OH MY GAWD! I HAD THIS IN MY DOC MANAGER FOR TWO WEEKS! I THOUGH I POSTED! I AM REAAAAAALLLLY SORRY!

Hey, guys! I'm really sorry, I didn't know I left you all at the worst possible cliff hanger on the planet earth.

ENJOY!

Chapter 8

The Espeon

"What's his progress?" I ask Chimecho. We're in Dark's room. It's been another two days since the flower, and he's still breathing. I think that's a good sign. Right?

"Same as five minutes ago, Carry." Chimecho sighs. "Why don't you, Jared, and Heather go on a mission or something? I'll send someone to get you if he wakes up."

I pretend to think about this for a moment. "No."

"Carry. Go. Now." Chimecho demands. "It's for your own good."

So, I get kicked out of the infirmary. No big deal. I walk into the main hallway and hang a right into the bedrooms. I keep walking until I get to our door, big and red. I don't bother knocking: I'm good at being silent. I thought they'd be sleeping, but when I enter Jared and Heather are deep in conversation. They don't notice me, so I talk.

"Wanna go on a mission?" I ask them.

"Yes!" They both shout at the same time.

"Okay, then, let's go." I suggest, and excited energy starts passing through me. We haven't been out of the guild in days!

We race out of the hallway and make our way to the board with criminals. We're all in the mood for some action.

"How about this one?" Heather asks, pulling one down. There's a drowsee on it, looking sinister. "A little azurill was captured. Oh no!"

"Better go save him!" I say happily. "To Mt. Bristol!"

The Oshawott

"I liked Waterfall Cave better." I say as we enter the third floor. "But I still like this one."

"I like this better." Carry puts in.

"I bet I know why." Heather laughs. "Hey! Look! A berry." Heather rushes to pick it up and brings it back to me, and I put it into the bag.

"A pecha berry." I observe. It looks like a peach.

We keep walking, slowly finding our way through floor after floor. I believe we're on our second-to-last before we hear the scream. We all exchange a worried glance before taking off... only to have a boulder land directly in front of the entrance. I whip around, teeth bared out of habit. There's another espeon, a hoothoot, and an ursaring.

"Hello... um-" Heather starts nicely.

"What the heck was that for?" Carry cuts her off. "You could have killed one of us!"

The espeon steps forward. "The name's Bob. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Why should we tell you?" I demand.

"Because, I'm the leader of Rescue Team SPR, or Suspicious Pokemon Researcher." He says. "It's our job to know!"

"We're Rescue Team Sound. We are here to save an azurill." Heather says, holding up the paper and her badge.

"Are you guys bothering people again?" I hear Wylie's voice come from behind them. Bob goes rigid still, fear shaking his body. Ursaring and hoothoot go still, ears pricking, eyes widening.

"It's Wylie! RUN!" Bob shouts, and they rush past us, pushing the boulder away. Wylie appears with his arms crossed. He's snickering.

"They're the idiots who kidnapped us." He explains, and my memory goes back to the explanation of why he, Austin, Ser, and Seth took so long getting back. We hear more screams, and clear the way as the idiots rush back out. They stop, seeing Wylie. He side-steps, and they run screaming past him. "Found Austin."

"Well, sorry!" Austin appears from where Team SPR just came from. "I got warped. Again."

"Austin! You can see those things on the ground!" Wylie exclaims, motioning downwards.

"I was paying more attention to the pokemon around us, excuse me!" Austin retorts. He is standing beside his friend now.

"You're impossible." Wylie says, shaking his head with a smile of laughter on his face.

"Nope. Sorry. I'm Austin." He says. They look to each other with smirks on their faces.

"Well, then, Austin." Wylie says, then shoulders him. Austin repeats the movement. Of course, they end up wrestling on the ground. The only thing that sets them apart is the scream.

"Probably Azurill." I mutter. Austin and Wylie get up, and Austin uses his aura.

"That way." Austin points. His face is grave. "You'd better hurry; he's in trouble."

"Thanks!" I yell and rush down the tunnel Austin had directed us in. Carry and Heather rush after.

The Espeon

We raced along the rocky path until we came to a large room. In the center, a drowsee pulled a young azurill, screaming, in the direction of the wall. They were heading to the hole, I guessed.

"Hey!" I yelled. The drowsee freezes, then slowly turns around. He smirks. "Skun! Your prey is here!"

I automatically dodge left, taking Jared in my jaws so he isn't hit. The skuntank misses, and I put the protesting Jared down.

"Who the hell are you?" I demand.

"I'm Skun. That little umbreon friend of yours is my target." The skuntank sneers. "He came from the human world, and I followed. Just came here to make sure he was dead."

I make a quick decision. "Well, he is!" I yell. "I hope you're happy!" I dig my claws into the hard ground and clench my eyes shut, tilting my head down. Using this as cover, I try and send a message to Heather and Jared, who are looking horrified right about now.

"I have no quarrel with you. Goodbye." Skun turns to leave, a satisfied smirk sitting smugly on his face.

"Get. Back. Here." Heather breathes, anger sizzling in the air like fire.

"No. I don't-"

"Coward!" She yells, and launches herself at him. He tries to swat her away, but it doesn't work. He misses, and she scratches up his face with ice claw. She jumps away afterwords, taking a moment to breathe. Jared steps up next, blowing a hydro cannon at him. He knocks into the wall.

Meanwhile, Drowsee drags Azurill into the hole, covering his mouth. I realize this with a glance that way and run after them.

The Espeon

The hole connects to a short and narrow tunnel that snakes its way underground. How does that fat-ass drowsee manage to get through here? My mind mutters. It finally ends, and I slowly crawl out. I prepare for any attack, but when I look around they're gone. I see a single tunnel (a normal-sized one, thank my lucky stars) and head that way, careful to keep my footsteps silent.

I hear a voice, scarily calm, as I near the end of it. "Give me it, please."

A terrified squeak of a voice responds. "But, but, I don't have it! I lost it!"

"I'm talking about that map! Not that damn water float!" The voice screeches back.

"Somebody save me!" The squeak wails, and I hear the nauseating sound of a paw against a cheek.

"Stop crying!" The deep voice snaps. "Where is it! Tell me!"

"It's at home! I didn't bring it!" The squeak's wails dye down a bit. It grows curious. "Why do you want it, Mister?"

"It tells you where the portal is! Then I can finally get back to being a human!" The crazy bas- wait, human? I was very interested now.

"Human?" The squeak asks.

"Yes! And if I'm lucky, the record will be there." The voice continues. I'm guessing it's Drowsee.

"The records?" Guessing it's the little azurill.

"Yes! They will tell me all about my human life. And whether I want to return to it or not." Drowsee continues.

"What's a human?" The kid asks.

Drowsee sighs, annoyed. "Everything I say is wasted on you."

"What's damn mean?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Like-"

"SHUT UP!"

Azurill shuts up.

At this point, I step in. "Come on, Azurill, time to go home." I say. He brightens and rushes forward. Or, tries to. Drowsee stops him.

"No. Where's the map?" Drowsee tries one more time.

"I thought everything you said was wasted on him." I sneer, and his jaw drops for half a second. I launch forward and body slam him away from the kid. I use psybeam and then fury swipes. He stays down long enough for me to grab the blue fluffy thing and make a break for it.

Sorry to say, but I still won't be updating for awhile. I'm a few chapters away from finishing my other story (even though most of it still isn't published) but I will update again as soon as possible... which won't be for at least another week. Once again, I'm really sorry guys.