FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

**Luna and Thief:

The Orange Isles Chapter Six: A Step Ahead**

Valencia Island.

A place that left Absol's heart to gently beat as her paws pushed down into the ship deck below her. The numb, expressive grain ran against her tough leather paw pads, the trio below each of her scarred and chipped claws. They raced against the floor where sharp indents stayed in their wake. Where her eyes dimly glimmered with their otherwise celestial glow. How it left her body in pain only reminded her that the emotion couldn't overtake her, even with Seok on her mind. That hung in the back of her thoughts behind a veil of sharp and intimidating thorns. The kind that poised like snakes in a thicket and held fangs that glimmered bright silver.

She really was home; the home she knew of was just beyond it... on the opposite side of the horizon and became a tiny speck in her greyscale world.

Naval Island was the closest to the second Island of Sevii. She lived on a little island cove nearby a small town on the second island. It was close enough that Pokemon of all types could swim to it when the tide was low. Absol's muzzle against the ship rail as she watched Naval pass by in the distance with a name behind her. Just the tip of the mountain disappeared on the horizon as the ocean water sprayed at her. Today it looked like a murky grey-white and churned against the boat she stood upon. Her hind legs had trembled and jolted, but in her grey scaled world, she barely panted or flinched from the shock of pain in her soles.

Griffin had sat down with his palms in his hands as he tried to continually think about what to do. Valencia was his best bet - his only real lead. A professor worked there, one that specialized in regional differences and a better alternative to finding Bandit - he had made a report with the police. He expected the young teen to tell them everything. She knew anything else would be a loss. That one trainer had shown up and unexpectedly put Griffin under the radar. The 'weak and strange' trainer that showed up, the one not worth talking about.

One they didn't see last night.

Absol had been anything but and throwing the fights that did come up where they needed to work well in their favor. Griffin had been playing it safer at most, just like Logan had begged him to, and Absol respected that naturally.

It keeps us well-rested to train, especially myself. Absol practiced poise, even right there on the ship; slowly stretched tail. It made some people stare, just naturally.

What most of them saw was a young trainer that fed his Pokemon food that they only dreamed of having daily and that he gave them to injured, old and even sick Pokemon. That caught the attention of some people that authored articles online. Griffin answered a lot of their questions but remained anonymous for the article. He even gave links and all sorts of other things that doctors usually recommended to back up the claims - something he always kept on his phone.

The only thing that Griffin had mentioned at the end of the article... that last question they asked.

"Why do you do all this? I mean for them." The question hung in Absol's mind as they had just passed to a smaller island town past Valencia. Since the island was private, they had to get permission and a local boat to bring them. It's where the interview took place.

"I owe it to them, Pokemon. They changed my life for the better. It's a promise." Griffin mentioned, "I can't tell you what to, but it's one I want to see through; One I've always wanted to see through."

That's the question that sat at the forefront of her mind. The answer to her earlier one, she felt that about Griffin whenever she stood beside him.

It felt like a plain of gentle wind and grassy meadows that revealed a cove hidden within the ocean's cliffs. The kind that held treasures of the unknown behind its walls.

With a gentle and firm step, Absol found herself around that ocean town with a gentle numb flutter in her chest. This tinge of color washed over her as the memories lightly crept up on her.

It was a town that she had seen after all.

That took her breath away, that light flutter and the occasional close step towards Griffin.

A certainty. Absol twitched her paw and went rigid; the feeling had shot down her back and writhed life into her tail. It's a resolve, a certainty. This wasn't part of anyone's plans, but Griffin is certain. Patience, Bandit can't break that easily.

Like a game of Go. We have time for our turn. Absol lightly twitched her legs and stalled once more as her tail nimbly wiggled. It left her in shock.

Everything hurts... so why don't you? The Absol shook her head and moved to catch up to him. Leafeon had still been there. That was days after Natasha had last called, and Griffin had tried every morning and lunch. It appeared that Moonlight had consistently been with him, like an unsuspected leader that decided to cover their flanks and widen their defense. She had seen them both fight together now; they flowed well. Scarf had forced out of his Pokeball as well. It appeared that they both simultaneously broke out of the Pokeball when it locked them in.

Is that thing going to be in there forever? I'm shocked. I even broke the glass; everyone should have been dead or affected by it. Yet they keep popping out morning and night. Was she honestly telling me the truth? A strange monster like that?

Marill had a constant glossy hue around him as he flicked his tail with friendly and gentle intent; it always went away whenever Griffin tried to smother or become a sudden guardian to him. As strange and rowdy as he was at times, Luna explained that Marill was usually kind to her. They've begun to talk more since her injuries. Marill knew more about the human world, then many of them did, something that came of a shock to Absol when she realized that fact. Thief did his best as the more vocal and cheerful Marill talked about nothing all through their trip, and Absol twitched her tail as they continued to wander. It was a stroke of luck and ingenuity, even though it was Griffin's fault in the beginning. That made her shake her head as her eyes widened. _Foolish idiot; it's also his fault for Luna too. All of them; I bet that cowardly Glaceon was there, pissing herself as usual. I know I hadn't been there.

Abra or not, I'd quarter it. _

Absol siphoned her air as she trembled from ear to tail as a dark thought ran through her skull.

"Are you okay?" Scarf had stopped for her as Griffin had spoken to residents of the islands, and with Melody consistently - Griffin had barely ever been to the Orange Archipelago. Brad and Melody had been their usual self, and surprisingly they chatted a lot even though Melody refused to talk about her direct person. Brad was open and honest yet always held something back. Then the Lucario had hopped down beside Absol; those blue fiery-like orbs swirled under her feet to silence the landing.

"Anything?" Absol asked as Aura shook her head no.

"Some of the locals have complained about missing boats, small motorboats, and basic things like that. The police have no clue why or who. Frankly, if those fights are on smaller islands - there's a few I've noticed." Absol nodded quickly

"They could be making or using something temporary to build for the arena - the one on Naval mustn't be for battling. I've seen some things like that, but over the sea. That's new." Absol continued to say, "There must be a pocket of island coves they're working in; with the right material, you could be hung over it in a cage. Find clusters of stone in thick threes or fours, and if you can investigate it safely, please do." Absol mentioned once more as Aura rolled her glowing eyes and cocked a hip.

"You're lucky Bandit is softer on the inside." Aura mentioned with a laugh, "I joked with her about naming one of her cubs when the time was right." She mentioned, "And she actually said yes." Absol twitched her tail with Aura's words.

"She offered me the chance to name one too." It made Absol smile numbly before she gave in to a little laugh. "That Mightyena is something else." She let out a gentle huff and silently swallowed.

With the Pokeballs still broken, I can't talk to Shadow; luckily, I filled Luna in best I could. With her injuries, she'd be sure to make it to the mountain and wait for him even though she still looks dazed and disorientated.

Vibrava would talk her ear off anyways, that'll keep her entertained. It came to Absol's thoughts as she wandered closer to Griffin as he methodically looked at the water.

"A rowboat. We're grabbing a rowboat." He began to say as Brad lengthily sighed this time.

"This is turning into a goose chase, Griff." Brad had begun to say with his brown-blond hair, at least it had started to turn even closer to his natural dark chestnut. "We have nothing to work with." Absol heard a buzz as Griffin's hand shot against his pocket. "Ivy may not even be able to help us find her; you've been like this for the last few days. We need to stop and figure something else out."

"I can't just..." Griffin pulled out his phone. "What? Hello?" Absol tried to listen in to the other voice as Griffin went pale for a moment. Her old ears didn't help her much. All she heard was an ' E' followed by the word Island right before the call cut off. It left Griffin to flinch and put his phone away slowly as he looked around.

