Ch.72: A New Warrior is Born! A Journey's Past and Future!

They were way over their attended stay schedule. The team was supposed to stay for the week before heading back on the road. However, with the beating Ella took, she had to rest for a few days. Frankly, it almost felt like she was faking it with how comfortable she was getting lying around in bed. However, they knew better than to accuse her of such.

Still, an extra few days gave them more time to plan for the harsh storms of the Snow Zone, probably the most dangerous zone to trek through unprepared. Gwyn, of course, didn't mind staying longer, as it meant more time to play with Courtney.

With the morning rolling out, the team were getting themselves ready to leave. Ella was hanging out in her guest room, probably still snoozing the day away. As expected, but not discouraged.

Wes finished packing a cooler of food into his bag, then tossed it off the side. "Okay, that should be everything. Everyone else settled?"

Flint zipped up his bag. "Just about."

Tony leaned back into the dining room chair and sighed. "Bummer we have to leave. Not looking forward to the icicles growing on my whiskers."

Gwyn held her mouth and giggled, imagining the funny image of a Dewott covered in icicles. "Hehe! Funny!" She sighed and slumped on the floor. "Do we have to go? I was having so much fun."

Flint patted her head, smiling kindly. "We'll visit Courtney again."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He blushed when Gwyn jumped up and hugged him with her warm, bubbly smile. He smiled once more and returned it with one foreleg.

Griffin had his back to the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "If you ask me, this whole detour has put us a step closer to succeeding in our goal. To think now we know more about the originals."

Wes scratched his cheek. "Yeah, no kidding. I think it's pretty cool. Man, I wish my dad told me more about his old adventures. I've been missing out."

"They usually end with him walking away from flaming campsites." The team turned and faced Willow as she entered the kitchen with a rather saddened Courtney. "Your father just couldn't leave a bandit camp without starting problems. Please do me a favor and don't imitate his less charming habits."

Wes grinned and snickered. "No promises!"

Courtney sniffled and clawed at the floor. "D-Do you all really need to go?"

"Yes, we do," Griffin stated bluntly. "We can't waste our time here forever."

"Oh…" The little Absol looked down sadly.

Gwyn suddenly got teary-eyed, unable to bear the sadness of her little friend. "Oh, you adorable cinnamon bun!" She raced over, scooped her up, and hugged her tightly. "I promise we'll play ALL day when I see you again!" She gasped, then turned towards Flint. "Ooh, can we-?"

"We are NOT taking her with us," Flint stated with a deadpan face.

"Aww…" The two moaned before hugging each other again, crying and staining their fur.

Willow held her face and sighed with a light smile. "Oh my…"

Tony snickered. "Yeah, this'll take a while. Let the emotions run their course." He folded his arms behind his head and rested his eyes.

Wes went to the fridge. "How about I whip us up a big breakfast before we get moving?" He smiled at the crying duo. "Gwyn, Courtney, any suggestions?"

"Waaaaaaaffles!" they cried out.

"You got it!" He opened the fridge and looked for the ingredients.

Flint started shoving Gwyn and Courtney into the other room. "I'll go calm these two down." They didn't even notice they were being pushed away.

Griffin sighed, glad to have some peace returning. He glared upward. "Someone should go wake Ella."

"Allow me, dears," Willow offered, then headed to the upper level. She chuckled as she walked past the living room, hearing Flint try and calm Gwyn and Courtney down. "Oh, these silly little Pokémon…"

After ascending the stairs, she made her way to Ella's room. She reached to open the door, but stopped upon hearing shuffling on the other side. She heard the distinct muttering of her pupil. She wasn't expecting the Espeon to already be awake. She has been sleeping in a lot lately.

Willow smiled, then let herself in. She found the Espeon still in her pajamas as she packed her belongings into her bag. She saw Daybreak laying on the ruffled bedcovers.

Ella dug through her bag and looked through a few clothes, humming to herself. She paused, then smirked. "You know I can sense you, right?"

Willow chuckled and shut the door behind her. "Take all the time you need to pack. One of your teammates aren't as ready to leave as you."

"I can hear the crying from downstairs." Ella laughed behind her paw. "I always figured Gwyn would be great with kids. Then again, I suppose she is still a kid." She waved her paw and brought Daybreak to her side. "Oh, I can already see her and Flint being happy together."

Willow laughed quietly. "Are you actually pairing your friends together?"

"It's too hard to resist." Ella winked at her. "Just call me Mesprit, because I'm going to get those two together."

"Well, aren't you a mischievous romantic," Willow stated through her laughter. She sighed and looked downward. "I have to say, I haven't experienced this much fun in quite some time. It certainly feels like I'm hanging out with my old friends again."

