Young Writers Society

The buzzing got louder again. That…thing was getting closer. But he’d expected that. No matter what he did to delay it, it always managed to catch up.

“Just leave me alone!” He shouted into the mist. He thought he saw it approaching from behind, but it was just one of the stone markers he’d been seeing.

“What’s the matter? Too scared to look me in the face?” He shouted again. He turned around to keep walking. It was hovering there, its cold lifeless eyes staring at him.

“Gaah!” He shouted, throwing a punch. His fist collided with its face, or at least what he thought was its face, but the only thing he got out of that was a sore fist.

“What do you want from me?” He asked, his voice breaking. It floated back into the mist, the high pitched buzzing increasing.

“Just stop you stupid… thing!” He cried, grabbing his ears, but not even that lessened the buzzing. He was going crazy. He felt like he’d been walking in this place for days, passing stone after stone, the mist not letting up. Luckily, each stone had a small basin with water, which he had eagerly drunk. But that constant buzzing made sleep impossible.

“Could you at least tone it down a bit? I’m kind of tired here!”

He wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard the buzzing actually die down. He saw the next stone coming into view, this one identical to all the others. He walked over to it, starting to get thirsty again. Still, he couldn’t just live off water. He’d need some real food. Maybe something to stop this craving for meat. And not like a “Hey, Bacon sounds good.” kind of craving. He felt the urge to tear into something living. He grabbed the side of the basin, leaning his head down to lap up the water.

“I know you’re there.” He said, not even looking up from the basin. He turned around to see it floating there, still as stoic as ever.

“Finally ready to talk, or are you just going to keep up with that buzzing?” He asked.

“I am ready to offer assistance, but only for a short time.” It spoke in a monotone, artificial voice.

He blinked, not expecting It to actually respond.

“The only assistance I need is for you to point the way out of here and to the nearest diner.” He said sarcastically.

“What is your function?” It asked.

“My function? Well, I can walk and talk, and maybe sing but I wouldn’t try it.” He said.

“What is your function?” It repeated, moving closer to his face. He tried understanding what this thing meant. Did he have a job, a mission?

“Do your memory banks hold any data?” It asked.

He tried thinking. He knew how to talk, he knew what a diner was, he knew that he wanted meat, and he knew that this thing was annoying. That about summed up all he knew since showing up in this desolate place. But then, he recalled something else.

“Plates. I need to gather some plates. Am I hosting a dinner party or something?”

It made a weird electronic beep and then floated away, stopping a few feet ahead of the stone.

“Follow this platform. It will lead you out of this temporal field.” It said, the platform clearly being itself. He took one last drink out of the basin before walking after it.

“I guess you’re the boss now. Let’s go get those plates. Wouldn’t want the guests to eat off the table.”



The moaning was starting to get louder. He’d heard it earlier, but just passed it off as some wild animals. But now, he knew it wasn’t that. He’d followed his new friend for a while, as it had led him in a pattern past several more stones, their appearances starting to change for once.

“The servants of the guardian draw near. Avoid contact with them at all cost.” It said.

“Gotcha Mr. Robot man. No touchy the servants.” He said. Though his joking demeanor dropped when he saw one of the servants drawing near.

“What is that?” He asked, a little spooked by the creature’s appearance. It looked like some sort of bird made out of steel, which wasn’t completely weird. What was weird was that the steel that made up its body was rusted, and in some places completely gone. It moaned, lurching towards him. Its eye sockets were empty, and through holes in its body he saw bones.

“I will render assistance, but only for a limited time.” It said. It floated at the zombie bird, nudging it with its purple metal body. The bird fell over, obviously not very coordinated.

“Proceed forward. Deviate from your course only when necessary.” It said before floating off into the mist.

“Hey wait!” He called, but it had gone. He heard more moaning.

“Great. I’m in the middle of the freaking zombie apocalypse. What a day.” He said. He began to run forward in the direction he was heading. He saw more of those undead things lurching out of the mist for him. But he was too fast for them.

“Come on Mr. Robot! Where are you? I’ve been running straight and all I’m seeing are more zombie… whatever they are!”

But the only response was more moaning. Suddenly, a massive brown bear like creature lurched into view in front of him, patches of fur gone in some places. Its hollow eyes stared at him.

“Oh come on!” He shouted. He would’ve gone around it, but smaller things were joining the bear. Some looked like plants, some looked like animals, and some looked like common inanimate objects. He panicked, lashing out at one with his claws. His claws left a large gash in the arm of some sort of boxing pig monkey thing, but it still kept coming.

“Help!” He called out, losing his cool. He did not want to die here with no memory of who he was.

“Burn Drive activated.” He heard the artificial voice of his purple robot companion say. Suddenly, the area was bathed in flames as it came swooping in. It unfolded into a bipedal bug looking form, blasting away at the undead with a cannon on its back. They stood no chance against the flames, practically melting. Soon, all the undead had been reduced to ashes by the robot.

“Nice job Buzz.” He said.

“This platform is not named “Buzz”.” It said, repeating a recording of what he’d just said as its name.

“Then what is your name?” He asked.

“This unit is known as combat android 0001, codename Genesect.”

“Genesect. Yeah, that’s cool. So, what’s this thing about only being able to help for a limited time?”

“This platform’s software is currently fighting against a hostile virus. This platform will become docile at times and will not be able to offer combat assistance.”

“Oh, that sucks. Anything I can do?” He asked.

“No organic can save this platform. But this platform can help you with your function. Follow.” It said, converting back to flight mode.

“Two questions first. Where am I, and what am I?”

“This area is designated as “Valley of the restless” in a province known as “Land of the Dead”. Your objective resides here. Your organic composition is designated as a Zoroark, a species of Pokémon.”

He didn’t have any idea what any of that meant.

“So… do you know my name?”

“I do not contain that data.” Genesect responded

“Figures. Then I’ll just work on thinking up my own. Lead the way Genesect.” He said. The two walked side by side into the mist.

Lugia, Cresselia, and Moltres cheered when the group emerged from the dungeon. Both Frost and Ren still looked a little worse for wear, but nevertheless, a smile was glued onto their faces.

"Well done completing your first mystery dungeon, you showed great bravery facing the guardian, suffice it to say, we are all proud of you." exclaimed Lugia. Cresellia drifted over to Zulu.

"You feel different Zulu, more.....powerful." Zulu, having just woken up, managed a smile and said

"I learned a new move, dragon pulse." Cresellia was taken aback.

"Dragon Pulse, at a low level too. Great job Zulu." Zulu beamed. Cresellia turned and called for the rest of the groups attention.

"Now, we may have obtained one plate and defeated one guardian, but we still have more challenges ahead, now is the time to prepare yourselves. In the morning we head for The Great Crevice, more specifically, The Palace of Fire. Moltres gasped.

"Cresellia, they aren't ready yet, they'll be killed!" Frost and the group looked around in confusion. Cresellia called again for calm, then spoke, all the while looking at Zulu, Ren, and Frost.

"We have all seen first hand what these heroes can do. It is my opinion that they are ready for the Palace of Fire."

Moltres took a moment to consider this, then sighed and said

"Fine, I consent. Let's just hope you aren't wrong." Cressellia nodded, then turned and floated out onto the palace's porch, Frost and the rest of the group filed slowly after. About an hour later, the group had set up camp around the porch and Frost had volunteered to take watch.

Frost floated in his bubble, Moltres's words still echoing in his ears. He figured Cresellia hadn't over estimated them and thus the Palace of Fire would be within their skill range, but he was frightened nevertheless. Suddenly, a sound echoed across the island. A moan coming from within the palace.

The palace is alive." Thought Frost, and sure enough, it was. Kinglers slowly scuttled across the palaces roof and Cradillies came awake in the cool night air, chirping every once in a while. Frost took in the whole sight with happiness. He suddenly realized he was at peace, content with his circumstances, no more longing to figure out who he was, no more lust for more power. Answers and power would come in time, all Frost had to do was keep working, keep pushing for the benefit of him and his friends, yes that's what they were now, Zulu, Ren, Absol, Cresellia, Moltres, Lugia. They were friends and he would do anything to protect them.

Then Something passed through his psychic web. Something big. Frost turned just in time to see a malevolent light coming across the island. Frost looked closer and saw them. Hundreds of Pokémon dressed in exotic uniforms marched across the plain straight towards the Palace, fiery horses, Frost guessed these were rapidashes, guided the rest of the pokemon, mostly machokes, gravelers, and a few golems. Frost began moving towards the camp to warn his friends when all of a sudden, three sticky webs ensnared him and he fell to the ground. A stealth group, over all the racket the bigger group was making he hadn't felt the stealth group come up from the opposite side and sneak around the palace. The rest of the stealth group came into view, three venomoths and a crobat loomed over him, smirking.

"Cobalion said to kill them all." One of the venomoths said. The Crobat grinned,

"nay, i'm taking this one for me self. He looks like he'll be hard to break." The venomoths glanced uncertainly at the crobat, who, noticing this, became infuriated.

"Shut up and kill the rest of them!" The Crobat barked. At this, Frost let off a massive psychic wave. Unfortunately it did not go unnoticed. The last thing Frost saw was Cresellia and Lugia snap awake. Then Crobat used supersonic and all went black.

