HOME | DD

Description
          Four Pokemon sat on a small path, branching out from a structure resembling the visage of an Eevee.  A Pikachu, a Vibrava, an Absol, and, yes, the very Eevee whose face the house was constructed after. Koru, Sky, Trauma, and Olive. Olive was shaking her head in utter disbelief.
          “I can’t believe it. Koru, you were alive all this time?”
           Koru nodded. “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here talking to you, would I?”
          “B-but it’s impossible!” Olive protested, “You weren’t breathing, and you didn’t have a pulse, and-”
          “And yet, he’s still alive.” Sky said, and closed his emerald eyes.
          “When I woke up under the ground, I couldn’t breathe,” explained Koru, “So my first instinct was to use Dig. Then I walked to Energetic Forest to see if Kay could explain stuff, but she wasn’t there. So I came here. Where’s Kay, anyway?”
          Olive and Sky looked at each other. Should we tell him? Olive mouthed. Sky nodded.
          “Kay’s…. kinda gone crazy.” Olive admitted.
          “She’s been breaking into the Friend Areas and murdering random Pokemon.” Sky blurted out. “She’s killed Rita, Fang, Thor, Ekans-- You know, from Team Meanies-- And….” he looked at Trauma with a melancholy expression, “Misfortune.”
          Koru’s eyes widened, as if taking in the horrible truth. “K-Kay?….” He spoke softly, in a shocked tone. “This is….. For real?” Everyone nodded.
          He looked around at the group, then at Olive, then at the ground. Suddenly, Koru pounded the earth with his fist.
          “DAMMIT!” He screeched. “Dammit, Kay! Why’d you have to do something like this?! Hasn’t our family been through enough already?!”
          “Koru, calm down!” Olive exclaimed. She ran to his side and lifted his fist from the ground.
          “Look.” She began earnestly, “I don’t think this is Kay’s doing. Sure, she was depressed when you died, but it wouldn’t have been enough to make her do this. There’s got to be another explanation.”
          “Like what?” Koru growled. His eyes still held rage within.
          Olive thought for a moment. “Well, Misfortune’s body wasn’t ripped apart like the others, and all her blood was gone. That signifies that she, unlike the others, was killed for a reason.”
          “That’s an excellent summary, Olive!” Sky praised, “You really are intelligent!”
          Olive blushed. “Well, it wasn’t actually me who thought of it. It was Blackie.”
          Sky looked confused. “Blackie? Who’s that?’
          “What are you….. Oh.” Olive had forgotten that no one but her knew about Blackie and Zan.
          She sat down again and explained what had happened to her, careful not to miss any details. Sky, Blackie, and Zan all had knowledge about the Wind, so if the information was combined, great conclusions could be made.
          Strangely, though, by the end of the story, Sky was only looking jealous, even a little hurt. “So…. This ‘Blackie’ guy….. Are you a real good friend of his?”
          “H-huh?!” Olive blushed again. “No way! He’s the biggest jerk I’ve ever met, and that includes Gengar!”
          “Good.” Sky nodded. “Anyway, it seems to me that the reason Koru didn’t die was because the Wind was created partly from a Butterfree’s Sleep Powder. The shadow could’ve amplified it’s power, sending the victim into a deep sleep, a sleep that’s so close to death, you can’t even tell the difference….”
          Sky’s expression turned quizzical. “One thing that doesn’t make sense, though, is that Blackie, Zan, and Bamber created the Wind not very many years ago, when they were kids.”
          “What doesn’t make sense about that?”
          Sky looked at her a little strangely, then said “Well, the Wind has been around since before I was born! My grandfather once told me, when I was little, a legend that an evil Pokemon created it and Arceus himself bestowed the strength to stop it upon dragon Pokemon.”
          He looked around at the expressions of the others. Koru, Olive, and Trauma all looked appalled, Olive especially. “B-but…. What Zan told me….. Was she wrong, then?”
          “Could be. There’s so much that doesn’t make sense. If only there was someone who knew ALL the information, instead of just pieces that don’t fit together…”
          The group sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought.
          Olive searched the archives of her mind. She knew that there was someone, hidden away in her thoughts, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Her memory drifted back to that day in the square, when Lombre said “Oh, yeah. Alakazam knows everything!” But he didn’t know everything, did he, Lombre? Only one Pokemon seemed to know all, even if he didn’t give straight answers, and that was-
          “I’ve got it!” Olive exclaimed, “Xatu! He can see the past and future and all that, right?”
          “Brilliant, Olive!” Sky chimed, “He’ll know! He knew about you being a human, didn’t he? ‘Course, he also lead you to believe that you caused Gardevoir’s death, but it’s worth a shot!”
          “Then let’s do it!” chirped Trauma, “Let’s all go to the Great Canyon!”
          Olive’s stomach jolted a little. She turned to Trauma. “Sorry, Trauma.” She said sympathetically, “But I don’t think you should come. There are too many wild Pokemon that could hurt you, since you’re such a low level.”
          “Awwwwwww!!!! No fair!” Trauma whined, “Level 10’s not THAT low! I wanna see Xatu!”
          “Why don’t you stay here and spend some time with your dad? He’ll take good care of you.”
          Trauma thought for a minute, then said “All right. It seems like he’ll need ME to take care of HIM, though. He hasn’t been the same since Mama….” The little Absol shook her head.
          “I can understand why.” said Olive, “But you try to have a good time with him anyway, OK?”
          “Yep!” Trauma smiled widely. That made Olive laugh a little, but she was also worried. Why was Trauma suddenly so unaffected by her mother’s murder?
          “In any case, we should all try to get some sleep.”
          Koru gave a huff. “Not me. I’ve had so much ‘sleep,’ I could last for a week.”
          “Well, the rest of us, then.”

