Kingdom have of the North, weapons will crush them, won’t they?” At this the snake’s eyes glittered with malice.

“Yes,” answered Karkas, with relish. “As things stand, the forces I have rallied for the Slith Territories greatly outnumber the enemy. But as long as the Silver Havens stands, they still have hope of survival; so the legends read.” Karkas frowned. “Curse the First State. What secret weapon does it hide? Where does it lie? When will the cowards show themselves? Oh, bother. I will think about them later. Come, Ytos. There is little time. We invade at dawn, three days from now. It is time to prepare. Crippling the Sacred Kingdom will be my pleasure.”

The company followed Karkas and Ytos through a sliding door. If Karkas had not led them there, Lune would never have noticed it. The door, obscured in the shadows, camouflaged perfectly with the walls beside it. There was no apparent entrance. Only when Karkas placed his hand on the smooth metal and muttered some inaudible command did the opening reveal itself. The secret door closed as silently as it had opened.

Inside the enormous circular room were controls everywhere; millions of tiny flashing buttons and little levers lay on the walls or on tall, intimidating machines. Large though it was, and completely packed, the control room was incredibly organized. Glass cases neatly arranged in one section exhibited the deadly weapons within them. At another end stood a sturdy table with many drawers, upon which were placed many of the teleporters Lune had seen Toidi and Elbuort wear. Further in front of the table, strapped firmly to the wall, were a great variety of tools, from large ones for repair to those meant for the finest, most delicate machinery. Surrounded by all these things, in the very center of the room, hung a curious, glowing orb; below this, attached to the floor, were electrically powered columns of the same ethereal substance. Lune stared openmouthed at the wisps, captivated by their mystery. He felt almost drawn to them, slowly hypnotized… Despite his efforts to battle the feeling, or warn Élan, Lune could not break free of the spell. He could only submit to it helplessly.


***
Karkas had picked up one of his favorite laser gun models. He loved this design because it was, by far, the most effective, destructive, painful weapon he had created. By cranking the dial placed on its side, directly above the trigger, the bearer could change the intensity of the laser. It was most concentrated in its narrowest form; in that state, it could bore through any material Karkas could imagine, including the hardest diamond. Once the material had been penetrated, the beam could be widened, to destroy the target from the inside out. This laser was especially useful for pokémon like Steelix and Forretress, whose armored carapaces were exceedingly difficult to penetrate.

“No work required here,” Karkas muttered, eyeing his weapon lovingly. “I have a thousand copies of this. It will be enough. Those good little law-abiding fools won’t have weapons or any sort of defense against us. It’ll be over quickly.”

Ytos nodded. “Soon the reputation of the Slith Territories army will strike fear in the hearts of all enemies. Ah, the taste of victory. Yes… Sire, I ask permission to personally eliminate that vile Eevee. I want to see the look on Lune’s face when he knows he’s lost. Yes, that will be a face worth remembering.” The Seviper smiled maliciously.

“Have fun,” Karkas said. “My prey will be Yoruno. That sickening Umbreon has had enough success. It’s time to give him failure once and for all. And this time, he won’t be able to make a miraculous escape from imminent defeat, like he’s gained a reputation for doing. I’ll force-feed it to him. Oh, yes, that would be lovely, to see Yoruno fail.” He closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the satisfaction that the event would bring him. Then he turned his attention to the weapon in his hand. “All I have to do, when the time is ripe, is activate these weapons, and then we can strike. It will be glorious, oh so glorious! Gahahahahahaha!”

A shrill whistle pierced through his laughter. The room flashed red. All light was directed at the center of the room, where, previously unseen, there stood four shocked pokémon who had been rudely awakened from their trances and alerted to their danger. They were fortunate that Karkas had not built in security weapons, for fear that his equipment might be damaged. But dead or not, they were trapped. Upon the alarm’s sounding, the room had begun to fill with guards.

[Lady Vulpix]

O_O
What happened to the cloaking? What's going to happen now?

[Charizard04621]

@Lady Vulpix: Oops, I didn't see your post. O_o Well, here's your answer. ^_^;


Chapter 46
Hour of Darkness
It was over quickly, although the four had fought the best they could. When the alarm had been triggered, a strong gas, part of the security system, had poured into the room along with the guards. They, as well as Karkas and Ytos, had previously developed a resistance against this substance’s effects, so that it did not affect them at all. Karkas had made sure that he and all under him got immunized from his special sleeping mixture long ago, almost immediately after he had developed it. Lune and his companions had no such resistance. It was all Élan could do to prevent himself from falling asleep; escape through invisibility was out of the question. The four, weakened by the powerful gas, were easily captured and restrained despite their desperate attempts to flee. Karkas had enjoyed watching them stumble clumsily, but secretly, he admired their strength. Normal pokémon would have been knocked out cold upon the gas’s emission.

Karkas waved away the guards, who gripped the drowsy captives tightly – a Sandslash with Shockwave, a Machamp with Haldir, and a Granbull with Élan – but Lune, who lay motionless on the floor, remained. I can deal with you now, the Alakazam thought scornfully. You won’t beat me twice.

Lune stirred slightly, groaning. He tried opening his eyes, but blinding red dots made him close them again. His head throbbed painfully, and he thought that it might just tear apart. Tentatively he opened his eyes again, only to be greeted by the same swirling dots that made his head spin. He decided he would simply have to wait.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” accused Karkas’s cruel voice icily, “You bit my foot at the dinner table.” The Alakazam kicked Lune’s crumpled body angrily with his sore foot. The Eevee had a moment’s respite listening to Karkas’s anguished howls, but the he felt himself lifted and thrown into a wall by Karkas’s telekinesis. Hard levers prodded at his flesh. “You may finish him, Ytos,” Karkas hissed.

“My pleasure.” The Seviper cackled wildly; his eyes gleamed drunkenly with triumph. He had won, and he knew it. This Eevee had outsmarted him several times before, and now he was going to end it all, as the victor. Ytos bared his vile blood-red fangs, which dripped with venom powerful enough to kill almost instantly upon puncture. Towering over the now broken Lune, Ytos snorted. “Well, that’s that,” he said, and added spitefully, “The best pokémon won.” He hissed and lunged.

At that moment, the Seviper’s jaw cracked under the force of Lune’s swing. The Eevee’s tail, now hardened and metallic, brushed off the vicious poison without harm. Then, before Karkas or Ytos could strike again, the lights were extinguished. All of them, in the entire building. There was no refuge in the darkness.


***
Now that they were forced forward at a vigorous pace, the effects of the sleeping gas were wearing off quickly. Shockwave, who had come to his senses, could see the beginnings of a labyrinth-like dungeon, which glowed eerily like the strange, seducing substance that he had seen in Karkas’s control room earlier, the same light that was in the warp point that brought them here from the cavern. He realized that they were being marched underground, but also that aside from the pokémon who restrained them, there were no guards. And these three seemed to want to hide fear, for they were careless and distracted as they rushed their prisoners on the descent. Shockwave, too, could sense an air of fearsome foreboding; his instincts told him that, were it not for the strange, ghostly properties of the wisp-like lighting, he would be enveloped in total darkness. Even now the corridor was dull and dreary.

Shockwave knew that his companions were also awake, and looking for any sign of the others’ revival. At length the three caught each other’s gazes without their restrainers noticing, signaling the time to strike. A searing lightning bolt, a stream of frost, and a glinting metallic claw fell down on their respective targets, Shockwave’s electricity at the Granbull who held Élan, Élan’s ice at the Sandslash, and Haldir’s own attack onto one of the Machamp’s four muscular arms. The bulldog and hedgehog fainted immediately after the unexpected attacks struck their heads. Haldir’s captor was shocked enough by the sudden assault for Shockwave and Élan to turn on him when they were freed. The Machamp fell unconscious after a few joint blows.


***
Despite the complete lack of light, it did not take long for the three escaped pokémon to retrace their route and once more find Karkas’s control room. When they got there, however, the entrance was sealed shut. They were puzzling over how to enter when they heard a voice somehow familiar to them but still strange and alien, for it was cold and without compassion. Here the darkness seemed to weigh the heaviest.

“You are a danger to society – the entire world!” said Lune. “If only you had kept to yourself, focusing your revenge only on private grudges, without threatening mass destruction, I could have let you walk free.” There were frightened whimpers from the inside; neither Ytos nor Karkas hissed angrily or ridiculed Lune’s threats. A sense of imminent doom lay upon them, heralded by the impending taste of dominating fear. “I’ve never wanted to do this,” Lune continued. “Ever. No one deserves this fate… But this time, you truly leave me no other option. Goodbye, Karkas the Second. Goodbye, Ytos. For real.”

Terrible wails and piercing shrieks tore through the air, reflecting the agony and horror felt by the victims of the darkness. Their pleas to the shadows to leave them be and cries for the darkness to subside went unheard. Eventually their moans and sobs ceased, to be replaced by a disquieting silence.

[Lady Vulpix]

:o
[/disquieting silence.]

[Charizard04621]

Originally posted by Lady Vulpix
:o
[/disquieting silence.]

Poo, my mimickry got mimicked. :P

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 47
Tortured Soul
“No! Away! Leave me alone, leave me alone! Don’t come any closer! Stop! Somebody help me!” The Alakazam’s horrified eyes wildly searched the room for any kind of escape. The lights had come back on, but all he saw was darkness. And the shadows.

“It’s a door!” the Seviper gasped. “There, there’s my escape!” The snake and wizard stared at the exit, and then, seemingly driven by a single thought, both bolted for it.

“Out of the way, fiends. Let me leave this place!” screamed the Alakazam, almost hysterical now. His knees shook, and he clutched his head tightly in his hands, perhaps afraid that it might explode. “No! Shut up! SHUT UP!” he cried. “Stop the whispering! I know you’re plotting to come after me. Don’t get any closer! Fiends! Fiends! Shadows! Fiends!” He swatted at the air absently, as if that gesture would somehow drive away the impending shadows.

His companion was in a similar state. Eventually they were both reduced to incessantly babbling right next to the door, seemingly frozen in their places. After some time, the two managed to burst out of the door; the Alakazam’s arms flailed wildly and the Seviper’s eyes were glazed as they ran. Shockwave, Élan, and Haldir quickly entered the control room in case the door decided to close.

“…Lune? You okay?” asked Shockwave, looking worriedly at the unresponsive heap of fur crumpled on the ground. Shockwave walked closer. “Lune?”

“Stay away from me,” the heap of fur demanded. “I’m dangerous. Don’t come near me. Don’t you know what I did? Don’t you understand what I did?”

“You saved the world,” Shockwave answered matter-of-factly.

“I destroyed two souls,” mouthed the despondent Eevee. He raised his tear-smeared face and looked his friend in the eye. “For your own good, don’t come near me…” His head sunk again into his paws, and his shoulders shook with his sobbing.

“For someone who just saved a whole lot of lives, you sure aren’t very happy,” Élan commented. “Cheer up, will you?”

“I destroyed two souls!” the Eevee repeated. His sobs grew more violent.

“They would have destroyed millions,” Haldir pointed out.

“I destroyed two souls!”

“Okay. You know what? This is not going to work,” Élan said.

Shockwave nodded. He began to kneel. “Right. Lune, this is what we are going to do. I’m taking you home right now.”

“No!”

Shockwave grimaced. “Sorry, Lune,” he said apologetically, before swiftly knocking the Eevee unconscious as painlessly as possible.


***
“I think he’ll be okay,” said Shockwave. “I’ll just need to watch him for a while. Of course, ideally, we should get back as soon as possible. He needs to get some rest. Rest is good.”

“Indeed,” answered Élan. “But first, we’ve got to figure out what to do to this place. I don’t like the idea of just leaving all these things here.”

“Right. What should we do?”

At that moment, a small explosion drew the attention of Shockwave and Élan. Haldir had already wandered off and begun to smash everything he could reach – machinery, weapons, and such – with his metallic claws. Stray sparks flew out of broken wires in complete disarray. Some tools had colored liquid contents that now oozed all over the floor.

“Haldir, I really don’t think that’s a-“ Shockwave was cut off by a piercing alarm. The room flashed red, and the strange wispy substance in the middle began to collapse into itself. Words ran across the large computer screens on the walls: ONE MINUTE TO SELF-DESTRUCTION.

“Uh… Oops,” Haldir said. “I believe we are royally screwed.”

“Teleporters,” Élan breathed, scrambling for the watch-like machines on the nearby table. He tossed one each to Haldir and Shockwave. “We’ve got less than a minute to figure out how these work. Got any suggestions?”

After a few seconds of scrutiny, Shockwave began to smile. “It’s simple enough,” he replied.

Élan, also understanding the simple design, began to smile, too. “Well, Lune did say that Toidi and Elbuort could use these. Looks to me like Karkas made these idiot-proof; or perhaps I should say foorp-idiot.”

“Twenty seconds,” Haldir warned. “I’m getting out of here, even if you guys aren’t.” He flickered and disappeared.

“Looks like we should be going too,” Élan said.

Shockwave nodded. “I’ve got Lune.” He picked up the Eevee’s limp paw and held on tightly. With that, the three remaining pokémon vanished from the scene with several seconds to spare.

[Lady Vulpix]

Toidi proof! XD
But poor Lune. :( That must have really shattered him, and his personality won't help him stop beating himself up. Though maybe his friends can. I hope he can recover from it somehow.

[Charizard04621]

Gabi: If Lune broke down that easily, I wouldn't have a story, now, would I? ^_^


Chapter 48
Duty Calls
It was a week before Lune started to speak willingly in full sentences again. He had refused food and water for three consecutive days, oftentimes slipping into the obscured regions of the Sanctuary with the help of his darkened amulet. Fortunately, Shockwave managed to convince him to eat and drink. Still, Lune remained silent and brooding for a very long time.

The crystal sphere had become a cause for great concern. The darkness inside it had grown so intense that the black flame cast gloomy shadows over the amulet’s golden frame. The curved, leaf-shaped gold bearing the sphere in its center could not shine under the gloom.

Yet, amidst this dearth of hope, if one looked very closely, there might have flashed an ephemeral glimpse of light in the very core of the black flame. Despite his tough trials, Lune had not completely given up on the world, nor, more importantly, himself. He believed that he stood some chance of redemption, and reason told him that he had only done what needed to be done, performing a sacrifice for a greater cause. In taking the task upon himself, he had saved others from the guilt and despair associated with the destruction of souls. He might never forgive himself for what had happened in that locked chamber where nobody else was watching, but he knew that he needed to put it aside for the moment. He would simply have to find Hana and talk to the Espeon seriously… later.

Day by day Lune’s condition had improved under Shockwave’s care. Ironically, Lune got better faster because he believed that it was his duty to recover. He reminded himself constantly that he had work to do, and that if he didn’t cast away his gloom soon, there would be no one to do his job. The fear of leaving work unfinished managed to expedite Lune’s progress. He had responsibilities, and he could not bear to neglect them. It just wasn’t right.

Today Lune felt that his energy had returned. He had arisen in the morning, when the sun’s rays were just beginning to reach out into the sky. The song of the waterfall and the sight of its silvery veil had been calming. Lune realized that for the first time in what felt like an eternity, the chaos and anguish tormenting his soul had been banished from his heart. On his face, he wore a smile.

Shockwave was still sleeping. Typical. Once a lazy rodent, always a lazy rodent. Grinning, Lune headed to the bushes, then, turning around to face the river, proceeded to run towards it at full speed. With a loud “Here goes nothing!” the Eevee leapt into the air and dive-bombed the river, sending ice cold water splashing everywhere. Next to the bank and drenched, Shockwave awoke with a start.

“Luuuune…” Shockwave rubbed his eyes luxuriously, stretched, and yawned. “Sleep is good for you, you know.” Then he realized something. Lune was laughing.

Lune feigned innocence. “I was just taking a bath,” he claimed. “You know that I feel nasty if I don’t get clean as soon as I wake up. You should, too.”

“It’s dawn. You really shouldn’t be awake,” Shockwave told him. “But that’s fine. Moving onto more important matters: you’re feeling better?”

Lune nodded. “I’ve got a lot of work to do. I’ve wasted a week. Time to catch up and get back on schedule. In fact, I should probably go now.”

Shockwave groaned. “Have you eaten breakfast?”

“Nope. I’ll do that later. Right now I’ve got tons of important stuff to do. Breakfast can wait.”

“Okay, but remember, if your stomach decides to devour itself later, and you find yourself in a state of horrible agony, you can’t say I didn’t warn you. It’ll be all your fault.”

“Oh, fine, I’ll eat breakfast.”


***
The Meowth greeted Lune enthusiastically. “Hi! How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Better, Ana,” Lune answered. “Thanks.”

“We were all getting kind of worried because no one knew where you were. At first we thought you’d just gone on a trip somewhere, but then some pokémon said they might have seen you around, so we didn’t know. I’m glad to see that you’re back.”

Lune nodded. “I haven’t been feeling very well, but I’m all right now. I’m going to be busy catching up, though. In fact, I should probably be going now.”

“Oh, sorry to bother you,” Ana apologized. “I just thought I would say hi since you passed by.”

“Nah, you never bother me,” Lune assured her. He grinned inwardly. The kitten had a strange habit of apologizing for being a burden. It was kind of comical, really.

“Again, I’m glad to see you’re all right,” Ana added with a sincere smile.

“Thanks, Ana,” Lune answered, and walked off.


***
“And now, it’s Yaburu versus Jouiki!” chorused the trainees. “It’s a match-up of power! Will the towering behemoth of a Snorlax prevail, or will the smaller terrestrial Marowak, with the aid of his magical bone club, claim the victory?”

Lune nodded. So far, so good, but it was all still just talk. Flavor text entertained spectators, but it was useless if the Announcers couldn’t spot battle violations. When it came to Announcing, Lune was far more concerned with the technical portion of the fight. Today, he had organized another new battle demonstration for the Announcers-in-training to practice with. He wondered who, if anyone, would catch today’s trick first.

Yaburu was the aggressor. While Jouiki waited patiently, calmly acquiring a deep spiritual focus, his opponent exuded an aura of red flame: Hidden Power Fire. While this was a relatively weak version of the attack, its effects made themselves very obvious. Yaburu’s exhaled kanji of flame fed off of his burning aura, doubling in size. The roaring projectile blaze sped onward in Jouiki’s direction, but his eyes remained closed, and he moved not a muscle.

“Yaburu literally heats up the battle with his Fire type Hidden Power!” chimed a Spinda. “Thanks to this, his subsequent Fire Blast attack grows twice as large as before! Jouiki had better do something, because the fire’s heading right for him. The weird thing is, that Marowak’s just sitting there. Is he nuts?”

As if in answer to the trainee’s question, Jouiki opened his eyes, inhaled deeply, and, wielding his sacred weapon, began to charge headfirst into the inferno.

“I don’t believe this! Jouiki’s attacking!” cried another. The Grumpig rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. “It looks like Jouiki plans on running through the Fire Blast to attack the Snorlax on the other side!”

The atmosphere changed from one of nervous apprehension to doubt and fear. Trainees who were originally concerned about how Lune was grading their comments now shifted their attention to the charging Marowak. His feat seemed suicidal. Fire Blast in itself was commonly known as the most powerful Fire attack. Doubled in strength with a Fire type Hidden Power, it would be devastating. Whispers of “Is Jouiki going to be all right?” and “I know it’s just a mock battle, but what is Lune thinking?” echoed through the group of trainees.

