Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Moonlight Escapades, sans the Violence
The Umbreon turned away from the smoldering corpse, the headless cadaver's limbs twitching slightly despite now lacking a brain to send signals to them, eliciting a chuckle from the dark type pokemon. Honestly, it wasn't like this was the first life he had taken, but that always gave him a laugh. All comedy aside, he couldn't help but feel a little insulted at how easy it had been to take their lives. Bondage, being the clever bitch that she was, had to know there was something taking out all the teams that were sent out here, yet she insisted on sending third-rate scrubs to deal with him.
A weak moan drew his attention to the motionless form of the vulpix. He took a few steps forward, glancing over her body once, a practiced eye mentally labeling her injuries. A few broken ribs, mild concussion, a few scrape and bruises from when she had hit the tree, but those weren't so bad. She'd live, but that was rather dependent on her not being stumbled upon by a predator wasn't it?
He shook his head once, growling irritably to himself. He had not counted on this, the possibility of having to rescue someone not having occurred to him when he had first seen the two now dead idiots enter the forest. But that's exactly the situation he now found himself in. A soft chuckle behind him caused him to turn.
Gathered around the corpse were a small assortment of ghost pokemon, eagerly floating or sitting around the Machamp's body, tugging at thin translucent threads emerging from the corpse, coaxing the soul out, so they could drag it off to wherever it was the creepy bastards came from. A small purple pokemon, it's mouth sealed together by a golden zipper, was pulling excitedly at the largest strand, which was presently seeping out of the decimated neck. The Umbreon's sensitive ears picked up it's low whispering, it's voice distinctly lacking the substance found in pokemon that were actually, well, alive.
"Ohhh, he's a big one isn't he Duskull?"
The Umbreon turned his attention to a smaller pokemon, it's face covered by a mask reminiscent of a cartoonish human skull. It nodded quickly before turning it's attention back to the part of soul that it had been struggling to pull out of the body's chest.
A light snickering behind him drew his attention back to the unconscious Vulpix. Presently, a small blackish purple pokemon was excitedly making his was towards her, it's gem-like eyes staring at her greedily. The Umbreon huffed in annoyance. Arceus, how he hated Sableye, they were such sneaky little fuckers, and those claws, stung like hell and the wounds took forever to close up. He flashed his rings irritably, catching the ghost's attention. It glanced up at him, chattering angrily. The Umbreon's eyes narrowed. "You can't have that one, she's not exactly dead yet."
The Sableye chuckled sheepishly, before turning around and making his way over to the Machamp's corpse. The Umbreon sighed. Guess he couldn't just leave her here after all.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The dark type pokemon trudged through the forest in relative silence, save for the odd groan or whimper that came from the mass of fur he was burdened with. He stopped for a moment, glancing over his shoulder to look at the unconscious fox pokemon draped over his back. She hadn't woken up once since he had hauled her out of the clearing, although he wouldn't have known from the noise she had been making over the four hours he had been carrying her. He shook his head irritably, annoyed that he was having to chauffeur her anywhere at all. It wasn't that she was heavy or anything of that sort, he just didn't like being around other pokemon, unconscious or not.
While he was tempted to continue walking, he decided that he was deserving of a short break, and chose to walk under the shade or a fair sized tree sitting in the middle of a small clearing. He set the Vulpix down, and making sure he hadn't aggravated any of her injuries, walked out from under the tree, and sat down. He glanced upwards at the full moon, letting out a small sigh of content.
This had always been something that had calmed him. He supposed it was that way for every member of his species, who owed their very existence to the pale orb that shown softly in the night sky. His rings glowed warmly, and he allowed the smallest shadow of a smile to cross his face, a luxury he had deprived himself, at least in his mind, for far too long. The moon was particularly large and entrancing tonight, and he sent silent thanks to lady Cresselia for making it so. He was jerked out of his revelry when his ears picked up the sounds of muffled footsteps falling upon the lush grass of the clearing.
Immediately, his stance turned aggressive , his eyes narrowing and his lips parting from his teeth in a grimace as he picked out a silhouette emerging from among the trees. From the angle he was positioned, the way the moonlight fell upon the clearing met with the shadows of the trees prevented even his sharp eyes from making out the appearance of the newcomer immediately. As a last resort he mentally probed out towards the still advancing individual in an attempt to discern it's identity, but his efforts met what could only be described in vague terms as a wall, signaling that the newcomer was a dark type pokemon.
