October 2nd, First Year

"Over there! Get them before they escape!"

"I'm watching for it! Maybe you should hurry up!"

Emmet panted, stumbling into a massive thorn bush, quickly clutching onto the bulky excess of his tail as the two massive pokémon pursuing him thundered over his hiding spot. He was quick to silence his panicked breaths as his first pursuer- the deadlier one, a Yanmega- circled back around, its wings stirring up massive clouds of dust.

"I don't see it anymore," the Yanmega grunted. It hovered lower, using a pair of its legs to shift aside a moldy strip of bark before angrily tossing it aside. Its eyes twitched. "Oi, Moldy! You see anything down there in the brush?"

"Nothing!" The mold-covered Parasect reemerged from the undergrowth angrily clicking its pincers together as it crawled just a few paces in front of Emmet's hiding place. "I can't believe you let that tasty-looking plant-thing escape! We could've been eatin' good tonight!"

"Me?" the Yanmega thundered. "You're the one on the ground! It was me who suggested going after the fella in the first place! All I wanted were the juices of that fella- you're the one that was so insistent on getting your pound of flesh-"

"Whatever!" The Parasect scuttled away from the dense tangle of brambles obscuring Emmet from view. "We'll catch something else. Something slow enough for your weak eyes to trail after."

"Preferably, something slower, yeah. Slow enough for brittle bones over here to follow. Baby pokémon are somethin' else, honestly."

"Agreed. Let's just eat a Petilil and call it a day."

Emmet waited for a very long time to move. To breathe. To shift under the thorny vines that had saved him from being eaten and were currently stabbing into his side. And he did breathe, tears of fear and dread dampening his face as he collapsed onto his side, the leaves along his body rattling as he curled up into a tight ball.

For days, Emmet had been stuck as a pokémon. As a Snivy. A small, defenseless, baby pokémon that knew no offensive or defensive moves. For days, Emmet had tried searching for help. The world was much, much bigger looking from the perspective of a baby pokémon that couldn't climb onto the lowest branches of a tree. The world was also much more vicious and horrifying as a baby pokémon too. For days, Emmet had been running from one place to another, chased by the ferocious wild pokémon that often sought to try and make a meal out of him.

Emmet was reminded that grass-types had a lot of weaknesses. Chunks had been taken out of his tail leaf when a gaggle of Burmys had leapt down from some trees to try and eat him. A particular gang of Murkrows had been tailing him for quite some time, forcing him to take shelter in the densest of the undergrowth- far too fast for Emmet to track despite his enhanced vision- and they had ripped a massive hole through the leafy ruffle around his neck. But by far, Paras and Yanmas had to be the worst.

The Paras were everywhere much like how Emmet's own Joltiks infested Gear Station. They were violent creatures and they chased for an unbelievably long time. And much like Parasects, Paras formed communication networks consisting of mold and mildew to notify other Paras if potential prey was in the area- something Emmet had been trying his best to avoid. He certainly hadn't managed it, a web of mold growing within the undercoat of the leaves of his body. It itched. Badly.

Yanmas on the other hand were easy to detect- the sound of their wings gave them away- but they were speedy and could probe gaps and round corners in a way mireland pokémon could only dream of. It had been Yanmas that had detected Emmet's presence every single time he thought he was being quiet. Yanmas had been responsible for scarring the flesh of his face with bite marks and claw wounds. Yanmas were the reason Emmet was so badly injured. Yanmas were the reason Emmet was afraid to even sleep.

If I can just manage to find some berries- oran berries. Emmet curled upon himself, feeling the sting from the numerous clumps of poison spores the Parasect chasing him had laced him with. Emmet had nothing. No items. No pokémon. No help. I need help. I wish Ingo was here. But Ingo wouldn't recognize me. His frail limbs felt heavier than concrete but despite it all, Emmet rose shakily to his feet and peered out through the entrance to the thorn bush. I have to keep moving. I cannot afford to rest.

Heavy footsteps sounded in the dirt. Emmet scrambled away from the entrance of the bush, watching as a group of massive figures stomped through the undergrowth, the light of their lanterns illuminating the forest. They bumbled around carelessly, their low voices like thunder as they kicked up dust and dirt in their wake.

