A/N: Here's Chapter 2, rewritten in all it's glory. ^.^ I am going to apologize ahead of time for getting certain character aspects wrong - Like
I said, the reviews were lost, and so were the OC applications. T.T Anyways, enjoy.

"There'sone over 'ere, too…" I heard a voice say.

The voice was distorted, and its words seemed to slur inside my head as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

I heard footsteps that seemed to be coming closer as I lay helpless there on the muddy shore. I couldn't move, talk, or even open my eyes; my body felt like I just fell off a cliff. I wasn't even certain I was breathing at that moment.

"It may be dead though…" the voice continued.

I wanted to tell the voice I was fine, that I wasn't dead – but at that point I wasn't too sure I was really 'in good health' either.

There was a rapid sniffing at my face, one that I would usually have smacked away – especially because it was so close to my ear. my bones felt like lead, I knew I wasn't going anywhere.

"Th'bloke ain't movin'," the voice said. "You want me to kickit into the ocean?"

"No…" another voice said. "Not quite yet."

I waited there as a chilling silence echoed through the darkness all around me, the only sound being the running water flowing not too far away from me. In a split second I heard a screeching sound and felt a sharp slash scrape over my face. "There… now we're even…"

I basically thought-screamed as the pain ran over my eye and down my cheek, followed by a cool wet sensation over my fur. "I'm finished. Make sure no one finds it." The voice said aggressively.

I swear, when I find out who the hell-

There was a kicking at my ribcage and I soon felt the cool sensation that only cold water can provide and my body began to drift. The running water was soothing, practically lulling me to sleep. I tried to fight the drowse from the rocking waves and the siren song of the seas, but it was too deadly of a combination for me to stay awake for more than ten minutes. In less than half an hour, I was either asleep or unconscious again.

Hours later I felt my body reviving itself; a painful process, but a helpful one nonetheless. The air was cooler than I was used to, which was weird because Evergreen forest was the hottest, most humid place I knew. I could feel the sun beating down on me, but it didn't seem as warm as it typically was on a normal day.

Under me I felt a rough, grainy kind of soil that was stuck to just about every part of my soaked fur, which started to raise questions out of me that I never thought I'd ask myself. "…Where am I?"

"Hey, wake up." I heard a voice coo as I came to. "It's not safe to sleep out here alone."

"Dude, he might be dead. Let's get the guild master." Another said.

"Ramón, he's obviously breathing." the first voice sighed. "He might be hurt."

"Or he might be some homeless guy…"

"Either way, it's our duty to help Pokémon in need."

I tried to speak for myself but ended up rumbling a groan instead. The voices quickly ceased when I moaned in pain, and a mixture of agony and relief flowed through me as I realized I was slowly regaining my mobile skills, even if the pain coursing through me prevented me from testing this.

"Are you okay?" the first voice asked again. "You look hurt."

I struggled to open my eyes, two blurry figures coming into view. When the shadowy forms before me came into focus, I noticed that an Absol and a Pikachu were standing over me, watching me for whatever reason. They were both wearing red bandanas around their necks, which was really confusing to me. I narrowed my eyes, trying to identify the two Pokémon. I don't remember seeing any Absol in Evergreen, and that Pikachu couldn't be Sparky. Come to think of it, I don't recall any beaches being near Evergreen, either.

"…Maybe he's a mute." The Pikachu mused.

"Ramon – manners." The Absol nudged at his side.

"Gee, thanks mom."

I shook my head free of that drowsy feeling as I began to speak. "What is this… some sort of flash mob?" I asked, a hint of strain in my voice.

The Pikachu watched me curiously, tilting his head at my comment. "… or maybe he escaped from a mental asylum…" he queried.

I looked around again at the unfamiliar beach. "Where am I?"

The Absol and Pikachu looked to each other knowingly and I cocked my head back, anxious as to what the reason might be. "W-what are you looking at?"

"Last night, were you by any chance… a human?" the Absol asked.

"What the – why would I be a human last night, but a Growlithe now?"

