Shattered Selves

by ShadowVulpi

"Find the others. Become one." Those were her instructions. She had to find her other selves in the other dimensions if she wanted to prevent the entire multiverse from collapsing. It seemed simple. All her other selves would surely understand what's at stake and come with her. Why wouldn't they? Rated T in the beginning, becomes M later. Cover by JA-Punkster.

9. Come Play My Game

Fear is such a fascinating little thing.

Fear is what prompts you to scream when that Lampent appears in that dark alley you know you shouldn't be wandering through all alone. Fear is what makes it impossible for you to confess your love to that one creature you adore so very much. Fear is the reason that you can't be in the darkness without thinking that maybe there's a hungry Mightyena lurking about.

Fear is the oldest, most primal concept known to all mortals. Long before they ever had happiness or pain, they had fear. Without fear, they would have no reason to flee from the monstrous creatures with jagged teeth and wicked claws. Without fear, every single mortal would live so carelessly and die long before they could ever reproduce.

It's a beautiful emotion or chemical reaction, whatever the mortals want to call it. They all have such amusing interpretations of the concept as old as life itself.

And yet, even though it's so undeniably useful, all sentient creatures despise it. They hide from it, tossing it into the darkness of their minds and burying it under layers and layers of thoughts. They want to survive without this ancient concept in their lives, somehow thinking that it will make everything better. Because after all, they no longer have a reason to cherish fear. They are no longer feral creatures roaming about, relying on it to guide them away from potential danger. No, they live in safe, civil societies now where fear only serves as a detriment. Sure, there are those occasional creatures or situations that would be dangerous and they need to stay wary of them, but they don't need fear for that. They logically know to stay away from those things.

Fear is something to evolve out of.

What a joke.

A Sableye with cracked gemstones strolled through a drab forest of dead trees, all of these thoughts circling through her mind so quickly that it almost made her head spin. It didn't matter though; she had been in this forest far too many times. She practically knew the entire place like the back of her hand. She was even sure she could find her way through it blindfolded. Even though all of the barren trees seemed exactly the same, she couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her thanks to the perpetual thick fog shrouding the forest, and could not spot a single speck of green sprouting out of the equally drab ground, she knew where to go.

It wasn't that difficult after you had travelled through the forest for the rough equivalent of a few dozen centuries. Or was it millennia now? She could honestly never remember; only mortals gave their lifespan any attention. And not only that, but then taking into the account that she was a different age depending on who she spoke with… she could be anywhere between an infant to as old as existence itself.

There was a real answer to that question of course, but not one she ever cared for. She was who she was, and that was a Sableye who could be however old she wanted to be. And right now, she decided she was a few dozen centuries old. That seemed like a good age for her. She'd be ancient and hold the knowledge of the infinities this way, just like the nightmarish, incomprehensible creatures so many mortals dreaded.

"Hey, you know that I'm talking to you, right?"

Back into the forest that Sableye went. Back into the dull reality that she didn't want to partake in at the moment. No more steeping in the darkness every mortal futilely hid from.

She looked over at her side to see a Mismagius drifting through the air alongside her, shooting her an exasperated glare. She could even see her wispy, tassel-like appendages streaming through the air a little more vigorously than they normally did.

"Yeah I know you are," the Sableye said nonchalantly.

"But you haven't been saying anything," the Mismagius stated in a low tone. "You just keep staring forward with that weird glow in your eyes."

"I was?"

"Yeah, you were."

"Oh. Well, I was just thinking about things."

"Like what exactly?"

"About why all those mortals in those other dimensions don't care for fear anymore. It's like they think they're all a bunch of ferals if they hold onto fear. Like they should be ashamed for being scared. It's a stupid thought process that I can't stand."

"They're like that because nobody likes to think that they're going to die. You know that's why you get scared, right? You're not supposed to like being scared. You have fear so that you won't die…"

"So what? That moment you feel like you're going to die is the only real way you can ever feel completely alive. It's a beautiful juxtaposition or paradox or whatever you call it."

"That's not beautiful; that's just wrong on too many levels."

The Sableye frowned hard. Of course she had to make a remark like that. Of course she would immediately deem that philosophy depraved.

"Let's not talk about this anymore," the Mismagius then said with a shake of her head. "Let's talk about what I was trying to talk to you about before you decided to get lost in your thoughts."

"You mean the stupid party," the Sableye remarked bitterly.

"Yeah. The party."

"Why are we talking about this?"

"Because I wanted to talk about what we could do at the party before the welcoming ceremony."

"Why? What's the point? Every single party here is exactly the same."

"Because I thought that maybe we can do something different this time around. I don't know, something new and exciting. Like maybe you, me, Zel, and Adam can all get together for once. I don't remember the last time all four of us were in the same place. Someone's always off feeding in another dimension."

"Well yeah, because you guys use the worst feeding methods ever. You guys wouldn't have to eat so much if you just do what I do. We could all hang out together way more often if you all copy me."

The Mismagius's eyes glimmered with a dark light.

"Your methods. Your sick methods," the Mismagius spat. "I'm surprised no one has banned you from using them."

"Because they get the job done," the Sableye insisted with a grin. "I get food for a long time and don't have to go on feeding trips nearly as often as the rest of you. Why ban them if they're effective? Besides, I remember you did do them for a while when we first met. I think you even enjoyed it."

"But I don't anymore because I realized how utterly wrong they are. I'm not doing them ever again, Ker. You can even tell me that I only have to copy your method one time and I don't have to eat for a million years and I still won't do it."

"Well of course you wouldn't. A million years doesn't mean anything here."

"You get what I mean. I'm not stooping back to that level."

"Fine, keep being a wimp just like Adam and Zel and basically everyone else in this dimension. See if I care."

The Mismagius shot Ker a nasty glare and then abruptly turned away from her. Ker could taste the Mismagius's disgust and contempt flowing in the air around the two of them. It had an acrid taste that Ker had to resist gagging at.

Why did Bell have to be this way every time she brought up how to properly feed? Why did she have to act like Ker just admitted she had just collapsed an entire dimension and killed everyone inside?

There was nothing wrong with Ker's feeding methods, and Bell had known that in beginning. But then for some reason, she suddenly decided it was wrong. Maybe it was some other ghost Ker didn't know about. Maybe someone brainwashed her. Maybe this mystery ghost convinced her that Ker was a monster when it came to eating and that Bell was also a monster for copying Ker.

"Oh look, we're finally here," the Mismagius said. "It's about time."

Reality flooded back into Ker's vision. There, only about twenty paces away, lay a glade with trees glimmering ethereal lights of all shades. Hundreds of beings of all sorts congregated in the midst of that glade. Some were "ghost-types" just like Ker, some were humans, and then there were even some that were neither, like the eldritch monstrosities that defied all logic and existed in that equally incomprehensible realm. Whatever everyone was, they all that held a ghastly appearance that made sure everyone was on a similarly twisted level. Of course, there were always those who outshined everyone else in the unnerving department, such as this bat-like demon Ker always saw flying around with three of its jaws stacked on top of one another, but everyone at least had something remotely unsettling and wraith-like about them.

Because of how little proximity there was between all the creatures, the great gathering more resembled a wriggling blob of insidious colors than anything else. Loud, aggressive music seemed to resonate from the very center of the mass like a pounding heartbeat.

"There's no way we're going to find Adam and Zel in that mess before Grim starts the welcoming ceremony," Ker grumbled.

"Don't worry, I talked to both of them earlier," the Mismagius stated with a sly grin. "I told them to meet us at the tallest red tree. The only hard part is making our way through the crowd without getting lost."

"You mean for me. You can just float over all of them."

"I can carry you if you really wanted to."

"Nope, not happening. That'll look silly. I'd rather just struggle my way through the pulsing, writhing tangle of souls getting drunk off the ambiance."

"Well alright… it's your choice."

The two entered the glade. Now that Ker was much closer to the mass gathering, she could better discern between the different ghosts. Some of them swayed to the sound of the music in a melodious rhythm while others awkwardly fumbled about. Some ghosts remained captivated in conversations with those surrounding them, oblivious to all others in the vicinity. Others swooped in and out of the crowd, their laughter mixing with the exhilarating beat of the music. It was a great big mess of activity that seemed treacherous to navigate through.

But Ker didn't fret. She could see the gaps between each of the ghosts' forms, places for her to squeeze through. It would still be a tight squeeze, but thankfully she was a small ghost to begin with. Ker peered over the crowd until she could spot the red tree her friend spoke of. It stood towards the very back of the crowd, perhaps the furthest tree away from her. Ker would have sighed if she had lungs.

"Pick the hardest tree to get to, Bell. Brilliant idea," Ker said dryly.

"Just get to the tree," the Mismagius said.