Absol felt it too. Someone had been watching Griffin and right as Absol had the moment to turn her head. This curious-looking Umbreon had stuck his head out of a bush. Their eyes had been a perfect dilated pupil. Calm... high? It left Moonlight and Leafeon to both jolts as Scarf took a stance, then... much to their surprise, Griffin had stalled and looked at it.

"I - is that an Umbreon?" Griffin began to say as something had unexpectedly jumped at him. It left Absol on the defensive, but she wasn't quick enough to keep up with it, not when it toppled Griffin to the ground and left her tail angled like a spike to the shadow of silvery fur that tackled him to the earth.

Naturally, it was Shadow, and it left Griffin in awe, even though the trainer was nowhere to be seen. This strange glint caught her eye from a distance as Griffin swallowed and petted Shadow all over. Griffin muttered half to the Mightyena and a half to himself as Absol stared at the fuzzy silver-glint in the distance. A next to silent rustle came from afar.

"No psychic, flying is out of the question - Vibrava isn't a Flygon yet. I don't even know if it can support my weight regardless of the form. Two Pokeballs are out, and I have no boat. I need to get across. Maybe I can ask Ivy for help." Griffin started to narrow his eyes as he covered them from the sun and looked towards Valencia. Absol couldn't see that far, but she heard his small mutters.

There wasn't any boat on Valencia Island either. It left Griffin to swallow as he looked at his capsules methodically.

Marill can't support him. If he had evolved already, it would be entirely possible. Absol twitched and flicked her tail as Griffin paced along the beachside and aimlessly kicked rocks; it left her to shut her eyes for a moment as she wandered beside him. It had been dead end after dead end, right when an engine began to putter in a way that she always remembered.

Here too? No... It's a jetski? It came to Absol's thoughts as her tail twitched with curiosity. Her eyes gently sharpened in the contrast of the sunlight as though to show off just the slight hint of bloodshot milk. The smaller jetski bellowed and vibrated in the distance as Griffin's phone began to buzz once more. It left him pale as he went to answer it.... Right before a sigh of relief came over his voice.

"Are you okay?" Logan's voice came over the speaker in a way that left Griffin to flinch before he sighed.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little jumpy without Bandit, I guess. Also, running into Shadow was weird. They both had clung next to Griffin as Absol softly explained to Shadow about that fish market and that she could smell Bandit there; she wasn't sure. It gave him a new lead to follow.

"I saw that thing, by the way." Absol began to say, "I broke two of Griffin's Pokeballs. It was going to kill Scarf and me." That was how that conversation started. She explained it the best she could. Griffin and Logan went back and forth about Valencia. It turned out that Logan's 'mysterious trainer' had the same idea he did.

Griffin never had the chance to see the trainer as Shadow and the Umbreon went on their way. Yet he knew of the dreadful news.

Professor Ivy may have been missing for days; the Police had been investigating it carefully already. By the time Absol opened her eyes the next morning, with Shadow gone, Griffin had resumed his usual stance with a coffee in his hands. Leafeon had lounged about as usual yet this morning; Griffin hadn't returned Luna. She was fast asleep, rubbed up against Absol's otherwise cold pelt. The fiery little thing had kept her warm all night.

Blankets felt like they suffocated her, but without much fur left, her body always felt cold.

She couldn't express the feeling of her lungs when she breathed in; Leafeon just continued to stare at them both right before he swished his tail.

"How do you feel?" That became a usual question from him. He watched as though to studiously search for an answer. His tail flickered once more as she took in another soft breath.

My throat and my lungs feel better. The heat may have helped. I know that the muscles on that side are relaxed. Absol just looked down at the Vulpix. Unlike Thief, she didn't have bandages over her or second skin for burns - but now she had this light scar that ran down the side of her body - it barely had shown itself from underneath her wild fur, but it was jagged and evident enough even with sutures. There wasn't any word to be said, aside from Absol's curious glance; Leafeon hadn't made much of a peep until his jaw rolled.

"I take that as a yes. Heal bell, she started to learn to heal bell extensively. It's incredibly potent. Bandit was right. Luna does have a big amount of psychic abilities. Considering the power of all three, Fire, Ice, Psychic, Ghost even... I'm concerned and confused. She's used it all night; I know she's done the same for Thief too. The first time she's done it for you - or at least long enough for effect." The Leafeon continued to say and gently swayed the green and autumn tinged leaf once more. "For her to spend all that time is quite admirable..." Leafeon softly smiled, "Moonlight explained to me about how he tested the Pokeballs. They are something else and from what you told me... it really proves it." The Leafeon mentioned in his crisp, soft tone. He had a lighter voice, one not used or stern to yelling, one that seemed tender from a song. "As strange as it is, it's for a worthy cause I'd say; maybe the best I've heard humans do in a long time." He continued to say and smiled. It felt every bit as genuine as Absol could feel. It made her ear twitch. The Leafeon had gone through a moment of reminiscence, and that left Absol to study his body. Yet...

There was nothing to feel. Just that keen sense of calmness and meditation left the Absol to softly blink.

That Vulpix had solely curled into her abdomen and radiated heat; a gentle chime touched Absol's ear.

It felt strained and weak, which left Absol to gently bite her tongue until it stung.

Stupid cub, you recently had a bad concussion; why waste time healing me?

A sudden flash of rage had seeped through her body as her breath drew inward sharply, the Leafeon twitched - that's when she caught onto it.

"So to Fairchild. That's what Logan told Griffin." Leafeon gently chuckled, "If only... Normalium is common in this region if Luna could use a stone with Griffin; her heal bell could help everyone." The Leafeon continued to say as he swished his tail. "It's tough to heal Pokemon on one's own, even with a move. For a Vulpix, to do so is dangerous; for many other psychic types? - even worse. That's why Chancey and the like are adored in the wild; any Pokemon like that always will be." Absol twitched her ears as he continued to talk. "Even then, she's healing you. As weak as it is, she's trying."

"Scars don't fade."

"Eventually, only the memory of pain can, and that can be hell." The Leafeon rebutted, and gently Absol felt Luna stir as though to roll over. "The pain can be constant, but it solely reminds us, does it not? With Luna here like this, I feel that it proved my point last night." Absol flickered her tail in a way that made Luna still and scrambled to her feet, terrified. It even made Griffin look back - she swatted her tail rearward like a whip, complete with the crack.

"W - Wha...?" She nearly popped awake with a tussle of fur that covered her small and wiry pelt. Her tails had shot out as though to instantly go on the defensive before she caught her breath. Absol had to stare at her as she raggedly coughed and smiled. "It's... already morning? Where am I?" It left Absol to twitch her ear.

_That's right. Lunas spent every moment inside her Pokeball since the fight. She has healed nicely, but if she's been using the Heal bell on Thief...

It's a risky but smart way to train. When you can't risk leaving the Pokeball, you're building your endurance. _ Absol twitched her tail at the thought once more. There would be plenty of Dark-type moves she could practice, her form to be the most important. As Absol stretched and pushed to her feet, every gentle and painful crack went through her body.

Yet Luna had felt unbelievably warm. Like she rolled and rubbed desperately in her sleep to help her.

That left her lungs to fill in the blanks as she stretched out her back.

From here on, every shot of mine counts. I can't miss one, or no one can save Bandit if I do.

A gentle voice deafly spoke words into her ear; it left her eyes to gently dilate. She left her body to grace upon that single, near-silent voice that played in her head. The words just endlessly played.

Over.

O...

Absol went mute, deaf, as Luna touched against her gently with her forehead. That feeling.

