DAISY'S POV

Immediately, Daisy was reminded of the dungeon she was going to when she woke up. Her eyes fluttered open and they flickered with excitement. They weren't going to it right away, of course, but when everyone was asleep. Daisy wasn't sure if Chansey and Haunter were going with. She'd have to ask Kasai and Swift when they came back from the mission. If they came back. Daisy didn't even want to think about them failing the mission. Sighing, she stretched her legs, a tired look back in her eyes as she walked over to the elevator. I'm not going on any more missions today, even if Flame makes me, she thought. Slowly she pressed Floor One, and hung onto the floor as the elevator shot down.

Daisy watched as the elevator opened. Surprisingly, there was a lot of Pokemon on this floor. Maybe she was late. Daisy glanced at the clock and frowned with embarrassment. No wonder Storm wasn't there when she woke up. It was 12:04.

"Up already?" someone sarcastically said behind her.

Daisy spun around to meet the eyes of Eclipse. Her heart sank. They hadn't been on friendly terms ever since Eclipse thought she was Star, and it didn't help that he was evil. She knew she had to find a way to convince him she wasn't Star. Maybe she could ask Star herself to visit Eclipse in a dream? If Star would visit me... Her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind when Eclipse again spoke. "You missed breakfast. Lunch started four minutes ago."

No wonder everyone is at the tables. "Do I have a plate?"

Eclipse glared at her. "Since you were so late, no. And I doubt you're going to get one, unless you ask your friend." Flicking his tail, he stalked away. Daisy sighed as she stared after the Houndoom. This is just great. Star better be listening to me right now, so I can convince Eclipse I'm not her.

She looked back toward one of the tables and noticed Storm talking with Rin. I haven't seen her in a while. Maybe Storm will share some of his food. Smiling, she sat on one of the chairs. "Hey, guys," she said cheerfully.

"You slept really late," Storm growled. "Even when I yelled, I couldn't wake you up!"

Daisy laughed. "I must've been in a deep sleep or something. I never did this before." Maybe in my human life I did?

Rin smiled. "Hello, Daisy. I haven't seen you in a while."

Daisy nodded to the Eevee. "How are you?"

Rin yawned, and Daisy sensed she was tired, too. "Good, but a little sleepy. I went to bed at midnight."

Daisy shuddered. "And I went to bed at ten."

"Exactly!" Storm scoffed. "How could you wake up so late?"

Daisy glanced at his plate, and suddenly her belly growled with hunger. "Hey, can I have some of your food?" she asked hungrily.

Storm's angry mood changed into laughter. Apparently he heard her belly growl. "Sure, I'm full anyway." He pushed the plate toward her, and Daisy drooled when she saw bacon.

"It's good, right?" Rin snickered, and Daisy felt another feeling of embarrassment. Did she see me drool?

Trying to hide it, Daisy laughed. "Yeah." She ate a piece of her bacon awkwardly, then stared at Storm. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Storm yawned. Jeez, everyone's tired today, thought Daisy.

Daisy asked the first thing that was on her mind. "So, do you know what mission Team Planet and Claw are going on?"

"I heard it was to rescue a Pikachu and Plusle or something," Rin's voice spoke.

Daisy turned to Rin. "Where? Do you know?"

Rin shrugged. "I don't really remember. Maybe Smoky Woods or Star Point. You'd have to ask Flame; she knows everything."

A curious look flashed through Daisy's eyes. "What's Star Point?"

"Oh, it's a place next to Sapphire Beach. It's really ancient. I may be Bronze Rank, but I'm afraid that's all I know about it, besides the fact that it's really dangerous," Rin explained.

Daisy felt horrified. "Swift and Kasai's teams are both Normal Rank! How could Flame let them go on a mission like that?"

"Don't ask me. They probably convinced her." Rin sighed. "Is that all of your questions?"

"No," Daisy growled. "Not if it means Kasai and Swift could die. I want to know why they wanted to go on this mission in the first place."

Rin sweatdropped. Daisy could tell she was getting annoyed, but the Umbreon didn't care. She wanted answers. "Okay," Rin began. "I don't know, but most likely they wanted a tough mission to handle. They thought they could bump up a rank or two if they went to Star Point. I was like that when I was Normal Rank, too, but now I'm more experienced, so I know better." She laughed, but an annoyed expression was on her face.

"I have to find them," Daisy snapped, standing up on her chair. "I can't let them get killed."

"Too many search parties have been sent latel-"

"Uhh, Daisy, you might want to sit down," Storm muttered.

Daisy shot a nervous glance at her chair, but before she could do anything, it collapsed.

"Daisy!" Storm screeched.

How can this day get any worse? Daisy groaned as her head shot up. "That chair was delicate," she hissed. "It wasn't my fault!"

"Yes, it was," Storm pointed out. "You stood up." His eyes filled with relief when he saw she was okay.

