Smile

by hawktakesflight

When a murder occurs in sleepy Snowpoint Town, six Pokemon's lives are thrown into chaos. In the aftermath of his Trainer's death, Riolu explores the town as the situation deteoriates, and might have to take matters into his own paws. Collab with Lupyne.

4. Devastation's Doorway

This chapter is written by lupyne, and is reproduced here with permission.

The world is ending.

Loud crashes fill the air, accompanying the sound of unceasing rain as it plays with the thunder like an ominous orchestra. In the middle of it all, there comes the sound of breaking glass, barely audible over the ruckus. I barely register the screams that soon come from elsewhere in the Inn – instead, I focus on maintaining my balance as the ground continues shaking violently.

Land and sky are acting up – the source of the breaking glass becomes apparent as I notice that a long iron beam has crashed its way through the half-open window and into my room, lodging itself firmly onto the ground. The rain has deemed it sensible to enter my compartment through the broken window, and I shake my body to get rid of the droplets that have latched onto my fur.

A shiver runs down my spine, and it has nothing to do with the cold. The scaffolding propped up next to my room has collapsed, which explains the crashes. I definitely should complain to the Innkeeper – what if I had been squashed by that beam? I guess she has never really thought about the safety of her guests.

A violent shake causes me to stumble. I manage to regain my balance easily, but I felt a piercing pain from the underside of my foot. Examining it, I cursed when I notice a cut due to my stepping on a shard of the broken window. It is a small one, but it drew blood all the same, and now I have to endure a stinging sensation as I walk. Just great.

Nonetheless, I figure it would be prudent to get out of the building quickly, lest it collapses with me in it. I wouldn't put it past the Innkeeper to have scrimped on the construction of this building.

I hurry out of my room, dripping a trail of rainwater as I walk. Pichu and Hitmonlee are already in the hallway, looking frantic – I can still see the drool on Pichu's chin; he probably just woke up. Magneton and Gardevoir, however, are nowhere in sight.

"What's going on?" Pichu asks me, as though I have all the answers.

"An iron beam crashed through my window and almost impaled me! What do you think is going on?"

"That's horrible…" Hitmonlee says, shaking his head.

I look up at him, unsure if I have heard correctly.

"Too bad it missed."

I knew it. "Come on, Pichu, let's get out of here before we turn into pancakes."

The little rodent did not protest. Together – with Hitmonlee behind us, cackling – we run down the stairs, and head straight for the front door. Several other Pokémon are fleeing as well, everyone pushing one another in their desperate bid at escaping out of the deathtrap.

Being some of the tiniest ones, Pichu and I got shoved. A lot. We manage to exit in time though, joining the large group that has assembled outside. The Innkeeper is standing alone, staring worriedly at her building and muttering gibberish under her breath instead of ensuring that all her guests are safe and sound. Great display of responsibility there.

Pokémon are chatting loudly among themselves, some terrified while others are seemingly excited (why? I will never know). All of us are being drenched in the rain and I can see a few Fire-types looking uncomfortable, but being outside is definitely safer, despite the tremors having already weakened.

"Is everyone all right?" I hear a voice say from my left, and I turn to see Gardevoir hurrying over to us. She appears to be flustered, but unharmed.

"I'm fine," I reply, while Pichu nods besides me. Hitmonlee made no reply, choosing instead to fold his arms and stare at the building like the Innkeeper.

"I never thought an earthquake would occur in the middle of the night," Gardevoir says, shaking her head. "It seems like no one was hurt though, so that's a good thing. In fact, I think there was no damage done."

"No damage? Didn't you hear the crashes? The scaffolding by my room collapsed, and I was almost killed by a stray beam. I was lucky to have survived, though I did cut my leg stepping on broken glass."

Hitmonlee smirks. "Quit whining, baby."

Heat rushes to my cheeks as I glare at him, trying to come up with a witty retort, despite knowing that I would only get beaten up for it. I swear, one of these days…

Gardevoir was quick to intervene. "All right, all right, calm down." She glances around the three of us, and then says, "Have any of you seen Magneton?"

"No." I pause for a moment. Come to think of it, when was the last time I have seen him anyway? It seems like so long ago. "I remember hearing him working away into the night though. Strange fellow."

"Working?" she asks, and I detected a note of fear in her voice. "Where?"

"Working on the construction somewhere, I suppose. Got to be near my room though, since all that loud clanging and banging kept me awake for a long time. I only just got to sleep and then this had to happen."

She considers this for a moment. "Riolu, you said the scaffolding near your bedroom collapsed, right? What if…"

Gardevoir did not need to complete her sentence. Pichu clutches tightly onto my arm, his eyes wide as saucers. I try to shove him away, but found myself unable to do anything as a sudden image of Magneton getting crushed by all those heavy beams flashes in my mind.

"Maybe… maybe we should go check," I say, my voice shaking slightly. "I'm sure he's just floating around somewhere though. He's probably searching for us at this very moment."

Gardevoir scans the crowd once more before nodding. "Yes, let's find him." She turns to Hitmonlee and pauses. I can tell that there is still some animosity between the two after what has happened earlier in the day, but apparently she forces herself to swallow it in light of the current situation. "Are you coming with us?"

The Fighting-type unfolds his arms and grunts. His way of saying 'yes'.

And so our search begins. We reached an unspoken agreement as to where to search first: the construction area close by my room. Based on the ominous statement by Gardevoir earlier though, I'm sure all of us were hoping that we wouldn't find Magneton there… Well, some of us, I think to myself as I glance at the aloof Hitmonlee. I am sure the memory of the assault earlier that day is still fresh on his mind.

The rain begins to lighten up as we run around the Inn. For such a heavy downpour, it was quite short-lived, but I'm not complaining. We round the corner, Gardevoir in the lead, and then stopped suddenly in our tracks as the scene of destruction comes into full view.

I knew it was bad, but wow. I mean, if the construction crew were here to see this, they would weep. All the time and effort they have placed in this project… gone, just like that. Right in front of us is what remained of it – a huge pile of wreckage, with beams, poles and whatnot sticking out here and there. High above the wreckage is the single iron beam which has invited itself into my room, looking odd sticking out from my broken window like that. For some reason, the whole thing reminds me of a kid building up a house with toy bricks, only to kick it apart after completing it.

I stand rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do. There is no sign of Magneton anywhere, though I'm not sure how I should feel about that. It took me a while to realise that my immobility is attributed to a fear which has inexplicably gripped me without warning. I feel my legs tense, ready to turn heel and run away from the scene.

Gardevoir then speaks, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Let's… let's take a look among the rubble."

Her suggestion is met with silence. I am sure we were all already thinking about it, but for Gardevoir to say that seems to cement the fact that there is a possibility we might never see our metal companion hover about with his eccentric ways again.

Hitmonlee and Gardevoir both move towards the pyramid-like wreckage, removing what they could and placing them aside as they begin their search. Looking to my right, I can see that Pichu is not keen on picking apart the rubble either. Perhaps it is the fear of what we might find…

"Oi!" Hitmonlee yells from the top of the pile, glaring right at us both. "Why don't you two make yourselves useful and start searching!"

Biting back a retort, I glance at Pichu. He appears to be terrified, but he gives me a slight nod and pads over to the debris. I sigh – if even Pichu is willing to help search, I know I have no chance of worming my way out of this. I walk up to join the little rodent, but he shakes his head and point to the other side.

"I think we can search faster if we split up," Pichu reasons.

Darn. Gritting my teeth, I head to the far end and begin pulling away a few iron rods. For once, I am glad of my short stature – there is a huge steel bar in front of me, blocking me from view of the others and enabling me to work as slowly as possible.

The sound of the rubble shifting reverberates in the air suddenly just as I was pulling out a broken toolbox, and I glance up in curiosity. To my horror, I see the wreckage at the top of the pile beginning to slide down towards me – and that includes the giant bar which I was grateful for earlier.

I leap backwards just as the bar falls on the spot I was standing on with a huge whumph. My heart beating wildly, I look up to see that Hitmonlee has deemed it a good idea to shove off the top of the wreckage to speed up his search.

"Hey!" I yell, unable to restrain myself anymore. "What's the big idea?"

Hitmonlee stares down at me, apparently not realising what he has almost done. "What?"

"What did you cause that avalanche for? I was almost squashed! Couldn't you see me working over here?"

"Well, let me think for a second," he says, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "No. I'm pretty sure I didn't see you… working. Quit slacking off already!" He goes back to pulling out stuff from the pile. "All you ever do is whine, whine, whine – complain, complain, complain!"

Ripples of anger flooded my mind at his words, and I instantly begin to concoct methods of (slow) torture I would like to see Hitmonlee subjected to. Just as I am picturing him being impaled by the iron pole by my side, the Fighting-type pulls out an object which causes all my bottled anger to implode.

In his right hand is a horseshoe magnet, one tip red and the other blue.

Hitmonlee peers down at the magnet without moving while I stare at it with my mouth agape. The other two continues to work, clearly unaware of Hitmonlee's discovery. As if in a trance, I make my way slowly up the pile to where the Fighting-type is. "This… looks horribly familiar."

