Chapter 32
Severed
Not a single Fellowship member could move as they gazed at the horrific sight before them. No one knew how to react. No one knew what to think.
Team Vendetta was no different. Their eyes remained wide open as their minds attempted to process what was happening before them.
There were Plagued Ones swarming all of Aurora Town. The demons were flooding the skies, almost blocking out the sun with their horrendous masses as an endless supply of them poured in from every direction. There had to be thousands of the creatures, and a hundred more coming in every few seconds. They were swooping down into the city, surrounding any civilians in sight, making them vanish without a trace before moving onto whatever unfortunate soul they next spotted.
It was a nightmare. A horrible dream that Terron wished to wake up from, but he knew such a futile wish would not happen.
This was reality; it was no dream.
"NO! NOT AGAIN! NOT AGAIN! NOT AGAIN!"
Terron abruptly brought his eyes to the source of the screaming, only to find Zekra shaking violently and ready to spring at any moment. Realizing what was happening, the Cubone quickly held her in a tight hug.
Her eyes became wide with blank fear.
"Zekra! Don't do this!" Terron cried desperately. "You have to stay focused! Don't submit to your fear! You have to fight for all of your friends! Remember?! That's why you're fighting! To avenge their deaths!"
Zekra's eye twitched as something inside of her brain snapped. A bright light suddenly covered her as she rapidly grew in size. Terron attempted to keep his arms around the changing Zorua, but found it was in vain, as her form became too large for him to contain.
A second later, Terron found himself hugging the leg of a crazed Scyther. It turned its head to him so suddenly, allowing him to see the hysteria and incoherent motions of its eyes.
"Giiiaaaah!" Zekra screeched at Terron in a voice that was not her own.
She sent the dull edge of a bladed arm into the Cubone's head, dazing him as he let go of the false Scyther. With her grip now free, Zekra immediately opened her wings and sped away from the sight. Everyone surrounding Terron immediately ran off in separate directions as well, finally getting over their shock. Some Pokémon fled in their cowardice, attempting to escape the nightmare while others went to other areas of the city to aid those in danger. All who remained with the Cubone now were his teammates. Even Vantis had left him alone.
When Terron stopped seeing stars, he took off after his distraught friend without a second thought. But, just as he saw her disappear around a corner, a Plagued One in the form of a Vaporeon appeared in front of him.
"Sorry, but you can't get to that Zorua," it spoke in a relatively calm voice. "She's gone now. You can't save her."
Terron let out a growl as he bashed one of his bones into the one in front of him, causing its form to dissipate into the wind. Terron got moving again, but before he could get very far, he felt something lift him off the ground. He swiveled his head to find a single Noivern abomination grasping both of his wrists with its wings' claws, thus preventing him from using his clubs.
"I think I'll just keep you like this until we're done. Wouldn't want you causing any problems for us. So, just relax for a while and watch this little village become a ghost town."
FWOOSH!
A mighty stream of fire blew at the Plagued One holding Terron, causing it to let out a loud screech as it burst into wisps. The Cubone landed on his tail, causing him to cringe painfully as he slowly got back to his feet. He saw what remained of his team come over to his side. All of them were trying to keep collected, but Terron could tell that Syn was having the most difficult time in doing so. His hands were trembling and his pupils were dilated to the extremes. He seemed as though he would faint at any moment.
The Cubone frowned in pity at the sight of the poor child, but he knew there was nothing he could do to help Syn.
"I'm sorry for the rough landing," Novus said, diverting Terron's attention from Syn. "But, I couldn't afford to let that demon anywhere near you. Enough of that, though. The city is being consumed by the Plagued Ones. We must act and eliminate as many of them as possible to protect those that reside here and locate Zekra."
"But there's too many of them!" Syn cried hopelessly, already having hysteria taking over him. "We can't kill all of them! There's five to every one you kill! They're endless!"
"There's no such thing as an endless supply of Plagued Ones," Novus snarled. "There is a limit. Do not believe this situation is hopeless."
"But there's so many of them!" Syn wailed, tears forming in his eyes. "I don't want to do this again! I've had enough encounters with these stupid ghost things! I just want to leave!"
Syn's breath started to shorten as his pupils became even larger, nearly filling up his entire irises. Novus cast the Snivy an agitated glare as the fire in his eyes seemed to grow. Without warning, he smacked the Snivy across the face with his front paw, sending the child tumbling to the ground. Tears ran down Syn's now-charred cheek as he remained on the ground, whimpering to himself. Terron was about to help Syn back up, but Impetus managed to do so first. She carefully helped the child back to his feet, only for him to bury his face into her leg. She offered him no console, choosing to remain still, but didn't push him away.
Terron cast a vicious glare at the Quilava.
"What did you do that for?!" Terron screamed angrily.
"The child was becoming hysteric," Novus stated with a tense scowl. "I had to prevent him from entering shock, even if it involved violence. Entering shock is the worst possible thing to happen right now."
"You didn't have to hit him though!" Terron cried. "What kind of Pokémon does that?!"
"Those who desperately wish for their teammates to remain composed!" Novus snapped. "Do not argue with me! For if you have forgotten, we are in a dire situation that requires our undivided attention! Do not focus on this petty argument! Focus on the demons that will consume you!"
Terron screamed something at the Quilava, but his words were unheard thanks to the ghastly shriek of three Plagued Ones now launching themselves at Impetus and Syn. The Mienfoo spat out a stream of star-shaped energies at the monsters as they closed in on her, immediately terminating their existence once the stars made contact with their bodies. With a small pant, she grabbed the Snivy by the arm and ripped him off her leg before placing him back on the ground.
"Are you guys okay?" Terron asked, losing the rage in his voice as concern took over.
"Do not worry about us," Impetus said. "We must fight and find Zekra. Then, fight all we can. That's all that matters. Nothing else does in times like these."
"But that doesn't make up for the fact-"
Terron suddenly felt something tackle into him, causing him and the entity to roll backwards, away from his teammates. The Cubone saw his teammates trying to chase after him in his blurry vision, but they were then intercepted by a large horde of Plagued Ones that completely obscured them from Terron's view.
When Terron finally came to a halt, he found himself staring directly into the eyes of a Kecleon Plagued One. It had its long tongue wrapped around his body, making him completely immobile as it kept its face pressed up against his helmet. He could barely breathe thanks to the tight constraints. He tried to stomp the ground to make an earthquake, but the bindings held firm.
"Why are you resisting? We only wish to take you home. Why do you not want to return home?"
"I've told you… monsters before…" Terron gasped. "I'll never… go with you…"
"But why? We can give you answers if you come with us. You want answers, don't you? We have answers to what's happening to you and why you cannot remember anything."
