While he was very, very apprehensive about it, Professor Kukui agreed to let the group of kids and Slayer head on to the next and final trials for the island. His apprehension was equally balanced with a feeling that Ash, Hau and Lillie would be safer than any number of chaperones could grant them if the Doom Slayer traveled with them, but that was also his apprehension. This was a figure that fell from space, ran half-way across the island, beat up several Pokémon with his bare hands, had a military arsenal of weapons on him at all time, and… Oh yeah. Was a warrior from hell. He believed that at this point.
But now, he watched the slayer interacting with Ash's Rowlet, slowly patting the small owl-Pokémon in a mixture of confusion, and intrigue. The tiny owl seemed to be a few moments away from having a full-blown panic attack, but seemed to be trying not to show it. While he may be a potentially unstoppable killing machine, there was something… Human, about the Doom Slayer, but the professor couldn't say what. Maybe it was the softer actions and movements he made and took when he was with his Cubone or around the kids, or maybe it was something else altogether that he couldn't put into words. However, his wife felt very different about this…
"No." She said for the thirteenth or fourteenth time. "You can't let them do this!" Burnet remarked.
"Hon… okay. Look." Kukui sighed, rubbing his face. "First, they're not our kids. Second, the island trials are meant to be their trials, we can't control everything about it, and third. Do you want to tell that guy to go off on his own? Ash and the others might be the best-case scenario to make sure things don't go way off the rails."
"…No." Fourteen.
The Doom Slayer was currently looking at a map Hau had passed him, VEGA copying the information into the helmet's hard drive so they could have a general idea of where they were going. Currently, they were heading for some place called 'Lush Jungle' to meet with a Trial Captain. The Slayer wasn't one hundred percent sure what that meant or how this could help him get home, but he figured he'd just go with the flow, all while learning more about this world. The main reason he aggreged to go to this jungle, was the temple that was supposedly nearby. After being told about the Island Deities, the Slayer began to wonder if these supposed magical Pokémon might be the best way for him to get home. Granted, they might not exist at all, but he figured it'd be better to travel with someone else rather than run all over the place and hope for the best. Also, while he wouldn't say anything about it (duh) he didn't want either those Rocket or Skull idiots trying anything to the small group he had met over the past few days. He was a warrior, a demon slayer, and a solider. Across all three professions and his thousands of years of experience, there was one thing that always rang true, an unspoken rule that the army and sentinels agreed on.
Protect the children at all costs.
At least… he THOUGHT that was the unspoken rule… But then there was the-
"Cu?"
He looked down and saw his Cubone tap his right hand, which he had unconsciously made into a fist and was gripping tightly. He quickly let it go and tried to act causal. Looking around, he saw the Aron he had recently caught was walking up to Lillie, who seemed nervous about the small Pokémon, actually, come to think of it, she didn't seem to have any. Weird.
"So, are we ready to go?" VEGA's voice got the groups attention, and everyone looked to one another, then nodded.
"Yeah, I think so." Ash nodded.
"Pika."
"Cu!"
"Arr?"
"Awesome! Let's go!" Hau said excitedly, clearly wanting to get going to the next trial. The Slayer looked to Lillie, silently asking a question, and the small girl smiled and nodded. With a thumbs-up, the Slayer stood up. "C'mon, the train's this way!"
Running off like an excited child (which admittedly he was) Hau marked the path for the others to follow. Ash and Lillie followed not far behind, but the Slayer waited, turning to the two professors.
"The Slayer wants you to know that he will do everything with his power to ensure they are not harmed." VEGA stated, then after a moment added: "Within his power that is also within the law of your islands."
Burnet blinked and Kukui laughed slightly at that.
"Just… just don't pull guns on everyone. Okay?" Kukui laughed. "Just the ones who deserve it."
Burnet's face turned sheet-white as she looked to her husband, while the Slayer nodded, giving a thumbs-up and briefly flashing his super shotgun. He turned around, picked up his Cubone, and followed after the group. Eventually they arrived and boarded the train, and to say that the Doom Slayer wasn't what people were expecting to see would be… an understatement.
"You think anyone notices the Space Man?" Hau laughed, looking to Ash, who rolled his eyes and laughed slightly in response. Multiple people gasped or whispered, a few took photos and others tried to not be seen by him. As for the Slayer, he was more intrigued by the design of the train's interior. The only experience he had with vehicles like this was on the UAC base.
