Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Pokemon, its characters, locations, or names. All of them, with the exception of original characters, ideas, and places, belong to Nintendo.

Credits: Vanika, Silvanus, and all locations involving Nara belong to me.

AN: Hm. Finally, we get to one of the first major chapters of the story, which brings up one of the short plot lines for DG, which has many, many short ones and a few longer ones.

Happy Mother's Day to those who celebrate it, and I hope you all remembered to go give your mommies, grandmas, and other such people a hug. :D

Warning: No those adult scenes aren't in this chapter either. Go forward a few more chapters and it'll be in there, when I get that chapter up. Ha.

- Chapter Six: Forest Raid -

"What did you find?" Pausing from his constant pacing, the shaggy-haired man looked toward the woman that was standing at his study door, holding a stack of papers and books. Taking them from her, he waved her off, smiling to himself. "This is exactly what I needed…"

Setting the stack on the large cherry desk, he thumbed through the books, looking at the various illustrations and pictures that showed the forest that was only a few miles away in various states – Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter – and creatures that inhabited it. He noted that two pages were heavy on text and had very few pictures; it spoke of some type of larger reptilian creature living in the forest, two of them, along with some type of humanoid.

Staring at it, he rose an eyebrow. It also spoke of it being speculation and rumor, that there was no proof that there were any strange beings or spirits in the forest. The book went into eye witness accounts of different occurrences in and around the strange forest, many of them containing a story of seeing someone in the trees walking or running, or that they saw the winged creatures either directly or indirectly.

"Curious...so many myths..." He picked up the papers and ruffled through them, his eyes darting as he read through. "A treasure that no one has seen...word on word 'monsters' roaming the forest...a mystery woman that no one can seem to get close to unless she attacks them...very curious."

Picking up the phone, he smirked, and dialed in the number for his brother. As there was a click and he heard the voice of the other man, he flipped over some of the notes. "Yes, Garth, I have a proposition for you..."

- - -

I have a bad feeling. Vanika paced, her wings furled and tail waving. She had her head down, her nose nearly touching the ground. Something is happening...something is going to happen...I don't like this.

There is nothing here. Everyone is safe, everyone is sound, and no other creature, human or otherwise, has neared the forest. Silvanus peered at her, lazily and with an almost indifferent feeling. The female sighed, her scales almost visibly paling.

"Are you alright?" She turned to see both Misty and Brock, looking at her with worried faces. I'm fine. Vanika whimpered down, going stiff and alert. Where's May?

"Where else?" Brock said, smiling slightly, "In the forest. She wanted to go with when Ash went to go do some training with Pikachu and his other pokemon."

"Are you sure about that? I wouldn't call what is really going on training," Misty pointed out sourly. Silvanus narrowed his eyes. Have you all nothing better to talk about then them? Ever sense we came back from the city, it is nothing but talk, talk, talk about them! Them, and the lake.

As he glared at them, he relaxed again, closing his eyes. You should put some trust into your friend. Just as you would do what you feel is right, he is doing the same.

On those last words, Silvanus fell into his nap, leaving the two humans to contemplate what he had just said.

- - -

"Pikachu! Pika!" At the unknown order, the pokemon lined up, facing the make-shift targets. The yellow mouse pointed with one small paw, and let out a squeal, unleashing his own attack at the same time that the others unleashed theirs.

Listening to the talking of the group and to the sound of the targets taking the strikes relentlessly, Ash laid several feet away, staring up at the branches of the trees and at the small patches of light and sky that could be seen. He knew he should have been up helping his team, but he had actually told them to do what they will on their own so that he could rest for awhile. Before that, he had been working with them for a good three hours.

Now, he just watched the leaves through the gloom and listened to the sleepy sounds of the forest itself. "Why don't they stop?" May asked, stretching, and looked toward her passive friend.

He shrugged. "They don't want to. They will eventually, whenever they get tired or bored."

"When will you have to go to get your other badges?" She rolled to be on her stomach, and propped herself up on her arms. Ash frowned, turning his head to look at her. "Because...won't that take a long, long time?"

"Most likely in a few days, I'm afraid." May's expression changed from worried to what looked like sad. "And then to get all the other Badges and to go through the battles for the tournament itself will take a few weeks."

