Hey, everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! With all the one-shots on PMD2 I'm writing, I'm sure I must be having PMD2 Writing Flu or something. My cold is gone now so I can write more without having to stop once my head hurts from the brightness of my computer screen. With this chapter, this story will have over 100 pages in it. How cool is that? Anyways, enough ranting. Onto the story!
Chapter 8: Team Skull
"Hmm. Let me see if I've got this all straight." Chatot said. "Behind the waterfall, there is a cave...In the deepest part of the cave, there is a gigantic gem...When you pressed on the gem, it triggered a trap of some kind...And, somehow, you were flushed off to the distant Hot Spring. Is this the gist of your report?"
"Yes. It's really disappointing that we couldn't bring the gem back..." Flare nodded sadly. Too bad we can't tell you about the three gems we did manage to get thanks to Tangle.
He's so not gonna believe us, Shelly thought. We go from a mysterious dungeon to finding a huge gem to being sent to a Hot Spring. Not a very believable story if you ask me, even with Team Shooting Star backing us up.
"No, no, no! Emphatically, no!" Chatot cried, waving a wing happily. "This is a major discovery!"
"R-really?!" Flare asked.
He actually believes it, Shelly thought in amazement. I thought he'd call us liars but he actually believes it...Cool!
"Undoubtedly!" Chatot nodded. "After all, the presence of the cave behind the waterfall...No one knew about that before now!"
"Oh, I see! We made a discovery!" Flare cried.
"Hooray for us!" Shelly cheered, raising a paw. Then she turned away from the cheering duo. When I had those dizzy spells...the shadow of the Pokemon I saw...That shape, I've seen that shape before...That shape, there's no mistaking it! It was Wigglytuff!
"Your waterfall discovery is just amazing! The Guildmaster must be told!" Chatot declared.
"Actually..." Shelly mumbled, catching their attention.
"What? What's wrong, Shelly?" Flare asked.
"I think Wigglytuff's been there before, guys. I saw him in my vision." Shelly admitted.
"Huh?" Flare yelped.
"No, no, no! Emphatically, no!" Chatot barked. "That's inconceivable! If that were so, the Guildmaster wouldn't have ordered you to investigate the place, right?"
"Just ask him, Chatot!" Shelly begged. "I know that had to be Wigglytuff, nobody else's shadow matches his! My visions haven't been wrong yet, right?"
She has a point, Chatot thought. "Fine, since you insist, I will go and confirm this with the Guildmaster..." He turned and hopped toward the chamber doors. "Why would they want to spoil their own discovery? How strange! I guess I should be used to it by now...These apprentices are yet another strange crew, aren't they?"
"What was that, Chatot?" Flare asked, overhearing him.
"What? Oh, nothing, nothing. Nothing at all!" Chatot cried, flapping his wings insanely fast.
"Would you please go and confirm my suspicions with Wigglytuff already?" Shelly asked, cheeks sparking slightly. Maybe a little shock will get him moving...
As if reading her thoughts, he hopped through the door. "I'll go confirm your suspicions now, Shelly. Guildmaster, it's Chatot! I'm coming in!" Turning, he glared at the duo. "Please wait here." With that, he hopped through the doors.
"Oh my gosh! Shelly, Flare, you're back!" Sunflora cried. "Oh my gosh, are you okay? Did those wolves get you too? Eek, those wolves are mean!"
"Sunflora, we're okay!" Shelly reassured the worried Grass-type. "What's wrong?"
"Exploration teams Storm Pulse and Fire Flower came back heavily injured by Shadow Wolves! And poor Team Frostburn has a member still trapped in a dungeon! Eek!" Sunflora explained. "Poor Glameow has to take care of them all by herself because Nurse Chansey is still gone. Oh my gosh, I feel so sorry for her! At least two of the three teams got out of the dungeons themselves so she wouldn't have to rescue them. Eek, that would be so scary! I hope Freeze from Team Frostburn is okay."
"Are they all okay? Nobody has turned to stone yet, right?" Flare demanded.
"No stone statue Pokemon so far!" Sunflora replied. "Everyone is okay so far. Oh my gosh, I forgot that I was supposed to be helping Chimecho with dinner tonight! Eek! Gotta run! Glad to have you back safe! See you!" Sunflora raced away to help Chimecho make dinner.
