The halls were dark, the meeting of the day having been recently finished. The yellow dragon was lying on his bedding, restless. He took a few breaths. Just a few more days, Dragonite repeatedly mumbled to himself. Just a few days and they could move past it. Dragonite tossed and turned, these words repeating over and over in his head, like a clock it just kept ticking in his mind.
"Just a few more days..." He quietly muttered to himself. His consciousness would always be cloudy and full of regret, but he accepted that. He knew this was going to hurt him severely, but he didn't have a choice, did he? There was too much at stake for anything less than decisive action, assuming it wasn't already too late, that is. His eyes shot wide open. It would be yet another sleepless night, it seemed. Dragonite sat up, coughing a few times. His throat felt sore. Combined with these headaches, he worried he had coming down with something. He stretched his limbs, hearing them quietly pop. Letting out a mildly satisfied croak, he placed his hands on the floor beside him, tapping his claws in a smooth, quick rhythm.
Tomorrow was a new day, and that new day was still a way away. Manny was taking a break from training Nera as she had reached her current limit. Wait, did he say that? No, that wasn't right. Manny said she couldn't count to her current limit. The Dragonite smiled at this. As terrifying as their powers were, the fact they were still toddlers was both worrying and humorous.
Blessed with speeds beyond mortal comprehension, the only limit she has is her ability to count! It was ludicrous, but also very adorable. Dragonite's humored smile quickly faded faster than it came. That was why Jake had to go. He's not been a very good influence on them, such as when Star accidentally smacked him when aiming for Ray and he had a few choice words to say while in pain. Ayrill really went off on him, then. It was almost funny, and in better circumstances it would have been. However, this was simply a reminder that Jake was an adult underneath that toddler exterior. Regardless of whatever we may feel, he could not be safely left here.
"Just a few more days." He muttered. He laid back down, still feeling quite awful in both body and mind. He'd have to go see Seya in the morning. The others were certainly feeling the same way, at least most of them. What a time to get sick. Perhaps it was caused by their consistent late night meetings. Hopefully the kids wouldn't get sick. He doubted it, however. While their immune systems were less strong, they hadn't been around the adults nearly as much. Besides, if they were sick, they all would know about it by now. One of them would have spoken up about feeling bad for certain, they'd all know. That brings up an interesting topic, one which they would probably need to discuss.
Could they even get sick? Most likely, but they were probably very resistant to it, fortunately. Can they get sick, and if they can't, how do they hide this? None of the townsfolk knew about their powers yet, after all. However, if the kids never got sick over the course of their lives, that might be suspicious. At the very least Ray was certainly a mystery still, but it was very likely he at the least couldn't get sick at all. After all, the most powerful poisonous concoctions didn't affect him in the slightest, so diseases not affecting him would make sense. Dragonite shook his head, feeling his antenna slide back and forth on his bed. Just the act of moving his head made him dizzy. That wasn't ideal, this illness was a problem, especially now with there only being a few days until...
He was going to wake up tomorrow feeling horrible, he knew. He would probably fully recover in a few days. Just in time for Ayrill to finish it. He hoped so, anyway. A small pain shot through him. He had to take a few days off, for sure. A few days of rest and he'd be back up sooner than if he pushed himself now. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed himself. He had to try and rest for the night. Tomorrow he would rest and heal, what's the worst that could happen? He chuckled at this, causing a small pain to occur. A few more coughs and the Dragonite closed his eyes. His eyes felt as if they were burning, but he didn't feel tired. The soft throbbing in his head preventing his mind from feeling at ease, and the mild stiffness setting in his limbs and torso was making it even harder to relax. He thought he should probably get up.
Seya might still be awake anyway, so it isn't an issue. Even if she wasn't, she'd understand why he woke her. Healing the sick and injured was also her job, after all. Some medicine would help him sleep and help him fight off the incoming disease is what he needed. Also getting the lamps out would be useful, he wouldn't be able to light the torches when he was sick. May as well be productive. With a grunt, he sat up, letting the wave of dizziness pass. It was beginning to feel like a terrible idea to get up each time he moved, but it was for his health. With a few more grunts and groans, the yellow-orange dragon stood up.
