FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Early that morning

The two agents had discovered the body that morning just casually lying in front of the tunnels as if it decided to walk out of the hole they were digging and wait for them. However it was more likely the tunnel dwellers finally stepped up to take their home back and had found the rotting corpse stinking up the place so they decided to get rid of it.

Excited over the stroke of luck; two agents went to investigate immediately noticed something was off. The body didn't have a large holes in it the size of basketballs nor did it have gore showing in the open air. Instead the corpse looked like road kill that had been ran over by a semi; just smashed flat with not even a slight sign of foul play. Well there was the animal bite here and there from a few animals that decided to take a few nibbles before moving on. Only one sets of bites caught their attention and that was the ones from a rat on her hands that looked weeks old (same time as the approximate time of death) a fact that was gained due to they were scabbing over and were about halfway through the process of becoming a scar. Due to the location they weren't even close to life threatening. Looked like someone tried to cover up the body by setting it on fire but did a piss poor job of it since there was only a scorch mark on her chest that didn't even go through the cloth before the flame was put out; most likely from by lag of oxygen and fuel.

The two tried picking the body up (with plastic gloves of course) but it was like picking up water balloon with a huge hole in it filled with water since everything solid/ liquid was now on the ground at their feet. The resulting smell was like a garbage dump filled with nothing but old baby diapers in the middle of the hottest day of the century; the smell forced both of them to vomit multiple times as they tried to shovel most of the gore into a body-bag they kept with them in their digging supplies just in case. Just before they started however Steve took some before and after pictures then texted them to a Medical Examiner in the nearby forensic lab and while they waited for an answer they searched through the girl's various pockets and scorched remains of a salvaged purse.

All that remained of the girls belongings was a smashed up a cell phone and that was inside her pocket. But luckily not too smashed for the sims card not to be read by another phone. In her contacts read a number labeled 'Client'.

The number was Elliot's cell.

How the agents managed to acquire that number without the parent's knowledge wasn't important but the fact that it was one of the phone's last contacts (besides the friend that had an alibi during the time of death) meant Elliot was the last person to see the girl alive. So the next course of action was to interrogate the boy ...sort of. The actual next course of action was to go to the mansion to get address of the facility the boy was staying at since the agents had absolutely no idea where it was.

By the time the pair cleaned up Steve's phone beeped with the examiner's reply; the text read: 'I've cn Enuf of dat t% lst a Lyf tym. I dun evN hav 2 c d Bod n prsn 2 knO dat if U found her n a tunnel thN da obvious method of def iz collision with an Onix or evN a Steelix . I tink U cn teL hu won'

So the death was most likely an accident. A shame considering there was no justice to dish out but at least there won't be any arrest or added paper work if that was indeed true. But in order for the agents to get their paychecks and keep their spotless records they had to make sure all their bases were covered. Meaning they still had to receive an explanation as to why the boy tried covering up the girl's death and then not reporting it in after he had enough time to calm down and think logically. The boy was smart so 'I thought I would still get in trouble for messing with it' wasn't going to cut it; especially when the internet made it impossible for a smart person to play dumb. On the way the couple tried to think of some excuse to get the address from the parents without rousing suspicion for anyone.

Only the duo didn't make it that far.

By the time the pair dropped off the body at the morgue and grabbed a bite to eat it was already around noon by the time the cop cruiser finally stopped at the gate to the mansion. But standing in the usual guard's place was a military officer. Fighting back their surprise the agents shown the women their badges, explained who they were, and the reason for their visit they were pointed towards Jasper who was sitting in the yard gazing at the remains of a mansion nearly burned to the ground with a grief stricken Persian in his lap; whose name they remembered(despite not seeing much of him during their previous visits) was Prince .

When questioned Jasper explained that everyone in the mansion last night had died except for Zillian (who was kidnapped by Darkrai from underneath Cressilia's nose) and Elliot; two people whose presence was sensed and currently being hunted by Cressilia since they now completely Converted. Prince had escaped death as well because he was visiting the mother of his kittens until Jasper fetched him this morning.

When asked if Elliot had done everything Jasper shook his head viciously as he told them that Elliot couldn't have because he was so heavily guarded at all times. Besides even Elliot wouldn't have been able to outsmart the military or block their communication with the personnel inside the house when he was locked inside of his room during the whole day and night as a safety precaution. The assailant(s) attack was so sudden and efficient that even the hidden alarms weren't even triggered. The military and Cressilia think the one was a traitor or a double agent similar to the ones that attacked the facility that Zil was at one time being kept at in the same exact time frame as the attack on the mansion. The most likely culprit shockingly was Bleu considering no one has found her body yet and a few cases of metal cases with Poke runes all over them were found in her room; Alakazam said the runes (from what he could make out from the damage that is) were basically a psychotic idiot's guide to destroy the mansion's defenses.

