Shadows of Eternity (GCEA Halloween)

[Noblejanobii]

Phones rang, keyboards clicked, and pens scratched. The typical ensemble of office noises. The days had begun to blur together as of late, as the lack of entertainment forced a return to the usual hum drum of normal life. It was to be expected, if one has to guess, after all, the lack of your other half can make life rather lack luster.

Dylan Thomas leaned back in his chair, sighing loudly as he spun the chair in circles in his cubicle. He had paperwork to finish, but procrastination was one of his many talents when it came to paperwork. It had been several weeks since his job had taken him out of the office. Sure, being a Pokemon Bureau of Investigation member had its perks, but Sinnoh had been irritatingly quiet lately. Dylan was a man of action and thinking on the fly. He was not meant for cubicle life. Glancing at his cell and office phone for the thousandth time that day, Dylan let out another loud sigh and slammed his face into his keyboard.

"That's not how you're supposed to use one of those, you know." Dylan lifted his head a little and glanced over to the entrance of his small space. He recognized the female leaning in immediately, Belladonna Digitalis Oleander, aka Fox. Alike the majority of the other PBI members, Fox was a type specialist as well, and it isn't hard to guess which one upon hearing her full name. Earning her nickname Fox from her middle name, which is the genus for foxglove plants, Fox takes pride in her poisonous Pokemon. Her hair was always changing colors, being dyed whatever she liked. Today, Dylan noted, it was platinum blonde with a purple streak in the front, pulled back into a tight bun. Her skin was a deep brown, the kind that can be attributed to the earth after a long rain following an even longer drought, and her eyes were the color of the sky. Currently she was dressed in a green, purple, and pink tie-dye shirt with jeans that were ripped at the knees and brown ducklett books. With her partner Hemlock the Roserade, she is well known within the business for being sent on drug runs.

"Are you sure? It gets the job done quite well in my opinion," Dylan countered. Fox snickered a little at the comment and tossed a notepad at Dylan. He caught it with his right hand and read the front page.

"An assignment. You and me. Gotta investigate some shadow Pokemon activity in Eterna Forest," Fox explained, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Finally!" Dylan cheered, pumping both his fists into the air. He caught Fox's confused look, both her eyebrows lifted into the air. "I'm really bored, in case you can't tell."

"The amount of paperwork in your outbox was a dead giveaway," Fox replied, gesturing to the empty container. Dylan nodded slightly and skimmed the notes.

"I thought we were going to Eterna Forest," he said, noting the excessive mention of the Valley Windworks in the report.

"You and I are, Cleo and Seth are covering the Windworks." Dylan pursed his lips then looked up from the report.

"So this just randomly happened one day? Seems a little suspicious if you ask me."

"You think foul play is involved?" Fox asked.

"I do," Dylan answered simply, "and I think we need to get to the bottom of this before anyone gets hurt."

***

A plane shook and rattled as it sliced through clouds high above Floroma Town. Its destination was not too far away, but first it had to drop off two packages. Ever since the outbreak, Eterna Forest had been completely sealed off. The only way to enter was through an aerial entry. Two PBI agents clutched handles hanging from the ceiling of the cabin. Goggles hung around their necks and their windbreaker jackets were zipped all the way up. A crackle came over the speakers, causing both individuals to look up. Dylan released the handle and slid the goggles over his eyes. Unclipping a luxury ball from his belt, he looked over to see Fox already undoing the cabin door. She pulled hard and the door came loose before being sucked out from the sudden force of air. Fox managed to grab a handle before being pulled out herself.

"Are you ready?" she yelled over the roaring winds. Dylan nodded, seeing no need to attempt to yell over the noise. Fox gripped a net ball tightly in her left hand before releasing the handle and being sucked through the door. Dylan silently counted to ten in his head before releasing his own handle and letting the wind pull him out as well.

The wind was knocked straight out of him from the force of the pull and before he could register his lack of breath, the boy was already falling towards the woods below. Dylan caught sight of Fox not too far below him, tucked his arms and legs in, then dove down towards her. He carefully watched the height meter on his goggles, descending rapidly as the wind whipped past his ears and continued to be forced from his lungs. Dylan knew better than to gasp for air, but his lungs screaming almost forced him to so otherwise. His goggles began to beep loudly and Dylan flipped onto his back, throwing the luxury ball high into the air. There was a burst of light and the ball returned to him, a togekiss following in hot pursuit.

The togekiss dove below Dylan and caught him. Dylan grunted at the rough stop, but didn't complain, air refilling his lungs as his pokemon's aid slowed his descent. Dylan looked over his togekiss's shoulder, spotting Fox nearing the canopy of the forest with the help of her crobat, Arsenic. Then a leaf storm erupted from the forest. Dylan and his togekiss barely dodged in time, but he could hear Fox's sharp cries in pain.

"Melody! Dive!" The togekiss tucked in her wings and dove down, Dylan gripping her feathers and ducking down to keep balance on her back. Swooping dangerously low to the canopy, Dylan released Melody and caught Fox, her crobat landing on Melody's back. Both were unconscious. "Melody, find us a safe place to land." The togekiss chirped and circled the forest, landing on the opposite side of the original intended point of entry.

It was dark inside the forest, not a shred of sunlight entering through the treetops. The only light came from the luminescent moss that grew on the trees. Dylan dismounted his togekiss and leaned Fox against the trunk of a tree. Prying the net ball from her fingers, he returned Arsenic. Dylan then returned his attention to Fox. She was covered in small thin cuts, and Dylan noted that Fox was lucky it hadn't been worse. Taking a direct hit from a Leaf Storm usually resulted in much deeper and more fatal wounds. Dylan felt his belt and pulled out a great ball. He opened it and an Aromatisse materialized.

"Marigold, I need you to use heal pulse on Fox here. Think you can do that?" The Aromatisse gave a nervous nod. She opened her beak and closed her eyes, a pink ball forming in her beak. It grew steadily until it was about the size of Dylan's fist. Marigold cringed a little and the ball became unstable, then dissipated. Tears appeared in Marigold's eyes. Dylan reached over and pet the Aromatisse. "Hey, don't cry. You're doing great. Want to give it one more try?"

