Pokemon: The Shifter

[Terak]

Looks like it's just you and me, Kenta. I wonder if there's anyone who may read this RPG that's interested in a late sign-up.

***

Uneasily, the pair slowly entered the room, still taking in the daunting scene lain out before them. Quickly regaining his bearings, Terak began to inspect the massive hourglasses. He eventually came to a halt at one that grabbed his attention more than the others. Behind the see-through barrier, heedless of the raining sand burying it up to its waist, the tall figure of a powerful-looking Empoleon gazed ahead in a pose of royal confidence. His central horn extended to an impressive size, notably larger than others of his race.

"That's King Bael," Terak said out loud, in case Kenta didn't know. He took some pride in his race. "He's the leader of my tribe at North Shore."

Kenta was busy examining a different hourglass. "This is Elder Justus here," he said quietly.

Ruffled at first by the quick change of subject, Terak turned and saw that the glass figure of the elder Xatu was indeed standing in one of the clear chambers. He recognized the keen eyes and the slightly crooked beak. He frowned, thinking out loud. "Wonder if he made these. Maybe we're in a deeper part of his cave."

Snapping out of his own thoughts, Kenta spun around and eyed Terak harshly. "Dammit, when are you going to listen to me? Look, you can deny it all you want, but I already told you where we are. Just deal with it!"

Remembering who he was with, Terak gritted his beak angrily and turned away, then winced when he felt a burning pain from where the Huntail's fangs had gotten him. Grunting, he straightened up, and his eyes widened when he came face-to-face with the glass figure of a Roserade. He examined it quietly, and then remembering Clyde, his senses revved. He had forgotten that the others back at the diving point, who were probably still looking for them - if, he realized with a swoop in his stomach, they were still alive.

"All right, Kenta," he said slowly, doing his very best to keep himself composed. "Have it your way. We're in Hell. But listen." And he turned, eying the Kadabra harshly. "You are going to teleport us both back to the beach where we came from. I don't care if you think we'll be punished, or ghosts, or whatever else happens when you try to leave Hell, you are going to do it now."

He didn't like to admit it, but he was starting to panic. Being trapped in an unknown cave with only his unstable partner to get him out, while the rest of their group still thought they were back in the ocean with that sea monster, left him with little ideas. If Kenta, if not come to his senses, refused to leave this place, then they would be here for a while.

***

This is really disappointing; I just couldn't get anything to start. The TV's playing in the background, though, so it was a little difficult to concentrate.

Meh. >_^

EDIT: Top of the page! Yaaaaay, I'm happy now. ^^

[Kenta.....]

Kenta wasn't sure what made him do it.  Perhaps it was because he was so terrified of being in Hell.  Then again, maybe the commanding tone in Terak's voice reawoke him to his childhood fear of being shouted at.  Over the years, he'd built up a sort of immunity to people barking orders, but as it sometimes still happened, Terak seemed to have breached it.  Kenta reached out, touched his wing, and they were gone a second later.

Something felt different about this teleportation.  Kenta couldn't tell what it was, but he knew that a lot more power was leaving his body than usual, on this effort.  When they reappeared on the shore, he felt so drained that his body simply dropped backwards and onto the cushioning sand.  He lay there for almost a full minute, taking in breaths and letting them out, while Terak got up beside him and looked around.  "Well, we're on the beach all right," Kenta finally heard him say, as the Prinplup looked down at him.  "But there's no sign of the others anywh- holy crap!"

Kenta sat up, holding his head.  It felt as though it had swelled to a greater size than he was used to.  "What?" he grunted.  "Please don't yell.  I've got sensitive ears."

"Hold on.  Who are you?  Are you Kenta?"

"Huh?"  Kenta moved to get up, but felt something dig into his left hand as he leaned his weight upon it.  Standing, he looked down.  For some reason, he was clutching his psychic spoon in it.  Odd.  It wasn't supposed to shift places during teleportation.  He tucked it back behind his ear, where it was normally held, but then felt something else fall out from behind.  Turning around, Kenta looked down at the imprint he'd made in the sand to see his usual spoon, sharpened at the straight end.  He bent to pick it up, then with a jolt, suddenly recognized the imprint he was reaching into.

The head is enormous.  The tail is gone.  I've got two spoons!  And . . .  He touched the facial growth on his lip.  My moustache is humongous.  Did this really just happen . . . ?

Terak crossed his wings as best he could.  "Judging by the surprise you're showing, looks like it is you.  You're an Alakazam."

An Alakazam!

What should he say first?  Before he could stop himself, Kenta heard his own words come blurting out.  "Oh my gosh!  I've been reincarnated as another creature!  The Hinduists were right!"  Terak simply stared at him.  "That," he said at last, "was the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life.  It's you all right."

"I'm an Alakazam!"

"By nature, you're a Slowbro."

"I've got two spoons!"

"I've got two talons.  They're good for ripping annoying peoples' faces off."

"I've got an I.Q. around eight hundred!"

"What's that you say?  Eighty?"

"Dammit, be joyful with me!"

"Okay.  You're an Alakazam.  Yay!"  Terak flapped his two wings at his sides sarcastically, then flopped them down limply.  "Happy?" he said sardonically.  "We've still got things to do.  Quit being so childish and look for people, why don't you?"

Feeling a little injured, but otherwise still jubilant, Kenta followed Terak up the beach towards the first patches of crabgrass.  He shivered a little, as it suddenly occurred to him how cold it was.  "Terak?" he said, looking around.  "I don't think we met the Cloysters here.  This spot doesn't look familiar."

"It does to me."  Terak slowed down his walk a couple of steps, then stopped so suddenly that Kenta bumped into him from behind.  "Wait a second."  He spun around and snatched Kenta by the shoulders.  "Just how far did you bring us??" he demanded.  "We were around the shore near South Summit!  Now we're here!"

"Here?" repeated Kenta blankly.  "Where's here?"

Terak pointed at the sky.  "Don't you feel the chill?" he said softly.  "We're not on the south shore anymore.  We're on the north shore."  Kenta gaped at him.  "But how?  I can't travel that far!"

"As a Kadabra, no.  As an Alakazam, I'm betting yes."

Kenta folded his arms.  "I . . . guess I could take us anywhere."  His eyes lit up.  "I brought us back from Hell, didn't I?"

"Yeah, Hell.  Look, Kenta, I don't know why you brought us here."  Terak put out his wing.  "Just take us back."  Kenta looked down and hesitated.  Terak turned his head a little.  "What's wrong?"

"I don't know if I can do it."

"Of course you can do it.  Just do it."

Kenta placed his slightly-bigger paw on the Prinplup's wing.  He felt the usual sensation of leaving for a second, then he was back, standing up to his ankles in freezing-cold sea water.  Looking up, he noticed he was by himself.  Standing on the shore about twenty yards away from him, Terak covered his eyes.  Kenta sloshed up from the water and back to where the steel penguin was standing.  Terak still had a wing over his eyes when he'd gotten there.  "I couldn't take you that time," he said.  "I don't think I-"

"YES.  Yes.  Fine.  I understand."  Terak lowered his wings and looked at Kenta with an exhausted expression.  "I suppose we're just going to have to head back on foot, until you can perform a proper double-Teleport."