Terron suddenly felt the soothing feeling creep into his soul. He tried to fight it off, but found that his will was faltering. Whatever the Plagued One was doing to him was doing its job well. He could feel his thoughts already drifting away into a void.
"Stop it…" he said feebly. "I… I don't wanna go… you're lying…"
"But we gave you answers last time and they were true, were they not? Your friend was using you as a puppet. That was no lie. We spoke the truth."
"Shut up…" Terron rasped. "I'm… I'm not going…"
"Sorry, but you must, whether you like it or not."
BZZZT!
The Cubone felt a bolt of lightning strike into his helmet, which then flooded into the Plagued One holding him. It let out a loud, ungodly scream before it burst, freeing Terron from its clutches. The strange, mind-numbing sensation immediately left his being. He gasped frantically, trying to catch his breath as he looked over to see who had helped him.
He found Len rushing to his side, his fur giving off bright sparks of electricity.
"Terron, are you alright?" the Luxray asked, eyes wide with worry. "Did that Plagued One do anything to you?"
"No, I feel fine," Terron said quickly.
"Good," Len said before abruptly bringing his attention to the skies filled with ghostly masses. "I don't know why these Plagued Ones have decided to attack Aurora Town, but that doesn't matter at the moment. We must bring order to our distraught members who fled before I could come to provide instructions as how to face this crisis. Where are your team members?"
"Team members… my team…" Terron said slowly, not understanding the meaning behind the terms.
"Team Vendetta, human!" Len shouted. "Where is the rest of Team Vendetta?! Don't tell me your amnesia has worsened!"
Terron's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered his friends. It seemed part of his mind was still being affected by whatever the Plagued One did to him. He hastily brought his gaze back to where he last saw his three teammates, only to find a swarm of the foul creatures still there, attacking those they were surrounding.
The Cubone rushed after the creatures as quickly as he could manage, but Len was quick to pass him up thanks to his swifter agility.
"Do not come near the swarm!" Len yelled as he cast a tense glare at Terron. "Get away from here! Your helmet will only draw away my electricity! Leave this area!"
"But-"
"Leave, now!" Len ordered sternly. "Don't argue with me! I will rescue your teammates, but that won't be possible when you act as a lightning rod!"
Terron grit his teeth at the remark, but he knew he had to listen to Len. If Terron tried to stop the Plagued Ones, then Len would no doubt notice that they weren't attacking him. While Terron still didn't understand why this was, he knew that it might make him look very suspicious. He didn't want that to happen.
With regret filling him, Terron turned tail and ran the other way. He had no idea where he was going, but none of that seemed to matter. He looked back at the Luxray as he fled from the sight.
The Luxray was rushing at the swarm as his fur became bright with the static coursing through him. He then seemed to gather all of the electricity he could manage before releasing all of it at the legion of demons. A brilliant light filled the air around him as dozens of bolts left his body, each striking at least ten Plagued Ones. The ghastly figures each let out loud, anguished wails as their beings exploded upon contact, slowly clearing the massive wall of Plagued Ones. Len then dove into the storm of demons as his body became infused static , plowing through any Plagued Ones that happened to get in his way.
Before Terron could see any more, he suddenly felt himself crash into the side of a building. His skull prevented the pain that should have come from the impact, but his brain still felt slightly rattled as he pulled himself from off the wooden surface. He took his mask off and put his free hand to the side of his head.
"GET AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE, LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Terron looked to his side to find a Caterpie crawling through the streets right beside him, tears flowing down its face. Right behind the little one were a small group of four Plagued Ones, all eagerly closing in on the child.
The Cubone quickly shoved his helmet back onto his face as he ran after the Caterpie. With one quick motion, he threw a club at the creatures, instantly extinguishing their existence as it sailed right through their forms. Yet, the child didn't stop as Terron's bone returned to him. The Caterpie didn't seem to realize that it was no longer being pursued.
"Kid! Stop running!" Terron cried as he chased after the bug. "You're okay now!"
The Caterpie seemed to fall on deaf ears and continued to scurry away in a blind panic. Frustrated, Terron picked up his speed and scooped up the bug into his arms. The child squirmed and screamed frantically, shooting a line of silk at the Cubone from its mouth. The silk quickly started to wrap around Terron's head, making it impossible for him to see.
"Stop it!" Terron urged. "I'm trying to help you! You have to stay calm! Where are your parents?!"
"Let me go! Let me go!" the Caterpie cried hysterically.
Suddenly, Terron could no longer feel the bug in his hands. It had completely disappeared. Fearing the worst, Terron took the sharp end of a bone club and made a long incision down his silk-covered face. With a tear now formed, the Cubone ripped the substance mask off his skull and tossed it to the ground.
Much to his horror, Terron found two Plagued Ones before him, one a Gabite and the other a Zangoose. The Gabite was holding a now-unconscious Caterpie in its grasp. The two monsters shot Terron evil smiles as the Gabite held out the feeble child to him.
"Sorry we had to steal this child from you," the Gabite sneered. "But, you certainly weren't going to have any use with this child. I think we did you a favor by taking him from you."
"You monsters…" Terron growled.
"Well, that's a very funny thing to say, coming from you," the Zangoose teased. "Calling us monsters when YOU are no different than us."
Terron grimaced at their accusation. So they knew that he was going to become a Plagued One in time. Somehow, they knew that.
"Well, thank you for this child," the Zangoose chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be wonderful to us. He'll be of great help."
Terron tossed a bone club at the Zangoose and Gabite, obliterating them completely. The Caterpie dropped to the ground with a dull thud just as Terron's bones returned to his hands. He rushed over to retrieve the small Pokémon, but before he could, something with sharp claws pinned him down, face-first. The Cubone swiveled his head around to see who his assailant was, only to find the Gabite he had just destroyed moments ago.
"How did you…?" Terron tried to say.
"What? You thought when you killed us, we were gone forever?" the Gabite asked with a sneer. "Well, I hate to disappoint you, but it doesn't work like that. We just reform a little while later after you 'kill' us. You can't actually get rid of us. We usually just leave you alone for a little while after we come back, which is why you never know we can reform. Didn't you ever wonder why it's so hard to resist us?"
"But… you came back so quickly…" Terron said quietly.
"Well, some of us just come back a little faster than others," the Gabite chuckled. "Depends on who it is."
Streams of wisps merged back together in front of the Cubone before solidifying and forming the Zangoose Plagued One, not a single scratch upon it. It then flew over to the feeble Caterpie before gathering it up its arms, grinning eagerly.
"See you around, Terron," the Zangoose said to the Cubone with a wave. "We're expecting you soon."
