Chapter Seventeen:
Promises Kept
In the depths of her slumber, Sally thought she heard something move right past her, and it was only after her realisation of there being nothing in her dream that could make such a convincingly real sound that she finally awoke, casting about, beginning to panic for reasons she wasn't quite sure of. Then she noticed that the bedding they had laid out for their guide was unoccupied. She whipped her head round and saw that, despite his assurance that he was wide-awake and would let nothing escape his notice, Rowan was snoring soundly a few feet away, the empty bottle held loosely in his hand. She would be sure to have words with him later, but for now she got to her feet and gasped sharply, clutching her injured leg. Rowan snorted and turned over, and she supported herself along the wall as she made her way towards the glow of orange-red outside the cave.
Once stood in the open, she found Howl almost immediately. The Pokémon was seated a little to the left of the cave's mouth and facing out towards the horizon. His eyes were shut, his legs crossed, and his paws rested on his knees with his palms facing up. As she approached him, a little warily, she saw that the black appendages below his ears were reaching out to either side again, and despite everything that had happened, she felt her curiosity rise to the surface once more. Then she tensed up slightly as she noticed the Pokémon's paws were wreathed in the very same dark-blue fire as before, and realised how it seemed to be doing no harm to him whatsoever. In fact, he looked quite calm: almost serene; the spike on his chest rose and fell slowly with each breath and his tail stood erect, moving from side to side in a gentle, hypnotic rhythm. She had no way of knowing for sure, but the closest thing she could associate his behaviour with was meditation, and decided to consider all he had been through and leave her questions for later. She had only just turned away and begun to quietly make her way back when his voice said gruffly,
"Do you want something?"
She had almost managed to conceal her alarm. Almost.
"I-I just… I wondered where you were. I thought that maybe you'd…"
She wasn't sure how she could phrase her thought in a way that meant him no disrespect. She didn't want it to seem like he wasn't trusted.
"If the end of that thought was 'left', as you can see, that's not the case," he said shortly, without the slightest change in body language.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
The tip of his tail twitched.
"Could be worse," he said, "But, that said, I've definitely felt better..."
"Sorry…"
"Why are you apologising?"
"I-I… It's our fault. My fault. My fault you got that wound in the first place, and it's only 'cause of us that you're out here fighting so hard when you've already got an entire forest to look out for! We can't even begin to repay you, and still here you are risking your life for a couple of humans when you could easily just-"
"Oh pipe down!" Howl snarled across the rest of her words, and Sally felt a jolt in her nerves, like she was suddenly a child again being scolded by an adult whom she was somewhat afraid of.
"Did I ever ask you to repay me? Did I say that my protection would come at a price?"
No! No, but-"
"But nothing. I'm here by my own choice. Last I checked, neither you nor Rowan were the ones who stabbed me, and neither of you intentionally drew that Rhydon to you. None of this has happened because one of you made some stupid mistake. You were in great need of help, and I was perfectly happy to oblige. How about a simple 'thank you' instead of 'sorry'?"
The corners of her mouth gave an involuntary twitch.
"R-Right. Right, of course… Thank you."
"You are quite welcome."
A peal of laughter escaped her with ease. She just couldn't help herself: he was acting just like a strict old man.
The tip of his muzzle lifted slightly, so that it was directed straight towards the darkening horizon.
"We've wasted enough time here," he said, "I wish I could tell you to wake Rowan and prepare to leave immediately, but-"
"No, you can't! I don't think we can risk you getting even a paper-cut with all the blood you've lost! You need to recover! You need to rest!"
"…But it's already getting late. Wouldn't be wise to set out in the dead of night on a mountain."
He sighed.
"We'll stay here for tonight. Get our bearings, eat, sleep, and then we leave at first light. The previous owner of our shelter might just end up returning in the night, so we should take turns keeping watch."
"Rowan and me will keep watch, and maybe the little flying Pokémon, but not you. You won't be keeping watch – you need to rest."
His ears moved a little to either side, and he looked back over his shoulder at her, his expression almost as wryly amused as his tone.
"Won't I now?" he smirked, "And why is that?"
He was challenging her to act in-charge or threatening, and she knew it, but she wouldn't be baited so easily.
"I'm calling a solid you-owe-me," she said calmly, "I mean, yeah, you're going out of your way to take us someplace safe, but I've stopped you from bleeding to your death – how many times now? Twice?"
"I owe you?" he said incredulously, "Did you forget that each of those times beforehand I saved your life too? And unless I'm mistaken, didn't you tell me back in your home that we were even in that regard?"
"When we were back in my home, yeah," she persisted stubbornly, "I still think what I've done for you recently has to count for something, though. I shared all my water with you."
"I saved you and Rowan from Rota Village and a band of soldiers," he drawled, "But I think I'll be generous and let that whole incident count as just one favour."
"I carried the little guy on your shoulder when you didn't want him getting caught in the fight with the villagers."
"I stopped you falling down that wall. Next."
