The fire-types looked down at Raven after his declaration that his opponent had cheated in the last battle... than their leader, the old Torkoal asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Pff he's just raving. Let's drag him out from here back to his friends," the Emboar said as he grabbed the Zangoose by his scruff and carried him over his shoulder out from the building.
Trying to defend himself, Raven countered, "I saw juice on him... juice of a berry... just before... I lost."
"Just shut the hell up furball!" the pokémon shouted as he dropped him right out from the building. "And keep your furry ass out from here!" he treated him before going back. In the same time, Kalahari and the others rushed to him.
"You are disgraces... because of cheating," spat Raven.
"Calm down Raven," Kalahari said as he used his psychic powers to heal him.
"What happened?" Louis asked.
"In the last test, this bastard used a berry to heal his poisoning so I would lose to the burning," told Raven.
"What!? We have to show them the truth!"
"It'll be useless. They won't listen to the friends of a loser," Kalahari said.
"Then ask if he had to be treated for poisoning?" asked Raven.
"Heh, just give up Raven, maybe we'll be luckier at the next temple. But for now rest."
"The demon will take it," cursed Raven and laid down.
"Then we should try and steal them?" Louis proposed. However Raven shook his head and told. "That would be suicide for us."
"Well, always better than get killed by their warriors," Walter replied sarcastically.
"Because one prideful fool thought he could cheat his way to victory," told Raven, not knowing somebody was listening to them.
"Fire types are all proud, it's their nature."
"But never like dragon types. Oh they believe to be the right heirs of Legendaries."
"I hope they aren't going to cheat," told Raven and they began to leave but he saw Merlin blocking their way. "What do you want? Enjoying your cheating?"
"No, just enjoying the view of you losers... okay that's not true," he sighed. "I came here to give you this," and he showed them a sphere with a flame inside. "That's the Fire Key. The elder caught me cheatin' and ordered me to give it to you."
"Wow..." told Raven, "So you are coming with us I assume?" asked Raven but the fire-type shook his head. "No. Being humiliated like that is enough."
Simon took the orb and told, "I guess we are off now for the next temple," Merlin just turned and went back to the Fire temple.
"Well, we won somehow," Walter said.
"But I wonder why the eldest didn't tell that in the beginning," replied Eve. Then Sebastian just told, "The important is that we have the key. Now we should move to the next temple."
"Good idea... next is the water temple," explained Simon and Kalahari spoke "Yep. Ready?"
"Yeah... but somebody else has to go this time... I need to recover."
"I'll go!" Louis said. Nodding to his decision, Raven told, "Then let's move."
And they teleported towards the next temple. And Raven spoke, "The Water temple... Good luck Louis."
"T-Thanks Raven," Louis then gulped dryly and went on. As he got closer, a guard of the water temple saw him.
"What do you want?"
I-I wish to achieve the Water key. We need it to call back the Legendaries, and avoid the Crown of Arceus getting into the wrong hands."
"Meet the temple leader," told the guard and led the way. "Ok" told the steel/psycho type and followed him to the room where the leader was.
Statues of Kyogrue and Palkia were decorating the two closed sides of the hall. A Blastoise sat there on a chair, looking to Louis, "What do you wish?"
"I wish to achieve your Water key. A mad Luxray wants to get the Crown of Arceus to become a God. If we achieve enough keys, the Legendaries will come back to this planet, and stop this pokémon."
"Quite a story... but you know we have to test you before we can hand it over?" inquired the water type.
Nodding, Louis answered, "Of course I know. I'm ready."
"This test has two parts... the first one is a trust of your faith. We give you two drinks. One of them is poisoned, the other not. You have to pick the right one."
Louis gulped nervous, "O-Okay..."
A mon brought two cups, both filled with a water-like liquid. Louis looked at the glasses nervously, playing with his 'hands'. He sniffed the glasses to try and see if the poison had a smell but here was nothing of a smell. Gulping he looked up at the Blastoise, "C-Can't I have a tiny hint?" however the answer was. "Nope!"
Louis whimpered then closed his eyes and chose the first glass he felt under his hands, and drank it all in once.
Everybody looked at him, waiting if he just had drunk poison. Also Louis looked up at them, waiting for anything to happen.
"You have shown your courage," told the Blastoise.
"I... I took the safe one?" Louis asked still shocked.
"Both were filled with water," chuckled the water-type and Louis gasped. "... Just water?"
Laughing harder he told, "Only water," then he saw the speechless Brozong and told. "Please understand! We just wanted to see if you had the courage to drink it! Or else everybody could have taken on the second trial."
"Ok, ok, ok I got it. So, next trial?" hand waved Louis and the Blastoise answered. "Diving into the sacred pool... if you are worthy then nothing happens. Else... well... not much will be left from you," causing Louis to gulp as he nodded. Then the water-type further explained, "The trial is easy... jump into the pool and try to reach the key."
Louis looked at him, "Huh?... A-Alright..."
"Jump in," ordered the leader. With that Louis closed his nose and jumped in.
They waited for the reaction... at least no bubbles caused by disappearing bodies was seen. Then Louis emerged to take a breath, then he dived again to catch the key. The liquid made an odd feeling on his hands but didn't hurt him. After he caught the sphere, he smiled and used an arm to swim up.
"I CAUGHT IT!" called Louis and the leader answered, "Congratulations."
"So, I caught it, this is mine, right?" asked Louis and the Blastoise answered. "You can take it with you... and you are the first who survived this."
