(AN: I still don't own Pokemon, or any of its awesomeness. Just the plot and OCs. Thanks, and enjoy the chapter.)
"...AND THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES! HOORAY!" the guild finished their usual morning chant, and the Guildmaster stepped forward.
"Now, friends, before you begin the day's activities, I'd like you to listen to a report from our top spy, Slicer!" Wigglytuff said. The rest of the guild waited patiently as Slicer, their most trusted spy, and a Weavile, stepped forward. He had his usual grin on his face as he spoke.
"Thank you, Guildmaster. Now, there's something I'd like you to know. While out on other duties, I discovered a group of pokemon in a dungeon. I was on a more important mission at the time, but later I managed to track one down. It turns out they were working for Team Eeveementals, at least for one job, that Pokemon said." Slicer began
"Team Eeveementals? You mean the team that Ribbon and Solstice were part of? The Sylveon and Espeon?" Singularity called out. Slicer nodded.
"It seems so. But, I followed the Pokemon, and eventually, they slipped up, and told one of their friends about the base that they have, which I managed to track down, after some searching. The base is extremely well hidden. But I managed to sneak in, and listen in for a bit to a meeting. I couldn't catch all of it, but it seems that they are a group of all the Eeveelutions, and their leader is an Eevee. We already know that Solstice and Ribbon are part of it. I discovered that Tsunami is the Vaporeon, Spark is the Jolteon, Blister is the Flareon, Cryozone is the Glaceon, Gibbous is the Umbreon, and their leader's name is Nightmare. I was unable to learn the identity of the Leafeon member, and it sounded like they had another member, although, again, I'm not completely sure." Slicer continued.
"So, you're going to be going back there, tonight, to go find out, right?" Wigglytuff asked, his smile still ever-present.
"Of course." Slicer replied. "I'm going to try and discover the identity of the Leafeon member, and confirm if the other member is even real. I shall also try and discover what it is exactly, that they are trying to do. I'll report to you guys tomorrow morning." Slicer finished. Wigglytuff nodded.
"Good luck, Slicer! Now, everyone, off to your activities!" The Guildmaster said. So, everyone did. Singularity and Brock had agreed to meet Seeleena and Aroma back on the beach today, so the two headed down there to wait.
The two waited, not really sure of when to expect their friends. But they sat and talked as they did.
"Can you believe that it has been a whole year since we met? Since we began our journey as an exploration team?" Singularity asked.
"That is pretty weird." Brock said. "But what's even weirder to me, is that many Pokemon recognize us, and ask for our help. That's what is really weird. Being kind of famous."
"I definitely agree with that." Singularity said. "But, it's kind of nice. We're helping so many Pokemon… That's my real favorite part. That we can be helping Pokemon all around our world. That we really are making a difference." Singularity said.
"Exactly." Brock said. Then they both fell silent for a while. But he spoke again soon.
"That team that Slicer talked about earlier, it seems strange, doesn't it?" Brock asked. "We met them once, and then they vanished, not heard from for a year. Then they hire a group of Pokemon to do who knows what, that Slicer is lucky enough to catch wind of. I just wonder what they're up to." Brock thought aloud.
"I don't know." Singularity said. "But, maybe they're just doing good silently from that base. If Slicer can discover that they aren't a threat, then maybe we can work with them. After all, didn't Ribbon say that the next time we met, we would hopefully be friends?" Singularity recalled.
"Yeah, she did. Maybe this is what she meant. I don't know for sure. I guess we'll find out tomorrow, when Slicer returns." Brock said. They fell into silence once more. Time passed. No sign of Aroma or Seeleena anywhere. They began to get worried.
"They should have been here by now." was all Singularity said.
"Well… I know, but maybe they stopped somewhere to help out. Or just were a little late because they were slowed down in a dungeon." Brock said, trying to reassure himself as well as Singularity.
"We can't stay here much longer. It's almost dinner time. Let's head back to the guild, and check in with the Guildmaster." Singularity said, standing up, and leading the way back to the guild. Brock followed, still worrying. Singularity was too, but he was trying not to show it.
"Well, if they're not back by tomorrow, you two can go search for them." Wigglytuff said. "After all, we don't want our friendly friends to be in trouble!" Chatot had agreed with the Guildmaster, and after dinner, the two members of Team Shadow fell into worried dreams.
