Chapter 24
Out to Get You
Erebus Woods S1X
"So how big is this dungeon?" Terron asked.
"From what my memory serves, it's about fifty sectors," Yimtri answered. "Not the largest Mystery Dungeon ever recorded, but still quite lengthy."
"Where do you think the others are?" Terron continued to ask.
"Anywhere honestly," Yimtri shrugged. "But, if I had to make a guess, I would say your friends are somewhere between the twentieth and fortieth sector. Typically whenever a group gets dragged down here, the last ones taken by Erebus are sent farthest into the dungeon. So once we reach those sectors, we'll search those areas more efficiently, since they're most likely to be there than here. Until then, let's only focus on finding the exits."
Terron and Syn eyed each other uneasily. They didn't like the idea of having to traverse so deeply into this dungeon. Venturing in Erebus Woods for a few minutes was already bad enough. Though they hadn't seen any wild Pokémon so far, the two still felt that they were being watched at all times. Constant shivers were sent up their spines as they followed the Sableye, who somehow managed to remain so calm. The children wanted to think that their current situation was as bad as it was going to get, but they knew that was a lie. They knew that there were worse terrors lurking in the dungeon, waiting to strike the group at a moment's notice.
Terron and Syn made sure that they didn't ponder about what those terrors could be.
Yimtri led the two to a fork in the cave where the small river split and flowed into both directions, quietly seeping into the darkness. The Sableye came to a stop as he studied the crossroad. Terron and Syn did the same.
"Yes… I remember this," Yimtri said.
"What do you remember?" Terron asked.
The Sableye continued to look forward. He seemed to not have heard Terron.
"Yimtri!" Terron called.
Still, Yimtri wouldn't answer. He remained standing, his eyes fixed ahead of him. Terron grumbled as he looked over at Syn. The Snivy was glancing around at the surroundings, frowning nervously.
"You see something?" Terron asked.
"No, just the usual stuff here," Syn reported. "I keep thinking I see something, but nothing's ever there when I check…"
"What do you see?" Terron asked uneasily.
"Shadows of something," Syn replied. "Shadows… of a lot of things. They're all different, but they're here. Even if I can never see them for more than a second, I know they're there."
"I really want to believe that it's just your imagination," Terron grimaced, "but I know you're not actually seeing things."
"Terron… are we really going to make it out of here?" Syn then asked, bringing his sight over to the Cubone. "We're… we're going to be okay, right? We're going to find the others… right?"
"Yeah, of course we will," Terron replied, trying to sound as optimistic as he could. "I mean, we've gotten out of so many dangers before. It shouldn't be much different here."
Syn stared at Terron, being able to see through the façade of such hope. Terron also realized this, but found he couldn't say anything. He didn't know how to make the situation sound less bleak. He wasn't even sure if he could make everything less bleak. The two continued to stare at one another, both feeling the despair and hopelessness consume them. Silence once again filled the air as neither of the three went anywhere.
"Yes, that's right," Yimtri suddenly said. "Even though this is a Mystery Dungeon, taking the correct path matters here. One leads to the exit of the sector and the other leads to your demise, something that happens every so often in this dungeon."
Terron and Syn snapped out of their depressing states and looked over at the Sableye. He was looking at them once more.
"I apologize for not answering you," Yimtri said to Terron. "I was searching through my memories. It was crucial that I focused on them. I needed to know if taking either road mattered."
"It's fine," Terron said. "So which path is the right one?"
"The left path," Yimtri replied. "If you follow it for a while, you'll exit the sector. Take the path on the right and you'll be met with hordes of Erebus denizens attacking you."
"You've taken both paths?" Terron asked.
"Yes, on separate encounters with the dungeon," Yimtri said. "I was fortunate enough to escape from such a nightmare unscathed."
The Sableye went up to the stream and leapt over it, landing on the other side without making a single sound. He turned back to the two, waiting for them to follow him. Terron and Syn cautiously approached the stream and tried to figure out how'd they cross without going into the water since they couldn't jump that far. The stream didn't look very powerful, but it was so murky, making it hard to tell how deep the water actually was. When Yimtri saw their dilemma, he pointed to a few rocks that were sticking up out of the torrent. The two, seeing no other choice, jumped onto a rock and hopped from one stone to another, taking their time so that they didn't slip.
When the children were reunited with Yimtri, he gave a nod before leading them down the path once more.
"So, tell me about yourselves," Yimtri said casually after a time. "Talking will help calm your nerves, which you desperately need if you want to make it through Erebus Woods."
Terron frowned at the remark.
"I don't really want to tell you anything since you're not exactly trustworthy," Terron replied bitterly.
"Even after I promised to lead you two out of here?" Yimtri asked dully.
"Yeah, I still don't trust you," Terron said.
The Sableye didn't say anything in return. Whether he was disheartened or dissatisfied, Terron wasn't sure since he couldn't see Yimtri's face from behind.
"Well, what's that thing in your hand?" Syn asked, apparently deciding that chatting might be a good idea. "It looks really cool."
"It's an item called a Dusk Sphere," Yimtri explained. "The fire you see is actually a ghostly energy manifested into a flame. It's the energy ghosts such as myself use to keep our beings alive. Think of it as our blood. Somehow, this sphere can take that energy, if I supply it, and transform it into light. Which is very useful to me in such dark places like this."
"But, can't you already see without any light?" Syn asked. "I heard Sableye can see in pitch black because you've got those rocks for eyes."
"I wasn't referring to my eyesight when I mentioned the usefulness," Yimtri stated.
Syn and Terron stared at the Sableye oddly. Just then, Yimtri stopped moving. He quickly turned around as he somehow glared tensely at something behind the children, despite having jewels for eyes. The sounds of something hissing filled the air all around the three. Terron and Syn uneasily psyched themselves for battle.