"You think?" he says, in a brave attempt at scorn, though his voice came out strained.

Automatically, it seems, our eyes move down to stare at the pile of wreckage.

It stares back.

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Chapter Four: Devastation's Doorway

"All is silent. Not even a heartbeat. Not even mine."

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Pichu sits by my side, uncharacteristically silent and determined to stare everywhere else except the middle of the lobby, where the pieces of Magneton has been placed. Pieces, in the plural.

Several of his magnet-shaped arms have fallen off, one of which Hitmonlee have picked up earlier. There are still a few more which we failed to find – they're probably somewhere within the rubble outside. We did recover the bodies, however. Three of them, in fact – an outsider might very well have thought that it had been three Magnemites who died instead. Two of the bodies were cracked, while the other one had a screw loose.

Ever wondered what a Magneton looked like in the inside?

You don't want to find out.

I let out a yawn as I turn to the Innkeeper, who is grumbling about how long the police are taking to get here. She was quite shocked when the group pulled out the remains of Magneton from the rubble, but it appears to me that she is more concerned about the damage to her property. No doubt the destruction of the Inn's construction area will have set her back quite a bit financially, but still…

"Well," Hitmonlee announces to no one in particular, throwing his hands up. "I'm going back to bed."

Without so much as a glance back at us, he heads towards the stairs and disappears. The only ones left in the lobby are Pichu, Gardevoir, the Innkeeper, and me. And Magneton too, looking like parts of an unassembled toy.

I felt a nudge on my shoulder.

"Riolu…"

Pichu is looking at me with wide, fearful eyes. "What?" I ask.

"Magneton's dead…" he whispers. "He's dead!"

I pause for a moment and stare at the Electric-type. Is he insane? Oh wait. He is. "Yes, I know, Pichu," I say slowly in what I deem to be a kind, fatherly tone. "Magneton is dead. Welcome to fifteen minutes ago."

"First the Trainer, then Gallade, and now this… what is going on?"

All right, I'll admit it. He's got a point. Things are certainly getting out of hand. "Let's see… the Trainer was murdered, that's for sure. Gallade…" I lower my voice and cast a quick glance at Gardevoir. She had her eyes close, paw pressed on her temple. "Navy-Blue doesn't seem to think foul play was involved. He seems to be leaning on suicide, but I suppose it could have been an accident as well…"

"And Magneton?" Pichu asks.

"Magneton was working in the construction area when the earthquake happened, and he was crushed by the things he loved so much."

Pichu hesitates. "Does that make it an accident, then?"

I shrug, leaning back on the wall and staring at the ceiling. "It seems so, doesn't it?" The little mouse bites his lower lip, seemingly bursting with something to say, and yet reluctant to do so. "Look, Pichu, if you have something on your mind, just say it. Don't beat around the bush."

"Don't you think it could have been murder?"

The thought has indeed crossed my mind, and I even anticipated that Pichu might arrive at that conclusion. I had my response ready. "But it's an earthquake, Pichu. These things happen. Remember yesterday, after our race? I told you that I was almost killed by a rockslide. You even said that you felt some tremors, didn't you?"

"Yes, but…" He looks away, fiddling with his paws absent-mindedly. After a few more seconds, he whispers, "There's something strange about this earthquake…"

His voice was extremely soft, and I'm not sure if he was talking to me or having a monologue. "Really? What's so strange about it?"

Pichu shakes his head. "I dunno." Despite his words, he appears to be thinking hard, a feat I never would have thought he was capable of. What thoughts could possibly be running through his little head? Is he hiding something from me?

I lean a little closer. "Hey, you can tell me, all right? What are you thinking of?"

"It's just… three deaths in such a short period of time?" He turns to me seriously, and it struck me how grown-up Pichu suddenly seemed. "How is that possible, Riolu? How?"

It is a question I have no answer to. Pichu continues, "When will it end?"

His words brought back memories of when Gardevoir told me of her vision. "It's not over yet." When, then, will this ordeal finally come to an end? When we're all six feet under?

Breaking out of my reverie, I notice that Pichu is no longer looking at me. Instead, he has finally summoned enough courage to stare at the fallen Magneton. His gaze is intense and unmoving, though he looks as though he might fall ill at any moment. I look past him at Gardevoir instead, and my heart skipped a beat – there was a flash of blue in her eyes, and she is panting heavily.

A vision. What has she seen this time?

Before I could probe further, there comes the sound of a car pulling up outside the Inn. The headlights shine through the window directly at my eyes, and I quickly squeeze them shut with a low growl. Minutes later, Navy-Blue and another policeman enter through the doorway, looking grim.

I grunt – him again.

A flicker of shock shot through the two men's faces when they caught sight of Magneton's corpse. Navy-Blue rubs his chin, appearing to be deep in thought. I can see the tiredness in his eyes, and I doubt it is because he had to work the night shift – these few days must have been tough on him. Well, I can relate. I have been lacking proper sleep lately.

"What happened?" he asks the Innkeeper with his eyes still on Magneton.

"An earthquake, that's what!" she replies harshly. "Took down the whole scaffolding the workers have been working on for months… I don't know what's worse – the fact that I have to pay them more or the fact that I have to put up with them all over again…"

I find it amusing how she little she seems to care about Magneton's death.

"An earthquake…" Navy-Blue turns to his partner, who whispers something in return. He nods and stares at the Innkeeper. "When did it happen?"

"Some twenty minutes ago. Around then. Couldn't you feel it, for heavens' sake?"

This time, it is Navy-Blue's partner who speaks up. "Lady, we didn't feel anything. We didn't receive any reports of earthquakes either – yours had been the only one. Either it was an incredibly small one, or it only affected your area."

"Cursed luck, that's what it is. Just take the Magnetron away already. Some of the other Pokémon were panicking earlier – I don't want them to see that here in the morning. The last thing I need is for everyone in the Inn to have a mental breakdown and cause a riot."

At the mention of Pokémon panicking, Navy-Blue turns towards us. He studies Gardevoir for a moment before eyeing Pichu. The mouse is playing with his paws again, though he appears to be contemplating something. Finally, the policeman's gaze falls on me. I stare back without blinking; we seem to be locked in a staring contest.

"Hang on," he says, turning towards the Innkeeper again. "Where's that Hitmonlee?"

"He was here earlier, but he has gone upstairs to sleep. I would like to do the same, so if you could please hurry it up a little…"

"All right, all right." He walks towards the middle of the room with his partner and squats down, placing his hand on the round, metallic surface of Magneton's body. I imagine it must have felt pretty cold. "Another one down… The boy, the Gallade, and now this…"

"Sir," his partner pipes up, "what do you think this means?"

Pichu and I glance at each other.

"Maybe the group's been cursed," Navy-Blue suggests with a small smile, though I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "It really is strange… I wonder…" He rubs his chin, but does not expound further. "Something really needs to be done about this." He turns to the Innkeeper, "Keep an eye on the remaining four. I don't want to be picking up more dead bodies anytime soon. As for you three," he says to us, "try to forget what you've seen tonight and go back to sleep."

Neither of us moved a muscle. "Go on," he urges, jerking his head towards the stairway. With a grunt, I get on my feet and stretch, followed quickly by Pichu. Lastly, Gardevoir stands and glides up the stairs without so much as a goodbye, looking distraught.

"Shall we head up then?" I ask him. He nods, and we both make our way to the stairs. Before I take the first step up though, I turn back to cast one last glance at Magneton. Navy-Blue has rolled him a little, so that the Pokémon's singular eye is pointed straight at me.

Perhaps I am just being paranoid, but I feel that there is something sinister in the deceased Pokémon's stare. Shuddering, I tear my gaze away and shoot up the stairs. I bid goodnight to Pichu in the hallway and watch as the mouse enters his room, deep in thought. He's behaving rather strangely, but I have more pressing issues on my mind to worry about him.

After making sure that I am alone, I walk over to Gardevoir's room and knock on her door as softly as I could. Fortunately for me, she is still awake. The door creaks as she opens it just a crack.

"Riolu," she says. "Is anything the matter?"

"I have something I need to ask of you."

"What is it?"

I take a deep breath. "You had a vision downstairs, didn't you?"

She hesitates, but a small smile is playing on her lips. "I was wondering if you noticed."

"Well then… care to share what it was about? Did you see the murderer?"

"Murderer… of who?"

I stare at her blankly, unsure of how to answer that. "The Trainer, I suppose. Or… Gallade," I say tentatively, studying her expression. Thankfully, she remains passive despite the mention of her departed lover.

"I saw nothing of the sort. I just saw… a grave."

"A… what?" I rub my ear, unsure if I have heard correctly. "Did you say a grave? Whose?"

"I don't know. There was just a plain rock on top of it. There were no inscriptions or anything."

"Wait… so you just saw a rock. What made you think it was a grave?"

She shakes her head with slight irritation. "I can tell. The earth on it is different – as though it had been dug out and then refilled. Plus," she adds in a conclusive note, "there were lots of other tombstones in the area. I can only surmise that it was the cemetery."