"I-I-" Her stutter was brief: only just over a second before she said heatedly, "I stopped that little guy from getting shot by the soldiers when he ran to go get you! How many favours does that count for, Howl? One? Five?!"
His eyes widened. It was clear the little one had not told him about what had happened; perhaps it hadn't even known about it. Nevertheless, his alarm was clear.
"Oh," she said irritably, shaking her head, "all right, fine, you don't owe us anything, but… but there's got to be enough that you feel just a little obligation. Just the fact that you're still alive is a miracle, but we need you in good shape. Rowan – bless him – despite travelling more than me, really doesn't know enough about surviving in the wild, and I know even less than him! We won't last out here on our own. For our peace of mind if not your own, please rest."
Howl's gaze fell to the ground next to his feet.
"…Fine," he said after a pause, "Fine. I'm not especially fond of sleep lately, but... if you insist."
"Good," she said.
"But if anything does come up – if that man does come back-"
"We'll wake you up. Got it."
"If you even think there's somebody lurking outside, I don't want any of you to go and investigate it yourselves. You catch even that faintest whiff of trouble, you wake me up. Clear?"
"As a bell."
He regarded her briefly, then said,
"Good,"
-and turned back towards the world below, the appendages below his ears rising up. Before she could stop it, the question finally slipped out of her.
"What are those things?"
His gaze returned, and she felt her cheeks grow warm at her curiosity voicing itself without her consent.
"What 'things'?"
"Sorry," she mumbled, "I didn't mean to… I-If it's rude, don't feel you have to answer, but… well…
Those black things behind your ears. What are they?"
"What - these?" he said, lifting one with a paw, "Why do you ask?"
"Well, I… I'm curious. Sometimes they just hang all limp, and just a moment ago they were all… different. Does that usually happen?"
"I never really notice, but I suppose if it was just a moment ago, then it must happen quite frequently. They're called Sensors."
"Sensors?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, that's what I've always called them," he said, "If they have an actual name, I don't know it."
"How come you call them that? What exactly are they sensing?"
"I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you, frankly."
His heart was still heavy from all that he'd been forced to relive, and his brain was exhausted and aching; the last thing he felt up to was a long-winded explanation, and perhaps Sally had picked up on that, for she pressed the subject no further, though he could still 'sense' her curiosity.
Presently she decided to make a start on preparing food, and he told her he would join them again soon. He needed some time alone with his thoughts.
When, at last, the sunset's glow had started to vanish entirely from the skyline and shade the sky a violet that would soon become the dark of night, he forced himself to stand and return to their shelter. As soon as he had entered and the barrier of rock and dirt had silenced the noise of the outside world, he noticed the tiniest flicker at the end of the cave's walls and two familiar, barely-hushed, angry voices.
"Rowan, wait, don't hold it like-!"
Rowan brought the rock down hard and missed the flint held in his hand completely, crushing the end of his thumb between the two stones and barely managing to stifle the high yelp that followed.
"Smooth, really smooth," Sally snarled, grabbing the two stones and proceeding to resume her efforts when she noticed their guide watching with a bemused look. His eyes, gleaming in the lantern-light, moved from the stones in her palms to the sparks sitting idly beside the firewood they had found, and then at last to Rowan, whose eyes were watering as he clutched his injury.
The Pokémon's gaze settled on her and he crooked his head a little with one ear perked to the side, as if words would not do justice to his confusion.
"OK, so I know I said we'd get started on food and all," she began, "and we've been trying to do that for a little while now. See, I was under the foolish impression that after being forced – by his own choice – to live in the wild, Rowan here might actually know how to make a fire!"
"I do…!" Rowan retorted in a timid, almost pitiful tone.
Howl approached and knelt between the two of them, studying the kindling they had laid out. It was clumsy and hastily prepared, but not altogether bad work, he thought, but if he had to wait for nourishment much longer, it might just start to get the better of him.
Sally glared past him and said, "Y'know, Rowan, I don't think this stone's even flint! Why couldn't you have brought some matches with you? Seriously, we've been here for at least thirty minutes because-"
Her nerves gave a jolt as the Pokémon took the stones from her without a word and began to try and light the fire himself. He hit the stones together loudly; once; twice; and on the third strike a spark flew and landed at the end of a large, dead leaf and began to burn – but showed no sign of spreading beyond the rest of the wood beside it. Howl – as if keenly aware of this – brought out large, razor-sharp claws on each of his forefingers and created a hollow in the centre of their kindle and used one of the shining, silver hooks to coax the leaf carefully into it. Just as it looked as though the leaf was about to disintegrate and take the glowing ember along with it, the Pokémon leaned in close to it and blew the flame into a row of twigs, which caught the blaze and soon spread it across the rest of their brethren. Howl continued to alternately move kindle with his claws and direct the flames to other spots until, in no time at all, a fully-formed campfire crackled merrily before them. The Pokémon reached across to the pile of logs that the cave's original owner had kept, dropped one into the blaze and sat back, warming his paws over the flames, utterly unaware of the perfectly-mirrored expressions that Sally and Rowan had aimed into his back.
