A Promise Between Worlds

by CrafterofTales

When Emma's life hangs by a thread, a mysterious entity offers her a chance to free her family from the Demon World. The price: she must participate in a competition between people from several worlds, and enter numerous events for the promised wish. Meeting those of other-worldly abilities, she is a child not only relying on smarts and tenacity, but her heart as well.

10. Morning Shadowed by Midnight

Chapter 10: Morning Shadowed by Midnight

It was as they suspected. The mountain ceiling faded from a strange hue of mixed pink-yellow and orange emitted from the embedded Sun Stones, like the colors of a setting sun, into a darker color of bluish-purple and black. A reflection to the state of the changing sky outside this place in matching hours. Fireflies poked out from their hiding spots, dazzling little dots of diamond rocks glowed from the ceiling as if they were stars, and all of Beast Valley was overlay with the substance of night.

Unseen beasts howled throughout the canyons, a faint rumble from heavy footsteps of several faraway creatures. At this time, it would be considered too dangerous to hunt. Who knows what other savage monster they might come across, with the bleak darkness a disadvantage, and many dangerous unknown of unprecedented strength that lurk in the deep wilderness.

It was certainly a matter of discussion, but ultimately, the children agreed that they shall rest for the night. They have had quite the trek all day with only minimal sleep these last few days. Rather than push themselves too far, they should restore their stamina while it was still possible, and make the most efforts for tomorrow. So they retreat to their hidden base, where their befriended little creatures eagerly awaited for their arrival.

In the secret garden lived by the little infant-like monsters, the Pokemons cutely calls in cheer at the group's eventual return as night has taken over the kingdom valley of monsters.

"Hi everyone! We're back!" Emma knelt down and caught the Eevee that pounced into her arms, cuddling the little brown fox in a hug. The Growlithe was thrilled to see Gon once again, clearly having been attached to the young Hunter. The Shinx rubbed its blue and black fur against Killua's leg, a trickling sensation from its body as if dripping with static. The young Assassin patted the head of the Shinx, a small smile on his pale face.

All of the other little Pokemons huddled around the children in welcoming embrace. The children honestly could not keep up, nor prevent themselves from being overwhelmed. A laugh escapes Emma and Gon as so many of them wanted attention and to be picked up.

Garou watched the fuzzy crowd surround the three youngsters. He felt a clenching pinch around his ankle and looked down, "Oh. Here you are."

The Poochyena's teeth clutches his ankle with dark paws holding down his foot, as a dog would to a bone. Garou lightly shook his foot, "I'm not a chew toy, you little mutt."

The Poochyena stubbornly held on and dangled softly at his gentle shake, a proud smile on its adorably rascal of a pup face as it lets out a bark through its teeth. Garou smirked.

Emma noticed a little Chikorita walking towards her, a small fruit it held in its mouth by the green stem. "Huh? What's this?"

She accepted the gift and examined it. It looked like a light-red cherry with a long green tail of a stem. When she looks back at the Chikorita, she finds the other Pokemon bringing more berries of different colors and shapes, offering them to her and her friends. A Cyndaquil bringing a small, blue foot-ball shaped berry. An Oshawott bringing an oddly spiky orange berry. A Treeko carrying a rather large, watermelon-like berry, and so on.

"They're giving us some of their food," Gon understood at once. "I guess they figured we must be hungry."

Now that he brought it up, Emma did felt peckish. The food she had for breakfast was light - a simple eating of the cooked meat and rice given by the Kijin clan, and completely missed lunch. After their battle and survival against the Demon-Devil Serpent, it certainly has stir up an appetite, as strange as that is after such a terrifying experience.

A little flash of a small fire suddenly appeared at the center of the clearing. They finally looked to notice a small patch of several wooden sticks and leaves, surrounded by small round rocks, at the center of the field. A Charmander had just lit the stick and leaves with a fire it coughed out from its mouth. At another part of the field, a Chimchar was also lighting up a campfire, and at another place, a Torchic was doing just the same.

A warm glow filled the area and ridding the cold night air. They witnessed as one of the creatures, a Totodile, brings forth some more sticks, assisted by a Fennekin and a Popplio that each were carrying the unique berries, and watched as the Totodile sets down the sticks it collected, picks up one and a berry from the Fennekin's mouth, and jabs the berry into the pointy end of the stick, then setting it by the fire to cook.

Emma and Killua stared in mild awe. These Pokemons has quite a level of intelligence for them to know how to make a campfire and cook, it was an especially wonderful sight for Emma to see the harmonious community these creatures were living together in, reminding her of the peaceful times at Gracefield with her whole family.

Killua felt his hand being pulled and looks down. A joined effort of a Minun and a Plusle, one standing on top of the other, tugging Killua's hand in ushering to come along. The same was done to Emma by a Scorbunny, pointing at one of the campsites that the other Pokemons were starting to gather with their nature-granted appliance and several berries being piled.

A Froakie climbed over Gon's shoulder, ribbit-like noise in its throat. Gon rubbed the Froakie's blue cheeks, translating the purpose of their insisting actions, "They're inviting us to eat with them."

Emma allowed herself to be pulled along by the open-smiling Scorbunny, accompanied by a Buneary, and joined the other Pokemons that were beginning to sit around the campfire as Gon and Killua followed along with their own little critter friends to lead them. Garou held the Poochyena in his arm and watched as the children joined the seated Pokemons, and felt a pressure against his calves.

It was a blue and black dog-sort of creature, standing on two legs with black paw-arms pushing against his calves, trying to push him to move as if he were a heavy statue. "Oh? You want me along too?" Garou asked.

He had noticed this particular Riolu had been observing him and the children ever since they first arrived at this secret garden of theirs. A cautious personality, but seem to adjust to their presence soon enough. This was the first time the Riolu had approached Garou, as the rest of the Pokemons, apart from the biting Poochyena, found the children to be more approachable than himself. A keen interest in the Riolu's eyes for the silver-haired fighter, and he could tell at a glance that this little monster was a fighter as well.

The Riolu resumed its push against his unmoving form, its message clear. The Poochyena relented its biting of his unharmed ankle and started tugging his pants in a gesture of invite.

"Garou! Come sit over here!"

Emma waved at him with a spot saved for his attendance by one of the campfires. A moment of thought kept Garou as the Riolu awaited his response and the Poochyena persisting its tug.

A single shrug from his shoulders, he walked to the gathering. He was feeling hungry anyway.

All have gathered at each their own individual fire, berries being toasted and even smashed by a Geodude to make jams to spread upon the rich lettuce-like leaves. Killua was about to eat from his lunchbox when Gon patted him by the arm, his pointed look towards Emma and Garou.

With the lunchbox on her lap, and a pile of berries and fruits in front of his crossed legs, Emma and Garou had their eyes closed and their hands pressed together in a prayer, giving gratitude for the meal before they should dine in.

Gon and Killua waited out of politeness, though Killua confessed to himself that he never took Garou to be the sort of person that showed a sort of etiquette at the table - if there were any here.

"Thank you for the meal," Emma said in a closing prayer, Garou finished likewise, and they all began to eat.

The berries were delightful treats, each of different shapes vary in flavors. From sweet, bitter, spicy, etc. Emma enjoyed the taste of these exotic fruits as her little monster companions lay beside her in eating their favored berries.

"You know, I've been thinking," Emma said to Gon and Killua who sat beside her. "I'm not sure if I could change the star I got back into a scale, or with any of the stars I have. If I could, I might be able to break it into two more pieces for you and Killua. I also still have that tar-glue I can put on my arrows, so whatever monster we find next, I could use it to get enough pieces for all of us."

A look of contemplation from Gon that stared into the fire. "That's very kind, but... I can't accept that. I want to try earning a point for myself, and you've already helped us so much by guiding us all this time. But we'll definitely help you get your fifth star, just as Killua and I will get ours. You don't have to worry about us, we're Professional Hunters after all."

He brightly expressed, "This Preliminary really has a lot of strong monsters. There were times where I would have been in real trouble if Killua hadn't been with me. He really is a reliable guy."

Killua flinched as he chewed on a deliciously sweet berry, swallowing, he responded with a faint color of pink on his pale expression, "It... really isn't all that much."

Emma smiled adoringly, "You guys remind me a lot like my two best friends, Norman and Ray. We were brought into Gracefield around the same year as babies, and grew up together. We hang out almost all the time. I love my other foster siblings, but with Norman and Ray, I always felt that I could go to them for anything. It was the sort of bond and trust that made the three of us inseparable."

"That's exactly how it is with me and Killua!" Gon exclaimed happily, "He's one of the first friends I've made since I left Whale Island. There really isn't anyone else I trust more than Killua, he's not only a great partner, he's my best friend in the whole wide world!"

"Sh-shut up! You don't need to say that so loudly!" Killua shoved Gon by the shoulder, face now brimming light red.

