Disclaimer: This chapter was written by the amazing MortalInstrumentals and KaitouKiwi. River and Blithe belong to MortalInstrumentals and KaitouKiwi respectively.


Grave Encounter

TWO WEEKS AGO

She couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her. First the fog had rolled in, disorienting her, and now the rain was falling steadily. Blithe had hit a fork in the road a little while back, but she hadn't really been able to make out the right way to go. When the plane had landed, she hadn't stopped to get a map or anything. Now she was following Teagan's silhouette down the road, her boots sloshing through mud and puddles. Wherever they were headed, Blithe hoped that she could find somewhere to take shelter before she was completely soaked.

The rain mocked her, falling harder and faster. Grimacing, Blithe picked up her pace, settling into a light jog. "Teagan, wait up," she said, holding her bag close to her chest. The Phantump stopped where it was, extending a small hand towards his trainer. Blithe smiled at her Pokémon's gesture and rubbed it's rough head. "Thanks."

Continuing down the path, Blithe had a sudden urge to turn around. She was definitely lost. There was no telling how long it would be before she arrived at the next town. And then there was River. He was probably still back in Tillandsia City. She should turn back around and go find him, but her pride hindered her. If she wasn't a tough loner, than who was she? River didn't need to know that she leaned on him for support. She needed to stay aloof. She needed to keep going.

Thunder suddenly echoed around her. Blithe grabbed one of the branches jutting from Teagan's head and started running. The rain was coming down in sheets now. Skittys and Lillipups as they say. She could hear Teagan warbling, but she didn't want to stop to put him back inside his Pokéball right now. He probably didn't mind the rain anyway. Sometimes Blithe forgot that he was actually dead. . . Just like she would have been if he hadn't guided her out of Lostlorn Forest so many years ago. "I think I see something up ahead," Blithe said, trying to raise her voice over the sound of the downpour. "We'll duck inside a building and wait for the rain to let up a little."

She'd been right. There was a lone building up ahead, breaking through the blanket of rain. The closer she got, the more details she could make out. Was that a small bell tower on the roof? Was this actually a church in the middle of nowhere? Blithe raced up the stone stairs and leaned into the wooden door. It didn't budge, instead hurting her shoulder. Releasing Teagan's head, Blithe tried to push the door open again, but it wouldn't yield. She pulled on the curved, metal handle, her fingers slipping off. "You've got to be kidding me," she said, rushing back down the stairs and walking around the side of the building.

"Phaaaan," Teagan cried, bumping into Blithe as she fiddled with a window she'd found.

"Give me a second, Teagan. I've almost got this thing open." She pushed upwards with all the strength she could muster, slowly losing her grip on the rotting wood of the window frame. The window gave way, shooting upwards. Gasping, Blithe hoisted herself up through the open window, gesturing for Teagan to follow her. The Phantump floated inside behind his trainer, but continued to stare outside. "What are you looking at?"

Blithe squinted her green eyes, trying to see what her Pokémon was focusing on. The longer she stared, the more unfocused her gaze became. That was when she finally noticed dozens of rosey orbs scattered in the not-so-far distance. "Those are. . . eyes," Blithe said, her voice barely above a whisper. What was out in the rain, watching them? Blithe reached up to close the window, but it wouldn't budge. It was stuck open, giving whatever was out in the rain a clear shot to come in.

Trying to ignore the looming presence outside, Blithe grabbed Teagan and headed towards the center of the church. It was only the one room, the cathedral. Empty pews lined the floor, facing the alter. In the darkness, Blithe couldn't make out what was on the alter exactly, but she could see the outline of a statue. Teagan gave a small cry and Blithe just smiled, trying to do something with the hair that was plastered to the back of her neck. "We won't be here long. We're just staying until the rain starts to go away. I promise."

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Blithe's eyes traveled to the door of the church. It had to be the creatures she'd seen outside. They were trying to come in, trying to get her. Why wouldn't they come through the window? Teagan's head bumped against Blithe's shoulder and she pushed the Phantump behind her in an attempt to protect it. "Stay here, Teagan," she said, digging around in her saturated bag for a Pokéball. Hoping it was the right one, Blithe threw it towards the ground. The room erupted in crimson light, leaving a bipedal creature in its wake. "Naomi, get ready for a fight."

