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A storm thunders in the sky above as rain begins to fall.

Something pokes my shoulder, “What is it Tess?”

Chirping from lower shows my Joltik cowering on the seat behind me and pointing up in the air.

Swirling shadowy gasses part to reveal glowing eyes and a smiling mouth full of sharp teeth.

“Old joke there, Haunter.”

Each drop of rain passes through its ethereal form like drips in an oil slick. The malicious ghost pouts before firing its tongue like a frog.

“Electroweb!”

Tongue meets webs and sparks light up the canopy above as while Shak does a barrel roll to fling Haunter and nearly us away. Shak lands on another branch to reorient himself. My Phantump manipulates enough wood up in a spiral to form a round shield for me to hold.

Haunter, that vicious little soul eater, laughs maniacally while darting towards the eye of the Trevenant. While the Shuppet parade doesn’t stop pouring into the haunted tree’s mouth, I see what looks like a slit of an iris shift in our direction as all laughter stops.

Rain being the only sound as a flash of lightning reveals the iris to be a cloaked figure standing in the eye.

With a wave of their arm, dozens of glowing arrows appear in the air around the eye.

“Shit,” I kick my heels against Shak, “Time to move bud!”

Taking off in a nose dive from the branch, most of the arrows sink into the tree above us. Some don’t, practically curving to hit us.

I pull Shak into another spin while raising my wooden shield. Two pin the wood while a third stabbed my Golbat in the hindleg causing a great screech in pain that leaves my ears ringing and the remaining arrows to shatter like ethereal glass.

A hard bank with the force of our dive, “Let's use that! Shak, make for one of the further roots! Tess, keep other pokemon off us. Blue, Shadow Panic for a distraction.

More arrows are fired towards us as shadows from the nearby trees reveal more Haunter. Banette pour from Old Elder’s mouth like drool in the form of creepy animated dolls. If we were on the ground… Shit, we need to land to get what we came for.

Another thump against my shield, and Shak screeches apart the rest as he banks to dodge. Sparking web lines snag each Haunter trying to catch up to us, some are too busy fighting their own shadows.

Smooth landing is a non option as we crash into one of the massive roots. Somehow I don’t get thrown.

I hop off Shak as he shakes off the impact, “Tess and Shak, ranged attacks. Blue, gather as much of the wood we just broke as possible.”

My little poltergeist giggles and begins pulling wood onto me in what slowly becomes a wooden set of knight’s armor and a lance. I can’t help but laugh with him, until I’m dodging more arrows.

Finally our archer friend flies into view, a humanoid owl, his wings like a cloak of stars that glitter in the storm shrouded jungle.

“Well, you're a large bird.” at my obvious statement it’s head quirks to the side at one of those gross angles only owls can do. This is the second Decidueye I’ve ever seen, this one is bigger and uniquely colored.

He makes a motion like drawing a bow and more ethereal arrows fill the air.

“Time to go!” I run and jump onto Shak as he takes off, Blue and Tess clinging to my fancy armor.

Another roll and frantic flapping of wings and we land on another branch in the canopy.

Shield, lance, armor, and a sinister mount, I face our opponent pokemon, the master of this haunted jungle.

“You must be Mephisto?”

He makes a sweeping bow with his wings while letting out a long hoot.

“Any chance of letting us leave peacefully? We got what we came for.”

The deep laughter from earlier echoes all around us as Mephisto gestures towards the giant Trevenant. Next he starts that drawing motion again.

“I’ll take that as a nope,” in more ways than one, “No more running, Charge!”

Shak let's loose a massive screech that interrupts the Decidueye’s move. It falls off the branch to reposition and Shak leaps to follow.

Branches whip by as the sinister laughter of hundreds of ghost pokemon fill the grotto. Tesla is gripping my back tightly while webbing up any approaching pokemon attempting to stall our pursuit.

Decidueye is not a close range pokemon, and I intend to take full advantage of that. He’s also thankfully slower than Golbat naturally.

Looking at my huffing pokemon, “At least the ones that aren’t fat asses.”

Shak glares at me before looking forward and spitting a glob of poisonous goop that barely misses our target.

I chuckle, “Don’t worry bud, I know you’re awesome. Now catch up!”

We arc around the ancient trevenant as Shak puts on a bit more speed, we are just above the big owl.

“Blue distract him, Tess hold tight!” This is a dumb idea.

My Phantump disappears and I shift to a crouching possession on my Golbat’s back as he begins to dive towards Mephisto.

Ethereal feathers drift back from the owl like chaff to throw off a missile.

Blue appears on the arm of the trevenant and raises a line of spears in the flight path of Mephisto, he flares to a stall.

We’re on him!

Shak tackles into the giant owl clamping on with his poison fangs. I leap from the impact stabbing into the pokemon’s side with my lance and sliding around the shaft to land on the branch, Tesla’s webs cast out to make sure we don't fall, before also latching onto the Decidueye.

Thorn covered vines erupt from the branch as Blue also tries to wrangle our opponent. The vine’s shadows instead reach for Shak as both are pulled out of the air.

Sparks light up the webs in time with lighting filling up the sky, a bolt crashes down nearby, scorching the wood and crawling too close for comfort.

We need to get out of here, “Aircutter!”