With his curiosity sated Steve sat a comforting hand on Jasper's shoulder and said gently "I know you are grieving Jasper but you're our only hope to clear the case we are currently working on. I need you to think back a few weeks ago about a day or two before this whole nightmare started and tell me if you remember if you had noticed anything odd or strange about Elliot's or even Zil's behavior during that day. "

Jasper looked furious and was looking ready to erupt in fury for a single moment; understandable considering Jasper was aware of the details of the case the agents were working on and Steve was basically saying his well loved charge had something to do with the girl's death.

But then after that moment the look fury broke away to confusion and surprise as if he was slapped "Now that you mention it I did witness something a few things odd about both of them. But so much was happening at the time that I turned a blind eye or it had slipped my mind before I could tell the masters. I remember that day vividly because that was the day Elliot suddenly came out to all of us after years of holding it in when we were smart enough to already know otherwise. Elliot's dumbstruck reaction was quite memorable"

Jasper began counting the oddities down with his fingers "First was that he was a little late to dinner that day which was abnormal due to the boy's and rat's ferocious appetite but not uncommon since both often get lost in the labor of the tunnels. The second was the fact that both of them were separated from each other that day which is usually a very big warning sign considering that after a certain trauma they been attached to each at the hip. The third was that Zil came bolting out of here with a satchel that has remained missing ever since. Zil has always done that when he found something worth hoarding but Elliot is usually seconds behind him and never before did Zil have a look that focused and desperate. The fourth thing was both of them didn't return home together but within very large gaps between each other. Elliot came first and Zil nearly a half an hour later appearing as if he was plundering the tunnels himself. There was something in his muzzle that I couldn't see until I caught him dropping it into Elliot's plate in the corner of my eye. I realized after getting a better look that objects they were the two cards containing Elliot's banking information. Elliot seemed so surprised to see the cards let alone in such a filthy condition that it took him a moment to hide them"

Jasper's eyes widened as another thought hit him "The craziest thing was what I had mistaken at the time for dirt was more likely dried blood! You don't think..." Jasper shook his head "Nah must have fell out of Elliot's pocket seeing as how he often forgets to put them back in his bill fold when he is done using them. I lost count how many times Elliot has lost them because he wasn't paying attention. Zil must have cut himself on the material. Anyway for the next day and a half those two were acting very withdrawn even though they tried their best to act normally and would jump ten feet up in the air like scared rodents at the slightest sudden loud noise."Jasper paused,tapping his chin while in thought before finally saying "That's all I have. Did that help you at all?"

"Plenty" Steve and Trevor replied grimly

Jasper frowned taking the grim expression to mean something else "That's really all I can remember, sorry."

Thinking quickly Steve let loose a fake hollow laugh "Nah it's not that it's just that we've been wasting our time trying to solve a murder when it's really been all one big accident that's all. It's kind of a letdown really when we could be using our talents elsewhere"

Jasper chuckled "Ah the joys of being young. I for one had more than enough excitement and loss to last me a lifetime." Jasper got up from the ground with a stretch that let loose audible pops and creaks coming from his old bones "Well it was nice seeing you gentlemen again but I have an appointment to attend. I have to go to Alakazam's place to see where Prince wants to go whether with little ole me or with his mate and children. If you don't mind telling the guard she can go home. Don't even know why she stayed seeing as how there is nothing of interest besides an old man who has lost all that he held dear in the world" Jasper sighed with a grimace "Sorry the last part slipped out before I could stop it. Anyway thanks for all the help you guys gave us and I'll be seeing...oh wait, no I won't considering you two live are out of state; my bad. Farewell gentlemen and have a nice life." Jasper cast one last forlorn glance toward the mansion and before muttering sadly "Enjoy it while you can considering how fast the good is taken away" Prince wouldn't move on his own power so Jasper was forced to withdraw him inside his ball in order to make his way towards his car.

"Bye" Trevor and Steve called while making their way to their rental, started it up, and drove away.

Silence permeated from within the vehicle for a long while before Steve began hitting the steering wheel and shouted wordlessly before yelling "I can't fucking believe we spent weeks of our time on this godforsaken case that was way more dangerous than the cover made it sound, get side tracked, and then it all turns out to be one huge fucking accident covered up by one rat kit that didn't know neither were in the wrong; Especially since the whore was the one that chose to chase the kit in a series of dangerous tunnels for money she stole first! I'm an idiot and I even know never steal from a Pokémon, especially a rodent and their Trainer. Hell the whore is lucky the little thing didn't tear her throat out instead of doing the nice thing! Argh why are people so stupid!" Steve slumped into his seat suddenly out of breath and still mumbling something that sounded suspiciously about 'kids these days' and 'greedy sluts' and 'too much television and violent video games.

"I heard karma was a bitch but DAMN don't you think being run over by a Onix is a little too big for a punishment for a slutty thief?"Trevor grumbled as he too slumped in his seat.