"Humans," Emmet whispered. He then shrank back. "Humans." Emmet was a pokémon not native to Hisui. If they caught sight of him, they would most likely attempt to catch him and then who knows what would happen to him. He couldn't afford to battle- Emmet still didn't know how to use moves. Anything was fair game if the humans nearby saw him. Is this how Burr felt when I was tracking her, Emmet wondered, nervously grasping the bulk of his tail between his shaking hands. Is this why pokémon are so combative when they are being caught?

The group of humans walked through the thick trees, talking amongst themselves in their language that Emmet could only understand as a garbled mix of consonants and vowels. He couldn't understand a word of what they were saying- just that they were relaxed and probably heading somewhere. And Emmet immediately recognized the uniform they were wearing.

"Gingko Guild merchants." Emmet took a daring step closer. While he couldn't use any moves- he hadn't been able to figure out how to use Vine Whip ever since his emergency back in the fieldlands- Emmet was fast. He could certainly use it to his advantage. "Merchants carry items. Useful items. Potions. Berries." Emmet narrowed his eyes, ducking low in order to leave the relative safety of the bush. "Help. They won't notice a few things missing. Not if I can conduct myself quickly enough."

The minute the main carriage came into view, Emmet darted underneath it, using his tail for balance as he carefully grabbed hold of the undercarriage and swung himself up onto one of the beams. The back end of the carriage had been unguarded, allowing him to slip past the canvas sheet and more importantly, into the storage area. With his newly found sense of smell, Emmet had no issue seeking out the sickly-sweet scent hiding near the back of the driver's seat. It almost made him want to gag.

"Bingo." Before him, nestled carefully on the bottom portion of the carriage were an assortment of packaged salves, berries, and what looked to be a few odd trinkets. Emmet immediately went for the former. He silently pried up the glass lid of the closest potion battle, smearing as much of it as he could on his wounds. They stung like fire, but the topical salve did its job. The many wounds in his side began to repair themselves and the creeping mold along his back faded into nothingness.

Strengthened, Emmet attempted to pick up the glass potion. "Too heavy. Maybe the berries, instead." He reached into another jar and began feverishly tucking the berries into the space around his neck and tail. Pecha berries. Oran berries. Cherri berries- anything he could get his hands on. If only I had a bag to store these with-

"Oooh! New friend!"

Emmet froze as a pair of pudgy hands patted him amiably on the back. Lantern light fell upon him immediately and with it, a low but smooth voice sounded just behind him. Human speech. He'd been spotted.

"New friend! New friend!" A small winged pokémon- a Togetic- toddled past Emmet, enthusiastically helping him stash yet another Oran Berry in his neck ruff as it studied him curiously. "Who are you? What's your name? My name's Angel!" The Togetic peered closely at the wounds dotting his back. "Do you need help, friend? You're injured all over!"

A soft but large hand carefully ruffled the leaves along Emmet's neck. A finger. A cold finger. Clothing ruffled. The carriage stopped. Togetic's eyes moved to something just behind Emmet, her smile dropping for only a second. Emmet took that as his cue to flee.

He practically threw himself out of the carriage, hearing something whizz past where his head had been a second before. He chanced a look backward, cold terror flooding him when he recognized the black spherical shape rolling in the grass a few paces away. A Leaden Ball, the ancient version of the Heavy Ball. It would've concussed him had it made contact with the back of his head. Killed him, possibly. Emmet fled into the tall grass but not before the Togetic followed after him.

"Hey! Where're you going, new friend?"

Emmet didn't so much as utter a response. With his stolen goods safely tucked away, he fled deeper into the jungle. Deep enough so that any prospective merchant couldn't follow him. And when the thick forests turned into a massive stretch of tall grass, Emmet continued running. He ran and ran and ran until moonlight turned into faint rays of sunlight. Until the raucous call of Honchkrows became the prospective buzzing of Yanmas. Until he could see Combees buzzing overhead, not too keen on pursuing a pokémon with no flowers or pollen to speak of.

Until Emmet had come upon a clearing filled with boulders where the land sloped into the mountains. He relaxed, taking a break so that he could chew on an Oran Berry to regain his health. From his vantage point, he could see what looked to be the Diamond Heath spread out before him, the morning sun casting him in shadows.

"Okay... Maintenance check." The wounds in his body had been somewhat restored. He was no longer poisoned and while tired, he certainly wasn't in as bad a shape as he had been hours before. That being said, Emmet still hadn't slept for some time. "Maintenance check completed." He looked back at the slope leading up the mountains.