"O—kay," I say slowly, folding my arms. "And what is so special about this particular grave?"

"I don't know. Possibly the fact that its tombstone is just an ordinary rock, I guess."

"But that doesn't really mean anything," I burst out impatiently. "It could be anyone under there! Didn't you see who it was? It could be important!"

"Riolu, if I knew, I would have told you," she says, a little coldly this time.

We lapse into silence, and I scrutinise her expression intently. She seems a little mad – I may have stepped out of my line, but a thought has just occurred to me. "Gardevoir… are you keeping something from me? You really didn't see anyone? You didn't see… me?"

She narrows her eyes. "What do you mean?"

I take another deep breath. "The grave. Was it… was it mine? Did you see me buried under there?"

Her expression softens. "No, Riolu… I truly did not see anything other than that. I know a lot has happened these days, but…" There is a distant look in her eyes. Despite her strong front, I can tell that she is still hurting from Gallade's death. "Don't worry. Just keep a look out, and I think we'll be fine."

She places a paw on my shoulder, and I nod. "All right… Thanks. You take care too. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Riolu."

She closes the door and I walk back to my room, lost in thoughts. A grave marked with an ordinary rock… what could that mean? I could make neither head nor tail of that premonition.

When I reach my room, I am momentarily surprised that the door was left open. Then I remember that I had not closed it in my haste to exit the building. The iron beam is still lodged through the broken window, through which a cold wind has also come to play.

Darn… I have meant to ask Pichu if I could sleep in his bedroom tonight, but it completely slipped my mind. Maybe I should just check if he's still awake… "Oh, a sleepover!" he would probably say, all excited. "We could nick some food from the kitchen and hide under the blanket and tell each other scary stories and –"

… Never mind.

Then again, Pichu seems to have changed after the discovery of Magneton's corpse. As I pull the covers up to my neck and close my eyes, I wonder to myself if he will ever be the same cheerful and happy-go-lucky rodent again.

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Yes. Yes, he would.

Pichu was sitting by himself in the corner when I enter the dining hall, apparently trying to see how many Pokéblocks he could stuff in his mouth at a time. Catching sight of me, he grins – though it looks more like a grimace, with his mouth full – and beckons me over.

As I approach, he tosses one of the blocks he was holding, managing to hit me on the tip of my muzzle. He burst into a fit of giggles, choking himself in the process, and begins to cough. Grinning at his retribution, I plop down besides him and grab a block from his bowl before tossing it into my mouth. "What was that for? I would have been happy with just a 'good morning'."

"You looked like you were still asleep, so I thought I would help you out." He stands up on his tiny feet, eyes glimmering with excitement. "Hey, I found something cool before you woke up! You won't believe it! Come and see!"

"I want to eat."

"There's no time! You've got to hurry before the Innkeeper throws us out again – you should have seen her talking to the construction workers – she was so agitated. They'll be clearing out the mess from yesterday's quake."

"Well, good." I pop another piece of Pokéblock into my mouth. "First thing they should do is get rid of that beam in my room."

"All right, you've had your share!" Pichu yanks me by the arm.

"Hey, wait – I'm not done yet!" I protest, but to no avail. Pichu is pulling me with all his might, and he can actually be pretty strong when he's determined. Left with no choice, I grab a few more blocks from the bowl and allowed myself to be led away. "All right already, no need to pull so hard! Where are we going anyway?"

"Oh, just you wait! I stumbled upon a small room by the stairway, and – come on, I'll show you!"

He leads me to the staircase, but instead of going up, he shoves me towards the side. There is a door built there: one that I have noticed before, but not paid much heed to. Pichu leans on it, looking smug. "This," he pats the door lovingly, "is a treasure trove."

"Yeah? You would think the Innkeeper might have kept it locked up if she stores her valuables in there."

"Exactly, Riolu! It's normally locked – I've tried opening it before – but it seems she has forgotten to do so today. That's why now is the perfect chance to have a little peek inside!"

"Which you have already done so, right?"

"Yeah, but – oh, we're just wasting time! Come on!"

"Fine, I'll go in with you." I admit that I am a little curious as to what is kept inside this little room.

Grinning from ear to ear, Pichu pushes the door open and trots inside. I follow closely behind warily, watching out for any traps which Pichu might have set in store for me. It wouldn't be the first time he tried. There doesn't seem to be anything suspicious inside, however. A mini-window at the side provides just enough illumination for me to spot a couple of crates, a cupboard, and lots of dust.

"Treasure trove, huh?"

"Ta-dah!" Pichu says, indicating a box at the corner. "It's full of toys!"

"Toys?"

"Yeah!" He leaps up and grabs some stuff from within the box. He tosses a small tennis ball at me before pulling out a few toy bricks. "See? You can even build a tower with these now – you don't have to use your food anymore!"

I ignore his last statement. "So, this is it? The treasure you're talking about… toys?"

"There're probably other stuff around," Pichu says, diving into the toybox again. "But who cares?"

Deciding to leave him alone in his heaven, I walk away to the cupboard. Its doors have not been closed properly – I pull them open and then stare wide-eyed at what I found inside: food.

And not the miserable stuff they serve for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but treats of all kinds. Candy, biscuits, chocolate… it's as though I have walked into a miniature confectionery store. "Wow…" I remove the lid from a jar of cookies and begin to feast. "If you'd told me there was food in here, I'd be more willing to come with you."

"What?"

"Food, Pichu, food!" I rattle the cookie jar. "You should come and have some."

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." His voice came out muffled. He must be pretty deep inside the box.

"Suit yourself; that only means more for me. I'll leave you to your baby stuff then."

"Baby stuff?" he cries, and I was startled at the fury in his voice. He pokes his head out from the top of the toybox and glares at me. "Hypocrite – you're as much of a baby as I am."

"Yeah?" I place my attention back on the cookie. "Well, okay, keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night."

I can hear Pichu scrambling out of the box, but I gaze back to the cupboard, deciding which item I should take next. The slam of a door jolts me out of my thoughts, and I quickly turn around. It wasn't the Innkeeper like I had thought; just Pichu, glowering at me with electricity crackling around his cheeks.

"Riolu," he says menacingly, his voice low. "I have just about enough with you and your wisecracks. You think you're so special – so high-and-mighty – but the truth is you're scum."

The half-eaten cookie in my paw drops to the ground. "Pichu, what…?"

"Everyone in the team knows you're just deadweight, and I think it is time I make that into a literal term."

He takes a step closer, and my eyes fall on the object he had pulled out from behind him. My heart froze; he is holding a gun. He aims the nozzle at me, and I felt both my paws automatically shoot up into the air. Where did he get the weapon from? What is he trying to do?

"Pichu, I – I – put that thing down, all right?" I take a step backwards as he draws closer. Panic is beginning to cloud my mind. "There are lots of Pokémon and people in this building… They'll come running here if you shoot me."

"I don't care anymore. I'll die happy with the knowledge that the last thing I did was take your life. I'm only doing the world a favour…" He smirks. "Any last words?"

"Pichu – no – I –"

But it was too late. His paws close around the trigger – I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing myself for the pain – and…

Laughter.

Dumbfounded, I open my eyes again. Pichu is rolling on the floor, cackling like a maniac. The gun lay by his side, and he points at me. "Look at you!" he yells in jubilation. "You should have seen your face! Oh, I wish I could have recorded it – wow! I can't believe you'd fall for that!"

Not really understanding what is going on, I lower my paws and walk closer. "Fall for what? Pichu, where'd you get the gun from?"

"Over there," he says happily, pointing at the crate of toys. "In the toybox."

Toy.

As realisation washes over me, I felt my fear transform into anger. A growl escapes from my throat, and it was all I could do to restrain myself from throttling the little scoundrel. "If I'd died from heart attack, I would make sure I come back and haunt you for the rest of eternity. Stop laughing – it's not funny!"

When Pichu continues chortling away, I add, "Just you wait, Pichu. Someday… someday, I will get you back for this. Tenfold. I strongly advise you to learn how to sleep with an eye open."

Though I tried to sound as intimidating as possible, Pichu found humour in my threat, and rolled about again with renewed laughter. Fine. I sit on the floor and hug the cookie jar tightly to my chest. I will not share.

Pichu lets out a big wheeze as he finally gets up, gasping for air. He pulls the gun closer and begins to nuzzle it lovingly. "I will never part with this gun, ever. I will keep it and take care of it and name it 'The Gun Which Scared Riolu Off His Pants'."

I give a small 'tch' as I toss the half-eaten cookie from earlier at the rodent. Unfortunately, I missed – he doesn't even notice. I stare at the gun a while longer before saying, "Well… you found the gun in the toybox, but there's no rule saying everything there has to be a toy."

Pichu's eyes shoot open. He pulls his cheek away from the gun and stares at it suspiciously. After examining it for a good while, he grins. "Nice try, but this is indeed a toy. I can see a spring inside – it probably shoots one of those miniature plunger things. I wonder where the plunger is?"

Great, there goes my one last chance to salvage my dignity.

