"Dear agony, just let go of me, suffer slowly, is this the way it's got to be? Don't bury me, faceless enemy, I'm so sorry, is this the way it's gotta be? Dear agony" - Breaking Benjamin "Dear Agony"

29 I May Hate Cats, But Not Enough for This

We slept for a long time. Too long. I couldn't see the sun, and the clouds made it seem like it was morning all day long, but I knew that we had allowed ourselves too much rest. I could feel it in the air.

It was weirdly quiet on the mountain since the Pokemon had deserted it. Now it was just us, Team Rocket, and one Sky Cat. Pikachu seemed perkier than usual, happily jumping on and off my shoulder and skittering around with glee. I couldn't fathom why he would be happy at a time like this.

Dawn had her knife out in a shaking hand, quivering so badly it was a blur. It was hard to tell if she was scared or cold, but there wasn't much I could do for her. I was terrified, I was freezing, and I was the only one not allowed to be either.

Max kept rubbing his eyes. I was worried that something was wrong with him, and if he got hurt, I would feel as if I had betrayed May. He had to be my main concern when we fought Yacaeli.

Leaf and Dawn stood very close to each other, silent and scared. Drew kept an arm around Max, like an older brother. Misty caught my eye occasionally, and she didn't try to hide how terrified she was.

I looked to the dark clouds above. They rolled and furled menacingly. I could honestly feel the air darken; a horrible, foreboding feeling.

"Okay," I said quietly, but it seemed to echo around the entire mountain. "Let's go."

"About time!"

I jumped and whipped around. "Who's there?" I said, my voice much higher than I wanted.

One instant, there was nothing there. Then, quick as a feline, she was right in front of us.

I had completely forgotten about Yata. The same long legs were now covered by sleek black pants, and she wore a shirt that showed her stomach, similar to the one we had met her in. Her platinum blonde hair was combed so thoroughly it looked sharp, like it could slice something in half. Her Glameow slunk around her legs.

But it was her eyes that made my legs buckle.

Those venomous yellow eyes glinted like amber gems. They seemed to burn right through me. Her pupils were catlike slits, and they matched Yacaeli's too perfectly.

The medallion suddenly made a bit more sense.

"I've been waiting all morning for you guys to get up," she continued in that bladed voice of hers. I half expected a forked tongue to come hissing out her mouth. She already had the canines of a cat. "I wanted to see the two romancers over here." She gestured to me and Misty.

I blinked. "You were watching us?" Another question popped up. "How did you get up here so fast?"

"The Sky Cat has chosen me," Yata snapped, as if I should have known this. "I have been selected to do what she wishes, and I will follow without complaint." She smiled in a way that made me shiver. "She wishes me to kill you, with the weapons she has presented me with."

Being attacked by psycho Pokemon was bad, yes, but when a human openly voices that they're going to kill you… well, that's a whole other level of awful. Especially if the person snaps out a deadly black whip with a small chain on the end for their weapon.

"Hang on," Drew said, looking confused. "Why didn't you kill us in our sleep?"

Yata smirked. "That's not very sportsmanlike now, is it?" She cracked the whip, and we jumped back in fright. "Dance, my prey."

The bracelet was very warm. My ankle wasn't completely healed. And my heart was racing. I had to protect the others, no matter what. I would certainly take a crack of that whip for any one of them.

"Yata," began Drew, "do you really want to do this? I mean, we know you. We went to dinner with you. You're… you're our friend."

"I am no one's friend!" she cried, and she lashed out with the whip. It cracked Drew around the ankles, and he fell. "I am a servant to the great Yacaeli and no one else! Now die!"

Yata flung the whip, and Dawn screamed in pain. Drew scrambled to his feet and ran forward, straight at Yata. Her Glameow leapt at him, allowing Yata to focus on the rest of us. Misty dodged the deadly chain, and I could see her searching around for a weapon.