"All the Pokémon here are skilled in the arts of stealth," Yimtri warned. "Do not underestimate them. If it disappears for even a second, always assume it will attack you when your back is turned. Kill it or knock it out when you get the chance. Never let it go."
Yimtri shoved the Dusk Sphere into Syn's hands. The Snivy nearly dropped the ball from such an unexpected gesture, but he managed to hold onto the light source. He glanced at the Sableye nervously.
"Wh-Why are you giving this to me?" Syn asked.
"Because you're the only one in this group who won't be using their hands," Yimtri replied. "You can hold onto that for me, can't you?"
"Y-Yeah," Syn said quickly. "I-I had to carry something similar whenever my team would go into caves sometimes."
"Good."
A Seviper suddenly shot out of the darkness with its mouth wide open, its fangs gleaming maliciously with toxic energy. It aimed for Syn, seeing that he was the most susceptible to the poison the creature harbored. The Snivy darted out of the way, being just quick enough to avoid the wild Pokémon. When the Seviper saw it missed its prey, it hissed and turned back to chase after the Snivy.
But before it could strike, Yimtri leapt at the Seviper and slashed at its head. Blood flew through the air as three deep gnashes formed across the snake's face. The Seviper screeched in agony before bringing its attention to the Sableye as he landed. It let out a cry as it slammed its tail at him, coating it in thick poison. Yimtri snarled, never taking his eyes off the Seviper as it closed in on him.
As the bladed tail came near, Yimtri's shadow darkened, becoming a deep black. It stretched out in length, gaining a shape filled with curled tendrils that shifted on their own. And then, without warning, the tendrils shot out of the shadow and wrapped themselves around the Seviper's tail. They abruptly ceased the attack, holding the tail in place. Darkness streamed out of the strange shadows that were somehow three dimensional.
The Seviper thrashed its tail, but the shadows held it firm. With its tail immobile, the snake lunged its head and snapped its fangs at the Sableye.
What remained of Yimtri's shadow immediately stretched forward and burst out of the ground. It bashed into the snake's head, effectively knocking it back. In the brief moment it was dazed, the shadows released the creature before merging back into the ground, returning to their normal state.
With one fluid motion, Yimtri leapt forward and slit the Seviper's throat with a clawed hand.
The enemy let out a scream before collapsing, making a dull thudding sound as it hit the ground. Fresh blood oozed out of its fatal injury, making a pool beneath the corpse.
Terron and Syn became frozen in place, staring at Yimtri, their eyes unable to close. The Sableye stood there, his paw dripping with fresh blood. He glanced at the two children, his jeweled eyes reflecting no emotion.
"I would have appreciated it if you two had assisted me," Yimtri said.
The children's voices were frozen. When Yimtri saw the looks on their faces, he understood what was going through their minds. He brought his gaze to his unmoving shadow.
"I can see how it would scare you," Yimtri remarked quietly. "So many things about my life frighten you whether it be me, my friends, or my home… I should have known my abilities weren't an exception."
The Sableye approached the two and gently took the Dusk Sphere from Syn's stiff grasp. The blood coating his claws smeared onto the Snivy's hands. Syn shuddered as he and Terron slowly found the strength to speak once more.
"How do you control your shadow like that?" Terron asked. "I've never seen someone do that before…"
The Sableye grabbed the side of his cape and spread it out so that Terron could see it more clearly.
"There are many Pokémon who can control their shadows," Yimtri answered. "It's an ability common to ghosts, but there have been those that have such a power and are not ghosts. Normally, the power allows the user to extend their shadow toward the target and strike them from behind. Quite a useful technique when it's simply that, but I was able to make a greater power out of the ability once I got ahold of this: a Spell Cape. As you saw, it gives me greater control over my ghostly abilities. While it can amplify my other techniques that involve using ghost energy, I mainly use the cape's power to increase control over my shadow."
"You guys sure have a lot of treasures," Syn commented. "First you've got that weird necklace you gave to Zekra, and now you've got that cape. Where do you get all of them?"
"We buy them from across the region," Yimtri answered as he released his cape. "My Fellowship is the richest of the five total Fellowships since we sell some of our evolving stones to the Black Market. Thanks to all the money we make from that, we can afford to buy so many rare and valuable items. In fact, every team in my Fellowship has at least one valuable item that enhances their abilities, provided by me. I like to think of them as gifts to my cherished followers."
He grinned at such a thought. Terron and Syn weren't quite sure what to say. The Sableye brought his attention back to the path ahead.
"I believe we've stayed here long enough," Yimtri said. "Come, it's time to progress. And next time there are creatures trying to kill us, do try to assist me."
Erebus Woods S1X
"How long have you two been in your Fellowship?" Yimtri asked after the trio had traveled for a few moments in silence.
"Asking more questions about us, huh?" Terron said as a statement rather than a question.
"Yes, I am," Yimtri said simply. "Don't sound as though being curious is a crime."
Terron shook his head in disapproval, but figured he'd go ahead and talk to the Sableye. He supposed talking about his experience with the Fellowship wouldn't be so bad. He didn't think that topic could cause harm. How could it possibly?
"Well, I've been in the Fellowship for a few weeks," Terron said. "And Syn here is our newest member."
"Yeah, but not by much," Syn added. "Only been in the Fellowship about a week less than Terron and Zekra."
"I see," Yimtri said with a nod. "You're still new. Why join the Fellowship at such a young age, though? Surely you children have better things to do in life than to do such menial tasks throughout the day."