It was then that he noticed a strange pulling sensation. One that made his hands tingle and the leaves around his neck stand on end. It didn't feel like danger. More like there was something waiting for him just ahead. "If I continue along these tracks, there might be two destinations- one could be Burr," he supposed. The ranger had mentioned departing for their mountain home. If Emmet ran into her… I don't think she would pose an issue. Emmet then blinked. Burr knows that I was a Snivy before. She should recognize me. She could help me get to Ingo. She could help me turn back into a human.

The other possible destination would be running into Ingo, but he was all the way in the icelands, an unfathomable distance to him now being almost five times smaller than his human form. In a land quite literally carved into ice. Emmet would immediately succumb to the elements if he travelled there alone. Regardless, Emmet stashed his stolen berries into his neck ruff and continued onward. The tugging feeling intensified.

In the blink of an eye, the wavering grasses of the mirelands turned into a rugged, rocky landscape where dark storm clouds swirled overhead. The boulders that had framed the small clearing suddenly walled Emmet in, forming a unique room that Emmet couldn't see past. His heart immediately plummeted.

He had felt the same sensation by Lake Verity before Burr's error in securing his distance had gotten him trapped inside of the lake's mystery dungeon. And now, Emmet could see a lot of similarities between the place where he had once been trapped- Foggy Forest- and whatever he currently happened to be.

"This… this is a mystery dungeon… isn't it?"

His answer came in the form of a small Shinx- large to him- that immediately stared straight at him with its glassy eyes the moment it skipped into the room, pausing. Emmet could see the lean muscles under the creature's pelt flex and shift. And so, Emmet took a step back.

The Shinx immediately took a step forward, licking its lips, waiting for Emmet to move once more. Emmet tried to use a move- anything to deter the Shinx. He tried to use the foliage from his ruff to assemble a vine and when it failed, Emmet instinctively reached for an Oran Berry he had stashed away. The Shinx took another step forward, almost close enough to reach him.

Another pokémon joined in the fray. An Elekid and a Mareep crowded into the room, their eyes immediately swiveling toward Emmet as they waited for him to make a move. Cold, pale eyes, hardly alive, staring him down. And Emmet realized that they were all watching him.

"I mean no harm," Emmet uttered carefully. "I am simply looking for an exit." He didn't have to face wild pokémon while passing through his first dungeon, only remembering that Burr had cleared the floors a long time before he had gone through. And I need to learn how to use moves to progress, Emmet withered. How do I learn moves? Is there a process for that or does it happen randomly? "I do not wish to fight you," he tried again. "Please allow me pass."

The pokémon around him didn't respond, only continuing to watch him carefully. Emmet stumbled backward up against the wall. The Shinx took another step forward, now looming directly over him, the Elekid and Mareep closing in on his left and right.

Out of fear, Emmet struck out with just his hand, swiping the Shinx squarely across the muzzle. It had connected and the Shinx hissed at the sudden blow. But it hadn't been enough to deter the creature. Instead, the Shinx lunged forward, Emmet just barely moving so that the pokémon's teeth snapped shut in the ruff of leaves around his throat. A miss.

Emmet paused as the Shinx leaned away, once again waiting for him to make another move. And like a silent promise, the Elekid and Mareep now fully walled Emmet in, their bodies crackling with electricity. A true three versus one with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

So this is how it works. Nobody moves until I do. Just like a regular pokémon battle, turns are being taken. But despite figuring out the turn style, Emmet swallowed. I am cornered. I can't move. Emmet blinked. I can't move. So long as I do not move, I cannot be attacked. And so, Emmet sat there and waited. The three pokémon walling him in didn't so much as blink as if calling him out his bluff.

That was until the wind began to stir along the floor. The three pokémon around him didn't so much as budge, never once taking their eyes off of him. The wind began to stir again causing the leaves along Emmet's body to ruffle uncomfortably. Only once the wind truly picked up and the storm above worsened did the three pokémon glance nervously at him. The Elekid even attempted to prod him only to stop short.

The Shinx, the ringleader of the group, opened its jaws in a silent command before it turned into fog with a fearful cry, the Elekid and the Mareep following suit as they vanished before him. Emmet only had seconds to wonder what had happened before a fierce gale of wind- sharp as a blade and colder than ice- thundered into the room, an unseen and unknown force quickly sweeping Emmet out of the dungeon and back onto the open Diamond Heath.