The bracelet was steadily getting hotter. Yata locked eyes with me and advanced with her whip. I avoided it and prepared myself for another attack, but it didn't come at me. Her eyes slid from me over to my left, to where Max was standing, helplessly rubbing his eyes.

I saw the entire thing in slow motion. The whip curled back, changing direction. I rushed to get in front of Max, to protect him. Yata's eyes registered me, and she smirked. I raised my arm in a weak defense, and squeezed my eyes shut.

There was a loud clanging, and time went back to normal. I opened my eyes and saw the chain wrapped three times around the bracelet, not my unprotected forearm.

Yata's eyes went wide. I looked from the bracelet to her and back again. She appeared to be confused. Seizing the moment, I jerked my arm sharply. The whip was yanked out of her perfectly manicured hand and into the dirt. She gasped.

The bracelet sparked, and I glanced down to see the chain was starting to glow red. "Holy—!" I exclaimed, and tugged at the whip. I was afraid to touch the searing hot chain. Oh Mew, what if the bracelet and the chain melded together and I had to walk around with a whip glued to my wrist and forever be thought of as either one, a cruel and ruthless Trainer, or two, a male prostitute.

I couldn't stand to be labeled as either of those.

"You!" Yata exclaimed, obviously unable to think of anything to say.

At that moment, Misty had found her weapon. A good sized rock went flying through the air and hit Yata in the leg. She stumbled, and just barely regained her balance. "What—?" she began, but Misty chucked another rock, and this one hit her in the stomach, leaving her breathless and unable to speak.

"Take this, you cat woman!" Misty screamed. I turned to see her with a good supply of rocks at her feet and one in her hand. She looked livid, fierce, and positively beautiful.

In my momentary distraction, Yata took her advance. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her reach into her pants (yeah, yeah, laugh, you perverts) and pull out a knife. "For my goddess!" she screeched.

I whirled around, prepared to defend. I didn't realize that my sudden movement was the equivalent of cracking the whip. The whip on the ground came to life, lashing out like a snake. It snapped up, and cracked across Yata's neck.

The handle of the whip was metal; a solid bar of steel coated in thin leather for grip. It was hard, unforgiving, and made the sickest of sounds when it collided with human bone.

The whip ricocheted off her neck. Yata stumbled and her legs tangled up together. Down, down she went, hitting the ground with the softest thud. Her eyes remained open, despite the clouds of dirt billowing around her face.

There was a stunned silence as the whip handle bounced on the ground, causing small puffs of dust to form and dissipate. I stared at Yata in horror. Why wasn't she getting up?

The awful, awful quiet was broken by the Glameow. It gave a yowl so shrill I thought my ear had been ripped open, and raced away from Drew to its fallen Trainer. "Me-OW-OW-OW!" it cried. The Glameow collapsed next to Yata, nuzzling up to her body. I gaped at the tears that began escaping its eyes, falling down rapidly and uncontrollably.

"Oh no," I heard Max murmur.

The cat's cries escalated to wails, sounds so miserable it felt like my heart was ripping apart. It hurt to see the scene before me. I glanced at the bracelet, and then realized I could not look away from it. My eyes followed it down to the black snake, coiled across the ground, all the way up to its lethal metal handle.

No way, was all I could think. There is no way this just happened.

As I watched, the Glameow placed a delicate paw over its Trainer's eyes, bring the eyelids down to cover Yata's glassy orbs. For me, it was a sense of finality that came crashing down on top of me. Then the Glameow nosed its way under Yata's arm, snuggled up close to her cold body, and closed its eyes.

I never saw it move again.

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I couldn't get the whip off the bracelet. They had been welded together, and since I couldn't get the bracelet off my wrist, I was forever attached to that evil whip. A whip that I had used to kill another human being.

We were silent. Everyone was in too much shock to speak. Inside, I was shaking. I felt sick, my stomach churning like a stormy sea. Everyone avoided me, afraid. And yet, we had to keep moving. If we didn't, Yacaeli would have that much more of a shot at killing us.

So, the hero is corrupted. Will the greatness last?

