(Ach, here you go. You people are the reason I write. I love you all.

Aiden: Damn it woman, what did I say about going off your medication?!

Oh, right. She deosn't own pokemon. and... -flips through fics- did you call me your bitch!?

Me: Uh... -runs like hell-.

The next town was Hecare City. "Luna, the gym there's Ghost, so you should do well." Salem said. "Oh, good. We should be there tomorrow, too. Ooh! The guide says they're famous for their CANDY STORES!!" "Oh holy lawd." Nyeros muttered.

With that at stake, they made it to Hecare City by sunhigh. Cybela raised an eyebrow. "All this rush for candy?" No one heard her. Everyone was tearing off for the nearest sweets shop. Cybela sighed.

"I'll go buy tranquilizers." Luna stepped in, and instantly, "I believe in Miracles" was playing in her head. "THERE IS A GOD!" And with that, she ran off to go French the candy counters. Twenty minutes later, everyone stepped out with their own weight in candy.

"Wow. I cannot believe you just spent that much on chocolate cherry truffles." Nyeros muttered. "Oh, you shouldn't talk. Look at you!" He was covered in bags.

"This is your damn candy!" He yelled at Luna. "Ooohh, yeah." She giggled. They finally headed to the gym, until, along the way, Luna spotted a piercing shop. She beckoned to the others, and walked inside.

"Mr. Lennoux!" She yelled. He had been her favorite teacher when she was in school. "What are you doing here?" He grinned. "Well, tattooing and piercing, obviously. What's up, Luna?" She looked at her pokemon. "Is there any law against pokemon getting piercings?"

He shook his head. "No, as long as the pokemon consents. I've seen some pokemon with them. These guys want to get piercings?" She nodded, and asked, "Is there anything Azrael can get done? He don't got ears." She explained as if to a five-year old.

He looked at the Houndoom. "Well, I could pierce his tail..." "Bad-ass!" Az cheered. "It's done!" Luna smiled. Twenty minutes later, she walked out with Mr. Lennoux's number in her phone, and pierced pokemon.

Feraia had two piercings in each ear, and one in her eyebrow; she was the modest one. Merope had hoops up the length of her scythe; Cybela had snakebites and piercings up her ears, to match Luna's piercings. Except for the nose and tongue, which was impossible. Cybela liked Luna's bullring, too...

Nyeros had piercings up his ears and tail. And Azrael had piercings lining the arrow-shaped part of his tail, and one in his eyebrow. The other two were amazed. "...Wow." Salem gaped. Luna picked Cybela up.

"We match! Yay!" Salem shook his head. "Goddamn, girl." Luna grinned. "Okay, now I'm ready to go to the gym!" Azrael twitched his tail the entire way, wanting to hear his piercings jingle. They finally headed to the temple-like building. Luna walked in.

"Helllooo?" There was a silver haired boy sitting on the rafters. "Well, hello. I'm Morpheus. You're here to challenge me?" Luna nodded. "Well, I can honestly say you'll be in for the fight of your life!" He opened a pokeball. "Okay, go, Firefangs!"

"Huh?" Luna thought. Then she saw the most disturbing thing she'd ever see in a pokemon battle. The growlithe was dead. Here was it's ghost. "Oh... my... god." Luna gasped. Morpheus grinned. "Yeah. I capture the souls of my pokemon as they pass on. So we can be together forever." Luna was about to cry. You could tell the spirit of the Growlithe was in pain.

"He can't pass on." She murmured to them. Azrael stepped forward. "Luna... if I fight... well, I'm the Hellhound, right? The incarnation of the Grim Reaper? If I kill him, maybe he can pass on." Luna bit her lip. "I don't like it, but... okay. Azrael, go!" He shot forward. "Firefangs, Curse!"

She traced the mark on her back, and pleaded, "Oh Heavenly Council, please ease this pokemon's suffering!" The biohazard glowed in response. Azrael began to morph. He turned into the hellhound he was.

Six eyes, snarling mouth crammed full of broken-glass fangs, and flame covered paws. The others called their pokemon back, for fear of death. He roared, and Luna screamed in terror. The heat generated from him was burning her—she could feel her skin crack and blister, it hurt so much, ohgod,makeitstop—Az—Az...

