Chapter two

Plots

Smoke still poisoned the air that morning, tingeing the world in a monochromatic state. No breeze tickled the trees. No bird Pokemon chirped in welcoming the new day. All echoes were immediately silenced by a common hush that permeated the forest. The land itself was dead, wallowing in agony at the eternal flames from the attack the night before. On the lip of the valley's edge stood the instrument of the terror, command surrounding the air like a plague: man. He dressed in a stark white uniform, a red R emblazed boldly on the front, with his arms and legs covered in a shining black material. His beard curved down across his neck, pointed and neatly trimmed in the image of a spear. His eyes narrowed as he looked over the work of his Pokemon.

He kicked the remnants of a corpse down into the belly of the valley, his face scrunched up into a mask of distaste. "Nasty little vermin." He growled, clenching and unclenching his fists.

Creed, alpha of the Houndoom, slunk up to his masters side, keeping his horned head as low to the ground as possible. The Houndoom bowed forward, brushing the dirt with his nose in a sign of greeting. "Master," the Houndoom murmured, raising his head only a fraction, but keeping his eyes lowered in a subject of submission. "The pack has all been gathered. The extermination is complete, and we await your orders to proceed."

The man nodded. He lifted one hand up to his ear, intently listening as he did so. He clicked the small transmitter on his ear, transferring it from translator to communicator in a split second. A small buzz signaled that the conversion was a success, and instantly a voice reverberated from the depths of the communicator.

"Well?"

The man lowered his hand, his face splitting into a grin. His black arms folded tightly across his chest as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "The order is complete." He stated, his eyes continuing to rove over the destruction of the forest. Several fires still flickered in the devastation, a testament to the absolute power of a Houndoom's abilities. "The forest has been cleared of the tribal Pikachu. Requesting permission to–"

"What of the Carrier?" The dark voice interrupted, the static over the line making it impossible to discern who was talking.

"The Carrier?" The man repeated, his eyes flickering to the side as though to catch a glimpse of whom he was talking to. A wave of recognition danced across his face.

"The object of the mission, need I remind you, agent Blackfire, was to retrieve the Carrier intact." The voice paused over the link for a moment. "You were under strict orders to bring it back alive."

"I received no such notification!" Agent Blackfire retorted, causing Creed to take a precautionary step back. "My orders came from the Inner Sanctum themselves; a direct line with the mission only an extermination act."

"Our records hold that you were on route to recover the Carrier." The voice responded casually. "Such a disregard for orders on a mission such as this," Blackfire growled, rage manipulating his visage. "Well, it's the premise for treason."

"You dare–?"

"Yes, I dare, agent Blackfire. Unless you bring back the Carrier alive, I will have to give the order of extermination." The voice paused again. Pages ruffled in the background, muffling the distant sounds of screams. "We don't care how long it takes. Report back within 48 hours with an update."

"Yes, sir." Agent Blackfire snarled, clicking the transmitter back to translator with such force that he ripped it from his ear. The connective straps that attached the comm to his ear ripped deep gashes into his skin as it fell, causing blood to seep down his face. Blackfire swerved around, his glare coming to a halt at Creed's face. "Round up the pack. Search the forest." He bent down, scooping up the transmitter in his hand. Blackfire twisted it around in his fingers, looking deeply into the small device. "Bring me any word of life."

Creed bowed his head again, then scampered out of harms way from the Team Rocket lieutenant. The Houndoom ran along the winds towards the encampment of his pack, his ears teeming backwards for any sign of his master. The Pokemon shivered inwardly at the thought of what may happen to him if his master was met with displeasure.

The forest thinned rapidly into a blackened clearing where the pack rested, stopping Creed from his flight. The Houndour and Houndoom lifted their heads, ears trained forward. Not a single one of them spoke, knowing full well their place in the hierarchy. "Awake, my friends." Creed called, lifting his head towards the heavens, whipping his tail back and fourth as a signal to action. "Our master has sent orders of a search." The pack let out eager barks, several rising to their feet in anticipation. "The hunt is located for a beast of life. Bring back whatever you can find alive and return it to this place within the next 48 hours."

The pack rose to their collective paws, letting out a haunting howl as one entity. The dark-fire Pokemon split off into the woods, leaving the clearing empty within a matter of moments.

Creed glanced over his shoulder towards the direction of his master, shivering inwardly. "Whatever happens, we must not fail."