"I don't really think the tasks are menial…" Terron replied quietly. "But anyway, we joined for… personal reasons. Don't try to get us to talk about them."
"Putting up a wall even though I haven't said anything, I see," Yimtri remarked dully. "You truly don't want to open up. How unfortunate."
Terron was about to say something, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. As this happened, Syn lessened the space between him and Terron. He tugged on the Cubone's arm.
"What's the matter?" Terron asked as he looked at Syn.
The Snivy's eyes became downcast as he averted his gaze.
"Do you think Zekra and Impetus are okay?" Syn asked shyly. "I mean, I know they've got Vantis with them and all our stuff, but I'm worried about them. They don't know anything about this dungeon, and we didn't even pack the Light Ball with us. They could be wandering around in the dark for all we know…"
Terron's heart sank as he thought about his other team members. He hadn't really thought of how they were doing since they got sucked into the dungeon. Now, thanks to the reminder, he began mulling over their well-being.
He wondered if he'd ever be able to talk to Zekra again the way they used to. For so long, they never had a real conversation. They would only exchange a few words whenever they had to, such as discussing missions. Other than that, they never had any heartfelt talks. They no longer connected. Now, knowing that she might die, Terron was really starting to regret the way he treated her.
Terron was about to ponder more, but he became distracted by Syn wandering off somewhere. He and Yimtri stopped as they watched the Snivy approach a rock and grab something from behind with his vine. When he brought the vine into view, Terron saw there was a green stone in his grasp. It looked so familiar, but Terron couldn't figure out why.
As Syn came back to the group, Terron got a better look at the object. He saw that the center was engraved with a lightning bolt. As soon as Terron saw this, he immediately realized why the stone looked so familiar.
"That's a Thunderstone," Terron gasped. "You found one…"
Syn smiled, all of his previous anxiety completely absent.
"Yep! I thought I saw something out of place behind that rock, so I went to go check it out!" Syn said. "And I found this! This place really does make evolution stones!"
"Mind if I see your finding?" Yimtri asked.
Syn nodded as he handed over the precious stone. The Sableye turned it around with his claws several times, nodding to himself before stuffing it inside his bag.
"Yes, that's an evolving stone alright," Yimtri said. "I applaud you for noticing it."
"Thanks!" Syn replied cheerfully.
The trio resumed their journey, with Syn talking to Yimtri about the different types of evolution stones. Terron, on the other hand, remained quiet as he brought his thoughts back to Zekra. He could see her so clearly in his head right now, wandering aimlessly in the darkness, and stranded from the others. Terron had to remind himself that she was probably better off than he was imagining, but this became increasingly difficult whenever the image kept reappearing in his mind.
"So that's why you have a talent for search missions," Yimtri said to the Snivy. "It was because of a game you played with your parents."
Terron glanced over at the two. It seemed a lot more time had passed than he realized. It didn't feel like much time had gone by, but Terron was at least glad to have the disturbing images out of his mind.
"Yeah, it was," Syn said, his voice lowering. "But… I'm not going to be able to play with them again."
"Did something happen to them?" Yimtri asked cautiously, trying his best to not sound nosy.
Syn grimaced. Terron was about to cut off their conversation so Syn wouldn't have to talk about his parents, but before he could, Syn was already answering.
"They left me," Syn said, his voice a complete monotone. "They abandoned me."
"Oh," Yimtri said blankly.
Syn nodded silently. There were no tears in his eyes. All that was there was a hollow expression. Syn was now an empty shell. Terron sighed as he went up to the Snivy and patted his back. The Snivy didn't say anything or even acknowledge the Cubone's presence.
And then, at that moment of weakness, five Zangoose leapt at the three from different directions. Terron and Syn were knocked to the ground as a Zangoose pounced at each of them. The Zangoose that attacked Terron brought its claws down on him, but thankfully, Terron was able to kick the wild Pokémon off him just as it was to impale him. It flew off him and crashed into a nearby wall, debris from the ceiling tumbling onto the foe. Terron quickly got back to his feet, panting as his gloomy mood quickly vanished.
He found that three of the Zangoose were ganging up on Yimtri and attempting to cut him to pieces. However, their claws had no effect on the Sableye and went straight through his body with every slash. Yimtri was laughing at their futile attempts, remaining still as he listened to their frustrated cries.
Seeing that the Sableye was fine, Terron brought his attention to Syn. He was being pinned under a Zangoose's foot, becoming squished into the ground. His uninjured vine was wrapped around the Zangoose's claws, effectively preventing the wild Pokémon from killing him. It seemed he was copying Yimtri's technique from earlier. However, his grip on the feral was wavering and it seemed that any moment, the Zangoose would break free in its struggling.
Terron ran forward and bashed his bone into the Zangoose's gut, making it stumble backwards and step off Syn. The Snivy crawled out from under its foot and got back to his feet, keeping his hold on the Zangoose. The leaf on his tail glowed brightly as he shot forward, somersaulting in the air a few times as the tips of his tail became sharper. When he was right next to the Zangoose's head, he slammed the edge of his tail into its face.
A large cut appeared across the Zangoose's face as it fell, but just as Syn was going to smack it with his tail leaf once more, Terron's Zangoose reappeared and slashed at the Snivy. Syn abruptly changed his course to avoid the attack, but he was unable to do it in time. The tips of his leaf collar were severed off, just barely missing Syn's throat. The Snivy landed back on the ground and released his vine from the other Zangoose.
Just as the two pounced at Syn, Terron's bone came flying from behind and headed for the Zangoose. The two foes ducked as the bone sailed over their heads, but just as they thought everything was over, a second bone came out of nowhere and conked their heads. The Zangoose rubbed their heads, too distracted by the pain to attack.