Daisy's heart sank as she noticed Pidgeot stalk toward them with an angry look in her gaze. "I want to know what happened now!" she snapped.

"Daisy stood up on her chair," Rin said, flashing the Umbreon an apologetic look.

Daisy narrowed her eyes as Pidgeot took another step forward. "And you broke this chair," she chirped angrily.

Sighing, Daisy nodded. "It wasn't my fault the chair was del-"

"It wasn't your fault?!" Daisy was starting to get nervous when she saw Pidgeot's eyes fill with menace. "Why else would you stand up on your chair like that, huh?"

"I was angry," Daisy whispered.

"WHAT?"

Daisy cowered on the ground, her heart pounding. "I was angry!" she said a little louder. I'm gonna get sent to the dungeon. I'm in horrible trouble. Oh why did I stand on my chair?!

"Angry at what?" Pidgeot still looked insane.

"U-uh, that Kasai and Swift went to Star Point," Daisy muttered.

Pidgeot had to get close to hear her, and Daisy didn't like it. But she wasn't going to make her voice any louder than it already was. "Why would you be mad at that?" Pidgeot asked.

"Their teams are normal rank, and Star Point is dangerous, so I'm worried about them," Daisy said quickly.

"Stop speaking so fast!" Pidgeot yelled. "I can barely understand you."

Daisy's head turned away from the Pokemon that were staring at the two. She sighed. "I said I'm worried about them because they're both normal rank teams."

Pidgeot lowered her chin. "That chair may be one of the delicate ones," she whispered, "but it took days to fix. And if you break it one more time..." Her eyes averted to the side, and Daisy saw what she was looking at: Flame. The Charizard was staring straight at them.

"You will be going to the dungeon," Pidgeot whispered quietly in her ear. "And I'll make sure no one knows where you are." She stepped back from the Umbreon and padded away as if the conversation had never happened.

Daisy stared back at her in awe. Slowly, she stood up and walked next to the table.

"What just happened?" Rin asked.

"Pidgeot said she would send me to the dungeon if I broke a chair again," Daisy snickered. "And she told me no one would hear about it. Apparently she didn't think hard enough. Wait until Flame hears about this."

Rin laughed nervously. "Yeah...very funny."

Storm just stared at Daisy, his eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" Daisy asked. "I'm not gonna go to the dungeon. I'll tell Flame."

"What if Pidgeot finds out you told her?" Storm questioned.

Daisy shrugged. "She couldn't do anything if Flame was there."

"Still, I'm worried something might happen, Daisy," Storm said with a sigh. "A true Guild leader wouldn't act like that if you broke a chair accidentally."

"I already know she's mean. I can handle her, but I don't have to. Flame does." Daisy grinned. "So don't worry, Storm."

Storm nodded. "I guess you have a point. But what if Flame is killed?"

Daisy had never thought of that before. She doubted Flame would ever die. "I don't think that would happen. I'll make sure."

"You better," Storm huffed. "I'm kind of suspicious of Pidgeot."

"Just because someone's strict, doesn't make them evil," Daisy pointed out.

Rin leaned forward. "Daisy is right, but Storm does have a point. Why else would Pidgeot make a dungeon?"

Daisy shuddered. "She'd have to be insane."

Rin nodded. "And I heard a rumor that she took a Blaziken there after he fought someone else. No one ever saw him again. I don't know if that's true, but-"

"It is!" Daisy hissed quietly. "Team Pluto told me about that yesterday."

Rin flicked her ears in shock. "Really? I overheard them talking about that, but I didn't see you there."

Daisy shrugged. "Me and Kasai were trying to get more information on the dungeon. We still don't know where it is, but it's probably on the bottom floor."

"Obviously," Storm growled. "Are you going there or something?"

Daisy hesitated, unsure whether or not to tell him. Then she quickly nodded.

Storm gasped, nearly choking on his bacon. "Why didn't you tell me?! Are you going alone?"

"Calm down, Storm. I'm going with Kasai and Swift. I don't know if you, Haunter, or Chansey should go yet. I think that'd be a good idea, though. The more Pokemon we have, the better it could be. But I'd have to ask Kasai and Swift when they get back from the mission."

Storm looked at her with fierce eyes. "I'm going with you," he growled. "I'll make sure of it."

Daisy opened her mouth to respond, but just then she heard footsteps. "Going where?" the voice of River asked curiously.

Daisy turned her head. "Oh, hi, River," she said.

Storm scowled. "What do you want?" he huffed.

"Don't be mean to him," Daisy growled. "He just wanted to know where we were going, that's all." She turned her head back to the Buizel. "Me, Kasai, and Swift were planning on going to the dungeon."

"The wha-?" River stared at her.

Daisy sighed, explaining to him how she found out about it. "We were going tonight, when everyone was sleeping," she added.