Marigold thought about it for a moment before nodding. She closed her eyes and opened her beak again. The pink sphere reformed and grew steadily. It reached the same size as before, then began to shake and tremble. Marigold cringed a little, and the ball grew a little larger in size. Then it exploded in an array of pink sparkles. Dylan blew them onto Fox. Her cuts slowly began to seal over until it was like they never existed. Dylan smiled at Marigold.

"Good job. We aren't quite there yet but you're getting better. We just have to keep practicing, okay, Marigold?" The teary eyed Aromatisse nodded a little and smiled back at Dylan. Dylan returned Marigold and Melody to their pokeballs, then glanced over when he heard Fox stir.

"Ugh… where… oh Dylan… what happened? I remember almost entering the canopy and then… nothing," Fox said as she rubbed her eyes. Dylan scanned her over then answered,

“You got blasted by a leaf storm head on. I had Marigold heal you as best she could and Arsenic is a little beat up but otherwise okay. Melody flew us to the opposite end of the forest so we’re a bit off course but our objective remains the same.” Fox sat up a little and nodded.

“Get the center of the forest, figure out what the source of this madness is,” she replied softly.

“Exactly.” Dylan scanned their surroundings quickly before hearing the trees rustle. He looked up above them and saw a silcoon. Dylan narrowed his eyes. Its silky white exterior didn’t seem as white as it should be. Dylan stood up, catching Fox’s attention.

“Dylan-“

“Sh!” he abruptly cut her off. Dylan moved back slightly and saw the white darken as more of the shell came into view. Dylan paled when he was finally far enough away from the tree to see the full silcoon. While the underbody was white, the top was a dark purple with its eye a violent red. Fox noticed Dylan freeze and whispered,

"Dylan, what's wrong?" Dylan's eyes flicked to her, then back to the silcoon.

"Fox," he whispered back, "move towards me, slowly." Fox's eyebrows drew together in the center of her forehead in confusion. She cast a quick glance towards the silcoon perched above her, then slowly began to walk towards Dylan.

Dylan continued to gaze between Fox and the shadow silcoon. It watched both of them in silence, its red eye piercing at them with an unexplainable intense hatred. Fox was only five steps away from Dylan when the silcoon twitched. Dylan's eyes shot up to it and he watched in horror as the silcoon opened what appeared to be a mouth. Fangs appeared within this gaping hole and green goo slipped out from between its teeth. One large drop tumbled through the air and splattered all over Fox's back. Fox's eyes went wide and before Dylan could signal for silence, a shriek erupted from Fox's throat. Then all of Hell broke loose.

A loud buzz began to drill into the skulls of the two humans as a hive's worth of beedrill emerged from the trees and bushes surrounding them. Dylan didn't waste any time, grabbing Fox by the arm and pulling her towards one of the bushes. Pain surged through his arm as he felt a slight prick and knew he had been stung. But that didn't matter now. Practically dragging Fox through the forest, Dylan ran as fast as his legs would carry them. The sound of the beedrill was ever prevalent behind them and Dylan knew it was only a matter of time before the bees caught them. Trees continued to close in around them and it was only by chance that something different caught his eye. Dylan pulled Fox to the right and hopped over a short fence. Fox followed right after him and together they tore across the open field towards the large looming building. Dylan slammed his shoulder into the large oak doors. There was a sharp creak and then the doors gave. Dylan and Fox tumbled in. Dylan was still just sitting up when he heard the doors slam shut. He looked over and saw Fox barricading the door with various chairs and tables. She sighed and looked over at Dylan.

"That may hold them for a little while." Dylan opened his mouth to reply when a voice echoed through the foyer.

"Welcome! Welcome! It's been a long while since we had visitors." Dylan turned his gaze away from Fox towards the voice. There, just a little ways from the PBI agents, was a tall man with graying hair. He was dressed in a tailored black suit and white gloves. The man gave the two a jolly smile that seemed more eerie than welcoming. "I apologize for the surprise but I just heard a ruckus and thought I might locate the source. The beedrill hives have been very active as of late. Never mind that. Come, I will help you clean up." With that, the man turned on his heel and walked away. Dylan and Fox exchanged a look before coming to the same decision and following the man.

The man led them up a set of stairs and to a long hallway. He had Dylan wait at the entrance to the hallway while he escorted Fox to the bathroom. Once she was inside, the man returned to Dylan and led him in the opposite direction, towards another bathroom. The man opened the door for Dylan and said,

"Come out once you are done, I will prepare lunch for you all." Dylan allowed a short nod in reply before the door shut. Dylan gazed around the small bathroom. He decided not to abstain from the elderly man's kindness and turned on the shower water. As he waited for the water to warm, Dylan looked out the window and noticed it had begun to rain.

"This mission has just gotten crazier and crazier and it's only just begun," he muttered to himself. Dylan looked over his shoulder at the mirror and nearly jumped out of his skin to see two red eyes watching him. However, as soon as he saw them, they vanished from the fogged mirror's surface. Dylan backed away from the mirror a little and shook his head. "It's just an illusion. Trick of the fog mixed with the fright from earlier. Nothing more nothing less." With that, Dylan entered the shower.

Down the hall, Fox has already entered the shower and was just finishing up when she heard the door creak open. Fox peeked out from behind the shower curtain and saw a small girl dressed in a yellow dress with a red bow standing there. She had a pile of pink fabric in her tiny arms and looked terrified beyond belief.

"S-Sorry to bother you… Mr. Jeeves took your clothes to wash and requested I bring you a new outfit." Fox smiled at the little girl.

"Thank you," she replied, "I appreciate you bringing me a fresh change. Please give Mr. Jeeves my thanks. And may I ask what your name is?"

"E-Ella," the little girl stuttered out, her cheeks becoming a rosy pink.

"Ella? Why that's a wonderful name. Well Ella, thank you for taking such good care of me. If you'll just leave the outfit right there by the sink I will be out of here in a moment." Ella nodded and placed the clothes on the counter before exiting the bathroom. Fox stepped from the shower and took one of the towels off the hanger to dry off. Wiping her face down, Fox approached the counter to see exactly what had been brought to her. She picked it up and paled considerably.

"Oh dear Arceus why…"

Down the hall, Dylan was just then emerging from the bathroom. He had only taken a quick shower and gotten dressed in a gray suit that had been provided to him. Straightening his tie a little as he walked, he saw the bathroom door down the hall open and out strutted Fox in a poofy pink dress. Dylan could barely hold back his laughter as she stomped towards him.

