[X] My Assistant

[Umbrae Calamitas]

“Something is bothering the runt.”

Odysseus glanced over at the houndoom walking on his left, in between he and the lass. The landlegger was making it his top priority, it seemed, to be sure that the lass was being watched over. This gave Odysseus a lot of hope.

“’tis, indeed, boy. Ye go’ any idea wha’ tha’ migh’ be?”

”Another headache?”

”Don’ ask me, boy. Ask ‘er!”

Ashleigh looked at Odysseus for a moment, and then looked at Tuesday, who was paying no mind to their conversation. She didn’t understand what they were saying, just as Jaima and Meiko and Darryn or the rescue team didn’t know what they were saying. How we he supposed to ask the runt anything?

~*~

Tuesday had a headache. Yes, another one. It wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the others she’d had, but it wasn’t all that pleasant, either. She was trying to ignore the urge to rub her head. It wouldn’t do anything for her headache and it would simply draw attention to her and what the problem…could be. Everyone had just gotten back together. She didn’t need anyone, herself included, running off and getting separated. She would just ignore it as best she could, just deal with it. It would go away, eventually.

She hoped.

There had been some arguments between the members of the rescue team – a good portion of them in French – but the eight of them eventually began moving through the forest. According to the pilot, the fires were being dealt with by the helicopters they could hear flying overhead. That meant that they simply had to find their way out of the forest.

And survive any more encounters with their attack-happy friends. That was going to be the hard part.

~*~

He burned. The scent of burning fur still filled his nostrils, the sound of sizzling flesh and his own shrieks still filled his ears, and he could still feel sparking electricity as it struck his face like a physical force, and left its mark behind.

The shiftry growled low in his throat as he made his way through the forest. The man had tried to tame him, but he had shown him. He would see through one eye now, as the shiftry saw through one eye, and he would always feel the pain of his claws on scarred cheeks. The man would not forget him, but he would live.

The girl and he pokemon, however, would not.

There was a squeaking at the shiftry’s feet as a small yellow creature darted out from under a pile of leaves, as the large pokemon crashed through them. The shiftry snarled at the tiny pokemon and swatted it with a large claw. The pichu let out a terrified, pained cry as it was snatched up by the shiftry, who continued to crash through the foliage without care.

~*~

The pain in her head intensified all at once, in a flashing burst, like a needlepoint. Tuesday twitched in reaction, ducking her head as both hands flew up to clasp her skull. She stumbled a little, whether at the lack of vision from the placement of her hands or the pain, none could tell, but it was clear that she was in pain.

“An’ she answers.”

“But I didn’t even ask her!”

“But ye were listenin’, weren’cha?” the buizel asked, a knowing look on his face. He cocked an eyebrow at Ashleigh. ”Well, boy? Wha’d’ya plan t’ do ‘bout i’?”

Ashleigh stared at Odysseus for a moment longer, before turning to Tuesday. He whimpered – a sound not overly loud, but quite enough to call the attention of Jaima, who returned swiftly at the sight of Tuesday. She had been walking a bit behind the sight of everyone else, which is the only reason they hadn’t seen her falter. But that wouldn’t happen again.

Jaima knelt before Tuesday, gripping her slender arm gently. His voice was soft when he spoke to her, and Ashleigh stood close to him, trying to keep his whimpers low, but make sure they knew he was there – that the runt knew he was there.

“Tuesy, what’s wrong?”

“I’m okay,” Tuesday replied, though her voice was muffled and sounded more like self-reassurance than any steady affirmation. She appeared to try and gather herself, however, and lowered her arms shakily to her sides, standing up straight. Anyone with sight, however, could see her dilated pupils and the pain reflected in her eyes. Ashleigh whimpered again.

“Tuesday, you’re not okay,” Meiko said, clearly trying to impress upon the girl that this was serious. “You have another headache?”

“I’m fine,” Tuesday argued quietly, though this statement was contradicted by a heavy wince.

“Honey, you can’t-“

Whatever Meiko had been about to say was interrupted by an explosion.

Five people broke into the clearing, the explosion not one of fire or lightning, but sound, as a multitude of pokemon were released from their pokeballs at once. They hovered around their trainers, trapping the eight of them within a threatening circle. Three men and two women, they grinned.

“Well now,” one of the men – a tall, dark brunette with sharp eyes – said, stepping forward, “look what the fire chased out.” He patted the head of the mightyena standing next to him. “Daddy always did say the best way to catch a rat was to smoke ‘em out. I guess for a horde of rats, you need a whole fire.”

The woman to his right – thin and wiry, with long mud-colored hair – laughed in a high, shrieking pitch. “You all must be so tired!” She grinned a very toothy grin – an expression that made her appear less in control of her mental state than most psych patients. “Let’s put you to bed!” She snapped her fingers and threw her hand forward dramatically. “My beauties! Attack!”

The five pokemon at her side, all evolutions of eevee, sprang forward with a series of yips and snarls. The pokemon surrounding them all began to rush forward, converging inward on their circle, as a scarred and half-blind shiftry burst out of the trees, and all hell broke loose.

[Living Arrow]

<But Lady…>

<No, Prince Darryn.> The Vulpix chastised him as the group hiked through the thick forest. After being reunited with his Pokemon, Darryn had put his exhausted Rapidash back in her ball along with Bravo – the bird started screaming and wouldn’t stop even when Darryn asked him to – and Romeo (whose licking was non-stop). The whole group had agreed that moving south west would get them to civilisation first – something for which Darryn was greatly looking forward to. If this particular adventure had taught him anything it was that he loved the city and hated forests. His focus, however, was not to find a bed in a skyscrapingly gorgeous hotel. Instead, a large grey face plagued his thoughts.

<But he’s still out there somewhere!>

<And I am searching. Do not fear for Zulu, Prince Darryn – I shall find him soon.> Lady’s voice was carrying strength in it intended for her trainer to use but all he could do was worry over his lazy great Rampardos.

“Darryn?” Meiko eyed him questioningly from beside him as they clambered over a small rise. “Everything alright?” Victor looked up at his trainer with confusion then directed his gaze on Lady with a frown.

“Mmm? Oh yeah – just a little tired is all.” Darryn lied. Meiko didn’t buy it but she didn’t press the issue either. Her giggling Happiny waved at Darryn and gurgled something merrily. He smiled back and for the first time realised that his shirt felt too empty without the loving baby pressed against his ribs. Although it had been a matter of hours, Darryn had grown accustomed to her minute warmth and found himself missing her presence next to him.

<But we found everyone else… What if Zulu is all lost and sad and alone out there? What if he got hurt and needs me?>

<You really think that big lump of dumb rock would get hurt and need help… Seriously?>

Darryn sighed. Lady was right – Zulu would probably be faring better than the rest of them even if he was on his own. Holding onto that thought, Darryn followed the others over the rise and down into a clearing of the trees where a smattering of grass grew amid the dirt. They were nearly halfway across when the scream of opening Pokeballs came from all around.

Three men and two women had managed to encircle the group, trapping the young trainers and rescue workers in a ring within the clearing. Darryn recognised one of the women as the one who had attacked him earlier that morning – she blew him a kiss with mock affection. He glared back.

“Well now, look what the fire chased out.” A tall man laughed snidely as he patted the head of a ferocious-looking Mightyena. “Daddy always did say the best way to catch a rat was to smoke ‘em out. I guess for a horde of rats, you need a whole fire.”

“You all must be so tired! Let’s put you to bed!” A gaunt woman cackled next to him, unleashing a toothy smile that made Darryn want to clamp braces on with their gap-tooth ugliness. She dramatically threw out an arm and cried: “My beauties! Attack!”

“SHIFTRY!” Something massive and dark burst from the canopy but the young Co-Ordinator already had incoming Pokemon from the side of the group. He felt Meiko tense behind him as they moved back-to-back at the centre of the group.

“I’ve had ENOUGH of this!” Darryn practically threw Lady from one hand while releasing Bravo’s Premier Ball from his belt with the other. How dare these people just show up and attack them without reason!? How bloody dare they?!

With a roar, Darryn unleashed his Pokemon upon the incoming Nidoking, Glalie, Banette and Carnivine on his side of the clearing.

“Bravo, Lady, Victor, Romeo – GO!”

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima had taken his time, hugging each and every one of his lost pokémon, and then, for good measure, hugging tsunami, who had been with him for much of the time. If he had been embarrassed about such a display of affection, he didn't show it. If Meiko had been embarrassed by his displaying such affection, she, as well, did not show it (but, then, after all, she did just kiss the breath out of him in front of their friends and four perfect strangers.)

Guillaume had held back. The girl who had found him had been pleasant enough to look at: Scantily dressed with just enough scrapes to make her look the damsel in distress. After months of the only women he had contact with being married, in a relationship, psychotic, or his sister, she had been a welcome distraction. Things had gone sour, of course, on the walk, but the stress of the situation had to be the blame for it. It was not the first time that he had been slapped by a woman!

But now, this. The girl was in the arms of another, someone Guillaume had imagined as scrawny and nerdy like many young teenage pokémon trainers were. But this boy had some definition, and though he wore glasses, there was no air of awkward geekiness that he had come to expect.

That, plus the younger girls bête noir, put him in a foul mood. His sister was returned to him, yes, but she could only gush about how brave the boy had been, and how loyal his pokémon were, even pokémon that weren't really his followed his commands!*

Further, Isabella, lovely Isabella, could only praise the girl's bravery and insight in freeing her, though he had also tried his hardest. The doctor also had nothing but good words for the youngest, though his were tempered with great concern.

It didn't matter. The team was together, and they would handle the rough stuff from now on, not these civilians. And he, Guillaume, would impress the girl, and she would see how foolish she had been, and then--

"SHIFTRY!"

Guillaume started. Somehow, not only had a wild shiftry burst into the clearing they were in, but they had been surrounded by no less than five people.

"Bete!" shouted Anoinette. "Deed you not hear us talking zat zere was somesink wrong? Peeg!" She was backing toward the doctor and Isabella.

"Does anyone have a fighting pokémon," Isabella ordered her people. Antoinette snorted.

"Sabre ees unconscious. 'Ee was taken down by a breloom who's trainer closed 'ees 'eart!"

"I'm afraid I've only brought Aiuto, and she is not much for combat," the doctor ground out.

Guillaume sighed. Normally, he'd gloat at having, once again, the only viable pokémon. Isabella had been explaining that she'd left her granbull, Pinky, with the nurse as he'd wounded a paw (which, Guillaume grudgingly admitted, must have taken some doing,) when all eyes turned to him. He shook his head, frustrated. "Cannon's ball is locked closed. I do not know why."

Antoinette blinked at him, a flicker of concern on her face. He knew he could count on his sister to know his misery. When he'd been new to the Brigade, he'd witnessed a pokéball being broken with the pokémon inside it. It had been heartbreaking, had plagued his nights for months, to think that the poor pokémon simply ceased to exist.

"Eet will be all right, frère," Antoinette whispered. "Eet ees only stuck…"

Guillaume nodded. The worst part wasn't the dread of losing Canon, though that was horrible. The worst part was that now they were defenseless.

"Shadow, you're on the mightyena", a voice called from the other group, the children who had been rescued. "Mercury, Grondir, I need a barrage of leaves. Keep them blinded!"

"Desertdancer, Cosette, sand attack and razor leaf! Keep them confused!"

The Brigade members blinked as the children, teenagers, really, began to take command with their tired pokémon, weary and yet still willing to battle. The girl who'd greeted the blonde boy so enthusiastically dashed to the other side of the group from her boyfriend, holding off on that side as the boy in question took their side. The littlest girl made sure that the doctor was protected, and the other boy, angry, managed to take the last section (though Antoinette, who had been watching the handsome young man closely, had realized that this had happened so naturally that either the other three had taken positions based on his, or that he had moved in anticipation of the tactic.)

The shiftry was a wild card, but Guillaume marveled as the devil beast the small girl commanded confronted it as if it, the beast, were the last thing between the shiftry and what the shiftry wanted, snarling and slavering in ways that had always made the Frenchman's blood run cold.

Even the girl's tiny pokémon, the baby version of the doctor's chancy, seemd to be helping out, literally: blue lightning sparked around her body without harming her trainer, and reached out to hit one of the pokémon battling, allowing it to deliver a devastating blow.

The battle, however, was not going well. The children's pokémon were not as powerful as the attackers, though they fought hard, it was clear they were outmatched. Still, if the trainers, or even the pokémon realized it, they said nothing.

* * * * *

Jaima tried not to let his worry show, but Mercury knew it, and Shadow knew it. There was only so much dodging they could do, and while the leaves and sand were having their effect, all too often the shifty would wave an arm and clear the area, causing them to start over again.

Jaima set his feet and surveyed the grounds. "Tsunami," he called softly to the marshtomp. "Mud Slap. On the humans."

Tsunami did not falter, though she looked at him as she prepared the attack. The grim set of his mouth assured her he was using desperate tactics, and she slapped mud at the trainers in front of them, causing them to cry out and curse, clearing their eye. This was enough to briefly stop their commands, and, predictably, the pokémon stopped as well. This group had not taught their pokémon to take initiative. Or worse, had taught them not to.