"Why? It's the truth," Gon factually stated.

"Idiot..." Killua's cheeks puffed as he ate quietly to himself. Emma grinned in a chuckle.

Hm. Ain't that cute? Garou thought to himself, eating another berry whole while rubbing underneath the chin of the Poochyena that lay on its belly in bliss content beside him, I'm still kicking their asses later. But I guess these are kids after all.

He had to affirm that with himself after seeing the sort of death looks both of these boys had bestowed towards him when they first fought with him. Like dangerous little beasts that could bare their claws, but haven't developed their vicious fangs yet. He really ought to watch out for those two. Never underestimate them, not this time.

They continued to eat in peace. Gon and Killua decided to make a game of guessing to see which berries were sweet or spicy. Emma joined in their game for a short time, a decent enough start with some evidence she could decipher by the appearance and smell of the fruits, but Gon took the winning lead due to his strong nose, with Killua doing his earnest to catch up, and Emma only making half-right half-wrong guesses, though she was beginning to detect a pattern in the flavors of all these different fruits, but it was evident that Gon had won.

Eventually, they had their fill with berries and emptied their lunchboxes of all rice and meat slices. Afterwards, they played with the little creatures frolicking around them. Gon and Killua with the Growlithe and Shinx, and while tending in playful care with their befriended little monsters and a few others around them, they entered a discussion mainly about what their plans were for tomorrow morning, and how they should approach for their needed fifth star.

Emma held the paws of the Eevee as they did a mock sort of patty cake that the little fox creature was capable of performing. Her lunchbox nearly empty, only half a biscuit remaining.

She looked at the other side of the campfire where Garou was seated to himself and two other company. His hand raised for the Riolu who jump kicking into his palms, amusing the dark hunter by the Riolu's efforts. The Poochyena lazily lay beside his thigh, the side of its body rising and lowering with its every breath as Garou pets it.

He noticed her glance at once and stared at her as the Riolu continued to kick and punch his unmoving palm. Emma gently pulled the Eevee towards herself and picked it up. She started her way closer to Garou and he turned his head for her. In her arms she carried the perky Eevee, and in her hand was the biscuit she took out from the now empty lunchbox.

"Hi. I still have this left, but I'm not hungry anymore. Do you want it?" She showed him the biscuit while adjusting her hold of the Eevee with one arm. She saw how he was only eating berries, so maybe having a bread-like treat would go well with it, and might better fill whatever amount of appetite he has. This was also her chance to get to know more about the human person with monstrous strength.

Garou blatantly eyed at the half-eaten biscuit while the Riolu grabbed hold of his arm and attempted to suplex him, with no success. He picked the biscuit up with his fingers, accepting it with a short hum before tossing it into his mouth and chews.

"I've been wondering," Emma said. She sat down and settled the Eevee beside her and brought up her knees to her chin. The brown fox creature snuggled up to her side as she hugged around the front of her ankles with her wrists, "How are you so strong? I've never seen anyone as strong as you are."

Swallowing the biscuit, he answers without qualms, "I train."

She waited an elaboration to his short answer, and when none came as he stared at her silently, she realized that that was it. "Really? Is that all?"

He nodded, his widely sharp eyes looking directly at her. The grunt of the trying Riolu still clutching his arm until Garou flipped the creature with a single quick roll of his arm, and catches the Riolu in a waist-lock with his arm, and held the creature against his side. The Riolu did its mightiest to escape his hold with effort-weighted breaths.

"Oh... wow," Emma sounded out her surprise, "You must have trained really hard then."

"Pretty much," Garou affirmed, and picked up two berries from the pile in front of him. Pink seedless strawberry-shaped fruit of two-green leaf stems and harmless light pink spot, he offers one to Emma, "Want one?"

"Oh. Thank you," she politely accepted his offer, examining the fruit in her hands and taking a bite from the bottom. Juicy sweet savoring flowed through her teeth and down to her throat as she ate and swallowed the berry, she lets out a little joy of its deliciousness before resuming her talk to Garou, "There's something else I would like to know. I hope it doesn't sound rude, but are you really human?"

"You keep asking me that," his back arched over as he leaned forward to her eye-level, a slight grin in his expression, "What? You see me as a scary monster?" He asked as if to feel complemented by that statement.

Emma observed the visual structure of his face and figure. She has never seen someone as muscular as he was, even the nameless man was not this buff, but she can reasonably understand that his physique were humanly achievable, and it's only a wonder what sort of training this person endured in. "I just never realized humans could be strong enough to fight something so big with just their fists. It's really amazing."

"Hmph. If I had more time, I would have punctured that snake through a dozen times over," it would have taken severe concentration, but he could have. He watches as Emma reaches into her vest pocket and pulls out her Monster Tracker.

"I also keep getting a reading from this tracker that's detecting you as a monster," she further explained in a gentle tone, "I don't know if it's a glitch or anything else, so I want to ask just to make sure."

It wouldn't be well if she were to accidentally hunt him should they ever separate themselves from one another. Emma showed the screen of the device in her hands. Garou craned himself back, tilting his head towards her to examine the screen.

"You see?" She points at the screen, "All these dots in the map are all the little monsters here in this area. The center is where I am, and right there, it's showing me that there's a monster presence I'm sitting right next to."

Interested, he pointed at the device, "Can I see that?"

A nod, she gave him the Monster Tracker. Overhearing a gagged shock from Killua and looked over to see Gon patting the back of the other boy. The young assassin had just gazed at her direction in time to see her handing Garou the Monster Tracker and nearly choked on the very sweet berry he was eating. His reaction to her trust in the dark clothed fighter.

It was more than an act of trust, however. She firmly believed that Garou would not take the device from her after the many chances which he could have easily done so long before. It was an observation that she had since been made aware of. The stars they have on them, and this tracker that leads them searching for the next monster they could obtain their next star from, he made no effort to take either possessions from her or her friends. Something about it made her think of him being, in a way... Fair.

"So that dot's supposed to me?" Garou gained back her attention as she turned her head to see him looking closely at the screen, the device held in his scuffed hands. The bloody and beaten knuckles he received from the fight against the Demon-Devil Serpent having been healed after his consumption of the piles of fruits. Though not much, it was substantial, but he will need to hunt a bigger meal for himself in the morning.

"Guess that voice was right... Well shoot," he muttered in discontent. "If I can get tracked like this, it might have been better if I picked I was just human instead."

"Huh?" Emma was unsure for a moment, but then a plausible theory came to her mind at his vague comment, "Do you mean the information about ourselves before the Preliminary started?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I signed up as a human and monster."

This could get annoying though, he realizes, if he can be noticed half a mile away. He can't sense others presence that far, or if they weren't observing him in a way that made himself aware he was being watched. The element of surprise would have been thrown out the window, even more that he would be expected and someone would get the jump on him.

Emma would sympathize with that thought. The unsettling feelings of always being known where one is. How ironic this turnabout was, that she had been the one tracked, and now she holds the device that tracks others. This must be what it was like for Mama to always keep tabs on the whereabouts of the other children.

"Why did you choose monster?" Emma asked with curious eyes that glimmered from the flickering flames six feet before them.

"Cause monsters are cool," was Garou's simple answer.

"Oh... Okay," she accepted the answer with equal simplicity. She had siblings who thought the same way, Emma herself had even taken the role as monster that would chase the other children in playful activity. It left a warped impression on her, however, as soon as she saw real monsters, and since then could hardly differentiate between what was a game, and what wasn't without leaving a horrid feeling in her heart.

"You don't think so?" He asked her as he handed her back the Monster Tracker.

Emma retrieves the device and places it back inside her vest pocket before hesitantly answering. "I... Well, I guess they are something to think about. I don't really know..."

Her thoughts traveled back to the Demons in her world. She never had to think about it that way before. When it came to the Demons, they were scary and a danger first before they were something to be curious about. It was difficult to consider them any other way, her own heart aching still for those who have been killed by them. Yet, if she were to consider the demons like Musica and Sonju, she might actually agree that there was something interesting about them, that they were people much like her.

Though, before she ever crossed with the existence of Demons, Emma did had a much lighter view of monsters in general, once upon a time. "I did play as a monster once back when I was at the orphanage with the other orphans."

A hint of a smile appeared on Garou, "Really now?"

"Mhm," she confirmed as a happy memory came to her mind, "I'm one of the oldest in my family. We would get together and play games. I really liked playing as the monster chasing after everyone. It was a lot of fun."

She recalled with a wide smile of reminiscence and lets out a little laugh, "I would go after them and play tags in the field or hide and seek inside the house. The best part though would be when they work together and pile over me. Hehe."

"How many other orphans you lived with?" It was a first show of curious pleasantry Garou revealed that kindly paid close attention to her story, nullifying the sharp roughness of his expression by a little. He looked much nicer this way.