"Show-off," Rowan muttered out the corner of his mouth across to his companion.
"What?" Howl asked, turning, but Rowan immediately replied,
"Nothin'."
Sally and Rowan located a pan, filled it with soup and set it over the fire whilst the Pokémon picked up the Oran Berry skins littered all over the ground and started to roast some of the cleanest ones on a stick. The berries were not chosen for the flavour of their skin by any Pokémon species or Type, but he was hungry enough to disregard the virtual assault on his taste-buds, especially if it would allow even a minute amount of strength to return to him.
Soon after Sally had placed a blanket over the floor and laid out what they had brought with them, the Pidgey returned to the cave, holding a small sack in her feet and dropped it into Howl's lap.
Howl took one look into its contents and smiled up at the little creature, holding out his wrist for her to perch on and they spoke to one-another in Pokémon tongue, clear that he was expressing thanks.
Inside the sack were fruits and herbs of all sorts, bizarre in colour and size – at least to human eyes. Their guide was gazing at them as if they were a lost treasure. The two Pokémon helped themselves heartily to their forage, and allowed the humans to try some if they so desired.
As Sally ate through mouthfuls of bread and soup, Rowan spoke to Howl, asking him how he felt, thanking him for saving them, and it was only when he inquired about who their attacker had been that she finally withdrew her attention from food.
"Why did it attack us? Was it cuz we're humans?"
Howl's expression was suffused into a mixture of solemnity and exhaustion.
"No," he said, "At least, I don't think so. It's hard to tell what's going through a Feral's mind when it attacks."
"A Feral?" Sally asked, "Is that what that kind of Pokémon was called?"
"Not 'kind' as in 'species'. The Pokémon itself was called a Rhydon. But… I think he'd been Feral for a few years, at least."
"Been Feral?" said Rowan.
"You mean, like, he'd become Feral? As opposed to what?" Sally asked.
Howl's eyes fell with fatigue, clear that the prospect of food was what had kept him awake, not that of explanation.
"Howl," said Sally at once, "don't worry about it. You're tired, and we were just wondering, is all."
Rowan concurred,
"If you're too tired to tell us now, that's OK. It's just… Well, we kind of need to know, right? Did we do something wrong, did we offend it somehow – is that why it attacked?"
Howl gazed to the floor, then after setting his gaze briefly on the two of them, he shook his head and pulled back a corner of the mat.
"Look," he said, extending a claw and burrowing it into the earth, reflecting the light of the fire in their eyes.
The two humans edged closer, and the Pidgey hopped to their side to see what they were all doing.
"From what I can tell, the Pokémon ways of life were quite similar to your human ways not so long ago. You humans have towns, those who live in them and those who move from place to place. For Pokémon kind, these were definitive ways of life regardless of one's background, species' tradition and whatnot. Those who lived in towns were known simply as Civilised. Whether they lived within its borders or nearby to them. If they had settled down and had no intention of leaving, then that was simply what they were: Civilised Pokémon."
As their guide spoke, he drew a symbol into the ground before moving his claw to the side, burrowing it into the earth again and continuing,
"The second way one would live their life would be to leave home once they were able, and head from one settlement to another, training themselves along the way and seeing as much of the world as they could. The point was that they chose to always keep moving, never staying in one place, and spending more of their time in the wild than anywhere else. They were known as the Wilder, and are surprisingly similar to your human travellers…"
Once the second symbol had been drawn, the red eyes settled steadily on Rowan, who looked mildly bemused.
"Like… me?" he asked.
"Indeed, Rowan. Were you a Pokémon, I have no doubt you'd have ended up choosing the life of a Wilder. They are to us what human travellers are to you."
His claw moved to a space beside the symbol he had drawn for the Wilder.
"The reason for which these were definitive ways of life for Pokémon kind isn't simply because of one's personal preference. It was a choice made so that one would find the way to unlock the absolute limit of their power. The two of you have seen it. The power that all Pokémon are born with, the power that allows some of us to,"
-he held up his free paw and brought an Aura Sphere into being inside it, "create explosive spheres from our own bodies. The Power to wreathe one's own body in blue flames.
Our power extends far, far beyond that, but only if we choose to temper it. There are many ways in which this can be done, some of which are of more peaceful means that will require the help of friends and family, and others are of more difficult, testing conditions, which is the path for the Wilder. This power is everything to a Pokémon. Without it, we would not be what we are. Without our power, we will begin to grow lethargic and feeble, starting with simply being unable to use it effectively, and then eventually, being unable to even help one's own family with minor tasks. Not a single day goes by without us using our power in some way.
And yet… that very same power is dangerous. Not just to others, but to us as well. If one has failed to grow as an individual along with their power, it absolutely will dominate their spirit. We are taught this from the very moment we begin to harness it, and we are sure to never forget it. But for some, it's easier than it is for others…"
He paused. The fire crackled and spat, and a spark landed onto the earth in front of him. Sally and Rowan were both bursting to speak, but held their tongues, waiting for him to continue.