***

          It was around nine in the morning, and Olive had sent Zoe to pick up supplies for the trip to the Great Canyon. Not much was needed, Great Canyon being a dungeon of little difficulty for the team, but it didn’t hurt to be safe. Olive had explained everything to Zoe, about Koru’s return from the “dead,” and about Xatu.
          The Keckleon Brothers eyed her strangely as she was buying a Reviver Seed, as if simply selling their wares to a member of Team Azul would curse them, but their natural greed caused them to attempt to convince Zoe into buying an incredibly expensive Thunderbolt TM despite their feelings. Luckily Kangaskhan maintained her sweet, motherly disposition with the tiny Zigzagoon, trusting as always when Zoe came to pick up stored items.
          Unfortunately, many of Pokemon Square’s residents held the same air around Zoe as the Keckleon Brothers. They were loyal citizens of the village and weren’t likely to abandon their hometown, as Azul’s former members had, but they remained wary of the team whom had once been considered heroes.
           It’s so mean, thought Zoe, It’s so mean how they think that the whole team is bad because of Kay! Like Olive says, it isn’t Kay’s fault! Something’s just…. Wrong with her! This is just like what happened with the whole Ninetails Legend thing. They’re so panicked that they automatically blame anyone connected….
          Zoe could remember that time when Olive was accused of heartlessly abandoning Gardevoir in her time of need, and also being the cause of the world’s destruction. Gengar had been an outsider, so they didn’t know of his brutish personality, but, caught up in their sudden state of threatened calamity, they had trusted a stranger. Even with almost no proof, the kindly villagers had turned on the very Pokemon who had saved more than one of their lives.
          Zoe herself had cried when she discovered what had happened, and that Olive and Kay had run away, facing a cruel fate in the turmoil that was the outside world, and a crueler one at the hands of their own neighbors. She had wanted so desperately to go with them, to fight the raging battles alongside her friends. And then she had been persecuted, rejected, for “encouraging the world’s end” simply by missing her beloved teammates and praying for their good welfare.
          It wasn’t fair….
          “That’ll be the two Pecha Berries you’re taking out, is that right, hon?”
          Kangaskhan’s  sudden voice brought Zoe back down to earth. Realizing that she had been daydreaming, she quickly said “Oh, yeah! Thanks, Kangaskhan!”
          Brandishing a half-full toolbox, Zoe turned back toward the base, where Olive was waiting.

***

          “Did you get the supplies, Zoe?” Olive asked expectantly as Zoe ran down the path toward her.
          “Yep!” Zoe piped. “Canwegonow?”
          Olive turned her head toward the path to the many dungeons of the world, wondering what they could learn from Xatu.
          Maybe he could tell them how to save Kay. Maybe he could tell them how to stop the Wind. And maybe he couldn’t tell them anything.
          “Yeah,” said Olive, “let’s go.”

***

          The team was halfway through the Great Canyon, which at one point had seemed a difficult dungeon, but now simply seemed like an obstacle course. The wild Pokemon were quite weak compared to them, one Tackle attack and they were on their backs. But the climate was dry, and the sun was burning, so as the Pokemon panted raggedly Zan proposed a rest.
          Yes, they had taken Zan with them. The cursed Eevee may have been needed as an example to Xatu, or to tell her story. Of course, Xatu may have already known about her. You could never really tell with Xatu…
           A canteen of water hung around Olive’s neck, and she carefully let a bit, just a bit, trickle down her throat. Ah, water never tasted so good as when drunk in the middle of such arid weather! When she was done, she passed the canteen to Sky, who also drank a small amount. He, in turn, passed the water to Zoe, who passed it to Zan.
          “Let’s rest just a while longer,” said Zan. This confused Olive just a tad. It didn’t seem like Zan was one to need a long rest. She hadn’t even used her wings yet. Olive didn’t ask if anything was wrong, because she still didn’t trust Zan after discovering the Wind’s origin, but she was curious still.
           Then, unexpectedly, Zan turned her head slightly toward Olive and said quietly, distantly, “He’s not as bad as you think he is.”
           “What?”
           “I saw the way you were looking at him. You loathe him. You think he’s the most horrible Pokemon who ever lived.”
           “But you’re wrong.”
           “Pfft.” Olive scorned, “You’re just sticking up for your brother.”
           “I’m telling you the truth,” Zan insisted a little more urgently, “You haven’t seen what he’s really like. He just doesn’t want to look weak in front of a normal Pokemon like you.”
           “Pfft.” Olive said once again, “If his idea of ’weak’ is ’not evil,’ then he’s as bad as I thought. And in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not what you’d call a ’normal Pokemon.’
           Zan wouldn’t give up. “He’s NOT bad. You know two days ago, when that Absol died? After Blackie was away from you, and he thought he was away from me, I heard him sobbing.  He was horrified, just as much as you were.”
          But Olive refused to believe her. “You’re lying. You’re lying so I’ll forgive him, and you, but it wont work.”
          The clear pools of crystal water that were Zan’s eyes were disrupted by a ripple of anger. “You only refuse to trust me because you want to hate him. You wont forgive us even though you were forgiven in the past for terrible crimes! You hypocrite!”
          Olive abruptly got up, standing firmly on all four paws. “That was different!” She snarled, “That was just a scheme set up by Gengar, meant to kill me! I did nothing of what I was accused! YOU, on the other hand, are completely guilty!!!”
          “WE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING INTENTIONAL!!!!” Zan shouted, “You keep blaming us for something that was purely an accident!! You call yourself a noble leader, but as soon as it gets personal at all, you become completely unfair!!!”
          Involuntarily, Olive unsheathed her claws. She felt a rush of adrenaline. A fight was coming.
          But Sky had other ideas. He and Zoe had been keeping their distance from the quarreling pair, but the Vibrava decided that this was a great time to intervene. He rapidly flew in between both of the Eevees, fanning his wings as if to keep one from seeing the other.
          “Okay, break it up.” Sky said forcefully, “This is no time to fight. Let’s just get to the Hill of The Ancients and find Xatu, got it?”
          Zan and Olive were glaring fiercely at each other, but Olive’s claws had retracted and Zan took off into the air, as high up as possible.
          The air much more tense than it had been when they stopped, the group began walking again.