"I wish I had Ember," Jaima sighed, looking for the next opening.

Then a pokéball struck him in the back.

Jaima turned, but Victor was already turning away. He looked down, and there was Ember's pokéball, on the ground. He snatched it up and called her out of it. "Ember, I want you to run around the circle and put a huge smokescreen up between us and them!"

Ember gave a cheeky salute (which, had this not been such a serious situation, would have given Jaima pause) and began her run. Meiko called out, in Japanese, "Good, Jaima, but that shiftry's blowing it away here!"

"Ember," Jaima called, "Flame Wheel!" He pointed to the shiftry, and flames exploded around her as she slammed into it.

With a roar that was cut off by Ashleigh's renewed attack, the scene sunk once more into chaos.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

When the attacking pokemon began to move in, multiple things happened at once, as things are wont to do.

First, the four of them split outward, moving in a defensive cubical formation, their pokemon before them and forming a second tier to protect them from their attackers. If Jaima or any of them noticed this, no one commented on it.

The moment that Meiko, Darryn, and Jaima were each reunited with Tuesday, her pokemon left their temporary trainer and returned to her. They may not have come right up to her or even offered her a physical greeting, but each moved toward her, as though pulled toward her by some force that they did not bother to contemplate or explain. They positioned themselves around her in respect to where each of their comrades were standing. Whether this was done consciously or by instinct, none of them could say, nor did they expressly care about it. So long as they were with her and she was safe.

Zorro had been the last to arrive, having been accompanying Jaima during their separation. When the last human member of the group that would later become known as Team Rogue was finally reunited with his friends, Zorro moved immediately toward Tuesday, and took position on the branch of a tree above and just behind her. He crouched low on this branch and, while calm, kept a watchful eye.

And then Team Deception attacked.

The five of Tuesday’s pokemon that were out of their pokeballs moved immediately, without command. They fanned outward around her – even Ashleigh, who lunged toward the shiftry with a beastly, terrifying snarl. They placed themselves between their trainer – their friend – and danger. Ashleigh to the direct right of her, crouched low with hackles raised and whip-like tail dropped low between his legs. His teeth crackled with a mixture of fire and electricity, though no one but he seemed to take notice at the time.

Tempest, swift on her small feet, dashed to the direct left of Tuesday to face the skarmory, who had raced forward with a fierce cry from its beak and fire in its steely eyes. Electricity crackled around her body, making her golden brown fur stand on end, as she dashed from right to left and verily summoned the bird to attack. It did not disappoint.

Odysseus, who had been leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, moved fluidly from his casual stance, across the ground, to place his back to Tuesday’s and face the flareon riding in on flaming paws. The buizel ducked his head down and raised his paws outward in a position of attack, as the fire-dog crouched low and growled.

Zorro leapt from the branch of the tree in a movement of ferocious grace that belied his natural impishness. He somersaulted over Tuesday’s head and came down feet-first on the head of a sneasel racing for attack. He was immediately rewarded with a sharp slash of claws across his face and, as blood ran into his eyes, their fight began.

Dante’s movements were the fiercest of the five. Like the others, he lunged forward to face his opponent – a band of six exeggcute – with a snarl. Where the others moved to defend their trainer, their friends, and the members of the rescue team, however, Dante moved immediately to the offensive, not even giving the exeggcute time to turn and run. Throwing his head back, the charmeleon released a sharp, cutting hiss that tore through the air followed by a flash of flames. At his feet, the six eggs that formed a pokemon quivered uncertainly, but Dante took no notice of their reluctance. He attacked.

There was a moment when chaos alone reigned. The five pokemon attacked and defended by their own wit and will. Standing in the center of their star-formation, defended from being attacked herself, Tuesday bore witness to the five battles going on. For a moment, she remained passive and unresponsive to the instinctive call to command. Her eyes took in each battle with a turn of her head, her mouth remained set, and to any watching, it appeared that she did not bother to consider taking charge.

But her mind worked sharply, suggesting and vetoing forms of attack, defense, combinations, movements, recalls and summons. Battles raged throughout their part of the forest as the four of them had pokemon that rose to their defense, or took the offense. Tuesday’s mind worked, not frantically, but fiercely. Then her eyes narrowed, and she took charge.

“Ashleigh, keep moving and don’t let him touch you. Ember attack!” She blinked when Jaima’s quilava responded to the command for Ashleigh to use his fire attack, but she caught a flash of golden fur out of the corner of her eye and, as Ashleigh ducked a leafy fist, turned to see Tempest rebound from a painful attack against the skarmory.

“Tempest, stop using that move!” she yelled. Tempest landed heavily on her paws and sprang away, avoiding being kicked. “Double team!” Tuesday yelled, and watched the pikachu split off a number of illusions, her multiples racing hither-thither all over, calling the steel bird’s attention. “Thunderbolt!”

Dante’s claws slashed forward, glowing white. The exeggcute rolled out of the way of the metal claw, but the charmeleon, tail flame glowing blue, hissed loudly and lunged forward, teeth snapping, fire rushing through the cracks of his jaws. He hissed out flames that stopped the exeggcute’s backward retreat and stomped forward, reaching a clawed paw forward and snagging one of the eggs that made up the pokemon’s six-formed bundle.

He raised the egg to his face, hissing loudly at it, his fangs bared. The egg pokemon looked singularly terrified for a moment, before its eyes hardened. Opening its mouth, it abruptly released a mouth of seeds, spitting them sharply into the charmeleon’s eyes.

Dante released the egg with a snarl, whipping his head up and roaring angrily in pain. His tail whipped back and forth wildly and he brought his head down sharply, releasing a mouthful of crimson flames as he stomped forward, eyes still squeezed shut. There was a cry of fear and pain from the exeggcute as they were caught in the midst of the flamethrower attack, and a loud crunching sound, as Dante stepped down hard on something brittle, wet, and sharp.

Odysseus landed heavily on his stomach as the flareon’s iron tail took his legs out from underneath him. He lay recovering his breath, dust pluming as he gasped for air that had been knocked out of him. Pushing himself up on his paws, he groaned, muttering to himself. ”I’m too damn ol’ fer this.”

“Quick attack to your right!”

Odysseus didn’t even look. When he heard the lass’s command, he immediately did as she said, picking a point to the right – a very pronounced root on a large tree – and targeting it for his attack. He kicked off the ground, his speed carrying him toward the tree. He caught the ground with his forepaws and spun until he was facing the flareon again. He watched as the force of her attack – a ferocious Giga Impact – slammed her whole body into the ground where he had been standing mere seconds before.

A flash of movement out of the corner of his eye had him glancing at the lass as she seemed to hesitate, bringing a hand to her lips in uncertainty. Then, “W-Water Gun, Odysseus!”

He hesitated a moment, just long enough for her to rescind her command, but she didn’t. Her face, her eyes, held a determination that wouldn’t allow her to take back the order. Nodding sharply, he turned back to the flareon, who had recovered and was lunging for him, and released his water attack.

The force of it caught her in the chest and flung her backward, and he leapt forward and began the fight anew.

Zorro leapt into the air, merging a twist with a flip, and landed behind the sneasel. The weasel-like creature, who had been bringing a claws hand down at his face, recovered far more quickly that most, spinning around with his claws still moving. Zorro yelped as he was slashed sharply across the chest, two long, thin bloody marks to match others that decorated his blue and black fur.

With a hiss, the sneasel lunged forward, pulling a hand back as it did so. His claws formed into a fist, they began to glow an ominous white. With a cry of rage or, perhaps, presumed victory, the sneasel punched his fist forward sharply.

“Counter, Zorro!”

Zorro dropped down into a defensive position, his legs bent, and raised his arm protectively over his face. His body began to glow blue as the sneasel’s Focus Punch connected solidly with his arms. For a moment, they appeared to be frozen, two mismatched puzzle pieces thrust together in an awkward mating ritual.

Then, the blue around Zorro’s body flashed as his own attack took hold. Light erupted where the sneasel’s fist touched Zorro’s arms, and both pokemon were abruptly thrown backward.

Zorro flipped in the air backward, trying to regain his equilibrium, but he wasn’t able to correct himself before his body slammed heavily into a tree and rebounded into the earth. The sneasel was similarly flung back, slamming into his own trainer, who released a pain-filled cry as the out of control sneasel struck him, claws sinking into his flesh. The trainer flew backward, landing solidly on the ground with the unconscious sneasel on top of him.

“Zorro!” Tuesday yelled. She tried to run over to where he had crash landed, but was stopped when an umbreon dashed in front of her to avoid its opponent’s attack. Tuesday backpedaled to get out of the way of the dark pokemon’s faint attack, but sighed with relief when she saw Zorro sit his head up out of a pile of leaves.

”Mi back dolores,” he moaned, as he waded out of the leaves and dashed with a mild limp over to Tuesday. She bent down and hugged him soundly.

“Are you okay?”

”Si, si, no to preocuparse, mi hermana.”

”I’m going to eat stuffed metal turkey tonight, damnit!”

”I think Ratta need help,” Zorro said, glancing over to see Tempest dashing swiftly from side to side but failing to avoid a swift attack from the skarmory. He patted Tuesday’s hand, either in reassurance or to signal that he wanted free from her hug. Either way, she released her hold on him, and he leaped toward the skarmory with his usual giddy grace. “Ratta, I come help!”

”I don’t need your help!”

Zorro paused for a moment, actually freezing in his movements and standing on a precarious balance of one leg, arms frozen to the side, head cocked. He seemed to consider her ire, and then shrugged good-naturedly. ”Too bad.”

The cry of the skarmory came seconds before a fierce swing of his metal wings, but Zorro had leapt upward at the cry, flipping in midair and landing on the skarmory’s back. From out of nowehere he pulled a cowboy hat and replaced his feathered pirate hat. Whipping it around, he let loose a cry that he must have thought was reminiscent of cowboys, but sounded like a strangled yelp for help. “Rio olu lu lu!”

”Move, mutt!” Tempest yelled, electricity crackling around her body. Zorro paused in his hat whipping and cowboy mocking to look at her, but, with a strained face, shoved off of the skarmory’s back and leapt backward away from the metal bird. A second later, Tempest’s thunderbolt hit the skarmory hard, shoving the creature backward with a screech.

“Zorro!” Tuesday yelled, seeing the riolu dashing out of the way of the staggering skarmory. “Copycat!”

”I gets to play Ratta,” Zorro said, grinning. Racing across the ground, he narrowed his golden eyes as he replayed Tempest’s attack in his mind. He felt the power within his rise upward, coursing through him, and a static charge began to build. His fur felt… funny, like something was tugging on it one strand at a time, or loosening it. Anyone looking at him could see the electricity that sparked and coursed like lightning across his fur.

Sliding to a stop, kicking up dirt with his paws, Zorro brought his paws close together, forming them as though he were holding something. His eyes glittering, he concentrated hard on that sensation of a static charge across his body and pushed that sensation toward his paws.

A flickering, crackling ball of golden hot electricity formed between his paws. Zorro grinned suddenly, a bright, wide grin. With a barking laugh of pride, so pleased with his success, he stepped backward at the same moment that he brought his paws forward and thrust them outward, as though he were pushing something.

The ball of electricity raced from his paws as though trying to escape his hold. It slammed into the already-sparkling skarmory, sending the steel bird toppling over with a screech of pain and anger.

Zorro and Tempest let out similar whoops and bounded forward at the same time, until they were running next to each other. Zorro was grinning, proud of himself for having accomplished such a task as copying one of Tempest’s moves and taking down the skarmory. Tempest herself was rather stunned by the fact that Zorro was able to copy one of her moves, but she couldn’t deny his mockery had style.

”Is good, eh, Ratta?”

Tempest, caught off guard, froze next to the unconscious skarmory, looking at Zorro. After a moment, she regained control of herself and sat calmly, twitching her tail in a mild form of disinterest.

”It was all right, I guess.” She huffed lightly, turning her head away from him in a haughty rendition of Lady Foxtrot. ”I could still do better.”

This only seemed to please Zorro, for he grinned widely in response. ”Por supuesto! Is your attack!”

For whatever reason – and Arceus knew she didn’t know what that reason was – Tempest blushed beneath her fur. Her left ear twitched compulsively and she glanced back at Zorro.

The white glowing wing of the skarmory swung like a scythe through the air and slammed into Tempest’s throat, cutting off whatever reply the pikachu might have had for Zorro. Tempest was flung mercilessly through the air and hit the ground with a sick thud, rolling to a stop in the grass with her body curled protectively, but limply, around itself.

Zorro’s cry matched Tuesday’s, his rage for her pain. As she ran for Tempest, however, he turned his attention to the skarmory.

Tuesday moved through a messy, disastrous throng of battling pokemon and fighting humans, at one point getting shoved hard in the shoulder and another having to duck and run under the punched arm of a hitmonlee.

Zorro moved like an electric wraith. He did not leap right upward, but snaked, or perhaps crackled, across the ground, running at full speed. He kicked hard off of a tree trunk, flinging himself in the opposite direction, toward the skarmory, and brought both fisted paws back.