Bracing himself on the wall as he let mild wave of vertigo pass, the Dragonite slowly hobbled his way over to Seya's quarters. Lit by embers of what was once a beautiful blue fire, the room remained extremely dark, but just bright enough for a creature such as him to just be able to see. He rubbed his eyes, adjusting to the slightly brighter levels of light. Cole and Even were the only adults who shared a room. He could hear Even's quiet mumbling as he passed by. Jake's loud snoring could be heard on the opposite side of the room, where Seya was resting. Her pink for was barely an outline in the steep darkness of her room. Nearly stumbling over there, he gave the pink mass a small nudge.
"Hh! Hm? Who's there?" She questioned. Her voice sounded hoarse, tired. She was clearly tired as well. It was impossible to tell in the dark room, but her eyes remained closed. Secretly, she hoped it wasn't Ayrill with another sudden late-night meeting. She could barely think with how congested she felt.
"Just me." Dragonite stated. His chest suddenly felt a bit sore, so he took a few deep breaths. His muscles, having stiffened up by this point, made simply standing a much larger and more painful ordeal than it should have. A small wince passed over Dragonite's face. He really was in rough shape. Too many late meetings and not enough rest, that wasn't a good idea, but Ayrill asked for it. Dragonite trusted her, after all. He was sure she didn't expect for everyone to get sick like this.
"Oh? What is it?" Seya asked, sitting up. She let out a quiet groan as her body fought against the act. Dragonite wouldn't bother her unless it was important, especially now. She wasn't exactly feeling well, but she did her best to not say anything.
"I think I'm coming down with something. Is there any medicine to help me sleep?" He questioned. Him too? Seems the entire guild was getting sick. Only Ayrill and the kids seemed unaffected. Lucky them, she thought. However, she wasn't going to say anything about that. She had a job to do after all; look after the guild and make sure they got back on their feet as soon as possible. She nodded but realized that may have been hard to see.
"I understand. Let's head up and I'll get something. I'll make a few batches of medicine for everyone, since I think we're all getting sick." Seya stated. Dragonite let out a hum in acknowledgement, and the two of them made their way up. Into Seya's office, the small infirmary was inadequate for any large-scale issues. Anything larger than cuts and bruises would be taken care of at the local hospital, such as when Ray had his arm broken. However, due to working at the guild, she was given several supplies to help with other minor problems such as flu medicines and sleep aids. The dark office was lit with special glowing moss, allowing visibility at all times of day. It was hardly noticeable, however. Only in the dead of night when no torches were lit would it be obvious. Within a few minutes, Seya had conjured up a few orange bottles of bitter medicine, filling half of a small crate. Another few bottles, thick and deep green, sloshed around, filling the remainder of the space within the crate.
"This will help your muscles and ward off some of the symptoms." She said, pointing to the orange bottles.
"And these should help you relax and fall asleep." Seya stated, gesturing to the green liquid. Dragonite nodded. he was about to grab the crate of medicine, but remembered the lamps. The moss lamps were not nearly as bright as a typical torch, but they would work well enough. Quickly mumbling about the lamps to Seya, he hobbled and staggered his way to one of the nearby storage closets. Opening the door, the quiet sound lightly activated some of the mossy lamps. Grabbing the barrel, he placed one in the hall, one near the steps outside the hall. Walking up the stairs one was placed in the stairwell on a small hook, and two were placed in the main building, one next to each of the mission boards.
It was the best he could do with how he was feeling, but it was enough. Ayrill would have to finish the rest. He felt bad for this, but he physically couldn't do more. Heading back to the room, he took the medicine in one hand and downed it before he made his way downstairs, one last lamp in hand. Placing the lamp on a table, Dragonite felt unusual. He felt warm. His body does not generate internal heat like this normally. It only did this when something was wrong. It was clear the fever had set it. With a small groan, he noticed Seya placing the crate of medicine next to the lamp.
Without acknowledging this, Dragonite wandered back to his room and collapsed on his bed, lying stretched on his stomach. Small bits of straw and hay flung up as he landed with a thud, a small piece even landing on his head. He didn't really care, however. His mind was dizzy, his thoughts felt like they were rushing in and out. His eyelids burned, and everything spun when his eyes were open. Just a few days, he thought. Just a few more days and he'd be alright. With the irony lost on his feverish mind, Dragonite slowly drifted into an unsteady sleep.