"Sorry.  I'm just tired.  And cold."  Kenta patted his tiny stomach.  "And sort of hungry."

"Alright . . . let's go.  We'll look for some berries that grow well in chilly climates."

[Kageito]

Guys, you may now officially kill me if you want. I'm so damn sorry! I hate life, it wants me to burn in Hell ._. I've had no time, and I've had a LOT of problems lately, but that's stupid excuses, mind if I rejoin?
-----

Storm paced up and down the shore. She felt numb, as she had no idea what had become of Kenta and Terak... she was growing worried, like she always did when someone who belonged to her pride was missing. Shelly sat bobbing her head to ward off the sleep that tried to catch her off guard, and Morgan merely lay on the grass, content. Storm had plainly refused to go back in, as she hadn't seen the point of going. There could be anything down there, that was even more dangerous than a Gyarados, and she'd heard tales of them when she was a cub. Not something she wanted to encounter.

"What now?" Morgan yawned, seemingly bored. "They still haven't resurfaced, and I don't think they ever will, so I see no point in staying here, unless they suddenly pop up..."

Storm tensed up, getting annoyed at the Absol. As long as she knew him, she was getting fed up with the way he acted. "Shut up."

"What?"

"I said, will you just shut the Hell up?!"

Shelly snapped out of her trance, looking up with a confused expression on her muzzle. When there was no response, she shrugged and fell back on the grass, sighing out of boredom.

"I... might have an idea."
----

Lame posts are lame, but to Hell with it. It's something. -is braindead-

[Kenji]

Guess who's finally making good on his promise to join? Me.

Name: Leon
Gender: Male
Species: Sceptile
Attack of Choice: Aerial Ace
Personality: Leon is generally calm and collected, an eerie sort of Sceptile. However, calm does not equal seriousness; one can often detect a tone of sarcasm in his words. He is a sadistic sort in battle, usually drawing fights out for as long as he can, while continually scoring key injuries on the opponent. It's not uncommon to hear him chuckling as he engages with the enemy.
History: Although he is not considered a true Elder of the island, Leon is a powerful native. He keeps withdrawn from the rest of the island, a hermit in nature, and has tried to pass on his techniques to a few of the younglings, though all of his 'students' are long dead from the training. Perhaps the arrival of the Shifters was what provoked his return to society, as he slips around the island, observing the survivors and their endeavors.
Appearance (Special): Each of his arms bear a faded, wing-like scar, likely self-inflicted in ages past. In addition, he has a slightly thicker 'tail' than normal Sceptiles, allowing for more solid hits if he chooses to utilize it.

Right, a couple notes. The profile IS shoddy due to a lack of Poke-RPG participation for a long time, and Terak, you'll need to find a place for me to pop up in your next post; I'll be able to fall right into the rhythm after that.

[Terak]

Guys, you may now officially kill me if you want.

Perfect! I've been waiting to test this baby out. *takes out Ultima water bazooka*
Not only is it Ultima-powered, it's loaded with GRAPE JUICE.

*FSHOOM*

Oops. Sorry, Tyren. I didn't see you coming in . . . oh my, that's really not a good color on you. Um, I think I'd better go and, erm, trim the lawn now. *runs*

Welcome back, Stormblade. ^_^

***

To Terak's annoyance, Kenta's mood didn't diminish as they left the beach. Though he could not Teleport, the chipper Alakazam persisted to try and find ways to test out his newly found powers. He would collect pebbles and suspend them in front of him, testing to see how many he could concentrate on at once before the strain became too much.

"I can't believe this!" he was saying. He had a beaming grin on his face. "I could never even come close to this before!"

"Yes. Hurray. I don't care."

He did. Inside, Terak was furious that this psychic fox had evolved to his final form. His goal since he had been a young Piplup was to reach his Empoleon stage, and he had trained mercilessly to try and get there. He'd dedicated hours upon hours into making his goal, whether it was swimming great lengths in the ocean, toughening his flippers by hacking through ice flows, or dueling with the bigger Prinplups of his clan. Evolution was a thing that came from strength and maturity. Yet he himself remained a Prinplup, while this hallucinating juvenile had achieved it by pure accident. How was that fair?

Kenta suddenly stopped, glancing ahead. "Hey, Terak, there are some people coming over to us."

"Hm." Terak straightened, then frowned. "People? You don't mean Prinplup, do you?"

"Actually, yeah."

His insides tightened. Sure enough, he too could make out blue figures approaching them across the rough terrain. Strongly wishing Kenta's Teleport was working, his claws tensed. The only members of his race who he respected were the Empoleon - the Prinplup he couldn't stand. "Come on," he said. "Let's go another way."

When he turned, the first thing he saw was the point of a blue fin being held an inch from his throat. He twitched to defend and strike, but another fin tip pointed at him as well. Three more were pointed at Kenta, and their Prinplup owners all stared at them discerningly.

"Hey, hold on!" Kenta raised his paws up in front of him. "We're not enemies! We come in peace!"

"Quiet," one Prinplup said gruffly, while Terak rolled his eyes. Unlike the others, this one wore an eye patch. "Just speak when you're told to. Don't try anything daring, either, if you like your head where it is. State your names and your business here."

Both Terak and Kenta eyed each other questioningly. When Kenta seemed to realize that Terak hadn't been expecting this either, he carefully turned back to their captors. "My name's Kenta. And we're here by accident, actually. It was a teleportation error."

"A teleportation error made by an Alakazam."

"It's a little difficult to explain-"

"Enough." The Prinplup shushed him with a wave of his wing, and turned to Terak. "Your turn."

Terak merely looked at him. "I think your eye patch is on too tight. You seriously don't recognize me?"

The Prinplup's visible eye flashed angrily, and then Terak felt a tinge of his own anger when he felt the deep chip on his left horn being examined. The Prinplup's expression changed to amusement. "Oh, right. You're that loud one. What are you doing back here?"

"I wish I wasn't. You'll have to forgive me, but I don't recognize you."

"Answer the question before I make that crack on your horn a little larger."

"The Alakazam already answered your question," Terak responded gruffly. "And now I do recognize you, even with the patch -- Diego, wasn't it?"

The other water penguin said nothing. Instead, he looked down at the red fang marks on Terak's side. His gaze lingered on them for a moment, and then he looked back up. "You're to follow us. And make no mistake," he added, looking hard at Terak, and then at Kenta, "you are our prisoners. If you try to escape, we will kill you without hesitation. There have been numerous attacks happening in these parts lately, and you are just as much a threat as anyone else who enters our land. You'll do well to remember this."

Then before either pokemon could prepare, both felt hard impacts to the backs of their heads, and they were unconscious before they hit the ground.

