Ragnarok

Note: Phew, it's been quite some time since I did an update, and I apologize for my lateness.

Well, I've brought two updates: Special #1 and Chapter 11. I hope you enjoy them.

Of course, please read, review, and rate my writing. Criticisms are welcome, and will only help to improve my work.

Comments on Chapter 11: Hooray for sound effects!! :D

My next goal is to try to complete the requested one-shot, and begin my outline of Chapters 12 and 13 before the end of the week. Hopefully, if I'm able to get myself situated, I'll be able to truly start on 12 by Wednesday-ish.

With that all said and done...

Enjoy the read!

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1:06
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The quiet town was bathed in the tranquil and inviting glow of the lights that illuminated the streets. Desolate and absent of all life, the streets gave way to absolute silence, save for the two newcomers to the tiny town, both having arrived only moments ago from the scanner-gates that lie at the boundaries to the village.

Great technology was behind the scanner-gates. These remarkable pieces of machinery would be able to not only identify the image of a person, but unlock the gate to allow said person entry into the city, along with any Pokemon companions that the person would carry alongside them.

Amazing technology, the type one can only see when one ventured deeper and deeper into the core of the Sinnoh region. Even the specifics of these simple automatons unknown to the common man.

The couple allowed entry into Sandgem Town just moments ago, headed directly for the lighted building toward the end of the first open road in the town. A giant red cross was plastered atop the building, signaling to the entire town, and every person in it, of it's one and only purpose.

A night nurse, uninterested and downright bored of her current job at the front desk, twiddled her thumbs and tapped her pen against the hard top, slowly whittling away at the minutes using any form of humdrum activity she could possibly make to amuse herself. Almost at the peak of her disinterest, the night nurse folded her arms across the table, leaning forward, not caring that her apparel was wrinkling against the table. The sound of her neat little shoes tapping against the tiled floor seemed to echo down the corridors to either side of her.

There would only be two guests that night, a little something to give her life a little perk, if any, at all.

The screen doors in the front of the center swung wide open, a young adult limping into the cooled room, his Pokemon to his side, its milky white fur drizzled with dirt stains and a small trace of blood. The boy, short on breath from the quick walk from the scanner-gates, wreaked of the stench of repel, despite the fact that humans were immune to the odor. His Pokemon, while irritated at the smell, didn't seem effected otherwise.

The night nurse continued to stare at the hardwood desk, not caring enough to lift her head, her fingers drumming to a nonexistent rhythm.

"Welcome to the Health Center, how may I-" her head shot up when a drop of blood landed on the desk, several inches from her index finger.

She stared up into Noah's tired eyes, instinctually getting to her feet.

"My goodness! Sir, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just had a little scuffle with a herd of Shinx...oh, and a Luxio. I just need a few bandages..."

"Please, please, come this way." the nurse said calmly, but trying to get Noah to hurry off to the nearest vacant room in the center. Luna followed behind, her arms crossed and her head tilted to the side.

Noah was quickly sat down onto a very uncomfortable bed, and was quickly bandaged up by the night nurse, her skills apparent in her delicate yet almost light speed handiwork. It only took a matter of moments before Noah's legs ceased their consistent pouring of his blood, the nurse applying ointment to other injuries on his body.

"So how is it, nothing too bad, right?" Noah asked the nurse.

"Nothing big, and there doesn't seem to be any infections or internal injury. Just get some rest tonight; a little sleep is all you need. We have available rooms to the back of the center for travelers." The nurse quickly glanced at the Zangoose sitting by the door that lead back to the corridors. "You are a Pokemon Trainer, right?"

"Right." Noah quickly answered.

"Alright then. All I need to see is your Trainer I.D., then I'll show you to an open room."

Noah reached into his bag, grabbing his certification and handing it over to the young woman. She only looked as long as an eye blink, recognizing the stamped seal of approval by High Noon on his I.D.

"Very well then. Let me just check up on your Pokemon, and I'll let you go for the night. Is she the only one you have?"

"Yes."

Zangoose quickly stood up, a little nervous about the girl who was advancing upon her.

"Luna, ease up, she just wants to see if you have any injuries." Noah assured his Pokemon.

'It feels so damn uncomfortable...' she relayed into Noah's mind, Noah almost jumping in place before realizing what she had done.

The nurse sifted through Luna's fur, trying to find any cuts or bruises that may have been inflicted. After a quick examination, she stood back up and sighed.

"Your Pokemon has a small bruise on her chest, but nothing that should hinder any of her abilities. Just make sure she doesn't get any more extensive damage in that general area for a day or so, okay?"

"That shouldn't be a problem, right Luna?"

'Yeah. That damn Luxio just caught me off guard. It won't happen again.'

"Please, follow me to the overnight rooms." the nurse said.

They exited the room, back into the quiet, cyan-colored corridor, strolling casually toward a set of double doors.

"You're a lucky one." the nurse replied.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you only have minor injuries; injuries that will heal within a day or two."

"What are you saying though?" Noah asked, curious as to what she was implying.

"The outdoors have become very dangerous to all Pokemon Trainers. The wild Pokemon are attacking more often, and trainers and Pokemon are getting injured more often on small walks, like the one down Route 201. I suppose you also came from the direction of Twinleaf?"

"Yes." Noah was glad she hadn't asked him anything personal. She did see his name on the trainer card, right?

"Who knows how many people we've lost who were too weak to even get into the town for medical attention...?"