"What's so funny?" Fox growled at Dylan. Dylan shook his head but couldn't keep the grin off his face. Fox was in a dress. Definite future blackmail.

"Shall we?" Dylan asked, gesturing to the stairs. Fox rolled her eyes and began to walk down the stairs, Dylan right beside her to make sure she did not trip. When they reached the bottom of the steps, sweet scents of food assaulted their noses and Dylan's stomach growled in anticipation. Dylan blushed hard when he heard Fox giggle.

"Who's embarrassed now?" she teased.

"Still you," Dylan replied. "I'm used to this. If you'll recall, I take my girlfriend out on fancy dates quite often. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure this is the first time you've ever worn a dress."

Dylan smirked a little as he saw Fox's face burn red from a mixture of embarrassment and anger. He walked ahead of her through the foyer to the dining hall. He wasn't sure how he knew where to go, but he just did, somehow. As he walked, he heard the clicking of Fox's shoes behind him hesitate.

"Uh… Dylan?" Dylan looked over his left shoulder.

"What?" Fox merely pointed towards the air to the right of him. Dylan turned his head to the right and jumped, backing up against the staircase as a Haunter stared him straight in the face. The Haunter began to laugh at Dylan just as Ella entered the foyer from a nearby room.

"Fula! Leave them alone! They're our guests!" The Haunter turned around and looked at its master before nodding.

"Haunter…" it floated over to Ella and drooped its head a little.

"Don't mind Fula. She's still got a mischievous streak in her from her days as a voltorb." Ella signaled for them to follow her back into the room she had come. "Come along then, dinner is almost ready." Dylan and Fox exchanged confused looks.

"Did she say voltorb?" Dylan asked.

"I thought that was just a myth," Fox replied quietly. They stood there in silence for a moment before Ella came back it into the foyer and hurried them on in. Ella led Fox and Dylan to their seats at the end of a very long table. She then took her seat next to Fox. A moment later, Jeeves walked in, from what Dylan presumed to be the kitchen, carrying a large silver platter. He placed it in front of the three occupants of the table, and said,

"Enjoy." It was filled with sandwiches. Dylan reached forward to take a sandwich when something occurred to him, and his hands immediately flew to his belt. He glanced down as he pat at his belt and paled.

"They're gone…" he whispered.

"What was that?" Fox asked. Dylan glanced up and noticed Ella watching him with a somewhat threatening gaze.

"Nothing. I did not say a word," Dylan mumbled back. Something was up, and he'd confront it when Jeeves reentered the room, since this Ella girl didn't seem to want to speak on it. Jeeves reentered the room several minutes later and seemed shocked that Dylan hadn't touched any of the food.

"Dylan, my good sir, why haven't you eaten anything?"

"Where are my Pokemon?" Dylan asked bluntly. Fox's eyes immediately widened and she stopped mid-chew to glance down at her belt. Jeeves and Ella both seemed bothered by the question.

"They're in a safe place," Jeeves answered dodgingly.

"I want to have them back now, if that's all right," Dylan said. Jeeves's jaw suddenly set and he growled out,

"No, I'm afraid not." Suddenly Jeeves no longer seemed as human as before. It was as if someone was gray-scaling him, all the color drained from Jeeves and was replaced by a mixture of blacks, whites, and grays. His eyes glowed an eerie red and his voice began to echo. "You will finish your dinner and continue to live with us here forever."

"We will no longer be alone. We will finally have some company besides the ghosts for an eternity." Dylan's head snapped to Ella and, sure enough, she had adopted the same color scheme as Jeeves. Dylan immediately jumped out of his seat.

"Well, it has been fun, but Fox and I have a mission to complete and we really can't afford to be tied up for an eternity. Shall we, Fox?" The shell-shocked girl stared at Dylan for a second before her adrenaline kicked in. She leapt up from her seat, sending the wooden chair crashing against a nearby wall. Fox vaulted over the table, sending the platter of sandwiches flying and slamming into Dylan. The two fell to the ground, the air rushing out of Dylan's lungs as his lungs were crushed between the floor and Fox.

Dylan wheezed and coughed hard as Fox scrambled off of him. The ghosts loomed over the two, cackles and laughter filling the PBI agents' ears as gastly, haunter, and gengar filled the room. Fox pulled Dylan towards the door but when she tried the oak doors, they wouldn't budge. They were trapped.

"Rotom!" The doors suddenly flung open and Fox stumbled back a few steps as an orange Pokemon, one Fox had never seen before, flew into the room. It shouted at the ghosts, but only seemed to agitate them more. The Pokemon scanned the room and spotted Dylan and Fox before shouting again. "Rotom! Tom! Ro! Tom Tom!" Once again, reason failed to make an impact, so the Pokemon was forced to make a split second decision. It shot down like a bolt of lightning in front of Dylan and Fox. Touching both the PBI agents, the Pokemon used what Fox guessed to be flash. Fox cried out and covered her eyes in recoil, but it was over just as quick as it had begun.

Fox opened her eyes and looked around, shocked, even though she really shouldn't be. She and Dylan were no longer in the dining hall, they were in a storage room. Dylan continued to wheeze hard, slumped against a nearby wall while the orange mystery Pokemon floated above them.

"Who are you?" Fox asked it. The Pokemon perked up and then flew into a nearby TV. It appeared on the screen.

"I… am… Rotom…" a crackled voice came from the speakers of the TV. Fox scratched her head but looked over shoulder when Dylan spoke up.

"That's a Rotom. It's an electric and ghost type with the ability to enter and utilize appliances. It has five known forms but I've heard rumors that it can speak through certain appliances and even travel through time." Fox looked back at the television set.

"Is this true?" she asked Rotom. It simply nodded in response. "Why did you help us?" Fox followed up. Rotom paused to think about it then slowly disappeared from the screen, a moving image replacing it.

The scene on the television appeared to be from the view of someone peeking through the window of the Old Chateau. A tall man was standing outside the building, his blue shaggy hair hanging down to his shoulders. He was dressed in black clothes, black shoes, black pants, black shirt, and black jacket with a silver scarf to top it all off. Fox didn't have much of a fashion sense, but even she knew that was a fashion disaster. The man pulled what appeared to be a dark ball off his belt and opened it. A light form materialized in front of the man, a Roserade. However, this was no ordinary Roserade. Its coloring was all wrong, its entire body purple, but then its cape, roses, and hair all appeared wilted and damaged.