Ella placed her bag on the bed. "I would love to hear more of your adventures. Sad we don't have the time."

Willow shook her head. "Not necessarily. You could always return after your mission and I would be delighted to share in my grand moments of heroism."

Ella smirked. "Provided we survive the shadows."

"I'd hardly worry about it. At the rate you all are going, you should be fine." She glared to the side. "Though…if I have my concerns…"

Ella placed her paw against her shoulder. "If…for some reason we find the Shadow King and he's still inhabiting Alex's body, we'll do everything we can to bring him back. He has spent five years away from you. It's time for him to return to his beloved…and his daughter."

The Absol felt a great warmness filling her chest. She bowed her head and smiled gratefully. "Heh…and you're sure you six can save him?"

"From what it sounds like, Alex was a great man. It would be a dishonor to him as a warrior to kill him after the suffering he went through." Ella closed her eyes. "No one needs to die because of the Shadow King. I'll make sure of it."

Willow turned away and faced the door. "That's a tall order you need to keep, my pupil. Are you sure you can handle the dangers ahead? There may be a time where only you are left standing. How will you fare then?"

Ella glanced down with narrowed eyes. She grunted and shook her head. "I don't know…but I'm certainly not going to run and hide."

Willow smiled, giving a slight nod of her head. "That's a good answer, my pupil. Don't lose your way on your journey." She went for the door.

"Err…before you go…" The Absol stopped and faced her once again. Ella pawed at the floor. "I've…said this hundreds of time already and…you've probably heard enough of me saying it, but…" Ella exhaled, then bowed her head to the Absol and said, "Thank you for training me. It…It means a lot."

Willow blinked, then held her paw up to her mouth. She smiled behind it. "Dearie…what did it feel like?"

"Eh?" she expressed in confusion.

"Your battle with the Cradily. The will of a fighter is most known when they are in the heat of battle. That is when their true spirit is realized. So, I ask again, what did it feel like?"

The Espeon held her head up, then glanced upward to recall her emotions that ran through the tense battle. She certainly felt soreness, though not much of an emotion. There was definite exhilaration to be experienced. Of all her fights, it was the first one where she had to give it her all, and even beyond that. She felt different from how she fought the last time. She had greater power in her psychic abilities. Far more than anything she ever outputted, without critically injuring herself in the end.

She held her paw over her heart, then smiled with her eyes closed. "Heh…it felt like I was living the dream. I see why Wes and the others love this so much. Despite the pain that follows, a well-earned fight has high rewards." She held up Daybreak. "I've always had an interest in fighting. Just never found the time to. I regret never learning sooner."

Willow nodded. "I expect great things from you, my pupil. Do your team well. Fight by their side with all your strength. A team works well when as a unit. The strength of the individual working as one can overpower most, if not all, obstacles."

Ella nodded. "I understand."

The Absol rested her paw atop of Ella's shoulder. "And one other thing before you go." She glanced over her shoulder, then faced her again. "Please try and talk to your parents when you get the chance. From how you speak of them, I can tell they aren't horrible people. Don't make the mistake of driving them away. Family is very important…I should know."

Ella's ears drooped against her head. Still not a subject she wanted to cover, but…she didn't want to disappoint her teacher. She sighed and rubbed her foreleg. "I'll…get to it when I can. No promises, though. They can be real pains, especially my mother."

"Have more confidence in yourself. You've proven your strength," Willow praised before heading to the door.

Ella smiled as the door shut. "…Right." She breathed out, then resumed digging through her clothes.

Noon had come around the corner. Willow was with the treasure hunters, with Ella still absent, and insisting for them to stay for lunch. "I can't possibly allow myself to let you all go without something to eat."

Flint waved it off. "We appreciate the offer, but we've overstayed our welcome. We'll just grab takeout or something on our way out."

"I'm not paying for it!" Wes complained. "Ella would've costed me a fortune if I didn't stop her!" Flint chuckled along with Gwyn and Tony.

Gwyn was doing remarkably better, having been comforted over the prospect of leaving her new friend. Speaking of which, Courtney was beside her mother and bounced on her feet. "Please, please, please visit soon, Gwyn!" she pleaded with shimmering eyes. "I'll miss you!"

"I'll miss you, too, you adorable cinnamon bun!" Gwyn exclaimed, eyes watering again. "Oh no…Flint, the waterworks are starting again!" She threw herself into his mane to hide her tears.

"Gwyn, I'm not a…!" He sighed and patted her back. "Take your time…"

Tony snickered, then kneeled down and patted Courtney's head. "You stay out of trouble, squirt. Be good to your mom, too."

She wagged her tail happily and nodded. "I will! Promise!"