"Can I come with? I'm too curious to know what it looks like." River grinned.

"No!" Storm shouted. "Not him!"

Ignoring Storm, Daisy nodded. "Sure. But don't tell anyone, please? We have enough Pokemon going already." Daisy was starting to think she didn't want Haunter and Chansey to come with at all.

"I won't. I promise." River smiled.

Daisy also grinned and sat there for a moment until the bell rang. All the Pokemon got up from their seats and walked over to the mission board.

"We really shouldn't take any missions today," she said to River and Storm. "Not if we're going to a dungeon. I'm still not sure if I should find Kasai and Swift..."

"Don't," Storm said quickly. "They can do this on their own."

Daisy sighed and looked into her partner's eyes. "Fine. Since when did you not want me to leave so much?" she snapped.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Storm said quickly. "We're partners."

"Well, if I go find Kasai and Swift, you're gonna have to come with me," Daisy pointed out. "So you really shouldn't be worried."

Storm looked at his paws. "I know. It's just Star Point is really dangerous."

There was a long silence. Daisy looked up to see Rin had left the table, and River was sitting there.

"So what are we going to do in the dungeon?" River asked.

Daisy shrugged. "I'm just curious to see what's down there. Probably look around and see if the Blaziken is still alive."

"What Blaziken?"

Daisy sighed. "I'll tell you later, River." She looked at him. "So, is Sky still talking to you?"

River shook his head. "No, why?"

Daisy's heart soared. She wasn't sure if Sky would want Daisy to tell him she tried committing suicide, so she decided not to. "I was just wondering."

River nodded. "I'm glad she isn't. I hate her."

For some reason, Daisy felt happy that River didn't like Sky. "Well...I'll see you later," she said.

River nodded again. "Bye."

Daisy watched as he left, then turned and walked straight into Swift.

"We're back!" Kasai said cheerfully. "Sorry it took so long; we had a huge opponent."

Daisy stared at Kasai in surprise and happiness. "Why'd you go to Star Point in the first place?"

"Me and Swift wanted our teams to go to Silver Rank," Kasai explained. "And it looks like we did." She grinned when Flame called them over.

"Congratulations!" Daisy smiled. "You deserved it."

Kasai puffed out her chest. "See you in the dungeon~!" she said, then padded over to Flame.

"Wait, Kasai?" Daisy called.

Kasai turned around.

"Is it okay if River and Storm come with?" she asked. "They kind of wanted to..."

Kasai laughed. "The more the merrier! But no one else can come," she added. "Not Haunter, not Chansey, okay?"

"Okay." Daisy smiled. "That's all I wanted to say." She watched as Kasai, Swift, Haunter, and Chansey received their new ranks. Lucky... Me and Storm should go to Star Point.

After the groups had received their new ranks, Kasai walked over to Daisy, her chest still puffed out. "I don't know why I'm still so excited; I already got my badge!" she grinned, a proud glint in her eyes.

Daisy smiled. "Stop, you might get Storm jealous," she joked.

Storm, who was still seated next to the missions board, scowled. "Shut up! I am not jealous. If anything, I'm... uh... Unjealous!"

Daisy laughed. "That's not even a word, genius."

Storm glared at her. "Well, I don't really care if we get a badge or not."

"That's like saying you don't want to be a rescue team," Kasai said with a roll of her eyes. "Seriously, what's your problem?"

Chansey narrowed her eyes from her place next to Kasai, crossing her arms. "Guys, leave him alone. I'm sure he did nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong?" Daisy growled. "He's angry at us all the time for no apparent reason; we have the right to snap at him as well."

"Sorry," Chansey apologized. "I didn't know." She flashed a glare at Storm before turning away.

"Thanks for making her hate me," Storm snapped. "And I thought you were my partner."

Daisy grinned at him. "You can chill out, Storm. Don't worry; Kasai will make her like you. Besides, she'd be stupid if she hates you just for you being grumpy. There's probably a reason for your grumpiness, isn't there?"

Storm shuffled his paws nervously, as if there was a broken piece of his history that he didn't want to reveal. "Not really," he muttered.

Daisy had an odd feeling he was hiding something from the way he was acting, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind. It could've been her imagination... Right? Sighing, she turned to look at River, who was eavesdropping on their conversation from the tables. "Anything wrong?" she asked him, curious as to why he was staring at them.

"Nah. Just bored." River had his arms crossed, looking as if he was mad for some strange reason. "Waiting for 10:00 so we can go to the stupid dungeon already."

Chansey perked up. "What dungeon?" she asked excitedly.

Kasai groaned. "Look what you did, River."

Haunter, who was next to Swift, seemed to float a little higher. "I love dungeons," he spoke. "Can I come with to wherever you're going?"