October 3rd, First Year

Emmet fell forward, gasping into the tall grass, barely able to push himself up and onto his feet before a pair of footsteps found and cornered him in no time at all.

"There you are, new friend! New friend, new friend! Look, master! There he is!" It was the Togetic from earlier that fluttered high in the sky, its berry-bright eyes smiling upon Emmet as it swooped lower to wave cheerfully at him. "Hi, new friend! Leafy new friend! Oh! You're injured again?"

"Togi? Where'd you go?" A new voice, one that felt like gravel upon Emmet's ears, sounded in the clearing. "You're still looking for that little plant thing? That's who you saw in the carriage?" A new pokémon- a Gabite- emerged from the tall grass, fixing its beady eyes on Emmet. "This thing, Togi?" The Gabite bent lower, taking a deep sniff. "You smell weak. Injured." It turned its head. "Over here, master! We found it!"

Emmet immediately ran as though his life depended on it. A Gabite. Gabites evolve from Gible. A trainer had tried to catch Burr a long time ago. A trainer that owned a Gible. The same trainer that was most likely trying to catch me. How did they sneak up on me like this? An indescribable sharp pain blistered along Emmet's back, sending him tumbling into the grass as he cried out in pain. Flames licked up his neck, lighting the tall grass aflame as the trainer's Gabite caught up to him.

"You're a speedy little fellow, huh?" The Gabite bent down and picked him up, patting the flames down as he held him by the scruff of his neck, shaking him around a bit. "Don't know what master wants with you, but hey, not my place to doubt him."

"Release me!" Emmet demanded, striking out with his claws. They bounced harmlessly off of the Gabite's rough skin, instead inflicting damage upon Emmet as he wrenched back his scraped-up hands. "Let me go!"

"Don't be mean, Gaby!" The Togetic swooped down and playfully cuffed the dragon-type over the head. "He's just a baby-"

"Grown enough to steal what doesn't belong to him, that's for sure. Nah, I'm keeping a good hold on you, leafy." The Gabite then tossed Emmet upward, catching him by the slack of his tail but not before allowing Emmet to fall too far and slam his face into the ground. "Can't fight back?" the dragon-type teased.

All Emmet could do was try and spit out the dirt and muck in his mouth, thrashing to free his aching tail out of the Gabite's claws.

"Gaby, quit it!"

"Oh, come on, Togi! You never let me have fun!"

"You're gonna rip his tail!"

"You're overexaggerating. His tail is fine! See?"

Emmet hissed in pain as the Gabite swung him around to his other side by the base of his tail like a mace, intentionally knocking his shoulder into a stone. "Let go!"

"Make me."

"Gaby. Quit it."

"Oh, come on. Master's only a few feet away-"

Low growling thundered through the clearing, the Gabite increasing its vice-like grip on Emmet's tail as a new pokémon entered. A fierce wind blew apart the tall grass covering, a dense vibrating hum encompassing everything Emmet could hear. Two massive shadows fell on top of Emmet, hardly giving him time to move before three massive pairs of legs caged him in.

"This one's mine," came a snarling voice, so loud that it made Emmet's ears hurt. Another body joined in just behind him, easily knocking the Gabite to the ground with a dark, clawed paw. The pokémon hovering over him- a truly massive Yanmega- flapped its sets of wings once as a warning. "Back off, little dragon. We haven't eaten today, and you look particularly filling."

The human- a man with golden hair- appeared from the tall grass, his warbling voice catching in his throat as he noticed the two pokémon- a Yanmega and a Luxray- hovering protectively over Emmet. The man blinked. It made another harried gesture- an order of some kind. Emmet tried his best to capture the man's features, but his sight was quickly obscured by the alpha Yanmega's wings.

The Luxray behind Emmet carefully took Emmet's ruff between its teeth and lifted him up. "Don't panic," it grunted. "We're friends. You know our master."

"You're… Burr's pokémon?" Emmet whispered.

"Bingo," the Yanmega retorted. "I thought something was up the way Azelf spirited you away in a hurry like that. Master tuned into it as well. Had us looking all over the place for you. Good thing we found you before you became Paras food. Ghost, get him back to master, would you? I'll take care of blondie and his crew, here."