Shak gives a powerful flap of his wings while spinning free of the shadows that get sliced apart.

Grabbing Blue’s branch horn thing I leap into the air away from the barely restrained Totem pokemon just as a sea of razor sharp, leaf shaped feathers begin to swirl around us.

I can feel them slice against the armor as Shak swoops in for the catch. Thank Arceus the harness holds as I barely grab on.

“It’s cloudy so fly up but for your love of blood don’t get us struck by lightning!”

We barely have a head start and I intend to maximise it, “Blue absorb all this wood, you and Tess are going back in the balls.”

The armor falls off of me like a reptile sheds skin as Blue draws it into his from growing to almost triple in size. Whatever metaphysics are at play causes my Golbat to start struggling with the weight.

Blue’s ball glows as he returns with a haunting giggle.

I pat the exhausted tarantula clinging to my back, “You’re next girl.”

She gives a small nuzzle before returning to her ball.

I don’t see the final boss Decidueye chasing us but I do see scattered Drifloons rising above the canopy to watch us pass. Above us the clouds swirl like a hurricane about to descend yet localised around the mountain.

“Where’s one of those anime protagonists when you need them?”

A weak growl sounds my Golbat’s tired agreement.

Thunder booms above! Lightning surges across the clouds to somewhere behind us.

I look back to see that damn Decidueye flying up above the canopy.

“Oh Shit.”

Thousands of bolts of lightning cascade into the bird, lighting up the sky like a supernova.

“Oh Shit!!”

When the spots fade from my eyes I barely spot a smoking husk of feathers falling beneath another flying pokemon with bright yellow shells for wings and a glorious orange mohawk.

The Tapu gives us a nod before disappearing in another flash of lightning.

“Guess we lured the bird out for it.” turning towards the approaching edge of the aptly named Grim Grotto, “He Shak I guess that anime protagonist was watching all along.”

He glares back at me before attempting to roll me off!

“Fuck!” Clenching my legs and death gripping the harness with my sore muscles barely keeps me on.

A low rumble of a growl sounds his disappointment.

“Don’t worry buddy, I had Lacy pick you up some specialty snacks at the lab mall. How do blood muffins sound?”

Gross if someone asked me but I know he’ll love them. Sunlight starts to peek through the clouds and I know it’s time to let the big bat rest.

As soon as I see the top of the red torii gate at the trailhead head I pat Shak’s neck, “Head on down, you can snooze while I walk the rest of the way.”

He’s all too happy at the sound of morbid snacks and a nap. With a clumsy flop we land and Shak returns to his ball… which means I drop from five feet in the air to awkwardly land on my hands and knees.

Wincing about a stick stabbing into my thigh, “Really that’s what's gonna draw blood in this silly adventure?!”

I can’t help but sigh as I stand up with a limp, “Yup, totally saying this was caused by one of those spectral arrows. Not an F’ing twig.”

Hobbling into the sunlight from under the gate I call out, “Does anyone know a smoking hot, redhead doctor?”

“Kurt!” I spot my soon to be wife with May and Andrew standing under a strange umbrella of water created by what might be the largest spider I’ve ever seen. It’s easily as tall as me.

As it's only a drizzle at this point, Andrew thanks his pokemon and returns it to his ball.

I plop down on a relatively dry bench installed under the treeline along the path. Lacy kneels down to check my bloody leg.

Andrew looks concerned, “There were dozens of pokemon escaping the storm from out of the woods. What happened?”

Oh ho, story time!

“At first it was eerily beautiful,” thinking of the ghostly procession, “all sorts of pokemon live in the murk. I was getting some flight training with my Golbat.”

Andrew looks surprised, “Impressive.”

“That's when things got really strange. An endless stream of Shuppets and other sinister ghost pokemon were gathered around the elder Trevenant.”

May shows her experience, “That would make sense with how gloomy the town was.”

“Anyway,” I wince as Lacy dabs some disinfectant on my leg, “There was a totem Decidueye leading all the ghosts. I think it was trying to revive the big tree.”

“Mephisto.” Andrew scowls while glaring into the wood.

Now for the best part, “We battled! Blue made me some wooden armor and a lance, Shak and I charged the large bird while dodging arrows left and right, I took one to the knee.”

“Really?” Lacy flicks my leg, “Cause it looks like you just got jabbed with a stick… in your thigh.”

May chuckles, “What’s your deal with angry pieces of wood Kurt?”

“No really!” awe come on, don’t let that slight fib ruin the story, “Next we’re dueling about in the sky when the lightning all came down, one of the Tapus struck the finishing blow!”

While the girls are giving me skeptical raised brows, Andrew at least seems to believe me judging by his visible relief.

“Hey!”

The kids are all running over lazily followed by Dawn and her twin fan boys.

Jane puffs out her chest, “We drove back the stampede! My onix is the best!”

Patricia is so excited she nearly drops her glasses, “I caught an Absol!”

Naomi nods, “I think almost everyone caught something today!”

Andrew sighs, “Well I guess this was a very successful excursion.” He checks his watch and panics a little, “We better hurry back, we’ll have just enough time to hit the pokemon center and make it to the Iki Cultural Center for your challenge.”

Looking over to Jane, “Hope you’re not adventured out for the day, it’s time for your big battle!”

No, she’s grinning like mad.

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