Steve said nothing, just lifted his shoulders in a shrug while doing a over the head gesture .

There was another moment of silence before Trevor said "So what do you want to do? I mean failing to report/ hide a dead body is kinda a misdemeanor. Up to a year in prison and some kind of fine I believe so shouldn't we... I don't know... go after them?"

"No." Steve said dead panned

Trevor let his raised an eyebrow speak for him but thanks to being preoccupied with the road Steve didn't exactly see the look but sure as hell felt it. Once Steve finally gave up trying to ignore the look he sighed before explaining "The way I see it its pointless and not to mention very very very very very stupid and dangerous chasing after two ghosts on some wild goose chase. Whom by the way are being currently protected by a Legendary that has yet to be caught and eliminated by the another Legendary that has spent centuries chasing after it. Knowing all this what makes you think we will have any luck?"

Steve's only reply was silence which he interpreted thanks to Trevor annoyed expression that his husband understood and even agreed with his logic. "Besides do you really want to face certain doom arrest the kid for a tiny little misdemeanor barely worth our time when the brat and rodent are most likely going to be doing ten times worse things in the future? I sure as hell don't, spotless record be damned! But if our record is really so important than we'll just neglect to mention the boy's nonexistent involvement in our report and we won't say anything to anyone. I'm fine with that action but we are not going to chase after them in some holy crusade like fools"

"I agree 100% with you hun but shouldn't we at least call it in or put it on a unrelated record that we found a boy that we suspect knows Poke tongue?" with Trevor's statement Steve's expression turned to one of intense thought as he debated with himself how that one could come back to bite them in the ass. But the momentary silence was interrupted when Trevor suddenly noticed something odd."Um babe can you please tell me why we stopped in the middle of the road?"

Steve had once again returned his full attention to the road that he had previously only paying about a 1/3 of his attention on to discover that Trevor was right; the car had stopped in the middle of freaking nowhere.

But no matter how many times or how hard Steve slammed his foot on the accelerator the wheels would spin but wouldn't move forward. The hope of the culprit being car trouble was thrown out the proverbial window when the couple looked out the windows and noticed they were floating several inches off of the ground. There were only two beings the couple knew with enough power and reason to do this and they prayed that the culprit wasn't the one whose name started with a D.

Taking a shot in the dark Steve exclaimed "What the hell!? Cressilia this isn't funny!"

There was a sudden knock on the door to couple's minds before a child like squeak of a voice that sounded neither male or female began to echo in their thoughts "Nope, I'm not that frigid Ice Princess. I'm muuuuch more cute, adorable, and fluffier! Now can you get out of this metal thing pleeeeease so we can talk?" Both the agents turned their heads to find themselves face to face with a pink, bipedal Pokémon with mammalian features. Its snout is short and wide and it had triangular ears and large, blue eyes. It had three-fingered paws, large feet with oval markings on the soles, and a long, thin tail ending in an ovoid tip. Its fur was so fine and thin, that it appeared to be hairless. the Pokémon also had big hind legs and short arms with three-fingered paws.

The Pokémon of course was Mew and it was currently using it's psychic powers to hold the police cruiser (an object that weighed about a ton) as if it were nothing but a toy.

This sudden appearance somehow didn't blind side the couple much considering their profession and what they experienced the past couple days. Probably never will be surprised from very much of anything ever again thanks Darkrai, Cressilia, the boy, and the mouse. In fact they were almost calm when they said "Nope" while ducking back inside the car, rolled up the windows, and locked their doors while not once breaking the terrified stare they were now giving each other.

Finally Trevor broke the silence "Can you make the car go fast enough to fly out of its grip?"

"Way ahead of you. The pedal is to the floor already, we should be going about 135 mph; not 0!" Steve exclaimed as he began hopping up and down in his seat place as if that would somehow help shake the animal's grip. Despite the act looking somewhat silly and most likely silly Trevor followed in his husband's example 'who knows we might get lucky' Trevor thought.

After about a minute of no change in the couple's situation Trevor had another idea which he relayed to his partner in a whisper "Do you think it will let us go for a moment if I shoot at it?"

"Don't you fucking dare!"

"Yea don't! You guys have already hurt my feeling enough already" The couple turned around in their seats to discover Mew pouting in the backseat. "First you ignore me and my fuzzy cuteness and then you want to start shooting at me!? Meanies...is this how you treat all the people you just met? If so how do you even have friends? Oh wait did I maybe come at a bad ti-?"

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" shouted Trevor and Steve at the top of their lungs; fear and disbelief plain in both of their tones.

Mew took and audible deep breath before shouting in a fake deep voice "I DON'T WANT TOO AND CAN'T YOU JERKS!" the booming echo clattered against the couple's skulls so hard they could have sworn they their eardrums had burst even though Mew didn't technically say a word. Mew rubbed her (being as close she was the gender was now obvious) seemingly sensitive ears as she said "Jeez I thought your kind in particular would gush over me like women do over babies. You are probably the worst gay guys I ever seen! Like the complete opposite of one's always being shown on TV."