The Bisharp took a few steps back as the door to the church rattled violently, looking back at its trainer with wide eyes. It brought its arms up in an offensive stance as Blithe slowly crept towards the door. "I'll open it and then you hit whatever it is with Aerial Ace." Blithe found the long, wooden board that had been locking the door and quickly lifted it up.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sudden outburst caused Blithe to drop the wooden board back in its slot. Alright, she thought. Just grab it and move it aside.

BANG!

"One."

BANG!

"Two. Three!"

Blithe flung the wooden board aside and let the door fly open. Naomi rushed forward, whipping up a whirlwind at her wake.

"Bis?"

Blithe peeked around the corner only to find her Bisharp standing at the church entrance by herself. "Sharp!" she exclaimed, honing her blades against one another.

"There was something there, you heard it too, right Teagan?" But her partner was staring off somewhere else. "Teagan? What are you looking at?" Blithe followed her Phantump's line of sight and immediately called out for Naomi's Aerial Ace.

The Bisharp glided effortlessly towards a dilapidated portion of roof. The entirety of the ceiling caved in, leaving behind it a cloud of dust and soot. Blithe recalled Naomi and reached out for Teagan, but her vision was impaired. "Teagan?!" The lack of response caused panic to rise inside Blithe's chest. "Teagan?! Answer me right now!"

It was only after surveying the dark cloud that Blithe realized she wasn't alone in the room. She was surrounded by the same rosy eyed creatures as before. They had been staring from outside, and she could have sworn they were the same eyes that Teagan had spotted through a hole on the roof.

"Teagan! Light up the room with a Will-O-Wisp!" The dust cleared away instantly as the entire room was lit up just a few feet away from where Blithe stood. A clowder of Espurr hissed at the sudden light and scurried away to a room located at the back of the church. "Quick, Teagan, let's get out of here. We'll find shelter somewhere else." But the Phantump was hovering closer to the ground than he usually did. "Get away! They'll attack you," Blithe said as she approached the slumped figure.

"Phaaan," Teagan cried out. It was then that Blithe realized that it wasn't an Espurr Teagan was tending to, but a Sylveon. Charlotte to be exact. Which only meant one thing: River was nearby.

Blithe's eyes grew wide as she knelt down next to the Sylveon. "Oh Charlotte, please be okay," she muttered under her breath. She placed a hand on the creature's cream colored pelt and felt her body shudder as she breathed. "She's just asleep," Blithe said, relief flooding her body for a brief moment. Rooting around in her bag, she threw out a Pokéball. As the colored light filled the room, Blithe could hear the Espurr in the back room hissing with anger.

A Scolipede blinked slowly as its trainer gathered up its Pokéball. "Ryden," Blithe said slowly, taking Charlotte in her arms and draping the sleeping Sylveon over the Scolipede's back. "Keep an eye on her. Make sure you two stay safe. If anything tries to attack you, use Venoshock." Ryden gave a slow, solemn nod and backed away, moving to stand on the other side of the altar.

Teagan drifted closer to the door the Espurr had escaped through and Blithe followed his lead. "We have to be careful, okay?" she said, preparing herself to open the door. She could hear the scurrying footsteps of the Espurr within as they started to echo her frantic thoughts. Where's River? Is he okay? Why was Charlotte here? What happened to her? "Here we go!" Blithe threw open the door, seeing nothing but the bright eyes of the Pokémon surrounding her. "Teagan, use Will-O-Wisp! Let's light up this room too!"

The Phantump spewed out red orbs that settled along the ceiling of the room, casting a glow down upon the Espurr. Most of the Pokémon hissed, skittering across the floor and even climbing on the furniture, eyes wide and staring. In the midst of all the chaos, Blithe quickly scanned the room for any sign of River. If Charlotte had been in the church, there was the chance that River was too. "Where's my fr- the boy?" she challenged, taking in the sight of the agitated Pokémon before her. "You all did something to his Sylveon, so I'm going to ask one more time. Where. Is. The. Boy?"

Blithe's muscles stiffened and her breath caught in her throat. She tried to move, tried to do anything, but she couldn't. Then the room around her spun, making her dizzy and disoriented before she was thrown into a bookshelf. Blithe collapsed, feeling some of the books from above tumble down on top of her. Teagan was by her side in an instant, trying his hardest to help her to her feet, but his ethereal limbs went right through her.