"Sorry, but we already have so many Pokemon," Daisy said, saving River from having to answer.

Swift scowled. "Yeah. Sorry, Haunter, Chansey. If we bring any more Pokemon, none of us will be able to fit in the elevator." He rolled his eyes. "Especially you, Chansey."

Chansey balled her hand into a fist. "Say that again!" she snarled.

"Alright, alright, break it up," Kasai hissed, walking in between the two. "We cannot afford to have a fight. What would Pidgeot do if she saw us?"

Daisy shuddered at the thought. She was slowly beginning to believe that the Training Camp leader was evil, even though it was hard to believe. Still, Pidgeot sure acted like it a lot, especially with the dungeon in the basement. "Yeah, that won't be a good thing. So stop fighting, Swift."

"Hey!" Swift protested. "It wasn't my fault!"

Storm rolled his eyes. "You basically called her fat, and you're saying it's not your fault? What did she ever do to you?"

Swift put on his usual scowl. "She hates me because I'm annoying, which I think is a very stupid reason."

River sighed loudly. "It's not a stupid reason. Many Pokemon hate others for being annoying, like I do for a certain someone right now." He growled as he stared at Swift.

"Stop bashing me," Swift snarled. "It was a simple joke and you're acting as if it was supposed to be an insult."

"I don't care if it was a joke," Chansey said. "You still hurt my feelings."

Swift shrugged. "Whatever," he said, turning away. "Now I'm glad you're not going to the dungeon with us."

"Me, too!" Chansey yelled quickly. Then she stopped suddenly, as if realizing what she had just said. "I mean... I wish I was going and you weren't," she corrected herself.

Swift chuckled. "Too late, you just said you didn't want to go to the dungeon."

Chansey glared at him. "Shut up!" She balled her hand into a fist again. "I would fight you right here, but I wouldn't want Pidgeot seeing."

"Scared?" Swift teased, showing her his claws. Daisy's fur began to bristle as she watched them circle each other. If I try to stop their fight, one of them might accidentally kill me! she thought with a shudder. Though I'm sure they're not going to kill each other... Are they?

Her heart sank as Swift lashed out with his claws. Chansey gasped as a wound opened up on her forehead, and she fell backwards.

"That's it!" River snapped, stalking toward the two fighters. "Swift, I have had it with you right now. First, you called her fat, and now you're suddenly trying to kill her. You have no respect for other rescue teams."

"Chansey!" Kasai let out a whimper as she rushed toward her partner. Wow... This is the first time I've ever seen her this unhappy... Daisy thought, a pang of sadness stabbing her like a thorn as she saw Kasai lick her friend's wound. Chansey's eyes were shut tightly, and she was breathing heavily. For a heartbeat Daisy wondered if she was going to die.

Swift looked at his claws himself, as if he was surprised he'd attempted to kill Chansey. "What have I done...?" he whispered.

Kasai turned toward him, a snarl forming on her snout. "You tried to kill her! How could you do this, Swift?" Her sudden anger was replaced by a rueful expression as she crouched over Chansey. "Please don't die... It was just one scratch..."

Swift just stared at her. "Honestly, I don't know what I did..."

A look of suspicion began to cross both Storm's and River's eyes, and they exchanged an odd glance. What's up with them? Daisy thought, a bit suspicious herself. The two hated each other for unknown reasons; why did they look like they were in an agreement?

"Is anything wrong?" she found herself ask River. "You look as if you're agreeing with Storm for once. What happened?"

"Oh, nothing," River said quickly. "Just... Wondering if Swift joined the evil side, that's all." He flashed a glare at Storm, who nodded.

Daisy narrowed her eyes. Why is he acting like this? Is he hiding something? She nodded as well and flashed a smile. If River was lying, she might lie, too. "He might be." She wasn't stupid, though: Swift would never join Darkrai just because he was rude. And he even admitted that the scratch was an accident. He couldn't possibly be plotting something against everyone.

A shadow began to cross over the Pokemon, and Daisy's heart sank when she met the angry gaze of Pidgeot. "What's going on here?" Pidgeot snapped, glancing at Chansey. "What happened?"

"He tried to kill her!" Kasai sobbed, pointing at Swift.

Pidgeot turned to look at Swift, the angry look now turning to a furious glare. "Is this true?" she demanded.

"I..I didn't know what I was doing!" Swift gasped, looking frightened.

"No more words, Swift." Pidgeot took a step toward him and whispered something in his ear. Daisy couldn't quite catch what she said, but whatever it was must've been bad, because Swift widened his eyes and put his hands over his mouth.

"W-why don't we all forget that this happened?" he stammered.

Pidgeot flapped her wings in fury. "You expect me to forget that this happened? You expect me to forget that you tried to kill a perfectly innocent Pokemon?"

Daisy suddenly felt the need to defend Swift. It wasn't his fault. But she couldn't find herself to open her mouth; what if she got sent to the dungeon?