Bell then swooped over the crowd, leaving the Sableye behind. Ker kept her gaze on the crowd a moment longer, and then forced her way into the shuddering mass of ghosts. The moment she merged into the crowd she could taste the euphoria in the atmosphere. Normally she wouldn't mind this sort of atmosphere. It had a sweet-sour taste to it, something that instantly that washed away the bitterness of Bell's contempt. But with so many souls in the vicinity all sharing the same feeling, it now felt like she was biting into a lemon. She could feel something crawling over her form and her tongue wanted to twist in on itself.

She would definitely need to leave this party after the welcoming ceremony ended. She needed something pleasant to wipe away this terrible taste from her mouth. Besides, it was probably best she go on another feeding trip soon anyway. She hadn't eaten in quite some time. Her thoughts already felt harder to grab at. Who knew how much longer it would take until she felt heavy and tied down?

Ker continued making her way through the crowd. She pushed past every single ghost that stood in her way with her claws. Some of the ghosts cursed at her when she moved them aside or broke apart their intimate activities, but she ignored them and kept going.

Eventually, Ker exited the crowd and arrived at the glowing red tree. She quickly noticed Bell hovering near its base along with a Drifloon and Banette. Ker joined them as soon as she saw them.

"There you are, Ker," the Drifloon said. "We were wondering when you would get out of that crowd."

"Well here I am," Ker said. "And here are you guys."

"It's been a while since I've seen you," the Banette then said to her with a smile. "How have you been doing?"

"Same old same old," Ker said with a shrug. "You know, hanging around here with Bell or Zel, and then going out to the other dimensions to feed."

"Do you know any dimensions that are good feeding grounds? None of the dimensions I normally go to feed me as much. I still feel hungry even after I find twelve mortals. I think too many ghosts are going to my dimensions and they're desensitizing all of the mortals there."

"All of them are good places. You just need to be more creative than popping out of a dark alley and spooking mortals. That gets old real fast."

"It shouldn't! There's an infinite amount of dimensions to choose from. There has to be at least one where I can keep my routine the same."

"Well there's not. You just need to change. You need to start copying me and you'll get all the food you want from literally anyone."

"No you don't, Adam," Bell then said with a frown. "Come with me when I go feeding and I'll show you a good dimension to visit. It's this one full of children that never age and they're easy to scare. Almost requires zero effort."

"Really? That sounds perfect!" the Banette said as he clapped his paws together. "Is it popular?"

"Surprisingly no," Bell replied. "I never see anyone when I go there."

"Perfect, just the place for me."

"But your food won't taste as good if you go there," Ker then cut in. "I've been there and let me tell you, children don't taste as good as adults. There's something wrong with their emotions that make them too strong. It's adults you want. Their desperate attempts to rationalize everything while terrified out of their minds makes the perfect flavor."

"Yeah, but adults are difficult to work with," Adam said. "It's because they rationalize everything that it's so hard to get food from them."

"Well that's why you have to mess with them real bad to get them scared. You got to do something so surreal and so bizarre that they can't explain it away with logic. It's a bit of an effort, but trust me, it's worth it in the end."

"Like what?" the Drifloon then asked. "What do you do to adults that makes them scared?"

Ker couldn't stop herself from smiling manically. Oh, she loved answering this question. Nothing made her whole form jitter with as much exhilaration as that. Well, except maybe actually going out and acting on it, but this was almost just as good.

"Dig deep into their heads and expose their worst fears," Ker said as her eyes emitted otherworldly light. "Get rid of the illusion that they have control. Make them realize that they don't own anything. Make them realize how powerless they really are to the whims of chance and how easily you can strip everything they hold dear away. Make them remember that they're going to die one day and everyone will slowly forget they ever existed. Force them to know that they understand absolutely nothing about everything around them. Make them realize that they're nothing more than a meaningless speck in the infinity that is all of the universes that ever have and ever will exist for the rest of eternity."

Zel seemed at a loss, as though Ker had sucked all of his life energy right out of him. All of the riveting energy coursing through Ker died as her gemstones dimmed.

"What? That's what you do," she said as she shot him a bitter frown. "You make them realize how so very weak they really are."

Zel only nodded in response, muttering something that Ker couldn't understand from her distance. Ker looked at her other friends to see that they too weren't impressed. Adam awkwardly fidgeted in place and twiddled his claws around one another. Bell wore the exact same exasperated glare that she had been giving Ker earlier. Any ghosts who happened to be near her slowly retreated, refusing to make any sort of eye contact with the Sableye.

Ker had to resist abandoning her friends right there and throwing herself back into the crowd. At least there the sour flavor in the air was tolerable. Here, in front of her speechless friends, she could taste only metal and acridity. It burned at her insides and sapped away her very livelihood. If she had an actual body, she was sure this would have been the same as ingesting cyanide.

Why had she even bothered telling them this? Bell had contaminated both Adam and Zel with her disgust a Ker's methods. They all found her to be a downright demon when it came to eating. She couldn't think of a single memory where any of them had been pleased after hearing of her feats in the other dimensions. Well, except for Bell before she suddenly decided Ker was evil.

"There's a dimension you can go to full of ghost-like beings that everyone is already terrified of," Bell then said to Adam, erasing the putrid taste from the air. "You can practically show up at night in front of anyone and you'll get all the food you need. No one ever gets desensitized to the ghosts there."

"Yeah, I think I'll do just that," the Banette said with a small nod. "Can you show me where it is after the party?"

"Of course," Bell said with a warm smile.

"And me too!" Zel said as he swung his arms around. "I want to go too! It sounds like a great place."

"You can come along," Bell assured. "We can all go. There'd be plenty of food for everyone."

"Yeah! It'll be lots of fun!" Zel cheered.

The three then continued to talk amongst each other, discussing the dimension in great detail and their plans for exploring it. Ker had been to that dimension a few times in the past. Bell was right; it was very easy to obtain food there. The dimension was practically heaven for every single ghost in this dimension. However, Ker had grown rather bored of it after a while. The food was plenty fine, delicious even, but it was just too easy to get a meal there. Not only that, but their fear all tasted the same. There was no variety to be reaped from that dimension's denizens.

Ker didn't know if she wanted to go with her friends to that dimension when that was so. She wasn't even sure if they wanted her to go with them either. They didn't seem to be including her in their conversation or giving her any glances.

If they didn't want her to go with them, then fine. She would go somewhere by herself. Being alone never bothered her unlike most creatures she knew, whether they were ghosts or mortals.

Of course, that was another deep, primal fear of every living creature; to be utterly alone in a large and empty world. To be alone meant that you would have nothing but the thoughts in your head to keep you company. You'd have no one to provide stimuli and should you find yourself dying, you would die knowing that not a single creature ever knew that you were slipping away or even cared. In the end, you knew you meant being alone meant an existence without purpose, a life without being understood or loved.

Loneliness is a life of pure nothingness, an entire existence living in the abyss you will never crawl out of no matter how many times you try.

So of course anyone would want to avoid loneliness. They'd do anything to avoid even the very thought of being without company, even surround themselves with others that they despised at all times.

And that was exactly why Ker loved loneliness and everything that it stood for.

"The welcoming ceremony is ready to begin. Everyone congregate at the white trees."

Ker recognized that voice resonating in her mind. That was Grim's voice, the Dusknoir that organized this party in the first place. She looked around her to see that everyone had ceased their activities and creeping toward the white trees close by. She could no longer hear the music that had been blaring so loudly throughout the glade.

Ker looked back at friends to see that they were already following after everyone else. The Sableye hurried after them.

Moments later, Ker and her friends joined the rest of the crowd before two large ivory trees that seemed to pierce the murky sky. They illuminated with a wraithlike power that reminded Ker of the light that her gemstones gave off, except more potent. In some ways, the light almost seemed alive with how it seemed to flicker and brighten every so often for seemingly no reason.

Ker forced herself to the front of the crowd. Though she didn't exactly care for this part of the party, she did have to admit that she curious to know who this ceremony was for. Perhaps it was for a Pokémon this time? Maybe they would be a Sableye like her even? There weren't many Sableye in this dimension and the ones that she did know were complete loners. She had always hoped that at least one Sableye would be even remotely social and not spend all its time hidden in the darkest caverns of the dimension. It would be nice to have another Sableye to talk to.

When Ker managed to get to the front after much pushing and shoving, she found two ghosts hovering before the large crowd. The first one Ker spotted was Grim, if only because of his sheer size and the gaping maw on his stomach. Grim was a very interesting sort of Dusknoir. Though certainly not the only Dusknoir in the entire realm, he was the one that everyone immediately thought of when his species came to mind. No one knew how long he had served in the dimension, but with that all-knowing glimmer that always seemed present in his eye, Ker imagined he had been there since the dimension's very conception. Even now he seemed like an ancient deity before the great mass of ghosts with how he towered over so many of them.