Noah's curiosity was perked. Jerry said that the outdoors were becoming dangerous, but what exactly was happening? How intense had the wild creatures become? "What do you mean by that, miss?"

"Trainers are coming in with Pokemon injured beyond repair. Yesterday, a boy dragged in his Turtwig and Bidoof. One of them was partially disemboweled!"

"What the?! Are you serious?"

"We saved the two of them...but because of the extensive damage they had taken, they are unable to fight for the remainder of their lives."

'That's...terrifying.' Luna relayed to Noah.

"The trainer himself had a broken arm and a shattered rib, said he was attacked by something "big" and "terrifying"."

"Big and terrifying? What could possibly be that strong here on Route 201?"

"I don't know, but it isn't the first time we've heard of something like that. Several trainers who came from Jubilife and the route ahead have also claimed to have seen something large and powerful attacking people in the small forest outside of Sandgem. And even so...we've also lost several Trainers and their Pokemon already."

"I better be extra careful next time then...I don't remember the wild being so deadly."

"Just be wary of that creature in the forest; it's all I'm warning you about. You should be fine otherwise.

What I mean is, it isn't really ALL of the wild Pokemon attacking. All of those are being chased out of their habitats by incoming Pokemon, not to mention stronger animals that rest deeper in the wilderness."

"And since all of the weak ones are being pushed to the side, that leaves only the stronger groups, which are the ones attacking passing Trainers and other Pokemon," Noah intervened.

"Right."

They finally arrived at the double doors, the nurse going on ahead to unlock the set with a special key that hung across her neck. With a quiet clicking sound, the doors slowly opened automatically. Ahead, a dim-lit corridor, the same color as the hallway they were just in, with several doors to either side, each with a specific number given.

"You're the only trainer that has come tonight, and at the moment, you are the only trainer staying overnight. You'll be assigned to Room 001 until morning. There will be a complimentary breakfast available downstairs in the room across from the lobby from six to ten, so be sure to wake up early if you want some. You are also free to leave at any time, just notify me at the front desk before you go so I can mark your room down as vacant for tomorrow night, okay?

"That's fine," Noah replied, shaking the nurse's hand, "thank you for helping Luna and me, and thanks for the room."

"No biggie, it's my job. I hope you enjoy your stay tonight." the nurse replied with a smile, turning around to leave the two to themselves.

Noah and Luna quickly settled in, Noah wasting no time to head to the washer to clean his dirt stained clothes, not to mention that the repel's wretched odor continued to linger, somewhat bothering Luna's sense of smell, especially now that they were in an enclosed space.

Luna jumped onto the single bed in the center of the room, and, realizing the rectangular device by the television as the remote control, she quickly grabbed it, turning it on and flipping the channels to her own amusement.

"You shouldn't watch so much television, Luna."

Luna smirked. "I don't see why not. I've learned stuff from this box."

Noah decided that it would probably be best if they didn't argue with her. She seemed to be in a playful attitude, and that would quickly prompt a slap to his face, should he say the wrong thing. He'd also have to make note of this behavior; it appeared as though putting Noah "in his place" was going to soon become Luna's hobby.

Noah removed his outfit, replacing it with a sleeping outfit for the night, his only other outfit available to himself at the moment. Just some shorts and a white, plain, t-shirt. It was all he was going to need. He'd put it on after he cleaned up.

A sharp pain rose up the back of Noah's legs as he stretched about, prompting a new question for his companion. "Luna, I have a question that's been bugging me." Noah finally spoke out.

"And what exactly would that be?" Luna asked, hitting the VOLUME DOWN button on the remote to give Noah room to speak, something Noah felt very polite for someone who had an attitude like hers, disregarding the fact that Luna was already learning the ins and outs of how the remote control even worked.

"Well, when you saved me from those grunts at the lake, you healed my broken leg and the injuries I had on my face."

Luna already knew where this discussion was headed.

"Why weren't you able to heal me on Route 201? I only had several bites and you a small bruise. It shouldn't have been hard to heal something as minor as this, right?"

Luna stayed quiet for a moment, looking back to the television, her channel surfing slowly beginning to cease. Her claws released the control and let it plop onto the floor beneath her paws, her body lifting onto her two hind legs.

"It's pretty simple, really." Luna replied, her voice calm but concerned.

"So...?" Noah waited anxiously.

Luna turned to Noah, a little embarrassed. "I've been, kinda...sorta, slowly losing my otherworldly abilities."

"What?"

"It's just as I said, Noah. I'm losing any powers I may have had."

"So, you just aren't powerful enough to do it anymore...or...?"

"It's as if I've forgotten how to do the ability completely. I know I've done it before...but for some reason, I can't make it happen again." Luna looked to the ground, a bit angry at her incompetence.

Luna stared into her paws. "It's like I'm just an average Pokemon, like nothing out of the ordinary."

Noah was satisfied with her truthfulness, but this new development proved to be slightly problematic.

"I shouldn't have been so reckless." Noah said, adding on. "I assumed that you'd continue to be able to heal whenever we had gotten injured."

"You should've asked sooner."

"I was going to."

"But you didn't."

Noah nodded his head in agreement. He turned, heading to the bathroom behind him.

"We shouldn't worry too much about it, Luna." he said back to her, getting her full attention. "That doesn't make you any less useful. Special powers or not, you're still a powerful Pokemon.

Besides," Noah rubbed his shoulder, "A Pokemon that can speak English is unique."

The flattery flew right passed Luna's short attention span. "So, what will we do?"