"Jeez, maybe they're the ones who escaped the mental asylum…"

The Pikachu shrugged. "Doesn't hurt to ask, does it?"

"But why ask something so… random?"

The Pikachu arched his eyebrow at me. "It's not like it hasn't happened before, and you seem a little nutty – just like the last guy."

"What?"

"Anyways, my name's Ramón." The Pikachu continued. "That's Chester."

He pointed to the Absol beside him with his thumb. "He's a bit of a nerd."

"I am not!" the Absol protested. "I just happen to be more rational than you. That doesn't make me a nerd."

"Sure – whatever you say." Ramón drawled. "…So who are you?"

"Artemis." I said bluntly. I wasn't in the mood for introductions.

"Too long." The Pikachu shook his head. "From now on, your name's Artie."

There was a tinge of anxiety at that, which signaled there was something important I needed to remember, but I couldn't put my paw on what it was. "You remind me of someone…" I blurted.

"Yeah, you probably met Ramón before. He's been all over." Chester said. "Sorry about him. His brain isn't on speaking terms with his mouth. He's a bit of an…"

"Amazing Pokémon?" the Pikachu interrupted.

"…I was going to say idiot."

I pressed my paws into the sand and lifted myself shakily, feeling the sag of my damp fur and felt a familiar stinging sensation over my face. As they got a good look at my features, the duo began to gawk at me. Chester's jaw hung open and Ramón's eyes widened in shock. "Dude, what the heck happened to your face?"

"Ramón, could you be any more insensitive?"

"It looks fresh," He reasoned with a shrug. "I didn't think he noticed."

"What are you two talking about?" I asked. "My face is perfectly fine."

"Trust me, it's not." Chester said. "You've got a—"

"Take a look." Ramón cut in, pointing to the water beside me.

I glanced over to the water as it slid onto shore softly, evoking a bit of that nervous feeling I felt earlier, and my reflection came into focus. The rippling image of the Growlithe was perfectly normal…or at least would be if there weren't a long scar over the right eye. The fur around it was matted with dried blood, and even missing in some places. How could that have happened?

It was then that I finally remembered the events of last night. The memories came flooding back like a tsunami… or like a waterfall. My usual disposition melted away to one of worry. Sure I was okay, but what about Kitsune and Reiki? They were both with me last night… where were they now?

"H-hey, when you found me here, was I with anyone?" I asked, worry evident in my face.

"Dude, you were zonked out here by yourself." Ramón said. "Why?"

"Have you seen any Riolu or Eevee around?" I continued, ignoring the Pikachu's question.

"We know a lot of different Eevee and Riolu in Treasure Town, but not really any new faces." Chester replied. "You might find who you're looking for down at Wigglyfuff guild. That's where people usually go when they need help."

"Or in this case, when they wash up on the beach." Ramón added with a smirk.

"Where is it?"

"Just down this path, then take a left. You can't miss it." Chester instructed.

"What if I do?"

"Dude – It's a huge tent in the shape of a Wigglytuff. We're pretty sure you won't." Ramón said. "You know, if you don't think you'll find it on your own, we can…"

Before he could even finish speaking, I sprinted up the beach. I needed to know my friends were alright, and I wasn't going to be okay until I did.

"Uh, Ramón?" Chester asked. "Shouldn't we go after him? He might be in trouble."

"Nah, he'll be fine – it's not like there are any assassins in Treasure Town or anything." Ramon reasoned.

They continued to walk along the beach when a few Pokémon could be seen flying over the horizon.

"Hey, look at that." Chester said, staring at the silhouettes in the distance. "You think they're in trouble too?"

"Probably. The Malevolent Ones are pretty fierce. Good thing we're in the safety of Treasure Town."

In minutes they found themselves running up the beach after the Growlithe, who seemed to be able to take off so easily after being as injured as he was. The heat slowed them considerably, and they collided with another traveling group, seeming to be in a hurry.