****************************LINE BREAK********************************
Slicer crept deeper and deeper into Team Eeveemental's base. Friendly team or not, they probably wouldn't appreciate him sneaking in here. So he had to be wary. He approached the meeting room, and heard indistinct voices. He came closer right near one of the doors, and listened. Nightmare was speaking.
"...So I must first tell you that our remaining two teammates have made a recovery, and are fit to rejoin us in the team." Nightmare was saying. Slicer smiled to himself. He would learn the identity of the Leafeon, and the other member that was real. He knew he hadn't imagined that. But it was good to have confirmation.
"Great! I've been missing them!" the voice of Ribbon rang out. "Are they coming to this meeting?" she asked. Slicer silently asked the same.
"Why, of course." Nightmare replied. "In fact, they're here right now. Come on out!" she said, and there was a small hubbub as the members greeted each other. Slicer was unable to make anything at all out from it. But he was patient. He would know very soon.
"It's so great to have you back, Aroma!" came Ribbon's voice.
"Of course, I'm more happy than ever to have you back, Seeleena, my sister." Nightmare's voice said.
If there had ever been a time that Slicer would have fell over, or done something to reveal himself out of pure shock for some of the secrets he heard on the job, this would have been the one. His claws still slipped a little, scratching against the rock and he froze, hoping no one heard. Fortunately, everyone was still greeting Aroma and Seeleena, and no one said anything. This was huge. Aroma and Seeleena were part of Team Eeveementals? And Nightmare was Seeleena's sister. He truly needed to know what this team was planning now. There must be some sort of explanation for why Aroma and Seeleena were part of Team Shadow and Team Eeveementals.
"Now, come to order." Nightmare's commanding but not threatening voice echoed throughout the room. That was one thing about her. She had an aura of respect that Slicer could feel even from here. "I know that you're all excited to have our team recompleted, but they must give reports, and of course, we should go over our goals now that they're back." Nightmare said.
"A wise choice." that was Gibbous. The silent yet wise Umbreon. "It would do us all good." There was a pause before Aroma spoke to address their teammates.
"As you all know, for most of the past year, Seeleena and I have been part of Team Shadow, the team that has been rising to popularity with some of the deeds done. Neither of them have any idea that we are truly members of this team. Nor does anyone at the guild." Aroma began. "As for the members, just like you asked, I got Brock to fall in love with me. I did that successfully.
"As did I. Singularity is in love with me." Seeleena said. "Having them in love with us may prove helpful. They won't want to fight us, when they inevitably do come to fight our team. It may be easier to convince them to join our side." she said.
"Which will make things easier in the long run." Gibbous said. "They are really the only ones with a chance to beat us. But on our side, we'd be unstoppable. Not even the rest of the guild combined could defeat us then."
"Exactly. I'm also sure that you two would like that, as I'm sure that you both still have feelings for them, am I correct?" Nightmare asked.
"That's right, sister. But, in the end, I'll choose you over them, if it comes down to it." Seeleena said.
"As will I." Aroma echoed. "Our loyalties lie with this team above all others."
Slicer was hardly listening. Aroma and Seeleena had been… what, manipulating them? Making Team Shadow fall in love with them? Were they enemies after all? It was beginning to sound like it. But he had to wait for them to recite their goals. Then, and only then, would he know for absolute sure, how Team Eeveementals stood. This news was almost too much to take in.
"Now, who wants to recite the goals of our team?" Nightmare asked.
"I will!" the soothing voice of Tsunami rang out. There was a pause where Slicer could only guess a silent confirmation had been given. "Our goals: 1. To take over the world for the greater good. 2. Defeat anyone who stands in our way. 3. Either get the guild to join us… or destroy them." she said.
"Exactly, thank you. This violence shouldn't need to be necessary, but, to change the world, violence is always part of the equation. That is what we must do. Change the world for the greater good." Nightmare said.
Slicer was seriously overwhelmed now. Team Eeveementals were evil. They wanted to take over the world 'for the greater good?' What did that even mean? He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but Nightmare was speaking again.
"I want the rest of you to give your reports now. Ribbon, you go first." Nightmare said.
"Well, I was patrolling the perimeter of our base. I sensed that there was an intruder here last night, perhaps during our meeting or after. I couldn't find much evidence physically, just a feeling I got. It was strange, I just sensed that recently, an unknown presence had been there." Ribbon said.
