Hey everyone.
Sorry for the long wait. It has been a long few months, with a lot of changes to my life that I'm still getting used to. But I'm still here, and still writing no matter how long it takes. Thanks for sticking around.
Traditional thank you to deerest_love, who really deserves the title of editor at this point. There is no way that these chapters would be possible without their help.
Well without further ado here is the chapter that was four months in the making. Hope you enjoy.
The underbrush protested as I shouldered my way through the tightly woven branches. It was a slow going and miserable process. I was covered in dozens of scratches and my skin itched beneath my fur. Psychic was little help in prying the bushes apart, and I didn't dare use Fire. The last thing we needed — especially this close to the attack — was to draw Smoke's attention.
"How much further?" I asked when we had reached a slightly more open area. I needed a break and the other two weren't about to argue.
"A few more yards, I think," Eve said apologetically. "I knew the meeting site would be remote, but this is a bit more than I expected.
"With how many Society members have come this way, you'd think there'd be a path by now."
Eve shook her head. "Not if every team has a different meeting place. Kegan wanted safety to be the first priority, especially with Shane along." She huffed, turning her attention to the Expedition Gadget clutched in her tail. "Though I wish he had given us more than a point on a map to work with."
"Ffahfs fall Ih haff," Vix said through a mouthful of her own tail. Somewhere along the way she had had a run in with a patch of thistles. Dozens of the little briars were still knotted in the fur of her fifth tail and she seemed to be having a hard time removing them. "When I was following you, I mean," she spat, hacking up a briar along with a huge clump of hair.
"We weren't in the middle of a random forest," Eve sighed, stopping Vix before she could bite her tail again. She gently combed through her fur, Psychically tugging the stickers free.
"Worst part is that we can't be anywhere near the main camp," I said, craning my neck to try and look over the trees. "How much more of this will we have to do before we get there?"
"That depends on how you answer my question." We all jumped sharply at the diffuse voice. It sounded like every tree and bush and rock were all speaking at the same time. "Team Mindfire, Expedition Society. Am I correct?"
"Uh, yes?" Eve squeaked. She stepped over Vix as she spoke, gem flickering uncertainly as she searched for the speaker.
"And who the heck are you?" Vix growled.
"I am also a member of the Expedition Society," the voice replied flatly, "for now, that is all you need to know. I will not say more until you verify your identities. I hear a Sandaconda came to visit the guild recently."
"Er, right," I said trying to remember the pass phrase Kegan had taught us before we left.
"They say on the Grass Continent that smiles go for miles," Eve jumped in, doing her best to ignore Vix's giggles at the mental image that produced.
The voice didn't respond right away. Eve glanced back at me nervously. Did we get the password wrong? Were we about to be attacked or abandoned here in the middle of nowhere? Anxiety stretched the brief pause into an hour of agony unti l— "Correct," the voice said, turning from a directionless, all-encompassing echo into something more normal. The three of us turned in place to find a Kechleon standing out in the open. He had a clipboard tucked under his arm and was tapping his foot irritably. "You're late."
"We, uh, took a detour," I said, but he didn't even seem to hear me.
"Yes, yes. Right this way please. We have another group scheduled to be here in half an hour. The camp isn't too far away. Quickly, please!"
He hardly gave us a chance to gather ourselves. He just turned onto a narrow path beneath a pair of squat trees leaving us to follow or be left behind. The foliage concealed it well, but a path had definitely been forged through here, barely big enough for the Kechleon to pass through. I wondered how bigger Pokémon would follow it. Maybe they had a different meeting site?
The longer we traveled, the more defined the path became. But still, I didn't see or hear any signs that a hundred Society 'mon were nearby. That is, until we came upon a shimmering wall.
"A Dungeon? Vix said excitedly, her whole back end wagging.
"Easiest way to hide everyone." The Kechleon grunted, not even pausing as he passed into the Dungeon. "Hurry up. Need to get you to Kegan before I head back out. Got twelve more of these today."
As soon as I stepped into the Dungeon, the world around me changed. Sound rushed over me like a wave as suddenly I found myself on the edge of a clearing nearly three times the size of the Society HQ's atrium.. Dozens of Pokemon wandered the alleyways between a city of tents, all different sizes and shape to accommodate their inhabitants. The shift from dungeon to disc camp had been so quick I'd hardly noticed though Vix did stumble under the sensation.
"Amazing!" Eve said, looking around. "Nobody would even know this was here until they enter the Dungeon, and if they did they'd be dropped in the middle of a hundred Society members. Brilliant."
"Yes, yes, it was a fantastic plan," the Kechleon said irritably. Apparently we weren't the first to praise the camp. "Now please follow me."
He led the way down a wide path that seemed to run the length of the camp. Despite how haphazard most of the tents were, this path was preserved as a main road to the canvas city. In the center was a large tent, and though not the biggest there, it stood out due to the Expedition Society banner waving atop it and the bark blue edging on the white cloth.
The Kechleon marched resolutely onward. When they saw us coming, all of the other Pokemon shrank back into alleys or tents until we had gone by. He hardly slowed as we reached the central tent. He raked aside the flap with his clipboard and stepped inside in one fluid movement, neglecting to even hold it open for us.
The interior of the tent was crowded with tall wooden desks laden with dozens of charts and maps, most with complicated inky scribbles. A circular desk — much like the one Dimitri had in the library — stood in the middle of the tent with the Nexus shimmering in the center, filling the tent with an icy-blue light. The tiny Pyrite island had grown to massive size on the projected globe. Both the Society Camp and the Hatred base were marked: the Hatred base on the south-eastern shore, and the camp near the center. Kegan stood beneath the globe, occasionally pointing to specific landmarks as he spoke to a group of Pokémon seated around him.