"Fine, fine." The Luxray effortlessly swung Emmet onto its back. "Hold onto my mane. I'll get you back to master in no time flat. Off we go." With a slight shake, the Luxray darted away across the grasslands. "You can relax now... Emmet, was it? You haven't been captured yet, have you?"

"...No. No, I haven't been… captured."

"Good. Very good. Just sit tight." Minutes later, the familiar buzz of wings announced the alpha Yanmega's arrival as it followed along the Luxray's trail smoothly.

"Master's going to flip when she sees you," the Yanmega chuckled darkly. "This ought to be funny."

"Don't joke at his expense, Hydra," the Luxray warned, avoiding a swaying branch as it ducked low. "The poor guy's probably traumatized."

"I know, Ghost. That's what makes it even funnier! Tall human- small pokémon! Karma, huh?"

"Oh, shut it you overgrown insect. Ignore her," Ghost purred to Emmet. "She just likes stirring up trouble."

The duo escorted Emmet through fields of tall grass, racing up into the hills bordering the mountains. They raced over dried-up streams and tangles of dry undergrowth before stopping near a verge where the grasslands turned into steep, rocky badlands. Ghost raised its head and took in a deep lungful of air before angling its head upward.

"See anything, eyes in the sky?"

"Who do you take me for? A Zubat? I can see plenty." Hydra fluttered a bit higher, clicking its mandibles together. "There's master- up ahead. Man, leave it to Dusk to choose such a weird hiding place."

A few more pawsteps forward took Emmet to a place where rocky overhangs cast deep, unnerving shadows on the mountain walls. Spritely trees wavered in a coming storm, thick patches of needle-like grass covering the sandy floor. Ghost lumbered into the clearing, opening its jaws in a silent yawn.

"Master, we're back," it purred.

"And we brought a salad for you! Vitamins!"

"I am not a salad," Emmet seethed. He still remembered avidly when the alpha Yanmega- Hydra- had swooped upon him and had kidnapped him so swiftly months ago. So perhaps it came as no shock when Emmet involuntarily recoiled when the massive insect turned its glare upon him. "I am E-Emmet."

Hydra only clicked her tongue, swiping its tongue over its protruding fangs. "Sure thing, salad boy."

"Emmet."

A chirp rose from a crack in the ground. "You guys are back?" A familiar yellow pokémon poked its head out from one of the rock crevices, the fur along her abdomen sticking straight up. "Did you find him?"

Emmet scrambled down from his perch atop Ghost's back, immediately running over to his Galvantula and throwing himself at her. "Tula!" he cried. "It's me! Emmet!" He was immediately greeted by a just as tight hug, the massive spider wrapping him in thick webs before sticking him directly underneath her head.

"There! Now you can't go anywhere without me again!" Tula declared. "I'm gonna stick you to something! A web! No more moving for you! You get into too much trouble when I'm not around, master!"

"That's Emmet?" Another distorted voice piped up, a huge Vespiquen hovering overhead. "You sound like him, but you don't look like him."

"That's because he got turned into a pokémon, queenie," Hydra retorted. "Oi, stop crowding him, you two. Take him to master. She should know how to change him back."

The group of pokémon parted, allowing for Galvantula to pick up Emmet and carry him over to a smaller cavern in the back where the soft violet flames flickered. There, carefully patching up a sniffing Quilava, was Burr, pale, filthy and shiny with sweat. With a practiced ease, they applied a salve to a nasty-looking wound under their Quilava's chin, appraising the pokémon in a soft, barely audible voice.

"Hey, lady," Vespiquen drawled. "Got something for you."

Emmet recoiled back the moment Burr turned and stared at him. Human faces were something Emmet couldn't quite discern in his pokémon form- they all tended to blend together and look the same. A blank slate. Uncanny. The same thing for human speech, really. But Burr spoke something with an emotion even Emmet could recognize- irritation.

Without so much as a warning, the ranger plucked Emmet off of the ground and brought him closer, quickly working a healing salve into his wounds before binding them with dense sticky threads. Burr then spun him around to stare right at him, warbling something in her muddled tone as she checked every spot on him. Every shady spot under every leaf. The ruff of leaves around his throat. His hands and feet. No part of him escaped scrutiny before finally, Burr quit, grasping tiredly at her face as she made the gesture to shoo him away.