"You guys got off lucky." Lowering her voice, Pidgeot whispered, "He's going to the dungeon."

Everyone exchanged shocked glances. Kasai wasn't surprised, though; she just glared at Swift as he appeared traumatized. "D-does it really have to be that bad?" he said with a sweatdrop, attempting a grin. "Can you just let me off with a warning?"

"I already did," Pidgeot snarled. "When you swore in front of everyone. You know as well as I do that I don't give out second warnings, Swift. You're going, and that's that."

Moonlight shimmered through Daisy's window as she pressed one paw on the button saying Floor One. Swift was probably already at the dungeon, but she, Kasai, and River were going to meet at Floor One to go together. Maybe we can bash Swift out as well! He doesn't deserve to be there. She had just gotten over being shocked. Kasai wouldn't be happy about kicking Swift out of the dungeon, but if Daisy could explain to her that it was an accident, maybe she'd believe her best friend.

"I can't wait to go to the dungeon and get my paws on Swift," Storm growled.

Daisy sighed at him. "It was an accident, Storm. You should know that."

Storm shuffled his paws nervously. "I'm just worrying... He might be a danger, that's all." He muttered something under his breath that Daisy couldn't quite catch, and she tilted her head. "Nothing," Storm sighed as the elevator opened.

Kasai was already waiting there, looking around as if she was trying to find them. Finally her eyes met Daisy's, and she sighed in relief. "There you are! Where's River?"

"He's probably coming," Storm grunted. "If he doesn't anytime soon, we're leaving without him." He flashed a glance at Daisy before looking away.

Kasai frowned. "We're not going to leave without him. We're not that rude. Also, did you hear that Chansey was going to the hospital?" she explained cheerfully.

Daisy nodded, puzzled. "Why do you seem so happy about that?"

"Because I know she won't die." Kasai suddenly looked puzzled as well. "Huh...?"

Storm and Daisy exchanged a suspicious glance; what was going on with Kasai today? Ever since Swift almost killed Chansey, she's been acting weird. Luckily, before someone could try to speak, the elevator opened to reveal River.

"River!" Daisy grinned. "We've been waiting so long. Let's go."

Kasai shuffled her paws, looking down at them. "I don't want to go if it means seeing Swift," she muttered.

Daisy sighed. "Kasai, it was an accident. Swift didn't mean to give Chansey the scratch." To the Umbreon's surprise, Kasai's fur bristled and she took a threatening step forward.

"Why are you on his side all of a sudden? Did you want Chansey to die too?" Suddenly, her eyes began to droop and she looked at the ground ruefully. "I hate him so much..."

Daisy put her tail on Kasai's shoulder to try and relax her, but Kasai shook it away instantly. "Just leave me alone," she growled, stalking toward the elevator.

"Where are you going?" River frowned. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

Kasai flashed him an angry glare. "I'm going to the dungeon, obviously."

"I thought you didn't want to go," Daisy pointed out. She frowned at River as if to say, What happened?

River shrugged. "Yeah," he said, a puzzled expression planted on his face.

Kasai bared her teeth in a snarl. "Normally I would say no, since you can't tell me what to do, but I have to admit I am curious." She rolled her eyes and scanned the elevator for a "Dungeon" button. "Now where is it?" she muttered.

Daisy padded into the elevator with River, and she tilted her head to the side. "There's no Dungeon button?"

"Why don't you try looking for one that says Basement?" Storm explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's not going to say dungeon, Kasai."

Kasai whipped around to glare at him. "Just let me look!" she hissed.

Storm flinched. "Okay, okay..." Daisy was just as confused as he was; why did Kasai have a change in personality all of a sudden? She was usually only grumpy at Swift.

River pressed a paw comfortably on Kasai's shoulder. "Let me look," he explained.

Kasai shook his paw off and looked as if she was about to snap into two. "I can manage it myself!"

River ignored her, to Daisy's shock and Kasai's annoyance, and scanned the buttons for one that looked different.

"Hey, what's this?" Daisy queried, pointing at a dusty spot on the wall. When no one replied, she brushed it off with a paw. To her surprise, a black button that said "Floor -1" in white letters appeared. "It says Floor -1..."

Kasai turned her head to look at the button, puzzled. "Floor -1?"

"That's odd." River looked thoughtful. "Let's press it," he finally spoke. "I bet it's the dungeon. But why would Pidgeot call it Floor -1?"

"Maybe she doesn't want anyone to find it," Daisy explained. "So she hid it under some dust and called it a weird name." Without waiting for Storm or Kasai to respond, she quickly pressed the button. At first, nothing happened. Then the elevator burst down at the speed of light. Daisy gasped and hung on to the ground with her claws; it seemed as if only a second had passed before they reached the dungeon.