"Here you should have the best chance of remaining undetected before heading into the Dungeon. According to our charts, you should come out of the maze near this wall," Kegan tapped a map on the desk before him. "Your goal from there is to breach the Hatred Vault, get any artifacts away safely, and disable the Dungeon Machine's controls. Remember, you cannot damage the actual mechanism. As our source has informed us, that would lead to immediate Dungeon collapse."
He looked around at the small group of 'mon. "Any questions?" When nobody spoke, Kegan sat down and nodded. "Thank you. You may go."
The Pokémon stood from their chairs and filed out of the tent. With the path clear, our Kecleon guide marched right up to Kegan. "Presenting Team Mindfire for you, sir." For the first time, a modicum of respect had entered his voice.
"Thank you, Jarvis," Kegan said wearily. "There should only be a few more teams coming in this afternoon. I appreciate what you've done." The Kecleon bowed to Kegan before blowing past us and out of the tent.
The Kedabra shifted to regard the three of us. "You're late," he said accusingly. "You were supposed to be here three days ago."
"We took a detour," I said simply, hoping to deflect the blame onto myself. "It took longer than expected."
"And the fact you were seen at Lake Ogon?" Kegan said, raising his brows.
"Like I said, we took a detour." He continued to glare me down, but I wasn't about to budge.
"Well you're here now." He finally conceded. "Good thing too, as the attack is happening tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" Eve gasped. "I thought we'd have a few more days at least."
"Our scouts report that the last Hatred team should reach the base tomorrow afternoon. Since Shane is convinced that Smoke will make his move when everyone is assembled, we have little time left to act."
Eve nodded, looking a bit paler than she had a moment ago. "W-what's the plan?"
Kegan stood again, smoothing out the map on the desk. "We're moving in the morning, as soon as the Dungeon lets us out."
"That's when we attacked last time," Eve said, "won't they expect that?"
Kegan held up a hand. "You're right, but according to Shane, the lookout guard changes at that time and the rising sun basically kills all visibility to the East. It's our best chance to get in." He paused for a moment, as though expecting Eve to argue. When she offered no objection he continued quickly. "We're hoping that an attack from multiple directions should confuse them and divide their defenses. We only have a slight numerical advantage, so we'll need all the help we can get."
"We're all attacking?" I asked, staring at the map. Twelve points around the base marked entry points, with team names and designations listed next to them.
"Not exactly," Kegan said. "Each team will have specific goals. Most are attacking, of course, but that is mostly a cover so that the rest of you can complete their missions. That group that was in here before will be recovering the vault, and Leo is leading a group to evacuate the civilian population."
"What's our mission?" Vix asked, hopping up at the desk to study the map as well.
Kegan stared at her. Apparently, he hadn't noticed her until now. Since he knew we hadn't planned to bring her, I understood his surprise. "Uh…well, I've got a team of some of our best fighters going after Smoke. I figured Slink would want to join them."
"Of course," I said immediately.
"As for Eve, I thought—"
"I'm going with Slink," Eve interrupted.
He nodded. "Of course. That's what I thought you'd say. There are only two others on the team. I think you'll find a few familiar faces among them, Eve. As for Vix, well I didn't know to expect you."
"Can't I just go with Slink and Eve?" she said dryly, already knowing the answer.
"Absolutely not," I said immediately. "You being here is bad enough. I'm not going to put you directly into Smoke's path."
"There are a few safer options. Candice will be operating a field hospital here. I'm sure she would welcome more help," Kegan suggested.
"No," Vix snapped. "I want to help! I want to go into the base. I probably know the base better than Shane does. We can use that."
"Alright," Kegan said, glancing nervously at Eve and me to see what we thought of the idea. "Would helping Leo's team with the evacuation be better? Your knowledge of the base could be helpful there. And you'll get to work with Lucy."
"Lucy's back?" I interrupted.
"Yes. She returned two days ago." Kegan shook his head. "I still don't see why that trip back to the Water Continent was necessary. Especially when she only brought back… water?"
"It's vital." I assured him.
Kegan sighed, rubbing his neck. "I know you wouldn't have sent her for no reason. Just a bit more warning next time. That put a serious strain on my power. I can't allow it to give out on me tomorrow."
"Sorry, but it was the only way to get there and back fast enough."
"Anyway," Vix said loudly, trying to drag us back to the pertinent topic, "Lucy is helping with the evacuation too?"
"Right," Kegan said, "I figured that the Hatred would be more trusting of shinies, and she can help defend the group if needed. Plus, I thought it would be best to have a Fighting Type on the team, just in case," he added as an afterthought.
"Why would you need a Fighting Type specifically?" Eve asked. "Are you worried about Smoke or…?"
"No, I think he's more worried about me," a deeper voice interrupted. I jumped, looking around to see who had spoken. There at the mouth of the tent was the last person I wanted to see. "Apparently I can't even be trusted to help with the evacuation." Shane sounded more resigned than angry considering what he had overheard, like he was answering a question he'd been asked a few times too many.
He sauntered closer to us with an air of undeserved confidence. Dimitri scuttled into the tent a few moments later, eye fixed on Shane's back as he followed a few steps behind.
"That isn't it," Kegan said quickly. "But it doesn't help that Leo and Lucy are the only two who are willing to work with you. It really is the best job for you. The Hatred will listen to you, and I know you are invested in it."
"There is a job I'd be more invested in," Shane muttered to himself. The shift in mood was drastic. Dimitri's eye flicked through several different colors before stopping on a warning shade of red. The Pokemon bustling through the tent all stuttered in their steps, all half-glancing towards the Umbreon.
Kegan closed his eyes, clearly struggling to keep his composure. "We've discussed this, Shane. Extensively."
"No, I believe the deal was that the team got to decide. I believe that we have two new members. Might as well get their input."
"What are you talking about?" Eve chimed in.
