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A talking Snubbul with a crown and scepter? A castle fit to burst with unfamiliar faces? How was all of this connected to his dreams? How was it connected to Bastard? [break][break]

Everything about this was unfamiliar to him. The games, the Shadow Pokemon -- everything. He’d never played a video game in his life. He’d only heard about Shadow Pokemon in passing. Was that just a Hoenn thing? Moss wasn’t entirely sure. He didn’t think Sinnoh had that, but then again, it’d been a long time since he’d been to Sinnoh. The Snubbul gave him some sort of pink pokeball. It was dangerous to go alone. Moss would accept it and test its weight curiously. Was he supposed to catch Pangoro in it? It would seem so. It wasn’t long before the kingly pokemon would set them all off into that dark and angry forest with their gift and the bestowal of a unique ability… [break][break]

“LIKE LICHEN - Moss [break]
Nickname: Lichen[break]
You can stick to surfaces …BUT must remain perfectly motionless while doing so.”[break][break]

“Wow, that’s… useful? I think?” Moss wasn’t entirely sure if he’d need to use an ability like that, ever. Maybe if the floor temporarily turned into lava. But whatever boon was granted by the gracious ruler of Sylvis Castle mattered little when taking into consideration Moss’ purpose there: to get Bastard back to normal. A timer began ticking in the air above. There was something particularly foreboding about a clock without explanation. [break][break]

He set out into the forest on his own. Moss wasn’t entirely sure if the others there were really people or not. Plus, he just wanted to get Bastard back. The Pangoro had been infected by a malicious shadow and it made him aggressive. Not that he’d not always been aggressive; but there was now a certain undertone of malintent that hadn’t been there previously. Moss set his jaw, and with a determined heart, plunged headfirst into that harsh and obscure scenery. [break][break]

The landscape was glitchy. Erratic. Like TV static. Moss walked cautiously through these unstable vistas while the cries and roars of loose Shadow Pokemon echoed from the forest’s endarkened recesses. A screeching pokemon came whoosing overhead unleashing a blast of energy that tore through the forest floor and uprooted trees in its wake. Moss yelped and leapt aside, clutching a tree where he hung suspended like his ability had said, and then he hopped off and hurried deeper into the forest. He needed to find Pangoro, fast. [break][break]

And he eventually found him in a twisted clearing, splintering trees with punches that could obliterate buildings with ease. A dark and malignant aura emanated from him in waves, and as Moss approached, his Pangoro turned to face him with eyes that were host to a devilish sort of red gleam. “Hey! Hey! Settle down, Bastard!” But if the Pangoro could hear him, he didn’t show it. He launched himself forward with thunderous steps, crashing down at Moss’ location with a shadowy blow that cratered the earth itself. Moss had leapt away just in the nick of time, shouting profanities as he did. He retrieved the Dream Ball from his inventory. Gripped it in one hand. Bastard recovered and sort of lurched forward, his fist enveloped in a shadowy energy. But he was slower this time. Moss took that as his opportunity to catch him for the second time…[break][break]

And time stood still. [break][break]

Moss was faced with a choice. To purify his pokemon’s heart, or to keep his strength. And he clicked on both, unsure, and read the warning that came with each. And he just wasn’t sure. What would Bastard want? To be strong? Moss just wasn’t sure. Even though Pangoro was notoriously difficult to raise, he had always been there for him. He had always protected them, and Moss couldn’t help but feel as though there was something corrupting that important part of him. Moss grit his teeth. The idea of making Bastard stronger was tempting, and Moss was sure that was something that probably appealed to the pokemon himself -- but Moss wasn’t sure that he’d be able to bear that guilt.

[break][break]And so he chose to purify Pangoro.

[break][break]Time moved forward, and briefly enveloped in a flash of light, Moss found himself in a familiar dark fur cape, and a bamboo leaf stuck between his teeth. His avatar was now dressed like a Pangoro. Moss took a moment to take this in, and then set to leave.

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"H-hey! No! Git! Git!" Moss had finally taken the time to revisit his garden, only to find it set upon by a hungry, wild Jigglypuff. Moss' frustration was palpable. Couldn't a man tend to an untamed grove of berries in peace? Moss would interject himself between the Jigglypuff and the berry trees, waving his arms around. "Tort!" He called. "Get him!"

