Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Broken Ideals

by ShadowVulpi

A former human, now an amnesic Cubone, finds himself in a world infested with demented creatures that ravage the land like a wildfire. He teams up with a Zorua, where they seek a way to end the madness. However, they soon find that perhaps it was better not to become involved with the creatures. Contains gore, disturbing imagery, and dark themes. Cover by Donffy.

34. Chapter 33: No More

Chapter 33

No More

---

Terron awoke the next day. He didn't know if it was in the morning or the afternoon, and he really didn't care to think about it very hard. All he knew was that he had slept for an unnaturally long time with nightmares plaguing his mind, leaving him with a splitting headache.

"You're awake now. I was wondering how much longer you would sleep, but I didn't want to disturb you."

Terron knew that voice. He slowly turned around to find that he was resting his head against Novus's side, as if using him for a pillow. The Quilava was looking upon him, his own eyes bloodshot and vacantly sorrowful. It appeared as though he hadn't slept at all through the night.

"But, perhaps it was better for you to remain in slumber," Novus said quietly, "rather than to awaken to this catastrophe…"

Terron stared at the Quilava oddly, not sure what he was saying. Wordlessly, Novus gestured his paw at the town all around the two of them. Terron followed the Quilava's gaze.

Aurora Town was completely empty. Though it was probably the middle of the day, not a single Pokémon was roaming about. The doors to every building were open, homes and markets alike, yet none could be seen within. The streets around Terron were eerily quiet, with the only sound being the wind blowing through the many trees within the vicinity. It was eerily similar to the Dusk Mines, now that it was completely isolated from the rest of the world.

And then, at that moment, the Cubone remembered what had happened the night before.

He remembered the Plagued Ones' attack. How Zekra had run off after seeing the demons in a desperate attempt to escape a terrible fate. How Drae had taken Syn with him as he left Aurora Town. How Impetus had abandoned the team to find Syn.

How after he was left alone with Novus, he could do nothing but cry until exhaustion finally came over him. How he had completely lost all hope of finding Zekra again. How Novus stayed beside the poor child as Terron fell into a nulling sleep. How neither of them had left the very spot they had lost two of their dearest friends, as if in some vain hope that their friends would return there.

Tears filled Terron's eyes as the memories came rushing back to him. A hard lump formed in his throat.

"Everyone's gone…" he whimpered. "Everyone's going to be a Plagued One… Syn… Impetus… Zekra… they're all gone…"

Novus closed his eyes and pushed a strange object toward Terron. The Cubone looked down to find that such item was his helmet, which he discarded the night before. It seemed that Novus had been keeping it safe, even after Terron had forgotten all about it.

Terron picked it up with trembling hands before setting it back upon his head. Though the stinging sorrow in his heart did not fade, his eyes no longer felt heavy with water. The mask helped to contain his hysteric emotions, something he was very much thankful for. With a tired sigh, the Cubone gazed up into the cloudless sky high above.

"Novus, what do we do now?" Terron asked, his voice quiet and sore. "What do we do… now that everyone's gone…?"

"I'm fairly certain that the Fellowship leaders of Aurora Town are still among us," Novus answered blandly. "I suppose we'll have to heed their counsel when we rejoin them at the base, seeing as how we're one of the few survivors of this incident based what I can observe."

"When do you want to go see them?" Terron asked.

"Whenever you wish to," Novus said. "I will go whenever you feel the same way. It matters not to me."

Terron felt his heart sink further into his body as he thought of what he would do, now that his friends were gone. None of them were coming back. Even if he hadn't actually seen what became of Zekra, he knew she was probably gone forever, just like Impetus and Syn. What would he do now that it was only him and Novus? Would they be able to keep Team Vendetta alive without the spirits of a rational-minded Mienfoo, a gifted and imaginative Snivy, and a bold and dedicated Zorua, who was the sole reason for why the team even existed? Or would they diminish into dust?

The Cubone found he couldn't think of an answer at the moment. He released a sigh and felt a sting of melancholy in his eyes.

"I don't really want to do anything right now," Terron said. "I just… I just want to sit here for a little while."

"If you insist," the Quilava said with a nod.

Terron closed his eyes as he turned over and rested the side of his head against Novus's fur. He listened to the sounds of the Quilava's heartbeat and the small, crackling fire somewhere within his body. It helped Terron escape into a world where he was not in Aurora Town in his miserable state. Instead, he was in a world where nothingness was all that existed and emotions ceased to be. It was a peaceful world, and though it was very lonely, Terron did not mind that. It was the only world he knew for the moment.

Reality was far disconnected from him. It almost seemed so surreal now that he was in this abyss of emptiness.

"There you are. I've been searching for you all morning."

Terron was immediately summoned back into the real world, bringing with it the suffering in his heart. With a cringe, he managed to stifle the pain and keep his composure.

Before the Cubone and Quilava was now a familiar Ariados, one that Terron hadn't seen in quite a while: Garter. The old bug was looking upon the two Pokémon with a pitiful gaze.

"The other members of your team aren't with you anymore, are they?" Garter asked cautiously.

Terron tried to answer, but his throat became strained and blocked his words. Instead, he merely shook his head. The Ariados frowned uncomfortably at the sight and shifted in place.

"I'm sorry that such a fate has come upon your team," Garter said remorsefully. "I truly am."

Terron and Novus said nothing as their eyes became glued to the ground.

"I came here to bring you back to the Fellowship," Garter then said gently. "A few of the other leaders and myself have been searching for any anyone who's still out here. We want to know how many Pokémon are still left after yesterday. So come, let's go to the mess hall just like everyone else. I can even carry you there if you do not wish to walk."

"… we'll walk there," Terron said quietly as he got to his feet along with Novus. "You don't have to carry us."

"If you say so," Garter said with a saddened frown. "Well, let's get going then."

Without another word, the three then headed back to the Fellowship base through the desolate streets of Aurora Town.

---

When the three Pokémon entered into the cafeteria several wordless minutes later, they came to find a great gathering of Fellowship members. Various teams were grouped together at tables, all sulking in sorrow and attempting to comfort one another. Team Valor stood together in the background, discussing something amongst each other with similar grave expressions and hushed voices. There were several members missing from the team, but Terron wasn't sure if it was because they had actually lost anyone or if they were simply about trying to gather more Pokémon like Garter had mentioned.

When Terron and Novus were brought to a vacant table, they wearily took a seat beside each other.

"Did you need anything to eat?" Garter asked tenderly.

"No, I don't want anything," Terron sighed. "I'm not hungry."

"I share the same feeling," Novus added. "Thank you for your offer, Fellowship leader."

"You're welcome," the Ariados said with a sad smile. "Now, just stay here for a while. Once we've gathered up everyone we've found, we'll hold a meeting here to tell everyone what's to happen next. So, please be patient until then. If you need any kind of help, you're free to ask someone from Team Valor. But, until then, I have things to attend to. Take care."

The two members of Team Vendetta watched the leader walk away to join Team Valor's group and speak with them regarding a subject they couldn't hear. But, based upon their facial expressions that seemed to become more and more depressing as they continued to talk, Terron and Novus could safely assume it was something the two of them didn't want to hear anything about.

The Quilava and Cubone exchanged a glance before staring down at the table's surface. Terron set his chin upon the table and set his bone clubs in front him before letting his arms fall limply to his side. He felt so very tired at the moment, and yet, he found he couldn't fall asleep. His eyes refused to remain closed for more than a few seconds before the sharp sting of a headache shook him back to attention.

He gave up trying to rest, choosing to vacantly stare into space and let his mind drift away into his own personal oblivion.

---

Minutes, or perhaps hours, of mournful silence passed. Terron wasn't sure how long it had been. What he did know, however, was that all Team Valor was now at the very front of the room, standing strong despite appearing to be so drained both physically and emotionally. As Terron stared at them, he noticed that three of the leaders were missing: Rayne, Bane, and Ragnor. They were simply gone.

Before Terron could think about it too much, Len took a step forward from his group and began to speak.

"It seems that everyone that remains from yesterday's incident has been gathered here," the Luxray announced to the room full of Pokémon. "Well, since this is so, I suppose now is when we should hold the conference."

Everyone immediately silenced their chatter and brought their attention to the seven leaders of the Aurora Town Fellowship. Len lowered his eyes as he looked upon the cafeteria, seeing the many emotions etched upon everyone's faces. The grief-stricken faces of such a small and miniscule amount of survivors.

This is all? Terron thought to himself, gawking at the room's residents. This is all that remains…?

Terron tried not to think about the loud and crowded Fellowship meetings that had been held in the same room just days before.