The other Pokémon before her was a particularly frail Chandelure. Ker was very quick to notice that this wasn't just because he was right beside mighty Grim. His purple soul fire didn't burn as intensely as other Chandelure's in the vicinity; they more resembled dying candlelight than blazing flames. Even the baleful fire burning within his dome form proved to be pitiful; she couldn't hear it roaring in the slightest. It only burned in silence, as if it were only an illusion. He had his arms drawn close to his body and hid part of himself behind Grim, as if in some vain attempt to hide from all those eying him.

Ker couldn't help but eye him. Why was this painfully shy Chandelure here? Was he supposed to be the guest of honor? If he was, then there had been a mistake. No one of that sort should be in the dimension. The Chandelure should never have been brought here to be with everyone else. He would never be able to survive with his demeanor.

"Thank you all for coming," Grim said, hushing any remnants of conversation amongst the crowd. "I am sure that our newest denizen is very happy that you are all here to greet him."

So this Chandelure was going to be a part of this dimension. Ker hadn't been mistaking anything. She glanced at the Chandelure to find that he was subtlety disappearing further behind Grim. Ker wanted to scoff at the sight. He didn't belong in this dimension. The weak and the meek didn't belong in this realm.

"Please welcome our five hundredth and sixty-eighth denizen of our realm, Ignis!"

Grim swooped away from the Chandelure, allowing everyone to see all of him. Ignis quickly brought his tendrils over his face, shielding himself from everyone's view. Ker felt herself cringing at the sight. She would have left if she could. However, the one rule of the welcoming ceremony was that you couldn't leave until it was completely over. You had to lend your support to the newcomer and make them feel welcome. If you tried to leave, Grim would somehow know and trap you in his maw until you were ready to collapse from starvation. Ker had fortunately never had that happen to her, but she had heard about it through rumors.

So even though she wasn't sure how long she could last watching this Chandelure, she knew it was better than suffering in total darkness with the wails of banshee to keep her company.

Everyone around Ker cheered and glimmered their eyes, showering Ignis with greetings. However, he still cowered behind his arms, refusing to make eye contact with any of them. Ker couldn't help but wonder why he was acting like such a child when he was clearly an adult. She considered that maybe he was from one of those dimensions where you could become a Chandelure before you matured.

Grim's red eyes gave off a glint, silencing the crowd in an instant. He glanced at Ignis for a quick moment before gazing back at the mass of ghosts.

"Now, onto the final act of business before you may do as you please. It is time to assign someone to aid Ignis until he understands all there is to know."

Everyone gave each other unsure glances. Ker knew it was because no one liked having to be shadowed. While it was understandable that a newcomer wouldn't understand anything about their new lives in this dimension, teaching them everything was quite a chore in itself. There was so much to learn, so much potentially demented information to impart on this new ghost. And if you weren't careful or if the ghost was particularly sensitive, they'd enter a full-blown panic and potentially go on a frenzied rampage.

She wondered who would be the unfortunate soul to get paired up with this weak Chandelure.

Grim glanced through the crowd with his eye, looking for his victim. Everyone remained petrified in place. Ker only stood there with a bored expression. Oh, what dimension she should go visit after the ceremony ended? Where in the infinities of everything should she visit for her next meal? That dimension where humans and Pokémon both stood on equal grounds sounded nice. It was a weird place, always seeing humans treating Pokémon like something other than pets, but that dimension did offer good food. Besides, it did need a ghost to visit every so often to put everyone inside in their place. It was one of those dimensions, the ones where they thought the primal was a nuisance and needed to be exterminated.

Ker just started to like the idea when Grim's gaze suddenly fell on her. Ker felt something cold strike her core the moment that red eye locked onto her gemstones.

That stare could only mean one thing. That insidious, haunting stare that read her very soul and knew every secret and thought held within.

"Ker, you will be the one to offer guidance to our newest denizen."

Normally, you were supposed to accept being the new ghost's guide. You weren't supposed to question Grim's choices and taught the new ghost the best you could. That was yet another way to find yourself in his monstrous maw. You did everything Grim and all of the other creatures that ran the ceremonies and brought new denizens to the dimension. That was the one rule you had to follow. You could do anything else you wanted, you name it, but you had to obey the Reapers, as they so called themselves. Their word was absolute.

Ker always listened because of that. She knew her place in the hierarchy of the dimension. Only idiots rebelled, and she most certainly wasn't an idiot.

But Ker couldn't listen this time.

"What?!" Ker blurted out. "What do you mean I'm his guide?"

She could hear the ghosts behind her muttering to each other, wondering how she could possibly have the nerve to talk back to Grim. She ignored them. Grim was all who mattered to her right now.

The Dusknoir's stoic expression didn't change as he kept his unfaltering eye locked onto her.

"You know exactly what it means. You have been to three hundred and twenty-three ceremonies."

"I get what it means," Ker said bitterly. "But why me? Why would you choose me of all the ghosts here?"

"There is no reason. It is only your turn. You should be a fine guide considering that you have been here for quite some time."

"Alright fine, fair enough. But what about Ignis? Why did you bring him here? He doesn't belong here. I mean, look at him."

The Chandelure quickly retreated behind Grim, completely hiding himself from Ker. Ker shook her head disapprovingly before looking back at Grim. His expression didn't change in the slightest. He swooped toward Ker until he towered right above her. Ker resisted the urge to back away as she struggled to keep her gaze on his eye.

"Come play with us, Ker."

"We'll love you forever, Ker."

"We know that's what you want, Ker."

"You don't have to be lonely, Ker."

"Come closer, Ker."

"Join us, Ker."

"You're safe here, Ker."

No, don't listen to the voices. Don't listen to the whispers coming out of Grim's bowels. Don't believe them. Second you believe them, you're done for. Ker knew this; she had been these voices before.

"You are working with him. There is no arguing with that fact. You will teach him everything he needs to know to thrive in this dimension. Do I make myself clear, Ker?"

Ker knew better than to state that he was dodging her question. Though he showed no hostility toward her, she could feel a strong pressure weighing down on her being. It pressed down on her so greatly that she worried it would make her collapse.

Looks like there was no point resisting.

"Yeah Grim. I gotcha," she said quietly. "I'll teach Ignis."

"Good. I am glad you did not escalate this."

The pressure holding her down vanished, allowing Ker some relief. She watched the Dusknoir then swoop away from her and bring his eye back to the captivated crowd.

"The welcoming ceremony is over. Enjoy the rest of the celebration for as long as you would like."

And then, with the snap of his fingers, Grim vanished. Not a trace of him remained or those whispers. Everyone remained where they stood, speechless at the spectacle that had unfolded before them. Ker could feel their eyes on her back, making a shudder go down her spine. She had never had this much attention on her by so many Pokémon at once. Even when the blaring music returned and resonated throughout the glade, the eyes would not leave her.

Ker brought her gaze back to the Chandelure to find that he was still before her. He seemed at a loss, keeping a shy gaze locked onto her as he awkwardly curled the ends of his tendrils together. Ker rubbed her head with her claws and moaned to herself.

Why did this have to happen to her? Why did she have to mentor this pathetic excuse of a Chandelure of all possible new recruits? Just what was Grim thinking?

"Come on, we've got a lot to learn," Ker said to the Chandelure.

She made her way toward the ghost. He got ready to bolt, but Ker was ready. She grabbed him by one of his tendrils just before he could escape. Then, before he could struggle, she raked the air with her free claw.

A massive, jagged hole suddenly appeared in the air, as if Ker had torn out a portion of the very atmosphere. Within that tear lay not the dead, dark forest the two found themselves in, but instead a stone castle atop a great mountain witnessing the morning sun.

Ker tightened her grip on her ghostly companion, and then leapt into the tear.

---

Ker fell out the other side of the tear and descended upon one of the castle's spiraling spires. The Sableye angled herself, and then landed upon the spire's slanted surface on all fours. She didn't slide down the spike as her feet and claws met the rough rock, but they did partially sink into the spire. She had to pull them out before the rest of her form could phase through the castle.

Ker watched the tear close up above her. She thought she could still see some of the ghosts watching her from the spectral dimension before the tear disappeared completely. How long would everyone talk about the little stunt she had pulled in front of Grim? When was the last time anyone had talked back to the Reapers anyway?

"Wha-What is this place? Why d-did you bring us here?"

It was then that Ker remembered exactly why she was settled onto a castle spire in the first place. The Sableye looked over at her side to find that she still had her claw wrapped tight around Ignis's tendril. The Chandelure himself repeatedly tugged his tendril away from her, but was having no luck in freeing himself.

Ker righted herself up, but refused to relinquish her hold on her reluctant companion. She had a feeling that he would take off the second she released him. She had absolutely no intentions of hunting him down in this dimension.

"This is another dimension," Ker answered, just barely able to keep her bitterness out of her voice. "As for why we're here, well this is where I'm going to teach you everything you need to know if you wanna thrive. It's the perfect training dimension for a newcomer like you."