"I can't understand her," Emmet deadpanned.

"She's not angry at you," the Quilava cut in with its soft, drowsy voice. "She's just… surprised. She's more worried than angry. I'm Dusk by the way."

"Oh, she's definitely mad," Hydra snickered. "But not at you, Emmet- at Azelf. For turning you into a walking cabbage patch and leaving you in the mirelands to die. It's a rough place out here. Especially for a grass-type."

"Where is Azelf?" Emmet asked, tensing up again when Burr pushed a pile of berries in front of him.

"Nobody knows," Dusk sniffled. "It just tends to… appear. Master thinks Azelf lives in the lake, but we can't go there due to the rift blocking us out." Its ears pricked up and then Dusk turned. "What on earth are you talking about over there, Lilith?"

"She's writing to the old man again," the giant dog huffed. It was curled around the ranger's Zoroark and Mandibuzz, raising its head and licking its lips when Burr sat one hand upon its head. "She definitely knows it's you, salad bowl. She already wrote to your brother earlier the moment Azelf spirited you away. Apparently, she's keeping him up to date- him and that young girl you're all friends with."

"Akari?"

"That's the one."

Burr then carefully got to her feet and hobbled to the entrance of the cave, Ghost and Hydra following after as the ranger carefully scanned the clearing outside the cave with a grim expression. She then ordered something and the two pokémon dutifully nodded and left, Burr sighing once they left. The woman then slid back along the cave's wall and pried up the bandages decorating their throat and chest. That was when Emmet remembered Burr's condition.

"Is she… okay?" he asked weakly. He knew the answer. The last time he had seen Burr, she had been incredibly weak from an infection, close to being drowned in a swamp by the fellow clan scout she had been arguing with. Seeing her now, Emmet could immediately tell that the woman's condition had deteriorated by a lot.

Burr's hair was filthy, no longer shielded by their signature headscarf. Their face was stained with dirt and soot and heavy bags lined the space where their eyes were supposed to be. Their tunic was absolutely drenched with rainwater and heavy with mud and grass and bits of thorns. Not a single bit of them was clean.

"She looks terrible," Emmet stated.

"Of course she does," Lilith rumbled. "Master's wounds got infected. They keep getting infected and master keeps passing out due to them. We've been trying to get to the hideout in the mountain- master keeps all of her healing stuff there- but every time we try to head in that direction, something comes up."

"Wait. Why didn't you go to the Diamond Encampment?" Emmet asked Burr directly, knowing well that the ranger wouldn't understand him either. "You are part of the Diamond Clan-"

"Don't you think she hasn't already tried that?" Dusk snorted. "Something's happening there too. The leader- the guy with the colorful hair- wouldn't let her in. Had some problem with her being there. So master is trying to get to our hideout as soon as possible."

The lighthearted tone was broken by the sound of heavy breathing. Emmet turned. Further back in the cave, away from the eyes of her pokémon, Burr had curled in upon herself, her hands trembling as she applied a watery salve to the wounds along her chest and mangled leg. The obvious flinch every time she set her hands upon her own inflamed, swollen skin. The calming breaths before every moment to tend to her wounds and the wince of pain after each movement was finished. The ranger then reached into her torn-apart bag and pulled out her waterskin, shakily raising the bag to her lips and draining the entire thing, wiping her mouth with the back of her filthy sleeve.

Emmet quietly grabbed another bottle of the salve. "Tula, can you spin more threads?" He stuck the mass of webs along his back and carefully approached Burr who had only just finished removing the old, dirt-encrusted bandages from their chest. "I am… here to… assist," Emmet announced to no one in particular, proffering the bottle to the ranger with his own shaking hands.

Burr immediately turned in Emmet's direction. She shook her head and nudged him back, careful to shield the injury from his view.

"Let her be, master," Galvantula chirped, guiding him back. "She won't let us help her."

"I've tried cauterizing the wound," Lilith grumbled. "Dusk and I. Nothing works. It's just a slow decline over and over. Some weird thing imposed by Dialga is what master keeps saying it is. A loophole? No idea."

Emmet ignored the two pokémon and once again stepped forward directly onto Burr's arm, extending the glob of sticky threads and the healing berries, frowning. "You need help," he asserted more firmly, making sure that the ranger could see his offering. "You have helped see that my cab is back in order. Now it is my turn. Let me assist you."

