Chapter 13
- Thread starter
- #41
With this chapter, we enter into a string of episodes that I affectionately refer to as "The Downward Spiral." The reason why should become evident as we go forward. If you were hoping for sunshine and rainbows, you've come to the wrong story. This chapter was originally posted on October 7, 2017.
The sun had just started rising to signal a brand new day. Though Aeon Town's streets were empty, one Pokémon scurried up the main path. Whatever sort of body he had was totally hidden underneath a pale, yellow rag. His head flopped backwards as he ran, showing off a face that had been scribbled on the rag with crayon.
"Hurff… heff… gotta hurry. Sun's almost up," he panted, climbing his way up the hill leading out of town. In the process, he nearly tripped over. The lightning-shaped stick on his back fell to the ground. He got up, tugging underneath his rag so the stick stood back up and resembled a proper tail.
Eventually, he reached the top of the hill and looked around. "W-Well, I'm here," he muttered. "But where is–?"
A white blur shot out of the bushes, scooping the rag-wearing Pokémon up off the ground. He got carried off into the forest, tumbling to the ground when his abductor skidded to a halt.
"A-Absol! D-don't s-scare me l-like that!"
Absol rolled his eyes. "… tch. You're a ghost-type, Mimikyu. Do you have any idea how pathetic that sounds?"
Mimikyu looked down, trying to avoid Absol's fierce red eyes. "H-Hey, I c-could g-get in a l-lot of t-trouble for d-doing this, y'know?"
"Quit your blubbering," Absol growled, lowering his black, serrated forehead scythe toward Mimikyu's rag. Mimikyu squeaked and shrank back. "Do you have the TM or not?"
Mimikyu started shaking. "I… I… I'm sorry…"
Absol's eyes glowed a sickly purple. The same color flared up on his scythe. "WHAT?" he snarled. "Then why are you even here?"
Mimikyu walked back into a tree. "I… I couldn't Shadow Sneak into the Kecleon Shop. They must have some sort of magical ward over the entrance. I did everything I could. Please don't hurt me!"
"I needed that TM!" Absol hissed. He lashed out with his right forepaw, smacking Mimikyu against the tree. "Great." He turned away from Mimikyu. "Now, I've got to think of something else."
"U-Um… w-well…"
Absol raised a forepaw, silencing Mimikyu. "You're useless to me now. Go away."
"B-But…"
Absol narrowed his eyes at Mimikyu. "Go. Away."
Mimikyu sprinted away, nearly losing his rag in the process. Absol watched him go, digging into the dirt with his right forepaw. When the ghost was out of sight, he crept forward through the forest.
"… by my tabulations, that was a most spectacular letdown, Gallian. Bravo!"
The named Absol froze beside a tree. "… tch. I don't need your sarcasm, Sticky. Get down here."
The leaves above Gallian rustled and out from them popped a small, pink and purple pixie. "Sarcasm? I am afraid that word is not in my vernacular," Sticky exclaimed, tilting his oversized, circular head and brushing the needle sticking out of it against the nearest branch. "Could you explain it to me?"
Gallian shot Sticky a glare that said that no, he would not.
"Erm… well then…" Sticky fidgeted his tiny, nub-tipped arms and nervously flicked his equally-small tail. "It is surprising your special sense did not alert you to this outcome."
Gallian's eyes flickered purple again. He turned his head to show off the one oversized fang protruding from his lips. "I already told you, Sticky, my disaster sense warns about serious consequences, not minor inconveniences."
"But you have spoken at length about the importance of getting this 'teeyem.' Would that terrestrial's failure not be a serious consequence for you, then?" Sticky wondered.
Gallian's left eye twitched. "You're the only one here making it into a bigger deal than it is," he hissed. "All this means is that I need to try a different approach." He crept to the forest's edge and looked out over Aeon Town. "If I couldn't get someone else to steal the TM, then I suppose I'll just need to take the direct route."
"What exactly is inhibiting you from simply purchasing this item?" Sticky wondered.
"I already told you. That's not an option. It ends disastrously," Gallian seethed. He started pacing back and forth. "Let's see here. Going in while the shop's locked up isn't an option since I can't Shadow Sneak. I could try breaking in…" he thought out loud, but his voice trailed off. His entire body stiffened and the red, diamond-shaped jewel in his forehead flickered ominously.
"No!" he hissed, shaking his head. "That option doesn't work either."
"Another disaster?" Sticky asked.
"I will not question my sense. It hasn't led me astray yet," Gallian insisted. He resumed pacing. "So, it looks like the best shot is to go in during broad daylight. But to do that, I'll need to give myself an opening." He looked out across Aeon Town. "What would make a solid distraction that'll rile the whole town up?" Gallian scanned the town, glancing over all of its buildings. His gaze fell on one building in particular, sitting at the top of a hill overlooking the town square.
The fur on the back of Gallian neck prickled. A chill ran along his spine. "The Observatory," he whispered. His gem flickered once again. "Something's happening there." Gallian walked out of the forest and sat down, studying the Aeon Observatory.
"I detect that you are unnerved. Perhaps I could assist in making this distraction?" Sticky offered. "That way, you can investigate that municipal lodging."
Gallian's eyes widened and he scowled at Sticky. "No! You'll stay here. No good will come of you going to Aeon Town."
"But, that is your old employer you are staring at, correct?" Sticky pointed out. "Would it not be equally disastrous to be spotted there after abandoning them?"
Gallian gritted his teeth. "… as far as I'm concerned, ignoring this feeling is the greater of two evils. I have no choice but to scope the place out. I'll think up some sort of way to get the TM on my own."
Sticky's head lolled to one side. "Very well. I shall resume recharging my energy in one of these tree branches. They are surprisingly cozy." Sticky floated up into a nearby tree, leaving Gallian to turn back and face the Observatory.
"… tch. I told myself I wouldn't go back there. Looks like I'm gonna have to break that promise."
"Hang on. Run that one by me again," Tessa said, rubbing her eyes with her paws.
Shane quickened his pace. "I think I know why I'm here," he declared. "I need to find out what's responsible for making Pokémon like those Munchlax go berserk."
Tessa frowned. "Don't you think that's a bit pretentious?"
"No, it's right in line with the other times humans have popped up around here," Shane replied. "I know it doesn't seem like much of a problem now, but my gut is telling me that I'm going to have to get to the bottom of this issue eventually. So, we should tackle it sooner, rather than later. Y'know, be all proactive and stuff!"
Tessa froze in the hallway. "Okay, is there something you're not telling me? I know you said Pokémon are fictional where you come from, but it sounds to me like you know more than you're letting on. Which is, uh, surprising, given the way things have gone for us so far."
Shane raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Oh… that." He pawed at the ground. "You, uh, promise not to call me crazy if I tell you this?"
Tessa crossed her arms. "Prefacing whatever you have to say with that line isn't helping your case."
"Okay, okay," Shane sighed. "The truth is… those stories you mentioned to me about humans? They're similar to a set of games that starred Pokémon in my world." Tessa started to open her mouth, but Shane held up a forepaw. "Hang on. Before you go accusing me of anything here, I just want you to know that it's not exactly the same. For starters, a ton of stuff I've seen here was never in those games. Heck, there was no Horizon Continent in them, period."
"I mean, look at me. There's no such thing as ice-type Vulpixes where I come from," Shane declared, gesturing at his torso. "Or dark-type Meowths. And definitely not whatever the heck Null is supposed to b–"
Tessa made a slashing gesture across her throat.
Shane's ears drooped. "… he's standing right behind me, isn't he?" Tessa nodded slowly. Shane turned around, his tails ducking between his legs. "N-Null… morning! D-Did ya sleep well?"
Null nodded.
"I, uh, wasn't trying to insult you or anything. Y'know, with what I just said." Shane gave a nervous laugh. "H-Honestly!"
Null's gray eyes continued glaring at Shane.
"Err, let's just go to morning assembly," Shane mumbled.
"Uh, did you forget? Today's the start of the expedition to Sunset Shoals," Tessa said. "It's just the three of us and any veterans who are hanging around the guild."
"Oh, right." Shane's shoulders slumped. "Well then, what are we supposed to do? Sentry duty?"
Null shrugged.
"Mwee hee hee! Now, there's no need for that, today. You should head outside. Stretch your legs a bit."
Shane's fur stood on end. "Who said that?" He quickly scanned the room.
A pair of eyes and a large mouth appeared on the ceiling. Shane went as stiff as a stone statue. He fell onto his side, unmoving. Null waved a foreleg in front of Shane's face, but got no response. "Haunter, get out of the ceiling," Tessa sighed.
"Aww… but I like it here," Haunter pouted. "Haven't you ever heard that old expression? Uh, what was it again? Oh yeah! 'Walls have ears, potatoes have eyes.' Something like that."
"But, you're putting eyes and a mouth on the ceiling. Not ears on the wall," Tessa pointed out.
Misdreavus rose out of the floor. "Golly. She got you there, Haunter."
Haunter materialized from the ceiling and floated down toward Team Radiance. "… fine. Ruin my fun. At least I spooked Snowball over there. Mwee hee hee hee!"