It surprisingly shocked her, that pure calm feeling that washed over her. The kind that showed a fox that rubbed its scalp against something it trusted. Yet she felt within that moment where Luna had pushed her forehead against her chest. Those same words deafly played against her ear.

That jostle of her heart pushed her into the first moments of the day.

Seo-Yun. He remembered, after all, that time...? and Griffin has the... the promise of letting me go back. Yet Luna is right in front of me. She barely...

"Absol?" Luna began to say and pushed her chin against her stomach. The eyes left her to twitch.

Left her to see unusual colors. It made Absol's eye contrast as she looked down at a sudden flicker of an image. It went by so fast, and it left Luna to twitch her ear with that little roll of her nose and lead towards that classic head tilt. As though it were on a swivel of sorts - Luna always acted that way, staring at everyone's maw and muzzle.

Prey always petrify from things like that.

A violent screech crackled and rang against Absol's ears, as though the sound of seared flesh entered the room. The smell and screams flooded her skull and thoughts. The hypocrisy had struck her mind as her hindquarter sat in her peripherals. An old scar had been in view.

She knew the voice... of an otherwise calm, gentle...

**_And slate grey-eyed Vulpix, like a sea of stars... finally pled and begged into the dim light of a concrete room.

Cry._**

Cry. The sound echoed around her scalp as something gentle and hot pushed against her paws. Absol had jolted and sparked right as Griffin had returned Luna to his belt. With a gentle turn of her eyes, Leafeon had stood with these leaves that had scattered and swirled around the floor; he clung to the window... everywhere they went. He knows. Absol felt another spark run down her paws as the leaves curled and swirled around her with this sudden expulsion of gentle and sweet scents. The kind that left her with a wash of ocean mist over a summer-morning dew. A soft and gentle wind washed over her in a way that left her bones to crackle and settles. Moonlight was right, Leafeon's Sweet Scent was extraordinary, and it left her to snort.

Yet unlike him, Absol wouldn't break down in any way. Her view was stoic, like a pasty white sheet with glowing red eyes. Even with Luna there, with that little voice which held on...

Absol remained stoic, a wall.

Even though she desperately wondered and demanded how Leafeon could pick up a scent like that from her.

She stayed that way all the way to Fairchild Island, tuned out Marill's constant chatter, even Scarf's interjections. That Pikachu did every little thing he could to calm everyone - especially Thief, when he got rowdy or near territorial over nothing.

Griffin and everyone else had read through the map as Brad had begun some little argument about moving towards the mountain ridge on the island. He argued that a rockslide blocked the pathway years ago, and it made for treacherous terrain. It would be a smart place to hold an illegal match as the map showed plenty of open and flat spaces.

It was another way of saying 'advanced' or 'intermediate' trainers only to him. It felt wrong to Absol, stereotyped, and as 'smart' as it would be. Absol knew already that they didn't work like that. She gently dug her paws into the earth below her as the soil gently curled around her leg. Her eyes stayed that same fixed way all throughout it.

Up close, she could see it as the grain; pure clarity. The soil had this strange, vibrant color to it, one that made her sharpen her look.

_It's sand, but it's evenly beveled in. Something put weight on it... a truck, one coming from the ocean, no doubt. Using sandbags to move and push the arena always, dampen sound and hide.

The stolen boats... I can't believe it to be solely them. Who else is here with us?_

The thought touched and pricked at Absol's mind as she flicked her tail around. Naturally, the country did everything it could to keep its water clean, so Absol ruled out trash barges, as she heard they had in Unova. Any big thing in the water, aside from a boat with scheduled times, would investigate by the authorities.

Her mind flashed to Vermillion for a moment.

_Scheduled times... We're looking for a merchant ship, a large one. They're using the schedule and shipments to build illegal fights over the sea. Local boats; those that stay in local waters.

That's the formula they're using; the islands are too small for a hideout... but there must be one common place they stop at; I remember boat rides._ Absol wiggled and twitched her tail as she gave Leafeon a look. Naturally, he talked to Moonlight as they spoke to one another. She at once butted into their conversation.

"I beg your pardon; I believe we're to search for a boat." Absol commented politely, "A large vessel that stays in local waters, but we need to find out the classification of a ship like that. The one we're searching for should be the largest or second-largest ship for a fishery to work locally." Moonlight and Leafeon swapped glances curiously and began to think about it. Moonlight eventually commented

"How do you figure it's a boat? It could be anywhere." Absol nodded

"The dirt here on the mountain is layered with sand. Have a closer look - the weight tells me that a truck has been through here." Absol expressed, "It's been through here so often that the dirt and sand are hard-packed - Valencia is where that truck is; a little too convenient if you ask me." Moonlight looked on the ground as Leafeon nodded

"I realized that, but I smell no gasoline - it be hard to move one of those without it. It's stale. Underworld has resources. Why not have it found already?" Espeon said as Leafeon sniffed the air courteously and followed a ribbon of wind that flushed through the path they were on.

"In fact, I only have the sea and a berry bush on my nose... Wait...? I smell... Oil, foreign oil. Gun oil?" Moonlight had begun to curiously search around in the distance - Absol couldn't notice those finer details. Griffin and Brad continued to argue, but luckily Griffin had kept his calm.

Like he was strangely indifferent to the situation. It was what Absol saw at the forefront of his person. The mask he wore.

"There. I had a feeling something was off when I saw it. The top of the cliffside - a rock-cut smoothly. It wasn't a landslide; it may have been a Pokemon. Someone might've been smart to the trail, so they covered their tracks... by burying it under rubble." Moonlight expressed and turned to Leafeon shyly. There was this strange thing as the Espeon grew quiet, as though he forced himself to swallow a touch of his pride. "Sunny day, please." Leafeon nodded and gently passed a warmer smile as his fur began to glow brightly, brighter than Absol had seen before. She went through a phase of awe.

_His stance, posture... breathing. It's flawless. His breath is so strange, narrow; it seems to swirl around his fur - through the groves of it.

A tree, it's like a sapling that grew into a tree...?_

As the beautiful orb had glowed with a white-gold light and Leafeon had gently let it flutter to the air rather than dart up, as per usual... The sun began to broil warmly, warm enough that Griffin and Brad had both moved to shade in confusion. Melody had already been back; she drank water and panted lightly with Smokey's narrowed and sharp eyes studiously observant of everything. That's when Absol's ear had taken by a flutter of wind. Moonlights scarf had gently begun to rise - it usually just touched his chest. Paws buried into the hard ground below them enough that he physically flexed and cracked the dirt down.

A pressure built around her, one that made her twitch an eye with curiosity.

Hm. She tenderly narrowed them as the Espeon had tossed the stone into the air and matched every single slot together... a few seconds passed as the Espeon's eyes went to a tremendous purple hue from their otherwise chalk line, distant pink. The loud snap and hiss, like a canister that freshly popped open, touched her ears. Yet Griffin, Brad, and Melody all jolted with surprise - commented that it sounded like a cannon. It left Absol in a swift thought.

A jewel... They're naturally more attuned with minerals. They move nature around. That would seem to be the case. He could find Normalium for Luna or any of us. Brad has a Keystone; I wonder if that could work. There isn't any way for us to get a catalyst for a Z crystal quickly.

Right as Espeon had let go and panted. The cliffside stayed in place as Melody gave a shriek gasp and covered her mouth. Brad gave this look of shock as Griffin solely dilated his eyes and coughed.

"That can't be the truck...? It's crumpled in and destroyed..." Griffin swallowed as Absol gave the cliffside a firm stare.

"I fixed a stone that broke, using psychic." It was all he said and stayed in Leafeon's bright sunlight. "If I leave too early, I'll end up feeling sick. I don't know why; the sunlight should burn me, but I'm fine - the moonlight helped like you said; I'm rebuilding my limit."

