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Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:

Worlds

Chapter 11

Viggy returns with his supplies and dumps them in the middle of the shelter.

"Finally!"

Turning to face the voice, Viggy stares at the fox who is cowering in his corner, shuffling on his tip toes. Around him is a pool of water threatening to drown his feet.

"Could you PLEASE do something about this water?!" he whines, exasperated. Lance has managed to get his front paws propped up on the map case so he is standing on just his back toes. Viggy smirks and shakes his head, then sets to directing the water away from him by drawing a line in the dirt. When it's drained away, Lance finally gets down. "THANK you! Been trying to get away for ever!"

Viggy snorts, his lips curling into an amused grin. He's been gone long enough for the moon to rise, it's glow only barely visible through the clouds. For the time being the storm has thinned, and for a brief moment, there is a break in the sky and the moon is able to shine down through the cracks in the ceiling of the shelter. When the moon is blocked again a moment later, the rain starts to fall once more. The water leaks in through the ceiling but, thanks to Viggy's trail, it drains away quickly enough not to pool as much inside the shelter. It's then that Lance starts rebuilding his bed space until the two Pokemon make eye contact. Viggy stares at him intensely.

"What..? What is it? Am I wet? No! Get it off me!" The fox starts spinning around in circles and shaking so hard his ears slap against his head.

Viggy continues staring at him with his face twisted in an almost ashamed expression until Lance finally stops. That's when Viggy looks around the shelter, see's the Totodile isn't there, and turns back to Lance.

"Oh. Moto left before I woke up. I guess he went out to use the tree or something." Lance shrugs. "It's still thundering a little bit. He'll be too scared to stay out long I'm sure."

Viggy nods, then points at Lance.

The fox rolls his eyes as he huffs. "Okay, what did I do now..? Did I mess up the cast?"

Shaking his head, Viggy points at the fox again and then at his own neck.

Lance turns to the side. "You know as well as I do the scarf does nothing to keep me dry from pools and puddles. Only weather. Why do you think I was trying to shake it off of me?"

Viggy gives a frustrated sigh and steps toward Lance, then grabs the fox by the scruff and tugs.

Lance yelps. "Ow! What're you doing?! Watch the claws! Hey, sto-" He gasps and stops struggling. Viggy lets him go. "Ooohhh NOO!! He took my Weather Band!" Viggy nods at him, and Lance starts pacing, growling as his fur crackles with electricity. "Noooo, no no no no no... Damn it, I KNEW I shouldn't have told him! Why didn't I LISTEN to myself?!"

Viggy scratches his head, and Lance explains what happened before continuing. "He probably went to give it back to Sceptile." He sits down and rubs the side of his head with his good paw. "We have to get him back. We have to go after him!" He leaps to his feet and starts toward the entrance. Viggy blocks his path, shaking his head. "They'll kill him! Or torture him, or... I don't know, but we have to do something!"

Viggy again points at Lance, then at the ground. Lance grunts and tries to go around him. Stomping into the dirt, Viggy gives a sharp nudge to the cast on the fox's leg. Lance winces and staggers to keep his balance, Viggy waves a claw at him staggering to emphasize his point and then places his hands at his hips. At that moment the fox steps toward him so quickly that he stumbles backward into the tree trunk. Lance hops up and places his front paws on either side of Viggy's head.

"I will NOT stay here when I know Moto's in trouble! I can help..! I..." His eyes begin tearing up and he slumps onto all fours again with his head hanging low. "He's out there because of me...I...I shouldn't have told him I stole the scarf yet... I should have waited..."

Viggy kneels down in front of him and places a hand on his shoulder. Leaning down, he catches the fox's gaze and draws him back up with a gentle smile.

At first, Lance doesn't lift his head, and a low growl rumbles from deep in his chest. He looks up at Viggy with just his eyes, his cheeks soaked with tears. The expression on his face cause Viggy to shuffle uneasily in his place. "You bring him back," Lance says with a growl in his voice. "I don't care what you have to do or who you have to kill! You bring him back safe, and I will never question you or your motives again."

Opening his mouth as though to speak, Viggy instead clears his throat and stands up. Lance's gaze never leaves him. Giving the Jolteon a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, Viggy doesn't try to argue or convey any further message. To do so would only take more time. With a firm nod, he turns toward the entrance.