"That was fast," Shelly muttered. "But at least everyone's okay. I wonder if Molt needs any help rescuing Freeze."
"Here comes Chatot!" Flare pointed out. "So how did it go?"
Chatot sighed. "When I asked the Guildmaster, he mulled it over for a bit. And then he said...'Oh memories! Sweet memories! YOOM...TAH!' Then he danced around a bit. And then he said...'Yes, yes! When I think hard, maybe I did go there once!' And that's just what the Guildmaster said."
"...He's very creepy..." Shelly said awkwardly.
"Shelly!" Flare hissed. "Don't insult our Guildmaster!"
"I'm not insulting him, I'm just stating a fact!" the Pikachu cried. "I mean, who dances around with an Apple on their head at dinner time? Wigglytuff does!"
"So what? I think it's pretty cool!" Flare commented.
"It's plain creepy to me!" Shelly disagreed.
"Um, anyway..." Team Moonlight ceased fighting to listen. "To sum it up, it's just as Shelly suspected with her visions. He has indeed already been to Waterfall Cave."
"Oh...OK." Flare said sadly, ears pointing downward. "That's kind of disappointing. We really thought we'd discovered a new place. I wish Wigglytuff had told us right from the start!"
"The Guildmaster can be rather, uh, erratic at times." Chatot explained. "Even I can't quite fathom what goes on in his head. Well, that's too bad for you. Nevertheless, I shall expect your best effort tomorrow!"
"Urf..." Flare whimpered.
"...Stupid thieving cruel bird," Shelly muttered angrily as they stomped off to dinner.
The moon was shining brightly through their bedroom window that night. Today was exhausting. I should get to sleep early, Shelly thought as she collapsed into bed. Her paw brushed against the gem Tangle had given her at the Hot Spring. Maybe having other members won't be so bad after all. I could probably get used to that sooner or later.
Flare sighed, looking out the window sadly. "We went through a lot today. But you know what? It was incredibly fun for me! Sure, there was that huge letdown..."
"It wasn't totally a letdown. We got Tangle and a few gems from that dungeon." Shelly pointed out.
"Yeah. But it was our first exploration! I thought I was going to explode with excitement and anticipation the whole time. It made me realize I made the right decision in joining an exploration team." The Vulpix placed her Relic Fragment in front of Shelly. "One day I'm sure I'll solve the secret of my mother's Relic Fragment. That's the dream I have. If it ever came true, I'd surely faint from sheer happiness!"
"Then prepare to faint because I know we'll solve the mystery of it!" Shelly declared. The duo laughed happily together.
Flare picked up her Relic Fragment again. "But seriously, thanks...I can explore because of you, Shelly. Yes..."
Huh? Do you really mean that, Flare? Shelly wondered.
Flare remembered when they were about to jump through the waterfall. She remembered how brave she became and how fiercely she trusted Shelly's judgment. "I was the biggest chicken around and even I managed to work up some courage. And it was all because you were with me, Shelly. Seriously, Shelly, thanks!"
"Hey, no problem!" Shelly waved her tail, too tired to get up. "You helped me find something to do here so I helped you get braver. It's just payment for helping me this whole time."
"...Oh yeah! You know, I was thinking. I noticed something about your dizzy spells, Shelly." Flare said. "You always seem to be touching something when they happen."
Come to think of it, Flare's right! When I heard Azurill's scream... She remembered touching Azurill while giving the Apple Azurill had bought back to him. And that other time... She remembered Drowzee bumping into her. And when I touched the Relic Fragment and Flare herself... She remembered reliving the battle against Koffing and Zubat, and then hearing someone saying to hang on. And when I realized the Shadow Wolves and stone statues were connected... She remembered touching the Shellos statue. And when we were exploring Waterfall Cave! She remembered touching the waterfall and the big gem.
It...It's true! It was always after touching something! That's when I got those dizzy spells! She realized, ears rising as she sat up. When I touch something, I see something connected to it...right?
"There's one more thing." Flare added. "When we rescued Azurill, you had a vision of the future...But this time, you saw Wigglytuff going into the cave, right? So that means...This time, you saw an event that occurred in the past!"
That's true too! Shelly realized. And the same can be said when I first touched the Relic Fragment and the Shellos statue!
"In other words, Shelly," Flare continued. "If you touch something, you see its past or future. You must have that kind of special ability! This could be something totally incredible! You could use it in lots of ways! Not just for exploring either! The ability could be useful for many things! It's fantastic, Shelly!"
