Ashen Lilies and Scarlet Parsely (PG-13)

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

The first version was an epic failure, so I'm doing a different version. Hopefully, this will turn out better...oh, and if you use my idea without permission, I'll take a tazer to your throat. Seriously. Anyways, my apoligies if sone chapters seem a little short, I'm in the process of story cleanup right now (aka lengthening chapters, fixing errors, etc.) so I can post it on Fanfiction.Net. This story is somewhat depressing, I've been told, so hang on to your eyeballs. References to all sorts of different things; just squint.

Ashen Lilies & Scarlet Parsely
A Pokemon Tale
Rated PG-13 for violence, romance, a lttle language, some dark topics, and hints of rape
Main Shippings- NegaiShipping (Ash x Iris) and SommileurShipping (Cilan x Burgundy)

~*~


Prologue
~Welcome~

Fate is a funny thing. Think of it as a path, a long, winding, twisting road that's shadowed over up ahead, so you never know what's coming. Some things are good, some are surprising, some are...pretty nasty. The ones I've come across...ha, there are too many to count, to name, each turn sharper and more treacherous...

But I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I? I am here, for one purpose, and that's to give you a story. This is one of action...torture...sin...and love, too. All those wonderful…emotions…love, hate, anger, sadness, joy, confusion, every single one so rich and colorful…

There are some people in this dramatic tale. Who are they? Well, first, there's Cilan. He has come a long way. He has the most patience, skills, and eccentric nature I've ever seen. Then there's Burgundy. She appears a little later then the rest, and she had a lot of spunk, if I do say so myself. Under all that fire, though, she's pretty sweet, which is quite unbelievable, if you've ever met her face to face. Then there's Iris. She's brave, quick, and feisty, but caring too. She’s cute, in a daring way. There is also Ash. He seems to suffer so much…yet he’s still alive and kicking. He has quite a lot of courage, endurance, and has a surprisingly crafty mind, and he can be obnoxious, too…

Oh? Who am I, you ask?

I am called Forever. I am everything and I am nothing. I am the clouds in the sky, the wind on your face, like breath itself. I am everywhere and nowhere. But do not be alarmed, for it has always been that way. I stumbled upon this…incident from another world, quite different from the one you so happily resign in now. I was drawn by…the emotions, so many wonderful emotions…I became immune of such things eons ago…so I strive for them, search for them. I can show you the memory, this account that is begging to be told. Even when it gets frightening, do not be afraid, for I will be with you, during every amount of bloodshed, love, hate, betrayal, confusion…

Are you ready? Let’s start at the best place to commence in anything…the beginning

~*~

A short introductory prologue to get us started...DON'T KILL ME

[Winter Storm]

Sorry for not posting a lot earlier ^^;
It's really good like I said before. Also you added different things to it and I like it
Your "Epic Failure" wasn't that bad, but I like how you switched it up on this new one!
Can't wait to read the following chapter

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

Hrrumph. Chapter One,Two, and Three are going to be short on both length and Shipping hints. Don't worry- Chappy Four is bound to chock full! Hang in there until then!

EDIT; Chapter has been edited. Feel free to leave a post review.

Part One- Clash

Chapter One
Shadows and Blood

With secrets, tension, shadows, and blood,
And still more on the way,
Who knows what is yet to bud?

Cilan Creeke, 14, looked up at the evening sky. The setting golden sun’s dying rays were a pale yellow against the darker violet. Already, small white stars dotted the gloomy heavens. It was light a painter had splashed a swirl of bright colours across the sky and had purposely left a few small spots on the pallid canvas blank.

The young green eyed teen smiled a little at this. The day had been long for him and his companions, a young 12 year old boy named Ash Ketchum and a 12 ½ year old girl named Iris Dracoblossom. The sun had made the day scorching hot, and not to mention the heated argument between Ash and Iris over who-knows-what. After all of the excitement and fuss that day, Cilan needed to rest his troubled mind. Besides, something was worrying him, gnawing at the back of his mind since this morning…

Cilan turned to the younger raven-haired boy next to him, “It’s getting late, Ash. We should probably find somewhere to camp out for the night. “

Ash nodded in agreement, although somewhat distractedly, “Yeah…you’re right…” he muttered rather quietly, luckily loud enough for Cilan to hear.

The Gym Leader narrowed his eyes. It seemed unusual to him for the usually energetic boy to be so…remote. Maybe his argument with Iris is starting to get to him? Cilan wondered. It was possible, after all, because Iris had gotten rather upset and she wasn’t talking to him anymore, after everything he had said…

“Ash, are you okay?” Cilan asked, concerned. Ash looked up at the Connoisseur and nodded. “Yup…I’m just fine!” he lied, not willing to share with the older Trainer what he was feeling.

~*~

That night, all seemed still. They had set up camp and settled down for slumber…how many hours ago? Ash and Iris were in their own respective sleeping bags (the tree branches were too bunched up for Iris to sleep in, it seemed). The younger Trainers, despite sleeping alongside each other, were stubbornly facing the opposite direction of the other. They still hadn’t made up, despite the time that had passed.

Cilan was in his sleeping bag, but he couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Every time he closed his eyes, some unknown force would force them back open again. With a soft growl of dismay, he turned onto his side and closed his eyes in another attempt to sleep, which (unfortunately) failed.

“Psst!”

Cilan’s eyes snapped open at the whisper. He sat up and turned in the direction of the noise. He saw two pairs of eyes staring at him. One red, one blue. Both figures were clad in black cloaks that hid the majority of their faces, and white wigs were tucked neatly under the hood, but a strand or two of hair was still sticking out. Despite the concealed faces of the twosome, Cilan knew precisely who they were; it couldn’t have been anyone else.

“Guys?!” the Connoisseur hissed incredulously, struggling to keep his voice low. His two brothers, Chili and Cress, nodded quickly. Cress gestured for Cilan to come closer. “It isn’t safe for us to discuss our topic here, it’s dangerous.”

Cilan felt a throb of foreboding in his heart as he slid out of his sleeping bag, quickly donned his shoes, and followed his two brothers through the greenery and into a small clearing awash with a faint light. Cilan looked up at the moon. It was a mere crescent, a white claw in the blackened sky.
Cilan turned to his two brothers, he green eyes glistening with confusion. “What’s with the secrets? I don’t like the aroma I’m getting…”

Cilan shifted rather uneasily from foot to foot as silence met his question. Finally, after what felt like hours, Chili broke the silence.

“The Shadow Triad has been called for again, Cilan. Lord N and Master Ghetsis need us.”