*

It was as difficult as ever to try and see through the murky waters, but both Clyde and Levian had persisted for a while, one always keeping a lookout for the sea monster while the other scanned for a sign of Kenta or Terak. The Roserade's plant qualities allowed their oxygen supply to last longer, but both knew that the ones they were looking for had been under for considerably longer. It was Clyde who finally turned to the black face of their Cloyster. "All right. Take us back to shore, Big Dan, and quickly."

When they broke the surface, they saw everyone look over, and then turn away again. They all knew. Kenta was the most likely to have escaped -- he could Teleport, after all. And that meant that his Cloyster was probably safe as well. But the fact that they hadn't returned was unsettling. No one could think up an alternative reason for Terak's disappearance, either. Instead, they tried not to think of it. A heavy silence overhung them as they sat, staring a few more moments at the small waves.

Clyde knew he would have to break the silence. He turned, flagging down a nearby Murkrow. "Black Hats," he called. When the crow came down and landed, he continued. "Take us back to Elder Malloy's."

"Youse ain't da one givin' orders, pal," the Murkrow said with a hint of indignation.

"Oh, yeah?" Clyde's eye narrowed. "I'm sorry to have trodden on your sensitive ego. You want to find out more about your sea monster? Elder Malloy is the best one to ask."

"You won't find him where you think he is," said an older voice from behind.

Both Murkrow and Roserade whirled around. A Sceptile stood before them, gazing at them with an unreadable visage. He stood with a posture that suggested experience, and had a presence that made Clyde wary.

"Just what do you mean by that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Elder Malloy has been attacked by the Shifters," the Sceptile replied simply. "And not only Shifters, either, but a force of savage pokémon as well. Where he has gone now, I do not know. I was asked to inform you of this so that you do not go near his territory. That is all."

"What . . ." It took a moment for this all to sink in for Clyde. The Murkrow, however, wasn't quiet as bothered, and quickly spoke up.

"How d' you know dis?"

"Quite simple. I was there when it happened."

"Hah! Den 'ow'd youse get all de way 'ere?"

"I ran."

"Who are you?" Clyde finally asked.

The Sceptile folded his arms, observing the two. After eying the Murkrow with some doubt, he faced Clyde casually. "Oh, yes. You can call me Leon."

***

Hope that was all right, Tyren. I really didn't feel right using your character before you did, but I didn't know how else to go about giving Leon an opportunity for an entrance. Go ahead and do what you wish from here; you can go back and write about how Leon ran into Elder Malloy and what happened during the attack, or you can start from where we are. Your call.

[Kenji]

It works well enough, I'm sure. Just, you know... Don't touch anything with the word "Ultima" in it, or I'll filet you. ^_^

To keep with the style of the posts, I'm going to drop my italics for this roleplay (*wince*). Also, I'm sorry if I muck up the "Brooklyn accent" on the Murkrow. Not exactly something I type everyday.

---------------

With all the Shifter-related events that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, saying that Clyde was suspicious of Leon's words was an understatement. The florist soon found that the other Black Hats Murkrow had joined them, all eyeing their messenger cautiously. Levian hovered just behind the Sceptile, next in line to speak. "So, what exactly happened back with Elder Malloy?"

"Yeah, y'bettah fess up, gecko-boy," one Murkrow spat, as if that would speed the process along.

Leon briefly dropped his apparent character for a moment, chuckling. "The curiosity of youth..."

----------

Malloy continued to hover before the fallen Shifter, laying silently underneath his 'Kenta-flauge'. Its metallic limbs vibrated, but it seemed to pay no mind to the occurance, appearing to pass it off. The shadows in his lair tensed, a form flashing through them unnoticed. A sort of sigh could be heard from the adamant being, its crimson eyes blinking from existance. "And to what do I owe this visit, Fleetfoot?"

Leon withdrew from the darkness, stepping casually over to the Metagross's side, examining the deceased Shifter. His reptilian eyes zeroed in, locking onto the corpse as if expecting it to rise up. "It's nice to see that you've become a necrophiliac, Vibroptics..." With no reaction to work off of, the hermit continued onto business. "The Shifters aren't too keen on their detached brother's 'fall from grace'. The trees whisper about their vengeance plan to me. They're tricking the more impulsive islanders with propaganda, and unite them in a crazed frenzy; nothing more than barbarians now." Malloy's eyes phased back on, albeit dimmed down as he replied. "I am aware... The other Elders will be able to contain them for a time. For now, it is crucial to wait for results from the next generation."

"Relying on more children, are we?" The Sceptile couldn't help but shake his head slowly. "A psychic fox with a bloated imagination was worse enough to send. Arceus only knows what kind of quirks the rest of them possess." And yet, as he stopped, Malloy's adamantium form hummed audibly, as if laughing. Leon cocked an eyebrow at his host, turning an eye to him. "Come now, you don't expect me to believe they'll accomplish anything."

The aged Metagross toned down his reaction, a light hum representing a calming chuckle now. "Oh, I do... You will learn in time, 'Elder' Leon." Mildly agitated was he now, as the hermit began turning toward the psychic machination for a retort, before being stopped by the brightening of his red spheres. His patience returned, waiting for Malloy to speak. "They come now. A large detachment of angered Pokemon, led by four Shifters. Ground Pokemon are burrowing in as we draw this conversation on. Time is limited, my friend."

Right on cue, a pair of Dugtrio burst from the dirt not two yards from them, spewing mud at the Elder. A lightning-fast Leon stepped in the way, his arms acting like swords against arrows as he slashed away the mud assault. The Dugtrio reared back to repeat their attack, only to be stopped by the hermit's ear-piercing Screech. Stunned, the two Pokemon were left vulnerable as Leon hurled green spheres into both entities. They unconsciously sunk back into the ground, leaving him and Malloy alone again. Of course, the peace was short-lived, as the ground shook violently moments later. A mental link connected between the two.

"There is a Torterra coming to surface, and the other berserkers are about to pour in from the North and sides, with the Shifters at the rear. You need to escape this place for the southern shores. Look for the Black Hats, and you'll have found the prodigies. Deliver the news of this assault, then accompany them on their next route."

Leon, still focused on the area in front of him, spat a quick response back. "Fine, but after that, we're even... What about you, Vibroptics?" The Metagross's voice lingered even as he disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. "I'm off to the front lines to give you an opening, of course. Be quick about your retreat, however; even I won't be able to hold them long." Their link broke, leaving the hermit alone as the Torterra broke the ground in front of him.

Leon lingered not on his comrade, but turned full attention to his objective. Launching forward from his spot, he barreled into the Torterra, his razor-sharp arm leaves illuminated in energy as he sliced away at the landmass Pokemon in rapid succession. He broke the beast's defenses, giving him a moment to bring both his arms together in an X fashion, and drive them down through his opponent's head. Weakened and stunned, the Torterra lost its footing and stumbled a few steps back into the great cavern it had created, taking time to recover from the assault. Without hesitation, the jungle lizard leapt past and sped through Malloy's lair.