Sulking as she tiredly sat down, Jesse groaned as she felt her body still aching from the last… incident. After being blown sky-high by the newcomer's sudden rocket launcher, she and James had crash-landed near a pack of wild Lycanroc's. This had accidentally disturbed their hunt. Needless to say, they weren't exactly happy about that, and had no qualms with showing the two Team Rocket members their dissatisfaction.
"Right… so where do we go now?" James groaned, wincing as he saw down and his clawed back hit the seatback, aggravating several wounds.
"Well, do you have any idea where Meowth is?" Jesse muttered.
"Yeah, he sent a 'Wish you were here' text from one of the beaches about an hour ago." She grumbled, a little annoyed that somehow Meowth was left unscathed, this time. "But beside that, do you think we should tell the boss?"
"Maybe, I don't know." James remarked. "I mean, what exactly was that… thing? I assume it was some sort of man in armor, but where did he come from? What's he here for? It's safe to assume the boss would be interested, but if it isn't possible to even slow him down, it's not worth putting the boss at risk."
"Considering how he greeted us last time, I highly doubt he'd be willing to talk with us."
"Yes… he just HAD to end up with that boy…"
James looked up and froze.
"And… who does he think he is!? Just shooting someone like that!?"
"…"
"And then he just WALKS away while we're talking to him, as if he has something better to do."
"…J…"
"All the while parading around in some sort of space suit that makes him look like he hasn't bathed in years!"
"…J…Je…"
"The neve of some people! They think they somehow control the whole world and that means they can do whatever they want."
"J…e…e…s…"
"I swear, the next time I see that thing, there's going to be a world of painful returibu-"
"Behind you." James finally spoke, cutting her off.
Jesse froze as she heard slowly looked to her left, seeing the Doom Slayer leaning on a seat, looking at a map in some attempt to seem causal, before looking up with a glare behind his mask that they couldn't see, but could feel that it clearly said: 'I'm loading my shotgun with malicious intent.' This went on for about ten seconds, before he cracked his neck in an unspoken challenge, and then seemed to grow bored. While he said nothing, as per usual, he kept on walking. Wordlessly heading up the car to where the others were seated. What really got to the two Team Rocket members this time was that the amour he wore was covered in battle scars, and after being cleaned, they were MUCH easier to see. Those scars weren't from any sort of Pokémon they could think of, and clearly weren't fake. Not to mention the fact that said amour seemed to barely contain his massive muscles.
It was a bit of a tight fit, but the Slayer sat on the isle side of one of the seats, relaxing somewhat and simply looking out the window while the others talked. Every now and then, someone passing by would look in shock at the Slayer, but no one had the courage to say anything. It was kind of annoying if the Slayer was honest. While he didn't talk, he didn't have much of an issue with VEGA giving people answers. Or threats.
"Hey, you really seem fixated by the clouds." Hau finally remarked, following where the Slayer was looking to. "I mean, it's beautiful and all, but is there a reason for that?"
The Slayer paused, thinking his answer over, then VEGA spoke:
"From where the Slayer came from, blue skies are something of a rarity. He spent most of his existence surrounded by four things: fire, gore, demons who were corpses and demons who weren't yet corpses. Needless to say, I have reason to assume that even when the Slayer found himself on the UAC facility on Mars, he didn't see scenery like this for himself. At most, he may have seen pictures or simulations, but never the real thing."
"So… you've spent your whole life fighting demons in another dimension?"
There was no answer this time. To the Slayer, his past was his. He didn't share it with anyone, even VEGA. At least, not extensively.
"From what I have gathered, mostly." VEGA admitted. "But that information is the Slayer's, and he has yet to fully divulge it to anyone as far as I know."
It was clear this meant that a lot of terrible things had happened, and the Slayer wasn't ready to talk, so everyone let it go.
"What was it like on Mars?" Ash asked. The Doom Slayer shrugged, not seeming to care too much about it.
"Mars was… Plain." VEGA answered. "UAC mostly used it as grounds to build their base and to purify Argent Energy, but that was about all."
"Argent Energy?"
"Yes. That was the main reason for the company's expedition into hell. They discovered an undiscovered, raw energy that flowed through the afterlife, which they could purify into renewable, endless energy for earth." The A.I. explained.
"Huh. How did they find out about that?"
"It's a long story, the details of which are far more complex than I believe you would be able to understand. But the long and short of it was ancient markings lead to the discovery of the energy."