Cilan let out a small gasp in shock. Cress raised an eyebrow at his brother. “You do remember our promise, Cilan, correct?”

Cilan nodded slowly. “Y-yes, but-”, he began, but Chili interrupted him.

“Hey, I know how much you hate this sometimes, but Ci'…we don’t have a choice. We made a promise, think about it. If we went against what we said…”

Defeat overwhelmed Cilan as he replied dolefully, “I know, Chili…I know…”

~*~

She was dreaming. She was twisting and thrashing as the churning water swirled around her. Eyes shut tight to prevent the water form getting into her sight, she spluttered and coughed as the salty water went into her mouth, and she struggled to get even a single gulp of air.

She wasn’t sure how she had gotten into this sea of turmoil, but now that she had entered the tossing liquor, it seemed impossible to escape. She desperately searched her memory for a trace of why she was here, what this place was, but found nothing. Even more horrifying, she couldn’t remember anything; not her name, her home, her friends…she couldn’t even remember what she looked like.

The dismay at her discovery seemed to drown her worse then the water surrounding her, and she slowly opened her closed eyes, and made yet another startling finding; it wasn’t water at all she was swimming in-- it was blood, scarlet and brackish. She gasped in repulsion, accidentally swallowing the crimson liquor. Dread clouded her mind and she could barely see- only red was in her sight and the saline stench filled her senses. All of a sudden, she felt a hand strike out of nowhere and grab her, pulling her back on the land. She saw, through the cherry coloured haze, a pair of bright green eyes. At this point, in her exhaustion, she thought she was delusional, but the hand, the ground that was now beneath her, was so real…someone had saved her life. But who?

As she gazed deep into those green eyes, the rest of the face obscured by shadows, she saw her own reflection. She saw her face that she didn’t remember. She remembered everything, and the name of her rescuer became caught in her throat.

“…Cilan?”

The young Connoisseuse Burgundy Lavender* awoke with a start, the word she had spoken in her dream escaping her mouth in the waking world. She sat up from her bed, and looked rather fearfully around her.

The was still in the Pokemon Center, safe, and not even a speck of blood on sight.

Burgundy let out a low sigh of relief at this. So it was a dream, after all…
Still, she pondered over the dream. Why was there blood everywhere? Why was there so much? And why, was the biggest of her questions, was Cilan there?
Burgundy was a Connoisseuse with a desire for revenge against Cilan. He had humiliated her beyond what a Gym Battle defeat could allow, and yet…in her dream, he was her savior? It made no sense.

She turned her head to look out the window of her room. The moon was shining brightly down, the silvery streaks of light casting misty grey shadows. It was like ribbons of grey silk were fluttering from outside. It was pretty to stare upon, and soon Burgundy was feeling sleepy again.

She groaned inwardly and lay back down and her last thought before she drifted into a dreamless sleep was: I really don’t understand…what does all this mean?

~*~

I hate how short this is.

[Ninja Bulbasaur]

Nice, although the detail could be better, but it's improved since the first one was, as you you said, kinda bad. This is really thrilling for a single chapter, big sister! Forever of the Stars is from Ayreon, right?
Why is Ash quiet? What was the argument about anyways? Maybe they got lost and Iris was yelling at Ash fur it. Tch, typical Iris.
I'm a WishfulShipper, not a NegaiShipper, but I like the story. I wArn you guys that Ash becomes Weird in the end, so bear withe me. Moonsy can tell really good stories cuz she reads a lot more than I do. I prefer to zone out. It's fun!
Im new... I forgot about that...

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

Nice, although the detail could be better, but it's improved since the first one was, as you you said, kinda bad.

...I'll ignore that...

This is really thrilling for a single chapter, big sister! Forever of the Stars is from Ayreon, right?

Thanks, little sister, and yes, he is.

Why is Ash quiet? What was the argument about anyways? Maybe they got lost and Iris was yelling at Ash fur it. Tch, typical Iris.

I'm not to sure yet. Don't bash Iris, she's important

I'm a WishfulShipper, not a NegaiShipper, but I like the story.

Don't bash NegaiShipping, either.

I wArn you guys that Ash becomes Weird in the end, so bear withe me. Moonsy can tell really good stories cuz she reads a lot more than I do. I prefer to zone out. It's fun!

Shh! No gossiping or spoiling! And yes, I'm smart cos I'm forever smarter than you.

And its not Moonsy, its Moonsie...

Im new... I forgot about that...

...did you expect me to welcome you?


Haha, now that I'm done with all that, I need to apoligize for my absence. My sincerest apoligies to you people. I just haven't found the time. So sorry. Chapter Two will be on soon, and so will Chapter Three! See you!

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

Heh, here's Chapter Two. I hate it. Too short. Try to not think of it too much as a chapter. It sucks. UGH. Oh yeah, I'm adding poetry to the beginning of every chapter now (threw it into Chappy One). I'm a rather poor poet, but whatever...

EDIT; Chapter has been edited due to lack of length. Feel free to leave a post comment.

Chapter Two
A Huntress’ Revival

It’s the time for a wrongdoer’s revival
Dead no longer, she hunts and plots
Soon there might be a fight for survival…

A woman strode confidently through the shadowy forest. As she continued through the woodlands, her dark cloak trailed behind her. A pair of electronic black glasses covered her eyes. A scar ran over her right cheek. She shook her head angrily, her gray hair quivering as she did so.

She was Pokemon Hunter J!

Oh, yes, they thought that she was dead. For they, as in everyone in her home region, saw her ship crash down into a giant lake, a whirlpool swallowing her and her crew. The ship had been struck by a Pokémon’s Future Sight attack, and technique which an attack was shot into the clouds and shot back at the enemy at a later time. J should’ve seen it coming. But in the end, it led to her supposed crew’s mind own demise. But she had escaped, receiving nothing more than a mark on her face and the thought of vengeance engrave deeper than the scar.

So J had lost her ship.

But she was alive!

A Pokemon Hunter, that was her. The best there was. A Pokemon Hunter captured Pokemon and sold them on the black market. Back where she used to work, Sinnoh, she was the unsurpassed master of them all. Even here, in the isolated Unova region, she continued her job in secret. Multpile clients swore to keep her survival a secret, except from fellow criminals, who would also swear to keep their mouths shut. So many Pokémon were caught, and much money was paid. J was steadily regaining her former class of Hunter, the kind with many happy clients and a large amount of riches.

So J was in action!

Back in Sinnoh, almost nothing got in her way. Almost none of her missions failed. J took down every enemy that tried to stop her. It was mostly the authorities, and they had all declared her dead. She was almost unstoppable.

