Originally Posted by
Empoleon-Dynamite
The Lost Jungles
Arc Angel: You take a few small paces back, eying up the stunning piece as you unroll your sleeves. You’d been pushed to your limits and each harsh obstacle another sending you closer to the edge. The desolation the elderly gypsy had thrown you under was beginning to way up, the notions of paranoia echoing about your subconscious chiselling at every thread of endurance and you were just about to crack. Not this time, no siree you were stronger than that, or so you told yourself. With a determined grin you bind your palms against the triangular overhang wedged very tightly north. As each finger settles on the aurous ridge, you feel a slight tingling pulse from your finger tips down to your body. It was time. You lean rearward, shifting all of your weight to the back as you hope to trigger some movement. Still rigid as ever, you squash one foot onto the dial’s plane, towing if all your strength as you bite your lip in concentration. Huffing and puffing as you scramble into different positions tugging with all your might, the dust quickly settles and you realise it wasn’t going to budge under your doing. Spiritomb swirls over your shoulder like a nerve-jangling breeze, a few green balls spewing from his essence and mantling across the dial’s handle. Whilst strong enough to leash a skilful toad with no trouble at all, the dark spews of purple failed to do much either. You both untwine from the tangled embrace, at a loss for the manpower, even with Jericho’s ego.
You pause for a second, wondering if the shimmering face was even supposed to be shunted or if there was more too it. You where just about done with mind games, so you fiddle with your varied repertoire of balls fastened to your attire, plucking a tasty looking capture device which looked like a chocolate bonbon. You raise the Malteaser an inch above your waist, thumbing it to the size of a spherical Easter Egg as it gave off a sweet whiff. Not in the ideal space to pitch it forward, you balance the Chocolate Ball atop of your open palms as it cracks open by itself. An explosion of auburn light colours the golden walls for a split second, the spur of sweet radiance soon dimming to showcase a stubby little bear cub which yawns cutely as it stretches its fluffy limbs. She suddenly leaps to your arms in fear, weakly opening her beady eyes only to find the two of you completely walking on air. As she grips against your body like a Koala Bear, you take little time to plop her on the primordial clockface with another task at hand. It was time for the teddy to show the boys a real show of strength, much to their humiliation. Maddie paces up and down the dial, coming to a stop at the overhang and walking back round. She stared at the abstract illustrations like they were pictures in a story book, her ears prickled to your instructions as she went along. The grizzly flexes her muscles slightly, rolling her flowery bangle back as her claws drew bare from her otherwise cute mitts. She then places the two paws on the face of the extension, her nose flared and brow scrunched as she began shifting her weight forward. You watch in wonder as the clock began to move, a low bellow echoing across the insane dimension as the slabs of gold scraped against each over. Slowly but surely the dial’s finger budged clockwise, the small teddy gritting and snorting as she rammed her whole body forward.
After a good five minutes turned into a show of Strength, the cub finally howls at the impressive feat with overhang now facing a good deal south. The victory jig is short-lived however, as the raincloud illustration flickers a glowing Navy, the creaky hollow of thunder sounding although this time you can’t be sure if it’s a mind trick or not. The Sun Dial begins glowing a blinding yellow as you, the bear and the frog suddenly feel your feet pick up beneath you. You flail your arms about wondering what the hell is going on, the shiny tunics and patterned walls fading to black as you drift upward and onward in the dark abyss. Suddenly! You wince as a queasy feeling takes charge, the world around you spinning drastically as a deafening drone you could only compare to a steam train shooting past. You lost sight of Maddie, Jericho and Reaper – even the two followers had broke out of your mitts as you feel yourself thrust through the universe in less than a few seconds
*Thud!*
*Patter*
*Patter*
An unknown amount of time passes, and you wearily open your eyes, the heavy droplets of rain patting against your muddy face. You clamber to your feet, wiping the wet streaks of hair from your face as days events come into realisation. Something felt different about your surroundings, the crooked trees honing a feral disposition and the quick downpour leaving little wildlife unhidden. It isn’t long before a messy Koffing pushes its way through a thick of muddy undergrowth, cussing at the state of his garments yet you couldn’t be happier to see a familiar face. You pace about the cluster of large shrubs, turning every leaf you come across in search of the remaining four. A sudden glimmer of purple and green catches your eye, as you and Jericho weakly dash to a cliff edge where Reaper’s Keystone was barely settled. Palming the snoozing spectre you check the landscape for signs of your remaining comrades. The drop in terrain scoped across the entire horizon, watching as a few Wingull flew across the ravine only hoping the baby chimp and bear cub hadn’t warped too close to the fifty-foot drop. Suddenly you notice an uprooted log begin rumbling wildly. A set of goldy brown feet pop from the log’s midpoint, the legged cylinder now stumbling dizzily as a set of arms ripped free. The clawed paws then slash frantically at the rest of the log, Maddie’s face panning into view amidst the chippings of lumber flying about. That was your own three down, but where were the others? You continue to chase through the dark jungle’s edge, calling desperately for the infant you’d swore to protect – heck, even Croagunk’s face wouldn’t be too bad at this point. Spending a few minutes blindly shaking through the thick shrubbery you suddenly feel another presence – an unsettling vibe running through your limbs before you even made eye contact.