"Simple really," Noah said, a little sarcastically, but lightheartedly. "We just have to not get hit."

Luna stared, blank faced by the ridiculous answer he had given, before he closed the door behind him. She chuckled to herself as the sound of the shower drowned out the silence of the night. Luna quickly turned up the volume on the television again.

'You're coming in next after me, you know that?' Noah's voice rang inside her head, her body twitching a little by instinct.

'We've got to set up some sort of guidelines so we don't sneak up on each other like that. Wait a second...what?'

'You're just as dirty as I am from today's fight. You need to clean yourself.'

Luna cocked her "eyebrow". 'A bath?'

'I always keep my Pokemon neatly groomed and cleaned. It's a thing I used to make a habit out of.'

Luna was still confused. 'Wha?'

'Which reminds me, I'm gonna have to buy myself a new brush to help with your fur. Zangoose do tend to shed and leave dander about.'

Luna turned a slight red color from underneath her fur, a little embarrassed, although exactly why she was, she couldn't answer.

'Don't worry, I'll help you. Besides, you’re my Pokemon, right?'

'Keep this up Noah.' Luna hissed back playfully, swinging her arm in the air.

Noah went silent, Luna's attention turning back to the television. All of the talking between the two somewhat finished, Luna got on her fours again and sat in front of the screen, gently pushing down on the remote control to change the channels whenever something lost her interest.

It didn't take long for her to move her paw from the remote, a display of a strange man atop a large tower taking up the screen in front of the Pokemon. She looked on, curious, unknowingly trying to sniff at the television for the man's scent, before forcing herself back to her sitting position, trying to get herself to remember that it was only an image.

The man's movement was peculiar. His motions were jerked and didn't seem to flow naturally. He pivoted and turned his joints at sharp and painful angles, his entire body acting as a puppet.

The creature's movements weren't the only awkward feature about it. It's seemingly red hair was tangled amongst itself, flowing in every direction imaginable, much of it twisting and turning with other large chunks. His outfit was in a terrible condition, his black and red attire torn off from the knees down, with patches- looking more like punctures in the outfit- scattered amongst his upper portion of his body. Blood was drizzling down these opened patches, and down his legs were his bare skin clashed with his essence.

His movements continued, his shoulders jerking every which way atop that large tower, the camera rocking back and forth, obviously in the hands of an amateur. People could be heard, shouting and screaming things, words not understandable through the horrid quality of the audio in the clip. The red haired man's eerie, quirky motions started to look more like a dance, his body freezing almost completely every few seconds or so.

'Noah, are you getting all of this?' Luna asked, sending the experience through him via the connection.

'Yes...' Noah said, terrified at what he was seeing. 'Just what the hell is he doing!?'

'You know this human?' Luna asked.

'There isn't a doubt in my mind...' Noah relayed back to her, his body motionless as the drops of water from the shower continued to rain down upon him. 'That's Lance of High Noon...

What happened to him?'

Noah continued to view the image as Luna sent it to him. Lance, bloody and beaten, was prancing about atop Goldenrod Radio Tower, while all of the population watched on. The video wasn't a live feed, the wording on the screen enough proof for that.

BREAKING NEWS: HIGH NOON SUICIDE

Noah watched on in horror, as Lance's pace began to devolve into a frantic thrashing of limbs, the blood flow increasing in Lance's wounds. There was one feature that gave Noah shivers down his spine.

'That smile. That same, god damn smile; just like her.' Noah thought to himself. Sure enough, a wide, sharp grin was spread across Lance's face, his eyes as wide as could be, bloodshot and tearing. Lance's body grew closer and closer to the guard rail that protected people atop the radio tower. His feet were beginning to lose balance as they began to slide off of the edge. His body, finally giving into gravity, fell sideways, Noah preparing for the worst, Luna watching on, with a strange sense of excitement and anxiety.

Lance's body, to his own amusement, suddenly froze on place again, shocking everyone. The tips of his boots were still on the platform his body had fallen off of, but the rest of his body hovered in the air, in place, somewhat defying the laws of physics. Lance's body seemed to lay face up on the air, that ever-permanent smile growing wider as the crowd fell silent. He spread his arms out, slowly, to his sides, fists clenched so hard that he started to bleed.

'How is he doing that?' Luna asked.

'Is that even possible? It would take a ridiculous amount of strength to counterbalance the weight with just his toes.'

The two watched as Lance pulled off his final stunt. In one slow, flowing motion- a movement seen directly opposite of his previous actions- his head twisted to his right, his arms swinging inward, clutching at his chest. His forced and uncharacteristic, maniacal laughter filled the starry skies, saliva flying from his mouth. The cameraman focused on his fully revealed face, filled with bruises and deep cuts. His smile grew wider, his teeth separated, and from his innards, an unholy sound.

"eht rtsif pste is wlaysa het somt fiiftudlct...nthe uoy ahve the cesdno...dan het drhit..."

With that, a strange, splattering sound, followed by Lance's body, now lost of any control it might have had, spiraling to the ground below, a good eighty stories drop separating him from the ground.

Noah flinched, his eyes closing before the impact, but that didn't stop the relay of the image of Lance's skull shattering against the cement that came from Luna, before the recording stopped.

The pair remained quiet for some time after the video, the shower continuing to run; the reporters dragging on the coverage of the event they had just witnessed for the first time.

'...Lets just leave that be for now.' Noah suggested, obviously flustered, his body automatically continuing his routine.

'Good idea.' Luna replied, more disturbed than frightened.