"Shane also wanted to be on the team to take down Smoke." Kegan explained with a sigh. "However, given the general… distrust surrounding him, I left it up to the other team members if they were comfortable having him. They ultimately decided no."
Eve raised an eyebrow at that. "What don't they trust him with?"
Kegan opened his mouth to answer, but Shane charged right through. "They think I'm gonna side with Smoke."
A chilling silence followed, and I realized for a moment that I was actually feeling sorry for Shane. He wanted to join this team for the exact same reasons I did. "Look, I trust Shane about as far as Eve could throw him, but I know for an absolute fact he wants Smoke dead. Maybe more than anyone else. He'd never join with him." The Umbreon scowled, but straightened up a little at my words. "Hold on," I added, "that doesn't mean that I want you along."
"What?" Shane growled. "You just… you said… what reason could you have to —"
"— to not trust you? Gee I wonder. I think it's best if you stay away. That's my vote."
"That's not…" he turned to Eve. "How about you? What do you think?"
She refused to look at him, staring determinately at Kegan. "Shane I… Slink's right. I'm really sorry, but… I don't want you there. I don't want you going after Smoke. I'm voting no too."
The Umbreon immediately deflated with a sigh. "Fine. Can't blame a guy for trying, right? I'd storm off, but I'm not allowed to go anywhere without my babysitter. Yo, tree, want to go for a walk?" He didn't even wait for Dimitri before leaping down from the desk, pushing past me to get to the entrance to the tent. The Trevenant glanced at me, rolling his eye in annoyance before silently scuttling after the Umbreon.
"Sorry about that," Kegan said pinching the bridge of his nose. "I've been fighting that battle since he got here." I nodded sympathetically but then noticed that Eve was still staring thoughtfully at the tent flap. I nudged her gently and she immediately snapped to attention, though her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment. We were all silent for a few moments, trying to figure out what to say next after Shane's interruption.
"Excuse me Kegan, do you have a — oh I'm sorry to interrupt." Candice had appeared from one of the far corners of the marquee. She was holding a clipboard and did not look happy at what was on it.
"No worries Candice," Kegan said waving a hand. "I think we were about finished up here anyway." He turned his attention back to the three of us. "I have a tent set aside for you two. Vix might have to squeeze in with Lucy, but it should be fine. I'll have Jarvis show you. Lee and Leo will find you tomorrow morning." He half turned away from us before pausing, studying us. "Slink, Eve, Vix," he began slowly before the words seemed to die in his throat. Finally he nodded to us, "good luck tomorrow."
The dark shape sat like a stormcloud on the horizon. The very tip of the great gray dome was just barely visible, the rest of the base hidden behind the massive hedge wall and distorted by the tell-tale Dungeon shimmer in the air.
Pristine white sand shifted under my paws as we circled the base, giving the Dungeon as wide a berth as we could manage. The base was exactly where Shane had said it would be, tucked safely away in a rocky bay at the south-eastern tip of the island. The bay was semicircular, about twice the diameter of the hedges ringing the dome. Tall cliffs surrounded the base just kissing the shimmering Dungeon limit. It was truly a brilliant hiding place, and easy to defend.
Our party moved slowly and carefully, giving the dungeon a wide berth as we circled into position. I doubted anyone in the base would be able to see us in the pre-dawn light, but it was best to be cautious. Shane had sworn that Smoke would only move the dungeon in the most dire situations, but alerting the base would still give away a lot of our advantages.
The two fighting types Kegan had paired us up with — Lee, the Pangoro who had helped Eve during the last Hatred attack, and a Chesnaught named Willow — led the group, alongside Leo. Meanwhile Eve, Vix, Lucy, and I took up the back. Shane was hovering uncertainly between the two groups, doing his best to keep his head down and just keep going. We slowly inched our way across the dunes closer and closer to the edge of the Dungeon.
The shimmering wall felt heavier and thicker as I passed through I shuddered, a strangely familiar sensation washing over me. It was so different from a normal dungeon but — I realized with a sudden burst of nausea — horrifyingly similar to the Dreamstone dungeon.
Then, the screaming began.
Vix hardly had time to shoot me a panicked look before her eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed, screaming and clutching her head.
"Vix!" I shouted without thinking. I rushed to her side as she convulsed, her voice growing ragged as she clawed more and more desperately at her skull.
"Slink, what's happening?" Eve cried. She joined me at Vix's side but was just as unsure as I was how to help. Psychically, she trapped Vix's paws and dragged them away from her face, but still the girl continued to thrash in pain.
"This Dungeon. It…it messes with her powers!" I had forgotten about it, hadn't even considered that it might be a problem today. I strained to remember that horrible morning. What had we done then? Smoke. Dark Void. "Put her to sleep," I ordered.
"What?" Eve whimpered.
"Hypnosis. Put her to sleep. It will help." She didn't waste another second. Her gem flashed, and for a moment Vix seized up so tight I was afraid she was going to snap. Then she slumped over, thankfully going limp.
I sat down, breathing hard and trying to calm my pounding heart. The others were gathered around us whispering between themselves. "You think they heard that?" Leo asked nervously.
We turned to look at the base. I expected it to be buzzing like an upset Combee nest, angry Pokemon pouring from it, ready to overwhelm us, but all was just as still as silent as it had been before. We waited a few silent heartbeats, waiting for any sign that they had heard us. When none came, we all sagged in relief.
"We need to keep moving," Lee grumbled, "Eve, Slink, what are we doing with the kid?"
Eve looked to me uncertainty. "Should we send her back?"
I had no idea. Perhaps it was best to warp her out. She'd be safe, and I doubted that she'd wake before things were finished. But then I thought about how hard she had fought to be here. I imagined how betrayed she'd feel once she did wake. Then my imagination took a darker turn. What if things went badly today? Could I let this be her last memory of me?
"Slink?"
I shook my head slowly. "Do you have a Chesto?" I asked eventually.