Drifloon appeared from behind Null. "Yup, you scared him silly."
Null plucked Shane's petrified form off the ground and shook him about. Shane came to. "Hey!" He thrashed about in Null's grip. "Put me down! Put me down! You're gonna mess up my fur!" Null shrugged and then unceremoniously dropped Shane. Tessa fought to hide a snicker.
"Yeah, sure, okay, get your laughs out of the way now," Shane grumbled, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "What do you spooks want with us, anyway?"
"Oh, golly, we can't just stop by and say hi to our novice explorers?" Misdreavus said. "Hooo-whee, guess you're just itching for something to do, then. Gee whiz, Haunter, do you think we can lend them a hand?"
"I don't know, Missy D." Haunter's smile grew. "We only have two hands to split between the three of us." He raised up his two hands and wiggled his fingers.
Shane frowned. "You guys aren't being funny, you know."
Haunter rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, who tied your tails in a knot this morning? Oh wait…" A giant grin appeared on his face. "… I did!"
"Wait, what?" Shane walked about in a circle, trying to see his tails.
"Made you look! Made you look!" Haunter cackled.
"Just tell me what you want with my team already!" Shane barked.
Tessa raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Your team?"
"Ugh, you know what I meant," Shane grumbled.
Haunter waved his right hand and a scroll appeared in it. He unraveled it. "We got a request this morning from Morelull and Shiinotic. Seems they're looking to gather Luminous Moss from the deeper reaches of Twilight Forest. They would like a team to accompany them for support."
"Aww, geez, Haunter. You're letting 'em go to Twilight Forest? Golly, you folks don't know how lucky you are," Misdreavus said. "Twilight Forest is quite a pretty place. Yessiree, you oughta enjoy it a lot."
Tessa accepted the scroll from Haunter. "Isn't Twilight Forest northeast of Clayback River?"
"Yes," Drifloon replied. "You should get one of the Sharpedo Sailors to take you over to Terrace Village. It overlooks the forest."
Null cleared his throat.
"What's the matter, big guy?" Shane asked.
"… I'm not exactly… small…" Null muttered. "How would… I get there?"
"Hey now, don't underestimate those Sharpedo Sailors. The guy we used on our first mission seemed pretty tough," Tessa exclaimed. "I'll bet one could carry you, no problem!"
Shane jumped off a Sharpedo, landing on a sturdy wooden dock. He took in a deep breath. "Ahh, smell that rich, forest ai–"
He doubled over in a coughing fit. Tessa appeared beside him. "Um, are you okay?"
"I think… I swallowed… a leaf!" Shane wheezed. Tessa smacked him on the back a couple of times. Shane's wheezing stopped and he straightened himself up.
"Phew… thanks, partner," he chirped. "I swear, between this place and Dewdrop Woods, the forests of this world have it out for me."
The dock shuddered, making Tessa and Shane stumble off of it. Null lumbered forward, trying his best not to break any of the wooden planks. He quickly got off the dock and helped his teammates to their feet. Together, they made their way up from the dock and found a small, rustic cluster of brown, wooden houses that resembled log cabins. Brick chimneys stuck up from each building, two of which gave off trails of black smoke. While a few trees dotted the area, the bulk of them were actually below the village.
"Wow!" Shane sprinted past the houses, skidding to a halt by a particularly large oak tree. "This whole town's up on top of a big hill. That must be Twilight Forest down there."
Tessa jogged after him. "Uh, I don't really see what's all that cool about it. But good for you, I guess?"
"I'm serious here. This is nothing like where I live in the human world. I've never gone up a hill or climbed a mountain or anything like that," Shane said. "Heck, I've only flown in an airplane a few times. This is my first time looking out over a big swathe of trees like this. It's positively breathtaking!" He shook his head. "Oh, why did I never go outside more as a human? I've totally been missing out."
Shane lifted his head up to continue looking at the forest. "I do have to wonder, though, why are the trees purple?" He turned to Tessa. "Is that supposed to happen? The trees in Dewdrop Woods were big, sure, but their colors weren't weird."
Tessa rubbed her chin. "Hmm… you know, I think my br– uh, I mean, I think Sylveon told me about this once." She turned to her right and pointed. "Look over there."
Shane followed Tessa's paw. His jaw dropped. Off in the distance, a set of tree-covered mountains jutted out from the ground. The trees were blanketed in heavy layers of snow and the mountains' peaks were hidden by dense gray clouds.
"Those are the Invern Mountains," Tessa announced. "If you were a normal Vulpix, that would be your home. They're also the reason why everything in Twilight Forest has a purple tint to it. Sunlight strikes the snow-covered mountains and reflects off of it, hitting the trees down there. At least, that's what I've heard."
Shane whistled. "Whoa. I don't really think I'd want to climb up one of those. My parents always told me it's hard to breathe at high elevations. Sometimes you can get sick from it."
"You're a Vulpix, though. You'd be perfectly fine," Tessa dismissed.
"EEEEEEEEEK! IT'S A MONSTER!"
The two canines turned around to see a small, white Pokémon cowering against a wooden door. He had three tiny mushrooms sticking out of his head. Null looked right at the creature.
"Wait, wait, wait," Tessa called, running to Null's side. "It's okay, little guy. This isn't a monster. He's from the Horizon Guild, just like me." She knelt down beside the little Pokémon. "I'm Riolu. My exploration team is here to help Morelull and Shiinotic. Do you know where they are?"
"I'm Morelull. Shiinotic's my mommy."
Tessa smiled at Morelull. "Oh, perfect. Do you think you could get your mom for us? We're ready to help you guys get through Twilight Forest."
Morelull looked hesitantly at Null. "O… Okay," he squeaked, and ducked inside of his house.
Tessa turned to Null. "Sorry about that."
Null looked down at the dirt. "… I knew this was… a bad idea. Should've… just stayed back."
"Don't say that!" Tessa scolded, approaching Null's side. "They just need time to get used to you.
"Here's a suggestion. Try, y'know, not speaking with that creepy, raspy voice of yours and everything should be fine," Shane sneered.
"Shane!" Tessa narrowed her eyes at him. "That's not very nice."
Shane's snout stiffened. "I was just trying to help…" he mumbled.
A creaking noise drew the group's attention. They turned and noticed a trio of serpents slithering out from another house.
"Milotic?" Tessa gasped. "What are you doing here?"
Milotic met Tessa's gaze. "Riri!" She smiled and blew a kiss in Tessa's direction. "What a surprise to see your team here. Most novices never go beyond Clayback River."
"There was an assignment and you know as well as I do the guild's short Pokémon right now," Tessa explained.
"How brave," Serperior chuckled. "I see you even managed to drag Mr. Personality out of the sentry station." She glanced at Null. "I'm surprised you didn't, like, melt in the sunlight."
Null lowered his head, fixing his sharp gaze on Serperior.
"Now, now, Serperior. We shouldn't tease our fellow guild members," Dragonair scolded.
"I invited him to join Team Radiance, for the record," Tessa declared. "He, uh, didn't exactly say yes, but he's going to give us some help from time to time."
"Well, aren't you the little risk-taker," Serperior giggled. "Quite the feisty little girl, ain't ya? Just like your mother. I'll bet she would've done the same thing if she were–"
"Leave them alone, Serpy," Milotic said. "Besides, we have to work to do."
"What are you girls doing here, anyway?" Shane asked.
"Sorry, Snowball, that's on a need to know basis. And you're not part of that need," Serperior replied. "But we'll totally try to snag a souvenir or something for ya from where we're heading. C'mon, girls!" Serperior gave Shane a flirtatious wink and then Team Captivate slithered off in the direction of the forest. Before anyone could say anything, the door Morelull entered opened up.
"Here they are, mommy. They're the exploration team."
Team Radiance turned around to see Morelull standing next to an oversized, white-and-pink mushroom. Shane opened his mouth to say something, but Tessa beat him to it. "You must be, Shiinotic, then? I'm Riolu, and these are my partners, Vulpix and Null."
"Um, my name is Shane," Shane muttered dejectedly.
"So very nice to meet you all," Shiinotic said, bobbing her head. She did cast a nervous glance in Null's direction, however. "Are you ready to go into the forest?"
"I think so," Tessa said. "You said we're heading for the deeper recesses in the north, right?"
"Yes. Morelull and I tried to get some Luminous Moss yesterday. But there wasn't any growing in the spot we usually visit," Shiinotic explained. "And, well, we've never gone too deep into the forest. I'm worried about wild Pokémon."
"No problem. We're just the crew needed to dispatch any problems," Shane declared. "Let's get to it!"
Shane jogged in circles around the group, staring up at the trees.
"It's so pretty!" he chirped. "Everything's glowing purple! The trees… the mushrooms… the grass… and hey, is that a glowing bush?" He ran toward a thorny bush. "It's like nature meets an after-hours club. All it's missing is the trance music with a thumping bass."
Tessa shook her head in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"
"It's a human thing. You wouldn't understand," Shane scoffed.
