The zoroark ran a brush through her damp mane, pondering her own reflection. Her cold look returned from the silver slab before her. Today was going to be busy. She set the brush down on the stone counter and tightened a crimson scarf around her neck, and left her small den. She made her way down the dirt road. She took the short path, the one that takes her just on the outskirts of town. She wasn't in the mood to greet any of the townsfolk, she had gotten far too little sleep for that.
To her annoyance, she wasn't going to have the pleasure of a quiet morning. The guild was bustling with activity. Explorers were coming and going. The noise was loud enough to drag her out of her own thoughts and lock her out of her mind. She tried to make her way quietly past the tents and crowds and get into the large cabin the guildmaster would be working at. She kept her head down, yet despite her best efforts she was pestered the entire walk. A wave here, a pat on the back there, a distant shout about how much she needed to hang out with an old friend. For being a master of illusion and stealth, she couldn't get to the door of the guild without a dozen delays.
When she finally got to the door of the main building of the guild, she was met with another dense crowd. They were all explorers, patrons, and pokemon getting registered for help. The zoroark pushed through the crowd, trying so desperately to be polite, and made her way to the guildmaster's door. She reached for it to the annoyance of the line behind her.
"Hey there's a line." A pokemon shouted rudely from the back of the room.
The zoroark signed deeply, holding in multiple profanities. She just had to make it inside, get the job, and go.
"Sorry, big meeting, important stuff. I'll be in and out. The guildmaster knows I'm coming."
The zoroark opened the door, slid in, and shut it behind her. A distressed dragonite was shuffling through multiple large stacks of papers. He was stressed and sweaty, and it was still early in the morning.
"I didn't expect you this fast. You know the rule, wait like everyone else. I'm busy," He looked back at his papers and motioned for the zoroark to leave.
"C'mon just hand me the paper and I'm out, no need for all the extra stuff. I know how to handle myself out there."
"No Kari. This one is riskier, I need to make sure you know what you're getting into. And where the hell is Willow?"
"I was gonna swing by her place after and show her the file, like always, now hand it over please."
"Will you just listen, please? This isn't something you can just rush. Get Willow here, then we talk. As you can see, we're a little understaffed due to the recent disappearances. I'd hate for you to go missing next because you wouldn't sit down and listen once." The dragonite was growing angry. He began sifting through a different stack of papers.
"I'm not a baby anymore! Hand me the damn file," Just as the dragonite pulled a folder from a stack of papers, Kari swiped it from him, and turned to face the door.
"Kari goddamnit," the dragon sat up, but the zoroark had already left, slamming the door behind her. Putting his hand to his temple, the dragon sat back down in a reluctant silence.
Fuming, Kari pushed through the horde of pokemon in the lobby. She stomped across the brown soil, barely aware of the papers in her claws. She needed to visit Willow, but the urge to prove herself bubbled up. Determination filled every once of her. Yearning to go on the mission alone, she was ready to walk even further from town.
But no, Willow would have her ass if she went alone. So Kari took a path on the outskirts of town to find an overgrown tree stump. The stump was colossal, and hollowed out into a nice den. Kari raised her arm and knocked on the wooden door. With a modest creak, the door opened and Willow's familiar face greeted her. She was a braixen, about a foot shorter than Kari. She looked up into her deep eyes with a questioning gaze.
"Stressed huh?" The vixen questioned.
"I thought those psychic tricks didn't work well on dark types."
"I'm not using any powers," Willow pointed to the folder, crushed under a deadly grip from the zoroark.
"Oh," Kari relaxed her paw, and handed Willow the folder. "Apparently this one's a tough one. We were supposed to get a briefing but-"
"But you got impatient and stormed off with the file?" the braixen finished.
"Seriously, what psychic move is that?"
"I know you Kari. A few years of partnership will do that to you. Let's take a look at the file," Willow pawed over the documents. "Fuck, no wonder we needed a briefing. This looks bad, supernatural even. Four missing pokemon in the same place. Maybe we head back and get back up?"
"Fuck no."
"You just don't wanna go back in without getting the job done. The only place pride is gonna take you is the grave, and I sure as hell don't want that Kari," Willow looked up at Kari again with a worried look. "Look, I'll go in and ask for us. It won't look like you're giving in."
"No. Way. The guild will know the second you step foot in that place. I'm going on the mission now, whether it be two on one, or one on one."