***

          Far away from the spot where this verbal battle had taken place, a shadowy figure appeared at the peak of a hill with gray soil.
          The stench of dried blood hung around her, the brown-red marks that her numerous victims had left behind. Even the tattered black scarf that still fluttered around her neck was stained in places from the crimson barrage. But there would be no more blood. Not after today.
          She stared down at the clearing before her with blank eyes. Two tall, elegant creatures with beautiful white fur and smooth black faces were sitting there, calmly talking to each other. These Pokemon were doomed. Their blood would be spilled, all of it. She wouldn’t make the same mistake she had those countless other times, attacking the wrong individual. Now she had pinpointed her final victim.
          ‘It’s her,’ the voice inside her hissed, ‘She’s the one we want. She’s the one we need. Go! Now!’
          Kay’s puppet-like body obeyed.

***

          Finally, after a long climb up the side of the Great Canyon, the remainder of Team Azul reached the top of the Hill of the Ancients. Zan gently landed on the ground once again, still looking reproachful.
          Xatu was, as always, staring unblinkingly into the sun, which was just beginning to set.
          Olive approached him cautiously, wondering if he, at any moment, would cry out in his resounding bird call.
          But he did not. Xatu remained motionless. One could scarcely tell that he was breathing. For a moment Olive wondered if she would have to tickle him again. The thought resurfaced that same memory, and Olive chuckled quietly to herself.
          Then, without warning, Xatu spoke.
          “You have come.”
          His voice was not as mysterious as it had been at his and Olive’s last meeting, but it sounded rather troubled, even a little dark. “Y-yes, we have.” Olive said tentatively. “Xatu, do you already know why we’re here?”
          Xatu stared back at the orange glow of the sun.
          “I do.”

***

          Trauma and Despair were talking to each other. Quiet. Calm. Unaware. The conversation had started out with Despair trying to talk to his daughter, to comfort her. But, of course, he had failed, for it was he who needed comforting more. It seemed as if Trauma was growing stronger in spirit very rapidly, and that no emotional harm could come to her.
          Physical harm, on the other hand…
          Despair was telling his daughter, over and over again, that it would be all right. He couldn’t say anything else. In his sorrow, he couldn’t find words to comfort Trauma.
          He felt like a terrible father. In his grief for Misfortune, he wasn’t even able to protect their child. He felt weak. Unworthy. Useless.
          It was then that he saw the small figure racing down a nearby hill toward him.

***

          “Past and present, I have seen. Indeed I know.”
          Olive looked up at the back of Xatu’s head, his face still toward the sun. “Can you tell us, then? What’s happened, and what will?”
          “Unclear, the future is. It is strange. But the past I have seen.”
          Xatu breathed deeply, closing his large eyes for just a second.
          “KWAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!” He cried, causing the team to jump back in surprise.
          “There is a Dark One.” He began, “This being seeks to change the world. It has great powers, given to it by another.”
          He shivered.
          “I fear it.”
          Strangely, Zan began to shuffle her feet as if nervous. She looked up to see Olive staring at her, a bit perplexed, and quickly said “You aren’t talking about-”
          “Not, I am. That one has no true evil.”
          Then Xatu went rigid.
          “The future!” He cried, “Showed itself, it has! If the being is truly victorious, then sweep over the world, great change will! Such power!”
          “Change? Good or bad?” Sky questioned anxiously.
          Xatu stared on. “For those affected to decide, it is. But change there will be.”

***

          Kay quickened her pace down the hillside. The Absol had seen her. She had to act quickly.
          But she smirked. They were alone. The Absols had nowhere to run to, no one to help them. The older Absol snarled something at the female, her prize, and took a fighting stance. It wouldn’t do any good.
          There was no hope for them.
          Fast as lightning, Kay was facing the Absol. “I’ll fight you!” He roared, his face contorted with hatred, “I’ll fight you and I’ll kill you!”
          The being inside Kay laughed. Kill her? Absurd. But in that moment of silent ridicule, Kay was careless. The Absol slashed at her with a mighty paw, managing to hit her and gouge a gigantic gash down her chest. Blood spilled onto the ground.
          Kay roared, but felt no pain. She leaped four feet backward, preparing an attack.
          The Absol sprang, his red eyes blazing with the resolve to save his daughter and avenge his mate.
          It was a fatal mistake.
          In an instant, Kay was directly underneath the springing Absol’s head. With a single claw she dug into his neck and let the mark continue past his belly.
          The Absol’s intestines, stomach and other vital organs splattered in the dirt.
          Despair was dead before his body hit the ground.
          But there was no blood.
          No, it had all vanished. It had disappeared into nowhere the moment the Absol was ripped apart. But this didn’t vex Kay, for it was part of the plan.
          She turned to the young female Absol. This child was the final piece.
          Trauma’s eyes were wide with disbelief. It was as if all the horrible feelings in the world had come back to her and had chained her feet to the ground.
          Kay raised her claws, ready to claim a bloody victory.

