Chapter 17
"No!" Tom raced towards the fight, trying to dodge the numerous elemental projectiles that now ionised the air with each barrage.
The councillor was locked in melee combat with Shyru, and the other dragons were taking pot shots at her whenever possible. Initially, Shyru gained the upper hand, deflecting attacks with her wings and unbalancing the councillor but the dragonite was fast turning the tables.
Tom arrived at the scene, and amplified his voice. *STOP!*
All eyes turned towards the single, comparatively frail human. Shyru and the dragonite ignored him, but the rest... attacked. Tom suddenly found himself surrounded by at least twenty of the creatures, pelted by all manners of elemental attacks.
The forest was now burning, although some patches were frozen, courtesy of Shyru. Tom was not doing well, having only gotten rid of a few dratinis. He moaned, "This isn't the way it was supposed to turn out..." He glimpsed a yellow flash nearing, and moved to dodge it -- far too late.
The psychic fell to the ground, only managing to utter one solitary word before being jumped upon once again.
"Help!"
Shyru turned at the sound, and turned. She acted swiftly, rushing in a beeline towards Tom, only to be knocked away by the dragonite in one blow. The giant dragon crashed into the ground, her fall ripping a tree out by its roots.
The battle raged on, but calls pierced the incredible din. The searing sounds sliced right through to the battlers, and the lone dragonite raised his head, curious.
A huge dark cloud greeted him, still far away.
Unidentifiable at this range.
The councillor shot up, hovering for a few moments to watch the incoming blot in the sky. "Whatever that is, its approaching mighty fast."
The truth in his words could not be denied; the "cloud" quickly dissolved into a hundred grey dots. "SKAR!" The screech finally because coherent, but the dragons immediately wished otherwise. Tom, however, drooped his head tiredly, but a gleam lit up his eyes. Before collapsing, he muttered, "Thanks for coming, old buddy."
And then, the metallic birds were on them, tearing with a vengeance, especially the largest and most aggressive one. It could not even be called a battle; the rapid pace ensured no casualties whatsoever on the steel types, although the same could not be said of the marine pokemon.
A salvo of ivory lances was only the warning shot, although that volley alone disabled or fainted nearly half the dragons. The next second, the skarmorys were mercilessly tearing their opponents' ranks apart, savagely pounding those who still had the will to fight.
Half a minute later, the onslaught stopped, and all the skarmorys landed, gathered around the two dragons remaining. The lead skarmory chirped softly, and Shyru nodded. She adopted a grim expression, and the next words rang throughout the forest.
*Checkmate.*
"What is it you want." The dragonite's shoulders slumped, and an air of defeat surrounded him.
*For the banish to be lifted.*
"No. Not unless you can prove, beyond a doubt, that the saviour has done his or her job."
*You're still alive, aren't you? Likewise for the rest of your brethren.*
The councillor seemed to consider this for a moment, and turned to the lead bird-of-prey. "I would have expected better of you... he-"
"I did this for the sake of my former master." Skarmory interrupted, indicating Tom's unconscious form laying on a patch of grass nearby.
Pondering, the dragonite remained silent for a few minutes before replying. "There shall be a meeting of the dragons in a week. You." A claw pointed at Shyru. "Ensure that you are present, as well as that human."
Unchallenged, the dragonite flew off.
***
Tom rode on skarmory, realising just how much he had missed the pokemon. They were bathed in light, high above the sea, heading towards the meeting. Shyru was gliding along effortlessly beside them, stealing glances every now and then at the duo, basking in the joyous aura emitted by the two friends. Snatches of their shared laughter periodically wafted over, eliciting from Shyru a pang of jealously that she did not admit even to herself.
Soon however, they reached their destination, and Tom reluctantly hopped off the steel bird, yet keeping a light hand on his head.
It was an island, shrouded by mists. Tom marvelled at the peace that draped over the land; the serenity that he had never experienced before. There was an underlying *something* to the atmosphere that seemed to symbolise life, vibrant and pulsating throughout the place. It was a place, truly, *to live*.