Waking up as usual, Nera laid next to me followed by Squared, Star, and finally Ray. A pattern which had stuck around for quite some time. Stull, I figured that would change eventually. I yawned, stretching out my limbs. It was comfortably dark still, oddly. I wondered if Dragonite had even gotten up yet, but that couldn't be the case. I looked to my allies, who were barely visible in the steep darkness, and only because I had extraordinarily reliable dark vision. Utilizing my powers of illusion, I made an illusory layout of the room.
It wasn't ideal, but the others could traverse in the darkness without a huge problem this way. With a nod, the five us slowly wandered out. A teal light emanated from the other room. Wandering towards the mystery light, three lamps strategically placed through the room lit up the dark space, leaving spots around the room in deep shade. The entire place felt abandoned. I opened my mouth to tell the others to stay close, but I closed it again. It was redundant to say, they weren't going to separate from me. Plus, Star probably would leave if I told him to stick close, so it was even more pointless. We slowly made our way up the mostly dark stars, lit only by the single teal colored moss lamp.
The secondary hub as I call it, a place where Pokémon of several kinds often traveled through on their way to the guild library, was empty. Sometimes teams would gather around there as a meeting spot before a mission, as it was a quieter place where it was far easier to discuss their plans. However, now it was completely silent and devoid of life. Something told me the library was going to be even quieter than normal. The room was lit by three moss lanterns, two by the stairwells, and one in the hall. Wandering into the library, the normally lively and bright room was much darker. Lit by a mixture natural light and some lanterns, the colossal room was brighter than the others. However, it was still much darker than it would have been normally.
There were other entrances to the library, for some it was simply faster to travel into the guild and down the steps than travel several blocks to the typical entrance. However, these entrances seemed to have gone unused. The only noise came from the windows above, from the muffled voices of Pokémon passing by. No words were distinguishable enough to understand. On one occasion a quiet laugh was heard from outside in response to an unheard statement. Everything about this was far, far creepier than it had any right to be. We were about to leave when I noticed a light in the back. This only furthered the eeriness of the situation. A single lantern lit, only revealed by the softly glowing lights from underneath the door.
Slowly we crept forward, admittingly freaked out by the abandoned library. Not a soul in sight, just the barely visible light of the moss lantern shining underneath the door. Quietly, I gestured for them to get back. Slowly opening the door, ensuring it didn't let out any loud creaks, I noticed the familiar blue bunny form, lit by the light of the moss. A book sat open, and a few papers were scattered on the table. I let out a quiet sigh. Ayrill's ear twitched at this, and she turned her head towards the sound. Our eyes met, and her eyes went wide.
"O-oh. Y-you're awake. I- alright. Excuse me a minute, please." She stated, closing the book, and scrambling to put the papers away quickly. Not seeming to care about the papers, she hurriedly shoved and threw them into a bag sitting on the floor. One flew out, landing a few feet away. Ayrill held her breath until the moment it landed before she quickly rushed over to it and placed it into the bag. I briefly wondered what she was doing, but I wasn't too curious ultimately. I could sneak a peak later on if I wanted. I opened the door and gestured for the others to come in.
"Hi Ms. Ayrill. What's going on? Where's everybody?" Ray wondered. Ayrill cleared her throat before answering.
"They have fallen ill and remain in bed. Only I have avoided getting sick. I expect you to let them rest, as they will recover faster that way. Due to their sudden illness, you shall not be training for safety reasons." Ayrill stated. Star quietly grumbled, but a stern look from Ayrill quieted him quickly.
"Okay!" Nera cheered, enthusiastically nodding. I nodded. I knew how annoying it was getting sick, and I wasn't going to disturb them. I think the others understood this as well, even if they didn't say or did anything to acknowledge it. The five of us made our way from the library, into the main guildmember hub, soon to be bored out of our minds.
Sitting in the dark, I wondered something. I wanted to help them feel better, but I also knew that doing anything might not help. I shook my head, conflicted. My thoughts were interrupted by a single voice crying out through the darkness, cutting off the otherwise near absolute silence.
"I wanna help 'em." Nera stated. I did as well Nera, though I wasn't going to say that out loud. I had no ideas as to what to do, and so remained splayed on my back in boredom. Nera hopped up and began heading towards the steps.
"Hey, wait, where are you going?" I questioned. The bunny girl turned and giggled.
"Imma make breakfast!" She stated. I was hungry myself, but something told me she wasn't going to be making all of us breakfast. That was fine by me, I didn't trust Nera to make me a glass of juice, let alone a full breakfast.
