Here's chapter thirty - seven. Thank you Blue-Eyed Cat, Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, Red Lugia, KrazyKoldKyurem613, and ColdGoldLazarus for reviewing last chapter!

Chapter Thirty - Seven: Evasion

Taylor ran a thumb over his holocaster. He sighed, leaning back in his seat. People milled about the Pokemon Center, going about their business, though to Taylor's ears it seemed somewhat muted. Eve perched on his shoulder, looking concerned.

Taylor rubbed her ears. "Sorry. This new information would normally excite me. I don't know why I'm so hesitant to call Professor Sycamore." He shook himself. "Well, I'd better call."

Sycamore picked up before long. "Hello? Ah, Taylor. I have some news for you."

"So do I," Taylor said. "I mean, I have news for you, too. We've uncovered more about Yveltal's legend. Apparently it caused a lot of destruction around eight-hundred years ago, and Xerneas appeared to fix it. Apparently the two fought, but Yveltal supposedly died. Xerneas went into hibernation as a tree."

Sycamore hummed. "Well, the part about Yveltal dying was obviously a lie. But it at least helps us to know where Xerneas might be. But Taylor, Eris is apparently in Anistar."

Taylor blinked, taking a moment to register that. "What?"

"I know, hard to believe. But we've received two calls now about her being there, and two Elite Four members are on their way to retrieve her."

"Professor," a voice interrupted, "I need to speak with you."

"Ah, Lysandre! So good to see you're back!" He hung up.

Taylor stared and continued trying to coerce his mind into working again.

-Lysandre shifted impatiently while Sycamore rambled, "We've been frantic trying to figure out what to do. Thankfully, Dianthe took charge, but since you were the one who organized this, we thought you should be the one to lead-"

"I heard the girl was found in Anistar. Is this true?"

"Hmm? Well, yes, it is."

"And you're going to arrest her?"

"Well, I don't know if 'arrest' is the right term, but yes, in essence. Why the interest?"

Lysandre considered his options and chose his words carefully. "I would like you to turn her over to Team Flare."

Sycamore seemed surprised. "Why?"

"You know Team Flare's heading this operation. We might be able to learn more from her about our opposition."

Sycamore frowned. "Well, yes, I suppose so. But why didn't you request this sooner? I think we were all assuming the Elite Four would take care of it."

"And I was assuming that the answer would be obvious." The tension left his shoulders somewhat. "I also want to report that we've found the location of Xerneas. However, we will need to have care when trying to awaken her."

"Splendid!" Sycamore clapped. "Oh, Taylor just passed on some information about Yveltal and Xerneas I'm sure you'll find useful."

Lysandre released a long-suffering sigh. "You sent him to Anistar."

"Yes." He smiled wryly. "Taylor related a story he heard about a battle eight-hundred years ago between Yveltal and Xerneas."

"I see."

"Oh, and about the Marked."

Lysandre hesitated.

Sycamore continued, "Apparently, Marking allows certain legendaries the ability to interact with the world, according to this book Taylor found." Sycamore lifted it.

"I see."

"I know you're more concerned with finding Xerneas-"

"Of course."

"-but this is still something major. A phenomenon that we rarely get to see." A thoughtful frown crossed his face. "It's frightening, don't you think? That someone would willingly be Marked by a creature like that."

Lysandre blinked. "Indeed." He turned abruptly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

-Doublade woke first. Its eyes raced frantically around the area. Where are we? It unsheathed one sword, looking around.

"Hey," a voice said, "the Doublade's awake."

"Knock it out."

Doublade quivered. No. You think you can beat me? Fools. Then it hesitated. I can't go back to that bloodlust. And even if I do fight, what about Eris? Its anger died and it sheathed itself, trying to look harmless.

A hoarse voice laughed. "Look, the big bad natural disaster's hiding."

A stoutland curled near the fire, grinning smugly.

Doublade quelled its anger.

The stoutland stood, poking Doublade with a paw. "You guys aren't so tough. What's the big deal with you, anyways?"

Doublade's eyes narrowed, but it remained silent.

"Herald," one of the humans barked.

"Intimidating. Name," Doublade rasped.

The stoutland growled.

"Herald, sit!"

Herald looked at his trainer, then retreated, still flashing Doublade a glare.

Eris stirred. "Mmm, what? Where am I?"

Stay down, stay down, stay down.

Eris bolted upright. "Wait! The sneasel! And-"

"Down!" Doublade ordered, trying to use its weight to make her obey.