The Electric-type dives into the box again, presumably to search for the ammo to load the gun with. From within, his voice rings out, "So, Riolu, you agree right? This is a treasure trove."

"All right, I'll give you that," I reply grudgingly as I lick the cream off a chocolate cookie. "Never would have thought the Innkeeper's secret stash of food is kept here. I guess she hoards them all to herself though; she never gives us any of these, does she? But, heh, I never expected her to have a secret stash of toys either," I add jokingly.

Pichu pokes his head out of the box once more, looking excited this time. "Hey, you're right! I never knew the Innkeeper is a child at heart! Maybe she'll play with me some time!"

Images of the Innkeeper pushing about a toy train with Pichu dances in my mind, and I chuckle despite my less-than-happy mood. "Yeah, good luck with that."

The door swings open. Startled, I got to my feet, shoving the jar back into the cupboard. As I expected, the Innkeeper stands at the doorway, her expression one of mingled shock and anger as she realises that her private storage has been raided by two inquisitive Pokémon.

I quickly brush the cookie crumbs off my face to hide the evidence before changing my expression to one of innocence. Maybe I can pretend that I lost my way or something. Her eyes move from me to Pichu, who is still inside the toybox. Smiling awkwardly, the rodent holds up a ball hopefully.

"How dare you break into my storeroom!" she shrieks, making a wild grab at Pichu. He manages to dodge, jumping out of the box with a loud clatter as toys poured out with him. Pichu grabs hold of the gun on the floor before dashing between her legs and out into freedom.

With one of her prey successfully escaping, the Innkeeper then turns to me with eyes fiercer than a rabid Houndoom.

I sigh. To die so young.

Grabbed by my tail, the Innkeeper marches out of the Inn with me floating above ground helplessly. The gate has already been shut – she opens it a smidge and tosses me out unceremoniously into a pile of snow, creating a nice Riolu-shaped hole in it.

Spitting out some snow, I rub my head and glance around. Pichu is walking to me with a broad smirk, the toy gun in his paws. Some friend he is – playing a cruel trick with that gun, and then leaving me alone to suffer the Innkeeper's wrath. Perhaps this has all been a trap after all.

"Thanks a lot, Pichu." I stand up and dust myself. "Why did you bring that thing along anyway?" I add, eyeing the gun in disgust. It really does look like the real deal. Is this what they are giving kids to play with these days?

"This is my new treasure. I doubt she'll be so careless as to forget locking that door again, so I need to bring it with me." He nuzzles the toy once more. "I will always remember that expression on your face. It's etched into my brain."

"I'll etch something else into your brain if you don't drop it."

Beyond the gate, several workers can be seen clearing off the pile of debris; they seem to be in a rather tetchy mood. I guess I cannot blame them – not only have their hard work been for naught, they also lost their best worker overnight: Magneton.

"So, where shall we go today?" Pichu asks nonchalantly. He is staring at the workers as well, but it seems that he is trying to avoid the subject of Magneton's death.

The words that Gardevoir said to me in the night echoes through my head. In her latest vision, she had seen a grave with a plain, old rock as a headstone. Perhaps it would be a good idea to seek out this enigmatic grave and try to decipher the meaning behind her premonition.

First, however, I need to fill Pichu in on the details. "Pichu… she has had another vision last night."

Pichu nearly drops the gun in fright. "W–what? Gardevoir?"

I stop the retort ("Who else? The Innkeeper?") from flying out of my mouth, and instead nod silently.

The electric rodent groans. "Oh no… What has she seen this time?"

"A grave."

"A – a grave?" Pichu whispers, a paw over his mouth. "Whose?"

It took a lot of effort on my part to refrain from cracking a smile. "Yours."

"Waaah!"

Before I knew it, Pichu has tackled me to the ground. He grabs a hold of my shoulders and begins to shake me violently. "I don't want to die – I don't want to die – I don't want to die!"

"Pi – Pichu – stop it! I was kidding, all right? Release me this instant!"

At my words, his grip slackens, and I quickly push him off. "Geez, what's your problem?"

"My problem?" He seems outraged. "You lied to me, saying that Gardevoir has seen my grave!"

"So?" I shoot back heatedly. "You tricked me with your fake gun!"

That did the trick. Pichu falls silent for a few moments before whispering again, "So… she didn't have a vision after all?"

"She did, I'm afraid. Gardevoir really did see a grave, though she has no idea who it belongs to."

Pichu scrutinises me sceptically. "Really? You're telling the truth?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't lie about it. After all," I say with a straight expression, "this is a grave matter."

The pun, it seems, flew right through Pichu's head. He scratches said head for a moment, apparently thinking about what to do. "Do you think we should go check it out?"

I stare at him in amusement. That had indeed been my idea, but I find it odd that he should propose it as well. "Let me guess: you want to play detective again?"

He returns my gaze defiantly. "You can't deny there's something strange going on. I just want to get to the bottom of this, before I end up like them."

"All right. I can't deny that I'm a bit curious about this grave myself. Gardevoir guesses that it is located in the cemetery. Do you know where it is?"

Though I wasn't expecting him to know the cemetery's whereabouts, there is a spark of recognition in his eyes. "The cemetery! It's at the far end of town – it's quite a secluded area. I saw it the other day when I was exploring by myself. There aren't any buildings nearby though, save for a huge factory."

"A factory?"

"Yeah. It seems empty though; there weren't any people at all the other day. Perhaps it was a holiday or something."

I nod. "All right; if you know the way, then let's go now."

"Okay!" Pichu picks up the gun he has dropped when he tackled me to the ground. "Let's go!"

"Wait – you're seriously bringing that thing with you? What would people in the streets say when they see it?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry." He walks a good distance ahead before turning back to me with a devious smile. "I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to think it is real."

"Wh— hey!"

Pichu lets out a loud burst of laughter as he dashes as fast his little legs could carry him. That darn mouse… since when has he gotten so mischievous?

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Huge iron-wrought gates greet us upon arrival at the graveyard, opened wide and welcoming us with their cold steely arms. There are letters arranged in the archway above it, though I'm not too sure what they read. I can only presume it tells of the place's name.

A sea of headstones lay beyond the gates, some of which have bouquets of flowers placed in front of them. Other lonelier ones were only decorated with piles of snow which have accumulated since goodness-knows-when. Pichu and I walk among the graves, both of us silent.

"Do you see the headstone in Gardevoir's vision?" he asks quietly after a while.

"Not yet." It occurs to me quickly enough that a lot of the headstones are different in one way or another. Square and round; big and small; stone and marble… Still, Gardevoir has seen an ordinary rock. I imagine it would really stand out. "Let's keep searching."

The graveyard is an extremely lonely place. There is a strange melancholic aura about the area – nothing creepy as one might expect, but a calming peacefulness. White snow blankets the entire landscape, and trees swaying in the wind complete the background.

I have expected the factory which Pichu has mentioned to be loud and obnoxious, ruining the serene atmosphere, but no. There is no smoke coming out from the many funnels at the top; no people moving in and out of the steel building. Just quietness, as though time has come to a standstill.

Walking about the place, I notice that there is a smaller secluded area at the very back of the graveyard. There are a few graves here, and the headstones seem a little carelessly made. Still, they were proper headstones. There aren't any rocks here.

At the side closest to the factory, there are a few uncovered graves. A large pile of earth lay nearby, with a couple of shovels sticking out of it. I guess these graves are just waiting for an occupant, perhaps later, perhaps never. Pichu and I explore this section last of all, though there is nothing much to see. We have combed the entire cemetery, and there were plenty of rocks, but none of them were used to mark a grave.

Deep in my mind, a sinister explanation for this manifested by itself: perhaps it just hasn't been made yet.

"I wonder what's so significant about the grave we're looking for anyway," Pichu says as he stands close to the edge of an unearthed grave, peering down into the hole. "Who knows, it might even belong to a stranger. Perhaps it wouldn't be important."

"Maybe it would provide a hint as to who killed the Trainer," I reason, though only half-heartedly. "Or maybe it's a warning of some sort."

Pichu turns to me. "A warning?"

"Yeah… Perhaps the vision is trying to warn us of an impending zombie invasion. Maybe the first zombie to rise will be from that grave."

"Zombies don't exist!" he yells, his voice quivering slightly.

I grin. "Tell them that when they come chasing after you later."

"Oh yeah? Just so you know, if zombies are ever chasing us, all I got to do is outrun you." A complacent smile spreads on his face. "And the both of us know that I can too, seeing as I won the race yesterday."

I keep my voice steady and calm. "You only won because of luck. And don't forget that I took a longer route. I assure you, if zombies were chasing us, we would be running the same path, and I would use Quick Attack to get the heck out of there." I wave a paw at him. "Pichu, you don't stand a chance."

"Noooo!" He flails his arms in panic as he comes scampering toward me. "Why can't you carry me and Quick Attack us both out of there?"

"You're heavy – you'll only slow us down. Don't worry, Pichu. I'll always remember you. I'll even hold a nice little funeral for you when I make it to safety; how about that?"