"Scarf." Absol began to say as he leaned from the tree branch nearby. It was so strange to see a Pikachu do that. "Go have a look." Absol began to say, "You're smallest if a rock were to fall, you have a better chance of avoiding it." Moonlight lightly tsked by her straight-forward comment.

"That is a fair point. I do weigh the least, aside from Luna." The Pikachu said and twitched his ears like he always did. Then Absol froze for a moment.

"Wait... Leafeon."

He deployed the elements to react differently somehow.

"Yes?" He began to say as Absol twitched her tail.

"I've never seen air react to someone's pelt like that. Did you do that?"

"Of course." The Leafeon replied, "It's all based on stance, breath, directing what comes naturally."

"Sunny day doesn't take the body; it takes the mind, you used the move to manipulate the environment around your body; charge yourself to release a stronger move - you used both body and mind." Absol began to say. "Is there a way for Scarf to use electric attacks with solely his ears - charge them?" it left Scarf to twitch his tail as Leafeon lightly blinked; a gentle sound on his lips.

"Sacs generate electricity. Without it, he can't do anything." Leafeon commented

"But with Electric Terrain? If you plug in a conduit, all you must do is flip a switch, and it has power. If Scarf uses his ears like a battery..."

"Then it is for as long as the effect could last and if he can hold a charge. It could be one move or three, depending on how powerful it is," Leafeon expressed and laughed. "I've seen it done before. Yet that Pikachu was solely out of energy in its sacs, not... damaged permanently. No offense Scarf." Leafeon expressed as Absol nodded and swished her tail; left the Pikachu to idly blink at her. The thought had never crossed his mind at all.

"None taken. Where did you figure that idea?" Scarf began to say as Absol reported back

"Vermillion City; Griffin used Logan's Pokedex to scan that... Insupia and then we saw it fight in Viridian and Fuchsia. It constantly must recharge itself using the air around it or electricity. So why can't you control the direction of the electricity and release it through other means? His ears, his pelt, his paws, and even tail." The Pikachu went stunned and blank. It made him gently cough as he cleared his throat.

"I... don't know, I don't think I've ever tried to, or if I have, it's been too long." The Pikachu showed off its tail and made it like iron or steel. That left Absol quiet as she tuned out Scarf's voice for a moment. Her tail began to rise as Moonlight lightly panted from the energy he released.

_You're physically active but your stamina and endurance are weak. It makes for powerful attacks, one-hit attacks - lethal. You... You had learned not to use your Psychic and to train your body to compensate.

How strange. Leafeon must be teaching Moonlight something._

It left Absol distracted; shocks ran through her horn and down into the earth around her. A sharp painful one stabbed at her lungs as Thunder ran through her body and seeped into the soil.

Cheat your moves. Use the environment to your benefit. I loved what you said Bandit - just not how you explained it. Thunder runs through my body, but my claws ground it and electrify the terrain after minutes. It's weak, but all he needs is one sharp move to escape. "Now, Scarf, get a closer look." The Absol began as she stared at the wall. She nearly saw his pelt rile when the static touched him as though he puffed like a Pidgey.

There's no way that it's going to hold. Moonlights grip is absurdly firm, but that rock could be half fuzed, and the slightest vibration could release the rubble from the weight. The Pikachu quickly squirmed his way up as Griffin went to take a step forward; Leafeon shot him in the head with a single leaf - one that held weight it seemed... somehow.

Either way, it left Brad to laugh from Griffin's head recoiling from a single large leaf.

"Jesus, Griffin, your Pokemon are problem solvers for sure; without them, you'd be screwed!" Brad continued to laugh as Griffin pointed at the other direction towards the sea - his face obscenely red.

"I'd have been fine with walking around the beach!" Griffin detested, albeit meekly as Melody began to giggle too; Absol felt that in her voice - the color came back to her skin. Scarf had wandered towards the half-cracked truck - the entire drivers' cab had been flattened down by a boulder.

The two drivers were naturally dead, either immediately; or slowly, as their bones adjusted into a space that left their breathing to slow and their heart to stop after tens of minutes.

Absol flicked and poised her oddly numb tail and turned to stare at it right before her head snapped forward. Brad and Griffin got into a little argument again - a friendly kind as usual.

It was that game of 'touch' or 'don't touch' Brad basically said it was a crime scene, that they couldn't.

Yet Griffin argued that if the landslide was recent, one of the drivers could be alive. He strengthened his case as the argument of the tire iron on the ground and the rear doors of the cube truck had ripped off as though they left them open. Someone could have easily trapped in the section towards the back if they were repairing the vehicle.

Look at the sand, you idiot! Don't move, it was full of sandbags. Let Scarf handle this. You're acting naïve, you don't even register that it could be from the wrong kind of people - you were told this the other night. Absol sharpened her eyes on the trainer that took the step and started to walk towards the truck. It made her poise her body and hips in a way to leave her tail to whip.

I can't cover that distance on the run. Absol lightly cursed and began to slowly tread to catch up to Griffin. Her eyes didn't leave the cliffside for a second as they got closer. Scarf shot his head up - utterly confused as Griffin began to walk closer. He made a gentle squeak as though to try and stop the trainer from moving, Yet Griffin had turned into a trance as he got closer and closer to the cracked in and folded cab. Scarf had looked down to his side of the truck; Absol had stared at his eyes.

There is a dead human. Scarf is handling it quite calmly, odd. Absol twitched out her neck and rolled it as a familiar adrenaline-inducing shock ran down the otherwise disfigured patch mark burn on her throat. A quiver of her tail and a gentle pulse from her horn - Absol held her paws and stared at her black and white world.

That too... A pulse like that, did a powerful move go off somewhere? For even I to feel it, that's a problem. It's a natural disaster...? So suddenly?

Absol gently pawed at the earth to tread forward; she could hear Moonlight pant behind her - inside of Leafeon's sunny day. The heat may have been unbearable, but the Espeon was compatible with it. Griffin began to feel something and slowed his steps. His stance had changed - she could see that.

_You can feel our tenseness now? What possessed you to move forward?_Griffin made his way to the torn and bent down the door of the truck and leaned his head in to see. After a moment, he called out and got no response. Eventually, he walked into the back of the cube truck as Absol pushed her head in.

There's the second driver... with a... Absol went silent and quiet as she looked at the ground leading towards the truck. His leg crushed, he... tried to survive and yell for days before he gave in and shot...

Griffin had remained rigid when he saw the handgun. It left him frozen for a good minute before he twitched and took these papers that clung to wrapping, his eyes fully dilated in the dim light and the stench of a human corpse. Pages sorted, rested inside a red-tipped binder. Absol only stared at a metallic firearm. Blood had been long dried to make an eerie patch in the top left wall. Then Scarf chirped after a moment from the front cab and console.

"There's a book on his lap... and...?" Scarf froze and began to dig into the cab of the vehicle. After a moment of clawing and cutting, he pulled something out and pushed that book onto the dirt. It made Absol freeze when she heard it. Then the Pikachu hopped down to his feet with a Pokeball in his claws. The moment Griffin saw it, his eyes dilated larger than before.

"Oh my god, we need to get somewhere safe and let it out." Griffin began to say as he gently took the ball from Scarf and noticed the binder. It wasn't long until they were out of that crevice, somehow safe. Absol had let out this gentle sigh of relief as Moonlight gave her a strained look.

"I sealed them all." Moonlight mentioned as Absol lightly growled.