" As all of you are aware of, the Plagued Ones assaulted Aurora Town yesterday evening ," Len began to say, his voice powerful yet ringing with remorse. "From what we have managed to gather as of now, only a tiny fraction of Aurora Town's citizens remain with us… every last one of which is now standing in this room."

The only survivors… were Fellowship members? Terron realized sadly, once more scanning the pitifully small attendance of the unfortunate meeting.

"The thousands of ignorant Pokémon in this very city that have supported us for the past twenty years… are no more," the Luxray continued, never letting the strength of his voice break with sadness. "It is only us that remain, and even then… we have had causalities. Of the sixty-six teams of this Fellowship, only ten of the teams remain. All of you are those teams who have managed to somehow survive the odds, despite losing some of your dear teammates. So, in total… of the one-thousand and thirteen Pokémon that served the Aurora Town Fellowship… only a meager forty-seven remain…"

No one dared to say anything as the sheer number of causalities was dropped upon them. There wasn't a gasp of surprise. There was no more pity. There was only stunned silence.

"The situation is grim, but we have lived to see today," Len said. "Even if we have lost valuable companions, we need to carry on. We cannot lose ourselves to the tragedy of what has transpired yesterday. We must continue to act as members of the Fellowship. And so, this brings to me to what we must do, now that our numbers have been significantly reduced and the city we've come to rely upon is now wiped clean of civilians. We cannot stay here; there is nothing left for us. Instead, we must take it upon ourselves to join with one of the other Fellowships. It is with great regret, and great difficulty, which I now announce… the 'Aurora Town Fellowship' shall be no more. We must join with a different Fellowship. I don't know which of the four we will join, but we will find out as quickly as possible.

"I need every Pokémon capable of long-distance flight to come see me after this meeting concludes to report for messenger duty. I will decide if you should go and precisely where you must go, should you be called. The rest of you will remain here for what, I can only hope, will be four days at maximum. We have enough supplies to keep everyone well-fed and nourished, and we can always hunt for more larder if we must, but for the time being, there is no more which you can do. You will simply need to be patient and spend your days within the base. Until there are new developments to our fate, I'm afraid I have nothing more to ask of you.

"I am sorry, my dear followers. I am sorry… for this disaster that has come upon us and taken away your closest friends. This day will never be forgotten, nor will the proud and faithful warriors which walked these halls by our sides."

Len bowed his head in shame, as did the other leaders behind him. No one said anything, as if everyone was giving their respects to the ones they lost through the night.

"And so… the great Aurora Town Special Tasks Fellowship has fallen. Its population has been decimated in but a few hours. I never thought such a tragedy could actually fall upon such a powerful organization."

A bitter laugh echoed throughout the entire room. Everyone immediately brought their gazes to where the voice was coming from: the very back of the mess hall. There, standing in the middle of an entrance, was a cape-donning Sableye with a wry smile across his face. At his side was a Turtwig, completely stoic and not affected by the misery all around her.

A majority of the Aurora Town Fellowship members stared at the two with odd glances, not knowing who they might be. They whispered among one another, attempting to figure out who the mysterious Pokémon were. The few members who no doubt had gone on the Erebus Woods mission at one point in time or had been in the Fellowship long enough, however, knew exactly who the two Pokémon were. They stared at the unexpected visitors with dumbfounded gazes.

Terron felt his mind race with erratic thoughts the second he saw the Dusk Mines Pokémon, for he knew of information that none of the others were aware of.

What are they doing here? Have they finally turned into Plagued Ones and now they're here to turn the rest of us into Plagued Ones? Or are they going to do something to just me? I'm the only one they probably even care about…

"Yimtri … what are you doing here?" Len asked, very surprised to see the Dusk Mines leader. "I didn't hear anyone say anything about you coming here. And, it's been so long since you last visited our Fellowship… or what remains of it. Why are you here?"

"Yes, it has been quite a while since I've visited. Seventeen years, if I remember correctly," Yimtri said thoughtfully. "But, to give you the answer to your urgent question, I'm here because one of my members had a premonition of what was to happen here. He saw Aurora Town becoming overrun by Plagued Ones and informed me of such the terrible vision moments after he saw it. And then, knowing that such Pokémon's premonitions are rather accurate, myself and a few dozen of my members came here as swiftly as we could manage so we could attempt to put a stop to the impending crisis, even more quickly than usual thanks to the help of Speed Seeds given to those who flew us here. Unfortunately, as you can obviously tell, our efforts did little to prevent this catastrophe."

"A fraction of your Fellowship was here when the Plagued Ones were attacking?" Len asked in disbelief. "But no one reported seeing you! My own team included! Not to mention, you were nowhere in sight when we were searching for survivors this morning!"

Because anyone who saw them got attacked by the Plagued Ones or the Dusk Mines members ended up becoming Plagued Ones… Terron thought tensely. Or maybe all of the Plagued Ones from last night were Dusk Mines Pokémon to begin with…

The Cubone wanted to get up from his seat and leave, but he found he couldn't move. His muscles were paralyzed with anxiety.

"That's because after all of the Plagued Ones left, I sent my fellow members to the next nearest city so that they might rest for the night," Yimtri explained calmly. "Now, they are no doubt heading back to Dusk Mines, where they will wait for my presence to return. You did not see any of us because we worked in the shadows. That was the only way to retaliate against the demons without too many losses. Then, it also helps when those I brought with me were mostly ghosts like myself and could hide within solid objects should Plagued Ones try to attack us."

Len didn't say anything. The Sableye made his way into the mess hall, Chloe following right alongside him. When the two were at the front of room, they turned around to address the small crowd of Pokémon that were watching them with unsure gazes. Yimtri flashed his favorite smile and gave a short bow to the audience before him.

"I do not believe many of you recognize myself and my companion," the Sableye said. "Well, allow us to properly introduce ourselves so your clouded minds might be made clear. I am Yimtri, leader of the Dusk Mines Fellowship, if you haven't figured that out by now. Also known as the Fellowship in which you send your criminals to, should they choose to fabricate a lie regarding the Plagued Ones whenever they speak to you."

His smile seemed to widen as he watched everyone's eyes grow in realization at who he was. He let out a quiet, amused chuckle.

"And I am Chloe," the Turtwig spoke as she took a step forward. "I am my liege's assistant and have been so for the past sixteen years . That's all you need to know about me."

She nodded as she once again resumed her place beside the Dusk Mines leader. The Sableye clasped his hands together as he scanned his eyes through the crowd of Pokémon.

"Now that we have introduced ourselves, I will explain the true reason as to why we have interrupted your conference," Yimtri then said. "I'd like to speak to a few particular Pokémon among you in private. A certain team among you, that is. Though I know not the name of such team, I do know the names of each member. So tell me, Aurora Fellowship Pokémon; where is the team that consists of Terron, Zekra, Syn, and Impetus? Or, if you do not know their names, the team made of a Cubone, Zorua, Snivy, and Mienfoo. Where are they?"

Terron's heart stopped beating. He didn't know why Yimtri was looking for his team, but he knew it couldn't have been for a good reason. After all, Team Vendetta was in a very tense situation with the entirety of Dusk Mines that involved their secret about Erebus and whatnot. Terron retrieved his bone clubs and slowly sank under his table in hopes that Yimtri wouldn't be able to spot him. It was a miracle that he hadn't been spotted already, judging by how few Pokémon were in the room.

The Cubone continued to watch the conversation from down below.

"That's the true reason as to why you've chosen to stay here in Aurora Town rather than return to your own Fellowship?" Len asked incredulously. "You mean to tell me that you were going to ignore my Fellowship's current situation, had it not been that you wanted to speak to those children?!"

"No, of course not," Yimtri frowned. "I still would have remained to help assist you, even if I did not need to discuss something with such children. Do not believe me to be a soulless little imp; it brings such sorrow to know that your team's Fellowship has fallen. I truly thought it would stand forever, especially in the hands of such determined and capable Pokémon who I once saw on a daily basis. But right now, I wish to speak to those children. So if you would, tell me where they are. Afterwards, I will speak with you and see if there is anything I can do that would be of great assistance."

"Why do you need to speak to Team Vendetta?" Len asked with a narrowed gaze.

"Personal matters," Yimtri said quietly. "I'd rather not speak of what they might be. But, I can assure that I'm not doing this to shield information from you or your team. You have my word. I simply wish to speak to the children in private to give them… peace. I cannot explain further than that. So, would you kindly tell me where they are? Judging they have survived the encounter with the Plagued Ones."

Len contemplated for a moment before releasing a sigh. He closed his eyes.

"Team Vendetta… please come forward," Len called with reluctance. "Yimtri would like to speak to you."