Well, yes...I guess it's true, Shelly thought. But that doesn't mean I always get a vision every time I touch something...It would be useful if I could have visions when I wanted, but...
Suddenly, Chatot appeared in the doorway. "Hey, you two! The Guildmaster wants to see you right away." He said. The trio entered the Guildmaster's chambers. "Guildmaster, I've brought you Team Moonlight."
"..." Wigglytuff remained silent.
"Guildmaster..." Chatot asked again. "Guildmaster?"
Wigglytuff instantly turned around, starting the trio. "Hiya!" he greeted. "Your team went through a lot today! Yes, a lot-lot! But don't worry! I'm keeping watch on your activities! I should tell you why I called you here. We're planning to mount a full expedition soon!"
"An expedition?" Flare asked.
"An expedition to where?" Shelly added.
"Yes!" Chatot nodded. "The guild will explore someplace far away! It's much harder than exploring our nearby area. That's why we need to prepare for the big trip properly. We carefully choose which guild members go on the expedition."
"Really?!" Flare asked, amazed.
"Man, that sounds so cool!" Shelly cried. "I can't wait to go! If we're picked, that is."
"Usually, we would never, ever consider rookies to be expedition members." Wigglytuff explained. "But you two are working so very hard! That's why we're making a special exception this time! We decided to include you in the list of candidates for the expedition!"
"R-really?" Flare asked.
"Awesome!" Shelly cried. "This is gonna be great!"
"Now, now!" Chatot reprimanded. "You haven't been chosen as expedition members yet. There is still time before we set out on the expedition. If you fail to do good work before then, you cannot expect to be selected for the expedition."
"I'm sure you two can do it!" Wigglytuff encouraged. "Try hard!"
"Yes!" Flare nodded. "An expedition! Isn't it fantastic, Shelly? My heart is pounding all of a sudden! Let's try our best and make sure we get picked for the expedition!"
"Of course we can do it!" Shelly agreed. "We are the best rookie team so far, right?"
"Right!" the Vulpix nodded. The duo returned to their rooms and fell asleep. Then Flare realized something. Shelly can see into the past or future, right? If father ever got a hold of that kind of power, what would happen to our world? It makes an even better reason for me to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, like that murdered Ninetales...Too sleepy to think anymore. Night, Shelly. I'll protect you...I promise... She fell asleep, praying that her father never found them.
The next morning...
"UP AND AT 'EM! IT'S MORNING!" Loudred's voice shattered Team Moonlight's peaceful sleep. Groaning, the two girls got up and headed for the main room to do their cheers and prepare for that day's work.
They came in as Chatot was explaining something. "Ahem! As I was explaining, there is a lake far to the east. There are many aspects of that lake that remain mysterious. We hope to unravel those mysteries. And so, our guild is planning to mount an expedition for the first time in a while."
"An expedition, you say? Yes, please! Yes sirree!" Bidoof cried happily.
"Wow! An expedition!" Mimi the Buneary gasped, hugging her Starly friend. "This is gonna be great, Feather!"
"Too bad we can't go, Doom." Claw groaned.
"That's the price we pay for being graduates, Claw. Right, Fang?" the bigger Houndoom asked.
"Indeed," Fang nodded.
"It's been a long time since we went on an expedition!" Sunflora giggled.
"Yeah, it has been a long time. Funny how time flies like that." Fear laughed. His teammates shook their heads in shame.
"But..." Loudred started. "That means you're going to be picking members for the expedition from ALL of us again, right?"
"Not we graduates, Loudred." Yena barked. "We can't take part in this unless Wigglytuff says otherwise. Plus, we graduates can go anytime. We don't need to go right now."
"Oh," Loudred muttered. "Sorry."
"Don't mind her," Bone said. "We have better places to be right now. Maybe she'll change her mind once the expedition draws closer."
"Precisely!" Chatot nodded. "We will depart in several days. Over these next few days, we will choose the most worthy apprentices. As Yena mentioned, graduates cannot take part in the expedition this time. The chosen members will form the expedition party. Everyone, work hard so that you may be chosen for the expedition!"
"Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!" Sunflora laughed happily.
"Yup yup! I've yet to go on an expedition." Bidoof said. "I would surely love to go this time!"