[break][break]Rising slowly from his resting place, the colossal Grotle lumbered forward and rumbled deeply. The bushes on its back shown bright, and from it launched a series of sharpened leaves sent flying at the Jigglypuff. The Grotle's Razor Leaf wasn't enough to completely knock the intruder unconscious, but it succeeded in chasing it off at the least. Moss watched the pokemon go with his arms crossed. "Sheesh." Turning back to his berry trees that were several weeks overripe, Moss set to work.

[break][break]Harvesting x9 Berries (3 weeks overdue)

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Moss just stared.

[break][break]Meanwhile, the Noivern had tackled Doodles and fired a point-blank Dragon Pulse. Batting its wings defiantly, the Altaria was definitely injured -- but was able to hang on, albeit it barely, and fire her own Dragon Pulse in response.

[break][break]Recovering from Moss’ blatant display of his profound lack of critical thinking, Anahel’s Gardevoir was sent out to assault Moss’ mischievous ghost type. Aware of the attack coming his way, the Rotom’s form flickered and expanded into several illusory copies of itself, each grinning and snickering a sound like static. The Moonblast would completely evaporate one of the few copies of Lofi’s Double Team.

[break][break]And Anahel was coming at him with a knife. “Eep!” Moss let out a noise not unlike the shot Pachirisu as he backpedaled and panicked. “Woah, woah, woah-!!” He’d lift his hand in protest, protecting his throat, and the knife would leave a bloody slash across the palm of his hand. But he was aware of the skirmish happening behind them, and Moss was panicking. He dug out a pokeball as he ran, but before he could even use it, a deafening crash was heard even above the sounds of the conflict. Finally escaping, Moss’ Buizel launched out of the back of the truck engulfed in a watery aura.

[break][break]”Weezer!” Moss’ joy to see his friend was enough to let Anahel cut him again if she tried to, but what emerged from behind the little Buizel caused even Moss’ expression to drop. A very angry looking pokemon made up of ghostly rubble set its haunting gaze on all assembled. Moss would leap to the side and take advantage of that brief moment to return Altaria to her pokeball, hopefully saving her from any further damage. Weezer would rush to Moss, and Lofi (and his two illusory clones) would hover and dance in the air around them.

[break][break]Moss watched for what happened next before he took his next action.

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Moss grinned as he watched Weezer and the little Marshstomp interact with each other. “Yeah! I reckon it’ll just be a fun time all around. Especially for the li’l ones.” He took a big bite of his candy bar and he sat back in his seat, knowing well now that the show was about to start. As if on cue, the lights began to dim.

[break][break]Now, Moss had never seen anything like the show before -- and he wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking at. But it was pretty, and it was beautiful in an effortless way, and it almost made him want to hop in there with them. But Moss could hardly swim, and, more importantly, it’d probably get them kicked out, and he couldn’t do that to Weezer. The orange-furred pokemon was completely enthralled by the dazzling display of mermaid and pokemon. He sat up as tall as his little legs could possibly lift him, his eyes never leaving the effortless acrobatics.

[break][break]Moss couldn’t help but notice that and grin. Panhandling for cash was more than worth it if it meant making his little buddy happy. He watched Weezer for a few more moments before returning his attention to the show itself, a smile on his lips.

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Moss laughed. It was fun, and he was glad Momo shared his enthusiasm. It was down to the wire now, and Moss was excited to see how Tort managed against the much faster Silver.

[break][break]Momo called out her command, and Moss his: “Snap at ‘em!” While the Grovyle launched into his offense, the Grotle took a reactionary approach. The enemy’s Night Slash landed, cutting long scratches across the shelled pokemon -- and Tort whirled around, aiming to land a Crunch before his opponent could dart away again.

[break][break]Regardless of whether the counterattack had landed, Tort would turn again to face his opponent. Tort exhaled. He wasn’t used to fighting, and so he was tired, but the pokemon’s personality shone brightly in that uncertainty; he certainly wasn’t going to just give up. Moss grinned. “Alright! One more time!”