"Thirty-six," she answered and did not miss the white brows of Garou that rose in surprise. "From infants to twelve years old. I'm the thir... second oldest in our family, aside from Mama - our caretaker, of course."

"That's a pretty big family," Garou commended. He then frowned, crinkling the skin between his brows. "Getting piled up by that many. Kind of unfair, don't you think? You being the monster for all those kids to beat up."

"I don't get beat up exactly. It's fine though," Emma assured, "We're all just playing, and we made sure to always be careful. We never go too far or do anything that would get anyone hurt."

"Hm. Looks like your siblings knew how to treat each other," he said in a low tone, his eyes lowered as he stared blankly at the dancing flame of the campfire. "Much better than a lot of other brats I've seen."

"What do you mean?"

He looked at her, a sudden flicker of intensity in his eyes that calmed as he answered, "Kids at my old school likes to think that they can get away for playing rough, even if it breaks someone's arm."

It was a typical, far too occurring incident that even sends a child beyond the nurse's office and to a hospital, and the unreliable adults there excused it as a simple 'kids being kids and got a little carried away' type of ordeal. Those people failed to be the responsible teachers and parents they were supposed to be, and leaving the victims in the dust while the blame is blown towards them, as if getting hurt was their own fault.

"That's not right," Emma stated with a small frown. "If anyone in my family ever did that, we would always feel bad and apologize. Mama would scold us and tell us to be careful next time, and if it happens again, we would get a time out or do extra chores around the house."

Garou found it strange how she referred to her caretaker as "Mama" as if the woman practically adopted all of them already, even though supposedly they're all orphans at an orphanage just waiting to get adopted. He didn't pay too much mind to that though, huffing a breath through his nose, "Sounds like she actually knew how to raise you kids."

He saw a flash of sadness from her, the upbeat tenor in her verdant eyes were suddenly lost and lowered. She hugged her knees closely. "...Yeah, she does."

The Riolu eventually gave up on its struggle to escape his hold and calmed in his unrelenting arm to regain its stamina, though with heavy eyes, it appeared to have exert all of its energy and was close to fall asleep any second. Garou, however, paid more attention to the sullen-eyed girl, lowering his head to look and wonder about her solemn expression.

"So it wasn't a good place then?" She then asked, hiding that immediate sorrow as if it never came. "The orphanage I lived in was also a school for me and the other orphans, so I don't really know a lot about what other schools are like."

"Might have been better that way for you," Garou said, "Whole system is broken anyway. Nothing that would have actually prepared anyone how to live their life."

"Was there anything good about it?"

"Not really," not something that he personally experienced anyhow. "I got out of that snake's pit when I finally had enough of it. Didn't see why I needed to keep wasting my time with that place." But rather, it was the catalyst to his self-imposed treacherous journey, one out of many other wretched situations throughout the world.

"Was it a public school?" Emma asked, "Or was it a place you lived in?"

"As if," an unhesitating response with a distinct bitterness in his eyes. "I would have lost my whole mind if I lived in a place like that for long." And worsen his already unhinged mental state if he continued to be in that cesspool.

"Where did you live then? Did you had a home?" At his raised brow for her pestering questions, she added, "I'm sorry if I'm asking a lot. I don't know anything about the world outside where I'm from. I only ever read others places around the world in whatever books we had in our library, and I'm really curious. It's exciting to know or hear stories about what other worlds beside my own are like."

Though once upon a time, she held no interest in the world outside what was her home and life. That she wanted to stay in that household of happiness forever. Then, she realized that home was a place her family could not stay, and so they must reach the world lived among by other humans.

Garou gave Emma a brief observant once over. So she was unknowing and inexperience to the world outside her home. At least up to the point where she earned all that scars and use of weaponry. Which, he has to know, what kid uses an automatic weapon? At least she knew how to handle that sort of gun, but what led her to learn how to wield that?

He takes another pause before giving in to her question - he'll be generous just this once, "I don't have a place. Used to but I left it when I was a runt. Wandered the streets in a couple of cities for a while. Fought a lot and heard about a dojo and the Grand Master. Went there to challenge him."

His voice went soft, his eyes a hidden gentleness to it, "He ended up taking me in instead."

Emma caught onto his quite expression, though it came as quick as it went, she then asked, "A dojo?"

He nodded, tossing another sweet berry in his mouth. "A place where people train and learn how to fight. It's where I learned martial arts."

"Oh. So it's like a school then?"

"Guess so." It was more of a second home, but Garou knew better than to see it that way. It was another obstacle for him to overcome, and it wasn't a place he knew he was meant to stay for long.

"What was it like? At the dojo?" Emma asked, listening very closely and with great interest. The mention of new things she hasn't heard before dancing in her eyes.

Garou looked at her for another moment, then gazes up to the fake stars etched into the mountain ceiling. "An old place. Doesn't look like it though. The old man managed to take care of it, so that it wouldn't just fall apart no matter how many people were living there. It's at the top of a mountain, with over hundred thousands of steps leading up to it. Pretty much spent most of my years living in that dojo. All the students there were weak fighters though, they couldn't touch me even when I wasn't trying."

It was almost a joke how weak they were. Some of them spent their time in that dojo longer than he had, they were his upperclassman, and yet they were so ridiculously weak he had to wonder if they had been jacking off all those years of supposed training before he turned up one day. They didn't deserve those black belts once he was done with them.

He wondered then if those so called students of Bang, those students who boasted great strength yet lack the actual aptitude to back that claim up, were still frequenting that school. Well, it didn't matter to him, no matter how much stronger they get, he would defeat them again and again.

"At the top of the mountain..." Emma repeated his description. "If it was that high up, the view must have been amazing."

The scene of the city at the distant and forest that were planted and meshed with the rocky environment of where the dojo stood. The sight it brought from the setting sun and upcoming morning glow that was like looking at the orange-yellow coated field, as if flowers made out of gold.

"It was alright," Garou downplayed the beauty his memory was able to uphold. He wasn't a sentimental guy, there was only the present and moving towards the future he has his eyes on.

Emma etches herself closer to his side, her eagerness apparent in her round eyes, "You said you walked through cities. They're places with the tall buildings right? I only ever see those in pictures. My family and I lived in a field with our big house at the center of it, and we would always wondered what it was like to live in a city. There must be a lot of people living there."

Also crime, full of snobby riches and the occasional homeless living on the streets, and that's avoiding the underground businesses that happens in nearly every city he visits. Essentially a place too big and too full of people will often feel the most cramped, that it would seem suffocating, so people decide it was better not to breathe, nor care for others who needed to.

But it was obvious in her expectant eyes that she was hoping for something much brighter than that, a girl who is looking for a world she is aiming for one day.

"There's a lot of people. It isn't anything stellar," Or at least, not one he takes into account. He doesn't normally stop for the sight-seeings. Garou then bluntly asked her, his head tilting in questioning as if she were strange, "Have you really never seen much of your world? Not even on TV?"

"TV... Do you mean a television? We don't have those at the orphanage," Emma's answer greatly surprised Garou. "All we had were the books in our library, which is the only thing that made us know a little bit about the world where other people live."

He blinked widely at her. No television? Not even cartoons? That's... almost kind of unthinkable. He himself grew up watching kid shows, and bare through each episode of Justice Man unjustly defeating every villain monster the hero confronts. Well, he supposes it wasn't that unusual for families to be without TVs, just means she and her foster siblings get to do more outdoor activity. A positive.

But then that also means she and her family really don't know much about the world outside their own homes, except for whatever books was available for them to read, and what he can only assume, their foster mother as well. Unless even that person was oblivious in experience to the rest of the world.

It kind of seems a bit under-prepared for kids who are waiting to be adopted. They should at least be aware of some things that were happening outside their home. Too much time being sheltered and those kids wouldn't know how to deal with real world situations.

"And... It's a little complicated. It would take me a while to explain," Emma said, "But basically, we really had no idea what the world outside our home was like. But I'm hoping that in a city lived by other people, it's a place where my family and I can be safe. That's what I'm trying to reach in my world."

He looked at the side of her head, covered by her clipped strand of her orange hair that hides a closed wound, the numbers on her neck and the bullet scar on her cheek. His mouth opened to say something, but a steady rustle of footsteps stops him and he raised his head, looking pass Emma.

Gon had approached them, his eyes held no hostility, but a small frown was there as he looked at the dark hunter. A gazed assessment from Garou as he regarded the boy impassively, his shoulders broadened.

"Gon?" Emma asked the boy.

Gon smiled at her in reassurance before it dropped and he glared back at Garou, "I just want to say that... you really helped us today. You've done a lot, and even kept Emma safe when we were separated. I've met a lot of people who were strong, and you're definitely strong. You've been keeping your promise, so I just want to let you know that I'll be keeping mine."