They stood in silence for minutes on end, but Shyru spoke in the end, unable to disguise the awe she felt.
*This is Placentis, nicknamed the lost isle. Few others, except dragons are permitted. Although I was... an exception.* A trace of bitterness crept into her tone, and Tom landed a comforting hand on her back. *its name means "Mother of Life", and it is believed, among us dragons, that life actually originated here. A myth, to be sure, but the sensation that one feels on this island cannot be denied.*
"I know. its almost overpowering -- in a good way."
*There is a lagoon here, and the council supposingly holds all their meetings here.*
Skarmory whispered, forcing the others to strain to hear him. "That is true. Follow me."
Tom leaped onto his former pokemon, and the two flyers took wing, soaring into the sky. Up there, Tom finally realised that the place, contrary to its nickname, was teeming with all manners of pokemon, although all were considered dragons, or looked like dragons.
They reached the peak soon, discovering a huge limestone table, with ten depressions distributed evenly around it. Remarkably, even with no apparent "roof", no effects of weathering marked the stone; it was smooth, and Tom have bet anything that it was perfectly round.
All the seats were taken, except two. Skarmory strode to one, and Shyru stood on the other. As skarmory took his place, there were respectful nods from all, and whispered, "Greetings, herald." In contrast, as Shyru set down on one, bewildered looks were exchanged.
The dragonite representative started. "Our main issue today, is one that we are all familiar with, except for those that were elected recently. Herald? Please." He bowed, and gestured with open palms towards skarmory.
"Thank you councillor Raikor. You all know why we are here; so I'll just get down to it. We have agreed, albeit not too clearly, that the ban will only be lifted when the 'saving' is done. Shyru does have quite a bit going for her, since she hasn't caused any destruction on purpose since she had met and accepted Tom's terms. I have already briefed you on the agreement between the two, so let's move on..."
Skarmory was cut short by the lapras. "'cuse me, o herald, but doesn't that make it de facto that the ban is lifted?"
Skarmory looked apologetic. "My humble apologies. I may have misled you. We have no idea that the 'saving' is really concluded or not; just that Shyru has not done any damage since that time..."
The meeting went on, but Tom almost felt whisked away by the sheer speed that it proceeded at. The pace was astonishing; with the issue discussed, and the voting held on the spot at the end.
Unanimous.
Both Shyru and Tom breathed a sigh of relief, not even realising that they had been holding it. The dragon was all smiles when she shook hands with the council, or just a simple, thankful nod in some cases. She was called upon to speak, but declined, claiming, "no words can express how I feel now". With one last, heart-felt "thank you", the three flew from the island, with a light heart. Shyru however, veered off from their course, zooming towards Blackthorn, for a look at the home that she had left... for far too long.
Tom and skarmory chatted on the way back to Shalla, knowing full well that that session may be the last that they would have together for quite some time.
"So, what's this about the herald?"
The great bird hesitated, and answered. "A herald is just a messenger. In this case, they mean herald of the gods, or just the person that speaks for the council of the gods, consisting of the ten legendaries. I was... chosen by them to be this generation's herald; the last one was a pidgeot. The herald welds an awful amount of power, and cracks the whip over the pokemon councils. Also, I do symbolise the gods, so I do happen to have some... extra abilities."
Tom just stared, and silence reined, the veil of hush broken only by the regular flapping of wings. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut them again, not really knowing what to say, or how to put it. One word however, finally emerged from the awe-struck man.
"How."
"I have no idea actually; I guess they just choose a species at random, and decide which one fits their criteria, whatever *that* is, the most."
Peace clung to the pair for the rest of the journey.
***
"Tom!" The pokemon and Shalla cried in unison, as skarmory and his passenger landed. The pokemon fawned over their ex-companion, although charizard remained respectfully aloof. Shalla just locked Tom in an embrace, reluctantly drawing away only after a few minutes.