As it turned out, the storm which had been building in the east had dissipated before even a single snowflake reached Frostpoint Village. At what his clock told him was five in the morning, Gabriel woke from a surprisingly comfortable sleep, considering he had been plunged into the world of Pokémon but a day before. He had fully expected to hear the wind howling like an Absol, but there was only silence.

He rose and walked over to the window, opening it and gazing outside. By the light of the half moon, Gabriel could see the horizon was clear and the streets empty. He could understand why, as the night was freezing, wind or no wind; he quickly shut the window again and slipped back under his blankets.

On his bedside table there was a glass, a pitcher of water, a candle and some matches, all of which the Commander must have brought while he was asleep. He lit the candle and poured himself a glass, sipping the water and appreciating the refreshment it brought. He spotted a stack of books on the desk, so he quickly grabbed them and laid them beside his bed. It occurred to Gabriel that he must like reading, for he eagerly picked up the book on top and readily opened its covers.

“The Illuminator’s Teachings – Volume IV: Auras the front page read. The preface explained that the author, Myriander the Sage, was a Medicham renowned for his wisdom concerning enlightenment, and that his work was still held in very high regard, despite the fact that he died millennia ago. Silently thanking Cassandra, Gabriel began reading.

Two hours later, he finally put the book down. He had already read the first three chapters, but they were quite long, and his legs were stiff. It was still dark outside, and it probably wouldn’t become lighter until eight or later, so Gabriel couldn’t survey the village from his room. Frankly, his room was comfortable, but boring, so he collected the key, unlocked and relocked the door, and placed the key on top of the doorframe.

Cassandra hadn’t strictly forbidden him from leaving his room while it was dark, nor had she given him a definite curfew; surely, he could explore a little?

For twenty minutes or so, Gabriel wandered the halls of the top floor. Even though it was just one floor, it was a labyrinth. There wasn’t that much to see, since all of the potentially exciting rooms were on lower floors, and those that did seem interesting were locked. As he rounded a corner, he wondered what could possibly be hidden inside those locked doors. Secret files? Powerful artefacts? Equipment to monitor the disturbances in the eth–

Wham!

The collision sent Gabriel staggering. Before he could regain his balance, he lost his footing and tumbled to the ground. He must have hit his head rather hard, since the world swam in shades of blue, black, green and white before him.

“The whole floor has been empty thus far,” he muttered, pushing himself off the floor, “but the one time a passage isn’t, I get a concussion. Now why didn’t I see that coming?”

Gabriel turned to see what the obstacle had been, but what he saw made his eyes widen in shock. On the floor lay a Snorunt and another Riolu, exactly like a toppled pair of dominos.

“Oh my gosh, are you two both okay?” The realisation that he had possibly injured two other Pokémon made Gabriel stumble over his words. “I am so, so sorry I ran into you. I must not have been paying attention. Yes, that’s it! It had been diverted to something else that was… rather pressing.” Why was it that when he needed it the most, his composure failed him and the rambling commenced?

Due to her pyramidal shell, the Snorunt would have had the most trouble getting back up, so Gabriel left the other Riolu to rise on his own and rushed to her aid. Cursing himself for his stupidity, he extended a hand.

“You may want to try using my head,” she advised. “My grip isn’t very good.” The Snorunt flailed her knobbly arms for dramatic effect.

Gabriel raised his eyebrows – or he would have, if he had eyebrows – but followed her advice anyway, racing around her and pushing her up by her… well, the top of her pyramid. As soon as she stood on her own, he let go and rubbed his hands together; she was freezing!

As Gabriel had guessed, the other Riolu got to his feet without any assistance, but he was surprised when he rushed forward and shoved him out of the way, all so he could speak to the Snorunt. Rude! There was plenty of space in the corridor, so the shove was strictly unnecessary. However, after asking the Snorunt something, the Riolu briefly turned to glare at him before addressing the Snorunt again.

He was standing far too close for Gabriel’s liking, but his aura, which had been a dull grey, just like everyone else’s had been, suddenly erupted in a flash of colours. The grey was darker, but not as dark as sable, and thin lines of pink were weaving through it. Gabriel was perplexed, but it seemed his aura reading abilities had manifested after but one day. Actually, less than one day, if you counted seeing a band of grey around everyone as seeing their aura.

A swathe of pink moved upwards from the Riolu’s chest and over his head. As Gabriel followed it, he realised that there were distinct differences in their anatomy. For example, Gabriel’s golden collar was simply fur, while the other’s was a yellow membrane that grew around his neck. Their colouring also differed, as the other Riolu had significantly lighter fur. In fact, his fur itself was very smooth and short, which is why it had felt as if he had no fur when he had shoved Gabriel.

The Snorunt said something Gabriel didn’t catch, but he doubted he would have even if he had been paying attention; the other Riolu wagged his tail, almost hitting Gabriel on the nose. He sneezed, although it sounded somewhat like a snort, causing the two to turn towards him. Gabriel felt his face redden (or become purple, since he was blue) and, as much as he tried not to, sneezed again.

“I’m sorry!” he squeaked, dreadfully embarrassed. He rambled something that resembled a request to step back a little, but all he could remember was saying something about “popular media” – his memory could recall the oddest of things. However, he noticed the Riolu’s aura transition to crimson, indicating what could only be hostility. Gabriel’s aura had been white up to that point, but it suddenly turned brown, reflecting his newly adopted defensive stance. True, he could have backed down, but he wasn’t going to retreat at the first sign of adversity, so he held his rival’s gaze, daring him to make a move.

“I don’t have all day,” an unknown voice muttered behind Gabriel.

He wasn’t an eager fighter, preferring diplomacy to violence, but he had taken boxing lessons for a month or so during his previous life, so he was ready if it came down to that.

“As much as I hate repeating myself, you obviously did not hear me the first time.” Gabriel spoke the words with confidence, his apprehension gone completely. “Will you please back up?” When the other Riolu still did not move, Gabriel felt his temper rising. He was trying to be reasonable, but his rival overturned his every peaceful overture. “Are you looking to start something?”

“You knocked me over.”

It was amazing how petty some people could be. “We already addressed that – it was an accident. Perhaps if you had been more carefu–”

“You hit me! Not the other way around.”

If the Riolu continued to provoke him, Gabriel would not be able to restrain himself. “Oh please, do you honestly think I’d waste my time bumping into a five cent version of a Riolu like you?”

“What did you call me?”

Why could the thick-skulled fool not just back down? “You heard me. If you had any strength or pride whatsoever, you would already have struck out; however, you are clearly all bark and no bite. Now, if you don’t get out of my way, I shall make you.” He waited, but the Riolu obstinately refused. “Very well.”

Most people were right handed, so one would normally expect an attack from the left, not the right. Thus, Gabriel aimed a right-jab at his rival’s head. It should have made contact almost immediately – after all, that was the whole point of Quick Attack – but he was shocked to find his fist caught in the other Riolu’s left hand. Gabriel recovered quickly, concealing his surprise behind a fiery glare, all the while re-evaluating his opponent. Something was off about him…

“Right,” he said, shaking his hand free and withdrawing it, “you clearly think you’re something special. If you’re not as great a coward as I think you are, find me at the village arena in half an hour. You do know where it is, right?”

“Do you?” Deflecting the question. Humph.

“Touché. However, it won’t be hard to find – a large arena in a small village will present itself quickly.”

Gabriel left without another word, sauntering past the trio – the other member had been some grassy hedgehog – but as soon as he was out of sight, he marched to his room, which he found without much difficulty. Unlocking and relocking the door, he sat down on his bed. The volume on auras still lay on it.

Auras won’t help me much in a fight – at least, not yet.

He took the stack of books back to his desk, searching through them for something useful. At the bottom was another volume of The Illuminator’s Teachings, the first: “Discipline.” As much as he wanted to, he could not simply page through the volume, as that would not do the Sage justice, so he began at chapter one, which was basically just an explanation of why discipline was the most important asset for those who sought to walk the path of enlightenment. When he finished the chapter twenty-five minutes later, he still knew no more about fighting than he did previously.

Disappointed, even though he had expected as much, Gabriel put the book down and left his room, heading down the stairs and out the front door. Unknown to him, the Gallade and Mienshao guards gave each other a knowing look, after which the former dashed inside.

The arena was indeed easy to find, so he entered and waited. Five minutes later, the trio finally arrived. They were late.

The Snorunt and her hedgehog friend went up to the stands to spectate, while the other Riolu reluctantly took his position. Though he tried to hide it, Gabriel could sense his hesitation. After all, he could sense auras by that time already, and his rival’s pulsed a doleful grey and red.

“It’s not too late to back down!” his opponent called.
As if Gabriel would possibly back down after being provoked! Still, taunting one’s adversary was customary before a grapple, so he decided to indulge him. “Why? Are you afraid?”

“Yes, afraid for your face, as it won’t be the same when I’m done with it!”

How quaint. Gabriel avoided mocking people in general, since he wasn’t very adept at it, but simply speaking his mind was usually sufficient to unnerve or annoy his enemies, so he called, “Such strong words for a mere copy. Your tricks don’t fool me – you’re clearly terrified.” Even from that distance, Gabriel could see his opponent flinch. Got you! “Why else would you have asked me to back out, if not to protect what little dignity you have?”

Oh yes, that riled him. The Riolu’s aura glowed scarlet. “I’ll teach you not to say everything that comes to your mind!”