"That's too long." Ash would have laughed if he didn't feel bad himself. Pulling her over in an embrace, he nuzzled her.

"I have a plan," he said. May looked at him curiously, her eyes asking an unspoken question: What? Ash shook his head, smiling. "You'll find out soon enough, and so will the others."

"Why can't you just tell me now?" May asked, actually pouting. Mischievously, he bent to speak into her ear, grinning.

"My plan is to tell you the real one later." Crying out, she aimed to punch him in the chest. Ash, seeing the movement, blocked it, biting his lip to keep from laughing at the flare-up. Settling down, she glowered impatiently. "It'll be worth the wait, I promise."

- - -

As night fell, two forms walked up the trail, laden with packs and weapons. One of them carried a large tome, reading it out loud to the other. "So we need to look out for not only some spirit woman, but for two giant lizards?" he asked, incredulously.

"Or," the first of the two said, "for a real woman. These rumors and myths of a ghost haunting the forest…I wouldn't be surprised if it was just some girl running around spooking people. Or even if someone just made it up."

The second snorted. "Most likely made it up. If there truly is treasure there, though, I want in on it!"

Snorting, the first waved his hand. "Garth, I highly doubt there is a treasure trove in this damned God forsaken forest. And even if there was, someone most likely already found and stole everything."

"All legends have a grain of truth to them," Garth stated, "and not even you can deny that, Ray." The elder man frowned and nodded, still disbelieving that there was a treasure; he was, however, curious to find out if any of the other legends were true, or if it was just the wild imagination of the people of Wicker City making it all up. If they were true, he would have an opportunity to make millions…

"Never mind that," Ray said, stopping when they had stepped into the shadow of the first line of trees. "We have everything we need?"

Garth nodded, almost smiling. Taking a deep, calming breath, Ray took his first strides into the dark.

Inside the limits of the forest, things took on a gloomy, misty look. Each snap of a twig, flap of a wing, and buzz of an insect sounded almost threatening to the two brothers. Rifles out, they crept, side by side, between the trees and bushes, eyes wide and alert.

- - -

Vanika stirred, along with Silvanus, when they felt a sudden unease in their slumber. What is that? he asked, his mind link becoming colored a murky brown.

Unfurling her wings, Vanika uncurled and rose, looking about at the still-sleeping humans. We have visitors, I believe, Vanika replied grimly, her earlier misgivings coming back in her mind.

Let us go take care of them. I need sleep. Silvanus was the first out of the cave, darting out into the thicket of trees, spreading his wings to take off in flight. Vanika followed close by, letting out a short, melodic yell. They had no time to waste.

- - -

Garth nudged his brother, feeling a chill as the wind started blowing, the trees swaying, whistling and groaning. "I don't like this," he said, turning pale.

Ray rolled his eyes, and turned to him. "There is nothing here. We are perfectly safe. Come on, it's night! If there is anything here, it is most likely asleep," Ray replied, frowning.

When Garth turned to continue his reluctant path, the trees around them snapped with movement, as two forms shot out, wings and claws outspread. "Bah! Nothing, you say!"

The silver one dodged to the left, and the green one to the right, circling around them menacingly. Ray turned in a circle, watching the progress one of them took, then the other. "Carefully," he ordered, softly under his breath, "aim and fire. We will most likely get only one shot off."

Garth, his eyes wide and fearful, subtly raised his rifle – making it appear as if he was just moving to point the front up and have the handle rest in his slightly cupped hand at his side – and quickly pulled the trigger as it straightened slowly. Aimed at Vanika, she dodged out of the way, doing a spiral through the air, she flattened her wings down and did a tight U-turn to return to Silvanus, who was working on getting Ray away from his younger brother.

Separate them. Agreeing with the idea, Vanika veered over Garth's head, just barely striking him with her tail, and took to attacking his back, driving him farther from Ray. Silvanus, on the other hand, teased the older brother by coming closer to make an easy target then flying off, getting a little farther each time he neared. As planned, the two eventually were out of sight of each other, their individual reptiles striking and running, driving them even farther apart.