It wasn't long until Leon met with light again, as well as a crowd of frenzied natives surrounding an azure machine. They were flying from the crowd at a respectable pace, only to get back up and charge right into the fray again. Glancing to the corner of his vision, the hermit spotted an obsidian-flamed Magmortar, caressing its darkened chin with interest as it observed Malloy from afar. Its eyes shifted in Leon's direction, taking a moment to examine the Sceptile before allowing a demented smirk to rise to its lips. Leon returned its look with a sadistic grin of its own, before bounding into the air and corkscrewing around, landing on a treetop. He made good his flight, slipping through several more trees before touching base again, and running south. Not once did the forest-dweller turn back. To do so would be foolish...

----------

"And hence, here I stand before you today... Are you satisfied?" Leon continued to maintain his casual stance, arms crossed against its emerald form.

---------------

NOTES:
- The names "Fleetfoot" and "Vibroptics" were, essentially, nicknames that Malloy and Leon had for eachother. They fit, for the most part.
- The Torterra assault might be a bit much, yes, but it shows how experienced he is.
- Attacks used by Leon in this post, in chronological order: Protect, Screech, Energy Ball, Crush Claw, and X-Scissor. I checked Serebii.net to affirm that Sceptile can use them.

[Kenta.....]

Welcome, Tyren.  You've re-aroused my suspicion that you're DB's twin brother, separated at birth.

***

"You shoulda killed them!"

"Shut up.  We can't keep killing every strange pokemon that comes our way.  Some aren't guilty."

"I say all strangers are guilty."

"To be on guard for the good of our clan is one thing.  To be paranoid to madness is another."

"If you were in charge-"

"The Shifter would've slaughtered us all by now?  Is that what you were going to say?"

"Yes."

As a creature used to being asleep more often than he was awake, Kenta found himself picking up on a distant conversation even before he was fully conscious again.  The last "yes" was filled with contempt, and as his senses returned, Kenta registered that two Prinplup voices were arguing.  Holding still and keeping his eyes closed, he listened for more.

"You're probably right.  If I were in charge, we may have been in much more danger.  Thankfully, the King overlooks our clan, not me."

"He's too soft.  I've seen his warrior prowess.  Why does he hold back so much?"

"To keep us from falling apart?  Ever think of that?"

"Hah!"  Kenta heard the noise of water hitting the ground; the one Prinplup had probably spat.  "We're falling apart because we can't agree to kill all the newcomers.  Oh no, we have to hold them hostage.  What'll happen when we take the Shifter hostage?"

"Do you mean 'if'?"

"No.  I mean 'when.'  The Shifter isn't a suspicion anymore.  He's really out there.  Remember what happened to Br-?"

A loud thud sounded.  Suddenly, the less violent Prinplup took the agressive.  "I told you never to bring her up again!" he shouted.  Then his voice cracked, and Kenta detected that he was crying mournfully.  It was very quiet, the other Prinplup probably wouldn't have caught it, but Kenta's hearing had multipled more than he could've imagined.  There was an awkward two minutes of silence, then the other Prinplup spoke again.  "Sorry, Lan."

"It's . . . fine.  I'm fine."

Kenta opened his eyes a little.  He was lying on his side in an icy cavern, familiar to Hell in every way except for the opposite temperature.  There were gigantic stalagmites poking up out of the ground around him, and some of them contained the still forms of frozen-solid pokemon.  Kenta felt Terak's familiar presence at his back, and he dared a low whisper that he himself could barely hear.  "Were you listening to that?"

"I heard Lan.  He woke me up."  Terak sounded a little groggy, but more alert than the last time they'd arisen in an unfamiliar area.  "Those arrogant pricks.  They did make the chip on my horn bigger."

"Does it hurt?"

"No."  Terak sighed miserably.  "I'm more worried about our predichament.  Do you know where we are?"

"Nope."

"When I was a Piplup, this used to be a climbing cave for us.  We'd race one another to the top for sport, and if anyone fell, the ice would usually shift his momentum from downward to sideways.  It was the fun spot for kids, and the Prinplups never bothered us."  He sighed again.  "Now it looks like a holding area for strangers.  We didn't have a prison last time I was here.  My, how things have changed."

"It looks like they've preserved some of their former prisoners," said Kenta, motioning to a Nidoking encased in ice.  "Do you think we'll be frozen here?"

"Maybe.  Maybe not.  If I know King Bael, he'll at least give us a fair hearing before making a judgment."  Terak's eyes narrowed.  "I trust him.  He'll recognize  me, at least.  If everything goes okay, we should be out of this mess sooner or later."

"What about me?" asked Kenta.  "You'll vouch for me, right?"

Terak was quiet for a few seconds.  Kenta was just starting to worry when he spoke again.  "Yes.  I don't want to, but the fact remains that you can Teleport."

"That's harsh, dude."

"All right.  We're also on the same team.  I made a commitment, so I'm upholding it."  Terak shook his head.  "Just let me do the talking when they bring us out for questioning again.  And please-"  He made very deliberate eye contact with Kenta.  "I know this is hard for you, but don't do that . . . thing you do.  That thing where you zone out and see stuff, that has to go.  No more, okay?"

Kenta wasn't sure what Terak was talking about.  Terak seemed to catch it, but he appeared too tired to say anything else.

***

Hmm.  A little lacking on descriptiveness tonight.  Also, I probably spelled several words wrong.

[Terak]

Excuse me, Tyren, but you sold me that Ultima water gun back on Final Fantasy Life. I just modified it after the warranty expired.

***

"You two. Up, on your feet."

Both Terak and Kenta immediately ended their whispered conversation as Lan approached them. He didn't wait, but gave them each a rough kick that jostled their already sore bodies. When they were up, Lan looked at Kenta, ignoring Terak's dark expression.

"You're going to be meeting with our leader today," he said. "You should know that most of my brethren would have simply slit your throats and been rid of you by now, but our king doesn't believe in such methods. He's merciful enough to hear your stories first, so you'd best have something very convincing planned if you intend to live through today. Now follow me."

The two of them stumbled after him as he led them to a brighter area of the cave, the entrance as Terak remembered. However, before they reached the doorway, Lan stopped. He did not turn, but spoke after a moment.

"You, Alakazam, are particularly lucky. A potential enemy who is capable of Teleportation would normally be executed in an instant, before any trial. However, we were fortunate enough to find someone who has agreed to serve as a chaperone for you, being capable of containing any sudden outbreaks should you turn wild or aggressive. And if I were you, I would not test her combat abilities. You'd do well to believe me when I say you're no match for her."

Terak's senses perked, and he saw Kenta's ear twitch alertly. They suddenly saw the shadow of an approaching figure on the ground outside of the cave entrance, and as it lengthened, very soft footsteps could be heard. Soon, a Jynx stepped through the entrance, pausing a few feet away from the two captives and studying them calmly.

"Lady Timpani?" Kenta blurted in surprise.

The elder Jynx looked at him without expression for a moment, and then nodded. Although Terak couldn't explain it, even though her face held no emotion, she seemed to be smiling. "Hello, Kenta," she said. "I didn't recognize you at first. I like your new moustache."