Syn looked back at Terron to find that he was catching his bones as they came back to him. When he saw this, an idea suddenly came to mind. Syn put his vine in Terron's hands.
"Terron! Hold onto my vine and swing me around in circles!" Syn cried. "And make sure I'm near those Zangoose!"
Terron nodded as he gripped the vine and began spinning around like a top. He saw Syn's body get lifted off the ground as he flew around by the efforts of Terron. As he zoomed toward the Zangoose, Syn's tail leaf became filled with the strange energy. The Zangoose recovered from their dazed state, where they were suddenly met with Syn's Leaf Blade to their faces. With the extra force provided by Terron, Syn's attack became much more powerful than if he tried to attack on his own. He cut up their faces several times as he continued to come around endlessly. It became an endless barrage of attacks, and each time, Syn's power would only increase. He cut deeper each and every time, even reaching the bone at times.
Very soon, the two Zangoose had their faces covered in blood from the deep slashes. Their eyes were hazy and on the brink of unconsciousness.
"Alright, throw me at them!" Syn yelled.
When the timing was right, Terron released his grip on the Snivy and watched as he bashed his tail into the two. The Zangoose immediately collapsed to the ground, passing out from the concussion and blood loss.
Syn spun around in the air before landing gracefully on the ground. He and Terron looked over the unconscious forms of the enemies, checking to make sure they had been defeated. Once that was confirmed, they looked over at Yimtri to see how he was doing.
All of the Zangoose that had been attacking him now lay on the ground around him, completely motionless. Though there were no external injuries, blood was flowing out of their mouths. Yimtri stood there in the midst of the corpses, smiling to himself.
It was that smile… that awful, unnerving smile.
"Erebus truly knows how to plan its attacks," Yimtri said with an eerie pleasantness. "It senses your emotional turmoil… and it strikes. What an effective tactic."
He laughed at the thought. He continued to stand there, the air around him becoming increasingly sinister.
"You're doing that thing again…" Terron stated nervously. "Why…? Why are you doing that? What's happened to you?"
Yimtri focused his gaze on the Cubone. He took a step forward, and then took another. Very soon, he was creeping toward the Cubone. Terron wanted to get away from the psychotic Sableye, but he found he couldn't move. He could only stand there, watching the Sableye come near with his unwavering smile.
The Sableye stopped right in front of Terron. His suffocating aura seemed even more powerful now that he was so close to the Cubone. It was sending terrifying imagery into Terron's mind, making it impossible for the Cubone to listen to his own thoughts. But, those nightmares were nothing to Terron compared to the one standing right before him.
"What do you mean 'what's happened to you'?" Yimtri asked. "Nothing's changed. Not me… not you… not your fate. Everything's the same. We're still here… in Erebus… where it plots to kill you at every turn. We're still trying to find your grave."
"We're… We're not going to die here," Terron said timidly. "Y-You even said that you'd get us out of here."
"Did I?" Yimtri asked eagerly.
The Sableye suddenly grabbed the sides of Terron's helmet, putting a single claw in each eyehole so that he had a firm grip on the skull. He pushed his face into the helmet's exterior, making Terron shudder. His jeweled eyes were so close to Terron's. The Cubone tried to squirm away, but he couldn't go anywhere thanks to Yimtri's hold on his helmet.
"Let me tell you a little secret, Terron," Yimtri whispered. "I lied to you. You're not going to escape from here. You're going to die here… just like everyone else who gets dragged down to this abyss. Your body's going to rot away in this massive graveyard, never to see the light of day. All of you are going to be here, for the rest of eternity. Nobody ever escapes from here."
"You… You left," Terron trembled.
Yimtri's deranged laughter filled the air. He pressed his face further into Terron's skull, somehow not phasing right through it. His eyes seemed to stare directly into the Cubone's soul.
"Are you so sure?" Yimtri asked. "Well, what if I told you I didn't? What if I told you I never left here? I'm still here… I've always been here. I've never left Erebus."
Terron suddenly felt cold. His pulse began to race.
"But… you… you were at the Fellowship," Terron said reluctantly.
"I am here… and I am there. I'm everywhere," Yimtri stated cryptically.
Suddenly, the dark atmosphere went away. Yimtri's grip on the helmet loosened as he seemed to wake up from a trance. When he realized what he was doing, the Sableye abruptly let Terron go and backed off. He started to grimace as he caressed his head.
"Ngh… forget what I said," Yimtri said quickly. "It's gibberish."
Terron didn't know what to say. He still had no idea what had just happened even though this had happened once before. Yimtri turned away from the Cubone as he wandered off, groaning as he held his head.
"Terron," Yimtri said.
"W-What?" Terron asked reluctantly.
"Next time I do that… ignore me," Yimtri answered. "Do not listen to my nonsensical ramblings. Do not talk to me. Do not let me come near you. Stay away from me… until I'm myself again."
"Why… why were you talking like that?" Terron asked. "You sounded like a completely different Pokémon…"
Yimtri didn't answer. Instead, he continued to go down the path that they had been traveling off before the Zangoose incident, shaking his head and muttering things to himself. Terron glanced over at Syn in the distance to find he hadn't moved at all. His eyes were frozen with shock. When the Snivy noticed Terron looking at him, he hesitantly reunited with the Cubone.
"Why do you think he was acting like that?" Syn asked shyly.
"I don't know," Terron said lowly. "I just don't know. But… we should probably do as he says. I still don't trust him… but he's right about staying away from him when he goes crazy."
"Yeah, okay. I just hope he doesn't do that again," Syn said. "It's really creepy."
"I know," Terron sighed.