Then he released a series of lightning-fast punches into the skarmory’s beaked face. The last punch didn’t land, but Zorro instead smacked his paw flat against the skarmory’s neck, and then called forth that blue power that seemed to fill him and brim over. The skarmory let out a screech or pain as the Force Palm attack caused his neck to whiplash sharply to the side.

Tuesday slid into a sitting position next to Tempest, reaching out immediately for the pikachu but forcing herself to stop before she picked the pokemon up. Instead, she touched the pikachu gently, running her fingers over the rodent’s spine and checking for injuries that she could severely worsen by moving her. She – thank every deity she ever heard of – didn’t find any, and she reached to her belt and grabbed the pikachu’s recently-returned pokeball, recalling her swiftly.

Tuesday rose to her feet stiffly, Tempest’s pokeball stuffed deep into her pocket. Her arms were at her sides, her fists clenched tightly. Her hair had come out of its ponytail during her race to Tempest’s side and now hung in her face, frazzled and dirty from the battle. The sounds of fighting permeating the air more than anything and in a single moment, Tuesday heard each of battles strike her ears individually, their ferocity and the cruelty of the nature of the battle clear to her.

She had asked Jaima once, a time that seemed so long ago, if it was cruel to pit one pokemon against another in battle. He had answered that if they liked to battle and wanted to, then they were not forcing the pokemon, and it was all right.

But this… this was wrong. This wasn’t a battle for a badge or for fun with friends, or even one for pride. This was life or death and it was sick! And she hated it. And she hated them.

Whatever it was, rage, vengeance, or power, it bubbled up inside of Tuesday like a shaken soda. Too much pressure held closed for too long, it rushed upward, exploding past any and all restraints, and broke loose.

It was not Zorro who felt it, for he felt nothing at that moment but rage as he kicked and punched the skarmory, ignoring bleeding wounds across his own fur. Instead, Ashleigh, whose opponent – the shiftry – had been taken by a man who skated down from the sky on a rope. Leaping and lunging from one attacker to the next, aiding his friends and harassing his enemies, the houndoom froze suddenly when he felt it. The power, which emanated from Tuesday, verily pulsed from her, seemed to call out to him, and he raised his head, looking toward her.

He crouched low then, his right forepaw stretching outward as his left took weight. His hackles raised, the thin fur suddenly seeming to lengthen and grow haggard, sticking upward like some feral wolf’s mane. He pulled his lips back, white fangs bared and gleaming, dripping saliva at the ground as he released a tremendous snarl that would have shamed a greater beast’s roar. His eyes, crimson as a bloody sunset, seemed to glow in an unholy light, bearing a ring of gold around the pupil. He turned, his movements slow, heavy, laden with rage and power.

His bark was fierce. Commanding. There was none of the playfulness that they had so often noted him for, none of the silliness that made his being a dark-type something that was occasionally forgotten or ignored. In a moment, he was everything that dark types were feared for. And more.

The power bubbled outward from her. Frothed. Tuesday shuddered at the force of it, but did not seem to notice. She moved, crouching, legs bending at the knees and touching her left hand to the ground at her fingertips, resting some of her weight there. She shuddered again, leaned forward, and brought her right leg outward, her foot forward, until her knee touched her rib and she fell forward until her right hand touched the ground. She was breathing hard, heavy, her chest heaving. Her hair hung around her face in a wild mass of thick blonde curls, dark with dirt.

For a moment, she crouched there, on four legs rather than two, shuddering… or shivering. The battles raged on around her, and if anyone called to her, she heard none of them. She remained there for a moment – Tuesday, and something else. For a moment, two of the creatures were frozen in their movements, paused in the midst of a battle, but their minds, enraged, vengeful, sickened by this battle and willing for it to end, worked endlessly, worked mercilessly, fed on one another, and flew together.

In but a second, they had transcended all barriers and merged.

Tuesday raised her head, hair falling away from her face, and gazed forward with cloudy blue eyes. For a moment, she appeared to be looking beyond the battle, to something far away, with distant cloudy eyes. And then the eyes filled with something- a heavy, golden liquid that flooded in, consumed everything…

Tuesday’s eyes flashed a brilliant golden color, hardened, and as Ashleigh threw back his head and howled a loud, fierce, challenging cry to the skies, she moved.

She was on two legs again, but she remained crouched over, as though, at any moment, she might leap onto four legs and race across the ground. It seemed like she should be lurching in such a strange position, but she moved naturally – gracefully, even – across the ground. She did not throw herself into battle, but fell into it, and as her mind was connected with Ashleigh’s, she fought with him.

[Living Arrow]

<Everyone, listen to me.> Darryn’s thought-speak seemed to ease itself to the forefront of his focus into a place where he didn’t have to think about it to control where it went… It just… did? His four Pokemon glanced back in unison and he smiled for them. <Let’s make this a show they won’t forget!>

“PIDGEOOH!” Bravo screamed into the canopy, racing after a flitting dark shape that shimmered from place to place with a zipper-formed grin. Below him, his contemporaries clashed together with their own opponents in a cacophony of flames, lightning and ice.

<Lady. Take down that Carnivine with your Will-o-wisp attack!>

Darryn’s crimson Vulpix ducked under an incoming Vine Whip and dashed to the side of her foe, spitting purple-hued fireballs to encircle the enemy. The massive plant wailed as the burn took hold and cried out again as the slamming force of Extrasensory crushed him to the ground in a deathgrip.

<Romeo – don’t let that Glalie trick you! Use Double Team to confuse it! Victor, use Withdraw to protect yourself from that Horn Attack!>

The fluid motion of Team Kellor, graceful in its co-ordination, did not go unnoticed by Darryn’s opponent. He had battled her earlier that morning but this time her stance was different – it wasn’t the gloating, laid-back swagger of confidence but appeared to be a focused glare of determination and intrigue. Darryn opened his inner eyes for a moment to glimpse her Emotaglow before directing his attention back to his battles. She was excited. Not only that. She was fascinated. The Co-Ordinator gulped.

*She can see me giving orders without speaking! Crap! She knows too much!*

***

“That’s right! Follow follow follow me!” The Banette shrieked with laughter as she flickered among the branches of the upper canopy, luring the speedy Pidgeotto into a battlefield where he would be hampered by thick branches blocking much-needed space to build up momentum for fast attacks.

“Aaaaah!” Bravo screamed, his Quick Attack passing through the space where the ghost’s body had been a split second before.

“Oop! Got to be faster than that, bird-brain!” She taunted him from amid the foliage.

“Nyaaaah!” Bravo span and threw forth a tremendous Whirlwind that snapped away branches and cleared a space just long enough to see the disappearing smile of the Banette as she evaded him once more. Determined, he climbed higher into the canopy in search of open sky where he could rain down attacks from above. The sneaky ghost, however, had other plans.

“Thunderbolt!” She cackled from above, lightning bursting from her shredded fingertips into the face of the oncoming Bird Pokemon. Feathers flew in a scream of agony, the Pidgeotto shot from the sky like a lead balloon. With a screaming cackle, the Banette dove after the bird with malice in her wide eyes and glee on that zipper-made smile.

***

“Missed me again!” Romeo snorted, spitting out a lance of electricity into the Glalie’s back. The rear of the Face Pokemon, though scorched, did not even flinch as the bolt of lightning struck. Nor did it shudder when a rain super effective double kick attacks found its mark. The rounded form of the Glalie slowly turned to show a pleasantly content face that showed no hint of pain from the attacks it had endured.

“Ta for the massage, mate!” The Glalie nodded as though in sincere thanks. “But I’m afraid I can’t play with you anymore so don’t get mad when I beat you, m’kay?”

“Get paralysed, FaceBox!” Romeo pounced at his target, springing high and spinning in a golden shower of Thunder Wave that span down and around to encircle the floating ice head before him. The Glalie laughed and glittered green for a moment as the Protect field rose around its body to block the attack. Romeo gasped and, before he could land and dash for safety, became the victim of a terrifying upwards-Headbutt. With a squeal and a yelp, the Jolteon crashed to the earth in a sputtering stream of sparks.

***

“NARGH!” Victor wailed as his shell span rapidly through the air like a Frisbee. With a hollow ‘thunk’ he slammed a tree and bounced, skittering to a dazed halt on the forest floor. Distantly he heard a voice from nearby, the other human male was talking about the Quilava… the one named Ember… Victor tossed the ball at the sound of the voice and groggily, he emerged from the tough carapace to find an enormous purple stump descending upon him. “BUBBLEBEAM!”

The Nidoking’s hoof was held at bay for mere milliseconds longer by the Squirtle’s desperate attempt but it proved enough for the Tiny Turtle to find his footing and jump away to a relatively safe distance. Well, from the foot anyway.

A think, snaking tail of violet scales thundered into his chest, catapulting him back into the same tree, leaving an even larger dent of impact where he had made the first.

***

Darryn couldn’t believe his eyes. It was impossible!

“Lady!” Darryn cried, tears of frustration and anger shattering his vision of the horrific scene befalling his squad.

Bravo, completely ground, fluttered and stumbled in retreat of the Banette, lances of lightning bursting through his plumage like a butcher’s knife on Thanksgiving. Each attack tore free more of the feathers that Darryn had worked so hard to build up and flesh out into the glamorous pinions that his Pidgeotto had become so proud of.

Golden shimmering fur of Romeo did not hold out in perfect spikes with the electricity of battle. Instead, they hung flat to his body way he lay, panting heavily and dragging himself desperately to get out of the onslaught of Icy Wind that had rooted him to the spot.

Victor, still on his feet, was in no condition to battle anymore despite his bravery: his shell was cracked across the back and one of his eyes was almost closed with a swelling the size of a tennis ball. His left arm hung limply at his side, broken and useless. Even so, the other arm came up and summoned a swirling sphere of water that blasted wildly through the air, missing the Nidoking by some yards and opening himself up for a terrible Earth Power attack that took away his legs, dumping the tired Tiny Turtle on his face like a sack of Tamato Berries.

And lastly, Darryn’s most precious Pokemon, Lady was immobilised and unable to escape her opponent’s attacks. The vines of the Carnivine had invaded her fur, ensnaring not only her limbs but also clamping her mouth shut and her eyes closed leaving her completely defenceless. Her struggling kicks were becoming weaker and her telepathic cries were the first thing that Darryn had actually heard from her that sounded like pain. It was like a piece of him was dying whenever she called out to him, begging for help in the battle.

*My Pokemon! My friends!* Tears ran down Darryn’s cheeks. *They’re not strong enough to fight back! I’m not strong enough to fight back! I can’t let them get hurt like this. I… I love them too much for that! I’ve got to fight back! I’ve got to fight back!* Darryn’s jaw hurt from the pressure, his teeth about to break at any second… Heat soared in his chest and face, knuckles blazing white as anger steeped his very consciousness.

“That’s it, Carnivine! Rip off that ridiculous dog’s tails!” Darryn’s opponent snorted, watching gleefully as her grass type began to tug on the first of Lady’s tails with a vine.

<PRINCE DARRYN!>

“NOOO!” Darryn screamed, accompanied by a roar that deafened him and set goosebumps prickling up his back and arms like wild fire.

Zulu crashed into the clearing with no introduction, his Hammer Arm decimating the face of the Glalie pursuing Romeo and Ancientpower burying the howling Banette tormenting Bravo under a pile of rocks. It all happened in less than a few seconds. Then the Nidoking attacked… Then the Nidoking fainted as a Zen Headbutt was delivered to his chin with the speed and rage of an angered dino-mon.

“WHAT?! You had another Pokemon hidden away all along?! How deceptive.” The woman sneered, recalling her fallen three speedily. Darryn followed suit hastily, focusing on Lady as Zulu closed in on her position.

“Lady, return now!” Darryn recalled the Vulpix in a flash just as Zulu connected with the Bug Catcher and putting it down for good. It was recalled with a snarl and in a flash, the woman was retreating into the trees at a sprint. The Heal Ball was reactivated almost immediately to reveal an injured, very angry, crimson Vulpix.

<She knows.>

<And she’s getting away.>

As one, Darryn and Lady sprinted into the woods in hot pursuit of the Team Deception operative, leaving behind a rampaging Zulu who was just itching to fight anything that got in his way. Unseen by all in the group a small black creature melded with the shadows and followed the Co-Ordinator into the forest.

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima's hands were shaking. Since the ambush, there had been so little time to think that he felt a near overwhelming guilt at taking the time to acknowledge the fact. Even that emotion was pushed to the side. For whatever reason, he and his friends still had active pokemon, while the rescue team did not. Nothing could change the fact that they were beset by superior forces: They either had to move on despite this or succumb to defeat without trying. The latter option made Jaima sick to the stomach.

He had a vague sense of what was going on around him. He knew, for example, that Tuesday's battle had become significantly more pitched, and that Darryn's had caused him some distress. But the fact wwas, his own distress was keeping his attention too well for him to even ask Mercury if she could keep track of what was going on.