The Gabite cackled as it released its hold on Terron and joined the Zangoose as they took off into the skies with the bug in tow. Terron weakly got back to his feet, feeling the remorse from not being able to save the child. But, he was not allowed to mope long, for he heard someone running up behind him. Terron turned his head back to find Éclair coming to a halt, her maw twisted into a scowl.
"Accursed demons," she snarled. "They've taken yet another before my eyes."
The Ninetales brought her attention to the Cubone, giving him a long stare.
"Yet, they did not carry you away, child," Éclair stated cautiously. "They attacked you, but they did not treat you like their other victims. They did not swarm you, and they did not inflict their lethal attack upon you. Why is this so? Why are you being treated differently…?"
She narrowed her gaze at the Cubone, as if she were trying to pierce into his soul to find the answer.
"I don't know," Terron said uneasily, turning his eyes away from the penetrating gaze. "I really don't know…"
Éclair remained silent for a moment before removing her gaze from the Cubone.
"I suppose pondering in this now would distract us from what must be done now," she said, trying to dismiss the thought. "Tell me, where is your team? Why are you separated from them? It is not wise to be separated from others in this crisis, no matter how strong you may be. If I had a choice, I too would not remain so isolated. But those demons took the one who was with me, thus forcing me to remain alone in this ill-fated encounter."
She grimaced at the thought as she attempted to hold back the bitter feelings that were no doubt welling up inside her.
Upon hearing Éclair's question, Terron suddenly remembered his teammates that were being surrounded by Plagued Ones. He looked back in the direction where he last saw Len, only to find that the storm of demons was gone, along with his teammates and the Luxray leader. Terron's heart stopped beating as a wave dread overcame him, numbing his thoughts and body.
"No… they… they can't be gone. They just can't! They have to be alive!" Terron screamed, panic slowly taking over him. "Len said he'd help them escape! They had to have escaped!"
"Terron, keep yourself composed!" Éclair demanded. "Do not let the hysteria consume you! If you can stifle it, I will help you find your team as we try to bring order to our distraught members. Your friends are no doubt still within the vicinity, but you must compose yourself in order for me help. Otherwise, you will be nothing but a burden."
The Cubone reluctantly nodded as he took in a few deep breaths. His heartbeat gradually returned, only for it to pump loudly in his chest. He could feel it in his ears, drowning out the screams of civilians and gibberish of the Plagued Ones.
Even still, he managed to compose himself for the most part. He had to keep himself calm if he wished to find the rest of his team. When the Ninetales saw this, she bent down and allowed the Cubone to climb onto her back. Once he was securely seated and managed to grab ahold of her mane, she took off running in the direction in which Terron pointed to.
"Tch, Len, you fool," Éclair cursed under her breath. "You should have known not to combat the Plagued Ones by yourself in an attempt to rescue those members. Now you leave me with this child who is wrought with worry thanks to you. Why did you make such an ignorant choice?"
Zekra landed back upon the ground after having avoided an unintentional blast of ice from a Piloswine who was aiming for a Plagued One. She twitched uncontrollably as she looked back at the Pokémon, only to find that they were now gone, most likely taken by a Plagued One. Her eyes darted around after seeing this, searching to see if there were Plagued Ones coming her way. Though she saw thousands of the demons flying through the skies above her, none of them were coming after her.
She opened her false Scyther wings once more before speeding down the street full of panic-stricken Pokémon. She knew not where she was at the moment. She knew she was still somewhere in some town, but that was all she knew. She didn't know what section of the town she was in, how far away the exit was, or even the name of such town. But, that wasn't a concern at the moment. More urgent matters were on her mind.
She had to leave the city. She couldn't stay with these horrid creatures infesting everything in sight. Nothing else mattered.
A Plagued One suddenly flew at her from behind in an attempt to catch her off guard, but Zekra saw the blur of movement in the corner of her eye. She instantly turned around as she flew, bringing a Scyther blade down upon the oncoming demon. It dissipated upon contact, the residue steaming off her arm.
A chill spread up her limb, making her lose feeling in the arm completely. She winced as the cold spread through her limb and threatened to change her back into a Zorua, but she didn't let that happen. She forced herself to remain in the Scyther form as the chill disappeared, her bladed arm seemingly tingling with a strange energy she couldn't identify. And yet, she saw no reason to dwell in that odd circumstance. There was no reason to.
Zekra twisted her mouth in a scowl and then zipped through the air once more with the speed and grace of a ninja.
As she sped through the city, Zekra saw several Pokémon becoming consumed by the foul creatures. The Plagued Ones would strike their victims with a claw, where the Pokémon would proceed to faint upon contact, only to be carried away by a Plagued One to somewhere in the sky. No one was spared such fate. Children, elders, and the sickly were all captured by the demons. Several of these poor souls attempted to resist the Plagued Ones, and they were able to fight off quite a few for a while, but it always ended the same way. The victim would eventually become overwhelmed, whether it was after one Plagued One or twenty, and then a single Plagued One would inflict the strike.
And yet, even as Zekra saw such gruesome scenes, she did not feel anything. She didn't feel pity upon seeing those around her get taken away by the ghastly figures. She didn't feel rage at seeing the Plagued Ones consume the entire town. She felt nothing. Any time somebody called out for her help, she turned a deaf ear to their cries and continued to run.
She didn't care about anyone. She had to escape.
The sun started to set behind Zekra, which meant that nightfall was soon to descend upon the town. She could tell that those around her were becoming unnerved by the sight, since they would not be able to see their assailants, but Zekra didn't feel their fear. She wasn't like them. Darkness was her ally. She could see through the black the night brought.
A group of ten Plagued Ones suddenly swooped in on her from high above. They laughed gleefully as they descended upon her, claws poised to strike and teeth revealed to sink into her flesh. The false Scyther forced herself to a halt as she brought her gaze up to them.
"GIIAAAH!" she screeched.
She leapt up and swiped her scythes at the oncoming ghastly figures. Four of the ten figures were impaled by her blades, immediately disappearing from existence upon making contact. Zekra once again flinched at the unbearable cold that spread into her body, but she refused to let it distract her. She only grit her teeth, tolerating the feeling as it slowly faded away.
As this happened, the other six creatures she had missed maneuvered around her sporadic movements to impact her. Just as one was to chomp down upon her arm, Zekra shifted her form into that of her true self, just barely preventing the creature from sinking its fangs into her.
With a loud cry, she opened her maw and shot out a whirling vortex of black rings at two of the demons before her. It completely consumed them, eradicating their forms instantly. Yet, it did not take care of the remaining Plagued Ones. The second her attack ended, they were quick to lunge at her, ready to render her unconscious.
