I looked at Xel, then at the advancing Mudkip. Mudkip? They don't live around these areas.....

I poked Pan on the shoulder. "I sent Kinar scouting, and well, err.....there's a Mudkip behind you sir. One that shouldn't live in this area." I said.

Growlithe heard Hiroki's comment and sniffed the Mudkip. It got confused. The Slaking. NO! The Nidorino. No wait. Is it the man from earlier? Couldn't be! Either way, it growled quietly. Pan picked up on it. "If it annoys you Growlithe, then chase it away."

"Please, who is next? Hiroki? Care to tell your story? We braved to tell you ours." He locked eyes with hers and showed that this was not something anyone was going to avoid.

(( Oh darn! Forgot to put my Pokescents on.))

The Mudkip looked at the Growlithe, then ran back into the bush. Then (After I applied the Pokescents.) it came back, slightly closer to Xel. Meanwhile it was thinking, Will Arseran relise that it's me? I think I told Ninjask the plan....

I sighed.
"My story is not one that I would like people to know in order to remember me should I die." I said. "For I do not care much of honor, and those who will remember me are the only ones who will need the memory." I stepped back.
"Now if you don't mind, not even I think of the past. What happened, happened. There's nothing what we can do about it. But if you want it that bad, I'll give only a little. My father is a powerful man, but thought that I was a helpless little girl. I fell in love at an early age, but he used his power to destroy my happiness. I joined the army at age 13. Because of my father, I fight in the army. I wish to show the enemy that what was thought as right by my father is wrong, and hope that no one follows his lead." I looked at them, a bit angry from memory. "That is all I am going to say. Happy?"

Ben looked away wishing his commanding officer had not made a request as that. He decided to dodge the question.

"I was born in a small village near a place called Mt. Coronent, I joined the imperials when I was 16 and served them for nine years. My wife and daughter were murdered (he was about to add 'by the imperial army' but left that out, however his gaze did drift to his Dusknoir) and I left the imperials behind. As you all must have noticed the limp I carry is the price for my resignation."

He turned offering no further information and saw the mudkip walking into their circle.

'Check that pokemon out' he signaled to Eclipse, who was looking under a large rock several yards away. She dropped the rock and drifted towards the pokemon.

The Mudkip looked at the Dusknoir and yelled, "Mudkip!" and slapped some mud in it's face playfully.

Something's wrong with that Mudkip Duke told his master. This isn't its natural habitat.

I know. replied Sevear. Throw an Aura Sphere at its front legs, try to scare it off, would you?

Yes, Master. replied Duke as a bright blue ball began to take shape in his hands.

The Mudkip started to cry. An Aura Sphere on his legs was PAINFUL!

I looked between Duke and the Mudkip. "Here, why don't we settle this the easy way?" I took out something that I always had extra of just in case it became too unsafe for pokemon to be out...a pokeball. I opened the pokeball and recalled the Mudkip, which disappeared into the pokeball. However, the pokeball kept rocking, and didn't stop. It didn't open, or calm down. It just kept rocking. I wondered if that pokemon was a natural one. if it was, it would have escaped by now, or just stopped struggling.

(I thought pokeballs didnt exist in this era?)

Eclipse took the mud slap and slowed a bit trying to wipe the mud off its eye. 'It knew Eclipse was coming' Ben thought 'strange'

Meanwhile, the Mudkip ((IN THE POKENALL THAT DOESN"T EXIST!!!!!!)) found it's way out. As soon as it got out, it ran behind Hiroki and stayed there. The Tom (?!) emerged from the bushes and said, "It seems to like you..." And dissappeared in a flash of green light.

((Okay, okay...sorry*hides*))
"It...likes me?" I said, half surprised by the comment, and half surprised by the fact that the man who died earler had appeared and disappeared in a flash of green light. I picked up the Mudkip and held it, looking at it confused, while Kinar came back from scouting and sniffed at it curiously.

Ben walked up behind Hiroki and looked down into the mudkip. He caught a look in its eyes which he recognized many times.

He leaned down and whispered in Hiroki's ear "This pokemon is no longer living..."

"What?!" I yelped.
I then covered my mouth, and looked around.
Looking at everyone's faces, I said, "It-it's nothing. Really."
I turned to Ben, and gave him a serious look. "W-what? You-you mean like that man's ditto?" I looked at the Mudkip in my arms. "I'll act dumb. Don't tell the others. They don't need any more distractions. This way, we can keep an eye out for Mr. Zombie." I said, my face near Ben's so that no one could hear but us two.