"River, is that you?" the girl asked, staring at her Phantump. "Are you okay? Did the Espurr hurt you?"

Teagan cooed, his bright eyes sad. Something was wrong with his trainer, and the Espurr had done it. "Phaaaan," the Pokémon shrieked, an orb of green energy forming in the air. Teagan shot it across the room where several Espurr were gathered, causing them to jump out of the way.

The scene before her began to clear up. Who she thought had been River was actually just Teagan. Blithe gripped her head in one hand, using the bookshelf behind her to steady herself. "Teagan, it's okay. I'm okay." The Phantump glided back towards his trainer, circling her. "We have to get out of here and we have to find River," she said forcefully, turning her green eyes on a particularly aggressive Espurr. It's pink eyes were narrowed and the others were grouping behind it. "Are you the leader of this parade? Then maybe you can give me the answers I want."

Hissing, the Espurr leapt forward, claws out. Blithe smirked, feeling confident for the first time since she landed in Azgil. "Scratch? Ha! Teagan, use Phantom Force!"

A violet portal opened beneath Teagan and he dove downwards into it. The Espurr landed on its feet, looking around for the Pokémon that had just been in front of it. Blithe stifled a laugh as she watched it glare at the floor before turning towards her. Its tiny legs carried it forward and it jumped, raking its claws across one of Blithe's arms. She called out, smacking the Espurr away from her, dismayed as it once again landed on its feet. "You little-"

The portal opened up again, Teagan bursting from it, surprising the Espurr from behind. Growling, the Espurr turned on its heel and attempted to Scratch Teagan, but the Phantump tilted its head as the Pokémon's attack went right through him.

Gripping her injured arm, Blithe couldn't help but smile. "You don't stand a chance, you mangy little thing," she said. "If you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of your friends, then you should take me to the person I've been asking about."

The Espurr pushed Teagan's head before narrowing its gaze. The Phantump shuddered, cowering away from its enemy. Blithe huffed in annoyance. "Don't think using Leer is going to make a difference." The Espurr jumped towards her, hissing once more. The anger in its eyes was more than evident. Panicking, Blithe reached into her bag and pulled out a Pokéball that was lighter than the rest. Closing her eyes, she threw it towards the attacking Espurr.

As the Pokéball hit the ground, Blithe opened her eyes, watching as it wiggled and glowed a faint red. She didn't care if she caught the thing or not. Blithe just wanted to make sure it didn't hurt anyone else. As she started to hope that the Pokéball would fail, and she wouldn't be stuck with a crazed Espurr, it stopped moving entirely. "Oh, great. . ."

The Espurrs in the back of the room huddled together, looking terrified. As Blithe took the few steps forward to retrieve the Pokéball, they scattered in a frenzy, eventually pushing past her and running out the door. With lips pursed, Blithe clicked the Pokéball and watched as the Espurr she'd just caught materialized once more. "Okay, Lilith," she said, settling on a nickname that seemed to fit the Espurr perfectly. "Teagan would have destroyed you if I hadn't stepped in, so you owe me." She knelt near Lilith and watched as its eyes grew even wider. "The Sylveon you and your friends roughed up, she had a trainer. A boy. Blond hair. Probably had a big smile on his face. If you saw the Sylveon, then you saw him. I want you to take me to him."

Lilith stood still, staring through Blithe. She felt her face flush red and she clicked the Pokéball, once more trapping the Espurr within. "Stupid thing," she said, storming out of the room, Teagan close behind. "He's got to be around here somewhere." Ryden lumbered across the room, Charlotte still laying on his back. As he approached Blithe, a small group of Espurr tried to block his path. The Scolipede dipped his head down towards them and opened his mouth, scaring the Pokémon away with a low moan. "Thanks for watching over her," Blithe said, taking Charlotte into her arms. Ryden nodded as Blithe clicked his Pokéball, calling him back. The Sylveon wiggled in her arms, giving a yawn. "Oh Charlotte, I'm so glad you're okay. I'm sure River's going to be ecstatic."

"River?!" Blithe called. It was nearing dawn, but she didn't want to risk another encounter with those rabid Espurr. Charlotte was still out, but at least she wasn't in any imminent danger—only asleep. "River where are you, damn it?!"