Ignis stopped struggling. His glassy, yellow eyes gave off a glint as he curled his free tendril in toward himself. Huh, so those tendrils were flexible after all. They weren't rigid all the time. That was interesting.

"Wha-What do you mean this is another dimension?" he asked in his meek, feeble voice that Ker felt belonged more to a Wurmple than a Chandelure.

"It's exactly what I said," she stated. "This is another dimension, an entirely new universe. It can be almost exactly the same as your home dimension, or completely different. So what exactly was your dimension like so I can tell you how different this dimension is from yours?"

"I-It had humans and Pokémon in it. They l-lived together but… they weren't equals. Lots of humans had Pokémon as pets. Or they had the Pokémon do errands for them. Like there were these Machamp that would help make buildings. Or… Or the humans would use Dragonite to get from one country to another."

"Oh, you lived in that kind of dimension. That's a popular kind of dimension, really. Lots of dimensions have Pokémon and humans with that kind of relationship."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, really. I go to those kinds of dimensions sometimes. Humans can make great food if you mess with them just right. But we're not in that kind of dimension now. This dimension right here only has Pokémon. There's no humans anywhere. At least, not anymore."

Ignis nodded and peered over the spire. It was quite a long ways down to the castle's entrance. If the both of them had bodies and tried to jump off the spire at that moment, they would splatter into a bloody mess the second they touched the ground. Ignis must have known this as well, because Ker could see his flames shuddering.

What a pathetic ghost he was. He had to have been the most cowardly ghost she had ever met in the eons of time and infinities of dimensions.

And yet, Ker couldn't taste his fear in the air. Obviously he was terrified; his flames wouldn't be moving like that if he wasn't. And yet, she couldn't taste even the slightest hint of it. She couldn't understand why that was so. She could taste the emotions of any being, whether they were a mortal or an "immortal" like herself. Ignis should have been no exception.

But all Ker could taste was the bland, oxygen-rich air that all those mortals in the castle thrived on. She started to wonder if maybe she couldn't taste his emotions because he was a new ghost. Maybe his spirit was still adjusting to life without a body and couldn't properly emit emotions yet. It made absolutely no sense to her, but she couldn't come up with a better explanation.

"There… there's something I've been wondering," Ignis then said. "Well… a… a lot of things, actually. But this one thing most."

"Yeah, and what's that?" Ker asked.

"That Dusknoir… why did he bring me to that d-dimension from earlier? He-He said that I belonged th-there now but… he didn't say why."

"He didn't?"

"No… he just took me out of my own dimension and said that someone else would explain everything to me after meeting all of the other ghosts…"

Ker was about to groan, but then she realized something.

She could take advantage of Ignis's meekness. His frail personality didn't have to be a burden to her.

After all, Grim hadn't told Ignis anything. He had left the Chandelure completely in the dark. Ker herself was solely responsible for his successful integration into his new life. Maybe this entire experience with Ignis didn't have to be so bad. He was so impressionable right now, after all. She couldn't lie to him or else Grim would lock her up in his maw the second he found out, but there were ways to enjoy this.

Maybe she could get that delicious dread from him this way.

Now you weren't exactly supposed to eat other ghost's emotions. The Reapers always said you were only supposed to eat mortal emotions and that was it. Supposedly if you ate other ghost's emotions, it had other effects besides satisfying your hunger. What those effects were, no one had ever elaborated.

But what Ker did know was that ghostly fear was downright divine. She had done it once long ago and she could never forget the taste. It tasted so sweet yet tarty, a trickling warmth that filled your entire being and made you shudder…

How could she ever resist such a perfect opportunity to get those amazingly delicious emotions? There probably weren't any of these other effects in the first place; she certainly hadn't felt them when she had eaten that one Gengar's fear, even if it had only been a quick taste.

"Oh wow, you're in for quite a surprise then," Ker said giddily, resisting a laugh. "It'll blow your mind."

Ignis didn't say anything. He only shirked away from Ker. He didn't get very far since Ker still held his tendril tight. The Sableye pulled him back toward her until there only a few inches of space lay between them.

"They say the best teacher is experience, so how about we go visit all the mortals in the castle?" Ker suggested with a mischievous grin. "Let's see how feels it be with them now that you're like this…"

Ker dragged Ignis down with her into the stone. The two phased right through the spire, falling through the ancient rock as they plummeted deep into the castle. The two only ceased their descent when Ker settled upon a large chandelier hanging high above a great hallway lined with regal tapestries and rugs. Dozens if not hundreds of Pokémon walked right under them, bags strapped to their persons as they hurried along. Not a single one glanced up at Ker and Ignis, too engrossed in conversations with surrounding Pokémon or their own thoughts.

A myriad amount of flavors wafted through the air and into Ker's mouth. Bitter contempt and disgust, tangy eagerness and euphoria, spicy anticipation and intrigue, salty disappointment and jealousy, and savory tension and astonishment all filled the castle. She could taste every single emotion with fine precision in this spacious hall. It was unfortunate she couldn't detect even the subtlest hints of sweetness anywhere, but she knew it would come. Sweet flavors manifested under specific circumstances only she could create.

"The air… it tastes strange," Ignis said. "It didn't used to t-taste this way before that Dusknoir found me. Is… is this normal?"

"Yep. What you're tasting right now are a little something you might know as emotions," Ker replied.

"E-Emotions? You mean feelings like happiness and sadness?"

"Yeah, those things. When Grim got you, he didn't just take you out of your dimension. He ripped your soul right out of your body and changed it. He made you a ghost."

"Wha… what? B-b-b-but I was a ghost already! That-that doesn't-"

"No, you weren't a ghost. I hate it when Pokémon say that about themselves. You were a ghost type. You were still a mortal with a physical body that let you do weird, creepy things like phase through walls. You still had to eat, still had to sleep, and still had this insatiable need to reproduce and make little versions of you. But most of all, you could still die.

"But not after Grim got you. He tore your soul from your body and now you're an actual ghost. Some like to say that we're demons since we don't look like wisps or whatever they all think ghosts are supposed to look like. But don't let anyone mess with you; you're 'dead' now and you're nothing but a soul. But even though you technically shouldn't have to eat anymore since you don't have a body, you kind of have to. Your soul is going to grow really weak if you don't sustain it somehow. So since you can't eat plants or meat or whatever you ate as a mortal, you're going to be eating emotions now."

"I'm… I'm going to be eating emotions? But… do I really have to? A-Are you sure that there's not another way?"

"Well you could choose not to… but you'll suffer. First you'll lose the ability to move. You'll struggle all you want, but you won't be able to float. Then you'll feel this hollowness grow in you. It'll start small, but it'll get bigger and bigger with time until you literally can't feel anything at all. Then, you'll start losing your mind. Your memories will all start slipping away, one by one. You won't be able to remember your mom, your friends, the name of the city you grew up in, your favorite hobby. They'll just slip away until you can't even remember who you are. And then when that happens… you meet the worst fate anyone can have.

"You're removed from existence. You are never to be found, never to be saved, never to be remembered by anyone who ever has and ever will exist. To put it as simply as I can, you become absolutely nothing."

Ignis let out a whimper as he cowered back from Ker. The Sableye allowed him some space, but still kept her firm grip on his tendril. She couldn't stop grinning as she watched him violently try to squirm out of her grasp, but fail no matter how hard he tried.

However, it didn't take her long to notice that she still could not feel the least bit of dread from him. She couldn't taste one hint of that sweet flavor she craved. It was such a disappointment that it broke her smile the moment she made the realization. It seemed that she needed to try harder to get that delicious emotion out of him.

"Relax, you're not going to end up like that," Ker said with a disapproving frown. "You've really got to try to even start losing your memories. It's not easy ignoring your hunger and starving yourself."

"Oh… Oh, good," Ignis said as he finally settled down. "I… I don't want to end up like that…"

"Well no one does. But as long as you eat plenty of fear, you'll be just fine."

"But… But why? Why can't I have happiness? I thought that… that happiness was stronger than fear."

"No, no way is that true. Don't you ever believe that. Fear is supreme to all the other emotions or chemicals or whatever those mortals want to call them. Fearwas with mortals long before happiness ever decided to show up. Fear was there the second they hatched from their eggs or came out of someone's womb or come bursting out of someone's chest or whatever else happens at birth. You're only truly alive when you're fleeing from what you think is death. Happiness doesn't do that. Happiness lulls you, makes you content with your situation. Makes you not want to move forward."

"But you can still eat it, can't you?"

"Oh you can… you'll just lose all your energy. Eating happiness slows you down to a crawl. You eat fear and only fear if you know what's good for you."

"Wha-What about the other emotions like sadness and rage? Are you sure you can't eat those?"

Ker frowned. She eyed a Mawile and Pansage walking directly under the chandelier she stood upon. She couldn't hear their conversation, but based on the sudden spike of bitterness in the air, she knew it was anything but pleasant. She watched them for just a moment, and then tightened her grip around Ignis.