There was a sudden tense pause in the vehicle

"That's it" Trevor mumbled while reaching for his holster; but was stopped by Steve with an arm and a quick glare before Steve directed his best attempt at a friendly face at Mew and said "The behavior you seen on TV is called a stereotype. Stereotypes are typically only used in entertainment; though some people decide to copy it for laughs or because they think acting flamboyant is charming. We however do not behave that way nor find it charming; we on the other hand hate it so much that you basically just unintentional insulted us. In fact the only reason I'm holding back the sudden urge to back hand you is because you don't seem to know any better... Now that's out of the way what is it that you are here for?"

"Pffft human behavior is just so strange and alien I can't keep it in my head sometimes. Sorry if I offended with the little misunderstanding. Anyway the reason I'm here is because Celebi brought to my attention that she neglected to fully activate two very special Light Ones. Celebrity superheroes as allies sounds so freaking awesome that I couldn't even hold still while I looked at your records! Maybe we can eventually become friends despite our awkward start. Heck we even might even become besties!" Mew gasped and swooned theatrically before righting herself and then rolling her eyes at the two who didn't smile let alone smirk at her antics. Thus forcing Mew to switch back to her 'all business' expression that her child like appearance and behavior made it impossible to take seriously "You probably don't remember but you were both visited by Celebi when you were very small. She swears to me that your both very powerful in not only in body and mind but also with tons more hidden potential that would make the Elite Four's Pokémon look infants. I however can't sense anything without a closer inspection. so if I can just-" Mew began to reaching for the agents but the near simultaneous grow comiing from the both of them caused her to withdraw. "Heel... Heel...sit!... good boys!"

Mew went to rub both of them on the top of the head as one would a dog but before she got close Trevor growled "If you touch me, I swear to god I'll bite your god damn hand clean off!"

The seriousness of the threat actually caused Mew to pause even though she was the only one that actually held any power in the vehicle but she decided to play along "Fine fine spoilsports, Jeez! Anyway as I was saying I'm getting a really good vibe from you "she pointed to Steve "in particular. I just need to double check to be sure because Celebi is a bit of a ditz since she has a tendency to over exaggerate and forget things so the Queen just wanted me to make sure before any ridiculous plans were made. Later of course since you obviously don't want trust me to do it right this minute... Here lets go somewhere you will be more comfortable shall we?" The car touched the ground finally and since the pedal was still to the floor they went from 0 to 135 mph in seconds before Steve recovered from his surprise enough to slow back down to a slower 55. "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee hahahha that was fun! again! again! Do it again!"

Mew continued to its high pitched giggles as Steve shouted "Don't ever do that again!"

Trevor went for his gun again but was stopped yet again so instead he just grumbled "Yea warn us next time you fucking idiot!"

Mew released a sigh just before saying"Whatever you say wet blankets"

An awkward moment of silence persisted for a few minutes until Mew got bored and decided to look at the scenery but once her glance landed on what was outside the windshield she grimaced while exclaiming "Crap busy street incoming"

A sudden pop noise forced Trevor to turn around in his seat to find a Pikachu sitting where a Mew used to be. For a moment Trevor looked amused as near friendly expression crawled onto his face as he said "So that's how you've always remained hidden from society until now?"

The Pikachu reply was a nod and a eye roll that wasn't subtle in the least. Just like that Trevor's amusement and friendly mask vanished. "Whatever... What is it you want with us anyway? I'm guessing it has something to do with the boy Darkrai just Converted?"

"Huh so you already know about Conversion? Impressive. Well actually its pretty awesome cause that saves us a whole lot of time. Don't really know much about any boy so the answer to the second question would be a no. Been too busy myself as of late while trying to tie up some loose ends that refuse to be knotted to give any sort of damn about what Darkrai is doing nowadays. Care to fill me in?"

Steve was slightly surprised at the Legendary cursing when she seemed to one of those types that put themselves above it all; her childlike demeanor didn't exactly help this image. Steve chose to ignore that and also ignore the slight barely per in her tone anger at the mention of 'loose ends' and merely shrugged when he answered her question before elaborating at her questioning glare "Not much to tell really. Standard Conversion but this one took a lot longer and Darkrai seemed to...express a lot of interest in the boy. Seemed to enjoy tormenting the boy much more than his other victims while making doubly sure the boy was safely under his thumb. So much so I don't think he ever left the area"

"Great if the boy is what I think he is then they caught up to us...Aww daaaaamn I missed a lot! Guess I'll have to track down the Ice Princess for more details. Oh joy won't that conversation be a blast..."Due to Mew's bummed tone it was obvious the opposite was true "Anyway make haste since I don't have much time to check you guys out and explain your next job. Don't want him following my presence here and attacking you guys because you were in the way."