His opponent seemed to have been warned or told about his tactics, though that thought alone was disturbing, as it meant they were being watched. He currently was watching Mercury, arguably the strongest of his team, get figuratively (acknowledging that it may also have been literally hurt to think about) get torn apart by a blurred pokemon he knew was a ninjask.

Shadow sprung high in the air, panting as the torkoal he was facing off against rocked back. The angle was caused by Shadows' strike, but left Shadow open to a fire attack that he could not fully twist away from.

Fang seemed to have energy to spare, and for that Jaima was grateful. He had no idea how, but there was a mist around his teeth, and flashes of light against crystalline ice, where Jaima had only seen fire and electricity before. It was evening his fight with the other trainer's dugtrio handily, and his energy and enthusiasm made sure he was able to dodge the ground type's attacks.

Grondir and Tsunami had taken to trading opponents. Tsunami had been set upon earlier by a tangela, and Grondir by a magcargo. Tsunami had responded to the tangela's vine whip by ignoring it, despite the pained cry she gave out, and sending a powerful mud shot into the body of the fire snail. Grondir had caught on quickly, and his vines were giving the tangled grass type a match it wasn't used to. Even so, slowly, he was becoming overwhelmed.

Ember had, at first, run around between the combatants, and had only now returned to Jaima's side. He looked down, his mind racing. He pointed to the blur around Mercury's head just as she fell, insensate, and choked back the cry that the sight of her falling limp brought. He opened his mouth, the command sticking in his throat just long enough for a new player to enter the field.

"SHIFFFFFF!"

With a cry, the shiftry waved an arm, sending the ninjask off course, but also rolling the tangela and Fang away from their fights. Grondir immediately used engrain, holding him in place, and Ember was out of the wind attack enough to not be effected. Tsunami and Shadow stood their ground, standing still from benefit o f force of will and sufficient mass.

Shadow's eyes had dilated, and without command he leapt, arcing toward the dark type gracefully, his extended foot flaring with power. His anger, however, caused him to sail over the short statured pokemon to crash behind it. He sat up, blinked, and slumped backwards, fainted.

The shiftry did not seem to notice. He was taking his time stomping on the back of the ninjask who'd felled Mercury, but Jaima could see signs that once the crunching and squealing noises stopped, that the next target would be the first moving creature the pokemon laid eyes on.

And, unfortunately, that proved correct, when the shiftry turned, saw Jaima, and snarled low in it's throat.

* * * * *

Fang could smell the fear on the humans around him. He could sense the charge in the air, especially from the direction of the girl's pikachu. There was so much tension, so much fear, ranging from worry to terror, that he could taste it in the back of his throat.

It did nothing to dampen his mood. Instead, it made him even more aware, more willing to battle.

Nothing could ruin his mood.

He had not, not, been abandoned again.

It hadn't taken Shadow nor Mercury long to explain it, of course, once they'd made contact with each other, but even that reassurance was nothing to the feeling of his trainer, who'd chosen him and been nothing less than Awesome, kneeling down to hug him tightly upon seeing him.

Jaima had not abandoned him, or Mercury, or anyone. He had missed them.

Fang could not fail. If he'd been Awesome before, he was exponentially more so no.

The dugtrio cackled in that creepy triple voice they had, and Fang grinned ice at them before bolting in to attack.

* * * * *

Mercury did not mind fainting. It wouldn't be her first, and indeed would not be her last. And it wasn't as if she was locked in some black void where she couldn't keep track of anything. However, in a way, that was part of the problem.

She could sense the anger in Shadow, the fear that she was hurt irrevocably causing him to launchin himself into a void (and, for once, she prayed that the void was a dark pokemon and not a literal void), the rage and fear causing him to launch too fast, too hard, too far, and crash, causing him to sink into darkness, succumbing to both unconsciousness and the shame of having lost control. She could also sense Trainer Jaima's rising panic, his sense of slowly becoming overwhelmed.

She could sense that Trainer Tuesday had, herself, lost a form of control, but rather than be wreckless, she had lost it to a source close to her, melded it, given way to it, and was surprised at the senses this opened to her, both her the trainer and her the pokemon. She smelled woodfire and dark chocolate, and got the briefest sense of rage at a combatant, mixed even more briefly with a sense of joy at recognizing her, so brief it passed like the swipe of a tongue across her face.

She felt Trainer Darryn's panick, rising to near breaking, Lady's struggling to stay calm, but her own fear raising, especially when an opponent broke away.

She felt Meiko's determination, fear, and anger mixing into a potent fuel, kicking her commands out of her throat like shots and barks rather than the usual smooth strawberry wine they came out as, especially when she and Trainer Jaima were talking.

Something broke. Several things at once, and then she was pulled into a dark, quiet space, and it was, despite her thoughts to the contrary moments before, a large relief.

* * * * *

Jaima took a step back, and that's when he heard the command, nasally, but forceful, the voice behind it so clear and confident that if the same command had been given with his name, he'd have tried to follow it.

"The Beak! Drill Peck!"

A long, eerily warlike cry sounded just above Jaima's head, like a siren calling men to battle, and a dark shape swooped past him, striking beak first into the shiftry. The dark plant pokemon staggered back, roaring.

"Close Combat," the voice cried, and the large flying pokemon's wings, beak, and claws blurred as he tore into the shiftry, causing it to stumble back, bleeding ichor from various scratches. With a glare that would have killed a lesser being, but met with a look of amused contempt, the shiftry turned tail and pounded into the forest, the bird flapping after it until a shrill whistle called it back.

Jaima spun, heart pounding. A man with a large, pointed nose and a short mop of red hair was stepping out of a helicopter, the wind of which he hadn't even felt. His face was grim, and two women, a tall asian and a girl with curly brown hair jumped out behind him. Despite the gravity of the situation, the man nodded to Jaima, then shifted his attention to the group behind him, tossing a pokeball over Jaima's head. Jaima tracked it, and found it again when the dark haired girl opened it, calling out a massively large purple granbull.

"Pinky," the woman cried viciously, pointing at the pokemon menacing Jaima's. "Hyper beam!"

The canid opened it's large mouth to what seemed to be exploud proportions, and a bright beam of light lanced out, catching the tangela and dugtrio both, sending one forcibly back into the ground and the other flying away.

The man was at the other girl's side, the girl who Jaima had travelled with briefly, and in time she released her empoleon, her eyes flashing as the light reflected off of his wings. "Sabre! Flash cannon!"

From a set of trees on the other side, Jaima caught glimpse of a tall man with a bulbous nose and curly green hair, who, silently, tinkered with the pokeball on the hip of the younger man in the group, releasing a large blastoise, who was commanded to use hydro pump against the foes left by Darryn.

The doctor's chancy leapt up, throwing eggs at the worst of the pokemon, giving them energy to fight. But, as Jaima looked around, his heart just beginning to slow, he noticed that their opponents, the trainers of the straggling pokemon.

The red headed man was hugging the dark haired woman, closely, as if he hadn't seen her in ages. They spoke, then he turned, facing Jaima directly. He stepped forward, a slight smile on his face. "I'm Phineas Flynn. I understand I have your friends and you to thank for helping my wife and her team?"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Hidden under the fallen foliage of a battle-scarred forest, a tiny pokemon watched.

The greatest patches of his golden fur were covered by the large leaves that had been dropped – or forced – from tall trees. He held the stem of one between two tiny paws, letting the body of it arc backward and shield him from view, as he peered through the tiny bite marks of a caterpie at the battle that waged around him.

The tiny pichu had been a prisoner of the shiftry – no doubt the great beastly tree had planned to eat him – but had been dropped by the monster when a large black dog took an offensive position against the creature. The pichu had watched the dark dog’s battle for a little while, but he got bored and turned his attention elsewhere, and then somewhere else, and then somewhere else again. His eyes, tiny little orbs with wide pupils and the smallest circle of maple brown, eventually latched onto a creature that held his attention – a stalwart fighter that flung sand and dirt, dancing and spinning and battling with a grace that the little pichu dared himself to match. He moved to rise, to push himself from the ground and scatter the leaves from him as he joined the battle and brought them to victory!

A fierce hiss, an angry roar, the stomping and heavy tumble of a myriad of pokemon called hesitancy to the little pichu. He shivered, his wide eyes widening further, and his tiny paw reaching out to grab another leaf – and another, and another – until he had piled them on top of himself and cleverly disguised himself as a pile of leaves raked together. No one would find him now and he would be safe. They could win without him. He wouldn’t even have to watch.

The little pichu blinked in the darkness of his leafy fort, listening to the sounds of battle – the roars, hissing, heavy thuds as the ground shook…

Tiny paws pushed aside the leaves in front of his eyes. They could win without him, sure, but… watching couldn’t hurt, he supposed.

The pichu found the sandshrew again with his eyes and, grinning widely, watched him continue the fight.

~*~

The coppery taste of hot blood oozing between his teeth and running down his throat did not loosen Dante’s grip on the jolteon’s neck. The spikes of fur digging into the roof of his mouth mixed his blood with the blood of his opponent and Dante could smell both clearly as he fought to retain his hold. Not that the battle was difficult. The jolteon was weak.

Sinking his teeth in deeply, the charmeleon ignored the flaring pain as the spikes sank deep into his skin, listening as the jolteon let out a braying series of yelps. Clawing wildly at the dirt, the electric dog howled and whined in agony as blood ran through the crevices of fur spikes. Dante twisted his head and released the jolteon at the peak of the movement, throwing the dog to the side.

The jolteon landed in a sparking heap, his head slapping down against the ground and sending mud flying everywhere. Tongue rolled out of his mouth, ignorant of the mud now coating it, he panted heavily.

Another of his team, a vaporeon, flew over his body, having been flung by a very displeased Odysseus. Having already fought the flareon they rode with, the buizel was not very happy about having been placed in combat with another canine.

A bout of flames caused Odysseus to jump back, giving up his sonicboom attack. The swath of fire burst forth from the charmeleon’s mouth and consumed the exhausted jolteon in a mere second.

The jolteon let loose a barrage of yelps so loud and harsh that they must have tore through his throat in their rise from his chest. And then the dog did the only thing it could think to do in retaliation.

Electricity, fierce and feral in the jolteon’s fear, erupted from within the flames Dante had unleashed, sparking outward in an attempt to destroy all threats. The water that had soaked into the ground, however, and the mud that the jolteon lay in, formed the perfect conductor for his electricity.

Odysseus realized what was about to happen a moment before it did. He had enough time to crouch low in preparation from a leap away before the electricity reached him.

Odysseus was an old fighter and had been through a lot, but no matter how much pain he had endured in his life, even he couldn’t hold fast against the agony of a barrage of electricity. Letting out a scream, the buizel lost all focus on the battle around him, as he became the first victim of the jolteon’s electric attack.

The lightning reached the vaporeon a mere second later, hitting her tail first and then racing through her body. She let out a braying shriek of pain as her legs gave out beneath her and she collapsed to the ground. Lightning crackling around and through her body, she could do nothing but release a gargling scream as her body convulsed in the wake of electrocution, before she finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

The electricity continued to race through the water on the ground for a few more seconds, until the flamethrower attack from Dante finally finished the jolteon, and the electricity ceased.

Snorting derisively, annoyed at the very idea that such a weak pokemon would even try to take him on, Dante turned his head away from the fallen dog. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, Odysseus sway from the effects of the electrical attack and its sudden release, before collapsing face-first into the mud. Dante released a loud huff. He had no time for old geezers. Especially those who thought that they were so great, and just proved to be so weak.

Behind him, Odysseus lay on the ground, his open mouth filled with mud and his wide eyes glazed. Dante turned away to find a new opponent and didn’t look back.

~*~

The skarmory had fallen. Too many strikes done with too much rage from the paws of the riolu. It had crashed down in a heap of steel – a veritable junkyard pokemon – as Zorro leapt away with that rage still burning fiercely in his heart.

Copycat became his move of choice as he battled his way through, attacking any and everything he considered an enemy. The dark pulse an umbreon used against a pokemon Zorro didn’t recognize, he copied to use against a drowzee. A discharge was copied to take down a mothim, a fire blast used to decimate a meganium. He defeated none solely, but used his ability to attack all of his ally’s opponents, sending them back, giving his ally’s a break, forcing the opponent to retreat, and showing them all that they should never have hurt his ratta!

A brazen roar was all he got as warning, but it was enough to Zorro to leap upward, onto the branch of a tree, as the rampardos came crashing through, scattering friend and foe alike. Missing the leaping riolu, Zulu slammed headfirst into the trunk of the tree, splintering bark and sending the mass crashing to the ground. Zorro leapt away at the last second to land some feet from the beast. Narrowing his eyes into a glare, he reached up and removed the pirate hat, tossing it carelessly to the side. Zulu was an ally, but he was attacking friends.

This was not to be allowed.

With a scream of rage, Zorro leapt at the rampardos. Twisting in midair, he let loose a fierce screech, before slamming his fist down onto the rampardos’ head.

Zulu threw his head back and, Zorro screaming from the pain of the bones in his hand shattering on impact, flung the riolu into a tree.