Terron and Syn continued to stand there in silence until the light in Yimtri's grasp began to fade away from them. Realizing they were being left behind, the two dashed after the light to catch up with the Sableye. When they found Yimtri, he was standing there, waiting for the two to join him. He seemed to have recovered from his unknown pain.
"Welcome back," he said. "Let's continue forward. There's still much to travel through."
The three continued their journey and ventured through the last bits of the current sector.
Erebus Woods SXX
The group stopped once they came to this new sector, which was still as dark as ever. Yet, the dungeon was no longer a strange, cave-like place. It had changed into something much different.
The land looked more like an actual forest now. There were thick trees along the sides of the numerous trails, stretching up into the dark sky rather than bending downward. The ground beneath the trio's feet was no longer rock, but moist dirt lined with blades of grass. Yes, this place held the appearance of a normal forest.
At least, it would have been, if not for a very strange detail. Terron had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
There were lines of thin string hanging everywhere. Tied around the strings were what appeared to be aging pieces of paper with strange runes scrawled in black. They hung from the barren branches, connecting all of the trees in a messy fashion. The papers swayed in the nonexistent wind, their inscriptions glowing dimly.
"It seems we've made it to the twentieth sector," Yimtri stated. "Yes, I remember this place. It's the only environmental change in the whole dungeon that seemed so surreal. It's why I used to give this particular part of the dungeon a special name: Yomi."
Terron's eyes became wide.
"That name… did you make it up?" Terron asked.
Yimtri glanced over at the Cubone.
"Yes, I did," he replied, intrigued by the remark. "It's the same as the name Erebus. Why do you ask? Does the name sound familiar?"
"Sort of," Terron said slowly. "I just feel like I know that name. It's like how I feel with Erebus…"
"Interesting," Yimtri said more so to himself than the others. "That's interesting."
"Is there something special about the name?" Terron asked curiously.
"No, no there's not," Yimtri replied. "It's only a combination of sounds."
Terron stared oddly at the Sableye and wished to say something, but he didn't know what.
"There's something you should know about this particular environment," Yimtri began. "You need to watch your step at all times. If you feel something moving under you, immediately get away from the spot."
"Something moving?" Syn repeated unsurely.
Yimtri was about to answer, but he quickly stopped. He glanced at his feet to find an unsettling sight. Terron and Syn were quick to notice it as well, horrified by what was happening.
A shadowy, slender tendril was sprouting out of the ground beneath the Sableye and spiraling up his legs. Yimtri quickly leapt backwards, freeing himself from its clutches. The strange thing slowly sank back into the ground, carrying purple residue with it. Terron and Syn brought their gazes over to Yimtri's legs to find that his body color there seemed much lighter.
Part of his "skin" had been torn off.
"… I believe that answers your question," Yimtri grimaced. "It seems the place is already aware of our presence. Let's hurry out of here. More of those things will come unless we keep moving. Staying still is especially not an option here."
The children hastily nodded as they followed Yimtri through the woods. As they walked, the group felt their growing hunger take a toll on their bodies. Despite the feeling being uncomfortable, Syn and Terron wouldn't eat anything just yet from Yimtri's bag. They needed to save as much of their food as possible. They could only eat when they desperately needed to.
Minutes of silence passed.
"How many times have you been down here, Yimtri?" Terron asked curiously.
The Sableye glanced back at the Cubone.
"Asking me questions instead of the other way around I see," he stated, amused by the irony.
"Whatever," Terron said carelessly. "I just want to know since you really seem to know this place."
Yimtri chuckled quietly. He looked up at the black sky.
"I've been here several times," Yimtri answered. "All of those times weren't by choice. The first time was when I first discovered this place twenty years ago. It was just after Dusk Mines was created due to the splitting of the original Fellowship. My members and I had moved into our new home and we were exploring the land around us. That's when one of them discovered here. A handful of my strongest followers came with me to investigate the strange place. And then …while we were outside the dungeon and discussing how far we'd investigate… we were all dragged inside just as we did earlier today. After that, we were very quick to figure out that this dungeon was very different from other Mystery Dungeons. Only myself and a couple of the others escaped."
Yimtri smiled bitterly.
"The last time I came here was five years ago," Yimtri went on. "I was leading a new team around the area to give them a tour. However… we came too close to Erebus's domain, and it brought us inside its depths. I did my best to lead those five recruits out of there… and we all safely left the dungeon after reaching the very end… but I never went here again. I had no reason to. Yet, the layout of the dungeon still imprinted into my mind, never to be forgotten. And so… even though I've been to this dungeon less than my other followers… I still understand here so well due to being around Erebus for so long. No one else has been in my Fellowship for as long as I have. Anyone who initially joined with me when I established my Fellowship… died off or left after a time."
He continued to gaze up above, seemingly becoming lost in his memories.
"You sure gave us a lot of detail…" Terron stated unsurely, feeling a pang of remorse from having to hear such information.
"Yes, I did," Yimtri said absently. "I'm quite aware of that."
Terron gave the Sableye a strange look.
Why is he suddenly telling me so much? Terron wondered. He wouldn't answer my questions about here before, but now he's explaining part of his life to me. Is… Is he trying to get me to trust him or something? Is he sharing all of this so that I'll start answering his questions?
Terron felt something beneath the ground moving, which quickly eliminated his thought process as panic ensued. He jolted out of the way and watched as a few of the odd tentacles rose from the spot where he once stood. When they failed to ensnare anything, they slid back into the ground.
Terron grit his teeth as he stopped and raised his foot up to inspect it. Much to his horror, the soles of his foot were stripped of skin, revealing his muscles and sinew. Yet, he wasn't bleeding, and there was no pain. When he put his foot back on the ground, there was a slight sting, but nothing agonizing.