"Well, it's called Twilight Forest for a reason," Shiinotic mused. "The light that trickles down from the Invern Mountains gives this place a constant purple glow. Kind of like the sky in early evening. It seems to have a very calming effect. Wild Pokémon are quite friendly around here."
"Is that why you two regularly gather Luminous Moss from here, then?" Tessa asked.
"Correct," Shiinotic said. "But something's been off in the forest as of late. When we didn't find any Luminous Moss in our usual spot, we sent a note to the guild requesting help."
Shane frowned. "What? Who's harshing the mellow in this place?" He looked around. "I've got an Icy Wind ready for a special delivery!"
"What do you mean by 'off' exactly?" Tessa asked.
"Several days back, my neighbor, Parasect, stumbled out of the forest. I'd never seen him look so worn and ragged," Shiinotic explained. "He explained that a swarm of Fomantis had attacked him for no good reason."
"But you still took Morelull into the forest?" Shane gasped. "That's not very responsible."
"… you're hardly… one to talk… human," Null growled. Shane frightfully squeaked and quickened his pace, allowing Tessa to hang back with Shiinotic and Morelull.
"Is that the only issue you guys encountered?" she asked.
"No." Morelull shook his head. "When we went out to the forest… the mossy area was all sickly and gross!" He shivered and cuddled up beside Shiinotic.
"What do you mean by tha–?"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
CRAAAAAASH!
Tessa spun around. "What was that?" She noticed Null standing next to a tree, looking farther into the forest.
"… the human… stepped here," he reported. "… slid off… and crashed… into that tree." He pointed a foreleg forward. Tessa saw Shane lying in a dazed heap, with dead leaves surrounding him.
"Why no, officer. I don't know where that came from," Shane muttered.
Tessa walked up to Null and looked at the ground. "That… doesn't look right," she whispered.
"That's it!" Morelull gasped. "That's the creepy black stuff mommy and I saw in the mossy area."
Tessa ran her paw across the pitch-black spot in the dirt. She immediately yanked it back. "Ack!" She wrung her paw out. "That kind of hurt. It's like something leaped out of the dirt and bit me."
Null poked the black spot with a talon and quickly pulled it away. "It felt… very slick," he observed. "Must've been… why the human went flying…"
Shane managed to stumble back to their location, shaking leaves off his body. "Yeah, thanks for the hand back there, guys. Really feeling the love today."
"You stepped in some sort of… well… I don't really know what it is," Tessa said. She pointed at the black spot.
"Oh, come on, that's not fair," Shane huffed, "It's barely darker than the dirt. How was I supposed to see that?"
"That's what you're focused on?" Tessa groaned. "How about the fact that there's some sort of creepy slime in what's supposed to be a very peaceful forest?"
"Oh, that? P'shaaw!" Shane smirked. "It's obviously a result of the super-evil force that's making Pokémon go berserk. Once Team Radiance beats back that evil, the slime will disappear. Case closed."
"P-Pokémon are going berserk?" Morelull gasped. "M-Mommy, do you think those Fomantis were acting like that?"
"Don't you think that's a bit of a stretch, Vulpix?" Tessa asked. "There's no sign of any Pokémon like that here."
"… shyyyaaaaakaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
A shrill cry echoed through the forest, making the entire group tense up.
"Mommy, what was that?" Morelull asked.
Shane rolled his eyes. "Oh, nice going, genius. You totally jinxed us!"
"Me? You were the one who screamed a frightened Loudred a few minutes ago," Tessa reminded him. "You probably drew the attention of some wild Pokémon!"
The bushes near where Shane collapsed earlier rustled.
"Yeah right," Shane scoffed. "What you said was only one rung below, 'It can't possibly get any worse than this.'"
"… guys?"
The shaking bushes exploded in a flurry of leaves. A large, crab-like creature with black, armored pincers leaped out, landing in front of the group.
"Shyakakaka!" the crab shrieked.
"Parasect?" Shiinotic gasped.
Shane whirled on Tessa with a horrified look. "Please tell me that's what Parasect are supposed to look like in Horizon."
Tessa recoiled in disgust. "It's… it's not.
"Really? Are you sure they don't have a white jellyfish sitting where their big mushroom should be?" Shane said. "Oh god, it's wriggling its tiny little tentacles and everything!"
"I am very sure," Tessa insisted.
"Mommy, what happened to Mr. Parasect?" Morelull whimpered. "He looks scary!"
"Shhhyaaaaaa! Infect… I want to… infe-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-t!"
Parasect coated his pincers in sickly black goop and thrust them forward. The sludge formed an X-shaped pattern and flew ahead. Null sprang to action, knocking Tessa and Shane out of the attack's path. It struck the ground, leaving two large streaks of the same black slime Shane had slipped in. Only this time, the slime was bubbling.
"Ah! It's making more of that goop," Morelull gasped.
"… both of you… stop arguing… and start battling…" Null hissed, glaring at Shane and Tessa.
"She started it!" Shane accused, prompting Null to slap him upside the head.
"… and I finished it…" Null said, spinning around and sending a wind crescent rippling toward Parasect.
"Shyyaaakakaka!" Parasect clicked his pincers and then, to everyone's shock, he dissolved into a massive puddle of black ooze. His crescent moon emblems were still visible atop the ooze.
"Okay." Shane pressed a forepaw to his muzzle. "That's one way to make me lose my breakfast."
"How are we supposed to hit it like that? The slime is corrosive!" Tessa noted.
"Forget that. How's he even doing that?" Shane wondered. "Did he, like, cover himself in Goomy sludge?"
Parasect emerged from the puddle of ooze and hurled two globs of black toxins forward. "Sludge Bomb! Duck and cover!" Tessa hollered, sprinting toward the tree line. Shane quickly backpedaled toward Morelull and Shiinotic. Null was not as fortunate, however. He got caught by one of the blobs, hissing as the sludge splattered his right side.
He fell to the ground, trying to get the toxins off. Shane watched the scene with wide eyes. "Okay… that's not good," he muttered.
"Aren't you going to do something?" Shiinotic asked.
"I'm thinking… I'm thinking!" Shane insisted. He looked over, spotting Tessa peering out from behind a tree. "Hey, Riolu. Think you can keep Parasect distracted so I can sneak up on him and use Icy Wind?"
"No way. I am not going near that thing," she replied. "You be the distraction for once."
"But I have the most effective attacks of the team," Shane protested. "It's smarter for you to distract him!"
"… guys!" Null hissed, sidestepping swipes from Parasect's slime-covered pincers. He slung a bladed air crescent forward and managed to strike Parasect. However, the attack sailed clean through his goopy form, splitting it into two halves. The halves promptly melted into puddles of ooze, only to quickly rejoin. Parasect reemerged and opened his pincers. Several yellow, sparking orbs flew toward Null.
Shane ran forward and let out a gust of white air. Null flopped onto his belly and watched Shane's attack destroy the Stun Spores. Shane ran beside his teammate. "Okay, we need to keep this guy occupied. And more importantly, stop him from turning to goop. Any ideas?"
"… not really…" Null replied.
"Infect! Infek-k-k-k-k-t!" Parasect shrieked, firing more Stun Spores forward.
"I'll freeze him. You hit him with an Air Slash," Shane directed. He stepped forward and smothered Parasect's attack in blistering air. Null skirted to the side. But before he could attack, a small seed whizzed past his face. Parasect only had time to glance in Null's direction. The seed struck him right between the eyes. It bathed him in a red light and turned him as rigid as a statue.
"… huh?" Shane tilted his head in confusion. Tessa appeared between him and Null.
"Yes! It actually worked," she said, sighing in relief.
"What did you do?" Shane asked.
"I had some Stun Seeds," Tessa said. "See, I told you I didn't need to be the distraction."
"You could've at least given me an inkling of an idea as to what you were planning," Shane groaned.
"Oh, quit complaining and hit him already. He can't melt into goop while he's stunned like this," Tessa stated. "Null, you hit him too. Two super-effective attacks ought to knock him down a peg, right?"
Null and Shane exchanged looks. "What? You want me to count to three or something?" Shane scoffed.
"… hardly," Null replied. His Air Slash turned Shane's stream of Icy Wind into a jet stream of freezing air. The combined attacks struck Parasect. His petrification wore off and he screeched in pain. His body melted into goop yet again. The pile lurched forward, heading for Team Radiance.
"Okay, plan-maker," Shane said, quickly backpedaling. "What's your brilliant idea now?"
"Uh… uh…" Tessa fumbled through her item pouch and pulled out another seed. She tossed it forward and, much to her surprise, the pile of goop bubbled. Parasect reemerged, his claws clutching his jellyfish head.
"Hey, it worked!" she chirped. "Uh, I mean, just as planned. Now, go get him." She pointed a forepaw forward.
"You're not fooling anyone with that routine," Shane scoffed.
He and Null again combined Icy Wind and Air Slash, creasing an explosive rush of frigid air that swallowed up Parasect. This time, his body exploded into two piles of goop. But instead of merging together, the puddles fizzled. Eventually, two smaller Parasects emerged and snapped their pincers at Team Radiance. Each one still had a red crescent moons in their eyes.