Almost.

In Sinnoh, there had been only one person who dared to get in her way. A young boy, a mere child! The very thought of him, the very thought a child who would dare hinder her, infuriated her. Usually, when people saw her coming, knew she was around and searching, if they had sense, they would flee at the sight of her, or just stay away. Others, foolish enough to stop her, were quickly dealt with and never seen again, because they were too afraid of her. Yet others were killed for their heroic and sad attempts to hold up her profession.

But that boy…!

J growled crossly and clenched her fist. First, he had approached her, tried to stop her, and succeeded. He didn’t even seem afraid of her, stopping her not once, but multiple times! Every time he interfered, J failed. With every fail she got less clients, much to her displeasure. She had to work twice as hard to keep her clients at their average number, and it became somewhat impossible to increase that number. All because of a adolescent boy.

So J had retribution to settle!

She withdrew a Poke-Ball from her belt. Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses. She wanted desperately to get back at him, and she would…

She sent out her partner Pokemon. He was a blue bipedal dragon with a beige underbelly and scarlet wings. Under his tail, above his black triangular eyes, his throat, and underneath his legs were coloured the same shade. His wings were red, and he had a pair of sizable fangs in his mouth. The Dragon Pokémon had served her for a long time, never veering from her side.

J nodded at the dragon as she spoke his name. “Salamance.”

The dragon roared in response and allowed his Master to spring gracefully onto his back. With a cry and a shake of his snaking tail, he launched into the cloudy sky. The dark haze hid Salamance from sight. J smiled deviously as they went into the skies. She was scheduled to meet a client that day, and she was looking forward to her next mission. Every time she captured a new Pokemon, helped a new client, and got some currency off it, she felt a deep trill of satisfaction within her. It was her nature, a feeling that surprised her, in fact, during her younger just starting out days. Now she was efficiently cold and pitiless, and had no guilt, no love, and no soft feelings. Just satisfaction…and rage. That was all that was left in her heart, blackened by crime.

She had worked so long in the art of crime that her old life of smiling faces, honesty and purity, seemed to fade far to back of her mind, to be eaten by the shadows that replaced their respectful places. All of that was unneeded, and she would require for its disappearance if she wanted her ability as a Hunter to continue throughout her life.

She also needed it if settling of scores was to performed. J wanted to, and she would get it done. Before her life was over, the Huntress swore to get her hands on the aggravating boy who had ruined everything.

Before he died, she would hear his screams of mercy, his screams of asking to please just kill him already, he’d had enough.

But J knew it would take considerable effort to make that nightmare a reality. He was headstrong and prideful. He would never let those feelings out unless she really showed him the meaning of pain.

With her revival, she had surprise on her side. J had many methods of torture, and she was sure there wasn’t one she hadn’t used yet. Every single one had worked, and the individuals who had the affliction thrown upon them were either dead, in the hospital, or walking the earth in such a miserable way that someone was going to put him out of his misery someday.

As Salamance soared higher, J began laughing, softly. Everything will go just as they should…my reputation will grow in the black markets, my vengeance will be dealt, and will every one, I will laugh. Every. Single. Time.

~*~

FRIGGING LENGTH PROBLEM AGAIN

[Ninja Bulbasaur]

So J had lost her ship.

But she was alive!

So Cluny had lost an eye.

The pike had lost it's life!

I sense a pattern here...is J Cluny, cuz I see the other things like that in that chapter...sheesh!

I like it overall, and I want you to PLEEEEEEASE post the next one! I read it, and i like it!

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

So Cluny had lost an eye.

The pike had lost it's life!

I sense a pattern here...is J Cluny, cuz I see the other things like that in that chapter...sheesh!

I like it overall, and I want you to PLEEEEEEASE post the next one! I read it, and i like it!

Cluny was a good villian, but not the best. J is, unfortunately, so this'll make things harder. Chapter Three will be up soon. I'm currently working on Chapter Five as I type this.

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

Okay, I lied. This chapter ended up being more Shippy (Negai) and longer than I thought. Don't eat me.

EDIT; Chapter has been edited due to lack of description in the beginning. Feel free to leave a post comment.

Chapter Three
A Small Twinge

A nightmare in the head, a twinge in the eye
Signals, omens, of what’s yet to come?
A villainess gathers a pack for her sinful, evil plot…why?

Ash’s eyes snapped open. He sat up and looked around their site. Nothing stirred. Ash blinked as he struggled to recall his dream. He knew it was of some importance, (after all, it woke him up) but he couldn’t seem to remember exactly what woke him. Little flashes of remembrance flickered in his mind, like little fireworks; there one second with loud declaration, the next vanished into smoke. Shadows around him…snaking around…blood in his eyes…Wait a second, blood, like, blood?! Then, there was a stab in my chest…!

Ash narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. There was a soft noise beside him. He looked in its direction and realized Iris had simply shifted her position in her sleep. Cilan was gone. Ash was in the middle of the two sleeping bags, and allowed his fingers to brush against Cilan’s. It was cold.

Strange…did he perhaps just…go on a walk or something? The Kanto Trainer wondered. He turned his thoughts to Iris. A small distressing notion was gnawing at the back of his mind.

The argument. Of course. What else?

Ash shook his head, not unlike a dog, in an attempt to clear his head. Iris had looked…so upset…he knew he should apologize. It was the only logical thing to do after all. Besides, it was rather a pointless thing to carry on with. He moved slowly out of his sleeping bag, careful not to awake his partner Pokemon. He was a yellow mouse-like creature with brown stripes across his furry back. Red pouches covered his cheeks and a brown based lightning-bolt shaped tail sprouted from his behind. His eyes, normally bright and dark, were closed in slumber. Ash smiled at the mouse. The faithful Pikachu had been by his side since he had started out as a Trainer. At first, the two were like water and oil, but now they were almost inseparable.

Ash sighed quietly as he departed the sleeping bag, Pikachu undisturbed. He fought down his nervousness and hissed softly, “Iris…are you awake?”

“Yeah…,” was the reply. Her voice was restrained, as if she wasn’t willing to speak to him at all. Stifling a growl, he took a deep breath before starting to speak.

“Iris, you know about…about what happened today?” he managed to say after a while.

He heard Iris snort angrily. “Yes…what about it?” she growled, her tone tight with fury.

Ash swallowed hard and replied in a low voice, “I-I…just wanted…to say sorry, I’m sorry about what I said.”