"Terron, your foot!"
Terron looked back up to find Syn rushing over to him. Terron lifted up one of his feet and showed the Snivy the damage with a stoic expression. Syn's jaw dropped open.
"It doesn't hurt," Terron said, putting his foot back in the dirt and moving it around to find that he felt nothing. "My skin just got torn off… but I don't feel anything."
"I'm pretty sure that's not a good sign," Syn said, becoming unhinged by the sight. "We should probably wrap it up or something…"
"I guess," Terron shrugged. "But why doesn't it hurt…? What were those things that were trying to grab me?"
Syn suddenly jumped backwards, and not even a second later, more tendrils sprouted from the spot. They flailed around for a brief second before once again going back to whence they came. Syn looked at his own feet to find that his soles were in a similar condition to Terron's. They could see part of Syn's inner plant running along the tissue, having the appearance of a very large nerve as it connected to different parts of his foot.
"It really doesn't hurt," Syn gasped. "It's weird…"
"I know. Is it even possible to skin somebody without them feeling pain?" Terron thought aloud.
"I dunno, but we should get some stuff to cover our feet," Syn then said, remembering the reality of the situation. "In case those things come back. They might get our muscles next time. I… I don't wanna see my bones."
They flinched at the thought. Terron was about to hurry off to Yimtri, but Syn grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Can you carry me?" Syn asked shyly. "I don't wanna get more of my skin torn off. I'm scared of what'll happen if it takes away more of me…"
Terron wasn't exactly a fan of carrying Syn due to the child being a plant. Despite being with the team for quite a while, Terron couldn't get over his dread of touching the kid. It was a ground-type instinct embedded into his brain. But now, after seeing how scared the Snivy was, he decided he'd try to override that instinct. He needed to offer comfort to his friend when it was needed most. His silly impulses would have to be cast aside.
Terron nodded and watched as the Snivy climbed onto his back. Terron shivered as his instincts screamed to get the Snivy off him, but Terron ignored those thoughts as he constantly reminded himself of what was truly important.
When Syn was ready, Terron searched around for Yimtri, who was strangely nowhere to be seen. Terron could have sworn the Sableye was with them a second ago, if a few yards away. Still, he couldn't have been too far away though if the radius of the Dusk Sphere was covering them.
"Raaawwaarrrr!"
A black and red blur flew out of the nearby darkness and pounced at Terron. The Cubone quickly got out of the way, just narrowly avoiding the assault. He saw the creature tumble along the ground before getting back to its feet, snarling fiercely.
It was a Zorua. For a second, Terron thought it was Zekra. She was the only Zorua he had ever seen, and this one's appearance matched that of Zekra. It had the same markings, the same size, and even the same, predator-like look in its eyes that Zekra gave at times. However, he knew it was not the Zorua he knew. This one lacked any sort of soul in its eyes.
Zekra always looked like she had a soul… even when she was massacring everything in sight. That was not the case for this one.
The eyes radiated brightly as the Zorua crouched into a hostile stance. Without warning, another Zorua appeared out of the darkness-shrouded parts of the dungeon. It managed to catch Terron from behind, knocking Syn off his back as it pinned the Snivy to the ground.
Terron was about to throw his weapon at the Zorua holding Syn down, but before he could, fangs suddenly bit down on his arm. Terron looked back to find the original Zorua had its teeth sunk into his flesh. It pulled back, making Terron fly back. As he thudded to the ground, the Zorua shifted its form and became that of a Sableye, wearing a delirious smile very similar to Yimtri's.
Terron felt the tentacles wrapping around his body. He quickly got to his feet, and though he knew more of his skin had been peeled away, he didn't bother to see the damage. He couldn't worry about that right now.
The fake Sableye's shadow stretched out toward the Cubone, smiling evilly as it gained a mouth and eyes. Terron tried to get out of the way, but avoiding the shadow was impossible. It managed to creep past him and sent a powerful blow to his back. Just as Terron fell forward, the Sableye grabbed him by the head and forced him to the ground. Terron writhed as the tendrils came up and wrapped themselves around his skull. They were crawling inside, getting onto his skin. They felt so disgusting.
And then, the tentacles started to pull him down, face first. They were trying to take him to their underground world. Terron screamed as he felt the dirt beneath slowly give in, making it easier for him to get dragged to the unknown depths from whence the tentacles came.
Just as his body began to sink, he felt the Sableye on him get thrown off. With nothing keeping him down, Terron pulled away from the strange ensnares. He managed to free himself, though at the cost of his precious sinew. He doubted anyone could see the missing skin due to it being covered by his mask, but he could still feel the missing parts of his facial anatomy rubbing against the skull.
Terron panted as he got back to his feet and tried to figure out what was going on. He was quick to find Syn's vine was wrapped around the neck of the Zorua that was once a Sableye. It was suffocating, gasping for air in desperation, but getting nothing. Syn stood a few feet away from it, only his left side visible to the Cubone. There were a number of deep holes apparent in his body. All of them were bleeding.
The Zorua he had been dealing with was staggering to get to its feet. Somehow, he had managed to take care of it momentarily.
When Syn saw that the Zorua was getting back up, he tossed his suffocating foe at it. The two crashed into one another, tumbling along the ground. Syn panted as he glanced over at Terron. The plant-like skin and muscle around his right eye were completely gone, showing only parts of his skull. Terron cringed at the sight.
"Syn!" Terron shrieked. "Your face!"
"I know!" Syn yelled furiously as tears formed in his eyes. "Don't remind me! I know it's disgusting and horrible! Just help me! Help me defeat those two! Before more of my face goes away!"