----------

The thunder rolled along the abandoned path, dark clouds hovering overhead, swirling about the old, wretched building. It's walls rusting and aging, it stood weak and fragile, but deadly to any who decided to pass through for a visit.

Powerful Pokemon roamed this area, creatures strong and deceptive, lurking in the shadows of the rotting landscape. A river, the water now completely dried up, had a path that followed to the front of this dwelling, the cement and gravel that made the manmade walkway now buried under dead or dried grass.

No rain ever fell from the clouds overhead, and the thunder and lightening never disappeared from the area surrounding the building, as a large and omnipotent host roosted here, claiming this territory as its own.

Footsteps could be heard from quite the distance away, a human figure approached from the old river's path, face covered by a red and white hat, his presence alerting the Pokemon that roamed along the outside of the territory.

The Trainer's face remained cold and ruthless; he lifted himself from the bank of the river, and onto the covered grassy path that lead to the run down Power Plant.

The wild creatures took action, pouncing from her hiding spots within the tall grass on the borders and on the rocky hillside to the west of the facility, getting ready to lay waste to the pathetic traveler that decided to roam carelessly.

A glare. A single, forced glare from the Trainer. A humming sound later, and the creatures, fearful and terrified of this man's strength, scampered away as fast as possible, or were trapped, ensnared by his amazing power.

The Trainer continued to head to the doors, walking through the broken glass that would've made the screens, thinking back to his objective.

"I want you to get rid of those three pests for me. Can you do that?" a familiar voice rang out in his memory.

"..."

He walked down the small hallway, lights flickering from a lack of sufficient power, small motions from weaker creatures doing no sort of damage to his determination. He walked through another set of doors.

"These three won't be too easy to take down, understand that."

Another set of doors.

"But I have a good feeling that because they are separate, they will be no match, when compared to someone like you, whose power outranks all of High Noon combined."

Yet another set.

"Do I have your word on this mission?"

A large door swung open, the doors getting larger, along with the rooms, as he approached his target. He could already hear the humming and vibrations within the walls. It knew he was here, and what he wanted. Furthermore, it was ready for battle. A final set of doors separated the target from the Trainer, a bright yellow light poking out from the cracks at the bottom.

"I wish you the best of luck, and trust me: your reward will be great..."

He pushed the doors open, the large metallic frames sliding forward from the outside. The second great one was perched atop a generator several feet away, staring down at him with vicious, murderous intent for the imbalance he had caused. It spread its wings, electricity cackling about its jagged black and yellow feathers, roaring its battle cry. Its sharp, orange beak begged for the challenger's blood.

"There is no need for words. You shall pay for your actions!!"

The Trainer, not intimidated by the beings power, pulled out a Pokeball, and readied himself for combat. His little yellow companion revealed itself from behind the trainer’s head, growling, electricity building up in its tiny red cheeks.

The entirety of the Power Plant was lit up with what could've been misunderstood to be fireworks, as a raging battle began on the inside.

Cerulean City, only a day’s walk away from the battle zone, would be rudely awakened by a large humming sound, with a vibration that would soon be mistaken for an earthquake. A movement in the surface of the earth that would disturb the Legendary Ones themselves, had they felt the monstrous tremor.

----------

The door to the shower swung open, Luna going as far as to not even turn her head around to give her attention to it. Her ears perked up at the sound of Noah's bare feet patting the tiled floor in the showering room. Steam slowly began to escape from the opened door, Noah finally crossing back into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his midsection, his clothes neatly folded and stacked atop the bed. Noah reached into his black bag, pulling out a similar outfit, the resemblance to the previous outfit almost perfect, right down to the very last detail. He turned to Luna, whose channel surfing had her stuck watching a cartoon. She smiled, amused as the inked characters onscreen acted out strange situations, all with awkward and a sort of manic set of shenanigans that usually harmed the toons onscreen.

"Well?" Noah told her, as if she would listen to him, too involved in her now-apparent favorite hobby.

The cat ferret turned around quickly, as to not miss any moments from her shows. "Well what?"

"It's your turn. Come on, I'll help teach you."

"In a little while, I'm watching this."

Noah felt aggravated. She was acting like a child again; a side that had already began to annoy him. "Luna, right now. The sooner this gets done, the sooner you can watch the TV. Again."

Luna threw her paws up. "Yeah, hold on, the best part is coming..."

Noah knew that the possibility for his next action to go horribly wrong was extraordinarily high, but he took the initiative anyway, and grabbed Luna by the "shoulder", and began to pull her toward the shower. To his surprise, she didn't bother to put up any form of hostility toward him directly. However, she was gripping at the floor with her claws, trying to keep grounded.

The quiet struggle raged for only several minutes, Noah pulling with all of his might to get her passed the door's threshold. She was just too strong to be pulled.

The program abruptly ended, Noah continuing his struggle.

No sooner had the cartoon finished, had Luna thrown her paws into the air once again. "Okay, I'm do-" she started, before realizing that Noah was still pulling her as hard as he could. The sudden shift in momentum forced the two to the wall nearest the bathroom, Noah slamming into the wall, Luna following suit, landing on his chest, squeezing him in between the wall and her soft body.

"I-is this how it starts?" Luna asked.

Noah sighed, her kid games already trying his patience. "You could've told me you were going to do that sooner."

"I told you I'd go once the show was over."

Noah knew that she was more likely than not unable to give in, if he should continue. He decided to just forget the entire ordeal as he picked himself up off of the floor, along with Luna, and started the showers up again.