"Fade, this would be the perfect chance for you to get stronger." Salazar the Scyther encouraged. "Time to show them what Team Fading Blade can do."
"Uh-huh!" the Dratini nodded, blushing slightly. "I'll do my best!"
"Let's work at it and get picked as members!" Loudred yelled.
"You got that right, Loudred!" Sparks cried. Maybe Shelly will get assigned to travel with me. Sweet!
"All right, everyone." Chatot silenced everyone. "It's back to work as usual."
"HOORAY!" everyone cheered before heading out to do their daily jobs.
"Ah, you two." Chatot said to Team Moonlight. "Today, I want you two to check the Job Bulletin Board and Outlaw Notice Board and handle their listed jobs. That will do for now."
"Right on it!" Shelly nodded as the duo raced up the ladder.
"So today they want us to work on the jobs listed on these two boards, right?" Flare asked. "Let's try to do as many jobs as we can. Then they'll have to pick us for the expedition party! Let's go check now, Shelly."
"Okay!"
As Team Moonlight went toward the Job Bulletin Board, they noticed two strangely familiar Pokemon: a blue bat and a floating purple ball with gas floating around it. "Look! Those Pokemon..." Flare said.
"Haven't we seen them before?" Shelly asked.
The bat, overhearing them, turned. "Hey!" he yelped, flapping backward slightly.
The gas ball floated beside his partner, also shocked. "You two?!"
"Huh? That duo..." Flare muttered, thinking hard. "Wait, haven't we seen them before?" Then she remembered the Beach Cave incident. "I...I remember! They're the two crooks who stole my mom's Relic Fragment! What are they doing here?!"
"Whatever it is, we'll show them whose boss!" Shelly growled, sparks flying from her cheeks.
"Whoa-ho-ho! I'll have you know that we're an exploration team, too." Koffing replied.
"Heh-heh-heh. What's so funny about an exploration team checking out the Job Bulletin Board?" Zubat asked, smirking.
"What?!" Flare gasped. "You're an exploration team?!"
"An exploration team? I highly doubt that, losers." Shelly said, readying to attack.
Koffing nodded, grinning. "That's right. Though the way we operate isn't always...by the book. But what a surprise! Why would you be here?"
"We wanted to become exploration team members." Flare said, ears pointed backwards. "That's why we're training at this guild."
"Whaaaat?!" Koffing cried.
"You want to become a real-deal exploration team member?!" Zubat asked. The thieving duo looked at one another for a moment before nodding. They quickly flew on either side of the Vulpix.
"You! Come with us for a second." Koffing said.
"W-what is it?" Flare yelped, scared as the duo pulled her away from the Pikachu.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Shelly cried.
"Cool it, mouse! We just want to chat with your friend, that's all. Just stay right there, it'll only take a second!" Zubat replied.
The duo shoved Flare and stood between her and Shelly. "Now don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way. You should just forget about being on an exploration team!" Koffing said.
"What?! Why?!" Flare demanded.
"Well, you're timid. You scare easy." Zubat explained. "A scaredy-cat like you can't cut it on an exploration team."
"B-but!" Flare started, getting even more scared. Suddenly, she burst between them and ran to Shelly's side. "It-it's true that I'm timid...But that's why I'm in training! So I can overcome my own shortcomings! Even now, I'm working hard to be picked for the guild's expedition!"
"Flare!" Shelly hissed.
"Oh? An expedition, you say?" Koffing chuckled.
"Well, effort only gets you so far." Zubat pointed out. "You won't get picked for the expedition party if you don't have talent, right? It all comes down to talent...pure talent!"
"B-big talk!" Flare barked. "You sure talk a lot about talent, but what kind of skills do you have? You were so weak, we even beat you!"
"Yeah, you guys have zero talent so shut your mouths!" Shelly added. "Or I'll shut them for you."
"Whoa-ho-ho! Well, we didn't have the Chief with us. I'd love to see you try shutting our mouths with him around." Koffing dared.
"Gladly!" the Pikachu hissed, sparks crackling.
"C-Chief?" Flare asked.
"Heh-heh. That's right." Zubat nodded.
"Team skull, our exploration team, has three members." Koffing explained.
"Our Chief is incredibly talented." Zubat added.
"To put it bluntly, he's brutally tough."
"Heh-heh. If the Chief were around, we'd snap you two like twigs."