What? It was deliberate! Nevertheless, he prepared himself for the conflict, as the other Riolu charged at him and lunged. It was an amateurish move, and one that he had expected, so Gabriel jumped skywards. As his opponent punched the air beneath him, Gabriel turned, planted his foot on the other Riolu’s cheek, and pushed off, launching himself to safety, while his rival ploughed into the snow.

Someone on the stands cheered – the grassy hedgehog. Gabriel ignored her, focussing solely on his opponent, who rose shakily and mumbled something. He was shocked to see him close his eyes, which could mean only one thing: his opponent knew Focus Punch. It was an attack that required much concentration, but the result was devastating if it hit. It would be especially bad when used by a Fighting type, since then it would be twice as effective, so Gabriel had no choice but to rush the Riolu with the hopes that he could attack before his opponent was ready. He charged, pretending to go for a left-jab, but intending on landing a right-hook instead. Just as his fist would have connected with the side of his rival’s head, he ducked, spun around and kicked Gabriel between the shoulder blades, arousing another cheer from the stands.

“That move…” Gabriel sputtered, not realising he was talking aloud, “was definitely not Focus Punch. It was Counter! But there’s no way he could have predicted my attack without…” Gabriel finished the thought in his mind: Foresight.

So, the other Riolu was a counter-attacker, an agile, defensive fighter who relied upon his opponent’s mistakes to gain the advantage. A high level of prediction and alertness was required (which his rival seemed to have under the knee, Gabriel jealously admitted), but for the style to be truly successful, the fighter needed excellent reflexes, infallible accuracy, and extraordinary speed, both in his attacks and in his footwork. Gabriel was glad to note his rival was lacking in those aspects.

Rising to his feet, he waited for the attack. His opponent leapt into the air, obviously planning to land a descending kick, so Gabriel leapt skywards as well, attempting a right-cross. It would have ensured a knockout, had it connected, but the other Riolu tilted forward and transitioned into a spear tackle, sending both to the ground. Since Gabriel was at the bottom, he would have absorbed all the damage, allowing his opponent to come off unharmed, but his rival was inexperienced. At the last moment, Gabriel swung his weight to the right, bringing them down side by side.

The other Riolu released him and rolled onto his back, moaning. Gabriel felt as if he had been repeatedly struck with a hammer, but his thrice-accursed pride would not allow him to yield. Trying his best to ignore the agony, he flipped onto his stomach, supported himself with his arms and willed his legs to lift him. Xerneas had told Gabriel that he could teach him how to endure even the most unbearable pain, but it seemed he had learned Endure on his own, out of necessity.

Gabriel’s rival seemed to have learned it as well, for he also rose to his feet. Despite their injuries, they still glared at each other, though both forgot that Endure gave one enough strength to survive, but not much else; they feebly extended their clenched fists in a last, defiant gesture, but collapsed.

“Riley, are you okay?” the Snorunt asked, appearing where there had only been air a moment before.

The other Riolu did not answer, for somebody yelled, “Back up!” shocking everyone speechless. Cassandra appeared above Gabriel, much to his dismay. Even with her face upside-down, he could tell she was livid. The Commander collected both Riolu in her arms, draped them over her shoulders, and carried them back to the headquarters, the Snorunt and hedgehog following close behind. She muttered something, to which the two behind her reacted with an exclamation, but Gabriel didn’t catch it: he was too busy mentally berating himself.

As they passed through the doors of the headquarters, he raised his head and caught a glimpse of the two guards looking inside. The Gallade still had the same steely expression on his face, but the Mienshao was unsmiling, his eyes cold. Somehow, that hurt more.

Cassandra marched all the way up to her office, unceremoniously dropping both Gabriel and the other Riolu into adjacent chairs once inside. She pulled up two more chairs, indicated for the Snorunt and hedgehog to sit, locked the door, and stood on a platform behind her desk, ignoring the chair completely.

Gabriel had expected the scolding to start immediately, but Cassandra simply stood there, gazing at each of them with her icy stare, daring anyone to meet it. No one did.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke, but Gabriel wished she hadn’t. “I am bitterly disappointed in each of you. In one day, you almost managed to ruin for what we have toiled the last few years to accomplish. And all because of some petty rivalry? Explain yourselves.” After a few seconds passed in silence, she added, “If I have to wait a single moment longer…”

“I accidentally walked into…” Gabriel tried to remember the other Riolu’s name, but it escaped him.

“You didn’t even bother to exchange names?” Cassandra seethed. Gabriel sank down into his chair, hoping it would swallow him, but no such salvation came. “Gabriel. Riley. Flurry. Shaymin.” She pointed at each of them in turn, everyone cringing as soon as her finger rested on them. “Now, continue.”

Gabriel wanted the interrogation to be over as soon as possible, so he went into full ramble mode, blurting out every detail without hesitation. After he was done, Cassandra demanded Riley’s version. He wasn’t nearly as forthcoming, which meant she had to wring the details out of him. When she asked him why he had provoked Gabriel, Riley looked at her with apologetic eyes, but remained stubbornly silent.

The Commander’s eyes narrowed; even though Riley had said nothing, it appeared as if she knew the answer. “You share a room with Flurry, correct?” Riley nodded. “Not anymore.”

“Commander Cassandra!” the grassy hedgehog protested.

“It's not negotiable, Miss Shaymin. Riley, excuse yourself, and don't leave your room unless I personally grant you permission.”

Riley nodded, quickly rose from his chair and disappeared out the door. With him out of the way, Gabriel had a clear view of Flurry. She seemed... relieved.

It struck him like a lightning bolt and had much the same effect. Riley had refused to back away - unlike what any reasonable person would have done - because he had a crush! Gabriel felt no more animosity towards Riley, only mild amusement at his fear of appearing weak before Flurry; after all, love (or infatuation, whichever) made people do strange things...

Cassandra sighed, stepped down from the platform and sank into her chair. “I shall think of a punishment for you and Riley later, Gabriel. In the meantime, I have more pressing matters to discuss with you. Now, go ahead, Miss Flurry; I can tell you have been itching to ask me a question.”

For a moment, Flurry did not respond, but then she sheepishly enquired, “When you said Riley and Gabriel were teammates, you meant something other than that they were both members of the Resistance, didn’t you?”

“The Legendaries of the Resistance brought several humans over to help them with their struggle against the New Order. Like you and Riley, Gabriel was one of them.”

Shaymin mumbled something about her suspicion being correct, but Gabriel ignored her. “Xerneas told me there were only six of us,” he stated, “but it sounds like you're implying there are more.”

“There most certainly are - you, Flurry, Riley, a Victini named Frost, a Blaziken named Ren and a Noibat named Zulu are simply the ones who have been found thus far. Only Xerneas, Lugia, Landorus and Cresselia know the exact number, since they were the only ones present when Palkia brought you over. Unfortunately, there was a mishap with the process, and this mishap is the cause of Palkia’s death, as well your dispersal and transformations into Pokémon. The four survivors then instructed the other Legendaries to search for the humans, but they never revealed the exact number. Once all of the Legendaries returned from their searches, successful or not, said four would claim that everyone had been found. They could then deal with the matter of the missin’ humans without alarmin’ the rest of the Resistance, since discoverin’ the New Order had one or more of the humans would be devastatin’ to their morale. So, for the moment, everyone else, Resistance and New Order, have no idea exactly how many humans were brought over.”

“That makes sense, but why did Xerneas never report back?” Flurry asked, confused. “I mean, he had Gabriel.”

“As far as everyone outside this room is concerned, only five humans were brought over, and all five have been found – it will stay that way, until the Four deem it fit to say otherwise. Xerneas did not report in because of a very good reason.” Cassandra seemed weary, but she paused for only a moment. “I should start by sayin’ the New Order had somehow discovered a way to compel him to do their biddin’. They had ordered him to participate in the search and brin’ any human he found to them, but when he found you, Gabriel, Xerneas resisted. However, because of your skirmish at the site of your appearance, the New Order knows that he found you, so they summoned him to Mt. Providence, hopin’ that he’d brin’ you along with him. Fortunately, he resisted long enough to brin’ you here.

“You can therefore imagine how upset I was when Marcus, the Gallade at the entrance, informed me that all four of you were traipsin’ around outside, in the village. The whole reason Xerneas brought you here, Gabriel, is to keep your whereabouts a secret. This will be very difficult to hear, but he is most likely bein’ tortured at Mt. Providence as we speak. As soon as the New Order learns precisely how many humans were brought over, they will kill him. If they learn of your location, they will attempt to abduct you and use you as leverage, and then he will no longer be able to withold the exact number from them. Xerneas told me he has a plan though, but it requires that you remain hidden long enough for him to escape.”

“So,” Gabriel said, his mouth and throat dry, “that’s why he didn’t tell anyone.”

“One of the reasons, yes,” Cassandra confirmed. “The other bein’ that the Resistance would immediately launch a rescue mission. A mission that could only end in death for all those involved.”

“What if his “plan” doesn’t work?” Gabriel asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“Better that he die alone, than the others with him,” Cassandra replied sombrely.

He must have suppressed his emotions frequently during his previous life, as Gabriel simply felt hollow. No anger at Xerneas for lying to him, no sadness that the previous day was probably their last time together, just… emptiness. Gabriel used that blank feeling as a thread, searching his forgotten past for other times he had felt it. The answer came straight away: all the time. His parents were rich, but they were devoted to their jobs and reputation, only having a child as a status symbol. They probably didn’t even care that he was gone.