"Whatever it takes. Just bring him back to me," Viggy hears him say, followed by cursing as he exits the bush.

As he makes his way through the trees, the rain slows to a light drizzle. The moonlight breaks through the clouds and sparkles off the wet leaves, glittering in his vision as the wind starts to pick up. Despite the relative calm, he is certain it will rain hard again soon.

He goes into a full run, but before he can get far a sound catches his ear. He stops and turns around to look off into the darkness. The trees are thicker here and the moon's light isn't penetrating enough for him to see clearly. The wind whistles through the trees, destroying any hope he had of hearing whatever was approaching. A crack of thunder rolls in from the distance, and the sloth turns a slow circle. Something is watching him.

The ground shakes beneath him and he jumps away. He lands as a hole opens up where he was standing.

"Nimble as evah I see." From out of the hole crawls a large bellied red and black crocodile.

Viggy swallows and takes a defensive stance. Krookodile...

"Now, now, mate. No need for a foight." The crocodile shrugs, sticking his nose upward at Viggy with a grin. "We jus' wanna talk."

We?! Viggy turns around in time to see a large brown and black tail coming toward him. Before he can react, the tail strikes him in the side of his chest and sends him into a tree with a crash. He slumps to the ground, catching himself on his hands as the rain water trapped in the leaves above him falls loose. The water drenches him just as he scrapes the ground with his claws. When he gets to his feet, he looks up to see both Krookodile and Krokorok slowly approaching him.

"Well done!" The red crocodile starts clapping. "Not too many can take that blow and get back up."

Again Viggy takes a defensive stance, his eyes darting back and forth between the two assailants.

Krookodile laughs. "This again? Come now, mate." He grins, and his son moves to flank from the side. Viggy catches a sense of unease in the young one's expression. Krookodile continues, his gaze fixed on Viggy. "Wha'd'you think you're doin'? You don't really think-"

Viggy dissappears in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a small dinosaur looking doll behind. Krokorok walks up and pokes it with a claw. A moment later, it also disappears in a puff of smoke, causing the boy to jump back in a surprise.

"Find him!" the large red crocodile orders. The pair of them fan out.

Viggy chuckles silently to himself, watching from the tree above them. When they grow far enough apart, Viggy climbs down the tree and slowly makes his way around. His plan is to either sneak up on them and knock them out one by one, or try to run away. He ducks into a bush as one of them look in his direction, and he's forced to wait once more. The brown crocodile walks passed, and Viggy holds his breath, sure he's been spotted. He's about to use another Substitute and get away, but the smaller crocodile moves on. Viggy sighs in relief.

Finally, his moment arrives. Neither of his opponents are in sight. He makes a run for it.

"There! Get 'im!" Krookodile seems to appear from behind a tree. Viggy leaps over him and bounds deeper into the forest as he becomes a white blurr using his Agility attack and speeds passed the second crocodile. Krookodile picks up a rock about the size of Viggy's head. "Not this toime!" He brings the rock over his head with both hands and hurls it. It sails through the trees and finds its mark. Viggy takes the blow to the back of his head, stumbles, and goes skidding to the ground on his stomach. He is rolled over onto his back a few moments later, and he is face to face with Krookodile standing over him with a wide grin. The other crocodile kneels down beside him just before his vision turns fuzzy, and then darkness overtakes him.

---

The sloth wakes up to his head pounding and something poking him in the ribs. He blinks open his eyes and looks around. He is laying down in sand, and the musty smell of stale seawater stings his nose. It's then he realizes that he is on the beach in a small bay. A fair distance away is a cliff rising out of the woods, and nearby is a small wooden structure just at the edge of the tree line. He's at Moto's cabin. Next to him, Krokorok is backing away from him, holding a stick with both hands.

He can hear voices, and then one of them speaks his name. He turns toward it.

"Cap'n, he's awake," Volt says, the Luxray staring at him with a grin.

The door to the cabin bursts open, nearly knocking it off its hinges. "It's about damned time!" Sceptile comes storming toward him. Just as Viggy gets to his feet, Sceptile bashes him in the jaw and sends him spinning back into the sand. "Now then," the grass type says as he massages his knuckles. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Viggy rubs his jaw and sits up, looking over his shoulder at his leader. After a moment, he spits blood into the ground and again stands up. He turns to face Sceptile squarely, but otherwise does nothing.