Terron remained hidden from sight, clutching his bones tightly as he prayed that he would not be spotted. He could hear others around him murmuring things to one another. As he remained deathly quiet, Terron remembered that he was the only member of Team Vendetta that remained that Yimtri actually knew. The Sableye wouldn't realize that Novus was now a part of the team, since he had never met the Quilava. And, Terron knew that Novus wouldn't give away his location. He probably understood that Terron didn't want to be seen at the moment, and would respect his wishes. He could stay out of sight, and Yimtri would never think he was there.

Upon thinking this, Terron felt a small amount of hope sprout in his heart.

"Team Vendetta? Where are you?" Len asked as he opened his eyes and craned his neck to look upon the crowd.

As the Luxray and his team searched about from their positions, Yimtri started to frown in slight irritation. He brought his eyes to Chloe, where she was quick to return the gaze. They stared at one another wordlessly before nodding in an unspoken agreement. They went forward and made their way through the gathering of Aurora Town Pokémon, carefully searching for the ones they sought.

Terron held his breath as the two started to pass by his table. Intense anxiety built up inside of him as he hoped the Dusk Mines Pokémon would fail to notice him. All he had to do was remain silent, but doing such was a great task in itself. The dread filling him was overwhelming and made him tremble and nearly made him want to cry. Even still, Terron managed to remain strong.

Unfortunately, Chloe was able to spot the Cubone thanks to standing low to the ground. The very second she saw him, she came to a halt and Terron's heart immediately shattered in despair.

"I've found the Cubone," Chloe reported. "But, I do not see the others."

Yimtri also brought himself to a stop. He made his way over to where Chloe stood and crouched down to see the little Cubone. The Sableye gave what was supposed to be a friendly smile even though it was actually very unsettling.

"Hello there, Terron," Yimtri greeted with a wave. "Would you like to step outside with Chloe and myself?"

The Cubone shook his head and quickly backed away from the Sableye, yet remained under the table. He could see everyone staring at him, making him extremely uncomfortable. He felt so small and frail at the moment.

Yimtri wasn't pleased to see Terron's lack of cooperation.

"Sorry, but I do not have the patience to deal with your anxiety," Yimtri said. "You're coming with us for just a moment."

The Sableye proceeded to grab Terron by the wrist and drag him out from under the table, like a parent would with an incompliant child. Not wanting to create any more of a huge scene in front of so many Pokémon, the Cubone let the Sableye take him outside, his Turtwig companion walking alongside them. Terron could feel Yimtri's terrible aura flooding into his spirit, which seemed even more powerful than before, but he did his best to ignore it. Novus followed close behind the Cubone, saying nothing and gazing ahead blankly. He had not bothered to help Terron resist the Sableye, for it appeared that he had been too drained to do so.

When the three exited the Fellowship base, Yimtri and Chloe took Team Vendetta to what appeared to be the main square of town. As to be expected, not a single soul was in sight anywhere near the area. Once the four had come to the place quite a ways from the Fellowship, Yimtri released his hold on Terron and turned to face him.

The Sableye had changed. He no longer bore the appearance of an impish, enigmatic force that intruded upon what remained of the Aurora Town Fellowship so unexpectedly. He was now a remorseful, quiet ghost that looked as though he had witnessed a great calamity and was deeply affected by it.

Terron almost couldn't believe how quickly such transformation had occurred.

"Who is this Quilava?" Yimtri asked.

"Member of my team who joined yesterday," Terron answered blandly.

"And he is the only member of your team left, isn't he?" Yimtri then asked.

Terron averted his eyes, not wanting to answer the question. Yet, the Sableye was able to see that his statement was correct.

"So… you really did have casualties on your team…" Yimtri remarked quietly. "I wanted to believe there was a less tragic reason as to why you're missing some of your team members… but I suppose I was too hopeful."

"… did you want to talk to me just so you can remind me of that?" Terron asked in a low, bitter tone as he brought his focus back to Yimtri. "Is that why you dragged me all the way out here? To tease me?"

The Sableye slowly shook his head.

"No, I'm not that cruel. I have a more… enlightening reason as to why I wish to speak to you," Yimtri said, his voice filling with a melancholy Terron had never heard before.

"And what would that be?" Terron asked, keeping his icy tone.

The Dusk Mines leader smiled. It wasn't a happy smile.

"I wanted to tell you that we found Zekra."

Terron's eyes grew immensely as the words slowly sank into his mind. It took him a moment to completely understand what had just been said.

"Ze-Zekra's okay?!" Terron stuttered. "Sh-She wasn't taken by the Plagued Ones?!"

Yimtri nodded silently. Terron's heart filled with such euphoria at knowing that he hadn't lost his closest friend. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment. He could be with Zekra again! The one he loved so much had escaped the grasps of the demons!

He couldn't resist smiling giddily and jumping for joy.

"Well, what are you waiting for?! Where is she?!" Terron asked eagerly. "Come on, stop hiding her from me!"

The Cubone didn't notice how the Sableye's smile disappeared or how the glow in his jeweled eyes dimmed. He only saw how the leader raised a claw into the air and gestured for an unknown being to come. A moment later, a Hydreigon that had been upon one of the rooftops made itself known and gently descended upon the four Pokémon. Cradled in its arms was a little Zorua.

"You may go," Yimtri told the dragon. "Chloe and I will meet you where I found this Zorua when we are ready to leave. Wait there until then."

With a nod, the Hydreigon set Zekra upon the ground and left the vicinity. Yimtri looked upon the Zorua with a melancholy stare, but otherwise, did nothing.

Terron was about to rush over to Zekra and wrap her up in a joyous hug, but then, he saw something was wrong.

Zekra was out cold and vaguely grimacing. She didn't seem to be breathing at all.

For just a moment, Terron's mind went completely blank. Everything around him ceased to be as the ecstatic, intoxicating feeling within him abruptly died.

And then, he saw something.

He saw puncture wounds in the back of Zekra's head.

There were three small wounds.

Terron blinked.

Dried blood was stained upon the fur surrounding the holes in her head.

The same blood that was faintly stained upon the tips of Yimtri's right set of claws.

Everything fell into place. Reality came back to the Cubone. His thoughts no longer felt frozen in place.

Yet, all of those thoughts quickly ceased to be as a single thought completely came over Terron.

Every muscle in his body trembled violently as the one thought soon became something else.

An impetus of pure malice.

"YOU!" he raged at the Sableye. "YOU KILLED HER!"

Terron suddenly lunged at the leader, grabbing ahold of the front of the Sableye's cape as he went straight through the leader's body. The two tumbled away from the group as Terron kept his grip on Yimtri. Once they managed to come to a stop, Terron pinned the Sableye down by pushing the front of his cape toward the ground, dropping his bone clubs to allow him more strength in his arms. Despite the fact that the Sableye could easily overpower the Cubone, Yimtri did nothing.

"You just had to kill her, didn't you?!" Terron cried. "You just had to make things even worse than they are now! I couldn't just have a terrible day where the Plagued Ones got rid of almost everybody in town. No, of course not! It had to keep getting worse! It had to have Zekra run away from me when she started having a panic attack! It had to have Syn getting taken away from me by the Plagued Ones! It had to have Impetus leave me to go find Syn! And just when I think things could quite possibly take a turn for the better, you show up and show me that you killed Zekra!"

As Terron panted furiously to catch his breath, a disturbing thought resurfaced in his mind.

It only further amplified his wrath as he grit his teeth together.

"You killed her because you're almost a Plagued One now, aren't you?!" Terron shouted. "Erebus finally has a firm hold on you now, doesn't it?! You're going to become one of those demons any second now, aren't you?!"

The Sableye scowled in what was either disapproval or agitation.

"I'm not a Plagued One," Yimtri stated firmly. "How many times must I tell you this before it finally gets through your thick skull? Why must you insist I'm one of those creatures?"

"Because you act just like them!" Terron cried. "Everything you do is the exact same thing as what they do! You say such cryptic things to me and won't give me answers no matter how much I ask! You try to turn me into one of your kind every time you see me! You take away all of my friends and show me what you've done to make me miserable! You. Are. A. PLAGUED ONE! Just like all of your members! Why don't you admit to it, you stubborn prick?!"

"Because you have obviously deluded yourself into believing such to be true," Yimtri scoffed. "I will say it again; I am not a Plagued One, and neither are my followers. Do not make me repeat it a third time."

Terron let out a loud groan of frustration as his grip tightened around the Sableye's cape.

"Also, I did not kill little Zekra," Yimtri then said. "I did not. She is merely unconscious. Her wounds are shallow and I made sure that they were non-fatal. I was very cautious in order to assure that."