There were four Pokémon. The first was a Scyther, whose expression was almost unreadable, walking beside a Houndoom covered in scars and bruises. It looked like he'd been slightly traumatized, and there was a crazed look in his eye that could only describe torture. Then there was a Mightyena. He didn't seem too shady, but apathy seemed to overtake his features, as if he didn't want to be in Treasure Town in the first place. The leader of the quartet was a Swellow standing tall and mighty, harboring a scar over his eye that reached down to his beak with burn marks decorating both his eyes.

"Excuse me," the Swellow cooed falsely. "Would either of you two happen to know in which direction town is?"

"Uh, sure – it's that way…" Ramón replied, a hint of distrust in his words.

"Thank you, good sirs."

He continued on his path, muttering to his followers something that he didn't trust enough to say out loud to the two Pokémon.

"I don't like them." The Pikachu said candidly, crossing his arms.

"You don't have to." Chester replied. "They're probably just visiting. Don't worry about 'em."

"I don't know…" he mused. "They seem a bit shady to me."

"Like I said: they're probably just visiting. Needless to say you might never see them again after today – now let's go."

He continued on his way, trekking up the hill to the guild.

Ramón took one last apprehensive glance back to the four, who were now just dots in the distance, and took off to catch up to his fiend.

It was a quiet afternoon here in Treasure Town. The town's Pokémon were especially calm today, even for its current tranquil state. Ever since the Malevolent Ones began their reign of terror over the three regions, everything's been a bit hectic – especially when it came to stocking up on supplies. Kecleon market was always busy, always running out of items barely a week after they were shipped. But lately, things were calm. Even Mister Kecleon, the older of the two, who was typically the madcap hot-head brother, was unusually calm. Everything was strangely still.

It almost scared Kecleon, the younger brother, who was a lot more laid back. The quiet was almost like an omen to them, telling them to enjoy the peace while they had it, that chaos would be soon approaching. It sent shivers up his spine.

He turned to the purple Kecleon beside him, nudging the dozing Pokémon.

"Huh? What is it?" he asked in a minor state of disorientation. "What's going on?"

"Hey brother, it's quiet." the Kecleon said.

"Yeah, so?"

"Do you think it might be too quiet?"

"Of course not." He said, dismissively waving a claw in his brother's face. "Any kind of quiet at a time like this can't be bad."

"Yeah, but it's—"

The reptilian Pokémon was interrupted by the sound of copper coins rolling onto the counter, falling into place at a dispersion.

He cast his gaze downward to the source of the commotion. "An apple, please." The Pokémon said.

His gaze lingered over each coin, calculating the amount in his head robotically. "Terribly sorry, but you only have fifteen Poké; an apple is twenty-five Poké." He said coldly.

"Dude – you've got to be kidding."

"If I were, you'd have your apple."

"C'mon, can't I have this one?" the Riolu pled. "I fell off a freakin' waterfall for Arceus sake! I haven't had anything to eat since! You don't even want to know what I had to do to get what I have there!"

"That may be, but rules are rules. If I gave you an apple, that would mean I had to give every other hungry Pokémon something to eat, and now is a time of recession. I need to preserve my stock for explorers and paying Pokémon."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"I said no."

"I won't leave until you say yes." The Riolu countered, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Fine then – yes."

He blinked in disbelief. "R-really?"

"No. Now leave before I call the authorities, Riolu."

"Name's Reiki – not Riolu." He grumbled, turning on his heel to walk in the opposite direction.

"Ah, there you are…" a voice cooed from behind. "I've been looking for you."

That voice gave Reiki chills. That voice belonged to the very Pokémon that killed both his best friends and left him stranded on this…whatever it was. Now he was afraid and alone, and of all the Pokémon he could run into, it had to be the sadist trying to slit his throat. The instant those words were uttered he stopped in his tracks, trying his best to keep his legs from trembling.

"There is no need to be afraid; all we want to know is where your Growlithe friend is."

"They're looking for Artie?" he asked himself. "That means he might be okay… that he might be here."