Willow laughed behind her paw, then faced the group. "I can't thank you all enough for what you've done."

Griffin raised his brow. "What did we do?"

Willow closed her eyes and smiled sadly. "For so long, I wasn't so sure of where the future would take me. I lost my way and the path I loved to journey most." She wiped at her eye. "I won't be going on adventures any time soon, but maybe it's time I start training more often. It won't be the same, but I certainly felt happy doing what I loved."

As Gwyn pulled herself off of Flint, the Flareon smiled at the Absol. "We're glad we could help. You deserve a peaceful life after everything you went through."

Willow nodded, then patted Courtney's head, who giggled and leaned into the paw. "Both of us do." She narrowed her eyes seriously. "Remember to keep on your toes when you find the Shadow King. He's a dangerous opponent. Far stronger than any I've faced. And once he regains his full power…"

Wes shook his head. "That won't happen. We'll find and beat him before then. And we'll separate him from Alex so you two can be with each other again."

Willow smiled gratefully, feeling tears at her eyes. "I would love that…"

The backdoors slid open. "Sorry to keep you all waiting, but this Espeon needs to look her best."

They all turned to the female Eeveelution as she stepped out, but then were taken by surprise by her appearance. No longer was she wearing her regular clothes. She stepped out wearing a thin, long-sleeved, black shirt, a violet puffer vest, and jeans that were darker than her previous pair. Daybreak was strapped to the back of her vest, hanging in the attached sling she added. Around her neck was a red bandana, the same one she wore over her forehead during training.

She rubbed the back of her head and winked with light smirk. "Don't be shy! Compliment my beauty and style!"

Tony grinned, then gave a thumbs up. "Dang, Lilac! Looking good!"

Flint sighed with a tired smile. "You kept us waiting to try on new clothes?"

"New me, new outfit." She stepped up and poked him in the nose. "You should try it sometime. Though, you do rock the sweater vest."

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Gwyn squealed, bouncing around Ella. "You look so cool!" She ran her hands over the vest. "Oooh~! So smooth~!"

Griffin facepalmed and turned away. "Good grief…"

Ella smirked at the Grovyle. "You know I look good!"

"I'm not dignifying that with a response…"

She rolled her eyes, then directed her smirk over to Wes. "Got anything to say, Rings?"

Wes had been staring blankly at the Espeon ever since she came out. Once she addressed him, he shook his head and smiled. "Oh! Yeah, it looks great on you! Really suits you!" He pulled one the brim of his hat and glanced away.

Ella waved her paw around. "I actually got these before the shadows showed up. I figured with all the training, I needed something more appropriate for battle. Plus…" She pinched the fabric on her vest. "This is pretty durable material. I shouldn't have to worry too much about it getting ripped up." She scratched at her ear. There were still some light patches of burnt fur, but they were far less noticeable than before. "I'll have to get the rest of this cleaned up soon. I wonder what the cold in the Snow Zone will do to my fur."

Willow closed her eyes. "The Snow Zone is incredibly hostile land to trek through. Only experienced travelers and those adapted to the cold can make it through the treacherous winds unscathed. I advise caution when you reach the border."

Wes brought his attention back to the conversation. "We have everything we need to make the journey. Still…" He reached into his bag and pulled out the map. "My main concern is which key we should go to first. Key of Metal or Key of Power."

Griffin glanced at Willow. "You've met the mages, right? Mind telling us which ones we should be looking out for?"

Willow held her chin. "Not much to offer. I think the Key of Metal is being guarded by someone named Margo, but she's fairly new from what I last heard. Benedict, on the other hand…" She stopped talking and looked to the ground.

Tony held his hips. "Ominous silence? Yeeeeah, don't like the sound of that."

Willow gritted her teeth into a smile. "Heh…I'll say this much. You can't take him lightly. At all. Benedict protects the Key of Power and he's been at it for quite some time."

Flint tapped his chin. "Wait…the Mage of Power is supposed to be the fourth strongest of the mages, right?" He looked at the others. "We've had a hard time dealing with the last four."

Tony glared. "And we only got the key from my old man as a pity prize."

"I like to think of it as a reward for the inevitable victory!" Gwyn cheered.

"Point is, we're getting closer to the real fights now." The Dewott crossed his arms and faced his teammates. "And we still don't know what to expect from this Margo character."

Griffin crossed his arms as well. "Not exactly the best choices, but we got this far just following the map."

Wes sighed and stuffed the map away. "I'll just decide once we reach a branch in the paths."

Ella nodded. "Better than nothing." She faced Willow, then showed her a grateful smile. "Thank you again for your teachings. I promise I'll train my hardest and become the perfect student."