He lowered himself to the ground as he prepared to attack, his body beginning to fade from sight as he whispered "faint attack" to himself. Before he had completely disappeared, however, the newcomer stepped into the light, causing the Umbreon to pause in his attack, though his body was still tense and the grimace failed to leave his face.
The new pokemon was quadrupedal, it's ebony body covered in white fur, with a ruff around its neck and chest, and a tuft on the top of its head adorned with a single black oval. It had a feline-esque face, a scythe-like tail and a sickle-shaped growth on the side of its head. Its body was sleek and muscular, and it's broad, circular feet were equipped with three claws each, with spikes protruding from the heels of its hind legs and the elbows of its anterior legs. Glistening red eyes met the Umbreon's own narrowing ones. The Absol inclined it's head.
"You killed another squad I see."
The Umbreon huffed in annoyance.
"What are you doing here, Nacht? I was under the impression that you had returned to Mt. Freeze."
The Absol was silent for a moment, choosing instead to stare at the Umbreon. For a few moments it seemed content to merely sit and remain silent. After a short while, it spoke.
"You're getting much to brazen, sooner or later Bondage will acknowledge the fact that you pose a legitimate threat, and when that does happen, you jeopardize the lives of every pokemon living in this forest. Tell me, Luna, exactly what are you trying to accomplish?"
The Umbreon's eyes narrowed disgruntledly, and when he spoke, it was through gritted teeth.
"Is that all you came here to say? I don't see you for six months, and when you finally do show up, you attempt to lecture me? Tell me, when exactly have you cared for any other living thing besides yourself? If we're going to be candid here, I'd like to say that, speaking quite frankly, I'm wondering why the hell you're here. Tell me, Nacht, is that all you came all the way down here to do? To reprimand me? Because if that's it, I'm afraid you've wasted you time."
Nacht continued to stare at Luna unflinchingly for another moment.
"Your not in any position to call me out for my shortcomings. As flawed as I am, I believe I asked you a question. I would like to know what you intend to gain, if anything at all, from attacking and killing any member of Team Poke Whores that happens to wander through here? Tell me, is it out of some sense of duty? A sense of justice? A desire to...'do the right thing'? Or, is something as juvenile as petty revenge?"
Luna's closed his eyes for a moment, his rings flickering weakly. Had he not open his mouth at all, and had it not been for his sensitive hearing, Nacht might not have caught what the Umbreon said next. His voice barely above a whisper, his tone cold."
"Petty...revenge?"
Luna opened his eyes, the crimson orbs glinting with barely contained fury. "Is that what you would call it, Nacht? Petty revenge? Do you even know what they've taken from me? I have lost everything...everything, because of those bastards."
At this Nacht turned away for a moment, his eyes filled with sympathy. "I knew your father well, and believe me when I say he was my closest friend, and I understand that how you feel about his death-"
"YOU THINK THIS IS ABOUT THAT BASTARD? YOU HAVE NO IDEA DO YOU!? I COULD GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THAT MOTHERFUCKER, HE FUCKING DITCHED MY MOM RIGHT AFTER I WAS BORN, SO WHY IN THE FUCK WOULD I KILL FOR HIM?"
Nacht's eyes furrowed in confusion. When he had come down here, he had been quite sure, absolutely certain in fact, that the young Umbreon had been acting out on frustration over the strain relationship he had had with his father. Suffice to say, denial was the last thing he had expected to encounter.
"Then why?"
Luna glanced down, unable to meet Nacht's gaze any longer. His rings flickering weakly before extinguishing themselves completely. He tried to speak, his voice hoarse. "You wouldn't-, t-they-" he clenched his eyes shut."She's gone. They're gone. And there's no bringing them back. That's why-" He fell silent, his ears and tail drooping mournfully.
Nacht turned away, suddenly feeling foolish. "Are you sure- I mean, is there nothing I can do to...dissuade you?" The Umbreon remained silent. "Please, Luna, I don't want this for you, and whoever you're doing this for, they wouldn't either."
