Chapter 6 (Wrath of the Hunters)

*Narration*

Where we left off: The Spirit Duo have been captured. What will become of them? Let's find out.

Ethos, still weakened by the toxins in his body, had no choice but to eat the Pecha Berry, the only thing in the chamber that might help. Making him feel slightly better, he was still frail. It seemed that the effects of the Pecha Berry were fruitless.

Noticing that Ethos was dying, Ivy brought him to the other side.

Espie woke up in the chamber and tried to teleport out, futile in efforts of trying to teleport.

"Oh, you little white scoundrel… There's no way you can do anything in there. We have the technology to nullify all of your powers, rendering you powerless."

"What do you want to do with us?"

"I want to capture more of your kind and they are going to make me a fortune after I sell them. I am gonna..."

Ivy approached him, whispering to him so inaudibly that Espie could not eavesdrop on them. Observing their movements, she saw the accomplice point towards Ethos.

She glanced at where she pointed on the other corner of the laboratory, seeing him suffering and groaning in agony, grabbing his abdomen, still affected by poison. He was still tormented badly by the toxins inside of him.

"Sir, the poison in his body is irremediable and we've failed detoxify him. We should just abandon him since he will be of no value to us if he should die in the next few minutes."

"It's not a big deal. We shall get more of those creatures to replace him. The other one should know where they came from. We shall force the answer out of her later on." he said, only pandering about all the riches and not the lives of the dying spirit.

Drake opened a hatch and threw Ethos from the airship. His body started to plunge, free-falling and gyrating mid-air towards the ground.

"Ethos! NO!"

"Hmph! I guess that's all the problems done with," He muttered as he closed the hatch. Now, you WILL tell me how to get to your world or face torture!"

"No! You've kill my friend and now you'll…"

Drake used a stun gun and zapped Espie as she tried to punch the capsule glass to break it. The stun rays penetrated the glass and immobilised her drastically, causing her instant anguish and numbness.

"I'm the one who talks, you obstreperous creature. Shocker, activate the brainwashing beam! Force this obstinate creature to comply with my request!"

Shocker activated a machine that was convolutedly wired and aimed it at her, firing an immense virtually invisible beam. Feeling lacklustre, she tried her last endeavour to break out again but it her efforts were not sufficed.

While in the state of hypnosis, she was actuated to spew out secrets began to reveal all the information about the dimensional rift that they passed through to get there, allowing Drake to take note about whereabouts of the rift according to her description.

After she spewed all that she knew, she collapsed due to exhaustion.

~MEANWHILE~

As Ethos fell towards the ground, he was asphyxiated and he blacked out after hitting a tree branch, which cushioned him momentarily before he continued falling.

Officer Jenny drove the car towards where the tracker blipped repeatedly with the same tone, beeping and indicating that he was close.

"This is such a wild goose chase. You think your friends are just gonna fall out of the sky?"

Suddenly out of nowhere, there was a loud rustling sound coming through the trees in front of the car. As they drove forward, it became progressively louder.

"Thud!" Something crashed on the top of the car.

"OH MY GOSH! ETHOS!" Callie was exclaimed, discombobulated and flustered at the fact that he really fell from the sky, wondering whether to laugh or cry at the utter coincidence. She held him in her arms and noticed multiple minor cuts on him.

"Officer, we really need to head to the nearest Pokémon Center!" Nero exclaimed, worrying about his condition.

"There's one close-by. I will drop you two there before I continue to chase the Syndicate. Your friend is more important than the chase for them. We should get going. He's in critical condition."

Riding in the car, both trainers were worried about Ethos.

Seeing Ethos' scarf stained with patches of mud and dirt, Callie unwrapped the scarf from his neck and kept it to wash later on.

Officer Jenny, also feeling anxious, sped towards the Pokémon Center.

*Narration*

What will become of Ethos? What will the Dragon Syndicate do to Espie? Find out in the next chapter.

To be continued...