Thankfully, a blast of water and fire were able to prevent such thing from happening, effectively eliminating the last ones of the group. Zekra gracefully landed back upon the ground, bringing her attention to the ones who had saved her. Standing a few feet away from her were an Azumarill and Arcanine, both of whom were staring at her with anxious eyes.
"Zekra, I'm glad you're okay!" the Azumarill said as she sighed in relief. "I thought you were a goner for a second! It's a good thing Bane and I were around here!"
"Yeah, one second we're out buying supplies for the Fellowship, and then the next second, there's these irritating abominations swarming everyone," the Arcanine grumbled.
The Zorua stared at them with blank, glazed-over eyes, tilting her head slightly to the side. They seemed familiar somehow, but she couldn't tell why that was. She considered the thought of searching through her memories, but then something in her mind insisted that she did not know these creatures and that they were delusional. It told her to instead focus on the present and resume escaping from the city.
"Zekra, it's us," the Azumarill said cautiously. "You know, Rayne and Bane? What are you doing out here? Where's your team?"
Zekra squinted her eyes at the creature, not understanding what the Azumarill was talking about. She was to search her memories once again, but just as before, some part of her mind stated there was no reason to. It told her to ignore the Azumarill and flee. It told her she was going to die unless she got away from the sight as quickly as possible.
Zekra, upon hearing this, instantly bolted from the spot and ran toward the outskirts of the city. She didn't know why she was listening to these strange thoughts in her mind, but she didn't care about that at the moment. She didn't care about anything except her survival and listening to the heeding words of her instincts. She just knew she had to listen to those thoughts.
"Zekra! Zekra! Wait!" the Azumarill called after her.
The Zorua ignored the yelling and continued running. She could see an exit nearing her. It was the border of the city that led into the outside world where the wild Pokémon lived.
Zekra didn't smile. She only started to move faster.
The Arcanine and Azumarill abruptly blocked her path with their bodies, somehow having passed her up without her realizing it. She grimaced as she attempted to run around them, but the Azumarill was quick to act and dove at the Zorua, grabbing Zekra with her blue paws. The Zorua let out several incoherent snarls as she struggled to break free, but to no avail. The Azumarill's grasp was too strong for her.
"Zekra, what's gotten into you?!" the water-type asked. "Where are you going?!"
The Zorua continued thrashing about, finding no reason to answer the creature's question. She just wanted to escape and live.
"Zekra! Answer me!"
Kill. Kill and live. Kill and live.
Zekra stopped struggling as a voice entered her mind, quiet as a whisper. Her heart seemed to stop as a presence filled her mind, contaminating her.
Kill them. KILL THEM. KILL THEM.
Zekra's body suddenly filled with the agonizing cold she had felt whenever she touched the Plagued Ones. She let out a low cry as it spread into her mind, completely snuffing out all of her thoughts. All of her thoughts, that was, except for the voice.
Without warning, Zekra swiped a claw at the Azumarill, raking her face. She flinched as she dropped the Zorua, clutching the gnash that bleed profoundly. Zekra let out more snarls as the voice grew louder in her mind and the chill crept through the rest of her body.
KILL THEM. KILL THEM. KILL THEM. FINISH WHAT HAS BEEN STARTED.
Zekra's amulet gave off a flash, and then her entire body was coated in a blinding illusion light. An unnatural scream echoed from within the light, sounding absolutely nothing like Zekra's.
When the light ceased, there was no longer a Zorua; there was now a Scyther. A vicious, crazed Scyther with an unnerving glare that held eyes that dilated and pinpointed at a rapid pace.
Rayne and Bane tensed at the sight, scared stiff. They no longer felt that they were looking at an illusionist pretending to be a Scyther; they thought they were looking at a demon. They thought that what now stood before them was a creature that had risen out of the underworld and was ready to reap their souls right out of their bodies.
"Zekra...?" Rayne whimpered.
"I HAVE TO LEAVE!"
A frightening, powerful voice screamed out of Zekra's mouth, penetrating the air with a horrific echo. Rayne and Bane felt an icy chill run up their spines at hearing the voice, but it wasn't because the voice was that of a monster; it was because the voice was still unmistakably Zekra's.
"I HAVE TO LEAVE!" Zekra screeched, her words echoing in their ears and driving a deep fear into their core. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
"L-Leave?!" Rayne gasped. "But you can't! You have to stay here to protect everyone in Aurora Town! You can't just abandon your responsibilities as a Fellowship member! You have to fight the Plagued Ones!"
"I NEED TO LEAVE!" the false Scyther insisted madly. "I NEED TO LEAVE! I CAN'T DIE HERE!"
"Calm down, kid!" Bane barked. "Get ahold of yourself! Stop thinking about yourself and fulfill your job as a Fellowship member! Fight the Plagued Ones! Don't run away from them! Don't make us force you to stay here!"
Zekra shot an intense glare the two, causing Bane and Rayne to cringe and take a step back.
"GIIAAAH!"
Zekra zipped forward, her scythes gleaming eerily as she closed in on the two. Rayne and Bane flinched, but were quick to fire their respective elements at her, seeing that she completely dead set on killing them. She sprang into the air just as the two attacks were to impact her, hissing as she landed in between the two of them with bladed arms positioned to sever their necks in an instant.
Upon seeing the sight of death's blade, the two leaders instinctively fired their attacks at her. Unfortunately, the Scyther leapt out of the way, causing both of them to inadvertently attack the other.
Bane let out a loud, blood-curdling howl as Rayne's water doused him, blowing him back until he slammed into the side of a building. Rayne was impacted by scorching heat, but luckily for her, the pain was minimal and was quick to snap her out of her confusion. When she saw Bane, who was whimpering pathetically as he struggled to his feet, she quickly brought her gaze back to Zekra. The Scyther was staring back at Rayne, her erratic complexion now disturbingly empty and soulless. The Azumarill curled her paws into fists as her normally peaceful eyes seemed to become aflame.
"I knew we should have gotten rid of you!" Rayne screamed. "I told Len that having kids in the Fellowship would do things to you, especially since you were already traumatized, but he didn't listen to me or Bane! He said to just accept your decision! And now look what's happened because we listened to him! You've become a psychopath!"
The Azumarill spat out a beam of frigid ice at the false Scyther, her rage increasing the power. Zekra leapt out of the way, saying nothing as she zipped at the Azumarill with scythes held in scissor formation. Rayne scowled as a tornado of water surrounded her tail, then tossed it at Zekra with all her might.
The Scyther attempted to get out of the way, but was suddenly grabbed by her false wings by a shook-up Bane before being tossed into the oncoming attack. Zekra let out an ear-piercing scream as the water impacted her, encasing her into its torrent before it sent her flying into a nearby tree. The second the attack ceased, Bane followed up with a breath of flames that were slightly weaker than normal due to how he had been smothered by water.