Ash felt the heaviness of his distress evaporate as Iris sat up, a small smile on her face. “I accept your apology, Ash. I’m sorry too; it was really…stupid of me to react…”

“Same here.”

The two stared at each other for a long while in silence. A voice from behind made them jump.

“I’m glad you to made up, then.” came a rather familiar voice. Ash whirled around, tense, but relaxed at the face. “Cilan…”

Iris meanwhile, felt her cheeks feel rather warm at…the way he was just smiling at them. Angrily, the Dragon Trainer said, “Were you listening the whole time?!”

Ash realized the possibility and he began to blush as well. Cilan smiled at the pair. “A small amount.” He answered, his voice composed.

Was she imagining it, or was there…amusement in the Connoisseur’s eyes?

“Are you laughing at us?” she asked with a threatening in her tone. Cilan chuckled nervously but didn’t reply. Ash and Iris glared at each other for a while, daring the other to make him respond, but in the end, all three were silent in admitting anything.

~*~

The next morning the trio set off again, towards Iccirus City, where Ash’s next Gym battle awaited him. Iris wasn’t too happy coming, though. The Gym Leader’s specialty was Ice-Types, an element she wasn’t very fond of. She wanted to be Dragon Master, after all. Some people found her fear irrational, silly even. Wasn’t it only natural to fear what Dragon-Types feared the most?

With a soft snort of annoyance, she turned towards the Dragon-Type on her shoulder. He had light gray scales all over his body, darker rimmed around his eyes, which were a crimson shade, and over his large dorsal fin that sat upon his head. A small green collar was wrapped around his small neck, and he had thin tusks peeping out of his mouth. He has a short, stubby tail and claws. Usually the Dragon-Type hid in her long hair, which went down to almost her feet, but today little Axew wanted to smell the fresh air. He looked up at the sky. Iris looked up as well. Hmm…it’ll rain soon…she thought. She relayed her thoughts to her two companions. Cilan looked up thoughtfully at the dark clouds. “I hope not too soon. I don’t think there’s any nearby shelter.”

Ash nodded in agreement. “Then we should probably hurry to the next Pokemon Center- how far is the nearest one, Cilan?”

The young Gym Leader pulled out his electronic Town Map and looked through their route. His green eyes narrowed. “Not for quite a lot of distance…”

Ash groaned softly. “Let’s hope the weather gives us a break…” he commented.

Pikachu, who had been on his shoulder, concurred with a soft, “Pika!”

~*~

Elsewhere, our favorite Huntress was flying in the air on her Salamance. She clicked her tongue softly, signaling the Dragon Pokemon to land. He followed suit, alighted onto the sandy ground below the clouds. J hopped rather smartly off and landed quietly, and looked around. There were several caves, the scent of rotting flesh and dung wreathing around the area. Salamance snorted and shifted nervously. J growled at him. “Don’t make a foolish move.”

The Dragon/Flying Type let out a rather cowardly cry, but remained where he was. He narrowed his black eyes. He never liked the way his Master treated Pokemon but this…

Salamance surveyed the putrid caves and flared his nostrils. This was too just too far.

J ignored the anxiety of her Pokemon and withdrew something from her cloak. It was a small staff, black in color, a small gloomy gem on the pinnacle. It glimmered in the faint light. Salamance looked at the staff and let out a soft whine and backed up slightly, his tail quivering with fear. Fear. That was only why the fearsome looking Pokemon stayed by J’s side. While he behaved terrifying, he was, in reality, quite timid. Drapion loved his job, hurting others, so he wasn’t fazed. Ariados enjoyed her duty of keeping a pest tied up. It was the nature of spiders, after all…

But Salamance hated it. He tried convincing Drapion and Ariados to help each other escape, but they prized their work too much.

So Salamance was scared, scared for his life. The staff sent a ripple of terror, and it…had a power over Pokemon…not all but-

The Dragon Pokemon’s thoughts were interrupted when J lifted the staff and the jewel began to glow a faint violet. He cringed at the glow. Oh no…
In the blackness of the caves, several pairs of scarlet eyes glittered like rubies. Then there was a growling. At first, it was slightly muffled, but it quickly grew louder and louder. J merely smirked and beckoned with the staff. There was another growl and at least six dark and large figures slunk out of the shadows and stood in front of the Huntress.

They were four-legged dog-like creatures with black-blue fur with silvery-white. Their red eyes, yellow encircled with a black triangle underneath each one, sent a shiver down Salamance’s spine. They had thick fur, and stout tails. Hoary claws poked out of their paws, and they had huge fangs that hung out of their mouths.

Salamance crouched in an attacking position, ready to fight the Mightyena pack, but J glared at him. Even though the glasses covered her eyes, Salamance shrank, still tense. The Mighyena themselves were formidable, and not a force to be reckoned with. But these weren’t any normal Mightyena…

They were Shadow Mightyena.

Shadow Pokemon. Salamance shivered at the thought. Shadow Pokemon were Pokemon, yes, but there were several differences.

First, Shadow Pokemon didn’t learn normal attacks. They learned Shadow moves (Shadow Hold, Shadow Blast, etc.) instead. These were super effective against any Pokemon regardless of type, making them powerful.

Second, they weren’t natural- they were created by human science experiments. It was an art perfected by many a baddie in this world.

Third, they had a shadowy aura around them, that couldn’t be seen by the naked average human eye. (The only hint a normal human could see was a black circle around their eyes.)You either needed to be a Pokemon to see it, use special technology, or be able to see Aura is general. All Shadow Pokemon had the peculiar aura, but if they were completely, irreversibly Shadow-fied, they became rather discolored. Dark. Black.
Fourth? The Pokemon had no true emotions. No love for their Trainer, no happiness, or joy. Not even sadness. There was only rage to battle. Rage to fight. Rage to kill.

At the thought, Salamance reared up as the Bite Pokemon approached. J roared at him, “Stay still, you filthy beast!”

The Dragon Pokemon shook with fear and hatred for his Master. J disregarded her pusillanimous Pokemon and turned back to the Mightyena. They were twitching and jumping back, but approaching, making little rumbling noises. They were hungry. They wanted to fight. To eat flesh. To hear terror. To see death. To lick up blood.

J smiled and lifted her staff, conveying her objective into it, and sending it to the Mightyena.

They howled with joy as the brain waves overwhelmed them. The violence. The kill…

J smiled and began cackling at the pack’s fracas reaction. Salamance swallowed uneasily. This wasn’t going to go very well…not well at all…

~*~

Ash gasped softly and gripped his left eye. The sudden stab of pain that had passed through it vanished almost as suddenly as it had come. Iris looked at her friend with concern. “Ash, is something wrong?”

