The Tale of Seven: The Summon of Sorrow

[Rikugurl]

Darkrai's eyes closed when she heard the promise.
"I hope so, Tensai, for you must know that if Pokemon do no exist, nothing shall over time. Water will become tainted, plants will die, a food source will run out. This man will not only rid of your friends and other pokemon, he will rid of this world entirely." Even if she continued her warning, the pokemon believed in the boy's world. Though he was not truly related to Riku, he had the heart of the young boy she once rescued.
"Now, close your eyes and when you open them, the clock will start ticking. Good luck, young one."

Slowly, Tensai's eyes closed and just as they did, they snapped open, like he had just awoken from a nightmare as his body was drenched with sweat. He was back at the camp, just like he was when he went to sleep; like nothing had ever happened.
"Nnnnngh.... Ten-chan..." Roxel mumbled, turning his body to face his best friend and reached his arm out, wanting to wrap it around his body for extra warmth due to the lack of pokemon called out for the night.

"Absol..." The golden eye boy heard Sanuye suddenly, appearing almost shocked to see a Pokemon after Darkrai's vision. The red and while wolf walked over, concerned about the boy before licking his cheek.

[Reno]

His heart felt like it would burst from his chest it was pounding so hard. How strange... he had felt so calm in that other place but here, he felt panic set in.
Calm down... calm down... It could have just been a dream, but somehow... he could tell that what had happened... had truly...

He blinked as he felt the lick before turning his head, looking up at the wolf. He reached up, wrapping his arms around her neck and hugging her close. Don't worry... I'll protect you...
He shook some as he pulled away, trying to be brave and not give away his anxiety. "Sanuye... can you wake up the others? I need to talk to them." There was a bark of understanding, before she turned and went to the next nearest couple.

He looked down at Roxel, before reaching out, starting to shake him, "Roxel... Xel, wake up!"

[Rikugurl]

"Guuuuuuuuuuuuuh, I d-don't wanna ride the.....seal....eo...." Snoooooooore. Roxel babbled as he was shaken but with a few good shakes and a pinch of his nose from Melody, he snapped awake. "WAAA!!" The fire haired boy rubbed his red, throbbing nose, glaring down at Melody that gave him an innocent look back. He yawned, slowly stretching and looked around. It was still dark out... so why did Ten---
"TEN-CHAN! Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare? Don't worry everything---" Before he could continue, Tensai held him down to make him stop flailing.

While the little scene was going on with the two best friends, the rest of the group was awoken, some of them getting up easier than others. Namine was a heavy sleeper, slowly falling asleep in Sanyi's arms as he tried to keep her up. Gunnar was grumpy as always and Roxanne had the same problem her father did, not liking to wake up without some coffee.
When everyone was awake, or semi-awake, Sanuye walked back to Tensai and sat next to his side. "SOL!" She announced, making everyone realize that Tensai had ordered everyone up.

"What the big deal?" Gunnar grumbled, rubbing his eyes to keep they open. "Couldn't this wait until tomorrow?"
"Tensai is shaking! Something's wrong so shut up and listen to him!" Roxel quickly snapped.

[Reno]

"Enough! Enough fighting!" Tensai said, looking between Gunnar and Roxel, seeing how they were glaring at each other already. His stomach twisted, realizing how right she was; they really had no harmony, did they? "We don't have time for that anymore!"
He looked around at them, seeing their sleepy faces, but what he said next woke them right up, "Darkrai just spoke with me."
"Darkrai... spoke with you." Lucina said, her tone disbelieving. Then she sighed, "Okay, nice dream but-"
"IT WASN'T A DREAM." Tensai was shaking again, feeling a burning feel in his eyes, but he struggled not to cry. He had no idea how he was going to convince them...