"Pluck the thorns off of flowers; your mental stamina is on par with a cub." The Absol remarked back as her heart began to pound against her chest. Her voice made the Espeon flinch or wince from the unexpected sharp and violent snarl. His headaches were back... even in that weather. She could see it on his face as Griffin had eventually moved faster with the cracked and dented Pokeball in his hands. There was another pulse that rang through Absol's horn. The moment he placed the Pokeball down on the ground, where everyone else could see, he let it open with a Potion in hand. Brad immediately gasped and went quiet

"A... A Snivy? Griffin gets it in the sunlight." Brad began to say as Griffin went blank. "Get a water bottle too." Griffin half flinched before he dropped his bag. He left it there as Griffin went to put the Snivy into the sunlight. For a Snivy, it had seen better days much better days; its entire pelt looked cracked and brown - dehydrated horrifically. Absol only looked at it closely, intensely. He was no older than Thief, and that left her stricken with confusion.

They'd force a Snivy that young to fight? Absol twitched her paw as Scarf only stared in a humbled silence and sighed as Absol darted her otherwise massive celestial eyes at him. A fight to death happens in the wild, but these are humans doing this unnecessarily.

"The trainer protected it with his neck and spine." Scarf mentioned it left a sparkle of color to touch her world. "The driver dove down to avoid the rocks and covered the ball. I know it was under his arms and chest like he hugged it." Scarf began to say as his eyes dropped down. "I don't think Griffin saw... but he was no older than Logan." The Pikachu spoke with his soft, raspy tone. A usual somber charm touched his throat, as though the explanation enough left Absol to pluck.

She began to lightly pull and groom the roses before her.

A light shutter of emotion came to her cheek, a gentle, somber smile. All she had to do was look over the Snivy, a moment more to realize it. A shock ran down her back as her eyes lightly filled with glass.

They... indeed are using regular people. It's not criminals that are committing petty crimes to stress the police. They're manipulating people, innocent people and forcing them to do their bidding. Why? How...? They're clearly not protecting them.

Absol twitched her paw as Scarf gave her a gentle look. He snuck in what he had tried to tell her. What he wanted to warn her about crawled up her spine, and the Pikachu read it on her face; it left him to stare at the sand and dirt-packed soil below him.

Seok was one of them.

Her... Seok. A frigid breath slid into her throat and mouth. It didn't matter how under the radar they went; her own suspicions began to gather in her throat as a familiar pressure washed over her. It left her eyes to widen and contrast in an instant.

_The trainer's village is the one place every trainer goes to. We've been wandering into every damned one. Griffin received threats over the phone - on the bus after Vermillion city, I remember how pale he was; I've always clung by him. I was in the meadow and could hear the humans talk. We've been tailed from the moment we touched down in Sevii, since before Vermillion... Is it honestly chance we all met up?

You fool, you're recklessly running into a situation without even realizing it. That's still naive Griffin; could they have been watching you from the start? From Hoenn?_ Absol twitched her tail as the Snivy stirred lightly, His eyes welled up as though to cry. It gasped dryly as Melody had come with the bottle of water. Absol noticed the mistakes in her hands, spilling water in fright, but Melody stared through a tunnel and only at the Snivy. She blacked out the risk of gore from the truck as a gentle wind caught in Absol's breath, right as she rolled her shoulders and nimbly ducked into a back-cracking pose.

"Absol!!" It left Griffin, Melody and Brad shocked as the claw shot just above the Absol's spinal column; Griffin's eyes went deep, his pupils had narrowed as he tried to move up, yet Brad stopped him and held the human back - lest he got struck down too. The movement was fluid, and her paws crossed as she arched her tail rearward to her foe with a massive slash that tossed blood through the air and left a shadow to wince; skid against the soil before them. The splatter touched Griffin's shoes and left him to swallow, silent - unable to call out to the elderly Absol who tilted and arched her body to direct her tail towards the stranger of an opponent.

Half curled as though she held all her weight on her remaining right side; faced her target rearward for a more extended range.

A Houndoom had stood before her, one that was nimble and held playful expression across her face, her tail wagged as she dug into the soil - leaving endless little scratches... The kind that seemed effortlessly scarred, even though Absol had dug her claws into the earth with enough force that it cracked under every knuckle in her paw.

"Oh?" She began to say, and half prowled as Scarf took a stance to cover Absol's side... hardly able to focus on the Houndoom's reaction speed and stunned that Absol had evaded motionlessly, a simple side-stepped twist was all she needed. Absol kept her tail rigid and wavered it as though she held a long sword of her own. The numb feeling had tinged ever so lightly. Then she shot that tail behind her, a stab that led towards a quick, posture perfect slash upwards. "You cut me, you bitch...?" The slender female Houndoom expressed and bared her teeth into a growl as Absol's ear twitched from a flurry of wind that passed by her.

A Second Houndoom had shot out of the bushes. This one held a build like Smokey. Melody had held the Snivy close as the scar covered Houndoom stared Absol down with a curious tilt of his head; she hadn't fully faced either opponent, just her flank and tail exposed to them with maleficent intent. Blood had dripped down the Houndoom's chest and up to his shoulder as Scarf went wide-eyed; hesitation caught through his knees from the sight of fresh gore. As Griffin went for a Pokeball, Smokey led the next attack. It left Absol to keep his eyes on him as Melody's Houndoom had jolted and tackled the scar covered Houndoom rearward to protect Absol's flank. The half expulsion of smoke and flame shot towards the injury covered Houndoom. It left him to blink with a sudden urge of shock and rotate his body around Smokey. Absol caught onto it in an instant.

The Houndoom, covered in slashes, used a strange style to fight. It overpowered its opponent by constantly twisting movements into them. Getting up in their muzzle and space as though to trip up his opponent with little regard to shallow cuts.

His fangs had shot for Smokey's hindquarters, the Houndoom responded with a sharp jump to avoid the dirty trick. Smokey grunted and partially widened his eyes as the Houndoom slipped underneath him and shot straight up into the air...

That scar covered Houndoom fought filthily. He tried to rip off something 'precious.' The Absol snarled as the Houndoom followed Smokey. Yet... that instant followed up with Aura; she came out of nowhere with a straight-armed palm to the chest before Absol could slowly and calmly wander further into the scuffle. Brad half followed her stance and took the same posture his Lucario did out of nowhere.

They're shadow boxing? Mimicking each other, but what's with that level of force? I need that... being able to share energies with someone now, in my age, would be a blessing... The slimmer and nimbler Houndoom shot in front of Absol's face, one that stayed stoic and empty as sparks curved through the air behind her and past her pelt. Absol, in the appearance of some twisted and broken down 'wicked witch.' The monster of a children's fairytale solely stared at the sparks, unblinking and unfazed.

Scarf had figured out a cheat and used Absol's weaker Electric Terrain to release a firm shock. It looked like a strange discharge, one that left the slim Houndoom to silently yelp before it snarled towards him, like some amateur that barely took a hit before, like one that was too quick to get hit. Then Absol solely moved and walked into the paralyzed Houndoom as Griffin made a shocked whimper.

Absol stepped within the Houndoom's defense with her razor-sharp spear of a tail and immediately drove through the Houndoom's chest and spinal column within that second of Scarf's mild paralysis. It left Scarf to twitch and widen his gaze as Griffin called out her name in fright. Absol's tail was a through and through - it shot out with the elegance of a Rapier but the rigidity of a Spear, leaving the Houndoom in utter shock as her organs squeezed around the otherwise rigid Estoc... Melody lightly yelped as Smokey's eyes widened; he slammed his whip-like tail down against the battle-scarred Houndoom as Absol mercilessly ripped her tail from the slimmer one's chest and left it to choke on its own fluids.