"Congratulations." Tom spoke to skarmory, and flashed a crooked, somewhat resigned grin. Skarmory responded similarly, and they closed, sharing one last moment together, before he took off, breaking the bittersweet atmosphere.
"Bye!" As skarmory's shadow faded in the afternoon sun, Tom added softly, to himself, "I hope we meet again, my friend." He turned away, holding back the tears of farewell, for this time, Tom knew that the next time their paths crossed would not be anytime too soon.
"Lets go Shalla."
"Where?"
"Off to the next gym... the steel one, I think."
"Yes, but that wasn't what I was talking about."
"Huh?"
"Didn't you want to get more pokemon?"
"Well, I'll just catch more on the way. The bug-catching park is just too... crowded."
Shalla blinked in astonishment, but just went along with his decision, offering a smile of encouragement. They set off, with the pokemon trailing behind, heading back to the road to the championships. A subtle change however, marked their journey; Tom and Shalla held hands, assuming a stroll, in direct contrast to the manner in which they ran from one gym to the next in "the good old days". Ever so often, the couple would join in laughter, their mirth serving only to strengthen their bonds.
Levitating along somewhere behind, alakazam observed the change and chortled gently, whispering to himself, "Absence makes the heart grown fonder." Indeed, even the short separation had resulted in them developing a better relationship.
They walked on through the forest, relaxed... but not for long.
Night had fallen, and the dense undergrowth proved too dark for the naked eye to penetrate. Tom had returned all his pokemon, who were exhausted and aching for a rest. The two humans pushed their way through the forest, hacking away at those that were too thick.
And the attack came.
The strike came with such swiftness, that even Tom, with a internal split-second warning of evil intent was caught off guard, tumbling to the ground from the hammer blow. Rolling, Tom made use of his momentum to spring to his feet, only to be knocked down once again.
Tom tried to get up, but his attempt was terminated by another lightning attack, which collapsed his legs, landing his bum unceremoniously on the earth, coated with a layer of rotting vegetation. Frustrated, Tom looked out for Shalla, who was in a proper fighting stance, legs spread forward and back; weight balanced and hands at the ready.
A blur of movement was all Shalla observed, before she, too was hit, and knees buckling, she wound up on the ground. The dark shape immediately pounced on her, snarling and viciously tearing at her clothes, going for the neck.
Tom rose, but got no further before getting charged by another sleek shadow. This one sought to inflict damage with razor sharp claws instead of fangs. The unidentified form struck again and again, drawing blood. Bleeding from a dozen cuts, Tom spotted a horrifying sight. From the deep gashes, blood could be seen, and the slashes were getting bigger. Somehow, frost lined the wound, and Tom could barely refrain from screaming. The agony was unbearable, and freezing tendrils seemed to coarse through his vein from the swellings, clutching around his heart and lungs, making it pure torture even to attempt a breath.
Shalla wasn't faring much better. Her rough canvas cloak had become a blazing blanket, springing into flames when her assailant had sunk its teeth into her shoulder. She had anticipated the attack, but had little options available, and thus just took the bite bravely, twisting so that her neck was not exposed to the fatal kiss.
That notion however, backfired.
Shalla was writhing on the ground, clutching her chest in undisguised anguish. Molten lava seemed to pour through her capillaries, flowing through rapidly while sending pulses of intense heat through her body. The waves of pain overwhelmed her, and Shalla fainted, not in any condition to fight on.
Tom watched Shalla crumple from the corner of his eye; but he had bigger problems. The creature attacking Shalla snorted and sniffed her, then slinked over to Tom, and the two shapes circled him, as a predator does a prey.
Tom could not restrain a shiver; both seemed to blend right in with the night, leaving but faded imaged in their wake, leaving the onlooker to wonder if he had seen them at all. Yet Tom knew they were there; they appeared as gaping holes in his mind's eye, gaps where psychic energy could not penetrate. They were dark type beyond a doubt, and from what happened to himself and Shalla, Tom had little problems figuring out their species. He reached for his pokeballs, but stopped short at a blood-curling snarl.