- - -

May's eyes snapped open when there was the loud bang of a gunshot. She sat upright, staring about worried, until she noticed both Silvanus and Vanika were gone. Frowning, she scrambled up, throwing her blanket off and accidentally knocking into Ash at the same time. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she whispered hurriedly, as he stirred with a grimace.

Without glancing at Misty and Brock, she did a jump over the dying embers and took to the night, her bare feet making dull thuds against the dirt ground. May tore through the thorny bushes, ignoring the tears it caused and running on. "Vanika! Silvanus!"

She took to the denser parts of the forest, skipping between the bushes and trees and avoiding the thorny plants as much as she could once she was deeper in. There was another gunshot, then another; then, there was a loud, wailing cry of pain. "No!"

Changing to go the direction of the scream, May ran on, her sides starting to cramp and ache from the constant strain. Ignoring the pain that was starting in both her legs and her lungs, she snapped up a branch, using her momentum to keep from stopping. There was another wail, and she knew she was close.

Seeing Garth's back, May ducked behind one of the trees, leaning against it to regain her bearings and her breath. The whimpering came from the hunched up form of Vanika, who was crumpled on the ground, blood slowly spreading about her. Anger bubbling up inside of her, the young girl jumped out, striking the man in the back of the head with the branch before he could administer the killing blow.

He turned around to stare at her, paling slightly, before actually looking curious. Garth looked toward the vulnerable Vanika, then at May, before advancing on the latter. The dragon would most likely die anyway; the very much living teenager, though, was another story altogether.

May silently apologized to the whimpering reptile, hoping someone would find her before she lost too much blood, and took off again, leading the stranger of the forest away. She saw something silver out of the corner of her eye, and then another human man running after it, several tree lines away, as they darted around and between them.

There was a moment of silence except for the pounding of Garth's and her feet on the leaf covered ground, and the loud, harsh breathing. May looked over her shoulder quickly to make sure he was still in pursuit, before determinedly speeding up, bowing her head.

- - -

Ash yawned, rubbing his tired eyes as he blearily looked around. Pikachu was wide-awake, watching him, ears down. "What was the hurry?" he asked his worried Pokemon, who made a face.

"Pikachu, pika, pikachu!" Imitating the motions of using a gun, Pikachu hopped about, pointing toward the front of the cave. Ash paled considerably, and got up, grabbing the belt that had the five pokeballs attached to it and putting it on as he started out of the cave.

"Go after her, make sure everything is alright. Don't interfere though; come get me if there is something wrong." With a salute, the rodent dashed into the bushes. All he could do is wait.

- - -

Pikachu darted through the bushes' branches and thickets, the thorns and pins clawing at his fur, and sometimes pulling his ears and tail. He caught up easily, and stayed hidden among the leaves to keep from being detected by either May or whoever was invading the forest.

When he saw Vanika and Garth, Pikachu backed against a tree, waiting for the human to leave before coming out. Ears drooping, he pulled her over to lay flat, her wings spread out. There was a visible hole in one of them, which was where the blood was coming from, and several scrapes and scratches.

Using a close-by plant, he took the leaves and put them over and around the wound, closing it for the time being. Finished, Pikachu took off after May and Garth, running low to go faster and to get less damage from the plant life.

Spotting them, he hid in a strawberry plant, bending his ears back and his tail down, hankering down to watch with wary eyes.

- - -

May felt it when she lost her footing, the dirt ground turning abruptly to sand, and she slid down the incline. Garth followed shortly afterwards, actually jumping down and using the rifle to slow to decent. "Don't move!" he growled as she started to get back up to run again.

Freezing, she turned onto her back, staring up at him with wide eyes, as she heard the audible click of the loaded rifle. Under normal circumstances, she would lash out, regardless of the danger of being shot or stabbed; something, though, held her in check, leaving her in a position of weakness that could cost her both time and life.

Garth carefully took the final steps to get off the slope, keeping the barrow aimed and steady in case of any sudden movements. With the sudden turn of events, his confidence was boasted considerably. "Here I am, with the supposed ghost at my mercy. So, 'Wicker Maiden', where is your trove? Since two of the three legends are somewhat true, the third should be."