Her back leg half-turned and slammed her massive paw against the Houndoom's side as she rammed the much younger female to the ground - around seven or so years. A mature one for their species.

All it could do was go through silent shock; Absol's eyes hadn't changed as she watched the battle-scarred Houndoom to her left, cutting into her space with the intent to kill. This time... his body rotated down - she felt it from her splotchy patches of fur; that whipcrack. A quick snapshot of a jump, she had to pull it off even with her ground down bones.

Her paws on the ribs of the dying Houndoom gave her the leverage she needed to force her body upward and to jump back.

The second her tail went for the kill - a straight-edged deception - The Houndoom had used his utterly sharp fangs to block them; a painful crack echoed into the air as that larger Houndoom viciously snarled and let out curse words that fell on her otherwise distracted ears; the tooth had snapped clean off, and her tail slashed the inside of his cheek.

In all reality, she was half thinking about lunch and curiously wondered about them too. She solely needed more time to choose whether to kill or not, but she had been decades past the point of hesitation.

The sound of cracking told her that his jaw broke... or that tail had, but it didn't stop her from moving and painting the field from whatever coated it. Merciless, Cold... Straight-forward, one that left the scar covered beast's eyes to splatter from their ally's blood and blind them.

Griffin had a look of shock as Absol ruthlessly whipped her blood-soaked tail at the much larger Houndoom, yet he was sure to see it in that sunlight now... given that Griffin had finally seen her fight; watched her body twist and stretch. The first time any of them had been able to.

Just a random two-digit number cauterized on her shoulder. The one that scarred over endlessly with distorted and horrible flesh, as though burned and clawed away to rid herself of it. Griffin clenched a fist as the Houndoom barely reflected the attack; landed to his feet and shot past Absol half-blind - who utterly couldn't keep up on a sprint - As it charged, fangs bared at Melody. **_It pulled for the Snivy on her lap and was met with Smokey's jawline in an instant no different than her own slash of a tail.

_**

There was no elegant or fair battle in that. It was solely cold-blooded either way; it left for the sounds of roaring... whining about running through the trail... as Smokey crushed his jaws around the enemy's throat. Melody had naturally covered Snivy's eyes in a way that left her to tilt her head. The Teenager closed her eyes by default. The human just silently leaned with her knees tucked in close - the hard dirt on the trail didn't even bother her knees; her hands were perfectly steady as she gave the Snivy water. Griffin was still wide-eyed as Brad had shocked rigid, half coughing by the sight of it all. They both stayed silent as they wandered back down the mountain as Melody waited awkwardly quiet. Smokey had blood from his fangs to his chest. His speed was unbelievable, but as he coughed and plumed out the fire, Absol knew it had detriments for him. Her tail way down to her flank had drenched with blood, yet she had to stop and mutter, half turning to face the Pikachu and the otherwise firm stance Lucario.

"Scarf, come along." The Absol spoke in her otherwise gentle and tender tone; one that made the Pikachu shiver violently until he stilled

"We should bury them, at least..." The Pikachu replied. "They came at us with intent to kill. Yet we should still bury them." Aura gave a gentle nod after the fact and kept her eyes away - shifted towards the brush and foliage instead.

"I agree. I can stay back here with Scarf and get the job done." The Lucario somberly lowered her head. "You didn't hesitate... or even shake. The moment you tilted your tail, I felt..."

"Terrified," The elderly Absol replied with a nod of her head and a gentle smile to her shoulder.

"Take notice of the numbers. Any Pokemon with one will not hesitate to kill; that's how they're trained from birth. The Arcanine seems to have one... those Houndoom's have letters and numbers, I haven't seen that before." Absol continued to say and rolled her shoulders; as she did, her spine had cracked and settled in a way that left her chest to pound and the loose molten fur on her pelt to quiver out. Aura flinched when she heard it as Absol's voice refused to yield to the pain. "I moved too quick."

"Doesn't that hurt? You may have thrown out your back. I can massage it for you." The Lucario began as Absol rolled her shoulders; that let her ribs creak and gently pop.

"My muscles may be old, but they still remember how to move." Absol continued to say in her calm voice, the one that soothed her throat. "I'll leave the corpses to you. Just stay away from the truck." Absol mentioned in this passive way, yet it seemed like a request. With a callous yet charming voice, she said, "The wall could always crush you; I doubt Espeon did that good of a job." Absol stated while Griffin flipped through the binder. His hands shook as Absol held close by and stayed vigilante.

If that Seviper was out here, he'd never shut up about it. But he's so addicted to Griffin's Pokeball now, ever since he found a place, he likes inside of it.

The voice came to her ear as she narrowed her eyes to see the terrain through thick trees. As Griffin flipped through the dry yet damaged binder, he'd stop at a page or two and showed it to Brad and Melody, who looked over silently.

"It's a bunch of notes and... personal belongings. The people in that van knew something they shouldn't." Griffin muttered in shock and realization as his fingers traced out a picture before he went silent. "What kind of monsters... do this?" Griffin swallowed uncomfortably as he continued to flip through the pages of the binder.

There was the information of all sorts, and it left Griffin to have a creepy shock run up his back; Absol could sense it right away, and he half stared down at her with a shy look. "Jean... we can get this to Officer Jean." Griffin began to say after a moment. "There's a lot of evidence here. The pictures too, they were going to turn it to the police." Griffin expressed and gently coughed to ease his nerves. "So, they used a Pokemon to... We need to talk to one. If a Pokemon couldn't tell them where..."

"Leave it to me," Brad commented and hesitantly opened his phone; he checked his watch and called a number.

He repeated that about seven times until someone half yelled into the phone. The Brad hesitantly filled that person in with the information.

Then more yelling came through, and it left Brad to frantically apologize. Griffin went blank for a moment until he realized it.

"Your Uncle...? Why...?" Griffin began to say and swallowed as Brad followed in

"Because we can bring it directly to the Global PD or close enough to it - He has connections everywhere and is a trusted word. They also know I'm with you too."

"We need to keep moving somehow; I can do what Logan did. Let's camp out for the next few nights." Griffin expressed, "We can catch another ferry and go... anywhere but here and camp." Griffin continued to say, "We... can't handle this alone at all; who are these people...? Do they have... have guns? It's impossible here or damns near close to it. The police force is one of the hardest working groups I know." Griffin mentioned while he walked down the path they came from earlier, heading back to any town. "We need to wash Smokey and Absol for now too." Griffin started to mutter under his breath. "They'd ask and take everyone away." Griffin expressed once again as Absol twitched her ear to a strange shriek from... somewhere. It left her heart to pound against her chest as Moonlight and Leafeon shot down the trail behind them.

They ran towards Aura and Scarf.

Smokey huffed out his nose as Absol went to move and growled.

"Stay guard here." The Houndoom mentioned with a bitter snarl that left Melody to somberly look down at him through her dust-covered eyeglasses. Absol snarled under her breath as something faintly trembled against her numb paws.

It made her jolt rearward as a shadow shot upwards and tossed the earth around; its pelt was spray-painted pitch black as the eyes glowed with a sharp, vicious red color. A near high intensity had touched its dilated pupils as it landed against the ground and swayed its long arms in the dust. Griffin half latched onto Absol.

"You don't need to fight anymore..."

Sandslash stood, one that left Seo's tail to sharpen and her scythe to curl in a way that shoved Griffin off of her. This one had been freshly painted or enough that the paint recently settled. Her horn had always been sensitive - the blade on the side of her scalp pulsed as Griffin looked firmly at the Shadow that darted for Absol through a bellow of thick sandy-smoke.