It had stopped raining a while ago, but the cemetery surrounding the old church was still a muddy mess. Teagan flew up ahead, releasing another red ball of flame to illuminate their path. "Tump?" he called out, bringing a smile to Blithe's face.

"River?!" she joined.

A pair of rosy eyes popped from behind a grave. Blithe could still hear the meowling and hissing of the Espurr as she trekked through the abandoned graves. "If you lot even try to do anything funny, I'll stick you in one of these Pokéballs. Just like your friend," she threatened, motioning towards her bag, where she had an entire arsenal of empty capsules. The eyes faded into the darkness with a loud hiss.

"Keep it up, Teagan, you're doing great."

Teagan hovered buoyantly ahead of her as Charlotte began to stir.

"Syyyyl. . ."

"Don't worry, Charlotte, we'll find him," she said more for herself than for the Pokémon. She was really starting to regret where she left things off with him before they separated. "We'll find him for sure."

Something cold and wet wrapped its fingers around Blithe's ankles, causing her spirit to momentarily leap out of her body. "Tump?!" Teagan didn't even miss a beat as he released a ball of energy towards her feet.

"Mmmmnnn," the creature moaned. The Espurrs had scattered from the battlefield, going off into the darks wood that surrounded their home. Blithe almost felt bad for bothering them, but there was something else after her.

"Teagan, use Phantom Force." But before he could even get the portal open, Charlotte hopped into action. She released a startling cry, stopping Teagan in his tracks.

"What the hell?!" Blithe said, her hands blocking the cacophony that Charlotte had previously released. She looked at the Sylveon, who was now nudging at something on the ground with its snout. "What is it, Charlotte?"

The muddy creature rose from its grave. "Bliiiiiithe," it moaned.

"Will-O-Wisp! Now!"

"No! Blithe, it's me! It's River!"

Teagan stared from one trainer to the other, waiting for his trainer's command. "Stand down, Teagan. Everything's okay." Her heart was still making a racket inside her chest. "River, what the hell happened?"

"Oooooh my god! So, so much! You wouldn't even believe it!" he said, wiping away the mud from his sweater vest.

"SoafterwesplitupIwastalkingthingsoverwithCharlottelikeusualandshemademerealizethatIwasbeingdumbandthatweshouldfindyoubuthenIwaschallengedtoabattlewiththemayorofTillandiaCitywhichisalsoknownasBattleCitydidyouknowthatandIwonandItoldhimaboutYveltaland—"

"Hold it!" she said. "You need to calm down, River. I can't understand you if you don't punctuate."

"Syl!" Charlotte added in with agreement.

"Whoops! Sorry," he said with a grin. "Well long story short, I was out looking for you when the rain picked up. A few people claimed to have seen a ghastly looking girl leaving the town towards Route 43, and I assumed it was you. I ran for this church in search of shelter when I got really sleepy out of the blue. The next thing I know, here I am."

"What—"

"Oh! And Aldwin said we need to head over to Deus Isle. It's the best bet we have if Yveltal really has landed on Azgil."

"Who—"

"Here! He gave us passes for the ferry that takes us over to the island. But first we need to head over to Holly Port and—"

"RIVER!" she said, startling Teagan, who had been floating by a grave nearby.

"Yeah?" he said, picking up his Sylveon to perch on his shoulder.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

With another one of his goofy grins, he said, "I'll explain along the way, but first we should probably start making our way to the port. Hey, look! The sun's rising."

Blithe followed her companion's gaze towards the horizon. Despite everything that happened during the day, she was glad that they were back together. "Listen, River. About earlier. . ."

"Don't worry about it," he said, grin plastered on his face. "It's all water under the bridge."

Blithe let her long raven black hair cascade over her face as she smiled to herself.

"Did you make a new friend?" he asked.

"What?" her head jerked up at his comment.

"That Espurr," he said. "It just popped out from your bag."

Lilith stood just a few feet in front of her trainer, eyes fixated on the towering girl. She did her best to remain still, studying her opponent before she could strike. Just as the girl motioned for her bag, the Espurr darted towards the wood.

"Why you little. . ." she heard the trainer say.

"C'mon, River! Help me catch this little pest!" Blithe said as she and her companion began to chase the little grey feline, River's boisterous laugh echoing through the forest as they ran.