"If I get caught by a zombie, I'll be turned to a brain-eating monster as well!" He glares at me. "And then I'll seek you out and convert you! Hah!"

As I struggle to come up with a witty response, Pichu continues his onslaught, "And if you'd just trained a little more, maybe you'll actually be strong enough to carry me and escape. Some Fighting-type you are."

"Well," I begin, my voice rising, "I'm sorry I'm not tough like Hitmonlee or Gallade, who could obliterate you any day of the week. Nonetheless, I'm confident enough in my capabilities to know that I can easily take you on."

"Says the guy who got whipped in ten seconds flat at the gym battle the other day."

Blood pressure… rising…

"You know that was a fluke –"

"The classic excuse," Pichu says, nodding smugly with his arms folded.

"– I wasn't prepared for that at all!" Seeing him giggling to himself, I blew my top. "Right, if you're so sure… why don't we have a battle right here? As I recall, it was you who suggested a spar yesterday. Time to prove your mettle, Pichu!"

Pichu studies me for a while, clearly amused. There is no fear in his eyes; none at all. "Are you sure, Riolu? You really want to fight here?"

"Yeah, I'm sure!" I tense my body, raising my paws into a fighting stance. "Any problems with that?"

"Oh, none at all," he replies airily. His eyes turn to the empty grave besides him. "I guess it's just as well. I'll just lay you here to rest once I'm done with you. No promises on a nice funeral though. Let me just put my gun in a safe place…"

Pichu walks off and places the toy gun near the huge pile of earth. He then smirks at me, electricity sparkling from his cheeks. "Well, it's been nice knowing you, Riolu."

At that, the battle begins. The electricity around his cheeks merges into a small blue jet, which shoots out at me. Thunder Wave – potential paralysis if it hits. Not wanting to be rendered immobile so early in the battle, I dive to the side.

Pichu sure is smart – he has intentionally begun the battle after placing so much distance between us, knowing that I am more of a close-range fighter. As I rush to where he is standing, he lets loose more streams of electricity, each of which I dodge with ease. Nonetheless, he has done a good job of wearing me down at the beginning of the fight.

When I am but a short distance away from him, I leap into the air and performed a Quick Attack to close the gap. I land directly behind the rodent; before he could turn around, I thrust my paw forward and send a wave of Aura bursting forth. The Force Palm connects, sending Pichu falling face-first into the snow.

I run forward for a follow-up attack. Pichu is still lying facedown – I grab his tail, just like how the Innkeeper grabbed mine in the morning. All of a sudden, Pichu's tail flashes white – he swings it swiftly, catching me in the jaw.

I fall backwards, rubbing the spot where his Iron Tail struck. It hurt surprisingly more than I had expected it to… Without warning, another jolt of pain hit me forcefully as Pichu continues his onslaught with a steady stream of ThunderShock.

After a few seconds, the electricity dies away, and I can see Pichu panting. My body still feels sore, throbbing with pain here and there. I grit my teeth and will myself to get up, but it is taking a lot of effort just to move. Managing to get on all fours, I tense my leg muscles and launch forward in another Quick Attack, tackling Pichu onto the ground.

Being on top of Pichu, I place a paw on his chest and ready another Force Palm. Pichu is quick to react, unfortunately: he grabs hold of me, grins, and unleashes a large current of electricity.

The pain is immense, certainly nothing I have ever expected from Pichu. This second wave of electricity is taking a heavier toll on me – my body shakes violently as though I'm having a seizure, and for a while, I can only see flashes of white.

When at last I am released from the torment, I slump to the ground. Pichu dances about in front of me, though he looks exhausted as well. "Ready to give up, Riolu? Had enough yet? Wanna beg for mercy now, while you're still conscious?"

"I… I'm not done yet…" I manage to wheeze.

Pichu giggles. "Aw… the poor Riolu doesn't know when to give up…"

The taunt is something I would expect from Hitmonlee, not Pichu. I let out a growl and force myself to raise my right paw. Even though I'm unable to get a hold of Pichu, he is standing close enough for a well-placed Force Palm to hit. Pichu seems to realise my plan, however, and takes a few steps back.

"You and your Force Palms," he grunts. "Why don't you go for a little variety? How about using Copycat, hmm? At least it'd give you a little range."

"You're the one overusing your electric attacks," I say, finally managing to get back on my feet.

"My attacks are based primarily on my electric capabilities – what can I do?" he protests. "But come on, use your Copycat. I would love to see electricity shooting out from you. Plus, it'd be good practice for me, avoiding getting zapped."

Ignoring his request, I run forward only for my leg to give out, making me fall again. Pichu trots over, standing in front of me. He seems to be readying another electric attack, but his expression quickly changes to one of surprise as he stares at me. I'm not sure what it is that caused his astonishment, but I seize the moment to capitalise – I deliver the variety he wanted by punching him in the stomach. Hard.

He falls backward, and I quickly get up again before dashing at him for another blow. Unfortunately, I saw too late that his tail has begun to glow once more. An eye for an eye, perhaps, or a stomach for a stomach. His tail lashes against my torso, causing me to fly to the side.

To my horror, I have chosen the worst spot possible for landing – though I try to grab the ledge, my paws grasped empty air as I plummet straight down into one of the open graves.

The inside of the grave is rather small, and the ledge so high up. I'm glad that it's empty, at the very least, but I certainly do not want to waste a second more in this hole. Looking up, I can see Pichu peeking down.

"I never expected what I said to come true," Pichu says, beaming at me. "Guess I really did lay you down to rest after showing you a thing or two."

I jump up, but fail to grab the ledge. "Pichu – not funny! – get me outta here!"

"Do you concede defeat, then?" he says tauntingly.

I hesitate, exhaling deeply. Which is more important right now: conserving my pride, or getting out of here? "All right, fine, you win. Happy? Can you help me out now?"

"Yaaaaay! I win! I win! First the race, and now the battle! Who's the superior one now?"

"Pichu! Get me out of here this instant!"

"Fine, sheesh." As he walks out of my line of vision, I can hear him say distinctively, "Sore loser."

Thankfully, I did not have to wait long before Pichu reappears, holding one of the shovels I have seen earlier by the dirt pile. He lowers it down, and I grab onto the handle. Before I climb up, I call out to him, "Wait – are you sure you're able to hold on to this? I don't want you falling in as well. It's bad enough that I'm in here; I don't want to be stuck with you."

"Don't worry, I'm stronger than you think."

Well, he sure seems confident. Not altogether reassured, I hastily climb up the length of the shovel. Though there were several instances when I noticed the shovel sliding down slightly, I manage to hoist myself up into safety before Pichu tires out and tumbles in with me.

Pichu lets go of the shovel and sits on the ground, as did I. The two of us are panting – the battle has taken quite a lot out of me, I'm afraid to admit. Perhaps I'm just pushing myself too hard… After a while, Pichu exclaims, "Hey, you know the moment before I knocked you down the hole with my Iron Tail?"

"I get it, Pichu, enough already. No need to rub it in."

"No – listen to me for a second! Right before you punched me in the gut – guess what I saw?"

I think back to the battle. I recall him being surprised at something, though I had no idea why. "Yeah? What did you see?"

"Your eyes!" he says excitedly. "They were glowing blue!"

I pause, stunned at this. "They… they were?"

"Yeah! And there seems to be some weird wisps of smoke or something around you. Don't you think it could be your Aura? Maybe you're going to evolve soon!"

"Really?" Though I have not felt any different during the battle, I doubt Pichu is lying to me. I smile, looking down at my paws and half-expecting to see Aura rising from it. "That'd be great."

"Maybe you can start practicing! Train your Aura! Then you can do all those things a Lucario can do – detect a presence, shoot spheres, and… oh! Communicate through telepathy! This is so cool – why don't you try doing it now? Think of something – a word, an image, a sound – and try to convey it to me!"

He closes his eyes, as though expecting me to follow along with that ridiculous idea. I lean in closer to his ear and whisper, "Pichu is an idiot…"

Pichu snaps his eyes open. "It worked! I heard it! You really have developed your Aura abili— hey! What do you mean, I am an idiot?"

"That's exactly what I mean, buddy."

We have accepted without question after exploring the place that we were alone, save for the many departed people and Pokémon buried deep in the land. Our battle has been a heated one, perhaps, but the peacefulness of the place remained intact. I did not – and neither did Pichu, I'm sure – expect that our assumptions were wrong, and that danger was but a short distance away.

Danger, in the form of a laughing Hitmonlee, making his way towards us.

Pichu and I stand up immediately, completely taken by surprise at the Kicking Pokémon's sudden appearance.

"Well, well, well!" he exclaims, turning from Pichu to me. "Had fun battling, I see! How does it feel, Riolu, to lose to the likes of him?"

"Shut up, Hitmonlee!" Pichu pipes up, causing me to stare at him in surprise. I never would have expected Pichu, of all Pokémon, to stand up to the brute.

Hitmonlee shakes his head in mock disappointment. "And victory is getting to your head already. You're still nothing, Pichu. Don't think you can act all smug because of that win – after all, anyone can defeat Riolu easily."