“Gabriel?”

“Hmm?” He realised he must have zoned out.

“I asked you if you wanted me to take you to your room,” Cassandra offered.

Gabriel looked to his right, but Flurry and Shaymin had left already. “Sure.”

The walk to his room was a silent one, but, being in a stupor, he didn’t mind. When Cassandra unlocked his door and lead him inside, Gabriel listlessly lay down on his bed.

“I’ll be back at lunch,” she said, but when he didn’t respond, she left. When she returned hours later, he hadn’t as much as stirred. She looked worried, but said nothing, only taking the untouched breakfast tray with her. When Cassandra returned at supper, he was still in the same position, but she had expected as much, for she had no serving tray with her. “Is there anythin’ I can do for you, darlin’?” she asked, trying to rouse a reaction – any reaction – from him.

“Not really.”

She thought about something for a moment and then suggested, “I could help you sleep.”

Gabriel shrugged. “Sure.”

Cassandra carefully drew his blankets over him, tucking him in afterwards. She bent down and gave him a Lovely Kiss on the forehead. “Good night, Gabriel.”

Her kind eyes were the last things he saw before sweet oblivion claimed him.



When he woke eight hours later, Gabriel was filled with grim determination. A plan had come to him in a dream, but if it was to succeed, Gabriel needed Riley's assistance. Waiting until morning was not an option, as time was of the essence, and though Riley would not be very happy to be woken at four in the morning, Gabriel was sure he would help - but he would have to explain everything, including his knowledge of Riley's crush on Flurry.

Xerneas had told Cassandra he had a plan to free himself, but that was undoubtedly a lie he had told to ensure no one risked rescuing him. Gabriel was not willing to attack one of the New Order's strongest bastions, but he wasn't about to condemn his guardian to death either.

Xerneas had saved Gabriel from a doomed fate once before - well, it was time to return the favour.

Immediately, --- snapped awake. At once he took in the entire scene; Cresselia glowed with psychic energy while Lugia dived towards the thieves, yet their efforts were in vain as a blast of yellow light enveloped Lugia, sending him spinning backwards into the palace. Cresselia turned just in time to be slashed head to tail by a vicious Sacred Sword. A gravelly voice boomed across the balcony,

"Did you really think the New Order would allow you to collect our leader's plates? What foolishness is this Cresselia, honestly, I thought you were smarter than this."

And through the dust, Terrakion emerged, beside him, Virizion laughed, a high clear sound that rang through the night air. Lugia growled, picking himself up from amongst the rubble, Cresselia to rose from the ground, purple energy enveloping her.

"You forgot someone." A voice sounded from behind ---.

Moltres swooped over his head, flames spewing from the glorious phoenix's body. She drew her wings apart, hovering in the sky for a split second, then bought them together, releasing an immense blast of fire that struck both the legendries, blowing them backwards.

Terrakion seemed unfazed as he turned his head to face the blazing glory. Virizion, however, struggled to her feet, her beautiful green hide now singed and burned.

"It is to late you fools. The human is ours now. Flee or be destroyed." And with that, the two legendries were engulfed by their followers.

--- and Absol jumped onto Lugia while Zulu hovered next to Cresselia. Just as the army leaped to confront their sworn enemies, Lugia fired his Aqua Jet, blasting them back and taking off across the bay. Cresselia to released her Psychic and roared across the open waters. Moltres followed, a trail of flames in her wake. It had happened to fast, to quickly for --- to react. Now he looked back, tears in his eyes, wondering if he would ever see Frost again.

“Ok, so what about Wolf. I think it’s pretty cool, but give me the statistics on that.”

“Name has an intimidation factor of 38%, coolness factor of 38%, cuteness factor of 24%.” Genesect responded.

“Hmm… cuteness factor is still too high. Guess I’ll have to think of another. Pretty soon I’ll be scraping the bottom of the barrel. What name holds the lowest cuteness factor percentage that would work for me?”

“The following designations hold a high coolness and intimidation factor. Bloodmoon, Ilusio, Scourge, Nightshade…”

“Whoa. Ilusio? What does that have to do with me?” He asked.
He and Genesect were currently camped out in front of a large stone temple. Genesect said his objective was inside, but He was in no shape to go inside some temple with who knows what waiting. Luckily, there were more of those bottomless water basins at the temple, but He was sick of water. He wanted to eat some meat.

“Your species possesses the ability to project illusions to the minds of organics and some synthetics.” Genesect explained.

“I can do that? That’s bada… cool. But Ilusio sounds like some Italian mobster’s name. But Bloodmoon… I like that. What are the statistics on that one?”

“Intimidation factor, 51%, Coolness Factor 46%, Cuteness factor 3%.”

“Ring-a-ding ding, we have a winner. From now on, call me Bloodmoon.”

“Acknowledged. Subject now designated as Bloodmoon.” Genesect said.

“Man, aren’t you an awesome friend. Too bad you got something messing around in your brain. How’s that going by the way?” Bloodmoon asked.

“Estimated time until Hostile Program regains control of this platform: 43 hours, 13 minutes, 25 seconds.”

“That program have a name?”

“Hostile Program designates itself as the Guardian of Life.” Genesect said.

“Well for a guardian of life, this guy sounds like a real jerk. Maybe I could talk to him for you, challenge him to a rap battle or something.”

“There is too much risk in allowing the hostile program even momentary access to my systems.” Genesect said.

“Maybe you should take out your central computer drive and blow on it. That works sometimes” Bloodmoon jokingly suggested.

“This platform does not possess a central computer drive. All central systems are composed of organic components augmented with cybernetics.”

“Whoa. You’re some kind of cyborg? That’s awesome. Can you switch to organic mode or something so I don’t have to listen to all this scientific chatter?”

Genesect didn’t answer.

“Ok, I guess that’s a sore subject for you. Look, I know the sooner we go in that temple, the sooner we can get out of here. But without food, I’m not gonna last long in there. So, do you have a food storage compartment or something?” Bloodmoon asked, silently hoping he did.

“Does organic Bloodmoon require nourishment?” Genesect asked.

“Yes. He does. Preferably some meat, though none of the rotting flesh off those zombie things.” Bloodmoon said.

“Acknowledged. This platform will hunt for suitable nourishment for organic Bloodmoon.”

Genesect folded up into flight mode and flew off into the mist. Luckily, those zombie things didn’t like coming this close to the temple, so he was safe. Bloodmoon fluffed his massive mane of hair/fur into a soft pillow, leaning back on it. Hopefully Genesect would be back soon. Otherwise Bloodmoon might be tempted to ask him if he still needed those organic parts of his.

Flurry

Sometimes, Flurry really hated boys. The ungodly hour was also part of the problem, but still. Boys.

She'd woken up to the sound of two doors opening and closing in quick succession and the pattering of feet in the hallway. Or maybe Shaymin's snoring had done the trick, and the doors only lifted the sleepy fog of late-night grogginess. Either way, she had a hunch it was Riley and Gabriel making that noise, and she needed to keep them from getting into more trouble than they already had.

As quietly as possible, she scooted off her bed and cracked open the door. Then she shut it behind her and scurried to the next room over. She knocked on it softly.

"Riley? Is Gabriel in there with you?"

Silence.

"You two had better not be planning another wrestling match." They probably were.

A moment later, Gabriel's snout poked out from behind the door. "We weren't planning on wrestling. Not now anyways."

His nose was jerked away, and Riley wedged himself into the spot. "You can come in. We could probably use your opinion on something."

Flurry knew it. They were planning something stupid. Hoping she might dissuade them, she followed Riley inside and plopped on the floor. When all pokemon were seated in a triangle, Gabriel began to speak.

"I already explained the situation to Riley, so let's move onto the plan. We know that somehow, The New Order is controlling Xerneas, so we just have to find a way to break that control. I did some research this afternoon, and it sounds like we can use the Pixel Plate to get him back."

Raising her hand, Flurry loudly stated that she did not know what the Pixel Plate was.

"It's a relic that holds the power of fairies. I read that there are plates hidden in places called mystery dungeons, and so I found out where the dungeon is."

Riley nodded, his eyes sparkling with excitment. Why he was so interested, Flurry didn't really care. She mostly just wanted to stay safe and surrounded by the cold.

"And what makes you two think this Pixel Plate will get Xerneas back?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's like there are dots connecting in my mind that I haven't quite determined yet," Gabriel said.

Riley looked at the ground and muttered something that sounded like "gut feeling." Like that was supposed to convince anyone. The only thing Flurry trusted her gut with was the digestion of food.

"Right, so anyways," Gabriel continued, "since Riley and I are both fighting types, and this is a fairy dungeon, we were going to ask you to come with us anyways. You don't mind, right? I mean, it would really be beneficial, and I saw that you have a bag for provisions, which would certainly be valuable."

Clearly, Gabriel was slipping into brainiac mode, so Flurry cut him off. "No," she said flatly. "I'm not going. You're not going. I wouldn't even help you at all. I can't fight."

"Of course you can," Riley said. "I mean, you and Shaymin had run-ins with other pokemon on your way to Frontier Town, right?"

Flurry declined to answer the question and moved on. "Whatever! I'm not going, and that's final!"