The tree became engulfed in fire as Zekra's body became one with the flames. Rayne and Bane watched the tree burn in silence, no longer able to see Zekra within. Rayne wanted to put out the fire so that Zekra would not be burned alive, but something within the Azumarill was holding that back: her seething rage that made the water within her soul boil.
"Rayne… you should really put out that fire," Bane said weakly.
"She can suffer a little longer," Rayne said bitterly as she watched the flames consume the tree. "She deserves it for making me attack you like that."
She scowled as another unpleasant thought came over her.
"We shouldn't have kept those children in the Fellowship," she muttered irritably. "Team Vendetta… that very name was a sign that they should have left. That name screams that the kids are in terrible psychological condition. They should have been with some replacement family, growing up the way kids normally do. They could have learned to get over their traumas better that way and wouldn't be in any danger that constantly makes the trauma worse. And they wouldn't have to die today."
Rayne waited to hear what Bane's reaction would be. She suspected he would agree with her, but say that there was nothing they could do now to change the problem and that they would have to live with it. She anticipated such a response to come any second.
But the Arcanine never spoke. Not understanding why he was remaining silent, Rayne turned her head to see what was wrong with Bane…
… only to find that he was collapsed on his side and out cold, dark wisps escaping from his back.
Rayne felt her heart skip a beat as she tried to figure out what had just happened. But, before she could do that, she felt dark, oppressive energy surge into her back. She let out a loud wail as she fell forward, her mind becoming disoriented as terrible emotions flooded through her being. She feebly brought her head off the ground, only to find a Zorua standing over her, her body charred and dripping wet as her eyes burned with a light that rivaled that of the Plagued Ones'.
"Zekra… how… how did…?" Rayne tried to ask. "I saw you… you were… you were hit… how are you…?"
The Zorua's eyes gave off a murderous flash as she raised a paw into the air before slamming it down onto the Azumarill's head, instantly silencing the water-type. Zekra gazed upon the unconscious Azumarill, making sure that she had knocked out the creature so it would not bother to fight her once again.
"Skree!"
Zekra leapt back as a Haunter Plagued One suddenly descended upon the Azumarill. It scooped her up in its disembodied claws before taking off into the swarms in the skies high above, laughing joyously. Zekra looked behind her to find that the Arcanine was being treated to the same fate, only being carried by a Charizard Plagued One.
Not wishing for the same thing to happen to her, Zekra bounded for the city's exit once more. Nightfall had come upon the town, shrouding everything in darkness, but none of that was of concern to Zekra. The exit was so close to the Zorua. In just another minute, she'd escape from the city and hopefully be free from the Plagued Ones.
Salvation was within her grasp.
"Little Zekra, it brings me such melancholy to see you in this dreadful situation."
The Zorua brought herself to a halt as she let out a low growl. Someone was no doubt going to try and prevent her from leaving the city once more. She crouched into a hostile stance as she glanced around, trying to find the source of the voice in the darkness.
The unknown entity let out a dispirited sigh.
"I see… so this is what's happened to you. I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but it must be done for your own sake, and possibly everyone else's."
Zekra became tense at the remark. Her eyes darted around in every direction, but she found no one.
There was a sudden impact to the back of her head. The Zorua immediately fell forward, but she didn't hit the ground. Instead, she landed in someone's arms and not even a second later, she felt something sharp and cold pierce into her scalp. She tried to look up to see who had attacked her, but she found she couldn't. Her vision was fading, and her body felt weak. She could only let her eyes close as the world around her slowly disappeared into nothingness.
"Sleep, Zekra. It will let you leave this nightmare. You're safe in slumber."
Those were the last words the Zorua heard before she felt herself completely drift away.
Syn, Impetus, and Novus stayed right behind Len as the four ran through the streets of Aurora Town, panting heavily from the non-stop running. The four had escaped their close encounter with the legion of Plagued Ones a while ago by combining all of their efforts, only to be met with yet another swarm. But, rather than stay and fight, the four had attempted to hide from the demons by running inside the Fellowship. Unfortunately, such plan failed to work, as the creatures followed them inside and flooded any barricaded rooms through the windows. Due to this, they were forced to flee out of the giant tree through a great deal of combat with the demons.
Now, having just escaped the base, the four ran to the area where Len had last seen Terron. A horde of Plagued Ones were right on their tails.
"Begone, putrid creatures!" Novus screamed as he swiveled his head back and blasted the demons with a large pillar of red flames.
The entire swarm was consumed by the attack, letting out loud screams as their forms dissipated into oblivion. The Quilava let out a snort as he brought his attention back in front of him.
"How much further to Terron, Fellowship leader?" Novus asked.
"Just a little bit more," Len answered. "Ignore your fatigue the best you can."
The four pushed themselves as they came into the section of the city where the Cubone was last. However, upon entering the area, Len's eyes became wide with terror. He forced himself to a stop as he looked around frantically, his eyes becoming bright. The members of Team Vendetta followed suit and brought their attention to the Luxray.
"What's wrong?" Syn asked anxiously.
"Terron is no longer here," Len answered tensely. "He was here when I last saw him… and now he is no longer. I see him nowhere. He's not even behind the buildings."
"You can see through the buildings?" Impetus asked curiously.
"Yes, it's an ability we Luxray have," Len said as he continued to glance around. "It lets us find our young when they become lost and find prey attempting to hide from us. Still, Terron is not here. I would consider the possibility that he's dead now, but seeing as how two of you and him have evaded the Plagued Ones before, I see no reason as to why he couldn't do it again."
"Where do you think he'd be?" Syn asked.
"I'm not sure, but waiting here and thinking about that won't solve anything," Len answered. "We'll have to keep searching. However, he will not be our primary concern anymore. I must also find the members of the Fellowship that fled before I came. I must bring order back to any cowardly members and rekindle their will to fight. If we see Terron, then we will save him. But, we will no longer look exclusively for him."
"But… you said you'd bring us to Terron!" Syn cried. "You can't just change your mind! And Zekra too! She's gone missing and we want her back too! You have to help us find them both!"
"Sorry, but I cannot concern myself with the individual needs of my members for much longer," Len said quietly. "I must focus on helping the Fellowship as a whole now to deal with this crisis. You must understand that."
Syn started to yell something, but was quickly stopped by Novus. He shook his head as he placed a paw in front of the Snivy.
"Do not argue, child," the Quilava spoke. "The Fellowship leader is right. We cannot divert all of his attention onto Terron and Zekra. There are others in more dire need and it is best if we help him in such."
"So you want Terron and Zekra to get taken away by the Plagued Ones?!" Syn shouted incredulously. "You just wanna forget about them?!"