Reiki kept his back turned as he spoke. "W-what are you gonna do to him?" he asked, uncharacteristically timid.

The Swellow only chuckled and the sound of drawn blades could be heard from behind. "I don't think it should be that hard to tell…"

The soft pit-pat of footsteps came close as the Swellow continued to speak. "Now, do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Reiki began to tremble. They were going to hurt Artemis; he knew it. It was all his fault – if he had led them in any other direction, they would still be in Evergreen right now; they'd still be home with their families, not running for their lives on a strange land so far from home.

Reiki mustered all of his courage and turned quickly to face the wicked Pokémon. The Swellow grinned in return, thinking that the Riolu was about to comply. Big mistake.

He snorted a wad of saliva and spat it right onto his beak, grinning as the Pokémon burned red with rage.

The Swellow quickly composed himself, turning his back and motioning to the Scyther with his wing. "You know what to do."

The Scyther's unreadable expression hadn't faltered when he made his way over to Reiki, raising a blade to the poor Riolu.

"Now, I'll give you to the count of three to tell me where he's hiding or we'll gut you like a Magicarp and take you instead." The Swellow said calmly, turning back to face the scene. "One…two…"

The passersby started to rumble in panic. They weren't strong enough to help the Riolu. The ones who were strong enough were either away on missions, or weren't able to get past the Houndoom and Mightyena, who acted as bouncers to the whole event.

Some were smart enough to run to the guild and get help – others watched in suspense, shouting things like, "Just tell him what he wants to know!" and "Don't get yourself hurt over nothing!"

As much as he wanted to back down, to tell him what he wanted and get on with his day, he couldn't. He couldn't tell them where Artemis was, and even if he did know, he'd take that secret with him to the grave.

The elder Pokémon always said that he was destined for greatness. They always said that he would do amazing things when he was older… what did they say about Reiki?

The bad influence, the lazy one… the only Riolu in Evergreen that didn't know how to use aura…

They'd be better off without him …

He shut his eyes tight and stood his ground, taking a deep breath as he determined his fate. "Gimme your best shot, turkey…"

The Swellow contorted his face into a scowl. "Three…"

When it became apparent that Reiki would not meet their demands, the Swellow growled irascibly and turned to the Scyther. "Aim for the throat…"

After a few minutes, I'd finally reached the 'Wiglytuff guild'. Now I see why I couldn't have missed it – it was freaky! There were torches and totem poles on each side of the tent, leaving a wooden grate to rest in the center. The tent itself was guarded by a gate made of the same kind of wood, which I couldn't help but stare at. It looked really strong for wood – Evergreen forest needed one of those.

I inadvertently stepped onto the grate and was greeted by a siren-like voice. "Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"The footprint is… um…" the voice fell silent.

"Sentry Diglet! WHOSE footprint is it?"

"Um… maybe Growlithe's! Maybe Growlithe's!"

I tilted my head in confusion. "What the—"

"What do you mean MAYBE?"

"I told you before; I don't know what I don't know!"

"Great." I sighed. "More crazies…"

For a few minutes the voices began to quarrel, bickering about whether of not I should be let in. all I could do then was stand there and wait awkwardly. In a few short seconds, the ground started to rumble and the wooden gate lifted from the soil.

"…Sorry to make you WAIT. It's true that you don't SEE many Growlithes in these parts, but you don't SEEM to be bad, so you may ENTER."

After their little banter, I wasn't sure I wanted to go in after all. "Maybe I washed up on a refuge for demented Pokémon or something…" I said to myself.

"HUH? What was that?" the voice rumbled below.

"Erm – nothing!" I squealed, running into the tent.

...

Down in the basement floor of the tent, (really, it had two sub-basements!) I spotted the diversity of the mass of Pokémon that swarmed all over. There were lots of Pikachu, some Eevee, plenty of Poochyena, a Riolu – wait…

"Reiki!" I shouted. "You're okay!"

I ran over to the Pokémon, who had been leaning against a wall on his own. When I approached, he didn't seem too relieved to see me. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Do I know you?"