***

          Olive’s ears perked up. She felt suddenly anxious, and tense.
          Something was wrong.
          “You guys,” she said to her friends, “I’m going back to the base. I’ve just got this feeling… It’s probably nothing, but I want to be sure.”
          “Do you want one of us to come with you?” Zoe worried, “Y’know, just in case?”
          Olive shook her head. “No. Stay here and try to get as much information as possible.”
          She held the Team Azul Rescue Badge to her face and let it’s light shine on her.
          Immediately, she had appeared back at her own base.
          Now she was sure of it. Something was happening. Something bad.
          Her ears twitched again, slightly in the direction of the Friend Areas.
          She turned.
          Trauma and Despair?

***

          The young Absol stood rigid, shaking, staring at her father’s mutilated body and at the creature who would certainly bring her doom.
          Kay smirked. This was it. Her mission was complete. As soon as she killed the female, everything would be in place.
          She advanced.
          But there was a cry behind her. Kay turned around.
          An Eevee?

***

          Olive was there. She saw Despair’s corpse. She saw her worst fears realized.
          Then she saw Trauma.
          The child’s eyes were afraid, so afraid.
          She stared into Kay’s eyes.
          They were blank, showing no light, the color of coal.
          The eyes of evil.
          “Run, Trauma!” Olive croaked desperately.
          Trauma didn’t move.
          “RUN!!!” Olive screamed.
          This time something awoke in the Absol’s eyes. With a gasp of panic she turned tail and fled. Fled to safety.
          Kay growled and twisted around, ready to pursue her target. Olive was faster.
          “You’re not going anywhere!” She screeched in fury.
          Olive saw Kay’s mouth twist into a snarl. She saw the deep gash that Despair had clawed on her chest.
          What she also saw that surprised her was the state of Kay’s health. Her blood-matted fur was stuck tightly to the Pikachu’s ribs. There was almost no fat left on her small body. It was a wonder how she could even stay upright.
           But that didn’t matter. Not now. Now was the time to fight. To protect. To save.
           Olive lept at Kay, claws outstretched, ready to tear at her old friend if it became necessary. Kay dived out of Olive’s reach a split second before impact, causing Olive to hit the ground with her two front paws. Kay lunged forward, slashing with claws that Olive now saw were reinforced with the tips of Silver Spikes. Olive lept out of the way, but not quickly enough. The needle-sharp claws gouged into her leg, tearing flesh and tendons.
             Olive yowled in pain. But she wasn’t allowed to feel pain right now. She had to keep fighting. Olive sprang again, this time catching Kay off guard, succeeding in clawing the fur above Kay’s eyes. She cried out as the blood dripped into her eyes, blinding her. This was a trick Olive used for tough fights. She lept behind the disoriented Kay, chomping into her left ear, then jumping to Kay’s right side to confuse her.
          But still Kay spun around, as if sensing Olive’s presence, and clawed at her. This time Olive’s shoulder was caught and torn, so deeply that one could see the bone. Strangely, the huge adrenaline rush did not allow her to feel much pain, though she knew she would feel it later.
          It was apparent that trickery wasn’t going to win this fight. Olive would have to rely on force. Kay had been bleeding for some time, and she was malnourished. Though her power had been amplified greatly, she had also been weakened.
          Olive sprang directly at Kay’s chest, sinking claws and teeth sink into her flesh, feeling warm blood gush into her mouth. Kay snarled and ripped Olive off her chest, sending the Eevee crashing to the ground with a deep gash on her cheek. Slightly disoriented from the impact, Olive was prevented from fighting back when Kay lunged and sank her claws into Olive’s back. “Get off!!” Olive screech, and bucked at Kay like a horse.
          The fighting continued this way. A blow was landed by one opponent, then the other. They were matched well. But gradually both Pokemon began to grow tired. Panting, Olive raised her head to look at her foe. Kay was breathing heavily, her sides heaving, obviously struggling to stay on her feet.
         Now was the time for a final blow. While Kay was looking at her feet, her head suddenly heavy, Olive jumped and knocked her to the ground. The force of the attack knocked Kay unconscious.
         The battle was over.
          But suddenly Olive felt the world spinning around her. Her various wounds were starting to take their toll. It suddenly occurred  to Olive how much blood she had lost.
         And how much blood Kay had lost.
         What had she done? She had fought for her life, and now both Kay and Olive were dying.
          She had to get help… She had to get back to town…
          Gasping, Olive hoisted Kay, inches from death, onto her back and slowly started to carry her out of the blood-soaked battlefield.
          Movement was painful. The walk to Pokemon Square that had once seemed so short, so quick and easy to get by, had become a long death march.
          But she would forge on. She HAD to! She couldn’t give up, she couldn’t fail, not after coming this far!
           But the world around her, the trees and the sky, was becoming an unrecognizable blur…
           She couldn’t go any farther… She just couldn’t….
           Olive collapsed.
           A large pool of blood materialized around her. Was this it?
           As she began to lose consciousness, she saw something move. A shadow?
           But what if it was just her dying mind lying to her?
           No.. It had to be someone… It had to be….
           “Please,” Olive rasped desperately, “Please, help….”
           And Olive knew no more.