Clenching his fists, he finalizes, "Good luck after the Preliminary. I'll be on the look out for you too. Next time we fight, I'm going to give everything I have, so I want you to do the same too. Okay?"

"For a little guy, you're pretty gutsy," Garou said, a surprising mixed tone that mocked and commended the boy. Taking the last berry he has with him and setting down the tired out Riolu, he stood up, awakening the Poochyena beside him, and scowled at the boy, "Let's just get this clear. I haven't been helping you kids, we just happen to shoot the same target."

He pointed at Gon, "I'll be holding onto what you just said though. I don't go easy on anyone, so you better watch out. I won't be holding back next round."

Emma looked on the two opposing competitors in tentative concern. Gon nodded affirmatively with an unafraid gaze, "Until then!"

His intense glower remained, Garou then moved towards another part of the area near the entrance, "Better turn in now. If you're exhausted tomorrow, I'm not slowing down for any of you to catch up."

Emma and Gon watched as Garou walked away, the Poochyena tailing not too far behind his heels and the reawakened Riolu following after them as well. The Growlithe stepped up beside Gon's feet, glancing up at the determined-looking boy curiously. The Eevee, who had been napping against her side, nuzzled itself closer for better comfort. She carefully picked up the Eevee and stood.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you guy," Gon apologized, his face coming to a calm.

Hiding her unease at the disclosing between her friend in green attire and the dark hunter, Emma tenderly held the Eevee against her shoulder, slowly shaking her head in kind assurance, "It's alright, but... Are you really going to fight him the next time you guys see each other?"

"Huh? Well yeah. It's what we said we'd do."

"But there's really no more reason for it, right? We've been helping each other for a while now," she turns back to Garou, seeing the young man sit down by the entrance as the Poochyena caught up to him and pawed at him. With just a simple soft push of his finger, the Poochyena tipped over to its side but bounced right back up with a feisty bark as the Riolu jumped to his shoulder.

"Mm. Maybe, but the thing is, I want to fight him."

She faced Gon with a befuddled look. "You... want to? Why?"

"Well... He's strong. Really strong," Gon picked up and looked at his clenched fist, "The truth is, just thinking about it makes me nervous, but also excited. I want to see my strength with someone else, and get even stronger that way. I know that I still have a lot to learn, I've only been a Hunter for about a year or so, so I can't help but wanting to find out just how much stronger I can really get, even against someone who has way more experience than me."

Emma looked down to her feet in pondering. "Hm... I don't really get it," she told him flatly. "I understand that you want to get stronger, but..."

"It's not like me and Gon have been getting along with that guy," Killua spoke up behind Gon, walking up to them with his hands in his pocket as the Shinx follows him. "More like we're just passive with each other. Just cause he isn't attacking us now doesn't mean he likes us. Oh and by the way..."

Emma blinked at his close proximity, and then flinched with an "ouch!" at his brisk chop to her forehead, a red sore line instantly appeared. "Do you think you can be a little more careful with the things you lend to others? First the Support Card and now that tracker..."

"But... he didn't take either..." Emma whined with scowling pain in her eyes.

"You still need to be careful," Killua emphasized. "You shouldn't have so much faith in other people like that, even if you think you can read them."

Gon gently pound his shoulder with his fist and a disapproving frown, "You didn't have to hit her."

"I'm just making sure she knows how to look out for herself, you weren't any better anyway," Killua shot back. The young Hunter pouted in offense before Killua resumed, "Once this Preliminary is over, we'll be on our separate ways with that guy, so it makes sense why wouldn't want to get close with each other. That's just how it is."

Rubbing her red-marked forehead, Emma's cheeks puffed angrily at the young assassin who wordily offered her advice, "I get that you were raised in that orphanage most of your life. Your foster mom was probably the first real threat you had to face other than the demons, right? You even mentioned that the next human you met was someone who wanted you dead at first. Even if he was a good guy deep down, he was still dangerous."

He concluded firmly, "I'm just saying that it would be a safe bet if you were more cautious around other people. Not everyone is as nice as they might seem at first. We've met people whose killed others, and wouldn't have hesitated to kill us if we let even a small bit of our guard down."

She took in his words with comprehensive consideration, though she still stared defiantly for his chop-inflicted attack that felt as if to rattle her skull.

"But not everyone is someone she has to be careful around," Gon argued with his friend, "After all, we met people like Kurapika and Leorio, the greatest friends we've ever known, and they weren't the only ones either."

"That doesn't change the fact that we had just as much of a chance meeting someone dangerous as we did meeting someone like Leorio and Kurapika. More than half a chance in fact. Want to tell her about Hisoka?"

Gon grimaced slightly, yet stubbornly he insisted, "Well... he was dangerous, but he wasn't all that bad either..."

"Are you kidding?! That guy's a total creep! I wouldn't trust being in the same room with him!"

"I mean, sure he's weird but he helped us a few times."

"Only because he had his own reasons and has a weird fixation with you. He's a lunatic!"

Emma looked on unsure between the arguing boys, speaking up before they could go on, "Um. Who's Hisoka?"

Killua expressively and actively shivered, "Someone you really don't want to meet... But anyway, you get what I'm trying to say right?"

Emma's eyes lowered for the ground, "... I know. I understand that there could be bad people out there," she smiled fondly, "You really do remind me a lot like Ray. He's always cautious of everything, and a little cynical but he's just being realistic."

"I'm guessing he was the sensible one then?" Another bump to Killua's shoulder from Gon's fist.

Overlooking the worded jab, Emma then said, "Thank you for watching out for me, but I can't always just be distrustful of everyone I meet, otherwise I wouldn't have known and liked you guys."

A muffled noise withheld behind his lips that thinned to keep it from escaping. "She has a point," Gon laughed at Killua's controlled expression, but he could tell that Killua felt a little bashful.

"Also, if I had kept my view point narrowed, I wouldn't have been able to escape the orphanage the way I did," her eyes softened, "We even had to put our trust in someone we never met personally. His name was James Ratri, but we knew him as William Minerva. He was an author of these adventure books that were actually written with codes and hints about the Demon World. He'd been trying to help cattle children escape the farms and find a path to the Human World. We had to believe that he was an ally, and I never doubted him once. It's not always certain, but sometimes, it takes a little leap of faith for any of us to make the first move."

"Maybe," Killua seemingly agreed, "but if you end up jumping a canyon that's too far to reach, then all that's waiting is one big fall down below."

Emma proudly huffed in a defiant exclaim, "Then we get some ropes, tie them to rocks, and throw it to the other side! And zip-line our way over there!"

An abrupt, startled snicker Gon "pfft!"ed, trying to hide it by the side of his pressed backhand. Killua deadpanned at her immediate counter, "You got to have good arm strength to achieve that."

"Then we make cannons! Or even rockets!" She enthusiastically declared.

"At least be a little more realistic!" Killua angrily demanded.

"It's more realistic than just jumping a canyon without preparations! Why would I even do that?! I know I'd die if I did something like that!" Emma childishly chided.

"Well at least that sounded reasonable, but rockets?! Are you being serious?"

"Shut up! It's a good idea! And there's still the cannon option! Realistic or not, they can both happen! It's possible, you dummy!"

Killua's eye irritably twitched, "You-!"

Gon could no longer contain his elated laugh as the two other children argued and bickered. From the other end of the area, Garou looked over his shoulder from his laying form at the sound of Gon's laughter, the Riolu resting against his back while his hand continued to play with the spunky Poochyena trying to gnaw it.

"Don't laugh! I'm being serious!" Killua reprimanded the laughing Gon, "Back me up here! You better not be agreeing with her!"

With his palm, Gon wiped a tear from his smiling eyes and settled down from his laughter, mirth eyes looking at Killua, "Why not? I mean, in a way, it is possible. If we have a rocket or cannon somehow."

"A small rocket, to be exact. A big one wouldn't work at all, we would just fly too high with it," Emma clarified as if that would better simplify her mindset.

You wouldn't even have your arms after that... Killua thought to himself. The Eevee in the thought proclaimed arms of Emma began to squirm at the bickering between Emma and Killua.

Emma immediately calmed and looked down at the Eevee, "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you."

The Eevee rubbed its closed eyes with its cute little paws as it purred to Emma's gentle consideration. She adjusted her hold of the Eevee and looked back at the boys, "We should get some sleep. We'll need plenty of rest if we're going to hunt for our fifth star tomorrow."

Gon agreed, and pointed at the end of the area by the tall stone wall that defended mostly the back of this field, meshed with the massive trees that surrounds this garden of Pokemon. In front of the stone walls were lumps of hay-like wheat that cluttered together in a big pile, one out of many others that were being pushed and organized by the little monster creatures. "Our new friends here made a bedding for us over there."

