Things are more chill this summer. Enjoy.

Chapter 17 – Allegory

August 23rd

Zahrah woke Anabel before dawn, using Teleport to take her out of the tent that she shared with Lucy to avoid the sound of zippers. Anabel nearly puked upon awaking. Something about moving outside of time and space, then back in just didn't sit right with her. Zahrah handed her a bottle of water and waited patiently for her to find her footing. It took a few minutes, but Anabel did find a way to adjust the positioning of her organs so that her stomach rested lower than her larynx.

"Better?" Asked the Gardevoir as she coaxed the fire back into existence.

"Yeah, but why did you wake me up so early? The sun isn't even up." Her pupil replied before letting out a yawn.

"For training of course, we haven't been able to do anything since we left Canalave." She tilted her head. "Weren't you already awake? You were talking to yourself."

"I was talking to..." A light blush crept its way onto her cheeks as she thought of the dreams that had been forced upon her again. "Nevermind." She mumbled.

"You realize that I know nearly every thought that you have as you have them, don't you?" Zahrah asked. "Who was that man in your dream?"

"Oh, just me." Spoke Anabel's shadow as it rose from the ground. Darkrai revealed his true form as he stepped into the light of the campfire.

"And who, might I ask, are you?" Zahrah spoke as Anabel's eyes became saucers.

"Didn't you hear me? I'm the man of her dreams." He laughed. It sounded both elegant and hoarse, deep and foreboding. "And really, I couldn't live without her." He mocked as he lifted Anabel's arms from behind, forcing his misty lower body into the spikes that he called legs. Anabel turned her head from his, scowling.

"Well I'm afraid that you will need to wait." Replied the teacher, pantomiming pushing glasses closer to her eyes. "She's got to take a lesson at the moment."

The phantom raised what Zahrah assumed to be the mimicry of an eyebrow before bowing stiffly. "A thousand pardons dear teacher, I entrust my sweet to you." He stepped backwards a few paces before abandoning the pretense of gravity and floating to ''sit'' on a nearby tree.

Anabel relayed her gratitude in their private way, and stepped forward. As she did, her Alakazam materialized next to where she had been. He stretched the side of his cheek with his tongue as he too stepped to where his mistress now stood. "Might I be allowed to observe?" He asked respectfully.

"I don't mind." Zahrah replied, motioning to a log that had been used as seating the night before. Almost as soon as he had settled, the Darkrai flicked and acorn at his head. He earned an angry glare from his target.

"Okay." Began the teacher, breathing in deeply to stifle a yawn. "Do you remember where we left off?"

"Something about..." She strained to find the words. "Emotional drives?"

"Have you given that any thought?" She received a nod. "And?"

"I think that I just want to. I don't think that there is any other reason." She said plainly. "Emotions have always been my strong suit, but this... I just WANT to, more than anything else. I want to be able to help out, I want to be seen as useful," She paused. "more than that, I want the strength to protect everyone too." Her thoughts drifted to how Kanta and Greta had stood, proud and tall against every challenge that had come their way. Greta fought a Steelix right alongside her Pokemon, Kanta had full command of the entire battlefield whenever he needed it. The two of them had been ready to throw their lives away, and those of their Pokemon, if only to protect what little they still could ever since they had left Frontier Island.

"But why is the question. Why do you want to be able to take on the world like Kanta and Greta do?" Asked the Embrace Pokemon, her voice soft and pleading.

"Isn't it enough that I want to?" She asked, pressing on. "It isn't because of love, and friendship isn't an emotion. I'm not afraid, not angry, not sad, not happy... All I am, is ready."

"I think that I'm starting to understand." Zahrah replied. "I think that your emotional drive is..."

"Resolve." Alakazam chimed in, pride stretching his thin lips into a smile. "A fine drive if ever there was one!"

"Then all that's left to do is harness it." Zahrah began, returning her gaze to her eager pupil. "You'll need to be more forceful in your thoughts. Don't request that this berry rise," she brought an Oran Berry from Kanta's stash. "order it to do so."

"Order a berry?"

"Make it bend to your will mistress." Alakazam explained.

She nodded and raised her hand. She focused with all of her might. UP! She yelled within her mind, causing the berry to make a small jump.

"That's good!" Zahrah gave her pupil praise and a smile. "Now just force it to stay up."

Anabel furrowed her brow in concentration once more. She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth and raised her hand to the berry. It began to glow with a soft green light. She kept her focus. She willed the berry into the air, and held it still.