"Eeeeeeeek!" Shane's tails shot upward. "It's multiplying! What kind of Rocky Horror Picture Show nonsense is this?"
Both Parasects sent black, X-shaped streams of poison hurtling toward the team. Shane was still in shock, and couldn't escape in time. One of the Cross Poisons splattered across his body and he collapsed in a heap. Null and Tessa turned and saw sickly purple splotches popping up across Shane's fur.
"… crud…" Null muttered. "… he's poisoned."
The two Parasects also picked up on this. They chose to focus their attentions on Shane. Each one's pincers filled with black goop. Null acted quickly, running forward while dark energy crackled around his body. He ran directly into one of the Parasect, making his foe collapse into a puddle of ooze.
This splattered sludge across Null's chest and helmet. His Pursuit attack fizzled out, allowing the second Parasect to slash Null with toxin-coated claws. He hissed in pain and staggered backward. The Parasect he hit had managed to reform in that time and strike Null with a corrosive Sludge Bomb. This buried Null under a pile of black slime.
"Infect! Infect! Infect! Infect!" the two Parasect chanted in unison, moon insignias in their eyes glowing. Null thrashed about but couldn't seem to pull himself out of the puddle of slime.
A small seed struck the Parasect on Null's left, freezing him in place. The second Parasect turned and hissed, but that noise was cut off when Tessa hammered his face with Force Palm. He split into two smaller puddles of sludge, which sizzled on the ground. Seconds later, an Icy Wind swept over the petrified Parasect. He scurried backwards and melted into slime. A poison-free Shane ran over, watching Tessa shove Null out of the gunk with her shoulder. She recoiled from the bubbling slime bristling her fur.
"This stuff is nasty!" Tessa hissed, trying to brush the ooze off her fur.
"I think Null got poisoned too," Shane observed. "We need another pecha berry."
Tessa rummaged through the pouch, but a loud hiss disrupted her. She looked up and noticed the Parasect Shane had hit was back to his feet. Not only that, but the one she struck had split in half like before. The two new, smaller Parasects clicked their pincers.
"Infek-k-k-k-k-kt!" they screeched, their voices squeakier than the larger Parasect's.
Next thing Team Radiance knew, they had three sets of Sludge Bombs flying toward them. They quickly scattered in opposite directions. But Null, already weakened from the earlier blows, couldn't run away quick enough. When the attacks struck the ground, they sent toxins splashing in all directions. Some of the goop hit Null's left side. His right legs buckled and he fell to the ground.
"Oh no!" Tessa gasped.
"Big whoop. You have Reviver Seeds, right?" Shane asked.
Tessa's panicked expression suggested otherwise. "I… I might have a Tiny Reviver Seed or two. But it'll take a little while for Null to revive."
"Infect! Infect!" the two small Parasects chanted. They scuttled toward Null.
"Uh… uh…" Tessa looked between them and the larger Parasect. "What should we do?"
Shane's brow furrowed. "You've gotta deal with the big guy. I'll handle the tiny ones with Powder Snow." Tessa opened her mouth to retort but Shane sprinted past her. "For once just don't question it and do what I say!"
Tessa grabbed another, slightly smaller seed out of her bag. She threw it right at the Parasect and it struck him on his jellyfish head. When it did, his eyelids grew heavy. He looked around in confusion, raising his pincers and waving them in front of his face.
"Shyyaaaakaaa?" he grunted. Tessa used the opening to strike. She charged forward and hit the Parasect with Force Palm. Like his counterpart, he exploded into two piles of goop. Tessa tensed up as each one formed up into a smaller Parasect.
"Shane? I've got a two-on-one situation here. Is Null–?"
An Air Slash blade whizzed past Tessa and struck the Parasect behind her. She gave a sigh of relief and lunged toward the other mini-Parasect. He melted into a puddle of goop, causing her to sail clear of him and strike the ground. Parasect rematerialized and hurled a ball of sludge at Tessa.
She yelped as the attack struck her back, splattering her with ooze. Tessa winced, a throbbing pain running through her body. She reached a trembling paw to her back, trying to fumble about for a pecha berry.
"Infect! Infect! Infect!" her assailant shrieked. He approached her, snapping his pincers repeatedly. But much to his shock, a burst of snow hit him from behind. Tessa looked over her shoulder and noticed that three of the Parasect were now covered in a thick layer of frost. Shane stood in front of them, flanks heaving. Sickly purple splotches dotted his fur again.
"I don't… feel… so good…" he groaned. "This… isn't fun… anymore..."
"… stay focused! Otherwise… we're screwed…" Null hissed, attacking the Parasect in front of him with glowing talons. That split the Parasect in half yet again, creating two micro-Parasects that barely went up to Null's ankles.
Tessa had managed to get out a pecha berry, but realized it was the team's last one. She tensed as the poison sapped more of her strength, noticing the other three Parasects defrosting.
"Vulpix!" she squeaked. "Catch!" She hurled the berry in his direction. It hit the ground next to him. He looked over at Tessa and was about to thank her, when Tessa's eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground.
"Tessa!" he cried.
"The poison… made her faint. Eat the berry…" Null growled, jumping back from a set of tiny Sludge Bombs. "… I can't… beat them… alone…"
Shane ate the pecha berry and the poisonous spots faded from his body. "But there's five of them now. How are we supposed to take them all down by ourselves?"
"I don't… know…" Null growled. He slashed one of the Parasects in an X-shaped fashion. This Parasect let out a loud screech and sank into a puddle of goo. The other Parasect near Null hissed and shot tiny Stun Spores forward. At that close range, there was nothing Null could do to avoid them. The spores crackled across his form and he seized up from paralysis.
The three Parasect in front of Shane decided to duplicate this strategy. They fired such a broad stream of Stun Spores there was no way Shane could possibly dodge them. It wasn't long before he found his own body stiffening, too.
"Nnnnngggrrrhhh…" Shane grunted. "This… can't be happening! I'm… the hero. I can't… lose… to these things. I've got… to save the world!"
"Infect! Infect! Infect! Infect!" the Parasect trio chanted. Their moon insignias glowed in unison, as did their pincers.
Shane tried to open his mouth to attack, but his muscles failed him. He couldn't even shut his eyes to brace himself for whatever it was these Parasects wanted to do to him.
Then an Ice Beam raced across the ground, striking all three Parasects. They collapsed into puddles of goop. A stream of blue-purple dragonfire shot out of the bushes the original Parasect had destroyed. It blasted the Parasect facing Null. He too collapsed into a puddle of ooze.
"W-What the–?" Shane stammered.
"Phew… looks like we made it in time. Nice navigation work, Airy!"
Shane's ears twitched. "Milotic?" he squeaked.
Team Captivate sprang out from the destroyed bushes. Serperior and Milotic opened their mouths. A stream of ice and a pulsating beam of blue dragon energy shot forward. The attacks combined to shower the puddles of ooze with bolts and ice shards. Each puddle started bubbling. Dragonair likewise shot two fiery streams of Dragonbreath at the puddles around Null. They also fizzled.
"When there's danger to be seen," Milotic declared, blowing a kiss toward a dumbfounded Shane, "Team Captivate is on the scene!"
The puddles of ooze slowly inched toward one another, making Shane's fur stand on end. "Milotic, look." Dragonair pointed her tail forward. "What do you think they're doing?"
"Surround them, ladies! We'll strike in unison, if necessary," Milotic ordered. The three serpents slithered into a triangular formation just as the puddles had recombined into one. They watched the original Parasect emerge from the puddle, his body perfectly still.
"Hold up." Serperior raised her tail. "I think he's out cold."
Shane turned toward Team Captivate. "Watch out. He could be faking or–"
The crescent moons in Parasect's eyes shattered. Red light encased his entire body, only to melt off of it into the ground. "Eww! That's totally disgusting!" Serperior cried, hopping back. Null had managed to lumber to his feet just in time to see the last of the red light dissolve into the ground, leaving Parasect's form lying there. His mushroom head had returned, but not a spot of color remained on his body. His mouth hung open.
Dragonair's eyes widened. "Is he–?"
"Nobody touch him," Milotic instructed, dangling her tail over Parasect's limp body. "He could still have some traces of whatever messed him up."
Shane stared down at the Parasect, his mouth agape. 'It's just like the Munchlaxes in Dewdrop Woods. Parasect attacked us in a berserk rage, only for the life and color to literally drain right off him.' His vision went fuzzy. 'I must be right. There's something out there turning Pokémon into these violent, crazed lunatics.'
But any elation he would have felt toward being proven right was completely drowned out by a different thought.
'… that Parasect was going to kill us!'
XxX
XxX
~Aeon Town~
~Aeon Town~
The sun had just started rising to signal a brand new day. Though Aeon Town's streets were empty, one Pokémon scurried up the main path. Whatever sort of body he had was totally hidden underneath a pale, yellow rag. His head flopped backwards as he ran, showing off a face that had been scribbled on the rag with crayon.