Willow grinned. "You show great promise. I know you won't disappoint."

Ella smiled, then held her forelegs open. "Um…may I?"

She chuckled, then waved her forward. "By all means." Ella leaned forward and hugged her teacher, which she graciously returned. "It's nice…seeing a student I didn't ask for growing into a fine warrior like yourself. You still have a lot to accomplish, but nothing's impossible down your road. Take good care of yourself, sweetheart."

Ella nodded, then pulled away. "And you live well. Maybe someday, you can go out on one big adventure again."

Willow chuckled and pushed her gently. "Heh…we'll see. Now get going. You've got a lot of walking to do."

Ella snickered and backed away. "Of course." She bent down and waved to Courtney. "Bye, sweetie."

"Bye-bye, everyone!" Courtney shouted, bouncing on her feet.

The team turned away and, after giving a firm nod to each other, proceeded out of the backyard. They waved to the small family before making their way out from around the shop. Once they were out of sight, Ella heaved a deep, almost saddened sigh.

Gwyn patted her back. "You don't want to leave, too?"

Ella grinned weakly at her. "Guess I had more fun than I thought. Through all the bruising, aching, and sores, I enjoyed my time here." She smiled at her teammates. "Thanks for supporting me all the way through, guys. I really appreciate it."

Wes grinned over his shoulder. "No problem! We're just happy you got your mojo back."

She smirked and gave a hearty flick with her tail. "Ha! Better than ever! I can't wait to teach those condescending spooks some respect!" She scratched her cheek. "Now I just need to improve my abilities. I really, really want to know how to teleport."

Tony slid his hands into his pockets. "Anything you can do?"

'Hmm, I can do this.' The group jumped in surprise. Ella snickered behind her paw. 'Oh, I'm going to have so much fun using this on you guys.'

Griffin glared. 'You are forbidden from reading any of my thoughts.'

'I wouldn't recommend reading mine,' Tony thought with an impish grin.

Ella immediately stopped and groaned. "Weirdo…" Tony just laughed it off.

Wes clapped his paws, gathering their attention. "Alright, alright, enough chatter. Let's grab some lunch for to go, then get a move on. We're not stopping until it gets dark."

Ella winked and saluted him. "Right-o, captain! So, who's paying?"

"You," he answered with a faint smirk as he walked off.

She showed a deadpan grin and followed behind. "Heh…excuse me? I don't think I heard that right."

The other four just looked at each other and sighed, already hearing the inevitable arguing/banter kicking up. Here we go again…

A few hours rolled by after Team Ravenfield's departure. As usual, business in Willow's shop was pretty slow and manageable. She almost forgot what it felt like to run a full shift without the help. She much enjoyed the free time, even if it was spent training her pupil.

She crossed her forelegs over the counter and laid her head in them. She watched Courtney race around the store, restocking the racks and shelves. She giggled under her breath when the little Absol tried to place the wooden staffs in a container before slipping and rolling onto her back.

"Absol down! I repeat, Absol down!" she squeaked.

Willow stepped out from the counter and walked over to her. "Alright, my hard worker, I think it's time to close up for the night."

Courtney rolled over and stood up. "What are we having for dinner, Momma?"

A good question, she had to admit. She wasn't in any particular mood to cook, so… "Hmm…how about we eat out instead?"

Courtney gasped. "Really?!" she asked with sparkling eyes.

She ruffled her head. "A treat for being a good girl."

"But we hardly ever go out for dinner," she reminded.

"Yes, well…I want to try something new." She picked her daughter up and kissed her cheek. "I've only ever worked and played it safe. In fact, I'm closing down the shop tomorrow so we can spend the whole day together."

That got the little one wiggling with excitement. "Really?! So cool!"

She chuckled and nuzzled her face. "Alright, you little rascal, go get cleaned up. We're leaving in ten."

"Yes, Momma!" She wiggled from her grasp and scampered up the stairs, cheering all the way up. "Woohoo! YAY!"

Willow sighed with a light chuckle coming afterward. "She really is a cinnamon bun…" She scratched at her chest, then looked down at the ground.

Her mind couldn't stop replaying the promise Team Ravenfield made about rescuing Alex from his suffering. She wondered what he was going through, trapped in his own body and unable to act on his own accord. She wondered if he was even aware of the time that passed. She dreaded the idea that he was long gone. The Shadow King could have easily found a new body and left Alex to die.

However, while these dreaded thoughts flooded her mind, there was one thing keeping hope in her heart: this new age of Team Ravenfield. She had to have faith that Alex was still out there somewhere, and that those six will save him. She could either spend her days once again crying over her lost love or find the strength to wait and hope.

