The sky was dark with grey clouds overhead when a lone shape dashed through a copse of trees known to the humans as scotch pines. The name of the trees, however, did not concern the shape, as the trees were blurs before him as he rushed past them with fear and fierce determination burning in his eyes.
Three more shapes followed him, each slithering their hardest, but quickly falling behind. The first shape glanced back, and allowed himself a small smile, before turning his head forward once more, and coming to a screeching halt, his brief smile instantly becoming a look of horror. Five, no, six shapes had appeared before him hissing menacingly, as the three shapes behind him quickly caught up, slowing to a halt behind their prey. One of the largest shapes slithered out from the forward group, and approached the now surrounded arcanine.
"Well, well! It seems our prized prisoner has returned to us once more," the arbok hissed, a sadistic smile spreading across his dark purple face, the scars along it elongating with the motion. "You gave a good chase, Salem, but you are one, and we are many. You should have known it was hopeless the moment you realized you were being pursued." The arcanine, Salem, bared his teeth at the arbok, and the ekans around him moved in, hissing a warning, eagerly awaiting the time when they would sink their fangs into his silver-furred flesh. "No words, Salem? From what Alicia says, you're quite good with them. Such a pity that they should fail you now," the arbok hissed in mock sympathy, and Salem's eyes narrowed further, and at last the arcanine spoke in a soft, mid-pitched voice.
"If you've harmed Alicia, I can assure you all a slow, painful death at my claws," he snarled, hiding the sense of panic that had erupted in his belly. The arbok chuckled darkly.
"Why, Salem! Didn't your Mother ever teach you not to make promises you can't keep?"
"We'll see who's laughing when you're bleeding to death at my paws."
"You're all bark and no bite, doggy. Why don't you just surrender?"
"I'll show you bite, you worthless snake," Salem snarled, and leapt for the arbok, but was quickly intercepted by two pairs of ekans, one from either side, causing him to spin, and land in a heavy roll, squirming in front of the arbok as the ekans wrapped themselves around him, preventing him from moving.
"Take him back to the Cave," the arbok said coldly, "and this time, make sure he stays there." The remaining ekans surrounded him, and began carrying him on their heads toward the last place he wanted to go. Salem, no longer squirming, watched the arbok disappear behind the horizon, glaring at the shape with fiery eyes, until finally, he disappeared altogether. Then something new appeared in his eye. It built up slowly, then seeped its way down from his lower eyelid off the bottom side of his face, and as it landed, the grey clouds rumbled, and rain began to fall, mingling with his tears and wetting his fur, as well as the ekans beneath him.
Above the morbid scene, a pair of eyes watched from the shadows of a tree, staring accusingly at the ekans, and sympathetically at the ninetales. As the party of ekans progressed, the eyes spread a pair of wings quickly, fluttering silently from branch to branch, gliding effortlessly, despite the rain that now hammered down upon the trees. Damp wings were not a problem. Soaked wings on the other hand, would keep anything from flying properly.
As the ekans reached the cave with their prisoner an hour later, they all hissed a sigh of relief. "Finally," one said, "This thing feels heavier and heavier with every passing second. I was afraid we wouldn't make it." The others hissed in agreement, for they could not nod, and entered the cave hastily. The eyes stayed under a large tree branch, safe from the majority of the rain.
The Cave was aptly named, for it was an opening in the ground that was made of solid rock. Within the Cave, there was a large pit taller than any pokemon an ekans would dare attempt to imprison, and it was into this pit that Salem was tossed, the ekans keeping him from moving sliding off just as Salem was thrown, giving them enough time to grab the ledge and pull themselves up. There was no light in the pit, and so it wasn't until Alicia spoke that he knew of her presence. "Salem? Is that you?" she cried.
"Unfortunately, Alicia. I'm afraid they caught me," Salem replied.
"No! I was sure you'd get away! How did they notice?"
"I'm not sure. There must have been an extra guard somewhere I couldn't see him."
"We must try again."
"It's no use. The foothold I found crumbled as I escaped," Salem growled, and Alicia moved towards him, nuzzling him softly.
"At least we're here together," she said, and Salem returned the nuzzle.
"Yes, and this time, we will escape together," Salem responded, and Alicia sighed. Then they both lay down together, and slowly fell asleep,
Meanwhile, the eyes continued to watch. They surveyed the rotation of guards, and scanned the size of the tunnel. And as the eyes surveyed, the mind began to plot.