"Can you at least help us get out of town?" Gabriel asked. He and Riley both put on their begging faces, which reminded Flurry very strongly of something she'd heard about dogs. She couldn't just say no.

"I'll go with you to the dungeon entrance. But that's it."

In twenty minutes, Flurry had covered both riolus with snow and ice so that they looked like undernourished cubchoos rather than fighting-types. She crept back into her and Shaymin's room, took Shaymin's belongings out of the bag, and met with Riley and Gabriel outside the lobby.

They trekked through town, drawing very little attention from the zero people outdoors at that hour, and then continued on into the barren, snowy wasteland beyond.

About an hour in, Riley and Gabriel shook off their disguises, and Flurry pulled out the map they'd taken along.

"I'm not sure where exactly the dungeon is," Gabriel explained, "but because of its fairy nature, there are a few bewitched doors that lead to it. I think I read that there's one..." he pointed to a swirly ink mark near Frostpoint Village's dot. "Here."

"That seems to be about where we are," Riley said. He raised a paw to his brow and squinted at the snow. "Over there."

Flurry was mostly amazed that they weren't bickering yet. She followed the two towards a mound of snow that covered a decrepit-looking shack. It had obviously once been elegant and refined, with stained-glass windows no less, but all that was left was black metal around the window frames.

They stepped inside, and dust flew up around their feet.

"I'm not seeing an entrance," Flurry said. "And anyways, I should probably be going now."

She turned to leave, but Gabriel caught her by the point. "Wait, there's a cellar door. Riley, could you help me open this?"

Dust rose like smoke off the creaky, wooden trapdoor, and a white staircase gleamed beneath it. Both riolus dragged her down the steps behind them, and soon enough, they found themselves standing in a white, Roman-columned gazebo. The stairs had disappeared the moment Flurry's feet stepped off them. Great. She was stuck.

All around, emerald green trees and bushes rustled in a light, summery breeze. Flurry missed the cold. She turned around, wondering how to make the staircase reappear, but found herself staring up at a statue of a pokemon.

"That's..." Gabriel could not speak. His nervous rant seemed stuck in his throat, unable to bypass a wall of emotion.

"That's Xerneas, huh?" Flurry said. She heard Riley gasp behind her. Then, a shiny flute caught her eye, and she noticed a funny pattern on the base of the statue. Reaching for the instrument, she oggled at the designs. Seven lines ran around the base, with small 'X's placed at irregular intervals.

"Too bad I don't have enough fingers to play," Flurry mused. She placed the flute on the ground and traced the statue's pattern with one hand.

Suddenly, a noise like a dying duck squawked behind her. Flurry whipped around to see Riley blowing into the flute, his fingers covering all six holes.

Gabriel snorted, his gaze darting between Riley and the instrument.

"What?" Riley said. "Don't expect me to be any good." He blew into the flute again, a bit gentler this time, and a warm solid tone floated out.

Gabriel stopped laughing. "Wait a minute. There's always a puzzle with every mystery dungeon. I bet this is it." He began looking around. "What are we supposed to do with it though? Surely it's not a test of musicianship."

"Right here," Flurry said, knocking on the statue. "I think we have to play this. Not that I know how to read it. It looks similar to what I know... I think, but it's not the same."

Kneeling beside her, Riley put the flute to his mouth and blew. He seemed to be looking at the pattern, and trying to follow it too, but there was no way he could...

No. There was a tune. Sort of. It was hesitant and sloppy--Riley didn't know the rhythms--but the notes fit together.

"Inconceivable," Gabriel said, gaping. It reminded Flurry of a movie, for some reason. The Princess Groom or something?

"How are you even reading that?" Flurry asked.

Riley stopped, looked at her and Gabriel, and then at the flute. "Uh, I just put my fingers down for whatever line the 'X' is on. It felt right."

No way. It was that easy? Then surely the rhythms had to be designed in a similar fashion... Flurry looked at the pattern again. What could the answer be? What could be so simple?

Riley started playing again, and Flurry tried to follow along. Her eyes slid along the lines, trying to discern the key to the song.

Distance. Length. Placement. Gosh, it really was easy! She turned to Riley, but Gabriel had already beat her to the punch.

"It's the distance between notes," he said. "Quickly, Riley! I'll slide a finger along the bottom of the staff, and you play the notes as they come. We've solved it!"

The riolus went about their playing, and soon, a graceful melody drifted on the wind. It was beautiful, a simple tune with hints of folk and classical music, set in a dainty, waltz-like signature. Gosh, Flurry loved it.

As soon as Riley made it to the end, the gazebo began to rumble. Suddenly, the Xerneas statue rose upwards until its antlers touched the ceiling. Under the base, a staircase led further down.

"Can we keep the flute?" Riley asked. "It's nice."

Gabriel shrugged. "I don't see why not. Just put it in Flurry's bag."

As soon as the instrument was safely tucked into a compartment of the bag, the three pokemon descended into the dungeon. For some reason, Flurry didn't feel as opposed to it as she had before.

The group made camp just outside the Ravine. The massive scar stretched into the distance, across the horizon and out of sight. --- sat in silence. Slowly, Lugia floated over to him.

"He will be ok. Frost is stronger than you think." he said, a hint of pleading in his voice as if to say "stay strong. We cant lose you now."

All --- could do was nod. Despite their short time together, all Frost had shown was kindness. He had saved the entire group from a pack of riled Kinglers and on top of that he was one of them. Frost was human, and the fact that a human was being tortured, possibly executed, right now was inconceivable.

The Blaziken stood, he needed strength, the power to protect them all. He turned to Lugia and said,

"Teach me."

A smile flickered across Lugia's face and he turned and wafted towards the edge of the precipice.

"You know my teachings. Now use them. Think."

And the Blaziken closed his eyes, he knew how to do it but not what to do. --- scrolled through his move set: flame wheel, counter. He had done that before. Bulk up, and puny little sand attack. What could a status move do when he could hardly survive a single attack? What could an anti accuracy move do against A charging Golem, a Mega-Blastoise, A god itself?

Then it dawned on him. Kicking up a cloud of sand, --- ignited the flying particles, causing them to glow white hot in the growing darkness. Then the Blaziken used bulk-up. A burst of energy infused ---'s limbs and he leaped forwards, into the cloud of burning sand. With an explosion of heat, the Blaziken used flame wheel, the affect was immediate, the glassy sand exploded outwards, sending shards of burning crystal into the night. Lugia gazed in amazement.

"Well done. You have mastered my teachings. There is nothing else I can teach you." And with that, Lugia floated away, stopping only to shout back,

"That move is called Lava Plume. Use it wisely."

"Well done.

Zulu and the others had set up camp just at the edge of a massive crevice. When someone had named it The Great Crevice, they hadn’t been joking around. Zulu had been awestruck at how long it was. And terrified at how deep it went. He hadn’t been able to even see the bottom. Still, it reassured Zulu that he was part dragon. From what Cresselia had told him, that made him resistant to heat, but he was weak against ice, dragon, and fairy attacks. At least only one of those could manifest as a form of weather. He chuckled, imagining what kind of weather dragon weather would be. Zulu fired his Air Cutter, liking how big and powerful it looked now. Still, it was nothing compared to Dragon Pulse. Zulu decided he wanted to see it again. He waddled over to the edge of the crevice. He avoided looking down, not wanting to make himself sick. He opened his mouth, taking a deep breath in. He tried to remember how it had looked when he’d used it last time. A huge beam of blue and white energy, blasting the Guardian. Zulu let it out, waiting to see what damage the beam could do to the wall of the crevice. Except nothing happened. He tried again, breathing out harder. Still nothing.

“What’s wrong? It worked fine before.” Zulu thought, starting to get a little worried.
Zulu breathed in as much air as he could, imagining it converting into energy inside him. He let out a great bellow (actually more of a squeak) hoping to see energy shoot out of his mouth. But nothing happened.

“No. Please work. I’m useless without that move.”

He continued to let out big breaths over and over, waiting for anything to happen. But all that accomplished was Zulu getting dizzy.

“If there’s one place I don’t want to fall, it’s the center of the planet.” He said aloud to himself, trying to hide his disappointment. Looked like he was back to being the same old Zulu again. He’d seen everyone looking at him with respect once he’d learned dragon pulse. And now, he had lost it.

“Or have I?” He thought. The others didn’t have to know it wasn’t working. It’s not like he would have to use it again for a while. By the time the group made it to the guardian, it would probably be working again. Besides, he had plenty of other moves he could use. Air Cutter, Supersonic, Bite, Attract. Then Zulu realized, he hadn’t tried that move yet. He turned back to the crevice, hoping that firing it in would cause the crevice to come alive and hug him. Zulu tried thinking of a nice warm feeling. The first thing that came to mind was when he and the others had been searching the Palace of Tides. It had been like a scavenger hunt. And in the end, Frost had found a shard of Palkia’s orb. Then the memory of what happened to Frost hit him. Frost was gone now. A friend he’d only known for a short while was now gone. If the New Order were as cruel as Cresselia made them out to be, then Frost was probably already dead. Zulu wondered, what would happen to Frost once he died? Would he wake up back in the human world? Or would he end up stuck in the afterlife of this world? Zulu banished those thoughts. No sense moping. Zulu tried focusing on the positive memory again. This time, it came easier. Before Zulu realized it, he’d projected a large ball of bright red energy that took the shape of a heart. It floated forward at about the speed of a thrown rock, exploding against the crevice wall. Not exactly the most subtle move. He’d have to be quick when using it on others like Cresselia.