While VEGA talked, the Slayer looked over the parts of his armor he could see, taking in the cracks, chips and breaks along it. It was clean, and that felt good, but it seemed ineffective as full-body armor. The Slayer considered what would be needed to repair it, that being plenty of metal, powerful fire, and some other blacksmith tools. It wouldn't be impossible, quite easy really, but where he was going to get the equipment and tools was another question. He doubted if they were heading to a forest he'd be able to find what he needed, but again, one step at a time. From what he had seen, there wasn't demonic forces in this world, aside from that one ghost he had met, so he figured he could slow down a little. He wasn't giving up, and knew that stopping Hayden was a primary objective, but there was only so much he could do.
Come to think of it, the lack of combat he had been experiencing was both irritating and… huh. How was he supposed to explain this? Was this what being relaxed felt like? Whatever it was, this was a weird feeling.
A few hours passed, and eventually the train pulled into the next station. The group of four got off and headed down a path towards a lush jungle. As they walked towards the Trial grounds, there was a warm smell of stew, and a calming arura of flowers that surrounded them. The Doom Slayer found himself looking back and forth at the different types of Pokémon that hid among bushes and trees. They looked on in both fear and curiosity, which didn't matter much to the Slayer. As they entered a clearing, one of the women the Slayer had met when he first arrived was stirring a large pot, and turned with a grin when she heard them coming entering.
"Hey guys!" She called cheerily. "Great to see yo-" She cut herself off and blinked in shock when she saw the Doom Slayer walking with them. His heavy boots making small imprints in the ground. "Oh. Uh. Hi."
"Hello, Miss Mallow." Lillie said with a small smile, her usual shyness fighting with her want to be polite.
"Hi Lillie." The Trial Captain smiled. "You three here for the trials?"
"Technically I think it's those three." She timidly admitted, pointing to Ash, Hau and the Doom Slayer.
"Wait. He's doing the trials?" Mallow blinked in surprise, looking back to the Doom Slayer. "Does he even have-"
Once again, the green-haired woman was cut off by something. This time, it was the Doom Slayer tossing a Pokéball out, and the small Cubone from their first meeting appeared.
"Cu?"
"Aw! He took the little guy with him? That's so sweet!" Mallow cooed with a warm smile. "Well, c'mon then! The Trial awaits!"
It took a few minutes for Mallow to explain how this would work; effectively, the trio would have to find ingredients for her stew in the nearby forest. Along the way, they'd have to deal with any wild Pokémon that would be hiding in the wild. The Slayer found this to be… a waste of time, honestly. He had been led to believe that these trials involved combat and skill, two things he valued and was willing to show that he had in spades. But now, he had to find plants? Seriously?
"I understand your disappointment Slayer, but this appears to be part of this island's culture." VEGA remarked, speaking so only the Slayer would hear him. "Perhaps after this trial, we will be able to find the Temple we were told of."
The Slayer nodded in understanding. Heading off towards the nearby bushes and trees. As he made his way into the forest, he felt multiple sets of eyes watching him, Cubone and Arron. The two small Pokémon seemed to be looking around in curiosity, Cubone stopping and eating some barriers off of a bush. The Slayer scanned his surroundings, marking the plants he would need to inspect closer for-
"Cu!"
Whirling around, the Slayer saw that Cubone seemed to be in a staring contest with some sort of living tree. It wasn't much bigger than Cubone, but was much lankier, like a tall stick with arms and legs.
"Sudo." The new Pokémon said in a territorial challenge. Cubone tensed up and shuffled backwards somewhat, clearly frightened by the challenge. It was shaking ever so slightly, clearly not wanting to run away, but uncertain of its current plan.
"Ar!"
The small metal Pokémon seemed to return the challenge, not liking someone threatening his friend, and was greeted with a second tree pokémon making itself known. The Slayer watched the two, knowing a fight was inevitable, and decided to do what he could to help. Getting down on a knee, he gently put a hand on Cubone's head. The frightened pokémon looking up at his trainer, and seeing the helmeted face nod. It took a few moments, but Cubone nodded back, seeming to understand the unspoken message.
"Aron!" The steel pokémon chirped, looking to its companion and asking it for assistance in this fight. Seemingly realizing it wasn't alone, the Cubone nodded, and began to tap its club in its open palm.
"Cubone." The skull-wearing pokémon nodded.
Standing a few feet away, the Slayer watched the pair take fighting stances, ready to do or… not die, but whatever happened when a pokémon lost a fight.