A quick flash of happiness fell over Terron once he heard this. However, his rage was quick to smother the fleeting joy once he realized something.

"But you still attacked her," Terron said icily. "You still sank your claws into her brain and knocked her out like you did back in Erebus Woods! Just like what the Plagued Ones do to their victims before taking them away! Such an odd coincidence, isn't it?!"

The Sableye's scowl only deepened.

"How much longer do you intend to continue this pointless argument?" Yimtri asked dully. "For unlike you, I have other things to attend to. I cannot waste much more of my time trying to make you see that you are wrong, you pitiful, delirious child."

Terron couldn't take it anymore.

He released one of his hands from the Sableye and reached for a bone club lying beside him.

Without warning, Terron felt an impact to his side. He was knocked off Yimtri and landed on his stomach, where he immediately felt a foot stamp onto his back.

His spine nearly fractured from the force. He wearily looked back to find Chloe standing over him, wearing a cold glare of malice.

"That's enough out of you," she seethed. "I've tolerated your spiteful actions for long enough. This is how you repay my liege for saving your friend? You pin him down and try to attack him? You are such a despicable child for even thinking of doing such."

The Turtwig opened her mouth and spit out a few tiny seeds at the Cubone. Terron cringed as the projectiles impacted him.

They hurt so very much, like tiny bullets bouncing off his flesh.

"No one should ever treat my liege that way," Chloe went on as she ceased her attack. "Otherwise, you will have to deal with me. So, let me give you a little warning, Cubone. If you even touch my liege ever again, I will make sure that you suffer a fate so gruesome, you will be wishing for death."

"He attacked Zekra…" Terron growled. "He deserved it."

"Then I suppose it's fair that I treat you the same way for attacking my liege," Chloe scoffed.

Terron grit his teeth as he attempted to get up, but found that Chloe's strength was superior to his despite her small size. She kept him down, her gaze growing darker as she let out a low hiss.

He couldn't overpower her.

"Unhand Terron, you wretched girl!"

FWOOSH!

Chloe immediately leapt away from Terron as a pillar of flames swept over Terron's head, just barely avoiding the attack. She landed upon the ground and brought her eyes to the one who had attacked her: Novus.

His body was burning bright with fire, and the ground he stood upon was charred from the intense heat of his flames. His eyes were bright with the fire that burned within him.

Despite the fearsome sight, Chloe didn't cringe. She only took on a hostile stance.

"I don't want to fight you, Quilava," the Turtwig stated. "I only want to protect my liege. Your Cubone friend threatened him. I retaliated to keep my liege safe. And I will fight you if you choose to stand for your friend. No one harms my liege."

"And no one harms Terron," Novus said with a low growl. "Especially not you, you foul puppet of Erebus."

The Turtwig brought Terron back into her sight. He was wearily rising back to his feet, clutching his side that no doubt ached.

A menacing glare became etched into Chloe's eyes.

"You really have broken the oath you swore to us!" Chloe screamed at the Cubone. "I was wondering why you were so casually speaking of Erebus and accusing my liege of being a Plagued One in front of this Quilava! You lied to us! You never kept Erebus a secret, rotten child!"

A tiny brown seed suddenly burst out of the seedling upon Chloe's head and latched onto the Cubone. Upon touching his skin, the surface of the seed ruptured. A dozen vines broke out from within the seed, encasing Terron completely in a matter of seconds.

The Cubone felt a wave of paralyzing dread overcome him.

"You thought we were exaggerating about your punishment?!" Chloe cried. "Well, think again!"

Hundreds of tiny thorns shot out of the vines encasing Terron and pierced into his skin. Terron let out a loud scream as the plants dug into him, sapping away his vital life source. He tried to resist, but found it was futile. Every time he tried to move, the thorns would plunge deeper into his body and take more of his energy.

"Cease this at once, demon!" Novus snarled at the Turtwig.

He bounded for her, the flames upon his body becoming a bright blue.

Chloe's eyes abruptly grew in what appeared to be fear or perhaps a strange kind of melancholy. And then, they started to dull as her mind seemed to wander elsewhere.

FWOOM!

Novus slammed into her, setting her body aflame as she was thrown back. She violently tumbled along the ground, the flames consuming her body now being snuffed out. By the time she had stopped rolling, most of her body was littered with charred, smoking patches of flesh.

The Quilava stood at a distance, fuming as a tongue of fire escaped each of his breaths. With a loud growl, he leapt into the air before curling into a ball. Soon, he was nothing but a giant mass of glistening flames.

He sped at the Turtwig.

Chloe looked upon the great fireball as it came toward her.

The strange emotion she once held disappeared as a malevolent, almost monstrous glint sparkled in her eyes.

"Demon?! You dare call me a demon?!" Chloe screamed. "You don't know anything about what a true demon is like! You know nothing! You've never seen a true monster!"

Chloe let out a loud hiss and slammed her front feet into the ground.

"You're wrong, Quilava!" Chloe screamed. "You've never actually seen a demon!"

The dirt beneath her feet suddenly rose into the air and sped at Novus. It was quick to reach him and soon, rapidly spun around him as it became a tornado of sand. It abruptly brought him to a halt in an instant as he collapsed onto the ground. Each individual grain slammed into his body at high velocity, nearly piercing his fur with their speed, whilst keeping him trapped within its whirling mass. Despite the pain such power brought, Novus refused to let himself submit to the Turtwig. He kept his flame burning bright as he waited for a chance to escape the raging sandstorm. He knew he couldn't escape just yet, no matter what he tried.

"You've never seen the true monstersthat exist in this world!" Chloe shouted. "They're not even special! They're just like you! They're not some Pokémon who are influenced by a supernatural being! You don't know anything about us! You don't know anything about real demons! You kn-"

"STOP!"

Two black, shadowy tendrils wrapped themselves around Chloe and Novus, rendering them completely immobile. Novus's flames were immediately smothered while Chloe's sandstorm simply ceased to be as her white light faded, the dark power somehow nulling each of their abilities.

The two desperately gasped for breath as they turned to see Yimtri standing upright once more. He stood next to Terron, who was still under the power of Chloe's energy-sapping seed. The Sableye wore a fierce scowl as his shadow loomed directly in front of him, split in two and having risen out of the ground. It was the two segments of such shadow that was binding the two warring Pokémon.

"It's a sad day when the most unstable of the entire group is the most rational," Yimtri hissed. "It's not the child leader. It's not the adult who follows such child. It's not even the one who keeps the unstable one under control. It's the one who normally becomes corrupted by Erebus so easily."

The Sableye's scowl faded as he let out a short chuckle.

"It's rather pathetic actually. It's completely absurd."

His laughter continued. It was not a malicious laugh. It was a sad, hollow one.

Eventually, it ceased and the radiance in Yimtri's eyes dimmed.

"I would have thought that everyone would have been able to retain some sort of rationality, but I suppose I underestimated the grief all of you harbor," Yimtri said, lowering his voice. "Misery is such a consuming, bitter emotion. Misery… can lead one to create many unfortunate choices…"

He released a sigh and shook his head, ashamed of the entire situation.

Yimtri looked upon Terron, watching how he was writhing in pain. The Sableye flexed his claw, allowing it to become coated in dark shadows. With a few quick motions, he slashed apart the vines constraining the poor child, freeing him of their clutches.

Terron gasped as he fell to the ground, panting in fright at what had just happened.

As the Cubone attempted to compose himself, Yimtri's shadow released Chloe and Novus before seeping back into the ground where it belonged. Novus was quick to rejoin Terron's side and helped the Cubone to his feet. Though Terron felt rather light-headed, he managed to keep himself from falling over. He held his head to help keep himself balanced.

"Have the violent thoughts within your minds been stifled?" Yimtri asked Team Vendetta.

Terron and Novus still felt a twinge of bitterness within themselves, but they knew that it was best not to act upon those feelings. They already had a very rough day. They didn't need to make it worse.

The two silently nodded.

"Good. This senseless violence can now cease," Yimtri said with a relived sigh. "And now finally… I can explain what needs to be said regarding Zekra."

Terron brought his gaze to Zekra and found that she was still in a deep slumber. A pang of sadness came upon him when he saw her still like this. He had nearly forgotten all about her. With a melancholy frown, he came to her side and caressed her scalp. He could now see that the holes in her head actually were quite shallow like Yimtri said, bringing some relief to his mind.

The Sableye watched Novus join Terron as the two looked upon Zekra with disheartened gazes.

"But my liege, that Cubone told someone about Erebus," Chloe suddenly said. "He went against his word. You're not going to punish him for such?"

