Chapter Two

"Heart… Heart… Wake up! You're going to miss breakfast! Delcatty's making her famous Oran Berry Pancakes today! Come on, WAKE UP!" Soul was yelling in my ear.

"I'm awake, sheesh, Soul, you don't have to be so loud!" I criped.

"Come on, quick, this way! They're waiting for us!" He skipped off. I shook the remnants of sleep from my head before following my nose to the dining room. I was stunned by the sheer number of Pokemon crowded inside… and by the fact that all the Pokemon were Chikorita, Skitty, and their evolutions. It was easy to spot Soul's silver coat as he pushed through the crown to an empty table. I hurried to follow him. In the process, I tripped on a Skitty's tail and crashed into a Meganium.

"Sorry!" I squeaked when the Meganium looked at me.

"Nae need tae worrae, lassie. Yore laddie's righ' o'er there. He's been a-waetin' for ye." I was astonished by the Meganium's powerful accent. He chuckled.

"Ye ain't evah hear' ae Scottie talk before, have ye, lassie? Nae get yore little tael ovah there before I taek ye ovah there maeself!" he chuckled again.

I hurried over to join Soul. When I got there, he was chatting with a Skitty.

"So, you came from the SouthSea?" he asked the Skitty

"Aye, that be true. I was born a pirate, an' raised a pirate, an' there ain't nobody that'll tell yeh otherwise." He growled. He walked away from the table mumbling about a seasick Chatot.

"Lots of interesting characters around here, aren't there, Heart?" he laughed.

"Yeah I even met a Scottish Meganium!" I said.

Just then, a battle-scarred Delcatty walked up to our table.

"Sorry for the wait! All those Pokemon are sooo excited for my pancakes that they totally mobbed us. I'm Hazel, and I founded this guild, along with my partner, Meg." She said.

"And I'm that partner!" A female Meganium set two plates of pancakes in front of us using her vines. "I see you met Brendan. He's a bit… eccentric, but I still love him." Meg smiled fondly.

"Hoo boy, here we go again," Hazel said as Meg playfully tackled her boyfriend. "Why don't you finish up your breakfast and come with me? There are a few things that I want to show you."

"Mmph, mmm mm mmmm …YUM these are good!" Soul said, even though his mouth was full.

"Mmm hmmm! …Delicious!" I agreed through a mouthful of food.

"I'm glad you like them," Hazel said as we gobbled the last of our pancakes. There was a loud crash as the two tussling Meganium knocked over a table. "Let's go, before they destroy the place… again" she added to herself.

We walked out of the dining room and into a musty old library. A Chikorita and a pair of Bayleef were shelving books while arguing about who had to do the dishes.

"Come on, Leaf. I did the dishes last time!" one of the Bayleef said.

"Bay, I have better things to do! Why can't you do them for once?" the other whined.

"Hey, guys, if you don't shut up we'll all be washing the dishes! And I washed them six out of seven times last week. I'm not keen on doing that again!" Chikorita grumbled.

"Children, stop it, before I call your mother in here. I need to enter the restricted section. Can I have the keys, Leaf?" Hazel asked.

"AHHHHH! HAZEL!" all three shouted

"Uhh.. Didn't you have the keys, Bay?" Leaf asked him.

"I thought you had them!" Bay retorted.

"Chikorita, where did you hide the keys?" they both asked.

"You told me to put them in the secret compartment." She replied.

"Oh…." Leaf said.

"Right…" Bay muttered. He ran off to get them.

When he returned, Hazel led us to a heavy cast iron door. She inserted the key into the heavy lock. It wouldn't turn. Hazel sighed.

"Not again," she groaned, rolling her eyes. She used Iron Tail on the stubborn key. It turned with a loud click. The Delcatty hauled the door open, revealing a small room and a second door. We walked into the room. Then, Hazel used Thunder on the door. It creaked open.

"Violent much?" Soul asked.

"They are special doors guarded by Gengar. I have to use the right move on the door or it won't open. I'm just afraid I'll break the key if I use Iron Tail on it one more time." Hazel explained.

We were left astonished at this strange explanation..

"But I thought the only Pokemon that were here were Chikorita, Bayleef, Meganium, Skitty, and Delcatty!" I exclaimed.

"Those Gengar have been with us ever since they were Gastly. They haven't left this building once." Hazel raised her voice. "Moonshine? Deathray? Are you two here?"

"Owowow… still as powerful as ever, Haze. What brings you here today?"

"I have need of the Book of Hope. These two are the newest recruits to the Fortress's troops."

"WHAT?" Soul asked.

"When did we join?" I wanted to know.

"Well, you oppose the Obsidian Umbreon, correct?"

"Yes!" Soul and I chorused.

"Then you joined." Hazel said.

"Okaaaaaaay…." I muttered.

"I had no idea…" Soul said.

"Here you are, Haze. You remember how to find it?" One of the Gengar handed Hazel a key that was almost as big as she was. Hazel promptly laid it across our backs. Boy, was it heavy!

"I do indeed. Right this way, little ones." Hazel walked off into the maze. We followed close behind.

After several confusing twists and turns, we came to another door. We helped Hazel lift the key and stick it in the lock. Hazel froze it with a Blizzard.

"D' ya haf'ta do tha'?" a cranky voice complained.

"Yes I do, Alakazam, and you know it." Hazel replied.

A cloud of pinkish smoke poured out of the keyhole, making them cough. When it dispersed, an ancient Alakazam stood next to an open door. It bowed sarcastically to Hazel.

"Yo' wis' is my c'mman', La'y H'zel." He growled, before vanishing in a second cloud of smoke. The Delcatty sighed, and led us through the open door.

"This is one of our most protected places in the entire Fortress. It is where we keep the Book of Hope. The Book of Hope explains everything you need to know to fight the Obsidian Umbreon." Hazel told us.

She walked to a huge book with a padlock on it. After Thundering the padlock, a crabby Misdreavus floated out of it and the book fell open.

I read the first page.

It began with a chase.

I followed her deep into the forest, until she was on the edge of a cliff.

"Raichu? Is that you?" she called.

"Are you there? I know why you followed me. What happened in ObsidianCave… You were right. But I want to set things right, Raichu."

"No, Eevee, if that is what you really are. If I didn't know any better, I would call you a shadow beast." I spat.

"Raichu… I will put a stop to this… Forgive me, please."

She launched herself off the edge of the cliff and into the ocean below.

But she survived.

I know that much.

I saw her evolve when she hit the water.

She is now the world's worst enemy:

The Obsidian Umbreon.

"Oh, no…" I whispered. (But then how am I still an Eevee? If I evolved…)

Upon Evolution, she lost every bit of kindness she had.

She had hurt before, but she had never killed.

Her first victim was an innocent Skitty.

Her next, a Chikorita.

I chased her until I found her hideout: a castle carved from Obsidian.

But I could not enter.

She had employed thousands of Dark and Ghost type Pokemon to guard her.

I was severely wounded.

But when I was knocked out, instead of dealing the fatal blow, she… left me.

I was found by a Skitty, Hazel, and a Chikorita, Meg.

The three of us founded Delcatty's Fortress.

"And we live here still, training to defeat the Obsidian Umbreon's forces.

We live to defeat her."

A familiar voice broke into my thoughts, reading the book aloud. I instinctively froze in terror.

"Raichu!" I whispered.

"Yes, Eevee?" he asked.

I jumped. "My name is Heart." I turned to him, and he gasped.

"No! It can't be!"

And I knew at that second, that I was dead.