Description
          Four Pokemon sat on a small path, branching out from a structure resembling the visage of an Eevee.  A Pikachu, a Vibrava, an Absol, and, yes, the very Eevee whose face the house was constructed after. Koru, Sky, Trauma, and Olive. Olive was shaking her head in utter disbelief.
          “I can’t believe it. Koru, you were alive all this time?”
           Koru nodded. “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here talking to you, would I?”
          “B-but it’s impossible!” Olive protested, “You weren’t breathing, and you didn’t have a pulse, and-”
          “And yet, he’s still alive.” Sky said, and closed his emerald eyes.
          “When I woke up under the ground, I couldn’t breathe,” explained Koru, “So my first instinct was to use Dig. Then I walked to Energetic Forest to see if Kay could explain stuff, but she wasn’t there. So I came here. Where’s Kay, anyway?”
          Olive and Sky looked at each other. Should we tell him? Olive mouthed. Sky nodded.
          “Kay’s…. kinda gone crazy.” Olive admitted.
          “She’s been breaking into the Friend Areas and murdering random Pokemon.” Sky blurted out. “She’s killed Rita, Fang, Thor, Ekans-- You know, from Team Meanies-- And….” he looked at Trauma with a melancholy expression, “Misfortune.”
          Koru’s eyes widened, as if taking in the horrible truth. “K-Kay?….” He spoke softly, in a shocked tone. “This is….. For real?” Everyone nodded.
          He looked around at the group, then at Olive, then at the ground. Suddenly, Koru pounded the earth with his fist.
          “DAMMIT!” He screeched. “Dammit, Kay! Why’d you have to do something like this?! Hasn’t our family been through enough already?!”
          “Koru, calm down!” Olive exclaimed. She ran to his side and lifted his fist from the ground.
          “Look.” She began earnestly, “I don’t think this is Kay’s doing. Sure, she was depressed when you died, but it wouldn’t have been enough to make her do this. There’s got to be another explanation.”
          “Like what?” Koru growled. His eyes still held rage within.
          Olive thought for a moment. “Well, Misfortune’s body wasn’t ripped apart like the others, and all her blood was gone. That signifies that she, unlike the others, was killed for a reason.”
          “That’s an excellent summary, Olive!” Sky praised, “You really are intelligent!”
          Olive blushed. “Well, it wasn’t actually me who thought of it. It was Blackie.”
          Sky looked confused. “Blackie? Who’s that?’
          “What are you….. Oh.” Olive had forgotten that no one but her knew about Blackie and Zan.
          She sat down again and explained what had happened to her, careful not to miss any details. Sky, Blackie, and Zan all had knowledge about the Wind, so if the information was combined, great conclusions could be made.
          Strangely, though, by the end of the story, Sky was only looking jealous, even a little hurt. “So…. This ‘Blackie’ guy….. Are you a real good friend of his?”
          “H-huh?!” Olive blushed again. “No way! He’s the biggest jerk I’ve ever met, and that includes Gengar!”
          “Good.” Sky nodded. “Anyway, it seems to me that the reason Koru didn’t die was because the Wind was created partly from a Butterfree’s Sleep Powder. The shadow could’ve amplified it’s power, sending the victim into a deep sleep, a sleep that’s so close to death, you can’t even tell the difference….”
          Sky’s expression turned quizzical. “One thing that doesn’t make sense, though, is that Blackie, Zan, and Bamber created the Wind not very many years ago, when they were kids.”
          “What doesn’t make sense about that?”
          Sky looked at her a little strangely, then said “Well, the Wind has been around since before I was born! My grandfather once told me, when I was little, a legend that an evil Pokemon created it and Arceus himself bestowed the strength to stop it upon dragon Pokemon.”
          He looked around at the expressions of the others. Koru, Olive, and Trauma all looked appalled, Olive especially. “B-but…. What Zan told me….. Was she wrong, then?”
          “Could be. There’s so much that doesn’t make sense. If only there was someone who knew ALL the information, instead of just pieces that don’t fit together…”
          The group sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought.
          Olive searched the archives of her mind. She knew that there was someone, hidden away in her thoughts, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Her memory drifted back to that day in the square, when Lombre said “Oh, yeah. Alakazam knows everything!” But he didn’t know everything, did he, Lombre? Only one Pokemon seemed to know all, even if he didn’t give straight answers, and that was-
          “I’ve got it!” Olive exclaimed, “Xatu! He can see the past and future and all that, right?”
          “Brilliant, Olive!” Sky chimed, “He’ll know! He knew about you being a human, didn’t he? ‘Course, he also lead you to believe that you caused Gardevoir’s death, but it’s worth a shot!”
          “Then let’s do it!” chirped Trauma, “Let’s all go to the Great Canyon!”
          Olive’s stomach jolted a little. She turned to Trauma. “Sorry, Trauma.” She said sympathetically, “But I don’t think you should come. There are too many wild Pokemon that could hurt you, since you’re such a low level.”
          “Awwwwwww!!!! No fair!” Trauma whined, “Level 10’s not THAT low! I wanna see Xatu!”
          “Why don’t you stay here and spend some time with your dad? He’ll take good care of you.”
          Trauma thought for a minute, then said “All right. It seems like he’ll need ME to take care of HIM, though. He hasn’t been the same since Mama….” The little Absol shook her head.
          “I can understand why.” said Olive, “But you try to have a good time with him anyway, OK?”
          “Yep!” Trauma smiled widely. That made Olive laugh a little, but she was also worried. Why was Trauma suddenly so unaffected by her mother’s murder?
          “In any case, we should all try to get some sleep.”
          Koru gave a huff. “Not me. I’ve had so much ‘sleep,’ I could last for a week.”
          “Well, the rest of us, then.”