It turned out that none of the pokémon needed to worry. Brandishing his now glowing club, Jouiki deliberately thrust it into the flames before him, which fled rapidly into his magical weapon as if they were sucked inside. Then, expertly, the Marowak sent his club spinning into the air as a boomerang towards Yaburu. Waiting until it reached a point above Yaburu’s head, Jouiki clapped once, and his club spewed forth scorching flame. For a moment, it looked as if a great whirling firecracker had been let loose into the sky. Fountains of flame cascaded downwards from the rotating burst of fire.

Yaburu was stunned; the flash of fire had been directed at his eyes. As his concentration broke down, the flames around him vanished, and the Snorlax was left holding his face in his hands without protection of any sort. When Jouiki calmly reached an arm out to catch his bone from the air, silence reigned supreme.

Hesitantly, a Chimecho cleared her voice to speak. “It looks as if… as if Jouiki has used his special ability,” she stammered nervously. “Apparently his club can absorb elemental energy and regurgitate it whenever he chooses.” She looked at Lune, who kept his eyes focused on the two battlers. He showed no sign of approval or rejection. As always before the test was complete, he revealed nothing. The students would just have to wait.

Jouiki wasted no time. The earth warrior conjured up a fantastic snowstorm, blowing the shards of ice in Yaburu’s direction. As the snow, directed by the arctic wind, pelted Yaburu’s fur, the Snorlax shuddered and winced. Such a sudden drop in temperature from his recently burning body agitated his skin, which cracked under his fur. It was a painful experience.

A Ditto piped up. “Jouiki has just used her Blizzard attack on Yaburu! I don’t think Yaburu enjoyed that at all.”

Lune flinched. Making mistakes on the genders of combatants was embarrassing and distracting. In real battle, it could give the opponent a critical advantage for the split second of distraction the error caused. Because the Ditto, being genderless, could not have known any better, Lune would have to excuse the amorphous purple blob momentarily. No sense in putting the Ditto under the spotlight now. Lune would, however, take it aside in private later and make sure the mistake would never be repeated again.

Yaburu recovered from the assaults. Holding his arms up in the air, he ignited his corporeal blaze once more, only this time, a great egg of flame formed between his raised hands. Jouiki waited, club ready. The large fiery egg cracked open, and out burst a distinct flaming phoenix, which spread out its scorching wings and glowed proudly under the sun’s golden rays. This small, blazing apparition took flight, soaring towards Jouiki as if to attack. The Marowak held out his magical club, attempting to pull the phoenix inside it, but the bird of flame refused to comply. It charged right through his weapon, erupting upon him as a wrathful inferno more violently than an angered volcano. The searing flames scorched his entire being: they blackened his white skull helmet, as well as his bone club; they left their vengeful legacy upon his once earth-colored body, now scarred; and they created roasting boils on his single-thorned tail. The raging flames showed no mercy.

Courageous warrior that he was, Jouiki hid the twisted agony that had flashed momentarily through his eyes. With one swift motion, the Marowak thrust his weapon into the ground, which tore apart in a zigzag line, unzipping. A great, gaping chasm opened up in the earth.

“It’s Fissure!” screamed a Plusle, hugging the Minun beside her for comfort. Her pink plus-shaped ears were suspended, stationary, as if frozen with fear. A gleam of sweat trickled down the little rodent’s pale yellow skin. The Minun beside her was also horrified; his blue ears were stiffly erect with fear, and his nose twitched nervously. Fissure was the ultimate Ground type attack, an assault that, although extremely slow, was massively devastating. Ground type assaults were an Electric type’s worse fear: Fissure, most of all. The terror of the electric-based lookalike rodents, then, was easily imaginable.

Snorlax were known for their large bulk, slothful nature, and lack of speed. Their sluggish movements and massive size made them easy targets for slow, devastating assaults. For a moment, it looked as if the ground would crack underneath Yaburu’s feet, to swallow him whole and claim him in its dark chasms.

Then Yaburu jumped. High. Impossibly high. When he landed a safe distance away from the crack, the ground trembled slightly under the force.

Lune looked around. No one made a comment, and it didn’t look as if anyone was planning to. He sighed. “No one noticed anything?” he asked. Silence. They failed this one, too… “Okay, stop,” he said disappointedly, walking up to Yaburu. “Thanks, Jouiki. Thanks, Yaburu.” He nodded, then gestured towards the Snorlax’s feet. Yaburu lifted them and removed the enhancing springs hidden beneath them.

“Yaburu performed an illegal action,” Lune explained, holding up the enhancements for display. “Snorlax are not renowned jumpers, and Yaburu basically defied the law of gravity. Now, it would have been all right if he had a Flying type Hidden Power, but as you said yourselves, his is of the Fire type. Another explanation could have been his special ability, but you saw that too: the phoenix. I hope you all know that this was not part of a Fire type Hidden Power. Thirdly, because you did not see the characteristic blue glow of telekinesis, you know that his jump was not aided mentally. Finally, Yaburu is a normal-colored Snorlax, so he does not possess the extraordinary abilities associated with those of a magical bloodline. With all these possibilities ruled out, there was only one remaining option: cheating.” Lune exhaled heavily. “You cannot miss things like these in a real match. You are trained specifically to spot these errors. Without capable Announcers, the battle system will fall apart. Foul play will run rampant.” The Eevee shook his head. “Well, we’re done for today. If you’ll excuse me, there is someone I need to talk to now.” With that, he walked towards the sun until the light claimed him.

[Lady Vulpix]

Oh, interesting!
You know... Lune's reason for getting back into action reminded ne a lot of myself. x_x
And the announcers' training was quite interesting. It was nice to see a battle from a different perspective.
As for Ana, she seems like a nice character. I'd like to see her more in the future.
Now let's see what Hana has to say...

[Charizard04621]

Gabi: Yeah, Ana will be around. :) As for your other comment... Don't worry, you're not the only workaholic. ^_-

[Lady Vulpix]

XD
Oh, by the way, I've posted a new chapter too. :D

[Charizard04621]

Ooh! New chapter! Time to read. ^_^;

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 49! O_o


Chapter 49
Revelations
It had started off innocently enough. Lune had decided, rationally, that the removal of Karkas and Ytos was a necessary evil. He had chosen, though he utterly loathed even the thought of committing such an atrocity, to take the task upon himself. It was simple logic, and he had felt terrible for it.

But when darkness fell, things had gone horribly wrong. His amulet had flashed, black with consuming dark fire; and suddenly, Lune had felt some sort of madness force itself into him, a wild ecstasy, as if he had been anticipating the dreadful deed all his life, hungry for the destruction of souls.

What was the amulet, exactly? Where did it come from? Why did it make him feel this way? These were questions that Lune hoped Hana would answer. She had given it to him; surely she knew something about it – at least where she had obtained it. That in itself would explain a lot.

Hana was tending flowers in her garden when Lune arrived. The aged Espeon was surprised to see him, but greeted him pleasantly. Being a Psychic type, she guessed his purpose soon enough, and immediately became more serious.

“Sorry to arrive without notice, Hana,” Lune apologized, “but this is urgent.”

The elder Eeveelution nodded. “I understand.”

“Where-”

“The amulet was my husband’s,” Hana answered. “He was born in the Silver Havens, dear. The poor soul, he died early of poisoning. He knew he would be poisoned, and he knew who would do it, how, and when – he never told me, and I never found out – but he accepted it as his destiny. He was a deep believer in fate, dear.”

“How sad…”

“Oh, but he was very calm about it, dear. He never made a judgment on his fate – whether sad, unfair, unfortunate, or likewise. When he died, he was at peace. The amulet he gave to me to guard.”

“I have a feeling I don’t fully understand this thing.”

“As I’ve told you before, dear, the amulet measures the balance of light and darkness in your heart; but it does more than that. You see, dear, the amulet’s sole purpose is to protect its bearer’s soul by whatever means necessary. If your heart is about to plunge into total darkness, the amulet will do anything to preserve some light in the black fire. Usually it counters darkness with positive emotions: joy, relief, excitement, love.”

That’s what happened in that room, thought Lune. But it felt so wrong… Why? If that’s all the amulet does, why did it feel evil? “Hana, I want to show you a memory of mine. Maybe you can help me understand it better.” He closed his eyes and relaxed, removing all resistance to Hana’s telepathic probe. The vivid images flowed back through his mind: his great anguish, the darkness, the intervention of the amulet, and then the hysterical cackling of the shadows – and the maniacal blood lust along with it. When Lune opened his eyes, Hana looked concerned.

“I didn’t know you had a Dark type Hidden Power, dear…”

“Not something I’m proud of,” Lune answered.

“Dear child…”

“Is there something wrong?”

“The amulet has one weakness, dear. Because it was built to be very sensitive to darkness, it can be exploited as a channeling medium for evil. Dark type Hidden Powers tend to push their users into insanity, bit by bit. And the more they are fed, the hungrier they become for souls. I’ve known some good pokémon like you, dear, that have been taken over by the darkness. Terrible.”

Lune shuddered. “As long as the amulet is around my neck, every time I call forth the darkness, I run the risk of… falling?”

“Poor child, yes…”

“Then I won’t use it anymore,” Lune resolved. “I never liked it, anyway.” One less thing to rely on in a jam… But then again, he thought, if Hana’s telling the truth, which I know she is, my Dark type Hidden Power will be anything but reliable from now on.

“There’s another story that I haven’t told you, dear. Even before he foresaw his death, my husband received a prophecy. By then he had been holding this amulet for some time, so he knew much about it. My husband’s instructions were clear: ‘Give this treasured heirloom to the one that the prophecy specifies.’ That was his dying wish.”

“And the terms of the prophecy?”

“Yes, I remember the whole thing,” Hana told him. “My husband recited it many times to make sure that I did. The prophecy went like this:

One shall arise in times of sore need
Whom destiny binds to this sacred amulet;
Master and Servant of Darkness he is,
Of Kingdom ere Forgotten.
To light this treasure shall bring him,
Long as his instincts he trusts;
But should he waver a moment,
Into dark Oblivion he shall be thrust.

And how that I understand the line about the darkness, the prophecy makes more sense,” Hana finished.

But should he waver a moment, into dark Oblivion he shall be thrust… Lune was stunned. He had been given a prophecy of his doom or salvation. Every decision he made could cause his fall. Calm down, Lune, he told himself whilst inhaling deeply. You’re not lost yet, are you? No, you’re not. Aloud, he thanked Hana. “This cleared up a lot of questions,” he told her gratefully.” And opened up many more… But he decided not to pursue that. It was getting close to evening, and he still had work to do. Thanking the Espeon one last time, he turned his back to the sun and headed home, surrounded by fading light. The shadows avoided him.

[Lady Vulpix]

Intriguing. :rolleyes:
I'm sure that was a telepathic probe, not a telekinetic probe. But it doesn't matter.
This chapter gives even more depth to the story... Now I'm intrigued to see what comes next.
Well, Lune got it better than Hana's husband after all. He got a prophecy in which he can determine the result.

[Charizard04621]

Yeah. If Lune got a prophecy about how, when, where, and by whom he was going to die, though, I guarantee he wouldn't sit there and take it.

[Lady Vulpix]

I can imagine. :)
And neither would I. Unless the conditions were acceptable.

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 50
The Coming of Winter
The dark, cold winder days had come. Lune could smell it in the air. A chill would come first, then the storm – and, inevitably, the stark, stretching expanse of bleak whiteness littered with the murdered black skeletons of trees. The cold was a sad and terrifying thing.

Lune had finished his daily work early (Lady Naien had promised to pay the overdue salaries of the Announcers the next day). He had gone to the central square to lie down and relax for the evening, but the effort did not help him. The conversations there went along the lines of: “Yes, I’ll bring over some tomorrow. You simply have to try them. They’re delicious!” or “So, what do you want to do tomorrow?” Lune knew what he was doing tomorrow, and it was not something he wanted to do.

The only talk that seemed remotely interesting came from a Skiploom complaining about his father, and Lune found that one depressing. “He expects me to be perfect,” said the Skiploom to his friend. “If I do something wrong, he’ll lose his temper and yell at me. It’s all about what he wants me to want, not how I really feel. Yeah, I go along with it so that I don’t get scolded or beaten, but it seems as if I’m living someone else’s life. I can’t be who I am; I have to be a stranger… Everything I like or take seriously, he calls nonsense. I want to go into research technology – I think I can build this kingdom a better power source – but my father calls it a childish obsession that I must wean myself from. He believes that technology is not real. I know we’re not used to it here anymore, but I have real confidence in it. I think it might be just as good as magic. These are my honest opinions, though I’m afraid to say them out loud to anyone else.” Lune pitied the fairy flower.

Lune left the pokémon in the square to talk amongst themselves. He had fallen into a pensive mood, and he needed to get away from the crowds to think. Gazing at the dark, brooding clouds looming in the melancholy air, Lune suddenly felt sick of everything: working on behalf of the Sacred Kingdom Guardians; being seen by everyone as a free source of help; and continuing to be under Lady Naien, whom he always had to cover for because she was always either physically, mentally, or emotionally ill. He remembered once when he was recommended at the Council as a third Guardian of the Sacred Kingdom. Naien had stepped in to say that she and Lord Yoruno were eternally grateful for his services, but that they didn’t want him as a Guardian simply because he was already a Guardian of the Forgotten Kingdom. Lune had been silently outraged. There were several Guardians who had responsibility over more than one State; there wasn’t, and never had been, a rule against such a practice. Lune figured that such a ridiculous reason was simply an excuse to keep the Guardianship out of his reach. Perhaps they don’t want me to ruin that little twosome they’ve got, he thought.

Lune decided that he would visit Élan. They had shared similar sentiments on this subject before, and Lune felt the need to talk about it. After the deaths of Ningai and Charisma, the Sneasel had moved away from the Hidden Valley gate and come to live closer to the heart of the Sacred Kingdom. Refusing to get a house to live in like other pokémon did (he found it constricting), Élan searched until he discovered the perfect abode. It was a small, cozy cave that faced the morning sun. As the day broke, the golden light would illuminate the blades of grass and the surrounding lake. The cave lay in a forest clearing, carved inside a small green mound. It was a beautiful sight.

Élan was preparing dinner. “Lune! Great timing. Come join me for dinner? You missed out the last time.”

“Mmmm… That really does smell good, Élan,” answered the Eevee. “Sure, I’ll stay.”


***
“Ah… Best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

“Of course! I cooked it. What did you expect?” He winked. “So, anyway, what have you been up to?”

“Ugh…”

“Aww, man! When you put it that way, I never feel right telling you my funny stories.”

“Nah, that’s okay. Go ahead. You first. I could use a funny story.”

“Okay, so I went out to dinner with a group of pokémon. We went to this new shop in the marketplace. The stuff was pretty good, actually, but then there were the Spelon Berries.”

Lune grinned. Spelon Berries were incredibly spicy. “You ate one, didn’t you?”

“Well, we weren’t sure what they were, so we started daring each other to try some. One guy took one, and his face turned as red as the Spelon Berry itself. He ran around like a madman trying to find all the water he could. Of course, that motivated me to try a Spelon Berry and see what the big deal was. Now that I think about it, maybe it wasn’t the best idea. Anyway, I took one, stuck it in my mouth, and bit straight into it. Nothing happened at first, and I was going to say that it really wasn’t so bad, when suddenly a bomb exploded in my mouth and lit it on fire.”

Lune couldn’t help laughing. “Never bite hard into a Spelon Berry, especially after you’ve seen what it does to others.”

“Obviously. I know that now, but still. I was challenged. Anyway, I jumped into the square’s fountain and splashed water onto my tongue for fifteen minutes. Pokémon were staring at me like I was insane, but I didn’t care. I wanted to extinguish the fire in my mouth.”

“Hehe. Élan, you silly, silly Sneasel.”

Élan grinned widely. “I can assure you that I’ll never try that again. You know, some of the girls put Spelon Berries into their mouths and began calling us wimps when nothing seemed to happen, but I doubt they actually bit into them.”

“I’m sure they didn’t. They’d have been raising hell if they did. I’ve had a Spelon Berry before, on accident. It was a small piece, so I missed it, and then I bit into it and… yeah.”

“You know how I felt, then. Anyway, why so glum before?”

“Hmm… Élan, have I told you about what Naien said at my most recent Council meeting?”

“Nope. What was it?”

“I got recommended as a Guardian for the Sacred Kingdom. Guess what she said.”

“Um… ‘No thanks, we’re fine’?”

“‘Although Lune does some wonderful work for us, we’ve decided that if we ever need a new Guardian (which we don’t right now), we would get one that isn’t already a Guardian of another State.’ Is there anything she could have said that would have been more idiotic?”

“Nope. Looks like they really don’t want their monopoly to be broken.”

“I’m beginning to think that. Two is not a good number. Remember what you said about a possible dictatorship?”

Élan nodded. “It sure is looking that way at the moment.”

“You know, up to that day, I had been planning to secure a Guardianship so I could subtly ease the balance of power, but I don’t think that approach will work now. Any suggestions?”

“We could force them to listen to us – you could bring this subject to the Council, right? The Council will listen if we’ve got good reasoning. We’d need to gather supporters, pokémon who share our opinions. I’m pretty sure Luktam will help us.”

Lune nearly choked. “Luktam? You’re kidding, right? This is the guy that said Emperor Ryu is a lousy, good-for-nothing hypocrite, and a wonderful Emperor.”

Élan snickered. “That’s true. But I believe there is some sense to him. I have a knack for spotting intelligence.”

“Well, good luck finding some in him,” Lune responded. “I tell you what. You manage to miraculously dig out some sort of brain in that Slowpoke, and I’ll consider trying to talk to him.”

“Hehe. It’s a deal.”

[Lady Vulpix]

Now that's a hard task.
Strange, Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien didn't seem like that before.

[Charizard04621]

Remember, nearly the entire story is told from Lune's point of view. Conclusions are yours to be drawn.

[Charizard04621]

Okay, last chapter until I get back from the holidays... I'm going skiing for the remaining month of December, starting Friday.


Chapter 51
Money Matters
“Lune, wake up. Damn, and you say I sleep too much.” Shockwave continued to shake the complaining Eevee. Lune groaned.

“Shockwave, what time is it?” he whined.

“Later than you usually get up. Now come on. We need to go check on how the General Tournament is progressing. I want to find out who I’m going to battle next.” The Pikachu tapped his foot impatiently.

Lune sprang up. “I’m late? What?” He checked the position of the sun. “Dang it, I am late. You go ahead and find out what’s been going on. I need to go to Announcer training again. As Head Announcer, Lady Naien’s supposed to be doing the training, but she hasn’t been doing it – busy, I suppose – so it’s up to me for now.” Lune was glad that Lady Naien had appointed him as Senior Announcer, because he got irritated when he wanted things done and wasn’t allowed to do them due to lack of rank. Most of the time he was certain that he was qualified enough to handle the tasks in question.

“Can’t you put off Announcer stuff a little?” Shockwave asked. “It’s just Announcer stuff.”

“No can do. See, I have this thing called a conscience that bothers me when I haven’t done my job.”

Shockwave crossed his arms. “Fine, then, make me go alone. I don’t care. Really.”

“Aww, come on, Shockwave, you know I’d rather find out about the tournament and stuff. I really gotta go train these pokémon, though. They’re… bad.”