The elevator opened, revealing a dark tunnel. "What's this?" Storm asked, a frightened expression clear on his face.

River giggled. "Don't be scared," he spoke. "Let's go!" Without waiting for anyone's approval, he stalked down the tunnel.

"Uh... I don't think this is a good idea," Storm spoke as the others began to follow.

Kasai looked over her shoulder with a snarl. "If you don't want to come with, then leave."

Storm flashed a glance at Daisy and River before trotting along with his head down. "Don't be mean," he murmured.

Daisy's heart pounded at what Kasai might say about that, but she only walked forward with her head in the air. "It's a good thing I don't care what you say about me, Storm," she said.

Storm rolled his eyes, quickening his pace so he walked at Daisy's side. "Why is she so rude all of a sudden?"

"Keep your voice down!" Daisy hissed silently. "You don't want anyone to hear us."

Storm sighed. "Alright, alright. We probably have a long way to go, though. Why are you so worried?"

Daisy shrugged. "Just trying to be careful."

River nodded. "It's good to be cautious when other Pokemon might be watching. Also, why do you want to see this... Blaziken anyway?"

"We just want to see if he's alive, that's all," Kasai snapped. "We heard rumors about him fighting a Mudkip and getting sent to the dungeon."

River yawned, seeming bored. "Honestly, I don't see how that's so important."

Daisy was about to retort when she stepped on something sharp. "Ouch!" She flinched at the pain in her paw. It was like a thousand needles digging into her skin. When she looked back at the ground, a sharp, white stone was placed there.

"You okay?" River padded worriedly at her side. "What's that?"

Storm sighed. "It's a stone, genius. Let me see the cut."

"I can manage it by myself," Daisy snapped, hating all of the protection she was getting. Didn't they know she could handle things on her own? She looked at her paw anyway, shuddering at the scratch, which was still bleeding.

Storm widened his eyes. "There must be something here that can stop the bleeding..."

River nodded. "There is. Have you ever heard of cobwebs?"

"Those stop bleeding?" Storm blinked. "I must not be good at being a doctor..."

River chuckled. "You're definitely not. Anyways, since this is a really dusty place-" he paused to scowl at the dust bunnies on the ground- "there must be cobwebs. I can't find any. Why don't we search?"

Daisy started to limp forward, but River placed a paw on her shoulder. "Don't walk. It might make the pain worse." There was a sharp pang of worry in his gaze, and for some reason Daisy didn't feel annoyed this time. "Kasai?" River asked, turning his head over to the Flareon. "Would you like to find some cobwebs?"

Kasai rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Not what I expected her to say, but..." River shrugged. "As long as she helps, good enough." He scanned around the tunnel, but mostly kept his eyes on the darkness ahead.

"We should get moving if we want to find some cobwebs," Storm growled. "It'll be easier."

River glared at him, crossing his arms. "And leave Daisy alone? She can't walk."

Storm widened his eyes, seeming to forget that his partner was with them. Daisy felt a flash of anger. Normally, I would be annoyed if Storm wanted to protect me, but he actually forgot about me? Now that's loyal, she thought sarcastically.

"Right," Storm finally said, interrupting Daisy from her many thoughts. "Sorry, Daisy. I'll stay here to guard you."

Before Daisy could reply, River shook his head. "No, thanks, Storm. You've done enough." He sounded furious for some reason. "I'll guard her."

"Fine," Storm growled, sounding unhappy. "The one who knows the most about cobwebs stays behind. Makes a lot of sense."

River narrowed his eyes. "Just go with Kasai," he growled.

For a moment, Storm looked hesitant, then he sighed and nodded. "Fine." He flashed one last protective glance at Daisy before stalking after Kasai.

Daisy looked awkwardly at her paws. Whenever she was alone with River, her heart always pounded. "So..." she began, staring at her cut.

"Listen, Daisy," River began. "There's something I really have to tell you... I've never gotten the chance since we always got interrupted by someone. Now, I'm sure we won't get interrupted since Storm and Kasai probably won't be back for a while..."

Daisy finally looked up from her paws, staring at River. "What is it?" she asked, curious. I've noticed we did get interrupted from our conversations a lot... Hopefully it won't happen this time. Wait, am I hearing his heart pound from all the way back here? Daisy wondered, tilting her head. "Is something wrong?"

"No. I just..." River looked shakily into her eyes. "I really-"

He was interrupted - again, to Daisy's annoyance - by Storm's loud paws thundering against the cold floor. "Guys! Guys, you won't believe it!"

Putting his hands on his hips, River glared at Storm. "You interrupted our conversation, Storm. What do you want this time?" He seemed a bit harsh, but Daisy couldn't blame the Buizel. She was also annoyed at Storm.

Storm seemed to ignore his sudden anger, a huge frown planted on his face. "Me and Kasai heard Swift's scream, and right after that, Kasai just disappeared! I can't find her anywhere!"

