Barry's POV
After successfully escaping the bloodthirsty Buizels, Mai and Wyrdeer led us into the depths of a forest, where we spotted a large rock overgrown with copious amounts of moss.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?", asked Akio, "Because this doesn't look like that grove you were telling us about."
Mai frowned, "I could've sworn we were heading the right way...I've never gotten lost heading there before."
"Om.", agreed her Munchlax.
"Well, it's pretty clear we're lost now, so you might want to reconsider that.", grumbled Akio.
Laura's ears twitched, and for what I felt like was the first time since this journey started, the quiet older Eevee said something.
"I feel like it's...calling me.", she whispered.
"Well, that's not weird in the slightest.", Zeke stated, "Should we be concerned?"
Randa unhelpfully commented, "You're a dog thing now, right? Are you sure you don't need to use the-"
Every member of the Vivi family glared at him and gave him eight different sets of Paralysis.
"Owwwww...", groaned the Klink, and he fell over.
Zeke smirked at him.
Laura was slowly walking up to the stone now, her eyes wide and...softly glowing?
Gavin frowned. "Umm, that doesn't seem good. I'm going to try and snap her out of whatever trance that is."
"What if it gets you too?", asked Brianna, "Let's see what happens first. Then we can jump in with some chivalry."
Gavin replied, "What if that's too long? We have no idea what this is!"
At that moment, Laura touched the stone. She was suddenly enveloped in glowing light, and grew in size. When the light faded, she was now a Leafeon.
"I feel...much stronger now.", she said, smiling.
Fiona scoffed. "I'd still beat you in a battle, you know."
Laura replied, "You're a Fire-type. It's not exactly fair."
Gavin seemed relieved. "Oh good. It's just a Mossy Rock. Going to stay away from it though; I don't want to evolve into a Leafeon."
Brianna nodded in agreement.
Mai said, "Well, uh, I'm pretty sure our destination is this way!" (-o-)
After a few minutes of walking, we found ourselves outside a large crater, with a tall tree in the center of it. It was considerably larger than all the surrounding trees, which made it quite easy to assume that it was magical in some way.
"Alright, this is where you need to go.", Mai stated, "I'm going to have to leave now; my clan and Lian's clan don't get along in the slightest. It would not do to be caught here and risk a war."
Wyrdeer nodded, but before the two of them left, the deer Pokemon placed a strange pink dinner plate down in front of us.
"What is that?", asked Mia, "I like the color."
Miss Melody looked startled. "This is one of Lord Arceus's spare plates of creation! Where did you manage to find it?"
The deer replied, "It was left with my ancestor so he could guard it until this day came. The prophecy must be completed; the false heir must be overthrown."
As he turned to go, he added, "By the way, the true Arceus would prefer to avoid all titles, for she deems them unnecessary."
He galloped off without further elaboration, Mai and Munchlax close behind.
"Something's not quite right. Arceus loves his titles.", Vernon commented.
Miss Melody added, "And he is definitely not a she."
"Hoopa knows of whom Wyrdeer speaks.", Hoopa muttered, "But it cannot be so. If that is what the prophecy means..
"I'm assuming", Janet said loudly, "You're not going to tell us anything about what you're talking about."
The three teachers looked nervously at us.
"Not yet. We have to be sure first...", Miss Melody said.
Vernon nodded.
Hoopa stated, "Believe me...you do not want to know too early."
"Really? That makes no sense to me.", muttered Akio.
"Let's just go quell this Noble's frenzy.", Bob pleaded.
So everyone made their way down into the crater.
But before we got there, a small kid with a massive cowboy hat and a white outfit jumped into the way.
"Stay away!", he shouted, "I don't want anyone around here. Kleavor's pretty angry, and I'm working on keeping him under control! You need to leave, I have this handled!"
Several trees fell over in the distance, which did not say promising things on how well he was keeping it handled.
"Really.", he added, looking a little desperate.
Zeke leaned down to look him in the eye. "Look, kid, it's pretty clear you need some help. Much as I respect the tough guy act, this doesn't sound like something that you can take care of on your own. Which is why we've come in."
Glancing over at Laventon, Bob, Akari, and Draco, he added, "The humans can stay out of this, if you'd like. Then we can say that Kleavor was cured of his frenzy just by you and some Pokemon."
The boy seemed to warm up to the idea. "Yeah, I can live with that."
"Good, because you don't actually have a choice.", Zeke replied.
Lulu walked up to the boy. "What have you been trying so far?", she asked.
The boy answered, "I've been trying to calm him with his favorite food, but I can't get close to him! If I could get the food to him, the smell would probably snap him out of it, but he's got massive axes for hands and he's been swinging them around like mad!"
Zoe smiled devilishly. "I have a plan...if we can't get him to the food, how about we get the food to him?"
The boy looked nervous. "Um...why do I get the feeling I should be concerned?"