***

          It was around nine in the morning, and Olive had sent Zoe to pick up supplies for the trip to the Great Canyon. Not much was needed, Great Canyon being a dungeon of little difficulty for the team, but it didn’t hurt to be safe. Olive had explained everything to Zoe, about Koru’s return from the “dead,” and about Xatu.
          The Keckleon Brothers eyed her strangely as she was buying a Reviver Seed, as if simply selling their wares to a member of Team Azul would curse them, but their natural greed caused them to attempt to convince Zoe into buying an incredibly expensive Thunderbolt TM despite their feelings. Luckily Kangaskhan maintained her sweet, motherly disposition with the tiny Zigzagoon, trusting as always when Zoe came to pick up stored items.
          Unfortunately, many of Pokemon Square’s residents held the same air around Zoe as the Keckleon Brothers. They were loyal citizens of the village and weren’t likely to abandon their hometown, as Azul’s former members had, but they remained wary of the team whom had once been considered heroes.
           It’s so mean, thought Zoe, It’s so mean how they think that the whole team is bad because of Kay! Like Olive says, it isn’t Kay’s fault! Something’s just…. Wrong with her! This is just like what happened with the whole Ninetails Legend thing. They’re so panicked that they automatically blame anyone connected….
          Zoe could remember that time when Olive was accused of heartlessly abandoning Gardevoir in her time of need, and also being the cause of the world’s destruction. Gengar had been an outsider, so they didn’t know of his brutish personality, but, caught up in their sudden state of threatened calamity, they had trusted a stranger. Even with almost no proof, the kindly villagers had turned on the very Pokemon who had saved more than one of their lives.
          Zoe herself had cried when she discovered what had happened, and that Olive and Kay had run away, facing a cruel fate in the turmoil that was the outside world, and a crueler one at the hands of their own neighbors. She had wanted so desperately to go with them, to fight the raging battles alongside her friends. And then she had been persecuted, rejected, for “encouraging the world’s end” simply by missing her beloved teammates and praying for their good welfare.
          It wasn’t fair….
          “That’ll be the two Pecha Berries you’re taking out, is that right, hon?”
          Kangaskhan’s  sudden voice brought Zoe back down to earth. Realizing that she had been daydreaming, she quickly said “Oh, yeah! Thanks, Kangaskhan!”
          Brandishing a half-full toolbox, Zoe turned back toward the base, where Olive was waiting.

***

          “Did you get the supplies, Zoe?” Olive asked expectantly as Zoe ran down the path toward her.
          “Yep!” Zoe piped. “Canwegonow?”
          Olive turned her head toward the path to the many dungeons of the world, wondering what they could learn from Xatu.
          Maybe he could tell them how to save Kay. Maybe he could tell them how to stop the Wind. And maybe he couldn’t tell them anything.
          “Yeah,” said Olive, “let’s go.”

***

          The team was halfway through the Great Canyon, which at one point had seemed a difficult dungeon, but now simply seemed like an obstacle course. The wild Pokemon were quite weak compared to them, one Tackle attack and they were on their backs. But the climate was dry, and the sun was burning, so as the Pokemon panted raggedly Zan proposed a rest.
          Yes, they had taken Zan with them. The cursed Eevee may have been needed as an example to Xatu, or to tell her story. Of course, Xatu may have already known about her. You could never really tell with Xatu…
           A canteen of water hung around Olive’s neck, and she carefully let a bit, just a bit, trickle down her throat. Ah, water never tasted so good as when drunk in the middle of such arid weather! When she was done, she passed the canteen to Sky, who also drank a small amount. He, in turn, passed the water to Zoe, who passed it to Zan.
          “Let’s rest just a while longer,” said Zan. This confused Olive just a tad. It didn’t seem like Zan was one to need a long rest. She hadn’t even used her wings yet. Olive didn’t ask if anything was wrong, because she still didn’t trust Zan after discovering the Wind’s origin, but she was curious still.
           Then, unexpectedly, Zan turned her head slightly toward Olive and said quietly, distantly, “He’s not as bad as you think he is.”
           “What?”
           “I saw the way you were looking at him. You loathe him. You think he’s the most horrible Pokemon who ever lived.”
           “But you’re wrong.”
           “Pfft.” Olive scorned, “You’re just sticking up for your brother.”
           “I’m telling you the truth,” Zan insisted a little more urgently, “You haven’t seen what he’s really like. He just doesn’t want to look weak in front of a normal Pokemon like you.”
           “Pfft.” Olive said once again, “If his idea of ’weak’ is ’not evil,’ then he’s as bad as I thought. And in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not what you’d call a ’normal Pokemon.’
           Zan wouldn’t give up. “He’s NOT bad. You know two days ago, when that Absol died? After Blackie was away from you, and he thought he was away from me, I heard him sobbing.  He was horrified, just as much as you were.”
          But Olive refused to believe her. “You’re lying. You’re lying so I’ll forgive him, and you, but it wont work.”
          The clear pools of crystal water that were Zan’s eyes were disrupted by a ripple of anger. “You only refuse to trust me because you want to hate him. You wont forgive us even though you were forgiven in the past for terrible crimes! You hypocrite!”
          Olive abruptly got up, standing firmly on all four paws. “That was different!” She snarled, “That was just a scheme set up by Gengar, meant to kill me! I did nothing of what I was accused! YOU, on the other hand, are completely guilty!!!”
          “WE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING INTENTIONAL!!!!” Zan shouted, “You keep blaming us for something that was purely an accident!! You call yourself a noble leader, but as soon as it gets personal at all, you become completely unfair!!!”
          Involuntarily, Olive unsheathed her claws. She felt a rush of adrenaline. A fight was coming.
          But Sky had other ideas. He and Zoe had been keeping their distance from the quarreling pair, but the Vibrava decided that this was a great time to intervene. He rapidly flew in between both of the Eevees, fanning his wings as if to keep one from seeing the other.
          “Okay, break it up.” Sky said forcefully, “This is no time to fight. Let’s just get to the Hill of The Ancients and find Xatu, got it?”
          Zan and Olive were glaring fiercely at each other, but Olive’s claws had retracted and Zan took off into the air, as high up as possible.
          The air much more tense than it had been when they stopped, the group began walking again.