"Why does everyone think there is some wonderful treasure here? There isn't!" May said, scowling at him. Garth laughed, the sound harsh in comparison to the silence.

"Do not lie!" Springing, Garth came down direction in front of her, smacking the end of the rifle against her throat. "Tell me the truth."

"There is none!" May frowned, feeling faint, and her heart racing. She wondered if Silvanus was faring better then she was, and if Vanika was being taken care of. The thought of her adoptive mother suffering alone brought about another wave of anger, one that showed quite clearly in her eyes. "You shot my mother!"

Garth stared at her, dumbfounded. He hadn't seen, let alone shot, any women within the forest; there had only been the infuriating dragon, the green one that had constantly slapped him with its tail. Thinking back to it, he realized that the dragon in question had been female, while the one that had taken after Ray was most likely male. "That thing is your mother?"

She scowled. "Yes! And you killed her!" May moved to get up, threateningly. Garth pointedly jerked the rifle, dropping her again.

- - -

Pikachu slipped through the trees, rushing off toward the cave with as much speed as he could muster with his short legs. Leaping off an outcropping, he flew out of the trees, landing in the center of the clearing and going into a roll. "Pikapi! Pika!"

Ash turned on his heel, looking at his scurrying pokemon, who jumped up to latch onto his shoulder, ears back in displeasure and tail down. "Which way?" he asked.

With a point of a paw, they were off into the forest. Pikachu had to hang on tight as Ash dodged past the trees at a swift run, pushing the lower branches away to keep from being blinded. The sound of moving water got steadily louder, the 'ffshhhhhh' of the small waterfall that fed the lake becoming more forceful.

The first thing he heard as he neared the place that Pikachu had been was "You shot my mother!" Ash had to stop, standing in shocked silence. "Mother…" he whispered, before narrowing his eyes.

Vanika; she was hurt. Making a note to search for her after taking care of the current situation, he peered around one of the trees to see what had to be done.

Seeing his chance when Garth had his back to him fully, throwing Pikachu to the side, Ash stepped around the tree and came up behind the taller man. "That animal is dead, is she? Thankfully, with her out of it maybe the world will be a better place to live!" Garth roared, "And even better if I teach you a lesson!"

Raising the rifle like a club, Garth swung down. Ash ran into him, using his shoulder to ram him in the back and throw him off balance. "You will not lay a finger on her," he said as the startled man spun to stare at him.

Even May looked surprised, her eyes wide and fearful. "Ash, no!"

"Who is this? The little Maiden's guardian? Brother? Or perhaps you're her boyfriend?" Garth asked, staring down at the shorter boy. Ash shrugged.

"That's none of your concern, really." Growling, Garth aimed the rifle, ready to pull the trigger. Ash smiled grimly, neither flinching or moving to get out of the line of fire.

"I believe it is, since I can't get the idiot nymph to talk, you're going to do it for me," the man said. Looking first at May, then at Garth, Ash shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest and lifting his chin.

"No." Garth visibly started shaking, the rifle rattling with him. He poked the younger man in the shoulder with the object, trying to be as threatening as he could be.

"Do it boy, or you'll be deader then that dragon is!" he snarled. Ash's smile got wider, as he actually advanced on the bigger male, eyes sparkling. May let out a cry, crumpling into a heap; it appeared as if there would be more then one death…

"Go ahead; pull the trigger. I know you won't, you're too scared to. That'd be a murder on your head if you did," Ash replied. Garth jerked the rifle to the side, letting off a round just to the left of the smirking boy's head. The bold move silenced the teasing; Ash's jaw tightened, his eyes widening.

"Nice try, kid, but it won't work. Now, get to work-" Before he could even finish, something silver shot out, striking him in the back of the head and flying on, doing a turn to come back and try again. "Again with the dragons!"

Garth waved the rifle, using his free arm to shield his head from the onslaught. Get out of my forest! Silvanus raked his claws across the man's face, tail whipping about and wings beating.

Screaming out in pain, Garth took a swing at the attacking creature, missing entirely. Get out, lest I have to do more damage to you, human! Getting his wits about him, Garth took to the trees, leaving them behind at the lake's edge.