“You!” a mysterious voice rasps, “You must the one they call ‘Arc Angel’” You suddenly flip to your rear in panic, noticing a group of about a dozen or so cloaked figures with their faces shadowed out. The head of the group, the man calling your attention by your rarely given pseudonym seemed slightly taller than the henchmen, a curved wooden staff held in his grasp tipped a deep scarlet. His other arm was outstretched and patting- Croagunk!? Why that dirty double-crosser! I guess nothing less could be expected from the shifty amphibian, but that didn’t stop Reaper from bursting out of the keystone with each of his personalities feeling a distinct sensation of rage.
“You’ve played your part well, none of us would be here without you”, the man said in a snarky tone, his voice far too powerful to be taken lightly, “But now my fair angel, you must be put to rest. Kill them! Kill them all!”
With that, the henchmen began jeering passionately, and as they did so the man banged his staff against the floor causing it to pulse with a scarlet aura. Summoning two shadowy wisps which snaked across the ground, the staff flashed brightly as the circular shadows ripped through the clammy terra. With a double dose of vicious screams, a Dusclops and a Muk emerged from the shadows with a puff of black smoke. They looked different, both with a streak of monotone colouring and an ominous aura that’d you become somewhat familiar with and grown to fear. Whilst up for another struggle, you’re in no position to even order as the bandaged mummy wiggles his fingers and Disables you from moving an inch. With your arms dead and jaw locked, the two shadow monsters take their pick of your troop as the obscure figures look on with upmost pride. Muk is first to attack, slugging forward and hocking up a slew of Gunk which flings forward and bullets against the shiny sack. You’d never seen the move carried out with such power, the purple Shot cleaving across Jericho for a clean KO. You feel yourself screaming inside as the Cyclops waddles its way to the scared stiff teddy. The dull bandages draped across its body begin to unravel as they travel toward Maddie, wrapping her up and wringing her out with a merciless Bind. The bear splutters and chokes as her mug colours blue, the Beckon Pokémon keeping to its word as the clench became a strangle. The heartless fiend cackled as the summoned shadows made quick work of your companions, the heady spell still proving effective as you could barely blink. Suddenly!
“Your reign of terror stops right here, Dim Sun!” A womanly voice announces, causing your heart to race with the notion there may still be hope. The thick canopy of trees suddenly give way, a girl with long blonde locks trailing in all directions softy hung in the sky with her arms widespread as a flurry of wind kept her airborne. She elegantly flicks her wrists and the wind disperses, the magical heroine dropping a few feet before you and the foe. She sweeps her hair behind her back and hastily switches into a battle stance.
“You will pay for destroying my beautiful garden, Syrian! Giratina is on his way” she blurts. Right on queue, a magnificent reindeer-like creature swoops from Iris’ trail, sporting a dazzling white coat with a few lime stripes. The lengendary growls cockily as it gallops circles around the trees before reaching the Shadow Dusclops. You notice the few dead thickets it’d rushed across burst in a colourful bloom of flowers, The Beckon Pokémon grumbling in nausea as he untangled his bandages from the unconscious teddy. The two shadow beasts corner Shaymin, each forming a Shadow Ball with the sight alone causing the sky warrior to cower back into its land form. Syrian and Croagunk snort, the dark master lowering his hood courteously giving you a clear glimpse of his face. He looked like a demon: his iris coloured red and his grinned teeth pointed like fangs. Several scars showed on his pale face, and scarlet veins glowing up his skin giving him the look of a dark sorcerer of unearthly proportions.
“Beautiful Iris, if Giratina is on his way then my plan is sailing smoothly”, he replies calmly, signalling his minions to finish Shaymin. You gulp within your paralysed body, almost as though the two had completely forgotten about you. Iris bites her lip in concentration, stone-faced as she eyed the trembling hedgehog which looked back desperately. Suddenly! The goddess waves an arm in your direction causing your body to spasm back to movement, your first reaction to check up on Maddie and Jericho who where both out cold but still breathing – Reaper was tactfully by your side and Aipom was still nowhere to be found. The man raises his staff in anger, but Iris is quick enough to wave her other arm causing the two Shadow Minions to disperse into nothingness. She runs to your side with a look of terror on her face. Grasping your hands she gently pushes you backward,
“Run my dear!” Iris pleas “Run faster than your legs can carry you and don’t look back!”