He puffs out his chest. "As for me… why, even Pokémon with type-advantages have a hard time taking me on. And elements which I'm strong against – Dark, Rock, and… hah! Bug – well, you can say that I'm practically immune to them."

"We're not interested in hearing about why you love yourself so much," I interrupt. "Come on, Pichu, let's go."

Pichu nods, and we both turn to leave. We barely took a few steps away when Hitmonlee calls out.

"Hold it! I've been itching for a battle, and I intend to get one. I know you two are situated at the very end of the weakness scale, but beggars can't be choosers." He folds his arms and appears to be thinking for a few seconds. He then snaps his claws. "I got it – I'll give you two a handicap. I'll fight both of you at the same time, and I'll let you attack me with all you've got for a full minute before I retaliate. All right?"

Pichu turns to me helplessly. A battle with Hitmonlee is more than what we bargained for when we came to this place. I shake my head. "So you intend to take advantage of the fact that Pichu and I are tired out from our match. What's the matter? Too afraid to take us on when we're both at our peaks? Don't make it seem as though you're so tough, Hitmonlee. You're nothing but a spineless coward."

Pichu slaps his forehead, groaning. Apparently, antagonising Hitmonlee further was not what the rodent deemed the right thing to do, but I don't care anymore. I smirk as the Fighting-type stares at me with a dumbstruck expression. "How many times have I seen you fall in defeat to Gallade? And haven't I watched you getting knocked out by Magneton's Zap Cannon yesterday?"

I laugh mirthlessly – I don't know where my sudden confidence is coming from. Perhaps a part of me has had enough. "Face it, you're far from what you make yourself to be." I laugh louder. "Even the Innkeeper got the better of you the other day – an old lady with a broom is enough to take you on, for goodness' sake!"

His eyes widen at my last remark, and he lets out a huge roar. I quickly give Pichu's arm a small tug as I whisper to him, "It's time to get out of here."

I run as fast as I could, forcing my legs to keep working despite them being sore after the battle. In fact, my whole body is aching, but I knew things would get a hundred times worse if Hitmonlee were to catch up with me.

A few seconds later, I realise that Pichu isn't by my side. Hitmonlee, however, seems to have forgotten all about the rodent, and is only intent on catching me. I can't believe it… Pichu has left me to die alone for the second time today – first with the Innkeeper, and now at the hands of our own team-mate.

I turn around to see that Pichu has, in fact, made a detour to retrieve his toy gun. I am suddenly filled with a strong urge to bang my head repeatedly against a brick wall.

Deciding that it would be best to forget all about Pichu for now, I face forward again and perform a Quick Attack to boost my speed. Hitmonlee is hot on my heels, and unless a miracle arrives fast, I might find myself in a square box buried in the earth pretty soon.

As the graveyard is pretty much deserted, there is no hope of anyone stumbling onto the scene and scooping the poor little Riolu out of harm's way. The road back to the city is quite long as well, and I know that the chances of me making it back before Hitmonlee catches me are slimmer than the probability of Pichu becoming Snowpoint's next mayor.

What I need is a place to hide, and who am I to decline the offer of the kind factory located next to the graveyard?

I can only hope that I am able to get my way in somehow. Perhaps there are people inside – and if not, I could probably just hide among the machinery.

Though the fence surrounding the factory suggests that intruders are not welcome, the gates have been left open. I scramble in, trying to search for an opening in which I can use to enter the building. The huge steel doors at the front have been shut, and I don't have the time to check if they can be opened.

Running to the side, I weave my way through a few snow-covered crates that have been left in the open, my eyes frantically scanning the building. Even as I continue to sprint, I begin to wonder if the factory is still in operation. The crates look as though they have not been touched in a very long time, and the windows on the walls seem to have accumulated an impressive amount of dust.

At the corner of the compound, there is a small shack with a door that appears to have fallen off its hinges. The shack, which I presume to be a storeroom, is separate from the main building itself. Though I could enter it, it is rather small, and I would only be setting myself up to be cornered.

Giving a grunt in frustration, I turn the corner to scour the factory's back. It was then that my heart soared – right there, at the side, is a door that has been left open just a tiny smidge.

With a goal finally in sight, I push myself to run faster, bursting through the door and into the stuffiness of the factory. I have no time to look around the room I am in – I quickly slam the door behind me and bolt the little latch at the bottom.

I am finally safe – for the time being, anyway.

"Get back out here!" Hitmonlee yells, pounding heavily on the door.

Sure, Hitmonlee. I'll open the door, come outside, and let you beat me up. I roll my eyes before looking around the place. It is a small, dark room – the lights have not been turned on. My earlier suspicions of the factory being abandoned seem to be likely after all; there is not a single person in sight.

Perhaps time really has frozen in this entire area.

A loud pound shook me out of my reverie. I turn around to find that Hitmonlee is doing his best to break down the door, and the door doesn't seem to be putting much of a fight. My heartbeat, which has slowed after making it into the factory, accelerates again. I'm not as safe as I had previously thought.

Though it was hard to see anything in the darkness a while ago, my pupils have begun to dilate, growing accustomed to the lack of light. There are more boxes in the room, and an open doorway ahead. Figuring it would be better to place as much distance between Hitmonlee and me as I could, I run through the door and into a long hallway, past a couple more rooms, and then I stop.

I have arrived at a large open space in the factory. Light is shining in through the (somewhat filthy) windowpanes on the ceiling, and I can glimpse clearly everything there is to see – which is to say, a lot.

I don't know where to begin. Tons and tons of equipment and machinery are scattered throughout the place, most of which I cannot identify. Some are moderate in size, though a few of them tower over everything else in the place. A long, unmoving conveyor belt has been built around these machines, weaving around them like a humongous snake. Up above, walkways have been constructed, probably for access to the top of the taller machines.

All this, and not a single human or Pokémon in sight.

A crash resounds from somewhere behind me, and I look around for somewhere to hide. My panic has somewhat receded; I doubt Hitmonlee would be able to find me in a place this big. I just have to hide somewhere, and then sneak to the exit while Hitmonlee is busy tearing the rest of the place down.

With that, I shoot off towards the stairs which leads to the walkways above, figuring that it is better to hide in a good vantage point.

I can hear Hitmonlee crashing and banging his way around as he searches for me, not bothering to keep silent. Based on the sounds, I believe that he is searching one of the many rooms that I have passed by in the hallway earlier. Good; that will buy me some time.

Now that I'm up on the walkway, I can see that it also leads to several other rooms on the upper floor. There is one room nearby, with a long rectangular window which provides a nice view of the entire section. Curious, I poke my head in, only to find a large control panel with many buttons. I guess it is a control room of some sort.

I consider hiding in this room – I doubt Hitmonlee will come up here to check before he searches the rest of the ground floor, but then again, if he did enter this room, there is no chance of escaping. The room is not connected to any other hallways, and the only exit is the one which leads back to the walkways.

Deciding to search for a better spot, I step back out, casting a glance down to see if Hitmonlee has arrived in the wide workplace. To my immense surprise, there is someone down there, all right – but it isn't Hitmonlee. Instead, it is a tiny rodent with a toy gun, looking around the place nervously.

"Pichu!" I whisper as loud as I could, hoping to catch his attention. It failed; Pichu continues staring straight ahead at all the machinery. He is about to walk off when I decided to try out what the rodent has suggested earlier. Not really feeling confident, I close my eyes and focus…

"Pichu!"

Pichu jumps, looking around frantically. Hey, what do you know – my telepathy really worked!

I wave as he casts a glance my way. A smile breaks over his face, and he scampers up the stairs to join me. "What are you doing here?" I ask. "Where's Hitmonlee?"

"I'm here to save you, of course!" he says, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And Hitmonlee is in one of the rooms downstairs. I slipped past him in the hallway earlier."

"And how did you know I was here anyway, instead of those rooms?"

"I don't – I just decided to try and find you before he does. I stumbled upon this large place, and then I heard you calling for me. What were you thinking, yelling my name so loudly like that? What if Hitmonlee hears?"

"But I – That was –" I shake my head. "Never mind… Look, I'm touched that you've come for me and all, but I'm not sure how you being here is supposed to help me. If anything, it's more dangerous for us to stick together. Much harder to hide when there's the two of us."

"Really? But I don't think –"

The sound of approaching footsteps echo through the large hall, and I quickly pull Pichu into the control room. "Keep quiet, he's here." I stand at the doorway and peep downwards: Hitmonlee has finally appeared, seemingly irritated at how vast the place before him is.

The Fighting-type proceeds to search the equipments and machines around him. I turn back to Pichu. "He's near the stairs right now. The moment he walks deeper into the factory, we run down and get out, okay?"

Pichu gives a slight nod, his eyes on the control panel. He sidles over to it, jumps up on a chair, and marvels at all the buttons and knobs. "Riolu, what do you think this is for?"

"No clue. Maybe it's to control some of the machines down there."

"Ooh – you mean like a crane game?" he whispers excitedly. "Maybe we can activate this, grab Hitmonlee, and leave him hanging in the air! Then we can get out!"