"Just see how long you can hold it like that." As soon as the teacher spoke, her student's mind wavered, the berry dropping back into her hand.

Darkrai floated next to Anabel. "You'll need to block things out better."

"What do you know?!" Anabel whirled to face the phantom, glaring into his gleaming eyes.

"That you're too easily distracted for one."

"She's only just begun to learn." Alakazam interjected. As Darkrai began to respond, he held up a hand to silence him. "Why is it that you cling to my mistress to closely?"

"She is my meal, some of the most delectable nightmares that I have ever had the pleasure of tasting." He laughed as took the girl's hand. She tore it away without second's thought, gaining her a look of obvious displeasure from the apparition next to her.

"Then what investment do you have in her learning?" Asked the embrace Pokemon.

"Obviously I want her to be able to stand on her own," the Darkrai explained. "she's no good to me dead, and the rest of us can only do so much."

"Wait, you plan on protecting me?"

"Without a doubt or moment's hesitation Annie."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not?

"Because my name is Anabel."

"I can't use a nickname for my favorite sweet?"

"Enough!" Zahrah pushed the Darkrai away gently with a wall made of pebbles. "I'm trying to teach her, and you're the distraction here."

"Fair enough I suppose." He turned to Anabel. "Then I shall see you when next you dream my sweet." He spoke softly as he joined the shadows on the ground, melting away into the darkness.

"Thanks." Anabel said to her teacher. "He's been following me since the night in Canalave."

"Mistress, why did you not say something earlier?"

"I didn't want all of you to worry, and there's not much that you could do against a Dark-type legendary." She explained with her eyes to the ground. She lifted her head and continued. "I'm fine, really. He's just hungry."

"Best to ignore it for now." Zahrah agreed, gaining a smile from the lilac haired girl. "I do expect you to tell the others when they wake, but for now, we can continue training."

In the two hours left until the sun rose, Anabel made little progress, but she did make it. She tried over 50 times to raise the berry, and by first light, her record for keeping the thing in the air was a whopping 30 seconds. It was meager, but it was better than she had been able to do previously.

As the sun emerged from below the horizon, so did the rest of the group rise from their slumber. The morning routines were followed as usual, and the camp broken down smoothly. They set out at 8 AM, as soon as Anabel had reluctantly explained the situation with the Darkrai., stepping into the mouth of the tunnel that lead through the mountain before them.

It was wet inside the cave. There were lakes and puddles that littered the ground, casting reflections of the light made by Fierra and Espeon's use of Flash. They walked in no particular order, but Kanta stayed close to Fierra while Zahrah did not, so she stayed next to Greta, the two of them chatting about nonsense. Lucy and Anabel did the same with the latter yawning throughout. An odd shadow seemed to defy all logic, dancing around on the walls and floor, twirling around all the while.

"Just how long is this cave?" Lucy asked as another conversation came to an end. They had already been walking for long enough that they couldn't see the entrance, and could not yet see the exit.

"I wouldn't," Anabel yawned. "I wouldn't know."

"I guess that you wouldn't..." Lucy thumbed her lip. "Kanta! How much longer is this cave?"

"Shouldn't be that much longer." He called back.

Growls were heard from all around the cave.

"I feel like we probably should have kept our voices down..." Anabel spoke uneasily as Geodude, Graveler, Golem, Machop, Machoke, and Machamp came from all around.

The group came together, their backs to each other, sending their Pokemon out in a circle around themselves. The wild fighting-types beat their chests. Drumming. Readying for the ensuing battle.

The fight began as a Geodude hurled itself at the group, exploding in mid air. Alakazam set up a quick barrier, but the force still should the cave around them.

The Superpower line threw themselves in as well. A flurry of punches from every member as they advanced. Alakazam, Zahrah, Espeon, and Metagross's barriers could only hold for so long.

The barrage continued, Lucy, Kanta, Greta and Anabel shouting out orders to the Pokemon not focusing on the barriers.

They couldn't push back. Kanta's usual area of effect style would do more harm than good here, Lucy could only let her Milotic out in the cave for fear of being crushed by her much larger Steelix, it was all Anabel's Pokemon could do to keep up the group's defenses, and with so many enemy Pokemon, even Greta was beginning to lose ground.

"What are we going to do?" Lucy yelled over the chaos.

"Kanta!" Greta responded. "What's the plan?!"