EC

"So it begins again…"

The room was bathed in a moody light, the single candle giving off but a puff of visibility. Stacks of paper lay forgotten in the recesses of the small wooden chamber, their edges yellowing from decades of neglect. Chairs, long since broken and rotted, covered the well worn floor in a stagnant carpet. The only standing piece of furniture was an ancient table resting against the far wall under the shuttered window. At this table sat a Pokemon trainer, her brow furrowed in concentration, her red eyes scanning the text upon a sheet of crumbling paper. She frowned, flipping over the papers roughly, causing several of them to fracture, and dissolve upon the wooden surface of the table. "Such precautions were taken that this should never have happened again." She murmured to herself, running her fingers through her short brown hair in agitation. "Arceus… the pact has been broken…"

The Pokemon trainer sighed, rising from her hunched position over the desk. She placed both her hands firmly on the edge of the desk, and pushed backwards, causing several snaps to echo off her back as she popped it over the top of the antique chair. Sighing in gratification, she shoved backwards, moving the chair out of her way with a rather unpleasant screech, and stood. Scooping up her glasses from their resting place beside the tabletop candle and placing them just below the line of her eyes, causing her iris to shift from pure red to a deep brown, the trainer proceeded out of the dark room. She gripped the rusting handle of the door, and with a final glance back at the study, exited the room, the buffet from the door causing the light of the candle to diminish.

"Well?"

The Pokemon trainer looked up, banishing her thoughts to the abyss of her mind. She smiled in reply, but the grin was short lived. The questioner, her snow white Lucario, rose from his seat, his frown deeply set. "It's as we thought." She murmured, sighing. "The curse was supposed to keep the malicious condition at bay, as you know. But…" She paused, folding her arms and looking away. "I'm afraid something has weakened the barrier, while evading dispelling the curse."

"And that means…" The Lucario whispered, padding to his trainers side, his gaze resting on her face.

"I know..." She replied, lifting her eyes to match that of her Lucario. "We have no choice but to continue, Kael. If things are left the way they are, Tirus and Kyron will inevitably discover the cure, and not even the might of Arceus will be able to stop them."

The world faded into silence. The two stood in the hallway of the abandoned home, each lost in their respective thoughts, unable to speak for fear of interrupting the other.

"I'm afraid, Kael…" The trainer whispered, shifting her focus to the battered window that revealed the forest beyond. The wind billowed beyond the reaches of the wooden abode, sending the trees into a flurry of motion, heralding the oncoming storm. The Lucario, Kael, placed his paw on her shoulder, offering no words of comfort but acting as a silent support.

"Despite everything we've done, Tirus continues with his designs. Even his son…" The trainer trailed off, her eyes clouded with memories.

"Giovanni," Kael offered.

"Yes… His son, Giovanni, continues with his ideals. They've set up an elite assassin's corps, Team Rocket from what I've heard, and are using them to revert the world back to the way it was before Arceus intervened. The disease has been spreading without the intervention of the curse." The trainer moved over to the open window, placing her elbows on the edge, and gazed outwards, her mind occupied. "Also, from what I've been able to gather, Kyron is leading the cult. He carries out Tirus' orders directly."

"So they have been using this… Team Rocket, was it? ... As a cover?" Kael continued, folding his arms across his chest. "But what are they hoping to gather?"

"They seek their origins." The trainer replied. "They look for the eventual release of their spirits."

Once again, silence blanketed the hut. The storm outside worsened, sending the foliage into a frenzied dance. Small flecks of rain plipped onto the window, their tears drawing stark lines down the dusty surface of the glass as they fell. The trainer looked up to the heavens, her eyes narrowing as she saw the skies become fogged with bloated storm clouds.

"We should go." She murmured. The trainer slipped her hand to her belt, unclipping two Pokeballs from their resting place. She enlarged one with a quick click on the smaller circles in the face of the Pokeball, and threw the other to Kael. "Travel at full speed. Something is amiss in Viridian forest. I believe Tirus is involved."