I jumped. "Dad," I whispered, and I almost lost my control. The angry, terrified tears I had managed to keep at bay were suddenly leaking from my eyes. "What are you talking about?"

You'd better not speak to me out loud. Your friends will think you've lost it.

I glanced around and, sure enough, a few of my fellow companions were eyeing me nervously. I faced the path in front of me, blinking away tears and fright. Okay, now what are you talking about? I repeated angrily.

It's nothing important, Cináed said nonchalantly. Like how the mist always rolls out when the morning ends, your hunt will be hard until the fog clears. In a meadow, by the way. With warriors.

WHAT? I cried inwardly. I swung my arms in rage, and the whip snapped across the ground. The sound of it made me want to throw up. How is that supposed to make ANY sense?

Cináed whistled. Whoa, son, chill. I'm just trying to help.

Great, I muttered. Any other help you want to give while I'm still listening?

Yeah, Dad continued, his tone saying he did not approve of my sarcasm. The leaves are certainly not growing back, the spear has gone blunt, and courage is about to jump ship.

"Huh?" I said aloud.

Good luck, Ash. I'm counting on you.

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Paul made one final, lazy move, and Red was cornered. "Mate," Paul said.

Red was gaping at the makeshift chessboard, unable to believe what had happened. "That was… ingenious," he breathed. "You sacrificed your queen, and then checkmated me with your pawn. I didn't even see it coming!"

The quiet Trainer shrugged. "It wasn't that impressive," he mumbled, trying not to sound proud. In truth, Paul loved chess. It was the only thing he could beat Reggie at, or any of his siblings, for that matter.

May was grinning like an idiot. "Yes! And the mighty Red goes down!" she exclaimed.

Blue was lying in the flowers, not caring a bit. He held one of the delicate daisies in his hand, quietly picking the petals off. He then plucked one of the leaves and pressed it to his lips, eyes closed. It was the closest he could get to her in this Arceus forsaken place.

A loud whooshing made him open his eyes. "Oh?" Blue said, still lazy and half asleep. "We have company," he told the others.

May looked up expectantly. Paul saw her face pale, and she screamed. Both he and Red jumped, knocking the chessboard and the pieces into the grass. "Those birds!" she shrieked.

Paul looked up, and found himself wanting to cover his head and hide as well. Up above, three giant birds were circling. They swooped lower and lower, until one of them screeched. They then broke formation and landed expertly across from May.

The creatures did not look friendly in the least. Two of them had feathers of the deepest black, accompanied by vicious red eyes. A different crown of feathers rested on each of their heads; the one on the right had feathers that stuck up like a Mohawk, while the one on the left had feathers that fell down over one of its eyes. It looked even more lethal than its companion with only one eye showing.

However, the one in the middle appeared to be the most dangerous.

It was stark white, with a sharp, craggily beak. Its steely gray eyes glinted with a maliciousness the others lacked. The great creature seemed to be the leader of the three.

Paul cocked his head to the side, curious. The three birds were wearing… robes, he supposed. Very strange robes. They were as white as the leader's feathers, and trimmed with deep red. Along the hems, there were water washed designs that curled up in intricate formations. And all three were looking straight at him.

Red looked at the three birds with boredom. "Hello," he greeted, and he began searching for his chess pieces.

The leader bird glanced down at Red, then turned its gaze back to Paul. Paul stared right back at it, scowling. It matched his gaze evenly, evidently disapproved of him, and looked back to Red. "An interesting couple you have found yourselves," it said in a rather eerie voice. It pointed towards May with a birdlike hand. Paul was reminded of a bird he'd read about in some book about whangdoodles. It yelled "Mayday!" all the time, and that was all he remembered of it. "Why does that one have her head in the ground like a Doduo?"

Paul stared at Red. Red had just salvaged his queen (a nickel) from the grass and was inspecting it for dirt. "I guess she doesn't like birds," he remarked.

The bird glared at May again. "Odd girl," it said. Then it turned to Paul. "My name is Polevous. I am the leader of the Sky Warriors." It gestured to its companions. "This is Bellemistis, and this is Avious."