He knelt down and affectionately petted the happy Growlithe in gratitude. "We'll work our hardest tomorrow and get our stars. No matter what monster we find-"

"As long as we work together, we can do it," Emma finishes for him with an inspired look. "I know there's no reason to worry. I trust your strength and Killua's, and you can count on me too!"

Easing down, Killua sighed out, "Alright. We'll need to get up real early this time around, and get ready to move as soon as we wake up."

"Osu!" Emma and Gon cheered.

They walked to the makeshift bedding and settling upon it, joining and joined by the Pokemons, snuggling against the soft hay and to their own persons. Garou has taken his distant settlement, sitting against the wall with his fingertip scratching behind the ear of the Poochyena, while the Riolu slept beside him, and other wolf-like or lone-type creatures laying around him. He didn't seem to mind.

"Goodnight Gon. Goodnight Killua," Emma bid them quietly as the Eevee comfort against her cheek, its rubbing soft fur stirring up a giggle out of her.

"Goodnight, Emma," Gon said back, hugging the Growlithe as he lay on his side, "Let's do our very best tomorrow."

"Night," Killua said simply, the Shinx settling and curled up on his stomach and he simply let it be, arms behind his head. All of the snuggling creatures have found their spot in their designated sleep space among the hay and throughout the area.

She then closes her eyes as well, thought lovingly of her family and praying for the endurance needed for tomorrow.

Soon, they all fell into a slumber.

/.\

Day 7. Final Day.

A diminishing darkness throughout the whole environment, matching the status of time outside this valley of monsters, but the Sun Stones have yet to fully lit, and so Beast Valley remained somewhat shadowed until the beam of the sunrise could touch the exterior of the mountain.

Emma softly and peacefully snores, sleeping against the lumps of hay on her side. Her arm resting over the form of a loudly snoring Scorbunny, while the Eevee slept against the top of her head, its quiet breaths like gentle feathers to her hair.

A rough wetness licked against her backhand. Emma's closed eyes twitched until they slowly opened. Blinking her blurry view as she came to an awake, her first sight was the face of the Poochyena, staring at her dawning confusion. A huffing noise within its throat that made a slight growl.

"Huh?" Emma muttered out, she slowly sat up so not to disturb the still slumbering Pokémon all around her and her friends as well. There was a noticeable disturbance in the Poochyena's eyes. "What's wrong?"

The Poochyena carefully stepped down from the bedding of hay and onto the grass. It looked back expectantly, silently requesting her to follow. Once Emma understood its message, she as quietly as she could stepped down from the bed of hay.

The Poochyena then began to walk across the area, looking back at Emma constantly. There's something he wants to show me, Emma deciphered the intentions of the monster wolf-pup, his face was directed towards the entrance-exit of this garden, From outside?

She collects her backpack and rifle that were set next to the bed of hay, and continued her follow of the Poochyena.

Killua opened his eyes and looked over to see Emma with the leading Poochyena. He sat up then and watched as they head further across the area, closer to the entrance in fact. "Hey, Gon."

Killua shook Gon with a hand to the other's shoulder. The boy awoke at once and shifted his lying position to face the young Assassin, "What is it?"

"Don't know," Killua cautiously moved the sleeping Shinx from his stomach, his eyes remaining on Emma's leaving back as Gon followed his gaze, "Come on. Something's up."

Emma continued to follow after the Poochyena, passing by the other sleeping creatures which she looked at one by one, every one of them sleeping against the wall or idly among the field. Immediately, she realized what was amiss.

"Did Garou leave?" Emma asked quietly, though she understood the Poochynea could not speak human language to answer her question properly. However, a minuscule bark from the Poochyena that responded to her question, a clear understanding if not with her words, but meaning. She continued to follow the Poochyena, inattentive of Gon and Killua observing her from behind with quiet presence as they followed.

The Poochyena led her through the entrance of the area. They climbed over the lumpy thick roots underneath the half-oval shaped opening of the tree, and went further until they reached the other end.

A low beast-like growl reached her ears. She halted at once, reaching for her pistol she had holstered in her pants pocket. The rest of her weapons and backpack were left inside the area, unrealized that this Poochyena intended to take her outside its home garden and did not think to bring it, however, her attention was drawn more to the noise.

She realized that it sounded humanly, and the Poochyena had yet to stop its trek to wherever it was leading her towards. She considered herself shortly, and decided to continue her following of the gray Pokémon. Behind her, Gon and Killua had climbed out from the entrance, and even from where they were, they too started to hear this estranged noise.

Emma walked with the Poochyena until it led her to the bushes, where she could make out the outline of a hunched over figure, the sound now more distinct.

"Guh-! What the hell is happening?!" A deep and familiar voice uttered through clenching teeth. Walking around the bushes, Emma found the source.

It was Garou. He was curled up on his knees and both arms clutching his stomach. She saw the side of his face, dripping in his own sweat like he had been thrown at by a bucket-full of water, and she could see it drench through his dark clothing. His entire body was trembling, muscles protruding as if threatening to tear through his black shirt.

He painfully grumbled, "Either I ate too many spicy berries or this is something else-!"

"Garou?"

He spun his head around, eyes widened and ferocious that it completely startled Emma, who had called his name in concern, to jump back. His face was utterly dowsed in his sweat and strained as if a pressuring pain was squeezing his inside. His alerted eyes seemed to settle a little at the sight of Emma, and she was able to press on in asking, "What is it? Are you hurt?"

Not wanting to allow himself to be seen in this inexplicable agonized state, Garou forced himself to rise from his crouch, putting down one arm but his other refusing to relent its baring pressure against his stomach, locked down to withhold the intense pain as if that man with the deadly touched managed to push the pressure point of his stomach.

"I'm fine," he growled out lowly, biting down all urges to grunt out the pain.

Emma was not so fooled.

"You're not," she stated this matter of fact. He could not hide his visual distress even as he attempted to hold up a calm expression, which twitches to break down every so often. "You don't look fine at all. What is it? Is there something I can do?"

Oh this really ain't good, Garou thought to himself, gulping down his saliva as a liquid to temper down the pain inside him. Never mind the fact that he honestly felt to be dying, but that this little girl was looking at him with genuine concern.

He shouldn't be shed with pity from his onlookers, but marveling fear, otherwise, it was a testament of his weakness. It's why he left quietly when this pain started to worsen after it abruptly stirred him from his sleep and he had to step out, he cannot nor will not let others see him in such a way.

But damn does this hurt. Like his stomach was filled with molten lava, travelling through out his entire nervous system with white hotness, a numbing sunburn spurning inside his muscles.

"Emma?" Gon called to her as he and Killua hurried. Emma turns and sees the approaching boys, but before she could say anything-

"You," Garou accuses, the point of his finger and his glare at the boy in green. Gon stopped immediately, pointing to himself to assure he was the one referenced.

"What's with you?" Killua bluntly asked the state of Garou's being, as if he was holding in a big one or about to vomited it out. "Food poisoning or something?"

"Did you do something to me?" Garou demanded.

Gon was only confused, "Did I? What do you mean?"

The older teen aggravated, "You did something else with that punch, didn't you? What was it? Because this sure hasn't been pleasant since you hit me." He pointed his clutched stomach.

It would only take a moment for Gon or Killua to understand, but before they would even think of it, a terrible crunch of a tree branch sound behind Garou, and the boys faced downed into a widened eye startle. Emma looked back at Garou who froze at the sudden sound, and at her visual gawking, the dark hunter takes a glance behind.

A massive bird-like beast, its head rising from the trees it stood upon, feathers as black as midnight, and a white bone mask with red-markings, and yellow glowing eyes that stared down at the humans below.

For the creature of darkness that it was, it had sensed the negative emotion of suffering from the wolfish competitor Garou, and came as an attracted creature would to the sweet scent of honey.

A Grimm Type monster. A Nevermore.

A harrowing screech bellowed from the open beak of the Nevermore and they braced under it, the Poochyena yipped in terror. Its wings expanded, several meters wider than itself, pure and pitch darkness that stretched out as if it had been consumed by the shadows of the night, and flapped once.

Multiple sharp and large-sized black feathers like swords were thrown for them. Emma immediately grabbed the Poochyena, then before she could run, Garou grabbed her around the waist and dashed for the entrance of the hidden garden. Gon and Killua ran each separate direction as they avoided the feathers that shot near their feet and pierced the ground.

Garou moved in quick side-stepped as the black feathers pierced all around them until reaching the entrance and barely made it through while giant feathers cuts into the edge of the openings and into the roots and wood. He barreled through and stopped upon the grassy base where all the Pokémon were instantly awaken at the sound and instinct of a disturbance from outside.

The tracker, Emma's arm clutches securely around the frightened Poochyena as her mind comprehended, Why didn't the tracker warned-?