Daisy's heart pounded so loud she was sure the dungeon Pokemon could hear it from all the way in the tunnel. "Are you kidding?! After Swift accidentally tried to kill Chansey, Kasai might try to kill him! We have to find her before she tries something."

Storm blinked. "She's your best friend. How could you say that?"

Daisy narrowed her eyes. "Look, Storm. It's complicated. I don't think she's been acting the same ever since Chansey went to the hospital. She might've been thinking...wrong thoughts."

River balled his hand into a fist. "You might be right," he growled. "Daisy... Hop on Storm's back or something. You probably still can't walk, and we have to move fast, so it'll be much easier for you if Storm carries you on his back."

"I don't need to be protected," Daisy said with a roll of her eyes, "but thanks anyway, I guess."

River nodded. "Sorry if I'm being overprotective. I know you can't stand Pokemon who do that." He chuckled awkwardly. Daisy couldn't blame him. It was the truth.

Daisy jumped on Storm's back and curled up there as he began to walk quickly down the tunnel. Of course, he couldn't run because of the heavy Umbreon on him, but at least he wasn't going as slow as a snail. "This is kind of creepy," she finally spoke, killing the silence that had risen between them. "The walls are so dark, and it looks like we won't be reaching the dungeon any time soon."

"Well, we need to hurry," River pointed out. "Time goes by super fast, and we don't want Flame or Pidgeot to send a search party looking for us in the morning. If they find us wandering in the dungeon, they won't be happy." He shivered.

"Oh, I can just imagine Pidgeot's face," Storm snarled. "I really think she's evil."

River sighed. "You know, I've been having thoughts of her being possessed as well. Or her just being like Eclipse, all evil and stuff. What about you, Daisy?" He looked over at the Umbreon, whose eyes were closed.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Daisy opened her eyes, keeping her gaze fixed on the darkness ahead as she answered, "I kind of thought about it as well. Why else would she have a dungeon? I've heard of a legend where Flame was going to kill someone if they ever came back, but that was only because she figured out he was evil. Pidgeot is way worse - sending someone to suffer forever because he fought someone else? And she actually told me she was sending me to the dungeon because I accidentally broke a chair!" She was yelling now, and she couldn't stop. Daisy was too furious to lower her voice. "What is her problem?! I hate her so much!"

River put one warm paw on her shoulder. Daisy relaxed at his touch, but she still felt a spark of fury. "I know. I was there when that happened, and I heard everything," he said softly. "Listen. We can't just sit here and wait for all of the Pokemon to be possessed. Remember when Darkrai tried to possess me? Luckily, I was too strong for him, and I managed to win. But some Pokemon didn't win - like Sky, Eclipse, and maybe even Kasai. We have to put a stop to this soon, or the world will end forever."

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?" Daisy flattened her ears, frustrated with all of this information. "I don't think Eclipse was possessed, though. I really think he's evil."

Storm flicked his ears, a growl humming deep in his throat. "I agree. He's not possessed. For all we know, he could be the one who's possessing everyone!"

"It's Darkrai, Storm," River explained as if it was the most obvious fact in the world. "Darkrai is the cause of it all."

"I doubt it." Storm bared his teeth in a snarl. "I believe it's Eclipse."

Daisy let out a loud sigh. "Just because Eclipse was the first Pokemon we found evil, doesn't mean he's the cause. And what I'm about to say might sound a little crazy, but... I've been having suspicions about Rain, as well."

River widened his eyes in surprise. "Rain? How could he possibly be evil?"

"Exactly. That's what most evil Pokemon do - they lure you into their trap and make you think they're nice. Before I fully knew Eclipse was evil, I actually wondered if I was wrong, and if he was just grumpy like Storm."

Storm glared at Daisy. "Are you calling me evil?"

"No!" Daisy said quickly. "You're not evil. I'm also worried, though, that Eclipse might try to murder Rain."

River seemed to look thoughtful, his gaze boring into Daisy's. "When Snow was alive, I wondered that, too. But ever since she died, I highly doubt Eclipse's going to try something."

"He still can," Daisy argued. "He's evil. He can kill anyone."

"True." River lightly shrugged, looking ahead of him again. Suddenly his eyes widened, and he skidded to a stop.

Daisy frowned, worry rising in her chest. "Is something wrong?" She dared to look ahead of her, too, and her heart almost stopped beating. Directly ahead of them, probably about five inches away, the tunnel opened into a large clearing. Cages ranging in different sizes were everywhere, filled with many different Pokemon: Lucario, Quilava, Chespin, and many more. The whole place was gray and deadly, filling Daisy with dread as she looked at it. Daisy slipped off Storm's back, in shock. "Wow... It's so..." She paused for a moment. "...Gray," she finally breathed.