"Of course not!" Novus snapped. "Why would I wish to abandon the members of my team?! It's only that I cannot prioritize them in this situation! Those two can take care of themselves until we find them! There are others who require more of our attention! Listen to your Fellowship leader! Do not let your emotions cloud your better judgment, you insolent child! Stifle them!"
"Shut up!" Syn screamed. "I'd rather be insolent and care about my friends than be a heartless monster who'd abandon those friends in an instant!"
The flames upon Novus's head intensified as he shot Syn a malevolent glare, causing the Snivy to cringe back at the sight. Yet, before Novus could do anything, Len immediately stepped in between the two, his teeth bared.
"Both of you, stop this at once!" Len snarled. "You must work together if you wish to get through this crisis we now find ourselves in! Bickering among each other will only-"
Without warning, a Luxray Plagued One slammed into Len, sending the two flying across the ground. Len was about to send a bolt of static at the Plagued One, but then, he saw the creature's fiery eyes. He only looked into its eyes for one second before his own eyes grew in horror. He swiftly got to his feet and backed away from the monster.
"No… it can't be you…" Len said feebly. "You… you can't be…"
The Plagued One seemed to let out a strange laugh as a twisted smile grew upon its ghostly muzzle. Len slowly shook his head as his entire body started to tremble. He had been reduced to nothing but a scared, helpless cub.
"You can't be…" he continued to say. "You can't be… my mother… I don't remember my mother. But why do you make me think of her…? You can't be… UAH!"
Len's eyes suddenly glazed over as he became completely still, as if he had become paralyzed. The Plagued One lunged at the leader, but Impetus was quick to act and formed a sphere of aura energy in her paws before firing it at the Luxray. It let out a loud roar a second before coming in contact with Len, promptly dissipating in the flash of the attack.
The three quickly made their way over to the Luxray.
"Len, are you okay?" Syn asked.
There was no response from the Luxray. He was simply frozen in place, his eyes staring absently at the ground below. The Snivy nudged him in an attempt to get a reaction, but Len remained in his strange state.
"It seems he has entered a type of shock," Novus noted. "I know not why, but it doesn't matter. We need to keep him safe until we find a way to bring him back to reality."
"So we're not going to go after our friends, but we're going to protect him?" Syn then asked the Quilava, the bitterness returning to his voice. "Whatever happened to helping the Fellowship as a whole? You know, protecting others rather than one Pokémon?"
"This is different," Novus said lowly. "If anything were to happen to the leader, then the entire Fellowship would be in a small catastrophe, even if there are ten leaders. He is the true leader of our Fellowship, and it is our main priority to prevent the Plagued Ones from taking him."
"Well Terron is our leader!" Syn retorted. "If we lose him, we'll fall apart!"
"This Luxray is the leader of the Fellowship, not a meager, insignificant team!" Novus yelled. "The importance between the two is a striking difference! Your reasoning is nonsense! Cease trying to disagree with me!"
"No, I won't, because you're wrong! You're the one who's thinking nonsense!" Syn screamed. "We need to save Terron and Zekra! They're more important than anything!"
"Only you agree with that due to you forging a bond with them so that you see them as your surrogate parents," Novus stated, making Syn flinch. "I see it in your eyes when you look upon those two. I know not what happened to your true parents, but you're now using Terron and Zekra as your replacement parents. You put them above priority of everything else in this situation because of your attachment to them. Well child, you need to see that those two can't be your parents! As long as you three work for the Fellowship, you must never let that type of bond prosper! Because one day, on a day like this, you will lose them, and the pain will forever ruin you!"
The Snivy wanted to say something, but no words were coming to his mind. His mind felt bound by some unknown force, and his insides felt as though they were filled with ice. He could only stare at the enraged Quilava, his eyes wide open in disbelief.
"Both of you must stop."
Syn and Novus turned their heads to find Impetus, her ever-serious gaze upon them. Her tail flicked behind her as her eyes narrowed.
"You two both have points in your argument that you need to each see," the Mienfoo said.
She brought the stunned Snivy in her sights.
"Syn, you need to see that Novus is right with protecting Len," Impetus said calmly. "Protect the leader. That is true no matter where you are. In my old world, the ones in the pack would always protect the leader. Whenever the leader perished, the rest of the pack became lost and aimless until a new leader emerged a time later. The same will happen here. We must protect Len. That is our priority."
She then glanced over at the Quilava.
"Novus, telling someone to block out their emotions toward the ones they love is not an effective tactic," Impetus said. "No one will listen to that. Even if you don't directly say that, they will know what you are saying and resist it. We need those emotions. They drive us to search for the ones we miss, even when all hope is lost. We cannot discard the feelings. We must keep them to make it through this. They will keep us going when our bodies can no longer support us.
"Do you now see what you failed to realize before?"
The Quilava and Snivy looked at one another for a brief moment before letting out a simultaneous sigh.
"You were right," Syn said quietly. "I really do want to find Terron and Zekra… but we've gotta keep the Fellowship safe. That's our job, after all."
"Yes, thank you for understanding," Novus nodded before frowning glumly. "And, I'm sorry for my own words. I understand how difficult it is to control your emotions… and learning to stifle them is not always an ideal option, sometimes. Then also, they are your friends. It is normal to feel concerned for them. I suppose my convincing methods were not the best."
"No, they weren't, but it's okay," Syn said gently. "Terron and Zekra are probably doing alright anyway. They're pretty strong."
"Yes, perhaps they are," Novus said. "I too, hope they are safe. I worry for them also…"
Impetus watched the two from next to Len, both listening to them discuss what their current plan would be and keeping an eye out for Plagued Ones. She was quite surprised that her words had managed to resolve such conflict so easily. She had only intended to end the argument by distracting them with her words; she had not expected them to reach such an agreed resolution and to speak to each other on more friendly terms now. It was truly strange how such a thing happened, especially given that one was a fire-type and the other was a grass-type. Both were meant to be mortal enemies in the wild, so it only made sense that they would argue in the civil world.
Yet, here they were, as acquaintances who worked together with no strife.
The Mienfoo pondered in what had caused this, and after a brief moment, she finally realized what had caused this to happen. But, before her mind could properly comprehend her revelation, she saw a Ninetales running toward her. Upon her back was a familiar Cubone.
"Terron!" Syn cried happily, throwing up his arms into the air.
Terron and Éclair came to a stop before the four Pokémon, the Ninetales panting heavily from the endless running and having to deal with many Plagued Ones. As Terron leapt off her back, Syn ran up to the Cubone and hugged him tight. Terron grew alarmed by the sudden hug, but was quick to calm down and return the hug.
"You're okay!" Syn said joyously. "I'm so happy that you're okay!"