Zorro struck the tree with enough force to tear bark from its hide, falling to the ground in a heap. Sobbing, sweat and tears running down his face, Zorro staggered to his feet with his hand clutched to his chest, gasping for breath through the pain. His vision blurred and, for a second, there were two rampardos racing each other to reach him. He blinked.

The rampardos fused together into the real Zulu, and then the real Zulu slammed his head into Zorro’s body. There was a heavy CRUNCH as a number of bones in Zorro’s body shattered on impact with the rampardos’ skull, and then the riolu was airborne, catapulted backward until the force of gravity drug him back to earth and he crashed to the ground in a heap of blue and black fur.

~*~

There was he, and then there was her, and they were each other, and they were not.

Ashleigh was himself, but in his mind, he could feel the runt. She was there, but then she was not, but running across the battlefield, her mind in his and her mind elsewhere. He could feel her, with him, without him, as he battled the lightning dog, by himself, and with her.

The manectric howled while Ashleigh snarled and then there were two mouths slavering, snapping for throats as the two pokemon lunged at one another, scratching, kicking. Ashleigh slammed his head against the manectric’s throat, but the electric dog’s teeth found skin and clamped down sharply on Ashleigh’s neck. There was a scream and Ashleigh yelped, whining and barking, snapping his teeth at the manectric to try and grab hold of something to return the pain and make him release.

A snarl of rage, the manectric released his grip so he could snap his teeth closer, fangs sinking deeply into hot flesh, bringing forth blood that hit the air with a steamy hiss. Ashleigh snapped, kicked, and whipped his tail around. The manectric released him with a yelp as the houndoom’s tail slashed into his eye, and then Ashleigh opened his mouth and roared.

The manectric yelped loudly in sudden terror, leaving a trail of piss behind him as he ran away. With a snarl that held no humor, Ashleigh lunged after him. His long legs carried him in a greater stride than the manectric and he caught up easily, leaping into a tackle and sinking his teeth into the skin of the manectric’s throat as the two of them rolled.

A roar and a heavy running stomp sent the two dogs scattering in opposite directions. Ashleigh moved quickly, his black coat easily helping him to meld with the shadows, and though that wouldn’t have helped him to hide from the rampardos, the manectric looked flashier. Zulu turned his back on Ashleigh and a staggering Zorro to go after the electric dog.

The rampardos released a heavy, grating roar before headbutting the manectric and sending the electric dog crashing to the ground a few feet away. Electricity sparked around Zulu’s head as the manectric’s Static ability took hold. Rising to his feet, the manectric snarled and released a thunder wave attack that crashed into Zulu like a lightning bolt. The rampardos roared and stretched out to run after the manectric, but the thunder wave had done its damage and made moving next to impossible. With a grunt and a heavy thud that shook the forest, Zulu crashed to the ground and lay paralyzed, like a small, angry rock mountain.

With a snarl, the manectric lunged for Zulu.

Ashleigh beat the manectric to him and launched himself at the lightning dog before he could attack the paralyzed rampardos. Within his mind, Ashleigh could feel the runt’s rage burning like his fire as these people and pokemon attacked their friends. With a snarl that completely overwhelmed one made by the manectric, Ashleigh slammed his whole body into the manectric’s and sank his teeth into glimmering golden neck flesh.

~*~

Tuesday was not Tuesday in her mind.

In her mind, she didn’t have a name. Names were unnecessary. Words were unnecessary. Thoughts were obsolete. There were only actions.

She leapt onto the man’s back, arms – legs – wrapping around his neck as she sank teeth – fangs – into the flesh of his shoulder-blade. The man screamed in as much pain as rage, throwing his hands behind him to grab her. He wrapped fingers around her arm – leg – and twisted his other hand into her long hair. With a scream, he pulled her up his back and then threw her over his head, strands of hair clinging to his hand, ripped from her head, even as he released her and she landed heavily on her shoulder.

She rolled with the motion, the pain there but distanced. No thoughts. She rolled, hands – paws – coming out to catch her body, legs bent to hold her. She crouched, her lips pulled back, teeth – fangs – bared as she snarled low in her throat. Dirty blonde hair hung raggedly around her face, and from under muddy bangs, her eyes were narrowed into slits. Once cloudy blue eyes were now crimson, ringed in gold, and they glared at the man in anger and hatred, and no fear. Instinct. No thought. No words. No names. Just action.

With a snarl, she pushed legs against the ground, propelled forward, arms – legs – catching her, aligning her body, aiming her movements, and legs kicked against, thrust against ground, forced her forward, and she leapt.

The man reached out with fast hands, hand catching her hair and pulling tightly, jerking her out of her leap, yanking her down and twisting sharply. She let out a shriek of pain and a scream in rage as she kicked, scratched, and snapped her teeth at him. The man laughed, wrapping his other arm around her torso and pulling her against him. He grinned into her ear. “Hey’o, you little shit. My boss ‘as been lookin’ for you.” He pulled sharply on her hair, jerking her head back so her throat was exposed and grinned where she could see him. “But I might ‘ave to keep you for myself, just for a little while.”

The man laughed at the girl’s attempt when he heard the snarl. He looked down at her face, grinning. Her eyes flicked to him. She stared, eyes gleaming crimson and gold, not moving. He heard another snarl, only… she just continued to stare.

He stared at the girl, his eyes widening.

She smiled.

He didn’t know what part hit him first, the fangs, the claws, or the body of the beast, but the dog was all over him and it didn’t really matter what came first.

He hit the ground. The girl had fallen from his hold at some point, got away, and then he was belly-down on the ground, the dog on top of him, slavering in his ear, drooling down the side of his face, but not biting… not clawing him while he was down… just holding him there.

Eyes flicking around, the man caught sight of a large stick near him and reached out slowly to grab him. He grinned despite the dirt against his face and chuckled dryly in his throat. “Coward.”

He rolled, the houndoom yelping as it lost balance, and rose into a sitting position as he swung the stick. It connected solidly with the houndoom’s skull, sending the dark dog collapsing to the ground with a huff and a whine.

Chuckling, the man pushed himself to his feet, throwing the stick away in favor of the pokeball at his belt. He grinned as he tossed it to the ground. “Go on, girl,” he drawled as the red light faded, “have some fun.”

With a roar, the kangaskhan charged at Ashleigh. Her pouch was empty and her eyes displayed her rage, her roar her fear, her actions her desperation. Ashleigh pushed himself slowly to his feet, staggering to a standing position as the kangaskhan came for him.

He was ready.

~*~

Odysseus coughed. He blinked, the glaze fading from his eyes as he regained consciousness. He pushed himself up, arms shaking. He snapped at the air, his chest heaving, and then vomited mud. Retching and coughing, he shoved himself up, took a few steps, and collapsed back to the ground.

He heard a yelp and a scream and shoved himself to his feet. Blinking away water, spitting mud, he staggered forward, stumbling until he regained his equilibrium, and then broke into a run, back into the battle.

He was too damn old for this.

~*~

Zorro ran back toward Tuesday. He could see Ashleigh fighting a great dinosaur and a man whipping out commands, and there was the captain, Odysseus, running back, too, and his hermana was pushing herself to her feet. Hair hanging ragged, damp, and filthy in her face, she stood up tall, glaring at the man with fire in her eyes, a snarl on her lips.

Tuesday gasped as the ground beneath her exploded outward in a wave of dirt and ricocheting rocks, and an onix burst upward from the earth, flinging Tuesday into the sky.

[Living Arrow]

His breath burned like the fires of hell in his throat, scorching his tongue until only a croak could come forth in the ragged breaths that he drew as he ran. Tears stung his eyes, his heartbeat drummed thunder into his ears and his taste buds were overcome by metallic fear. Darryn ran.

Her limbs quivered with untold exhaustion, flitting like a Beautifly’s wings across the hard-packed loam. Sweat matted her otherwise luxurious fur wetly across her body like a soaked rag and ran down into her chestnut eyes that glared unblinking at the back of her fleeing prey. Anger, steeped in fear and adoration, fuelled her soul to bursting – driving her onwards to stop the unthinkable. Lady ran.

He closed the gap between himself and the escaping foe, pale brown hair whipping behind her like a banner. A banner that he snatched from the air.

“Aaah!” The woman screamed as Darryn wrenched back on her hair. Her head appeared to keep still as her feet carried on, kicking out forwards into the air only to be snapped back as she was cast downward to the ground. She gasped, desperately sucking at the air that was snatched without warning from her lungs but all she could draw was the tiniest whispers of oxygen through her lips.
The Co-Ordinator panted heavily, his fingers still ensnaring the woman’s brunette locks like the teeth of a Sharpedo on its prey. His chest rose and fell rapidly, mimicking the flitting movement of his eyes as he searched the woman’s face, seeking clues as to what his next move should be. She stared back at him, wide-eyed and startled like a confused child. Her arrogance and swagger had been completely left behind.

<Don’t fall for it, Prince Darryn.> Lady’s voice skimmed the surface of Darryn’s thoughts. <They name themselves Team Deception for that very reason – you cannot trust what is seen with your eyes.>

“But… But we can’t let her go – not now she knows about us!” Darryn permitted himself a tiny glance to his beloved partner. “But what can we do?”

<Isn’t it obvious?> A familiar, sultry telepathy announced herself even as she padded into view. The black Vulpix appeared as though she were made of Darkness herself. <You take away that which would be used to harm you. A disarming, if you will.>

<Belladonna.> Lady’s thought-speak spat the name.

<Nice of you to realise I was here, Camelia.> The Midnight Vulpix stalked around the Crimson, tails waving menacingly. <Clearly you are still the weakling we always knew you were.>

“Lady?” Darryn did not release the woman’s hair as he glanced between the vulpi.

<Prince Darryn… This is my->

<Do not use that word!> The dark fox’s voice hissed angrily, all six tails rising to attention.

<This is Belladonna.> Lady finished, her stance somewhat submissive around the elegant newcomer. Darryn didn’t like the way Lady’s voice sounded with the presence of this creature – she was subdued like he hadn’t seen before.

<More importantly, I am you’re only hope for maintaining the secrets to which you hold dear.>

“Get offa me!” The Team Deception grunt had finally caught her breath and started to thrash, reaching back to claw at Darryn’s arms while kicking wildly. He struggled to keep her restrained for a moment before a blue aura settled around her body – a perfect match to the hue of Lady’s eyes.

<Come with me.>

////****\\\\

The world around Darryn instantly fragmented and shattered, falling away from his vision like a thousand shards of mirror. His own reflection disappeared from sight, somehow falling forever downward and leaving him stood on a plane of darkness, the woman held captive by Lady gone from view. The Co-Ordinator’s Vulpix still had azure eyes – clearly she was still tied to the woman, wherever she was.

“Wha-? Where are we?!” Darryn demanded, finding himself unable to move, his fingers still locked tightly around air that had once held the hair of the woman he had been chasing. His head and eyes, free to move scanned the surrounding blackness. Nothing as far as the eye could see.

<The Plane of Vul.> Lady informed him, her body also immobilised. <This is where the psychically talented of our mind come to speak when our bodies are far apart.>

<And also where we come to train those very skills.> Belladonna’s voice was firm and direct. <Something that little Camelia here has clearly been doing behind our backs.>

*Camelia?*

<That’s her name.> Belladonna’s pitch eyes narrowed fiercely.

<Not anymore!> Darryn fired back, pleased to see the black Vulpix visibly twitch from his thought speak. <And until you explain who you are and why you have brought us here, you will get no cooperation from us!>

<YOU DARE TO CHALLNEGE ME!?>

Breath was pulled from Darryn’s lungs instantly, pressure crushing him from all sides in an overwhelming onslaught of psychic power. His eyes burned with the ferocity that Belladonna exacted upon him.

<Stop! Please!> Lady’s voice pierced through the dark and slowly, the sickening feeling of being strangled by giant hands relaxed from Darryn’s body.

<Open your eyes, children!> Belladonna stalked around the pair in a circle, her diminutive size somehow dominating them both completely. <You have an opportunity here to prevent what you are so afraid of! The woman you have taken is aware of your secret. You know this. You know what it means. Left to her own devices, this woman will return to take or abuse that gift. You must not let that happen.> She continued her cicling, each pace bring her closer in an inexorable spiral of intent. <And the Aura Wielder among you. She knows about her, too. Are you willing to let harm come to such a child when you know you can prevent it?>

*Tuesday! She'll be targeted... just like me... Jaima wouldn't forgive me if I let something happen to her, knowing that I could have prevented it. Meiko wouldn't speak to me again... What do I do?!*

“And what are we supposed to do, exactly?” Darryn demanded angrily. “You can’t expect us to kill her!”

A deathly silence followed.

<Prince Darryn, I->

“Don’t even think it, Lady!” Darryn couldn’t believe the slightest suggestion! He wasn’t a murderer! And neither was Lady!

<You do not need to end a life to erase what must be erased.>

“What do you mean? Like memories?”

<With the right training.> Belladonna stopped her pacing, sitting on her haunches between the two. She gazed back and forth at them. <But I am afraid my sister is far too weak to do it on her own.>

“Then you help us!”