"Why don't you try eating their contempt and see what happens?" Ker suggested. "I'll help you get closer to them."

Ker leapt off the chandelier with Ignis in tow and darted into the nearest wall. She crept through the stone until she made it to the marble floor that lined the hallway. She snuck into the floor, staying close to its surface as she swept past all of the Pokémon in her way. She saw them shiver as she swooped right beneath their feet. She savored the mild, sugary taste from each of them. It wasn't very filling, similar to a mortal having a slice of bread for a meal, but it was refreshing after having that awful, contempt-filled taste in her mouth.

Within moments, Ker and Ignis found themselves right beneath the Mawile and Pansage. The Sableye took a moment to listen to their conversation, wondering what they could possibly be discussing that could give off so much bitterness.

"I'm telling you, we should kick Felix and Ivy off the team," the Pansage stated with a dark frown. "They're not doing anything useful. They just keep getting in the way of missions and making everything harder."

"They just joined," the Mawile shot back. "Give them some time to get used to everything. We weren't always the best team when we first started, remember?"

"They've been on the team for a month. They shouldn't be making as many mistakes as they are now. Forgetting to pack a couple of apples for a five day trip, sure, I can live with that. Who doesn't forget to pack apples? But losing those Sitrus berries that Guildmaster Len and Zekra specifically requested us to pick up in Steel City? That's unacceptable. I'll never forget the lashing Master Zekra gave us until Len calmed her down."

"That wasn't their fault. How were they supposed to know that we'd be ambushed by hungry Aipom in Tropius Jungle on the way back?"

"They were Aipom. Aipom, as in the weakest jungle Pokémon there are. They should have been able to take those Aipom out with just one strike."

"Come on, you know that those Aipom were particularly fierce that day. They weren't going to leave us alone unless we knocked them all out."

"That still doesn't excuse the rest of their shortcomings. Felix hasn't learned how to harness dark power even though he's a Weavile now and Ivy can't even conjure up her vines on a whim. How are we supposed to be an effective team when half our team can't even-"

So it was a typical argument in universes like these filled with guilds. Ker had heard many conversations like this. Some team members gossiping about odd ones of the team, some growing schism over something especially petty that would rupture the team in half, or an honest disgust for the guildmasters themselves. Whatever it was, they always gave Ker the exact same emotions, filling her mouth with the cyanide that it was.

"Alright Ignis, go ahead and eat their contempt," she then said. "Just focus on the emotion coming out of them, and then suck it all in. Go ahead and watch what happens."

"Thi-This won't hurt them?" Ignis asked.

"They're not going to feel a thing. It'll just rip the emotion out of them. Now go on, do it."

The Chandelure cast his gaze upon the two bickering Pokémon above them. Ker watched his eyes illuminate with a white light as the fire within his form swelled to twice its size. The flames upon his tentacles flickered and swayed in an unsettling manner. For just a moment, Ker no longer saw Ignis as the weak little spirit not fit for her dimension; she saw a true poltergeist capable of striking terror into even the bravest of mortals. It made her want to release her hold on him and float in awe at the marvelous sight.

But just before she could, the Chandelure made a hissing noise that sounded too much like someone pouring water onto hot coals. He retreated away from the surface and stuck his tendrils into his domed form, as if he intended to burn away any traces of the emotion he had just absorbed. Any semblance of his intimidating self vanished as he writhed in place.

"Eugh! Eaaaugh, that was horrible!" he sputtered. "Augh! It stings!"

"Yeah, that's why you don't eat any form of anger," Ker replied, hiding her dissatisfaction. "Except maybe disappointment. Disappoint can taste alright if nobody's yelling at each other. It's still no replacement for fear though."

"N-Noted. Euuuuuugh."

"I told you not to eat anything but fear if you know what's good for you."

"I-I know you did. But… But I just wanted to know if I really had to. Why do we have to eat fear exactly?"

For a moment, Ker didn't say anything. In truth, she hadn't heard anyone ask this question before. She knew the answer, she had known for some time, but she never had to explain to anyone else before. She honestly considered deflecting Ignis's question until she saw how earnestly he gazed at her.

Maybe she could finally get that delicious emotion out of him if she answered his question a certain way.

"Because that's what we're supposed to eat," Ker said. "As for why it tastes good, well that's how instincts work. They make you want something they know you need. If something is good, you keep wanting it. If it's nasty like that disdain you just ate up, then you stay away from it."

"L-Like spending time with others," Ignis replied. "We like being around others because we need them. We… We need their help to survive."

"Yeah. So when some Reaper like Grim comes along and rips your soul right out of your body, it changes your instincts so that you actually like the taste of fear. And you wanna know why they do that to you?"

"W-Why?"

"Because… we're not just ghosts living in some spectral dimension doing whatever we want. No, all those Reapers get us because we have a very specific job to do."

The fire rising from Ignis's tentacles simmered down, becoming nothing more than tiny embers. Ker was sure that if she had lungs, she could blow the feeble flames right out with a single breath.

"An-And what's that?" Ignis asked weakly.

"To remind all the mortals of all the universes that they can never control everything," Ker answered ominously. "The more advanced a society gets, the more they start to think that they're above troublesome little things like fear and pain and suffering. They think that with their cute little inventions, they can avoid all of that. They think they can finally achieve peaceful lives, free from all the turmoil and danger they'd find in primitive days. With this brand new medicine, they can prolong death and live days that were never theirs to have. With this bladed weapon, they can vanquish the very predators that once spelled doom for them. With this cooling box, they can store their food for days, if not weeks at time. They can hunt in excess and store away what they don't want now, saving themselves time and energy. With the domestication of the savage beast that once hunted them through the night, they can make it work for them instead. It can hunt their prey and protect them from dangers they could never know on their own.

"It goes on. All the mortals advance through time, slowly forgetting who they once were and how so very powerless they are to everything. Our job is to put them in their place. We are the black that covers the night. We are the dark whispers in the back of every mortal's mind.

"We are the absolute unknown."

Ker finally ended her lengthy ramble. She was most certainly glad she didn't need oxygen; she was sure she would have been out of breath by now. The Sableye only grinned and took in Ignis's reaction. She could only imagine how glorious it would be.

But much to Ker's great surprise, the Chandelure wasn't shuddering in the slightest. He only held her gaze, his eyes now hollow and empty. She couldn't taste anything coming out of him either; only the emotions of the mortals above her filled her mouth.

It was almost unsettling.

"So yeah… that's why we eat fear," Ker said, breaking the awkward silence. "Some ghosts say that the Reapers aren't actually doing all of this because they want to. They say that the Reapers actually get us and make us into what we are because the dimension tells them to… like it's alive and everything… but you know, nobody really knows. That's just some stupid rumor. Because you know, if the dimension really was telling them to do all that, we'd hear it talking, wouldn't we?"

Ignis didn't say anything. Ker ran her tongue over the tips of her teeth.

"But yeah…now that you know," Ker then said. "Let's um… let's go get something to eat. You need something good, and so do I."

The Sableye then dragged the wordless Chandelure along into the deeper depths of the castle. She hadn't been lying; she could use some tasty dread. She couldn't remember the last she had eaten and her form was beginning to feel heavy. Some of her thoughts even felt fuzzy as well. She could no longer grasp them as easily.

Thankfully, this dimension was especially ripe with fear. On a superficial level the dimension seemed quite hopeful and even peaceful, but if you peered past the surface, you could see the darkness and the demons that lurked within. Ker only had to manipulate certain factors of the environment and she'd reap all of the food she could possibly ever want.

Moments later, Ker brought Ignis to one of the many bedrooms of the castle. It was one of the larger ones, perfect for teams of ten or more. And though it was morning, a good number of the team members still lay asleep in their beds, oblivious to the two ghosts standing in the dark corner of the room.

Ker finally released her hold on Ignis as she flexed her claws. The Chandelure remained still, his vacant stare still unchanged. The Sableye looked over each of the slumbering Pokémon from where she stood, studying them carefully. Five Pokémon slumbered in the room at the moment. The one nearest to her was a Mudbray, the ugly little thing whispering something in his sleep. At first glance one would think he was in the midst of a nightmare, but Ker knew better. He didn't toss in his sleep or sweat profusely.

Another Pokémon slumbered right beside the Mudbray, this one being a Lilligant. She seemed in a state of peace, the leaves protruding from her head swaying ever so slightly with each quiet breath she took. The same could be said about the Pawniard, Zangoose, and Mightyena sleeping under the window at the back of the room. All of the Pokémon seemed at peace, unaware of the nightmare watching them.

To any other ghosts, these Pokémon would be useless. They would offer nothing sustainable and bothering them would be a waste of energy.

But not to Ker. Ker knew how to reap exactly what she wanted from this unfortunate group.

"This is how you get your food," Ker said in a hushed voice to Ignis. "You stay there and watch."