The houndoom spat something akin to flames at the growlithe, making it shimmer and shine, then disappear. But he didn't stop there. He tore at Morpheus, whose smirk was changed to a look of abject terror as he was sliced apart by Azrael.

He had no time to scream. Roaring in triumph, Azrael turned to a hysterical Luna. She looked up, and was dimly aware of the blood, snot, and sweat covering her face. Still, she spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Azzie... please..."

She began to cry, which put her in more pain, as the salt stung her face. "I love you... stop...you aren't a killer..." The Hellhound stared. This girl was reasoning with him? He shook his head, and clamped his teeth around her body. (Think of Orihime and Kakei in Bleach.)"Luna! Let me stop him!" Vita screamed.

Luna shook her head. "No... I'll stop him." She struggled to get out of his hold, and succeeded, feeling scraps of flesh being left behind. She collapsed on his paw, and tried to draw her hands up in a hug. "Az." She whispered. "Stop."

It stared at her, then began to dematerialize. "Luna..." But Luna herself didn't hear this. She'd passed out. She awoke in a pokemon center.

"What... happened? AZZIE!" She screamed, shooting up, then screaming again from the pain. "FUCK!" A Chansey walked in. "Hey, ma'am? Where's my pokemon?" The Chansey shook her head.

"They've been in the emergency room for two days. The gym collapsed on all of you. They might not make it, your pokemon. Your friend will survive, but—Miss Luna, you can't be out of bed!" Luna was rushing blindly in the direction of the emergency room.

She fumbled with the knob, and opened it, ignoring the pain. Her family. Her family could die. She saw them, enrobed in oxygen masks and tubes. Azrael was the worst.

His horns had cracked; his head was split open, with garish stitches making a ghoulish procession down his head. His tail was bandaged, along with his back left leg. The others were in somewhat better condition.

A few twisted paws, scrapes, broken claws, and cuts; their pokeballs had saved them. Luna's eyes began to well up again. She grasped Azrael's paw.

"Motherfucker, don't die on me. I'm so sorry about this... the idea didn't work. We're not invincible. I should be the one now on this table... you suffered instead. You mean more to me than you'll ever know. I love you. Don't die. I haven't gotten a chance to say I'm sorry."

And Luna walked out. She went into her room, and found Salem there. "Oh, Luna... You saw them?" Luna bit her lip. "Yes." Salem sighed. "Nurse Joy said the others will be fine, but Azrael needs another night. Since the gym collapsed, they're releasing that as the official cause of Morpheus' death. Your secret's safe, so rest. When you wake up, Azrael will be okay. I promise."

Luna sighed, and got into the bed. "Az..." She said, then fell asleep. She didn't know how long she slept; all she knew is that she dreamed of hell.

When she awoke, Merope was sitting next to her. "LUNA!" She shrieked. "Oh my god, you're alive!" Luna nodded, and hugged her. "Merope... god, I'm so sorry. I just..." She began to cry. Merope shook her head. "It's okay, Luna. We're fine. But there's someone you should see." It hit her.

Oh god, Azrael. He's dead.

She stood up, and on the way out, caught her reflection. She winced. Surgical scars rimmed her neck, and her arms were peeling from burns. "Don't worry, once we're out of town, Vita said she can heal them. They're not deep."

Luna nodded, as Merope padded beside her to the ER. She opened the door. Salem, Cybela, Nyeros, and Feraia were all sitting next to an examination table. Azrael lay on it, perfectly still. "Azrael?" Luna whispered. She got closer. "Azrael?"

She hugged his body. "I loved you. Still do. See you in hell, luvvy." All was silent, until she heard, "Hey, we sure fooled you, huh?" Luna looked down. Azrael's coal-black eyes were shining with mirth and tears. "AZRAEL!!" Luna clung to him.

"Hey! Watch the stitches!" Luna grinned, and shook her head, dancing around the room. "I am so glad you're okay. And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you do this." Azrael shook his head. "No apologies needed. We just need to get stronger, then I'll be able to do it!" Luna was unsure. She didn't ever want to see Azrael like that again. Not her little Hellpuppy.