"Cubone, bone club. Aron, use headbutt." VEGA ordered. The two pokémon nodded, and aimed at the Sudowoodo positioned diagonally from them. Cubone dashed forward, whacking the Sudowoodo with its club, knocking the tree pokémon onto it's back, while Aron ran at the second one, only for it to sidestep out of the way. One of its leaf-hands seemed to change into a cube and it struck Aron, making it yelp in pain.
"Cubone, assist Aron." VEGA ordered. Cubone jumped up and whacked the Sudowoodo with its bone, striking its side and distracting it. Aron used this as an opportunity to attack as well, ramming its thick skull into the tree pokémon's back. Something the Slayer picked up on was the 'Sudowoodo' as it was called, seemed especially susceptible to these specific attacks, as if it was weak to them. However, the tree pokémon struck back, throwing rocks at the pair of pokémon, and Aron seemed drastically more affected than Cubone. After the few attacks, Aron seemed to be in rather dire condition, and the Slayer wasn't sure what to do. Before VEGA could give an order, Cubone seemed to act of its own accord, tipping the Sudowoodo up with its bone club, and then savagely attacking it. It began wailing away like an angered rum solo, the tiny pokémon seemed furious at the damage done to its companion.
"Is there a reason why Cubone is reacting so aggressively?" VEGA asked as Mallow watched in surprise.
"Well… Cubone's don't have much of a family." She began. "In fact, they usually only evolve once they've accepted the loss of their parent. Perhaps your Cubone sees Aron as a family member, and when it sees him getting hurt, feels a powerful urge to protect it. Kinda in the sense of it not wanting to lose another family member."
There was another cracking sound as a Sudowoodo was sent flying into the forest, the Cubone standing and spinning his bone aggressively. The Other Sudowoodo noticed this and decided that this wasn't worth it and turn and fled. Once it was gone, Cubone grabbed some nearby berries and seemed to be feeding the Aron. Within a few moments, the tiny steel pokémon was back on its stubby feet, nodding appreciatively.
"Huh, they really seem to have a strong bond." Mallow mused, still watching the two. "Where'd you catch them?"
"The Cubone was the same one we found when we first arrived, and the Aron was founding eating a garbage can." VEGA answered.
"Huh… come back to me in a bit. I'm kinda curious about something…" The Trial Captain mused.
Walking deeper into the wood, the Slayer looked around for pathways, still trying to figure out where the temple was, as that was his main focus right now. Looking over his shoulder, he heard Aron give a happy trill and lean down, letting Cubone climb on its back as the pair began following him. Looking around, the Slayer heard rustling and paused, slowly reaching for a weapon, knowing that yes, these pokémon were simply wild animals, but also unaware or uncertain of what else there was out here. He could hear Ash and Hau laughing and talking, but something else caught his attention. It was faint, but he saw a pinkish light shoot by at super-sonic speeds. It appeared to be some sort of small pokémon flying across the jungle air, and it flashed by a few times, as if telling the Slayer to follow it. With his heavy boots crunching the leaves and ground beneath him, the slayer pushed through jungle growth and plants, heading deeper into the forest.
"Hello!" A female voice spoke in the Slayer's helmet, and the Doom Slayer froze, suddenly grabbing a shotgun out of some sort of reflex. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!"
There was no answer, no response. The Doom Slayer looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. However, he saw nothing but trees.
"Uh… do… do you not speak?" The female voice asked, seeming to be confused and curious.
"The Slayer isn't much for conversation. Who are we speaking too?" VEGA asked.
"Oh, there's two of you?"
"I am VEGA, Artificial Intelligence and assistant to the Doom Slayer."
"Oh, so you're the Doom Slayer?" The female voice remarked, surprised. "Wow, you're… yeah… I can see why they'd call you that. I can see why everyone would say you're some sort of super-warrior."
"Apologies, but the Doom Slayer is growing agitated, he wants to know who or what he is speaking to. He is still uncertain if you are an ally or enemy." The A.I. added, noting the Doom Slayer's tensing body.
"Sorry, my mistake." The voice spoke in a cherry tone. "I am Tapu Lele, one of the Guardian Deities of the Alolan Islands."
"Where are you?"
"You're nearly at the temple, we'll talk there." And just like that, the voice was gone, leaving the Slayer alone. He blinked and looked around once more, then nodded to no one in particular, as if re-stating his goal.
Meanwhile, Lillie watched as Hau and Ash gathered ingredients for Mallow's stew. She hadn't had it before, but had heard from many people how delicious it was, and she was hoping she'd get a chance to try it. However, when she noticed the Doom Slayer had disappeared, she felt a feeling of apprehension and fear. She felt safer around him, but she was also still somewhat frightened by him.