Ker's form turned a darker shade of purple as a black, tattered cloak manifested around her neck. When it finished materializing, the Sableye stepped out of the shadows and presented herself before the slumbering group.

"Look at all of you…" Ker asked, her voice now gravelly, sinister, and uncannily enough, male. "I thought I told you that you couldn't trust the leaders of Pledge Mountain."

Her voice resonated throughout the room like a distorted echo. All of the slumbering Pokémon snapped their eyes open and shot their gazes toward the Sableye. It didn't take long for any traces of lulling energy to vanish as a panicked state came over the group. Ker could already taste a savory flavor in the air, but it wasn't what she wanted. It was still the quick, instant sort of fear; astonishment. The kind that made you run away or attack any immediate threats. This wasn't the deep, abysmal dread she sought.

"My… My liege," the Mightyena rasped. "How are you here? You… You died. "

"I died? Did you honestly believe that I could possibly perish so easily after everything I've been through?" Ker asked, glowering at them. "I suppose you have no faith in your leader's capabilities. I shouldn't be surprised; you are working for the ones I warned would kill you without a second thought. I told you this multiple times, if I recall correctly."

"But… there's nothing to worry about anymore," the Pawniard then said. "We took care of those corrupt leaders. It's Len and Zekra that run this organization now. They even gave it a new name and a new goal."

Ker scoffed. She made her way toward the group, prompting them to step back out of reflex. She could taste a tinge of sweetness in the atmosphere now. She had to resist smiling.

"Do you honestly think that Len is on our side?" Ker asked in disgust. "He was always on those corrupt leaders' side. We trust no one who worked for Pledge Mountain's leaders. We only trust those from our base and only them."

"But… how can you be so sure?" the Pawniard asked. "We've been here for fifteen years now… Len hasn't done anything to us. He's been really nice to us. And wasn't he the one who helped us get rid of Pledge Mountain's leaders in the first place?"

"All a façade," Ker said. "All something to let your guard down so you could trust him. The only reason he hasn't killed any of you is because he doesn't need to. You prove far too useful with helping him rebuild this region in his own design. Of course… he will kill you when he no longer has use for you."

The Pokémon glanced uneasily at each other. The sweetness in the air grew stronger. It became so strong that it felt similar to walking into a bakery right at dawn.

"But then, why did you disappear?" the Lilligant then asked, fumbling with her paws. "Why didn't you tell us any of this before?"

"I disappeared to make Len think that I would be out of the picture," Ker answered simply. "I wanted him to think that I had died so that I could catch him off-guard. As for why none of you know of this… I had honestly expected you to understand the moment I said I would be disappearing. When have I ever told any of you that I would disappear? When do I ever say that there is a possibility I might perish?"

"Well you sounded so sure before we stormed this mountain…" the Lilligant replied feebly.

"Nonsense," Ker replied with a dismissive wave of her claw. "Hmph. To think that you would all believe I would abandon my very followers so easily after everything we've been through."

"Well then… what do you want us to do then?" the Croagunk then asked. "If we really are in danger… then what do we do about it? My liege… how do we save ourselves?"

Ker finally allowed herself to grin. She made her shadow slither along the ground, moving it along the floor so that it swayed like a Seviper ready to strike. She could taste all of the dread in the air now. There was so much of it; she could practically see it in the air as a fine, black haze.

There was only one last thought to put into their minds before everything would be perfect. One last thought, and then she would have a feast before her.

"Tell the others what I told you," Ker replied as her eyes radiated with a green light. "Tell them that they are not safe here and that I have returned. Tell them that at dusk, we shall all meet in the dungeon of this mountain. And from there, I will tell you what we must do to free ourselves before it's too late. Before Len hears of my return and slaughters us all. Now go. Hurry."

Within a second, all five of the Pokémon burst out of the room and sprinted down the hall as quickly as their legs would allow them. Ker could see them practically tripping over themselves as they hurried into the depths of the castle, frantically searching for their other acquaintances and teammates.

Ker couldn't stop herself from laughing as she shifted back into her true form, losing the cape and her darker tone. She had done it. Now the whole room held the sweet aroma of dread. It lingered strongly in the room even though all of the Pokémon were on the other side of the castle now. That was the one thing about fear; because it was so strong, you didn't have to absorb it directly from the mortal. Fear lingered for many minutes at a time in a small vicinity, especially if the vicinity was closed off and isolated like this bedroom.

The Sableye took in as much as she could of the sugary emotion. She slurped it right up, savoring every bit of the heavenly aroma and taste. As she absorbed it into her being, her form lightened. No longer did she feel gravity pulling her to the ground. She could truly feel her spectral form free itself from the binds of the mortal realm.

By the time Ker had taken all that she could handle, she felt born anew. Her entire form felt renewed and invigorated as if she had woken from a long, restful sleep. Even her very gemstones had been restored to their lustrous selves, all of the jagged cracks that tore through their surfaces now completely sealed up.

The Sableye reveled in this blissful feeling for just a moment longer, and then brought her gaze over to Ignis. She found that he still hovered there in the dark corner, watching her silently.

"Alright, you can have what's left," she told him. "There should be enough for you to last you a while."

The Chandelure slowly emerged from the shadows and made his way toward the Sableye. Ker watched him draw close until he was right by her side. He didn't partake in any of the dread around them, instead only eying Ker with his empty gaze.

"W-Why were you talking to those Pokémon like that?"

"Oh that? I was pretending to be this Sableye that used to be their leader. See, here's the thing about this dimension. It used to be overrun with all these monsters that would eat everybody. So some Pokémon built this organization to get rid of those monsters. Of course, there was this huge conspiracy with the organization and well… it's a lot to explain really. You had to watch it all happen to understand any of it. All you really need to know is that I basically made them think that their leader came back from the dead and told them that they weren't actually safe."

"So... So you made them doubt everything. You made them doubt their heart, their instincts, their trust, their memories... you took it all away and left them with n-n-n-nothing."

"Yeah! Because if there's one thing mortals fear most, it's the unknown. Mortals cling to their feelings and their supposed truths of the world. So if you make them think that they don't know anything… they realize how powerless they really are.

"But of course, those mortals are going to know I was lying to them when they all show up in the dungeon later. They'll realize their leader really is gone and that what happened here was probably just some bad nightmare. Or something. They'll come up with some explanation to rationalize what just happened. They always do."

"So... this is how you you scare mortals."

"Yep! It's pretty great, isn't it?"

The Chandelure stared at her, refusing to answer. Ker returned his gaze with a bemused glare. She didn't understand why he wasn't eating any of the terror around them. He had to have been hungry; he was a new ghost after all. And yet he only continued to watch her with his glassy eyes.

"Ha. Ah… hah. You're serious," Ignis said after a while, his voice lowering to a terrifying tone as the crackling of his fire grew louder. "You thrive by stripping mortals of everything they cling to. You relish in their existential suffering. Ahah. Ahhh."

"Yeah… I do," Ker answered quietly, taking a subtle step away from the Chandelure. "It lasts longer than just popping out of a wall and spooking them. And it tastes better too… you could taste the difference, couldn't you? Wasn't there a huge taste difference between when those Pokémon first saw me to when they bolted out the door?"

A haunting, resounding laughter resonated out of Ignis. It echoed through the air and pierced directly into Ker's core, prompting her to shudder. A powerful chill washed over her as the flames within the Chandelure's form swelled in size.

She needed to get away. She needed to get out of here.

Right now.

"You are something else, little wraith,"Ignis cackled. "I hadn't anticipated that playing with you would bring me this much joy and excitement. You honestly might be my best play thing yet."

"I… I don't get what you're saying," Ker stammered, further shirking away from the Chandelure. "What… What's with this sudden change in attitude? Earlier you couldn't even say one sentence without stuttering and now…"

Ignis's eyes glimmered with an evil, knowing light as he uncurled one of his tendrils and wrapped it around Ker's arm. His very touch froze her in place.

So much for getting away.

"That meek personality I exhibited isn't who I truly am. That was all a farce," Ignis answered. "This is a little something I do, you see. This is all an elaborate game. Like you, I delight in reactions. However, while you delight in ensuing existential thoughts, I partake in more immediate thoughts. Say, for instance, the reaction my assigned partner might have when she discovers that I'm not actually that meek little Chandelure she thought she could traumatize. Oh, the emotions she emits when she realizes that I'm actually much more capable and more unpredictable than she anticipated are to die for."

Ker could practically see the smile in his eyes as he took in all of her dread. His fire burned all the more fiercely as he absorbed her feelings into his form.

"It's just as exquisite as I had hoped," Ignis laughed. "I truly did hope that I could still partake in my worldly passion when I became one of you. I had hoped the taste wouldn't sour."

Ker finally understood everything as Ignis sucked out the last of her fright. She had been played; he had been toying with her this entire time.