“Cresselia?” He thought. Where did that come from?

“She could use some happiness. Just one little use.”

“No way! She’s a Pokémon!”

“So are you.”

“She’s like a thousand years old! Maybe older!”

“Legendries don’t age like normal Pokémon. You two are just a couple years apart mentally.”

“Gross! No way!”

“She lost the love of her life.”

“And me putting her under some kind of spell is supposed to make her feel better?”

“Eh, good point. You win this round Good Zulu. But I’ll be back.”

Zulu sighed. He must be going crazy if he was starting to argue with himself. Still… there were some good points made. Cresselia could use a little happiness. Palkia is gone, and everyone was down in the dumps about Frost. Maybe one, small little use wouldn’t be too bad. And he wouldn’t even hang around. He’d use it, then go off and sleep somewhere, leaving Cresselia to her happiness. But if he had such good intentions behind doing it, why did he feel so guilty. He’d wait before trying it. Maybe he was just tired and not thinking clearly. By tomorrow, he’d probably forget all about this plan. Zulu flapped back over to the camp, in the mood for a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, they’d descend into the crevice to find the plate.

The staircase was about thirty stairs long in total, and made entirely of stone. Flurry did not look impressed. Not one bit.

"Something wrong?" asked Riley.

"No, we just need to get the Plate and get out of here." answered Gabriel, assuming Riley had been talking to him.

"I was asking Flurry." Riley said, shaking his head.

Half-heartedly, Gabriel replied: "My apologies."

The corners of Flurry's mouth twitched upwards a little, and Riley decided to take a risk and repeat the question.

"You've been silent ever since I played that song. Are you feeling okay?"

"Well, to be honest, I hate this place. It's so cold and cramped."

"I thought you liked cold places."

"This is different. The cold outside is fresh, invigorating and clean. This cold is old, musty and gray."

"Sort of like Gabriel's personality." teased Riley.

Gabriel shot him a glare that shut him up immediately.

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, a short corridor stood before them, a cracked stone floor and large stone walls connected to a stone ceiling. Everywhere you looked, nothing but stone.

"Is the entire Mystery Dungeon going to be this depressing?" asked Flurry,

"I don't think so." replied Gabriel, "Look at that." He pointed towards a bright white light coming from the passage at the end of the corridor.

"What do you think it is?" asked Riley.

Gabriel thought for a moment. "It's clearly some place that is significantly brighter than this hallway. Seeing as we're underground, however, it would require much natural or artificial light to be that bright. It can't be natural, as the sun would have no way of showing itself to a concealed dungeon such as this. It can't be artificial though, as I smell Pecan and Shagbark Hickory. Unless it were some kind of greenhouse, of course. But it wouldn't make sense for a Plate of Arceus to be hidden in a greenhouse, as it would be too simple to find. Also, the location is purely off. You could never put a greenhouse in the middle of the Northern Plains. Factoring all that in, I just can't find a reasonable solution to the issu-"

"Are you guys going to stand here talking about it, or are we actually going to move forward?" asked Flurry, impatiently.

Gabriel's face grew a magenta in colour. "My bad." was all he said.

The three Pokémon walked toward the bright light, each wondering what they would find upon entry. As they stepped through the light, it faded to reveal an enormous underground cavern, bright as day, harbouring a lush forest that stretched for miles before reaching the other wall of the cavern. They were on an elevated rock, which overlooked the entire area. Riley stood open-mouthed, while Gabriel observed the teeming life around him. Flurry, however, looked disconcerted.

"It's beautiful." breathed Riley so the others wouldn't hear. He didn't want to be teased about thinking a bunch of plants were pretty.

"Great..." said Flurry, "It's not even cold down here."

"But it is, admittedly gorgeous." added Gabriel.

"I guess." said Flurry. She stepped forward to get a better look, but accidentally brushed hands with Riley.

He shuddered at the sudden chill he felt run through his arm, and looked to his right to find Flurry standing right next to him, snowball hands locked to her side, staring wide-eyed as if he were an apparition.

"I-I didn't mean-" she didn't finish the sentence. Riley could tell she was too embarrassed to say anything.

"You're cold." he offered in place.

He was concerned for her. She had been cold as ice every time he'd come into contact with her.

"I'm an ice type." she said, "I'm supposed to be cold."

Riley narrowed his lack of eyebrows suspiciously. "Gabriel, are all ice types cold to the touch?"

But Gabriel was already descending the path from the rock to the forest. The two Pokémon hurried after him and followed the path all the way down into the vast maze of green.

"Are you telling me the Plate is somewhere in this place?" asked Flurry, discouraged.

"It would appear so." said Gabriel, thoughtfully. "Riley, why don't you use that big nose of yours and sniff out the Plate."

"I'm not some kind of dog!" he replied, defensively.

"Technically..." started Gabriel.

"Look, you're a Riolu, too. Why don't you sniff it out instead?"

"Because I'm the group thinker, and you're the one who does all the heavy lifting."

"Forget that! I should be the group thinker!"

"But my intellect is clearly superior. Just do it, Riley. You're irritating me and giving Flurry a headache."

Riley glanced over at Flurry, who was rubbing her temples.

"But," he squeaked, "I don't know what the Plates smell like."

"Sniff for something magical. I was thinking about the whole bright light situation earlier, and deciphered that this dungeon houses the Pixel Plate, the fairy type Plate of Arceus."

"How did you do that?" asked Flurry.

"It's quite simple, actually. The light appears to be coming from nowhere in particular, but is bright as day. The only reasonable solution, magic."

"Isn't that, like, the opposite of science?" asked Riley.

"Just listen. In many cases it would make no sense, but if this Mystery Dungeon held the Pixel Plate, then magic is completely reasonable."

"That still doesn't explain how I sniff out magic."

"Just search for something abnormal. You know, something you wouldn't find in the middle of a lush forest."

Defeated, Riley got down on all fours and, feeling degraded, began scanning the Earth with his nose. His eyes closed and his ears twitched as he sniffed, which made Flurry giggle and Gabriel smirk in amusement.

"And he says he's not a dog." muttered Gabriel.

Riley's ears perked up and his eyes snapped open. "I've found something."

"Is it the Plate?" asked Flurry.

"How should I know?" he said rudely. He hadn't meant to snap at her, but the experience of having his teammates watch him smell dirt had left him a little edgy.

Flurry narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, sorry!" she said sarcastically, "I didn't know that asking a simple question was a crime!"

Riley felt his ears droop. Now she was mad at him. He got up and pointed vaguely to the northwest. "It's somewhere over there." he said, depressed.

Gabriel was showing mixed emotions at what had just transpired. Riley could only imagine what he was thinking. Attempting to lighten the mood, he said brightly: "Then let's shove off and find us a Plate!"

Gabriel strode contently into the forest, Flurry and Riley pulling up the rear. Flurry looked indignantly at everything they passed but never once giving Riley even the slightest acknowledgement. Riley simply shuffled along, staring down at his feet.

They walked for about thirty minutes, stopping every so often to get their bearings. Sensing the tension, Gabriel had decided to start sniffing for the Plate in Riley's place. They never said a word, and hardly made eye contact with one another. It seemed as if they had been walking in circles, as Gabriel always detected the Plate in a different direction as before. As they walked, gravity seemed to be shifting. At times, it would be really light, and the Pokémon found hopping to be faster than walking. Other times, gravity would be so heavy that the three had to crawl. They even came upon an instance where they were floating entirely, and propelling themselves by grabbing and thrusting off of the nearby trees. Finally, when the fourth time they stopped to smell the Plate came, Gabriel stood up suddenly and frantically searched around the group. This alerted the other two.

"What's wrong, Gabriel?" asked Flurry.

"I smell Pokémon. And they don't look too friendly judging by the subtle hints of red I'm picking up in their auras."

Riley searched the surrounding area. "What are you talking about? I don't see anything." Then, he saw it. Trees moving. Trees weren't supposed to move. They were surrounding them, enclosing them in a tight circle. As they got closer, Riley remembered the name of those Pokémon. Trevenant. There were about ten of them. Riley, Flurry and Gabriel all backed into each other, turning their heads back and forth, looking for a way out.

"Okay, Mr. Thinker," said Riley, "What do we do to get out of this?"

Gabriel began rambling: "Well, these are Trevenant, the Pokémon who trap people that damage their forests. However, we've done nothing to the forest, so I'd assume these Pokémon are protecting the Plate. They're known to never let people leave the forest by forcing them to become lost and lose all hope, which would explain all the aimless wandering we've been doing. If we want to get to the Plate, we either have to fight or escape them, but seeing as we are outnumbered and they are grass and ghost types, we'll have no effect on them, which means it'd be them versus Flurry essentially, and though she does have a type advantage, she's outnumbered ten to one."

"So again, what do we do, Gabriel?!" asked Flurry, in a panic.

"I-I don't know. They've surrounded us, so we can't run, and we can't fight."

"What do you mean you don't know?!" shouted Riley, "Of all the times for you to draw a blank, now?!"

"I'm sorry! Just let me think!"

"We don't have time for that! They're getting closer!" yelled Flurry.