The dark-haired Trainer shook his head, “No…I think something flew at my eye or something…,” he turned away from her intense gaze, “Probably just some dust or bug…”

But even as he said this, Ash felt a twang of doubt. Did it signify something? Something to come?

Ash shook his head as if to clear it. You’re over thinking this, Ash! He admonished himself, A little pain doesn’t mean something bad is going to happen!

But still…

What if…it does?

~*~

More. Crapping. Short...*swears loudly* I'm sorry, everyone, they'll get longer as we progress.

[Ninja Bulbasaur]

Uh oh...I know whats gonna happen now...*gulp*

Nice story, and I like this chapter...if I were a NegaiShipper. J comes with a staff that's maaaagical. And Shadow Pokemon! *shudders* I'm scared now...cuz i know what happens next...*gulp*

[ESPNfanatic35]

Hello Moonlight Absol, here I am! This is a very interesting story so far. I'm not picky about what shippings I like so Ash x Iris and Cilan x Burgundy work just fine for me! Making Cilan and his brothers the Shadow Triad was a clever idea and I'm glad to see Pokemon Hunter J is still alive. She's a great villain!

I found a spelling mistake here:

They were Shadow Mighyena.

You forgot a "t" in there. My only other criticism is that you seem to have a lot of one sentence paragraphs. Try extending some of them out a bit more.

All in all I really like what you got going on here. Interesting setups, good character development, and very nice description. Keep it up!

[Ninja Bulbasaur]

My only other criticism is that you seem to have a lot of one sentence paragraphs. Try extending some of them out a bit more.

Have you ever read Brian's Winter? There's like, a single loooong sentence that equals to one paragraph. That reminds me of that lolz. The book was bad, though. I prefer Falwed Dogs by Berkely Breathed. They paragraphs are nice, and all not one sentence!!!

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

Hello Moonlight Absol, here I am! This is a very interesting story so far. I'm not picky about what shippings I like so Ash x Iris and Cilan x Burgundy work just fine for me! Making Cilan and his brothers the Shadow Triad was a clever idea and I'm glad to see Pokemon Hunter J is still alive. She's a great villain!

Gaspeth! Hi ESPNfanatic35! I didn't expect you to read this!!!

The Striaton Three/Shadow Triad idea pops up here and there, so I thought I would just throw it in. I'm glad you won't bash my Shipping choices. That's why I brought her back XD

I found a spelling mistake here:



You forgot a "t" in there. My only other criticism is that you seem to have a lot of one sentence paragraphs. Try extending some of them out a bit more.

All in all I really like what you got going on here. Interesting setups, good character development, and very nice description. Keep it up!

Arg, I always do that with Mightyena! I better add that long lost "t"...and I'll try to make it less...one sentencey. I'm glad i have your support, I'll keep it up!

[Winter Storm]

Finally found time to read you fic! Sorry for not posting a lot earlier!
You have been doing an extraordinay job so far keep it up!
Yes! J is back >=] You can never get rid of her so easily *evil laugh*
I really am curious about why Ash and Iris were angry at each other in the first place! But it was cute how they were caught at the end of their apology :3 Way to cause akwardness Cilan!
Shadow Pokemon do sound scary and not to be messed with...I like it! xD
Well I agree with what ESPNfanatic35 said, you should try to extend some of your paragraphs.
Overall, this is a great fic. Looking forward to the next chapter

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

Have you ever read Brian's Winter? There's like, a single loooong sentence that equals to one paragraph. That reminds me of that lolz. The book was bad, though. I prefer Falwed Dogs by Berkely Breathed. They paragraphs are nice, and all not one sentence!!!

...Shut up, and don't spoil. That would be rather mean.

Finally found time to read you fic! Sorry for not posting a lot earlier!
You have been doing an extraordinay job so far keep it up!
Yes! J is back >=] You can never get rid of her so easily *evil laugh*
I really am curious about why Ash and Iris were angry at each other in the first place! But it was cute how they were caught at the end of their apology :3 Way to cause akwardness Cilan!
Shadow Pokemon do sound scary and not to be messed with...I like it! xD
Well I agree with what ESPNfanatic35 said, you should try to extend some of your paragraphs.
Overall, this is a great fic. Looking forward to the next chapter

Yay, you're back!!! I love the compliments, and I'll try and expand my paragraphs. There's only so much I want to squeaze into one chapter, you know. Chapter Four will come soon. I'm working on Chapter Seven, so yeah...

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

Eh...this chapter has one sentence paragraphs again, whoopsies. Oh well, just hang in there until then!

EDIT: This chapter haws been edited due to crappiness in general. Feel free to leave a post review.

Chapter Four
Could it Be…?

The evil one is revealed, her pack of rage loose!
Nothing stops them, as they charge forth, teeth bared
Is it possible we could lose?

A boom of thunder resounded through the dark and cloudy sky. Ash looked up, appearing worried. “I hope we find shelter before it rains…”

Pikachu nodded seriously, “Pika…,” he agreed. He twitched his yellow bolt tail. A Pikachu’s tail was known for getting hit with lightning bolts during powerful storms. If the thunderstorm became too bad, he might accidentally put the others in danger.

Iris snorted, “I hope so too, but the chance we will is rather small!” she pointed out. Axew shivered and shrank into his Trainer’s thick hair with a squeak of, “Ax!”

Cilan laughed rather mirthlessly, “You’re quite the optimist, aren’t you?”

“You’re both such kids!” Iris shouted back with annoyance at the Connoisseur’s sarcastic statement.

Ash shrugged nonchalantly at the insult he had gotten so used to hearing. “Whatever you say!” he called at her, making the Dragon Trainer blush slightly and attempt to shoot a threatening glower at him, which Ash fortunately failed to notice.

Cilan rolled his eyes at the pair’s antics. Iris has regained her confidence since the argument yesterday. It seems that Ash apologizing did the trick to get her usual recipe back in shape!

The Connoisseur set a finger on his forehead, and listened for a bit as the younger Trainer’s continue their harmless bickering. Everything’s getting back in order.

~*~

Burgundy sat in the Pokemon Center and stared at the gloomy sky through a nearby window. She felt relieved she was in secure shelter, safe from the rain that was almost minutes from falling. A bolt of lightning streaked across the gloomy sky, the bright cerulean against the murky black clouds. Her pale purple eyes reflected the serrated line that slashed through the obscurity. She wondered who was even out in the storm. Whoever they are, she thought, they’re probably rather dense…

Like Cilan, perhaps?