"Uh, Miss Mallow?" Lillie finally piped up. "I think the Slayer is gone."
The green-haired woman's head snapped up in shock and she scanned the nearby clearing, seeing Ash, Hau… and that was it.
"That… that might be a problem." She muttered, before looking to the little blonde girl. "Do you think he's a threat? Should we try and get him back here?"
"I dunno." Lillie shook her head. "I could go try and find him if that would help."
Mallow bit her lip, clearly that was an idea she didn't like, but also knew it might be the best idea. She was about to ask if Lillie had anyone to watch her ack, when the bag Lillie carried began shaking about, as if something was inside. Lillie's face turned bright red in embarrassment and struggle to hold it down.
"If you think you'll be all right on your own, then it's fine with me." She finally said. Lillie nodded and followed the Slayer's footprints. Mallow watched the small girl leave, then turned her attention back to the stew.
It didn't take long for Lillie to find herself in the deeper woods, and she began to think this may not have been the best idea. While the pokémon in this area weren't known for being aggressive, there were several migratory types of pokémon that happened to be rather territorial, and the idea of running into one of them was one she didn't want to consider.
"Pew!"
Without warning, a small cloud-like pokémon appeared from over her shoulder, and Lillie groaned in annoyance.
"Nebby! Please don't do this!" she begged, quickly following after the small pokémon that somehow escaped her bag. Once again. However, the small pokémon floated off, and she hurried off after it. Unfortunately, she ran in the opposite direction of the Doom Slayer, and no one seemed to notice this happening.
Entering another clearing, the Doom Slayer felt his boot step on something solid, and he looked down at the new turf. His boot was standing on a large stone, one of many actually, as there was a path leading towards a stone building in the distance. Scanning it, the Slayer picked up on some unusual energy, in some ways akin to the type of energy that hell would produce, but this time… it wasn't negative. It was hard to put into words, but this felt less like energy surrounding pain and suffering, but energy surrounding life and joy. He felt… relaxed, the Slayer felt like some of his worries lessened and he could simply let himself move at whatever pace was needed…
This was weird. Like, really, really weird.
Regardless, the Slayer decided he had come this far, he might as well see what this temple had to offer. Looking down he saw Aron had arrived with Cubone riding on its back, and the two pokémon looked up to him, as if asking for directions. As the slayer approached the temple, he saw the pinkish blur re-appear, forming into a flying figure. It was a small pokémon, but it looked like nothing the Slayer had ever seen before, even when compared to some of the demons and creatures he had seen in his home world.
"Hi there!" The small being waved. "I assume you're the Doom Slayer?"
"Indeed." VEGA answered.
"Uh, I know you've got some questions, so if you come with me, I can try and answer some of them." Tapu Lele nodded, motioning to the temple. The Slayer paused, then nodded, following the Guardian into the temple.
Lillie huffed as she came to a stop, finally finding Nebby floating a few feet away. She was about to try and get the tiny pokémon into her bag once more, but then saw that it seemed to be remaining still.
"Nebby? Are you oaky?" She asked, concerned.
"Pew…"
Looking around, Lillie saw what had made Nebby so nervous. Hanging in trees around her were large, monkey-like pokémon. She had read about them, they were called Passimian, and they were not known for being friendly. At first, they seemed to be looking down at her, seemingly uncertain or uncaring about how they felt about her presence.
"'main?" One of them finally said, tilting its head to one side, before looking to the others. Again, they seemed indifferent, and a few of them swung off, seemingly fine with leaving Lillie alone. However, one of them dropped down to the ground, and stood at her eye level, as if inspecting her. Shakily breathing, Lillie didn't know how to react to what was happening around her, so she decided remaining quiet and still was the best plan of action. Thankfully, it seemed to work as the large pokémon seemed too loose interest and walked off, but then stopped, and looked back to her.
"Passim!" It called, as if asking her to follow it. Lillie bit her lip, unsure of what to do, then decided to take a chance and followed after the monkey pokémon. Watching it swing just above her head through the trees.
Back in the temple, the Doom Slayer was finding himself deeply intrigued by the markings and carvings along the temple wall. There was a lot of writing concerning the islands, and some of the ancient legends of some beings who came before those on the island, but there were some things that he found himself feeling… concerned by. There were two names, or more specifically, two pokémon, that he could tell from the way the words were written, were considered s threat by the islanders.