"While I would certainly like to see that, I don't think it works that way…"

But Pichu does not seem to hear my comment. He begins to press some of the buttons while keeping an ear out for any signs of machinery coming to life. Everything remains silent, however. His look of excitement dies away, replaced by one of disappointment.

"Maybe I have to turn it on first."

As Pichu searches for a power switch, I say, "Look, I don't think it would work anyway. I don't even think there's electricity in this factory anymore. Why don't –"

CRASH!

I freeze. In an attempt at reaching for a lever that's just beyond his grasp, Pichu has leaned forward on the chair he was standing on. Unfortunately, he lost his balance, falling off and kicking the chair down with him.

We're dead.

"Pichu! Look what you've done! We've got to –"

For the second time, I got interrupted, this time by Hitmonlee's booming voice. "Aha! So you're hiding up there, aren't you? Give it up, I've got you now! Further attempts at running away will only make me angrier, and you wouldn't want that, would you?"

Pichu shoots a terrified look at me. My mind has gone completely numb, but there is one thing that I am sure of: I have to start running right away. "Pichu – Hitmonlee doesn't know you're here. Just stay in this room while I find another spot to hide. The moment you see him chase after me, get downstairs and out of the factory. I'll be fine."

Without waiting for a response, I sprint out of the room, my feet making a clanging sound with each step I take on the metallic walkway. Hitmonlee has already made his way halfway up the stairs, and he grins as he spots me.

"Found you."

Gritting my teeth, I look for a path I could use – I didn't want to take a route that leads to a dead end. A sudden yell then reaches my ears, and I spin around to find Pichu running out of the control room, carrying his toy gun. Hitmonlee, a short distance from me, turns his head as well, only to be forcefully tackled right away by Pichu.

Upon impact, Pichu drops his gun, and it slides between Hitmonlee's legs before coming to a stop right in front of me. Hitmonlee is still standing; he cackles loudly as he yanks Pichu up by the ears. "So you're here as well, eh? Good, good! So nice of you to join us!"

He shakes Pichu up and down, his eyes fixed on the mouse. Looking down at the toy gun near my feet, a brilliant stroke of inspiration strikes me. I pick it up and aim the nozzle at Hitmonlee.

"Release Pichu at once!" I command, tightening my grip on the gun. My paws are shaking terribly; I hope Hitmonlee doesn't notice that.

The Fighting-type turns back to me. His eyes widen at the sight of the gun, and he drops Pichu to the ground. Whether he did so out of fear or surprise, I do not know, but I inwardly sigh with relief. Like me, he seems to believe that the gun is real.

"Wise move, Hitmonlee. You will let us both out of this factory, and you will stop picking on us from now on. Otherwise…" I move my paw closer to the trigger threateningly.

His reaction is one which I did not expect: he starts to smirk, staring at me as though he is actually disappointed. "So, Riolu… you're dealing in guns now, eh? I never would have though it was you all along…"

"What do you mean?" I ask sharply.

"You know what I meant. You killed our Trainer, and I bet you have something to do with Gallade's death as well. I guess Pichu here is involved as well, huh? So now what? You're going to off me too?"

"I have nothing to do with their deaths," I bark, taking a step closer to Hitmonlee. "But that doesn't mean I won't pull the trigger now. One wrong move, Hitmonlee, and this bullet is yours. Don't make me a murderer…"

Though I believed that the gun is my ticket out of this factory, life has decided then and there to throw a curveball at me. Rushed footsteps fill the air, coming from the stairs. The three of us turn towards it in surprise – who else could be in the factory with us?

It is a man in a police uniform… Navy-Blue.

He is panting, but his face is screwed up with determination as his hand shoots towards the gun holster on his side. He whips out a gun and proceeds to aim it at me.

Somehow, I get the feeling that Navy-Blue's is not a toy.

"Thank goodness I decided to tail the Hitmonlee," he says. "I knew those previous deaths couldn't be coincidences, and I suspected that one of the team is responsible. What I didn't realise, however…" He glowers at me in contempt. "Guess it's true that the biggest surprises come in small packages…"

He takes a step closer. "Drop the gun now… I will not hesitate to shoot… You would deserve it, after all that you've done…"

I wanted to curse so badly. Why does luck hate me so? Am I going to die right here at the hands of this incompetent officer? The one he should be aiming the gun at is Hitmonlee! Is Gardevoir's vision going to come true after all, with me buried in that grave, labelled a murderer?

I really have no idea what would have happened if Pichu had not stepped in. The yellow-furred Pokémon jumps up, clings onto Navy-Blue's back, and lets loose a large burst of electricity.

I run forward – my body seems to be acting on its own. Nearing the officer, I leap up and deliver an uppercut straight to his jaw with my free paw. The man groans and drops the gun – I promptly kick it off the walkway and watch briefly as it soars down into the sea of machinery below.

Hitmonlee, who has been stunned at my sudden attack, reaches out to grab me. I duck under his claws and unleash a Force Palm, knocking him down. I run again, heading towards the stairway. "Split up!" I hiss to Pichu as I pass by him, and we both tear down the stairs back onto the ground floor.

"Get back here, murderer!" Hitmonlee roars from above. I look up quickly to find him having just gotten back to his feet. Next to him, Navy-Blue has slumped to the ground, unmoving. Have our attacks actually knocked him out cold?

"Why must we split up? Let's get out of the factory now!" Pichu whispers frantically to me upon reaching the foot of the stairs.

"No!" I brandish the toy gun in front of his face. "Your stupid toy got me into trouble! Everyone thinks I'm the murderer now! I need time to think about what to do – let's just split up first and hide! Or better yet, you get out of the factory and go back to the Inn!"

Pichu opens his mouth to protest, but I quickly shove him aside. "Hitmonlee's coming – hurry!"

Giving me one last frightened glance, he tears off towards the hallway which leads back to the exit.

I make my way around the large workplace and squeeze myself into a small niche between two tall machines. Poking my head out slightly, I see that Hitmonlee has dashed towards the same path that Pichu took. Perhaps he thought that I was with the Electric-type. Well, with luck, he would follow Pichu out of the factory.

I shrink back into my hiding spot and begin to ponder about my situation. Hitmonlee and Navy-Blue both thinks that I'm the murderer because of this cursed toy. There has to be a way out of this mess… There just has to be.

I could only sit and pray for a solution to hit me soon.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I am unsure of how much time has passed. Though I cracked my head for a solution, the only thing that came to me was to show Navy-Blue the toy gun and make him see reason. Then he would realise that I was only trying to save myself and Pichu from the insane Hitmonlee. The best thing that could happen is that Hitmonlee gets locked up for being a danger to the public.

A scream wrings the air, causing me to startle. It came from the hallway which Pichu had run off to, and I recognise the voice as belonging to the rodent. I slap my forehead in frustration – Pichu has once again ignored my advice, and is still lingering around in the factory!

I peek out to ensure that the coast is clear before coming out of my hiding spot. Looking up at the walkway, I see that Navy-Blue is no longer there. Well, if he has woken up and is searching for me, I'd better keep an eye out for him.

Back at the hallway, it didn't take long for me to spot the source of the commotion. Within one of the rooms, Hitmonlee has grabbed Pichu by the ears again, and there are a few circular objects of various colours sticking onto the mouse's body. Are those… Poffins?

"Let me go!" Pichu yells, squirming about.

"You wish," Hitmonlee says, snarling. "I'm handing you and Riolu over to the police. Pretty sneaky, aren't you, hiding in this box over here? I thought for a moment you had escaped outside – I even searched the perimeter and everything. Then I realised that there were no footprints heading out, so I deduced you must still be in here. Now tell me! Where's your idiot friend?"

"You really are a fool if it took you so long to realise that there are no footprints," I say, standing at the doorway. When Hitmonlee turns around, I drop the toy gun to the floor and take a leaf out of Pichu's book, tackling the Hitmonlee as hard as I could. Pichu drops to the floor as the Fighting-type stumbles forward.

Hitmonlee bumps his head hard against the wall, and he wheels around with a growl. Before he could strike at me, Pichu shoots out a Thunder Wave, and Hitmonlee doubles over.

"Real smart," he spits. "So this is all a trap – but I'm not going to let you two have your way that easily!"

Flames engulf his leg, and he launches a Blaze Kick at me. His movements are sluggish though, and I dodge it with ease – it would seem that he has been paralysed. I retaliate with a Force Palm, sending him crashing onto the shelf behind him. Several glass jars topple off and breaks on Hitmonlee. Each of them contained a sticky yellowish substance which I recognise as honey.

Though I find it odd that there is honey in this place, I had no time to ponder over it. Hitmonlee springs back onto his feet, lumbering over towards me. I ready another Force Palm, but Pichu got there first. He whips Hitmonlee as hard as he could with an Iron Tail, knocking our opponent down again.

Hitmonlee then grabs hold of Pichu's throat and squeezes as hard as he could. The sound of Pichu gagging causes me to panic. I look around quickly, and found a steel chair by the table. Taking it with both my paws, I whack Hitmonlee as hard as I could on the head.