"It's still relatively unclear what precisely causes a Pokémon to turn Feral. Some speculate, but the facts that were gathered all point towards some kind of trauma: the loss of a loved one, loss of home, and above all: isolation. The trauma in question always differs, but the one who has suffered has always ended up lost in the wilderness, no-one to speak with, no-one to rely on, and nothing but their own hopeless, unbearable thoughts for company. As their spirit falters, their power becomes harder for them to contain. Eventually it turns on them completely, and they feel they must unleash it upon just about everything that moves."
"It makes them lose their minds?" said Rowan.
"Not immediately. It starts with something more like… excessive venting. Add in isolation, the feeling of hopelessness and grief, give it all some time to develop, and ultimately yes. Unleashing every last ounce of their power becomes a priority like eating and locating shelter. They will be bound to do almost nothing but fight until their final days, and their sense of self is buried so deeply it's almost gone."
"That…" Rowan breathed, "That's horrible…!"
The Pokémon dragged his claw through the earth and drew a final symbol, one that was much more menacing than the other two.
"That," he said, "is the life of a Feral. It's not one that any Pokémon would knowingly choose. Some are born into it, and others become it later on, but it is never, ever out of choice."
Sally asked,
"They're just victims, though, aren't they? Don't tell me you kill them just because…!"
"Who said anything about killing them?" Howl growled, "They are victims, just as you say. They have done nothing to earn their suffering. They can be brought back to reason. Of course Civilised and Wilder don't kill them! It is our responsibility as those who can help to do so! Feral are restrained and brought back into safety, where our power is once again put to use. We, as Civilised, do everything we can to calm their fury and mend their broken souls. We work tirelessly to help them contain their overwhelming power once again, no matter how long it takes."
"Wait-" she began, "You mean you still don't-? That you didn't kill the-?"
"Of course not. Killing them isn't the answer, it's the easy way out," he said plainly,
"Honestly, you two, any more talk of killing, and I may start to have second thoughts about helping you."
Sally and Rowan both struggled to respond to this, but he unconcernedly waved away their defences and shuffled back towards the food and resumed his feast as though there had been no interruption, tearing into a large fruit with his sharp teeth and licking his muzzle of the juice that flowed out. After a while, Sally and Rowan went on to ask him more about what he'd told them: about the Civilised and Wilder he'd known, more about the Pokémon's power he'd spoken of, and he indulged them with talk of Pokémon who were able to send others to sleep in the blink of an eye with song, those who could conjure up dark clouds above and bring about days of rain and thunder, those who were born in the heights of frozen peaks, in the depths of the sea and all sorts of environments, and their civilisation was the unification of all Pokémon kind coming together and learning from one-another, expanding the limit of their individual power and growing as one great breed of being. Sally and Rowan listened with rapt attention, hardly able to believe some of what they were being told.
When all four of them had eaten their fill, they began to grow drowsy, comforted by the warm fire and the wail of the wind far out of reach.
Their guide returned their cloaks, assuring them that a fire and his fur was all he needed for warmth. Rowan took watch at the corner facing towards the entrance and Sally was meticulous in her choice of words as she assured him what would happen if he let himself fall asleep a second time. As she sat across from the fire, draping her cloak over her body, she saw the Pidgey hop away from the fire and stand facing Howl, whose eyes were already closed.
The Bird-Pokémon approached him carefully, and then sat down directly beside him, as close as she could get.
The Guardian's eyelids stirred and opened, and he saw the little creature that had settled itself so very close.
Then Sally saw a small smile curve his muzzle and he moved his tail across the floor, curling it around her to shield her from the cold.
When she saw this, Sally felt something stir from deep within.
She remembered, as a child growing up, being told stories of lands far away filled with mystical, powerful and benevolent creatures that shared a common tongue, understood each-other, and took care of one-another regardless of circumstance. In the stories she'd been told, there were the humans who had looked up to these beings and others who had seen nothing but a means for power, a means to make their dastardly, evil plans come to fruition.
And here they were in the present day…!
She swallowed back the lump in her throat.
Her childhood fantasies were not just stories any longer: they were happening right before her eyes! Pokémon were mysterious, frighteningly powerful creatures that had indeed originated from a far-away land! An entire continent that seemed to have just appeared out of nowhere upon the ocean: a land which no records or maps had ever known of, and yet here it was as if it had always been there, and indeed here were humans now living upon it! Simple, common townsfolk using these beings for the vast amounts of power they held – all for the convenience it gave them. Not cruel, wicked people, just everyday common folk surrendering to the inattention and greed that their busy, demanding lives inevitably dredged up in the purest of souls.
And yet, what did that make those who saw things differently? What did that make humans like Emmia, the woman they had yet to meet? What did that make Rowan, who took a profound interest in Pokémon?
What did that make her?