"That's a great idea! The adults would appreciate a nice warm breakfast and a refreshing glass of juice!" Squared stated.
"Only if I get some too." I mumbled. On cue, my stomach growled out, quietly echoing in the deserted stone hall. The others looked around, somewhat shocked at the noise my stomach managed to create. After a moment, they all began giggling. Even I couldn't help but laugh at my own stomach. My stomach had a really good sense of timing, or the universe had a good sense of timing for my hunger? Whatever was the case, it was funny.
"I think my stomach wants to break out and devour all the food in the fridge. We'd best hurry before it tries to eat any of you." I stated, laughing. Another rumble rang out, this time from Ray. He seemed mildly embarrassed, but ultimately began cracking up. I was worried I was going to pee a little. I had no idea if that was even possible, but that's what it felt like. I mean, it shouldn't have been possible, I'd asked Seya about that and she just kind of shrugged, not knowing what I meant. Apparently, Pokémon digested food perfectly with very little waste, if any. I suppose breathing fire and using moves took a ton of energy, so being as efficient with the accrual of energy made quite a bit of sense from an evolutionary standpoint. It also meant there were no proper bathrooms, either. Technically there were, but they were more true to their name than anything; a bath and sink, no more and no less.
What waste there was would occasionally be expelled as a gas, flatulence. Because of course a world of full of fantastical creatures wouldn't be complete if they couldn't pass gas. The five of us headed up, doing our absolute best to not fall down the stairs in another fit of laughing. Into the kitchen we went, but first a snack. A single lantern lit the dining hall, resting in the middle of the lanterns. A few extra apples were placed on a plate nearby, the ones from breakfast we hadn't eaten. Grabbing a few apples, we devoured the remainder of breakfast, Ray grabbing the plate to put in the sink. Taking the lantern, the five of us made our way into the kitchen. The dark room wasn't well lit by the single lantern, but it was enough for the moment.
"Okay, what should we make?" I asked. A cascade of responses filled the room as each member began talking all at once, not seeming to care about the other. If anything, they tried to talk over, growing louder with each passing word. I stared and smiled at them. This was going to be a complete mess, and I was looking forward to it. However, we had to decide on something to make first.
"Squared, what do you think?" I asked. Squared probably knew several recipes, though he was only slightly better than me. Dilen doesn't use a cookbook nor have any on hand. Apparently, he memorized every single one of his recipes, which was impressive but quite unfortunate in this situation.
"Hmm, something simple perhaps? Pancakes?" He suggested. Toast was simple, pancakes was not, something which I voiced to Squared. He seemed to consider this. However, Ray interjected his thoughts before Squared was able to reconsider.
"Come on, it'll be fun!" Ray cheered. The others looked at me expectantly. I sighed. This was going to be a mess. This was going to be a hilarious, chaotic, insane mess.
"We have to clean up after we're done." I stated. A loud cheer quietly echoed through the room. I smiled. Their enthusiasm was infectious, which was fine by me.
"Okay, first, flour, eggs, and some other things, get to it, Ray. Nera, find the pans. Star, start the fire. Squared, chop up some berries. You're the only one I trust to do this." I commanded.
"Yeah!" They cheered. The disorganized chaos went along exactly as you would expect, which is to say it was the most dangerous place in town to be in for the time being.
"Nera, careful!" I shouted. Pans clattered on the floor and the bunny girl clumsily dropped several. Luckily, they weren't needed to make the meal. Star clacked some flint together, attempting to start a fire on the stove. On the cabinet and to the right of the stove, Ray was procuring a few berries for the pancakes. With a clack, the stove lit up, causing Ray to drop the big bag of flour. A large amount flew into the air as the majority thudded onto the floor. Flour, as turns out, is extremely flammable. Nera, who had just paced the pan on the stove suddenly found herself coated in a giant fireball. A bit of panic set in, and she ran around at impossible speeds, extinguishing herself and the stove. While Star was busy lighting Nera on fire, Ray recoiled in surprise at the sudden fireball, landing in the big pile of flour. The white powder flung up, completely coating the poor Riolu. Despite coughing a few times, Ray remained undaunted and unabashed.
