Katerina started laughing hysterically after I started shouting (and, I'll admit, maybe crying), and true to her word, Furat disappeared back into the water. The Bronzong and Vladimir both stood on the shore, begging her to come back, even as Katerina continued cackling in the background.

After the pain started to fade and the sunny skies overhead started to fade into a sunset, the two at the shore gave up on the Golduck. I had tried getting away from them three more times during that period, only to be stopped by either a psychic move or Katerina.

"…She was not even a real psychic type," Vladimir muttered.

"It still knows Future Sight and Psychic, so we value its opinion."

"The Dusclops and Duskull do not."

"You will still follow the psychic's rules, and we believe Furat is part of our group."

"Even if we do not tell the trainer, we still need to do something."

"Like what? Take care of it?"

"What else can we do?"

"I can hear you two!" I shouted fiercely, glaring at them over my attempted fire. Katerina was hovering close by, curious and fascinated by the process. It was a lot harder to do without Des' help. The Duskull set the small pile of grasses and sticks on fire, laughing at my astonished face. Unfortunately, due to the lack of fuel, it died out just moments later.

"We are discussing your future," Vladimir called back. Katerina snickered at the unintended joke.

"Dussssss!"

"Katerina says we must tell you to stop the tyrant trainer."

"Don't say anything about the future!" Bronzong said harshly.

"Are you going to stop us?"

I rolled my eyes and ignored the battle as the two started grappling with each other. Katerina lost interest in me and went to cheer on her Dusclops translator, which was fine with me. "Ike, what should we do?" I asked quietly.

"Shinx-shii-shinx, shii."

"I don't know why I bothered asking." I stood up, gingerly moving my shoulder to see how much it still hurt, and walked over to the water's edge. I was thirsty and hungry, and while I was content to drink the lake water, it didn't solve my hunger issue. It had been over a day since I'd last eaten--Ike, too, must be hungry. I had several times debated over the possibility of asking either the ghosts or the Bronzong for help with the food issue, but I was frightened by what they might bring me. I figured that Dusclops ate children, and who knew what the bell-like Pokemon ate…

"Do you eat fish?" I looked around in surprise for Furat's voice. She was nowhere to be seen, however, and judging on the fact that the two brawling hadn't stopped, I gathered that she was only speaking to me.

"Yeah--" I flopped back as a Magikarp was thrown out of the water into my face. Furat came out of the water, resting her forearms on the shore, smiling cheekily. I glared at her as I dropped the flailing Magikarp.

Then I realized the problem I had just been presented with. Magikarp were fish, yes, but they were also Pokemon. Moreover, this was a live one. I gently picked up the Magikarp again and placed it back in the water. The Golduck flung it back onto the shore with her tail. "You are already thin, little human. You should eat."

"But… it's alive," I replied weakly.

"How is this a problem?"

"I can't kill a Pokemon--"

"Not even for food? Not even if it saves your own life?" Furat challenged, the red jewel on her forehead glinting in the twilight. There was a gasp behind me, and we both turned to see Ike biting down on the Magikarp's throat (as best he could, considering the size different). "Your Shinx is not so reserved when it comes to survival."

I had eaten Magikarp before, of course, but that was before I had become a trainer, and they had always been dead and cooked. Before I became a trainer, I had eaten a lot of Pokemon, I supposed. But they had always been dead and cooked. After I started, I had mostly eaten Berries and vegetables with my team. Occasionally we'd bought easily preserved meats and things when we passed through a city, or just buy meals at restaurants, but I never had to see anything get killed in front of me. I didn't even have to think about what I was eating.

Now I did.

The Magikarp finally died in Ike's teeth. My Shinx then carried it over to the remains of our fire, turning to me expectantly.

I didn't notice him, since I was busy throwing up in the water.

Furat made a very disgusted sound and hastily got out of the water, running her webbed hands all along the spikes on the top of her head. "I have always believed that humans are a singularly weak species, but I never knew to this extent. Also, now you will have to eat, as there's absolutely nothing else in your stomach."

"I-I'd rather starve," I shot back feebly, leaning against the rock wall beside me for support.

"Then you shall," she replied simply. "That will solve all of our problems, won't it?"

-.-.-

Eventually, Ike's insistent (and constant) yowling, mixed in with the smell of cooked Magikarp (after Katerina started another fire for us), got the better of me. Furat had captured another Magikarp, killing it herself this time, and was sharing it amicably with Ike and I. I had demanded a blindfold before eating any of it, and once Vladimir and the Bronzong realized what was going on, they readily complied. I wasn't too sure about tying a bandage from the Dusclops around my head, though.

"What are your other two Pokemon?" Furat asked. She seemed very curious about the life of a trainer and asked Ike and I endless questions about it.

"A Numel and a Breloom."

"And you name them? What if they already have names?"

I never really thought about that before. "I… don't know. They answer to the names I call them…"

"Of course they would," the Golduck replied with a smirk in her voice. "What do you eat out in the wilderness if you're so afraid to kill Pokemon?"

"Plants and stuff."

"There are plant Pokemon."

"Other plants and stuff. And human food."

"What are your personal feelings about knowing the future? Since Bronzong and Dusclops are so interested in you… I wonder what they're so worked up about. I know Future Sight too, and I've seen the future. As long as we all stay wild, we'll be fine."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, echoed by an annoyed growl from Ike. I wordlessly handed him another part of my Magikarp, which he devoured at once, nearly taking my finger with it. I wouldn't have thought that such a little Pokemon could have eaten so much, but as far as I could tell, he had eaten as much as I had so far.

"The Pokemon world is in an uproar because of an upcoming disaster. That's all." Her smile was too loud to ignore, however.

"Why does being wild have anything to do with it?" I hesitantly lifted the bandage from my eyes, blinking as I adjusted to the firelight.