But the Mudkip stayed as real as ever.

"Alright, each in our group has had a turn. Growlithe, Roar." Growlithe unexpectedly roared at the small Mudkip, who then took off into the forest. "It has gotten late and we will be busy tomorrow. Get some sleep." With that he went to his bed and lied down to sleep. Growlithe made his way to Pan and laid next to him. Sleep soon fell on them.

((You just Godmodded. I'm the Mudkip. You just don't know that.))

The Mudkip ((who did not run away)) just said "Mudkip?"

((How so? I never said I knew it was you. It just was annoying my comrads and I got fed up with it. You're still in cover and could easily come right back to the camp after a roar. And whether you did or not, I'd shrug and go to bed anyway. ))

Edit: The Growlithe looked perplexed at the Mudkip, then huffed to join his master, who was on his way to bed. "Get some sleep and ignore the Mudkip. We have bigger things to get to tomorrow and you need all the energy you can get."

I decided to give in and help the poor creature. I picked him up and laid him next to me and Kinar, and fell asleep.

The Mudkip also settled into sleep. But it was listening to every little sound.

The sun rose, marking the next day, and Pan was the first one up this morning. He had already packed his things and took the opportunity to read the next page of the book.

"GT. July 8th, things have gone awry. The three men we hired to pull the levers did as they were told, and nothing happened out of the ordinary, aside from the gate opening. We then looked upon the cave and found that there was no source of light to guide us. We handed the men torches and told them to tie strings around their wrists before they would head in. They were to write down what they saw as they saw it. After each had been prepped and readied, they each went in one after the other. The strings trailed behind them. Not a sound was heard once they went passed line of sight. A man soon came running outside, screaming and showing horror at what he had seen. We tried to get answers out of him but he just kept screaming. We attempted to tug the strings tied to the others, but they came back empty. The men wearing them were lost to the darkness within. We read the notebook of the man who had ran out.

"We approach a staircase, the leader among us went first down the stairwell. The stairwell was a winding one and went in a circle. It was very large as all 3 of us could stand side by side and go down it. We approach the end of the stairs. A hallway opens up. We begin to walk down the hallway."

"From here it appeared that his writing was done faster.

"See lights. Lights activated at our approach. Floating lights. Nothing underneath. We walk further. The 2nd man attempts to touch the lights. He disappears. Leader urges to move on. We walk to the end of the hallway. There is another door. It is unlocked and creaked open. He attempts to open the door fully and is grabbed by an unknown phantom and brought into the room. The door closes behind him and another door appears next to the one that closed."

"It was either sweat or tears that were on his next pages of words.

"I am attempting to grasp the door handle. I opened the door. I am about to enter the room. I am in the room. The door is still open behind me. The similar floating lights are activated. I am in a hallway again. It is another hallway, again as wide as the staircase. There are 3 stones at the end of the room. One is red, one is blue, one is yellow. They are glowing like the lights. I am attempting to knock one off of their resting place. I am choosing the blue one."

"It ended there. We proceeded to send in other men that were with us, but all refused. We will continue our excavation when we find more men to go inside."

Pan closed the book. What kind of weapon is in there?

I awoke, yawned, and stretched. I packed up and saw Pan closing his book. "Good morning." I said to him. Kinar then awoke, and stretched as well, waking the Mudkip.

"Good morning Hiroki," said Pan as he closed the book. What horrors await us in there? "Today seems like a pleasant one," he lied. Growlithe figured out Pan was troubled by something. He hated when his master kept secrets.

Sevear saw himself walking down a dark hallway, lights floating on either side of him. As he reached out to open a door, he woke up.

Master, what is wrong? asked Duke.

Nothing, just a nightmare. Sevear replied.

"Morning," Sevear said as he hastily began to pack his things. He wasn't going to let the others see him like this. He didn't know what he had seen, but he didn't like it. Even though it was nice outside, an ominous feeling was being projected.

"Good morning Hiroki," said Pan, "Today seems like a pleasant one."

Sevear couldn't handle it any more. He wanted to know what he was being led into.

"What's so great about today anyways Pan? Other than today is the day we get there. Tell me exactly where we are heading and what we will be doing once we arrive there. Duke here will be able to tell when you're lieing. Leave out a detail and i'll know," said Sevear, panic obvious in his voice.

I narrowed my eyes at Pan. I sighed. This wasn't going to get us anywhere.
"Sevear, we signed up for this, and besides, he probably won't tell us. I guess that all we know is that either he doesn't know, or it's going to be very unpleasant." I looked at Pan again, and Kinar looked away.