"Yeah, I'm happy to see you too," Terron said with a weak chuckle.
Éclair was about to smile and say something to the four members of Team Vendetta, but then, she noticed Len and his blank state. With a gasp, she quickly went up to him.
"What happened to Len?" Éclair worriedly asked the four as she nudged the Luxray with her head in an attempt to get his attention. It didn't work.
"I don't really know," Syn answered. "He just saw this Plagued One and then he just froze up like that, like he's in some kind of trance."
The Ninetales frowned in dismay as she continued her attempts in trying to bring Len back into reality.
"You mustn't stay like this," Éclair said to the Luxray. "There are Plagued Ones among us. You must fight! You mustn't be an easy target for them!"
"Exactly!"
A sudden black and red blur flew toward the group, instantly alerting Team Vendetta and the Ninetales. Éclair and Novus opened their maws before releasing their scorching flames at the oncoming figure, causing it to swerve out of the way just in the nick of time and land upon the ground a few feet away from the group. The five turned to face it and see what had tried to attack them.
It was a Weavile Plagued One. Terron's eyes grew once he saw it.
"D-Drae?!" he asked in disbelief.
"Heh, so you recognize me," the Weavile spoke as it turned to face the Cubone. "I didn't know if you could, now that I look like this. Well then, how's it going, Terron? Do you have time for me to talk to you by yourself? If you don't, well, that'll be taken care of right now."
There was a blur of movement.
One second later, Terron found himself collapsed against the trunk of a tree, his back throbbing painfully. The ones he was just with were now being surrounded by dozens of Plagued Ones several yards away, and all were doing their best to escape the madness. Yet, such a thing seemed impossible with the endless numbers that would reform seconds after being destroyed.
Drae suddenly appeared before the Cubone a second later, wearing an amused grin. The Weavile quickly proceeded to pick up Terron by the arms and stare into the Cubone's wide eyes. Terron wanted to move, but found that his limbs weren't working. He was completely stiff, but he knew it was not out of fear. It was something the Weavile was doing to him. Drae's claws were punctured into Terron's body, and though it didn't hurt, the Cubone knew it was somehow keeping him still. It was preventing him from attacking.
"You haven't changed at all," the Plagued One said. "You're still that annoying kid I saw back on that mountain from about a month ago. You still haven't died no matter what happens."
"Wh-Why are you a Plagued One?" Terron asked uneasily, finding that his paralysis was increasing his dread. "You were locked up in Dusk Mines… did Erebus finally end up turning you into a Plagued One?"
The Weavile let out a short chuckle.
"Oh, I was locked up in Dusk Mines alright," Drae said with a slow nod. "And then, I became a Plagued One because Yimtri did something to me."
"What did Yimtri do to you…?" Terron asked timidly.
The Weavile's grin grew wider, allowing the Cubone to see all of his razor-sharp teeth.
"He made me a complete Plagued One. He never intended to, but he did. And now I'm this way… just as you will be soon. So very soon."
Terron gulped. He wanted to say more and tried to get himself to move, but his body remained unresponsive. He could not escape his captor as Drae stared deep into his soul. He could not speak, as if something were binding his tongue. The Cubone could feel the mind-numbing feeling come over him again. But this time, it spread much more quickly than the other times. It was lulling him to sleep as its comfort came over him like a warm blanket.
His eyes started to close.
The world around him started to fade into a mesh of bright colors.
And then, Terron suddenly found himself landing violently upon the ground, instantly snapping him back into reality. The disorienting feeing vanished without a trace.
He quickly opened his eyes to find Drae's body scattering into the wind as a tornado of leaves cut him into pieces. When the maelstrom vanished, Terron found Novus, Impetus, and Syn standing a few feet away from him. Len and Éclair were nowhere in sight.
"Where'd our leaders go?" Terron asked as he got to his feet, being able to feel his legs again.
"The Ninetales opened up a path for us and told us to go help you," Impetus answered. "She is still fending off the Plagued Ones with Len now that he has recovered. They also have help now. King came shortly before we left. That was what motivated her to let us come help you. She did not want to fight alone with Len in his strange state."
Terron glanced over his friends' shoulders to find the mass of Plagued Ones from earlier. At that moment, he saw a gap open up from the bottom of the legion, and scurrying out were the three leaders. They ran as swiftly as they could manage, running into a separate part of town as a portion of the Plagued Ones chased after them. The other portion immediately caught sight of Team Vendetta and flung themselves at the group in their malicious eagerness.
"We mustn't fight unless it's a necessity," Novus proclaimed. "We must bring order to those all around us and find Zekra if possible. Staying to fight will only hinder our progress. Is that understood?"
The three children nodded as they prepared themselves for another yet another frantic run through Aurora Town. They did not know how long this would last, but they had to do what they could until the situation improved. Even now, as exhausted as they were, they couldn't give up. They had to make it through this nightmare.
Return… your work here finished.
Terron clutched his skull as a quiet, hollow voice entered his mind. The voice seemed so familiar to him, and yet, he couldn't think of why. He had never heard the voice before. It didn't belong to the voice he heard in his mind, nor did it belong to Erebus...
The voice was bounced off the walls of his cranium, echoing its one message endlessly in his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head to free himself from such voice. His brain began to throb painfully.
"Hey… they're leaving! They're… they're leaving!" Syn cried in astonishment.
Terron opened his eyes to see what the Snivy was talking about, only to witness a miraculous sight. Every single Plagued One in the area was ascending into the sky, leaving Aurora Town behind in their wake. No more demons invaded the city. They were simply drifting away into the distance, like a giant storm cloud of ghostly figures.
"They're really leaving…" Terron said in amazement. "Finally…"
The four slowly smiled as they watched the thousands of creatures disappear far into the dark horizon of the night. They had survived, and though there were many concerns on their mind right now, they didn't dwell in them for the moment. They wanted to take in that they had just lived through a horrifying experience.
Such intense relief was brought upon them, cleansing them of everything upon their minds with its intoxicating feeling.
"I think I'll keep one of you for the return trip!"
There was a rush of wind.
There was the sound of something burning.
There was a light from a Plagued One's eyes.
There was a shrill scream that was abruptly silenced a millisecond later.
And then, there was Drae hovering in the air high above the three Pokémon, holding his unconscious victim under one arm with a snide grin.
The one in his grasp…
… was Syn.
Terron's heart stopped beating and the world around him seemed to stop moving.
No… this isn't happening…
It's… it's not real…
This is just a dream from my exhaustion…
We're all here right now… safe and sound after having survived the Plagued Ones… passed out…
And I'm having this dream… this nightmare…
Yeah…
Yeah…
Terron blinked. Drae was still there, and Syn was still in his grip. Nothing had changed.