Storm nodded. "Great. Let's find Kasai, free Swift, and get the heck out of here."

"I think someone's afraid," River teased, but Daisy could tell that he was worried, too. "Storm's right, though. That's really all we have to do. I'm sure it won't take too long. There can't be that many Pokemon..."

"Hold on." Daisy stood up, her gaze turning angrily to River. "Why can't we rescue all of the Pokemon? They don't deserve to suffer for all eternity just for doing something stupid."

River sighed. "We can't know for sure. What if some of them are evil? How would we know?"

"We could ask them why they got in the cage in the first place," Daisy pointed out.

Storm growled as his eyes swept across the long clearing. "You really expect them to tell the truth, Daisy? Well... Maybe some of them will, but not everyone will, especially if they're evil."

Daisy felt a stare grazing the top of her head, and she looked in front of her to see a Chespin with many cuts on his face. "We can hear ya, ya know," he growled. "Who are ya and what're ya doin' in the dungeon? Did someone send you or somethin'?"

"No. We're just exploring, and trying to bring our friend back," Daisy told him.

The Chespin's eyebrows raised. "Hey, speakin' of friends, have ya seen a Chansey around?"

Daisy whipped her head around to face River, who had an excited gleam in his eyes. "Yeah, what's her name?" he asked.

Chespin blinked. "She don't have one, Buizel. By the way, her partner's a Flareon."

Daisy eyed Chespin in awe. "Yes! Chansey's in the hospital, though. Someone gave her a bad cut."

A sparkle of worry flashed in the Chespin's eyes. "Ah. That Chansey's my girlfriend. We haven't seen each other in forever." He sighed and looked down at his feet. "Just wanted to make sure she's okay, is all."

"Oh. I'm sorry about your loss," Daisy spoke. She never knew Chansey had a boyfriend. It didn't surprise her, though. Chansey barely ever talked about her personal life. "Out of curiosity... Why did you get sent to the dungeon?"

Chespin sighed sadly. "My friends and I got in a bad argument, and it got a little outta hand..." He clawed the bars, his sadness suddenly turning to anger. "It was all their fault. They tried to kill Chansey. They were my partners, for Arceus' sake! They didn't know a thing." He shook his head. "They ended up innocent, and I ended up sufferin' in the damn dungeon. I couldn't believe it."

"Well, we're busting you out," Daisy said with a grin. "You don't deserve to be in the dungeon."

Chespin widened his eyes in surprise. "Really... No one ever tried that before. Most of the Pokemon I knew didn't even know 'bout Floor -1." He sealed his eyes shut. "I've been here for so long... And now I might see Chansey again." He opened his eyes again, smiling slightly for the first time they had met. "Thank ya, Umbreon, Buizel, and Jolteon."

"This is all so heartwarming and all, but can we just bust him out, find Kasai and Swift, and get the heck out of here?" Storm growled.

Chespin took a few steps back. "You know Swift?" A snarl appeared on his face. "He's here? Where is he?"

River tilted his head to one side. "You sound a little angry. Do you know Swift?"

Chespin nodded, balling his hand into a fist. "He's one of the friends I had. The other one's a Haunter. They were the friends who got me sent to the dungeon. Are you sayin' Swift got sent here, too?"

Daisy nodded. "He's the one who tried to kill Chansey and gave her this cut." She was sort of wondering if it was actually an accident this time.

Chespin curled his claws. Daisy had never seen someone this furious before. She shivered as an intensity filled his eyes. "Again," the Chespin growled. "I can't believe he'd try it again. Did ya know where Haunter was, by any chance?"

"He wasn't there. He's so mysterious, I can never tell what he's thinking." Daisy lightly shrugged. "I never knew Swift had a third partner who got sent to the dungeon! It's interesting, yet weird..."

Chespin crossed his arms. "Very. Now get me out of here so I can kick his ass."

Daisy nodded, hating Swift more than ever at the moment. "Sadly, I don't really know how." She walked closer to his cage, still limping slightly, and noticed a lock in the corner. "Do you know where the key is?"

"It definitely won't be in the dungeon." Chespin sighed. "I've heard it was in Pidgeot's room, but I'm unsure."

Daisy sighed. "We have to go all the way back there? I don't even know what room she's at!"

Chespin widened his eyes, a gleam in them. "If it helps some, she's on Floor 2."

"With an injured Pokemon, we definitely won't make it in time," Storm groaned. "I bet it's almost morning already."

Daisy flashed him a hurt glance. "Well, I'm sorry for holding you back," she snapped, turning away from her partner. She curled her tail around her paws and sighed as she looked back at Chespin. "Then I don't know what we're going to do. I'm sorry."

The three friends looked at each other, helpless and worried, as back in Pidgeot's Training Camp, the first few Pokemon were beginning to stir and wake.