"Whoa-ho-ho!" Koffing suddenly laughed triumphantly. "Speaking of the Chief, I can smell him coming now!"
"Smell?" Flare asked.
"Ugh!" Shelly covered her nose. "I can definitely smell something coming!"
"Here's the Chief!" Zubat cried.
Suddenly, a large purple and white skunk climbed down the ladder. Turning to Shelly, he growled, "Move! Out of the way!" He blew a cloud of gas at her, sending the Pikachu crashing to the ground.
"Oh, Shelly!" Flare cried. Oh, great! It just has to be a Skuntank! "Ugh! What's that awful stench?"
The gas cloud floated over to the apprentice gathered near Chimecho's Assembly. "Eek! It reeks like rotten cheese!" Sunflora cried.
"That is foul, yes sirree!" Bidoof gasped, covering his nose.
"Hey, hey! My eyes are burning!" Corphish yelped.
The Skuntank turned to Flare. "Move it! Or do you want to end up like that wimp over there?" he asked, growling.
"Oh no..." Flare obediently got out of his way.
"Chief!" Koffing cried.
"You showed them, Chief! You're the best!" Zubat praised.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Skuntank said, bored. "So, you two, did you sniff out any jobs that'll bring in the cash?"
"The Job Bulletin Board only posted cheap tasks, but..." Koffing explained.
"But there's something else, Chief. It's got the potential to go big..." Zubat whispered something to the Skuntank before quickly backing up.
"What? An expedition from this guild?" Skuntank asked. "That does sound tasty."
"Doesn't it?" Koffing asked.
"Let's get out of here. We need to do some plotting." Skuntank ordered. "Come on. We're going."
"Yeah!" Zubat and Koffing agreed.
After Skuntank climbed up the ladder, the other two noticed the apprentices staring. "What are you all staring at? This isn't a public performance!" Koffing shouted. The apprentices went back to their own business as the gas ball flew up the ladder.
"Heh-heh, see you around, wimps." Zubat chuckled to Team Moonlight before flying up the ladder.
"Are you OK, Shelly?!" Flare asked, dashing over to her partner. The Vulpix sighed in relief as the Pikachu staggered to her feet. "Great! It doesn't look like you're injured."
"I'm not hurt, just really smelly. Ugh, that guy reeked!" Shelly whined.
"That was rough, though." Flare whimpered, glancing at the ladder. "I couldn't work up the courage to challenge him to his face. Even though he hurt you, Shelly...I'm ashamed of myself..."
"Hey, don't feel bad. I couldn't shut their mouths like I said I could if that guy were around." Shelly pointed out. "And he didn't hurt me."
"They're right. I am a wimp...a big chicken." Flare whimpered, ears pointing backward sadly.
"You're not a wimp, Flare." Shelly reassured. "You're the bravest Pokemon I know."
"Really?" Tears were stinging Flare's eyes. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Shelly. But...I really am a wimp. But that's nothing new for me. I've decided that I can still do my best even if I'm not very brave. I'm not going to give up over something like this. I'm going to be cheerful and keep trying. Thanks Shelly!"
"No problem, Flare. It's what friends do."
"For now, we'd better keep working like we've been doing. Today we're supposed to be handling jobs on both boards. Let's keep at it, Shelly!"
"Gladly, Flare!" As they looked through missions on the Job bulletin Board, Shelly spotted one job in particular. "Hey, Flare, look at this!"
"What is it?" the Vulpix asked. "I'll read it."
"Dear exploration teams,
My name is Molt and I'm part of Team Frostburn. My brother, Freeze, and I were recently attacked by a Shadow Wolf and defeated. I escaped from the top floor of Drenched Bluff but my brother has not returned yet. Somebody please help him! He's a Glaceon and he's on the top floor, but it's possible the Shadow Wolf may still be there. Freeze should be located near a Magmar statue. Reward offered for anyone who will help me!"
"What?! That means Freeze has been in Drenched Bluff for one night already!" Flare cried.
"Maybe we should get Molt to help us rescue him." Shelly suggested.
"Good idea!" the Vulpix nodded. "Let's go talk to Molt!"
Team Frostburn's room...
Molt was curled up in his bed, crying his eyes out. He'd left his brother at Drenched Bluff even though Freeze had ordered him to. Freeze's badge had not brought him back and Molt had already posted a rescue mission on the Job Bulletin Board to see if anyone would help him. But with the other attack victims still injured, none of the other teams seemed to be able to help him.