The Mohawk one and emo one nodded accordingly. Paul stared at the birds. "I'm Paul," he said. "That's May."

"Is she scared of us?" asked the Mohawk one, Bellemistis. Its voice was higher and sounded more feminine than Polevous', so Paul assumed that Polevous was male and Bellemistis was female.

"It seems that way," Avious remarked. Male, Paul decided.

Polevous cocked his head to the side, glaring eyes watching May curiously. She kept her head under her arms and quivered with fear. Polevous waved his birdlike arm, and a gnarled wooden staff appeared in his hand. It was carved with the same markings on the robes of the Sky Warriors. "May," he said in his deep voice, "do we frighten you?"

May sniffled, and Paul was astounded to realize she was crying. "Just go away, you mean birds," she sobbed. "Go and take your evil sticks with you."

"Evil… sticks?" Avious repeated questioningly. "Only one of us has a stick."

"Hey guys," Blue called, waving the flower in greeting. "What's up, Poly?"

"I do not like it when he calls you that," Bellemistis hissed. Her Mohawk of feathers seemed to quiver with rage.

"Oh, hush, Belle," Polevous laughed. "I rather like Blue."

Bellemistis bristled at the pet name, but she did not reply.

"Go away," May groaned.

Avious looked livid with his emo feathers, but he approached May boldly and knelt down by her cowering form. "Have we insulted you in any way, kalo aphi?"

May looked up hesitantly. "What?" she asked.

"Beautiful one," Avious clarified gently.

Paul blinked as May's cheeks went pink. "Oh," was all she said.

"Was that a yes?" pressed Avious.

"N-no, it's just…" May began, trembling. "I had a… hallucination, I guess, where you three came and killed my brother and… friends."

Avious looked suddenly furious. He stood up abruptly, causing May to cower again. "Polevous," he said with awful, calm anger. "That accursed Sky Cat has meddled with our image again."

The white Sky Warrior looked hurt. "I am aware of this, Avious, but what can we do? She has taken our souls and locked us in this wretched place, while our bodies have long since rotted and decayed. There is nothing we can do."

Paul blinked. "We can fight," he said, as if it were obvious. Why hadn't they seen this before?

Bellemistis hissed. "And how do you propose we do that, human?"

"We're not really dead," said Paul. Had they really never thought of this? "We can get out of here, right?"

Blue snorted with laughter, Red along with him. "How? We've tried every way we could possibly think of to get out of here, and we can't. End of story. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find myself some more leaves." With that, he stood up and started walking, only to lie down in a flurry of flowers not far along.

"The human is right," Bellemistis growled. "We are imprisoned here, and we have no way of escaping."

"Not if Ash is still alive," May told them. She began to smile. "Especially if he's mad."

*AN: I'm a bit angry. I recently obtained Platinum from my brother, beat the game, and found that the time for obtaining Mystery Gifts has long since gone. I will never get Arceus, Shaymin, go inside Harbor Inn and get Darkrai, or make my Rotom look different. My heart kinda broke when I realized that. I never did any of these things in Diamond, either, except the Shaymin one. And I used cheats to get Arceus. Which I'm not very proud of.

Well, my bestie has deserted me for five weeks. Nothing to do but read fanfic and volunteer at the library. By the way, the names of the Sky Warriors are derived from different words meaning "warrior" or "sky". You make recognize the "ous" from Oupavos. Anywho, till next time. Which probably won't be long since I'm so bored.

I would like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed the last chapter, especially ohlookrandom. I think I just about cried reading your review. It made me feel so amazing. So thank you. And sorry for the long AN.

Last thing. Then I'm done. My buddy The Color is Blinding is an AMAZING writer. She doesn't get nearly as many readers as she deserves. Granted, she doesn't write for Pokemon, but it would mean a lot if you guys would check her out. You don't have to, of course, but we'd both appreciate it if you did. K, I'm done. Bye.*