"I'll get more!" He helpfully stated, hoping up the counter once again. Climbing back onto the top cupboard, he carefully grabbed another bag and placed it on the floor. With haste, he rushed to the fridge and grabbed some eggs. Rushing forward, he slid on the large pile of flour, suddenly falling backwards, flinging the one egg at the ceiling while the other he somehow crushed under his back. Looking towards squared, he was utilizing his psychic powers to chop up some berries. Perhaps he was doing too much at once, as the blue psychic power seemed unusual. The knife quivered and I knew that was when I needed to move. Falling flat to the ground, several berries flung to the sides, one nailing Star in the side of his head and the other flying up into Squared.
A knife flung right past my face. A small wet feeling dribbled down my ear, and I knew he had managed to injure me. Star and I both glared towards the clearly apologetic polygon. I rolled my eyes and let the chaos continue. Several times the recipe had to be restarted, but after the initial mess things weren't quite as bad. I wasn't going to let the kids serve food which had been dropped on the floor or sneezed on. Their immune system didn't need to fight anything else to worry about. Eventually however, some messy looking but certainly edible food was made.
The Oran and Cherri berries in the center made the stiff, unfluffy pancakes look beyond terrible. In all honesty, it looked like a murder victim or something morbid. However, the pancakes were fully edible, that's what was important. Deciding to give the pancakes while they were still warm, the five of us left the disaster zone we left the kitchen. We hadn't left ourselves in much better condition, either. Nera had some singed fur, Ray was covered head to toe in flour, Star and Squared were covered in juice and what would almost be a jam, and I had a small cut after nearly being decapitated by a rouge knife Squared lost control over. It was chaos, sheer lunacy, and incredibly terrifying.
I couldn't wait to do it again. A wide, mischievous grin placed itself on my face and refused to budge. Carefully traveling down the stairs, we each had a plate and glass of juice ready for breakfast. My illusion powers made this task far easier than it would otherwise. I made my way into Dragonite's room. There he was, even in the dark his shape was easy to distinguish. His tired and ill form laid, breathing deeply. For a moment, I worried I was going to wake him, but it didn't take long before I realized he wasn't exactly sleeping. He almost certainly wanted to, though.
"Hey, Dragonite?" I questioned. A small mutter in acknowledgement came from the dragon as he slowly sat up. A slightly pained smile was on his face as he looked around, noting the unbright light. My illusion didn't affect the actual amount of light in the room, though it could. Thus, the room remained comfortably dark for his tired eyes even though he could clearly see.
"Nera had an idea." I stated, smiling. Presenting the plate of food, he smiled and laughed a little, quickly turning into a cough. Taking a hesitant bite, he smiled.
"I'd eat more if I felt better. It's really good." Dragonite stated. I nodded. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't 'really good', either. A loud laugh came from outside, turning into an even louder coughing fit. The two of us turned towards the noise. The laugh was clearly Even. It seemed Ray had finally woken up the two of them. I explained how I made sure they were edible, and the ordeal we went through. Dragonite listen patiently before he laughed quite loudly. Eventually the laugh turned into a long series of coughs.
"We're gonna be the death of you someday, just watch." I stated. His smile faltered, but then grew even wider than before. Clearly my odd sense of humor was having a positive impact on his day.
"You just rest, okay?" I stated. He nodded, smiling.
"Sleep." I responded. The Dragonite's eyes seemed to fog over as my mind control powers caused his mind to haze. He laid down and in moments he was breathing deeply in his relaxed state. Walking out of the room with a single bite of pancake, the others exited soon after with similar success, as noted a single bite to their pancakes. Taking a few minutes to help the others sleep, the five of us traveled back to the main hub room and laid down, bored once again. The adults wouldn't wake up even if a bomb went off in their room.
"That was harder than I thought." Ray stated. The others groaned and mumbled in agreement.
"Fun though." I stated.
"Yup! We should do it again sometime!" Nera cheered. None of the others seemed to disagree with this. Ayrill suddenly and silently walked up to her. An exhausted look rested on her face.
"Hello. I must head out. Something of vital importance has emerged, and I cannot ignore it. Unfortunately, this means I will be leaving you unattended. If you alter anything or do anything while I am gone, I will notice, and you will be punished. Do I make myself clear?" She stated. I nodded, looking to the others. None of us were going to mess with the mean blue bunny. Star played a harmless prank on her once and he got a several hour-long lecture. She hurried up the steps, disappearing under the cover of darkness. More time passed, and we headed up to eat lunch. It seemed Ayrill hadn't even prepared anything for us, however.