The Sableye brought his attention to Chloe. She was staring right back at him, once again appearing detached, with the exception of having a displeased gaze. Her body was still grazed with burnt flesh, but thanks in part to stealing some of Terron's energy, she wasn't fatigued. She was no doubt in quite a bit of pain, but Yimtri could see that she was hiding it the best she could.

"No, I'm not," Yimtri said simply.

Chloe's mouth gaped open for just a brief moment before twisting it into a scowl.

"Terron only spoke of Erebus to his teammate," Yimtri interjected, preventing Chloe from saying what was on her mind. "The oath he swore was never to speak of Erebus to the leaders of the Fellowship, not members of his team. I can understand why he would do such. So no, I will not punish him for such action. But do understand that if he or his friends do speak of Erebus to Len and his comrades, the proper penalty will be brought upon them. And, I'm fairly certain they are quite aware of that."

The Turtwig lowered her eyes in disapproval, but didn't say anything to argue. Yimtri let out a quiet sigh as he went over to Chloe and looked upon her with a sad smile.

"I know you're doing this for the right reason, but you need to see something," he said gently. "These children have been through quite a bit these last few hours, and I don't think they need any more pain. So, let it go, Chloe. Do not bring more suffering to those that already have their hearts filled with such grief."

Chloe gazed up at the Sableye, contemplating in silence with a blank stare. A moment later, she closed her eyes and gave a small, reluctant nod. With a more pleasant smile, Yimtri set a claw upon her head and tenderly rubbed her plant-like flesh.

Chloe did nothing as she and the Sableye brought their attention back to Team Vendetta moments later, who were rather absorbed with Zekra's condition. It seemed as though they hadn't heard a single word of their conversation.

"So children, you are probably wondering why I attacked Zekra," Yimtri said.

Novus and Terron immediately looked up from Zekra and brought their gazes to the Sableye.

"Well, allow me to answer your question," Yimtri went on. "I attacked her… to protect her."

Terron blinked.

"Protect her?" Terron asked. "How did knocking Zekra out protect her?"

The Sableye started to grimace as he looked upon the slumbering Zorua.

"Little Zekra… she was beyond reason when I found her with Chloe and Xemar, that Hydreigon you saw earlier," Yimtri explained quietly. "I don't know how she was separated from you, but when we found her, she was desperately trying to escape Aurora Town, no matter the cost. There seemed to be nothing else was on her mind except that one intention. I could see it in her eyes. And so… when two of your Fellowship leaders, Rayne and Bane specifically, tried to stop her from leaving… she attacked them and inadvertently made them easy targets for the Plagued Ones."

Terron's eyes grew at the explanation. He had known that Zekra acted rather irrationally whenever she encountered the Plagued Ones, but he never would have suspected that she would relentlessly attack those getting in her way. She was violent at times, yes, but never unnecessarily ruthless.

Rayne and Bane weren't at the meeting today… they weren't here. They can't really be gone because they're Plagued Ones one now. And, their fate can't be because of Zekra… can it? It's just a coincidence, isn't it? She would never attack them… she wouldn't…

"You're lying…" Terron muttered. "Zekra wouldn't do that…"

The Sableye shook his head.

"Why would I lie about something such as this?" he asked. "What could I possibly gain from this information? Is there any reason you can think of as to why I would obfuscate the truth regarding Zekra from you?"

Terron desperately wanted to find a reason as to why he was being lied to. He really did. But, as much as he tried, he could not find a reason. Yimtri and his companion gained nothing from giving Terron false information regarding Zekra. They had no reason to manipulate the facts to their own advantage.

He found he couldn't say anything at all.

"We would have interfered with the brawl, but alas, the three of us were too distant to help," the Sableye went on when he saw Terron had nothing to say. "So, when we finally could reach her, we decided not to re-enact the strategy used by your leaders. Instead, Xemar attacked her from behind while she was distracted by me, and then I gave her those wounds you see now when I inflicted the final strike. We didn't want to render her unconscious, but she was in a rather unstable condition. She would no doubt attack others, should they get in her way, and I was afraid she would keep running, even after she escaped Aurora Town. Then… when she would finally regain her rationality, she'd no doubt find herself lost in an unknown location. I had a feeling you wouldn't want that, Terron."

The Cubone grit his teeth. Though the Dusk Mines Pokémon had rather extremist actions, they had committed it for the right reasons. They had been trying to save Zekra. If it hadn't of been for them, Terron wasn't sure where Zekra would be right now.

He finally understood that now.

Still, he didn't know how he felt about their actions. He was happy that they had prevented Zekra from actually disappearing from his life, but he was also feeling very bitter about their methods of such prevention. He honestly didn't know how he was supposed to feel.

"But, fret not; she won't remember the experience," Yimtri then added. "She will simply awaken, the entire experience blotted from her conscious mind. She will be free of the trauma that yesterday's attack no doubt should have brought her. I cannot say if this is a fortunate thing, but it's the truth."

"How… how do you know that?" Terron asked quietly.

"Because your friend is inflicted with a condition called Instinct Infestation," Chloe answered before the Sableye could say anything. "Though I barely saw her, it didn't take me long to realize she had the condition. No talented psychic was needed for me to diagnose it. The signs were rather obvious. What it does, is that when one is introduced to a stimuli that reminds them of a rather traumatic experience, their survival instincts will completely override their minds. In a sense, the Pokémon completely lose all rationality and make such extreme attempts to escape the stimuli. They don't remember anything while they're in this condition, and thus, are more likely to kill friends since they won't recognize them. Even worse, they don't snap out of it until they faint for whatever reason. As long as they're awake, their instincts will control them completely. It's a particularly dangerous condition among Pokémon, especially thanks to the fact that most do not seem to realize they have the condition. The instincts completely block out the memories of the experience since they have suppressed the Pokémon's conscious mind."

Terron didn't know what to say.

"Though it would be wise to tell Zekra about her condition, I recommend you don't tell her of her actions from yesterday," Yimtri then said. "When she wakes up, she'll soon find herself in much pain at what's happened to Impetus and Syn. Learning about what she did to Rayne and Bane would certainly bring her more agony, and fill her with such immense guilt. You wouldn't want her to be in any more pain than she has to, would you?"

Terron blinked. An image surfaced from his mind.

It was of Zekra collapsed in Erebus Woods. She had black wisps streaming from the back of her head.

Standing beside her was a Sableye with a demonic grin.

Its claws were coated with the very same black energy.

The energy of the Plagued Ones.

Terron frowned hard as he narrowed his eyes at Yimtri.

"Are you sure it's this 'Instinct Infestation'?" Terron asked lowly. "Or is that something you just made up to cover up the fact that she's going to be a Plagued One soon? Because you never exactly denied that when I was asking if that would happen."

Yimtri's eyes darkened.

But, before the Sableye could give his response, he saw Zekra shifting around in her sleep before her eyes slowly started to open. Everyone immediately became silent as they watched her come back to the real world.

"Where am I…?" Zekra asked groggily.

The Zorua rose to her feet and slightly turned her head to find Terron and Novus standing beside her.

"Hey, how come we're outside?" Zekra asked. "And why's it the middle of the afternoon? I thought it was near evening last time I checked…"

Terron grimaced. The Zorua really had forgotten everything, just like the last time they encountered the Plagued Ones.

"You're in Aurora Town still," Terron said uncomfortably, knowing full well what painful things needed to be said to her soon. "You've been out here for a while. Since yesterday evening."

"I have?" Zekra asked curiously before she noticed something odd. "Hey, where's Impetus and Syn? How come they're not here with us?"

Terron tried to speak, but found his voice was frozen. He couldn't admit to what had happened while she was away. Merely thinking about the incident in which he lost two of his friends brought forth the sorrow he was attempting to suppress. He didn't have the strength he needed to tell her the truth, and neither did Novus.

No one wanted to break her heart.

"Your two friends are gone. One is a Plagued One and the other abandoned you. They're no longer with you."

Everyone brought their stunned gazes to the one who had spoken, who turned out to be Chloe. Her eyes were completely vacant. It was not a depressing emptiness as everyone was displaying, however. It was an emptiness that simply had nothing within, as if every single emotion possible had been stripped from her. She seemed coldly aloof in this state.

"Wh-What are you guys doing here?" Zekra asked fearfully as she finally noticed the Dusk Mines Pokémon standing at her other side. "And what do you mean… 'my two friends are gone…?"

"We were here to stop the Plagued Ones that invaded your town last night. The ones that took one of your friends. And, it's exactly as I said," Chloe replied, her voice also lacking in any sort of feeling. "Your one friend is a Plagued One now while the other has left to find such friend. They're gone. They're not coming back."