*

Terak never knew what to make of Lady Timpani, during the few times in seasons past when he had seen her in meetings with King Bael. Her presence was becalming, but her intelligence was always enough to keep him alert, just for the sole reason that she gave the impression of being able to read anyone like a book. And she probably could, too. Regardless, feeling somewhat safer but still tired and confused, they were led along by their Prinplup guard, with the Jynx following along behind them.

Their destination, they soon found out, was a small rocky mountain that jutted out of the ocean like an jagged, obsidian spike, crowned in white. They could barely make out some small openings in various sections of it, almost like windows, which showed the caverns that had been carved out by the first group of Empoleon to come here. This was not the living quarters of the Prinplup clan, but the domain of King Bael, and whatever other advisers or tacticians he employed. It was commonly known to the denizens of Frome as North Summit.

Terak's heart rate doubled as they neared. Standing with a collection of Prinplup guards before the foot of the mountain, with the gaping mouth of the tunnel entrance behind them, were three Empoleon. The one in the center, however, possessed a horn that bested the others in size, and stood with a pose more experienced than the rest. Terak recognized him at once. He looked just like the glass figure back in the room of hourglasses, only he was a living, breathing pokémon. Unlike the replica, the real thing was far more impressive.

"Kneel," the Empoleon to the left said, in a soft but powerful voice. "Speak only when spoken to, and choose your wording with care. You stand in the presence of His Majesty King Bael, Lord of the North."

[Kenta.....]

While unused to accepting the presence of authority figures, Kenta noticed that King Bael made it easy.  When he opened his mouth, his words were strong, yet soft-spoken.  If Kenta's life wasn't on trial, the King might have been singing him to sleep.

"You may rise.  I shall not judge you as criminals, newcomers."  The King extended his wings, and against Kenta's belief, looked even bigger.  What a gentle giant he was.  "Terak, kinsman.  Kenta, ally from the south.  I am in regular contact with the Elders of Frome, as Lady Timpani can tell  you.  I am kept up to date with significant island activities.  As I said, you are not being treated ill for misdeeds.  We're taking precautions, because the two of you . . ."  He hesitated for a moment, then finished.  "The two of you are infected."

Terak's eyes narrowed.  Kenta flicked his ears.  "Is it pokerus?" he asked, hearing pleading in his own voice.  Bael shook his head slowly.  "I'm afraid not.  Pokerus isn't lethal.  What you have . . ."  He tilted his head, looking concerned.  "Well, let me put it this way.  Have you two been bitten recently?"

"I don't think so," said Kenta, pondering and searching his memory.  "I have," said Terak next to him.  "I got into a fight with a wild Huntail.  It bit deep enough to draw blood."

The Lord of the North nodded.  "While that will do it, there is no saying whether or not said Huntail was himself infected.  Let me ask you- have you been feeling any violent urges since?"

"He feels those all the time," Kenta cut in loudly.  "Terak's always taking everything personally, telling other people what's up, being sarcastic at every little-"  He faltered under Terak's glare.  "Uhh . . . look, he's doing it now . . ."

"I'm no more violent than any other Prinplup on this shore, King," said Terak abruptly.  "Perhaps I do get a little upset around Kenta, but I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't, given enough time."  He stopped short as King Bael bade him with a wing, inclining his head in respectful submission.  The King nodded to Lady Timpani.  "Thank you, Terak.  Now, as you can see, we have a psychic pokemon with us from the group of Elders.  This normally isn't the case, but this time, we were able to use her powers to determine whether or not you two were really Shifter in disguise."  His eyes were slitted gravely.  "Most psychic pokemon wouldn't be able to penetrate your minds and know the truth.  It takes an Elder.  But this is why you're being set free from the North Shore."

"You're really letting us go?" asked Kenta, giving a short jump in surprise which caused the other penguin pokemon to glower disapprovingly at him.

"Yes.  But there is a condition."  Bael nodded to Timpani, and she stepped forward to give the briefing.  "Whether or not you and Terak are feeling any different yet, we do have reason to believe you're infected.  We've deducted that the Shifter is trying to poison its way into the island, by turning the inhabitants on one another both in distrust and in physical attacks.  Because we've never encountered a poison such as this before, we're going to need an antidote.

At the very center of Frome, at the peak of the tallest mountain, there lives a hermit called the 'Alchemist.'  He is a genius at berry blending, and once created the legendary Miraclepotion that brought a dying Ampharos back to life in an instant.  If anybody can figure out how to fight the Shifter's poison infections, it is him.  Because you two are the first familiar pokemon we know with infection, it must be your task to get to him and be healed."

"But what if we aren't infected at all?" asked Kenta.  Terak smiled bitterly.  "I think we're screwed, all right.  Your Majesty, a short while ago, Kenta had a delusion that we were in Hell."

"We were."

"See?  Anyway, I'll prepare to leave right away.  Thank you for your grace in this."

"A word of caution."  The King was using his serious voice now, and everyone in the immediate vicinity seemed to perk up diligently.  "Terak.  Kenta.  Because of your potential conditions, you may become a danger to innocent pokemon.  Take care that you keep your distance from them.  Avoid them, do not touch them, and if you draw any blood of theirs by accident; say in a battle; take them with you."  His voice deepened.  "Do.  Not.  Spread.  The.  Plague."

" . . . understood, sir."

[Kageito]

Storm stood frozen on the spot, the hair on her neck, back and tail bristled out, her eyes focused on the Sceptile with care. The way he spoke convinced her of the fact that he wasn't lying, but still, his appearance made her aware that he was very experienced. She slowly walked forward, still watching the emerald gecko.

"Yes," she spoke before someone else could. "I am shocked by the fact that the Shifters dared to assault Elder Malloy, but it satisfies our need of information.” Her form relaxed, but she didn't lose the feeling of awareness.
"I trust you will accompany us, like the Elder said. We have to find two of our companions, a Prinplup and a Kadabra."

"Uhm... guys?"

"What is it?" the Luxray turned towards Shelly. The black dog-like creature sat with her ears perked up, her eyes closed and a smile on her muzzle.

"They're safe. Kenta and Terak are safe. Better news is, Kenta evolved."

Storm stared at the Umbreon, who sat there with that curious smile on her features. "How do you...?"

"Look above," she merely replied, and Storm did so, only to see a Pidgeot circling above them. With a last cry of "Pidgeo!" it flew off again.

"Jason, may Arceus bless you," she breathed.

"They're at the Northern Shore, but a couple of Prinplup took them hostage."

"Isn't that were Terak lives...?"

"Yeah."

"Strange. Guys, what do you think? Should we go get them, or what?"

If they were, Storm didn't dare think of the fact that they had to cross both a part of the savanna and the jungle. She dearly hoped they wouldn't encounter her old pride, because if that would be the fact, she was screwed. Big time.

----

Okay, so it sucks. I get it. XD

[Terak]

Sorry for not doing much with the Storm/Levian/Clyde group lately, Stormblade. I'll be sure to get a post with Clyde in soon. Really, I feel I've been neglecting him from the start of this RPG. In the meantime, don't be shy about introducing your own ideas to the plot. New ideas are always good.