Zoe smiled even wider, revealing her sharp teeth. "Oh, I have no idea..." (-o-)
"And...it's done!", declared Eddie, the Luxio hopping down from his newest contraption.
It was a massive, overly complicated catapult loaded with sacks of food. There were five throwing arms, each loaded with five sacks and connected to a cord on the ground. The plan was that I'd cut one of the cords every time Kleavor was in range, and hopefully that would help him snap out of his frenzy.
"Whew...for a second I thought we'd actually have to go in there and throw it by hand.", said the boy, who'd introduced himself as Lian.
"Oh, you'll still have to go into the arena. We need you to lure him over here!", Zoe declared.
Lian sighed. "There was no avoiding it, was there?"
"Come on, I even got Laura and Sylvie to make you a cute little costume!", Zoe replied, gesturing over at a mound of green cloth.
Lian picked it up. "...why does it look like a Caterpie?"
"You said your Noble appreciated them as a delicacy!", Zoe cried, "So of course if he's hungry, he'd totally go after the biggest and juiciest looking one in sight!"
Lian tossed it aside. "Yeah, I'm not wearing that."
"Aw, pooh.", Zoe muttered, "Oh well, Plan B!"
She flicked her tail at Zola, who promptly conjured an illusion of a giant Caterpie in front of the catapult.
"If you could do that this whole time, why did you want me to risk my health by going in there in that costume?", asked Lian.
Zoe replied, "It's not nearly as funny, though."
Lian glanced at the others. "Is she always like this?"
"YES!", we all replied.
"Yikes.", Lian muttered.
At that moment, we heard something big move in the forest ahead of us. Everyone immediately was set on edge. Zola made the illusion of the Caterpie dance around appetizingly.
Leaping down from above, slashing down a tree as it did so, was a giant glowing rock-armored bug with, yes, massive axe hands. It slashed at the Caterpie, dispelling the illusion and infuriating the Pokemon.
"Now's our chance! Unleash the catapult!", declared Zeke, "Behold the power of a meal-to-go!"
I cut the first cord with my pincer, launching the first payload. Unfortunately, it missed and hit the big tree, splattering Kleavor's food across the bark. It bellowed angrily, and prepared to charge.
"Ack, it missed! Hold him off while I recalibrate the mechanism!", Eddie cried.
The Kleavor charged at us, but Laura summoned some vines and tripped him up. Zeke roared a battlecry and charged right in, wrestling it and trapping it in a headlock. But it swung one of its arms around and scratched his wing, causing Zeke to fall back. However, the Kleavor suddenly found itself tangling with a veritable army of Pokemon.
Kyle emptying his frost overflow tanks on him probably did not help either.
The Kleavor was promptly thawed out, though, when Fiona attacked with a Flamethrower. It prepared to charge again, but was rammed by Kyle and knocked back. It then got the fallen tree dropped on it, as Seria struck with her psychic powers.
At that moment, Eddie shouted, "It's ready! Fire in the hole!"
I cut the second cord, and the stunned Kleavor was smacked in the face with the sacks of food. It shuddered, then made a dreadful screech and banged its axes together.
"Again!", cried Eddie.
I cut the third cord, and the next volley smacked Kleavor back. Before it recovered, I cut the last two cords, and it fell onto its back with a loud cry.
But it was still glowy, and still quite angry. It leaped back to its feet, and smashed into the catapult, crushing it.
"It didn't work!", Zoe cried.
Eddie narrowed his eyes. "Desperate times call for desperate measures..."
He slipped out a large candy bar, whispering, "How I'll miss you...", and then threw it at the Kleavor.
It smacked into the bug's face, and in its astonishment, it took a bite. Suddenly its eyes cleared up, and with a flash all the golden light disappeared into the sky.
"I...I see clearly now.", Kleavor muttered. He took another bite of the candy bar. "This...what is this? It tastes amazing..."
"That, my friend, is known as a chocolate bar.", Eddie replied, "I hope you like it; that was my last one."
Kleavor replied, "Like it? I LOVE it! I must learn more...it saved me from my madness! I thank you all!"
Lian bowed. "Lord Kleavor, I am sorry it took so long for me to help you. I did not know what to do..."
"That's alright, kid, no one could've, they could only guess.", Kleavor replied, "In this instance, you all guessed correctly. Allow me to leave you with a gift."
He placed a light green dinner plate in front of us.
"Another one!?", cried Miss Melody, "Well, um, thanks...I need a place to put these..."
"I wish you all luck on your immense journey.", Kleavor stated, "The prophecy must be fulfilled, and it will not be easy. I only hope you will all pull through." (-o-)
AN: Chapter's done! Some interesting details have cropped up now, huh? Who knows what will result...
Next chapter, we will continue our way through the regions of Hisui! All there is to say for the next one, is that it will be muddy. Very much so.
Anyways, that's all for now, so until next time, happy Pokemon hunting!