The Zorua slowly shook her head, trying to deny everything the Turtwig was saying. But, Chloe didn't give any sort of response. She only gave the Zorua her lifeless stare while Yimtri held a more pitiful gaze. Zekra quickly turned her head back to Terron, tears forming in her eyes.

"Where are our friends?" Zekra asked him pleadingly. "Where are they?! Tell me that Turtwig's lying! Please, tell me it's not true!"

Terron swallowed hard. He had to tell her what had happened to their friends. Even if it would make her so miserable, he had to do it.

"Chloe's right…" Terron started to say, his voice already falling apart. "The Plagued Ones attacked us last night… and… and… Impetus and Syn… they're both gone, but only Syn was taken away by the Plagued Ones. Impetus… she… she left us to find Syn. She insisted on finding him… even after Novus and I tried to convince her otherwise. It's just you, me, and Novus now. Everyone… everyone else is gone…"

"No… it's not true!" Zekra cried weakly. "I don't remember any Plagued Ones or our friends leaving! It's a lie!"

"It's no lie, Zekra," Novus said hollowly. "They're no longer among us. I saw it with my own eyes. You simply cannot remember anything from last night, for whatever reason. It's the truth."

"No… no! NOOO! THEY CAN'T BE!" Zekra wailed as she squeezed her eyes shut and violently shook her head. "No! It's not true! It's just a sick joke! I-I can't lose any more friends! I just CAN'T! Where are Impetus and Syn?! Where are they really?!"

Terron averted his gaze from her, finding he could say no more.

"No… it's not… it's not…" Zekra sobbed as she sank to the ground. "You're… you're lying…"

She buried her face into the dirt beneath her, her breath shortening. The tears began to pool beneath her.

"Tell me why… why our friends had to disappear… tell me why it was them…" Zekra whimpered, no longer able to deny the harsh truth of the situation.

Terron wanted to say something, but he found that he couldn't. There was a large lump in his throat that made it so painful to try to speak. Even still, what did it matter? What could he possibly say to her that would make paint the situation into a lighter tone? There was nothing.

The Cubone hugged her dearly, knowing there was nothing else he could do.

"We'll leave you be," Yimtri abruptly said, cutting through the tension as he averted his uncomfortable gaze from the miserable Pokémon. "You no longer require our presence. We came to give you back Zekra, and now that you three are reunited, you no longer need us here. Let's go, Chloe. Leave the children to themselves. We have other things to attend to."

Without another word, the Sableye began to walk away with his Turtwig companion following alongside him.

As they left, Terron looked upon the emptiness and destruction which surrounded him. The empty buildings. The deserted streets. The once glorious, peaceful town that had been gutted in less than an evening.

He looked upon the remainder of his team, broken and hurt.

This is it? He asked himself. It just ends? Just like this?

No… It can't. This isn't…

This isn't good enough.

And just in that moment, something snapped within him. The realization of the grim reality he faced hit him hard, and it brought with him a strange emotion he hadn't felt before. It was a powerful conviction, one which burned inside of his chest and possessed him to act.

Terron realized that he could no longer stand still while the world walked over him. A thousand Pokémon had died that day, or worse.

It was not okay. And if he didn't act now, he would never forgive himself.

He wondered, briefly, if this was how the Plagued Ones felt when they were given commands by Erebus.

"I'm not done with you yet, Yimtri," Terron called to the retreating Dusk Mines leader.

From a distance, the Sableye and his companion paused. Terron immediately felt a chill run up his spine, but his conviction was so great that it drowned his fear.

"Zekra," he quietly hissed to his mourning friend. "Novus. I want you two to do something. Be ready. On the first sign of trouble, I want both of you to run back to the Fellowship as fast as you can."

Through his helmet, the leader of Team Vendetta cast a burning gaze to his remaining partners. They returned weary, confused glances, but the Cubone remained resolute.

"I'm serious," he hissed quickly. "Zekra, on my word, you need to transform into the fastest thing you know, and fly back to the Fellowship. I know you're tired, but you need to fly like your life depends on it. Like… like it's the most important thing in the world."

"Why…?" Zekra replied blankly. "… what are you doing?"

"I'm doing something we should have done while we had the chance," Terron grunted. "I can't take this anymore. This needs to end."

He turned again to the Dusk Mines leaders, and warily approached them once more. And Terron knew what he was about to do was crazy, perhaps even deadly. But there was no other option in his mind.

Everything else was gone. Empty.

"Terron?" Yimtri called, once he was within speaking distance. "Why do you call me? Is there something you need from me?"

Terron clenched his empty paws into fists, and scowled at the Sableye through the holes in his helmet. Taking a deep breath, he approached the ghost and met him halfway, near the side of Aurora Town's square. He ignored the Turtwig; he knew this didn't involve her.

"Yes, I need something," Terron said calmly. "I needed to tell you something, to be precise. Before… before all this happened… I was intending to talk to you."

The Sableye nodded his head.

"Go on," he said softly.

"I was… we had arranged with Vantis to fly back to the Dusk Mines Fellowship on our own. Because… there was something… we wanted to talk to you about. Concerning the Plagued Ones. And Erebus. We thought… we thought we had a good plan to… to… fix things."

Yimtri appeared surprised. Terron watched for that frightening, malicious gleam in his eye to appear, but the Sableye appeared calm and reasonable for the time being.

Terron gulped, knowing that he wouldn't be calm for long.

Yimtri simply stared at him with those creepy gemstones of eyes. His face was blank, not grinning or frowning, merely awaiting the Cubone's following words.

Terron sighed.

"But I realize that's pointless now," he said lowly. "Because you're not going to listen to that plan. No matter what happens… you're never going to hear me out. You're too stubborn to do that. Today proved that. So, I've made my mind up about what to do. Yimtri, I've decided to tell Len and the rest of Team Valor about… about… you."

The silence was deafening. As soon as the threat had left his mouth, he felt the regret shoot through him like a nail into his heart.

As if by instinct, Terron glanced back at his teammates, perhaps to see if they were ready to carry out his order. Zekra appeared speechless and petrified, her fur standing on end, and Novus fought to keep his flames from emerging.

It was only a moment's glance, but when the Cubone returned his gaze to the Sableye, he saw that Yimtri's drawn claws were glimmering in the mid-afternoon sunlight, and Chloe scowled bitterly, looking ready to attack at a moment's notice. Terron almost thought that he feared the sting of the Turtwig's attacks more than he did Yimtri's claws; the little one had some serious power behind her tiny leaves.

"What are you saying, Terron?" Yimtri asked in a subdued, uncertain voice. "Are you saying that I can no longer trust you with the oath you have given me?"

Terron gulped, wrestling with the words he wanted to say. Though his innards were quickly turning to liquid on the inside, his gaze burned into the ghost ever the brighter.

"Terron, despite all that you have been through, I will not hesitate to react in the way I have promised to react, should you break your oath," Yimtri said solemnly. "You simply don't understand how much it means to me that you keep quiet about such things. So, if I were you, I'd reconsider what you just said. I really would. Because I do not exaggerate threats."

"You think… I fear death still?" Terron said, forcing the words from his throat. "You really think after everything that just happened, I'm scared of suffering and death? After everything we just saw last night… not to mention everything that happened in Erebus Woods? I can't take this anymore, Yimtri. Thousands of Pokémon are dead or worse. Who am I, compared to all those who were taken just now? You really think it matters to me if I die… if by doing so I can make all this stop?"

The Sableye scowled. Terron knew that this response had surprised him; he figured it would.

"How many Pokémon will need to get killed before you confess your secrets, Yimtri?" Terron growled, pressing harder before the Sableye had a chance to reply. "How many towns are going to get cleared out like this? How many, Yimtri, before you have the guts to speak what you know to the ones who dedicate their lives to stopping this? How much of the Fellowship has to die? Y-you're worried about what they'll do to your followers in Dusk Mines, right? I think… the casualties we've suffered amount to more than your Fellowship. And more are dying and getting plagued every day, and you just stand there keeping your secrets! So answer me this, Yimtri: How many more have to die before you do something?! How much longer does everyone have to suffer until you stop being a spineless coward and finally confess that Erebus is turning everyone into Plagued Ones?!"

There was a flash of darkness, and Terron found himself pinned to the cobblestone street, Yimtri's claw pressing against his throat. Terron cringed as the Sableye glared deeply into his eyes.