"WELL?!"

The sloth jerks backward as Sceptile stomps his foot toward him. He swallows, the grass type's nose just a whisker's breadth from his own. Viggy takes a step back and starts making a series of motions with his hands, ultimately ending by lacing his claws together.

Sceptile glares at him through the entire pantomime, his eyes growing narrower the longer it draws out. Volt snickers beside him while the father and son crocodiles watch intently.

Krookodile grunts. "He gave us quite the run for our berries there the first time we met with 'im an' the runt togethah."

"Shut up!" Sceptile hisses at the crocodile, never taking his eyes off of Viggy. "You mean to tell me you've been getting them to trust you so you can lead them here into a trap..?"

Viggy nods.

"Then why don't you tell me why you still fought to get back to them after these two idiots came to get you?!"

Viggy swallows again, his eyes glancing over at the red crocodile's son. The insult seems to have hit him harder than it did his father. He spots the boy's fist clenching in suppressed anger.

"Answer me!!!" Again Sceptile hits him, but Viggy keeps his balance this time as he staggers backward. When gets his balance he starts explaining that he couldn't risk one of them having followed him and seen him. If they saw him willingly returning with the two crocodiles, they wouldn't trust him. Acting as though he was trying to get away was the only logical option.

Sceptile straightens up and rubs his chin between two fingers. He glances at Volt, who gives a short nod. "Alright, let us PRETEND I believe you," he says while rolling his eyes, turning to the side and pacing.

Viggy pauses and glances at the brown crocodile. The younger one seems to be more interested than anyone else as Viggy realizes the younger crocodile hasn't looked away from him even once since the conversation started. Wiping the blood from his mouth, Viggy begins telling of his plan to bring them back to health, so when he brings them into Sceptile's trap, they'll be fully prepared for whatever torture Sceptile wishes to bring upon them.

The grass lizard laughs. "You definitely know what I like, Vigroth. I knew there was a reason I kept you alive..." He claps the sloth on the shoulder, and Viggy does his best to hide a cringe. Only Krokorok saw it Viggy thinks, based on the reactions on everyone's faces. The brown crocodile quickly averts his gaze. "So what's your timetable?" Sceptile asks finally.

Another series of motions explains that he'll need a full twelve days to bring them to full health. Sooner if he can find someone who knows Heal Pulse.

"Twelve days? Too long."

"Doesn't one of Clayton's group know Heal Pulse?" Volt asks.

Krookodile nods. "Her nickname's Pearl. She's been doin' exactly what this one's talkin' about for a long time."

"No, too convenient." Sceptile starts pacing in the sand. "What else could you use to speed it up? Berries?"

Viggy nods and draws a picture in the sand of several types, including a Figy and a Citrus berry.

Volt stands up. "There's already some in the cabin there. Just take those."

Nodding, Viggy starts toward the cabin beside Sceptile with Volt leading the way.

The blue feline stops in the doorway, his tail flicking to the side. "Odd..."

"What is it?"

Volt steps aside. "I could swear that thing was standing closer to the corner earlier."

Sceptile walks in. "What thing? The table?" He walks over to the small piece of furniture and gives it a nudge. It doesn't move. "I think the hole that fox put in your face is letting too much air into your brain, Volt."

The feline turns his face to the side and itches the hole in his cheek through the leaf bandage covering it.

"Vigroth, gather what you need and get going."

Doing as he's told, Viggy gathers the berries he needs and the hunk of dark blue cloth hanging on the wall. He looks at it curiously, wondering what one could possibly do with it.

"Vigroth! Stop looking at the stupid pants and get to work!!"

The sloth jumps at the shout and drops the pants. When he has everything he needs, he nods to Sceptile that he's ready.

"You have one week."

Vigroth looks at him, confused.

"That's seven days you idiot! Now get going!!!"

Again Viggy swallows hard, nods, and then runs through the door. He looks back over his shoulder as he enters the forest, and he can see Sceptile watching him through the window. Need a new plan...Where is Moto..?

---

With the wound in his chest, Moto's journey to his cabin takes longer than he expected it to. "I just need to give this back to Sceptile, apologize, and this will all be over," he mutters to himself. "Or rather...a fake one. By the time Sceptile finds out it's fake, we'll be long gone. Just gotta make sure I can copy it right."