A third dark type approached, oozing confidence with each step.
It was glowing faintly, and Tom could discern its features. He gasped disbelief. It was familiar, yet unlike anything he had ever seen.
Lavender the shade of the deepest night; golden rings pulsating in an regular beat; a red bead on its forehead; a forked tail.
It was a gruesome hybrid of an espeon and umbreon, at once ghastly and magnificent. its sculpted muscles throbbed with life, eyes with no iris like a black hole, staring right at Tom. It was twice as large as the average eevee, perhaps massing more than Tom himself did. It was a work of art like no other, an incredible being that radiated utter control and power.
Tom growled, an animal sound that reflected his anger. He hurled a wad of psychic energy at the creature -- for Tom could find no better word to describe it -- giving it his all.
The creature blinked once, and the irregular mass fizzled into nothing, inches from its face. Tom cursed, and the creature strolled forward, unhurried.
*Damn it.* Tom charged, only to be lifted into the air, immobilised. It was a position that Tom himself had forced upon charizard only a few weeks ago. He now knew why charizard surrendered.
The helplessness of the situation was overwhelming, and his inability even to shout for help infuriated Tom. *If only one of my pokemon was out... Wait a minute. One IS out.* He gathered his strength, concentrating on just one word. *SHYRU!*
And waited.
Tom was not disappointed. Shyru landed nearby a minute later, which had felt like eons to Tom, who was still suspended in the air, with the creature calmly studying him. The houndoom and sneasel flanked what Tom took to be their leader, eyes darting this way and that for any sign of danger.
Upon the "thump" of Shyru's landing, both "guards" jerked their heads at the sudden intrusion, and glowered at the terranite. The creature whispered something, and the duo faded into the darkness.
The battle commenced, two versus one, with the strongest still on the bench.
"No!" Tom raced towards the fight, trying to dodge the numerous elemental projectiles that now ionised the air with each barrage.
The councillor was locked in melee combat with Shyru, and the other dragons were taking pot shots at her whenever possible. Initially, Shyru gained the upper hand, deflecting attacks with her wings and unbalancing the councillor but the dragonite was fast turning the tables.
Tom arrived at the scene, and amplified his voice. *STOP!*
All eyes turned towards the single, comparatively frail human. Shyru and the dragonite ignored him, but the rest... attacked. Tom suddenly found himself surrounded by at least twenty of the creatures, pelted by all manners of elemental attacks.
The forest was now burning, although some patches were frozen, courtesy of Shyru. Tom was not doing well, having only gotten rid of a few dratinis. He moaned, "This isn't the way it was supposed to turn out..." He glimpsed a yellow flash nearing, and moved to dodge it -- far too late.
The psychic fell to the ground, only managing to utter one solitary word before being jumped upon once again.
"Help!"
Shyru turned at the sound, and turned. She acted swiftly, rushing in a beeline towards Tom, only to be knocked away by the dragonite in one blow. The giant dragon crashed into the ground, her fall ripping a tree out by its roots.
The battle raged on, but calls pierced the incredible din. The searing sounds sliced right through to the battlers, and the lone dragonite raised his head, curious.
A huge dark cloud greeted him, still far away.
Unidentifiable at this range.
The councillor shot up, hovering for a few moments to watch the incoming blot in the sky. "Whatever that is, its approaching mighty fast."
The truth in his words could not be denied; the "cloud" quickly dissolved into a hundred grey dots. "SKAR!" The screech finally because coherent, but the dragons immediately wished otherwise. Tom, however, drooped his head tiredly, but a gleam lit up his eyes. Before collapsing, he muttered, "Thanks for coming, old buddy."