"You say that I am doing nothing and remain a coward," Yimtri spoke, calmly at first. "You say that I have stood idly by as Pokémon have suffered and died. Do you truly believe this? Tell me, little Cubone… do you? Do you believe I have done nothing? Do you believe I am heartless and have no concern for other lives besides my own? Do you believe that I have not spent every last scrap of resource available to myself, for over a decade, trying to aid my members? Trying to save them from their fate? You think I have no sympathy for them? Do you truly believe that I have not labored and worked until I could work no more, until I have collapsed with exhaustion? You think I have not carried on for the sake of my fellow followers? For the sake of all the Fellowships? You believe it was easy for me to rush here to Aurora Town and aid you in your hour of darkness? You believe it was easy for me to watch several of my members get taken away from me during such an encounter? You believe I was a coward for doing such, when I knew full well of the potential, lethal consequences of assisting you?"

Yimtri began shaking, pressing his claw against the Cubone's jugular until he began to draw blood. His eyes glowed with a sinister light, and his powerful, twisted aura bore down upon Terron's mind, draining him of warmth.

"Do you think it meant nothing that I endured for so long, child? Do you think I am a coward for choosing to fight the Plagued Ones, even as I am slowly losing myself to Erebus?" Yimtri continued, malice mounting in his words. "Do you really, truly believe this? That I have endured the twisted voice of Erebus, taunting me and garbling my thoughts, day after day, week after week, year after year for a lifetime for no purpose at all? You think it is not within my heart to care, even though I am tempted every day to simply end my suffering?! YOU THINK I HAVE NOT VOWED WITH EVERY PIECE OF MY BEING TO FIGHT AND DESTROY THAT WHICH HAS PLAGUED ME? YOU THINK THAT I HAVE NOT DONE MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE TO FIGHT THAT WHICH HAS DOOMED ME AND THE POKÉMON WHICH I LOVE? YOU ACCUSE ME OF NOT DOING ENOUGH, CHILD?! YOU ACCUSE ME OF COWARDICE? IS THIS TRUE? SAY THE WORDS, CHILD. I DARE YOU. SAY THE WORDS. IF THIS IS WHAT YOU TRULY BELIEVE, SAY THE WORDS. I DARE YOU. SAY THEM!"

Waves of coldness beamed from the furious ghost, yet Terron didn't dare shudder, for fear that only a single twitch would send the claw deep into his throat. He simply remained motionless. Looking into Yimtri's eyes, he knew that the Sableye was not afraid to slice his throat open. He knew that the Dusk Mines leader would do anything to save his beloved followers, and that a tiny Cubone was not going to stand in the way.

He thought about his next words carefully.

"Y-you can kill me," Terron choked out, his breath nearly gone. "Go ahead, slit my throat. But if you do, Zekra and Novus are just going to bolt for the Fellowship and tell Len everything."

"They would never make it," Yimtri hissed. "You underestimate my speed, you wretched, treacherous Cubone. I could have all three of you on the ground in under ten seconds. And even if I couldn't, Chloe is more than capable of doing such for me. And she will not hesitate. None of you will even have a chance to leave."

"But you forget Zekra still has the Deception Amulet you so kindly gave her," Terron shot back. "She can turn into anything. And she has some very fast morphs. I promise you, she could turn into something you guys couldn't catch, and she would make it."

"Actually… it wouldn't even be that hard," Zekra suddenly said. "Because Team Valor… is right over there."

Surprised, Yimtri and Terron both glanced to the side, and saw that it was true. Len, accompanied by Garter and Emdox, were walking down the road from the Fellowship, slowly approaching. Presumably, they had become worried that one of their last remaining teams had been gone for a very long time, and were now coming to check on them…

"Heh, so they are," Terron gasped, staring back into the Sableye's glowing gemstones. "This is it, Yimtri. It's all over. One of us is going to tell Len what you're hiding. It could be Zekra, or me, or it could even be you. But your secret's over, Yimtri. I can't even believe I agreed to keep it in the first place. I was so stupid for listening to someone like you. But, it doesn't matter anymore. It's over. It's time for the Fellowship to know who the Plagued Ones really are and how they work."

Yimtri staggered.

His mouth contorted into a confused scowl. His eyes flashed. He thrust his weight harder against the Cubone, as if to threaten him more, but Terron knew he was panicked.

"Go ahead, kill me," Terron challenged. "I dare you. Let Len watch you murder me. That'll… make him trust you more, I'm sure. Do it."

"I…" Yimtri gasped, his gaze faltering between the pinned Cubone and the approaching Fellowship team.

"My liege… they're coming…" Chloe spoke quietly and carefully, warning him of the approaching Pokémon. "They can't see you like this…"

"Wait, wait," Yimtri snapped, still refusing to unhand the Cubone. "I… I…"

Withdrawing his claw from Terron's punctured neck, Yimtri gave a deep sigh and hung his head.

"Child… listen to me," the Sableye pleaded, his voice now begging. "You can't tell the other Fellowships about Erebus and its ties to the Plagued Ones. You can't. Because I… I need time to figure something out."

"Figure something out…?" Terron wondered. "Like what?"

"Terron, you don't know what I discovered just the other day," Yimtri replied quietly. "This Plagued One attack you have just suffered, it has taught me things you could never imagine. For instance… Drae… his scarf… it had a pin attached. When I removed his scarf and the pendant, he… he became a Plagued One. There must exist materials in this world which can shield Pokémon from the transformation. I must find them and I must study them. Before… it's too late."

So that's what Drae meant when he said Yimtri made him a 'complete Plagued One,' Terron realized. If there exist any more of these… they would be a vital weapon in the war against the Plagued Ones…

"That's not all," Yimtri hissed, seeing the former Fellowship leaders drawing nearer. "The true reason… I was able to predict this attack upon Aurora Town… it's because, when Drae touched me and used me to escape his prison, I heard a voice in his mind. This voice… it was plotting and preparing to destroy Aurora Town with Plagued Ones. It was even imagining visages of what you see around you, the ghost town. I recognize these pictures in my mind..."

"Erebus…" Terron gasped.

Without warning, Yimtri clenched his grasp upon the Cubone.

"No, not Erebus," he desperately said. "Believe me when I tell you that I know and understand what the voice of Erebus feels like. This voice was something different. There could indeed be a different force, perhaps a higher being than Erebus, in command of the Plagued Ones… Terron, listen to me. I must find the source of this second voice. I must chase it and understand what it is. And I must discover the secrets held by these shield-pendants. And I cannot chase these truths if I am tied up in a political war with the other Fellowships, and defending myself against their attacks, because they think I am the true enemy."

The Sableye pulled Terron very close one last time, whispering into his ear.

"Do you understand what I am saying?" Yimtri pleaded. "If you speak to Len, we will never find the answers to defeating the Plagued Ones. They will not spare me and my Fellowship, no matter what is said. I need you to give me time to find these answers. I need you to remain quiet. I need you do that for me. I mustn't have any distractions as I search for these answers. I need to give this task my full concentration. The Fellowships cannot know about Erebus. They can't. I need time to find these vital answers. You need to understand that, Terron. You have to. And in case you need more convincing of such, then listen carefully…"

He lowered his voice to a tiny whisper, as quiet as the breeze.

"If my darkest suspicions are to be heeded… Terron… telling the Fellowship would do us no good; it would not be in their best interests to heed what you would say…"

At that, Yimtri thrust the Cubone away from himself.

"We need to leave," Yimtri decided. "Come, Chloe."

"My liege, you agreed to speak with the Aurora Town Fellowship leaders after this confrontation," Chloe reminded him. "We should not leave yet."

"We can, and we will," Yimtri decided, eyeing Terron one last time and sealing their mutual understanding. "I have nothing more to say to anyone in Aurora Town. These children will know what to do should anyone try to find us."

And with that, the Dusk Mines Pokémon walked away quickly, leaving the Cubone laying on the ground and his stunned teammates by his side.

---

"Did anyone else survive last night?" Zekra asked, minutes after Yimtri and Chloe had left. "Or, are we the only ones left?"

Terron eyed Len and his teammates, who would soon enter the town square. He recollected his clubs that lay scattered along the ground from the encounter before sitting back down beside his two friends.

"No, there's others just like us," Terron answered. "There's not that many Pokémon… but there's still survivors. They're all at the Fellowship, waiting for instructions since we have to join another Fellowship now. I don't know which one or when, but it's not here. There's hardly anyone left. We can't stay."

Zekra silently nodded. She set her chin on the ground and closed her swollen red eyes.

"Everything from last night is all a blur," she muttered quietly. "Why… why can't I remember anything?"

Terron and Novus looked away from her with a grimace. They had the answer to the question, but found that they couldn't say it to her. Maybe they could another time, but not now. Not when Zekra was suffering so much already.