And right now, she couldn't afford not to hope now.

She eased the tension in her muscles, slumping in her stance. She lowered her head, then chuckled quietly. "If they're anything like us…maybe there's nothing to fear after all…"

"Good grief…" Morgan groaned as he, Willow, Ava, and Clara stood on top of a rocky hill. "Can't they just wait for us before they start up trouble?"

They were looking over a scorched camp, with bandits running amuck and shooting at two invaders, who seemed to have them all outmatched. Magical beams flying and bandits being punched into the air. It was a brutal mess of warfare, though completely one-sided.

Morgan wore a black duster jacket, pants, and shoes, while holding a flask in one hand. Clara stood by him, wearing a coat that held all her chemicals and sprayer, along with a vibrant green skirt and red shirt under the jacket. Ava wore a blue mage rope that went a little down her waist, with gray pants. Finally, Willow was seen in her armor with a long sleeved gray shirt and black pants. She had her sword sheathed on her back.

Ava closed her eyes and smiled. "Are you really that surprised? The second we got word about their camp, those two bolted off before they could finish their lunch."

Morgan groaned, then took a swig of his flask. He wiped his mouth and said, "I'm more pissed they ditched us. They want to hog all the fun to themselves."

Clara scratched behind her head. "Then why aren't you running in after them?"

"Let me enjoy my whiskey first," he said, sipping his flask once more. "Ah…that's the good stuff."

Willow smirked, scratching up the ground as she dug her claws in. "You take your time, but I'm not letting Alex one-up me without a fight!" She backed up, then raced off the hill, leaping into the air and sliding along the steep hillside.

Morgan groaned and put his flask away before jumped after her, hands in his jacket pockets. "Hey! I want to knock some skulls, too!"

The two remaining females glanced at each other before Ava went, "Eh, can't beat them, join them." She jumped off and materialized two sword constructs before running down the mountain.

With Clara left, she watched them descend before sighing. "Show offs…" She reached into her coat and pulled out her spray gun.

Down below, dozens of bandits were trying to push back the two invaders, but were pushed back by their superior strength. One such individual was Alex, dressed in a gray, tattered cloak that gave the appearance of a phantom. Not much of his face could be seen, but he wore red, long-sleeved, buttoned shirt and jeans. He wore golden gauntlets that seemed to glow in the light.

Alex smirked and spun on his heel just as a Granbull got close. "Now you see me…" The Granbull slashed with his sword, but hit the afterimage of the brawler, who appeared right behind him. "Now you have a concussion!" He slammed his fist right into the side of his head and sent him soaring towards his ally.

Garret wore a black jacket, brown cargo pants, and a white shirt. He had aviator goggles strapped over his eyes and his signature black fedora. He saw the flying bandit and threw his palm up. A white portal opened up that swallowed the bandit, then opened up in front of another bandit and knocked him down.

"Are you trying to knock me out just so you have the higher count?" Garret asked teasingly. "That's very unsportsmanlike of you."

Alex leaped over a charging Rhydon and kicked him in the back of the neck. "Of course not! I would never do such a thing," Alex insisted, though Garret could see the cocky smirk even under his hood.

Garret smirked back. "Suuuure…" He glared at five approaching bandits, then got into position. "So, which one of you wants it first-?" The bandits were suddenly thrown into the air by a 'telekinetic' force. Garret, however, could see the strings attached to the back of them. He smirked. "Come on, Morgan!"

Morgan glided through the air, or more so hopped along the string attached in the air. "You're the idiot who ditched us!" He gripped on the string he created and flung the five right into the ground before landing. "Consider that us being even."

"RAWR!" went a Lucario as he tried to slice the Hypno in the shoulder.

Morgan, without even looking or moving a muscle, slashed the sword to pieces with the fast and near invisible thread around him. The Lucario tried to punch him, but he caught his fist between his index finger and thumb. "Nice try." The Lucario screamed as slashes went up his arm before stopping at the shoulder. He collapsed to the ground from the pain.

Six bandits pulled back on their bows and fired flaming arrows at the Hypno. He would've cut them down, but they stopped in a telekinetic field. Ava stepped up, a third eye of psychic energy blazing over her forehead. She grinned. "You seemed to have dropped these." She clenched her fist and crushed the arrows up. "You can have them back." With a flick of her finger, she sent the debris flying at high speeds.

The bandits screamed and ducked for cover. The makeshift bullets cut through their stone cover like drills. Very, very strong drills.

Ava spun her swords and slashed across the ground. The ground uplifted violently and threw many of the bandits, active or not, all around. Her third eye dart to the right, signaling her to dodge arrows flying from behind.