He had pretended to be such a weak ghost because he wanted to surprise her, to throw her off-guard. All to feed off of her bewilderment. All because it was a game to him.

A twisted game he would always win.

She was the pawn this entire time, not him.

"Well congrats, you got me," Ker spat. "You got me good and you got a good snack out of it too. I hope you had fun playing mastermind."

"I did. You were quite a joy to play with. Your astonishment was quite delicious; I don't think I've had anything so delightful in my entire life. Of course, you are the only one I've ever done this to in which I could taste it too. Perhaps other ghosts or mortals will taste far better. But knowing how absolutely marvelous you tasted, I have a feeling I might just need seconds."

"Yeah, well whatever. You clearly don't need my help with anything anymore. You're just fine on your own."

Ker tugged her claw out of Ignis's grasp, but found she could not free herself. She tried harder, yanking with all her might, but the Chandelure would not relinquish his hold. He only kept his glowing gaze on her, that sly glint still in his eyes.

She wanted to rip that look off of him. She wanted to sink her claws into his glass face and tear it out slowly, painfully.

"Let me go," Ker hissed. "I'm getting out of here. We're both done here. I've got nothing left to teach you, and I sure don't want to spend another moment with you."

"Ah I would normally be in agreement and wish to part ways as well. However, something binds me to you," the Chandelure answered coquettishly.

It was then that Ker noticed something new in his eyes. Something she could not name. Something that looked like it wanted to devour her.

"Like what?" Ker asked, eyeing the Chandelure carefully.

"How to put this eloquently… I find great amusement in your company," Ignis said as his flames simmered down. "Your depraved glee is most extraordinarily alluring. Never have I seen a creature such as yourself that does not shirk from the debauchery of life and fully embraces it. It's a rare sight, a rare gem to find within the great mines of existence. Truly something that stirs the very flames that are my soul."

"What…?"

Ignis snickered as he pulled Sableye toward him. He reeled her in close, then twirled her around and around like a top. Everything blurred around the Sableye, even the purple fire that was Ignis. She phased herself into the ground, but Ignis pulled her right back to the surface.

Suddenly something lurched Ker out of the spin and the blurs turned back into a bedroom. Now she was rushing toward a wall at full speed.

But then something stopped her before she could get very far and dipped her back to the ground. It dipped her so far down that her head hovered only a few inches above the ground. She could see the ceiling now and how filthy it was against the grey.

And she could see Ignis still holding her, his tendril now wrapped around her torso.

He still looked at her like she was his prize in the demented game that started the second they met.

He yanked her back to her feet with one swift pull. The moment he loosened his hold and reached for her arm, Ker backed away from him. She hastily phased into the ground, but she wasn't fast enough. Something wrapped around her neck before it tugged her back up. Ker couldn't even move as Ignis curled his tendril around her wrist again.

He swung her around him like a ragdoll. He pulled her this way and that all around him in his twisted waltz, his eyes glimmering with that amused light the entire time. It was the only thing Ker could focus in the chaos of it all. She wasn't even in control of her feet anymore. They only reacted to Ignis's instructions without her consent, desperate to keep up with his erratic movements. She knew she could have just phased through the ground; she knew she didn't have to step all over the ground like a mortal in this crazed dance. But for whatever reason, she couldn't do that. She couldn't be the ghost she was supposed to be.

The entire room began to spin again. Ker was glad she didn't have any organs of any sort; she was sure she would have vomited by this point.

"Oh my little wraith, allow me to tell you exactly why you are so deeply ravishing."

The spinning abruptly stopped. Ker's vision snapped back into order just in time for her to see Ignis pulling her toward him again. She braced herself for yet another violent swing, and maybe another chance to yank her claw out of Ignis's grip. But she didn't go flying to Ignis's other side so he could drag her across the floor or dip her back.

No, she went straight into his form.

Ker could practically feel the heat from his ghostly fire as she pressed up against his smooth, glass-like form. She found herself too speechless to move as Ignis wrapped both of his tendrils around her completely, pinning her to his being.

She could only see his face. She could only see his eyes, his vague semblance of a mouth that wasn't even a mouth, and the fire burning so brightly inside of him.

Yes, she could most certainly see that fire. That fire that swayed and crackled, beckoning to her, tempting her to come closer. That fire that wanted to consume her and take in her everything. That fire that wanted to cherish her forever and ever.

Why didn't she just let it?

"Oh, where to begin?" Ignis said with a velvety voice. "Your eyes sparkle with far more glamor than any diamond I could ever find. Your voice is a melodious tune that would make even the marvelous Meloetta envious. Your aura radiates with such an inviting darkness that makes my very soul quiver. You're absolutely stunning in all of your perverted and twisted beauty.

"You're heaven divine."

Ker felt her face flush even though she didn't have a single drop of blood in her. She tried to pull herself away as she started to realize how tantalizing his voice had become. Or how utterly captivating his eyes were, how easy it was to become lost in the soft glow.

But she couldn't pull away. He held her there tight against his form. Not only that, but something else held her there. Something that wouldn't let her spectral form move to her command.

"I um… I see," Ker managed to say.

Why couldn't she move? Why couldn't she do anything useful?

Why did she actually like hearing those compliments?

"Hahahah. Splendid. Your bashfulness never ceases to amuse me," Ignis cooed. "Your befuddled thoughts fill the air with a delightful aroma. I could live entirely off them and never once grow tired of their savory taste."

Suddenly the fire before her wasn't so tempting anymore. Now it reminded her of the fiery pits that burned in the dark world mortals knew as Hell.

Now she could feel something similar to those infernos burning inside herself.

"You sick little wisp! Did you really do all of that just to get a reaction out of me?"

"Oh yes, most certainly. Your astonishment is quite a sight to behold with the way your eyes flash and how you tremble ever so slightly for just a second. And of course, the taste is quite divine. No one could ever fault me for wanting to play with you again and again when these things are so. Besides, I did say I wanted seconds. I gave you a fair warning, little wraith. It's not my fault that you have the inability to heed warnings."

"Shut up!"

Ker stuck out her tongue and ran it up Ignis's left eye, making extra sure she pressed her tongue against him with as much force as she could muster. The Chandelure abruptly let go of her and swooped back as the unsettling hissing noise emitted from his form. She could taste all of the unnerved energy flowing out of him. It dyed the air with a saccharine taste for just a moment before abruptly turning harsh and sickening. Ker forced herself to ignore the taste and focused on his reaction. That reaction wasn't exactly what she wanted, she much preferred him rushing out of the room while screaming like a little girl, but this would do.

Anything revolving around Ignis being in a distraught state was good enough at this point.

"Just what was that?" Ignis asked, the hissing seeping into his voice.

"Well it's just like you said…" Ker replied with a sneer. "It's pretty fun watching others being tormented. Consider it payback for everything you've done to me."

The Chandelure's form shuddered before he eyed the Sableye with a glower. She could see his fire shivering unpleasantly, as though something were trying to blow it out.

Good. He deserved that, even if it made everything taste like rotting fruit.

"You truly are something else," Ignis said with a dark tone. "I don't think I've quite had someone lick my eye before, let alone lick me in general. They're always in too much of a daze to react much before I take my leave. Ah, but not you. Not you, strange little ghost. Of all the ghosts I could have possibly played with, I find myself with you, a Sableye who delights in the torment of others. Actually no, you don't delight in suffering. You crave it."

The Chandelure's eyes gleamed with a strange light, and all of the malevolence vanished. Now something else glinted in his eyes. Something compelling. Something instinctual. Something insatiable. Something that erased the pungent aroma from the air and replaced it with a rich, unique flavor Ker could not name.

Ignis snickered and then locked his gaze onto the Sableye, paralyzing her.

"You're an absolute aphrodisiac," Ignis purred.

He burst into a boisterous, almost maniacal laughter. Ker found she could only stand there, absolutely flustered and speechless.

That was certainly something no one had said to her before.

She could leave right now, she knew that. He wasn't holding her captive physically or with his weird, hypnotic gaze. After all, this Chandelure had been using her this entire time, toying with her so that he might savor her unsettled reactions. He was a living poison and utterly delighted in the misery that he brought.

He would only keep tormenting her the longer she stayed with him. After all, why else would he make that kind of remark? He just wanted more of her disconcerting feelings; they were his addiction. He couldn't possibly get enough of her.

And yet, she couldn't help but marvel at his depravity. He had played her so easily, so masterfully. She never would have guessed that beneath that frail mask, there lay a truly formidable and clever ghost. No one she had ever known held this much delight in suffering. He was just like her in his own unique, disturbed way.

Something about that mesmerized her. Part of her wanted to remain with him and delve deep into his mind and understand its twisted workings.

She wanted to unravel his mind and tangle it with her own. She wanted to see what warped thoughts the two could create together.

The Chandelure stopped laughing and brought his gaze back to Ker. He still held that strange glint in his eyes that made every part of her jitter with volatile energy.