"You're going to have to fill out a form and wait for it to be accepted just like everyone else. Even then we wouldn't help you. Just because you're powerful doesn't mean you automatically get what you want" Trevor was using balls he didn't know he had telling off the legendary. Couldn't help it; the brat was so ignorant and arrogant that her ego could take up many foot ball stadiums despite the thing's small frame. Trevor despised people like this.

Mew's response in a frustrated tone was "Not even if it's to save the planet from a fate worse than death?"

The couple just laughed

"Predictable much?" Trevor said with a shake of his head

"Nice try but we seen the way you Legendaries treat humans. Hell will freeze over before we'll become your pawns in one big suicide mission." Steve said with a smirk, the thing in the backseat could kill them both horrifically without lifting a finger but then it wouldn't get what it wanted.

It was the humans that held all the cards this time.

"I'll make it worth your while" said Mew stressing out the last few syllables.

"Considering we are not desperate whores, no amount of money on Earth will be enough to convince us" Trevor replied with a visible eye roll and smirk

"Then how about something not money?" Mew's response was the stoppage of the car just so the couple could stare at Mew for a solid minute with a look of disgust and a bit of fury while ignoring the cars honking their horns and owners screaming in a display of road rage.This battle of wills in the form of a staring contest persisted until finally Mew broke eye contact and yells"Ok ok I get it! Just drive before someone behind us kills us all!" With their point made the couple returned their attention back to the road.

A few minutes of silence passed before Mew laid herself out in the backseat and got comfortable. As she closed her eyes for a cat nap she said "Just so you know I took a lot of time off dealing a massive foe just because this job tickled my fancy. Meaning I won't leave you two alone until I convince you two to take this assignment and allow yourself to finish becoming Converted. Am so glad I took on this mission because Celebi may mean well and tries very hard but Celebi isn't the brightest bulb; especially when it comes to people or remembering things" Mew giggled at her joke despite it being so bad it wasn't funny in the least "Jeez tough crowd. Anyway I believe that what she says is true because even from here I can still sense that you two would make valuable assets to the team despite your many personality flaws. I won't be leaving you two alone anytime soon." In response Steve and Trevor both groaned with displeasure as they slouched in their seats; already exhausted despite the day just beginning.

Both simultaneously prayed that their wills were strong enough to endure the continuous onslaught of Mew's unpleasant company without folding into her demands. The couple wasn't exactly sure what exactly the feline wanted from them. But what duo did know however was they didn't have as an important role as the boy in the obvious battle or possible war taking place between two unknown factions since there was no way they would have grown up into adults without catching the slightest hint of a Legendary existence if they were indeed that important. One other fact was obvious to both of the agents that was so horrible that it made them both sick to their stomachs.

It was going to be a very long drive and flight home.

---

shishrustleshishrustle A bush nearby Zil and I started to shake causing us both to jump about a foot in the air with a yelp and squeak respectively.

"Relax and don't panic. It appears to be just the ordinary local wild life since I don't sense the shine of a Light One. Hmm this is perfectly timed actually since it gives me a chance to see your two's skills in battle... well if it's a Pokémon that is. Don't bother if it's just a animal" with that said Darkrai stepped a safe distance away so he wouldn't get struck accidently by a stray attack.

Please-be-an-animal! please-be-an-animal! The taste of blood began to dominate my mouth as my body went into a full body sweats and shakes. Zil was shaking and squeaking with fear as I held him in a death grip.

Finally seeing we were actually getting worse instead of better Darkrai asked what was wrong but we obviously weren't listening because at that exact moment a wild Pichu had popped out suddenly of the bush with a smile and friendly wave. Wasn't even afraid of Darkrai because it was only an infant that didn't know any better.

Seeing our foe Darkrai sighed "Ah well that sucks... we won't be able to get any data. Ah well dispatch of it quickly so we can find a worthy opponent."

Still wasn't listening! Couldn't even hear him over my heartbeat and hyper-ventilating anyway.

Get the fuck out of there! The darkness inside of me screamed as the Pichu began to look at us both with worry dominating her expression. Seemed to be made of nicer stuff because she walked toward us with arms outstretched presumably to hug us until we calmed down. To us however she looked like a vicious demon with 10 inch claws getting ready to leap at us to feed! A dark and red haze began dominating my sight until I couldn't see a thing.

Can't...see...everything...going black...

---

Suddenly the boy screamed "Fuck this shit I'm out!" before bolting like a spooked deer from a vicious predator into the under growth. The rat didn't have the Run Away ability (instead it had Guts) so the boy's ridiculous speed was his own. Both the Pichu and I exchanged a glance before it said to me "Why were dey so skawred?"

*The little thing couldn't even talk correctly and it scared the piss out of them... *

*That's my job! *

"No idea" Darkrai didn't bother trying to keep the growl from his voice as he made chase; frightening the poor thing to tears just as the mother finally found it's lost baby.