With hungry, rumbling bellies, we stormed the kitchen and made out with a glorious bounty of several apples, berries, and chicken strips. Eating our fill, little remained after we had finished. Well, of the food we took, anyway. Walking down the stairs and to bed, our bellies were full and our minds tired. Nera laid down, followed by Squared, Ray, and Star, and we swiftly drifting off into a content slumber. The nap was as restful as I could have hoped. Waking up, yawning, and continuing being bored was what they were expecting. Of course, things did not stay that way for long. Why would it, after all? Voices rang out, coming from the stairwell. None of us seemed to recognize it, judging from the reactions of the others.
"Why is it so dark? Mind, I'm not complaining. I just expected it to be brighter for such a world-famous guild." A feminine voice called.
"Shut your yap. We're almost there." A rough voice growled.
"I know, I know. Just remember the plan and stick to it, hon." The feminine voice called. The rough voice growled once again, clearly infuriated at whoever this was. It didn't take long before the voices made themselves seen. A strange dark weasel thing, a dark red crocodile, and a scarred thuglike thing walked forward. The dark weasel was looking towards the crocodile, laughing. The thug had his hands in his pockets, or something. It looked unusual and hard to describe. A large red crest adorned the top of his skull like a deep red mohawk. Around his legs a large, yellow, pantslike sack hung. Clothing and accessories existed in this world, but something told me that was just a part of his own body, which made me feel uncomfortable. The weasel turned towards us, laughing.
"Oh, there they are. Aww, they're exactly as cute as I thought they'd be. I'm going to have a lot of fun with them." She stated. A malicious grin formed on the dark Pokémon's face. The crocodile bared a large, toothy grin, seemingly ready for action as well. The Pokémon in the back let out an inaudible sigh, pulling his hands from his pants. Clenching his fists, he nodded firmly.
"Who're you?" Ray questioned. The Weasel let out a long, harsh laugh.
"I am Weavile, Codename: Blitz. My feminine charm leaves men hurt as I leave them in the dust!" Weavile stated, twisting her arms into a strange pose.
"I am Krookodile, Codename: Breaker. I smash anything and anyone I don't like!" Krookodile stated, stomping the ground. Several large cracks formed underneath the point of impact, radiating outwards several feet.
"…" The saggy paints Pokémon stated. I looked to my allies. These guys were nuts. What was going on?
"This is Scrafty, Codename: Iron. He's tough enough to endure anything you wish to throw at him!" Weavile stated, gesturing to her friend. The Scrafty smirked on his good side, causing the scarred side to shoot downward, making him both smile and scowl at the same time. He beat his chest, clenched his fists, and stared towards us.
"I hope you've prepared yourself, because we're coming at you with all we've got!" Weavile stated. Were we about to have a battle in the middle of the main hub? No, I didn't want that, and neither did the others. Besides, if we weren't careful there could be collateral.
"Wait! There's a bigger arena we can go to, you know." I stated. I got a confused stare from everyone, including my allies. The three villains looked at each other and shrugged.
"Show us." Weavile stated. Walking over to the underground training facilities, I showed them right to the large sprinting field, almost as large as the entire guild itself. The trio looked around, nodding. They seemed impressed by Rhett's handiwork.
"This will work. Nothing to hide behind, nowhere to run, it's perfect!" Weavile cheered.
"Was it truly a good idea to lead them here?" Squared questioned. His voice literally sparked with concern, accidentally letting out a tiny spit of electricity. Leaning back, I gave him my answer.
"No more dangerous than the guild collapsing on everyone." I stated. A few nods from the others told me they understood what I was thinking. The walls here were built far sturdier than anything above it, so it was the best bet to reduce possibly collateral damage.
"Let's see what makes you so special." The Weavile stated, readying her claws. I rubbed the scarf wrapped around my neck, took a single step forward, and readied myself for anything. Faster than I could blink, the Weavile was standing in front of me. An arm shot out, grasping at my neck before suddenly throwing me into the back wall. A cloud of dust flew out as the stonework was damaged. The others looked towards me and gasped. They looked back towards their opponents, glaring. Star threw a punch, but she disappeared. Looking around for a moment, he turned as he heard her appear next to me, holding me aloft by my throat. She laughed.