"Er, yes. A few actually, in case Smoke tried to put us to sleep. Why? Do you want to wake her?"
"Not right now." I clarified, still thinking hard. "I think we should wait and wake her up just before we go into the base. Last time this happened, Smoke put her to sleep and she was fine when she woke up. If she's better then there won't be a problem. If not, then we can send her back. She'll understand," I hope, I added to myself.
Eve studied me for a moment, then nodded. "I trust you." She stroked Vix's cheek with one of her tail prongs.
"Alright then," Leo said brightly, "if that's decided, we should get moving. Would you like me to carry her?"
"No," I said immediately, remembering last time, "I'll carry her." Clumsily, I attempted to pull Vix across my back. Thankfully Eve and Lucy quickly jumped in to help. She had grown since the last time I'd carried her like this, but I wouldn't let that slow me down.
We started again, quickly reaching the maze. The narrow, twisting passages loomed around us. The larger Pokémon were forced to march single file in front of us, using a paper map provided by Shane to thread through the wandering hedges. Eve, Lucy, and I brought up the back of the pack, crowded protectively around Vix. Despite his knowledge of the maze, Shane wasn't leading. He hung back, offering guidance when needed but hovering uncomfortably behind the two massive fighters. Every so often he'd shoot a glance back over his shoulder at the three of us, turning back immediately as soon as he met my gaze.
"Yes?" I finally prompted, his constant glances grating on my already frayed nerves.
He flinched, looking like a child who had been caught doing something forbidden. Then he squared his shoulders and fell back to walk with us. "I…I just wanted to ask if Vix was okay. That's it."
"She will be," I said evenly. "You remember. She was fine once you took us inside."
He grimaced at the unsaid accusation. "I'm sorry I couldn't help. I tried, when she first cried out, I tried to put her to sleep." He shuddered. "Since I evolved, I was always able to use that move. Sometimes it was my only escape. But I couldn't now. I'm sorry." He stared at his paws as he walked, as if they belonged to someone else.
"I'm not," I said. "I'd have been far more worried if you had been able to put her to sleep. In fact, it gives me hope that you couldn't." He stared at me in confusion, but I wasn't about to elaborate further.
"He's scared of you, you know?" he said finally, squaring his shoulders and quickening his pace. "Make him hurt. Make him feel our pain."
With that, he hurried away. I watched him go, his words still ringing in the air. I didn't want to leave it like that. Now it was my turn to square my shoulders. "S-shane?" I called.
He turned back, cocking his head. "I… thanks. Thank you for trying to help Vix. You deserve credit for that at least." He nodded, a genuine smile crossing his muzzle.
Finally, we escaped the tall hedge walls, the world opening back up into a wide, grassy field. The soil was still sand, though scrub grass now poked up from it, scratching at my legs and paws as we walked.
The earth around the base was cracked; great mounds and slabs of rock leaned against the sides of the dome. It was like it had slammed into the ground like a meteor, or like it had forced itself up from the earth. The large metal door sat facing us, the same one Vix and I had entered through last time. It was thankfully sealed shut, and I doubted that even Willow and Lee's combined strength would be able to force open. I wondered what we might find on the other side. Were they preparing their defenses, or were Pokemon simply going about their day unknowing of what was coming their way?
Willow pulled a small glass bottle from her bag and held it up to the scant sunlight. Golden oil filled it nearly to the brim. She gripped the glass gingerly, and I couldn't blame her. The fluid inside seemed to be boiling, hissing and frothing, constantly spitting little droplets against the snug cork. Despite this though, she held it in her bare hand. "Ever seen blast seed oil before?" she asked me.
"No," I answered.
She grinned. "I've only ever used it once. It's powerful stuff. A single drop of this stuff is enough to knock a charging Taurus off their feet. This much… I don't think we'll have a problem getting in."
"This seems dangerous," Eve said, regarding the bottle anxiously.
"We'll be far enough away when it goes off." Willow shrugged.
"And what about the Hatred members on the other side of the door?" she insisted.
"It's okay, Eve," Shane reassured. We were both shocked that he was endorsing this plan. "Nobody goes near the doors unless they are leaving, but since it's a lockdown, they won't. There might be some shrapnel, but nobody should be close enough to get hit." He wasn't very convincing. Honestly, it sounded like he was trying to convince himself. "It's as safe as it will get."
There was a long silence, nobody really knowing what to say in response. Finally Leo turned to me. "We have a few more minutes before we begin. If you want to wake Vix, now would be the time."
I nodded, carrying Vix a short ways before settling her down behind a small mound a safe distance from the door. Eve and Lucy followed, waiting anxiously by my side as I coaxed her mouth open. "Berry?" I prompted Eve who hurriedly retrieved the Chesto from her bag. She held it over Vix's mouth before squeezing, letting the juice dribble onto the Vulpix's tongue.
The only thing left to do was wait. Eve and I hovered over her, ready to intervene if the seizures started again. She stirred, stretching before her eyes blinked open. She looked around for a moment before closing her eyes again, resting her head on the ground. "I hate this freaking dungeon!" she groaned.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Eve asked. As she spoke, she inched a little bit closer, badge ready to send the Vulpix away.
"I'm fine," she snapped, shying away from Eve and the outstretched badge. "See," she rapped a tail on the ground. The air shimmered around her and with a small pop the words "Vix was here" appeared etched into the ground. Though she couldn't quite hide the wince she gave at the small amount of strength this simple act had sapped.
"Uh huh," Eve sighed. I knew she was a hair's breadth from tagging Vix, but the Vulpix batted the badge away, pushing herself to her feet. Her first step nearly sent her back to the ground, but she quickly caught herself, a fiery determination holding her up.
"I'm staying!"