The Connoisseuse couldn’t help but gasp aloud at the sudden thought, and sunk her nails into the leather seat she was resting on. She had no idea where it had come from, and was it even from her?

Ugh, why do I care what happens to that smug loser? He’s juste un absolu…ugh!! Pourquoi s’embeter?! Why bother thinking over this so hard!?

Burgundy shook her head angrily and stood up before falling back down. Running form her own thoughts was foolish, especially with the rain threatening to fall outside. It was just too imprudent for someone like herself. Burgundy sighed and shut her eyes tightly.

What was with this sudden emotional turmoil? It was there one second, gone the next. Why did thinking about Cilan make her feel this way?

This always happened. Every time he came to mind, she would shove the thought away angrily and feel a sudden whirlwind of anger and several other feelings that she had no name for. It was confusing.

Simply, utterly, confusing.

~*~

A slight growling noise made Cilan start, and his senses were thrust from Ash and Iris’s amusing squabbling and to the sudden noise. Ash turned toward the Connoisseur, away from a rather perplexed Iris, confusion in both their auburn gazes. “Cilan, is something wrong?”

The growling grew slightly louder as the words left Ash’s mouth. He twisted his head in the direction of the sound. “Huh…?”

Iris turned toward the sky. She had heard the sound, too. “It’s definitely not the thunder…” she calculated, more to herself if anything.

“Quite right,” Cilan agreed, “the noise isn’t coming from the sky, but from…”
He pointed in the direction of the noise, somewhere to the north-east of their location. “…Over there!”

Axew let out a soft cry from inside Iris’s hair and peeped out, only to slip back inside the violet locks when the growling was suddenly followed by malicious cackling. Pikachu’s ears pricked up at the laughter. “Pika!”

Ash narrowed his eyes. Like his Mouse Pokemon, he recognized the voice as well, but... That laughter sounds familiar, but I can’t seem to fix a name and face to it, darn it! he thought angrily, and curled a hand into a fist in frustration.

Iris turned to her two male companions. “Let’s check it out!” she proposed to the pair. Cilan and Ash nodded and headed to the direction of the resonance, Iris in the lead.

Pikachu’s yellow ears flicked as the laughter echoed through the trees again, and this time he knew the owner of it. His ears never lied to him. But how could this be? Surely this person was dead?

The little Electric Type’s cheeks sparked as he shifted his position in Ash’s shoulder. If his realization was correct…then they were in big trouble. Very big trouble.

~*~

After some time, the trio reached a sandy hollow, where Iris claimed the noises had come from. Cilan and Ash decided to trust her judgments and not ask how exactly she knew in the first place.

A voice made them all start and hide behind some nearby bushes. A certain grey-haired woman was standing before a particular Pokemon. She was riding on a specific and rather nervous looking Dragon-Type.

[Ah, viewpoint switching humor.]

Iris eyes widened in awe at the Dragon Pokemon. “Wow…isn’t that a Salamance?” she breathed, her ginger gaze sparkling with admiration. Of course Iris would get thrilled over a Dragon-Type when there were other matters to worry about.

Cilan snorted at the young girl’s wonder. “I’m more curious about whom that woman is, and why she is talking to a pack of…,” he stopped, uncertain. “Are those Shadow Pokemon?”

Iris temporarily was broken from her mesmerized state at the term. “Shadow Pokemon?” she asked, looking bewildered. Cilan nodded, “Yes…it’s kind of hard to explain, but…I remember reading about them.”

Iris slanted her eyes, “What exactly are those Pokémon, anyway? I don’t remember ever seeing one of those…”

Cilan shook his head in puzzlement, “I haven’t seen one either…Ash, what—” he began, but cut himself off when he saw the look on Ash’s face.

Ash’s pupils had shrunk in fear, and he was staring at the woman in what seemed like utter horror. The younger Trainer looked like he had seen a ghost. Maybe in his mind, he did.

Cilan blinked. “Ash, is something wrong?” he inquired. A sudden idea struck him. “Ash, do you know her?”

Ash swallowed hard before answering, “Yeah…no wonder I recognized her voice…Pikachu, too…”

Axew made a whimpering noise from Iris’s hair. Rather bemused, Cilan hissed, “What is her name, Ash? What are those Pokemon with her?” Cilan’s voice sounded strangled, as he was finding it difficult to keep his voice down.

Ash turned toward the green eyed teen. “Her…name is Pokemon Hunter J,” he began, struggling to shake off his shock at the said woman’s revival, “…she captures Pokemon and sells them…the Pokemon with her are called Mightyena. A whole pack, too…”

The Kanto Trainer looked rather questionably at Cilan. “A whole pack of Shadow Pokemon…Shadow Mightyena…for some reason, I don’t like the sound of that…”

Unbeknownst to the three, J was listening rather intently to their conversation. A cruel smile formed on her face as she called out, “Come out, you three, I know you're there.”

All three jerked in surprise. All were frozen, not sure whether to run or fight or scream. Then Cilan swallowed and turned to the two younger Trainers. “I guess there’s no point in hiding now…It's revealing time...”

Rather nobly, the Connoisseur stepped out of their hiding place, closely followed by Iris and Ash. Salamance recognized the boy immediately and whimpered. Foolish boy, you’re going to be a goner…!

J recognized him as well and seemed amused. “Well, well, long time no see.” She murmured, half to herself.

Ash had heard this, unfortunately, and he gulped. Uh oh…, he thought rather uneasily, this isn’t going to end very well…

Salamance flicked his tail rather wretchedly. The poor boy would meet his end, that was certain…or worse!

Pikachu hopped off his Trainer’s shoulder and stood in front of him, cheeks sparking with yellow electricity. “Pikachu Pika!”

Axew jumped out of Iris’s hair and growled a warning. Even little Axew could sense trouble, and he wasn’t afraid to fight to protect his Trainer.

J seemed amused by the Pokemon’s threats. Salamance issued a warning himself by swishing his tail and snarling, praying that the children would flee. The grey haired huntress’ gaze flicked to Pikachu, then Axew, then Salamance. She smiled maliciously. “Is that a challenge I hear?” she asked, rather rhetorically, and raised her hand up at the sky.

Ash tensed, Iris shivered, and Cilan gulped.

J’s hand went down, a deep roar of thunder rang through the air, and the Mightyena pack attacked.

~*~

P.S. Meh, pardon if I stop posting chapters at one point. I started working on a differnt story, and I'm hooked. Why do I always do that to myself?