One of the bandits, a Wingull, squawked angrily at the invaders. "You'll pay for your intrusion, Team Ravenfield! Don't think we didn't account for our eventual encounter!"

The loudmouthed bird then heard bodies dropping to the ground. Hesitantly, he turned his head and saw the fallen bandits lying unconscious with slash marks across their backs. Before he could fly off in a panic, a paw slammed down on his back and pinned him.

"I would love to see what you have planned, because this is just pathetic." He glared up at the Absol, who showed off her toothy grin. "Hello."

Alex held one guy by the collar before acknowledging the sword wielder. "Nice moves, Willow. Not as impressive as me, but…"

She smirked. "Just wait until I'm done warming up."

Alex laughed, then slammed the bandit into a charging group. He lunged forward with his fists pulled back. "Fading Barrage Stance!" He vanished from sight, then sent a barrage of fists into a crowd of bandits before they could register his presence.

A Gengar tried to escape through the air, but was caught in a net of thread overhead. The net wrapped over his body before bringing and slamming him down into the ground. Morgan retracted the threads, then dodged a fast kick from a Hitmonlee. Morgan spun on his heel and slammed his foot into the kicker's chest.

"That's two broken ribs and a cracked sternum," he stated, lowering his foot.

Garret dodged attacks and kicked bandits unconscious. "Mystic Beam!" He charged a white orb of magic and fired into the ground, sending out a splash wave that caught all the bandits in his general vicinity. He landed and pulled on his hat. "Phew…that the last of them?"

Willow felt a disturbance and spun around, blocking a large sword with her own. "Not quite!" she grunted.

A Swampert, who was absolutely pissed, pushed down on her with his far larger broadsword. "Team Ravenfield…the bane of the entire criminal underworld. You've made a grave mistake making enemies out of us." He pushed down harder, sinking Willow into the ground. "I will defeat you and take your heads as trophies."

Willow, not the least bit concerned by her predicament, showed disgust at the threat. "What is with you people and trying to be as vile and revolting as possible? Whatever happened to killing us and taking a weapon or something?"

"Silence!" He brought his sword up to swing it down with greater force. Willow's sword, for as small and thin as it was compared to his, held up effortlessly. "Watch as your teammates gawk in horror, knowing they are powerless to defeat me!"

Her 'horrified' teammates merely watched in apathy. Ava held her hip. "Yeeeah, we're not worried in the slightest."

Swampert took offense to this. "You dare mock me?!"

Morgan pulled out his flask. "Well, that and we're distracting you."

"From what?"

"There's only five of us present…now there are six."

Swampert was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled into the air. Something slimy and mossy clutched around his waist and it had a repugnant odor. "What the fu-?!" He felt hot breath breathe down on him. "Oh no…"

Looming over him and holding him captive was a giant plant monster. Snake like in body, with dozens of tentacles wiggling their sharp tips at the captured mudpuppy. Standing atop its head was Clara, who had her sprayer under her arm while she was…taking notes.

"My growth formula seems to have taken ten seconds longer than my original estimates. Thankfully, the mutation serum worked as intended." She whiffed the odor of the beast. "Hmm…reminiscent of the swamp with a twinge of poisonous gas."

"Poisonous what?!" Swampert screamed.

"Do not fret, it is a mild irritant at best." Clara spun her pencil, then tapped it against the clipboard. "Responds to commands fairly well…though it seems to have developed the sensation for hunger."

Swampert paled upon noticing the plant monster looked like its mouth was dripping with that foul-smelling scent. He looked down at the other treasure hunters and screamed, "You're not going to let her kill me, are you?!"

Garret shouted back, "Turn yourself in and we'll call her off!"

"Never!" He pulled out a crossbow and aimed it at Clara. "Release me, vile woman!" He shot an arrow.

Clara moved her head out of the way, but got nicked in the cheek. She blinked slowly, silent for but a moment, then sighed. Eyes closed, she said, "Oh dear…now that was uncalled for." She wiped her lightly bleeding cheek, then glared at her captive.

He took immediate notice that they were red and…almost insane looking. "What are you-?!"

"Change of plans," she interrupted. "Chew him up."

Wasting no time, the monster threw the Swampert into its mouth and closed down. Muffled screaming blared from the inside, followed by punching and kicking as the monster chewed on its prey.

Clara held up her sprayer and laughed manically. "Be sure to give me a full report on my monster's effectiveness! It's so hard to find willing test subjects these days!"

Willow raced up the monster's back and came to her friend's side. Gently, she reached over and shook her by the shoulder. "Clara, honey, that's enough! Come back to reality, sister! Stop with the crazy eyes!"