That was the end of that discussion. We still had a few more minutes before it was time. Most of the others were making last minute preparations. Lucy was leading Vix through a set of stretches after her impromptu nap. Willow was fussing with the oil by the door, doing her best to not blow herself up. Even Eve was fussing with her bag, digging around inside. As I watched, she pulled a long leather strap from the bag, slinging it over her shoulder and securing it around her chest. It was the same size and color as the strap of her bag, though it glinted in the sunlight, as though bits of metal had been woven into the leather.
"What's that?" I asked, eyes going wide.
"I got it from the Dazzling Gleam, remember? It's a…" she hesitated. "I got it in case things got out of hand. I don't particularly want to use it, but something tells me I won't get so lucky." She shuddered violently. I pulled her close, pressing my forehead to hers trying to comfort her. Her tail reached out, wrapping around me. Neither of us said anything. Vix eventually wormed her way between us as well, clasping tightly to both of us with her tails. She nuzzled into my chest, eyes closed as she listened to my heartbeat.
And then.
"Go, go, go!" A Siren blared from our Expedition Gadgets. I grabbed Eve and Vix, pushing them to the ground beneath me. There were a few moments of strained silence, and then—
BOOM!
The explosion shook the earth, a flash of white light brighter than the sun. I closed my eyes, squeezing Eve and Vix tighter as a cacophony of explosions echoed around the base. Even when the ground stopped shaking, I did not let go of them. My ears still rang, and shock kept me rooted to the spot. Then something grabbed the scruff of my neck, pulling me roughly to my feet.
"Run," Lee shouted, shoving me. "We have to get in before they can mount a defense." Through a haze of smoke, I could see that the blast had punched a jagged hole in the metal door just big enough for the biggest of our group to squeeze through. The edges still glowed with heat, but we didn't have time to wait for them to cool. I was vaguely aware of Eve sprinting at my side, her tail wrapped around my middle keeping me close and light from her gem cutting through the smoke like a beacon.
Leo was the first to reach the hole. His mane crackled with electricity as he wiggled his way through. My fur stood on end as he unleashed a paralyzing wave. If the Hatred was hurrying to block us, hopefully he could buy us enough time to get through. The golden star on his tail whipped out of sight just as Eve and I reached the door.
"You first," she said, pushing me forward. "You, of all people need to get in. Don't wait for me."
I hadn't agreed to that! But my legs were carrying me forward automatically. I didn't even have to duck while entering. As I passed through, I called upon the Dreamstone, feeling it's warmth bloom in my chest. I had no idea what I was walking into, but I felt safer with its power.
The world plunged into darkness almost as soon as I entered. The morning sunlight was choked off quickly by the smoke and dust in the air. I stumbled blindly for a moment, praying for my eyes to adjust quickly. I had only taken a few steps when I felt something sticky squelch around my paws and I ran into something solid that made my fur stand on-end.
"Leo! What's happening? We have to keep them away from the entrance so that the others can get in." My voice echoed for a moment, and I realized suddenly how quiet things were. Liquid oozed between my toes, and I became aware of a harsh metallic smell.
Eventually my eyes adjusted. I wish they hadn't.
It was a graveyard. Twenty shiny Pokemon were pressed up against the inside of the door, huddled in the corner for whatever meager protection it would have given. The ones closest to the door still clung to it, claws scrambling desperately against it, hands working to pry it open, dozens of scars and dents and scorch marks from desperate Pokemon marring the sleek surface. But now they all lay still and silent, looks of pain and fear frozen on their faces.
For them I could only hope that the end had been swift. More than half of them lay bloody and broken, gaping wounds in their necks, backs, and chests showing disgusting precision and efficiency of murder. Others lay clutching at their throats, yellow foam dribbling from their gasping mouths. The air was heavy with the scent of blood and suffocating smoke, but there was the slightest hint of cloying sweetness hanging over them like a specter.
I could feel Leo shaking beside me as he stared, transfixed by the carnage before him. He took a few stumbling steps forward, moving to stand over a Staraptor who lay on her back, her feathers stained in blood. "I —" his voice cracked. "She was my neighbor, when I lived here." He turned to look at me, his face drawn with a mix of pain, confusion, and anger. "Who would —?"
"Get out of the way," a voice snapped in my ear. I had completely forgotten about the group still waiting outside. Eve should have been the next one through, but instead Shane was the one pushing his way in. "What is going on in here?" Shane demanded. "We need to move before they… come running—" His gaze drifted from us to the grisly scene and stuck there, eyes widening. His breaths started coming faster and faster, each exhale punctuated by a strangled "No, no, no, no, no, no." He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head as if he hoped that what he was seeing would melt away like one of Moon's illusions.
He took one shaky step forward, then another. He hardly seemed to notice the blood splashing against his fur with each step as he made his way up to one of the Pokemon, pawing at their side desperately. It was only then that I realized how familiar he was. The Tyranitaur was hunched protectively over a small Stunky and a Snorunt, but even his massive size wasn't enough to save them. Quake was covered in dozens of lacerations, any one of which would have taken down a smaller Pokémon.
"Shane," Leo said gently, as Shane's pawing got even more desperate. "Shane! Stop. There's nothing you can do."
"No!" Shane snarled. "I… they can't… not all of them." I scanned the crowd again, and felt my stomach drop. In the back corner, still clinging desperately to the door was a familiar Throh. I didn't see Moon or Sparkle among the dead, but even finding these two must have been devastating for the Umbreon.
"This is my fault," Shane howled, shadows dripping from his form. He looked at me with a mixture of rage and pain. ""I…I told Sparkle. I told them all about him. They must have tried to get people out, I —" he froze, words dying in his mouth. He looked around even more frantically, searching for one particular face.
Dread pooled in my stomach as well. Sparkle wasn't among the dead, but if Shane was right about her helping the evacuation, it didn't bode well for her. Of everyone I'd met in the Hatred, I actually liked Sparkle. None of the Hatred members had deserved death, but I especially hoped that she had escaped it.