"Freeze, please hang in there." The Flareon sobbed. 'I promise I'll save you but how can I get back there? That wolf might still be there and I'm too scared to fight it alone. Oh, what can I do?"
"Molt, are you there?" It was Flare's voice.
"Flare? What is it?" He wiped the tears away and sat up as Team Moonlight entered his room.
"We've come to accept your rescue of Freeze." Shelly explained. "We want you to come with us so you can get Freeze out while we deal with the Shadow Wolf...if it's even still there."
"Oh, thank you so much!" Molt cried. Don't worry, Freeze. We're coming to save you! "Let's go!"
The trio raced out of the guild, down the steps, and to the left as they ran toward Drenched Bluff in search of the trapped Glaceon. As they ran passed the Assembly Bell, they never saw a pair of glowing red eyes peering out from a nearby bush. "Ooh! Looks like they're going back to play! I better tell Oswald to prepare for Round 2!" The wolf, a female, laughed softly as she vanished.
But if the wolf would have stayed a moment longer, she would have seen a second exploration team quickly following Molt's group...a second group containing a young Mareep and a Pachirisu riding on her head...a Mareep that would have looked slightly familiar to the Shadow Wolf...
Drenched Bluff, top floor...
"Well, we're here. Now to see if that dumb wolf comes out." Shelly muttered, cheeks sparking.
"Hey, there's that statue!" Flare cried, pointing to the stone Magmar.
"And there's Freeze!" Molt added. "Freeze, we're here to rescue you!" He quickly dashed to his brother's side.
"Molt, come back!" Flare cried just as the room turned pitch black. "Uh-oh..."
"Molt, stay there!" Shelly ordered.
"O-okay!" the Flareon whimpered, grabbing his badge. "Should I leave with Freeze?"
"Go ahead, Molt. We'll deal with this guy." Shelly said.
Molt nodded and used his badge to teleport back to the guild. Just a second after they were gone, a set of claws crashed down where they once were. "I missed!" a female voice hissed.
"Have you come to challenge me also?" Oswald asked, stepping out of the shadows. "If so, I accept. By master's orders, no one shall come to this floor without being forced to leave."
"Can't we just play with them first?" the female wolf asked, stepping out nearby Oswald. She had a jade-colored stone collar around her neck with the Unown letter K engraved in the center stone. "Come on, quit acting so 'I want a fair fight'-ish! Have some fun for once."
"I believe in only fair fights, Jade." Oswald replied coldly. "Playing around with your opponent is not honorable. A fight with both combatants fighting their hardest is the most honorable thing a warrior can ask of one another."
"Aww, you party pooper! Fine, you can do your 'honorable' mumbo jumbo on the fox while I get to play with the mouse. Deal?" the female wolf, Jade, argued. "That way, we get both of our ways."
"...Fine." Oswald replied. He turned and pounced, instantly making Team Moonlight separate. He jumped and landed near Flare, preparing to attack. "Ready to battle?"
"Of course I am!" the Vulpix growled, fire building up in her jaws. "And you're going to regret coming here! Ember!"
The Shadow Wolf ducked, dodging the blow, and lashed out with his claws. When that failed, he relied on his speed and strength to fight. Flare kept dishing out the attacks, though most were easily dodged by the larger creature. After a few minutes of this, Oswald finally pinned her down. "I finally have you. That was a nice show you put on..."
"Flare. The name's Flare." The Vulpix replied, smirking. "And I'm not done yet. Ember!"
"What?!" Oswald tried to pull away but the flames burnt the left part of his lower jaw, cheek, and ear. Howling in pain, he leaped away to recover from the surprise attack. She's craftier than I thought. But it was my fault for lowering my guard for her to take advantage of. Ouch, that stings!
Meanwhile, Jade and Shelly were just staring at one another. Unlike Oswald, Jade enjoyed taking her time and playing with her opponents before she fights for real. Jade slowly circled the Pikachu, taunting her and daring her to attack but knowing it was futile. As much as she enjoyed her little game of cat and mouse, something told her that something was wrong.
All right, let's get serious now. As she prepared to pounce, the sound of rocks tumbling softly to the ground caught her attention. She quickly turned, entirely forgetting about Shelly. "What was that?"