Again, Burr sighed- one that was tinged with a rasping, wet cough- and gently nudged Emmet away, his offerings falling to the ground. She spoke this time, but her words fell short as a fit of coughs stole her voice from her, a fit so bad that it forced Burr to curl in upon herself, clutching the sides of her chest in her shaking hands.

"She's sick, salad bowl. She's just gonna pass out again. Master knows it. We all do." Lilith got up and turned around, looking away from its master with a disgruntled expression. "Nothing you do can help her."

"...Nothing?" Emmet echoed. He left Burr alone, his eyes scanning the cave. "Where's Parlor? Where's Alakazam?"

"Delivering master's last letter," Dusk answered, curling itself into Burr's side. "She doesn't stay here very long. She was here a few minutes ago, but she only ever comes by to drop off correspondences before leaving."

Emmet swore quietly under his breath. Of course. Why didn't I think of that? Why hadn't Burr already thought of it? He turned on his heel and brandished a clawed finger at Burr, interrupting the woman as he climbed over his arms, accidentally stepping directly onto her face. "You are verrry stupid sometimes. Idiot," he mocked her. "You cannot understand me. That is fine. We will both get help verrry soon." As soon as Parlor returns, I can have them teleport us to Ingo for help. And then, you will escort me to Azelf who will change me back into a human. And then I can call you an idiot to your face.

Two bodies clattered together at the entrance to the cave.

"Bad news!" Hydra called. "Rain! A whole lot of it! The storm finally broke and now there's gonna be a landslide! We need to retreat back to the lower mirelands!"

"Again?" Lilith snarled. "It took us ages to get up here! You know we can't move master that fast! We could make her injury worse!"

"It's not like she won't just pass out again," Burr's Croagunk spoke from its position behind Burr's back.

"There's no time to debate this," Ghost asserted, moving to get his bulky body underneath Burr's as he carefully lifted her onto his back.

"Small pokémon, into your pokéballs!" Lilith ordered.

"Ghost, you're in charge of carrying master," Dusk stated, dimming the flames along her back. "Hydra, keep an eye on the sky."

"Roger that," Hydra responded without missing a beat, immediately leaving the cave.

"Peanut?" Dusk called.

"Right here!" the Eevee immediately responded, formerly hidden at Burr's side. "What do you want me to do, Dusk?"

"Stay with Master. Use Yawn on her to keep her asleep for the trip so she's not in pain. Castor, back him up with Venoshock if things get out of hand."

"Understood!"

"I can handle that."

Lilith then hoisted Emmet off the floor. "You're with me, salad bowl. Jester? Raptor?"

"We're going, we're going," the Zoroark grunted, the two pokémon climbing back into their own pokéballs.

Once satisfied, Lilith reached back down for the pokéball belt beside Burr's bag and tossed it over to Dusk who wrapped the length of it firmly around their torso. "All secured?"

"Everything's ready to go!" Dusk responded. "Peanut, is master asleep?"

"She's asleep! Hey, Galvantula! Vespiquen! A little help here?"

Galvantula and Vespiquen immediately set to work securing Burr's unconscious body to Ghost's back while sparing a few threads to do the same to Emmet. Once the two were fastened into place, the two pokémon retreated into their new pokéballs, joining the clump along Dusk's back. Dusk immediately clambered onto Lilith's back, forming a dense but warm wall along Emmet's back.

"Is everyone accounted for?" Dusk challenged once more.

"Everyone is safe and secure," Lilith responded immediately.

"Then let's set out," Ghost rumbled. "Lilith, watch my back." The feline strode out onto the slippery rocks and when assured that Lilith was following closely, set into a quick but smooth stride back down the mountain. Farther away from Ingo. Back into the jungle. Back into harm's way.

They moved back south, watching as rubble from the mountain thundered down the slopes, taking down trees and carrying dark waves of debris with it. They moved further south, far from the dangerous slopes and back near the Holm of Trials where the hills were dry but firm, the only threats being the odd Ursaring, scared off easily by Lilith as the group finally bunkered down near a massive cave sheltered by the twisting roots of a sprawling mangrove tree.

"Stop here!" Dusk called, her voice just barely audible over the roaring rain and thunder. It leaped off of Lilith's back and immediately began burning the dampness out of the cave, starting a fire out of the little leaf mold and scraped-together tinder she could find as Ghost gingerly lowered itself to the floor.