"Hurff… heff… gotta hurry. Sun's almost up," he panted, climbing his way up the hill leading out of town. In the process, he nearly tripped over. The lightning-shaped stick on his back fell to the ground. He got up, tugging underneath his rag so the stick stood back up and resembled a proper tail.
Eventually, he reached the top of the hill and looked around. "W-Well, I'm here," he muttered. "But where is–?"
A white blur shot out of the bushes, scooping the rag-wearing Pokémon up off the ground. He got carried off into the forest, tumbling to the ground when his abductor skidded to a halt.
"A-Absol! D-don't s-scare me l-like that!"
Absol rolled his eyes. "… tch. You're a ghost-type, Mimikyu. Do you have any idea how pathetic that sounds?"
Mimikyu looked down, trying to avoid Absol's fierce red eyes. "H-Hey, I c-could g-get in a l-lot of t-trouble for d-doing this, y'know?"
"Quit your blubbering," Absol growled, lowering his black, serrated forehead scythe toward Mimikyu's rag. Mimikyu squeaked and shrank back. "Do you have the TM or not?"
Mimikyu started shaking. "I… I… I'm sorry…"
Absol's eyes glowed a sickly purple. The same color flared up on his scythe. "WHAT?" he snarled. "Then why are you even here?"
Mimikyu walked back into a tree. "I… I couldn't Shadow Sneak into the Kecleon Shop. They must have some sort of magical ward over the entrance. I did everything I could. Please don't hurt me!"
"I needed that TM!" Absol hissed. He lashed out with his right forepaw, smacking Mimikyu against the tree. "Great." He turned away from Mimikyu. "Now, I've got to think of something else."
"U-Um… w-well…"
Absol raised a forepaw, silencing Mimikyu. "You're useless to me now. Go away."
"B-But…"
Absol narrowed his eyes at Mimikyu. "Go. Away."
Mimikyu sprinted away, nearly losing his rag in the process. Absol watched him go, digging into the dirt with his right forepaw. When the ghost was out of sight, he crept forward through the forest.
"… by my tabulations, that was a most spectacular letdown, Gallian. Bravo!"
The named Absol froze beside a tree. "… tch. I don't need your sarcasm, Sticky. Get down here."
The leaves above Gallian rustled and out from them popped a small, pink and purple pixie. "Sarcasm? I am afraid that word is not in my vernacular," Sticky exclaimed, tilting his oversized, circular head and brushing the needle sticking out of it against the nearest branch. "Could you explain it to me?"
Gallian shot Sticky a glare that said that no, he would not.
"Erm… well then…" Sticky fidgeted his tiny, nub-tipped arms and nervously flicked his equally-small tail. "It is surprising your special sense did not alert you to this outcome."
Gallian's eyes flickered purple again. He turned his head to show off the one oversized fang protruding from his lips. "I already told you, Sticky, my disaster sense warns about serious consequences, not minor inconveniences."
"But you have spoken at length about the importance of getting this 'teeyem.' Would that terrestrial's failure not be a serious consequence for you, then?" Sticky wondered.
Gallian's left eye twitched. "You're the only one here making it into a bigger deal than it is," he hissed. "All this means is that I need to try a different approach." He crept to the forest's edge and looked out over Aeon Town. "If I couldn't get someone else to steal the TM, then I suppose I'll just need to take the direct route."
"What exactly is inhibiting you from simply purchasing this item?" Sticky wondered.
"I already told you. That's not an option. It ends disastrously," Gallian seethed. He started pacing back and forth. "Let's see here. Going in while the shop's locked up isn't an option since I can't Shadow Sneak. I could try breaking in…" he thought out loud, but his voice trailed off. His entire body stiffened and the red, diamond-shaped jewel in his forehead flickered ominously.
"No!" he hissed, shaking his head. "That option doesn't work either."
"Another disaster?" Sticky asked.
"I will not question my sense. It hasn't led me astray yet," Gallian insisted. He resumed pacing. "So, it looks like the best shot is to go in during broad daylight. But to do that, I'll need to give myself an opening." He looked out across Aeon Town. "What would make a solid distraction that'll rile the whole town up?" Gallian scanned the town, glancing over all of its buildings. His gaze fell on one building in particular, sitting at the top of a hill overlooking the town square.
The fur on the back of Gallian neck prickled. A chill ran along his spine. "The Observatory," he whispered. His gem flickered once again. "Something's happening there." Gallian walked out of the forest and sat down, studying the Aeon Observatory.
"I detect that you are unnerved. Perhaps I could assist in making this distraction?" Sticky offered. "That way, you can investigate that municipal lodging."
Gallian's eyes widened and he scowled at Sticky. "No! You'll stay here. No good will come of you going to Aeon Town."
"But, that is your old employer you are staring at, correct?" Sticky pointed out. "Would it not be equally disastrous to be spotted there after abandoning them?"
Gallian gritted his teeth. "… as far as I'm concerned, ignoring this feeling is the greater of two evils. I have no choice but to scope the place out. I'll think up some sort of way to get the TM on my own."
Sticky's head lolled to one side. "Very well. I shall resume recharging my energy in one of these tree branches. They are surprisingly cozy." Sticky floated up into a nearby tree, leaving Gallian to turn back and face the Observatory.
"… tch. I told myself I wouldn't go back there. Looks like I'm gonna have to break that promise."
XxX
Episode 5: The Renegade Explorer
Chapter 13: Beware the Forest's Mushrooms
XxX
~Aeon Observatory~
Episode 5: The Renegade Explorer
Chapter 13: Beware the Forest's Mushrooms
XxX
~Aeon Observatory~
"Hang on. Run that one by me again," Tessa said, rubbing her eyes with her paws.
Shane quickened his pace. "I think I know why I'm here," he declared. "I need to find out what's responsible for making Pokémon like those Munchlax go berserk."
Tessa frowned. "Don't you think that's a bit pretentious?"
"No, it's right in line with the other times humans have popped up around here," Shane replied. "I know it doesn't seem like much of a problem now, but my gut is telling me that I'm going to have to get to the bottom of this issue eventually. So, we should tackle it sooner, rather than later. Y'know, be all proactive and stuff!"
Tessa froze in the hallway. "Okay, is there something you're not telling me? I know you said Pokémon are fictional where you come from, but it sounds to me like you know more than you're letting on. Which is, uh, surprising, given the way things have gone for us so far."
Shane raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Oh… that." He pawed at the ground. "You, uh, promise not to call me crazy if I tell you this?"
Tessa crossed her arms. "Prefacing whatever you have to say with that line isn't helping your case."
"Okay, okay," Shane sighed. "The truth is… those stories you mentioned to me about humans? They're similar to a set of games that starred Pokémon in my world." Tessa started to open her mouth, but Shane held up a forepaw. "Hang on. Before you go accusing me of anything here, I just want you to know that it's not exactly the same. For starters, a ton of stuff I've seen here was never in those games. Heck, there was no Horizon Continent in them, period."
"I mean, look at me. There's no such thing as ice-type Vulpixes where I come from," Shane declared, gesturing at his torso. "Or dark-type Meowths. And definitely not whatever the heck Null is supposed to b–"
Tessa made a slashing gesture across her throat.
Shane's ears drooped. "… he's standing right behind me, isn't he?" Tessa nodded slowly. Shane turned around, his tails ducking between his legs. "N-Null… morning! D-Did ya sleep well?"
Null nodded.
"I, uh, wasn't trying to insult you or anything. Y'know, with what I just said." Shane gave a nervous laugh. "H-Honestly!"
Null's gray eyes continued glaring at Shane.
"Err, let's just go to morning assembly," Shane mumbled.
"Uh, did you forget? Today's the start of the expedition to Sunset Shoals," Tessa said. "It's just the three of us and any veterans who are hanging around the guild."
"Oh, right." Shane's shoulders slumped. "Well then, what are we supposed to do? Sentry duty?"
Null shrugged.
"Mwee hee hee! Now, there's no need for that, today. You should head outside. Stretch your legs a bit."
Shane's fur stood on end. "Who said that?" He quickly scanned the room.
A pair of eyes and a large mouth appeared on the ceiling. Shane went as stiff as a stone statue. He fell onto his side, unmoving. Null waved a foreleg in front of Shane's face, but got no response. "Haunter, get out of the ceiling," Tessa sighed.
"Aww… but I like it here," Haunter pouted. "Haven't you ever heard that old expression? Uh, what was it again? Oh yeah! 'Walls have ears, potatoes have eyes.' Something like that."
"But, you're putting eyes and a mouth on the ceiling. Not ears on the wall," Tessa pointed out.
Misdreavus rose out of the floor. "Golly. She got you there, Haunter."
Haunter materialized from the ceiling and floated down toward Team Radiance. "… fine. Ruin my fun. At least I spooked Snowball over there. Mwee hee hee hee!"
Drifloon appeared from behind Null. "Yup, you scared him silly."
Null plucked Shane's petrified form off the ground and shook him about. Shane came to. "Hey!" He thrashed about in Null's grip. "Put me down! Put me down! You're gonna mess up my fur!" Null shrugged and then unceremoniously dropped Shane. Tessa fought to hide a snicker.