"Meowwww~"

She looked ahead and to the bed of hay. A Meowth was rolling across the wheat in gentle and lazy wakening, in its paw it played with the red and black device - her Monster Tracker, as it had taken an interest to its shiny exterior and having taken from Emma when she fell asleep.

"That little-!" Garou saw as well and his teeth gritted in angered disbelief. The Meowth looked up and suddenly scream with its fur standing up and scrambled away, dropping the Monster Tracker. A large shadow fell over a partial of the field and the little creatures instantly were on alert.

The head of the Nevermore loomed over the top of the massive trees, yellow glowing eyes through its white bone mask. All the little monsters panicked as it leaned further in. A yo-yo struck the side of its neck and harmed it enough for it to pull away.

Garou loosened his hold of Emma as she armed herself with her rifle, but her focus averted to the frightened creatures that were dashing all around the field.

"Keep these little guys somewhere safe."

She watched as Garou dashed for and up the wall of the massive trees, bottling up and keeping down the immense pain in his stomach. He reaches the Nevermore's head in a few seconds and struck the shadowed chin with his fist. The Nevermore's head reared with a caw and toppled back down, but an instant flap of its wings had it retrieve leverage and backed away. Garou leapt for the Grimm beast as it had already taken flight, and landed back down after kicking its bird feet and another loud caw escaped the Nevermore.

"Emma!"

Gon enters through the entrance. Emma shouted back as she hugged the shaking Poochyena in her arms, "Gon! We have to help everyone here! If that monster gets in, they'll get hurt!"

An agreement in Gon's eyes as he examined all the startled Pokémon that were running around in a fright, some were trying to put the scared creature at ease, as he saw the Growlithe trying to appease a Whismur that could barely stop its quaking and move from its spot as if frozen in place, "There's a couple of hiding spots I saw around here! Come on!"

With a nod, she hurries to put the Pokémons at ease, retrieving her tracker in the meanwhile, and look for a place all these little ones may safely retreat to.

Outside the area, the Nevermore threw forward its wings in mid-flight, hurtling another dozen large feathers that stabbed into the earth. Garou avoided the sharp feathers with ease and instant reaction, backing away as the feathers pierced the ground and trailed after him.

There's no way of fighting it if it keeps to the sky, Killua assessed as he hid within the tree, following the view of the soaring giant bird of darkness, Could we lure it in and clip its wings somehow? It has to be far from the garden though. But how can we bring it down?

As Killua tries to conjure numerous ideas in his head, Garou kicked one of the planted feathers and broke it from the ground. With a hefty breath, he locked sight of the Nevermore and kicked the feather by the hard shaft. It shot for the Nevermore in returned fire, and in stellar aiming, struck the side of the Nevermore and piercing its body.

"He - He hit it!" Killua said in amazed. To see the precision of the distant target being struck by a simple hard kick of that person's strength, it left him utterly astounded how this person did not have any Nen-like ability. He watches as Garou breaks another feather and kicked it for the flying Nevermore, the next and the next, all in consecutive rounds without so much of a pause so long as there remained these large feathers stuck to the ground.

The Nevermore was stabbed repeatedly by its own feathers and howled another screeching noise as it flailed downwards towards them, like a hailing missile.

"Heading over here? Fine by me," Garou breaks off another ground-embedded feather but this time catches it and holds it. Waiting and timing himself as the Nevermore grew closer and closer. As soon as the Nevermore grew close enough, he tossed the feather up and spun himself, like a whirlwind building up the strength in his body, and when the feather came back down, he threw a powerful kick against the tip of the feather shaft, and launched it directly for the coming Nevermore.

The feather struck and stabbed right into the shoulder of the Grimm, shattering the corner of its bone mask along the way and it cried out.

"How'd you like that-! Oh crap."

Garou sprinted aside as the Nevermore plummets towards him and crashed into the bushes of the massive trees. It violently flailed its wings, sputtering its feathers everywhere that pushed Garou and Killua away to avoid its stab. The head of the Nevermore pops through and into the hidden home of the Pokémon, forcing itself through.

Rapid fire of bullets assaulted one of its glowing eye and the Nevermore shrieked, shutting its eye closed as attempting to retreat, but found itself stuck between the thick branches and leaves that sputtered fell in sporadic dancing in the air at its fierce struggle.

Emma and Gon stood side by side at the center of the field, armed with their weapons - her rifle and his rod. They had successfully helped calm and guide every little monster to cover behind rocks and even narrow openings led by a Diglett into the yellow-stone wall, the water-attributed creatures took shelter within the lake that were at the corner of the field, and some were hiding inside the trees away from where the Nevermore was. However, several little Pokémons were huddled together against the stone wall in quaking fear of the disruption the Nevermore was bestowing at their entrance. These were the Pokemons Emma and Gon must protect, whatever it takes!

"Keep firing!" Gon said to Emma, "I'm going to get close and knock it back out!"

"Be careful!" Emma told him. Gon rushes for the side and reached the massive trees, running up to and jumping from each lump until he reached the top. Emma expertly kept her bullets away from Gon until he became close enough that she ceased firing.

Gon tossed up his hook and caught the edge of the bone mask, then pulled himself up with great strength and a single effort while reeling the handle quickly. He flung himself to the face of the Nevermore and threw a single strong kick. His foot hit the center of the mask and the Nevermore's head was pushed in, but not back out, he followed up with another kick, and pushed the Nevermore's head even further back.

From the other side, Killua had sprinted up to the massive trees, avoiding the random shots of the sharp feathers and running by the flailing stuck Nevermore, and leaping upwards to the top.

I don't know how effective this will be. I haven't practice it yet, but it's worth a shot!

He reared his hand back, power developed into the tip of his fingers traveling from his palm in electrical currents, seeing the exposed neck of the Nevermore, sparks of energy dazzled at his hand.

"Thunderbolt!"

A stream of lightning sharply spiraled from his finger he threw down for the neck of the Nevermore. A piercing attack rattled the body of the Nevermore into another ear-beating screech as a burn mark smoked from the pitch darkness of its neck. Covered in static that wrapped around its feathers, but never going beyond it.

The Nevermore yanked itself out of the trees and screamed its inhumanly bird noise through its massive beak.

"Damn! Not enough power!" It was a work in progress with this particular move. If he kept at it, it would stun an opponent if not instantly burn them to a crisp. As it is now though, it's only a slightly stronger attack than his Lightning Palm.

The Nevermore swung its wing. There was nowhere else to go in the middle of the air, so Killua braced himself. The expanded wings slammed against him, his arms and knees picked up to better endure the attack, and he was punched away. He slammed against the ground several times, rolling across with a pained grunt as his body suffered the immense strength of that Nevermore that was able to be felt through his Ken, dirtied and scuffed with some injuries but nothing major.

Several feathers fired into the side of the Nevermore and emitted another holler. Garou held in his arm a few large black feathers he has been collecting around himself, and kicks all of them in a single shot-gun like attack that cuts the body of the Nevermore.

In an anger, the Nevermore flapped its wings once, and sent back several more feathers that struck and deflected Garou's thrown feathers, two feathers able to zip through and he jumped away in time to avoid them.

"You want to keep this up? I can do this all day-!"

Another agonizing pain lurched his stomach and he staggered, a pained utterance sipped through his tightened jaw, dropping the feathers he had carried and clutched his stomach with one knee bended.

The Nevermore recognize the scent of suffering and removed itself from the massive trees. A quick dive below, Garou was unable to move from the anchoring pain it locked inside him, the Nevermore expanded its wing and slammed Garou against the massive trees. Emma and Gon hurried out through the entrance of the garden and looked up to see the Nevermore's wing pressing against the wooden walls until backing away.

The form of Garou embedded the wooden exterior and dropped, slamming against the ground. He hardly limped however, staggering to rise from his hands and knees with baring teeth, his stomach enduring the worst abnormal pain unimaginable, his body hunched over as the figure Nevermore hovered him.

"Garou!" Emma shouted as Gon looked on in shock. She raised her rifle and was prepared to fire at once. Gon ready to sprint and use his fishing rod for immediate extended reach.

"PICHU!"

A yellow thing stream of lightning zapped the temple of the Nevermore's mask. Garou dug his nails into the dirt and pushed himself away by several feet. Emma and Gon looked over where the yellow stream attack was flashed from.

From the top of the massive tree, a Pichu was there, its pink circled cheeks sparked with dancing yellow electrical energy. Beside the Pichu was a Pachirisu and the twin-Pokémon Minun and Plusle. Electricity sparked from each of their cheeks and together, they summoned forth electric-lightning like streams from their bodies and tackling the face of the Nevermore.