"Move!" Griffin called out as Absol forcefully darted to the right, and Griffin had tossed a Pokeball at it - she hardly realized that his hand had sat in his bag pouch behind him for half the walk.

As though he were scared and confident that it could help.

The Pokeball whipped towards the pitch-black Sandslash, who simply slashed the regular Pokeball to ribbons on his forward rush. Absol had to recover from her last move as Smokey had just been moving into a stance - it happened that fast. A shock rippled into the air as Absol forced her eyes to sharpen as her tail narrowly deflected a grouping of claws that slashed for her hindquarters and gut; she barely had the moment to angle herself and use her blade of a tail to defend both her and Griffin.

This asshole is direct. I like it. Sandslash shot claws out then slammed his other paw against Absol's tailbone. Pain shocked Absol while Sandslash jumped to strike at Griffin. Her muzzle went for its leg mid-air and slashed down on its rock-like flesh with fangs; it hardly recognized the blow and swung for the Teenager's face and throat as he recoiled back to cover himself with his arms - like a boxer would on reflex.

The sudden shrill sound of rock against rock ground against her ears as four sets of paws dug into the earth. Lycanroc...? She had covered Griffin no differently than how she did during the race, even though her expression said she'd otherwise didn't want to.

A sudden sparkle from her Pokeball and a move to slam down the attacker left Absol to evade the Sandslash, which collided into the canyon side nearby - but her bones adjusted once more with their bitter, painful reminders. Lycanroc used Rock Throw and her tail to beat down at the Sandslash when it was mid-air. That bought Griffin the time to dart out of the way while Absol shot in for the kill. Lycanroc pulled her feet back with a jump as Absol's tail ripped forward through the air with a fresh flurry of stabs, yet the Sandslash had been beyond capable of dodging her elegant and swift spear-like tail. He caught it with his claws when it got closer to his throat and eyes to deflect the razor away from him with another set of nails. Her heart hadn't begun to beat, not through the rapid flurry of her tail as it jabbed at her opponent and refused to let up.

Neither did the Sandslash. Unlike the Houndooms, it appeared like a pure copycat of the Pokemon it resembled. Jet black skin metallically flickered in the now cloud-speckled sunlight as Absol gently skidded back from a rough blow that pushed the force through her tail and forced it to bend against her.

That left her jaw to click as a spark shot out of her muzzle right when she found an opening. At her age, Ice would have worked better for her, but it was challenging to switch types mid-fight. Something learned after endless trial and error... It left that hard-packed dirt to jostle as the Sandslash crossed his arms to absorb the shocks of pointless thunder that barely affected his type yet; if he hadn't blocked last second, she'd have had a critical blow. All the Sandlash did was skid against the ground and hold his posture with an odd angle of his claws, a crackle as he quickly rolled the knuckles menacingly. Smokey was on its flank, but it stayed cautious to other sounds; his only care was for Melody, and that left Absol in the fight...

Alone.

Lycanroc had powerful moves, but the area of effect would be too much for the trail to handle - she lacked closer combat unless she felt panicked; Absol remembered that much about her. The constant beat down against her tail lightly tuned her ears into a chorus, one on drums and faint strings that washed out the noise around her. The sound played like an orchestra as the wind cut between them both while. The Sandslash gently marked its claws into the hard-packed dirt, over rocks that sliced under its pressure. She was at a disadvantage... yet she already saw through the ploy.

Her cheat at Electric Terrain could help her move. But it suddenly felt stronger and stronger before a clap struck in the distance behind them, and the idle vibration below the balls of her paw-pads had stopped. A fight going on elsewhere as Absol realized Smokey hadn't protected just Melody.

He waited on the open flank; that empty narrow trail between both groups. Lycanroc crossed to get out of Absol's way and lightly contrasted her eyes on the shadow ahead of Griffin, her being a grimaced rook, disliking the fight entirely. She wanted to cover Melody's flank when smoke and sand trailed over, yet Brad had been entirely defenseless, save for being next to her and Griffin. The Lycanroc knew she had no other chance to jump into the fight without hurting those around herself.

The cliff was the final contender; one side had the mountain path up, and the other had a narrow incline down - if caught wrong... a human would be in trouble. Absol kept her stance as her numb body ached endlessly. Her tail made that whip-like sway again that left Sandslash curiously tilting his head. It showed off its claws again, yet now it swayed like...

Like the Chesshira in a way, as though this strange Pokemon desired to copy it.

A possessed body left Absol to remain stoic and unclenched; his sheer intimidation was intense... Yet she knew of someone more terrible and horrid than that.

"How can you strike so well with your tail all... misshapen? Like a Houndoom with a sword on its tail, the part snake part demon? You're also quite intelligent... I can barely get in a blow." The Sandslash continued to pace in a way, as though to form a line - a cocky line. "And you took down those... young rookies like it were nothing! You have absolutely no sympathy, no empathy... You're one of us." The Sandslash continued to express as it gave a gentle smile. "It's quite the thing when your number is pulled... shame you burned yours; I'd love to know it." It mentioned gleefully as it glanced at her shoulder, the scars, and the marks on her pelt. "I'm shocked you're still standing; one as old as you. How absurd! You did all that with a single static spark and your tail alone!" His words didn't even touch her ears as the sound gently played, a rhythm that hardly outmatched that of candlelight. "But face facts! You're old, near crippled! You haven't any moves left or the stamina to keep it up with me." The Sandslash stalled with a strong sway and went to strike Absol in a strange, disorientating bolt forward. She narrowly angled, and it left a giant claw across her hip - the near-miss slash left Griffin to flinch and yell out at the Sandslash as Lycanroc winced from her lack of a counter-attack. Blood trickled down Absol's hip; the burn and sting ran through her painlessly as her world finally became a little sharp and motion-like blur.

She had bought all the time she needed to let out a proper move.

One-shot at best. Absol gently tilted her tail; usually, her spine would hurt and sting, yet all it did was pop with satisfaction. It left her to shallowly snarl as the lack of pain tinged through her lower back and tail yet graced her with a posture she couldn't attempt in years.

Luna, you hopeless, dumb... bitch.

The thought rang through Absol's skull as she curled her tail once more, using rage to buff out the heat that ran through her. This time, she rotated her body to face the Sandslash mid-fight as it became too much of a risk to fight conveniently for her, especially how his claws tried to skin her tail the way it did. Since her injuries, the tail couldn't fully extend forward unless she pulled off a move...

And even then, it hurt like hell.

Then the Sandslash after-imaged, at least to everyone's eye; save to hers and Smokey's. Lycanroc had been dominant, but she lacked the same form...

Integrity. The one found after breaking and biting at chains for years. The kind that endlessly surrounded and held a rose within the confines of its own garden.

Absol held her stance and poise; the pressure bolted through her ankles. Extreme speed to start and her hips left the Sandslash to strike her exposed flesh with a stab.

Absol took a blow, slammed it into her flesh; her muzzle had stopped the claws from breaking through her sternum in that instant. A bait to hold him in place by clamping down on his stone-like arm.

"ABSOL!" Griffin cried out with every fiber of concern. Lycanroc half bit him to stop the human from his maneuver. As usual, he was going to try and jump blindly.

The line had already come to her mind as she rotated her abs; hips and tail to nimbly divert his claws upwards and left the Sandslash to dart back in that instant. The slash from her led to an unexpected shot upwards from a kick on his evade; the Sandslash appeared stunned by her lack of response to pain and to his astonishment... that white-red tail malformed to a black-white hue of red static. Dark Slash came forth in that instant...

To set the building blocks in a blink of an eye. She had one move...

One right lethal move she could pull off in a fight now.