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“You… Melvin?”

[break][break]Moss’ furrowed brow betrayed his confusion. ”Melvin.” He rolled the word on his tongue thoughtfully, pondering the man’s sudden shift in demeanor. Connecting the dots was slow work for someone like Moss. But he felt that he’d gotten something wrong, somehow. So he kept thinking, absently staring at the muscle bound man standing across from him. He didn’t get it. But he would. He just had to think…

[break][break]There was a break in the clouds and the fading sun shone directly onto his statuesque form, motionless and contemplative, and all at once the fog was lifted. His expression was at once elated, and then quickly became utterly wrought with despair. He hopped in place and pointed at him as though his true identity had been unveiled. ”You’re a mel- a gym guy! Gym dude!”

[break][break]Moss adjusted his hat and shrugged sheepishly. He realized now what he’d said. Weren’t Gym Leaders an authority for the region? Or something? “Nah, I ain’t-- well, shucks. I dunno about any, uh… well. You know.” Did he know?

[break][break]He bowed his head. “I’m, um… I’m sure it ain’t a ‘Melvin’ job.”

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He was back in those technicolor fields. He saw a mountain in the distance, fluffy white clouds circling its impossibly tall peak as though Mt. Coronet had somehow moved and made its home in Hoenn. He saw the reflection of the sky in streams, and felt the cool breeze that swept across the grassy route, its gentle caress filling him with a sense of profound tranquility.

[break][break]But something was off, wasn’t it?

[break][break]Moss turned around and when he did he was back in those dark wooded hills where they had been set upon by Mightyena all those years ago. Littering the clearing of the campsite were the bodies of those animals, lying still, strewn haphazardly across the dark forest floor. Beaten. Battered. Broken.

[break][break]A haze of twitching darkness enveloped the Pangoro. His back was turned to Moss. He reached out for him and the pokemon slowly turned to meet him. His heart settled uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach.

[break][break]No, yeah, no, something was definitely wrong.

[break][break]There was a sinister miasma trailing from its form like steam. The Pangoro roared, and he recalled the night he’d bellowed his challenge to all the Mightyena in the clearing -- but this was different. This wasn’t the same heroic pokemon that had selflessly defended Moss and his party. This was a creature who relished the violence. And when he roared it was a challenge, and the forest was silent, because the only appropriate answer was one spoken in blood.

[break][break]Moss stumbled backwards and the Pangoro lumbered towards him. But not towards him, but towards everything that was behind him. And anything that would come after. And Moss watched him go.

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Luckily for Moss, and perhaps luckier still for Doodles, the Noivern’s Dragon Pulse wouldn’t connect. They were diving at too sheer of an angle. But they got the message, loud and clear. Moss leaned back and looked over his shoulder, and breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that the Noivern and its rider weren’t pursuing.

[break][break]He leaned over and rubbed his tired and injured Altaria’s neck. “Good girl,” Moss said, “thank you for workin’ so hard for me.” Doodles cooed softly in response as they made to land. Moss would hop off the bird’s back and look once more to the sky before returning the exhausted pokemon to its ball. “Golly.” Moss exhaled and brushed himself off.

[break][break]Why did it seem like everything suddenly loved to try and kill him recently? With a huff, Moss started hurrying away. He didn’t want to get stuck in the crossfire again. For now, though, he was just happy to have both feet back on the ground.

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The enemy’s Dragon Pulse landed with abject ferocity, sending the Altaria spiraling through the air. Battered and bruised and bleeding, Moss gripped Altaria by the fluff and pulled her back to attention. Doodles managed to muster up enough strength to halt the duo’s fall. Moss whispered his final command to her, and as she spun to face off once more against the rapidly approaching Noivern…

[break][break]And sang a distinctly haunting tune. Crimson waves emanated from the Altaria’s pale blue beak, heralding the demise of all who heard her morbid song. Specifically, the only two in the sky. Moss grit his teeth. The ultimatum of Perish Song was clear: the Noivern rider could try and finish him off, and risk plummeting when her mount faints, or land. Moss had to make the same choice, and he wasted no time making his.

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