“Go… just go.”

“Shockwave…”

“No, seriously.” The Pikachu grinned. “You’re so easy to tease. Now, go on.”

“You are so mean to me.”

“Only if you want me to be.”

“Whatever.”

“Have fun.” Shockwave winked.


***
“Any idea when we’ll get our paychecks?” asked a Medicham. Lune had encountered this psychic fighter various times in the past. He had received various complaints about the Medicham as an Announcer, and each time he had investigated the separate cases. Lune never found the guy guilty of the charges of bias. The problem, as Lune saw it, was his unorthodox methods. He didn’t step in the way when battlers were receiving brutal beatings, and sometimes he stopped matches in the middle of crucial plays. Lune had discovered in such instances that the Medicham understood whether or not blows would be fatal, and made his decisions accordingly.

The Medicham’s question bothered Lune. Lady Naien had promised to pay all the Announcers the day before. “Let me guess… Naien didn’t pay you?” Lune asked, concealing his irritation.

“Was she supposed to?”

Lune fell silent. It was one thing to avoid making guarantees, and completely another to say something and then not do it. This was the second time that Lady Naien had said she would pay the Announcers but didn’t. “Fine,” he sighed, “I’ll take care of your paychecks after this training session.”

“Thank you.”

Raising his voice so all the gathered pokémon could hear, Lune said, “All right. Let’s get going. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”


***
Lune hated taking care of paychecks. It required him to hunt all over the kingdom for records of every single Announcer that reported to his training sessions during the period that the paychecks covered (In this case, three weeks). That’s why Naien doesn’t want to do it, he thought, but that doesn’t mean she can say she will and then back out on her statement. That’s the crucial difference between you and Naien. You don’t make promises you can’t keep.

Handing out paychecks required Lune to check whether the Announcers in question had done their jobs, how well they had done them, and how punctual they were. Several had a habit of arriving late to battles or not showing up at all, forcing battlers to wait for extended periods of time or find other Announcers who were willing to help them out. Such disregard for responsibility did not deserve payment.

The turnout for this group of paychecks was depressing. A couple of pokémon who had gone to training had made no attempt to supervise battles at all. Even worse, some had promised to act as Announcers for several battles and never showed up for any of them, or shown up and then left in the middle of the match. Ebannaw was, as always, one of the biggest offenders. And she wonders why you never promote her, thought Lune bitterly. She even blames you for jealousy of her skills, of all things. In – her – dreams. What a sorry wannabe. Stupid Spearow. She’s an insult to the bird species.

“Well,” muttered Lune, marking off the final paycheck, “That’s done. Now to send them in.”


***
“They did what?” Lune could not believe his ears.

Shockwave nodded. “I’m disqualified from the tournament. Apparently they held Round Four when I wasn’t around. Oh well.”

“ARGH! That’s just wrong!” Lune was outraged. “Damnit, Shockwave, you could have won that thing.”

“Calm down, Lune. I’m not too happy about it either, but there’s really nothing we can do about it now. Breathe.”

“Gah. Well, I guess we can both join another tournament now, at least.”

“Uh huh. Lune, have you been to the Treasury lately?”

“The Treasury? You mean that poor Ho-oh forsaken place that Ebannaw is supposed to be managing? Nah, why?”

“The Guardians got tired of Ebannaw doing nothing and held an election for a new Head of Treasury.”

“Ooooh. Maybe now pokémon won’t cheat and stuff. Who won? Do you know?”

“Élan, unanimously. He got, like, thirty votes.”

“Cool. We won’t be having Treasury problems, then. As for Élan’s sanity… The poor guy, that job is going to drive him nuts. I’ve been nominated for Head of Treasury once, but I turned it down. It’s crazy talk. That place is the one place in this kingdom I’m going to avoid at all costs.”

Shockwave nodded. “Élan’s going to feel the same way pretty soon.”

[Lady Vulpix]

Oh... That explains a lot.
As for Élan, I hope he can handle the job without any effects on his mental health...
Enjoy your vacation, Karin! See you when you get back! :wave:

[Charizard04621]

Lol, poor Élan is in for a rough ride. Btw thanks Gabi. ^_^ I have a cold, but I hope it wears off before I go to Colorado.

[Charizard04621]

I'm back! Here's the next chapter. :)


Chapter 52
The Gathering Storm
A week had passed since Élan’s election as Head of the Treasury. So far he had renovated the place, revising old systems and creating new rules to maximize efficiency. Winter had also progressed.

Pure white snow blanketed the kingdom grounds. Trees let fall their leaves. Their black, frozen frames remained towering over the land, shadows of sentinels that stood their firm, silent watch. The kingdom was covered with light.

Lune treaded the stone path lightly, wishing that Shockwave had been there to share the moment. The white scenery possessed its own pristine beauty, a world of delicate crystals and frost. But the Pikachu was elsewhere, off on his own. As Lune walked down the pavement alone he found the absolute silence about him almost eerie. Not even his chilled breaths made the slightest noise. The only sound he heard was the soft crunching of his paws as they gently pushed little indents into the snow.

And then, the shattering of silence.

“So when Mr. Smartypants here has a complaint an official comes to the rescue?” Ebannaw’s croaking voice was indignant.

“Excuse me?” The Medicham glared at her. “I don’t even care anymore. This battle is ridiculous. I’ve already resigned.”

Élan’s voice rang clearly through the still winter air. “I just stopped by to introduce some logic into the situation. I was walking past and I noticed the confusion, so I came to check it out. Vanguard was right to argue. The Announcer’s decisions were just plain wrong. Allowing Haldir to use his sword in the battle but threatening to disqualify Vanguard for trying to use his special ability? Whoa. The last time I checked, special abilities were legal and outside items were not.”

“Yeah, sure,” squawked Pukcus. “So says the guy who suspiciously became Head of the Treasury all of a sudden,” he accused. “You appeared out of nowhere. Wow, suck ups are on the rise these days.” The Murkrow snorted.

“We know how to use your sudden rise of power against you,” Haldir added.

Lune was struck. What the heck? Haldir was threatening Élan with Pukcus and Ebannaw? Élan had been UNANIMOUSLY VOTED into office! Lune hurried to the scene.

“Enough!” shouted the Eevee. “Can’t I even have my day off in peace? Must there always be fighting and trouble?” He frowned, looking sternly into every face, but most so at the Murkrow’s and the Spearow’s. What he wanted most was to bite the two birds’ heads off. Patience, Lune, he told himself. Subtlety. Accuse without directly accusing. Don’t make too many enemies yet. That was the mistake of Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien. Taking a deep breath, Lune spoke in a calmer voice, one that was not angry but slow and sad, which aimed to make his targets feel guilt for their actions rather than bitterness at his anger. “There is more than one side to a quarrel, and all are wrong. If conflict is prolonged, everyone is at fault for fueling the argument. The only way to prevent fighting is for all sides to agree to back down. Unfortunately, too many inhabitants of our world do not understand that simple concept. That is why we have war.” He closed his eyes. “I ask all of you to come to a truce. End this pointless conflict. There is room enough in this world for the absence of war.”

Lune knew that Élan and Vanguard would understand his true targets. He didn’t need to explain it to them later. “Oh, and Haldir,” he added, catching the Scizor’s gaze, with many questions swimming in his head, “May I speak to you for a moment? Alone?”

The Scizor shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

Pulling Haldir aside, Lune looked at him in confusion. “What was that?” he asked, bewildered. “I would have thought that you, of all pokémon, would never have resorted to dishonorable tactics.”

The tone of the Scizor’s voice was dangerous. Lune felt himself shiver. “Dishonorable tactics?”

“Blackmail! With the help of Pukcus and Ebannaw! What were you thinking?”

“Vanguard was complaining too much about the battle. Pukcus and Ebannaw were helping me to make him stop whining about every little thing. Gohyrolg was getting really pissed when that Medicham criticized every damn decision that he made.”

Gohyrolg. That explained everything. The irritating Jigglypuff that was so full of himself that he would continue talking just to hear his own voice. Lune never liked Gohyrolg. The balloon-like fairy with oversized saucers for eyes would talk, and talk, and never stop talking in a match. As an Announcer, he was all fluff and no sense, a complete bore. He made random decisions and seemed to have multiple standards for everything. Lune did not doubt for an instant that Gohyrolg was filled with nothing but hot air – literally. The Eevee shook his head. “Gohyrolg is a fool.”

“Watch it. Gohyrolg is my friend.”

You make odd choices of friends, Lune thought. Aloud, he said, “That doesn’t mean that he is a capable Announcer. He isn’t. He’s mad. Your sword was an outside weapon that could have killed your opponent with a single swipe. The sword Vanguard would have summoned with his special ability can’t inflict fatal damage. I made sure myself.”

“He still complained too much. Why are you bringing this up, anyway? The battle is over now.”

Lune frowned. Haldir was ignoring his logic. Fine, then, he would let that matter slide. Arguing was pointless. “I still need to know what you were doing with Ebannaw and Pukcus. You should know that those two are trouble.”

“Can I help it if they’re my friends?” Haldir snapped back.

Lune reeled. Haldir definitely lacked judgment. His statement also explained his animosity towards Élan. Pukcus has been spreading dirty rumors about Élan all along, Lune thought. That’s why Haldir didn’t trust him all the way to Karkas’s lair and beyond. Lune nodded and began to walk away.

“We’re still friends, right?” Haldir’s tone was urgent.

No one in the world would survive without second chances. “Sure,” Lune answered. “Why not?”

[Lady Vulpix]

Wow, now that's really weird!
I'm intrigued now... Again. :D

[Charizard04621]

Sorry for the delay. I took a detour from writing Lune to post a short story, Legacy. Dragonair rules.

Anyway, here it is...


Chapter 53
Trouble Brews
“No, I’m not a soul stealer… Leave me alone! I HAD NO CHOICE!”

Ah, but you did, nagged the voice. You should have tried escaping without hurting them first.

“I…” gasped the Eevee. “I didn’t want to destroy them! I had no choice!” Lune awoke with a start, drenched in sweat. The vivid images from his nightmare lingered in his mind. Slowly, his breathing evened, and he convinced himself that he was safe in the Sanctuary.

Shockwave stirred. “Lune… What time is it?”

“Late. Go back to sleep.”

“What were you yelling about? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah… Just a bad dream. Sorry, I talk in my sleep. I can’t help it.”

“I heard something about destroying souls. Are Karkas and Ytos still bothering you?”

Lune was silent. Shockwave groaned.

“Look, you have to stop acting like this. I’m trying to help, but I can’t do anything if you don’t give yourself a break. I mean, geez. The whole thing was not your fault. They tried to kill you first, remember? If you want to stop having nightmares like that, you’ve got to forgive yourself first. Come on, Lune, I don’t want to have to deal with this.”

“Hmm… Fine… Go back to sleep.”

“You should listen to the things I tell you.”

“Uh huh. Now sleep. It’s past midnight.”


***
Back in the Slith Territories, Karkas’s lair was restored to full working order. The computers had been upgraded, and several more showcases with additional weapons lay in the control room.

“I always knew that he was too soft,” chuckled Ytos. “He calls that a Dark type Hidden Power? Please.”

“That potential is such a waste on a pokémon like him,” Karkas commented. “But that’s the problem with giving power to goody-goodies. They tend to control it and use it responsibly. The problem with that is, he will never move beyond destroying a soul.”

“If I had his cursed power, I could destroy even the most black-hearted of pokémon,” Ytos hissed. “But he doesn’t want to hurt things. I like to hurt things. And they wouldn’t even need to have souls.”

“We were lucky that Lune is too honorable for his own good,” Karkas mused. “It is fortunate that we, as mass murderers, do not have souls. It is the only way we could be immune to a Dark type Hidden Power attack from a soft pokémon like him.”

“I have to admit, our acting was excellent,” gloated Ytos. “I must ask, though… Why didn’t we simply finish him then?”

“We were not ready. The whole self-destruct sequence was meant to buy us time so they would not think of coming back until too late. When we finally destroy Lune, I want to make sure that the Sacred Kingdom Guardians die as well. Without a capable leader, the place will plunge into chaos. Even the Savage Wilderness idiots won’t be able to mess up that takeover.”

Ytos snickered. “I like your thinking.”


***
Morning had arrived in the Sanctuary. Sunlight poured in through the clouds, and the waterfall greeted the day with its cheerful morning song.

Lune stretched luxuriantly. As he washed himself in the river, he wondered what he had to do today. He knew that he was free from Announcer training. He had recently quit his Adviser job, although he was beginning to feel guilty about it. He still helped to clarify things and answer questions once in a while, because Haldir was the only current Adviser doing any Advising. Shockwave had started off enthusiastically when he first got the job, but when he began to understand its demands, his activity in that area declined. And Lord Yoruno and Lady Naien weren’t doing anything, either. (They were the Head Advisers, by the way.) Lune felt selfish for quitting his job, although he hated it. Other than that, however, Lune didn’t think he had any other duties to tend to.

“Oh, wait… Announcer duties.” Lune had nearly forgotten. He had received three requests for the day; Lune would have to supervise each battle and hurry on to the next. It was lucky that he had done the proper scheduling. “Well, then, Shockwave,” he said to the sleeping Pikachu, “I’ll see you later.”


***
By evening Lune was in a bad mood. “Has the stupidity of some battlers ever annoyed you, Vanguard?”

“Idiots are annoying.”

“I sat for three hours watching a Misdreavus and a Tyrogue play Rest wars. Yes, you heard me, a Misdreavus kept going back to sleep instead of finishing her opponent off. A Ghost type with the capacity to crush her Fighting type opponent with effective Psychic type moves! And Tyrogue is basically incapable of touching anything that can phase!”

“I pity your soul.”

Lune sighed. “Oh, that’s not all. I was an Announcer for two more battles today.” He shook his head. “There was a Venusaur that randomly took off into the air without wings, without any kind of provocation! It was ridiculous seeing a giant Grass type flying. He made it so obvious. I could see the glowing power source he hid inside his flower bud. He had some sort of insanely powerful jet pack that he got from only Ho-oh knows where…”

“That’s… sad. Do I even want to know about the third match?”

Lune shook his head. “Worst match of the day. Elbuort versus Élan… Ugh, stupid Mankey. You have no idea how sick he made me of hearing ‘You should be above this’ and ‘Must you always resort to cheap tactics?’ along with all sorts of random, illogical arguments about how he was losing because Élan was cheating and I was being an incompetent Announcer. The idiot is full of crap.”

“...Ignore him.”

“I can’t do that.”

“I pity your soul.”

[Lady Vulpix]

One word: WOW!
I hadn't seen that one coming.

[mistysakura]

That took me A WHILE to read... </sarcasm> but it was worth it.

That last one was a cool plot twist. And it makes sense too, in a strange way. I was pretty surrised that Lune quit as adviser though; I knew he didn't like his job but I figured he'd feel too guilty about quitting. I guess it wasn't as much as I thought.

I really like your names for the idiots. Pukcus and Ebannaw fit their names so well. :D

I love your writing style; you manage to have the description and the interest at the same time. With some people, they've got enough description all right, but all the action and excitement seems to cease whenever they describe something. Your fic's cool in that way.

I'll keep reading.

[Charizard04621]

Lady Vulpix - I still have some tricks up my sleeve. ^_^

mistysakura - A new reader, cool. Thanks for the comments. And by the way, your feelings might not be as wrong as you think... Just wait and see.

To all readers - I'm really sorry that my next chapter isn't up yet. I've written it down but haven't found time to type it up. Junior year school stuff (I now have two research papers to deal with) and applications to a chemistry research scholarship have been slowing me down. I apologize.

[Charizard04621]

Here it is, after way too much time. Sorry, guys.


Chapter 54
Return to the Hidden Valley
The following weeks passed without incident. Something in the back of Lune’s mind told him that the peace would not last, that it was just the calm before the storm; but there was not much he could do except wait. Meanwhile, he had been relaxing somewhat, taking a break from work.

Two hours’ run south of the Sacred Kingdom lay the Sparkling Forest. Lune had, out of curiosity, decided to visit the place, and he discovered that he quite liked it. The State’s forests were beautiful, even more so than the lonely wilderness of the Forgotten Kingdom. There was peace in the Sparkling Forest; pokémon lived together as a community, and a sense of ease and prosperity lived in the hearts of the Sparkling Forest residents. It was a lovely place to be.

Today, Lune headed not for the Sparkling Forest, but instead for the Forgotten Kingdom. He had promised Sage and Blaze a visit, and it was a promise he intended to keep. This time, Lune traveled by the Hidden Valley. As he arrived at the golden gates under the rays of the resplendent sun, he inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh scent of new grass and sweet fragrant flowers. He burst into the paradise with the joy of one who has been away for a long time from something that he loves. His happy laughter rang through the air. Even his amulet glowed with light as he rolled ecstatically in the soft grass.

By and by, Lune decided to continue on his journey. As much as he wanted to shrink away into this glorious retreat forever, he had work to get back to in the Sacred Kingdom, and his vacation time was limited. After treating himself to some sweet, crisp Pecha Berries from a nearby tree, Lune continued to follow the river trail north. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.

Under a large, ancient tree lay a sad sight. Dark green leaves weighed down the crooked boughs, and the thick, gnarled roots crept over the mound silently, as if to avoid waking the sleeper. No happy spots of sunlight danced under the shade; only sorrowful darkness. Even the branches of the old tree hung downwards, weeping. Cradled by the sympathizing roots, covered with bits of moss and pretty but mourning flowers, was the lifeless body of a noble Dragonair that Lune had once known.

“Senryu… No… Not you too…” Lune approached the still form slowly, hesitantly, hoping that any minute he would suddenly awaken and find out that this was all a dream. With the blood drained from his body, Senryu was completely white, like the winter outside the valley. Here it was summer for all but the serpentine dragon; his body was lifeless and cold. Yet, Lune could not say that Senryu had died in pain. The Dragonair’s face was peaceful, with his eyes closed lightly and a trace of the soft, caring smile that Lune had always admired him for. Perhaps he was even glad that he could finally depart into eternal peace, away from the world that had taken Ningai and Charisma before him. Lune wondered if, in another land, Senryu was now following them up the stream, like Élan had stared after their ashes many months ago. For a fleeting instant, a strange breeze blew, making fly the flowers that had covered Senryu in their sorrow. It had only lasted a moment, but Lune could have sworn that the floating petals had spelt a phrase, a final, magical request that Lune felt compelled to grant: Bury me with them.

Had Lune not as much faith in magical things, he still could not have ignored this powerful sign. At that same moment, his amulet had flashed with white fire, and a gentle warmth greater than the sun’s had filled his heart. Despite his sorrow, he felt uplifted; it was as if Senryu’s spirit had passed through to provide him with encouragement and hope. Without hope, he could not live. Lune wasted no time.

Senryu had requested a burial at sea. He wished for his ashes, like Ningai’s and Charisma’s, to travel slowly down the river and out into the vast beyond, finally coming to rest in a watery grave. Lune respected that wish, but he had no fire.