Terron blinked again. Drae was now giving a friendly, teasing wave of his claw at the three.
"I'll be seeing you again, Terron. Thanks for your team member. We'll take extra special care of him."
Before Terron could blink another time, the Weavile was already zooming away and was nearly out of sight.
And then, it finally dawned upon Terron that he had just lost Syn.
Syn was gone now. He wasn't coming back. He had been stolen by the Plagued Ones and soon would be one of them.
He had lost one of his dearest friends.
But the Cubone found he couldn't do anything except stand there.
He had lost the will to scream to the heavens.
He had lost the will to chase after the Plagued Ones in the vain hope that he would somehow get Syn back.
All he could do was let the tears run down his helmet and let misery fill what remained of his shattered heart. Quiet wails escaped his lips as he felt himself start to drown in his own sorrow.
"Do not cry. I will find Syn."
Terron slowly turned his head to find Impetus standing a few feet in front of him, her back to him as she gazed up at the star-filled sky.
"W-What?" he whimpered.
"I will find Syn," Impetus said again, her voice as tranquil as ever. "And I will bring him back. I will follow the Plagued Ones and bring him home when I find him."
"No… Impetus… he's gone," Terron said, his voice straining from the lump in his throat. "He's… He's not coming back. You can't find him. He's going to be a Plagued One."
"That doesn't matter. I will find him," Impetus replied. "I know what has to be done to do that. I can bring him back. I will bring him back… because you need him. You, and Zekra, and Novus, and me… we all need him."
The Mienfoo turned her head to look upon the Cubone. There was a gentle smile upon her face.
"I finally understand now," she said peacefully. "I finally understand the question I asked for so long. I asked why Pokémon of clashing natures got along in the civil world when it was never the case in my old world. I thought there was a special reason that made this world so different from my own. But now… after today… I finally understand what I could not understand back then. I know the answer now. It's because this world really isn't that different from my world. All of you still work together for the same reasons my kind do: to survive in life. But, there is something that you have here that allows you to work together with those that couldn't in my old world.
"It's communication. You can tell each other things that you could not in the wild. With this communication… you can develop bonds and trust and cooperation that was not possible in my world. I didn't realize that, until I saw what my words did to Novus and Syn. My words… they allowed the creation of a bond and ended a bitter argument. I never thought such a simple thing could be so powerful…
"And now that I know my answer, I see why you need Syn. His communication with you… it crafted a bond and has given you strength that you cannot replace. And I want to find that strength and bring it back to you. That is why I must go… and find Syn. So you may be happy once more. It's my thanks… for helping me find my answer."
"Impetus… you can't leave," Terron sobbed, removing his mask and throwing it to the ground. "What are we going to do without you? We still have to find Zekra… Please… don't leave Novus and I alone… we need you. I need you… Impetus…"
"Impetus, please reconsider," Novus said quietly, trying to hide the own depression in his voice. "If you leave, you'll bring further suffering to us. Do you really believe that such an idea is good? And, if you leave, who will replace you and your strength? No one else of this team is like you."
The Mienfoo's smile faded as she turned her head away from the two. She let out a quiet sigh.
"Novus…" she said. "… take care of Terron for me. Take my place."
"Impetus… I can't do that…" Novus tried to say.
Impetus slowly shook her head.
"You must and you will. Because you can, Novus," she said powerfully. "I believe in you."
Novus attempted to say something, but found that no words could come out of his mouth. He could only gaze at the feral he had always conversed with, all of his legs losing feeling.
The Mienfoo was about to take her first step toward her new journey, but suddenly, she felt someone crash into her from behind, almost knocking her off-balance. She turned her head to find Terron clinging to her for dear life, burying his head into her fur as he soaked her with his warm tears.
"Impetus, please don't leave me!" Terron wailed. "PLEASE! I don't want to lose you too! Syn's gone, Zekra's gone, everyone I knew from my human life is gone as well! Don't do this to me too! I don't want to be alone… I don't want you to leave… Please Impetus… Please don't go… I need you… I don't know what I'm going to do if you leave…"
The Mienfoo looked upon the Cubone in pity, feeling the sadness well up inside her. But, she knew that she had made her choice. There was no turning back. Even if it hurt to leave the Cubone… she had to do it.
"Terron… please let go of me," she said gently.
The Cubone shook his head as he tightened his grip around her. Impetus turned to Novus for assistance, only to find that he had his eyes averted. It seemed that he would be helping neither of the two Pokémon. She released a sigh and brought her melancholy gaze back to Terron.
She tried to pull him off her, but found his grip was too strong. Even at her full strength, he refused to let go. Desperation had made him strong.
Impetus thought of her question about the civilized world and the answer she had received. She thought about how that answer was now serving as her guide to let her know what she needed to do now. She thought of how much she needed to start her journey.
And then… she felt something pulse deep within her. It was faint at first, like when one has a fleeting memory from long ago cross their mind. But then, it started to grow. A gentle yet powerful feeling emerged from her soul and spread into her heart, bringing forth a pleasant, tingling sensation with it. She could feel it as it remained within her chest, waiting for her permission to spread into the rest of her being. She did not understand what this odd sensation was, but she was not afraid of it. It was comforting and warm, as if she were being wrapped up in a large blanket.
"Please… give me strength," she whispered. "Give me strength… to carry out this mission."
Impetus closed her eyes and allowed the power to course through her.
Suddenly, a white, ethereal light completely filled Impetus's body. Terron was forced to close his eyes to prevent himself from becoming blind. He could feel Impetus changing as he clung to her, but he didn't dare open his eyes to see what was happening. He only stayed attached to her as he waited for the light to disappear, keeping a firm grip on her despite how much she was growing.
"I'm sorry," said a new, more mature voice.
Something smacked Terron across the side, forcing him to let go of Impetus as he tumbled along the ground. When he managed to get himself to stop spinning, he looked back to see what had happened.
Standing where Impetus once was, was now a Mienshao. It stood majestically, letting its long, whip-like fur gather on the ground by its feet. Its eyes shined with the wisdom and calm it harbored within. It was truly such an amazing Pokémon to behold.
And then, Terron finally realized that the Mienshao was Impetus. She had changed from a curious Mienfoo to a wise Mienshao.
She had evolved.
The Mienshao cast Terron a small, gentle smile.
"Goodbye, Terron," Impetus said.
She brought her attention to Novus, who was also astounded by the evolution.
"Goodbye, Novus."
She turned away from them.
"I'm glad I was able to meet you two."
Then, before the Cubone could stop her, she dashed off into the darkness in the direction where the Plagued Ones had disappeared to.
In a matter of seconds, she was gone, leaving the two remaining members of Team Vendetta alone in the empty world, with misery as their only companion.