Meanwhile Darkrai chases after the teen and rat that reeked of complete and utter terror as they both continued to ran deeper and deeper into the forest.

Why do they flee as if Death itself was on their tail? With the rat's increased power thanks to the changes the darkness made to the rat's form the Pichu should be the one fleeing in terror not them! Arceus this is more terror than they hold for me! Hang on...maybe there is a memory that explains this behavior. Even though I hate doing this since the boy's mind doesn't allow me to just skim though the archives; instead it likes to narrate the thoughts and emotions he felt during the memory. One of the many reasons why I hate human's minds . Oh well I'll just make him pay for my discomfort later Darkrai finally catches up to the boys and dives head first into the boy's unprotected thoughts and memories.

*Standing like a tour guide like he was expecting this sort of event to occur was the only minuscule part left of the boy's consciousness that wasn't consumed in terror but even that was fading rather quickly. *

Once Darkrai approached the image said "The incident that is responsible for our fear is also tightly wrapped around who Zillian I are; so don't even think about trying to erase it if you don't want us even more broken than we already are. I know it's probably meaningless information but the memory also explain why attached to each other by the hip and why we are so dependent on each other" After the last word the consciousness faded completely; a movie projector took the specter's places however and began to play without Darkrai even touching it. Darkrai then began to hear the boy's voice from no discernible direction as if it were a recording being played on a pair of surround sound speakers.

---

Before this incident I wanted to be a Trainer, possibly a Ranger or even Champion if I could. But that dream changed after a certain incident that happened a long time ago when Zil was only 9 weeks old and we had only met 4 weeks before. Ever since that incident we've never been able to be separated for long periods of time. Why do you think we even take baths together? It's not just because it's a fun activity and convenient but because it's a necessity in order to make sure he is safe.

That's right I protect Zillian and not the other way around. You are probably curious on how and why that came to be but before I tell you the reason you need to know a little bit of background.

When Zil was younger and even now but you wouldn't know it since he has matured to the point that he has learned to hide it (to seem bigger and tougher I assume) in order to be taken seriously. But the truth is: Zillian is very timid in nature and very afraid of battle. Zil can't even face a wild Magikarp without running away to hide and cry in a corner, his fear is that bad. The behavior was so pathetic but I just thought of the issue as something that made him more charming and to cute for even some as macho as me to resist. That opinion has never changed in the slightest despite how frustrating the problem was for us both of us and no matter how much he bit me in retaliation every time I told him my feelings.

I however used to be the exact opposite. Due to my small size I was picked on a lot during school and as such I started many fist fights, wrestling matches, and brawls; like I was some greaser in the '50's or something. Sometimes with groups or kid's twice my size just to prove how tough I was. I hadn't yet figured out that I could win more fights with my head rather than use force so as a result I got my ass kicked a lot but ending up earning a lot of people's respect for trying.

Now you should be able to understand why the next few event happened the way they did.

It all started when I had come home one day with a ton bruises and scratches because I was running my mouth and had managed to piss off a kid and his Umbreon that was way out of our league. I took hits while Zil did the smart thing and ran for a teacher. The boy was punished worse then I was but I still was pissed at Zil for just leaving me lying on the floor while at the same time making me the laughingstock of the school.

When we got home I pushed him that we needed to get braver and stronger; which meant he was going to have to get past his fear of battle. We fought and argued until we both got worked up to the point that he eventually ran off in tears. I figured it was to pout in a small, dark space somewhere like usual when we were both angry at one another so I let him go. I knew in my head that Zil did the right thing but my usual stubborn self didn't want to admit that I was the one at fault; so I lashed out at the closest thing available. Eventually I realized that I was being a ignorant prick but had thought "He'll be back soon, I'll just apologize then" so I continued to play my video games as I awaited Zil's return.

But then Zil missed dinner and it was turning to about 9 a clock at night (I think close to that) with still no sign of him.

I became worried so I looked everywhere in the house in his usual hiding spots; but he was nowhere to be seen. My next stop was the tunnels. Near the entrance was a small bit of purple under a sea of blue and pink; I immediately assumed the worse.

Turns out Zil did what my stupid ass does to prove myself and get stronger by picking a fight with one tough looking Zubat. Problem was... well everyone knows how Zubat are: 1 tough looking Zubat turns into 2, and evolves quickly into a swarm. To make things worse Pokémon in the wild play for keeps so they were just after dinner.

The Zubat were too busy with their meal to notice me so I used that element of surprise to grab two of them and snap their necks before they could react. Seeing the new threat the remaining four or five tougher ones that didn't flee with the others swarmed me but they had died quickly enough.