Luna's eyes shot open, shining viciously, a growl rising in his chest. "How would I know what they would want? They can't tell me, they're gone, dead, slaughtered like fucking animals by those bastards. I do know one thing, no matter what, even if I die, they will fucking pay. Not just for the wrongs they have committed against me, but for every poor bastard who's suffered because of them."
Nacht lowered his head solemnly. When he spoke, his voice was filled with sadness. "Luna..please, I'm your friend, or at least, we were friends once, weren't we? I'm begging you, isn't there anything I could do to prevent you from taking this path?"
Luna chuckled darkly, then slowly shook his head. "Nothing. No, there isn't a single thing that you could say to convince me. If you're really that concerned about me, you could try to stop me, but I promise you that it wouldn't end well for you."
The Absol hesitated. He could have very well thrown his best friend's son to the wind, return home and live out the rest of his days in peace. He thought for a moment. No, he wouldn't be able to bear it, would never be able to forgive himself, and he silently cursed himself before the next sentence had time to leave his mouth. "What if...what if you didn't have to go it alone?"
Luna shook his head once. "I wouldn't ask it of you, this is my burden to bear."
Nacht's eyes narrowed, his claws clutching irritably at the grass. "I would not have it so, you having to face those odds by yourself, your father would never forgive me.
"All the more reason for me to refuse."
"And I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."
Luna stood there quietly for a moment, merely contenting himself to stare at the moon. While it was true that it would be convenient to have help, especially from an old friend such as Nacht, he had grown quite comfortable and complacent with working solo. However, he was a quite reasonable individual, and realized that realistically, there was almost no chance of him being able to take on the entirety of Poke Whores by himself, and that the benefits of having the Absol accompany him far outweighed any drawbacks, if any. Finally, the Umbreon spoke. "Are you absolutely certain?"
Nacht shook his head, an unsure look blanketing his features. "I'm not, but as I've already said, I consider the alternative to be unacceptable."
Luna allowed himself a small smile. He turned, slowly walked back under the tree, and lowered himself to the slumbering Vulpix, forcing his head under her chest so that when he stood up, she was once more draped across the length of his back. It was settled then. "Alright, welcome aboard."
Chapter End Notes:Eh, better than chapter one, at least in my opinion (for all thats worth.)Starting to get back into my old writing style, which I gotta to admit feels good to be falling back into after two years. Anywho, review, or don't, I really don't care.(yes I do
A weak moan drew his attention to the motionless form of the vulpix. He took a few steps forward, glancing over her body once, a practiced eye mentally labeling her injuries. A few broken ribs, mild concussion, a few scrape and bruises from when she had hit the tree, but those weren't so bad. She'd live, but that was rather dependent on her not being stumbled upon by a predator wasn't it?
He shook his head once, growling irritably to himself. He had not counted on this, the possibility of having to rescue someone not having occurred to him when he had first seen the two now dead idiots enter the forest. But that's exactly the situation he now found himself in. A soft chuckle behind him caused him to turn.
Gathered around the corpse were a small assortment of ghost pokemon, eagerly floating or sitting around the Machamp's body, tugging at thin translucent threads emerging from the corpse, coaxing the soul out, so they could drag it off to wherever it was the creepy bastards came from. A small purple pokemon, it's mouth sealed together by a golden zipper, was pulling excitedly at the largest strand, which was presently seeping out of the decimated neck. The Umbreon's sensitive ears picked up it's low whispering, it's voice distinctly lacking the substance found in pokemon that were actually, well, alive.
"Ohhh, he's a big one isn't he Duskull?"
The Umbreon turned his attention to a smaller pokemon, it's face covered by a mask reminiscent of a cartoonish human skull. It nodded quickly before turning it's attention back to the part of soul that it had been struggling to pull out of the body's chest.
A light snickering behind him drew his attention back to the unconscious Vulpix. Presently, a small blackish purple pokemon was excitedly making his was towards her, it's gem-like eyes staring at her greedily. The Umbreon huffed in annoyance. Arceus, how he hated Sableye, they were such sneaky little fuckers, and those claws, stung like hell and the wounds took forever to close up. He flashed his rings irritably, catching the ghost's attention. It glanced up at him, chattering angrily. The Umbreon's eyes narrowed. "You can't have that one, she's not exactly dead yet."