<You think I can help from where I am at this moment? Even the Great Cassandra couldn’t manage that. You see, my Prince, I am not the type of Pokemon to go wandering off into the wilderness. I prefer more… urban surroundings.> Belladonna’s body shifted like smoke and almost instantly was before Darryn, eyes staring intently into his own. An apparition. <But you can help her.>

“Me?” Darryn looked to Lady for guidance, but his Crimson Vulpix remained motionless and silent.

<Indeed. A funny thing the mind. You see, with this notion of will, one may overcome such attempts to forcefully remove pieces of the mind. Quite obviously, will is controlled by emotions and emotions are what your kind are experts at altering. Remove certain emotions and replace them with others, take that will away and->

“No! I can’t! I won’t!” Darryn struggled against his invisible bonds. What Belladonna was saying was unthinkable! Take away the base of this human woman’s very being and rip memories out of her? It was just… just… disgusting!

<You can, Prince Darryn.> Lady’s voice was soft. <And you must. You have wanted for so long to be rid of those abilities that the female forced upon you because you think people will treat you differently. There is no way to get rid of them, so protecting their presence is all that is left to ensure you receive the life the you want – to be ‘normal’.>

“But…” Darryn could feel the pit of his stomach stretching away from him.

<No other way.>

<It must be done.>

"How long will this... this training take?" Darryn croaked, his limbs shaking under their invisible bonds.

<On the Plane of Vul? Only a moment...>

Tears welled in Darryn Kellor’s eyes but as the possibilities and options open to him clarified in his mind, the tears began to run dry.

////****\\\\

“Where am I?” A female’s voice echoed in the woods, frightened and meek.

“Lady?”

<She cannot see or hear us, Prince Darryn.> The Vulpix confirmed, standing no more than ten feet from the weeping woman. <Nor will she remember. Nor will anyone be able to hear her.>

<And more importantly, she is no longer a threat.> Belladonna’s voice whispered on the breeze as her ghostly form began to disperse like smoke. <Remember your skills well, Prince Darryn. You’ll be needing them more from now on.>

“I know…” Darryn hung his head.

<The others are waiting.> Lady stole Darryn’s thoughts.

“Right... let’s go.” Finally accepting his Empath abilities, Darryn turned his back on the 6-year old woman and made his way back to his friends with only one thought in mind. He would protect them, himself and his Pokemon with every resource he had available. No matter what.

[Master Houndoom]

For a moment, Jaima thought it was over. He would curse himself for a fool afterwards, when it actually was, but, for a moment, he allowed himself to believe that it was over, and all there was to do was find Darryn, recall their fainted and hurt pokémon, and get out of those woods.

Phineas, one of the rescue workers, explained that they might have to split up: The helicopters would hold up to four people besides the workers themselves, yes, but they had only brought two extra helicopters, with a couple of technicians, in case the original vehicle had merely malfunctioned.

That was when Jaima heard the scream, spun, and his vision went red.

* * * * *

Meiko was staggered to see the new pokémon, and more than relieved to see that they were, for the time being, helping her team rather than attacking it. As it stood, Desert Dancer was wavering, Cosette was flinging leaves willy-nilly, blinded by sand attacks that she had stumbled in the way of from their opponent, Rockclaw had put himself back in his pokéball, and she had been forced to recall Ramhorn when the person she was battling refused to stop attacking his fainted form.

She squeezed the pokéball in her hand, watching the woman, who had been set upon by an extremely angry empoleon, dash away. If Rockclaw hadn't avoided the battle, she would have stood a chance! Ramhorn could have been killed, may still be dead, and it was because her stupid pokémon wasn't brave enough to fight.

She looked up, looking for Jaima, and saw something else. Something that brought every fear from her past relationship rising to the surface and bubbling over, causing her arms and legs to tremble and her eyes to fill with tears; a man holding Tuesday by the hair, intimating that he would like his own time with her before he gave her to his boss. When Ashleigh tackled the man, it didn't stop: he simply grabbed a stick and beat the canid. Meiko's teeth clenched as she tried to control her reaction, but she couldn't, and suddenly her eyes opened and she let out a feral scream, running to the man after he released a pokémon to attack Tuesday, leaping up, and hanging off of his back.

The resulting impact caused him to stagger forward, but the more troublesome factor was the rabid teenage girl trying desperately to pinch, claw, kick and bite every part of him she could reach. Which, fortunately or not, was his shoulders and his head.

She may not have been dangerous. She was, however, annoying. The man reached back and grabbed a hold of some kind of silky fabric, using it to pull her forward and throw her off of him. As she rose to her feet, he walked to the stick he had discarded and picked it up, walking slowly back to the girl.

Her face was defiant, but she seemed to realize the stick's presence meant that he was not her usual villain, not like one of those guys on the kiddy shows that made sure no children came to harm. She clenched her fists and tensed, ready for an attack.

"You're not bad looking," he said, nonchalantly, and her face paled. "Really. You're not. I could, you know, have fun with you. Clean you up a bit… make sure you're properly broken… sure, you're a little old for my tastes, but I could deal with that."

By now Meiko was backing up, her mouth curling into such a scowl that her cheeks hurt. The man's words were affecting her, getting past the shield of rage to the fear on the other side of it, and kami save her, she couldn't hold the anger much longer.

"But there's a problem. You've got moxie, kid…" He raised the stick, snarling in a feral manner. "And I hate moxie!"

Meiko closed her eyes crossing her arms above her head to try to block the attack.

It never came.

The man's arm moved, bulged, trying to yank the stick forward, but he couldn't. Finally he turned his head. Behind him was a boy, bedraggled, dirty, his face streaming with sweat and tears, looking for all the world like the younger girl's houndoom. His hand was raised and muscles bunched under his skin in the effort to hold the stick back. The man turned to deal with the boy, when the teenage girl's fist slammed into the side of his ribcage, thrusting the wind out of his lungs and making his muscles briefly slacken. It was all the boy needed to jerk the stick from his hands.

He held it in front of him, horizontally, with both hands on either end. With a twist and a jerk, he broke the stick in half and flung one side of it from his left hand.

"I'm so sick and tired of this," he said, eerily calm despite his heavy breathing. "No one's done anything to hurt you. We haven't done anything against you, and you just. Keep. Coming…"

The man sneered and sent a fist at the boy, hitting him in the chest. The girl screamed again and grabbed his arm, but he threw her off of him. He turned again, expecting to see the boy sprawled backwards, but instead was just in time to see a fist coming straight for his jaw. He ducked to the side, but still caught the punch in the shoulder. He was surprised that it had sent him staggering backwards.

"You don't let up! And the things you do," the boy continued, slamming his other fist into the man's now unprotected jaw. "You make shadow pokémon, you send other pokémon to do dangerous things, still others to attack humans!" The man tried to punch back, but the boy somehow managed to wedge the incoming arm between his own arm and his body, grabbing it and turning, sending the man spinning into a tree. "Just when I think you can't get any worse, you do! Now you've taken to ambushing us at night!"

The man pushed off of the tree, only to be shoved back by the boy, who was no longer, in the man's eyes, just some kid, but an opponent, then a beast, someone out to kill him. The second fist, his right, came up again, crashing into his jaw, and the man could see the stick in it, and, for a brief second, was afraid.

"And now you're threatening to kidnap little girls, and beat up people and pokémon with sticks! For what?!" He grabbed the man with his left hand and pulled him forward, getting into his face. "Why are you doing this?!" Pushing as hard as he could, he sent the man reeling backwards, crashing to the ground when he tripped on a root. "It doesn't matter! The next person that tries to hurt my little sister, or my girlfriend, or my best friend, I'm going to tear them apart with my bare hands!"

That was enough for the man. Sure, he liked his job. Sure, they needed the girl. But he wasn't getting paid enough for this. He stood up, hands shaking, when the kid looked down at his right hand.

"AND WOULD SOMEONE GET THIS STICK OUT OF MY HAND BEFORE I BEAT THIS GUY TO DEATH WITH IT?!"

The man ran.

Another man approached, slowly, cautiously, his own hands raised, palms facing Jaima, at chest height. Jaima briefly recognized the shock of green hair, and when the man reached him, he didn't react. He reached down and gently pulled the stick from Jaima's hand, tossed it away from the rest of the people, and tilted his head. His mouth opened, and a rich British baritone came out.

"Do you feel better now?"

Jaima sighed, weariness coming over him. "I… don't know."

Meiko approached, holding onto Jaima's arm. There was a scratch on the side of her face, but otherwise she looked fine. Her eyes were tired, angry, and weary.

And then, from the ground shot the head of an onix. From the nearby trees, a trio of steelix crashed through to the clearing, saw Jaima, Meiko, and Tuesday, and roared.

Meiko looked at them, jaw dropped almost to her chest, and then screamed out, "OH, COME ON!"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

It was in a moment when there was nothing around her and something faded within her that she realized that she was Tuesday again. She was not fully Tuesday, because she was also Ashleigh, but she could feel herself again – her fingers, her toes, and the place where her spine did not extend into a tail. She felt somehow saddened by that, wronged by it, but there was no time for that thought now. There was no time to scream now, as there was nothing around her but wind, and Tuesday twisted in the air, turned, and came down feet-first on the onix’s head.

Her feet slipped, the soles of her sneakers sliding across stone skin, and then Tuesday did scream as fingers reached for a hold but found none, and she fell again.

The wind was knocked out of her lungs when she hit the onix’s body on her back, gravity dragging her toward the edge. There was a ripping sound as the rocks caught Tuesday’s belt and tore it off. Tuesday’s hands flew out, grasping at rocks and reaching for the belt but she kept sliding. She swung her legs on instinct, her momentum not stopping her fall but pulling her closer toward the onix’s curling form as it continued to rise from the ground.

Her fingers slipped from rocks again, missing the belt. She fell, and something hard slammed into her side and then she was flying.

~*~

Ashleigh was tired.

He was tired, and he was angry.

The kangaskhan was brutal in her attacks, but she fought purely with rage. She wanted something out of it – her pup, if Ashleigh’s thought were right about her pouch being empty – whereas Ashleigh only wanted to protect his alpha, and he wanted this all to end.

Protecting his alpha came first, before anything else.

Ashleigh heard Tuesday’s scream and saw from around the kangaskhan’s tail as it swung against his body that she had hit the onix and slipped from it. Ashleigh did not move without thinking – that would have been stupid. Instead, he spared a moment to think that he should dodge left – and he did – to avoid the swinging fist aimed at his face, and then he ran for the onix.

He ignored the kangaskhan’s claws and tail and fists as she attacked him, continuing to run despite her ferocity and the blood she drew, the pain she caused. He leapt onto the rising stone boulders that made up the onix’s body, racing up its body until he reached Tuesday. He fingers slipped again and she fell, but Ashleigh lunged forward and leapt, crashing into her side and throwing her off course.

He felt her hands flash out instinctively, fingers wrapping around his horns, and then he’d leapt again and her body was tossed and she righted herself, legs straddling him, seated firmly on his back, and he ran.

Claws scratching sharply across rocks, Ashleigh raced across the body of the onix. Still rising from the ground, roaring as it coiled and wrapped around itself, the onix turned its head and snapped a stony mouth at Ashleigh. The houndoom dodged the attack, claws scraping, feet sliding, leaping over a coil of its body as it swung upward and then racing down bouldered flesh like he was dashing down stairs.

“Ashleigh,” Tuesday gasped, as the houndoom used a swinging arc of onix as a springboard to launch himself and Tuesday into the air, leaping for the safety of the ground.

The onix’s head swung around and slammed into Ashleigh’s side. Tuesday let out a yell as the stone scraped across her leg, tearing her pants and cutting through flesh, knocking her off of Ashleigh’s back. She twisted in the air, trying to catch her feet, and then yelled when her legs went out from under her and her scraped leg was dragged across the ground.

Ashleigh yelped loudly as the onix slammed into him. His measured leap was broken and he felt Tuesday’s fingers loosen, her body slipping from his back. He hit the ground hard, missing his landed and slamming down heavily on his shoulder. Whimpering, he pushed himself up enough to turn his head and find Tuesday with his eyes. He saw her pushing herself up from the ground and, with a low whine, slipped into blackness.

~*~

Trapped in the crevice between two boulders of the onix’s body, Tuesday’s belt held two pokeballs. As the great boulder pokemon’s body grinded against itself, the rocks threatened to crush the pokeballs between them until they wore away the straps that bound them to the belt, and then the pokeballs fell.

The first pokeball, scuffed from contact with the grinding rocks, fell toward an odd formation of leaves on the forest floor. It smacked down on top of the pile and a surprised squeak was the only sound uttered before a small picchu was sucked into the pokeball.

The second pokeball hit a rock, ricocheting off a rock and opening seconds before slamming into a tree. A flash of red and a grass pokemon appeared, grabbing the branch of the tree and swinging up onto it. The treecko’s eyes swept the scene, taking in everything, and then narrowed on the onix in a glare.

”You burned my tree!” he screamed, and leapt at the onix in rage.