***

“Well, Boda? Why are you taking so long to reach a conclusion with this?”

“Reach a conclusion? What put that into your head? I’m just being wary of the Alakazam, that’s all. My clan isn’t built for playing this hide-and-seek game you’ve invented, Shanka. In fact, there’s a good chance he’s already spotted me.”

“Ugh. You useless pig. Couldn’t you have used your psychic powers to conceal yourself?”

“Clearly, you Persian don’t know a thing about psychic powers. Had I been fool enough to use mine, the Alakazam would have caught the signal of my brain waves and we’d have been spotted days ago. Remember that we’re dealing with two pokémon who were chosen by the Elders.”

“Fine. We’re far enough from Bael’s domain, anyway. It’s the shifters who have me concerned. They may well close in on our prey before we can if you can’t move that blubbery bulk of yours a little faster.”

“Oh, come now, there’s no need to exaggerate. Remember how useful I’ve been to our cause?”

“Whatever you say. Just take care of the Alakazam while I handle the Prinplup, so I can be sure you’re not just a hindrance.”

“Yes, yes. How did you come to doubt me so much?”

*

“Now really, Kenta. For being such a mighty psychic pokémon, it’s almost appalling how slow you are. I’m still technically injured, for crying out loud.”

Terak looked unsympathetically back at the panting Alakazam as he hobbled to catch up, nearly tripping in his own exhaustion over the large root he was clambering over.

“I’m . . . really not used to this,” he breathed, setting down the pole carrying his sack of provisions. He plopped onto the ground, massaging his foot. “I don’t usually walk to places.”

“Yeah, I know. Well, serves you right for abusing that Teleport of yours.”

It had been two days since the pair had left North Shore, and since Kenta’s Teleport still wasn’t working, their entire journey had been one long hike. They had planned for this, though, and had packed the provisions they figured they would need to last them until they arrived at the Alchemist’s home. They had walked thus far through the dry fields outside Terak’s home to a lush forest neighboring the mountain they would be climbing. Unfortunately, only one of them was actually familiar with this form of travel.

“Can’t we at least slow down a little?” Kenta whined. “It’s not like this Alchemist guy is waiting for us.”

“No,” Terak said flatly. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m probably infected with some Shifter brain-poison, and sooner or later it will probably be turning me into some corrupted freak like that psychopath Solrock we met a while ago. If you don’t mind, I’d like to find a cure so I can prevent that.” He cast Kenta a questioning glance. “Besides, if you think this is fast then I’d hate to see your idea of slow. It’s not enough that you walk like a Magcargo, you also trip over every second root we pass.”

“I already told you that’s not my fault, it’s Chatox’s! He keeps dropping his bone in front of my feet when I’m not looking, and then he just stands over me, leering down.” Kenta shuddered. “Don’t you ever see it? It’s the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t even listen to me anymore.”

“All right.” Terak impatiently propped his own pole against a tree, then held both his wingtips up to his beak and looked around with false sincerity, calling out to the air. “Chatox, you there? Quit being a problem to Kenta until after he’s had his therapy, all right?” He took his pole and turned, ignoring Kenta’s shocked expression. “There, let’s go. You’ve had your little rest.”

“. . .”

They progressed for the next little while in silence. Eventually, though, Terak noticed Kenta suddenly slow to a halt once again. However, this time it wasn’t because of exhaustion. His eyes had sharpened to a keen glare, and he was glancing around with complete attention. Feeling confused and wary, Terak started to slip into his own defensive stance.

He had barely even begun to move before something white burst through the overhead canopy, and a hissing snarl filled his ears. With a bellow of alarm he acted without thinking, swinging his hardened fin with a tremendous force at the sound of the attack. He merely sliced air, though, and overbalancing, he slipped and landed roughly on his back. He was just in time to see his antagonist being flung away at the nearest tree with psychic force, but before they connected, they were frozen in mid-air again, falling and landing lightly on the ground. When they looked to the source of the new psychic energy, their eyes met a Grumpig with one hoof held out, the other raised to his forehead in concentration. The one Kenta had thrown away, a Persian, suddenly landed beside the pig and faced the two with her claws extended.

“What the HELL!” Terak exploded, after he had scrambled to his feet. “You don’t just go charging at some random stranger, ready to rip their throat out! You have got to be shifters!”

The Persian looked perturbed, and didn’t take her narrow eyes off of the shrilling penguin. “Let’s be quick about this, Boda,” she muttered.

“Right,” the Grumpig replied, his pearls giving off an eerie violet shine.

[Kenta.....]

Terak and Kenta did not see the same things attacking them.  Terak saw a Persian charging at him, and at Kenta, a Grumpig.  Kenta saw an Umbreon and an Espeon; two villains from his dream world known as Leros and Kaira.  For some reason, the Umbreon was going after Terak instead of him.  Facing the Espeon before him, Kenta held out his paws in a "halt" signal.  "So, it's you guys again," he growled.  "It's been a while since our last encounter.  I've improved a great deal since then!"

The Espeon looked at him, confused and mildly hesitant.  What is he talking about?  Wait, was he on to us all along?  How is that possible?  Did I underestimate him?

Boda's thinking was so loud that Kenta actually heard him.  It was either that, or the fact that Kenta's sixth sense was sharply raised from the battle tension.  Taking advantage of his opponent's temporary astonishment, he made the first move, leaping backwards towards Terak and throwing up a Light Screen.  "Stay close!" he barked to Terak.  "I know these guys, they're tough!  We're going to have to take them in a double battle!"

"What-?" Terak started to say, then he and Kenta both dove out of the way as Shanka rushed them with a Slash attack.  "I don't do double battles!" Terak yelled in frustration, getting up from his fallen position.  "No choice!" Kenta rasped, short on breath.  "They're all I know how to do.  And unless you stay by me, you can't benefit from the Light Screen!"

Terak began to reply when his body was encircled in a spooky red aura, and he was lifted from his feet.  "Hey!  Heyyyy!"  Kenta responded quickly, casting his own psychic energy upon the Prinplup and overriding the half-powered Psychic from Boda.  Upside-down in midair, Terak took an opportunity to fire a Bubblebeam at the Persian/Umbreon.  She managed to dodge around most of the explosive bubbles, but the exhausting effort lowered her Speed somewhat.  Kenta turned his head just in time to see the Espeon charge full-force at him, but he was unable to react quick enough.  "Take this!" howled Boda, then he was gone.  Kenta blinked, wondering how his Espeon foe had managed to simply vanish.  "Leros?  Leros!  Come out!"

"Above!" came Terak's warning shout.  "Too late!" came the reply, and Kenta looked up just in time to see a dark shape smash down full-force onto his head.  "Bounce!"

Terak's instincts told him not to take his eyes off his Persian foe, but he couldn't help but witness Kenta getting crushed by a hundred and fifty-eight pounds of pig.  As Shanka dove at him again, Terak twisted out of the way, and at the same time, whipped his wing around at Boda.  "Metal Claw!"  His stiff arm caught the Grumpig full in the jaw, twisting his chin up as far as it would go and sending him flying off of Kenta's twitching body.  Terak looked down at his companion.  "You okay?"