"Dusssss-skull!" Katerina intoned gravely.

"Katerina says that we cannot say anything more until we come to a conclusion about the trainer," Vladimir translated warningly. "I would thank you to stay quiet now, Furat."

"Of course I will," she replied, spitting a bone in his direction.

"Um… So why did you guys have to take me to her?" I asked quietly. I still wasn't sure how to treat the others. I wasn't so angry anymore, but I still didn't trust any of them as far as I could throw them, and I was very wary of why they were doing what they were doing.

"Ghosts do not know how to treat physical injuries. Neither do bells, apparently," the Dusclops replied, glancing at the Bronzong. "Moreover, Furat is another psychic, and we would have to consult her eventually."

"Oh, no, don't forget, Dusclops. I'm not a psychic. I'm merely a water being that's been gifted with an extraordinary mind," Furat said, batting her eyes at him.

"We still must consult all of the psychics in the area, and you are still one," the Bronzong replied evenly.

"Are you going to ask the Haunter?"

"No, we are not. They only know a few psychic moves, and none of them are Future Sight, so they don't need to know!" Vladimir exclaimed.

"What's so bad about this future that you need to freak out this much?" I couldn't help but ask. This entire unintentional trip had been nothing but torture so far, but it didn't mean I couldn't get something out of it. And hey, knowing the future could be handy, right? Especially if it was as bad as they were making it out to be…

"Many will die."

"It's a problem for the trainers."

"It won't affect us wild Pokemon."

"Dusssssssss skull-dussss!"

They all talked at once, giving me the distinct impression that they hadn't planned on that. So I got four (okay, three, as Vladimir wasn't translating Katerina's after his slip) tidbits of information. "Why will it only affect humans?"

This time, all three of them stayed silent, annoyed that they had talked at all in the first place.

I huffed and crossed my arms. I was done eating, though Ike was still gnawing on a few of the larger bones rather lazily. So they probably wouldn't tell me much else without deciding it in their little psychic meeting. I did get a little information. It would only affect humans… That ruled out most natural disasters, like earthquakes or floods or forest fires, since those would also affect any wild Pokemon in the area. What was it, then? A disease? A mass murderer? Unsurprisingly, that brought to mind the man who'd put me in this situation to start with…

"…I'm going to sleep. If any of you feel the need to kill me and put me out of my misery, don't wake me up before you do so," I informed them, scooping up Ike and marching off into the darkness. I heard Furat snicker and mutter something to Katerina, who likewise giggled. Probably plotting my demise, which really didn't bother me at all anymore. The Pokemon world and one murderous mercenary were out to get me, and eventually, they would.

I drifted off to sleep, using my good arm as a pillow, Ike nestled up against my chest.

And, what felt like seconds later, I was being shaken awake. I blinked blearily and tried not to feel sick as whoever it was kept shaking me. "Wh-What is it…?"

"You are missing two other Pokemon, little human? Are they in those little balls you carry around?" Furat asked excitedly, voice much too loud in my head, especially as I noticed that the sun hadn't even made it over the edge of the cliffs around us yet.

"Y-Yeah… Stop shaking me!"

"This! This is one?" She stopped, though more so she could show me the item she found and less because I told her to. I blinked a few more times, then gasped as I realized she was proudly holding up Ike's ultra ball.

"Where did you find it?!"

"In the water, down at the bottom. You have one more to find, right?"

"No, that one's Ike's, it's just empty. The other two have my Pokemon in them." I made a grab for it but she held it out of range. "Give it to me!"

"I will not hand over such things without payment, little human," she said, forehead jewel sparkling.

"I really don't have anything. Not money or items or food or anything. That water of yours is holding everything I own."

"I do not require material items!" the Golduck scoffed, turning her bill up at the very thought. "I want you… to do me a favor."

"…What kind of favor?" I asked suspiciously.

"I want to speak to Dusclops, only without Duskull and Bronzong around. I want you to distract them somewhere else. Like in the cave. Can you do that for me?"

"…Yeah, I guess. How long do I need to keep them occupied?"

"Oh, not long. Let's say… ten minutes?"

I grimaced. "O-Okay…" How was I supposed to keep a Bronzong and blind Duskull busy for ten minutes? I'd have to figure it out if Ike ever wanted a proper rest, and the fact that she found the ultra ball in the water made me wonder if two pokeballs were down there, too, somewhere…

I turned and marched over to where the two ghosts and psychic were discussing things in low tones. They immediately stopped once I got within earshot and looked up at me expectantly. How was I supposed to separate them without getting myself attacked? I glanced back over my shoulder at Furat. She was just watching in amusement. That figured.

"…You're it," I told the Bronzong and I tapped it lightly on the arm. It stared at me with wide, red eyes.

"…Excuse me?" it asked uncomfortably, shying away from me.

"Tag. Don't Pokemon play it?"

"Of course we do."

"Well, you're it. You're the chaser. You have to catch us," I explained impatiently, tapping my foot. I had gestured vaguely to Ike when I said 'us', but I was hoping that Katerina would join in, too. Vladimir… I had no idea what to do about him. Hopefully he'd be too much of a stick in the mud to play.

"I don't have time for this…"

"Oh, okay then. Well to entertain myself, I'll just have to go over and talk to Furat some more. I'm sure she'll tell me all about this apocalyptic future of ours. That'll be good entertainment--"

"Has she been telling you about the future?" Vladimir asked.

"…Yes." This was working out better than I would have hoped. The Dusclops got up and trudged over to Furat, leaving me alone with the Bronzong and Katerina, who I had to get out of here. For ten minutes. Could I handle a ten-minute game of tag with a psychic and ghost? "Well? You're it, Bronzong."

With that, Ike and I ran off to the cave's opening, hoping that the other two would follow.