"A shadow Pokemon…" Fox whispered. The Roserade bowed to its trainer.

"Now, Tybalt, I'm leaving this job to you and you alone. When I come back, I don't expect failure." The Roserade nodded but otherwise did not move until his trainer was out of sight. The image dissolved and then reformed to another scene. It was from a different window in the Old Chateau. A starly was on the ground, surrounded by some budew, wurmple, and zubat. The Roserade from before, Tybalt, came rushing in with a few oran berries a moment later. He placed them on the ground, then picked one back up and peeled off the skin with the thorns on his hands. Just before he gave the berry to the starly, however, Fox noticed Tybalt stick one of his thorns into the berry. Tybalt fed the berry to the starly, making sure to administer it all. Instantly, something seemed different. The starly’s brown feathers darkened to a deep purple color and the white feathers turned gray. The starly panicked at first, its wings flapping around and knocking one of the budew over. Tybalt motioned for the others to back away and moved closer to the starly. He calmed down the bird pokemon, then pointed one of his hands at the crowd. Tybalt glanced at them, and gave them an evil smile, before releasing a large spray of purple powder. Slowly, the same change that had overcome the starly took over all the other pokemon nearby as well. The scene shifted again, this time appearing from a window in the front of the Old Chateau. It was hard to see much, but Tybalt could be seen leading an army of discolored pokemon. Entering the yard in front of the Old Chateau were three pokemon, a Shaymin in sky form, a baby land form shaymin, and a shiny leafeon.

“Hurry! Get inside the building! Perhaps Lord Banquo will grant you shelter!” the leafeon said. Fox was confused for a moment before recalling this was from Rotom’s perspective, therefore, since he had understood what they were saying, it only made since that the language was clear in its memories as well. “I will hold them off as long as I can.” The leafeon turned and used protect to block the oncoming assault of attacks. The green barrier took several attacks before a large crack ripped across the shimmering form. The leafeon spit a little blood to the side and shouted, “GO LORD ERIK!!” The sky form Shaymin refused to budge.

“I’m not leaving you, Montague! You’re all Elfaba and I have left,” he protested. The leafeon shook his head.

“There is no time, Lord Erik! Please!” Tears could be seen streaking down the leafeon’s cheeks. “There is no time left! You are the forest’s only hope if we are to survive this pandemic. Save yourself! And if not yourself, then do it for Elfaba!” Erik looked at the baby land form shaymin he was carrying and then back at Montague. Montague’s protect was rippled with cracks and the poor leafeon knew he would not last much longer. He heard a sniffling and saw Erik crying.

“I’ll never forget you, Montague,” he said in a soft voice. This brought a smile to Montague’s lips.

“And I you, sire.” With that, Erik fled towards the Chateau with Elfaba. Montague shifted all his energy into the protect, mending some of the cracks. Then, just as the two shaymin were about to reach the entrance to the Old Chateau, the protect shattered. Montague stumbled a little, very little life left in him. Yet, he persisted, his tail glowing a bright green as he prepared a leaf blade. Tybalt walked gracefully into the yard, his troops remaining behind. Montague eyed his opponent carefully as the masked opponent strutted towards him. Erik glanced back over his shoulder as he reached the doors. In that split second, an array of rainbow colored leaves had formed around Tybalt and shot straight for Montague. The leafeon was left no time to react, and Erik was forced to witness his closest friend’s body collapse onto the ground, a red pool forming around him.

“MONTAGUE!!” Erik screamed. Tybalt looked up from the dead body and treated Erik to a twisted smile. Just then, the doors to the Old Chateau opened. The scene shifted and it became apparent that Rotom had moved outside the building to get a better view of the events occurring. Ella and Jeeves could be seen standing in the doorway of the Old Chateau.

“Well, Lord Erik,” Tybalt sneered sarcastically, “you and your sister’s time has come. Now I shall rule this forest, and no one shall ever be able to stop me.” Erik picked up his sister and placed her on the ground gently. He glared at Tybalt.

“You can take away my subjects, you can overthrow my kingdom, and you can slaughter my only friends as if they are worthless, but none shall ever end my sister’s life.”

“If you persist, it only delays the inevitable,” Tybalt said with a twirl of his hand. He pushed back his cape then took a battling stance. “On your call, my liege.” Erik growled loudly and took a similar stance. Silence settled over the scene, no one daring to breath for fear of missing the events to come. Then, in the blink of an eye, it happened. The two shot at one another, passing by one another almost harmlessly. As they landed opposite one another, they stood still, the wind rustling the leaves above them. A lone orange leaf fell from its perch and fluttered down to the yard. Erik watched it dance through the air; he followed it with his eyes as it twirled back and forth before landing on the ground right in front of him, then the whole world went dark.

The sky shaymin collapsed on the ground, unmoving, its white fur quickly stained with a mixture of black and red. Tybalt began to laugh as he turned and walked to where Erik lay. He bent down next to the shaymin and said,

“I don’t plan on killing you yet, be grateful for that.” The shadow roserade stood up and looked towards the Old Chateau. He approached the ancient building and picked up his pace when he saw Elfaba lying defenseless on the ground. Everything suddenly went blurry but it was clear in a split second again. Fox stumbled back a little as she was greeted with a close up of the antagonist himself, Tybalt. The shadow roserade growled. “Move, this does not concern you.” Rotom did not budge. Instead, he sat there, floating in silence before swiftly picking up Elfaba and fleeing into the Old Chateau. The image flickered off the screen. Rotom looked very depressed.

“Tybalt vowed to get revenge. He poisoned my home, and the ghosts within it, including Jeeves and Ella. They weren’t always bad, it’s the shadows that made them bad.” Rotom glanced down and sighed. "I just want things to return to normal. It's why I'm protecting you and Elfaba. You can help us."

"Help… you?" Dylan grunted out. Fox looked over her shoulder at Dylan and immediately took notice to his lack of color. He was naturally a pale man, but not this pale.

"Dylan! What's wrong?" Fox rushed to his side and examined him. He merely smiled a little.

"Nothing too bad," he grunted. Rotom exited the television and floated over to Dylan. It noticed something odd about Dylan's left arm and pointed to it.

"Rotom!" Fox looked over to Rotom and spotted the swelling on Dylan's arm.