Clara glared at her, then her gaze softened. She shook herself awake before she went too deep into her delusions. "Oh my…" She bent down and tapped on the monster's head. "Okay, that's enough! Spit him out, now!"

Reluctantly, the plant monster spat the Swampert onto the ground, right in front of the rest of Team Ravenfield. He was covered in slime with light burns on his skin. He was twitching with wide eyes and shrunken pupils.

"All I could see was darkness…" Clara and Willow jumped down, the former scaring the crap out of the mudpuppy from presence alone. He hid behind Morgan and clutched his shoulders. "Take me to jail, please! Keep that madwoman away from-!"

BONK!

Morgan slammed the back of his fist into the bandit's face and knocked him out cold. "Don't touch me." He sipped on his flask and looked up at the monster. "Not bad, Clara. Thinking of making exploding drones next?"

Clara hummed in intrigued, then jotted it down on her clipboard. "Now I am."

Garret looked around at the downed bodies, then grinned at his teammates. "Well, I say this was a successful hunt." He pulled out the wanted poster he had on him. "These guys stole well over millions in valuables."

Alex pointed at what remained of their camp. "They're keeping the stolen items stashed over there. Most of them, at least. They should have an outpost to turn back to. That must be where they're keeping the rest."

Ava bowed. "I shall take to reading their minds for information."

"Aww," Clara groaned, "but I wanted to test out my truth telling potion." She held it up. "Please~? Just this once~?" she begged with big, shimmering eyes.

Ava held her hip and smirked. "What did we say about experimenting on the criminals?"

"It won't poison them…much!" Clara bonked herself on the head. "Okay, maybe a mild stomach ache, but that's it, I swear!" She pressed her hands together. "Come on! I need this! I'll be working to get my official license soon! I'm so close to being a full-fledged Potion Master!"

Willow sheathed her sword and chuckled. "Oh, let her have her fun. Better than feeding someone to a monster."

Clara deadpanned at her. "You're not going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Nope!"

Morgan closed his eyes, then grinned. "Eh, let her. You and Clara can interrogate the bandits while the rest of us get to packing up the stolen loot."

Ava sighed. "Oh, very well."

"Yay!" Clara cheered, bouncing on her toes.

They split off to do their assigned tasks. Alex walked beside Willow and nudged her in the side. "Hardly what I call an effective demonstration of your talents. These wimps weren't worth your time."

Willow hid her smirk behind her paw. "On the contrary, they went down far too easily to your well-placed punches. I'd say you deserved stronger opponents. If only they were a quarter of my skill level, they might actually match you."

"Only a quarter?" You trying to say something?" he asked, poking her in the cheek.

"I am clearly the strongest," Willow boasted.

"Cute, but you're no martial artist. You couldn't take me without your sword."

"Is that a challenge I smell?"

"I believe it is!"

Morgan smirked over his shoulder. "Save the flirting for later. We've got work to do."

Their faces lit up red with bright blushes. "W-We're not flirting!" they insisted in denial.

Garret didn't bother containing his laughter. "You two are cute, you know that?"

Alex stamped his foot down and waved his fist at Garret. "Say that again and I'll punch you into the Desert Zone!"

The Jolteon stuck his tongue out. "What? It's a compliment."

"You lousy Jolteon!" Alex chased after him, with their team leader laughing and merrily skipping to flee the cloaked brawler.

Morgan and Willow sweat-dropped with awkward smiles. "Annnd…looks like we're doing the heavy lifting again."

Willow chuckled, her cheeks still blooming with red. "Heh…well, Garret's not wrong. Alex is pretty cute."

"Momma!"

Willow snapped out of her daydreams and looked to the front door. Courtney was bouncing around like she was high on sugar and caffeine. "Hurry UP! My little stomach is getting emptier by the second!"

"Uh…" Willow shook her head, then laughed. "Alright, alright, you impatient little glutton." She walked up to the door and picked Courtney up. "Here you go." She set her on top of her back.

"Yay! I'm taller again!" Courtney cheered.

Willow chuckled. "Yes, yes you are." The two Absol left their family shop and made their way down the hill.

Rubia was dragged through the hallway, carried by a Simisage and Jynx. She was battered and bruised, but not from the injuries of battle. This was her punishment from Nightmare. And now she had to face Aeternus.

They entered his chamber before throwing the Cradily to the ground. She stood up, then came into eye contact with the mad clown himself. He had that crazy smirk everyone feared. "You failed."

Rubia jumped back. "Lord Aeternus, sir! It was a miscalculation! It won't happen aga-!"

"You failed…normally, I'd let it off with a warning. I'm generous like that." His crazy grin fell into a disappointed frown. "That is, if you were fighting anyone other than that weakling. The chipper Mew, that magically gifted Umbreon, even that fool of a Flareon…but you lost to the Espeon."

