(((Don't steal my crap, Nintendo.)))

Chapter 9
The Barghest

Unlike most of those who were present tonight within this circular inferno, arguing of things of somewhat great importance, or otherwise trivial matters that they have decided now was the best time to take acknowledgment of, little Hwajeh would rather to wander from the safety of his trainer's eye to fumble curiously about with a stray piece of ember. In a way, he found it more interesting that listening to the adults converse amongst themselves, in words he had yet to understand, of matters that he found were of little relevance to his concern as a young Charmander and learning apprentice to a great legacy he felt he would someday have to lead. It was what he and his ilk had been taught to believe since the day each and every one of them were hatched. For, as it was said in the older, more experienced versions of themselves, the fate of a creature such as he, born by man, one that would someday grow to hold power much revered by both humans and Pokemon alike, was to be the greatest fighter in servitude to a human 'companion'. Their obligation was to insure their victory, to overcome the trials that crossed the path of their road to supremacy.

Supremacy of what? It didn't matter. They were also taught not to question, for the trainer's word was absolute. What was said must be followed with unwavering loyalty and undying countenance. In the end, they become the servers of the next generation of the family line, and in the absence of that, the ones to continue the dream of their superiors for the rest of their lives.

It was a simple life, where one too many have taken for granted. Hwajeh was no different, for it was all he knew growing up. Most die content without ever really realizing what was beyond the subjugated life they were meant to follow. Bred only to live as fighters, then, as fighters, live only to die fighting. An uncomplicated lifestyle; concerns limited only to the safety of the clan and to the next challenge...some would have preferred it more than knowing about things as complicated as sickness or death, or happiness and the purpose of life.

Hwajeh wasn't one of those who longed for bliss in ignorance...not yet at least. It was Jemilie's plan to make him aware, of himself and of the world he lived, like she had done Ra. Of course, that plan has still yet to be put into motion. Now, he was free to fiddle about like there was no tomorrow, as typical of an uneducated youth. The most insignificant things impressed him, such as the subtle burning of the embers as the fire began to subside in the absence of fuel (grass). Inching closer to the still burning flames, he waved a claw about it, purring happily at the heat as it graced his skin, insusceptible to its intense temperature unlike those of other elements. He hobbled through its rising curtain joyously, meeting with the darkness of the other side.

Here, there was no one. No one to watch over him, no one to command him. No one to play with...It was a boring place. Hwajeh decided it was better to run around in the presence of those who didn't bother to pay him any heed rather than frolic about in loneliness. But wait...

"Charrr...?" The lizard purred, leaning forward into the dark. There, again. A sort of brief flash, or a glint of firelight reflecting off the shiny surface of something unseen in the dark. The Charmander was jumping about playfully, happy in discovering a new friend.

"Charmander, Char!" he called, wagging his fire-tipped tail. He paused, listening for an answer from his unseen acquaintance. Silence...and then a low gurgled noise. Strange gurgling that eventually became growling; a deep voice vibrating deep withing the throat of something. Something large. The firelight glinted again, and Hwajeh caught it this time. Slowly, he turned his head to follow it, using the warm luminance and his adjusting night vision to see...

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Jemilie was bored. Her feet hurt from standing around. She wanted to go home. Or...crash Hikari Pokemon Center for the night in lieu of home she didn't have here. The Pokemon had been arguing for forty five minutes now, and still going at it. The Blaziken beside her yawned loudly, longing to be anywhere but here.

"Can I start hurting people now?" he would ask periodically. And Jemilie would pat his arm, nodding ruefully, "Give them five more minutes."

"EENOOF!" Sappius finally cried out. "Yu arr right! I am nut ze most perfect traneer Pukemun een ze forrest! But I, Sappius Von Deu, shall nevah staeen my clawz vwid ze blood off ze innocent!" He jabbed a claw upward into the night, quite dramatically, that the birds couldn't help stifle their fit of giggles. But he didn't pay attention as he continued his heroic speech. "Az Gud az my weetness, I vwill du evryteeng een my power tu make Scruff ze strongest an moost honorabel Pukemun evah!"

More laughing, more taunting. Sappius started returning taunts of his own, with Scruff looking utterly confused and spooked at the many heads laughing at them. The human sighed warily.

"Can I hurt them now?"

"Ra...please..."

"CHAAAARRARAAAA!"

All voices died down, heads turned, watching the hobbling little body break through the fire in a wild rush screaming. He leaped up and clung tightly to the girl's leg, sending shivers rolling down her skin. She stared at him baffled, and heard Tyfun's voice float down to her ears.

"'ey, yu 'uman! Silense zat leetel worm off yoors! Can yu nut see vwe are 'aveeng a veree eemportant deescushiyon?"

GOD. She held her tongue, just until after she picked up the small lizard and made a deep, gracious bow towards the Pidgeotto. "I'm soooooooooooo sorry for the trouble, your lordship!" she said purposely. "It'll never happen again."

A few Pidgeys seemed to chirp amongst themselves with humor. Garuda Ra snorted, with Tyffany muffling a giggle. Good. That meant they had a brain. Anyone with a brain would've known that was obvious sarcasm. Tyfun didn't seem to be so blessed, and nodded proudly, raising a wing to say something else. But that was as far as he went.