He's a fair distance away from his cabin still, but has at least arrived in more familiar territory. Finding one of the hidden entrances to his tunnels, he drops inside and continues onward. "Hopefully they haven't found the tunnels yet." He puts his hand to his ear and listens.

Nothing.

"Good," he says to himself and starts walking

He follows the dark tunnel by memory, and eventually makes it to his cabin. It's what he hears when he arrives that makes him cringe. All too familiar voices.

"I don't think there's anything in here, Cap'n."

"They won't just leave all these supplies behind, Volt. They'll be back eventually."

When Moto gets beneath the cabin, he can see Sceptile and the Luxray through the slats in the floor. He swallows to hold back a whimper forming in his throat. Not good...not good!! What do I do?!

"Oi, boss!" A third voice is heard from outside. "Look'it what we brung ye'!"

With a motion from his head, Sceptile orders Volt to go investigate. Moto hears the cabin door creek open, followed by Volt's laughter.

"So the traitor is returned to us. Heh. Cap'n, they captured Vigroth. He's out cold."

They captured Vigroth? Moto stands on his tip toes hoping to see through the doorway, but can't get a good angle from underneath the floorboards.

"Let me know when he wakes up."

There is muttering outside the cabin, and Moto does his best to stay out of the light as Sceptile moves about above him. "Berries...Rocks...a pair of pants..." Sceptile carelessly tosses a rock to the floor. As it rolls overhead, Moto identifies it as one of his crystals.

The gang leader fumbles around for a while, then flumps onto Moto's bed. "He has an awful lot of human artifacts in here. I wonder..." he says, examining an object. It's a small, oval shaped device that flips open and closed, and the bottom half has a flimsy twig-like piece poking out of the back where the object folds.

"Cap'n, he's awake," Volt's voice is heard from outside.

"It's about damned time!" Sceptile jumps to his feet, thrusts the object at the floor, shattering it to pieces, and then he throws the door open. Moto can hear someone getting hit as the door creeks back into its frame.

Now's my chance. With the cabin empty, Moto goes to the trap door in the floor of his cabin and opens the latch. "Come...on...!" he mutters, hearing Sceptile yelling. A table is sitting on top of the door. Moto heaves, and the table slides to the side as he finally gets it open. When he climbs up, he can see the door just barely hanging on with only one hinge. It's only slightly open.

Moto quickly grabs a few scraps of material, finding a pair of small scarfs that look close to the Weather Band: a pale blue base with thin white whisps in random places. "This should work." He then picks up his crystal and stuffs it into the fabric.

Sceptile again raises his voice, and Moto is unable to fight back the curiosity rising inside him. He goes to the door and peeks through. Viggy..? So they did get him...

"Shut up!" Sceptile hisses, glaring at the sloth. "You mean to tell me you've been getting them to trust you so you can lead them here into a trap..?"

Moto's heart stops and he clutches his chest. "Viggy..? No..."

He watches the conversation between them, his breath stuck in his throat through it all. It's not until they all start toward the cabin again that Moto regains his wits. I...I have to get back to Lance... He ducks down into the trap door again, bandanas, Weather Band, and crystal in tow, and closes the hatch just as Sceptile's gang enters. He waits in silence. It can't be...Viggy couldn't...right?

"Odd..."

"What is it?"

"I could swear that thing was standing closer to the corner earlier."

Again Moto catches his breath. They know! They know I'm here! They're gonna kill me! His fear paralyzes him, unable to move. He can only watch as Sceptile goes over to the table next to the hatch and gives it a nudge. It doesn't move. Moto slowly lets out his breath, relieved.

"I think the hole that fox put in your face is letting too much air into your brain, Volt."

The feline turns his face to the side and itches the hole in his cheek through the leaf badnage covering it.

"Vigroth, gather what you need and get going."

Moto watches Viggy collect the berries that he and Lance had left behind. Soon after, Sceptile orders the sloth to get moving, and gives him seven days. Moto doesn't wait around to hear any more. He starts down the tunnel, his heart aching with worry. I can't let Viggy get to Lance first. I...I have to warn him...he was right all along...

He pauses and turns around. Someone is digging nearby. Panic wells up in side him, his body shaking with adrenaline. He knows about the tunnels! And he's coming after me! I can't...I can't let them get me! He clenches his eyes shut and smacks himself in the cheek. I've gotta get back to Lance! Stay focused, Moto!