The heat from the shower forced steam to rise to the ceiling yet again as Noah slowly eased Luna into the tub underneath the shower head. Luna lifted her paw to the water pouring from the device, allowing the liquid to soak her fur down to the core.

"Noah, it's a little hot."

"Don't worry too much, your body will get used to it. Just relax."

It took several minutes after, but once Luna had become accustomed to the temperature of the water, the rest of the little "tutorial" flew by. Noah grabbed a lufa pad hanging off of the side of the tub, and using the string that was attached to the item, tied the shower scrub to Luna's paw. Noah taught her the basics of scrubbing down her own body, specifically to keep her fur from knotting up, should she scrub in any random or mindless direction.

Noah guided Luna's hand around her body, his silky smooth skin- from showering of course- rubbed against her body, forcing a blush from the Pokemon. Noah felt a strange new sensation driving straight up from his spine, questioning whether or not the feeling was being transmitted from the Pokemon before disregarding it altogether. He helped her scrub her back, moving his hands in a serene and delicate motion that put a satisfied grin on her face, the suds from the showering soap building up in between the fur on her body. Noah's hands glided back to her front, grabbing the paw with the lufa attached, tutoring her on how to scrub her front, from her neck to belly.

"Make sure to scrub your...eh, lower parts near your legs." Noah said, moving his hands away.

Luna turned her head, her trainer moving away slightly, his head turned to face the other wall. She could feel something building up inside of him, a sort of nervous curiosity, as well as a swelling embarrassing emotion.

"Noah, why did you let go?"

"It's not right for me to go down to the more…erm…private portions of your body. Besides, you've seen how to scrub already; it's pretty much the same process, so hurry up and finish."

Noah waited for her to respond to him. He could tell that Luna was a little afraid, trying to cleanse herself on her own, but he was sure that she'd manage. The awkward silence quickly subsided after several more moments, a signal that she was finished.

"I'm done Noah." Luna said, a bit embarrassed herself, but for a legitimate reason, she couldn't tell.

"Great, now you just need to scrub your legs and back paws." He replied, inching closer behind her, almost in a spooning position, his head hovering a little over hers, his hands clenched around her paw once again, helping her with the rest of her body. He retreated back to the top of her head, scrubbing her ears and gently massaging the shampoo into her tail, reminding her to do so during her next bath.

"Now we just need to rinse...I got quite a bit of soap and shampoo on me again too..."

Half an hour passed, as the night sky outside grew darker as the time crept ever so closely to midnight. The door to the shower opened once again, the steam more apparent this time in its escape from the heated bathroom. Luna walked out, her fur already dried, of course, after Noah had been busy getting the moisture out with a hairdryer. Of course, this didn't come without consequence, as Luna's fur puffed outward, making her usual fit figure look more rounded and overall, fat and overly chunky.

"You understood everything I've taught you, right?" Noah asked, remembering that he had to repeat several directions and steps in order for her to understand how to execute them.

"Yeah, I think I've got it." she replied, trying to pat her stubborn fur back down. "Besides this crap," she added, presenting her still poufy appearance, "it feels pretty good...afterward I mean. It's comfortable."

"A good shower tends to do that to you, Luna." Despite that she had learned how to bathe herself, Noah was still irritated at her tail. It was a simple irk that he had; he couldn't stand that her tail's fur had a mind of its own, the white coat flowing in any which way it chose at the moment. "I really need to get you a brush."

Luna grabbed the remote to the television, planting herself this time at the foot of the bed, staring back at the magical box with an empty stare as her claw continued to push the channel button down again and again. Some of her long tail drooped over her head and blocked her vision. She quickly blew air upward to clear her vision. "To be quite honest Noah, it's pissing me off too." she said, laughing under her breath.

Noah, finally done with the shower for the night, threw on his night clothes, and crawled underneath the blankets, finally resting his head down on the light pillow beneath him, warmth slowly overcoming his body.

"We leave tomorrow, as soon as the sun rises."

"Fine with me." Luna replied. "I have a good feeling about tomorrow."

"Me too."

"That, or I'm just so damned relaxed right now..."

Noah could feel Luna's body vibrating slightly from his feet, where her body rested. He looked in her direction, her smiling face gawking back at the television, unchanging, until he realized what the shaking sound was.

'She's purring...?' he thought to himself.

"Hey Noah." Luna suddenly spoke out.

"Yes?"

"Back to the whole 'catching Pokemon' thing. Where do we start?"

"Hm? Oh, that's pretty easy. We just have to keep a good eye out for the Pokemon we are looking for."

"How do we know which ones to look for? Are we looking for any partners in particular?"

"Well, no. I never bothered to care too much about which creatures I captured. I don't like being too picky about what I catch and what I don't. I guess...we'll know which ones to go after when we see them?"

"How do we know though, that they are right for us?"

"As long as they show both potential and the willingness to get stronger, they are good enough for us."

"That sounds pretty good then." Luna shifted a little in place, letting her body dig deeper into the mattress. "I wonder what Pokemon will be joining us..."

"Who knows? I'd normally have a pretty good guess that we'd catch something like a Shinx or Kricketot...but with this new emigrational pattern, who knows what we'll run into. Hell, Zangoose can't really live on their own here in Sinnoh. How the herd you originated from survived the journey all the way to this place is something I'm having a hard time comprehending."

"The herd came from the plains...at least, that's what this Pokemon's memory says."