"Dylan, take off your jacket." The fairy type specialist frowned but did not argue. He pushed up a little, grimacing in pain, and shrugged off his jacket. Fox immediately grabbed his arm and glared at Dylan. "You got stung by a beedrill!"

"I'm aware," Dylan replied simply, not looking at Fox.

"Why didn't you say anything? You know these can be fatal!" Fox snapped at him. "I could have helped you before you started swelling."

"It is just one sting, Fox!" Dylan yelled back. "I figured one sting wasn't going to be fatal!"

"Who on earth ever told you that? Any sting can be fatal!"

"No one had to tell me! I just know!"

"How? Because I can guarantee you've never been stung before!"

"Sloane's been stung before, five times, and was fine!" Fox hesitated. She remembered that. Sloane had accidentally agitated a beedrill hive when she and Dylan had been out on a picnic, then she took all the stings so that Dylan didn't have to suffer. It was the first time Fox had ever seen someone willingly get stung and live with more than three stings at a time without receiving some form of treatment. Sloane was something else.

"Yeah, she did, but that's Sloane. You're not her. You'll react differently than she did. You need treatment immediately but…" Fox frowned. Those ghosts had taken all her Pokemon and treatment equipment. She'd have to harvest it on her own and they didn't have that kind of time or ability. Then something occurred to Fox. "Rotom!" The ghost Pokemon looked up at her. "Didn't you save a baby Shaymin?" It nodded. "Where is it?" Rotom's eyes widened and it nodded again before shooting off. In mean time, Fox looked closer at the swelling and could barely see the sting amongst the red swollen skin. She looked at Dylan, who was watching her intently, before looking back at the sting.

"I'm going to remove the stinger so that, if there's any poison left in it, it won't release it. But it's going to hurt." Dylan sighed but shrugged a little, giving her the go ahead. Fox held Dylan's arm steady, moving his skin apart to get a better look at the stinger. It wasn't that far in but it'd still hurt when she pulled it out. "I'll do it on three," she said. "One…" Fox yanked out the stinger, causing Dylan to yelp in pain. "two three." Dylan glared at Fox.

"You said on three!" he complained. Fox smirked as she examined the stinger.

"I can't believe you fell for that. Good thing I pulled it out though, still has about half its poison in it." Fox had to admit, she was surprised it hasn't deposited more. This stinger was the side of the tip of a pencil, it should have drained a lot quicker. But no matter. "You're lucky it was only one sting," Fox commented. Dylan gave Fox a confused look, obviously not understanding what she meant by that. Fox showed him the stinger. "This is a twineedle stringer. There should be two but the other missed you. You're lucky." Dylan nodded but didn't seem as focused now, his face growing paler by the second.

There was a bright flash of light in the corner. Fox covered her eyes quickly and squinted at the corner. Rotom and a small Shaymin had just appeared. The Shaymin looked just like from the vision. It was very small, about the size of Fox's fist. Its eyes were closed and it appeared unable to stand on its own feet, Rotom having to hold it up. It really was a baby.

"Tom!" Rotom floated over and placed the baby in Dylan's lap.

"This is Elfaba, right?" Dylan asked Rotom in a raspy breath. Rotom nodded. It floated down and touched Elfaba. The baby Shaymin shivered and sneezed. Suddenly its flowers glowed a bright pink. The pink spread over Dylan's body. He visibly relaxed and leaned against the wall more, his breathing evening out. The swelling in his arm decreased and the color returned to his skin. Slowly the pink faded and when it did, all that was left was a scar on Dylan's arm. He smiled at Elfaba and pet her gently.

"Thank you, Miss Elfaba. I appreciate your curing me." Elfaba turned her head towards Dylan's voice and chirped. A smile tugged at Fox's lips, the baby Shaymin being the embodiment of cuteness. Rotom returned to the television and spoke up,

"I should properly introduce myself. I am Banquo, the ruler of the Old Chateau. Princess Elfaba is the princess of Eterna Forest. We require your help in recovering this kingdom for the princess. She was just born a few days ago and cannot fight for herself and I can't both protect her and fight for the forest. Will you please aid is in our quest?"

Dylan and Fox exchanged looks. This did correlate to their current mission, on top of these Pokemon needing their aid. It wasn't something they could just ignore. The answer wasn't up for dispute.

"Of course we'll help you," Dylan said. "And if we can't save the forest, then we'll offer both of you shelter within the International Police. I swear it." Banquo smiled broadly.

"I appreciate your promise and I'm sure the princess will too." Elfaba chirped as if to agree. A satisfied silence settled over the group for a second before a loud bang shook the room. Banquo jumped and shouted, "Oh dear! They've found us!" He looked at Dylan and Fox. "Jeeves and Ella gave your Pokemon to Tybalt while you two were showering. Their shelter is at the center of the forest and you should find your partners there. Take Elfaba and head that way. I'll try to meet you there. There's a tree right outside this window, climb out on it and escape, quickly now." Fox held out her hand to Dylan and helped him up; Dylan cradling Elfaba in his arms.

"Thank you, Banquo," Dylan said, "We won't forget your kindness." Fox ran over to the window and pulled it up. Despite its age, it opened quite easily. Fox ducked through and climbed onto the thick branch right outside the window. Straddling it, she slid out towards the trunk a little, then turned around and held out her arms.

"Give Elfaba here, Dylan," Fox called. Dylan looked back at Banquo then handed Elfaba out to Fox. The girl cradled the Shaymin then moved back as Dylan climbed onto the branch. As soon as he had gotten outside, the door was broken in by a gengar.

"Gengar!" It called out, pointing at the two PBI agents. Banquo materialized out of the television and shot a shadow ball at the gengar.

"Go go!" Dylan shouted. Fox scrambled to the trunk, slid down several branches then jumped to the ground. She tumbled to the ground, tucked and rolled. Dylan wasn't far behind and they were up on their feet as soon as they landed, fleeing the Old Chateau.

Feet pounded the mossy earth and breaths came quickly as the two humans fled deeper into the forest. They were disoriented, unsure of exactly where they were going. All they knew was their destination, the center of Eterna Forest. In the distance, the sounds of explosions and fighting echoed against the trees. This noise kept the two dragging agents going, they couldn't let their ally's sacrifice be in vain. They had to keep going. It wasn't until the sounds had faded into silence that they dared to stop.