Syn put his hands close together, and green light formed in the space. When it had reached the size of a baseball, he tossed it high above. Terron, recognizing what tactic the Snivy was using, held one of his bones with his teeth. He took the other one and held it like a baseball bat, watching the light descend and morph into a solid object. When the energy came close to Terron, he swung his bone forward, sending the energy flying at the Zorua. The light finished its transformation as it flew and became a large seed pulsing with power. The Zorua attempted to get out of the way, but it was too late.
BOOM!
The seed exploded once it made contact with the Zorua, blowing the charred illusionists across the field. But, Syn and Terron knew the Zorua weren't done. They were still up and breathing, something that couldn't happen.
Syn leapt out of a tendril's grasp as he prepared yet another Seed Bomb, throwing it up before creating yet another. Together, the Snivy and Cubone sent a barrage of exploding projectiles at the foes whilst making sure they weren't caught by the tentacles.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
"Haaaaahh!" Syn cried as he finished the last of his seeds and began spinning along the ground.
A storm of leaves escaped from his body and swirled all around his tail, creating a whirling tornado of chaos. When he had gained enough power in the torrent, Syn released the attack upon the Zorua. The tornado disconnected from his tail and sucked the foes into its mass, slashing at their bodies nonstop.
As the torrent disappeared and the Zorua fell back to the ground, Terron rushed forward. He yanked the bone out of his mouth and just as he closed in on the Zorua, he bashed the dull sides of his clubs into their heads. The sounds of their skulls cracking filled the air before the two fell limp, twitching uncontrollably as blood leaked out of the various cuts of their bodies.
They weren't dead, but having them knocked out was good enough for Terron and Syn.
"Good job, Syn," Terron said. "I'm really glad you know all of those attacks. I can still remember when you first joined and could only use your vines, heh."
"You can thank Master Sage for teaching me all of that!" Syn replied. "Now let's go find Yimtri before more Pokémon try to attack us!"
"Right!" Terron said affirmatively.
The two hurried off to go find Yimtri, running as fast as they could. Eventually, they were able to spot the Sableye standing in the middle of the forest, his back turned to them. It seemed he was waiting for the two to rejoin him, just as he had done previously.
However, upon getting closer, Terron and Syn saw that wasn't the case. Yimtri was actually surrounded by at least a dozen corpses, all of them in pieces. Floating in front of him was a Dusknoir, which towered over him as it stared at him menacingly. Yet, the Sableye stood firmly before the massive ghost, showing no fear.
He didn't notice the children approaching him from the distance as he stared up at the Dusknoir.
"Only the two of us are left, Erebus," Yimtri stated, his voice cold. "The ones you sent here are nothing but empty shells now. Yet, you still have your puppet stand here, thinking you can keep me trapped in this dungeon with it. Thinking you can do what you've always tried to accomplish since the day you dragged me into here."
The Dusknoir remained motionless, keeping a watchful eye on the leader.
"I'll admit that you came up with a decent strategy this time," Yimtri went on. "You separated me from my companions, and then you sent a legion of your denizens after me. It must have seemed so foolproof to you. It must seem that way to anyone. But, you seem to forget something each time you try to ensnare me."
The Dusknoir tilted its head, as if curious to know what the Sableye was going to say.
"No matter how much you try, your efforts will always be futile," Yimtri seethed. "You have tried to trap me in your clutches for twenty years, and every time, I always escaped. Why would that simple fact change now? Even if you have managed to gain a partial hold on me over the years, you will never acquire what you truly want. I'll always find a way to ruin your attempts. You can never win."
Yimtri stretched out a claw toward the decaying bodies around him.
"Erebus… I know you can hear me through your mindless slave," Yimtri said. "I also know you can see everything it sees. Look around you. See the corpses of your denizens. Look at their blood that's now stained on my claws. If you see it, then you know how pathetic your actions are becoming. You can't stop me. You can't trap me down here with you. Stop trying. You'll never win."
Terron and Syn finally made it close enough to Yimtri so that he noticed them. He cast them a sideways glance before looking back at the Dusknoir.
"And now, your puppet is outnumbered," Yimtri said dully. "How ironic that it's in the situation I was in moments ago."
The Dusknoir let out a banshee-like screech before lunging at the Sableye. Yimtri calmly encased his claw with his spiritual energy, and just as the ghost was to reach him, he slashed its stomach with the claw. The Dusknoir immediately disintegrated into the air upon contact, its cries still ringing through the air even after it was gone.
Yimtri let out an exhausted sigh as the aura surrounding his claw disappeared. He walked through the various bodies, his form temporarily phasing through the ones in his way, and went the opposite direction of the children, as if to continue the journey. It seemed as though the entire incident had never happened to him.
And then, once he passed the piles of corpses, Yimtri's body suddenly gave out. He collapsed onto the grass face-first, his breath becoming raspy as the Dusk Sphere rolled out of his hand. Yet, despite remaining conscious, he made no attempt to get up. He only lay there, starting to laugh. It was neither happy nor deranged. Terron and Syn weren't sure what to do. They could only stare him as he rested there, where thankfully none of the tentacles came to attack. It seemed the dungeon was giving them a break.
"Of course you'll never give up," Yimtri muttered. "Of course not."
"Are… Are you okay, Yimtri?" Terron asked hesitantly, thinking the Sableye might have lost his sanity.
The Sableye slowly turned his head so that he could look at Terron from behind.
"Yes, I'm alright," Yimtri replied. "I'm just exhausted. I thought I could keep going, but it seems my body has had enough for a while. Fighting so many Pokémon at once can be rather tiring. Let me rest here for a moment. I promise that after I regain my strength, we'll continue. Until then… feel free to have some of the rations from my bag. You two must be growing hungry from all the fighting and traveling. And, wrap up the parts of your bodies that have been skinned. I have a few rolls of bandages somewhere in the bag."