***

          Far away from the spot where this verbal battle had taken place, a shadowy figure appeared at the peak of a hill with gray soil.
          The stench of dried blood hung around her, the brown-red marks that her numerous victims had left behind. Even the tattered black scarf that still fluttered around her neck was stained in places from the crimson barrage. But there would be no more blood. Not after today.
          She stared down at the clearing before her with blank eyes. Two tall, elegant creatures with beautiful white fur and smooth black faces were sitting there, calmly talking to each other. These Pokemon were doomed. Their blood would be spilled, all of it. She wouldn’t make the same mistake she had those countless other times, attacking the wrong individual. Now she had pinpointed her final victim.
          ‘It’s her,’ the voice inside her hissed, ‘She’s the one we want. She’s the one we need. Go! Now!’
          Kay’s puppet-like body obeyed.

***

          Finally, after a long climb up the side of the Great Canyon, the remainder of Team Azul reached the top of the Hill of the Ancients. Zan gently landed on the ground once again, still looking reproachful.
          Xatu was, as always, staring unblinkingly into the sun, which was just beginning to set.
          Olive approached him cautiously, wondering if he, at any moment, would cry out in his resounding bird call.
          But he did not. Xatu remained motionless. One could scarcely tell that he was breathing. For a moment Olive wondered if she would have to tickle him again. The thought resurfaced that same memory, and Olive chuckled quietly to herself.
          Then, without warning, Xatu spoke.
          “You have come.”
          His voice was not as mysterious as it had been at his and Olive’s last meeting, but it sounded rather troubled, even a little dark. “Y-yes, we have.” Olive said tentatively. “Xatu, do you already know why we’re here?”
          Xatu stared back at the orange glow of the sun.
          “I do.”

***

          Trauma and Despair were talking to each other. Quiet. Calm. Unaware. The conversation had started out with Despair trying to talk to his daughter, to comfort her. But, of course, he had failed, for it was he who needed comforting more. It seemed as if Trauma was growing stronger in spirit very rapidly, and that no emotional harm could come to her.
          Physical harm, on the other hand…
          Despair was telling his daughter, over and over again, that it would be all right. He couldn’t say anything else. In his sorrow, he couldn’t find words to comfort Trauma.
          He felt like a terrible father. In his grief for Misfortune, he wasn’t even able to protect their child. He felt weak. Unworthy. Useless.
          It was then that he saw the small figure racing down a nearby hill toward him.

***

          “Past and present, I have seen. Indeed I know.”
          Olive looked up at the back of Xatu’s head, his face still toward the sun. “Can you tell us, then? What’s happened, and what will?”
          “Unclear, the future is. It is strange. But the past I have seen.”
          Xatu breathed deeply, closing his large eyes for just a second.
          “KWAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!” He cried, causing the team to jump back in surprise.
          “There is a Dark One.” He began, “This being seeks to change the world. It has great powers, given to it by another.”
          He shivered.
          “I fear it.”
          Strangely, Zan began to shuffle her feet as if nervous. She looked up to see Olive staring at her, a bit perplexed, and quickly said “You aren’t talking about-”
          “Not, I am. That one has no true evil.”
          Then Xatu went rigid.
          “The future!” He cried, “Showed itself, it has! If the being is truly victorious, then sweep over the world, great change will! Such power!”
          “Change? Good or bad?” Sky questioned anxiously.
          Xatu stared on. “For those affected to decide, it is. But change there will be.”

***

          Kay quickened her pace down the hillside. The Absol had seen her. She had to act quickly.
          But she smirked. They were alone. The Absols had nowhere to run to, no one to help them. The older Absol snarled something at the female, her prize, and took a fighting stance. It wouldn’t do any good.
          There was no hope for them.
          Fast as lightning, Kay was facing the Absol. “I’ll fight you!” He roared, his face contorted with hatred, “I’ll fight you and I’ll kill you!”
          The being inside Kay laughed. Kill her? Absurd. But in that moment of silent ridicule, Kay was careless. The Absol slashed at her with a mighty paw, managing to hit her and gouge a gigantic gash down her chest. Blood spilled onto the ground.
          Kay roared, but felt no pain. She leaped four feet backward, preparing an attack.
          The Absol sprang, his red eyes blazing with the resolve to save his daughter and avenge his mate.
          It was a fatal mistake.
          In an instant, Kay was directly underneath the springing Absol’s head. With a single claw she dug into his neck and let the mark continue past his belly.
          The Absol’s intestines, stomach and other vital organs splattered in the dirt.
          Despair was dead before his body hit the ground.
          But there was no blood.
          No, it had all vanished. It had disappeared into nowhere the moment the Absol was ripped apart. But this didn’t vex Kay, for it was part of the plan.
          She turned to the young female Absol. This child was the final piece.
          Trauma’s eyes were wide with disbelief. It was as if all the horrible feelings in the world had come back to her and had chained her feet to the ground.
          Kay raised her claws, ready to claim a bloody victory.