Riley tuned them out as he used Foresight to see what would transpire in a few moments. Half the Trevenant would pin them down with Tackle and the other half would drain their health with Leech Seed. It would be a painful defeat, Riley was certain of it. He opened his eyes and quickly took in his surroundings, deciding to take matters into his own hands. Then, he spotted it. Despite the cold shock he felt when he did it, he grabbed Flurry's hand and yelled to Gabriel: "Quickly! The trees!"

Gabriel understood immediately. Both Riolu jumped into the air and landed on a branch way above the Trevenant horde. They then began hopping branch to branch, crossing the forest at breakneck pace. Flurry had adjusted her footing on the branches and was hopping with them, holding onto Riley's hand, as her short legs alone would not carry her far. As Gabriel hopped to the next branch and Riley followed, he lost his footing and began to fall. He thought for sure it was the end until he felt a firm hand grip his right wrist. Gabriel was holding onto him from above. With a massive effort, he pulled the two Pokémon up onto the branch.

Riley at Gabriel and Gabriel looked back. The two Pokémon seemed to have silently agreed on helping one another. They shared a nod and continued hopping until they were sure they'd lost the Trevenant. They then jumped down from the branch and landed gracefully on their feet, Riley holding Flurry above his head so as not to injure her. As he set her down, she stared at him. Their eyes moved to their hands which were still interlocked. They quickly pulled them away and averted their gaze from each other. Riley's entire arm was numb but he didn't care. They were safe, and that's all that mattered.

Then however, Flurry turned back to Riley and silently said: "Thank you."

Gabriel watched this interaction curiously, but made nothing of it, as he was still feeling an adrenaline rush from the recent escape.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Riley, who had been staring intently into Flurry's eyes as she returned the look snapped out of his trance and got down to sniff the ground again. What he smelled was powerful enough to knock him entirely off his feet.

"Woah!" he said, "Whatever we smelt earlier, we're right next to it!"

"Really?" asked Gabriel, doubtfully. He then bent down to smell the ground of his own accord and was knocked off his feet just as quickly.

"Oh my goodness! It's a pleasant smell but far too much of it! We're definitely close, judging by how strong it is."

"Where is it?" asked Flurry.

Both Riolu got up and pointed in the same direction. A little ways in the direction they were pointing, a clearing could be made out that resembled someplace a magic Plate would be held. They approached the clearing, and stopped just before entering it.

"Flurry, Riley, get ready." said Gabriel. "Every Mystery Dungeon has a guardian, and it won't be an easy fight. If we had been defeated earlier, we would have just been sent out of the dungeon, but if this Pokémon defeats us, there's a very real possibility we will all die."

Flurry and Riley gulped.

"Stay on your toes." finished Gabriel, and they all stepped forward.

What they saw in the clearing shocked all three of them. Instead of a fearsome guardian, in the center of the clearing sat the statue of a Mega Gardevoir, clearly in pain. The Pixel Plate was nowhere to be found.

Twinkiel - Enter the Thunderfleece

He was calmly awaiting, successfully trying to calm down the loud pounding of his heart.
After all, it did seem like he was used to... Interesting situations, to say the least, but he surely had never, ever put himself in a situation similar to his current one.

The boy remembered nothing so far, except waking up in the forsaken forest he was stuck in. The trees were all extremely tall and large, equipped with leaves with such shapes and sizes that the sunlight could barely filter. Thus, stuck in mid-darkness, he realized that he had no idea where he was, who he was, or what he was, for the fact that he was walking on four legs and could not switch to a bipedal gait definitely meant he was not a human anymore.
Odd.
After aimless wanders around the forest for what seemed like hours, the boy had managed to find a pond in front of which he could finally drink water and examine himself. Despite not knowing where this information came from, he knew he was a sheep. A sheep with a light yellow fleece - hah, like Jason's golden fleece, another reference that came out of nowhere - with a curly tuft of whool in the middle of its head.
Kinda cute.
The reflection showed conical ears with yellow and black stripes, a blue face with black eyes and blue paws with two digits - no wonder it was so hard walking around.
Suddenly, a random mechanic thought struck the boy's memory.

"Mareep, N°179. Electric Type. Evolves at LV15. The fleece that covers it produces static electricity that can be stored in the orange sphere at the end of its tail."

The Mareep blinked twice and tilted he's head. An orange sphere...?
He turned back and saw the tail mentioned earlier. He began moving it slowly to make sure it was indeed his, and realized that he was no longer alone.
A group of various snakes were staring at the Mareep, obviously waiting for him to make a hostile move so they could tear him to shreds with these sharp fangs of theirs. One of them was bearing very long red fangs and a knife-shaped tail.

"Seviper, N°336. Poison Type, no Evolution. Its knife-shaped tail can not only slice like a razor, but it is also covered with a very virulent poison."

Huh. Fancy that.

"Identify yourself, tresspassor!" hissed the Seviper. "You're one bold explorer... how dare come so close to our lair?!"

The Mareep gulped. "I...I, uh..." "c'moooooon... Think... THINK, DARN IT!"
Name. Name. He needed a name.
Going by themes would help.

Themes? Let's see... Electricity... Sheep... animal Fleece... Shining... "Twink..." he whispered.

"What are you mumbling about, stranger? Identify yourself, or we shall mercilessily strike you down!"

And become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
Gosh, that automatic voice in his head was annoying. Despite being his.

"Alright, alright!" he answered, slightly stuttering. "I go by the name..." No time to think anymore. He needed to improvise. "...Twinkiel. Yes. I am Twinkiel Thunderfleece! And... I am everything BUT an explorer!" Fancy words. I need fancy words! "Um... I meant you no harm or disrespect, mighty Snake of the Venom Knife. I was merely searching for food, and if it is your wish, I shall depart without delay nor conflict!" Twinkiel bowed - well, as much as his body allowed him to - and waited for an answer.

"Not an explorer you say?" said the Seviper in a haughty tone, seemingly flattered by the title Twinkiel had provided him with. "And searching for food? Do not lie! There's no reason for a stranger such as yourself to be in those woods!"

"Actually, there is, Snake of the Venom Knife." Twinkiel rose up and looked at his interlocutor. The crowd of snakes behind the Seviper were idle, awaiting for him to explain himself. It was now or never. "I... I was looking for a special item that my dad, the mighty... Thor, left to me. it is the emblem of my family: the Thunder Fleece, item of power and prosperity for my people. According to some clues I gathered, it was supposed to be somewhere around this forest."

The Seviper nodded, curious. "But doesn't that make you an explorer, like the thousands who try to trespass our territory?"

"Not in the slightest! I... um... I knew that your tribe, Snake of the Venom Knife, lived in this forest, and I wished to aid you in your quest to... well, to vanquish the tresspassors."

"Oh? And why would you do such a thing?" asked the Seviper suspiciously.

"I..." Truth was, Twinkiel remembered a few things now. He remembered that he was a Pokémon now, and he remembered trying to tame them in a distant life. He also remembered what he wanted for them. "...I wish to become stronger, Sir Snake," he answered, locking his gaze into the Seviper's. "And if my father told me to seek for such powerful creatures as yourselves," he added, looking at the assembly of reptiles, "then so be it. I shall, with your permission, remain with you until I evolve."

A few snakes hissed with indignation.

"Which should happen shortly!" added the Mareep with precipitation.


And there he was, calmly awaiting, successfully trying to calm down the loud pounding of his heart. He really seemed to be used to such situations. He wondered how he was before forgetting everything about his past life.

"Very well, Twinkiel Thunderfleece", declared Seviper after a long debate with his fellow reptiles. "You do not appear to be like the other travelers we've met so far. Know, however, that we are neutral. No idea from both the New Order and the Resistance shall reach us, and I do not wish you to corrupt ANY of my... subjects... with your words. Do I make myself clear?"

"Like crystal, Sir Snake."

"Good. Now, come with us. A battle awaits you, so we shall test your strenght."

"Battle...?" A gloomy smile that did not belong to an innocent sheep's face appeared on Twinkiel's visage. He did want to become stronger after all.
Nevertheless, the Mareep followed his temporary caretakers to their lair and made sure to remember to ask what were the New Order and the Resistance. There was something frightning and thrilling about these, but if Twinkiel wanted to survive in this new world, he needed knowledge.

As he departed with the snakes, a green fairy-like creature followed him, invisible to the group's eyes.

Life's End: Where Giratina was imprisoned. It is the center for recycling and restoration of the planet. Giratina travels between here and the distortion world. He can pull others into the distortion world under certain circumstances.


Radiance: The capital city of the New Order’s empire, it was built around an old temple devoted to all of the major Legendries. The statues of Legendries who joined the resistance have been smashed, their fragments left as a reminder of their undesirable status.


Cutthroat pass: A place of gathering for outlaws, thieves, and murderers, its appeal lies in the honeycomb caves dug out by Bug Types that once made the place their home, the caves now offering many hiding places in case of assault. Though despite its reputation, there are actually quite a few decent criminals that live in this area.


Completely Safe Bunker: Designed by the Regi’s and named by Hoopa, it was here that Genesect was constructed. It is now used for experiments conducted by the Regi’s on prisoners from Mt. Providence. It was built in its location for some unknown reason. Hoopa likes to visit here to conduct “Experiments” of his own on prisoners.