The Sableye chuckled sheepishly, before turning around and making his way over to the Machamp's corpse. The Umbreon sighed. Guess he couldn't just leave her here after all.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The dark type pokemon trudged through the forest in relative silence, save for the odd groan or whimper that came from the mass of fur he was burdened with. He stopped for a moment, glancing over his shoulder to look at the unconscious fox pokemon draped over his back. She hadn't woken up once since he had hauled her out of the clearing, although he wouldn't have known from the noise she had been making over the four hours he had been carrying her. He shook his head irritably, annoyed that he was having to chauffeur her anywhere at all. It wasn't that she was heavy or anything of that sort, he just didn't like being around other pokemon, unconscious or not.
While he was tempted to continue walking, he decided that he was deserving of a short break, and chose to walk under the shade or a fair sized tree sitting in the middle of a small clearing. He set the Vulpix down, and making sure he hadn't aggravated any of her injuries, walked out from under the tree, and sat down. He glanced upwards at the full moon, letting out a small sigh of content.
This had always been something that had calmed him. He supposed it was that way for every member of his species, who owed their very existence to the pale orb that shown softly in the night sky. His rings glowed warmly, and he allowed the smallest shadow of a smile to cross his face, a luxury he had deprived himself, at least in his mind, for far too long. The moon was particularly large and entrancing tonight, and he sent silent thanks to lady Cresselia for making it so. He was jerked out of his revelry when his ears picked up the sounds of muffled footsteps falling upon the lush grass of the clearing.
Immediately, his stance turned aggressive , his eyes narrowing and his lips parting from his teeth in a grimace as he picked out a silhouette emerging from among the trees. From the angle he was positioned, the way the moonlight fell upon the clearing met with the shadows of the trees prevented even his sharp eyes from making out the appearance of the newcomer immediately. As a last resort he mentally probed out towards the still advancing individual in an attempt to discern it's identity, but his efforts met what could only be described in vague terms as a wall, signaling that the newcomer was a dark type pokemon.
He lowered himself to the ground as he prepared to attack, his body beginning to fade from sight as he whispered "faint attack" to himself. Before he had completely disappeared, however, the newcomer stepped into the light, causing the Umbreon to pause in his attack, though his body was still tense and the grimace failed to leave his face.
The new pokemon was quadrupedal, it's ebony body covered in white fur, with a ruff around its neck and chest, and a tuft on the top of its head adorned with a single black oval. It had a feline-esque face, a scythe-like tail and a sickle-shaped growth on the side of its head. Its body was sleek and muscular, and it's broad, circular feet were equipped with three claws each, with spikes protruding from the heels of its hind legs and the elbows of its anterior legs. Glistening red eyes met the Umbreon's own narrowing ones. The Absol inclined it's head.
"You killed another squad I see."
The Umbreon huffed in annoyance.
"What are you doing here, Nacht? I was under the impression that you had returned to Mt. Freeze."
The Absol was silent for a moment, choosing instead to stare at the Umbreon. For a few moments it seemed content to merely sit and remain silent. After a short while, it spoke.
"You're getting much to brazen, sooner or later Bondage will acknowledge the fact that you pose a legitimate threat, and when that does happen, you jeopardize the lives of every pokemon living in this forest. Tell me, Luna, exactly what are you trying to accomplish?"
The Umbreon's eyes narrowed disgruntledly, and when he spoke, it was through gritted teeth.
"Is that all you came here to say? I don't see you for six months, and when you finally do show up, you attempt to lecture me? Tell me, when exactly have you cared for any other living thing besides yourself? If we're going to be candid here, I'd like to say that, speaking quite frankly, I'm wondering why the hell you're here. Tell me, Nacht, is that all you came all the way down here to do? To reprimand me? Because if that's it, I'm afraid you've wasted you time."
Nacht continued to stare at Luna unflinchingly for another moment.
"Your not in any position to call me out for my shortcomings. As flawed as I am, I believe I asked you a question. I would like to know what you intend to gain, if anything at all, from attacking and killing any member of Team Poke Whores that happens to wander through here? Tell me, is it out of some sense of duty? A sense of justice? A desire to...'do the right thing'? Or, is something as juvenile as petty revenge?"