Besides… I don't even know if it's because she was turning into a Plagued One or if she really does have this Instinct Infestation. Terron thought. I don't know for sure. I shouldn't tell her until I know for sure… Maybe I'll ask Novus later if that condition is a real thing…

"Let's go back to the Fellowship," Zekra said, snapping Terron out of his pensive state. "I don't want to stay here anymore. I just want to go to the Fellowship. I don't want to be in this vacant city. It reminds me of my old town…"

"Yes, that's probably a wise choice," Novus said. "The Fellowship leaders will be needing our help. We should return to them."

Terron slowly nodded in agreement. The three of them rose to their feet just as Len and his teammates arrived.

"Are you alright?" Len asked gently. "You were gone for a very long time. We feared the worst."

"Yeah, we're alright," Terron replied, eyeing the place where he had last seen Yimtri. "Unhurt, at least. Yimtri saved Zekra's life during the attack…"

"Is Yimtri still here?" Emdox asked. "We thought he was with you."

"Yimtri and his followers have left the town," Novus reported. "They… had something come up and decided to leave immediately. I'm afraid you won't be able to speak to them for a while."

"I see," Len spoke somberly. "In that case… will you walk with me back to the Fellowship, Team Vendetta?"

---

They returned to the Fellowship in complete silence. No one spoke as they walked alongside one another; nothing needed to be said. The six Pokémon only gazed forward.

A few minutes later, the team found the Fellowship within their sights again. Their home was now before them.

Except, it wasn't their home anymore.

They could no longer call it home when most of its inhabitants had been attacked by Plagued Ones. They could no longer call it home when they would be abandoning it soon. They could no longer call it home when two members of their family would never return to it.

It was merely a hollow shell of such a home now.

Terron took a step forward, but Len suddenly blocked his path with a paw.

"I'm afraid you're not going back to the Fellowship," Len said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Why not?" Terron asked. "I thought you said you wanted us to go back to the base like everyone else."

"You don't understand," Len said again, shaking his head slowly. "I'll let you into the base for rest and shelter. But… as for your Fellowship duties, and your status as Team Vendetta…"

The Luxray took in a deep breath.

"I have decided that you should be dismissed."

All three members of Team Vendetta had their eyes glaze over. They looked upon the Luxray, wanting to know if they had heard wrong. But, Len's eyes reflected his true, bitter statement. Even his two companions showed the same sorrowful resolve in their own eyes. There had been no miscommunication.

And yet, even with this news, Team Vendetta felt nothing. Their hearts had been completely snuffed out, like when a bucket of water was poured onto a tiny flame. Their hearts were too exhausted to hold any sort of emotion at the moment. All of their vigor was completely gone.

That is… except Zekra. Zekra immediately had one, single emotion flood back into her as her eyes became wide with disbelief.

"Why?!" Zekra cried. "Why are you kicking us out of the Fellowship?! We didn't do anything wrong! We've been good members!"

Len's eyes narrowed just a small amount, gaining a tremendous amount of intensity by such a simple change.

"I may have told Terron this, but I haven't told either of you two something. I have amnesia," Len started to say. "I cannot remember my childhood. From the day I hatched, to the day I found Éclair as a young adult, I remember nothing. It's all blank in my memory."

"Yeah, Vantis told me," Zekra said, unsure how to react to such an odd statement. "What does that have to do with what we're talking about now?"

"Well yesterday, when only Novus and your two other friends were with me, I was attacked by a Plagued One," Len went on, ignoring Zekra's question. "It did not hurt me, as it wasn't given the chance, but it did something to me; it brought a suppressed memory out of my mind. Do you know what that memory was?

"It was of my mother screaming for me to run away… just as a Plagued One came upon her and took her away from me. And upon having that memory, countless others I suppressed finally emerged from the hidden reaches of my mind, clearing away my amnesia. I found out that the reason I was alone, wandering Shiron for who knew how long, was because I had no home or family. Similar to you, Zekra, my entire village was wiped off the face of Shiron. I only escaped because my parents did everything in their power to make sure I didn't become a Plagued One, even if they had to suffer such a fate to make that possible. And so… when both of my parents were gone, and I was all alone as a scared child, I did the only thing I could do; wander aimlessly in a vain attempt to find help. And for years I did this, being completely alone as the helpless child I once was, until finally… my mind decided it had enough torment, forced me to evolve into a Luxio, and completely blocked out every memory I had up until that point using the evolution's power.

"So what might this have to do with you children, you may ask? Everything. I realize now that the reason I let you children join the Fellowship is because I subconsciously saw you as myself. I saw you two as myself, that scared child who so desperately wanted to fight Plagued Ones, but was too powerless and broken to do anything. That child… who wanted to fight to find meaning in his now empty life… with no one to raise him in a world filled with such demonic creatures…"

The Luxray closed his eyes and seemed to fight off the bitter memories that came with the thought. A few moments later, he once again returned his bold gaze to the children.

"I can't let you children live the same life I did," Len said firmly. "You shouldn't spend your youth the way you are now. Children shouldn't have to deal with these intense situations that we force our members to deal with. Children should develop in an environment where they can grow properly, and where there isn't a tremendous amount of stress weighing them down. It ruins you.

"Bane and Rayne told me of this… but I was too blind to see the truth of their words. I should have listened to them. And now… they're both gone, along with Ragnor… along with Impetus and Syn. They're all gone…"

Len let out a quiet sigh and lowered his eyes to the ground.

"But… we're fine!" Zekra insisted. "We're fine! We can handle the stress! We've been doing so well for about a month now! You can't just kick us out of the Fellowship!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm dismissing you for your own good," Len said.

Zekra leapt back and desperately shook her head.

"No! Don't kick us out! We have to stay and fight the Plagued Ones!" Zekra cried. "We have to! If we can't fight the Plagued Ones anymore… I… I… I just… It can't happen!"

Len let out a sigh as he looked upon his Ariados companion.

"Garter… she's not going to cooperate voluntarily. You know what to do."

Garter gave a slow, reluctant nod before locking his gaze onto the Zorua. Without warning, the Ariados spat out a massive web of silk at Zekra which landed over her body and tied her down to the ground. She squirmed around frantically, but found that the webbing held fast and kept her immobile. She was about to activate her illusion power, but just when she was about to, Len put a large paw to her head and released a small charge of static into her. Immediately, Zekra's body fell limp as paralysis overcame her.

Terron was about to help her, but he too found himself immobile within seconds by a psychic bind caused by Emdox. He attempted to break free, but it was all in vain. He was forced to watch as the sigil that was forever a part of his paw now slowly started to change. A giant "X" was now etching its way over the elaborate Fellowship mark, adding its unfortunate meaning to the already-present design.

Dismissed.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Len trace the very same shape into Zekra's paw with his own claw.

When the dismissed symbols had been added to both of the children's marks, Len looked upon Novus, who was standing beside the children, doing nothing to stop what was happening around him.

"So Novus, because you are an adult, you will be given a choice," Len said. "You may either stay with these children and leave behind your Fellowship membership, or you can leave behind these children and join another team that needs a member. What do you chose?"

The Quilava remained wordless for a moment before glancing at the two children who were still immobile from their various elemental binds. After contemplating in silence, he released a sigh.

"I'll stay with these children," Novus said. "I cannot leave them when they have lost so many of their friends. Besides, I promised someone that I would take care of Terron for them, and I intend to keep such promise."

"Very well then," Len said with a solemn nod. "I respect your decision. Emdox, if you will."

With a nod, the Xatu also placed the cross over Novus's Fellowship mark. Now, with the three Pokémon having been officially dismissed from the Fellowship, Emdox released his hold upon Terron and Garter removed his webbing from off of Zekra. Len then reached inside a bag around his person and pulled out a Cheri berry, which he proceeded to give to the paralyzed Zorua.

The three leaders looked upon Team Vendetta with sorrowful gazes.

Terron and Novus were completely blank, as if they had become mere shadows of their former selves. Zekra was on the verge of crying again, yet no words came out of her mouth. It was as though she was still paralyzed.

The members of Team Valor were forced to look away.

"Though you are no longer Fellowship members, we will take you back to the base and care for you until we find a place for you," Len said as he gently wrapped a paw around the three Pokémon. "So come, dear children. Let's get you inside so you can rest. It's been a very long day…"

Team Vendetta gave a vacant nod, finding that they could say nothing.

And then, the six Pokémon went forward into the ruined Fellowship.

---

Special thanks to ScytheRider for assisting me with this chapter. Specifically, for writing out the entire Terron and Yimtri conflict towards the end.