Naturally, this failed. Eris stood, tensing beneath Doublade's sheath. We're not going to make it out if we fight, Eris. A voice from the past echoed a similar sentiment:

"You're not going to be able to fight all of them."

"Watch me."

Doublade tugged. "Stop."

Eris didn't move for a moment, then slowly lowered.

Doublade suppressed a sigh. Suddenly all it could see was the couch's printed fabric.

One of the humans said, "Don't move. Try anything, and we'll put you under again."

"What are you going to do with us?"

"That's none of your concern."

Which means, Doublade thought, that they're planning to turn us in.

Silence spanned a few moments before Eris said carefully, "What about the sneasel?"

"What about them?"

"They've been attacking people, haven't they?"

A pause. "Yes."

"Well, aren't you going to do something about it?"

Another human snorted, then gruffly responded, "We're looking into the cause. We don't need some natural disaster coming in and wrecking things. You'll make things worse, so don't try."

Eris tensed. "W-well, maybe we can reason with them."

"Like we can reason with you?"

"I'm human, too."

Silence. This time Doublade did sigh. Well, what to do now? How can we escape before we're taken away?

Something touched one of its hilts. Doublade jerked. "Doublade," Eris whispered, "I need you to go with me on this."

Doublade felt uncertain. "Alright," it conceded reluctantly.

Eris removed one of its blades, allowing it to survey the rest of the room. She stood.

The other humans tensed, removing their pokeballs.

"Um." Eris cleared her throat and stood straighter. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

One of the men asked, "Why's that?"

Eris lifted her arm and indicated her Mark. "I'm a servant of Yveltal, remember? I have some of his power. And he can see what happens to me."

"You're bluffing," one of the men countered. "If that were true, that thing would be here by now."

"Okay." Eris suddenly sat. "I guess I'll just wait here for him, then."

Doublade was as confused as the other humans looked. "Okay," one man said. "Good." The men shifted uncomfortably, giving Eris wary looks.

Doublade shifted an eye towards her. What is she planning? If she wants to trick them, they didn't fall for it.

Eris whispered, "Can one of your swords sneak behind them?"

Doublade understood.

"Hey," one of the humans said. "What are you whispering about?"

Eris shrugged. She lowered the sword she was holding.

Doublade sank into the shadows, slithering across the floor, rising behind one of the men. It stole his pokeball with its tassel.

The man realized something was happening and turned.

Doublade spun, batting the man's hand away.

Herald stood, barking, "Let go of that pokeball!"

Doublade moved away, its free sword spinning to ward off attacks.

Eris had stood, its other sword in her hand. She was trying to head towards the door; Doublade's second sword tried to comply by slashing at the humans who tried to converge on them.

"Halt!" a voice commanded. "Excalibur, Sacred Sword!"

A blur flew through the air, halting Doublade's strike. Doublade's second sword made it back to Eris.

The entire room seemed to have frozen. The humans stared at the armored man who'd entered. Doublade stared at the Aegislash that had confronted it. "Greetings," the Aegislash grated. "I would say it is nice to meet you, but it is shameful to see one of my own kind with such filth."

How does his voice not hurt? Doublade shook itself, dropping the pokeball and picking up the fallen sheath.

An older woman appeared behind the man. An altaria stood just behind her. "Excuse me. Let me through, please."

"Eris." Doublade nudged her.

Eris shook herself into awareness. "Doublade, shadow sneak!"

"Giselle, sing."

The altaria opened its beak. A soothing melody poured forth.

Doublade twitched. Its eyelids drooped. No. I can't go to sleep again.

Eris started falling.

The old woman said, "Sweet dreams."

Then blackness enfolded Doublade.

That's the end of chapter thirty - seven. Review responses:

Blue-Eyed Cat: Yeah. Haha, the information was a little late, huh? And yeah, that's more or less why Eris will allow it, added to the fact that she's realized at this point getting it to release her won't allow her to return to a normal life.

Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Haha, I guess you'll have that question at the end of this chapter, too.

red the lugia: Thanks!

KrazyKoldKyurem613: Really? Sneasel was always one of my favorites. These ones are rather nasty, though.

ColdGoldLazarus: Thank you! I'm glad so many people like how I write Yveltal. (I've said this before, but it still remains that he's one of my favorite characters to write.) And it's also good to hear I've done well explaining things and with Eris's character development. You'll have to wait and see on the Mega Evolution, but Taylor will, eventually, remember 'Oh, yeah, Absol could do with some healing.' Eon will be missed, indeed. And, well, I guess Eris wasn't really able to avoid them, huh? At least not at the moment.

Anything you'd like to say about the story? Feel free to drop a review and let me know!