And then, the metallic birds were on them, tearing with a vengeance, especially the largest and most aggressive one. It could not even be called a battle; the rapid pace ensured no casualties whatsoever on the steel types, although the same could not be said of the marine pokemon.
A salvo of ivory lances was only the warning shot, although that volley alone disabled or fainted nearly half the dragons. The next second, the skarmorys were mercilessly tearing their opponents' ranks apart, savagely pounding those who still had the will to fight.
Half a minute later, the onslaught stopped, and all the skarmorys landed, gathered around the two dragons remaining. The lead skarmory chirped softly, and Shyru nodded. She adopted a grim expression, and the next words rang throughout the forest.
*Checkmate.*
"What is it you want." The dragonite's shoulders slumped, and an air of defeat surrounded him.
*For the banish to be lifted.*
"No. Not unless you can prove, beyond a doubt, that the saviour has done his or her job."
*You're still alive, aren't you? Likewise for the rest of your brethren.*
The councillor seemed to consider this for a moment, and turned to the lead bird-of-prey. "I would have expected better of you... he-"
"I did this for the sake of my former master." Skarmory interrupted, indicating Tom's unconscious form laying on a patch of grass nearby.
Pondering, the dragonite remained silent for a few minutes before replying. "There shall be a meeting of the dragons in a week. You." A claw pointed at Shyru. "Ensure that you are present, as well as that human."
Unchallenged, the dragonite flew off.
***
Tom rode on skarmory, realising just how much he had missed the pokemon. They were bathed in light, high above the sea, heading towards the meeting. Shyru was gliding along effortlessly beside them, stealing glances every now and then at the duo, basking in the joyous aura emitted by the two friends. Snatches of their shared laughter periodically wafted over, eliciting from Shyru a pang of jealously that she did not admit even to herself.
Soon however, they reached their destination, and Tom reluctantly hopped off the steel bird, yet keeping a light hand on his head.
It was an island, shrouded by mists. Tom marvelled at the peace that draped over the land; the serenity that he had never experienced before. There was an underlying *something* to the atmosphere that seemed to symbolise life, vibrant and pulsating throughout the place. It was a place, truly, *to live*.
They stood in silence for minutes on end, but Shyru spoke in the end, unable to disguise the awe she felt.
*This is Placentis, nicknamed the lost isle. Few others, except dragons are permitted. Although I was... an exception.* A trace of bitterness crept into her tone, and Tom landed a comforting hand on her back. *its name means "Mother of Life", and it is believed, among us dragons, that life actually originated here. A myth, to be sure, but the sensation that one feels on this island cannot be denied.*
"I know. its almost overpowering -- in a good way."
*There is a lagoon here, and the council supposingly holds all their meetings here.*
Skarmory whispered, forcing the others to strain to hear him. "That is true. Follow me."
Tom leaped onto his former pokemon, and the two flyers took wing, soaring into the sky. Up there, Tom finally realised that the place, contrary to its nickname, was teeming with all manners of pokemon, although all were considered dragons, or looked like dragons.
They reached the peak soon, discovering a huge limestone table, with ten depressions distributed evenly around it. Remarkably, even with no apparent "roof", no effects of weathering marked the stone; it was smooth, and Tom have bet anything that it was perfectly round.
All the seats were taken, except two. Skarmory strode to one, and Shyru stood on the other. As skarmory took his place, there were respectful nods from all, and whispered, "Greetings, herald." In contrast, as Shyru set down on one, bewildered looks were exchanged.
The dragonite representative started. "Our main issue today, is one that we are all familiar with, except for those that were elected recently. Herald? Please." He bowed, and gestured with open palms towards skarmory.
"Thank you councillor Raikor. You all know why we are here; so I'll just get down to it. We have agreed, albeit not too clearly, that the ban will only be lifted when the 'saving' is done. Shyru does have quite a bit going for her, since she hasn't caused any destruction on purpose since she had met and accepted Tom's terms. I have already briefed you on the agreement between the two, so let's move on..."