[Ninja Bulbasaur]

Nice. I'm waiting for the next one cuz, in my opinion, THAT WAS THE BEST EVAH! Seriously! God, I need to finish chapter one to my story so i can open a thread...after i learn how to ^_^'

[Winter Storm]

That was a great chapter!
Don't worry about the one sentence long paragraphs on this chapter. I know that once you keep writing, more ideas will come into your head and the paragraphs will get longer.

“Her…name is Pokemon Hunter J,”

I imagined the sound of thunder when Ash said that. It fit quite nicely in my head.

If your sister, who is a wishfulshipper, says that the next chapter is the best, then I really can't wait to read it. Unless she is just saying that because she is your sister and is only trying to throw me off -_-;

It's OK if you are not going to post chapters at one point because you are working on another fic. Since you say you are really hooked on that, then I bet that it is going to be really good ^^

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

That was a great chapter!
Don't worry about the one sentence long paragraphs on this chapter. I know that once you keep writing, more ideas will come into your head and the paragraphs will get longer.


I imagined the sound of thunder when Ash said that. It fit quite nicely in my head.

If your sister, who is a wishfulshipper, says that the next chapter is the best, then I really can't wait to read it. Unless she is just saying that because she is your sister and is only trying to throw me off -_-;

It's OK if you are not going to post chapters at one point because you are working on another fic. Since you say you are really hooked on that, then I bet that it is going to be really good ^^

Thank you for the support!

Funny, I don't didn't, but know that you mention it, it seems that way, doesn't it?

It's sort of a personal opinion...might as well post the next chapter and let you make your choice.

Meh, I'll do my best to not keep you all waiting too long when the time comes!

[Moonlight Amaryllis]

Yes, here's the action chapter! Be ready, it is not really for the sqeamish...There will also be hints of OshawottxEmolga, I forget the Shipping name right now...Enjoy!

EDIT: The Shipping name is LethalAttractionShipping, and the chapter was edited due forgotton scenes and whatnot. Feel free to leave a post comment.

Chapter Five
Red and Black

Large fangs, a violent brain
The dark pack surges forward,
We might escape, but not without a maim…

The group scattered as the Mightyena pounced at them, landing at the same place where the group stood only seconds before. Cilan quickly withdrew a Poke-Ball from his belt, “Pansage, come out and use Bullet Seed!”

A green monkey creature popped out the Poke-Ball. He had a tan muzzle, arms, and chest. He had a large bush-like fur tuft on top of his head and a slim tail with thin leaves at the tip. With a loud cry the Grass Monkey Pokemon spat a barrage of green glowing seeds at one of the Mightyena. The Dark-Type didn’t even dodge. He simply stood there, and when Pansage was finished, he merely shook his shaggy head and twisted his face into what resembled a smile.

Both Cilan and Pansage gasped in shock. The Pokemon didn’t even seem fazed!

“W-what?!”

“Pansage?!”

Ignoring their shock, another one of the Mightyena emitted a shadowy thick spurt from his maw, aimed directly at Axew. The little Dragon-Type didn’t even stand a chance. He was flung to the ground, knocked out immediately.

“Axew, no!” Iris cried, and scooped up Axew in her arms, “Axew, are you okay?” she asked, concerned. The Tusk Pokemon opened up his crimson eyes, looking drained. “Ax…ew…”

Iris sighed in relief and turned toward the Mightyena. Drool was dribbling from the Bite Pokemon’s large canines, outlined in depth as a flash of lightning flickered through the dark clouds. Gross…

“What was that attack, anyway?” Iris asked as she turned to Ash’s direction, baffled. Ash could only shake his head, just as confused as his companion, maybe more.

“I-I have no idea…” Cilan muttered, “I’ve read that Shadow Pokemon learn different moves than normal, but…” he trailed off and shuddered.

J burst out cackling at the trio’s bewilderment. Salamance gazed at her, rather alarmed by his Master’s amusement. They…They’re going to get killed, and she’s laughing at them?

Ash growled in frustration and quickly grabbed two Poke-Balls from his belt. “Snivy, Oshawott, I choose you!”

Two Pokemon quickly emerged from the beam of red light. The first was a green-snake-like creature with large ginger eyes outlines with yellow scales. Her underbelly and bottom half of her snout were colored beige. And she had a collar that was yellow, as well as a stripe down her back, yellow as well. The end of her tail was shaped like a huge leaf. She was small legs and arms, but there was no doubt by the look in her eyes that she could move fast. The second Pokemon was an otter-like animal with white and cerulean fur on his body. His ears, feet, and tail were dyed dark blue, and a tan shell sat on his stomach. He had a large brown nose and great dark eyes that glittered with battle fervor.

“Snivy, use Leaf Storm, Oshawott, use Water Gun!”

Snivy quickly collected a barrage of glowing leaves around her before launching them at the Mightyena pack. Oshawott leapt into the air and spewed a powerful gush of water from his mouth. The Dark-Types gathered up what looked like a dark charge in their coats before discharging bolts of black voltage at the attacks, canceling them out, and smoke launch in all directions, thick and black.

Another dark bolt shot out of the smoke, and nearly struck Snivy. She leapt into the air, dodging the attack in the nick of time. Oshawott quickly spat out another Water Gun, which Snivy used as momentum to launch into the air. She then streaked downwards, her tail now shining bright green, sharp as a knife. A Leaf Blade attack. The Grass-Type slammed her tail against the side of a Mightyena. He reeled back, stunned momentarily. Cilan quickly seized the moment.

“Pansage, quick! Rock Tomb!” Cilan yelled as the Mightyena struggled to recover from the unexpected and powerful attack.

The Grass-Type let out a cry and shot a chunk of rock at the Mightyena. The Bite Pokemon howled in pain as it scraped his side, drawing blood.

The Mightyena beside him snarled angrily. The struck Mightyena was in fact her brother, and she wanted the Pansage and his Trainer to pay for hurting him.

The huge Dark-Type lunged at the Connoisseur, catching him by surprise. He made a solid thud as the Mightyena trapped him against the ground, making dust puff up through the air. The Mightyena struck to fast for Cilan to react. She made for his shoulder and dug her fangs deep within it. There were cries of dismay from the others, but the Dark-Type paid them no heed.

The young Gym Leader cried out and squirmed under the giant Pokemon’s weight. She was the largest Mightyena, after all. Blood oozed out of the gash, staining the ground red. Pansage quickly sprang and spat a Bullet Seed at the Bite Pokemon. She snarled at Pansage. Ash narrowed his eyes, “Pikachu, use Iron Tail!”