"Do you guys remember... the news reel? The... The story about the guy who stole the Jewel of Life - and we were trying to figure out what he wanted? Well... Darkrai knows and she told me." Before anyone could say it was just another dream, he delivered the big news, "He wants to wipe out all Pokemon on this world... completely."
Expressions twisted all around him. The Pokemon who had heard started to whine or even panic a bit.
"Hey - Borva!" Tails swished and smacked her in the face. "Pfft!" She pushed them away and grabbed the fox by her scruff, forcing her to lay down. She looked across at her cousin, and glared at him, "I don't know what sick joke you're trying to play here Ten, but it isn't funny."
"I'm not joking! I'm serious!"

[Rikugurl]

"OI!" A loud, commanding sound made everyone suddenly shut up, all eyes now looking at Bonnie. "We all gonna disbelieve what everyone has to fucking say anymore? Does everyone forget that Tensai's DAD was fucking saved by Darkrai? Why the fuck wouldn't it be true?"
Terra and Ven really did a number on her. It was kind of ironc, seeing absolute beauty with a completely filthy mouth.
"I didn't stop my competitions to follow a bunch of babies around and spend all my money on them. Ever since we started, all I heard was complaining and moping and bitching about something. We're all FRIENDS, people! Friends aren't just nice to each other for five fucking seconds. Traveling with someone is suppose to be fun and special and all it seems like to me is one big reason to stop being friends."

She suddenly glared at Roxanne, seeing her holding down Borva. "Roxy, I hate seeing you fight with someone who just looks at your wrong. Seeing you fight with Lucina has exhausted me and I'm starting to wonder if this is the real you. I'll tell ya, it's fucking ugly." Roxy's eyes widened but before she could say a word---
"And Gunnar, the fuck is your problem? You act like such a gentlemen at times and others you're a complete douche. Get over your fucking self and be what you really want to. A great trainer is not only about how he fucking wins battles..."
Her head turned, looking at Sanyi. "And for shits sake, Sanyi, just tell Namine you like her! There's no sense in being jealous of Sammy when you don't even know the truth about how she feels."

There was a deep sigh, the dark skinned woman closing her eyes before slowly opening them.
"And most of all, we have to trust and have confidence in everyone you see here around camp, because if you don't, we just better fucking split up. Now.... Tensai.... why does this guy wanna get rid of Pokemon?

[Reno]

Tensai looked a bit panicked at Bonnie's suggestion - because he knew they couldn't split up. All ten of them had to be there. But, as Bonnie asked the question, he frowned. "Well, Darkrai really didn't say exactly why... but she did say he was once... 'a caring man who rescued and helped Pokemon in need... but now he is suffering and believes Pokemon are to blame'. What was really weird about it though, the vision she sent to me of him... I couldn't recognize him exactly because he was wearing a strange mas - but that wasn't what was really weird. When he went to Arceus to ask for his wish... he had a Pokemon on his shoulder. A Murkrow."
Something about all this made him feel like he should know the answer.

"Well, that explains which Pokemon used Haze." Lucina said softly, but her eyes narrowed, "So this jackass is going to kill his own partner too? That doesn't make sense..." She caught Bonnie giving her a sharp look and clarified, "I mean he doesn't make sense, not that I think Tensai is lying!" Though, if she was being honest, this was all a little unnerving and hard to believe.
"No one ever said the depressed thought clearly." Kadaj spoke up, his eyes belaying a deeper, darker side of his memories. "He sounds like a rescuer."
A rescuer...

Tensai seemed to bit his lip, "A rescuer...?" He mumbled, his stomach twisting. There was something about this... something he should know. Suddenly he shut his eyes, trying to conjure up pictures.
Everyone sat there, watching the boy, and leaving a couple of them in the dark. It was Namine who spoke up then, sounding a bit shy, as she asked softly what he was doing.
"Ten has a photographic memory." Roxy answered, her voice terse and curt but no one could really tell who she was angry at. "If he knows this guy, he won't have forgotten him."