"Ah-ah-ah. Your opponents are those two. I get to have my fun with him." The dark Pokémon stated, wagging her finger. mockingly As if that was their cue, the two others leapt into action. The Krookodile slammed his fists into the ground, creating a colossal line of jagged rocks headed straight for them. Nera, Ray, Star, and Squared all jumped away. Ray and Squared to the left, and Star and Nera to the right. The Scrafty rushed forward, jumping, attempting to smash Ray and Squared into the ground with a powerful knee. Ray and Squared were pushed further away from their allies as they moved to the side to avoid being harmed. Rocks flung upward near the impact zone. Bits of dust and rocks settled as the Scrafty calmly looked over to the pair. Rushing forward, Krookodile charged at Star and Nera.
Swiping widely and wildly, Nera nimbly dodged and weaved around the powerful blow. Over, under, back, left, she did everything she could to avoid being tagged by those sharp claws. She knew enough to not get hit by him. Any one of those hits would be enough to severally harm them, except maybe Ray. Star jumped, attempting to land a fierce blow on the Krookodile. The hard-hitting blow was countered with an equally strong blast, sending out a shockwave which swept the somewhat dark arena. Weavile meanwhile was throwing me around like a toy.
"What's the matter, can't you attack?" She questioned. I charged towards her. A smirk was on her face as she vanished from view. For a second, I looked around, trying to find out where the speedy Pokémon had gone. Faster than I could process, I found myself flung through the air again. She was playing a sick game of volleyball with me, not letting me touch the ground. She was getting into the rhythm of it. Feeling the patterns, I knew that was my chance. Twisting around, I stretched my neck and chomped down, feeling myself bite onto something solid.
"Ow!" A voice rang out. It was Nera. I let go and jerked my head back.
"Oh, sorry!" I shouted. The moment I said that was when Nera was whisked away once more. Weavile looked towards me, laughing. I growled. She was going to pay for that. Charging forward once more, she remained out of my range with a beautiful grace.
Ray and Squared were in major trouble. Dodging a series of punches and kicks, the leapt back from a large overhead strike. Looking at each other, they knew what to do. A small crackle sounded as a sphere of electrical energy formed in front of Squared. Blue aura swiftly turned to gold as it wrapped itself around the large electrical sphere, making it far larger in appearance. Launching the electric blast and the largest bit of aura he could manage, the combined Electric Aura blast hit directly, creating a small screen of smoke for a moment. The duo stood there, unsure of the outcome. Suddenly the Scrafty leaped out of the dark smoke, rushing towards the pair. Stretching his limbs, he clotheslined the two, throwing them into the far back wall. Dust and rocks flung out, covering the scene for a moment before revealing Ray having caught Squared in his arms. The two of them glared towards the incredibly tough Pokémon.
Krookodile slammed his fist into the ground towards Nera, who nimbly avoided his attack. Left, up, down, she could dance like this all day, but Star needed to land one good hit. Without even looking, the Krookodile countered each of his blows, nothing the two did were throwing him off. Swing after swing, the duo attacked, but couldn't stop. Sensing an opportunity, the Krookidile suddenly turned towards Star, slamming him with a fist, launching him into the far wall. Nera gasped, and was caught unaware by the angry croc's red tail. Wrapped around her neck, the Pokémon reached out with a single claw to scratch her face and smiled. A horrified look adorned the adorable Buneary. Unleashing his full might, Nera was flung towards the back wall, crashing into it with yet another explosion of debris.
Attack after attack, I could do nothing but exhaust myself as I tried my absolute hardest to land even one strike. Each miss made me angrier and angrier. Nothing was finding purchase, infuriating me even more. Left, right, down, it didn't matter how I launched my strikes, she would always avoid them. Growling, screeching, I swung, ignoring all possible strategy for simply trying to strike her once. Attack, attack, attack! It was all I wanted to do; all I could think of doing. Forward, charge, end her!
"Arraaah!" I screeched as loud as I could. She laughed. Leaping into the air, she flipped off my back, landing behind me with her back turned. Standing there for half a second, I had enough time to turn towards her. Faster than I could blink, I found myself in the air once more, slamming into the back wall besides my friends. The three of them turned towards us, laughing. I was seeing red, but when I tried to stand, I felt a sharp pain in my front legs. Wincing, I knew I wouldn't be able to walk. I didn't have a lot up my nonexistent sleeve which could harm these three, assuming I could even land a single hit on them.