The next few seconds was what one would might say was a bad Jaws scene rip-off. Indeed, it started so suddenly; no one was expecting it...until it was too late, and the monster struck. As Tyfun filled his marvelous lungs with air to turn into marvelous speech to further belittle the already pitiful Spinda, a powerful set of canines were ever so slowly erupting from the dark. Its approach was so subtle, not even the back Pidgeys that huddled together were aware of anything, until they felt the stroke of fur against feathers, rushing forth to the end of the branch that seated their marvelous commander. With a jump and a snap, Tyfun's form disappeared into darkness, lined in rotting yellowed teeth, coated in a poisonous film of saliva. Everyone stopped breathing, for one of the largest, most devilish-looking beast that any of them have ever laid eyes on suddenly leaped from its perch in the tree, and sent its enormous, destructive bulk slamming smack dab in the middle of the circle, crushing the Pelipper Tyfanny beneath its blooded claws as it did. She was unable to make so much as a squawk before pain and darkness took over. Her body gave up its mortal fluid, straining the grass in liquid as dark as oblivion, creeping like death from beneath the massive claws.

Jemilie didn't see it as a Mightyena right away. As she stood there, gawking at the barbaric carnage taking place before her eyes, her description of the being was more along the lines of 'huge-ass dog', staring at the enormous dark body, covered in fur as unruly as Scruff's. It shifted to 'werewolf' when it lifted its shaggy head, a gruesome sight to witness. Sickly yellow bloodshot orbs glared out from beneath a stiff brow, snout turned and twisted back in the most fearsome snarl it could muster, revealing stained but otherwise powerful-looking fangs erupting from dark gums. In their hold lie what remained of Tyfun; nothing more than a pair of wings spread asymmetrically from the body, fluffs of feathers protruding amid dark blood seeping from the gaps of the razor sharp dentures. At the three who played audience to its astonishing stunt (Ra, Jemilie and Hwajeh. All the others seemed to have fled.), it seemed to give a big satirical smile behind the remains of its prey…and spat it out in a crumpled, feathery bloodied heap. Without the feathers blocking its face, Jemilie was finally able to conclude that it was indeed a Mightyena, noting the distinguishable triangular markings beneath its eyes, and the start of a mane of fur above them, trailing down the back to spread at the hindquarters. Like Scruff, this one seemed to be of an odd color: its mane was chestnust brown, although somewhat darker than the Poochyena's. But only at the parts that would've been black for a normal member of its kind; it still yeilded faded gray fur, which was gold on Scruff's part.

Everyone was taken by total surprise. Even though Jemilie was working on identifying the creature, her mind stood frozen at the beast before then. It was fuggin' huge…almost twice the size a regular Mightyena should be. Even hunched low to the ground on all fours, it was just a head shorter that Ra. The Charmander against her chest continued to shake, giving off little whimpers and clinging to her shirt. Its bloodshot glare raised over to him, and he clinged even tighter, Jemilie unminding of the tiny claws digging into her skin. Seeming to take delight in the little lizard's fear, it tossed it head back, droplets the viscous fluid of blood and saliva splattering around the three, and released a powerful, haunting howl that raged against the night. Another answered back from somewhere not too far away…a howl much louder than the one given off by this one. The unmistakable pounding of heavy paws gave a faint shiver to their feet. Really big, really heavy paws...

She didn't know how, but know she noticed the black Blaziken had moved. He stood ahead of her, a little further than he was previously at her side, but far enough to be in front of an attack should the canine launch itself at them. She only noticed it now because his claw had reached out behind him, taking in and crumpling a part of her shirt. He beak hardly moved, but she could hear his voice; a little trick he knew how to do to communicate to a specific person without being heard or noticed by others. What she heard was: "Get ready to run. Big boss is coming."

Jemilie hung on tighter to her small friend, her breath caught in her throat. "How can you tell?"

"Well, its not hard to understand if you were a Pokemon," he murmured back, fists beginning to blaze. "He just called for his master."

Jemilie knew enough about Pokemon to know that howling was a way for most canine-type creatures to heighten its spirits just before hunting, or communicating with others from afar. There was really no hidden language to it, as she believed. But Ra just convinced her that even a wordless sound like a howl can bear a message that can be understood, like the odd gibberish they call 'Poketalk'. In any case, he said the beast's master was coming, and made it clear it was someone they did not want to meet. What with Tyfun and Tyffany dead, Sappius, Scruff and the Pidgey flock making a swift run for it, and Hwajeh, her only reliable Pokemon, scared stiff, it seemed their fate lied within the talons of her former ally. At least he didn't hate her enough to leave her to die, that much she was grateful for.

"Watch yourself, then. Don't show off." She gave him a quick pat on the back and slunk away from the Blaziken, keeping her eyes on the hound. It undoubtedly noticed her retreat, and lowered its head again, snarls and other guttural noises rising from its maw in warning. Garuda Ra stepped forward, retaliating with his own growling threats, making it clear he was going to be its opponent. His hackles plumed and his dark feather's rose, giving him a ruffled appearance like the wolf. Wrists came alive with eldritch flame, blazing a deep azure as they spurted out. The Mightyena averted its gaze back to the bird, looking rather pissed at it, and hunched even lower, hind legs ready to pounce.

That was what they needed. The second it preoccupied itself with the new threat, she made a break for it. Leaping high above the dying fire, she sprinted through the dark field, clutching Hwajeh tight against her as she searched for a place to run to. Open field and forest...and an enormous rock rising in the dark. She made a run to Plymonth Rock.

To be continued