Skarmory was cut short by the lapras. "'cuse me, o herald, but doesn't that make it de facto that the ban is lifted?"
Skarmory looked apologetic. "My humble apologies. I may have misled you. We have no idea that the 'saving' is really concluded or not; just that Shyru has not done any damage since that time..."
The meeting went on, but Tom almost felt whisked away by the sheer speed that it proceeded at. The pace was astonishing; with the issue discussed, and the voting held on the spot at the end.
Unanimous.
Both Shyru and Tom breathed a sigh of relief, not even realising that they had been holding it. The dragon was all smiles when she shook hands with the council, or just a simple, thankful nod in some cases. She was called upon to speak, but declined, claiming, "no words can express how I feel now". With one last, heart-felt "thank you", the three flew from the island, with a light heart. Shyru however, veered off from their course, zooming towards Blackthorn, for a look at the home that she had left... for far too long.
Tom and skarmory chatted on the way back to Shalla, knowing full well that that session may be the last that they would have together for quite some time.
"So, what's this about the herald?"
The great bird hesitated, and answered. "A herald is just a messenger. In this case, they mean herald of the gods, or just the person that speaks for the council of the gods, consisting of the ten legendaries. I was... chosen by them to be this generation's herald; the last one was a pidgeot. The herald welds an awful amount of power, and cracks the whip over the pokemon councils. Also, I do symbolise the gods, so I do happen to have some... extra abilities."
Tom just stared, and silence reined, the veil of hush broken only by the regular flapping of wings. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut them again, not really knowing what to say, or how to put it. One word however, finally emerged from the awe-struck man.
"How."
"I have no idea actually; I guess they just choose a species at random, and decide which one fits their criteria, whatever *that* is, the most."
Peace clung to the pair for the rest of the journey.
***
"Tom!" The pokemon and Shalla cried in unison, as skarmory and his passenger landed. The pokemon fawned over their ex-companion, although charizard remained respectfully aloof. Shalla just locked Tom in an embrace, reluctantly drawing away only after a few minutes.
"Congratulations." Tom spoke to skarmory, and flashed a crooked, somewhat resigned grin. Skarmory responded similarly, and they closed, sharing one last moment together, before he took off, breaking the bittersweet atmosphere.
"Bye!" As skarmory's shadow faded in the afternoon sun, Tom added softly, to himself, "I hope we meet again, my friend." He turned away, holding back the tears of farewell, for this time, Tom knew that the next time their paths crossed would not be anytime too soon.
"Lets go Shalla."
"Where?"
"Off to the next gym... the steel one, I think."
"Yes, but that wasn't what I was talking about."
"Huh?"
"Didn't you want to get more pokemon?"
"Well, I'll just catch more on the way. The bug-catching park is just too... crowded."
Shalla blinked in astonishment, but just went along with his decision, offering a smile of encouragement. They set off, with the pokemon trailing behind, heading back to the road to the championships. A subtle change however, marked their journey; Tom and Shalla held hands, assuming a stroll, in direct contrast to the manner in which they ran from one gym to the next in "the good old days". Ever so often, the couple would join in laughter, their mirth serving only to strengthen their bonds.
Levitating along somewhere behind, alakazam observed the change and chortled gently, whispering to himself, "Absence makes the heart grown fonder." Indeed, even the short separation had resulted in them developing a better relationship.
They walked on through the forest, relaxed... but not for long.
Night had fallen, and the dense undergrowth proved too dark for the naked eye to penetrate. Tom had returned all his pokemon, who were exhausted and aching for a rest. The two humans pushed their way through the forest, hacking away at those that were too thick.
And the attack came.
The strike came with such swiftness, that even Tom, with a internal split-second warning of evil intent was caught off guard, tumbling to the ground from the hammer blow. Rolling, Tom made use of his momentum to spring to his feet, only to be knocked down once again.