"Yeah, sure, okay, get your laughs out of the way now," Shane grumbled, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "What do you spooks want with us, anyway?"
"Oh, golly, we can't just stop by and say hi to our novice explorers?" Misdreavus said. "Hooo-whee, guess you're just itching for something to do, then. Gee whiz, Haunter, do you think we can lend them a hand?"
"I don't know, Missy D." Haunter's smile grew. "We only have two hands to split between the three of us." He raised up his two hands and wiggled his fingers.
Shane frowned. "You guys aren't being funny, you know."
Haunter rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, who tied your tails in a knot this morning? Oh wait…" A giant grin appeared on his face. "… I did!"
"Wait, what?" Shane walked about in a circle, trying to see his tails.
"Made you look! Made you look!" Haunter cackled.
"Just tell me what you want with my team already!" Shane barked.
Tessa raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Your team?"
"Ugh, you know what I meant," Shane grumbled.
Haunter waved his right hand and a scroll appeared in it. He unraveled it. "We got a request this morning from Morelull and Shiinotic. Seems they're looking to gather Luminous Moss from the deeper reaches of Twilight Forest. They would like a team to accompany them for support."
"Aww, geez, Haunter. You're letting 'em go to Twilight Forest? Golly, you folks don't know how lucky you are," Misdreavus said. "Twilight Forest is quite a pretty place. Yessiree, you oughta enjoy it a lot."
Tessa accepted the scroll from Haunter. "Isn't Twilight Forest northeast of Clayback River?"
"Yes," Drifloon replied. "You should get one of the Sharpedo Sailors to take you over to Terrace Village. It overlooks the forest."
Null cleared his throat.
"What's the matter, big guy?" Shane asked.
"… I'm not exactly… small…" Null muttered. "How would… I get there?"
"Hey now, don't underestimate those Sharpedo Sailors. The guy we used on our first mission seemed pretty tough," Tessa exclaimed. "I'll bet one could carry you, no problem!"
XxX
~Terrace Village~
~Terrace Village~
Shane jumped off a Sharpedo, landing on a sturdy wooden dock. He took in a deep breath. "Ahh, smell that rich, forest ai–"
He doubled over in a coughing fit. Tessa appeared beside him. "Um, are you okay?"
"I think… I swallowed… a leaf!" Shane wheezed. Tessa smacked him on the back a couple of times. Shane's wheezing stopped and he straightened himself up.
"Phew… thanks, partner," he chirped. "I swear, between this place and Dewdrop Woods, the forests of this world have it out for me."
The dock shuddered, making Tessa and Shane stumble off of it. Null lumbered forward, trying his best not to break any of the wooden planks. He quickly got off the dock and helped his teammates to their feet. Together, they made their way up from the dock and found a small, rustic cluster of brown, wooden houses that resembled log cabins. Brick chimneys stuck up from each building, two of which gave off trails of black smoke. While a few trees dotted the area, the bulk of them were actually below the village.
"Wow!" Shane sprinted past the houses, skidding to a halt by a particularly large oak tree. "This whole town's up on top of a big hill. That must be Twilight Forest down there."
Tessa jogged after him. "Uh, I don't really see what's all that cool about it. But good for you, I guess?"
"I'm serious here. This is nothing like where I live in the human world. I've never gone up a hill or climbed a mountain or anything like that," Shane said. "Heck, I've only flown in an airplane a few times. This is my first time looking out over a big swathe of trees like this. It's positively breathtaking!" He shook his head. "Oh, why did I never go outside more as a human? I've totally been missing out."
Shane lifted his head up to continue looking at the forest. "I do have to wonder, though, why are the trees purple?" He turned to Tessa. "Is that supposed to happen? The trees in Dewdrop Woods were big, sure, but their colors weren't weird."
Tessa rubbed her chin. "Hmm… you know, I think my br– uh, I mean, I think Sylveon told me about this once." She turned to her right and pointed. "Look over there."
Shane followed Tessa's paw. His jaw dropped. Off in the distance, a set of tree-covered mountains jutted out from the ground. The trees were blanketed in heavy layers of snow and the mountains' peaks were hidden by dense gray clouds.
"Those are the Invern Mountains," Tessa announced. "If you were a normal Vulpix, that would be your home. They're also the reason why everything in Twilight Forest has a purple tint to it. Sunlight strikes the snow-covered mountains and reflects off of it, hitting the trees down there. At least, that's what I've heard."
Shane whistled. "Whoa. I don't really think I'd want to climb up one of those. My parents always told me it's hard to breathe at high elevations. Sometimes you can get sick from it."
"You're a Vulpix, though. You'd be perfectly fine," Tessa dismissed.
"EEEEEEEEEK! IT'S A MONSTER!"
The two canines turned around to see a small, white Pokémon cowering against a wooden door. He had three tiny mushrooms sticking out of his head. Null looked right at the creature.
"Wait, wait, wait," Tessa called, running to Null's side. "It's okay, little guy. This isn't a monster. He's from the Horizon Guild, just like me." She knelt down beside the little Pokémon. "I'm Riolu. My exploration team is here to help Morelull and Shiinotic. Do you know where they are?"
"I'm Morelull. Shiinotic's my mommy."
Tessa smiled at Morelull. "Oh, perfect. Do you think you could get your mom for us? We're ready to help you guys get through Twilight Forest."
Morelull looked hesitantly at Null. "O… Okay," he squeaked, and ducked inside of his house.
Tessa turned to Null. "Sorry about that."
Null looked down at the dirt. "… I knew this was… a bad idea. Should've… just stayed back."
"Don't say that!" Tessa scolded, approaching Null's side. "They just need time to get used to you.
"Here's a suggestion. Try, y'know, not speaking with that creepy, raspy voice of yours and everything should be fine," Shane sneered.
"Shane!" Tessa narrowed her eyes at him. "That's not very nice."
Shane's snout stiffened. "I was just trying to help…" he mumbled.
A creaking noise drew the group's attention. They turned and noticed a trio of serpents slithering out from another house.
"Milotic?" Tessa gasped. "What are you doing here?"
Milotic met Tessa's gaze. "Riri!" She smiled and blew a kiss in Tessa's direction. "What a surprise to see your team here. Most novices never go beyond Clayback River."
"There was an assignment and you know as well as I do the guild's short Pokémon right now," Tessa explained.
"How brave," Serperior chuckled. "I see you even managed to drag Mr. Personality out of the sentry station." She glanced at Null. "I'm surprised you didn't, like, melt in the sunlight."
Null lowered his head, fixing his sharp gaze on Serperior.
"Now, now, Serperior. We shouldn't tease our fellow guild members," Dragonair scolded.
"I invited him to join Team Radiance, for the record," Tessa declared. "He, uh, didn't exactly say yes, but he's going to give us some help from time to time."
"Well, aren't you the little risk-taker," Serperior giggled. "Quite the feisty little girl, ain't ya? Just like your mother. I'll bet she would've done the same thing if she were–"
"Leave them alone, Serpy," Milotic said. "Besides, we have to work to do."
"What are you girls doing here, anyway?" Shane asked.
"Sorry, Snowball, that's on a need to know basis. And you're not part of that need," Serperior replied. "But we'll totally try to snag a souvenir or something for ya from where we're heading. C'mon, girls!" Serperior gave Shane a flirtatious wink and then Team Captivate slithered off in the direction of the forest. Before anyone could say anything, the door Morelull entered opened up.
"Here they are, mommy. They're the exploration team."
Team Radiance turned around to see Morelull standing next to an oversized, white-and-pink mushroom. Shane opened his mouth to say something, but Tessa beat him to it. "You must be, Shiinotic, then? I'm Riolu, and these are my partners, Vulpix and Null."
"Um, my name is Shane," Shane muttered dejectedly.
"So very nice to meet you all," Shiinotic said, bobbing her head. She did cast a nervous glance in Null's direction, however. "Are you ready to go into the forest?"
"I think so," Tessa said. "You said we're heading for the deeper recesses in the north, right?"
"Yes. Morelull and I tried to get some Luminous Moss yesterday. But there wasn't any growing in the spot we usually visit," Shiinotic explained. "And, well, we've never gone too deep into the forest. I'm worried about wild Pokémon."
"No problem. We're just the crew needed to dispatch any problems," Shane declared. "Let's get to it!"
XxX
~Twilight Forest~
~Twilight Forest~
Shane jogged in circles around the group, staring up at the trees.
"It's so pretty!" he chirped. "Everything's glowing purple! The trees… the mushrooms… the grass… and hey, is that a glowing bush?" He ran toward a thorny bush. "It's like nature meets an after-hours club. All it's missing is the trance music with a thumping bass."
Tessa shook her head in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"
"It's a human thing. You wouldn't understand," Shane scoffed.
"Well, it's called Twilight Forest for a reason," Shiinotic mused. "The light that trickles down from the Invern Mountains gives this place a constant purple glow. Kind of like the sky in early evening. It seems to have a very calming effect. Wild Pokémon are quite friendly around here."