"Here," Dylan said, brushing off some trees roots, "let's rest here." Fox didn't need anymore encouragement. The girl collapsed against the tree trunk and breath heavily. She was used to running, there was no issue there. It was running in a dress that the issue stemmed from. Dylan plopped down beside her and sighed.

"How does your girlfriend do this?" Fox asked. Dylan glanced at Fox with raised eyebrows. "Running with a handicap. This is horrible." Dylan snorted and shrugged.

"She's used to it, can't feel the pain, makes me carry her, all of the above," he answered. "Sloane's just energetic and doesn't let something as simple as a hurt leg stomp out her adventurous bonfire." Fox nodded a little. That sounded like Dylan's girlfriend. "If we can't save this forest, and we have to evacuate. Do you think I can give that Shaymin to Sloane?" Dylan suddenly requested after a moment of silence. Now it was Fox's turn to look at Dylan with raised eyebrows. "I know she'd take good care of this baby. Sloane loves shaymins and I think she'd take the best care of this baby if it came down to it."

"I believe you," Fox said, "but we'd have to run it by the agency first." Dylan sighed.

"Right. True. And that's the biggest obstacle in that plan right now." Just then, Elfaba began to cry. Fox and Dylan started to attention and glanced at the baby. "What does she want?" Fox asked.

"Well, maybe she's hungry?" Dylan offered. "Children aren't exactly my area of expertise." Fox looked around before spotting a bush of mago berries nearby.

"Dylan, maybe she'll like mago berries." Dylan looked over and stood up. He walked over to the bush and plucked off two berries, then returned to Fox. Kneeling down next to her, he broke off a piece of one of the berries then held it out to Elfaba. The Shaymin paused in her crying to sniff the berry then began to munch on it. She quickly devoured the berry and demanded for more. As soon as they were offered, the berries were gone. Elfaba, after two berries, yawned and fell asleep. Fox and Dylan smiled at one another and silently motioned for them to carry on.

The trees grew thicker as the two continued through the forest. Dylan knew this could only be a sign that they were getting closer to the center of the forest. Either that or they were indefinitely lost, and they couldn't have that. The unsettling silence that has choked the two agents since their flight from the Old Chateau was ended abruptly when what sounded like various Pokemon cries arose in the distance. Dylan and Fox exchanged curious looks before jogging closer to the noise. They arrived at the edge of a clearing and peered over the underbrush to see what the commotion was. The sight took their breath away.

A large group of forest Pokemon, all obviously shadows, had filled the clearing like people at a concert. Raised up on a set of rocks, built like a stage, was none other than Tybalt with a shadow Lopunny to his left and what appeared to be a shadow version of Erik. Tybalt's words echoed in Fox's head. "I don't plan on killing you yet, be grateful for that." She sucked in a breath and glanced at Erik. That's what Tybalt had meant. He had turned Erik into a shadow. Fox quickly scanned the area but saw no signs of Montague. It appeared that the shiny leafeon truly had perished.

"Roserade!" Tybalt suddenly called out. Cheers erupted from the crowd of Pokemon at Tybalt's call. He smiled and waved to the crowd before calling for silence. Once silence had settled, Tybalt resumed his speech. "Rade! Rose Roserade! Rose rose rose!" Cheers erupted from the Pokemon again, causing Dylan to look at Fox.

"Any idea what's going on?" he asked. Fox frowned a little.

"Not really. I'm used to hearing Hemlock speak but it's like this Roserade is speaking Latin to my Spanish. I'm picking up stuff but it doesn't make any sense together." Dylan clicked his tongue in frustration and watched as Tybalt gave his grand speech. After a moment, her silenced the ground and signaled to the Lopunny. She walked off the stage for a moment, only to return with a pokeball. The Lopunny threw it up into the air and it opened, the light dispersing into particles to reveal as Sylveon. Dylan's heart stopped.

"Becquerel…" he whispered. He started to stand up unconsciously, but stopped when Fox tackled him down.

"Dylan! No! Stay down! We can't blow our cover!" she hissed. Dylan struggled against Fox's hold.

"I can't let him touch Becquerel!" Dylan hissed back. Tybalt lifted his flowers into the air and shot a spray of yellow spores at Becquerel. The Sylveon held his breath, not daring to breath in any of the spores. The spores hung in the air around Becquerel and the Sylveon held on for as long as he could, but eventually coughed and gasped for air. In whooshed the spores and the reaction was instant. Becquerel collapsed to the ground and was unable to move.

"Roserade!" Tybalt called out to the ground. He stepped down from his stage and walked towards Becquerel. Becquerel growled at the approaching shadow but could not move as the smirking Roserade stopped in front of Becquerel. Tybalt reached out and was just about to spray Becquerel when a shout rose up from the forest.

"Hey!" Tybalt paused and looked over his shoulder. "Pick on someone who can actually defend themselves, why don't ya?" The Roserade growled and motioned to the Lopunny. She hopped swiftly towards the bushes and reached out to move away the leafy cover when Dylan burst from the bushes. The Lopunny stumbled backwards in surprise and everyone froze as the human tore towards Tybalt. Becquerel perked up at the sight of his trainer. Dylan kicked Tybalt out of the way, taking advantage of his element of surprise, then grabbed Becquerel, and dove into the forest. Then time resumed.

Cries and shouts rose up from all the Pokemon, Tybalt's voice the loudest amongst them all. He was barking orders for the capture of Dylan and Becquerel, but Dylan had created the distraction they had needed at the risk of this happening. While all the Pokemon were up in a frenzy, Fox and Elfaba were circling the back of the perimeter of the clearing.

Fox saw the sparkling gleam of the pokeballs not too far off. Tucking Elfaba inside Dylan's coat jacket, Fox ran out of the forest line and slid to a stop by the balls. She scrambled, picking up all twelve and began to dash back towards the forest line. The plan was working! And then, suddenly it was. Fox felt something snag her foot and the ground came rushing towards her. She slammed face first into the earth and all the pokeballs she had been holding rolled away from her.

"No!" Fox tried to get up to run after the pokeballs but her right ankle was tied to the ground by leaves. Fox grabbed the nearest pokeball to her right as a black foot landed in front of her. Fox looked up to see the shadow Lopunny that had been standing beside Tybalt before looming over her. She let out a low growl at Fox. Fox frowned and growled right back, rotating the pokeball in her fingers as she did. She and the Lopunny stared at one another, growling in a stalemate until there was a click. The Lopunny made a confused face, but all Fox could do was grin. The light took shape beside them and out of it appeared a Toxicroak.