Necrozma, and Yveltal…
He turned back to where Tapu Lele had been… but the pokémon was gone. There was absolute silence, and when something moved, the Doom Slayer grabbed his super shotgun. There was a low rustling, as if something was skittering about, and the Doom Slayer raised his weapon, ready for a fight.
"Cu?"
He then lowered it when he realized it had been Aron and Cubone, the pair had been slower to get to the temple, so they must have just arrived.
"If these markings are anything to go by, it would appear that this world has what one might call 'Legendaries', and furthermore, there may be a way to open a portal back to our world." VEGA stated. The Doom Slayer nodded in understanding, but he didn't like the sudden appearance and disappearance of the Island Guardian. Things like that made him paranoid, and more importantly, they made him question their true motives. Still, he was here now, might as well keep looking for something of use… He had somewhat given up on whatever the trial was, and was now more focused on learning more about these 'Legendaries'. Walking deeper into the cave, the Doom Slayer found more markings, more stories… and more warnings. From what he was reading, this 'Necrozma' was akin to the Icon of Sin, and the Island Guardians in a sense, were like the Night Sentinels. Just with far less war, conflict and demons.
Eventually, he reached the end of the Temple, and to his disappointment, there was nothing of interest. More writing, more legends, but nothing of any use to him. As he turned to leave, he noticed Aron was staring at something, clearly confused and intrigued. Upon closer inspection, the Slayer found that what he assumed to be a stone was actually a fossil of some sort. He wasn't sure why, but he picked it up and decided to take it with him. Walking back towards the bright Alolan light, the Doom Slayer found himself utterly surrounded. Close to four dozen of the small tree pokémon had swarmed around the temple entrance, clearly unhappy with the Slayer or his team.
"Hey. Where's Lillie? Or the Slayer?" Ash asked looking around concerned. This time Mallow's concern was graver and less off-handed as she realized neither had returned.
"She said she was going to look for the Slayer, I don't know where she we-"
KRACKA-THROOM! KRACKA-THROOM! KRACKA-THROOM!
Three loud shots rang through the jungle, making everyone jump in terror. It didn't take long for them to realize who had created the sound, and their minds quickly jumped to why he would've done so. Before anyone could run towards the sound, the ground began trembling as if it was gripped by a powerful earthquake. Then, the sea of Sudowoodo's came running through the clearing, all clearly heading for the hills.
"Uh…"
A few moments later, the Doom Slayer walked back into the clearing, holding his shotgun in one hand, and his team following behind him. And a few moments later, Lillie returned from the other side of the woods.
"Is everyone alright?!" She asked, clearly unnerved by the shotgun blasts.
"Yeah. I think the Slayer found a new way to complete the trials." Mallow remarked, uncertain of what she should say or do with what had just happened. The Slayer walked by and tossed her some ingredients. "Huh, alright then. Let's get cooking!"
About ten minutes later, Mallow served up bowls of stew for everyone. Ash, Hau, Lillie, Pikachu and the others hungrily digging into the food. The Slayer took his bowl, then held it down to Cubone.
"Cu…?" Cubone tentatively remarked, surprised to see the Doom Slayer offering it the bowl. After a few moments, it happily took the spoon and began eating the stew.
"Your Cubone really seems to trust you." Mallow smiled. "They say Cubone evolves into Marowak when its finally able to overcome the grief of the loss of its parent."
"Evolve?" VEGA asked, then heard Cubone let out a loud trill. Looking over, the Slayer seemed taken aback as Cubone was surrounded by a white light, and there was a sort of audible pulsing, until the white light seemed to explode almost, and Cubo- No, not Cubone. A new pokémon stood up. Its skin was darker and it was taller, there was a distinct mark on the center of its skull, and the bone Cubone carried was now a full bone, with both ends now lit on fire.
"That." Mallow remarked, looking with a smile over to the Doom Slayer, who seemed genuinely baffled.
"Fascinating." VEGA said aloud. While the group took in the new pokémon, none of them noticed the figure in the tree nearby watching them intently, its eyes narrowing dangerously, before taking off into the woods once more.
And I'mma leave it there for now. Thanks for sticking with me, and thanks for the nearly three hundred follows and favs! I didn't expect this story to be so popular, and I wanna thank you all for that.
Sure, this may have been a 'slower' chapter, but things are starting to move a bit more. Things are gonna start making sense in coming chapters. And believe me, things are gonna get INSANSE. But for now, the Slayer learned about evolution, and two potential threats…
Also, the idea is the Slayer will spend time with each of the other three main characters individually as well as as a team, so look forward to that!