The little Mouse Pokémon’s tail glowed a metallic shade and he slammed it across the Mightyena’s face, sending her tumbling to the ground, allowing Cilan to dash away, released from her grasp.

Ash turned to Cilan, seeming worried. Blood was still seeping steadily, moistening the dry earth. “You okay?”

Cilan nodded slowly, flinching as he did so. “Yeah…I’ll be okay for now…”

Any further conversation was interrupted as the Mightyena circled the three friends, growling fiercely, blood-lust in their red-yellow eyes. Another great boom of thunder made the air almost vibrate around them. Iris, still clutching the weak Axew, quickly grabbed two Poke-Balls from her sleeve, and hurled them into the air. “Excadrill, Emolga! Come on out!”

Two Pokemon leapt into battle as they were released from their containment. The first was a large mole-like creature with brown fur all over his body, with red patches. He had stout legs and arms, and his face was white with red stripes on his cheeks. Large grey claws were attached to his paws and brow, and he had small eyes. The second was squirrel-like with white fur on her front, black fur on her back. She had large circular black ears with a yellow and white interior. She had a membrane connecting her small arms and legs, colored yellow. She had a long and bushy black tail and yellow pouches on her cheeks. Her eyes were large and black.

At the sight of Emolga, Oshawott gained a rather infatuated look on his face and gazed admiringly at her. Both Iris and Ash rolled their eyes and commanded their Pokemon.

“Snivy, Leaf Storm! Oshawott, snap out of it and use Water Gun again! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!”

“Emolga, use Hidden Power, and Excadril, use Focus Blast!”

The five Pokemon quickly released their attacks: Snivy a torrent of bright green blazing leaves, Oshawott another forceful stream of water, Pikachu an electrical discharge, Emolga a glowing green sphere, and Excadrill a blue shining orb. Even Axew stood up and spat out a Dragon Rage attack. Cilan’s Pansage spat a Bullet Seed attack.

The combined attacks were countered with the Mightyena’s united blast of shadowy jet. The attacks collided with each other, exploding and sending black smoke in all directions.

Then a Mightyena flew out of the smoke, an eerie wail resounding out of his throat. He was tired of this meaningless skirmishing. He wanted to kill and draw blood. Now.

He soared through the air and slammed into Iris, knocking all the breath out of her.

“Iris!”

The Bite Pokemon pinned her to the ground, saliva dripping from his fangs. He was hungry for flesh, thirsty for blood. As the Dragon Trainer struggled, he raised his shaggy head, ready to sink his fangs into the soft tissue of her neck.

Or, at least he would’ve, if Ash hadn’t reacted first. He was never the brightest thinker; he rammed into the Mightyena’s side, sending it sprawling. Iris gazed at her companion with appreciation. “Thanks…”

Ash felt his cheeks flush, illuminated by a flash of lightning. “You’re welcome…” he mumbled in reply.

A slam on his side stopped any further exchange. The Mightyena wasn’t mad anymore- he was furious. He howled and knocked Ash to the ground, stunning him temporarily. He aimed to strike at the Kanto trainer’s neck, but banged his snout on the sandy ground instead as Ash quickly rolled over. Iris and Cilan gasped at the scene. Ash was getting into a tight spot. With a growl of aggravation, the Bite Pokemon spat what looked like another shadowy spurt. Ash was flung against one of the caves.

Pikachu leapt into the air to defend hid Trainer, but a different Mightyena grabbed the little yellow Mouse Pokemon and hurled it to the ground. A bellow of thunder muffled Pikachu’s whimpers of pain.

Another Mightyena hurled another black gush at Emolga. Quickly, Oshawott jumped in front to the Sky Squirrel and blocked the attack with his scalchop. The attack was quickly averted and it blew up the wall, rather than Emolga. The Electric-Flying type patted the Sea Otter Pokemon on the head with her tail in thanks. “Emo, Emo!”

Oshawott blushed, his white cheeks gaining a crimson tinge. “Oshaa…" he uttered, looking rather lovesick once more.

Doing his best to ignore his Water-Type, Ash stood rather shakily. The throw had to have hurt, after all. The Mightyena who had tossed him growled and shot a dark-coloured beam at the black-haired Trainer. Ash leapt into the air and dodged it. Unfortunately, the force of the explosion knocked him to the ground. The Mightyena howled and launched at him, teeth bared, and a rather threatening rumble of thunder seemed to rile him up further.

Ash quickly managed to cry out, “Snivy use Vine Whip!”

The Grass Snake Pokémon immediately withdrew long green vines from her collar at Ash’s shout. She sprang into the air and whipped ferociously at the Mightyena. He was knocked to his feet, his leap interrupted. Enraged, the Dark Type leapt and grabbed Snivy’s vines and sunk his teeth into them. Snivy cried out in pain before an idea hit her. The small Grass-Type spun around, flipping the opposing Mightyena over. She slid her vines out of her foes now limp mouth and smiled in satisfaction at her defeated foe. “Snivy!”

Out of nowhere another Mightyena jumped from the shadows at Ash, mouth open wide to reveal huge fangs, far bigger the rest of the packs'. This one was the pack leader, and he was going in for the kill.

Iris let out a loud cry of alarm as the Bite Pokemon streaked toward him, “Ash, look out!”

Time seemed to slow down. Ash saw the creatures fangs flash to his left eye, illuminated by the blaze of lightning and—

The teeth dug deep. Black and red danced in his vision. He couldn’t see! I’m blind! His mind screamed, I can’t see!

The panic lasted for only a few heartbeats before he felt himself soar through the air, the fangs sink deeper, blood dribble and splatter, and he slammed into the cave wall.

He only managed a soft whimper before darkness seeped through his vision and he saw no more.

~*~

Iris let out a shriek of horror and Cilan gasped as Ash slid to the ground, blood flowing out of his left eye, out cold. Pikachu got up and gasped at the sight of his wounded Trainer. He turned and glared at the opposing Mightyena, cheeks sparking. “Pika Pikapi!”

Before they could growl in response, he tackled them with a super-fast Quick Attack. The Mouse Pokémon was furious at them for hurting his Trainer, and he wanted to take them down.

J, all the while, seemed rather pleased with Ash’s state. Revenge was complete.

Before anyone could say anything, Salamance spat a plumage of fire, a Flamethrower attack, at the ground. Dust and smoke flew through the air, blinding everybody. When the debris cleared, J and Salamance were gone. The Mightyena howled and scampered away, into the shadows, to who-knows-where. Wherever they were going, it wasn’t important.

What was important was the fact Ash’s blood was on the ground, and more was on the way.

~*~

MWAHAHA!!!!