Noah turned his head back to the ceiling. "So, you remember everything that the Pokemon you possessed knew up to its death?"

"Yup."

"Anything interesting?"

"Mmmmm...nuh-uh. Everything in here is pretty boring, except-"

"Except?"

"Well, there's this one thing that apparently kept coming back into this creature's mind, some important kind of message."

Noah's curiosity perked, lifting his upper body a little upward to get a better view of his Pokemon. "And what kind of message is that?"

Luna tried hard to focus on the deceased mammal's thoughts for a moment, before shrugging. "I don't know, it's all blurry."

"That's strange. Something must've been very important to that Zangoose."

"Mmhmm." Luna finished off, yawning.

Noah lay back down on the bed, thinking to himself for a moment.

"Luna, don't forget, we also need to figure out how to make this "synchronization" work out."

"It doesn't sound too difficult. More like us just relaying our thoughts to one another."

"When you put it like that, of course it's going to sound easy. I'm just concerned about how well we'll be able to do it in the future. I mean, sure, we took out a Luxio, but that was just a wild Pokemon on a weak route. Not to mention that it must've been a little exhausted from the evolution."

"What are you implying, Noah?"

"Well, I just want to be safe. There are people in this world that we may run into. People that can and without hesitation, will try to harm us."

"Really?" Luna asked, a little confused and curious.

"Yeah. There are thieves and criminals that can harm us, and use Pokemon to potentially put us in a fatal position."

Luna didn't want to tread too far into the subject. "Have you ever experienced this, Noah?"

"Well, no, not directly. However, there are reports all the time about trainers getting mugged, injured, and sometimes even killed. We just got to be safe out there, and watch out for any threats."

"This is also why you want to have more Pokemon?"

"Yeah. That, and more trainers to help out, besides just myself of course."

"More trainers? As in, more than one?"

"Yup. We need as much help as we can get."

"Which is why you let that other boy come with us?"

"Exactly. Not to mention that it's one of my best friends and traveling partner."

"You really put a lot of confidence into that other boy, Noah."

"I don't see why not. He's always been a reliable person I could always count on."

All was quiet for several moments, save for the television quietly humming across the room from Noah's bed.

"So, tomorrow, where are we going?"

"Well, we're going to head to Jubilife through the route to the north of Sandgem Town. It's quite a walk, but it'll only take half a day, and we should arrive by late afternoon sometime tomorrow if all goes well." He looked back down at Luna without moving his head. "You said you have no idea where these "plates" might be, right?" He asked, playing around with the necklace that refused to leave his body.

"Nope. We just have to wonder all around until I begin to sense them...or something like that." she joked.

"We'll probably have to scope the entirety of Sinnoh...or even the other regions if what you lost got scattered so far."

"That's always a possibility."

"What a bother."

"Yeah. I kinda wish they were all in the same place."

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about later down the line. Let's just take this one step at a time, okay?"

"Right."

A peculiar splashing sound from the window caught the two's attention, Noah quickly opening the blinds to see the source. Small droplets of rain drizzled down from above, coating the streets and the houses, slowly increasing in size and speed.

"It's going to storm tonight. It might be gone by the time we wake up tomorrow." Noah added. "I'm tired; I'll see you in the morning Luna."

"'Kay."

"Just don't stay up too la-"

His voice was cut by the sound of a heavy downpour outside, the patting against the window from the drops completely out of any rhythm, furiously slapping against the glass.

Noah prepared to rest, trying to ignore the rain, thunder quietly making itself known in the distance; the lightning was blocked by the window blinds.

Then they felt it, something abominable somewhere on the other side of that window, although not directly on the opposite side of that pane.

"Noah...?" Luna whispered.

Her voice provoked a reaction from the thing on the outside. The window vibrated, something, like a hand of some sort, slapped against the window. While not hard enough to shatter the glass, or even cause a crack, the noise was noticeable. Noah almost jumped from the bed, but the suspense of the situation kept him glued down.

'Luna...don't talk. Don't speak.' he told her, a strange but familiar ecstasy building up inside him, adrenaline pumping through the duo's bodies.

The slap came again, and then a third time.

SmackSmackSmack

Then, a high pitched squeaking sound. Whatever it was on the outside, it was rubbing its hand down the window, causing an irritating, and somewhat terrifying sound.

SMACK SMACK!!! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE......

The rain in the back came down even harder, almost drowning out the sound of the slapping and squeaking. Thunder rolled along the city as the being continued to torment Noah and Luna's thoughts with what it might be on the other side of that window.

Then, whatever it was, it spoke; it's voice eerily familiar...

"I'ev fdnou uoy...llttie yob...elpeas elt me ni...'m evry dolc dan ewt..."

Noah's eyes shot open, the memories flooding back from Eterna. He shut his mouth with his hands, whimpering underneath them, absolutely terrified as the voice continued to echo. Luna began to feel Noah's terror through the link, her heartbeat beginning to race.

'Noah...please calm down, you're...scaring...me.' she pleaded, obviously as frightened as he was now.

"Elpeas...elt me ni..."

Noah started to lose track of his breathing, his intake coming in at static and uncontrollable levels.

SMACKSMACKSMACKSMACKSMACK!!!!

"ELT ME EHT CKUF NI!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A quick snapshot from his past emerged, followed by others.

A deteriorating Luxray...
Jerry's frozen body...
That tall and frightening man...
The creature's unnatural and twisted voice...
His Turtwig, bleeding out in his arms as Jerry came dashing to his side with half of the Pokemon Center...