Gently, laboriously dragging the fallen dragon’s long, snakelike body closer to the river, Lune thought of how he could get a fire. He would build a pyre with wood and twigs. This he would place Senryu upon; or, if he was not strong enough, he would build the pyre under Senryu. Lune looked dolefully at the river so far ahead. He would have to pull Senryu a different way. Wrapping the Dragonair’s tail around himself, and placing the end in his mouth (being careful not to bite), Lune again tried to drag Senryu forward, this time with more success. By the time Lune managed to get Senryu beside the river, he was exhausted. The sun that had hung so brightly overhead now dipped behind the mountains, painting the sky with a brilliant sunset… But Lune saw none of it.

“Stone… A spark,” Lune whispered. Picking up a sturdy stick in his mouth and rolling a good stone forward with his paw, Lune made his way back to the pyre that he had built under the silent dragon. It was night now, but there were no stars, only a waning moon that was sickly and pale. Lune placed the stone beside the thin dried twigs and began to create friction with his stick. Several times he managed to provoke sparks, but they caught on the twigs, glowed red for a moment, and then subsided again. It was an hour before the embers did not die. Lune was feeling disheartened. Then, miraculously, the twigs began to burn, and a little flame began to spread!

Lune stepped back from the pyre and bowed his head with respect. Within minutes, a flare erupted and consumed the lifeless flesh. The rock layer that Lune had placed beneath the wood kept fire away from the grass. And so it was that night by the riverside that Senryu burned on his pyre. Even after the fire died down, his ashes continued to scatter, floating unconcerned up the river. Perhaps in later years they would join up with his departed soul; perhaps they would float onward for eternity; or maybe they would, as Lune hoped, find peace at the bottom of some distant ocean.

As Lune left the scene in silence, he failed to notice a small piece of skin that had fallen between the rocks beneath the pyre, and therefore had not ignited. On that ghostly remnant gleamed two distinct puncture holes the size of snake fangs.

[Charles Legend]

Nice fic, btw was Emperor Ryu based on me or not Ether way I am a bit Serprized that my name apeared in some ones fanfic..... ;o

and don't worry I like Ampharos.:)

and no I am not mad at you for portraying me as an idoitic Emperor, I rather take that as a comiment.:P

And yes I can be insane at times.:D

~Ryu

[mistysakura]

Ah, not much impact in the last sentence -- as if it wasn't obvious. But still good.

This was truly moving.

[Charizard04621]

Ryu Slayer X 2.0 - Dude, if you check the dates, you'll realize that I started this in 2002. Now it's the year 2004. I did not know you in 2002. Just because you share the same name as a character does not mean that you are somehow represented by that character. "Ryu" is not a name exclusive to you. Just thought I would clear that up...

mistysakura - Aren't all deaths? I love Dragonair, which might have influenced my writing on this one's funeral.

[Charizard04621]

Two words: Research papers. Goddamn, these past two weeks have been disgusting, and now I'm moving to a new house in the middle of my research paper due dates. Can you imagine it? $@!#(&$!^(!

In other words, sorry for the extended wait... I really hope this won't continue, but I can't make any promises.


Chapter 55
A Land Forgotten
When Lune arrived at midnight in his land of origin, he received no warm welcome or expression of gladness. In fact, he received no welcome at all. The Forgotten Kingdom was deserted.

Once a thriving land, the sylvan state now lay in a state of quiet and lonely peace. Wildflowers grew in stunning disarray; the countryside was a place of verdant, abandoned beauty. Life grew as it would here, unhindered by outside forces, so that there was no order to the free, yet lovely wilderness. But for all the vigor in the blossoming landscape, not a soul was in sight. For the hours that Lune had stared up into the flowering stars, waiting till night made way for dawn, he did not hear a sound that was not his own.

In the morning, as soon as the first feeble rays of light flickered hesitantly through the clouds, Lune began his search for answers. It was a cold winter, he thought, made lonelier by the absence of souls.

Sage, Lune found out, was no longer a Guardian here. He had faded away into a life of solitude, no longer visible to the outside world in his ghostly state of existence, like a gliding shadow under the shade of trees. Even Blaze, working alone, could not find enough work to fill his time, it seemed; he was off to explore the world, searching for a future elsewhere. Lune did not like to admit what he knew already as he observed his homeland’s lack of vibrancy. Aside from the flourishing plant life, the Forgotten Kingdom was dead.


***
“One by one everything will be taken from you,” cackled the voice. “Everything and everyone you care about will slowly disappear, until you’ll have no one and nothing left to live for. Then you will lead a lonely life, devoid of all happiness, your soul slowly ebbing away as all traces of hope leave your withering body…”

“Stop it!” screamed Lune, whose heart was racing. He could feel the monster’s despicable presence, but he could not see it in the deep, dark void. His vision was clouded in shadow, the blackness of his heart’s suffering. Because he could only hear, the voice pounded aggressively upon his ears; the words it spoke imposed themselves upon him with frightening urgency, forcing entry into his soul, to feast away slowly at their quarry like fiendish parasites on an unwilling host.

“Well, well… Who next?” it taunted. “Maybe Élan… Or… I know, Shockwave. Yes, him. That will cause you a lot of pain, yes?”

“Why are you doing this? Go away! Leave me al-” Lune stopped short when his sight abruptly returned to him. He was in the Hidden Valley. The mid-afternoon sun’s warm rays smiled down upon him. Suddenly memories came flooding back to him: Senryu, the empty kingdom, the decision to head back to the Sanctuary for some rest. Apparently he had fallen asleep on the return journey; staying up the whole night had taken its toll.

“So, Lune, remind me why we are doing this again,” he asked of himself.

“You know, it’s not my fault that the Forgotten Kingdom got so quiet,” Lune answered. “We were supposed to visit Sage and Blaze. I guess we came just a little bit too late.”

“Uh huh. Just a little.”

“Thank you for the sarcasm.”

This conversation continued for some time as Lune walked down the meadow trail, following the northbound river downstream. As his voice rose and fell, his glittering amulet flashed with varying shades of intensity. The fire inside flared black or white, depending upon his current mood. Most of the time the flaming sphere remained clouded in shadow, although it glowed noticeably lighter as he passed by a familiar mound, reduced to ashes now.

Evening fell, and then night. Progress was slow, for the Eevee was exhausted. He considered lying in the grass for the night. He could rest in a soft bed of flowers and gaze up into the majestic ebony sky, admiring the softly twinkling stars, showered warmly by gentle, silver moonlight. The thought seemed heavenly, and tempted him greatly; but he remembered his last few minutes of sleep, and decided to go on.

Sighing heavily, the weary traveler dragged himself to the river and slowly began to wash. A deep drink refreshed him; he could feel the cool water flow into his system, stimulating his mind, leaving a cold, tingling sensation as it traveled through his body. His revived senses told him that he should run if he wanted to avoid sleep, so run he did. It was no longer a question of thought; Lune had slept at most three hours in three days. What he did was done upon impulse.


***
“Damn! Lune, you look horrible,” scolded Shockwave. “It’s nearly morning. You look like you haven’t slept in three days.”

“Mmh… Almost.”

“That’s not very sensible,” answered the Pikachu. “Sleep is good, especially for you. You need lots of it.”

“But I don’t want to sleep.”

“Lune. It doesn’t matter whether you want to or not; you are going to get some sleep. When it comes down to it, you’ve got to take my word, because as things stand, you’re wrong, and I’m right. Now go to sleep, okay?”

“Fine… Wake me up as soon as the sun rises. I want to get an early start on some work. I’ve got lots of catching up to do.” Lune curled up quietly. Not long after he closed his eyes, his breathing evened, and he began to rest peacefully for the first time in days.

Watching the exhausted Eevee as he slept, Shockwave silently shook his head. Sometimes he thought that Lune had a death wish.

[mistysakura]

Whoa. Need I say more?

But to make this post less spammy, here goes: I really like how the name of the Forgotten Kingdom, when you look back, seems prophetic. And the voice was to be expected sooner or later, but it's still cool.

Yeah.

[Charizard04621]

Sorry about the delay. Connection's been down for a month and I've been distracted... Not sure when the next chapter will be up. Sorry for the wait...

[Lady Vulpix]

No problem. It's great to have you back! :D

[Charizard04621]

Sorry for the absurdly long delay. >_<


Chapter 56
Reign of Darkness

“You are questioning my ability to take down this Eevee?” stormed the shadow. “It is you two who have failed when the task was simple. You call yourselves true evil? True evil is not distracted by idiocy or greed. True evil does not make mistakes. You had the opportunity to destroy your target when he was weak, and you released him because you wanted to get rid of two other pathetic creatures at the same time.”

Darkness fell upon the room. Those inside might have heard a faint, helpless whimper that faded into the black void before the lights returned. Where once stood a strong bodyguard now lay crumpled on the floor an empty, smoking shell of a body drained of all life. It seemed as if it had melted into itself with a steaming hiss.

“Let me make this clear,” the wraith pronounced icily. “When you are on my terrain, you will question nothing I do. Remind yourself that our families are not related by blood, Karkas the Second, only ancient friendship. That friendship is over now. I will not hesitate to destroy you, should I feel like it.”

The Alakazam nodded timidly. “I… I… Thank you for your help,” he stumbled.

“I am not helping you,” snapped the voice. “I am merely fulfilling an old, unfortunate pledge.” Old fool, he thought, you were too generous for your own good. You would have brought this bloodline to ruin. That is why I killed you. It was nothing personal, father. Your death was swift and painless. No shame.

“I have one question,” said Ytos, breaking the tense silence. “If your Dark type Hidden Power is that strong, why don’t you just kill the Eevee and be done with it?”

The shadow’s eyes flashed. You are fortunate, foolish Seviper, he thought bitterly. You are fortunate that this idiot of an Alakazam treats you as a brother. It is a pity that my father swore that my bloodline would protect this family… Otherwise the both of you would have been dead the moment you came to my home to bother me. You test my patience. “Do you pay attention to nothing?” hissed the shade. “It is not a question of whether or not I can kill this Eevee. It is a question of whether or not I can do it right. In case you haven’t noticed, he has a lot of friends. Powerful friends.” And those two Silver Havens offspring can resist my darkness if they tried. Especially the psychic. He sighed.

“I will explain this one more time. Ask me again and I will turn you into mush. I have already initiated the plan, and so far it is working. The sleeping Dragonair that you killed was the first step. Slowly, one by one, the goal is to separate the Eevee from his more powerful friends. Once he is alone, you can finish him, if he hasn’t collapsed into himself by then already. Do you understand?”

Karkas nodded quickly. “An excellent plan… Yes…”

“Good, your tiny little brains managed to register my words. Now leave.”

Ytos stared blankly. “But…”

“The promise has been fulfilled. You asked for a plan. I gave you a plan to work with. I will do nothing more. I am not interested in your petty desire for revenge against this Eevee. Now leave before I suck the life out of both your bodies. Your very presence annoys me.”


***

Winter had come and gone, but cold, empty dread had not left Lune’s heart. His days were back to normal now; no more voices plagued his dreams; but still he remained wary, half expecting everything he cared about to vanish right before his eyes.

“You’re still bothered about that one nightmare, aren’t you?” Shockwave asked. Lune nodded. “Silly Eevee, preoccupying yourself with things like that. You really should learn to relax. It’s healthier.”

Lune groaned. “It’s easy for you, but impossible for me,” he said. “I was born like this. It’s not my fault.”

“Uh huh. You can say what you want, but deep inside, you have a nagging feeling that I’m right, because I am.”

“Er… okay. I’ll talk to you later.” Lune plunged into the river, crashed through the waterfall, and left the Sanctuary to finish the day’s work.


***

“Hi, Lune!” greeted Ana. “How are you doing?”

Lune smiled wearily. “Good,” he lied. “You?”

“Me too.”

Lately, Lune had been talking to Ana more often. Every time he walked past her day house (this was in the Sacred Kingdom, but her permanent residence was in the Sparkling Forest, as she was a Guardian there), the Meowth would greet him in a friendly manner, and Lune would stop for a few minutes to chat. It helped take his mind of the work-filled day to come. Today the subject was Ana’s flowers.

“I planted them last spring, and now they’ve all come out,” she said happily. “What do you think?”

“Your garden is a sea of rainbows. It’s nice,” Lune told her.

“Thanks. Sorry if I’m being a pain, but I was just so excited that they’re all blooming. I’m feeling pretty good today for some reason.”

Lune smiled to himself. Ana was always “feeling pretty good today for some reason”. It felt good to know that someone was. “You’re never a pain,” he answered. “I’m in no hurry to go to work. There’s plenty of time. I think your flowers look great in your garden. Thanks for showing me.”


***

Lune was annoyed. He had received three requests for Announcer paychecks within an hour. Lune was not the Head of the Announcers; Naien was, and she was supposed to pay them. Pokémon had also come to Lune with questions about their special abilities, although he had retired as an Adviser for some time now. He wondered why pokémon couldn’t just pay more attention to things. On the other hand, he still took care of whatever Haldir and Shockwave didn’t, so he only had himself to blame. Then came specific questions about Guardian-organized tournaments, what the Guardians planned to do about something or other, and more questions that Lune could not answer because he was not a Guardian. He grew tired and even irritable about explaining repeatedly to many different pokémon that he was not a Guardian of the Sacred Kingdom, and never had been.

What puzzled Lune was why pokémon always came to him for help anyway, even after he told them that he was not really a Guardian, or whatever it was that they thought him to be. It occurred to him that this was because currently he did his job as well as some of Naien’s and Yoruno’s. Naien was the Head of the Announcers. Naien and Yoruno were the Heads of the Advisers. They were also the two Guardians of the Sacred Kingdom. Yet nowadays pokémon rarely saw them come out of their palace.

Lune decided that he would do two things before he went to bed that day. Firstly, he would talk to Lady Naien about duty. Then, because he was urged by his conscience not to be a hypocrite, he would apply to become an Adviser again.

[mistysakura]

Yay, new chapter! A bit fillerish, but that's okay. I like where Lune complains of the Pokemon asking him for advice; shows that he's still respected, although no longer an advisor. Showing Lune, sitll bothered by the nightmare, was good too, reminding us of the darker side of Lune's thoughts.
Good stuff.

[Charizard04621]

God, I need to do this more often...


Chapter 57
Duty

What really aggravated Lune was that Naien used to do her work fine. Now that she didn't, however, Lune could not understand why he would be denied the power to help. He worked for Naien and Yoruno, covering up for them several times, and yet they saw it fit to exclude him. Their excuse? That Lune was already a Guardian of another State. It was not uncommon for a pokémon to be made Guardian of more than one State.

Lune's mind skipped back to what he had talked to Élan about earlier. Why else would Naien and Yoruno refuse assistance? Wasn't it reasonable to conclude that they wanted the kingdom to themselves?

As Lune had expected, Naien was in the palace. She was surprised to see him and welcomed him warmly, but when she saw his face, her expression changed.

"Is there something you want?"� she asked.

"Actually... yes. I'd like to apply to be an Adviser again, whenever another test comes up. I've noticed that a lot of work isn't being done."� He searched Naien's face for a light of understanding, but if she noticed his hint, she showed no sign.

"I'll see what I can do. Yoruno and I have been planning an Adviser test. I'll tell you when we're going to start taking applications."

"Good,"� Lune responded. "I'll make sure to be there."� He turned his back to look out of a glass panel and sighed. "So much work... For what cause?"

"Welcome to life."�

Lune started, as if to say something, but then he thought better of it. The momentary flash of anger vanished from his face. "I guess so,"� he said. "You know what bothers me most?"� Naien did not answer. "Pokémon expect too much of me," continued the Eevee. "They've gotten used to me doing so much for them that they have forgotten to appreciate my work. I wish I wasn't born wanting to help others. Now I'm taken for granted."

"I appreciate your work."

I'm sure you do, thought Lune bitterly. Because then you don't have to do it. "I'm tired of being taken for granted. I have feelings. I'm not around just to get the job done for someone else. Or maybe I am. That's what I end up doing, anyway."� He could not keep the sting out of his tone.

"Well, I'm sorry,"� answered the Houndoom, somewhat sympathetically. "Life's like that. You win some, you lose some."

At that point, Lune exploded. "Enough with your stupid talk about life!"� he stormed. "You think I'm sheltered? You think I'm naïve? I've been living life too! You've missed the point! You've missed every attempt at subtlety I've given you! I have to be direct now; you've left me no choice. Your job, Naien, your job! Who's doing your job? I am! I am doing your work for you! Do I hear thanks from you? No. All I get is your talk about how life sucks and I have to deal with it."� Lune stopped to breathe. "You know what?"� He spat. "Forget this. I'm sick of you, sick of Yoruno, sick of both your attitudes towards me. I hate you. You hear me? I HATE YOU!" Lune slammed his paw into the window, completely shattering the glass. He allowed the shards to fall around him, indifferent. Blood had begun to flow freely out of his clenched paw. He stared blindly at it, seeing nothing else. Naien watched in silence. Closing his eyes, Lune forced himself to inhale and exhale deeply, until finally his breathing became less frantic. "I'm sorry," he said, without turning around. "I don't hate you."

"Yeah, I figured I just needed to give you some time to cool off."

"Look, I can't be any more direct than this."� At that point, Lune turned around to face her. "All these things I've been saying... I've been trying to hint at something else."� Lune sighed. Asking for a Guardianship was almost a guarantee not to get one, but he saw no other way. I've sacrificed a lot for the both of you. I've covered up for you and now my name is tarnished. I've done your share of work and now I am tired. I am not happy with the fact that you are denying me the right to be a Guardian in this place simply because I am a Guardian of the Forgotten Kingdom, too. You should know better than that. Saying 'Your help is nice, but we would like to give someone new a chance,' does not cut it. I know you both have more to do than you can handle. Yoruno has told me that you are working on several secret projects that he would not reveal. I see no sense in preventing me from helping you to the fullest of my ability. Handicapped like this I cannot do all that I am capable of doing."� Lune wanted to add, What are you so afraid of? but he did not. The Eevee nodded. "That is all that I have to say. I know that I'll probably never be a Guardian here now, but I thought it best for you to know what was on my mind." He turned to leave. "By the way, if the palace needs a new glass panel, I can help to put it in place. I didn't mean to break it."


***

"Did I not tell you never to come back again?"� The wraith's voice was icy.

"We have something that might be of interest to you,"� explained Ytos.

"Oh?"� he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes,"� answered Karkas excitedly. "I managed to extract his picture from one of my old camera files... He activated his mini projector, and the image of a beaten adolescent Eevee appeared. His fur was a dirty gold; his tuft, thinned of hair and slightly ruffled. On his ear sparkled an earring, and around his neck an amulet hung. In the very center of the golden amulet piece was set a crystal sphere, in which fires light and dark burned, eternal unending flames. "He is of Silver Havens blood, Blackblade,"� Karkas claimed.

"Silence! I have told you never to mention my name. And do not lie to me, fool. This Eevee is not Silver Havens born; I can see it in his eyes. Silver Havens pokémon are not weary and desperate. They are a hardy kind. This one is already struggling within himself, even if he does not yet realize it."� He flashed a look of scorn. "But I recognize his artifact, and it is indeed from the Silver Havens."� His mouth twisted into a crooked smile. "I like collecting the heirlooms of the ones I kill. It is too bad his wife got away with the amulet and hid it well; but now it is found." He looked sharply at Karkas and Ytos, who could not meet his gaze. "Do not think I will help you on your foolish quest for revenge. You are not welcome here. Because you have revealed to me the location of the amulet, you are spared... for now. If you return to the Shadowlands, however, I will not be so generous."� I do not need Silver Havens scum treading on my territory, he thought. The legends are deceptive; there were two First States. And to this day, but to a few, they both remain hidden.