"You . . . rescued me."  Kenta grinned faintly.  "Nice."

"Looks like he paralyzed y- augh!"  Kenta saw the Umbreon tackle Terak from the back, sending them both to the dirt.  "Oh, no you don't!" shouted Kenta, still unable to get up.  "Get off him!"

"You uppity brat," Shanka snarled, raising her claw.  "I'll show you!"  She batted Terak across the face, looking triumphant for a moment, then suddenly baffled.  "Wait.  What in the-?"  Her claw exploded into fire for a second, causing her to screech in pain before dropping an odd red orb to the ground.  She limped hurriedly away from Terak, then licked her burnt paw tenderly.  "Ouch!  What did . . . what did you do to me?!"

Terak hoisted himself up, shaken.  "I didn't do anything."  He looked over at Kenta, who was holding something cruelly sharp in his palm.  "Kenta?  What is that?"

"A Razor Claw."  Kenta looked keenly at it.  "So, this is what I got in return.  What do you know."  He smiled at Terak.  "I used Trick back there, when she jumped over me.  From her, I received this Razor Claw.  In exchange, she got-" he pointed at the luminous red orb on the ground- "that Flame Orb."

Shanka bared her teeth at him, then winced painfully as her burn acted up.  "Ooh!  Blast it!  Boda, get them!"  She looked over at her Grumpig ally, who was laying still on the ground.  "Boda!  What's the matter with you?"

"Syncronize."  Kenta was speaking again.  "He paralyzed me with that Bounce, when trying to get around our Light Screen.  Now he's paying for it."  Kenta nodded to Terak.  "And speaking of special abilities . . ."

"Say no more."  Terak's eyes flashed in determination.  He was low on health, and his Torrent ability was kicking in.  "Here we go!  Brine!"  Kenta had no idea where all the water suddenly came from, but somehow, Terak had suddenly summoned a massive tidal wave.  At the Prinplup's command, the overpowering water slammed down upon Shanka, crushing all the wind out of her.  As the flood drained into the ground, she lay soaked and defeated.  Terak closed his eyes and gave a small nod, feeling proud, yet modest at the same time.  He'd done it!  But of course he'd done it.  All his training hadn't been for nothing.  Eyeing the frozen Grumpig, he gave an intimidating smile.  "So.  Still want to fight?"

Boda couldn't move.  Evidently, the paralysis was badly affecting him.  Terak turned to Kenta, only to find him facedown on the ground; apparently his paralysis was being a problem, too.  "All right there, Kenta?  Want me to go get your Flame Orb?"

"No!" came Kenta's muffled reply.  "Don't touch it.  That thing's dangerous."

"Where did you even get one of those?"

"Lady Timpani gave it to me, along with a Toxic Orb.  She said that, as a precaution, we should try to give our foes a status condition in advance so that we wouldn't be able to spread our own poison."

"Oh."  Terak looked over at Kenta's fallen sack.  "So that's why you didn't carry them around in your hands."

"That's . . . cheating . . ." coughed Boda, looking slightly recovered.  "Pokemon aren't . . . supposed to be able to carry multiple items.  Where's your sense of . . . fair play?"

"Fair play?" echoed Terak skeptically.  "Hello!  We're fighting for our freaking lives here!"

[Terak]

Hm. I wonder if we should mention about this RPG in the Roleplaying Request Thread?

Oh, and though it's been a month, that was a great battle post, Kenta.

***

Darkness had fallen. Both Shanka and Boda now had their limbs bound in ropes ("Who the hell is Leros?" Terak had asked Kenta when he suggested the idea), and lay back to back in the open where their captors could clearly see them. From their seated point next to a small fire that Kenta had struck up with their Flame Orb, the two pokemon considered their situation. Boda had been unwilling to talk to them, and when Terak had opted to try and beat the information out of him, Kenta had to pull him away and very insistently remind him that they couldn't risk infecting either Boda or Shanka with the plague. They could only fight if they had to.

"But you said earlier that their anomalies prevented them from being infected," Terak argued.

Kenta shook his head. "That was only a precaution. Just because they're burned or paralyzed doesn't mean they're safe from everything else. Their immune systems have been strengthened, but some things are still capable of affecting them."

"Oh, whatever. I don't pay attention to all that science stuff. I still think you're being paranoid, though." He waved a wing irritably. "So what do we do now? Take them with us as hostages? Wait for the Nova Crusade to pick them up?"

This was a sarcastic comment. The Nova Crusade was an old organization of pokemon that used to patrol Frome and maintain order. Eventually, however, their vigilante approach raised questions amongst the Elders, and they were disbanded for being too forceful in their methods.

"I don't like this," Terak continued, gazing into the fire. "We can't take these guys with us, and we can't waste time bringing them to any authorities, either. This is the worst time to have been attacked by two strangers."

"Keep your voice down, Leros is listening," Kenta said quietly. He frowned; he was still stiff from his earlier paralysis, but was quickly recovering thanks to the cheri berry he had eaten. "Besides, even if we wanted to, we couldn't extort information from them with non-physical means anyway. It would be too difficult for me to mentally weaken another psychic-type into talking."

"What about his accomplice?" Terak suggested.

"She's a dark-type. She's immune to my psychic energy."

"Damn it, you're impossible . . ."

"Well, I suppose I could technically use a Miracle Eye on her," Kenta considered, scratching his chin. Then he shook his head. "Wait, forget it. By the time she did talk, she'd have too massive a headache to explain anything."

"Then I'll use water attacks," Terak persisted. He was slowly growing agitated by his partner's lack of helpfulness. "Well? Those don't draw blood."

"No, but they can easily transfer a virus," Kenta reasoned. "They come from your beak, and that's a-"

"FINE. Fine. I get it. Something to do with germs, right?" Not interested in being bested by an Alakazam's logic, Terak's gaze returned resentfully to the fire. The fact that they wouldn't be getting any information out of their prisoners was greatly vexing.

"We'll just have to leave them here," Kenta continued. "Keep them bound so they don't escape, of course, and then take them to King Bael when we get back from the Alchemist's. We'll leave food so they don't go hungry."

"That's a little bit more merciful than I'm willing to go," Terak said resentfully. He motioned to Shanka's unconscious form. "You do remember that she tried to slice my face open with that thing." He made a gesture to the Razor Claw sitting by Kenta's pack.

"Well, you'll just have to deal with it. We really don't know how long it will be before we return."

"I'll look forward to seeing them again when we do," Terak said darkly, flexing his fin tips. He noticed Boda was eying him, and his stomach tightened with dislike. There was something about these strangers that disturbed him, more than just their earlier attempts to kill them. He hated that smug expression; the Grumpig was plotting something, and he wished he knew what.

***

EDIT: Whoops. There were flaws I overlooked in the discussion before.