"I..." Kanta stammered. "You're not going to like this."

"Whatever it is, do something!" Lucy ordered. They may not get along at the best times, but these were a bit more desperate.

"Push the barriers out!" The former champion yelled, regaining his composure. The psychics complied, forcing the horde back for only a brief moment. "Good! Now bring down the ceiling!"

"WHAT?!" The rest of the group yelled in return.

"It's our only shot!"

The Psychic-types complied. Rocks began falling around at every turn, aided by the still exploding rock Pokemon.

"Run!" He ordered at last. The group scattered, running in all directions, avoiding the falling rocks.

When the dust settled, Lucy looked around, coughing from the dirt that assaulted her lungs. She wasn't alone, but she almost wished that she was for a moment. Kanta lay only a few feet from her, a nasty gash across his forehead. His Luxray and her Milotic were also there, the two of them bickering with eachother. Lucy couldn't understand what they were saying obviously, so she yelled at the two to quiet down.

Brilliant plan you stupid fuck. She thought as she walked over to where Kanta was. Nearly got all of us killed.

She sat next to him and looked over his wound. There was a lot of blood, but it didn't look particularly deep. "Milotic, come over here." The beautiful serpent slithered closer and nuzzled her trainer. "Good girl, now would you mind making a bit of water? I should probably clean... that." She motioned to Kanta.

Fierra jumped over her trainer, bending low to the ground and hissing at the raven haired woman, causing her to jump back. She said something to Milotic, gaining a nod in return.

Milotic pulled Lucy away a bit further as the Luxray saw to her trainer's wound by licking it clean.

"I guess that works too. You're still going to need me to dress it though." She said as she dug into her backpack for one of the salvaged first aid kits.

She waited patiently for the Luxray to step away, sitting on the opposite side of the unconscious trainer. She drew nearer, carefully and cautiously she took out gauze pads, surgical tape, and a small pair of scissors. She spread a bit of ointment on the gash, wiped her finger on the gauze, and applied the patch. As soon as she was done the possessive lioness placed her paw between her trainer and Lucy. She took the hint and backed away.

"You're welcome." She said, rolling her eyes. "No really, no thanks necce-" Fierra licked her face. Lucy smiled and pet the over sized cat.

She looked around again then back at Kanta. "Guess that there's nothing to do but wait..."

Meanwhile, in another part of the cave, Zahrah, Greta, Espeon, and Anabel emerged from a lake that they had jumped into for safety. The four of them collapsed in a heap on the bank of the small body of water. They were wet, and in the cold cave, the four girls shivered.

"Well that was an experience." Greta laughed as she removed her shirt. She clicked her tongue when she found that it had a large rip, the left sleeve hanging on by only the lower half. Clothes had not been on her packing list.

Anabel did the same as her Espeon shook what water she could from her fine fur. She was happy to find that the rips in her clothing were largely superficial, nothing like the sleeve that hung halfway on Greta's top. Both girls rung their shirts out until they were no longer dripping, but thought it better to leave them off until they were actually dry. Anabel folded hers and put it into her bag.

Zahrah shook uncontrollably. "Where..."

"What?" The humans asked in unison.

"Where is Kanta?"

"He's in the cave somewhere I guess." Greta said. The look that she received from Zahrah displayed how unhelpful the fighters words were.

"I'm sure that he's fine Zahrah." Anabel said, shaking water from her ears. "With any luck he and Lucy are together, and they both have their Pokemon with them."

"I suppose that you're right." She sighed.

"So what should we do exactly?" Asked Greta as she ripped the falling sleeve off of her gi and tossing it into the water before she too returned it to her bag.

"We should probably try to find a way out of this cave." Anabel said, cycling through the apps on her Poketch until she reached the map. "Kanta said that we would be going to Hearthome, which is just outside of the mountain, so he and Lucy will probably head there... Assuming that they're together, they shouldn't have any more trouble getting there than we will."

"Shouldn't we look for them first?" asked Espeon.

"I'd rather just get out of here and wait for them." Responded her trainer. "If we get out and they haven't made it, then we can always go back in to find them."

"Hm. All in favor?" Greta asked, raising her hand. Zahrah and Anabel returned the gesture, Espeon trying her best to do the same. "Alright then, let's get a move on."

They set off, Espeon with her light leading the way. They kept their chats within their minds thanks to Zahrah so as to avoid attracting attention as they walked through the winding path looking for any way out of the cave.