[Lady Vulpix]

Hmm! Interesting! I don't mind waiting for new chapters if they're all this good. :D
But I must admit I'm intrigued about what will happen next.

[mistysakura]

This just proves you don't need 11-page chapters to make something captivating. Lune's emotions were expressed really well... And this Blackblade's intriguing. Someone Karkas answers to? Whoa.

[Charizard04621]

I think I'm making up for all those times where I posted only one chapter a month... ^_^;;


Chapter 58
Moderates at Heart

"Well, I've gone and done it, Élan,"� Lune sighed. "I couldn't take it anymore and I told Naien exactly how I felt."

"So we have to resort to other means." The Sneasel stared out of the cave at the sparkling lake outside. The evening sun was sinking into its depths. "At least you tried."

"Yes, but failed. Now... We can't make this right the moderate way. The way I would prefer. I guess we'll have to do it your way, Élan. I admit I am not radical."

"Nor I,"� Élan corrected. "I just may seem that way because I try to stand out. To be noticed, you know."

"Yeah. You're right. I sometimes do that too."

"See, Lune? We're both moderates at heart. Maybe just not in practice. Yet."

Lune nodded grimly. Élan, I don't want to do this... But if we must... Is there no other way? Can't we wait until we get a less... revolutionary plan?"

"I'm not worried about Naien, but Yoruno won't budge. I know him. That Umbreon controls Naien. He does it to everyone that he's around."

"He's overbearing... It would make sense. Then... could we at least wait until we've garnered sufficient support? This job is too much to pull off alone. We can't do it with just the two of us."

"Yes, we'll wait. We're good, but not that good. We won't have problems bringing down Yoruno together. Heck, I would have beaten him myself in our first battle, if I didn't have a bad Announcer. It's the reaction I'm worried about. If we do it too soon, everyone will think we're a couple of lunatics and they'll lock us up together in an insane asylum."

Lune chuckled uneasily. "Maybe we are, Élan. Maybe we are."

"Maybe."� The Sneasel grinned. "Well, I'd better start cooking. Join me for dinner?"

"Nah,"� Lune said regretfully. "I mean, I love your cooking, but... I'm gonna go check if I forgot to do something. I have this nagging feeling...

Élan laughed. "You go do that, then."


***

Lune was bewildered. He had finished up his daily chores, then decided to take a rare break in the central square. This time of night, with the stars twinkling softly overhead, bright balls of fire burning far away in distant ends of the heavens, the square was usually quiet. Except today it was not.

For the third time in two minutes, as Lune walked towards the square to see what the commotion was about, someone he had never seen in his life walked up to congratulate him. What am I being congratulated for? he asked himself. There was only one solution that presented itself... and it was impossible. The Eevee shook his head and kept on walking.

Lune could not believe his eyes. The answer lay clearly suspended before him, but he remained doubtful. Hanging directly overhead was a black banner lettered in gold. It read: CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW GUARDIANS, LUNE AND ÉLAN.

"Well, well, well,"� said a familiar voice.

Lune turned around. Standing behind him was Élan. "I really didn't expect this."

"Me neither."

"Naien isn't so bad after all, if she convinced Yoruno to let us both in."

"Nope."

"Congrats, Lune, again."� The Quilava grinned. "You too, Élan. I'm sure you'll do a fine job."

"Blaze! Long time no see."

"Yup. I decided I would check this place out for a bit, since you're always here. There's gotta be something good about this place that makes you stay."

"Cool."

"Well, see ya around."

"See ya."

At that moment, the two Guardians found themselves surrounded by pokémon who wanted to congratulate them. To Lune's dismay, he saw Elbuort, Pukcus, and Ebannaw. The three pokémon on the top of his 'annoying'� list were all in the same place, and that place was right in front of him.

"Yeah, congrats, Lune,"� said the smelly Mankey. "I know I'm leaving someone out, and it's not on accident."

"Yup, you deserved it,"� added Pukcus, making it an obvious gesture not to acknowledge Élan. Ebannaw said nothing, refusing to talk to either of the new Guardians. Several others gave Élan the same treatment, ignoring him completely and only talking to Lune.

Only Luktam gave congratulations to Élan. He commented, "Lune was bound to happen sooner or later. I knew he would rise eventually. I don't like it, but it's inevitable."

When the crowd went away, Lune looked after them with distaste. "Whatever they say, Élan, we made it."� That bird's tongue is more poisonous than the fangs of a Seviper, thought the Eevee angrily.

A pink fluff balloon resembling a creampuff bounced onto the scene. "What is this?" asked the Jigglypuff, indignantly. "I think some pokémon need a little more maturity. It's not nice to single out others just because of jealousy." For the first time, Lune found himself listening with interest to what Gohyrolg had to say. "I mean, come on, guys. You're not being fair,"� he reprimanded the crowd. Gohyrolg walked over to Lune and Élan, and looked them both in the eyes. "Congratulations to the both of you," he said. "You both deserved this." Then he bounced away.

Lune was dumbfounded. "Wow, Gohyrolg isn't so bad after all,"� he said. "I learned something new today."� He turned to Élan. "So, it pays off to be moderates at heart, huh, Élan?"

The Sneasel smirked. "Yes. Yes it does."

[mistysakura]

Cool, new chapter. I snese something bad behind Lune and Elan's guardianship. I jsut think they got it too easily, and there must be something behind that. Gohyrolg's kindness and sensibility was surprising, but maybe not that surprising since he's such an attention seeker. The other's reactions were predictable, but added a nice thouch in reminding us that not everyone supports Elan and Lune.

Good chapter, and I just know something is going on...

[Charizard04621]

Oh my god! My chapters! The UBB code! Unicode settings don't work! Oh my god DIE!

...Anyway, I'm apologizing for the delay. I'm at writing camp. ^_^; I haven't really had time to set up another chapter though I'm hoping to get it done soon. Right now my focus is on my stories for my portfolio, though. We're getting graded on these things... :\

[EDIT]: Wait, nvm. I just have to set it to unicode every time I change or refresh the page. *sigh* Well, at least it works. Hehe.

[Charizard04621]

For some reason my computer died. Now I'm able to post again. Yay! Sorry about all these problems.


Chapter 59
The Price they Pay

“I know that you are the Head of Monetary Affairs, Yoruno, but I still must question your decision to raise the prices that high on everything.” Lune frowned, considering the consequences. He wondered why Naien had made no objections.

“The Treasury is running out of funds.”

“Yes, I know that. I am not disputing the need for taxes. They must be introduced, or eventually everyone here will starve.” Lune shuddered. “I propose leaving food prices alone and only requiring taxes on luxury items. We can explain why we’ve done it, and they can’t complain much if we’ve left the things they need easily affordable.”

“If we make one exception, there will be demands for more.”

“We’ll stand firm. We can deal with that later.”

“Why are you making this proposal in the absence of the other Guardians?”

Because when I talk to them they don’t assume that I’m wrong the moment I open my mouth to speak, Lune thought. He had learned the hard way that Yoruno had not changed one bit. There was something about Lune that urged the Umbreon to deign to him. Why Naien and before her that disgusting Ryu would gain Yoruno’s respect, while Lune couldn’t no matter how hard he tried, was truly a mystery. Am I at fault? Why did I use to worship you? he wondered, sighing. “I ask you because you are the Head of Monetary Affairs, and if you don’t like the idea to begin with they will have wasted their time listening to it.”

“We’ll see what the others think.”


***

“No, please don’t call me Lord Lune,” said the Eevee absentmindedly. He had been insisting for a week now, first with Ana, who had congratulated him privately, and then with many others as he met them. They were so used to calling Yoruno and Naien by their titles that they couldn’t help but add one to Lune’s name now, too. They were getting better, though. Still, Lune felt uncomfortable when that excess title slipped out of someone’s mouth; he had also declined his right to live in the Guardians’ Palace. Such fancy treatment… he didn’t want any.

Blaze chuckled and slapped Lune on the back. “I was just kidding,” he said with a smirk. “I know that makes you feel weird. That’s why I say it.”

“Thanks. Thanks a lot.”

“Aww, no need to be like that. Anyway, did you hear about the new taxes on some of the fruits? It’s outrageous. I like Chesto Berries.”

Lune’s mind exploded. Yoruno had gone ahead and done it anyway… He grimaced, trying hard to maintain his composure. Ah, what the heck, Blaze is trustworthy, who cares if I tell him, he thought dismissively. “I had an argument with Yoruno about that,” he said. “I strongly suggested that he leave food prices alone. But he’s the Head of Monetary Affairs, whatever.”

Blaze nodded. “So it’s like that, huh? Oh well, good luck anyway. I’m going to run and see if there’s any way I can get a discount on those Chesto Berries. I mean, really!” He left with a huff.

Lune sighed heavily. Not paying attention, he began to wander wherever his feet took him, lost in his thoughts. He remembered when he learned that Naien was the one who had recommended Élan, Yoruno being the main force behind the lack of Guardians in the first place. He was repeating that idiot Ryu’s words, Naien had told Lune earlier, except she hadn’t used the word idiot; that fool was her friend. Naien speculated that Yoruno was just tired and didn’t care anymore. “No good will come of this,” he muttered. “No good at all.”

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 60
Rebellion

It did not take long for Pukcus to learn the news and spread commotion everywhere. Acting like Lune was holy and a defender of the common good in a struggle against evil dictators. In a way Lune’s new Guardianship was a struggle – a fight for respect just as his attempts to gain the Guardianship were – but he saw it as no business of Pukcus’s and did not appreciate the sudden publicity, especially at the expense of his fellow Guardians.

Yoruno’s attitude might have been arrogant, but it was his confidence in his ability rather than a desire to cause harm that fueled his stubbornness; he was oblivious to the fact that his behavior was despicable. And, although Lune knew that the Umbreon’s character had serious flaws, he felt a need to defend Yoruno’s integrity in public. Naien, also, was under attack, accused for not doing her job, an offense that Lune could not deny. Then Élan was rumored to have gotten his position from brown-nosing Yoruno. That lie infuriated Lune most of all; who was Pukcus to say all those things? It only hurt Lune more that he himself was portrayed as an angel, for his crime was the greatest of all. I took two souls, he thought. Why can they see nothing but good in me?

Today there was an immense and very loud gathering at the central square. A third of the entire kingdom crowded there, arguing and shrieking about Ho-oh knew what. Lune felt a violent urge to put that intolerable Murkrow to a painful death filled with intense suffering. There was absolutely no purpose for demagogues in the world. All they did with their jealousy was create confusion, cause bloodshed, and try to usurp power. Lune wished that it could all end.

Unfortunately, it was not that simple. To secure the banishment from a State of anyone in this world, support had to be granted by the Head of the Council. And, sadly, Pig the Pichu preferred to issue or withdraw banishments by whim rather than logic. Lune had managed, after a long, grueling battle with the Head of the Council (the likes of which, described in full, would bore or frustrate anyone to death), to have Pukcus banished, only to find that by the end of three days, the pest was back again. It had something to do with an early birthday present from Pig to Ebannaw. Six months early.

“Ah, there you are, I was looking for you!” croaked the Murkrow loudly into Lune’s ear.

Breathe, Lune, breathe. Guardians don’t get away with murder. At least, the ones unfamiliar with Pig don’t. You’ve got a battle to fight, and you don’t want to lose it to foolish anger. “You were looking for me?” the Eevee asked in a strained voice. “May I help you with something?”

“I’d like your honest opinion of this protest here, as in, how did I do? I’m sure Yoruno will come shut it down pretty soon, or maybe he’d get Élan or Naien to do it for him if he’s lazy to do the dirty work. Like he got me banished last time, you know? But Pig understood, she let me come back. I bet they’ll try to get rid of me again, but that’s all right. I don’t mind sacrificing myself standing up for what I believe in. You’re the only decent Guardian of this State, and I just want to tell you that you’re not alone in this fight!”

What fight? What the heck do you want from me? And how dare you insult Élan like that? “That’s it, you’ve crossed the line.” Lune growled fiercely. “You think you can suck up to me, I keep quiet. You cause almost every day of my life to be filled with anxiety and displeasure, I tolerate it. You ruin any vacation time I might even dream of taking, I am patient. You evade banishment from my State because you are popular with the Head of the Council, I still wait. But insulting my friends, who have every shred of honor and integrity that you do not, that is not acceptable. You think I don’t realize that you just want something from me? You think that I have such little respect of myself that I’ll be blinded by your insincere unctuousness? THINK AGAIN! If that’s even possible with your nonexistent brains!” The crowd was silent now, all eyeing the fuming Eevee and waiting in suspense for him to go on. Some approved, others showed no emotion, and a certain few, or one, to whom Pukcus was endeared (Ebannaw) openly disagreed. “Enough with subtlety and weak warnings. You know who applied for your banishment the first time? I DID! It was a well-deserved punishment long overdue! Have you ever considered for one moment that the Guardians might dislike you, not because you disagree with them, but because of your continuous harassment, your idiocy, and your overall infuriating personality? No, you’re Pukcus, you must be perfect! A martyr! Oh, look, you’re so special now, a hero! Well, I’ll give you some advice, you poor excuse for a pokémon, if you want to be liked by anyone with a scrap of intelligence, you’ve got to do things for someone other than yourself. And if you want to be helpful now, I suggest you leave this place and never stick your oversized beak in our business again. Heck, scratch that; I don’t care what Pig says, you are leaving here now. On command, not suggestion. You have caused too much pain to the residents here, and you’ve fouled up these sacred grounds long enough. You’re banished, Pukcus, you hear me?” He stopped to stare the Murkrow directly in the eyes, and his voice faded into an ominous whisper. The amulet around his neck flashed and a dark cloud seemed to settle upon Pukcus’s chest. “If you come back here, I will make sure that you wish you hadn’t, and that is a threat.”

The victim of Lune’s vituperation stepped back in shock. This reaction had been completely unexpected. If he had more common sense Pukcus would have left in silence, but it was not like a Savage Wilderness pokémon to understand limits. “Well, to think I saw good in you,” the Murkrow answered. “I obviously misjudged you.” He snorted in disgust. “Well, I’ll be seeing you. Not really, actually, since now I’m banished and all, but at least I’ve been put down while fighting for a good cause.” Pukcus was lucky that he left before Lune lost all possible traces of self-control.

[Lady Vulpix]

Wow! At first I thought Puckus was getting what he deserved, but I'm not too sure about how this reaction will affect Lune. Well... We'll have to wait and see. Thanks for keeping this up. :)

[Charizard04621]

Ugh, please excuse the delay. I wrote a chapter, then decided that I wanted to put a different one before it... in effect making me write two chapters in order to post one.


Chapter 61
Injustice Rampant

“No, that is ridiculous,” growled Lune. He stared hatefully at Pig’s irritating face. “He’s only been away for a month. Those Savage Wilderness fools have been lurking around in my State, shirking their responsibilities, for far longer. Why are you singling out Élan?”

“I don’t appoint Guardians for them to be inactive.”

“Then why do you allow those parasites to roam around freely?”

“The Savage Wilderness basically runs itself. They don’t need to be there all the time. Anyway, I head Élan hasn’t been taking care of the Treasury.”

“Oh, I understand. Ebannaw can be absent for two years when she is Head of the Treasury, and Élan can’t even have a break for being gone for a month, is that it? I see so clearly now.”

The Pichu ignored him.

Blood boiled inside, but Lune restrained himself. He knew that he was helpless. As long as idiots held power, they would have a horde of idiots to follow under their rule. Politics was hell; the world, an immense breeding ground for wrong and corruption. Everywhere incompetence spread like an incessant swarm of mosquitoes or an infectious disease. The masses acted as one with a single mind divided over all. Intelligence suffered great diminishment.

“I hope one day you encounter someone as aggravating as yourself,” said Lune to the Head of the Council, and left.


***

“What is he doing here?” Lune asked softly with narrowed eyes. “He has been following me everywhere since I denied him a promotion.” The Eevee glared in the Mankey’s general direction, resenting his very presence. He wished that Elbuort would suddenly acquire a severe brain tumor and die… although that would require the presence of a brain. Some other way, perhaps.

“Can we start the battle?” asked Vanguard. “Normally I would wait, but I have an appointment today at the general stadium.”

“You have to supervise a battle? All right, then, let’s make this as quick as possible. Begin!”

The Medicham drew out his enchanted sword, and as his opponent spanned the grass field with multiple airborne copies, Vanguard sliced horizontally across the space before him. Arcs of energy tore through the mirror images in an instant, and the Fearow’s chest began to bleed.

“Whoa! That’s not fair!” Elbuort squealed, jumping up and down like a monkey with worms (which he probably was, and worse). “Is that the deal you made with Vanguard? Huh? You two must cheat to win?”

“Everyone’s special ability is legitimate in battle,” hissed Lune, his patience wearing thin. Elbuort’s accusations made no sense whatsoever. Lune could only guess as to where they came from. Lately, as he and Vanguard started talking more often, they discovered that they both liked each other’s styles. Neither trusted the Announcers who usually had sympathy towards the underdog and could make some balancing calls. Each was used to winning quickly and effortlessly, and disliked any bias towards the losing battler, because it got in the way. They had mutually agreed to supervise each other’s battles, and since then their victories came unhindered by unfair sympathy. Some pokémon won simply because they were good. Lune knew that Elbuort failed to see that; or perhaps the Mankey was simply jealous of their capability. Lune wouldn’t doubt either explanation.

“Continue the battle,” Lune signaled, ignoring the Mankey’s loud and annoying remarks. Within a few moments, the Fearow gave in and crawled away to recover from his miserable defeat with injured wings.

“I’m onto you, Lune,” cried Elbuort. “Don’t you dare believe that just because you’re a Guardian, and the Head Announcer, you can get away with cheating! I’m sorry to break it to you, but that’s not allowed, it’s dishonorable!”

You are not sorry, you enjoy plaguing my life, and you had better stop trying to give me lessons on integrity before I decide to eat you alive, Lune thought, fuming.

Vanguard shook his head. “Ignore him, he’s an idiot. Not worth your energy.”

“Elbuort, stop hiding behind your excessively active mouth and battle me, coward!”

“Nope, no thanks,” the Mankey said, grinning. “I’m not battling you when Vanguard is Announcing, you can’t lose that way. Ebannaw would be fair for both of us.”

You are going to die, fool… Lune sprang, only to be caught mid-air by Vanguard’s telekinesis.

“There are subtler ways to do things that are more rewarding in the end,” he said as he lowered the Eevee to the ground. And he was right.


***

Lune stood waiting outside Haldir’s door; he had already knocked three times. Lately, the Scizor had managed to skip his Announcer duties multiple times, and as much as Lune disliked doing it, he would have to inform Haldir of his demotion.

Finally, the door opened to reveal a Scizor who, although closely resembling Haldir, definitely wasn’t him. “Is Haldir here?” Lune asked.

“Haldir? Um… Oh, you must mean Zorr. Let me go get him.”

“Who is Zorr?”

At that moment, Haldir appeared in the doorway. “Uh… Lune, I’ve got something to tell you. Come inside.”

“What is going on?” Lune asked, as the Scizor led him to a couch.

“My name is Zorr,” he said. “This is my brother Scid.”

“So you were not born in the Silver Havens.”

“Nope. I was born in the Common Plains.”