"Slink," Eve called from the door. "Slink, what's happening? I'm coming in."
"No, wait!" I shouted. Things were moving too fast. I hadn't even had a chance to process what was happening, but already so much was vying for my attention. Shane darted deeper into the base, and I couldn't just leave him alone, but I also wanted to be sure that the others made it inside safely. I wondered if now was the time to send Vix and Lucy out. I couldn't let them see this horror.
"Slink, go," Leo prompted. "I'll get everyone inside safe. And I'll make sure the kids are fine. Don't worry." I nodded to him before following Shane into the hazy shadows.
I found him only a few yards down the corridor. He had found Sparkle. She was sprawled out on all fours, one paw clutching at her chest. Her head was bowed, mouth open mid-scream. But the most horrifying thing was that she was still as a statue, her entire body comprised of stone. Two other statues lay scattered around her, a Milotic writing in pain, and a Politoed slumped against the wall.
Shane approached Sparkle tentatively. "No," he whimpered. "Wha-what happened to her? What is this? Please no, not you too." He fell to his belly, gritting his teeth to fight back tears. "It's my fault. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"Shane," a soft voice called, "this isn't all your fault." Eve had finally made it. Strangely, her scarf and badge were missing, probably stuffed in her bag. She moved closer, putting a paw on the Umbreon's shoulder.
"I helped Smoke," Shane snapped. "I told Sparkle about him, and she got them involved." He looked at the other statues and despite the situation he couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know how she got the other leaders involved. But now look at them, they're… I don't really know what they are other than gone."
Eve didn't respond. The silence stretched out endlessly, aside from the distant echoes of battle. The hatred for Smoke that had smoldered inside of me flared back into flame. How disgusting could he be to kill his own people? And then to leave Sparkle and the others here as an example, trapped in a fate worse than death. Phoenix had told me stories about what what happened to Pokemon that were turned to stone. He'd told me about his own journey through the void lands beyond.
And then something sparked in my mind. Something else that Phoenix had told us. "Maybe… maybe they aren't totally gone." I reached into my bag, quickly withdrawing a glass bottle, one of two that Lucy had given to me. Eve also carried two bottles, and one bottle had been given to each of the other team leaders. Just in case.
"What is that?" Shane said, eyeing me warily.
"Just water," I replied, carefully extracting the cork from the bottle and stepping closer to Sparkle. Shane immediately planted himself protectively between me and the stone Raichu.
"Don't touch her!" he snapped. "Especially not with that."
"What can it hurt?" I replied evenly. He grimaced, looking over his shoulder at her. He waited a moment before letting me past. I lifted the bottle over Sparkle's head, tipping the bottle so a single drop teetered on the lip before falling to splash on the crown of her head. Time seemed to stand still for a moment as we all stared at the splotch of wet stone hoping more than anything that something would happen.
Then, that same patch sank in, turning brown as hair sprouted up in its wake. Like a shadow creeping across the ground, the stone seemed to melt away with fur sprouting up in its wake. Even as the stone faded from her arms and legs, the Raichu remained stiff and lifeless, her muscles still as tense as rock. She didn't even seem to breathe. It was only as the tips of her toes returned to flesh that Sparkle finally went limp. She buckled, laying face first on the ground.
"Is she…" Shane whimpered as Eve studied the Raichu.
"She's breathing." Eve answered, sitting at Sparkle's side. She placed a gentle paw between her shoulder blades before her fur and gem began to glow. She sat there for a long moment, feeding energy to the electric type.
"Sparkle," Shane whispered. "Please wake up. Come on!"
"Shane?" A single blue eye had opened and fixed on the Umbreon. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was weak, hardly above a whisper, and seemed just on the verge of panic.
"I couldn't just leave you behind," Shane said. "I shouldn't have left you. I'm so sorry."
"What happened?' Sparkle groaned. She tried to push herself up, but she was too weak to support her own weight. Eve carefully lifted her into a sitting position, propping her up against her own tail for balance, though she made sure to face her away from the carnage. "I see you convinced the Society to help."
"We should be asking you what happened." I said. "How'd you end up like…?" I didn't have to finish, I didn't need to. Sparkle was staring at the Milotic in horror.
"Melina? Was I… is that what Smoke did to me?" She looked to Shane for an answer, but he couldn't seem to move.
"Do you remember any of what happened?" I asked gently.
She closed her eyes, leaning heavily against her tail. "I… after Shane left, I went to try and convince as many people as I could to leave too. Shane's team was easy to convince, and mine too. And then I talked to some of the other leaders. I had to be careful because I had no idea how many of them were in Smoke's grip. King and Melina were the only ones I trusted, and they convinced some of their groups."
She stopped for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Even talking seemed to be exhausting her. Phoenix had never mentioned being drained like this when talking about his own experiences with Dark Matter.
"With the lockdown in place, we knew it would be hard to get all of us out when the base was supposed to be sealed. The front door was as good a place to get out as any. We knew that the last stragglers were due back today. If the doors were opened for them we might be able to get out. But then… Smoke arrived. It was stupid to think that he wouldn't hear about us with how many there were. The three of us," she nodded to the other statues, "headed him off. We knew… things could get bad. We tried to negotiate, tell him that we wanted to leave." Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her breathing had become labored again. "I let him get near me. I shouldn't have. I thought we could reason with him. He was still Smoke but… Maybe this wouldn't have happened if I had just electrocuted him when I had a chance. He grabbed my shoulder and suddenly… I felt empty. It was like he had scooped something right out of me. I couldn't move, I couldn't even stand.