"Kari please-" The braixen begged. "We don't even know how many enemies we're facing."
"Bad odds never stopped me," The zoroark swiped the papers from Willow and took a peek.
"You cannot insist on going alone. What's gotten into you?"
"I have that feeling y'know? Where I just can't lose. I'm not letting this feeling go to waste."
"Just because you pretend you're invincible doesn't mean you are!" Willow stomped her foot down, on the verge of tearing up.
"I am going, Willow. Are you coming?"
Willow glared at Kari, furious. She shut the door behind her, and followed the zoroark down the eastern road. Their walk was silent. Willow's anger turned to worry, and Kari's to determination. The silent minutes lasted forever in the shadow of the eastern mountain, which loomed eerily as the sun. Kari wondered if something truly had happened to her. She's always been the type to grow stronger in the face of opposition. But had it actually grown that bad?
The ground beneath them grew tougher as they neared the mountain bypass. Sunlight hit them from above now. If they didn't get the job done fast, they'd be camping here tonight. Kari was feeling confident, she knew she could take on whatever was there. After all, her and Willow had bested greater foes, even without the upper hand of striking first. Whatever mystery was lurking in the bypass, the two could take it with ease.
"So," Willow broke the silence, "What's the plan?"
"Uh well the paper said missing pokemon, so I assume we find them and get them out."
"Know what kind of pokemon are in that cave?"
"Umm… rock types?"
"Didn't even read it did you? Hand me the sheet again," Willow reached out for the file.
"No time," Kari stopped, "We're here."
Willow abruptly stopped, nearly walking into Kari. They had only made it a few paces in the narrow road. Kari's eyes locked on a recession in the rock. There was a path, albeit barely, that led up the side of the mountain on their left. It was steep, but Kari was a good climber.
"You do not expect me to get on all floors and crawl up that slope do you?" Willow scowled.
"I can throw you up, I suppose."
"We don't even know what's up there."
"A path is a path, even if it's only just. Look at the ground there. It's flat enough to traverse, and the vegetation is thin. We should investigate the offshoots. Inexperienced climbers could get lost here easily," Kari reasoned.
With an angry huff, the braixen started scaling the slide of the mountain. Kari followed just behind, ensuring the vixen didn't lose her footing. The two balanced treacherously on the narrow path, and made their way closer to a sheer wall of the mountain. Only losing her footing a few times, Willow made it to the stone wall and leaned on it for support.
"Great, we followed the trail and now we're on a cliffside, now what?" Willow rolled her eyes.
Kari pointed a black claw a few feet to the right of the panting braixen. She turned and looked at a small cave entrance on the cliffside.
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Sorry babe, let's go," Kari sarcastically commented, making her way to the cave entrance.
"Don't call me that."
The two made their way into the cave. It was dark, as expected, but incredibly damp - more so than previous caves the two have explored. The familiar smell of minerals and dirty water filled the hollow chamber. Echoes of water dripping from stalactites could be heard in the distance. Without a word, a purple ember burst to life before Willow. She moved the light forward, and the two followed it. The cave seemed to just be one large circular cavern with a pond in the middle. At the furthest end of the room hid another small passage, leading in deeper.
"Look Kari, this doesn't look very safe. Can we please get some back up?" Willow pleaded.
"You can if you want, I'm going-" Kari was cut off by a shrill screech.
It wasn't loud, but the echo bounced off her face again and again until the sound of dripping water was the loudest noise once more. They weren't alone. Willow and Kari turned to the center of the room to study the source of the outcry. The purple flame hovered just above the pond, and the purple glow refracted off the water and marbleized the walls with its color. As the light flickered, so too did the silhouette resting above the pond. Just as the two explorers noticed the figure, two upside-down yellow eyes opened to greet them.
Frozen, the two explorers stood. Was this pokemon merely a dweller of the cave? Or perhaps, the reason travellers had been going missing? Two more purple flames flashed to life before them. They all moved to different parts of the rocky ceiling, illuminating the room further. No point in stealth anymore.
"Hello," A chilling, masculine, voice bounced off the walls. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to pass on further." With a flap the creature's wings opened. The noivern looked at them solemnly from the stones above.
"We're investigating the disappearance of four missing pokemon. Do you know where they might be?" Willow said, clearly acting in an attempt to sound as composed as possible.