"NOW!!" three female voices shouted. As the wolf twirled around, three separate blasts of electricity crashed into her. Jade screamed, barely making out the shapes of a mouse, a sheep, and a squirrel as her attackers.
Jade's scream attracted Oswald's attention, tearing his focus from his opponent to his partner. Abandoning his fight, he unleashed a Dark Blade and watched as the trio scattered. Growling about them not being honorable, he limped to Jade and nudged her side with his muzzle. "Jade, are you okay? Jade?" he asked.
"Ugh...What hit me?" the younger wolf moaned, opening her red eyes tiredly. "It smells like something's burning..."
"That would probably be me," Oswald informed her, turning so she could see the burnt fur on the left side of his face. "It will be gone by the time we leave here, Jade. Shall we finish our fight?"
"Sure, like I care. Man, that was so unfair!" Jade whined. "Three on one isn't fair!"
"Now do you see why I enjoy fair and honorable fights?" Oswald asked.
"...Shut up!" Jade snapped.
"Hey, who are you guys?" Flare asked, reuniting with her partner. "I've never seen you before? Are you an exploration team too?"
"Yes!" the Pachirisu cried, perching on the Mareep's head. "We're an exploration team too!"
"I was about to ask you the same thing. We're the Silver-ranked Team Shocker." The Mareep introduced. "I'm Mary, the leader, and this is Patsy, my partner. Who are you?"
"I'm Flare and this is Shelly. We're Team Moonlight." The Vulpix replied. "As for our rank, we're...um..."
"Basically, we're rookies." Shelly summed up.
"Rookies?!" Mary shouted. "What are rookies doing fighting Shadow Wolves?! You should be at the guild, not here! If you two get killed, this'll be on my head! Great Arceus, you rookies are getting dumber by the day! This is dangerous, you know!"
"You shut up!" Shelly growled. "We've been fighting these guys since our third mission! Sure, it wasn't official but who's counting?! All I know is we've been fighting for just as long, maybe even longer, than you have! Get it? Got it? Good!"
"...She got you bad, Mary." Patsy giggled.
"You're still just Normal-ranked rookies, no matter how many times you've fought these guys!" Mary protested angrily. "You shouldn't be fighting when you have older, more experienced teams to do that for you. Now use your badge and get out of here! Leave this to us!"
"No way!" the Pikachu snarled.
"Why won't you listen to me?!" Mary demanded.
"Because you're not the boss of us!" Shelly snapped.
"I'm getting tired of hearing them bicker." Oswald muttered.
"I'll shut them up then. Dark Blade!" Jade howled, unleashing the attack. The four Pokemon, unprepared for the assault, were thrown into the walls and crumbled to the ground in pain. "There, did that work?"
Oswald sighed, annoyed. She never gave them a chance to react and try to defend against it. Why did I have to get her as a partner?
As the two exploration teams tried to get up, two more Shadow Wolves stepped out of the walls. The male wore a red collar with a black teardrop on the center stone, nearly covering the Unown letter L engraved in it. The female wore a black collar with a red teardrop on the center stone and the Unown letter L carved into it. Both Oswald and Jade lowered their heads in submission to the higher-ranked wolves.
"Oswald, Jade..." the male said.
"Yes, Seth?" Oswald asked. "What does master wish of us?"
"Master says it's time to move on." The female replied, yawning. "This place has lost its purpose to him, so we have to leave here. Man, he's such a bore sometimes."
"How dare you, Yonaka!" Jade barked. "How can you just insult our master like that?!"
"I just can. What's he gonna do, kill me? I don't really care for his orders, he just points out the obvious." The female, Yonaka, said. "Are we going now? I'm tired and I need a nap."
"Let's go, you three," Seth started, only to notice their four guests. "Yonaka, get rid of them."
"Okay," Yonaka stalked toward the four Pokemon and raised a paw. Slashing her claws through the shadow behind them, a simple shove threw all four into the shadow and teleported them away. "Done,"
"Weren't you supposed to kill them?" Oswald asked, confused.
"We don't kill unless it's absolutely necessary, Oswald. Come, we're leaving now." Seth led the other three wolves into the shadows and teleported away to see their master.
In the future, Dark Crater...
Scarface sighed as she watched the young Vulpix run around the huge den. She still hated that their world must be destroyed but knew it was for the best. She saw her best friend Tornear chatting with two others, Raggedfur and Brokentooth. But there was Ninetales that she had noticed had gone missing for quite a while.
