Aquamarine woke to darkness. She sat up and looked slowly around her, noting the glowing eyes of creatures about her. She suddenly saw the thick tree roots forming a cage circling her and her friends.
Slice stirred beside her, and Aquamarine helped the dazed Scyther to rise. The rest of the Pokemon in the cage began to wake soon after. Many pairs of red, glowing eyes watched the movement without expression, unnerving the Grovyle.
When all in the cage had regained their senses, a horrible screeching started beyond the bars. Aquamarine cringed from the sound, as did many of the others in the cage. The moon shone from behind a thick cloud, and the captives were granted a clear glimpse of their captors.
The screeching stopped abruptly, leaving the surrounding area deathly quiet. There was a soft movement in the midst of the red-eyed Plant Pokemon, the only shift that any one of the creatures had yet made. The Victreebel stepped into the bright moonlight, and the sight made the group gasp.
The Plant Pokemon before them was a normal Victreebel, with one difference. A long, ugly, jagged scar ran down his side, marring his otherwise perfect features. The other Victreebel moved aside as he passed, suggesting that he was an important figure to best be respected.
"I am the leader of this hoard, and you have intruded upon our hunting grounds. Normally, I would have let you pass, but I recognize one among you," stated the scarred one.
"Who?" asked Aquamarine as she looked around the cage.
"The Scyther, because of an incident far in the past when I was but a Bellsprout."
Slice jolted beside Aquamarine, recognition dawning in her eyes. The Grovyle looked slowly at her friend, who came forward towards the bars.
"I know you now; I remember what happened."
"Good, I have waited long to hear your version of the tale, and now you will tell it," said the Victreebel.
"Your request is reasonable," said Slice, "I will tell the tale."
"Begin."
"Blade, aren't we too close to the territory boundaries?"
"Aw, don't be a coward, Slice! We're miles away from the borders!" teased Blade as he blocked a blow aimed at his leg.
The pair mock battled across the field, their clumsy strikes echoing through the still evening. Suddenly, Slice's foot fell through a hole in the ground, lurching her off balance and throwing her to the dirt. The young Scyther squealed in pain as her ankle twisted, and she flailed out to steady herself against the ground.
Slice abruptly stopped flailing as she felt a bladed forelimb connect with something. She carefully got to her feet despite the pain, and she looked in the thick clump of grass she had cleaved in two.
She and Blade drew in their breath simultaneously. Lying motionless in the turf was a small Bellsprout, it's head split from the side almost to the large mouth. Amazingly, the small Pokemon stirred, groaning as the pain hit it. It opened its small, obsidian-black eyes and looked in terror at the two startled youngsters.
"Oh, no," moaned Slice, "It's hurt. We have to help it!"
Blade took up the small creature in his bladed arms, taking great care not to injure it. The two friends looked about themselves, and suddenly realized that they didn't recognize the land anywhere around them.
"We went beyond the boundaries..." gasped Slice as she looked frantically for something familiar.
"There's nothing we can do about that right now, but this Bellsprout needs treatment right away," said Blade.
As Slice looked around them, she suddenly saw something that would help.
"Look, this plant's berries can speed healing! We can help the Bellsprout that way!"
She picked the ripe berries quickly and fed them to the ailing Pokemon. The tiny Bellsprout started to look better, but not by much. Slice saw a different type of berry, and went to take a look at them.
"These are Lum berries, they should fuse and heal the cut easily. Those over there are Ipapa berries, and they should help him to regain his strength."
She gave these new berries to the Bellsprout, and the gash came together and fused before their eyes, forming a long, ugly scar. The Bellsprout looked much stronger after eating, and they apologized to the tiny creature, although it didn't seem to understand them. Blade set it down on the grass and it ran off in a wavering path, murmuring to itself.
The two Scyther watched as it disappeared in the tall grass. Slice sighed, and Blade looked around at the tall trees.
"We're still lost." stated Slice.
"Umm... yes, we are." sighed Blade.
Suddenly, they heard a noise behind them. The two whirled around, and came face to face with the leader of their clan. The older male smiled at the young Scyther, remembering when he was also youthful and reckless.
"You two got yourselves lost again, didn't you?"
Blade and Slice nodded.
"What am I going to do with you?" sighed the clan leader, grinning at them, he pointed to the path he had cut through the brush, "The clan's that way, your mothers are going to be very angry... again."
Everyone grimaced at the thought; the two young Scyther because of the punishment they would receive, and the leader because he would be scolded just as much as the children.