From below, having climbed out from a secret hole that led to the hidden garden's lake, a Squirtle and a Wooper shot forth water guns from their mouth while beside them, a Piplup blew out a Bubble Beam in Gatling-like infliction. At another spot, a Turtwig, a Bulbasaur, and a Oddish spat out Bullet Seeds, and at another, a Charmander, a Ninetales, and the Growlithe breathed out Flamethrowers. All together, the Pokémon of various shapes and elemental types, summoned various abilities against the Nevermore in their conjoined efforts to defend their home and human friends.

Emma and Gon watched in awe at the power display from the adorable and small creatures that came to their assistance, but Emma instantly realizes her chance and she joined their assault on the Nevermore. "Gon! Get Killua!"

Gon looked around and found Killua getting up from the ground and Gon hurries to his best friend. Garou stagnantly tries to bare the pain that throbbed unforgivingly inside his gut as he takes hiding behind the bushes. He heaves in and out a breath to soothe his insides as he hears the noise of battle behind him. "Come on, come on... Pass. Pass already!"

He cannot fight while he was in agony this way. Maybe he should just hide here until he can somehow better deal with this pain, as long as those kids know how to fight that bird monster themselves, they should be fine. Those boys were strong and that girl was packing heat. It should be just fine, at least for a little while until he can find the comforting rhythm to his breathing and adjust to this pain, maybe it'll pass in a second or two.

The Nevermore recoiled from the barrage of attacks it was enduring. The Growlithe bravely stepped closer. A wallop of flame surrounds and spiral its entire form.

Fire Wheel!

The Growlithe rolled into a literal wheel of fire, dashing across the ground and slamming the side belly of the Nevermore. The burning impact erupted another shriek from the Nevermore and it flapped its wing wildly. One of its wing slammed against the Growlithe and swatted it away. The Growlithe exits its flaming spiraling as soon as it hit the wood wall of the giant trees, and dropped down in a whimper.

Emma gasped. The Nevermore wretches its claws and carves the earth as it spluttered to fly, it hopped once to do so, but failled and dropped down, nearing the injured Growlithe with its dagger like claws.

She moved without thinking, for if she wasted a second to consider, the Growlithe will die.

"Emma!" Gon helped Killua up when he saw, to both his and Killua's shock. Garou perked up and whipped his head around, and as soon as he saw, he forgoe all complaints of the pain inside him and burst through the bushes, as the impending doom of the Nevermore's claws came down.

A crushing impact of its weight and the ground. Gon and Killua sprinted back at once. They spotted Garou having dashed underneath the crushing claws of the Nevermore and made it through, skidding across the ground with the small figure and a splash of orange in his hold. He dragged his feet against the dirt to help his stop.

"That was a close one," Garou breathed out. "You really ought to watch yourself-"

He unveiled his arms, the eyes of the Growlithe stared up at him in wonder.

"EMMA!"

The attacks from their befriended creatures have stopped with small gasps. A shout from Gon. The second hop of the winged beast the flapped its wings consecutively. Garou turned his head around.

Gripping the backpack with its bird-feet claws, Emma's widened eyes looked unfathomably at Garou's who lay below her, as she was raised higher from the ground, her hold of her rifle lost and the Monster Tracker she had just recollected earlier, slipped out from her vest pocket and dropped.

The Nevermore takes flight. With it, Emma its captive.

Garou moved on instincts. He launched himself for the massive trees, then launched again for the Nevermore who was heading for the sky, his hand outstretched for the beast and the girl it carried. However, the Nevermore, in its reaction of having to endure ceaseless attacks, flailed its wings back and forth as it staggered its take up, and slapped Garou with the back of its wing, he was thrown back to the large trees, though he was able to pick up his arm and leg and prevented the damage of the wing slap from further injuring the Growlithe, and his back crashed into the wood.

Gon ran forward, he swung back his fishing pole the furthest he could do, and threw the hook for the Nevermore, however, the Nevermore took a sharp flight to the right, and while he had clipped a feather, the feather had loosened and fell, and so did his hook.

"Damn!" Killua cursed loudly. Gon cursed even louder.

From the large trees that were dusty with destruction, Garou emerged and sprung forward. His image fleeting as a speeding racecar, he pushed the Growlithe onto Gon's hold the moment he passes the boy, and continued onwards in such awe-inspiring speed he hustled through with a cramped stomach, sprinting after the flying Nevermore on foot.

"Killua! Follow them!" Gon urged the other boy. Killua understood and left at once, dashing after the pursuing Garou and the soaring Nevermore, where Emma hung by the point edge of its claw

Gon saw to the condition of the Growlithe, although hurt, it did not seem to be physically suffering any worse than some scuff marks and bruises. This was a particularly tough creature even for its small size, and it barked unrestful at Gon. Looking into its eyes, Gon knew the message it was wordlessly conveying with just noises and its expression.

"I understand. I'll go after them."

Setting down the Growlithe, he was then approached by the other friendly creatures. One creature hurried up to him, the Shinx, and in its mouth, the Monster Tracker. Beside the Shinx, the Eevee hurriedly stepped up, carrying Emma's dropped rifle in its mouth. Gon takes both items back and thanked the Shinx and Eevee. He looked down at his fishing pole and the black feather the hook was still attached to. Reeling both in, a greater effort done to haul in the large feather that was much heavier than it seemed.

Although his heart raced to immediately chase after everyone that went, his mind was clear as a realized idea came to him. He takes a piece from the black feather and rubs it against the screen of the Monster Tracker.

[Analyze complete] [Name of Species: Nevermore] [Initiating Tracking...]

Once the tracking device finished loading, Gon nodded in satisfaction and regarded the Pokémon. "Thank you for everything. Don't worry, I'm going to get Emma back, but this is probably the last time I'll ever see you guys again."

The Growlithe smiled happily at the boy, and the expression was returned.

He wished there was a better goodbye than this, but there was no such time for it now. Without another moment to lose, Gon turned around, without a parting wave or even a final grin, he sprinted down the path with his Monster Tracker to guide. The Pokémon cried out its individual unique noises and howls, though dulled by their lingering worries and sadness at this abrupt departure. All they could offer however, were their well wishes for the lives of the humans they have enjoyed bonding with.

Humans made excellent friends, was what their hearts spoke.

/.\

The rushing wind against her ears, her frazzled hair and clothes wild from the harsh breeze that blew against her back as her body dangled several hundreds of feet from the ground of passing trees, and several hundred thousands deeper through the valley of depths lived nothing but blue darkness. Her backpack was caught under the sharp claw of the Nevermore's feet as it continued to escaped through flight, unknowing of the caught child right underneath. A single drop would shatter every bone in her body, and a drop into the abyssal depths means certain death.

It was a terrifying ordeal, being unwillingly carried at this height by the monster that will kill her once it realizes her presence, and if not the winged beast than the fall will be her doom, but she did not panic. She was scared but did not panicked. Panicking would not do anything except worsen her experience. She must keep her composure, and find a way to save herself.

She must think of something. Think. Think! How can she rescue herself from this position? How can she safely reach the ground? Perhaps if she were to risk herself, she may need to endure a broken femur or two, but that will lead her susceptible of any monster that may attack her weakened state. No. That must be the last resort, she must figure something out that will guarantee her unharmed descent foremost, and all while time was limited before the Nevermore will notice her.

Below her feet she spotted something dashing through the forest in pursuit after her carried body. His silver hair that made it look like the long ears of a dark animal running on two legs, Emma recognized the figure of Garou right away. She had seen how strong he was and how fast he was capable of, perhaps he could catch her? If she times herself correctly, he might be able to catch her, she may also have no choice but to abandon her backpack to do so, but she should not let him risk himself so much. Though her under pits were locked by the straps of her backpack, she was able to wave at the chasing hunter widely. She could not shout for him though, because that will attract the Nevermore's attention.

Garou's gilded eyes trailed after the flying figure of the Nevermore and the girl whose frantic arms waved at him. He skips and sprinted from tree to tree, propelling himself with a deep push of each leg. The speed of a cheetah could not outmatch the speed of an airplane, but he will break that fatalistic view with his own body. His speed increasing, he was closer beneath the Nevermore, one mighty jump will do to reach it. He followed the Nevermore all the way to the higher walls of the next canyon, a single jump that went over ten feet until he reached the ledge, his feet quickly trek the stone walls as the Nevermore's body tilted and glide along the canyon.

I-incredible! Emma wanted to shout her amazement. When she was younger, she had more than once ran up one of the trees in Gracefield with just her feet and no use of her hands to see how far she could go, always trying to reach the top until Mama told her to stop or she would hurt herself, which did happen more than once as she always tumbled back down, Ray even called her dumb while Norman worried for her well-being. She knew it was possible somehow, if she only had more strength and speed in her legs, but this was a whole level above! To wall-run a canyon was something else entirely! There really were such strong competitors here in this competition.