Pokemon and trainer exited the building side by side, the wind buffeting their faces. The trainer paused for a moment to look towards the east, pulling the fur lined sleeves of her jacket farther up her arms. A tendril of smoke, far darker than the clouds above, tailed into the sky. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

In unison, two great bursts of light exploded from their respective Pokeballs, materializing into the shape of two majestic Rapidash. The fire bearing horses neighed, tossing their heads and stomping their hooves in anticipation of the journey. The slightly larger one, a silver-mane'd Rapidash, sauntered over to the Pokemon trainer, lowering her already bridled head to eye level. The trainer ran her hand over the Rapidash's skull, taking the reigns in the other.

"Tell Pyre and Exodus of our destination, Kael." She said quietly, moving to tighten the saddle on her Rapidash, Pyre.

"Yes, lady Emayla." Kael replied, bowing. The tendrils of fur on the back of his head rose into the air as the white Lucario entered the thoughts of the two fire Pokemon. He relayed all that had transpired in the hut quickly, wanting to be on the move with all haste. Kael severed the connection as the tale was over, his mind slightly blurred from the rush of Psychic powers. Shaking his head in annoyance at his weakness, he stepped backwards, his muscles tensing. Crouching back onto the grass, he sprung into the air, landing perfectly on the saddle of Exodus. Kael secured his feet into the stirrups, and gripped the saddle horn with his free paw. "Shall we?" He asked, glancing over at his master, Emayla, with a grin etched on his face.

Emayla returned the smile with one of her own, sitting on her saddle with ease. She turned Pyre towards the smoke, running her fingers along the length of the reigns in worry. The rain from the clouds above evaporated at they reached the inferno of the two Rapidash, cloaking the companions in a halo of fog. Pyre tossed her head again, letting out a neigh of anxiousness. "Alright, then." Digging her heels into Pyre's flank, Emayla drove the Rapidash towards the light-bathed land of Kanto. The fire horse exploded forward, reaching her top speed in a matter of seconds, her hooves a blur upon the grass laden slope. Kael followed soon after, his own steed a fraction of a second behind Pyre.

Within a few minutes they had left the great arms of Mount Silver far behind, wrapping in a slightly southern course to avoid the lights and sounds of the Indigo Plateau. Grass and trees parted in their wake. Pokemon scampered out of harms way as the Rapidash flashed by.

As the sounds of the Indigo Plateau faded into the background, so did the rain, giving way to an acrid cloud of decay. It hung above the land like a demon, its fingers extending far beyond its home in the Viridian forest. Avoiding the normal routes of other Pokemon trainers, the two mowed through the back roads and forests separating the Viridian forest and the Indigo Plateau, and quickly found themselves on the brink of the once active forest, the shadow of the smoke casting the land into an early night.

Emayla pulled Pyre to a stop at the edge of the silent trees, with Kael halting just to her left. The Rapidash of both riders nickered in agitation, pacing slightly backwards, their eyes rolled back. "Can you feel it…?" Emayla whispered, crouching down lower on her saddle. Her hand inched back towards her Pokeballs, stroking the surface of the containment units as she waited.

Kael pulled back hard on his reigns in an attempt to stop Exodus, who was on the verge on tossing the Lucario from his back. "Yes." He replied in equal volume, reaching up to pat his Rapidash on his neck. "Calm, Exodus."

Emayla swung her leg over the side of her saddle, sliding down Pyre's side and landing lightly at her feet on the soft grass. She slipped out the two empty Pokeballs of Pyre and Exodus, clicking on the retrieval mechanism on the center of the ball. Instantly, the two Rapidash turned into flickering light silhouettes of themselves, their energy transferring into the safety of the Pokeball. In the same flash if movement, Emayla swapped the two laden Pokeballs with another from her belt. She raised it to eye level, gazing at the rather worn Pokeball with adoration dancing in her eyes. With a click, the Pokeball flew open, allowing the collected power to spin out of its depths. The light materialized into a large Sceptile, who stood regally between Emayla and Kael.

"Syhn," Emayla greeted the Sceptile with a subtle brush along his arm, causing the Pokemon to look down at his trainer with a calm gaze. "Something is amiss in the forest. Keep to the shadows until the need arises. We need to locate the source of that cloud."

Syhn looked up towards the sickly sky, his eyes narrowing. The Sceptile nodded, and suddenly vanished. The rustle of leaves at the edge of the forest told the story of his passing, but said nothing else, for Syhn had become a shadow of the forest.