Almost immediately, all of the contained pokémon released themselves, forming thick rings around both Lilith and Dusk. Emmet was sniffed over once by Lilith before the massive canine stepped away, its ears lowering as it padded toward Ghost.

"How's master? Is she still breathing?"

Ghost carefully waited as Castor and Jester helped lay their trainer down against the walls of the cave. The feline then stepped up and laid its head gingerly on its trainer's chest. Its face immediately fell, the fur along his back bristling. "...I don't think she's breathing… I think she passed again."

"What do you mean, 'passed'?" Emmet challenged. He moved through the crowd until his answer found him, truthful and unburdened.

Burr wasn't breathing. Wasn't moving at all. He could barely discern their face from the mop of dirty hair that obscured them, but he recognized the deadly shade of blue that bloomed where their mouth was supposed to be. He could smell the sickening stench of infection that had been barely covered by the smell of… flowers. Emmet blinked, his eyes moving toward the salve where… that isn't a salve.

Flowers. Flowers had been crushed into a thin poultice and sealed precariously under the bandages. It had never been a proper salve- only a makeshift liquid to help mask the stench of rot and decay. "You… you did this on purpose. This is why you didn't let me help. But you… you used an actual potion on me, so why didn't-"

"Our supplies are limited." Castor carefully moved Emmet back, obscuring the rotting wound and his trainer's unconscious face. "She'll wake back up… I hope."

"Don't talk like that," Peanut muttered, sounding close to breaking himself as he curled up between his trainer's limp arms. "Master is always fine. She'll bounce back like she always does! Give her an hour- she'll be back to normal in no time."

"Yeah…" Lilith growled. "Normal… I'll keep her warm. Dusk, can you take out a team to get some food?"

"I'll see right to it." Dusk was immediately joined by Vespiquen, Ghost, Castor, and Raptor. "We'll get something to eat. Should be back before the storm worsens. Keep an eye on Emmet, please. He's bound to be a bit… shaken from all this." The Quilava then shot Emmet an apologetic glance. "No offense."

"I'll see to that myself," Galvantula assured the fire-type. "C'mon, master. You need to rest. It's been a day for you."

And though Galvantula's touch was soft, Emmet couldn't help but stare at Burr's corpse where her remaining pokémon had so lovingly draped themselves across her, Lilith's form twisting around the woman like it would to newborn Growlithe cubs. It had been a deliberate choice for her to heal him instead of using the medicinal herbs on herself. It had been an accident that Emmet had shown up when he had.

Burr's body jolted as if stung before the ranger moved once again, immediately clutching at their chest as they hissed back into being alive. They breathed something low to their pokémon who scrambled away, allowing the woman to lie alone in the dirt, the sound of their breaths filling the once-solemn silence.

Emmet escaped his Galvantula's grip and moved to sit in front of Burr, laying his own quivering tail across the woman's arm. "You are… the biggest… most selfish idiot. I cannot believe- you poisoned yourself. Deliberately. I was fine," Emmet stressed., unable to keep his hands from shaking. "You should have used the herbs. On yourself."

Burr cracked open one eye to look at him and Emmet saw a lot of things reflected in the woman's murky gaze. Confusion. Exhaustion. Reluctance. But strongest of all, Emmet saw relief, clear as day, shining in the woman's eyes. Burr then chuckled weakly before huddling back in on herself, uttering a few choice words before petting Emmet's head with one clammy hand.

From beside him, Peanut spoke. "She's… happy to see that you're okay... Didn't I tell you? Master always bounces back. She'll be okay."

"Right." Emmet swallowed, watching as Burr shut her eyes and buried her face under the filthy sleeves of her tunic, hearing her breathing slow, still weak but not as wet. Her hand never left the frills of his tail as if assuring him that he wasn't alone in his terrible situation.

Emmet moved closer and curled up in the crook of the ranger's arms, feeling much better and much more at ease with the horrible stench and aura of death gone from the cave. "We are both going to be okay," he repeated to himself, slowly shutting his eyes. I can sleep. I am safe here. "And when Parlor comes back, I will have them teleport us both to Ingo." Emmet then fell into an uneasy sleep, lured by Burr's quiet voice as both Lilith and Peanut snuck back into the huddling pile to keep them warm.