I tilted my head in confusion. "Reiki?"

"My name is Chase…" he replied. "Not Reiki."

"Oops…" that was awkward.

I backed into the crowd, parting through the Pokémon to try and find my friends. I was starting to think that I might have been the only one to survive… "No!" I shouted out loud to myself. "They're okay – they just have to be!"

I felt a tapping at my shoulder and nearly jumped out of my skin at the feel. After the events of last night, I wouldn't be surprised if I were twitching at the slightest ping. I twisted around quickly and saw that the Absol and Pikachu from before were behind me, watching me curiously. "Were you… talking to yourself just then?" Chester asked.

"What do I look like, a nut-job?" I asked pointedly. I wasn't good at quips – those were more for Kitsune and Reiki, but I never really noticed until now.

Ramón crossed his arms. "If we answered that question, I don't think you'd be too pleased about it…"

"Whatever; I need to find my friends." I said dismissively, pushing through the crowd once again. They began to disperse in the same frenzy they had been sauntering through, but I didn't think anything of it until I was knocked away by a Gardevoir in a white fedora, accompanied by a Mawile with the same hat. They were both female – or at least I think so.

They charged over to a Silver Haunter, who was conversing with a Lucario with notable blue eyes.

"Devin, the Malevolent Ones have got assassins here in treasure town!" the Gardevoir shouted. "They're attacking a Riolu, and apparently all the competent teams are still away on missions."

"Wait, a Riolu?" I thought. "That must be Reiki! Maybe Kitsune's with him too!"

The Haunter's expression had morphed from laid back to severe, and I could tell there was something about these 'Malevolent Ones' that I wasn't getting.

"I think they know something about the three heirs." The Mawile piped up. "they keep asking about the Heir of Entei…"

The Lucario's eyes widened. "What are we waiting for?"

"Excuse me!" I called, pushing by the whirl of departing teams.

I approached the four obviously esteemed Pokémon, who were all giving me quizzical looks. "I want to come with you."

"No." the Haunter said quickly. "It's too dangerous for a young Growlithe like you. They'll kill you without so much as a forethought."

"Please," I begged. "That Riolu is my best friend. It's my job to protect him!"

"Correction: it's our job." The Gardevoir snapped back. "You have to stay here – where it's safe."

I casted my eyes downward, defeated. It was then that the Lucario spoke up. "I think we should let him." He mused.

"What?" the three Pokémon questioned, practically in unison.

"Austin, you can't be serious." The Gardevoir said disbelievingly.

I looked up incredulously as he sent a warm smile my way. "If we don't, he'll probably just follow us anyway."

The Haunter shrugged. "I'm fine with that."

"Fine. As long as I'm not babysitting…" The Gardevior chimed in, still a bit apprehensive.

"And I suppose you two want to come along as well?" the Haunter asked, glancing over to Ramón and Chester, who had been watching the whole time at a rather close distance.

"Well, it would be a nice change." Chester mused.

"Yeah, we haven't seen any good action in weeks!" Ramón added.

"Then it's settled." He beamed. "Let's go before it's too…"

Once again, before the Lucario could finish his sentence, I darted off, anxious to save my friends.

We arrived at the main part of town. Well actually, I arrived first – the others were just barely trying to keep up with me in the heat. "How the heck… can you run… so fast?" Ramón panted heavily. "I'm …dying over here!"

"It's way hotter where I live…" I answered distractedly. "I'm used to it."

The sea of speculators were blocking my view so I couldn't see much. When I finally managed to push my way through, the first thing I saw was Reiki backed into an abandoned vender's stand, holding his right arm. A drop a blood managed to flow through and I practically lost control of my senses. He was being backed into a corner by a violent Scyther. "Reiki!" I shouted, adrenaline now coursing through me.

When he saw me, it was almost like his heart stopped. His expression melted away into one of pure terror.

The Swellow looked back, noticing my presence and smiled darkly. "There you are, Growlithe." He said coolly. "My friends and I have been searching everywhere for you."