Sally shifted uncomfortably.
She had never considered herself to be anyone important. She was nothing more than an inn-keeper who had seen an opportunity in these parts. In a way, she was no different from anyone else.
In spite of herself, a voice in the back of her head pointed out that if the stories were to be believed in any regard, then she, Rowan and Emmia were in the right – they were 'the good people'.
But then, why did she feel that was not the case at all? What had being in the right gained her?
The neighbouring village had turned on her, her home had been destroyed, and now, as far as her people were concerned, she was nothing more than a criminal. A heretic.
Twin currents of emotion flooded her, and she shut her eyes tight, clutching handfuls of her cloak and trying to stifle the endless barrage of bitter thoughts.
He pulled her out from the water and laid her down in the sand, clutching her shoulders and calling her name as Loudred and Corphish rushed towards them both.
"Illume!" he pleaded, shaking her with all the strength he had left, "Illume, no! You can't-! Not like this! Wake up! Wake up, I beg-!"
A quiet exhale escaped her, then her eyes snapped open, she recognised the face before her and swiped with needle-claws again. Howl managed to avoid it, but her assault was immediately followed by another set of claws slashing through the air desperately to try and find their mark.
Corphish and Loudred rushed forwards and pinned Illume down by the arms, hissing imploringly at her to be quiet, but she took no more notice of them than she would of a stone and glared straight towards Howl, her words almost inaudible were it not for his evolution-strengthened hearing.
"You…! You come backnow…! You just thought it'd all be OK, like nothing ever happened?! Howdareyou!"
He shook his head, trying desperately to form coherent thoughts and vocalise them to her, but Illume snarled and struck Loudred with her elbow, who was unable to prevent himself from crying out and stunning Corphish and Howl with his volume, and the recruit seized her chance to shake Corphish off and make for her partner again.
"Illume, cut it out!" Howl heard from Corphish as he dodged around the assault.
"Fight – back!" she growled, "Fight back, you liar, you selfish-"
The sound of a Move being fired cut her off and Corphish's Bubblebeam doused the arm she'd been about to strike with along with one side of her upper-body and she keeled over, already shivering and numb from her whole body being submerged in water and fell to one knee at his feet.
"Howl,now!"
Howl looked to Corphish, realised what the guild member was saying to him and backed away.
"No…!"
His eyes returned to his beloved, trusted companion wounded before him and every last instinct within him was urging him to pull her to her feet and treat her wounds!
"Howl, snap out of it! D'you wanna get your other eye scratched out?!"
"Corphish, I… I can't-!"
In barely a few short seconds, Howl saw Illume leap to her feet, heard a deep inhale from out of sight and then saw Loudred unleash a vocal Move with almost deafening power directly at Illume, who cried out and clutched her skull, giving Loudred more than enough time to charge forwards and strike with a Move Howl recognised as Fire Punch – a Move that would do little damage to Illume by Type, but that was powerful enough to launch her away from him and collapse amidst the sand a few feet away.
Loudred and Corphish ran past to press their advantage and Howl, acting on pure instinct sprinted past them and blocked off their path.
"Stop!" he said, fangs bared, "That's enough. Don't take another step. I won't let you hurt her!"
"Howl, what do you think you're doing?! She has to be restrained!"
"It's Illume, Corphish!"
"I know that! She'll just slow us down awake, so we're going to have to knock her unconscious! That's all, Howl-"
"No, you're not," Howl snarled, bracing his stance, "She's my partner. I won't let you hurt her."
"Howl, she just hit you, and she's still trying to!"
"Looks like she hit him a little too hard, eh, Corphish?"
"Loudred, be quiet!"
Loudred ignored him and glared at the recruit before them,
"If you're gonna get in the way, Howl, don't think I'll hold ba-"
"Loudred, stop talking! Seriously!"
Howl looked back over his shoulder and said, "Illume! I implore you, stand down!"
And her response had barely even begun when all voices fell silent. A noise had pierced through the air. A deafening, hair-raising roar had droned through the dark clouds above which began to change in an instant; they began to rush and soar in a great spiral as if inside the eye of a tornado, and what had been the faintest streak of the blue sky above had suffused into the deepest red that blazed down onto the land below.
The roar sent ripples across the water, caused a sudden cold chill to sweep through the air and filled them all with a dread like no other they had felt in their years of training and missions.
"Sally," said a familiar voice, accompanied by a gentle shake on her shoulder. She struggled to open her eyes and Rowan hushed her tired grumbling.
"It's your turn to keep watch," he whispered, "I haven't seen or heard anyone or anything. It's been pretty quiet."
She rubbed her eyes and heard a string of what sounded like silent grunts across the fading embers before her.
"He's been mumbling like that for a while now," said Rowan before she could ask.
She remembered their guide mentioning vaguely that he was not fond of slumber, and wondered what could be ailing him so horribly.
"He was like that last night too," she remembered, "But I thought that was probably natural, considering he was undergoing treatment for a stab wound…"
Howl's eyelids clenched and his fangs shone briefly as they heard him breathe a sharp inhale.