Terraria: The largest province on the continent, it’s the central hub for travel. It contains grassy plains, a large river for fast travel by raft, canyons, and other tall rock formations. A small, unamed settlement rests at the edge of the forest part of this area. A wise Dusknoir lives there, and many go to him for advice. The children of the village enjoy listening to his stories.
Main theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xweRl4LZlmo
Village theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd3jms3Bes4

Frost awoke in the dark with a pounding headache and a ringing in his ears. He shook his head and waited for the ringing to stop. When it had fully receded he slowly stood. Obviously he was trapped. Recalling what had happened last night, he suspected he was in a cage with the crobat and two venomoths outside. He had to escape, but first, where was he? Frost focused, it was a little harder with his headache, but he managed to send out a weak psychic pulse. It went through the walls of the cage and out into the open, unsensible by the crobat. A few seconds later the pulse came back, relaying where it had bounced off and creating a mental picture in Frosts mind.

They were in the Greatwood Jungle, Frost was sure of it. Frost considered his options, he could break free here and find his way back, or he could keep going and wait until they get to Mt Providence and try and gather information about what the New Order was exactly and what they were doing. He new he shouldn't risked being captured by the N.O, but at the same time he was curious. If he could find some kind of information as to where some of the plates were he could escape and find his way back to the rest of the group. The Idea sounded very appealing, and Frost was almost tempted to do it, but then he realized he, along with the other humans were the whole reason Cresellia and the rest of the legendries were here. It would stupid for him to walk right into the enemy headquarters. Frost decided the best choice was to break free now.

Frost focused on his surroundings, the cage, or box, was made of wood. If Frost tried enough he could probably push down the walls, but he preferred a more flashy method. Frost focused his energy, compressed it until he felt like he would explode, then released the energy in a circle of flame. The wooden cage blew open and both the venomoths were blown back, scalded by the flame. Crobat however, cut through the fire with air cutters and slammed into Frost. Frost skidded across the ground and slammed into a tree. The Crobat cackled,

"As I said before, your a tough one to break." Frost formed his protective bubble, a determined look on his face. Crobat laughed again and fired a dark pulse. Frost formed a psychic shard and launched it at the dark pulse. The two attacks collided and the explosion was enough to knock the Crobat out of the air. Frost rushed him, dispersing the protective bubble and forming a ball of flame around him. Crobat formed a ball of darkness around him and flew at Frost, who was now in the middle of a fireball. The two forces clashed and were both sent flying. Frost regained balance, crobat, cackling once again, fired off a massive air cutter.

"Block this one boy!"

Frost blew out a fire blast, equal in size and power to the opponents attack, but the air cutter passed right through it, hitting Frost head on and sending him into crashing to the ground. The Crobat flew over to him.

"Looks like I cracked you boy. Now, I was originally planning to keep you, but you've been a pain in my neck and I've decided, I don't need you. Goodbye."

" Don't get to cocky." Frost mumbled. The Crobat cocked an ear?

"Eh? What was that? Aah nevermind. Die!"

With that Crobat fired off another air cutter, but the Crobat had indeed gotten cocky. With one fluid motion, Frost blocked the attack with his shield, rose up, and sent a wave of psychic energy at Crobat, hitting him square in the chest and sending him straight through three trees before finally drilling him into a wall.

The next 20 minutes Frost stumled deliriously around and into a cave, a peculiar den with a hint of snake hanging in the air. There he fell, and their he lay.

--- peered into the depths of the crevice.

"Your positive I can jump from here?" He asked, skepticism dripping from his voice.

Moltres nodded,

"Trust me. When you get close to the bottom just summon the lava to cushion your
fall. You'll be fine!" she said, a smile flickering across the bird's features.

Gulping, --- stepped back a few feet,

"Cant I just, you know, fly on your back?" He stuttered.

Sighing, Moltres flapped her wings once, emitting a blast of heat and knocking the Blaziken into the Crevasse.

Screaming at the top of his lungs, --- plummeted into the depths of the massive ravine. Barely dodging an outcrop of rock, --- held his hands out in front of him, desperately trying to control the roiling mass of liquid stone below him. Closing his eyes as the ground rushed to meet him, the Blaziken awaited impact and......

Received none. He opened his eyes to find his lower body encased in a mass of lava. Slowly, he lowered himself to the ground, gasping. The flapping of wings from above alerted --- of the others. First was Moltres who alighted on a bare patch of rock and raised an eyebrow at the Blaziken,

"Well?" She grinned.

Laughing out of sheer exhilaration, the Blaziken replied, " I gotta say, that was awesome."

Lugia thudded to the ground next to Moltres as --- turned. Moltres whispered from behind the Blaziken,

"What were you saying about smashed flat?"

Lugia growled and passed the phoenix a handful of orbs.

"I'm getting those right back on the next bet."

The group advanced farther into the ravine. Down here, --- felt good, in fact, he turned and blasted a Macargo as it emerged from the lava beside him, the poor snail was thrown back into a rock and slid back down into the molten rock. Power coursed through the Blaziken's limbs as he strode forwards, smiling in anticipation for the dungeon to come.

Soon, they reached an immense cavern. Pillars depicting the legendary fire types held the ceiling up. Yet something was wrong, where was Moltres's statue? The Blaziken slowly looked down and gasped. Shards of stone were all that was left of the mighty phoenix's statue. Moltres stared to at the obliterated statue, she looked to --- and Cresselia voiced their thoughts,

"The New Order is here."

It took Frost, Twinkiel, and Ariala all of ten minutes to find their way back to where Frost had battled the Crobat. Celebi had insisted their could be supplies in the carriage Frost had escaped from. Instead they had found precious stones which Twink said were Dawn Stones, a rare stone perhaps used for evolution. Frost had wanted to leave it, it being useless in their case, but the mareep had bought it with them nonetheless. Over the past few days they had fought off wild pokemon and avoided New Order Patrols which became more frequent as they neared the mountain. Suffice it to say, the last few days had been hell. But now they were probably three fourths of the way to Mt Icewind, the main operations base for the New Order outside of Mt Providence.

"I thought you said this thing was close." Puffed Frost. Celebi rolled her eyes.

"It is, you guys are just slowpokes. If you could fly like me we'd be their by now." At this Frost shook off the knee deep snow and rose into the air.

"I can fly too, however, I prefer to walk with twinkiel, he's much better company and he's fluffy." Celebi shrugged,

"makes sense."

" Why do they need more than one base? They're legendries can't they just teleport to where they want? Or fly or something?" asked Twinkiel, his breath pluming out in great clouds over his head. Celebi turned to him and explained.

"Capturing Pokémon and converting them to their cause may be the New Orders priority, but to do that they have to spread themselves, make themselves known across the world and have the public feel their presence. This method is a way more effective method for recruiting and capturing pokemon. " She explained. Twinkiel nodded in agreement.

After a few more hours of walking, Frost and the group reached the outskirts of the mountain. A tall ice white peak rose into the sky like a talon. Celebi stopped at a massive stone entrance and turned to the rest of the group.

"Okay, we are going in to retrieve information about the whereabouts of the rest of the New Order. Obviously we must pass through unseen so everyone stand still and only move when I move from now on."

"Wait why?" Asked Twink. Celebi grinned.

"We're gonna be invisible." and with that Celebi spread a psychic mist around them. Frost didn't feel any different, but when he turned to look at Twink, he found their was nothing, then a static shock rippled across the space where Twink was and he heard him exclaim.

"This is awesome." Celebi nodded in agreement, then, she slowly floated upward. Frost grabbed hold of Twinkiel and Ariala, then floated after her. Once over the wall, they walked unseen through a main road crowded with caravans and Prison wardens managing the slave traffic. Frost shivered at the amount of Pokémon captured, and even more so, at how malnourished they were. There was an old Blastoise, sitting in a cage near the entrance they had passed over. Half his shell was gone, probably sold by his master. He looked positively miserable and Frost was tempted to help him, but he knew he couldn't, so he averted his eyes and kept walking. They reached the base of the mountain and yet another massive door. Fortunately this door was wide open with very official looking Pokémon with the regalia Frost recalled seeing the last time he was with the rest of his.....Frost cut the thought off, not wanting to remember Zulu and Ren. He felt an invisible paw touch his shoulder.

"Whats wrong?" asked Twinkiel. Frost realized a tear had slid down his eye and was glad Twink couldn't see it, wait, how could he know something was wrong? Frost turned to ask him, but Twink took the words from him.

"I can sense your energy changing. Don't ask me how, but I can." Frost nodded and continued following Celebi. Then he heard a roar, and a dragon of ice and snow came crashing to the floor.

Kyurem.

Frost looked over to find Celebi had stopped and was staring at Kyurem.

"He's not supposed to be here. If he's here it means something bad is going down at Mt Providence." Frost hoped she was wrong. Then Kyurem spoke.

"Oh how nice. Two of my targets in the same place. Oh look, looks like you've come home Ariala" Ariala shivered. Frost looked at Kyurem. Could he see them? He couldn't, Celebi had rendered them invisible hadn't she? Then Frost noticed a gengar sitting atop a stone pillar. A sinister smile on its face. Twinkiel gasped.

"A spy?" Frost looked at him questioningly.

Kyurem looked directly at Frost," You were followed little ones. Shadowed by my most trusted spy, Gengar!"


And with that Kyurem roared and the ground exploded with ice spikes.