Garou presses on, never losing his momentum. The Nevermore than suddenly takes farther above the canyon and he follows, jumping each footing support and they reached the flat top where another forest lay about.

He slammed right into a big pink blob shape and it repelled him instantly until he quickly carved his fingers into the ground and just caught himself from falling off the ledge.

Croak. Croak.

The beady bulging eyes of the Big Toad stood in his way, and with several of its rubber pink-skin friends behind it. The worst enemy imaginable for a person of brute force to go up against. It was the worst match he was only destined to ever face of course. It's how his life has always been.

Garou's eyes shot up for the Nevermore who was growing farther and farther away. He only has a minute before he may lose that Nevermore and the girl. Better avoid these guys-

The Big Toad bounced for him, a high hop that honestly took Garou by surprised and he sprinted aside. The ground quaked at the Big Toad's descent but he managed to keep his balance, "I don't have time to deal with you giant frogs."

The Big Toad seem to take offense to that, an angry shine in its eyes - Giant Frogs were another species entirely. Aggravated to be mistaken by this, the group of Big Toads remained blocking the path further into the forest area, every loud croak expanding their bodies like wart as they began leaping towards Garou, every hop a tremble of the ground.

"Not letting me pass, huh?"

Fists won't work against these monsters, just as Emma had demonstrated to him before, when they first came across that lone Big Toad.

"It looks like only sharp objects could harm it," Emma had explained to him, having stopped him from finishing off the monster himself for legitimate reasons such as the way to kill it.

"Anything else, even bullets, might not be effective at all. I can finish it off with my arrows and this flower I have. She had shown him this flower of closed white buds and a piercing stem, Let me handle this, I don't want it to suffer any longer."

He had relented half of the prize to her then, and observed curiously as the pointy edge of the weapon and that strange flower she used did in fact easily stab through the rubber skin monster.

"Only sharp objects huh?" He brought up his relaxed hands, fingers pressed together and made it knife-like. "Then all I have to do is make my hands just as sharp."

He could easily slice through limbs if he wanted to, like that arm he took from that hero where those flame-throwers were hiding underneath the sleeves. He had fought swordsman before, a preparation for when he eventually crosses with the S-Class hero Atomic Samurai and his lackeys. To make his hands sharp as the sharpest blades, he'll have to swing his arms like swords...

The image of the boy in the cloud pattern blue kimono briefly invaded his mind. That katana glimmering its sharpness, it's flow like water streams that sliced through a monster. It also looked like there was some kind of use of a breathing technique judging from that brief intense air slipping through that boy's teeth.

He shall copy that.

Combining martial arts as he remembers the movements of that boy with the scar on his forehead, a large intake of breathe as Garou pushed the balm of his feet against the ground.

Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.

He sprung forth.

Slicing Water Wheel!

His arms rushed forward in curved streams with uncurled fingers, in swift motion his whole body rolled forward, like a raging wheel that had whips of spikes that sliced through the rubbery exterior of the Big Toads, killing all of them at once. He brought down his foot and struck the top head of the stabbed Big Toad, an attack that was rendered useless for the blunt of it, so he uses it as his leverage, pushing it against his heel and bounced himself over the Big Toad.

He resumed his way, leaving the shredded bodies of the low-croaking monsters far behind him. Hustling ahead to catch up with the Nevermore he had lost sight of.

/.\

Emma watched as Garou was suddenly stopped by the presence of the Big Toad, the lack of time she was given to warn him from the quick flight of the Nevermore, or if he would even hear her, and in a few seconds, lost her sight of the dark hunter, leaving only to herself to help now.

She looked down at the forest far below her feet. If she were to drop, she may be able to land among the trees, but the fall will certainly hurt her and if she is not careful, she could have herself impaled. She felt the shifting angle of the Nevermore and turned her head. The Nevermore was heading for the walls of the mountain side, its nest likely stationed somewhere there or its intending to keep flying elsewhere. If so, then Emma must react now while the chance was still presented for her to land, but how can she do so without-

An idea swiftly came to her mind and she clutches it before it would pass. From the angle of her backpack that the claw of the Nevermore had under, her arrows fell out. Emma threw her hand forward and grasped a single arrow. She looked and ensured that the four-barrel pistol was still in the pocket of her pants. Now or never!

With the arrow in her hold, she jabbed it into the finger claw of the Nevermore, hitting its sharp pointy into the soft spot of the joint. The Nevermore flinched with a cry, loosening the slight curl of its feet in reaction. The backpack slipped out of its grip completely, and Emma descended towards the forest. The horror of such a fall, she forced her mind to keep calm even as the brace of the wind pushes against her, and reaches for her pocketed pistol.

Aiming the pistol at the between the four trees with her eyes strained from the pushing wall of her fall, she found the exact fall of where she will fall, and pulled the trigger.

Net!

The bullet shot, it exploded into strings of a sticky net and fell upon the four trees. She mindfully held in her breath, the pressure of the fall unable to have her do so physically, she curled her body, her stomach flipped as she did so with her whole body in mid-air, her cheeks puffed as she braced herself and closed her eyes, begging for the success of her survival.

She fell between the trees, her back fell to the center of the net. A plummeting speed that near instantly declined, her limbs feeling the sticky string as she continued to fall slower and slower, until a mere bump to the ground.

An endured squeak through her tight-lip at the bump with tightened eyes, but nothing broke, or even hurt. She slowly opened her eyes, finding the sky ceiling of the mountain, and herself alive.

The loud caw of the Nevermore instigated her immediate movement. She reaches and picks out the remaining arrows she has with her, twelve were able to hold on as several others either stuck to the net, has fallen idly everywhere among the ground she was hovering over, and the rest fallen among the trees. She uses the sharp point of her arrows to cut herself free, as she could not reach her backpack for the sharp stone she used as her carving knife, in this position she was somewhat stuck. It was a daunting task but with no monster nearby and the Nevermore seemingly having flown away, she took her time until she was able to cut herself free and slipped through the net.

Dropping to her feet, Emma examined her surroundings. It was nothing but the thick forest, though it was due to its thickness that her net was able to tightly grasp onto something as its pins for her fall to go as it did, so she was thankful for it. But now lies where she is to go next.

She reaches for her Monster Tracker, but found it no longer on her once again. "It must have fallen out after that Nevermore took me."

She really should make a sort of small satchel for her to securely place in her tracker, while still in each for her to check it at anytime. She was also aware that her rifle was missing, remembering how she lost her grip of her weapon after being suddenly picked up by the Nevermore. She armed herself with her bow and what remaining arrows she has left and was able to recover from all around her.

She then takes to the trees, climbing up the tall ones until reaching the top, but kept herself hidden within the bushes so that the Nevermore, if it was still around, would not see her overhead. She maneuvered through and around the branches and bushes, taking regard to any landmarks she was able to memorize even as she was being glided passed.

"No good. I can't see anything from here," she was not at a high enough tree. There was only the sight of the rest of the forest. She did however spotted the mountain side, considerably close although it is certain to be a hefty walk. There were ledges sticking out, perhaps if she makes her way there, she might have a better view of her surroundings.

She quickly climbed back down the tree. It was uncertain how well it will turn out, since it was out in the open, and not only the Nevermore but any creature might see her. With no other options disclosed to her however, she did what was left than to simply stand there. She has to keep moving.

Starting off that direction to the mountain side, she traverses on foot through the flat path that were between the large trees, only ground meshed with some grass. She had her bow and arrow at the ready, keeping her senses keen to the whole area. She was walking blind now, without her tracker, but she can manage without it. She just has to keep attentive.

"I hope everyone is okay," Emma whispered out. "Gon, Killua, Garou..."

Suddenly, her body shivered. Danger was near.

A rustle from the bushes behind her, she steadily turns around, and looked up.

Rising above the bushes, a heinous growl from the gnawing teeth of fangs that poked through its rotting lips, a skeleton-like figure with green-gray moss-like flesh. Dead eyes that was abyssal black. Its body thickened with muscles and white-silver fur. Its shape was like that of a gorilla, yet far bigger than those depicted in the animal anthropology textbooks.

Her eyes widened with a delayed reaction of fear, as the beast before her howled a terrible animalistic scream. The howl of an ape that looked to have died long ago.

---

A/N: Thank you for reading, I've been thinking of going back and rewriting the chapters just to fix some things that's been bothering me. Nothing major just some changes, maybe erasure of certain dialogues or sentences. I want to give the best treatment to each character as I can hope to apply for this story.

I've even been thinking of adding a chapter where Gon and Killua spend more time with Emma during their travel through the Forest of Doom right before their meeting with Garou, so that their feelings of obligation to keep Emma safe would feel more natural.

I'm going to be off the grid for a while, entering my finals week starting this week and the next few and I have essays to write. Thank you all for your support and lovely reviews! Praying for days to get better for all of us. Until next time!