"Go away!" I shouted childishly. "Yep, still no good at quips…"

"And miss our little reunion? Aw, that breaks my heart." He responded cynically. "How did you like my little… parting gift?"

I reached up and felt the scar on my eye with a shaky paw. "Leave Reiki alone!" I shouted, a hint of malice in my voice.

"Who, the Riolu?" he asked gruffly. "Siros, finish him off."

"Yes, sir…" the Scyther's words were frighteningly calm.

He turned his back to us, facing Reiki to finish the job. When the sun glinted from the blade that was raised, I found myself charging at him, my body enveloped in a flame I had no idea I was capable of conjuring. His body jerked in pain and the Scyther fell to the dirt with a thud.

It was almost like my instincts took over as I pounced over him and spat a flurry of fire into his face. the assailant roared in pain. My embers came at him non-stop. After a few short seconds he could take no more and swatted me away with the back of his blade.

I fell back, landing in front of Reiki defensively while panting heavily.

The Scyther recomposed himself, edging my way dangerously with both his blades drawn. I shut my eyes tight; I didn't want to see it coming.

In an instant there was a slashing sound, followed by a deafening silence. I looked up and saw the tall blue figure standing between us and our foe.

It had turned out that Austin was sandwiched between us, shielding from Siros's knife blades with his bone rush attack. I breathed a sigh of relief and Reiki practically fainted beside me.

Austin pushed the Scyther's blades in the air, and then swiped at his midsection with his bone. The attack made tremendous impact and The Scyther doubled over in pain. The Lucario brought the weapon down onto the side of his head and knocked his foe into the dirt.

He threw a grin my way as I sat there with my jaw hung open, still incredulous as to what had just happened. Not because of what he did, but more because of I did and was still breathing afterwards.

"You okay?" he asked.

"…Yup." I answered breathlessly.

Reiki stared at him with wide eyes. "You have to teach me that one day."

Almost on cue, everyone looked over at the Swellow, who was seething with rage.

"Burke, Tobu!" he called out.

He twisted his head back to see that both his Hench-Pokémon had been subdued by the Silver Haunter and his team. They were beaten and tied down, incapable of any kind of movement.

"Usually I'd have a witty saying for something like this, but I can't think of anything…" Ramón blurted out, reminding me of his presence.

Beside him, Chester face-pawed, voicing a groan.

The lot of us chuckled at the two, forgetting to keep a watchful eye on the Swellow. He took to the skies the second we let our guard down, expressing his distain with an exception ally loud caw. Siros quickly followed suit the instant his boss had gone.

"Well, I guess two out of four isn't bad…" Devin mused aloud.

"Yeah," Austin agreed. "We should probably get back to the guild and report to Wigglytuff about these two."

He walked over to the binded pair and smirked. "When the guild master's done with you, you're going to wish you could fly too."

"Hold still, Reiki." I instructed, wrapping the bandage over his arm. "This shouldn't hurt much."

He cringed and tensed his arm at the stinging sensation throbbing through his forearm. "This won't hurt… much?" he questioned sardonically. "It sure hurts a lot more than you think."

We had been alone in one of the rear dormitories of the Wigglytuff guild, treating the abrasions over his appendages. His right arm was scratched and bloodied from the previous battle that took place just moments earlier. "What happened?" I asked curiously.

"My arms?" he lifted them weakly. "Nothing."

It felt like there was something to that that he wasn't telling me, but I'd settle for what he just said. I'm just happy he didn't give me some sort of sarcastic remark like he usually does.

"What about back in town?" I pried. "What happened there?"

"They were looking for you… they wanted to kill you…" he said gravely.

"Oh…"

I casted my eyes back to his arms and began bandaging quicker in the awkward atmosphere I had inadvertently created. This was starting to become a habit…

"I couldn't let them do that – not to my best friend…" he continued. "I'd die before I let that happen."