Tom tried to get up, but his attempt was terminated by another lightning attack, which collapsed his legs, landing his bum unceremoniously on the earth, coated with a layer of rotting vegetation. Frustrated, Tom looked out for Shalla, who was in a proper fighting stance, legs spread forward and back; weight balanced and hands at the ready.
A blur of movement was all Shalla observed, before she, too was hit, and knees buckling, she wound up on the ground. The dark shape immediately pounced on her, snarling and viciously tearing at her clothes, going for the neck.
Tom rose, but got no further before getting charged by another sleek shadow. This one sought to inflict damage with razor sharp claws instead of fangs. The unidentified form struck again and again, drawing blood. Bleeding from a dozen cuts, Tom spotted a horrifying sight. From the deep gashes, blood could be seen, and the slashes were getting bigger. Somehow, frost lined the wound, and Tom could barely refrain from screaming. The agony was unbearable, and freezing tendrils seemed to coarse through his vein from the swellings, clutching around his heart and lungs, making it pure torture even to attempt a breath.
Shalla wasn't faring much better. Her rough canvas cloak had become a blazing blanket, springing into flames when her assailant had sunk its teeth into her shoulder. She had anticipated the attack, but had little options available, and thus just took the bite bravely, twisting so that her neck was not exposed to the fatal kiss.
That notion however, backfired.
Shalla was writhing on the ground, clutching her chest in undisguised anguish. Molten lava seemed to pour through her capillaries, flowing through rapidly while sending pulses of intense heat through her body. The waves of pain overwhelmed her, and Shalla fainted, not in any condition to fight on.
Tom watched Shalla crumple from the corner of his eye; but he had bigger problems. The creature attacking Shalla snorted and sniffed her, then slinked over to Tom, and the two shapes circled him, as a predator does a prey.
Tom could not restrain a shiver; both seemed to blend right in with the night, leaving but faded imaged in their wake, leaving the onlooker to wonder if he had seen them at all. Yet Tom knew they were there; they appeared as gaping holes in his mind's eye, gaps where psychic energy could not penetrate. They were dark type beyond a doubt, and from what happened to himself and Shalla, Tom had little problems figuring out their species. He reached for his pokeballs, but stopped short at a blood-curling snarl.
A third dark type approached, oozing confidence with each step.
It was glowing faintly, and Tom could discern its features. He gasped disbelief. It was familiar, yet unlike anything he had ever seen.
Lavender the shade of the deepest night; golden rings pulsating in an regular beat; a red bead on its forehead; a forked tail.
It was a gruesome hybrid of an espeon and umbreon, at once ghastly and magnificent. its sculpted muscles throbbed with life, eyes with no iris like a black hole, staring right at Tom. It was twice as large as the average eevee, perhaps massing more than Tom himself did. It was a work of art like no other, an incredible being that radiated utter control and power.
Tom growled, an animal sound that reflected his anger. He hurled a wad of psychic energy at the creature -- for Tom could find no better word to describe it -- giving it his all.
The creature blinked once, and the irregular mass fizzled into nothing, inches from its face. Tom cursed, and the creature strolled forward, unhurried.
*Damn it.* Tom charged, only to be lifted into the air, immobilised. It was a position that Tom himself had forced upon charizard only a few weeks ago. He now knew why charizard surrendered.
The helplessness of the situation was overwhelming, and his inability even to shout for help infuriated Tom. *If only one of my pokemon was out... Wait a minute. One IS out.* He gathered his strength, concentrating on just one word. *SHYRU!*
And waited.
Tom was not disappointed. Shyru landed nearby a minute later, which had felt like eons to Tom, who was still suspended in the air, with the creature calmly studying him. The houndoom and sneasel flanked what Tom took to be their leader, eyes darting this way and that for any sign of danger.
Upon the "thump" of Shyru's landing, both "guards" jerked their heads at the sudden intrusion, and glowered at the terranite. The creature whispered something, and the duo faded into the darkness.
The battle commenced, two versus one, with the strongest still on the bench.