~*~

Dante saw the idiot dog fail to protect Tuesday and it was only the fact that the houndoom had fainted that Dante didn’t attack him first, but he had fainted, and the onix was there and needed to be dealt with. Tuesday was still in danger.

He ignored all other opponents that needed to be destroyed and all allies that needed to be helped, as he raced toward the onix, fire flaring between his teeth. His claws dug into the ground as he slid around a nidorino, and then he saw the pokemon fighting the onix.

It was a treecko – a stupid grass lizard slapping the onix as though his filthy, slimy feet could do anything. It was a grass lizard, trying to get Tuesday to pay attention to it, instead of letting Dante protect her from the onix. Stupid, stupid, stupid grass lizard trying to take his Tuesday away!

Dante’s tail flame burned blue and with a roar, he released a flamethrower not at the onix, but at the treecko.

~*~

Odysseus and Zorro were both running for the onix when they found themselves running side-by-side. Paws slapping the ground, they spared a glance in each other’s direction – Zorro a grin, Oddyseus a nod – and then they both turned ahead, reached the onix, and attacked.

The onix roared as he was hit in the side with an Aqua Jet and a Bullet Punch attack. He was already keeping one wounded eye closed, having been quick attacked in the pupil by the treecko. With a roar, the onix swung its head around and tackled toward the two of them.

Odysseus leapt to the side, out of the way of the onix, but Zorro leapt upward, flipping over the onix’s crown and landing on the boulder just beyond its head. He raised his eyes, however, and so was able to see the flamethrower attack that Dante sent toward the treecko that Tuesday had caught, and watched as the treecko slipped from the back of the onix he had been fighting and collapsed, unconscious, to the ground.

Zorro screamed.

Golden eyes gleaming, he screamed in rage and ignored the fact that he was still battling an onix. He lunged for Dante.

”Traidor!” he screamed, as he leapt in the air, drawing his hands above his head as he twisted, beginning the Vacuum Wave.

With a hiss, Dante wasted no words on Zorro. He simply opened his mouth and released another flamethrower.

Zorro yelped as the buizel slammed into him. Odysseus grabbed Zorro by the scruff of his neck at the same moment that he opened his mouth in a water gun attack that doused the flamethrower coming at them and forced Dante backward with a wailing hiss of anger and steam. Odysseus’ momentum continued to carry Zorro and himself over the side of the onix’s body and out into thin air.

The onix roared as the water gun came down, Odysseus using the force of the attack to slightly slow and control their descent, aiming it so it also worked to do damage. He stopped the attack when the onix’s tail swung toward them and they dropped too quickly for it to hit, swinging roughly over their heads and, instead, crashing into Dante and sending the charmeleon reeling backward with a strangled cry.

Odysseus landed on the ground and roughly tossed Zorro into the grass beside him. The riolu rolled over, sitting up to stare at the older pokemon.

”Don’ go bein’ stupid, lad!”

“He attacked allies!” Zorro cried, jumping to his feet and pointing toward the general direction of Dante.

”Aye, lad, I know tha’, but ye don’ go tryin’ t’ win a battle ye can’! Tough a’ ye ar’, ye couldn’ beat the lizard in a fight where the winds is fair.” Zorro grit his teeth. ”Ye do know tha’, don’cha, lad?”

Glaring at the ground, Zorro nodded.

”Good lad.” Odysseus grabbed Zorro by the scruff of the neck again and yanked him backward just before the onix’s tail came crashing down on top of him. ”Back to work, laddie!” Odysseus crowed, and leapt onto the onix’s tail with a fearless grin.

Flipping upward, Zorro followed.

~*~

Tuesday pushed herself up and stumbled over to Ashleigh. The houndoom was passed out on the ground and Tuesday didn’t know where his pokeball was to recall him. His fingers running over his soft fur, she hugged him tightly, and then pushed herself to her feet, eyes scanning the scene.

The treecko she had caught had somehow gotten out of his pokeball, but he had fainted, as well. That didn’t surprise her, as he hadn’t been in the greatest state of health when she’d captured him. Dante, she saw, was also unconscious, lying on the ground behind the onix. Tempest was in her pokeball after having been fainted – Tuesday’s touched her pocket and was relieved to feel the minimized ball still there. Ashleigh was unconscious… that left Zorro and Odysseus.

As she watched, the two pokemon dodged around opposite sides of the onix, leveling attacks at it.

The onix roared at it was hit with an Aqua Jet and then a weaker, copied version of the same attack, before being struck by a Sonic Boom and then his rocks splintered with a Force Palm attack. He dove toward the buizel, but his target dodged out of the way so, with a roar, he swung his tail around and slammed it into the riolu’s back.

Zorro was propelled forward with a sharp sound of surprise, the tail flinging him to the ground. He pushed himself shakily to his feet, narrowing his eyes as he staggered for balance, using the Copycat move again.

He swung his body around, tail whishing outward to take down the onix… one of them…

His attack missed, but his spin continued. He twirled around and, eyes closing, abruptly fainted to the ground.

“Zorro!” Tuesday cried, rushing toward him. Odysseus slammed himself into her heavily, forcing her back, and the onix’s tail came down. A paw on her leg, offering a moment of reassurance and comfort, the buizel glanced at her, and then ran for his opponent.

A water gun against the ground propelled him upward and Odysseus flipped in the air, twisting until he’d reached the peak of his rise. Releasing water from his mouth, he twisted, surrounding himself in it and allowing gravity to propel the Aqua Jet faster toward the onix.

”Open wide,” Odysseus snapped, as the onix roared at him loudly. With a grin, Odysseus slipped right between the onix’s gaping stone teeth and slid down into its gullet. Throwing his arms out, Odysseus let his fins cut into the skin of the onix’s mouth, grasped his footing on a disgusting tongue, and then drew claws as he unleased a fury cutter inside the pokemon’s mouth.

The onix roared, throwing his head forward and successfully expelling Odysseus from his mouth as the buizel unleased a sonic boom down his throat. Flipping through the air, Odysseus landed gracefully, facing the onix with narrowed eyes.

”C’mon, lad. I ca’ do thi’ all day.”

The onix roared, lunging forward, bringing his head swiftly downward in a tackle. Odysseus did not dodge, but slammed his forepaws down on the onix’s nose and cartwheeled over the pokemon’s head, using a water gun to propel himself upward from the onix’s neck and then sending a sonic boom wave down at the creature. Twisting, he surrounded himself in water and shot toward the onix in an Aqua Jet as he slashed with his claws in a Fury Attack, cutting scratches into the stony body of the onix as he struck it sharply.

Groaning, boulders grinding together, the onix twitched and snapped at Odysseus. The buizel’s right arm began to glow purple moments before he swung it, catching the onix across the open mouth and sending the onix rearing backwards, screeching.

A twist and a tunnel of water surrounding him, Odysseus used Aqua Jet and crashed up under the onix’s chin, kicking away as the onix’s tail swung around. Odysseus flipped and landed some yards away from the onix, crouched low for his next attack.

The onix roared deliriously, and collapsed to the ground in a hailstorm of crashing boulders, unconscious.

Slowly, slightly stunned, the buizel pushed himself to his feet, relaxing his posture slightly. He studied the onix, searching for a trap, but found none. The pokemon’s magnetic core apparently shut off when it was unconscious, as the boulders did not seem to be connected at the moment, though he was certain he could still see a few of them rising and falling as it breathed.

With his opponent defeated, Odysseus turned and went to find the lad.

~*~

It was over.

The battles were finishing. Pokemon were unconscious all over, allies and enemies. Some battles were finishing up, but Tuesday could feel, in the back of her mind, that her battles were finished.

Ashleigh was unconscious, and with him had gone some part of Tuesday that she missed but could not name.

Tempest was fainted, and Tuesday worried because the pikachu rarely found herself unable to fight and was never amiable after such an occasion.

Dante was fainted and Tuesday knew how bad his self-esteem could be. She could only speculate that it had been the onix that had fainted him.

The treecko had fainted. Tuesday thought, perhaps, she would call him Virgil. She’d always liked the name, and she could imagine he and Dante being friends, like in the book.

Zorro was fainted, and the thought of that still caused her chest to constrict in that strange way it does when you’re about to cry. But he was okay, just unconscious, and she had to remember that.

Odysseus was still conscious. He looked beat up and tired, but his eyes were cloudless and his gaze was firm. She watched him crouch by Zorro, checking on the riolu, and it made her happy to see that she cared.

Everyone of her team was unconscious, except for her and Odysseus. But the onix had been defeated, an empoleon had taken out the kangaskhan, and the other battles were coming to a close.

It was okay that everyone was unconscious except her and Odysseus… that everyone was unconscious except… Odysseus…

Anyone watching her would have seen the last vestiges of gold in Tuesday’s eyes fade back to cloudy blue, just before she closed her eyes and her body collapsed.

The last thing that Tuesday felt was someone’s hands wrapping around her chest and catching her, and then it was night time, and she was gone…

[Living Arrow]

Darryn had arrived just in time… It seemed. As the trio of Iron Snake Pokemon descended upon Darryn’s friends and the group of would-be rescue workers, he left his body and began his own assault.

////****\\\\

Darryn flexed his fingers and swept his hands back and forth, breaking through the thin mist and reshaping it as he had been taught, moulding it to his will. The colours shifted, controlled by his thoughts, and slowly, he dulled their vibrancy to a murmur.

<That’s it… A little more.> Belladonna instructed him, her shadow-form sat at his left ankle. Lady, a stark contrast of Crimson, sat at his right. <Feel the emotion and draw it out. Make sure you get every last drop.>

Darryn chewed his lip. How long had it been now? A day? Two? The last time he had asked Lady she had informed him that the equivalent of eighteen hours had passed since the training had started but that felt like days ago. He spread his fingers a little wider to sift the net of emotions and drew out what he read as anger from the red-orange hue that tinted the cloud. Slowly but surely he prized the colour from the vapour and cast it behind him, leaving a pale cream mist before them.

<Is that it?> He asked the Pokemon beside him. <Is it done?>

<Yes, Prince Darryn.> Lady continued to watch him control the woman’s emotion, handling it with care before her spiritual body. Whenever it tried to rush back to her, he would coax it back with those soft hands, marred with too many cuts and bruises, to float patiently at his own chest.

<Now what?> He asked, panting slightly from the prolonged period of concentration.

<Now you breathe your own Suggestion into the cloud and pass it back to her.> Belladonna responded, probing Darryn’s mind with another deposit of instructions. That was how she had been teaching him – he felt like he was in the Matrix! It would have been cool if it wasn’t so… disgusting. <Focus on the intention – calm, security, contentedness, peace.>

That was easier said than done. Darryn knew exactly the right shade of pink-cream that Belladonna intended for him to inject into the mist but getting it just right proved very difficult. Exhaling each time he focused, a wisp of Emotaglow floated out before his eyes only to be cast behind him as it carried even the smallest touch of uncertainty that he couldn’t help but release.

<That’s it…> Belladonna whispered as the perfect strand passed from Darryn’s lips. <And you need no more – even the slightest hint is enough to stain her entire essence.>

Darryn hated that word. Stain. An unwanted, permanent mark that you always tried to remove but never actually could. A taint.

“It’s done.” Darryn sighed as he moulded the newly coloured mist of emotions between his hands. “After this, Lady will be able to… remove those memories?”

There was a long pause. Belladonna and Lady looked to one another, passing an unreadable look that Darryn didn’t care to question. Finally, the vul confirmed that the woman’s memories of Darryn and Tuesday would be removed and, hesitantly, the human between them cast the Suggestion back into the grunt’s body.

////****\\\\

<Fear.>

While Darryn’s talent was still incredibly young, he was a fast learner. Though the strength to capture all three of the Steelix in his own net of emotion was beyond him, stealing away one individual seemed almost too easy as he snagged the enormous wave of seething purple from the air and draw it into the foliage where he was hiding. Shaping and manipulating the Emotaglow as taught took a little over thirty seconds – just enough time for the Steelix to receive attacks from an Empoleon and, therefore, making his fear-induced retreat seem all the more believable.

It didn’t, however, come without consequences.

“Dammit!” Darryn hissed, feeling the trickle of blood run from his nose to his lip rapidly and dripping down his shirt. He had seen the same sort of reaction on Buffy whenever Willow did some uber spell – maybe he now had to pay the same price with his powers?

<Prince Darryn, Zulu is… in trouble…>

Darryn scanned and quickly found his Rampardos in a quivering heap, struggling to rise under the constraints of paralysis. Without thinking, he broke cover and ran through the various battles towards his loved Pokemon.

“Zulu!”

The huge dinosaur’s head came up, eyes rolling madly and with a triumphant roar, his Mold Breaker tore through Static and eliminated his status condition. Towering above Darryn, the mighty fossil drew back an arm and it began to glow.

*Hammer Arm?*

<Prince Darryn!> Lady screamed, a series of Energy Balls slamming into her comrade’s chest, knocking him unsteadily backwards. A determined frown and pained roar was Zulu’s response as he leant into the attacks and moved towards Darryn once more. The defensive Vulpix jumped between them, slamming down an Extrasensory attack to hold the rampaging beast in place but all it did was slow his motions as physical power overcame the psychic wall.