“Where did that sword come from?”

Zorr answered matter-of-factly. “My grandmother came from the Silver Havens. She had my father in the Common Plains, and before she died, she passed it on to him. He never said whom he wanted to give the sword to before he passed away. Since I am the eldest, I naturally assumed that it was mine.”

“Give me a moment to digest this information.”

“You aren’t mad at me? I’m sorry, I don’t know why I lied. I had the sword, and other pokémon assumed I came from the Silver Havens, so I guess I just went along with it. Forgive me?”

“No one in the world would survive without second chances.” At that moment Lune was struck by a sense of déjà vu, a slight tingle in the spine as a word on the tip of a tongue, infinitely close but unplaceable. Then it was gone…

[Lady Vulpix]

Oh! What a twist! So Bill/Haldir/Zorr has 3 names now? :o
It was nice to see a (part of a) battle again. I was starting to miss that aspect of this fic. And I think you're showing a good portrait of how disgusting and frustrating politics are. Now I have one question... Where's Shockwave?

[Charizard04621]

Second chapter posted today... And Gabi, this'll answer your question. By the way, how many readers do I have? :/


Chapter 62
Farewells

You never said that you’d be gone, or for how long. You never told me why you were going away. I tried to reach you but you wouldn’t respond. I don’t even know if you’re alive.

Shockwave had been away for three months. Spring passed by, giving way to blazing summer heat. The dense humidity weighed down so heavily upon Lune that he thought he might choke. With Shockwave gone and the kingdom falling to pieces, Lune had had about more than he could bear.

“We always want what we can’t have,” he said to himself. “Lune, when you weren’t Guardian of this hellhole you felt angry and unappreciated. Now that you are, all you hope for is a moment of peace and a way out. Shockwave’s gone, and Élan is idle, and only now do you miss them both. It would have been better if the Forgotten Kingdom remained your domain forever.”

Élan had been removed from his Guardianship position, because like Naien, he seemed to fade into nonexistence once he was recognized as a leader. And Yoruno was someone whom, although respected, was thoroughly despised. Lune felt alone, and Shockwave’s absence only worsened his pain.

For the past three months, no sign of Pukcus bothered Lune, which was a relief, but he found out quickly that there was an even more awful pestilence. Elbuort, a Guardian of the Savage Wilderness, strangely enough never got fired for continual harassment and bad attitude. Then again, his State was the Savage Wilderness… There really was not much to choose from.

Apparently the rules of fair play only applied to the Sacred Kingdom, because if any of its Guardians slipped, Pig hovered over them like a vulture. Whereas, Lune realized bitterly, that horrible Mankey had never gotten off his back since he became Guardian of the Sacred Kingdom… and nothing had been done about it. It’s not fair, why can’t he get a disease that makes his mouth fall off or something? That would be awesome.

“You’re busy?”

“Huh?” The Eevee jumped, startled. “Oh, Vanguard. I didn’t see you there. No, I’m not really busy. Why do you ask?”

“You seemed lost in thought.”

“Yeah, just thinking of things that could happen to Elbuort that would make my life a whole lot easier. I promoted you for hard work and demoted him for being idle, and suddenly he’s the biggest headache in my entire Announcer career. Yes, I’m so sure doing my job is abusing my power as a Guardian, because he couldn’t possibly have not deserved a high position, could he? He’s Elbuort, so of course, automatically he’s the best thing in the world and I should give him everything he wants!”

“He’s an idiot, ignore him.”

“Oh, I wish I could! Anyway, enough ranting. You look like you want to tell me something.”

“If this is a bad time, it can wait. The news is not pleasant.”

“As good a time as any. It’s not like I’m excessively happy, anyway. Don’t worry, you won’t ruin a good mood. It currently does not exist.”

“In that case, let me show you something.”

Almost immediately the scenery changed, as Lune allowed Vanguard to send telepathic images to his mind. He stood outside a building in some foreign state that he could not recognize. There were no trees anywhere, just squat shrubs and grass stretching as far as he could see across the flat landscape. A sign outside the building read: Common Plains Bar. So this was the Common Plains, the State from which Pig the Head of the Council came.

A glance inside the plain white building revealed a noisy state of chaos. Pokémon were everywhere, grunting as they bumped into each other, clinking glasses together, spilling their alcohol all over the floor for grumpy waiters to clean. A peal of laughter thundered from an area covered by a dense burnt tobacco cloud.

“You’re kidding, right?” snickered a rotten-toothed Croconaw. “That guy? Badass? Come on, even I could take him one on one!”

Zorr stood nearby, grinning. “Well, I guess. But Fel and Pukcus dared me to nominate him this time, and I didn’t have anyone else.”

“Haha, what a loser,” jeered a Loudred. “He’s got to be the worst one anyone’s ever brought up for challenging!”

And as the scene faded, the portrait of a sadly smiling Eevee with an amulet around his neck became cast in shadow.

Lune growled. “Why was my picture in a bar in the Common Plains? What on earth were they talking about?”

“Apparently every month they nominate someone that they think is a good battler. One of them challenges the nominee. Whoever wins gets to be the next pokémon to make a nomination. That’s the best guess I can make.”

“How did Zorr get his claws on my portrait? Why would he try to humiliate me like that?”

“No idea. He’s Zorr.”

“I have half a mind to go there and challenge them all at once. I’d win easily just with…” As he stopped himself, his amulet seemed to glint with disappointment. “Vanguard, do I really look that pathetic?” he asked, frowning.

“No, not at all. They’re idiots.”

Lune hesitated before thanking the Medicham. “Excuse me, I’m going to settle something with Zorr for the final time.”

“Good luck.”


***

“Zorr, I need to talk to you.”

The red mantis’s face turned pale. “Uh oh, I know what this is about.”
“Oh, do you? Then you’ll kindly explain why you decided to do something so thoroughly insensitive.”

“I don’t know… I was stupid, I guess. I’m sorry.”

“You laughed at me with them. This is not the first time you’ve done something to me. Either you really are not sorry, or you are completely dense and incapable of understanding what feelings are and how not to injure them.”

“Sorry… I took away the picture. It’s just that I was dared to do it. I don’t know what I was doing. I won’t do it again.”

“Of course you won’t. Because from now on, you are on a restraining order. If I see you within fifty feet of me, I will personally remove you from my sight. I’ve given you too many chances; I’m afraid I’ve gone too soft. No more, Zorr. In fact I should probably thank you for betraying my trust so many times. You’ve shown me my major flaw. Kindness makes me weak. From now on, I won’t let anyone get to me. I’m done being nice.” He turned his back on the speechless Scizor, planning never to see or hear from him again.

[Lady Vulpix]

Oh, well. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better, don't they? It doesn't really answer my question, unless I've missed some hints. But now I know Lune's wondering the same thing.

As for how many readers you have... Your guess is as good as mine. I can never tell who reads what I write either.

[Charizard04621]

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAARRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRR

.................................................. .......


Sorry, a little frustrated, please bear with me... I've been falling behind on
my writing gradually, busy with courses and work during the summer, then
constantly malfunctioning computers and internet connections...

Now I have 7 essays due by a November 1 deadline, and I've got to send in
the applications 1 week in advance. *sigh* I hope to pick up on Lune after
the first half of my stuff has been mailed.

Really apologize for the delay.

[Charizard04621]

<--- dead


Chapter 63
Surprises

Gone… Forgotten, like the kingdom he had come from. The Pikachu, Lune knew, was alive. Several times at night, he’d captured glimpses of Shockwave in some unidentifiable land. In the dreams, Lune, the Scared Kingdom, the Forgotten Kingdom – all lay in the past, the shadowed background, the no-longer-important to Shockwave’s mind.

The Eevee stirred from his cold-sweat sleep. Comforting though the soft Sanctuary grass was, he could get no rest. “All right,” he sighed, “If this truly is goodbye…” He reached out to his friend, hoping in his heart that he’d not forgotten how. Lune wasn’t sure that Shockwave could hear him; yet, he began his song:

I took you for granted,
But now you’ve decided
To go away, where destiny calls,
From unexplored and lavish halls
For all that we’ve done together,
I thought you would be here forever,
And I can’t believe what you’ve chosen,
That I’d have to be forgotten,
But it’s true;
I’ll miss you;
And no matter what I try,
However much I cry,
You’re still gone;
You’ve moved on;
Goodbye…


***

Lune watched the Machoke’s movements carefully. He was a lot faster, but if he didn’t pay attention, his opponent might capture him and cause some serious injury. Such a muscular build did not scare the Eevee, but if he failed to escape the Fighting type’s grasp, he would suffer severe consequences.

A battle right now was what Lune really needed. He hadn’t had one in a long time, and it was necessary to work out all his frustrations and anguish. Shockwave hadn’t replied, but Lune thought that he could sense the Pikachu’s presence after he’d said goodbye. It was a feeling of annoyance, of confusion, of emotions that were, by their nature, puzzling. Lune didn’t know what to make of it; he thought it better not to dwell so much upon the subject.

Vanguard, acting as Announcer, stood with a few others to watch the battle. Of course Elbuort had to be there to bother Lune. The obsessive stalker couldn’t let him do anything in peace; no, that was not allowed.

“I thought we were battling. Did I tell you it would be a staring contest by mistake?” Lune grinned aggravatingly at the Machoke. His taunts had an immediate effect; the large pokémon charged towards him.

Too easy, Lune thought, waiting until his opponent came closer before jumping away. The Machoke promptly fell on his chest. What happened to the smart battlers?

In his overconfidence Lune failed to avoid the second phase of his opponent’s attack. The fighter swung his closer leg and landed a direct kick on Lune’s left side.

“Ohh… Bad move,” Lune groaned, rolling across the cement floor to avoid his aggressor’s Body Slam. With a burst of speed, he leapt upon his target’s shoulders and sank his teeth into the back of his victim’s neck. The Machoke roared and tried to grab his attacker with both arms, shuddering as he felt the Eevee inject something into his bloodstream… Successful with throwing Lune into the wall, he had failed to defend himself from something far worse. He would have to defeat the Eevee before the Toxic poison took over his entire body.

Lune had gotten to his feet. His body had several bruises now, and his bones might have suffered, but he had taken the lead. All he needed to do now was wait.

“Hey! Hey!” Elbuort protested. “That’s not fair, is it? Isn’t that too vicious?”

“You’re an idiot,” Vanguard informed the Mankey. “You’re distracting the battlers. If you don’t keep quiet you will be removed from the battlefield.” Vanguard acquainted Elbuort with his sword. Sniffling dejectedly, the Mankey took a seat and began to sulk.

Lune tried his best not to laugh or utter a cheer. He still had a battle to win… Type disadvantage or not, he was obviously the better strategist. It wouldn’t do to lose to an inferior.

The Machoke tried repeatedly to move swiftly and strike, but Lune, who had finally begun to concentrate solely on avoiding him, was too quick. Finally the suffering fighter realized that he could not win by attacking. He needed to last longer; there was only one way out: Rest. The Machoke closed his eyes… and that’s as far as he got. In that moment of weakness Lune had dashed towards him to land the final blow, sending him into unconsciousness.

I love it when they think Rest will solve anything, Lune thought. Even if he’d trapped me with an Encore first and then tried to Rest, he would have left himself open for the remaining time that he needed to stay asleep.

“You easily outclass most of the battlers out there.”

That voice… Lune turned around sharply. “Shockwave?! Where have you been?”

[Charizard04621]

OMFG a new chapter! Holy crap what is the world coming to?


Chapter 64
A Battle Unfought

“Lune, just because I’m away doesn’t mean that I’m not coming back.”

“But… Where’d you go? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was with a group of pokémon that I’d met recently. They were, you can say, those of the theatric arts. It was a good experience. I managed to visit a lot of places where I got to perform, which isn’t such a bad deal when you think about it.”

“But why so suddenly? I thought… I thought you were–”

“Don’t worry about me, Lune; I can take care of myself. As a matter of fact, I had to leave right away. They told me that if there was any delay, they would go on without me. Of course, that’s no fun, so I opted to follow them immediately.”

“Ah. Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself.” Lune touched the river’s surface with his paw, expelling his reflected image into shivering ripples. He had a vague urge to get annoyed at Shockwave, but he was just glad to see the Pikachu alive. “It’s been hell back here. Even when I hide in the Sanctuary, that idiot Mankey’s face keeps intruding my thoughts.”

Shockwave cocked his head aside. “Elbuort’s been giving you trouble?”

“Yes,” seethed the Eevee. He felt a wild rage simmering to the surface, ready to erupt like a primed volcano. He’d been feeling that a lot lately; his amulet burned mostly with black flame. Lune breathed deeply and willed himself to calm down. Why am I becoming like this? he thought. Whatever happened to the Lune that lived to have fun?

“I don’t understand.” He shook his head. “I only want to do what is right. Naien keeps to herself in that palace, Pig stripped Élan of his Guardian powers, and Yoruno has vanished off the face of the earth. I’m doing my best to hold this kingdom together, and suddenly I find that Elbuort’s new hobby is to feed his long-lasting grudge against me (as if he needs feeding) by following me everywhere I go to criticize whatever I do. If I so much as pick up a piece of fruit for myself, I bet he’ll question my morality and begin ranting about pokémon in remote areas of the world who don’t have enough to eat! Although,” Lune continued, snarling, “He seems to feed himself quite generously. The fat bastard has gained a considerable amount of weight idling here in my kingdom.” What annoyed Lune the most was the fact that Pig didn’t care about Elbuort’s many-year absence from his own State now, while Élan, gone for far less than half the time, received such swift and unjust retribution. There had to be a double standard for Savage Wilderness Guardians. Perhaps they really were performing their duty by growing fat off other States, harassing those with good intentions, and leeching power from brainless Heads of the Council that shouldn’t even be trusted with managing the hair on their own bodies. Stupid pokémon in high places; that’s life, I guess.

Cold river water awakened Lune from his bitter reverie. “You’ve got to lighten up. Take it easy, ya know?” Shockwave winked; then his expression changed. “Seriously, though, don’t let them get to you. Don’t waste your time.”

Lune sighed, wiping away the last drop of water from his face. “I guess you’re right.”

“That’s right. Because, you know, I always am.” He smirked.

Something about the Pikachu’s tone brought a smile to Lune’s face. “I’d suggest we tag team Naien and Yoruno, but I haven’t seen either of them for a week. Want to challenge Ebannaw and Elbuort?”

The Pikachu snickered, raising an eyebrow. “Challenge? Pave the ground with, more likely.”

“Hahaha… Race you through the waterfall!”

“Lune, you should know better. The Pikachu always wins.”

“We’ll see about that.”

From above, one would witness a quaint sight: a flash of yellow followed by one of gold, and somewhere in between, the glow of white in the midst of a subdued blackness.


***

“What did I tell you? The Pikachu always wins.”

“Okay, fine,” Lune panted. “I guess I’m out of practice.”

“No, you’re just one of the unlucky fools that aren’t me.” He flashed a cheeky grin.

Rolling his eyes, Lune headed west, towards the setting sun. “Unless you want to wait till morning, we’d better stop arguing so we can battle them faster.”

“What’s wrong with a battle by nightfall? Afraid of the dark?” Shockwave teased.

“No,” corrected the Eevee, “But our opponents might be.”

“Okay.”

The path glowed red under the western sky. Up above, golden threads weaved themselves among pinkish hues. Shreds of color hidden behind pale cottony wisps gave the clouds a peaceful sheen. Lune’s heart filled with emotion: a sense of tranquility coupled with violent adrenaline rushes. An odd combination, surely, but he enjoyed the feeling. This battle would be good for him.

“You know,” Lune began,” I just realized that those two are going to have some pitiful synergy compared to ours.”

“The thought just occurred to you?” Shockwave asked, incredulous.

“Yeah, it should’ve come sooner.”

“No kidding.”

Elbuort had a history of advancing to females using pathetic sob stories, which made him all the more undesirable. Ebannaw once consented to him when he threatened suicide, and when she switched to Pukcus later he put on his heartbroken face for a good two days. Naien had to suffer similar confessions of love, but she handled herself fine. Lune chuckled as he recalled Naien’s summary: ‘How should I kill myself? Poison, drowning, cutting…’ ‘I recommend jumping into a volcano. It’ll be very painful.’ Two conclusions could be drawn from Elbuort’s behavior: firstly, being male was a good thing; and since Ebannaw hated easily, it didn’t take much for her to hate Elbuort. Ah, but she hates us more.

They arrived at the cave/dirt mound/hole in rock thing that Elbuort stayed in. It was a small place incapable, Lune would have thought, of hosting the stench and filth to the extent that he witnessed now. Learn something new every day. There’s no limit to how nasty a little place can get. “Doesn’t he clean this mess?” Lune wondered. Now he knew the source of the strange smell he sensed whenever the Mankey walked within ten feet of him.

“Why hello Lune, it’s an honor to meet you here.” The ape emerged from his dank hole and bowed. “What brings such nobility here today?”

This is bullshit. Forcing a smile, Lune willed himself to turn his head towards the nightmarish stink. Open your mouth, don’t take in air, it’s only for a few seconds… “Shockwave and I were wondering if you’d like to battle us with Ebannaw.”

“Hmm. Interesting. You have an Electric type that’s strong against her Flying type, and my Fighting type is good against your Normal type.” He grinned, as if this fact made him more powerful than Lune somehow. As if it had any relevance at all. Perhaps he had forgotten the Machoke’s quick and painful defeat… “Sure, why not?” he said. “I think we could make this a nice and friendly battle.”

Shockwave took Lune’s place, noticing a greenish tint in the Eevee’s face. Lune was grateful. “What about Ebannaw?”

“Oh, I’ll bring her along. She won’t resist a battle with me. Where should we meet?”

Lune was about to suggest a lava pit, but he didn’t want to imagine what Elbuort would smell like when his fur was burning, so he kept his mouth shut. Shockwave made the decision for him. “The Misty Lake should be interesting.”

“The Misty Lake?” Elbuort faltered. “You mean the one on top of that tall windy mountain?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh… Yeah! Yeah, that sounds good.” The Mankey’s face had begun to color red, a sign that it did not, after all, sound good. But he nodded. “I’ll get Ebannaw to come. You guys go ahead first and I’ll go find her.”

As if, Lune thought, watching Elbuort stagger back into his black hole.


***

“I guess they’re not coming,” Lune said while rolling onto his side on the soft, cold grass. “Either that or they had some trouble getting up the hill.”

“No kidding.”

“Is any of this déjà vu to you?” he asked the Pikachu, grimly remembering Naien’s broken promise. “What is it about the Misty Lake and battling that scares pokémon away?”

“It’s not the arena, Lune. Remember we’re talking about Ebannaw and Elbuort here. One, they’re too unfit to make it up the mountain. Two, we’re… well, scary. Our opponents in tag teams haven’t exactly won before.”

“And I was so proud of making it up here in record time, too. Before the moon came up, even! Now to find our way back down, then?”

Shockwave shook his head. “As long as we’re here…” He began eyeing the lake.

Lune, catching his meaning, refused firmly. “No. Heck no.”

“You’re going in whether you want to or not.”

“The hell I am. ” He dashed towards the distant end of the lake and for the first time ever, Shockwave thought that he might have trouble catching him.

[Charizard04621]

Oh, I am sooooo terrible...