Luna's closed his eyes for a moment, his rings flickering weakly. Had he not open his mouth at all, and had it not been for his sensitive hearing, Nacht might not have caught what the Umbreon said next. His voice barely above a whisper, his tone cold."
"Petty...revenge?"
Luna opened his eyes, the crimson orbs glinting with barely contained fury. "Is that what you would call it, Nacht? Petty revenge? Do you even know what they've taken from me? I have lost everything...everything, because of those bastards."
At this Nacht turned away for a moment, his eyes filled with sympathy. "I knew your father well, and believe me when I say he was my closest friend, and I understand that how you feel about his death-"
"YOU THINK THIS IS ABOUT THAT BASTARD? YOU HAVE NO IDEA DO YOU!? I COULD GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THAT MOTHERFUCKER, HE FUCKING DITCHED MY MOM RIGHT AFTER I WAS BORN, SO WHY IN THE FUCK WOULD I KILL FOR HIM?"
Nacht's eyes furrowed in confusion. When he had come down here, he had been quite sure, absolutely certain in fact, that the young Umbreon had been acting out on frustration over the strain relationship he had had with his father. Suffice to say, denial was the last thing he had expected to encounter.
"Then why?"
Luna glanced down, unable to meet Nacht's gaze any longer. His rings flickering weakly before extinguishing themselves completely. He tried to speak, his voice hoarse. "You wouldn't-, t-they-" he clenched his eyes shut."She's gone. They're gone. And there's no bringing them back. That's why-" He fell silent, his ears and tail drooping mournfully.
Nacht turned away, suddenly feeling foolish. "Are you sure- I mean, is there nothing I can do to...dissuade you?" The Umbreon remained silent. "Please, Luna, I don't want this for you, and whoever you're doing this for, they wouldn't either."
Luna's eyes shot open, shining viciously, a growl rising in his chest. "How would I know what they would want? They can't tell me, they're gone, dead, slaughtered like fucking animals by those bastards. I do know one thing, no matter what, even if I die, they will fucking pay. Not just for the wrongs they have committed against me, but for every poor bastard who's suffered because of them."
Nacht lowered his head solemnly. When he spoke, his voice was filled with sadness. "Luna..please, I'm your friend, or at least, we were friends once, weren't we? I'm begging you, isn't there anything I could do to prevent you from taking this path?"
Luna chuckled darkly, then slowly shook his head. "Nothing. No, there isn't a single thing that you could say to convince me. If you're really that concerned about me, you could try to stop me, but I promise you that it wouldn't end well for you."
The Absol hesitated. He could have very well thrown his best friend's son to the wind, return home and live out the rest of his days in peace. He thought for a moment. No, he wouldn't be able to bear it, would never be able to forgive himself, and he silently cursed himself before the next sentence had time to leave his mouth. "What if...what if you didn't have to go it alone?"
Luna shook his head once. "I wouldn't ask it of you, this is my burden to bear."
Nacht's eyes narrowed, his claws clutching irritably at the grass. "I would not have it so, you having to face those odds by yourself, your father would never forgive me.
"All the more reason for me to refuse."
"And I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."
Luna stood there quietly for a moment, merely contenting himself to stare at the moon. While it was true that it would be convenient to have help, especially from an old friend such as Nacht, he had grown quite comfortable and complacent with working solo. However, he was a quite reasonable individual, and realized that realistically, there was almost no chance of him being able to take on the entirety of Poke Whores by himself, and that the benefits of having the Absol accompany him far outweighed any drawbacks, if any. Finally, the Umbreon spoke. "Are you absolutely certain?"
Nacht shook his head, an unsure look blanketing his features. "I'm not, but as I've already said, I consider the alternative to be unacceptable."
Luna allowed himself a small smile. He turned, slowly walked back under the tree, and lowered himself to the slumbering Vulpix, forcing his head under her chest so that when he stood up, she was once more draped across the length of his back. It was settled then. "Alright, welcome aboard."
Chapter End Notes:Eh, better than chapter one, at least in my opinion (for all thats worth.)Starting to get back into my old writing style, which I gotta to admit feels good to be falling back into after two years. Anywho, review, or don't, I really don't care.(yes I do