Zil was unconscious, felt cold and clammy to the touch, couldn't seem to do anything besides twitch, but was at least still breathing though very rapid and fading quickly to non-existence. Zil had lost way to much blood and I knew if I didn't do something he was going to die. There was so much spilt blood I could taste it in the air! I needed a blood bag and a syringe and I needed it fast! but I had nothing on hand with me but dead bodies of Zubat ,

So I had nothing that could help save Zil's life.

To make matters worse there was the fact that he was filled with holes still bleeding slightly despite nothing was sucking the blood out and there was still the poison to worry about! Think of one thing at a time. Blood: this is the most important issue. I didn't want to do it because I couldn't even think to do it without my gag reflex kicking in, not to mention the danger I would be putting myself in.

But it was either this act of desperation or lose my best friend

So I put Zillian's mouth on my arm and applied enough force to allow his teeth to pierce the flesh on my arm and held him in such a way that my blood slid down his throat . This shocked him enough to make his eyes snap open and start to thrashing in an attempt to fight me but I held him there and ordered him to suck.

My reasoning for this action was to knock to birds with one stone: not only will Zil receive the nutrients and necessities that was needed to produce more blood quickly but the primary function of this act was to shock his system in order to make him stay awake. Keeping the victim awake and focused with a small and simple task was one key component beat into our skulls during Basic Survival Studies when dealing with emergency situations. Immediately there was a large difference in Zillian's condition for the better.

Encouraged that I might actually be able to save Zil's life; I went to the next issue: the venom. His face had already looked sickly pale and he was burning up from fever. So thinking quickly I told him to hold still and he immediately obeyed. I than started to suck on one of the entrance wounds expecting a acidic quality but instead a little of my mouth went numb (found out later Zubat's don't carry poison in their teeth, only a numbing agent for sneaky passes of grub and go) Surprised but thankful for the small blessing I decided not to do anything to the entry wounds. Instead I just grabbed a few Cheri and Pecha berries on my way up the hill just in case there was poison inside of him that I couldn't detect. Besides I knew I needed to keep Zillian hydrated.

Immediately after I arriving in the house I had burst into Mom and Dad room whom were getting ready for bed so we could use the car to rush Zillian to the Poke center; didn't have my license or a car at the time or I would have drove us to save time. During his treatment I was asked what I did when I found Zil. I gave her what she wanted and when I finished the nurse had glared at me while she said "What you did was reckless and not to mention very stupid due to the dangers the stunt placed you both in for various reasons!" she than gave a long rant of medical jargon that just left me really confused the more I tried to understand any of it.

Seeing my reaction the nurse gave up her rant with a sigh and instead gave me a small grin "but in the end that small gamble was the perfect thing you could have done in the situation. Thanks to the fact you both have no diseases and have common enough blood type: I don't see any signs of blood related illnesses in neither of you. You're very lucky you know, I seen so many Pokémon come in here with the very same injuries and they died due to blood loss just before we could get them on the table." the nurse paused and had looked sad for a moment before her small smile returned "Thankfully all he just needs now is a Pecha and Cheri berry mixture with plenty of other fluids, bed rest, and a pill or two for the blood loss and fever that he acquired through an infection. He should be completely fine in a day or two." Zil was released that night and we were free to go right after I got my arm patched up from where I made him bite into it.

But I couldn't just forget about the incident without a few answers . So when we were alone I interrogated Zil on a few things.

First thing I asked was what he was doing at the tunnel's in the first place. Zillian's reply was that he had felt guilty about the fact he can't do anything while I'm in trouble. Zil said he was supposed to be my protector but instead he has to get someone bigger like an adult in order to save me when I'm in trouble. This hurt Zil's pride; though he didn't verbally say it the fire in his eyes when he said the fact indicated his true feelings. His past actions were another clue that he wanted to change this fact. But we both knew that no matter what strategy we tried, he was just too weak, fearful, and puny to be of any use in a fight.

I asked why he chose the tunnels for his battle ground when the better choice would instead should have been the forest (that we both already knew inside and out) this would have given him a great advantage in a fight; especially if he needed to flee.

Zil's reply was that some Rattata kits nearly the same age as him had seen him crying and were a nice enough bunch to try to help. After playing with Zil for a while as (their choice for payment) they finally suggested that Zillian fight the weakest Pokémon still awake in the area during the time that could be found without fishing: Zubat. Zil thanked his newfound friends and departed. But when Zil got to the tunnels he lost his nerve so he had to spare some time working it back up again before challenging a though looking bat. I was smart enough to know that these events gave me enough time to get to the caves to save Zillian's life...which meant his timid nature saved his life.

Sure it was Zil's naive and trusting part of his nature was really messed him up constantly in the long run. But Zil wouldn't have been outside in the first place if not for our fight and the guilt he felt over a stupid incident that he reacted correctly to.

Some Trainer I was...My reckless stupidity was apparently contagious and had almost got him killed!

Even though it was my fault I felt this incident could have been avoided if I had been with him. I would have been able to tell him about Zubat's living in swarms. Let alone the bad idea that was even listening to a group of young kits in the first place.