"You're… not going to go crazy like last time, are you?" Terron asked.
The Sableye wheezed out a laugh, followed by some coughing.
"No, I'm still myself," Yimtri assured. "I'm just laughing at how absurd a certain situation is."
"Do you have an Oran Berry?" Syn asked. "Because if you do, we could give it to you. You look like you really need one."
"No, I don't need one," Yimtri replied. "I'm not being attacked anymore. I only use those berries when I'm weak and still being harmed. But, that's not the case here. So, simply resting here will give me back my strength. It will take time, but it spares my supplies, which is important here. You need to save as much of your supplies as possible."
"I guess," Syn said unsurely. "But I guess I'll get some stuff for Terron and I since we could really use some stuff…"
Syn went up to the Sableye and carefully took off the satchel still around his body. Once it was free, he retrieved the Dusk Sphere that was a few inches away. He then dug through the supplies in the bag and pulled out two apples and a roll of bandages. As the two ate, they continued to watch Yimtri remain in such a feeble state. They thought he might have been out cold due to how quiet and still he was, but they weren't sure thanks to his lack of regular eyes.
"There's something I want to ask you, Terron," Yimtri said quietly, shocking the Cubone for a moment from the sudden talking.
"What is it?" Terron asked, deciding not to be hostile with Yimtri's questions since he felt pity for the Sableye's condition.
Yimtri was silent for a moment as he played with the grass between his fingertips.
"… Is there something about me… that seems familiar to you?" he asked.
Terron gave the Sableye a strange look. He wasn't sure what kind of question he was being asked. It didn't make any sense.
"No, nothing about you rings a bell," Terron said. "I'm not sure why it would. I've never met you before, or anyone similar to you."
Yimtri glanced wordlessly at Terron for a moment before bringing his attention to the grass again. He exhaled deeply.
"Why do you ask?" Terron asked.
"No reason at all," Yimtri answered blankly.
Terron let out a groan of frustration. He had been getting increasingly agitated with the Sableye's lack of explanation throughout the day, and as of now, he finally decided he wasn't going to put up with it anymore. He went up to the Sableye and stopped right in front of him. Yimtri shakily brought his head up to look at the Cubone.
"You keep saying that, but I know there's a reason," Terron said with grit teeth. "Otherwise, you wouldn't keep asking me weird questions. So what's the real reason?"
"There is no reason," Yimtri scowled. "At least, not a reason you'd understand."
"How do you know that?!" Terron cried. "How do you know I won't understand what's going through your head?!"
"Because you won't," Yimtri stated.
Terron, finally fed up with the Sableye's words, grabbed the front of his cape since that was the only tangible part of Yimtri he could grasp. The Cubone pulled the Sableye up near his face and started shaking him violently. He knew it was probably not a good idea to be treating one of the Fellowship leaders this way, but he was so sick of not getting answers from Yimtri, that he didn't even care. He'd accept his consequence later if he was to be punished for harassing a leader. Right now, he needed his answers.
"Well, what if I want to know what's going through your head even if I can't understand it?!" Terron yelled boldly. "Do you know how it feels when someone won't tell you anything? Do you not know how frustrating that is?! You keep asking them what's wrong, but they never answer you! They keep saying 'it's nothing special' or pretend not to hear you! Do you not know how painfully agonizing that is?!"
Terron's eyes suddenly widened when all of his words started to remind him of something very similar to the current situation.
"How much… they keep trying to ask what's wrong, no matter how much you ignore them…" Terron said slowly, lowering his voice as he stopped moving. "How much it must hurt them… knowing you'll never answer. How much… they must worry about you… wondering what you're thinking… and never finding out. Never understanding… what's wrong with you…"
The Sableye stared at Terron oddly, not sure what he was rambling on about. When he saw Terron was saying no more, he phased out of Terron's grasp and collapsed back onto the grass. Terron stood there, feeling a much-needed epiphany forming in his mind.
I'm… I'm doing this exact thing to Zekra. Terron thought as the revelation slowly manifested. I'm no better than Yimtri. I pushed her away so much… and locked her out of my heart. I wouldn't tell her my problems. I didn't let her know what was happening to me anymore because I thought she wasn't actually my friend. I didn't think she cared about me anymore. She must be in so much pain… knowing that I won't talk to her anymore. This… this is how she feels right now. And now, she's stuck in this dungeon, possibly dying right now because I refused to explain what was on my mind.
Terron closed his eyes.
Even if I might not be her friend, we're still a team. We're supposed to tell each other what's on our minds. We're supposed to communicate and help each other. I… I lost sight of that and now she's down here with the rest of the team. I'm the reason we're all here… fighting for our lives…
I can't let things stay this way. I have to change. I… I need to start treating Zekra the way I used to. I have to talk to her again. I have to talk with everyone on my team. Or else… something like this will happen all over again.
Terron opened his eyes and stared at Yimtri, who was also looking straight at him.
"One day Terron… I'll let you understand," Yimtri stated, as if he had seen truth in the Cubone's words. "But, today's not that day. Have patience, my child. The day will come soon."
Terron didn't say anything. All that was on his mind was the resolve he committed himself to. Yimtri sighed as he went back to resting, still feeling the fatigue coursing through his body. As the two waited for him to recover, they took the bandages and wrapped it around their skinned body parts. When the children finished their task, they went back to looking over the Sableye, making sure nothing would attack him.
As silence filled the air all around them, with not a single creature coming their way, Terron's thoughts wandered toward his beloved friend.
Zekra… Please be okay. Stay safe until we find you.