It was easy. All Absol did was jump into the opponent to follow him, roll her tail to divert the upcoming slash, weave and stab her tail outward to break past the stagger in his defensive. Somehow her tail held out, yet the pulse dully rang against Absol's horn. Something disastrous was coming slowly from the distance as she continued to deflect, diverge and nimbly cut the Sandslash on her 'front step.' Sandslash diverted her away from Griffin in the movements. She forcefully redirected back to him, her back to Griffin every time now, a castle wall. A simple game of running after one's own tail...her only misdirection was when a sound faintly sparked below her and forced the Absol to rotate sharply with her tail swung wide. The Sandslash used Dig and shot out of the ground with a flurry from his paws; the unexpected sand attack with it was potent in the mix, and to Absol's mistake, she shot through with a swing from her tail - the usual way without any concern for her posture.

Her move held out. She barely unleashed her Extreme Speed yet; every step counted to have the most precise shot she'd get.

Breath slithered, her eyes dilated lightly towards an expected slash head-height. It left the Sandslash on the defensive in utter confusion. A strange cooled shock ran through it, a calm - tender one of painlessness.

It doesn't hurt...? I can swing it fully forward... painlessly; how..?

Her thoughts cut off as the Sandslash had sprinted unexpectedly to narrow the already tight gap and crossed its claws for the move X-Scissor from an enclosed distance with a longer, more dramatic slash across. Absol faced him head-on as a sharp haze of organic green clashed through the air - it pressured and drew towards her rapidly as she fell into a defensive posture, mid-move. Griffin's voice and shock fell into her eardrums as the blade on her forehead grew a glorious white-red and black hue. A sparkle slashed against her solid, pulsing crescent blade as it flowed through her chest and her tail; left her fur shine a celestial white red.

The X-Scissor had just come within an inch of her nose when she after-imaged with a speed that left Griffin and Lycanroc both wide-eyed; it was to Bandit's expectation, if not Shadow's. Unable to watch her move through a nimble slender posture to evade and dart straight into the recharging Sandslash in that second.

A tender cry touched her ear from somewhere, and it left her heart to slow; still, as her body shot forward with a speed that compared... If not exceeded Bandits in that Absol's glory days.

"What!?" The Sandslash bolted back across the narrow open trail as Absol followed inward with nothing but that savagely disfigured whip-like scythe-rapier behind her. The Sandslash had taken a totally different direction, charged his X-Scissor in ways that made her white line-like hue flicker and crack.

Like a comet that maneuvered narrowly and tightly to her opponents most minute openings. Her tail tilted, pointed forward as the pressure began to build around him in ways that left Sandslash flinched. His eyes sharpened and widened while his claws slammed across to defend himself; the second looked as though Absol crossed through the air and tumbled to the ground.

"You damned lunatic. You've used Bind, this whole time? No... even longer?" The Sandslash began to laugh loudly - proudly to the sight of it. "Phenomenal. You're will to stop your own damned heart and restart it within a second. I've never seen anything like it. You're killing yourself daily." He said and gently held his side.

Absol rotated her horn and twisted mid-air with a Dark Slash that went to the mountainside; she used the remainder of her attack to stab the opponent diagonally across the lower chest and stomach.

"If you move, you'll die immediately." The Absol began to push to her four paws before she turned her head towards her opponent, staring at his back - A line of red began to slowly dribble down his side. The Sandslash had already naturally been still all she needed was that one slash inward and the Elderly Absol had crumpled down under the weight and pain that slammed into her back and ribs. Everything stung with a horrific amount of bearing, yet Absol stayed stoic as always.

Now the world was in pure color. Where pain ran through every inch of her old and crippled body, yet she overpowered the Sandslash with speed, experience, and form. Silently yelling out her own tales through the ripples in every little bone.

"Tell me... You know of the Arcanine, right?" Absol asked through a wince and clenched teeth. The Sandslash gave this strange, peaceful smile in return. One that left a light chill that ran through her back, yet her ribs settles as she straightened out and forced herself to her overwhelmed feet. The pain took her breath away while pants ripped from her jawline, followed by dry swallows.

It's going black - I used too... my own muscles could have sprained my ribs... my hip. Absol's paw dug in the ground. "Tell me everything you know; I have a little friend that can help heal you."

"Only a Chancy..."

"A Vulpix. We have Normalium." She said as the Sandslash took tiny breaths through his nose.

He's flexing his abdomen, but he's bleeding internally. It'll give out eventually. Absol sharpened her eyes, "She can try. Tell me, is he here?" The Sandslash shook his head no. "Where?"

"Almia. The region Almia." The Sandslash silently said. "They... corrupt bug types. Kill them... They help listen. Ghost types can see... see them. Psychic too... The Pokemon, these humans are doing something bad.... Very-bad." He explained as Absol stared at the lighter bubbled on his scales; the air had pushed the blood outward as he lightly drooled. "We... have no... option or they kill us. Willing Pokemon... treated... better... Le..."

He's drooling blood - bubbling at the nose. I slit the lung.

"Listen... they... ha-"

"Bandit, Mightyena - speckled fur; spot over her eye and down her pelt." Absol said quickly as the Sandslash nodded with weary intent.

"Yeah, she's... a fighter... where...? It doesn't have a name. A small island. Too... Humans can't... too..."

"Ra..." He nodded and coughed; blood had splattered out from his jaw. Absol didn't change her expression, although she could see his.

The kind that made her wonder if he threw the fight at the end solely because he wanted to escape it all or if she actually outplayed him.

"Number ........ are you in pain?"

A strange kind voice came to her ears as the wind shifted around her tail - became still. She opened her eyes to a familiar hell. A human voice touched her ear as a number filled them; Absol felt the mirrors of gloss and sleet around her. The lights... the vents as smooth metallic sounds groaned and creaked in her ear. The vicious mechanical beast before it croaked and let out a guttural roar of a sound.

She couldn't care for it - every image of the ones she broke came to her mind. Not one could touch her, yet the pain persisted. Her tail angled and wiggled as a gentler voice caressed her ears.

Bandit spoke near sweet nothings about it. About a beauty and strength in the dead, one that resonated between both Aura, Scarf, and Marill. One that gently gave them little hopes from her stories of being in a region Absol never heard of.

The kind that held festivals to remember them and lit candles to guide their way beyond.

An ever-lasted silence came between her and the Sandslash's ear as she aimlessly song a song after pushing into his back, her tail rested over his heart - ready to pierce in any given instant.

Perish Song; a damned move in ways if it were done correctly.

Somberly... from the heart.

Broken and only with a thread of faith could it be sung right, yet when used flawlessly, Perish Song could instantly rob an opponent of their life while terribly fainting the user. It was solely nothing more than mercy she learned over time. The Sandslash had nodded yes to her question final question; Luna couldn't fix that Absol naturally knew that from the start... they had no stone. Nothing could. So she solely sang him to sleep. It only left an accursed thought in her mind. If it were her taken, Bandit would have found a way to keep Sandslash alive. She wouldn't have backed down with simple prayers and songs.

Especially not one sung from a scorched and ruined throat.

It left her softly defensive when the Sandslash stilled after a moment, yet her entire spinal column settled and sent shocks of sharp pain through her body; her heart began to pound against her chest intensely as she succumbed to the weight and bearing of a second move so quickly. Lycanroc half barked and cut in front of her, willing to take a blow for her.

The Sandslash had died where he stood and held his ground. She sniffed the air, and after a moment, a growl overcame Lycanonroc's concerned whine.

An engine from a vehicle rumbled and roared in the distance. It left Absol to thrash her tail as she took a defensive stance towards the sound. That was an issue...

Even as her world forced itself blind of lustfully bright and warm, embracing color.