"Alright, Kael," Emayla whispered. She walked forward slowly, eyeing each and every movement of the woods for a sign of what had transpired, her faithful Lucario following at her right. The forest breathed death into their lungs, its silence tangible. Though the foliage at the entrance to the woods was intact and living, the heat and smell of a thousand fires immediately swallowed the two in its deadly embrace. Not a single Pokemon moved in the darkness, not a creature breathed.

As they continued on, the life in the forest grew more and more sparse, giving way to charred husks of foliage. Several areas were all but obliterated by some kind of massive fire, leaving an almost perfect circle of absolute destruction. It was here that the bodies of hundreds upon thousands of Pokemon lay, their blasted and torn forms thrown in hasty mounds, the acrid tang of decay a cloying influence. Emayla covered her mouth with her hand, faltering back a step in horror.

Kael continued forward, his stance defensive. Skirting past a still burning fire, the white Lucario padded up to one of the smaller piles, keeping one paw over his nose in an attempt to stay the stench of the clearing. Using his free paw, Kael shifted aside the smoldering bodies of the forest dwelling Pokemon, occasionally lifting their heads to look at their petrified faces. He pulled his paw away, the white fur drenched in blackened blood up to his shoulder. "Whoever did this," He growled, backing away from the pile. "They knew what they were doing. The fire attacks were aimed expertly to kill the Pokemon in the shortest amount of time, giving the assailants the ability to completely annihilate this forest in mere hours." He glanced over his shoulder to Emayla. "There might not be much of a forest left to save, m'lady."

Emayla bent down to the dirt, running her hand over the corpse of a Teddiursa. Her fingers trailed over the tiny Pokemon's eyes, gently lowering the lids over its dead gaze. "Regardless," She whispered, rising to her full height. "We must search this land for survivors. They may be untrained, wild Pokemon, but they know how to endure better than any battle hardened Pokemon I've ever seen."

Kael nodded.

Emayla moved to her Pokemon's side, brushing his arm in reassurance as she did so. "Come." She murmured, taking position at Kael's right. They stood in silence for a moment, their heads bowed in reverence. A sudden wind whispered in the grove, brushing across the corpses of the Pokemon. It hummed, bringing with it a flicker of peace; a trace of hope. Emayla raised her head to the heavens, looking up at the gray sky above. A minute break appeared in the clouds, allowing the smallest amount of light to trickle into the dead forest. It danced about the bodies of the Pokemon, seeming to grow in strength and beauty as it did so. The wind picked up again, and just as subtly as it had come, the light vanished, leaving the grove as bleak and desolate as before. "Thank you, Arceus."

In unison, the two rushed forward, all semblance of caution vanquished. They skirted past the burnt clearing, diverting slightly east, following a trail of destruction. "It seems that whoever did this didn't bother with stealth."

"That either means they were too strong to be intimidated, or there were a lot of them," Kael agreed, wrapping around a blasted tree that blocked his path, making almost a complete circle before returning to his trainer's side. He glanced back at the charred remnants of the trunk, his eyes narrowing. "Judging by the damage they've caused, I'd say it's the latter. They sought to frighten all the stronger Pokemon away with their onrush of attacks, leaving the smaller ones for their games."

Emayla growled. "This forest reeks of Tirus." The sun dipped low over the far mountain peaks, sending the forest into a thick darkness, causing trainer and Pokemon to stop. Emayla lifted her hand in front of her face, squinting as she found that her eyesight was diminished to the point of non-existence. "Kael…"

"I am aware," The Lucario stated. Kael gripped his trainer's arm, closing his eyes, allowing his senses to take over. The world became a blue-tinged image in his mind as he read the aura of the land. The trees merged into swirling shapes of dormant energy, their silhouettes towering over the smaller pools of aura belonging to the undergrowth that dotted the forest floor. A larger influx of energy seeped in from the very heart of the forest, its aura tainted. "There's something up ahead. I can't tell what from this distance, but I can assure you, it's the source of what we're looking for."

"Alright. Lead the way."

Kael proceeded onwards, keeping his pace slow and measured, making sure Emayla could find the pathway he had selected. He pulled her along for several long minutes, the polluted aura pool growing larger and stronger with each step. The Lucario stopped abruptly, causing Emayla to ram into his side. She staggered, gripping Kael for support.

"A little warning next time?" She whispered in amusement as she regained her composure.