Chapter 65
Internal Warfare

They were preparing for war. Not war in a physical sense, but their own private battles against an unseen enemy. Yoruno’s whereabouts had since been revealed, and Lune suffered deeply from the knowledge.

“I can’t believe I used to look up to him.” The annoyed Eevee thrust his paw into the Sanctuary’s cold waters, creating a big splash.

“He was really good at what he did.”

“What use is talent if you don’t use it? What good do you do if nobody can depend on you?”

Not a word had come, no news at all as to Yoruno’s safety. Lune had become increasingly worried that even the mighty Umbreon could have fallen, taken captive by the unknown to be hidden from reality forever. He prayed every night that Yoruno had not died. Even when Lune was busy with work, the result of his fellow Guardians’ absence, the Umbreon remained in his thoughts. Then months, no, close to a year after Yoruno had gone missing, a brief, unapologetic, matter-of-fact message had been passed on to Naien. This was verbal, so Lune didn’t even get it firsthand; the Houndoom had to relay it to him later. The essence of it was: Yoruno was safe, had never been in danger, and now would not come back. He had grown tired of ill-spirited attacks and criticism, and, since he had found a better life elsewhere, did not wish to return.

“You shouldn’t be worrying so much about these things,” Shockwave warned. “You may think I’m not being serious, but I know about this stuff, and continuing to dwell on it is not going to get you anywhere.”

Lune sighed. “I guess you’re right. Still, I can’t take my mind off of it – did he never respect me? I mean, if Naien hadn’t told me about what happened, I would never have known. It seems he wouldn’t mind at all if that were the case. Can I not be trusted? Am I unworthy of respect?” Lune’s ears flopped down along his neck as he placed his head between his paws on the soft grass. He spoke, softer now. “Is it because I asked to be a Guardian?”

Shockwave, despite his usual calm manner, couldn’t help but feel a little bit distressed. He never was the best at handling these kinds of situations. What could he do for a friend in such a state?

He placed a hand on the tormented Eevee’s shoulder and hoped that his solution was enough. Lune’s stiffness seemed to leave at his touch. “You know what you need right now? You’ve got to have something to take your mind away from these things. Believe me, they’re not healthy for you. I think you should come looking for a battle with me. It might do you good.”

“That sounds a lot better than what I’m doing now.” Lune sounded hopeful. “I bet a good battle will make me feel better; I can let out some of my frustrations and possibly have some fun.”

“There you go. Good Eevee.” He smiled a bit before disappearing behind the veil of water, beckoning for Lune to follow.


***

Lune’s heart felt surprisingly light. His amulet glowed with a cheerful brilliance, almost mischievous in nature. It was the anticipation of battle; no matter how exhausted Lune felt, the adrenaline of excitement ran through his blood every time a game was near. Battling was undoubtedly his favorite pastime, despite his usually peaceful nature, and even when he was overloaded with nothing but work.

He spotted a Flareon that seemed like a decent battler. That’s what he needed right now, more practice beating down flames. His entire career as a Guardian had been about quelling the fire of rage.

Shockwave gave him a nod, a signal that meant “Go for it!” Grinning, the Eevee approached his possible opponent.

“Care for a battle?” Lune asked. “You seem like the type that comes to the central square to search for opponents, not relax.”

“Eww, it’s you,” exclaimed the Flareon in disgust. He wrinkled his face and backed away. “You’re that dictator who allows death in battles. I heard that you’d let pokémon nearly kill their opponents before stepping in!”

A purple face, distorted by its ugliness, appeared from behind. His toothy grin and goggled eyes displayed his rampant stupidity. Beside him walked a Mankey, whose reeking stench only got worse as he opened the organ under his pig snout to make sound. “Yup, he should be banned from this kingdom forever, he and Vanguard. They cheat so much for each other in battles and he lets other pokémon nearly die before he even does anything.”

Lune, listening to all this, just stood in his place, dumbstruck. As Shockwave approached, the three turned their backs, and Elbuort, with a sneer, led them on their retreat. The Pikachu shook his head. “They’re not worth listening to. You’re not going to bother with them, are you?” But the amulet was already a brooding gray, the color of storms.

[Charizard04621]

Hey, my fic survived the forum shift.

Um, just so you guys know, I'm on vacation and I'm planning to post a chapter when I get home and all my stuff gets set up at college... Yeah... ^_^;; Sorry about the inexcusably long wait... I'm feeling like a hypocrite, completely irresponsible. :(

[EDIT]: Geez, stupid ugly smilie...

[Charizard04621]

Chapter 66
Searching

You have lost... Lost... You were too weak to give up your soul. Your chance has gone.

Even to an outsider, the tormented Eevee showed signs of his many sleepless nights. His eyes, uncomfortably shut, told of his unending tenseness, his inability to rest. In sleep he looked alert as much as if he were awake; an observer would question whether he was even asleep after all. From his face one could discern that he was internally troubled. It never stopped shifting; if his mouth was locked in a twisted grimace, an eye would close tighter or his ears would twitch while some other feature showed his obvious discomfort. At moments, he would scream and then lay still again; sometimes he kicked the air in furious and unexplained fits. Muttering was the scariest phase of all. The words that one would hear were not words to be recognized in this world. His face would have changed somehow; it gave an eerie feeling, as if one were being watched even though his eyes were closed. His consciousness seemed to be everywhere, from places unknown that could not be seen. Perhaps there were eyes where the voices came from, the strange sounds that found their way into his throat and came oozing out like a halting river of blood. Those who saw his fits could only come to one conclusion: insanity.

"Are you done playing?" The shade was not amused.

"Yes, Blackblade." There was a hint of contempt in the voice. Instantly the image on the large screen vanished, to be replaced with the cold sheen of glass in front of an empty display. The shrill whine of a microphone slowly died away as it shut down.

Karkas watched for the frown on the dark face when he said his name. He had been warned before not to put that word to voice, which prompted him to do so at every opportunity. There was a time when he feared the dark wraith and trembled at his words, but that time had passed for now. Blackblade would not kill him; not yet. Karkas was still useful.

Both the Alakazam and his accomplice Seviper, Ytos, despised Blackblade tremendously. He was one with power, the strength to control darkness to the fullest extent; he had the ability to take souls, and when there was no soul left to take, his victim would shrivel into nothing, fading out of present memory, never to survive within the stories of the past.

What use was power unabused? If Karkas had mastery over darkness, he would long ago have destroyed his enemies and conquered the world. Blackblade showed no interest of doing so. What, then, was the point?

Blackblade, observing the fools, smiled secretly within himself. Fear not, after the amulet is mine, I will bury your remains among the ruins of your territory... forever.


***

Drowning in his cold sweat, the spluttering Eevee awoke just inches from the swift-flowing Sanctuary river. I rolled that far? he though, looking at the shape of his body slightly embedded in the soft grass to form a path from the woods to the river.

Nightmarish words echoed in his mind: Lost... soul... gone. Only three words, yet so overwhelmingly frightening. What could they mean? Have I lost my soul?

Lune pushed himself to his feet and dropped into the river. Cold water brought him back to life as he pondered the meaning of the words... They must have been a warning. "I think... I understand now," he said to himself. He gazed at his sorry image in the water and frowned disgustedly. All this time, he had been feeling miserable, but that's all that he ever did; he hadn't taken any action to change the situation.

"Hmph. You know, it's funny... I'm the Guardian of the Sacred Kingdom and might as well be the Head of the Announcers. You'd think I'd be powerful enough to do simple things." Still, scum roamed his kingdom and all he could do was stay there and watch. His friends were the only reasons that he could cope without going nuts. And yet... Shockwave, why did you leave me?

Some time ago - it could've been a few hours or three months, but Lune had lost track of time - Shockwave had told him that he was leaving. It was another journey, he said, and again he did not invite Lune to join him. Perhaps it was meant to be, thought Lune. Shockwave's return from his long absence had made Lune very happy. It was nice to have somebody to share the Sanctuary with again, so that the voice of the waterfall would not be his only companion. Shockwave, however, did not stay for long. It was too soon after he came back when he'd announced his imminent departure again; Lune had just gotten over missing his company. Lune wondered what had happened to the old times when Shockwave was everywhere, lighting up his day with his teasing words or buoyant energy whenever so much as a frown would cross his face. Sadly, those days seemed to be over. Lune knew that oftentimes friends drifted apart, but he had not dreamed that this would be the case for him. He smiled, albeit a little bitterly. "Well, Shockwave, I hope you're having a good time."

At the moment, Lune felt the need to talk to someone; he was incredibly lonely, and he thought that hearing a familiar voice would comfort him.

"I think it's about time." Lune had been planning to carry out what he'd been thinking over for some time now. Conditions had only strengthened his view that this would be the right path, so he needed one final opinion on the matter. He immediately thought of Hana, whose advice it was that had made him conscious about how he lived his life. The Espeon had gifted him with a treasured heirloom, a mirror, she told him, into his soul. Lune glanced at his silver-chained amulet, paying particular attention to the flames in the middle, searching, rather frantically, for a glimmer of light in the darkness. To his surprise, he found a section of white flame without much effort. "Hear me, amulet, I am not gone yet."

The journey towards Hana's house was not unpleasant; a gentle breeze rustled the autumn leaves, sending them afloat in a silent dance within the fingers of the wind. It had rained too much lately - indeed, the ground now was perpetually damp - but today a wondrous thing happened: the sun had wrestled its way out from behind the gray clouds, spilling its warm rays almost indignantly across the wet land below. Lune found himself softly humming a tune, imagining himself dancing along to the same whispered song as the golden, crimson, orange leaves.

Why was he cheerful all of a sudden? Seeing the defiant white fire burning against the blackness gave him hope. It helped him to believe what he wanted to believe, that it was not too late to act and he was doing the right thing. When he reached Hana's dwelling, however, this feeling was challenged.

"Oh, Hana! No, it can't be. I'm so sorry..."

The house had been thrashed, everything upturned, nothing left unshattered - an unfruitful search, no doubt. In the middle of the chaos lay the body of an old, wise Espeon, who had been near the end of her time, but robbed of her peaceful sleep. She had died composedly with no schock on her face, but that did not lessen the horror of this atrocity. Shaking, with his head bowed, Lune placed his unsteady paw over the white face and silently closed her unseeing eyes. No more light of life would shine from them.

For the second time in his still unfinished life, Lune found himself burying a dear friend. He remembered gentle Senryu, and now, looking at Hana, he did not see that they were very different. They had both been kind souls, disposed to living in solitude, who led quiet but important lives. They were the type that friends would always remember lovingly, for throughout their lives they left not a single blemish on their blameless hearts. It was truly unfortunate for such saints, as Lune thought of them, to incur the wrath of madness, of murder. They had done nothing to deserve such a fate; nobody could, but these two, above all, should have been free of such indignities.

"You gave me your blessing," said Lune to Hana, placing her in the shallow grave he had dug behind her home. "Now you go, in your afterlife, to guide others as you did me, placing warmth in their hearts when they have no hope." Lune was about to push the unearthed soil back into Hana's resting place when he noticed her neck; dark purple rings formed near the back of her skull around two identical puncture marks.

With a sharp intake of breath, Lune flipped Hana's body to discover blackened scars, burnt into her skin with impossibly fine fire, the work of forbidden technology. They read: We're back.


***

What could they want with the amulet? How did they know she once had it? Why did they exact revenge on her when they knew that he was the one who held it now? Lune had only one answer: he had to put an end to their cruelty. What he did not know was how Karkas and Ytos had survived his wicked darkness. What had gone wrong? Was he missing an important fact?

Lune came to a stop outside Élan's cave. The Sneasel was not likely to be there, but he wanted to check anyway. During this season Élan made a pilgrimage along the entire length of the Hidden Valley's river until it washed out into sea. Lune wasn't even sure that this was when Ningai and Charisma had been borne into the ocean's waters by the swift river, but Élan had his reasons to choose the fall. It was this time of year that the leaves burst into color, burning brightly like spirited flames that seemed as if they would never stop dancing. It was also during this time that the leaves lost their lives, detached from their trees as the soul was from the world. Élan believed that his lost friends had flowered to their very last moments; though they had their differences, they had beautiful souls, unmistakably beautiful. Only, these had been stolen away from them as the wind whisks reluctant trees bare.

As Lune had suspected, Élan's home was empty. He closed his eyes, paying silent respects to the memory of Charisma and Ningai, then nodded at the empty cave and left.

Without Shockwave or Élan, Lune had only one more friend to go to. He had not been involved in the Slith Territories mess, as he had come to the Sacred Kingdom only later, but Lune trusted him, regardless. Lune would not ask him to follow him on his journey - no, it was useless to endanger the life of someone who had previously no part in the conflict - but the Medicham gave him sound advice, and Lune knew that he needed it before he could pursue his plan.

Vanguard lived in utter separation, atop dangerously steep mountains that overlooked a burning battlefield where Lune had once witnessed two Guardians fight long ago. Fissures were not uncommon, nor were constant landslides should the wanderer happen to place his foot in the wrong place. The earth here was an angry red that echoed the fire of the steaming white stones below, a forsaken land of which only the indifferent or insane could have no fear. Lune stepped carefully over the rocks, not wanting to join the others who had died due to lack of caution. Vanguard had done well in deterring unwanted visitors, he thought, hoping he would find the Medicham soon before he had a chance to make a mistake.

"Need something?"

Lune turned around, slightly startled. His expression changed to one of welcome; he had had nearly enough of these mountains. He was glad that he no longer had to move for the moment. "Vanguard! If you aren't busy, I was wondering if you'd mind giving me your opinion on something."

"No problem."

"What would you say if I told you that I was going to resign?"

"Any particular reason?"

Lune thought how bitterly his plans, which had nothing to do with death at first, would now allow him to pursue the cold-blooded murderers he had left alive. "To tell the truth, I don't think the Sacred Kingdom wants me anymore. I try to do my duty, but most of the time, it's not enough. There are so many pokémon around that hate me that I barely have a moment's peace to myself unless I stay where nobody can see me. It's following me, this feeling that the Sacred Kingdom no longer requires my services. I can't go anywhere without someone spitting at my feet or calling me a power-abusive tyrant. It's as if I'm harming them by just being alive."

"They're just idiots," Vanguard replied immediately. "They need you but they don't realize it. I'd like to see what they do when the entire kingdom falls apart after you leave."

"How did you know I was leaving?"

"You're obviously not going to stay here after enduring all this?" The psychic raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're right... I'm getting out of this hellhole as soon as I announce my resignation."

"Good idea. I don't need to waste my time here, either."

"You too, huh?" Lune nodded quietly. "You know, it's sad what a few demagogues can do to poor guys stuck with politics." At this, he sighed. "I want an honest opinion. Do you believe the rumors?"

"That you're bloodthirsty and use your power as a Guardian to your own selfish advantage?" Vanguard shook his head adamantly no. "For all the time I've been here you've only tried to do your job. If you were hungry for power, you would have tried to get rid of Naien long before her refusal to work did the same thing. You wouldn't be here talking about resigning. You would have ordered the slaughter of anyone who dared to speak against you, and then you would have claimed absolute power."

Lune listened to Vanguard's words, wanting very much to believe them all. Still, he was not convinced; if this was true, why did so many others, who had not loathed him at first, now turned against him and joined the likes of Elbuort and Pukcus? "I once banished a Murkrow despite the orders of the Head of the Council."

"Pukcus should have been banished sooner and Pig is a rat that prefers to take the advice of her idiot friends instead of bothering to use her head."

"Ho-oh be praised!" Lune exclaimed in relief. "Someone agrees with me."

"There are many idiots in this world and you are not one of them."

"Thanks, Vanguard. Good luck to you... I've got some things to take care of before I go."

"Bye."

"I'll see you around, maybe."


***

Lune now faced a dilemma: if he left, Naien would be the only official Guardian that remained. He also knew that Naien, despite many promises, all of which Lune hopefully believed only to be disappointed when they went unfulfilled, had lost interest in her Guardianship too long ago. She wouldn't do anything for the kingdom without anyone around to persuade her; she'd be busy with whatever it was she claimed to be busy with in the luxurious palace. They needed another Guardian.

But whom? Lune's head ached considering the possibilities. There would be nobody, nobody who had any ability whatsoever to cope with this sadistic torture chamber. A few nice pokémon crossed his mind, but they wouldn't do; it wasn't enough just to be well-liked, or, in the case of the Sacred Kingdom, accepted graciously by a certain easily-unsatisfied group. Lune knew that Ana Lightfoot, the softspoken Meowth, would be a popular choice - she was, in fact, a beloved Guardian of the Sparkling Forest - but popularity did not get the job done. Not in this kingdom. Still, he needed someone that the kingdom would not immediately reject.

"I've only one idea, Naien."

"Try me."

"I was thinking about Kera Stardragon... I trust her ability to handle this job."

"I was considering her, too. Before we go to Pig, though, we have to ask Kera if she really wants to do this."

"I'll do so right away."

[Lady Vulpix]

Hmm... interesting and intriguing. Poor Lune, though... so troubled and so alone. Does Shockwave have any idea of what he's going through? Maybe I'm speculating too much, but I find it hard to believe that he's only out to have fun... it looks like he's up to something. Shockwave, I mean. Anyway, it's good to know Vanguard's still around.

Sorry for the late reply, I only noticed this chapter today. I was in Finland when you posted it.

[Charizard04621]

Thanks for reading, Gabi! Welcome back from your trip... Hope you had fun. ^_^

And yeah, Shockwave always does things for a reason, not just for the heck of it. Sometimes they're personal reasons, though, and because his mind is so complex we don't actually get to see them to understand them.

[Charizard04621]

Thank you all so, so much for voting for this fic! And thank you for voting for Shockwave and Lune! Thanks to all of you who are still reading... It means a lot to me, and without you I don't think I'd have a reason to keep writing.

I present to you the next chapter - I'm sorry these are getting less frequent. I hope you like this one.


Chapter 67
The Sparkling Forest

Amazing. The deities of the temple rose seventy feet in stone, carvings of hundreds of years meticulously crafted with passion. Side by side the gods of life and oceans perched: Ho-oh, creator of all things, Lugia, defender of the depths. Wings of the phoenix spanned the entire doorway, stretching out skywards as if the mighty being were in flight. The marble had an odd gleam, and should one closely examine the feathers of the silent statue, the colors of the rainbow would spring forth, a shadow of the fabled glory of the life bringer. In this sculpture was a hint of the sun, no cold dead glow of marble, for this was a portrait of life itself. Beside the golden phoenix rose an even larger god, with a neck as long as his wing spanned. This neck was slender, arched like a swan’s, suggesting grace and mystery… For what was more mysterious than the sea? What lurked beneath the water that sparkled in the sun? Some hidden danger, perhaps… For unlike the beak of Ho-oh, Lugia’s mouth bore dagger-like teeth, and his silvery tail had black spikes like the ones that grew out of his broad back.

Breathtaken, Lune ventured further up the steps, so that the second pair of statues that loomed in the distance now emerged from the darkness. Here stood the reaper of souls, and on his right, the one who put enjoyment into life. Many found the tall, catlike statute grotesque, for his body was one riddled with contorted forms and unnatural shapes, tubes, strangely-shaped bones, crookedness of all kinds that suggested something sinister in origin. This was the unfortunate Mewtwo, rumored to have been spawned by twisted beings long forgotten. He was the punisher, the bringer of chaos and destruction. His feline companion always wore a tranquil, knowing smile. She brought fun into the world, and, by nature a mischievous god, loved to play tricks on others, but never to cause harm. She was a protector of the good, and if she could help it, she would shield from Mewtwo’s wrath even the most irremediable of souls. Lune couldn’t help but harbor a certain dislike for Mew; it seemed to him that too many undeserving pokémon had escaped the grip of justice.