Rubia shivered under his glare. "L-L-Lord Aeternus, please understand, I merely underestimated the Espeon! It won't happen again, I swea-AAHH!" She doubled over after Aeternus shot her with a finger beam.

His extended index finger blazed with a faint magical essence. "What use is a pawn if it won't handle the simplest job?" He fired into the Cradily, filling her with holes that regenerated. He smirked. "At least they make for good torture, am I right?" He fired relentlessly on her.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Rubia screamed. Everywhere was inflicted with unimaginable pain. One beam even went straight through her eye. She squirmed and convulsed on the ground while Aeternus went about his fun, laughing like the maniac he was.

"It seems I need to make more improvements! No matter! I have all the time in the world!" He stopped firing on her, but bent down and grabbed her by the face. "I'll take what I can and use it to improve my research. I will create the perfect army worthy of my king." He smirked and lifted her in the air. "Kehehehehe…don't feel scared. Your sacrifice will pave the way to a better future."

Rubia's eyes shrank. "Lord Aeternus, please! I'll kill them next time, I promise!"

"I'll remember that." His smirk grew. "Farewell Oblivion."

Rubia screamed as his magic spread across her face. Petrified in fear of the inevitable, all she could do was beg and scream for forgiveness. An agonizing minute of the destructive particle magic stretching over her entire form, before ending at her feet. In a single flash, her body turned pale yellow and coarse.

Aeternus chuckled as the body fell apart into a pile of dust before his feet. "Oh, I'll remember that…but for now, you can enjoy your time in the afterlife to reflect on your failure." He snapped his fingers. "Edwin, clean up her remains."

The Simisage bowed and came over with a dust pan and a cylinder container. "Another pile of Life Particles for the collection." He swept them into the pan and dumped it in the container.

"As usual, your manners of execution are as vile as your soul." Aeternus smirked as Nightmare rose up from the darkness behind him. "What do you plan to do with these…Life Particles, they were called?"

"They have their uses for experiments, but that'll come soon. I just need the right motivation." He faced the Being of Nightmares. "So, apparently my creation couldn't handle the Espeon? Am I losing my touch?"

Nightmare glared. "It seems unreal to assume that measly Espeon could match the likes of your creations. Last we check, the one once known as Lithia-"

"-was incinerated by the Grovyle, based off her burns." Aeternus tapped his index fingers together. "Hmm…perhaps I should be paying more attention to her. At any rate, we won't see a mistake like this again. We're meeting the end of our revival formula's completion. The Shadow King has waited long enough to be revived from his self-entrapment."

"Glad you agree." The two turned to the chamber entrance, where Callista was standing by with Reuben and a female Heliolisk with dark circles under her eyes. The Dark Medium of Callista's coven. The Ariados stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "We have exciting news to share."

Reuben stepped forward as well, hands behind his back and head held high. "I am pleased to inform you that I've gathered all the materials needed to perform the surgery. Everything necessary to turn the Shadow King's vessel into the perfect weapon."

The Heliolisk narrowed her eyes. "I predict good fortune from these events. Once the king is back in his rightful stature, I shall provide assistance to ensure total success."

Aeternus grinned. "Kehehehehe! Just what I wanted to hear!" He clenched his fists. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to move ahead of schedule! We've got everything ready!" He glared. "There's just a few loose ends to tie up first. I've already sent my minions to handle the job. They shouldn't have any trouble with it."

Callista clicked her mandibles excitedly. "Oh, but that's far from the only good news."

"Ooh hoo! You need to stop spoiling me!" Aeternus snickered. "What is it?"

She glanced at her medium. "Chantal, reveal your recent discovery."

The Heliolisk nodded. "Yes, coven leader. I've been tapping into the dark forces of the underworld to extend the reach of my vision. I've been scouring all of Mysto, searching through the lifeforms, using the material that my gracious coven leader provided me."

Aeternus raised his brow. "I don't get it." Callista reached under her cloak and threw out a metal object in front of his feet. Old memories came back to him in an instant, legitimately shocking him. "You didn't…"

Chantal narrowed her eyes. "He is on the move in Mysto. I couldn't probe his mind, but I could feel his presence. Once I establish an exact location, he has nowhere else to run."

The Mr. Mime picked up the metal object, running his hand against the side. His shock faded immediately, reforming into the cackling demeanor he was known for. "Oh…you poor fool…"

A silver mask, dented and scratched up. It brought back delightful memories tainted with betrayal. He could never look at that masked face the same ever again. It was all he ever saw from the betrayer.

"Did you think you could escape us forever, Wendrake?"