"Toxi!" Fox couldn't suppress her widening grin. It was wrecking time.

"Narcissus! Drain punch on the Lopunny!" The Toxicroak reached faster than the eye could catch, for in one second Narcissus was still, and in the next, the Lopunny had been sent flying. "Now use cut on these leaves and let's get out of here." Narcissus extended the barbs on its hands and sliced through the leaves with ease. Fox checked inside the jacket and was relieved that Elfaba was okay. The baby was still fast asleep despite the whole ordeal. Fox glanced back at the dazed Lopunny then look at Narcissus. "Use flatter!" The Toxicroak leapt over to the Lopunny and began to clap. He then extended his arms wide and red waves shot out towards the Lopunny. A confused look took over the pokemon's eyes and it began to panic, searching an area unseen. By then, Fox has grabbed all the balls she could find. "Narcissus, let's get out of here." The Toxicroak began to laugh and they took off into the forest.

Dylan didn't move, he refused to move an inch and breathed as quietly as he could. Becquerel was curled up in his arms, a yellow hue on his face as the paralysis worsened. Becquerel needed a Cheri berry desperately, Dylan couldn't afford to go looking. He stiffened when he heard a rustling nearby. Dylan turned his head just slightly to see Shadow Erik emerging from a nearby bush. His red pupils narrowed in anger as he scanned the area around. Erik sniffed the ground again and growled, having lost Dylan's scent. He scanned the area one more time then scampered off into the nearby underbrush. Dylan sighed with relief. He was safe for now.

The bushes began to rustle again and Dylan sucked in a quick breath. He remained completely still until he saw Narcissus emerge.

"Narcissus!" Dylan hissed. The Toxicroak looked up, signaled to Dylan, then dove back into the bushes. A moment later, Narcissus returned with Fox in tow.

"Dylan, what are you doing?" Fox whispered. Dylan tossed Becquerel down to Narcissus then slid down the tree trunk. He held a finger to his lips.

"Keep it down! Shadow Erik is hunting me! I was hiding from him!"

"Very, actually!" Just then two growls echoed against the trees. Dylan and Fox turned around and paled. Erik and the Lopunny were back.

"Roserade." Dylan and Fox looked up and saw Tybalt standing in a tree above them, a confident smirk on his face. They watched him warily before the Roserade looked at his cohorts then sprayed a large amount of spores. Becquerel and Narcissus collapsed immediately; Dylan and Fox covered their noses and mouths, attempting not to breathe in the spores. However, Dylan's lungs ran out of air quickly, forcing him to take in a deep breath of air. Drowsiness took hold of him and the boy collapsed beside the fallen Pokemon. Fox wasn't too far behind.

Several hours later, the two awoke with a start. Their belts were empty, no balls in sight, and Elfaba was nowhere to be seen. They were locked in what appeared to be a room in the Old Chateau. Fox busied herself with grumbling and complaining while Dylan scanned the room. His hands and feet were tied together, but he still searched the room throughly until he found something he didn't expect.

"Fox!" he hissed. The girl didn't look up. Dylan frowned but didn't persist. Instead, he knocked the pile of clothes over onto the floor. A knife clattered to the floor as well. Dylan spun around, scooted over to the knife, and picked it up. He began to saw through the ropes on his hands until he was free, then cut his legs free. Dylan stood up and went over to Fox. "Need some help?" Fox looked up from where she was working on her leg knots and nodded.

"Show off," she muttered as he cut through her ropes.

"Oh? I just thought you'd like to know I found our old clothes," Dylan offered. Fox's eyes widened and ran over to the pile, pulling out her pants.

"Oh my gosh, pants how I have missed you!" Fox glared at Dylan. "Don't look." Dylan raised his hands in surrender and turned away. Fox quickly changed then threw Dylan his clothes. "Your turn." Dylan took his clothes and took off his suit shirt before Fox could turn around. Dylan pulled on his normal shirt then glanced at Fox.

"No peeking," he teased, "I have a girlfriend and she might get jealous." Fox's face went bright red in a combination of embarrassment and anger. She spun around and crossed her arms. Dylan finished changing then grabbed his hat from a nearby shelf. "All right, come on. Maybe we can find Banquo and he'll help us out." Fox nodded and turned around, still red from Dylan's comment.

Dylan walked over to the door and opened it a crack, peeking out just slightly. He scanned the viewable hall then opened it a bit more. Upon seeing the coast was clear, he opened the door all the way and walked out with Fox. Signaling for silence, Dylan suggested they head to the right. Fox nodded her head in agreement. The two stayed close to the wall and walked on their toes down the long hall. They arrived at an intersection. Dylan poked his head out into the corridor intersection carefully and scanned the hallways. He looked back at Fox and signaled, 'Which way?' Fox merely shrugged and pointed left. Dylan scanned the area one more time then led them out to the left.

As they traveled down the corridor, sounds of Pokemon began to appear. The further they went, the louder the sounds were. Dylan saw a door at the end of the corridor and looked at Fox, getting her attention, then pointing to it. They approached cautiously. Dylan reached out for the doorknob when suddenly something came through the door. It was Banquo!

"Banquo!" Dylan said in a low voice. The Rotom seemed confused at first before recognizing the two agents and smiling.

"Rotom! Tom! Tom!" It motioned them into another room where a television was situated. Banquo dove into the television and waited for Fox to shut the door before speaking, "Why are you two here?"

"We were captured by Tybalt. Have you seen our Pokemon?" Banquo shook its head.

"I'm afraid not. I wasn't even aware you had been captured. I've been hiding ever since you all escaped. They almost got me but thankfully I'm able to hide inside electronics so they haven't been able to find me yet," Banquo explained. Fox scratched her head.

"Now what are we supposed to do? We have to get Elfaba and the others back or else…" Dylan nodded. It was an unwanted result. Banquo seemed unsettled by Fox's comment.

"They have Elfaba?" it asked. Dylan and Fox looked away from the television.

"Unless she escaped into the forest, yes," Fox said softly.

"But you don't have her? For sure?"