I repeat my attack, over and over, not really knowing when to stop. Hitmonlee's grip on Pichu slackens, and the Electric-type manages to pull himself free. Yet, I continue my assault, up and down… up and down…

"Riolu, I think that's enough…"

At Pichu's words, I stop, placing the chair back on the ground. I notice that some honey has stuck onto the chair, along with a streak of red that is Hitmonlee's blood. "Oops," I mutter, staring at the gash on Hitmonlee's head. The Pokémon is out cold.

Pichu and I stare at the fallen Hitmonlee. He is still alive – his chest is heaving up and down slowly. Pichu's lips curl into a smile. "He's knocked out! We actually did it – we defeated Hitmonlee! Well… you did it, actually…"

"Hey, I don't want to get all the credit. You paralysed him, and that was one great Iron Tail as well." I stare at Hitmonlee in disgust. "How did he manage to find you anyway?"

"Well, I was hiding in that box of Poffins over there," Pichu explains, pointing at the corner. "I left the lid open just a crack so that I could get some air, and apparently, Hitmonlee noticed."

I turn to stare at where Pichu is pointing. It is more of a container, long and rectangular. The lid has been left open, and I can see a lot of Poffins placed within. There are also two latches at the side of the container, which I presume are used to lock it up. The container is placed on a factory trolley, the kind which is used to transport several boxes at once.

I suppose it is a fine hiding place for someone Pichu's size, but a larger Pokémon will have very little room to manoeuvre in there.

"Why are there Poffins and honey in this room?" I ask, looking around properly for the first time since I entered the place. It is a rather small compartment, with several more containers like the one Pichu hid in. There are two shelves in all, both of which are decorated with jars of honey. Of course, one of them has been knocked over by Hitmonlee.

"There are actually quite a lot of foodstuffs here," Pichu says. "I think they are used to feed Pokémon who worked here in the past. But trust me, you wouldn't want to eat any of this. I tried nibbling on a Poffin when I was hiding earlier." He makes a face. "It's gone bad."

"Well, okay, let's forget about all that," I reply hurriedly, staring at Hitmonlee once again. "There are more pressing issues to worry about. First, we need to find Navy-Blue, as soon as possible."

"You would think that all the commotion would have attracted his attention," Pichu says.

"Maybe he's in the deeper parts of the factory or something. Anyway, we need to find him and then show him the fake gun," I jerk my head towards the toy on the floor, "so as to clear my name. This is the perfect chance, now that Hitmonlee won't be bothering us for the time being."

Pichu looks worried. "Are you sure Navy-Blue will understand though, that you're not the killer?"

"We have to try, don't we? Look, we're wasting time. I'm telling you, it'll be a lot harder searching for him, and explaining that I'm innocent, if Hitmonlee is awake. We need to move now."

He nods. "I understand. Let's split up, and yell loudly if either of us finds him."

"Good plan. And once one of us has found him, lead him back here, and we'll sort things out." I shake my head, casting a sideward glance at the gun. "This wouldn't have happened if you didn't bring that along."

Pichu looks down at his feet, crestfallen. "I'm sorry…"

I place a paw on his shoulder. "All right, it's no use wishing for what might have been. Let's get going already."

Though still looking a little disheartened, Pichu nods, and we hurry out of the room to begin our search.

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If you consider the fact that Navy-Blue is probably out there searching for us, it's incredibly odd that we've been unable to find him thus far. He isn't walking along the walkways, and neither could he be seen roaming around the ground floor. Pichu has mentioned that he would set off towards a deeper section in the factory, but he has yet to yell for me, meaning that he has had no luck either.

At this rate, Hitmonlee will have awoken, and the wild chase will begin all over again. Fatigued, I sit on the floor, staring at the gun in my paws. So much chaos, all because of a toy.

My eyes scan the walkway again, though I knew it would be useless. For one, there would certainly be a noise if Navy-Blue was walking about up above. Sighing, I stand up and search again.

Though there isn't any sign of Navy-Blue anywhere, something weird caught my eye. On the floor right next to a particularly tall machine, there is what seemed to be a reddish trail of liquid. The liquid has dried somewhat, but the trail definitely appears to have been made very recently.

Careful not to step on it, I follow the line. A sense of foreboding takes over me as it stops at a corner, leading under a large blue tarp. Hesitating slightly, I walk over and lift the tarp to see what is under it.

I immediately take a few steps backward. The body of Navy-Blue, slightly bloody and bruised, lies right in front of me. His eyes are open, staring unseeingly up above. His right foot is twisted at an odd angle, and I'm guessing that it has been broken. The officer has been murdered.

By whom?

"Pichu! PICHU!" I tear my eyes away from the body and turn around, running away from the ghastly sight. "PICHU!"

"Riolu?" Pichu's voice rings out. It seems to be coming from the room where we have left Hitmonlee… Weird, I didn't notice him coming back from the depths of the factory. "Riolu – we have a problem! Come quickly!"

I freeze in my tracks. A problem? Wondering what Pichu meant, I break into a sprint again, dashing as fast as I could back to the room. As expected, Pichu is there, waiting for me. He runs up to me anxiously.

"Riolu, Hitmonlee is gone!"

My head automatically turns to where Hitmonlee was lying previously. Indeed, he is no longer there. "He has awoken? Then… that means… but I didn't see him searching for us… Did you see him anywhere?"

"I didn't either." He tugs on my arm like a frightened child. "Riolu, I don't like this. I'm tired of running. Have you found Navy-Blue yet? Let's find him quickly and go… I want to go back to the Inn…"

At the mention of Navy-Blue, I remembered why I have been so frenetically searching for Pichu in the first place. "Pichu, we gotta get out of here. I found Navy-Blue all right, but he's dead! Someone killed him, Pichu!"

Pichu's eyes widen, and he begins to tremble. "B–but… are… are you sure?"

"I saw it with my own eyes! Think, Pichu! The murderer is inside the factory with us! If we don't get out of here…" I'm unable to utter the next few words, but Pichu got the gist.

"I don't want to die!"

"Then let's go!" I grab his paw. "Quick!"

We dash out of the room together, making our way back to the exit. Pichu keeps looking backwards, as though expecting the murderer to show up all of a sudden. Back in the room where I first entered, I notice that Hitmonlee has broken the door down completely when he had been chasing me earlier.

Pichu is about to run out into the open when I yank him back. "Wait! We… we should cover our footprints as we leave. An officer has been killed – we don't want to leave any indication that we have been here."

"But… what about Hitmonlee? He can testify that we've been in there…"

"Well… we'll worry about that later. Let's just do as I say for now, all right?"

As I stare down at the snow-covered ground outside the door, I found something odd. There are no footprints at all… not even ones which led into the factory. Has it been snowing?

The two of us walk out, with Pichu wiping off the footprints we leave behind. I begin to move towards the front gate, but Pichu suddenly calls out to me. "Riolu… do you think Hitmonlee is waiting for us at the front?"

"What? Why would you think that?"

"Think about it. He's after our blood, and yet, he disappears after waking up. You know as well as I do that he isn't one to give up. Maybe he's waiting for us out there, because he knows that we'll have to exit through the gates eventually."

"I see… I'll just peep around the corner to see."

"No!" Pichu says hurriedly. "He might spot you! And he could be hiding as well, so you wouldn't be able to see him anyway. The moment we walk out of that gate, he'll jump out."

"What do you propose then? Should we just sit here all day and wait for the murderer to get us?"

Pichu shakes his head. "Let's exit through a different way. See the fence there? We'll climb over it, and run off to the graveyard. Then, we'll take an alternative route through the forest back into the city. How about that?"

I consider his suggestion. "Okay, I see no problem with that. Let's go, then."

After making our way to the fence, I toss the toy gun over it to the other side. Pichu hops on to my shoulder before jumping up, grabbing the top of the fence and hoisting himself over. Once he has made it, he reaches a paw down for me. As I leap, I kick the snow behind forcefully so as to destroy the final footprint.

I didn't need to grab his paw after all – I manage to jump high enough to get a hold of the top. Successfully making our way to the other side, I pick up the toy and cast a quick look around our surroundings. There is not a single human or Pokémon in sight.

"Let's go," Pichu says to me.

We walk towards the graveyard, with Pichu continuing to erase our footprints. After a distance away though, we figure that it would be safe to stop doing that. Now, we just need to return to the Inn.

A few minutes passed, and we are back at the spot in the graveyard where we had our battle. I was about to ask Pichu which route we should take back to the Inn when he lets out a gasp. I can sense the immense fear that is suddenly emanating from his being. Quickly, I turn to him. "What is it, Pichu?"

He did not reply. He is staring transfixed at something – I follow his gaze and felt the toy gun slip off my paws as I, too, gasp.

A very familiar-looking trolley has been placed by the huge pile of earth, and I recognise it immediately as the one I have seen in the factory – except there is no container of Poffins above it. As if that alone is not eerie enough, I notice that the grave nearest to it has been filled, whereas all of them were uncovered earlier.

And at the very top of the grave, a rock rests silently on the freshly-turned soil.