Noah couldn't handle it anymore. The pressure and the fear he exerted seemed to attract the monster, a larger part of the strange creature's body- possibly the head- slammed against the window, sucking on the window pane. When it was obvious that its efforts proved to be fruitless, it banged its bony hands across the barrier again.

Then silence.

Noah, still in a heightened state of fear, stared back at the pane. The shadow that was there beyond the raindrops had gone.

"Wh...what was th-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The creature slammed its face against the glass, cracking it a little, amplifying the power of its high-pitched shriek. Its voice devastated whatever silence the room may have had besides the storm itself. The unholy sound from the specter traveled down the hallway, even to the front lobby. The deed done, the creature instantly vanished from sight.

Noah grabbed onto his chest, his forehead sweating, his air passage tightened. In a simple moment, the beast on the other side of the window was gone, along with the presence he and Luna felt from it.

Luna, already calming herself down, approached Noah, trying to comfort him. He stayed put, panting heavily, trying to erase the voice from his head, or at the very least, wished the entire ordeal was a dream.

"What the hell was that?" Luna asked, knowing damned well she wasn't getting an answer.

Panting, Noah answered back. "I- pant- have NO FUCKING IDEA- pantpant."

The door to his room clicked- the lock had just been switched, and swung completely to the other side before rebounding half way. The night nurse that showed him to the room from before was at the door, breathing heavily as well.

"I heard someone screaming! Is everything alright?!" she asked, a Chansey at her said, looking ready for battle with a intruder that wasn't there; or may not have ever existed to begin with.

Noah looked down at the floor, coming up with a lie almost immediately. "It's fine. Just -pant- a bad nightmare."

The nurse, calming down after the rude awakening, nodded. "Thank Arceus. I thought something had happened. Try to not do that again," she laughed nervously, "you almost scared me half to death!" With the threat rectified, the nurse turned back and started back into the hallway, shutting the door behind her.

"Well then, have a good night."

Noah looked back at the nurse with a questionable face as the door closed and locked back up. "You gotta be kidding me. Ugh."

The exhausted trainer threw his body back onto his bed, still a little jumpy and refusing to glance near the window. Noah threw the blanket over himself, trying to relax his body, his midsection shivering still.

"Well...whatever that was...let's just forget about it for now. I don't even want to think about it. I'm going to try to get some sleep."

It only took a handful of minutes before Noah's body completely relaxed from the shock, and his eyes shut for the night. Luna, on the other hand, already over the event, flipped to her favorite channel, the soap opera from the other night airing once again.

----------

"And you're sure you want to go through with this?" the male actor said to the woman in his arms.

"Yes, I do..."

"Even if it destroys everything else that we have?"

"I don't care about any of that." she replied, gripping him tight.

"Eloping is a serious deal. We have to live on our own, and leave our families, loved ones, and friends. Any possessions we don't take with us will be left behind...since we're going...there."

The woman actor passionately drew him in yet even closer to her light skinned body, fashioned with a beautiful blue dress that would rival that of a queen's attire. The dress wrinkled as she rubbed her body against his. "Like I said...I just don't care about any of that. Don't you see?"

The man looked down at her, finally coming to a realization.

"I...I love you!" the woman exclaimed, raising her body for their faces to meet at even level. Her lips hovered in front of his for but just a single moment before the two young lover's bodies became one. The man reacted, wrapping his arms around hers.

"I love you too." he gently told her as their lips slightly departed from each other's contact. "We will leave everything we've got right here...and vanish before anyone even realizes what we've done." The gentleman gripped her by the hand, carrying her toward the imminent sunset. In one swift motion, his other arm scooped her legs up, holding her to his chest as the two lovers met the sun that lead the way out of the city. The two looked at each other, kissing once more, before the screen faded to black."

Luna turned off the television. It was already getting late, and Noah would bug her if she was still asleep when he awoke. She stretched on all fours as she reflected on what she just saw in her mind.

'What is...love? These two...are they seriously willing to give up everything for this one thing in return? And earlier, when I saw it at Noah's den...that lady attacked the guy because of this 'love'. Why do they do this out of 'love', it doesn't make any sense. Is it something worth fighting for?'

She turned toward Noah. 'Then there's also him...he's been sending me strange feelings I've been unable to fathom. The thing by the window made me feel...helpless. What was that?

I need to ask Noah about these strange sensations I get from time to time. I react to them...but I don't know what they are, or why they make me react to them in those ways.' She poked her cheeks with her claws, pondering for a moment. 'Yup, it's settled. I'll ask Noah about this crap in the morning. Maybe he could explain what this...'love' is all about, and maybe even why someone like those two are willing to lose everything over it.

I know I wouldn't give up what I have for this 'love'.' She reassured herself. 'It just sounds too foolish. Even though I don't have anything to give right now...'

She stretched once more, silently getting on the bed, prowling up to where Noah's midsection was.

'This is gonna piss him off...but it'll be funny.'

In a smooth transition, Luna rested her body on his chest, letting her tail sit right in front of his face, purposely, for the next morning.

'At least it will wake him up.' she giggled.

----------

Noah's body was floating in a dark mass of space, the surroundings a color indescribable with the human tongue. Despite the overwhelming darkness, Noah's body was still visible in this deep void. He kept to himself as he continued to drift around in this mysterious nothingness.

"I was wondering when I'd finally get in touch with you." a voice spoke to him.