"I had the same feeling as well." Solstice said. "While up in the Solar Observatory, I seemed to notice a pattern in what the sun was trying to tell me. It just said "Intruder" over and over." Solstice said.
"Same here, in the Lunar Observatory. But my warning said. "Be wary." Over and over and over, just like what happened to you. I have very rarely ever seen the moon give me a message like that over and over again. It was… unusual. I couldn't see who the intruder was when I tried. Whoever it was, if anyone, was extremely skilled at not being seen or caught, or leaving any trace of themselves behind." Gibbous reported. Slicer had to smile to himself a little. Even this team couldn't really prove beyond a suspicion that he had been to their base. That was better than every other team base he had infiltrated.
"Our treasures appeared to be undisturbed." Tsumami said. "Although, I didn't check in the deep caves, there may be something missing."
"Our inventory seems intact." Spark said. "Like Tsunami, I didn't check the far back recently, so there may be something missing."
"I couldn't detect any unusual footsteps while deep in the lava." Blister said. "But if the intruder is as good as we think, it's unsurprising I heard nothing."
"Deep in long term storage, no one came." Cryozone said. "That I know for sure, but again, that doesn't dissuade the possibility that there was an intruder."
"Hmmm…." Nightmare said, thinking. "This is not something we should take lightly. If there really was an intruder… Let me try and sense if there was one." Nightmare said. A few minutes passed by, as Nightmare concentrated. Slicer waited, afraid for a moment before Nightmare spoke again. "There was an intruder. Like you guessed, he was extremely skilled, very cunning. Weaviles are the only Pokemon who can really be that good. Sneasels too. He was here, but I'm not sure what he was after. Probably looking for food and valuables. Spark, Tsunami. You had best check the deep caves and farthest reaches of our inventories. That's where they might have been." Nightmare said.
Slicer had had just about enough. He had so much valuable information, he had to make his escape. He couldn't warp from here, they would be able to tell he had been here if he did. His only hope was to try and sneak out before the meeting ended. He slowly began to creep away, but he didn't realize he was still gripping the walls, and his claws scraped against rock again, louder and longer. The meeting room was silent.
"Well, what's this? I hear a sound just outside the room. Perhaps this is our intruder." Nightmare said. Slicer began backing away quickly, fear in his eyes and heart. "ATTACK!" Slicer heard Nightmare yell this, and he ran. There was no longer a point in being stealthy when they knew he was here already. He sprinted down the corridors that would lead him out as the entirety of the team came after him. He risked a glance back. Nightmare and Spark were leading the chase, but they were still a bit behind him. Slicer turned forward again, and burst out of the cave, Team Eeveementals catching up. He felt a wave of heat pass by him as the Flareon shot fire at him.
"Ribbon! Solstice! Tsunami! Cryozone! You check the rest of our territory. The rest of you, let's bring this intruder down!" Nightmare howled. She and her teammates continued sending attacks at him, but he was good. When he did get hit by the attacks, he kept running. If he got too much farther, he would escape.
Slicer was tired now, but he couldn't rest just yet. He had to keep going. He dashed past the perimeter of the forest, and immediately warped away. Nightmare and the others slowed down, and stopped.
"Blast! He got away!" Aroma growled. "He was one of the guild's spies, I recognize him. Slicer." she said.
"Well, he didn't get away with too much, I suppose. He knows who we are, and what we plan to do. We were going to reveal that soon enough. I suppose that we must move bases quicker than we thought. Get everyone else, and we'll head out to Ancient Tomb as soon as possible." Nightmare said. Her teammates nodded, and ran off.
"Don't worry, sister. We'll be okay." Seeleena said. "Somehow, I just have a feeling that things will work out." she said.
"I know." Nightmare said. "With you and Aroma back, anything is possible. We're the best sisters ever. Now we're together again, we can do anything. Just like we promised each other.
The two sisters smiled as they returned to base.
(AN: There we go! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of Shadows and Nightmares. If you did, please leave a favorite, and share it with everyone you know and love. Also, please leave me a review or PM me with questions, comments, or criticism regarding this or other stories of mine. It really would be appreciated, and I'll take the time to respond if you do. Until the next chapter!)