"Really? That's great!" since he had troubles to come out due his body shape, he used Confusion to levitate and went up.
Once he was back, everybody congratulated him for the success and Eve asked, "You know what happened to all of the others who tried?"
As he shook a 'no' as answer the Mesprit shrugged.
"They dissolved until only bones were left," told Eve. "I saw this once myself... was hired to bodyguard the guy who tried it. I was lucky to have told I wanted to be paid beforehand."
Louis gulped as he gave the key to Raven. After pocketing it, the Zangoose asked, "We can go to one more before it gets too late... which one is the closest one?"
"Mmmh... The Earth temple is the closest."
"Who tries it?"
"Me, I guess," Kalahari offered.
"Then let's move," told Raven and the Psycho type teleported them over Raven wished him. "Good Luck!"
"Thanks," was the reply before leaving to the temple and being led to the leader. As he stood in the square, he looked at the elder, but he didn't want to face any trial, he wanted their key now.
"Find your way in a maze without teleporting and the key is yours," was the leader's simple answer
"Ok, I'll do it," then he turned and faced the maze, closing his eyes to sense where the key was.
But according what he got back... the key is in twelve different directions... they seemed to have been prepared for this kind of trick.
"What kind of sick trick is that!?" Kalahari demanded and then he found the following sign: "Signal Reflection."
He growled as he searched for any spot he sensed. And found this maze was filled with trap doors, spear throwers, bomb catapults, falling smash plates, acid sprayers, falling hammers and a paper cutter.
After he got frustrated by all these traps he shouted, "Damn! Oh I don't care!" and uses Teleport to the locations he sensed until he found the real one… but since it was considered as cheating, guards are jumped out of hideouts to attack him.
Kalahari used Psycho Boost and shouted, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
They jumped but instead on him, they landed on the ground since the Kadabra had teleported off with the key.
His sudden arrival within the group, made them jump and Raven asked, "What the… how was it going?"
"We have to run! Now!" shouted Kalahari as answer and Raven wanted to ask 'why' until he realized. "You stole it"
Without further words, Kalahari just teleported them off to a safe distance and Raven asked, "What happened that you had to steal it?"
"They placed traps everywhere!"
"And so you used the first thing that came to you mind to survive…" spoke Raven with crossed arms.
"Well… what is done is done. We better find a good place to sleep now."
The others agreed on him and they wondered where to go.
"A nearby inn should be enough," told Simon and sighed.
Eve suggest with a grin, "How about we get ourselves some nice company before sleep?"
"Why?" asked Simon and Eve told. "To celebrate that we have three of the keys. A guy for me and girls for you."
"Not with me," told Raven. "I got a girl and prefer to ask her out once this is over."
"I'm agreed," Louis said smiling.
"Same here!" Walter added.
"Nah, a good sleep is what I aim at," Kalahari said.
"Then let's get us rooms and some people to spend the night with!" smirked Simon.
Raven turned to Kalahari, "To save some costs, how about we share a room and get us something to close the ears? I know Simon can be loud and Eve... I don't know who would go to bed with her,"
"Totally agreed, Raven."
And they moved to the inn, getting their rooms and Raven got to sleep.
In the same evening, an inhuman cry was heard within the castle of Black Lotus. The Mawile servant of the king rushed to his ruler shouting, "It is time already!"
"What now? Wait, the Umbreon is giving birth!? Call all the nurses quick!" Amadeus ordered as he rushed at her room.
"I already called the nurses!" was his reply as he followed King Amadeus.
"Ah Ethan. I still bliss the day I give you this charge," the king replied as he bursted busted into the room.
And he found three nurses and the Plusle being dead... ripped apart alive. Only the Umbreon sat on the bed while a dark creature, resembling an Eevee with dark fur, spikes on the shoulders, elbows and knees. The eyes were deep red while the claws of the hands were dripping with blood as it ate the flesh of the victims.
Spotting the newcomers, it jumped but stopped in front of the king, bowing and telling in a deep voice, "Master..."
The king grinned seeing the demon already recognizing him as his master, "Welcome to the world."
"Thanks... Master," told the demon.
"Now tell me, are you still hungry?" asked the king and the demon nodded and looked at the flesh he hasn't eaten yet.
"Oh don't mind that crap. There's fresh meat right behind me. Just careful because it may be a little rough."
"What?" meeped the steel type, while stepping back. "But.. . why?"
"Oh my dear Ethan, it's a pity to lose a smartass like you, but it's necessary. You see, I don't need smart mons for my plan, they're too dangerous."
The demon stepped closer to Ethan but he countered, "But... sire... I would never go against your interest."
The demon got ready to jump in and the Mawile begged, "Please no!"
"Of course not, but can I trust you?" Amadeus replied with a grin. "Bon appétit," he then said watching the little demon consuming his meal.
He cried as the demon attacked him but it stopped soon as the demon ripped his heart out, and started eating it before turning to the rest of the body.
He looked at the scene, then walked into the room to check on the mother. Making a pose for him, she wondered "Master… are you happy?"
"More than happy, my dear."
She smiled and murred, standing up to move to him. Smirking he brushed her neck fur with his claws, making her murr loudly and snuggle to his arm, while the demon was enjoying his fresh meal and had already consumed the soul of the dead Ethan.
The king enjoyed the company of his slave, as their kid was feeding, "Soon enough, we'll rule this world."
"Yes master…" she murred and began to lick his hand.