"Shhh…" Kael murmured, opening his eyes. He blinked several times in amazement as he found he could see. Fires burned just outside of his reach, their bloody light casting deadly shadows on the world. The Lucario faltered as he saw the scene behind the entrance fires, his eyes widening in horror.

Emayla, her own eyes closed, turned her head in response to Kael's sudden fear. "What–?" Her eyes flew open, stunning her for a moment as the bright lights slapped her gaze. Words flew from her mouth. The trainer fell to her knees as she watched, one hand still gripping Kael.

The Grove of Eternity, a sacred place where wild Pokemon could talk to Arceus himself, was utterly obliterated. The Great Tree that stood in the very heart of the Grove was ablaze, its limbs creaking in agony. All around the burning tree stood a ring of Houndoom, feeding the inferno with blasts of dark fire from their bloody maws. Circling the rim of the flames trailed a cult of Houndour, many of them holding screaming baby Pokemon. Every few moments, a Houndour would toss one of the infants into the fire, howling in victory as the Pokemon burned. As the fire claimed sacrifice, the Houndour would let out blood-curdling howls, their jaws pointed collectively towards the pillar of unholy smog. All around the edges of the Grove traveled a battalion of Houndour, bringing forth new prey, and stalking back out in search of more. Just outside the disc of sacrifice stood a man, his apathetic gaze barely trained towards the fire, his arms folded in front of his chest.

The two companions veered on the lip of the valley, frozen in horror. Emayla was the first to move, wrenching her gaze away from the macabre scene of the fires towards the man. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "B-Blackfire…?" She whispered.

Kael managed to avert his gaze, turning his attention to Emayla. "That man?" He growled, half-glancing towards the Team Rocket lieutenant.

"He… He died three years ago. Back in Lavender…"

Kael's ears perked up in recognition. "At the research facility?" When his trainer nodded, the Lucario barred his fangs. "We killed that worm ourselves! He couldn't have survived!"

"Under the tutelage of Tirus, I fear that nothing is impossible anymore." Emayla glanced towards the edges of the trees. "Syhn, I believe you're needed."

The Sceptile appeared immediately at his trainer's side, snarling as he watched the Houndour continue their sacrificial dance. The grass Pokemon crouched down to the burnt grass, his muscles tensing.

"Hold, Syhn." Emayla whispered. She rose slowly, reaching behind her as she did. "I wasn't aware there would be this many. We need everyone."

Syhn glanced his trainer's way, but said nothing.

Seven flashes of light heralded the entrance of the rest of Emayla's team. "Rowell," Emayla whispered, glancing towards her Ampharos. "You and Keiva bank to the western end of the forest. Cut off the supply lines." Rowell nodded, electricity sparking off his tail, while the Luxray, Keiva, barked her approval. "Inam," She continued, turning her gaze to her Lapras. "Take Eternity and save the Great Tree. I don't care how you get there, but stop those fires." The Lapras and Vaporeon nodded. "Skye, you're with Xavier. Capture Blackfire." Without waiting for further instructions, the Pidgeot and Charizard took to the skies, their wings leaving a trail of ash. Emayla held Kael's gaze for a long moment as her team split off into the forest. "Kael, you and Syhn are coming with me." The two Pokemon quietly voiced their approval, each taking position on either side of Emayla.

They remained absolutely still as they waited, never once taking their eyes from the Pokemon below. An ice beam suddenly burst into the fray, scattering the Houndour, and signaling the rest of the ambush. "Now!" Emayla yelled. From all sides the attacks came, barreling down into the dark Pokemon with such force to rip their bodies apart even before the assailants had shown their faces. Kael and Syhn dashed down the slope, heading directly towards the sacrificial Pokemon surrounding the Great Tree. A rather large Houndoom broke from the cult as they neared, dashing forward to the Pokemon who dared challenge his authority, flanked on either side by two war-torn Houndoom. As one, the dark-fire Pokemon reared back their heads, fire tickling their throats as they prepared to attack. Syhn split off to the right, lowering his shoulder to keep his body close to the ground. The Sceptile turned at an impossible speed, extending his arm-blades towards the exposed neck of one of the flanking Houndoom. With not even a protest, the Pokemon fell to the ground, its throat ripped open. The blood from the fallen companion splattered the other two, distracting them from their attack, causing their fire to spit out into the night, far from their intended target. Kael sent a grin Syhn's way, silently thanking the Sceptile for giving him this opening. The white Lucario barreled into the lead Houndoom, sending his paw-spikes directly into the Pokemon's eyes. The Houndoom let out a guttural roar, throwing back his head in agony. The dark fire beast reared back, his fangs glistening from the fallen blood of hundreds of dead Pokemon. He lanced forward, intending to skewer the Lucario on his shoulder, but his jaws closed over nothing but air. Kael sprung out of his improvised dodge, curling back into the charred grass, and blasting forward back at the Houndoom. Syhn danced around the battling two, breaking towards the second flanking guard. This time, the Sceptile's claws glowed with an inner light, a sphere of power glittering in his palm. With unnatural agility, he jammed his claws forward into the flanks of the Houndoom. The Pokemon let out a yelp, reaching back with his jaws to try and sever the claws from his body. But he froze in mid-movement, his body suddenly becoming shriveled and lifeless. The Houndour became a husk, a shrunken bundle of furs as Syhn finished his Giga Drain. The Sceptile roared as new life entered his body, throwing the corpse down to the earth, and charged deeper into the concentration of enemies.