“Zulu…” Darryn whispered to himself, his brown eyes wide with fear and surprise. How could his Pokemon attack him? Was he really that terrible a trainer to deserve such an immediate an unexpected act of defiance? Could Zulu know of the monster that Darryn had become?

<PRINCE DARRYN! STOP HIM!> Lady screamed, unleashing a whip of Flamethrower.

“Stop him?... Right!” Darryn clenched his hands into fists and held his ground, staring deeply into his Pokemon’s eyes and focusing his mind.

////****\\\\

To the casual observer, the staring contest between terrifying Pokemon and resilient human could only spell tragedy for the boy in the Rampardos’s sights but any casual observer wouldn’t be able to read the exact exchange going on between them.

“Energy Ball!” Lady screamed, holding back Zulu for a few more seconds as Darryn cleansed his Emotaglow. She could see the effects slowly but surely, the rock-type’s movements slowing and becoming more unsure. When the Rampardos finally stopped pushing against Lady’ efforts and stood still, gazing placidly into the Empath’s eyes, Lady ran.

*Where is she?!*

She scoured the remaining Pokemon across the field, wishing and hoping and praying that a certain pair of eyes would not be watching her or more importantly, her Master. It took some time for her to find her friend’s broken form but only seconds to know that, thankfully, she had been unconscious for some time. Long enough to be sure that Darryn’s new secret was going to be safe for a good while longer. Lady breathed a sigh of relief and descended upon the glittering Kirlia, wrapping herself protectively around her scrawny body.

////****\\\\

“Good boy.” Darryn stroked and soothed Zulu’s dome, pressing his forehead against the ancient Pokemon’s nose. “Now you just rest until I find that Pokeball of yours, y’hear?”

He didn’t need the gurgle and purr of delight to know that his Pokemon had calmed down completely. Darryn could now not only see it, but feel it, too. It did, however, take him a moment to feel what else was going on around him.

When he felt it he flinched. When he saw it, he ran. His arms ensnared Tuesday’s little form and supported her from falling down to the soil even as he heard Jaima running toward them from nearby with Meiko not far behind him. Together, the three crowded around her unconscious form like a protective shield and Darryn could only be filled with one thought.

No matter what. He had done the right thing. And, no matter what, he would continue to do it.

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima's head was pounding by the time the steelix appeared. He mentally agreed with the sentiment spoken by Meiko, but was too tired to voice it. Even as his tired muscles protested, several shouted commands came from behind them. A trio of hitmons launched over their heads, striking with a Hi Jump Kick, a Focus Punch, and a Triple Kick, one to each steelix, followed by all three of them engaging in Close Combat. The steelix in the middle, which Jaima had thought of as the leader, turned tail and ran, but the other two stayed behind, to be felled by a Fire Punch from the hitmonchan and a Blaze Kick from the hitmonlee. The hitmontop, who's opponent had run away, sat down and put his chin on his fist, pouting.

"Awww," came a voice from behind, and a woman with curly hair strode forward, higging the hitmontop's head at its widest point. "Poor Topper! You were so scary your opponent run'd away!"

Two other women came past Jaima and Meiko, one with straight brown hair, and the other with red hair cut in a bob and small, round glasses. "Milly," sighed the brown haired girls, "you have got to stop coddling Topper like that! I mean, Leo doesn't get all upset if one of his opponents runs away!" Smiling, the woman stroked the top of her hitmonlee's head.

"Adyson!" shouted Milly. "He's still young! He has to be encouraged!"

"Calm down, girls," came a calm yet commanding voice. Jaima turned to see Isabella, the woman who had been with Meiko when they'd first reunited. "I need a status report."

"The perimeter is secured, Chief. The fire is under control and two auxiliary teams are on their way to finish it," reported the red haired woman, adjusting her glasses. "However, we do have a slight problem. The helicopters are only rated for a maximum capacity of eight people. However, we brought Ferb and Baljeet along to do any repairs that might be needed, which puts us at nine people per vehicle, which as you know is problematic."

The woman looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Phineas!" she called, and they were soon joined by the man who'd rescued them. "Gretchen says we're over limit on the choppers."

Before she could continue, Phineas nodded. "Say no more. Ferb and I will fly home on The Beak." Isabella looked, slightly, disappointed, but nodded with a small smile.

"I'm so glad you found us. When the chopper crashed, I saw that the beacon wasn't working. I was afraid we…" She swallowed thickly. She had, after all, come very close to death, working beacon or not. Phineas laid a hand on her shoulder, tilting his head.

"What are you talking about, Isabella? Your beacon worked just fine!"

Isabella blinked, looking toward the complete wreck that was her helicopter. Phineas followed her gaze, his eyes narrowing. "Well, that was a serendipitous malfunction, then…"

* * * * *

From behind a tree, a green headed form backed up, nodding his head. They wouldn't suspect. Not yet.

It would have been ashamed to let that oddly strong kirlia die like that, he told himself, as often as he needed to repeat it to believe it. He teleported away. If he was caught out here, there'd be more questions than he wanted.

* * * * *

When Tuesday fainted, Jaima and Meiko rushed to where Darryn had caught her. A cursory check showed nothing more but the scratches and bruises. Jaima's jaw tightened, until another woman, with her blonde hair pulled back into a braid, knelt next to them.

"She looks all right. She's probably just exhausted. All of you look like you could use some rest…"

The tall man who'd been with the group when Jaima had arrived stepped toward them. "Yes, Katie, I believe you're right. I'd like her to ride in the copter with us, however. Just to be sure."

Meiko looked up at Jaima, then Darryn. "Darryn, why don't you go with her. Jaima and I will ride in the other…"

There was a tremor in her voice, which everyone involved thought was also a sign of exhaustion.

They loaded into one of the choppers, flown by the red headed woman with glasses, who was doing a perfunctory check with clipped precision. A large man with a black shirt and buzz cut tapped Jaima on the shoulder.

"That was excellent, kid! Saw the whole thing from here, and Buford likes!"

"Buford," called an Indonesian man, rolling his eyes. "Do not disturb our guest! He is likely very tired and needs to ouch!" The larger man had punched the smaller one in the arm, giving him a warning look. The Indonesian glared.

"Quiet, 'Jeet, 'fore I hafta hurtcha."

"Buford, Baljeet, knock it off," snorted Isabella. She spotted a houndoom laying next to Meiko and Jaima. "You should probably put that houndoom away, honey," she said, not unkindly.

Meiko turned tired eyes to Ashleigh. "He's... his pokeball broke in the fight."

Isabella tilted her head, then nodded, pulling a pokeball out of her own. "This is a special ball, used to contain uncaught pokemon. It doesn't register as a capture. It's a Catch and Release Ball. She handed it to Meiko, who bit her lip. "Once we get to town, you can recapture him-"

"He's Tuesday's," Jaima said softly, watching Meiko.

"Well," Isabella smiled, "Then she can recapture him. The ball breaks automatically once the pokemon is called out."

"OK," Meiko sighed, using it to capture the fainted Ashleigh.

"Everyone in? OK, let's take this bird up!"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Odysseus had kept himself as out-of-the-way as possible. Tuesday, still unconscious and unresponsive, was stretched out across a seat, her head resting in Darryn's lap. His hand was slowly smoothing her hair back from her forehead in a comforting manner that appeared, to Odysseus, to surprise even him.

The buizel regarded the crimson fox with pleased surprise. The vulpix was curled in a ball at Tuesday's ribcage, the soft fur of her back and tails pressed tightly against her to keep the young girl warm. It was not something that Odysseus would have expected from the kitsune, and it shocked him in a manner that made him feel slightly guilty. He should not have labeled the vulpix as he had. They all had room to grow.

Odysseus said nothing, however, and he did not think long on it. He was simply glad that the lass had others to watch over her.

Crouched in a corner of the helicopter from where he could see the three of them, and the doctor, who sat at Tuesday's feet, Odysseus had one minimized pokeball clutched in his paws. The other pokemon had all been recalled by the three humans of the group, and returned to the lass's bag, which Darryn now had hanging from his shoulder. Odysseus' own pokeball was in that bag and it would remain there. He had no desire to hide within its depths when the lass might need him.

The pokeball he held was also the lass's, though he wasn't aware of what pokemon inhabited its depths. It was, apparently, a new capture, and Odysseus had only found it because it had been near the young riolu lad, and it smelled like Tuesday. He'd picked it up on a whim, and he would carry it until she woke and decided where it belonged.

But that was all in the future or the past. For now...

For now, he watched.

~*~

The lobby of the pokemon center was mercifully sparse of customers. Odysseus stayed behind the humans, out of sight, as he watched the white-haired doctor carry the lass in. The nurses made a fuss over her being unconscious, but it was apparent that they knew who the doctor was and so left him to care for the lass. Although Odysseus believed the man likely was the best person nearby to be looking after the lass, he was still pleased when Meiko followed after him to help, taking a room key with her.

Confident that the lass was safe, Odysseus watched as the other pokemon were healed, the nurses taking good care of them, the humans holding conversations, the chansey being ever-helpful and hospitable, and only when Odysseus' eyes had drooped shut and the pokeball had nearly slipped from his fingers, did someone put a hand on his shoulder and lead him to the nurse's station so that he, for just a moment, could stop watching, and stop guarding, and rest.

~*~

Ashleigh lay curled up at the middle of the bed, his head laying across the lump that was Tuesday's legs. His eyes were open and they swept the room for his companions.

Tempest was nearby. Ashleigh could not see her without moving his head, but he could feel the static charge that came from her. She was curled up in the small alcove between Tuesday's neck and shoulder-blade, compressed into the smallest ball that she could make herself. Since she had woken after being healed, the pikachu had been alternating between bursts of anger and lethargy, which was made worse by the fact that her voice was hoarse and her throat was apparently sore still from the skarmory's wing attack. That was explained by the nurses as a residual effect not expected to last more than a day or two, with no anticipated scarring or damage. Ashleigh didn't really bother to analyze that any further than to understand that Tempest would be back to her ornery self soon enough!

Zorro had found himself a perch, crouched upon the decorative shaft of the headrest. He had been watching Tuesday and Tempest alternatively for a while, but now appeared to be sleeping*. Ashleigh didn't know how he could sleep without falling off of the pole, but he didn't bother asking. He didn't want to wake the riolu up.

The treecko, who hadn't been named yet, was sitting on the windowsill, staring outside, with a blank look on his face. He appeared, though, to be concentrating hard on something that he sees, and so Ashleigh does not interrupt.

The young picchu, who was found to have been captured by a pokeball, sat on the floor with his pokeball. He had discovered how to minimize and maximize the ball and was, for the moment, fascinated by that. Every now and then, however, he would accidentally recall himself into the ball, and it would be silent for ten minutes until he found out how to escape and went back to playing. Ashleigh assumed he was merely biding his time until someone opened the door and accidentally unleashed him again. The young rodent had been adamant in trying to escape to Meiko and Jaima's shared room, and no one was quite certain why. With a huff, Ashleigh turned his eyes to the sparkling man.

Ashleigh did not know where Dante and Odysseus were, but he knew that they were together. He had seen the look in the old sailor buizel's eyes - a dark, hooded look, like that of an old houndoom papa preparing to dish out punishments on the omega - that warned Ashleigh that he did not want to know where Odysseus was going, and why he had the charmeleon's occupied pokeball clutched in his paws.

So Ashleigh turned his attention to the shiny male human, who sat cross-legged in the middle of his own bed. Ashleigh did not know why the room occupants had changed. He did not understand why humans, who were so careful about making sure that the males and the females were separated all the time, would suddenly go lax in that and let two different-gendered humans together in the same room. They weren't mating, so it couldn't be that - his alpha had yet to smell like she should if she was going to be mating. But if they were sleeping together because they were family, then all four of the humans should just pile together in the same room. It was warmer and it was more fun if there were more bodies to sniff.

Ashleigh snorted. He didn't understand humans at all.

The sparkling man held the pretty vulpix in his lap and was running a brush through her fur. His movements were carefully gentle and meticulous, but his eyes were not on his work. He appeared to be focusing hard on something else - some inward thought, much like Tuesday did when her mind wandered during a task. Ashleigh did not try hard to think about what the sparkling boy could be thinking. Ashleigh did not care for glittery things.

Instead, the houndoom yawned loudly and shifted his head into a slightly more comfortable position, so that he could glance up at his alpha's face. She had been asleep for almost two days now, with no response to anything and no sign that she was waking. The doctor, who apparently worked at the pokemon center along with the rest of the people who had rescued them (and were, in turn, rescued), had informed them that he was certain her body and mind were merely undergoing a healing process. How he came to that conclusion was anyone's guess, but Ashleigh got the distinct impression that that doctor knew someth-

The click of a door opening was all the warning that any of them got before the picchu was a blur of yellow and black streaking for the exit. Ashleigh barked, jumping to his feet, but the small rodent was already out the door and down the hall on tiny, stammering feet, all the while squealing, "Sand Blaster! Sand Blaster! Sand Blaster!"