Noah opened his eyes, not realizing the voice to be his own. Gravity suddenly pulled his body to a manifested ground, landing on his side. He felt no pain as he dusted his body off, standing to see a monstrous, seven foot tall figure facing him.

"Who are you?" Noah asked in his dreamlike daze. His physical body and mind had no control beyond his speech in this strange dimension, evident when he couldn't move after he stood up to stare back at the figure.

"That doesn't matter." the figure replied. The man wore quite the strange wardrobe. He had only two discernable pieces of clothing on: A large, black cloak that covered his entire body from head to toe, even going as far as hiding his feet within the lower parts of the cloak. The other piece of clothing, or more so an accessory, was a pale white mask, the front resembling the face of a man with a bulged and large nose, squinted eyes, and a large chin that jut out from beneath his "jaw". The mask even bore a fake mustache under his nose that wrapped around the cheeks and to the sides of the head gear. "I'm just here to take notes..."

"What do you mean, 'take notes'?"

"Oh, nothing, Noah."

"You...even know my name?"

"I know quite the large amount of information on you, sir."

Noah didn't respond, allowing the man to analyze his figure, the man's body not moving an inch, his head pivoting to the left and right almost at a set rhythm.

The cloak hid all other body parts inside it, the outfit not even stretching or revealing a single limb when he finally walked over to the young man.

"Are you sure you can do this?"

"Do what?"

"Help the poor girl, I mean. You don't seem fit for the job...you're too scared of reality, or at least, the reality you've been thrown into."

"What? That's ridiculous. What's the difference between the reality of now and the reality of then?"

The man ignored his question. "It can be as ridiculous as it wishes, so long as it's true."

"Whatever."

"Do you even know where to start looking?"

"I'm just going off of whatever she's told me."

"Tsk, tsk."

"I don't have any other leads."

"That's a shame. I would've expected you to be twice as far as you are now, though."

"What are you trying to say?"

"As I've said before, you don't look like you have the stuff. You're taking your sweet assed time, and it's bugging me. Oh, and for your information, you've already been given a lead, you're just not thinking about it hard enough."

"What?" Noah pondered for a minute, nothing particular coming to mind. "Why does it even matter to you?"

"You have no idea. Even if I told you, your small brain probably wouldn't get it."

"I go at my own pace, and I don't let others like you throw me off."

"Bullshit. I've already screwed with you a few times."

Noah didn't reply, staring back at the strange man.

"Have fun with your first guardian, by the way. I'm almost positive you'll be dead by nightfall." the cloaked being finished, starting to walk backward, into the dark voids of wherever Noah had been placed.

"My first...what?"

"Understand me now? You're that far behind. Pathetic, really. I was anxious to see what you were made of. Keep it up at this rate, and Lynus is going to be very disappointed."

"Lynus? What are you talking about?"

Noah watched as the man disappeared before his eyes.

"A shame too, I thought you'd survive longer than this...looks like your time has come. Oh, and when you do eventually die, give Cynthia and Lance a good 'hello' from me." the man's voice echoed from the nothing.

"Wait...were you..."

"Silly boy. I don't really know.” The voice was obviously toying with Noah. “Did I kill them? Perhaps. Was I involved with them? Who knows? It’s also possible that you may have known of this had you stepped it up sooner. Unfortunately, I'm done talking to you for now. We'll keep in touch."

On this note, the entire void collapsed, Noah's body disintegrating into the darkness, his mind going completely blank as the sun slowly began to rise on the next day...

The scare from the night before momentarily over, the pair would have to prepare themselves for the next day. Within hours, their first true battle begins.

And Lynus awaits her companion, savior, and friend.

----------

*************************
-Name: Luna/Zangoose (Noah's)
-Type: Pokemon/Normal Type
-Height: 4'07''
-Age: ???
-Weight: 110 lbs.
-Eye Color: Milky White
-Hair Color: Dark Red and White Fur
-Body Type: Zangoose body build
-Outfit: Basic Zangoose body build. Slightly larger than normal Zangoose.
-Other Items: None
-Hobbies: Watching television, eating, talking with/teasing Noah.
-Homeland: ??? (Zangoose host originated from the grasslands of Hoenn)
-Personality: Quirky, Delicate, and Energetic
-Bio: Luna describes herself as an ascended being, yet none of her past has been explained to any degree which would affirm her claims. She is tied to Noah's soul via the Soul Plate that resides on his medallion, binded by the agreement the two had made at Lake Verity. She must recover a number of artifacts that she cannot seem to remember fully. Despite how little she knows about the world, she follows Noah, eager to carry forth with her mission, and to find what she's lost.
-Weaknesses: Luna isn't exactly "powerful" at the moment, having just taken control of a weakened Zangoose's body in order to sustain life. Despite been a self-proclaimed angel, she seems just as mortal as any other Pokemon, and is prone to injury. Defeating Luna seems an easy task, but on severl occasions, she is seen surprising the opponent with her speed and strength, both which exceeds the qualities of a standard Zangoose (albeit she's still strangely weak compared to other trained Pokemon), and can easily catch the foe off guard. The simplest way to defeat her would be to get rid of Noah, as she feeds off of his analyctic abilities to intelligently strike at the opponent. Outside of battle, she also seems to suffer from an incredibly serious case of Multiple Personality Disorder, which would explain her wild and erratic behavior when she carries along with Noah. This makes her a very dangerous companion, considering the multitude of sides to her personality.....
-Pokemon Team: None
-Threat Level: Minimal
*************************