Rocks the size of boulders rained down on the earth as Loudred, Corphish and Howl sprinted up the path back into town, the recruit half-supporting, half-carrying Illume as she limped alongside them as quickly as she possibly could. Howl could hear her gasping, "No, no, no, not again… not again…! It's over. It's all over…!"
Corphish suddenly cried,
"Howl, look out!"
-and the recruit himself held Illume tightly as he leapt back to avoid being crushed by one of the falling rocks, which half-buried itself into the earthy path.
"Quickly!" Loudred's voice resounded over the commotion,
"We have to smash that thing right NOW before-"
The rock cracked down the centre and burst in a shower of jagged fragments, and from within it came a rush of light that sent Loudred souring through the air and into one of the trees along the path.
Howl watched in a frozen trance as a Zangoose got clumsily to its feet with its head held limp and eyes shut exactly like a rag doll being moved to and fro. Howl saw they were exactly as the Guildmaster had described: a lifeless body with dark, ominous streaks across its arms and legs that seemed to originate from the mark imprinted on its chest.
The dark mark on its chest suddenly became charged with some kind of purple energy the sped through the streaks on its limbs like an electric shock, and with barely any warning – let alone time to react – the Shadow's eyes opened with a deep-red flash and it ran straight towards them, claws at the ready.
Howl released Illume and aimed two simultaneous Force Palms at the Shadow, who ducked underneath the burst of light and sprang forwards, digging its claws just barely into his chest. He was knocked back by the momentum, but managed to use the fall to roll onto his shoulders, tuck his right foot underneath his attacker and kick them off so that they landed squarely on the ground behind him. He leapt to his feet as he heard a snarl from behind and turned to find the Shadow aiming not for him, but for Illume, who was barely managing to avoid and parry its strikes.
He snarled and aimed a strike at the back of its head, but the Zangoose whipped round, ducked and swung its claws across his muzzle. He staggered back as the strike was followed by another to his chest, but by the time a third was aimed his way, he shuffled back out of harm and struck with a roundhouse kick just as his opponent followed after him.
And in those few short seconds, it was as though he and Illume were the recruits they had been, working perfectly in sync in the heat of battle just like they had done on their missions before they had even known about evolution.
His strike had connected precisely where he'd wanted it to, the Shadow's head had been knocked sideways upon the collision, and almost at the exact same moment it had happened, Illume swept out its legs from behind and in the instant that it was suspended face-down in mid-air, Howl struck it hard with a powerful Force Palm and sent it soaring through the air away from them both, and there was not even time for it to roll upon the ground before Illume's Fire Blast Move chased it through the air and exploded upon contact.
Howl snapped out of his reverie and tried to meet Illume's eyes, but when she gasped, he followed her gaze.
The Zangoose was enveloped in the purple energy from the mark on its chest, and it looked as though it were transforming every minute part of its body into small shimmers of light that rose up and disappeared into the air. Their attacks had not been lethal, but their opponent was fading away right before their eyes!
"Howl, Illume, behind you!"
Howl whipped round, but was too late. Another Shadow – a Dragonite – had leapt into the air and fired Twister at him and Illume, both of whom were sent flying back as it spread its wings and glided swiftly towards Illume and landed hard on her stomach, crushing the breath out of her.
The Dragonite's claws glowed with light as it raised them high above, but Loudred's voice sounded clearly above the commotion as an Ice Beam shot straight into the Shadow's back. The Shadow made no sound, not a cry of pain, and barely even a readable expression, yet as it began to fall back down to the earth, the purple energy from its chest surged and enveloped its body until, with a flash, the Pokémon disappeared before it had even hit the ground.
"No…!" Howl breathed, turning his head sharply towards the Zangoose, who had now vanished as well, to where the Dragonite had been,
"No…! What have I - What have we done…! They…! They're…!"
Corphish scuttled to his side and urged him to his feet.
"C'mon, recruit, snap out of it!" he said, clicking his pincers in an agitated fashion.
"But, Corphish, I…! We…!"
"Wedidn't do anything!" the guild member insisted, "They've had their souls sapped clean out, Howl! They're already lost! Our attacks stopped 'em bein' able to fight anymore, and their possessor knows when that's the case and drains 'em of their power too! You want the culprit who took their lives, look no further thanhim! Nowget up!"
Howl staggered under the shoving and hurried to Illume, who remained fallen on the ground.
"Get off me!" she spat, swiping her claws as he made to help her up.
"Illume!" he snarled, but she ignored him and made to stand up, but her wounds were too deep and she collapsed, groaning.
More giant rocks continued to fall all around them, some down on the beach, some around the outskirts of town and by the looks of things, more were due to fall in their path at any moment, so Howl lifted her into his arms and continued as fast as his legs could carry him along the path, Corphish and Loudred sprinting at his side.
Rowan, for the third time, was startled awake as their guide's growl rumbled briefly but loudly through the cave walls.