There was something about that that filled me with a sense of dread, yet oddly filled me with happiness at the same time. I always knew that Reiki would do just about anything for me, seeing how we were the best of friends since hatching, but I never knew that our friendship could span to that extent. But at the same time I felt a bit guilty. It was my job to protect him, not the other way around. If he felt like this, then it probably meant I was a burden to him; more importantly, I was a hindrance to his health.

But he did basically save my life – I should be thankful. I guess a true friendship is put to the test when one friend's life is in danger and the other steps in to take his place.

Reiki chuckled a bit beside me. "Don't worry about thanking me – Friends are supposed to stand up to your bully. Best friends are supposed to jump that bastard after the fight."

"Reiki, you didn't jump anybody." I laughed.

"There's still two tied up in the foyer; we can kick them a bit while they're tied up if you're feeling up to it later." He suggested cheekily.

"Thanks," I chuckled, still choking down a few extra laughs. "I'll hold you to that later."

There was silence after that. Not an awkward one like the others before it (thank Arceus), but a more comfortable one. It filled me with a silence that I didn't think I'd ever feel again, seeing how my whole clan was annihilated by a bunch of vicious monsters.

"Hey," I heard a voice say. "We want to talk to you."

I turned around quickly and saw that Chester and Ramón were standing at the archway of the room. Ramón was holding something behind his back and Chester was holding back a fiercely nerdy smile.

"What's wrong?" I asked, tilting my head.

"I think the better question is, 'what's right?'" Ramón replied with a smile. "Or maybe it's, 'what's better?' no, it'd be better if I said what's—"

"Anyway," Chester interrupted. "We've got a surprise for you and your friend."

"What is it?"

Ramón suddenly held up two red bandanas that were almost identical to theirs, bursting forth a cheesy grin as he spied the look on my face. "Welcome to team Hailstorm." He said.

Reiki's brows furrowed in confusion. "Huh? You want us to join your flash mob?"

Chester sweat-dropped and Ramón bowed his head in a mixture of annoyance and exasperation. "Why is it that you two think we're a flash mob?" Chester sighed deeply.

"Well, you two do wear the exact same outfit." Reiki replied before smirking. "And plus, that Pikachu's got little dancer's feet."

Ramón couldn't believe his ears. "It's called agility – I'm agile." he snapped back.

"That doesn't explain why they're so…" he covered his mouth with his paw to stifle a laugh. "Dainty."

"Wha – It's a team thing, okay?" he answered pointedly.

"What is? The bandanas or the girly feet?"

By this time Reiki was on the floor laughing, getting the silage and straw on the ground stuck all over his fur. Ramón, on the other paw, was twitching like he was going to explode into a yellow ball of fury.

"Wait, Hailstorm? That's your team name?" I asked, cutting in and steering away from the two squabbling Pokémon.

"Yup." Chester replied with a nod. "Why?"

"Hail is ice. Neither of you are ice-types."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Reiki chimed in, lifting himself from the floor after his laughing fit.

Ramón pointed to the Absol with his thumb. "Chester's a Delta species Pokémon, which means he was born with a different type than most Absol. We decided that he can take the team name, since basically owe my life to him and all." the Pikachu explained. "It didn't matter to me; everyone already knows I'm the awesome one."

"What exactly are you guys, anyway?" Reiki questioned.

"We're a rescue team." Chester replied, puffing his chest to show his badge.

"A…Rescue team?" I reiterated, clearly confused.

"Yeah, since the rising of the Malevolent Ones, it's been utter chaos in the Pokémon world. We don't know why they're doing what they do, but we know who it is, and that's all we need to know to jump in and protect those in need." he explained. "So the guild master dissolved the exploration teams and established a force of rescue teams to serve and protect those Pokémon. Our sole purpose is to put their leader (whom we have no information about whatsoever,) behind bars."

"So, are you guys in?" Ramón asked, handing the two of us the bandanas.

I gingerly took mine, inspecting the silky feel of the cloth. It didn't seem like it might chafe around your neck, and I felt oddly invigorated just by holding it.