Inam let loose another Hydro Pump, aimed directly towards the Houndour that blocked his way to the Great Tree. The dog Pokemon crumpled before the sheer force of the attack, their shattered bodies falling in heaps beneath the onslaught. Eternity skidded along the underbelly of the Hydro Pump, letting loose her attacks whenever a Houndour dared come too close. As Inam's force came to a halt, she scampered underneath the stomach of a Houndour, grinning as she did so. Before the Pokemon above had even time to look at the small creature under him, he was sent spiraling towards the heavens by a powerful wave. The Surf attack sliced down the center of the Houndour pack, crushing them under its sheer might. Inam reared back as the attack neared him, letting out a percussive wave of his own, allowing the Lapras to ride along the winds toward the Great Tree. Eternity sunk beneath the rush of water, slipping down the currents towards the struggling Houndour. The Vaporeon slithered along their bodies towards their necks, where she delivered a devastating bite, cutting their jugular vein in an instant, coloring the water a deep red.

Keiva scanned the forest with her keen eyes, flicking her tail as a signal to the waiting Rowell. The two electric Pokemon disappeared into the night after several fleeing Houndour, communicating with one anther through a series of electrical flashes. The Luxray closed in on a whimpering Houndour, her fangs glistening with sparks. Her jaw flashed forward, her merciless eyes gleaming in triumph as she felt the warm blood of the Houndour fill her mouth, popping and sizzling as it did. The dark fire Pokemon twitched as the invasion of electricity from the Thunder Fang poured into his body, entering a series of involuntary spasms as he died. Tossing the lifeless corpse away, Keiva bled into the woods, becoming part of the shadows as she waited for another opportunity to strike. Rowell flashed past her, his tail gleaming in the dead light. The Ampharos didn't fear his visibility, using it as a beacon for the Houndour to flock to. On cue, a Houndour came crashing out of the undergrowth, his fangs doused in fire. Rowell turned on the spot, whipping his claws around as he did so. The charged impact of the Thunder Punch sent the Houndour slamming back into a tree, causing the bark to groan and shudder under the impact. The Pokemon slipped to the ground, his life vanquished, leaving behind a foot deep indent in the side of the tree.

Skye and Xavier circled above, waiting for their opportunity to strike. The man below was surrounded by a pack of Houndoom, each ready and willing to die for their master. Their chance came a moment later when Kael and Syhn blasted apart their ranks, tearing into Houndoom after Houndoom, their bodies drenched in blood. As the pack attempted to reorganize itself under the assault of the two Pokemon, Skye and Xavier came swooping down out of the clouds. Skye angled her body to the side, sliding into the center of the Houndoom's newly created ranks. The Pidgeot raked outwards with her deadly talons, ripping into the face of a surprised Houndoom, splashing the muddy ground with a new coating of blood. Before the dark fire Pokemon had time to react, Skye had already banked back into the heavens, circling back around for another attack. Xavier took hold of Skye's distraction, lunging down towards the Team Rocket lieutenant, his claws outstretched. The Charizard gripped the man roughly on his shoulders, causing the human to cry out in pain and alarm. The Houndoom below turned to the plight of their master, letting loose a collective blast of fire to stop Xavier. The Charizard let out a roar of triumph, turning over on his side as the fire glanced along his scaly back, leaving not a mark on the fire lizard. The man struggled in Xavier's grip, attempting with all his might to break free. Xavier snarled in annoyance, ripping one of his hands out of the man's shoulder to deliver a percussive slam on his head. The man immediately went limp.