"Is that why you two regularly gather Luminous Moss from here, then?" Tessa asked.
"Correct," Shiinotic said. "But something's been off in the forest as of late. When we didn't find any Luminous Moss in our usual spot, we sent a note to the guild requesting help."
Shane frowned. "What? Who's harshing the mellow in this place?" He looked around. "I've got an Icy Wind ready for a special delivery!"
"What do you mean by 'off' exactly?" Tessa asked.
"Several days back, my neighbor, Parasect, stumbled out of the forest. I'd never seen him look so worn and ragged," Shiinotic explained. "He explained that a swarm of Fomantis had attacked him for no good reason."
"But you still took Morelull into the forest?" Shane gasped. "That's not very responsible."
"… you're hardly… one to talk… human," Null growled. Shane frightfully squeaked and quickened his pace, allowing Tessa to hang back with Shiinotic and Morelull.
"Is that the only issue you guys encountered?" she asked.
"No." Morelull shook his head. "When we went out to the forest… the mossy area was all sickly and gross!" He shivered and cuddled up beside Shiinotic.
"What do you mean by tha–?"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
CRAAAAAASH!
Tessa spun around. "What was that?" She noticed Null standing next to a tree, looking farther into the forest.
"… the human… stepped here," he reported. "… slid off… and crashed… into that tree." He pointed a foreleg forward. Tessa saw Shane lying in a dazed heap, with dead leaves surrounding him.
"Why no, officer. I don't know where that came from," Shane muttered.
Tessa walked up to Null and looked at the ground. "That… doesn't look right," she whispered.
"That's it!" Morelull gasped. "That's the creepy black stuff mommy and I saw in the mossy area."
Tessa ran her paw across the pitch-black spot in the dirt. She immediately yanked it back. "Ack!" She wrung her paw out. "That kind of hurt. It's like something leaped out of the dirt and bit me."
Null poked the black spot with a talon and quickly pulled it away. "It felt… very slick," he observed. "Must've been… why the human went flying…"
Shane managed to stumble back to their location, shaking leaves off his body. "Yeah, thanks for the hand back there, guys. Really feeling the love today."
"You stepped in some sort of… well… I don't really know what it is," Tessa said. She pointed at the black spot.
"Oh, come on, that's not fair," Shane huffed, "It's barely darker than the dirt. How was I supposed to see that?"
"That's what you're focused on?" Tessa groaned. "How about the fact that there's some sort of creepy slime in what's supposed to be a very peaceful forest?"
"Oh, that? P'shaaw!" Shane smirked. "It's obviously a result of the super-evil force that's making Pokémon go berserk. Once Team Radiance beats back that evil, the slime will disappear. Case closed."
"P-Pokémon are going berserk?" Morelull gasped. "M-Mommy, do you think those Fomantis were acting like that?"
"Don't you think that's a bit of a stretch, Vulpix?" Tessa asked. "There's no sign of any Pokémon like that here."
"… shyyyaaaaakaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
A shrill cry echoed through the forest, making the entire group tense up.
"Mommy, what was that?" Morelull asked.
Shane rolled his eyes. "Oh, nice going, genius. You totally jinxed us!"
"Me? You were the one who screamed a frightened Loudred a few minutes ago," Tessa reminded him. "You probably drew the attention of some wild Pokémon!"
The bushes near where Shane collapsed earlier rustled.
"Yeah right," Shane scoffed. "What you said was only one rung below, 'It can't possibly get any worse than this.'"
"… guys?"
The shaking bushes exploded in a flurry of leaves. A large, crab-like creature with black, armored pincers leaped out, landing in front of the group.
"Shyakakaka!" the crab shrieked.
"Parasect?" Shiinotic gasped.
Shane whirled on Tessa with a horrified look. "Please tell me that's what Parasect are supposed to look like in Horizon."
Tessa recoiled in disgust. "It's… it's not.
"Really? Are you sure they don't have a white jellyfish sitting where their big mushroom should be?" Shane said. "Oh god, it's wriggling its tiny little tentacles and everything!"
"I am very sure," Tessa insisted.
"Mommy, what happened to Mr. Parasect?" Morelull whimpered. "He looks scary!"
"Shhhyaaaaaa! Infect… I want to… infe-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-t!"
Parasect coated his pincers in sickly black goop and thrust them forward. The sludge formed an X-shaped pattern and flew ahead. Null sprang to action, knocking Tessa and Shane out of the attack's path. It struck the ground, leaving two large streaks of the same black slime Shane had slipped in. Only this time, the slime was bubbling.
"Ah! It's making more of that goop," Morelull gasped.
"… both of you… stop arguing… and start battling…" Null hissed, glaring at Shane and Tessa.
"She started it!" Shane accused, prompting Null to slap him upside the head.
"… and I finished it…" Null said, spinning around and sending a wind crescent rippling toward Parasect.
"Shyyaaakakaka!" Parasect clicked his pincers and then, to everyone's shock, he dissolved into a massive puddle of black ooze. His crescent moon emblems were still visible atop the ooze.
"Okay." Shane pressed a forepaw to his muzzle. "That's one way to make me lose my breakfast."
"How are we supposed to hit it like that? The slime is corrosive!" Tessa noted.
"Forget that. How's he even doing that?" Shane wondered. "Did he, like, cover himself in Goomy sludge?"
Parasect emerged from the puddle of ooze and hurled two globs of black toxins forward. "Sludge Bomb! Duck and cover!" Tessa hollered, sprinting toward the tree line. Shane quickly backpedaled toward Morelull and Shiinotic. Null was not as fortunate, however. He got caught by one of the blobs, hissing as the sludge splattered his right side.
He fell to the ground, trying to get the toxins off. Shane watched the scene with wide eyes. "Okay… that's not good," he muttered.
"Aren't you going to do something?" Shiinotic asked.
"I'm thinking… I'm thinking!" Shane insisted. He looked over, spotting Tessa peering out from behind a tree. "Hey, Riolu. Think you can keep Parasect distracted so I can sneak up on him and use Icy Wind?"
"No way. I am not going near that thing," she replied. "You be the distraction for once."
"But I have the most effective attacks of the team," Shane protested. "It's smarter for you to distract him!"
"… guys!" Null hissed, sidestepping swipes from Parasect's slime-covered pincers. He slung a bladed air crescent forward and managed to strike Parasect. However, the attack sailed clean through his goopy form, splitting it into two halves. The halves promptly melted into puddles of ooze, only to quickly rejoin. Parasect reemerged and opened his pincers. Several yellow, sparking orbs flew toward Null.
Shane ran forward and let out a gust of white air. Null flopped onto his belly and watched Shane's attack destroy the Stun Spores. Shane ran beside his teammate. "Okay, we need to keep this guy occupied. And more importantly, stop him from turning to goop. Any ideas?"
"… not really…" Null replied.
"Infect! Infek-k-k-k-k-t!" Parasect shrieked, firing more Stun Spores forward.
"I'll freeze him. You hit him with an Air Slash," Shane directed. He stepped forward and smothered Parasect's attack in blistering air. Null skirted to the side. But before he could attack, a small seed whizzed past his face. Parasect only had time to glance in Null's direction. The seed struck him right between the eyes. It bathed him in a red light and turned him as rigid as a statue.
"… huh?" Shane tilted his head in confusion. Tessa appeared between him and Null.
"Yes! It actually worked," she said, sighing in relief.
"What did you do?" Shane asked.
"I had some Stun Seeds," Tessa said. "See, I told you I didn't need to be the distraction."
"You could've at least given me an inkling of an idea as to what you were planning," Shane groaned.
"Oh, quit complaining and hit him already. He can't melt into goop while he's stunned like this," Tessa stated. "Null, you hit him too. Two super-effective attacks ought to knock him down a peg, right?"
Null and Shane exchanged looks. "What? You want me to count to three or something?" Shane scoffed.
"… hardly," Null replied. His Air Slash turned Shane's stream of Icy Wind into a jet stream of freezing air. The combined attacks struck Parasect. His petrification wore off and he screeched in pain. His body melted into goop yet again. The pile lurched forward, heading for Team Radiance.
"Okay, plan-maker," Shane said, quickly backpedaling. "What's your brilliant idea now?"
"Uh… uh…" Tessa fumbled through her item pouch and pulled out another seed. She tossed it forward and, much to her surprise, the pile of goop bubbled. Parasect reemerged, his claws clutching his jellyfish head.
"Hey, it worked!" she chirped. "Uh, I mean, just as planned. Now, go get him." She pointed a forepaw forward.
"You're not fooling anyone with that routine," Shane scoffed.
He and Null again combined Icy Wind and Air Slash, creasing an explosive rush of frigid air that swallowed up Parasect. This time, his body exploded into two piles of goop. But instead of merging together, the puddles fizzled. Eventually, two smaller Parasects emerged and snapped their pincers at Team Radiance. Each one still had a red crescent moons in their eyes.
"Eeeeeeeek!" Shane's tails shot upward. "It's multiplying! What kind of Rocky Horror Picture Show nonsense is this?"