"Does it pay well?" Reiki asked suddenly.

I wanted to swat him over the head for saying something so shallow about a subject so serious, but I was thinking the same thing. We needed a place to stay, food to eat, and we had to find a way to get back home where we belonged.

"Not unless you're successful in a mission, and even then you only get whatever your client decides to give you; but you won't have to worry about accommodations – when you join Wigglytuff guild, they take care of everything for you."

I thoughtfully tossed the idea back and forth in my mind, questioning if whether or not this was a very wise move. It wouldn't be too much trouble, but I didn't want to spend all day chasing bad guys when I'm already wanted by so many other Pokémon. Then again, they're a rescue team. Maybe we'd rescue Kitsune along the way. Then we could all go home together. Either way, I had nothing to do until then.

I turned to Reiki for some sort of consent and saw that he was already trying on his bandana. That was all I needed to know that this was where we supposed to be right now.

"Sounds good." I said. "We're in."

The forest was quiet. The calm after the storm always left a sense of dread latching onto the fear that the gale to arrive will be ultimately worse than the last. There wasn't a sound that was carried through the charred foliage or the fallen trees. The grass held heavy imprints and various shades of blood in a variety of different patches surrounding the deceased bodies, now just empty shells bitter with the memories of the souls they used to hold within. There wasn't a sound, not a shadow, that loomed over this place now… Evergreen was dead and there was nothing that could bring back the once abundant woodland. The image of the near-utopia teeming with Pokémon life was now shattered into a land of bleak nothingness.

Nothing would ever be the same – the forest would never cope from a hit like this. Life would have to go on and simply remember the once perfect society as what it had been in a more peaceful time… in a happier time.

So would the lone figure that drifted over the forest with a fog of hate and despair clouding his mind. He snarled at the broken homes, the burnt trees, the crushed homes. All life had been obliterated, and he could only think of one thing.

Why me…

Of all the forests, of all the families, of all the Pokémon,

Why me…

Of all of the tragedies, this had to be the one to happen to him. Not once, but twice. Taking away family became a habit for fate, a habit which seemed incurable by his own intervention.

Why me…

It had already happened once. He forced himself to be strong after that. The pact he made those few short years ago now meant nothing.

The lone figure traipsed over the desolate land in despair, stalking through the once abundant forest for traces of where his attackers had gone. Not watching where he was going, he ended up stepping onto a small, shriveled bush that had just barely begun to grow. It had been burnt and crushed during the night of bloodshed.

Barely begun to grow… Just like my son…

The thought sent waves of anger pulsating through his body, taking control of his actions. The Pokémon lost his temper and rammed his burly frame into a single standing tree, shattering it into frail pieces of timber.

That wasn't enough, though… he rammed himself into a second tree, then a third, trying desperately to expel the powerful feelings burning within him.

His efforts were futile. He began ripping the burnt wisps of dead plants from the ground, yanking them with such a force that they crumbled under his might. The feeling hadn't subsided in the slightest bit… it only grew stronger. He opened his mouth and sent a howl into the sky, followed by mighty flames sparked by such a powerful sentiment that was almost unbelievable.

This feeling inside him was like one he'd never felt before. His heart felt numb, yet tensed all the same. His fury was at its peak, yet he wanted to break down… no, now he wanted blood. The blood of anyone even remotely involved in the organization responsible for taking his son away from him. Now he wouldn't rest until they were all dead. He had to do it. For revenge; for himself…for his son…

He would use this hatred to fuel him in committing the ultimate act of revenge – even if it meant he'd lose his life in the process.

'Delta species' is a trading card reference, I'm too much of a nerd to have kept that quiet for too long. XD I applaud anyone who noticed it, seeing how it was a relatively old and probably outdated reference.

And sorry also about not introducing too many characters. I try to keep each chapter under ten pages, but this came out to way more, so I cut tons of it out and decided to settle for fourteen and save myself the aggravation of rearranging scenes. Next chap, I promise!

Anyways, hope you all liked it! ^.^