No, she couldn't be impressed by him. He was a trickster, nothing more, and one who had played his game long enough. Just because just about everything about him was oh so compelling didn't mean she could let him play around with her some more. She wasn't about to stay the prize anymore. She was going to flip this entire game on its head and make Ignis her prize like she was supposed to.

That vile, absolutely evil… clever, captivating, delightfully diabolical…

"I must confess that I wasn't entirely toying with you when I expressed how deeply enthralling you are," Ignis then said. "There is something alluring to you. Like a moth to a flame, I find I cannot avert my gaze from you."

"Yeah right, I'm not falling for that again," Ker muttered dryly.

"Oh, but I mean that, my little wraith. I earnestly do believe that your thought process is truly fascinating. As I said before, you embrace the darkness in life. You do not shirk from it and take great pride in the role those Reapers thrust upon you. From what I do know about the other denizens of the dimension, they do not share your thoughts."

"No… they don't. They just scare creatures because they know they have to. They scare everyone with the lowest amount of effort possible, like jumping out of walls or looking creepy."

"Mmmhmm. I suspected as much. There was something quite different about the air around you compared to the other ghosts around you when we first met."

"But you're saying that you actually find my whole look on life… uhhh… appealing."

"Yes. I will admit that it is quite amusing watching you wriggle and writhe, but I also find quite a bit of enjoyment in watching that captivating mind of yours work. It's sinister, but not melodramatic and off-putting. You claim to hold no standards, yet it's very clear that you have actual tastes. It's such a unique thought process, if I do say so myself."

No, that couldn't be right. He couldn't actually think that. This had to be another trick. He wanted her to believe him so that he could get even more of her emotions.

But she didn't see any plans in those beaming eyes. There was no darkness or no deceit. She only saw appreciation and wonderment. And well, he still had that unrecognizable glint in his eyes from before. Something that made it look like he wanted to attack her, but not in a way that would hurt her. So maybe he really was telling the truth this time.

And also… he did seem to genuinely appreciate her thoughts when she really thought about it. Never once when they were together, even when under his frail façade, had he been unhinged by her methods. In fact, he had stopped his charade because she had shown him exactly what kind of ghost she truly was when feeding.

He was the only one who had ever found fascination in her thoughts. No one, not a single ghost in the entire spectral dimension, not even her supposed friends, had ever wanted to hear what she had to say. They would tolerate her, but never once actually want to listen to her thoughts. They were too morbid, too extreme. Too unsettling.

But not Ignis. Ignis loved her thoughts. He enjoyed listening to them and wanted more and more of them.

She was absolutely enticing to him.

Ker felt a pleasant shudder wash over her at the thought of that.

"Would you be so kind as to allow me to remain in your company?" Ignis then asked with a coy tone. "Nothing would bring me more joy than to explore that beautifully dark and twisted mind of yours. I can practically hear it calling to me."

The Sableye laughed a little. So this was what it was like. This was what it felt like to have someone who understood you. This was what it felt like to be coveted, to be the center of someone's entire existence.

How had she lived without this? How could she have ever thought that she was happy without having this intoxicating buzzing all throughout her being?

"Well I don't know…" Ker said, now equally as coy. "How do I really know that you aren't just tricking me again? It's so hard to tell when I'm actually in your little game or not."

"Ah, a valid point. Well then, I suppose I will have to prove myself to you. But first, what may I call you by? As much as I wouldn't mind calling you my little wraith for the rest of eternity, I doubt you would."

"You can call me Ker."

"What an interesting name. I haven't heard that name in quite some time. Well then, I'm quite glad to know your name, Ker."

"Hah, thanks. You've got a nice name yourself, Ignis."

"Ah. Right, you only know me by my mortal name. Well dear Ker, I'll politely inform you that Ignis is no longer my name. My name, as of ascending from mortality to near immortality, is Gallows."

The second Ker heard the name, she couldn't stop herself from bursting into a violent laughing fit. Gallows shot her a dark glare, but she refused to stop.

"Gallows? That's got to be the most try-hard name I've ever heard. What, was Guillotine not good enough for you?"

"Oh look at you, Ker. You don't think I know what exactly 'Ker' means? Keres are the sisters of a death god from an ancient human culture. They're grotesque, violent beings. They steal the souls of those who die on the battlefield and deliver them to the underworld. Then they drink every last drop of blood from the fresh corpses, all the while rending apart the flesh with their talons. How does that sound any better than my own name?"

"It's better than 'Gallows'. Gallows is just so bad. I thought with your poetic ways, you'd come up with a better name."

"You'll need to learn to live with it then, because that is my name. I won't respond to any other name you may call me by except Gallows, no matter what you might do to attract my attention."

"Alright then, Gallows."

"See, that wasn't so difficult, was it?"

"Well I felt something in me die a little when I said it, so…"

"Eventually you'll be able to call me Gallows without having to strain yourself. I'm sure of it. You will come to understand why exactly I gave myself that seemingly tasteless name."

"Yeah, the same moment you realize how stupid that name really is."

Gallows's flames flickered dangerously and bitterness flowed into the air, but Ker wouldn't stop smiling. He really had chosen such a ridiculous name. She couldn't imagine herself ever taking it with any amount of serious in the near future. For such an enthralling ghost, he had such poor tastes in names.

"Regardless of my name, I think I've decided upon a way to make you see that I truly do find you to be an intriguing ghost worthy of all my attention," Gallows said in an inviting voice that sucked Ker right in.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" she asked.

Gallows laughed softly as his eyes flashed with a devious light.

"Let me teach you the game," he said in a soft, silky voice. "I can tell that you crave to be as masterful as myself in the art of terror and despair. If you will let me follow you, I'll gladly teach you all that I know in return."

"Oh, well when you put it that way, how can I refuse?" Ker giggled. "And you're sure you're not lying to me? Because you know, I'm going to be pretty mad if this is all just another trick of yours…"

"You'll always be a target of my games, dear Ker. I will not deny that. Your reactions are far too delicious for me to ever stop partaking in. To ask me to stop taking in your emotions is to ask me to stop existing altogether."

"Oh, well that's reassuring."

"Ah, don't think of it as something malicious. Understand, you are no longer a mere source of amusement. You are no longer a pattern I can easily manipulate. You're a ghost whose very darkness calls to me with its alluring voice and pulls me toward it. You're simply so beguiling, so addicting, that I am practically a slave to your whims. You may be playing my game, but I'm letting you win now."

"So you mean… you're like obsessed with me and are willing to do anything to get my emotions?"

"That sounds far less embellishing than how I intended it to sound, but I suppose that is a way of looking at it."

"Well I guess that makes it kind of better… sort of. Do I ever get to scare you? Because you know, I'd hate to just constantly be tricked by you and I can't do anything back. It'd be pretty unfair."

"Ah, of course. I cannot guarantee you'll receive the exact reactions you want, but I won't stop you from trying. That is part of the game, after all. I think I might even enjoy watching you scheme against me. It's been some time since I've been deeply terrified. I forget what it feels like."

"What, me licking you didn't count?"

"No, that was simply disgusting. Please don't ever do that again."

"No promises."

"Eugh. Even still, yes, you can try all you like to frighten me. I have no qualms with that, whatsoever."

"Sweet. Alright, I think I'll go along with all this. This could be fun."

Ker saw that devious smile in Gallows's eyes again, but she didn't feel the uncomfortable chill going through her. She only felt a grin creep onto her face at the sight of that devilish look. Suddenly that look wasn't something that wanted to devour her soul. Now it was a raw compulsion that wanted nothing more than to drag Ker into its euphoric, primal rush.

She hoped she would see that glimmer many, many times.

Gallows closed the space between the two of them. He wrapped both of his tendrils around Ker, holding her in a tight embrace just as he had when riling her up with his compliments. However, unlike then, it actually felt good to be so close to him.

She felt that she actually belonged there against Gallows and hear nothing but the snapping of his fire.

"Well then, shall we begin?" Gallows asked as he caressed the gemstone on her chest with the end of one of his tendrils. "I want to wake up all of those demons lurking inside you…"

Ker looked around the both of them. She could see that they were still in that empty bedroom, but she wasn't sure how much longer it would stay that way. She could sense Pokémon walking past the door, probably talking about guild things that she couldn't care less about.

"Yeah… but let's not do any of that here," Ker said. "I think I've had enough of this place. There's like a million places better than here."

Ker took one of her claws and tore open a portal beside them. She didn't even have to peer into the tear to know that it led to a beautiful dimension just perfect for this game Gallows spoke of.

Somewhere the darkness stretched on into eternity and the monsters within ran amok without cease.

Yes, Ker was going to enjoy her time with Gallows. She'd be having lots of fun with him.

All of this was going to be just perfect.

Ker held her gaze with Gallows for just a moment longer, and then dragged him into the tear with her.