It took some thinking but the result of this incident allowed me to have this epiphany: our natures get in the way of progress way too much. I don't think before I leap, as a result I get hurt when there is really no need. While Zillian's holds him back from acting at all which of course holds him back from growing.

During this epiphany I had thought 'What if we function as a single unit instead having just one pull one way while the other pulls the other way? We would get a lot more done while not getting hurt or fucking up in the process.' Was a great solution in theory but in order to accomplish this it would take a ton of work and time to create the correct wave length that would be a benefit for the both of our growths. Which meant we would have to be together constantly.

That was the moment we became one unit. Where ever I went, he went and wherever he went, I went. Over time we eventually reached the point where we depended on each other to function correctly. If we were separated for long periods of time we would revert our original selves while at the same time develop severe anxiety, depression, and confusion. If you need a comparison:think of how a bass player improves the way a guitar sounds and vice versa. Think of how if one player stops performing then the music turns to garbage bringing forth the emotions stated previously.

Two realizations happened eventually as time went on.

The first one was: There are ways to build strength and being stupidly reckless isn't one of them; especially with our size. What we needed to do was fight with our heads instead of trying to rely on force... something I've been just too stubborn and dumb to realize until then. So I swapped my daily physical workout routine with expanding my knowledge on various subjects but focusing mainly on survival skills. Pretty soon I transformed from a wanna-be jock into the book-ish nerd in glasses (later contacts) that you know today and was a lot happier and successful because of it.

Another realization was that I no longer wanted to become a Trainer let alone ever participate in a battle. Just seeing a someone I was unbelievably close to in the state he was in was enough to scare me away from Pokémon battling forever.

Every time we find ourselves in a Pokémon battle whether wild or Trainer I begin to have a slight panic attack. Mine all starts with the sudden taste of blood and then I get bombarded with flash backs images from that night. Eventually I black out and when I awaken more often than not find myself running away toward a unknown destination with Zillian clutched tightly into my chest. As if Death itself was chasing after us.

I'm fine when it's just a regular fist fight or brawl so don't label me off as a pansy. It's only when Zil becomes involved that makes me lose all reasoning. I'm overprotective to the point that I won't let Zil battle weak animals to make him strong enough to begin to fight other Pokémon. This of course is the reason why even though he is almost a year and half year old, the PokeDex says he is still technically level 6 which is the exact same level he was during that horrible night.

I'm not the only one suffering from that trauma however. Zil is more terrified of battling than he had been before if that were possible. When we're safe from the danger it takes me forever to calm Zil back down enough to pry his claws gripping my shirt hard enough to draw blood. Asked Zil once what the attacks felt like to him just because I was curious. Zil says the only thing that he remembers is the fear, the dread at the pit of his stomach, and the freezing cold that is worse than any day in the winter consumes him to his very core.

---

The picture ended and the projector disappeared but the voice of the boy still played

It's the results of this trauma is the reason that I am so afraid of being used by Darkrai. If we can't battle than what is his use for us? Darkrai has already told us multiple times what he does with pieces that can't be used.

_The boy should be afraid because this does make him pretty much useless. Lucky for him this is only a small problem and he plays too big of a part. Luckily for them and the war Father and I scheduled time for conditioning and added a little extra time to do whatever was necessary in case that part takes longer than expected due to problems within the boy and rat we hadn't anticipated. _** Still...with this memory I now have more than a general understanding of how their minds work; which should help solve this problem and allow me to better control them. It's only thanks to the usefulness of the memory and the fact that this is a deeply rooted trauma that they escaped punishment. If I try to punish them for doing what survival instinct demands them to do my effort and energy will just be wasted. Besides this is the rare case in which punishment would be hindering rather than help. It's the gentle and encouraging approach will works best here.**

Darkrai exited the boy's mind then opens his eyes to reality to find himself deeper in the dense, dark forest next to a much calmer Elliot but a still freaking out Raticate who was still sobbing and shivering viciously as his claws tightly griping the cloth of the shirt and boy in crushing hug. Darkrai sighed as he stared at the two without anything resembling pity; Just the same frustration, annoyance, and exhaustion that he had been feeling a lot lately. _I'm much too busy to waste time on them however... _

Darkrai allowed himself to let out a weary sigh Guess I'll need to ask for their help again...least they will be happy since they have been begging for work even though they were both badly injured in last night's raid. For now though I just have to wait for children to calm down enough to the point that they'll be able listen well enough and remember the directions to reach their current location...on second thought I don't trust them enough to reach their destination without incident.

Darkrai let out another weary sigh as he collapsed against a tree, closed his eyes, and began to relax himself enough for a short power nap but not before muttering "You two will be the death of me yet...I need a moment to rest" Darkrai took a moment to yawn before finishing his statement "suggest that you two do the same..."

Thanks to the boy they had a long walk ahead of them.