Dark, the Shadow Ninetales that had brought her here. He had been missing not long after she got here. Scarface didn't know why she was so worried about him all of a sudden. His kind were dangerous, bloodthirsty killing machines made by humans a long time ago. So why am I so worried about him?
"Is somethin' wrong, Scarface?" Moss, one of the elderly male Ninetales, asked.
"Do you know where Dark is?" she asked hesitantly. "I haven't seen him in a while and...well..."
Moss started laughing an old, cracked laugh. "Eheheh! It's all righ', Scarface. Ever' one here gets attached to him sooner or later. Don' feel ashamed of it." He reassured. 'I'm sure he's off lookin' for other exiles like us to join the pack. He'll be back soon."
"...Thank you, Moss." Scarface nodded.
"O' course, Scarface. You come to ol' Moss if you need anymore help." Moss encouraged before limping off.
When Scarface looked up at the entrance, she was surprised to see Dark standing there with two more Ninetales. He entered, the exiled duo quietly following him. Fear radiated off of them in waves and their scars looked fresh. Both were young females, a bit younger than Scarface. As the Shadow Pokemon reached the bottom, he instantly came to her and asked her to care for them. She nodded, agreeing.
After the duo settled down and introduced themselves, Scarface felt jealously rise up in her as she saw Dark nuzzling Brokentooth. Why do I feel this way around him? Why am I jealous all of a sudden? She ignored him and turned to the new ones, Crookedjaw and One-eye. I'm sure this feeling will pass in time. It just has to...it has to...
In the future, Temporal Tower...
Dust floated through the air as Primal Ninetales stalked through the corridors of his master's domain. He wondered if his daughter realized that the dead Ninetales he sent to the past was her mother. Or more precisely, his master sent to the past. A small group of Sableye, including the only red-eyed female of the group, followed him as he went up the floors.
His master had indeed given the Sableye army to his hated rival, that Ghost-type. Primal Ninetales himself was given only a small number of 'personal guards' to protect him from attack. As if they could guard anything properly in the first place.
As he neared the top floor, he saw the room grow steadily darker. As much as he hated to admit it, he hated being in a pitch black room for long periods of time. Breaking into a run, he and the Sableye were almost at the stairs when a lupine figure pounced out a wall and blocked his only exit. "What are you? What do you want?" Primal Ninetales struggled to keep his voice calm.
"My name is none of your concern, Primal Ninetales." The voice, undoubtedly male, growled. "I've come to give you a message from my master. Your rule is drawing to a close, along with your life."
"What? What does that mean?!" Primal Ninetales roared.
"Times are changing and we'll rule this world soon." The Shadow Wolf continued. "The moment snow starts to fall in the desert will mark the beginning of our rule."
"What are you?!"
"I'm a Shadow Wolf. Don't forget what I've told you." The wolf jumped into the floor and the room lit up again.
"Whe he?" the Sableye whimpered.
"...Let's go report this to master." Primal Ninetales and his guards raced up the stairs. "The moment snow starts to fall in the desert will mark the beginning of our rule." What in the world does that mean? Snow cannot fall in a desert!
In the past, Northern Desert...
A small Sandshrew peered out of its den and stared in amazement at what it was seeing. Coming out, it instantly ran back inside when the cold stuff touched its skin. "What is that white stuff?" it wondered. Slowly falling from the sky, which had become dark and cloudy like a storm, were tiny glittering...snowflakes.
--
I hope you all liked the chapter. The snow falling in the desert is based off a creepy dream I had last night. I was walking through a huge desert after losing sight of my friends and suddenly, it was snowing. In seconds, the ground was covered entirely in snow and no matter how much I dug, I couldn't find the desert sand anymore. It was really creepy.
Was this worth the wait? I'll be going back to working on "Quest to Capture the Shadow Pokemon" and I hope to have that updated in a few days time...hopefully. I made more reviewers' Shadow Wolves appear and Team shocker has made their first appearance. I'll be updating the list of characters and that should be up in a few minutes for you to check out if you want. The Shadow Wolf list will be added this time and will be updated again later as more characters appear.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I'm sorry that it took a while but at least I have it up now. I'll try to post the first chapters of my other PMD2 stories, so please check them out if you can once they're up. Thanks for being so patient with me. Please review!