Normally Kari wasn't one to be scared so easily. Such a large pokemon however, is guaranteed to intimidate. Not only that, but neither Kari nor Willow noticed the beast's presence. With the four missing pokemon and that derelict path, things were adding up, and the total wasn't pretty.
"There is no need to fear, as long as you step out of this cave," The noivern suggested.
"Kari, let's get help," Willow pleaded.
Torn, Kari thought. But the aspect of coming back to the guild with her tail between her legs was too much.
"Four pokemon went missing here. You seem to know something we don't. Care to explain?"
"I have one job and one job only. Ensure no one, not one pokemon, goes any deeper. I know why you're here, and it isn't worth it. Let them rest."
"We need to find them, no matter what it takes. If you're gonna try to stop us, let's just get it over with," Kari stepped forward, ready to fight.
"Kari no-" Willow exclaimed, fear clear in her voice.
It was too late. The noivern dropped from his perch. The wind displaced by its large wings pierced the stale air of the cave. The bat swooped at Kari. She raised her arms to block the attack but the beast was large, and so were its claws. It cut deep into Kari, and blood dripped down the arm. It took a moment for Willow to realise the noise of Kari's blood hitting the floor wasn't another drip from a stalactite. Ashen with dread, Willow shook her head and recomposed herself. She raised her wand, and a dozen loose stones lifted with it. With a flick of her wrist, the stones shot at the noivern, striking it hard. It bellowed in pain, and the noise was deafening.
The sound bounced back at them, multiplying its strength. The sheer intensity brought Kari to her knees, and Willow was too busy covering her ears to use her wand. Pressing the advantage, The dragon-type took another dive at the two, knocking Willow to the ground. Kari ran to her, and helped Willow sit upright.
"Fuck that hurt," Willow groaned, pulling herself up with Kari's hand.
The noivern landed on the opposite side of the pond, and a purple energy grew near its face. It opened its maw, and with a roar, a beam of light shot from it. The force blasted Kari back, and Willow had to jump out of the way to narrowly dodge it. Kari's anger grew. She couldn't lose, it would prove everyone at home wrong. Slowly, she got to her feet. She ran on all fours to the noivern, and struck it with her claw before it even realised it was being attacked. Following up, Kari slashed a few more times, but the skin of a dragon-type was not easily cut. It didn't flinch at any of the extra attacks, and sent Kari flying with a smack from a wing.
Kari's vision was getting darker. Maybe she was about to lose, maybe Willow's lights were waning with her remaining strength. Either way, things didn't look great. Assuming Kari was too weak to continue fighting, the noivern turned its attention to Willow. She sent a flamethrower at the beast, trying to stop his advance. To her surprise, the noivern flew right through it, and landed a hard hit on Willow.
The sight of her childhood friend flying across the room filled Kari with even greater resolve. She thought hard about what could beat the enemy. Perhaps while the noivern was distracted, she could form an illusion. A beartic came to mind, as the monster must fear the ice. Kari's form shifted, and she rose off the ground. That feeling from earlier came back, she knew deep down she wasn't going to lose. She let out a loud roar, and the noivern stopped in its tracks. It faced the beartic, and for a moment, there was fear. Then with a slight shake of its head, it stood up tall again. Kari knew it saw through the illusion, and her strength flickered.
The noivern shot forward, shrouded in a familiar purple energy. With one slash, Kari fell to the ground. She gasped for air and found none. The noivern ignored her incapacitated state, and struck again, and again, and again. The darkness grew over Kari's face, and the pain was washing away as her consciousness faded. Everything was dim for a few moments, and the noivern began walking back to Willow. Kari wanted to get up and stop him from laying a hand on her, but she couldn't move a thing. She nearly gave up, until that feeling from before arose once more.
Her vision was coming back slowly, and feeling returned in her limbs. She knew she wouldn't lose, better yet, she couldn't. The feeling was euphoric. The thought of beating that noivern down excited her. Kari got to her feet, surprised her illusion was still intact. She sprinted to the noivern, raising her fist. Ice began forming on her fingers, and she struck the noivern hard. It slammed into the wall, ice forming on its chest, binding it onto the stone. The feeling of victory brought Kari a large smile, until she saw Willow lying on the ground. She was awake, but panting heavily, looking at Kari with a fearful expression. The adrenaline left Kari's body all at once, and her form faded. She dropped to her knees, and her wounds finally caught up to her. The last thing she saw was Willow's petrified stare, and then darkness.