[Kageito]

You guys got it easy. You only got two Pokémon to control ._. I got a whole friggin pack! I'd like some help here XD
-----

Storm and Shelly sat together whispering. Morgan had no idea what they were talking about, but he couldn't care less. He'd warmed up to the others, but seemingly fell back into his old state of mind soon after. He leaned back into the grass, stretching his stiff muscles. His long black claws flashed in the light of a slowly setting sun. After all the time he'd been here he knew the beach was a dangerous place to be at night. Gyarados had been known to come close to shore to hunt for unsuspecting Pokémon scavenging on the sand, and he didn't want to risk his life. He stood up, trotting away.

"Okay, I get that, but we don't know where they are, it's stupid to just go wandering around the island. We might just as well never see each other again," Storm argued, her voice slowly raising, earning worried glances from the others. Levian flexed his wings and yawned.

"Okay, but I'm not staying here. Haven't you heard the rumors about the Gyarados around these parts?"

"Of course I have but where are you suggesting we should go?"

"Well, see the trees over there? They give us a bit of shelter, and we could send a group of Murkrow to search for Terak and Kenta," the Umbreon suggested timidly. Storm was baffled. How could she not think about that? Shelly merely smiled the way she always did, and motioned for the others to follow. The Sceptile could decide on his own whether or not to tag along.
*****

"Listen. We thought up a little plan," the Luxray announced loudly as they sat under the protection of the pine trees. Everyone raised their heads, listening intently, except maybe for a couple of Murkrow.

"The Murkrow can help us with this. We think," she continued, "that a few of them should go search for Terak and Kenta, and maybe Levian is willing to tag along? You may never know what happens, and you're quite fast."

Levian seemed to consider this for a second, then nodded. "Sure," he answered.

"Great, that set, though I don't think it'd be smart to start the search now the evening is closing in," Shelly added, flicking her tail in boredom.

"We dun mind. We're Dark type Pokémon after all," one of the Murkrow spoke. He was right, they could see well enough in the dark.

"You okay with that, Levian?"

Levian merely shrugged, and Storm nodded.

((O.M.G. I hope I didn't get Levian to be OOC ><"))

[Kenta.....]

You're fine. ^^ Pardon the delay.  School pressures are increasing.

***

With the mission being a complete and utter failure, there was little to do for the moment.  Levian perched in one of the taller trees by the shoreline and gazed out at the waves.  Okay, so maybe "failure" wasn't a fair term.  After all, they had just found out about the enormous sea monster that lurked the area.  But what did that accomplish?  Shifter or not, it was a very dangerous creature.  If not for Kenta's Teleport, Levian might have been worried about his youth companion.  Nah, anyone else would be in danger below the water, but not Kenta.

Still, the operation had not gone well after all the preparation work, and everyone seemed disheartened.  Levian could tell, they were steadily scattering back into their old groups.  Would he have done the same?  Perhaps.  Kenta wasn't here, so he couldn't say, but he noticed that he was getting back into the habit of sitting alone.  Yet there was nothing for it.  Tomorrow would be another day.  As night fell upon the shoreline and pokemon wandered away, Levian sat and thought quietly.  Where would they meet tomorrow?  Where they always met, he presupposed.  Malloy's spot.

***

The dawn of the next morning found Kenta and Terak huffing and puffing their way up the side of a steep mountainside.  Terak, who by nature wasn't used to heights above sea level, hauled his heavy steel-plated body up the incline with difficulty.  Kenta, who was in terrible physical shape as it was, fared no better.  His tiny muscles, his heavy head, and his need to balance the sack on his back made for a very awkward combination.

There was a plus side to this, however.  Because they were so busy trying to keep their breath, the two pokemon didn't have the wind to grumble at each other.  If it were up to him, Kenta knew he'd whine nonstop about how much it sucked that he apparently couldn't Teleport anymore.  And Terak, he'd probably moan about what he was doing up here.  In both pokemons' minds, the same question burned like an injury: How did I get myself into this?  Three days earlier, Kenta had never in his wildest imagination pictured he'd be doing this.  But somehow, some way, here he was.

They ran into no other pokemon along the way, except for a friendly mountain Stantler.  "Don't breathe too hard now," the deer advised them coolly as it watched them slump their way ever further up the path.  "The air is thinner in the mountains.  You'll start seeing things."

"Seeing . . . things . . . ?" Kenta managed to gasp.  "Wow.  I wonder . . . what that's like."

A couple feet behind him, Terak rolled his eyes.

***

Levian found his party exactly where he'd left them the previous night to his surprise- right at the shore.  Apparently, going to Malloy's wasn't a priority after all.  He swooped down to meet them, and found Shelly bombarding the newest member, a sleek-looking Sceptile, with questions.  Storm turned her head his way and greeted him with a nod, and along with Morgan, they listened boredly as Shelly jabbered on and on.

"Is it hard to balance on two legs?  Those leaves on your body must get in the way sometimes.  How do you deal with that?  Do Sceptiles always chew on branches to look cool?  Can you run fast?  Grass pokemon can't usually run fast, but I'll bet you can.  How fast can you run?  Are those leaves on your arms blades?  Do they harden?  How do they harden?"

"I'm sorry," Morgan would mutter whenever Shelly paused for breath, apologizing on her behalf.  "I'm really, really sorry."

The Sceptile said nothing, but seemed mildly amused by all the questions.  After a few more minutes of killing time, Levian looked up expectantly at the sky.  "We've been here a while now," he commented.  "Are these all the more pokemon who are coming?  What happened to Jason and that Quil guy?"

Storm shook her head.  "I don't know.  Even the Black Hats haven't reported back.  They really must've been busy."

"So what should we do?  We can't just stand around like we've been doing."

Morgan looked back apprehensively at the ocean.  "I don't want to go back out there," he muttered.  "Not with that sea colossus lurking down there.  I'd rather search anywhere else."

"Is that what we need to do?" said Levian.  "Form a search party?"

"Excuse me, but . . ."

Clyde materialized out of the ground, causing Levian to jump in dismay.  The Roserade didn't appear to notice.  "If you're wondering about our MIA comrades, I just got done speaking to one of the Elders.  Lady Timpani says that they are alive.  But-"  He continued quickly before Levian or anyone else could cheer.  "But we are not to go near them, even if we find them.  Not for the time being, anyway.  They'll have to be quarantined when they do finally get back."

"Oh."

There was a silence as everyone absorbed the news.  Clyde raised a petal.  "There is still something we can do to speed this up.  Right now, we're without a goal.  But Lady Timpani said that if we can find a certain item, we'll be helping the cause against the Shifter."

"Find something?" asked Shelly.  "Like what?"

"It is an elusive healing item.  It should help cure the so-called 'rabies' that the Shifter seems to be inflicting on pokemon who have survived encounters with it."  Clyde closed his eyes.  "It is called the Miracleberry.  It can cure status ailments.  Unlike the Lum Berry, however, Miracleberry is said to cure any stat condition at all.  Short of raising the dead, it is a true elixer ingredient."

"Miracleberry . . ." Shelly grinned.  "Cool!  Know where it could be?"

"It wouldn't be elusive if we knew where to find it," muttered Morgan.

"I . . . might know where to find one."  The Sceptile had spoken at last.