"I could hear him do the same to Melina and King but neither could really defend themselves, not against him. I think some of the others tried to fight. I could hear them screaming and then —" she reached up with her paws, planting each firmly against her ears as she sat there quivering. Eve sat beside her, mouth open in horror while Shane looked like he was about to faint. "He came back… and his… his hands…his eyes were blank. Like it was nothing. He reached out to me. His hand was… glowing and…" her voice cracked and then faded away as her face grew even more drawn.
An eerie silence filled the corridor, interrupted only by the distant echoes of further violence. I could feel my fire fighting me, using my anger and my disgust to force its way to the surface. I couldn't lose control. I had to save it for the man who actually deserved it. I had to find Smoke, and I had to do it fast before he did this to any more Hatred or Society Pokemon. But I couldn't shake one paranoid thought, one that Shane had first mentioned and Sparkle had echoed. I had a theory about Smoke's draining presence, and for better or worse I needed to know if I was right.
"Sparkle, I know you've already been through enough today. But I need just one last thing from you. I wouldn't ask this unless it was vitally important, and once it's done we'll get you and the others to a safe location."
She forced herself to sit up, though her eyes were bright. "What is it?"
Once again I offered the bottle of water. "I need you to drink this."
"Absolutely not," Shane snapped. "She can barely sit up by herself. When you had me drink that stuff it knocked me out. It could kill her!"
I ignored him. "This won't be fun," I said to Sparkle, "but it won't kill you. Please, Sparkle. I need to know."
She took the bottle in an unsteady grip, eyeing it warily. "The whole thing?"
"No, just a sip will do." She nodded before closing her eyes and lifting it to her lips.
"Is that it," she said handing the bottle back, "or were you waiting for —" she tensed suddenly, her eyes going wide. She bent double, clutching her stomach, her shoulders heaved as she retched, but nothing came out. She stayed hunched, dry-heaving for the better part of a minute, but in the end only a small dribble of black goo — hardly a fraction of what Shane had produced — spilled from her lips. It evaporated before it even hit the floor. "You're right," she moaned, "that was not fun."
Before I could respond, a new voice chimed in. "Ugh, do we all have to do that?"
I spun around, my hackles raising. "Who's there?!" The voice had come from right behind me, but there was nobody there.
"Not Smoke," the voice said, "isn't that what matters?'
"Moon?" Sparkle squeaked. "Is that you?"
For a second I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me as a patch of the wall started to shimmer. Slowly, a tall figure came into focus with their back pressed back against the wall. Then the illusion broke, revealing a purple-maned Zoroark. When I had last seen her, she'd had a confident air, never faltering even as I broke out of all of her illusions, but now something was different. She was twitchy, her head constantly on a swivel, flinching at every noise. Her amber eyes were bloodshot and the glasses she usually wore were nowhere to be found.
"Moon, you're…" Sparkle trailed off, her eyes widening. "Wait, how long were you there? Did you see Smoke? Did you just stand there while he..?"
"I didn't have a choice," Moon snapped, voice cracking. "I overheard you talking about getting out and I wanted in, but I couldn't with Smoke watching me. I only got here after he did. What other choice did I have than to hide? Especially after seeing what he did to you."
Sparkle winced, but Shane wasn't about to back down. "What are you still doing here then? Smoke had to have attacked hours ago."
"Shock," Moon shot back. "You don't just go about your day as normal after watching that! But I was also hoping for another chance to get out, especially before the fireworks started."
"Wait, wait," I interrupted. "The fireworks? What are you talking about? Our attack? You knew about it before?"
"Of course not." Moon hissed through gritted teeth. "Or at least we had no way of knowing it was today. I figured you guys would eventually show up, especially after Shane left. No, I'm talking about what Smoke is cooking up. I was the head of the research team. I figured out what Smoke put inside of us years ago. I was perfectly happy to use its power for my own purposes, but I knew there had to be a reason he was using us to make more. And now that he seems to be taking back the Dark Matter, I know I don't want to be around to see what happens." She glanced at the door, mentally measuring the distance, wondering if she could make it without any of us stopping her.
"You aren't going anywhere," Leo said, stepping in front of her. Lucy was on his back again, her face buried in his mane with her eyes squeezed shut. Lee and Willow stood behind him, the latter carrying Vix who had Eve's scarf tied around her face like a blindfold. "Nobody is leaving this base with Dark Matter in them. We're ending this here and now."
"And I still have questions for you." I pressed. "Do you know anything else about Smoke's plan? Where he is, maybe?"
Moon studied me for a moment. "The Council Chamber. It's the most fortified room in the base. Its where he went during the last attack. I'm sure that's where he'd go."
I looked at Shane, eyebrow raised. "Council Chamber?"
He nodded. "It's down a level, underneath the central courtyard." He nodded at a door a quarter of the way down the main corridor on the right. "Down that hall, take the fourth left, then the first right. Then just down the stairs and you're there."
That heat I had pushed down flared to life again. There was nowhere left to run, and nowhere for him to hide. The flames within me were eager to finally face Smoke. But I stomped them down once again, just for a little longer. "Leo, do you have this?"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure Moon takes her medicine and I'll get everyone out. That is my job after all. Do what you need."
I nodded my thanks before turning to Vix. She stood awkwardly, Eve's scarf held aloft by one of her tails. She was biting her lip, staring at me like she was about to bolt at any second. "Don't make me go," she whispered.
I stared her down before leaning in and pressing my nose to her forehead. "Promise me that you won't do anything crazy. Do whatever Leo tells you, and please stay safe."
"Okay," she nodded, "but the same goes for you. You have to promise to come back."
"I love you, kid. I'll see you later." It didn't go unnoticed that I had declined to promise, but before Vix could protest, Eve rushed in for her goodbye, reclaiming her scarf in the process.
Willow and Lee stood a little apart from us, keeping watch in case anyone else decided to come our way. "You two ready?"
"Whenever you are," Lee said flatly. "We'll take the lead. If there are any Hatred members still loyal to Smoke, he'd be foolish not to have them guarding his hideout. We'll get you through."