Sally was greatly unsettled by his condition, and as she looked towards his slumbering face, she felt her worries deepen even further.
"Should we wake him up?" she asked uncertainly.
"No," Rowan answered, and though his tone sounded irritated, there was a hint of concern behind it, reinforced by his expression as he too looked towards the Pokémon.
"Why not?"
"He's just having a bad dream. I think he can handle it."
"That doesn't look like a bad dream to me, it looks like a full-on night-terror! He looks like he's actually suffering in there!"
"Sally, he'd probably be ticked or embarrassed if we woke him up. 'Far as we know, he sleep-talks every night and he could just be having a normal, slightly-unpleasant dream and sleep-talking during it."
"Rowan. If I was having a 'slightly-unpleasant dream' and you could see that, wouldn't you wake me up?"
"Well… Well, yeah, of course I-"
"He's been through so much already. For us, even. This is the least we could do for him."
"Sally, don't-! He's not going to-"
Her hand had been an inch away from his shoulder when the Pidgey suddenly chirruped in alarm and Sally recoiled as Howl's claws slid out from the ends of his fingers and raked across the ground, stopping just beside her foot.
She backed off slowly, and said in a voice barely above a whisper,
"Never mind. Let's just…"
Rowan nodded, but wistfully, and his still-worried expression belied his tone of agreement.
An Excadrill burst out from underneath where Wigglytuff had stood and spun round, slashing at Sunflora and blocking the unharmed Guildmaster as he rushed to counter them. But the Guildmaster only had one good arm to fight with, and as soon as the Shadow had raised its free arm to strike, Wigglytuff had no choice but to leap back out of harm, and as the Excadrill made to follow after him, Bidoof leapt through the air and tackled it down, which left it as vulnerable as an upturned Torkoal for the Guildmaster to use his Disable on it. The instant it was paralysed, the mark on its centre became erratic with its dark energy and obscured its victim from view for barely five seconds when it finally dispersed, leaving nothing behind in its wake.
"I'm sorry…" said the Guildmaster, his voice unsteady, "I-I'm sorry, I…!"
"Guildmaster, watch-!" Sunflora cried as a Tyranitar fired Hyper Beam directly for him, but Bidoof leapt into the air and shielded him with his own body, and was sent hurtling back and crashed into the watering hole beside the cliff.
"NO!" Wigglytuff cried, "Bidoof!"
Sunflora leapt up and fired Leaf Storm at the Shadow, but the Type was weak to it and the Tyranitar fired a Hyper Beam at her too, which exploded upon the ground which she'd been about to land on and sent her through the air and straight on top of Loudred.
"Guildmaster!" Howl called, setting Illume down as Wigglytuff, driven by rage, had attacked the Tyranitar with a Move straight from his one good arm. His strike had connected well, and the Shadow staggered slightly, but recovered and blocked his following attack in no time and began to swing its claws in a frenzy at Wigglytuff, who was forced to back away until he was in danger of falling over Bidoof on the ground. Howl charged forwards at maximum speed, leapt into the air and struck the Shadow with both feet. He fell down on top of his opponent, and before they even had time to see who had attacked, Howl struck it hard right upon its head, once, twice, thrice, and concluded with a Force Palm straight into its chest that marked it as a Shadow.
"Bidoof!" he cried too, leaping off the fading creature and hurrying to where Sunflora, Loudred, Corphish, Wigglytuff and Illume had all gathered.
"It's OK," said Sunflora reassuringly, knelt beside their fallen companion, "The attack missed his vital organs. I think he just passed out."
Wigglytuff sniffed and wiped his nose on the back of his hand whilst Loudred gave a sigh of relief and muttered, "Stupid rookie…!"
The relief did not last long, however, for even as they recovered their wits, another roar fell from the heavens and more Shadows began to descend from within the crimson skies.
"This is bad…" said Corphish, and he was right; all the guild members and the Guildmaster himself had suffered grievous injuries before the current attack, and now each of them looked as though they were almost at their limit. They seemed ready to run, and seemed to have just enough strength left to escape, but if they were caught anywhere along their retreat, they would not stand a chance.
Howl, with a grunt, opened the eye which Illume had struck and found that he could still see with it just fine, though at the cost of blinking blood out of it. With this came a realisation that brought a number of tiny emotions in its wake: fear; pride; determination; and a small hint of sorrow. But it was only right for it to be this way. There was only one of them who was anywhere near their full strength.
His eyes burned more than they had ever done in his life, and his insides blazed like an active volcano. Finally, after so much, he would be able to repay his life-long debt…
"Everyone," he said, his voice taking even him by surprise, "You all go on ahead. I…
I'll catch up to you."
The guild Pokémon's faces mirrored each-other's expressions, and Sunflora asked, "What? Howl, what are you saying?"
"If we're caught out in the open, none of us will make it, and if any of us do, we won't be able to carry our comrades to safety.
…One of us has to hang back and draw the Shadows' attention.