"That's correct," Dylan answered, "I'm sorry." Banquo didn't acknowledge Dylan's apology. He seemed to be thinking something else over. The Rotom remained silent for several minutes before saying,

"We need to get you to the dining hall. That's where they're based and where your Pokemon most likely are. I know a back way in but you'll have to follow me exactly and don't question anything I'm doing. Okay?" Dylan and Fox exchanged a look then nodded to one another.

"We're in. Show the way," Fox said. Banquo left the television and floated back to the door. It phased through before coming back in and signaling them onward. Banquo led Fox and Dylan in the opposite direction of the door Banquo has entered in. He led them down the hallway to a window at the end and floated through. Dylan opened the window and saw Banquo floating down to a floor below. Dylan climbed out and slid down the side, grabbing onto the window as he did, and opening it. Dylan climbed in and backed away, allowing Fox to slip in after him. Banquo took them down another hall and into a storage closet nearby. It pointed to a lever on the side. Dylan pulled it and revealed a passageway. Dylan and Fox climbed in after Banquo and were led into a pitch black dark room.

"Why's it so dark in here?" Fox asked Dylan. Dylan shook his head and followed Banquo to the wall. He saw a light switch and clicked it on. Immediately he saw his mistake. They were surrounded by ghosts and shadows alike, with Tybalt, Lopunny, and Erik smirking at them.

"Banquo?" Dylan looked up at the Rotom only to see it smirking evilly. They had been set up this whole time. The Rotom floated over to the three shadows and began to laugh.

"Rotom!" Banquo expanded his arms and the crowd parted to reveal Fox and Dylan's Pokemon. They were all paralyzed and unable to move from where they stood, but all perked up upon spotting their trainers. Tybalt stepped forward and began to walk towards Becquerel.

"Becquerel!" Dylan cried out, starting to move towards Tybalt but was stopped by a Gengar. Dylan growled but was forced to stop. He muttered something under his breath, then scanned the crowd. Dylan saw Marigold towards the back and noticed her trying to do something. It looked as if she was trying to form a green pulse between her hands. Then it hit him. Marigold knew aromatherapy. Mentally, Dylan began to encourage Marigold, and she looked up at him, as if she could hear his encouragement. They made brief eye contact, then Marigold resumed her efforts, trying harder than before. Dylan's eyes flicked back and forth between Marigold and Becquerel. Tybalt drew ever closer and as each attempt failed, Marigold's determination grew stronger.

Time seemed to slow. Tybalt was there, in front of Becquerel, rose outstretched to the Sylveon. Marigold was there, determination on her face as her green pulse grew ever stronger. And then, the window to the Chateau broke open. Everyone froze, except Marigold. Marigold released the green pulse into the air and it exploded, the sparkles curing all status conditions. Meanwhile, a shiny leafeon dashed through the room and tackled Tybalt.

"Leafeon! Leaf!" He stomped his paw on the ground and growled at Tybalt. It took a moment for the realization to hit both Dylan and Fox.

"Montague!" Fox shouted. The leafeon glanced their way and acknowledged them with a nod before his tail began to glow. "But how? We saw him die." Dylan had the same question, until he saw something on Montague's back. Or, rather, someone. Elfaba.

"Fox, look! It's Elfaba! She must have healed him before he died."

"Roserade!" Tybalt flapped back his cape and began to bark orders at the shadows. All the Pokemon began to close in on the select few good remaining. It was game time and, if one listened closely, the Mortal Kombat theme could be heard playing in the distance.

"Fei!" Dylan called out. His gardevoir looked up and locked eyes with him. Immediately, Dylan's hand flew to his necklace. Touching the keystone, bright lights filled the room connecting with Fei's gaunlet. The bright light startled all the shadows around them and when the light faded, Fei took advantage of this, unleashing a barrage of dazzling gleams and magical leaves.

"Grevillea!" A female venusaur lifted her head. Another bright light filled the room as mega evolution overcame the venusaur as well. A petal blizzard quickly filled the room. Now the playing field was even. It was an all out brawl, but it was obvious that the trained Pokemon had the upper hand. With Tybalt too occupied to bark orders, the shadows had no direction and no guidance. Dylan and Fox's Pokemon, however, didn't need either of these. Ghosts and shadows fell one after another until all that remained was Tybalt, Erik, Banquo, and the Lopunny.

However, Dylan and Fox were not without their casualties. By the time this was all sad and done, only four Pokemon remained between the two of them: Hemlock, Becquerel, Grevillea, and Fei, and they were not in the best of shape either. Montague and Tybalt were currently locked in a fierce battle, in which neither seemed to be overpowering the other, but unlike Montague, Tybalt didn't had a healer on his back.

"Becquerel on Banquo! Fei on Erik!" The Sylveon and Gardevoir took their positions. "Moonblast, both of you, let's go!" Both Pokemon released moonblasts, direct hits, but that didn't seem to harm their opponents at all. They returned with a shadow and energy ball that missed, but barely. Banquo snickered and released a discharge that hit Fei hard. The mega gardevoir just couldn't take it, forcing Dylan to return her. Hemlock took her place. Energy balls, shadow balls, Moonblasts, and magical leaves flew back and forth between the fighters, neither side willing to give an inch until something miraculous happened. Banquo got hit with a crit. The Rotom faltered a little and Dylan noticed. "Shift your attacks to focus on Banquo!" Soon it was an insane barrage on the Rotom and the Pokemon just couldn't take it. With a final speak of his name, the Rotom fled out of the room.

Erik was not appreciate of this development and slammed his feet onto the ground. The earth began to shake and spouts of lava burst from underneath Hemlock and Becquerel. Hemlock returned the attack with a sludge bomb. Direct hit. Erik collapsed. Dylan looked over to see the Lopunny had met a similar fate. Now it was just up to Montague. And man was he doing a fine job.

Tybalt was bent over, panting, unable to match the Leafeon's energy. He growled and released several sleep powders and stun spores, but nothing would work. Montague's tail glow brightly and he charged at Tybalt. The Shadow Roserade, unable to escape this time, took the hit and collapsed. They all breathed a sigh of relief, they had saved the forest.

In the days following the incident, berries were administered to all the Pokemon, even Tybalt, and they were all released back to the forest. Tybalt was accepted with open arms after he apologized for his actions. The man that had left him there was never seen again, but that only meant it was another mystery left unsolved. The suspect of foul play still lingered in the air, but until that mystery was solved, Sinnoh was never safe.