Both Parasects sent black, X-shaped streams of poison hurtling toward the team. Shane was still in shock, and couldn't escape in time. One of the Cross Poisons splattered across his body and he collapsed in a heap. Null and Tessa turned and saw sickly purple splotches popping up across Shane's fur.
"… crud…" Null muttered. "… he's poisoned."
The two Parasects also picked up on this. They chose to focus their attentions on Shane. Each one's pincers filled with black goop. Null acted quickly, running forward while dark energy crackled around his body. He ran directly into one of the Parasect, making his foe collapse into a puddle of ooze.
This splattered sludge across Null's chest and helmet. His Pursuit attack fizzled out, allowing the second Parasect to slash Null with toxin-coated claws. He hissed in pain and staggered backward. The Parasect he hit had managed to reform in that time and strike Null with a corrosive Sludge Bomb. This buried Null under a pile of black slime.
"Infect! Infect! Infect! Infect!" the two Parasect chanted in unison, moon insignias in their eyes glowing. Null thrashed about but couldn't seem to pull himself out of the puddle of slime.
A small seed struck the Parasect on Null's left, freezing him in place. The second Parasect turned and hissed, but that noise was cut off when Tessa hammered his face with Force Palm. He split into two smaller puddles of sludge, which sizzled on the ground. Seconds later, an Icy Wind swept over the petrified Parasect. He scurried backwards and melted into slime. A poison-free Shane ran over, watching Tessa shove Null out of the gunk with her shoulder. She recoiled from the bubbling slime bristling her fur.
"This stuff is nasty!" Tessa hissed, trying to brush the ooze off her fur.
"I think Null got poisoned too," Shane observed. "We need another pecha berry."
Tessa rummaged through the pouch, but a loud hiss disrupted her. She looked up and noticed the Parasect Shane had hit was back to his feet. Not only that, but the one she struck had split in half like before. The two new, smaller Parasects clicked their pincers.
"Infek-k-k-k-k-kt!" they screeched, their voices squeakier than the larger Parasect's.
Next thing Team Radiance knew, they had three sets of Sludge Bombs flying toward them. They quickly scattered in opposite directions. But Null, already weakened from the earlier blows, couldn't run away quick enough. When the attacks struck the ground, they sent toxins splashing in all directions. Some of the goop hit Null's left side. His right legs buckled and he fell to the ground.
"Oh no!" Tessa gasped.
"Big whoop. You have Reviver Seeds, right?" Shane asked.
Tessa's panicked expression suggested otherwise. "I… I might have a Tiny Reviver Seed or two. But it'll take a little while for Null to revive."
"Infect! Infect!" the two small Parasects chanted. They scuttled toward Null.
"Uh… uh…" Tessa looked between them and the larger Parasect. "What should we do?"
Shane's brow furrowed. "You've gotta deal with the big guy. I'll handle the tiny ones with Powder Snow." Tessa opened her mouth to retort but Shane sprinted past her. "For once just don't question it and do what I say!"
Tessa grabbed another, slightly smaller seed out of her bag. She threw it right at the Parasect and it struck him on his jellyfish head. When it did, his eyelids grew heavy. He looked around in confusion, raising his pincers and waving them in front of his face.
"Shyyaaaakaaa?" he grunted. Tessa used the opening to strike. She charged forward and hit the Parasect with Force Palm. Like his counterpart, he exploded into two piles of goop. Tessa tensed up as each one formed up into a smaller Parasect.
"Shane? I've got a two-on-one situation here. Is Null–?"
An Air Slash blade whizzed past Tessa and struck the Parasect behind her. She gave a sigh of relief and lunged toward the other mini-Parasect. He melted into a puddle of goop, causing her to sail clear of him and strike the ground. Parasect rematerialized and hurled a ball of sludge at Tessa.
She yelped as the attack struck her back, splattering her with ooze. Tessa winced, a throbbing pain running through her body. She reached a trembling paw to her back, trying to fumble about for a pecha berry.
"Infect! Infect! Infect!" her assailant shrieked. He approached her, snapping his pincers repeatedly. But much to his shock, a burst of snow hit him from behind. Tessa looked over her shoulder and noticed that three of the Parasect were now covered in a thick layer of frost. Shane stood in front of them, flanks heaving. Sickly purple splotches dotted his fur again.
"I don't… feel… so good…" he groaned. "This… isn't fun… anymore..."
"… stay focused! Otherwise… we're screwed…" Null hissed, attacking the Parasect in front of him with glowing talons. That split the Parasect in half yet again, creating two micro-Parasects that barely went up to Null's ankles.
Tessa had managed to get out a pecha berry, but realized it was the team's last one. She tensed as the poison sapped more of her strength, noticing the other three Parasects defrosting.
"Vulpix!" she squeaked. "Catch!" She hurled the berry in his direction. It hit the ground next to him. He looked over at Tessa and was about to thank her, when Tessa's eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground.
"Tessa!" he cried.
"The poison… made her faint. Eat the berry…" Null growled, jumping back from a set of tiny Sludge Bombs. "… I can't… beat them… alone…"
Shane ate the pecha berry and the poisonous spots faded from his body. "But there's five of them now. How are we supposed to take them all down by ourselves?"
"I don't… know…" Null growled. He slashed one of the Parasects in an X-shaped fashion. This Parasect let out a loud screech and sank into a puddle of goo. The other Parasect near Null hissed and shot tiny Stun Spores forward. At that close range, there was nothing Null could do to avoid them. The spores crackled across his form and he seized up from paralysis.
The three Parasect in front of Shane decided to duplicate this strategy. They fired such a broad stream of Stun Spores there was no way Shane could possibly dodge them. It wasn't long before he found his own body stiffening, too.
"Nnnnngggrrrhhh…" Shane grunted. "This… can't be happening! I'm… the hero. I can't… lose… to these things. I've got… to save the world!"
"Infect! Infect! Infect! Infect!" the Parasect trio chanted. Their moon insignias glowed in unison, as did their pincers.
Shane tried to open his mouth to attack, but his muscles failed him. He couldn't even shut his eyes to brace himself for whatever it was these Parasects wanted to do to him.
Then an Ice Beam raced across the ground, striking all three Parasects. They collapsed into puddles of goop. A stream of blue-purple dragonfire shot out of the bushes the original Parasect had destroyed. It blasted the Parasect facing Null. He too collapsed into a puddle of ooze.
"W-What the–?" Shane stammered.
"Phew… looks like we made it in time. Nice navigation work, Airy!"
Shane's ears twitched. "Milotic?" he squeaked.
Team Captivate sprang out from the destroyed bushes. Serperior and Milotic opened their mouths. A stream of ice and a pulsating beam of blue dragon energy shot forward. The attacks combined to shower the puddles of ooze with bolts and ice shards. Each puddle started bubbling. Dragonair likewise shot two fiery streams of Dragonbreath at the puddles around Null. They also fizzled.
"When there's danger to be seen," Milotic declared, blowing a kiss toward a dumbfounded Shane, "Team Captivate is on the scene!"
The puddles of ooze slowly inched toward one another, making Shane's fur stand on end. "Milotic, look." Dragonair pointed her tail forward. "What do you think they're doing?"
"Surround them, ladies! We'll strike in unison, if necessary," Milotic ordered. The three serpents slithered into a triangular formation just as the puddles had recombined into one. They watched the original Parasect emerge from the puddle, his body perfectly still.
"Hold up." Serperior raised her tail. "I think he's out cold."
Shane turned toward Team Captivate. "Watch out. He could be faking or–"
The crescent moons in Parasect's eyes shattered. Red light encased his entire body, only to melt off of it into the ground. "Eww! That's totally disgusting!" Serperior cried, hopping back. Null had managed to lumber to his feet just in time to see the last of the red light dissolve into the ground, leaving Parasect's form lying there. His mushroom head had returned, but not a spot of color remained on his body. His mouth hung open.
Dragonair's eyes widened. "Is he–?"
"Nobody touch him," Milotic instructed, dangling her tail over Parasect's limp body. "He could still have some traces of whatever messed him up."
Shane stared down at the Parasect, his mouth agape. 'It's just like the Munchlaxes in Dewdrop Woods. Parasect attacked us in a berserk rage, only for the life and color to literally drain right off him.' His vision went fuzzy. 'I must be right. There's something out there turning Pokémon into these violent, crazed lunatics.'
But any elation he would have felt toward being proven right was completely drowned out by a different thought.
'… that Parasect was going to kill us!'
XxX
Nihilistic Terror, Ultra Parasect
Exposure to the Prism Virus morphed the mushroom atop Parasect's head. The poisons leaking into his body have drained him of the last of his free will. Now, all he can think about is spreading his toxins throughout Twilight Forest and sucking the life of whatever he can get his poisonous tentacles on.
Exposure to the Prism Virus morphed the mushroom atop Parasect's head. The poisons leaking into his body have drained him of the last of his free will. Now, all he can think about is spreading his toxins throughout Twilight Forest and sucking the life of whatever he can get his poisonous tentacles on.