The group left the knot of trees, heading for the clan's territory. The old leader would occasionally swipe at a leaf or twig, half play, half practice for the coming Battle Ceremony. He sighed and looked at the two snickering shadows behind him.
"You two will make fine clan leaders someday, I'm sure of that," he mumbled to himself.
"What?" asked Slice, who had been a little more alert than Blade.
"Nothing." said the leader quickly as they continued on through the fields.
"A fine tale, and the truth." said the Victreebel, rubbing a leaf reflectively down the scar on his belly, "I admit, that last berry you fed me was so sour it confused me, but after my head cleared I realized that you could have just left me to die. I have to thank you for saving my life, and I want you to know that I don't blame you for the incident."
"That's good to know," said Slice.
"This scar," said the leader, "has earned me the nickname Slash. I've had it for so long that I can no longer remember my real name, but it doesn't bother me anymore..."
"This is all well and good," interrupted Quicksilver hotly, "but can we get out of this cage? Can you explain why we're here in the first place?"
Slash shifted his gaze to the Zangoose, who stood defiantly in the middle of the cage. He smiled, displaying the large fangs at the lip of his mouth, and signaled that the cage be opened.
"A good point, now that we are sure that there is no ill will between us." he said, "Answering your other question; we brought you here because we felt that we must warn you."
"Warn us?" asked Aquamarine.
"Yes, shining one; you especially. Victreebel... are people of the stars. We predict events based on the cosmic alignments, and we have foreseen great danger around you."
"Me?"
"Yes," answered Slash, he turned and beckoned a smaller plant Pokemon forward, "This is our seer, Nayoi. She will tell what she has seen."
The small Victreebel hopped to the front of the crowd, a strange mist beginning to enter her eyes and reflecting the stars.
"Powers are building
Visions will clash
The image of peril is rising
The shining one comes forth
Oppose the evil forces
Follow the Ocean
The... the..."
Nayoi broke off, looking at Slash fearfully, "I can't see the rest, sir, I... I really can't. It's so clouded... the stars turn dark."
"This isn't good, not at all," muttered Slash, he turned to Aquamarine, "The powers are rising to the east, and tensions have become unbearable. The clans of your species have declared open aggression, and the prophecy stated that you have a role in calming this."
"I never thought I would be in a prophecy."
"I never thought I would be allied with the enemy. Only you can do this, shining one. Go swiftly, for danger follows on your trail, and unpredictable forces are at work..."
The gathering parted, and it was clear that the Victreebel leader would say no more for the evening. Aquamarine and the others walked slowly down the path created, watched mercilessly by the glowing eyes of the plant Pokemon until they disappeared into the thick brush of the jungle.
Dark walked doggedly on, his weariness threatening to overtake him. Just hours ago he had been wide-awake and on the trail of Aquamarine, but her scent seemed to have disappeared into the thick mist appearing all around him.
The Grovyle stopped suddenly and fell to the ground, sleeping deeply while the haze closed in on his still form. As it drew about him, he lifted his head and gave an agonized squeal of rage.
The Grovyle stood on a dark patch of grass in the middle of empty space. This was nothing new to him, he had had visions before, but something about this bothered him.
"Dark, come closer..."
Suddenly, he was speeding to the edge of space; careening around stars like they were nothing but pebbles. The square of grass halted before a great planet, almost sending him flying into nothingness, but he managed to keep his grip.
"Seer, it has been long since we met..."
"Yes, my lord, it has," answered Dark as he stared at the wizened Sceptile before him.
"You have begun a quest, I see,"
"Yes, my lord,"
The old Sceptile sighed, waving a claw at Dark in exasperation.
"Dark, I have told you many times to refer to me as Vision; it is my true name. Cut the 'my lord' crap already!"
"Fine, I just thought it might be better for me to be a little formal in addressing the great seer!" snapped Dark, his anger building.
The Sceptile shrugged and snuffed the illusion of Stars into oblivion. Blank darkness now lay before the two.
"You must learn to control your anger, my friend; it will only bring you trouble in the future. Especially now, when the world is in peril..."
"Peril? What do you mean?" asked Dark.
"Powers are rising, my friend, and the fate of the land is in your claws. I am not sure of he outcome of this battle, but I know that it can only be won with your help."
"Why me?"
"You cannot question the great powers, they do what they will; you can only heed their warnings and follow their clues. Why and how it turns out in the end, only they know..."
"What advice can you give me, Vision?"
The darkness began to fade, and as Dark looked on, so did the old seer. He tried to follow, but the boundaries of the grass were as far as he could go.
"I can only give you this, my student; continue on your quest, find the gem, and bring her home..."