Taking a pair of deep breaths, Moto starts to run again. His muscles and chest throb from the exertion, but it's that or be captured. I'm coming Lance!

---

Sceptile turns away from the window as the sloth disappears into the trees. "You two. Follow him. Keep an eye on him and wait for his signal. And if he DOES decide to betray me..." The blade-like leaves on his forearms glow an eerie green and he cuts the table in half in one barely visible motion. "Kill him."

The father and son duo bow and, once outside, dig into the ground and head toward the forest. Krokorok follows his father from within the same hole, his father has always been better with using Dig than he is. "So what do you think he's doing, dad? Vigroth I mean."

The Krookodile stops and emits a deep groan, rubbing the base of his snout between two fingers. "I don't know, and neithuh does Sceptile. That's why 'e's sending us after 'im. Don't ask stupid questions." Before Krokorok can reply, he begins digging his way after the sloth once more.

They don't get far before Krokorok watches his father disappear suddenly. "Dad?"

"Uhg, what the...?" Krookodile goes silent for a moment. "Ooh ho ho hooooo! What 'ave we got 'ere..? Heh heh heh heeeeh," he laughs a deep, growling laugh. "Sceptile's gonna loooove this."

Krokorok peeks into the tunnel from his hole. The hole has broken through the ceiling of some kind of tunnel. The walls and ceiling are well carved, made up of hardened rock and mud while the floor is loose dirt. Fresh footprints make a clear trail toward the west, deeper into the forest. Krokorok shivers. "Ooooh, this is bad. We're gonna lose Vigr-"

"Shut up. Go back up and tell Sceptile. He needs to know this is here."

"But dad, I want to sta-"

His father scrapes his claws across Krokorok's face, causing him to yelp and cover himself. "Do as I tell you, boy! I'm goin'na find out who these feet belong to."

Once again the Krookodile starts running before he has a chance to respond. As Krokorok looks at his hand as he pulls it away from his face. Blood. Growling, he pounds his fist into the wall before he turns to report back to Sceptile. He makes short time of it, and surfaces at the forest edge near the cabin. Sceptile is standing on the beach talking with Volt and Braviary until they notice him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sceptile starts walking toward him. "I gave you an order! Follow VIGROTH!!"

Krokorok starts to shake as fear overtakes him. "M-my dad s-sent me to...to tell you that...h-he uhh..." He coughs to give himself a moment to think. "Th-there's uhh....there's..."

As Sceptile draws nearer, the "blades" on his forearms start to glow green. "Either you speak up, or I'll make it so you'll never talk again!" he growls, bringing one of the glowing blades up to Krokorok's throat.

The crocodile gulps loudly before he finally stammers on. "H-he, that is, uhh...m-my dad... He wanted me to tell you th-that he...err., w-we..."

"SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!!" Sceptile draws a pinprick of blood through the scales of the boy's neck. "Or do I need to make you into our new Chikorita instead? The boys haven't had a new playtoy since she died, after all."

Volt smirks, licking his lips at Krokorok.

Krokorok's mind races with the memory of seeing the Chikorita laying dead after one of the gang members, too large for her, had their way with her. "W-we lost the Totodile!" He yells finally. "He got away! So he said that he was going after Vigroth instead."

Sceptile spins and knocks Krokorok flat to the ground with his tail. "Are you and your father both DENSE?! Vigroth is who I told you to follow in the FIRST PLACE!!!

Flinching as Sceptile kicks at him and misses, Krokorok shuffles backward in the sand. "I-I'm sorry, that's all he said!" He closes his eyes, wincing, sure that Sceptile is going to hit him again. After a moment of nothing, he opens his eyes once more and sees Sceptile standing in front of him, an eerie purple glow emanating from him. Small tendrils form from within the purple smoke and start worming their way toward him.

"If you two lose track of Vigroth, and fail to bring me that Totodile and the little thief's head..." Sceptile's voice is low, barely audible over the wind and the crashing waves on the beach. "Your wildest imagination cannot fathom what I'm going TO DO TO BOTH OF YOU!!! NOW GET AFTER HIM ALREADY!!!"

Krokorok scrambles to his feet just before the dark tendrils reach him and he flees into the underbrush as fast as he can.