"Oh? Was that all? I honestly expected more from you, from what I heard. Oh well, I suppose you were interesting for a while. Still, it doesn't matter now. Krood, finish them." Weavile stated, turning away and fully dismissing the injured toddlers. A malicious grin formed on the Krookodile's face. Swinging his arms back and forth, he charged forward so he could finish it up close and personal, just as he liked.
Time felt like it slowed in the dark room. One moment to the next. I could say my life flashed before my eyes, but really, all that was on my mind was fear. I didn't want to go, not yet. I wanted to go home, be home. I wanted to see my family; tell them I was okay. I wanted to give my mom a hug. I wanted to eat a cheeseburger as a human. I wanted to see my human self again. However, I no longer had that chance, it seemed. I closed my eyes, or perhaps I just blinked. It didn't matter which it was. All I could do was wait for the angry red crocodile to finish me off.
"No!" I shouted. An impossibly bright green light radiated from me- no. It radiated outward from the scarf! That is when I remembered what the scarf did. Why now, I wondered? Then I realized. This was the first time in a fight the five of us had been directly less than a few feet from each other. Even in this fight, Weavile took me away from the others, so we weren't close by when the fight truly began. I wish I had known it worked with proximity. Better late than never, I suppose. The light shone, halting the Krookodile's advance. The Weavile turned towards me, covering her eyes at the blinding brilliance.
The Scrafty's eyes went wide, unblinking as he stared into the Fun Green light. Four lights began to shine. A calm deep green, a lovely pink, a golden yellow, and an amazing red shone from Squared, Nera, Ray, and Star. Just as the entire room was shining in the slight of our auras, it faded. However, I felt amazing, strong. I felt I could do anything, and felt I knew how, too. I looked to my friends, who looked at themselves, inspecting everything in disbelief. We turned towards the trio. It was time for our counterattack. The illusion I had dropped, revealing I was completely uninjured.
"Wh-what! All this time? I-impossible!" Weavile shouted. I smirked.
"Shut up." I responded. I was fed up with them, but I also felt like rubbing it in her face. I wasn't going to taunt them too long, however. Who knows how long this power-up would last, after all.
"No. No! How! We were given the ability to see past your illusions!" She shouted, sliding her feet back two steps.
"Mind powers." I responded. She growled at me, realizing what had happened. I figured they might be able to see past my illusions, so I simply made it so they would see my illusion as what was real. It was such a simple trick; I was surprised at how effectively it worked.
Rushing forward at blistering speeds, I slammed into the Weavile with a headbutt fueled by divine power and sheer rage. I gave it everything I could. If I was lucky, she would be out of commission for several weeks as she would have to heal. Given she has super evil powers, I highly doubted that. Ah well, a guy can dream. Spit flew from her mouth, and she let out a small gasp as she flung backward into the other wall. The two of her teammates looked on in shock as they suddenly found themselves outmatched. Ray charged forward, slamming into the Krookodile. Through some luck, he was able to counter the strike with one of his own.
Leaping up the Krookidile's arm, Nera raced forward, kicking the aggressive Pokémon in his long snout. Stumbling backward, Star took the chance to leap and headbutt the large Pokémon. The red crocodile let out a groan as he flung back into the wall, where Weavile was. To dizzy from the previous strike to avoid it, she could do nothing as her airborne ally clobbered her back into the hole she had just stumbled out of, indenting it even further.
The Scrafty tried his best to avoid being hit, but a large force palm into his stomach caused him to double over, stunned by the impossible amount of force. The first sound he made, a wheeze, was heard and the Scrafty clutched his stomach. Utilizing their previous attack, an electrical ball of lightning even larger than the Scrafty himself was launched. The lightning was surrounded by flowing lines of golden aura, letting off a silvery white glow. The attack hit the breathless bandit, throwing him back and with his other allies.
"Let's do this!" I shouted. Grouping up, we focused our power into a finishing move Summoning our auras, the various colors mixed, churning into a stunning rainbow of light. The whirl of rainbow energy began to shine, forming at a singular point and blasting the rainbow laser into the foes. A tingle grew in my mind, words forming on my tongue that I couldn't explain, something I knew I needed to shout.
"Take this! Rainbow Cannon!" We shouted, watching the room fill with a white light before an impossibly massive explosion knocked us all backwards. The last thing I remember seeing was a blue sky directly above where we blasted them away and a grey stone wall. Dust flew everywhere as the world greyed and then quickly turned black.