***

          Olive’s ears perked up. She felt suddenly anxious, and tense.
          Something was wrong.
          “You guys,” she said to her friends, “I’m going back to the base. I’ve just got this feeling… It’s probably nothing, but I want to be sure.”
          “Do you want one of us to come with you?” Zoe worried, “Y’know, just in case?”
          Olive shook her head. “No. Stay here and try to get as much information as possible.”
          She held the Team Azul Rescue Badge to her face and let it’s light shine on her.
          Immediately, she had appeared back at her own base.
          Now she was sure of it. Something was happening. Something bad.
          Her ears twitched again, slightly in the direction of the Friend Areas.
          She turned.
          Trauma and Despair?

***

          The young Absol stood rigid, shaking, staring at her father’s mutilated body and at the creature who would certainly bring her doom.
          Kay smirked. This was it. Her mission was complete. As soon as she killed the female, everything would be in place.
          She advanced.
          But there was a cry behind her. Kay turned around.
          An Eevee?

***

          Olive was there. She saw Despair’s corpse. She saw her worst fears realized.
          Then she saw Trauma.
          The child’s eyes were afraid, so afraid.
          She stared into Kay’s eyes.
          They were blank, showing no light, the color of coal.
          The eyes of evil.
          “Run, Trauma!” Olive croaked desperately.
          Trauma didn’t move.
          “RUN!!!” Olive screamed.
          This time something awoke in the Absol’s eyes. With a gasp of panic she turned tail and fled. Fled to safety.
          Kay growled and twisted around, ready to pursue her target. Olive was faster.
          “You’re not going anywhere!” She screeched in fury.
          Olive saw Kay’s mouth twist into a snarl. She saw the deep gash that Despair had clawed on her chest.
          What she also saw that surprised her was the state of Kay’s health. Her blood-matted fur was stuck tightly to the Pikachu’s ribs. There was almost no fat left on her small body. It was a wonder how she could even stay upright.
           But that didn’t matter. Not now. Now was the time to fight. To protect. To save.
           Olive lept at Kay, claws outstretched, ready to tear at her old friend if it became necessary. Kay dived out of Olive’s reach a split second before impact, causing Olive to hit the ground with her two front paws. Kay lunged forward, slashing with claws that Olive now saw were reinforced with the tips of Silver Spikes. Olive lept out of the way, but not quickly enough. The needle-sharp claws gouged into her leg, tearing flesh and tendons.
             Olive yowled in pain. But she wasn’t allowed to feel pain right now. She had to keep fighting. Olive sprang again, this time catching Kay off guard, succeeding in clawing the fur above Kay’s eyes. She cried out as the blood dripped into her eyes, blinding her. This was a trick Olive used for tough fights. She lept behind the disoriented Kay, chomping into her left ear, then jumping to Kay’s right side to confuse her.
          But still Kay spun around, as if sensing Olive’s presence, and clawed at her. This time Olive’s shoulder was caught and torn, so deeply that one could see the bone. Strangely, the huge adrenaline rush did not allow her to feel much pain, though she knew she would feel it later.
          It was apparent that trickery wasn’t going to win this fight. Olive would have to rely on force. Kay had been bleeding for some time, and she was malnourished. Though her power had been amplified greatly, she had also been weakened.
          Olive sprang directly at Kay’s chest, sinking claws and teeth sink into her flesh, feeling warm blood gush into her mouth. Kay snarled and ripped Olive off her chest, sending the Eevee crashing to the ground with a deep gash on her cheek. Slightly disoriented from the impact, Olive was prevented from fighting back when Kay lunged and sank her claws into Olive’s back. “Get off!!” Olive screech, and bucked at Kay like a horse.
          The fighting continued this way. A blow was landed by one opponent, then the other. They were matched well. But gradually both Pokemon began to grow tired. Panting, Olive raised her head to look at her foe. Kay was breathing heavily, her sides heaving, obviously struggling to stay on her feet.
         Now was the time for a final blow. While Kay was looking at her feet, her head suddenly heavy, Olive jumped and knocked her to the ground. The force of the attack knocked Kay unconscious.
         The battle was over.
          But suddenly Olive felt the world spinning around her. Her various wounds were starting to take their toll. It suddenly occurred  to Olive how much blood she had lost.
         And how much blood Kay had lost.
         What had she done? She had fought for her life, and now both Kay and Olive were dying.
          She had to get help… She had to get back to town…
          Gasping, Olive hoisted Kay, inches from death, onto her back and slowly started to carry her out of the blood-soaked battlefield.
          Movement was painful. The walk to Pokemon Square that had once seemed so short, so quick and easy to get by, had become a long death march.
          But she would forge on. She HAD to! She couldn’t give up, she couldn’t fail, not after coming this far!
           But the world around her, the trees and the sky, was becoming an unrecognizable blur…
           She couldn’t go any farther… She just couldn’t….
           Olive collapsed.
           A large pool of blood materialized around her. Was this it?
           As she began to lose consciousness, she saw something move. A shadow?
           But what if it was just her dying mind lying to her?
           No.. It had to be someone… It had to be….
           “Please,” Olive rasped desperately, “Please, help….”
           And Olive knew no more.