And… that has to be me."
The guild Pokémon all shouted their responses over one-another, but loudest of all – even louder than Loudred – was that of Wigglytuff.
"Howl, how dare you even suggest-! You know our rules! Never, ever, ever let one of our own fight alone! You've only just come back to us! We need you now! We'll find a way, we always do! We can fight our way out!"
Howl shook his head and wore the very same smile he had worn on the day of his departure.
"Guildmaster… it's been an honour without rival to fight at your side. I am a recruit of Wigglytuff's guild down to the very core. All of us are sworn to use our strength to protect! Never before has that oath been so important! If I failed in the past, an individual may have continued to suffer, or even worse, an innocent life would have been lost and families left to grieve… Now, if I fail, the whole world will be robbed of truly great heroes!
For the sake of Treasure Town, Wigglytuff's Guild and everything that it stands for, please! Let me fight and repay you! For raising me! For training me! For giving my life meaning!"
"Howl, you can't fight all of them on your own!" Sunflora cried, tears leaking freely, "They aren't trying to beat us, they're trying to destroy us! You can't win against all of them! You… you'lldie!"
"We havenotwaited for you for so long just for you to come back and then just-"said Corphish, but Howl replied calmly, "I won't die. Remember our rules again?'Failure is not an option'? Iwillsurvive. I'm not planning on defeating them all, I'm going to stall them, and I'll make it out of here if I have to crawl. Let me do this. Please."
Before anyone else had time to reply, Illume's voice spoke from within their midst.
"Go."
On trembling legs, she staggered into view and glared towards her partner. There was nothing to be seen within her black eyes. Not a shred of anything other than contempt.
"If that's what you want to do, there's nothing we can do to stop you, is there? Once you've made up your mind, just forget what anybody else has to say about it, right? Good-bye, partner.
…Thanks for everything."
"Illume!" Wigglytuff sobbed, but Howl met Illume's gaze stolidly and said, "This is not good-bye, Illume. I'll come back, I swear. I'll come back, and I'll make this right. You can hate me all you want, but all I will ever ask is – someday – for you to forgive me. I won't ask for things to be the way they were, or for you to even like me anymore, but just believe me when I tell you how sorry I truly am…"
Every fibre of his being convulsed. His partner, his dearest friend had taken a step forwards, placed her palms on his shoulders and pushed him with all the strength she could muster.
"Isaid… GO!"
She lifted her head, and her eyes were brimming with unsuppressed tears.
"Just get out…!
Get out of here, and this time, don't bother coming back…!"
"Illume!" Wigglytuff blubbered, "He'll die! Howl will-! Howl, NO! COME BACK!"
But the recruit, unable to bear hearing another word, had turned, sprinted away and roared,
"Now, go! I'll hold them off to the best of my ability!"
-as loudly as he possibly could, and still, even louder, Illume's words were carried to his ears like dust riding a breath of wind,
"You hear me?!" she cried, "This time, don't come back!"
His grunts and mumblings came to an abrupt halt, and as Sally looked towards him, she felt the air leave her lungs entirely. She was genuinely stunned…!
Howl skidded to a halt in the town centre and turned his eyes to the sky as the Shadows began to fall inside their flaming capsules to the earth. Two crashed down and destroyed the homes to his left and right, and with barely time to blink, the Shadows burst free and Howl charged at the one closest to him, determined to take them down before they'd even awoke.
It was too much.
The stream of tear that fell from his closed eyes could only mean one thing, and she would not sit idly by and let it continue. They ought to have done this long ago, she thought. She shuffled towards him carefully and squeezed his shoulder gently.
"Howl," she whispered, careful not to wake Rowan, who had finally managed to fall asleep, "Howl… Hey…"
A final grunt, a flash of red, a snarl of immense depth, and then suddenly blood was thundering through her brain and hammering within her ears as she struggled with all her might to dislodge the charcoal-black paw clasped around her throat.
Author's Note:
Wow... I never really do these, do I?
Umm... Hi.
Sorry this chapter was a little behind schedule. It ended up going on for a bit longer than I had anticipated, and I didn't want to exclude ideas or cut the chapter abruptly short.
However, doing that seems to have worn me out quite a bit. I think this is the first proper burnout I have experienced writing this story.
Not to worry, though. My enjoyment for writing this story and my passion for writing in general haven't fallen by a fraction. Just that the chapter after this one will almost certainly be later than usual.
This isn't me putting the story on hiatus.
This isn't me saying I'm not enjoying anymore.
This is just me needing a week or so to give my brain a rest and to regain the feeling in my fingers.
Sorry for that / thank you for understanding.
Oh, and while I'm here, I'd like to take a moment to thank those of you lovely people who have left me kind 'guest' reviews which I was unable to respond to as FanFiction doesn't allow that. Your support and feedback really means a lot, so know that I did see your reviews, and I did appreciate them muchly.
Alright, that's me for the day. I'ma go lie down now.
-Relic8 signing off!-