The halls were eerily silent. The electric hum of the lights and our own hurried footsteps were the only sign that I hadn't gone totally deaf. I was sure that this was a residential sector of the base, and yet there was no sign of anyone. I didn't know if the Pokémon living here had already evacuated or if they were sheltering in place.
Willow and Lee walked abreast, a solid wall spanning the width of the corridor. Their strides were quick, leaving Eve and me to scramble along in their wake. Anticipation, fear, and anger clamored in my head, and I couldn't slow down to sort through it.
"Slink?" Eve asked, looking sideways at me. "You okay? We're down to the wire here. You don't look so good."
"Can anyone be good after what we saw?" I replied. That was not something I wanted nor needed to think about. Not now.
"No," she said. "Look, I just…I need to know that your head is on straight. I won't let you go into this if you aren't ready."
"Keep up you two," Willow snapped as we made the first turn. This corridor was wider, lined with thick wooden doors reinforced with iron bands. "I don't want to get caught —"
Thud! Fwoosh! A door burst open, followed by a rush of flames directed straight at Willow. I moved fast, unable to raise a Psychic shield in time, but my body made a sufficient shield. The intense flames were uncomfortable, but wouldn't hurt me. The fist that came flying through the flames though was a different matter.
"Slink," Eve cried as the fist caught me on my jaw and I was sent stumbling. My eyes watered in pain, but I could just barely see my attacker step forward, readying another blow. Something grabbed me around my middle, pulling me off my feet and dragging me backwards.
"Rook, it's them! It's the Fennekin." A harsh voice shouted. Bang! Another door burst open, this time with a roar of water.
Eve lifted me to my feet as I wrestled the vine that had fastened itself snake-like around my waist. The other end emerging from Willow's spiky shell. Another vine stretched before her, wrapped tightly around an Empoleon, pinning their flippers to their sides. Icy water covered the stone floor, ankle deep. Lee and his opponent splashed through it, trading blows as bursts of flame and shadow exploded from their clashes.
"Out of the way," the Infernape snarled aiming a kick at Lee's head, but the Pangoro easily caught his foot, though Lee winced at the blow. Meanwhile the Empoleon writhed in Willow's vine. His skin was already glossy, but it was slowly growing even more shiny and reflective. He twisted his flippers so that the edges bit into the vines and slowly his steel skin began to cut through the vines.
"Slink, Eve, get out of here!" Willow shouted at us as she released me from the vine, wrapping it around her opponent even as shreds of the previous vine splashed into the water below. "We'll hold these two off. You need to get to Smoke!"
"But what about—?" Eve asked, but Lee turned to us, eyes blazing.
"GO! NOW!" He roared. I didn't hesitate, grabbing Eve's tail in mine and sprinting for the door Shane had told us to take. The Infernape watched us as we passed, but strangely didn't make a move to stop us, continuing to grapple with Lee. The cold water though was clearly sapping his strength, and Lee was getting the upper hand. The Infernape faltered as Lee swept his legs out from under him, pinning him to the ground and preparing to knock him out.
The Empoleon thrashed even more violently in Willow's grip, his eyes locked on Lee and his fallen comrade. He raised one of his clawed feet, talons glowing with a metallic sheen and slashed at Willow's thigh. She gasped in pain, leg crumpling beneath her. Her vines unraveled slightly as her focus lapsed, and that was the opening that Rook needed. With a wave of his flipper he was free, knocking the Pangoro off his partner and raising one of his iron-clad fin for the final blow.
"No," Eve cried, wrenching her tail from my grip. She stopped in her tracks, staring in horror. I had no idea what to do. Fire would be no help, and there was no way I'd be able to summon Psychic, much less shape it into anything useful in time.
Eve didn't need time.
A sharp hiss and a wet thock. The Empoleon screamed in pain, clutching his shoulder. Beneath his desperately grasping claws a glint of metal shone splattered with blood. The bird turned slowly to face me, eyes narrowed with anger.
No, not staring at me. I followed his gaze and found Eve, feet planted defiantly with a pair of metal spikes floating by her head, ready to fire. The Empoleon plucked the spike from his shoulder ignoring the blood pouring from his wound. His skin glinted, hardening to steel as he took a step towards us. The water around him began to churn. But before he could do anything, Willow was on him again. She slammed into him with her shell, pinning him to the wall between her spikes. "Run!" she shouted at us.
"Come on," I called to Eve. Reluctantly she sheathed the two spikes she was levitating, threading them back into her sash before following me down the corridor Shane had directed us down.
. It wasn't until the splashes and shouts of the fight had faded into the echoing din that we finally stopped for breath. We had reached the top of the stairs. This would be our last chance to rest for a while. I stared at Eve, suddenly feeling far more vulnerable now that our protectors were gone.
"We have to keep moving." I finally grunted.
She looked back over her shoulder. "You do realize that was a trap right?"
"Uh, yeah. Of course it was a trap." I said. "They were trying to keep us away from Smoke."
"They did a good job of distracting our allies," Eve countered. "Neither of them really made a move to stop us."
"What, do you think Smoke wanted us to get to him?"
"Not us, you. And I don't think he wanted us, he just knew that you'd get there. Think about it, he knows about the Dreamstone, and he knows how determined you are to get to him. He wants you weak and without allies." She looked back over her shoulder. "We should have stayed and helped."
"We didn't have time," I argued. "And we have no idea if we could win in time, or at all. At least we know it's probably only Smoke down there. We've at least got a numbers advantage. Especially with your spikes."
"Pretty good idea huh? Figured it would help against Dark Types… or anyone really." She peered down the stairs into the shadows. "What do you think is waiting for us down there?"
I turned as well, a pulse of warmth filling my chest. "No idea," I answered bumping my shoulder with hers. "But whatever it is, let's not keep it waiting."