The final two that Lune examined in detail were watchers of the harvest. Without looking closely, one might have assumed that the whale-like creature had wings; these were actually flippers, which bore the rain-god Kyogre swiftly through the very darkest oceans. The glowing red runes on his body gave him guidance, while his deep blue skin allowed him to melt into the water, should he choose to stay hidden. To his right towered the vicious Groudon, keeper of the land. The red-scaled behemoth displayed sharp fangs and angry eyes, much like the jagged ranges of mountains and the burning center of the earth. Should either of these gods grow angry, catastrophe would fall upon the world. Floods, storms, violent winds would wash away everything held dear; or perhaps the land would dry up, without a droplet of water to be found, and all would be lost, and trees and grass would become only a legend in a deserted world. These two constantly battled to keep each other in check, for without the delicate balance, all life would be wiped from the face of the earth.

There were more statues, but Lune passed them quickly. He knew that if he took the time to admire them all, he would not be able to complete the task he had set off for today.

He was standing at the end of the flight of stairs. In the middle was what seemed like a round altar; there was a depression in the ground with small steps leading downwards to the mahogany marble floor. At the very center of this oval altar stood a pedestal that held a lighted torch. The flame burned mysteriously, casting only enough light to hint at the five surrounding doorways that lay along the outer perimeter. These were open arches, and behind them extended corridors dimly lit by smaller fires.

“Hi! I’m pleased to finally meet you, Lord Lune.”

Lune turned to face the Vulpix and bowed, at the same time smirking to himself. He hadn’t heard that in a while. “Lune, please.”

“Oh. I’m sorry; I thought that the Sacred Kingdom followed the same title traditions as we did.”

“Don’t be. We do, but I prefer hearing my own name. Will I call you Lady Windflame?”

“Oh, no. I would feel strange asking you to address me so formally when I didn’t do the same for you. Just call me Mara.”

“My pleasure, Mara.” Lune had heard about this Vulpix on his previous visits to the Sparkling Forest, but he had not actually met her; she was rumored to be a Watcher, one of those few that Pig had put her trust in and given extended power. If it were anyone else who held the title Head of the Council, Lune would not be doubtful that the rumors were true, for he could already tell that Mara was well-mannered and most definitely capable. Still, that the Pichu could sense real ability in a pokémon? Unlikely. But perhaps they had met elsewhere and Pig just liked Mara’s personality; it would have been a fortunate accident that she chose Mara as one of her Watchers.

“Were you looking for Kera?” asked the Vulpix.

“Actually, yes, I was,” Lune replied. “We are short a Guardian in the Sacred Kingdom, and I was hoping that she would fill that position.”

“She’s through the rightmost doorway.”

“Thank you.”

The narrow corridor, dark and small though it was, felt cozy and warm. Lune felt comforted here; the Temple of Guardians seemed to have a personal touch that appealed to the heart, a sense of… home. He felt a gnawing inside him, a deep emptiness that he longed to fill, except he could not grasp what he needed; every time he felt close, it would elude him, and he would have to start all over again. All I want is a home that will welcome me.

At last, Lune arrived outside a room with a door of gold. “Kera?” he ventured.

After a few moments, the door opened, revealing the Charmeleon. Lune had not spoken to Kera in a while; she was a good friend, but they communicated well only when something needed to be done. Neither was an expert at idle chatter, and when there was nothing to say, conversation quickly died away. No, he only saw her in times of need – or play. And these days, there was no time to play.

“Long time no see.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while.” Lune tried to sort out what he would say in his head, but he decided that the best thing would be simply to tell the truth however way it came out. Kera certainly wouldn’t care about the method of delivery; she was a very straightforward pokémon, honest and matter-of-fact. Whatever she felt, she would say; so no more formalities. “We need another Guardian for the Sacred Kingdom,” Lune admitted. “You’re the only pokémon I have enough confidence with, and I’m hoping that you’ll take the job.” Since Kera was Sparkling Forest born, maybe, just maybe…? Pig was, after all, friendly with many of these residents, and though Lune would have liked Vanguard in a higher position, there would be too much uproar from the Savage Wilderness and a certain insignificant Pichu with power that no Sacred Kingdom Guardian had. Of course, all Sacred Kingdom Guardians had already been intentionally stripped of all their teeth, so that didn’t mean much, but…

Kera seemed deep in thought. Not good. “Pig told me a long time ago that I had to choose between the Sacred Kingdom and the Sparkling Forest. She said that I could only be a Guardian of one, and no offense, but I chose the Sparkling Forest.”

“Understandable, since this is your home.” Lune felt disappointed; he’d assumed that Kera was one of those favored by Pig, but then again, the Pichu did have a tendency to shun ability. “What if we could convince her that the work you will be doing is minimal?”

“What do you mean?”

“All you’ll need to do is help Naien a bit. Little things like noise control, since it can get really loud sometimes, especially the central square; probably patrolling just to make sure nobody’s getting into situations where someone can get severely injured or killed; stuff like that. I’m sure Pig can’t object to just an assistant, almost.”

“Maybe.”

Kera’s lack of enthusiasm was discouraging. Lune wondered if she even wanted to do this. He felt guilty for undermining Kera’s skills – suggesting that she should be simply an assistant – but he wanted her as a Guardian of the Sacred Kingdom, and that seemed the only way to convince her.

“Well… Think about it,” he said. “There’s nobody else I trust to do this, but I don’t want to force you into a Guardianship that you don’t want.” He turned to leave.

“I’ll do it,” she replied simply.


***

The Council. Lune tended to avoid this gathering at all costs, but unfortunately he needed to see Pig if he wanted to secure a Guardianship in the Sacred Kingdom for Kera. He felt his stomach churning sickly at the thought of the Pichu, but it couldn’t be helped; this was what happened when pokémon received charge of power they did not deserve.

“I already talked to Kera about this. She can’t be a Guardian of two States.”

Lune was persistent. He had attempted to reason with Pig for almost five hours now, but he would not give in to her insistence on being stupid; he would not stop bothering her until she did what she was supposed to do. “But she won’t really have the full duties of a Guardian.” Reluctantly, Lune forced out the next phrase. He hated having to hide the fact that he would soon leave the Sacred Kingdom, but he also did not want to introduce any factors that might affect Pig’s decision. “Naien and I will make the important decisions if she does not have time for them. She will only need to help with small tasks like keeping things in control around the Sacred Kingdom. We can’t be everywhere at once, so having an extra Guardian would greatly alleviate our responsibilities.”

“I don’t know…” said the Pichu.

“We won’t give her any more work than necessary,” Naien added. “Don’t worry. We won’t strain her. Her job will be rather easy.”

“Well… Show me some sparkly fireworks and I’ll think about it.”

Lune thought he had heard wrong, but considering who he was dealing with, he wouldn’t put it past her to do something so idiotic. To be a Guardian, you required ‘sparkly fireworks’? That was the qualification?

Mara, who had been listening, assured Pig that Kera would be a good choice. She proceeded to hurl a ball of fire into the air, which spread into many glowing circles as the embers fell to the ground. Naien’s display followed Mara’s – she threw a shadowy orb upwards and met it with flame so that it erupted, sending showers of sparks across the sky.

“Okay, fine,” Pig announced, “Kera can be a Guardian of the Sacred Kingdom now.”

It was funny how even when Pig did what Lune wanted her to do, he could still feel unsatisfied.


***

“Farewell, Shockwave, but never goodbye…” Lune cast a weary glance to the Sanctuary falls, half hoping to see a shock of yellow fur show through the watery curtain, but maybe it was not meant to be.

Beside the stream, laid against the rock foundation of the cave, shone the old Moon Stone, brightest under a starry night. The evening sun cast red rays upon the small relic, a remnant of a memory from long ago. Lying so serenely against the wall, the symbol of a past of unfounded fear, of better times, a secret.

“Remember when I ran away and you came after me?” Why had he tried to hide from Shockwave so that he couldn’t follow? If Lune could do that over, he wouldn’t have run away; he’d have taken as much time with Shockwave as he could get. If only he had known before…

He’d been trying to reach his friend for weeks, but unlike the last times, he couldn’t seem to make a connection anymore. Lune couldn’t speak to Shockwave, and Shockwave couldn’t hear him.

“Wonder what you’re doing now…” Lune tenderly lifted the Moon Stone and placed it by the riverbank. Here the ground was moist and easier to dig through, which Lune was counting on, because he hadn’t the heart nor strength to dig. What he was burying was all that remained of his past… his memories… his time with Shockwave. “You must’ve found something really great out there,” Lune said sadly. “I hope it’s as wonderful as what you gave me.” He paused to cover the silver stone with earth. Slowly, he brushed his paws over the gleaming gem, reluctant to deny it the moonlight. A few brave stars already speckled the darkness above; soon the Moon Stone would flower beautifully with light. And after its night of glory, it would become day again, and the stone would grow dull and lose its luster. And the cycle would continue, every day, every night, every age, every lifetime. For eternity.

“We had something special, you and I…” The last of the earth closed over the stone, sealing it permanently underneath. “If you would only fly with me, one last time.” And Lune could see himself running through the autumn leaves, and the grinning Shockwave would be winning as always, a flash of yellow in the midst of the red and golden trees… And they’d be together again and Shockwave would turn to gold and give Lune wings, and they’d fly with each other together into the world ahead.

[Lady Vulpix]

The ending of this chapter was sad and touching... and the begining was quite interesting, with all the sculptures of the 'Gods'. And Pig's request for fireworks was as funny as it was odd. I didn't get who had lost their teeth, but that was probably because I was in a hurry and forced to read fast. In any case, never doubt this: you do deserve every prize and nomination you got. :)

[Charizard04621]

Thank you so much for your constant support, Gabi! ^_^ It's because of you and all Lune's other faithful readers that the fic and characters won anything in the first place. You've stuck with me every single chapter since you began reading, and I simply can't express how much I appreciate you being there. It encourages me to write - and I'm really sorry that I don't get chapters up faster.

Pig really is an odd character, odder even so than the ghosts (remember them? I thought they were funny). And you're right, I said 'they' had lost their teeth, but I didn't specify whom. o_O Oops, I'll fix that...

[Lady Vulpix]

All Sacred Kingdom Guardians had already been intentionally stripped of all their teeth? O_o

Oh, I forgot to mention, it was good to see Naien again. And yes, I thought the ghosts were funny too. And you encourage me to write as well. :)

[Charizard04621]

Which reminds me, I'm looking forward to your next chapter. ^_^

As for the teeth thing, it's a figure of speech for being stripped of power - ie, Pig didn't like the Sacred Kingdom Guardians, so she made them only Guardians in name, without much real power to do anything.

[Lady Vulpix]

Ah, thanks for explaining.
I'm looking forward to having time to write a new chapter. With my dog and my mum both sick and my 2 jobs it feels as if the world were conspiring against my writing. But I'm not about to give up on that which I enjoy the most.

[Charizard04621]

Oh, no! >_< Well, good luck, Gabi... I've never had something quite so drastic, but I've felt a similar way before. I'm sorry you have to deal with all that, and I hope your mom and dog get better soon.

[Charizard04621]

Wow, absent for nearly a year...


Chapter 68
His Last Battle

At peace. So far, things had gone well. Kera had been announced Guardian, there was general satisfaction, and no trouble had as of yet arisen. Having accomplished this exchange of power, for the first time without considerable conflict, Lune felt quite calm. Perhaps his departure would be in ease.

Now he was witnessing his final battle. It felt nice to watch, not as an Announcer, but as a regular spectator once again. With the lack of good available Announcers lately, watching a battle without participating had not been an option. Perhaps it was good that Elbuort and his gang spread disreputable rumors about Lune – it gave him less to do.

This battle was a slightly rare find: a two-on-two, a fight in which strategies changed to promote teamwork. The four were equally matched, each team a mirror of the other, the two Porygon2 and Stantler spread out on opposing teams.

It wasn’t so much a battle as a practice session. The Porygon2 and Stantler on one team, Switchblade and Lily, respectively, were more experienced than their friends, Hasaki and Violet, who were new to battling. Lune had met Switchblade a long time ago in the Forgotten Kingdom; the Porygon2, upon recognizing him, had invited Lune to watch.

“You can help them if you’d like, Lune,” Switchblade suggested. “It would be good if you could give them advice, but I don’t know if you have the time.”

Lune smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty. I’d love to help.” He nodded to Lily, who was already in the arena, pawing the sand with her hoofs and repeatedly tossing her antlers to warm up. A decent preparation for battle, since it was important never to stop acting. Moving, maybe, but there could not be a break in the action. Everything had to be done for a reason.

“Lily, why don’t you start it off?” Lune shouted. He was answered with a wink.

Slowly rocking back and forth, the reindeer matched Hasaki’s gaze with a deep stare that seemed to capture the Porygon2’s complete attention. She lulled her victim with seductive movements, gently pushing him into the realm of sleep.

“I have to help Hasaki!” Violet panicked. “She’s using Hypnosis. How do I stop it?”

“Earthquake,” Lune whispered. This caused a blank stare. “Trust me. Do it.”

Unsure what else to do, Violet drove her front hooves into the ground, generating a tremor that rippled towards her opponents. Neither Porygon2 was affected, having gained the ability to hover aboveground from their machine-like nature. Lily, however, lost her balance, which broke the trance she had imposed upon Hasaki. The freed Porygon2 thanked his partner, who was now smiling warmly at Lune.

“No problem,” he mouthed, smiling back.

“Now for something more complicated,” Switchblade called out. “You’re both familiar with basic attacks. It’s time to show you the result of putting them together: a combo attack.”

Violet and Hasaki looked at Lune questioningly, but he bade them to just watch.

“I call this one Guided Arrow.” Lune noticed that Switchblade had rearranged the molecules of his bill to form a finer tip, so that his proboscis now resembled a spear. He locked his concentration on Violet, who, nervous about the attention, tensed and prepared to bolt to safety. Lune saw the meaning of Guided Arrow forming before his eyes. Switchblade would transform into his own arrow – swift, accurate… and deadly.

A sudden burst of speed propelled the Porygon2 forth; it was too quick for Violet to react, and her sharp scream pierced the air as Switchblade drove himself into her flesh. He had not aimed for her heart, of course; but Lune shivered as he imagined the consequences if Switchblade had not intentionally attacked the Stantler’s left flank.

Violet decided to sit out of the rest, leaving Hasaki to fend for himself. As she watched, Lune explained to her what had happened – how Switchblade had performed Sharpen, how he had established a Lock-On to ensure that he did not miss Violet, and then how he had combined a Double-Edge attack with a spurt of Agility to shoot forward like an arrow.

To his credit, Hasaki was actually doing quite well; he had potential as a battler. The Porygon2 had managed to paralyze Lily with a Thunder Wave, hampering her movement so that most of the time he had only to deal with Switchblade. His constant hit-and-run tactics with quick bolts of lightning or frost were dealing little damage to his pursuer, however, and the more time he took, the more room there was for Lily to recover.

“What can I do?” he asked exasperatedly as he shot by, still chased by Switchblade.

Lune decided to take a risk. Hasaki, he thought, could deliver. “Switchblade!” he called. The Porygon2 halted, turning his head to face the Eevee. “Barring the use of recovery, I guarantee that Hasaki can, with only a single combo attack and dodging, remove Lily from the battle. If he does, call it even, okay?”

“All right.” Switchblade grinned. “Although, she is tough enough to withstand Guided Arrow, I’ll have you know. Tell Hasaki to throw at her whatever he’s got.”

A light of challenge crossed Lune’s eyes as his mouth twisted into a smirk. “Hasaki, you’ve only got to do one thing to win this bet, and it is quite simple. Are you ready?”

The Porygon2 nodded.

“Poisoned Dart.”

Understanding faded from Hasaki’s eyes. “I don’t know how to do that. Is that even an attack?”

“It is now,” Lune assured him, “And you have learned everything you need to use it. Just… stretch your imagination a little. And,” Lune added cryptically, “Don’t let them see, okay?” He winked.

Hasaki felt at a loss. He did not know what Poisoned Dart was. His guess was that it was some kind of combo attack, but the only one he had seen was Guided Arrow.

The name stirred him slightly. Guided Arrow. Poisoned Arrow. Poisoned Dart. It made sense now.

Imitating Switchblade’s earlier actions, Hasaki sharpened his bill much in the same way as his friend had done previously.

“I told you, Guided Arrow won’t work!” Switchblade turned to Lily. “Don’t bother with Protect.”

“I won’t,” she answered.

But they didn’t see what else Hasaki had done as he transformed himself into a deadly weapon. Hasaki had been hoping for this, almost certain that his opponents might have noticed the clear fluid that coated the soon-to-be dart…

Having gained his lock on Lily’s shoulder, Hasaki thrust himself into her side with little resistance, injecting the poison into her vulnerable body. The Stantler’s eyes shot open upon penetration; she shuddered, and visible beads of sweat formed across her fur.

“Toxic,” she groaned.

As soon as the word escaped her lips, Switchblade fell into a fit of laughter. “Very good, Lune!” he yelled. “You tricked us both. And Hasaki, not bad at all! Soon you’ll be defeating me without help, no doubt.”

“Nice job, you two,” Lily commended Hasaki and Violet. “That was good for a first battle. We’re done for today. Let’s eat!”

“Yes, let’s,” Violet agreed.

“See you around, Lune.”

“Yeah.”

The Eevee watched as Switchblade left with his friends, laughing, happy… not alone.


***

The waterfall’s silent song whispered through the swishing blades of grass. New grass, as always, soft, and smelling sweet. In recent days flowers had sprung up beside the rushing river, flowers of all colors, small, delicate, and beautiful. Lune knew that he would miss the soothing calm of the Sanctuary, but it made him sad that he couldn’t share its hidden wonders. The Sanctuary was best appreciated with a friend who would keep it a secret, strive to discover its mysteries, learn to live a life of laughter in a safe haven full of beautiful things. Lune had that friend once. He still missed him.

“Farewell, tall, laden trees, sentinels of the forest; farewell, waterfall and river, sirens that steal my breath with your song; and farewell, pure skies, bringers of light, seas of freedom, my window into hope.” With a final bow, he slipped through the hidden crevice and vanished into the black cavern.

Lune took longer than usual to reach the central square. He dragged his feet, hunched his shoulders, drooped his tail and ears… so pitifully that it was no surprise that he crept around the square unnoticed. Yet it wasn’t consciously that he did this, for he was lost in thought about the announcement he would soon make. His body simply reacted to the general melancholy of his heart; the amulet around his neck simmered cheerlessly gray, darkening slightly each time he remembered something he would miss about the Sacred Kingdom. The scourges of this land had pushed him too far. He no longer slept, nor ate, nor worked without his mind wandering to the offenses of the guilty parties, and then he could think of nothing else. No, the Sacred Kingdom was not good for his health or sanity.

The words he chose were short and filled with bitterness: “I will no longer serve as a Guardian here. I wish you luck.” And he left with little sadness, and was not bothered by the shock that he saw in Kera’s eyes.