The battle faded into silence. Emayla's Pokemon finished off the remnants of Blackfire's pack, and soon all of them were gathered in front of their trainer. As Inam and Eternity completed smoldering the fires atop the Great Tree, Xavier flew down with the unconscious man dangling in his claws. The Charizard placed Blackfire on the blackened earth at Emayla's feet, and landed heavily next to Skye.

Kael stepped forward from the group, his fur still dripping in the blood of his enemies. He glanced at Emayla, who nodded in approval. Crouching down, the white Lucario placed his paws on either side of Blackfire's head, closing his eyes to allow the connection to strengthen. Kael's eyes tightened in pain as his Psychic abilities were unleashed, allowing him to delve deep into the man's mind.

Emayla, concerned by the suffering lancing along the face of her Lucario, placed her hand on his shoulder in support, kneeling down beside him.

Kael let out a burst of air as the connection was severed, leaning back on the ground. His gaze trailed downwards.

"Well?" Emayla asked, worry coloring her tone.

The white Lucario shook his head slowly. "It was an extermination order given by Kyron himself. This man was to kill anything and everything in the forest, focusing mainly on the Clan of Pikachu that lived here in the Grove. His memories have particular emphasis on killing the younger Pokemon…" Kael trailed off.

Minutes ticked by slowly, all the Pokemon in the Grove glancing at each other with similar visages of horror.

"Anything else?" Emayla pressed.

"Yes," Kael continued, looking up at the smoke choked sky. "It seems that after all was said and done, that he received contradicting information. Apparently, Tirus didn't want him to kill the Pokemon here. He only wanted the retrieval of a single Pokemon. This man was looking for that particular survivor when we arrived; someone called the 'Carrier'."

"So it seems Tirus and Kyron don't have similar interests anymore." Emayla whispered. "But why would it be Tirus who sought a single Pokemon? For what reasons?"

Kael shook his head. "I don't know. This man had been given sketchy information at best."

Silence fell over the valley, the wind the only sound that dared interrupt.

Kael glanced down at the man. "He'll be awake in a couple of hours. We'd better get him back to town before then."

Emayla nodded. She motioned for Xavier, who came without a moment's hesitation. "Take him to Viridian. They have a well fortified jail there. With any luck, he'll be in there long enough for the police to give him his sentence."

Xavier nodded, growling slightly in annoyance as he picked up the man with his claws. The Charizard dug deeply into Blackfire's flesh as he took off, not bothering to offer any comforts to his enemy.

"Return to us when you have done so!" Emayla called as the flame-tipped tail of her Charizard vanished over the trees.

Clicking reverberated along the valley as the trainer returned her team to their respective Pokeballs, temporarily illuminating the Grove with a wavering light. Only Kael remained at her side, slowly rising to his paws as the light faded. The white Lucario lifted one of his paws into the air, allowing a silvery glowing orb created by pure aura to resonate from his body. "Seeing as there is no need for secrecy," He murmured, the light from his aura giving a soft glow to the corpse filled dell.

A small scuffling whispered off in the distance, drawing the attention of both the companions. "What was that?" Emayla whispered, taking a step forward, crouching lower to the ground in preparation of an attack.

Kael lowered the glow of this aura sphere, darkening the landscape. "I don't know," He said in an undertone. The white Lucario closed his eyes briefly, the tendrils of fur on the back of his head rising, signifying the use of his powers. When he opened his eyes, his face broke into a smile. Without explaining to Emayla his actions, the Lucario hurried forward, his generated light growing brighter with each step. The Pokemon trainer followed closely behind, confused at Kael's actions.

The white Lucario came to a stop near the far edge of the Grove. Before him lay a pile of stones, a tiny opening at the front, with a small spring trickling forth from its mouth. Emayla looked down at the pile, perplexed, casting a glance Kael's way. The Lucario offered an answer only with a wave of his paw, indicating to the small gap in the front. Emayla crouched down, her stomach brushing the charred grass as she looked into the small cave. At the very back hid a small, frightened looking Pichu, his eyes glazed over in pain, his tail curled over his paws in defense.