Drowning out the talk about him was easy as he thought. Murkrow... blonde hair... rescurer...
It was an old memory, when he was only five or so. He remembered being in his silverette father's lap, watching him talk to a man with more whitish-blonde hair. And beside them his other father was tentatively petting a blue electrike as he spoke to a purple-haired man.
Tensai's eyes snapped open, his eyes growing wide. "No way... It couldn't be..." But all the reasons lined up - and that shade of hair color... the Pokemon on his shoulder...
Roxel, beside him, looking concerned as he asked who.
"...I...It's Kuku... Kuku's doing this..." For a moment, everyone was thrown for a loop and only Roxy and Xel were staring at him in pure shock, but Tensai clarified for everyone else, "He was a dragon-type specialist rescuer... and he had a lover named Eskel... who died in a cave-in not too long ago. My dads knew them well because Eskel gave my daddy Sora Lily, a female Pikachu... and they visited us a few times, whenever Eskel came to sunyshore, because he was an electric-type specialist rescuer."

[Rikugurl]

"Uuuuut...." Roxel blinked, his eyes wide as he stared at Tensai. The name was unique and once you heard it, you couldn't forget, especially when you were in the rescue business as well. Kuku and Eskel were very well known. Not only did they run the main Rescue Center in Kanto, they helped saved all those people in the cruise line that had crashed. They were also the only rescuers who came up with the idea of sheltering pokemon until they healed. Something called the Sanctuary. They were the ones who gave his own adopted parents the idea of the Haven.
He knew that well because.... because... Kuku and Eskel funded they Haven, donating thousands of dollars to the project to get it off the ground.

And now... now he wanted to destroy all of it?

"Ah, Roxel, Roxanne.... how are you today?" The little children looked up, stopping their chore of making Lava cookies. It wasn't truly a chore in their eyes, at least not at that age. The twin became excited, seeing the purple haired man leaning over them. "Hello Mr. Eskel!" They both said in unison before jumping off their stools and running around his leg.
"Haha! As energetic as always! How is the Haven going? Have you been helping?"
"Yea! All the time!"
"We love all the pokemon!"
"Trike!"
"WAAAAAAAAAA ITZEL!" The xipil twins cried happily as the blue electrike came running up, happily accepting their pets.

"Would you like a cookie, Mr Eskel?" Roxy asked, pulling away from the puppy to hand him a freshly made spicy delight.
"Oh, why thank you.... Mmmmm, it's perfect!"
A shadow came over all four of them and they all looked up, seeing Axel who too had an apron on with some splatters of ingredients about it. "Oh! you're here. Come in!" The red head smiled, moving aside for the rescuer to head into their house.
"Roxy, Xel... how about you give a cookie to Mr. Kuku?"
The twins giggled at the funny name but nodded and grabbed two, quickly heading over to the area they knew the man would be.

Sure enough, as they walked around the house to the lake, they saw their daddy Roxas standing next to another man with longer blonde hair, both looking up at Riot.
"I have to say, Roxas.... he looks better and better every time I see him."
"Mr Kuku! A cookie!"
The man turned, seeing the happy looking children run over to him and he gave them a soft smile.
"For me?" He asked when a cookie was presented.
"Yea! They're fresh! We made them all by ourselves~"
"Great... and this one?" He asked, pointing to the other cookie in their hand.
"It's for Miss Arluin!"
The rescuer laughed, taking the other cookie and holding it up to the murkrow on his shoulder. She took a bite.... and started to flail about.

"Hahaha! I suppose lava cookies are too spicy for her! But these sure are great. Thank you." He reached down, ruffling both their hair to bring a smile back to their worried faces. "You'll be great rescuers someday if you always keep thinking about the well being of pokemon too. May Arceus watch over you!....and any poor murkrow that eat your Lava cookies~"

"Sacha Azazel.... he always came over to make sure Riot was alright... and some of the other dragon pokemon too. Now it makes sense why he never showed up at the funeral..." Roxel frowned, his heart hanging low. How could a rescuer even... even think about eliminating the things they devoted to protect?
"So... what are we suppose to do?" Came a hesitant question from the Nurse, looking at Tensai as if he had all the answers.

[Reno]

"We have to stop him..." Tensai said, looking up at them. "Darkrai said we have to find Sammy again and help him. I would guess our next course of action would be to find the flute. If we find that and protect it, then Kuku can't complete his goal."

Well that sounded easy enough. Just find a MISSING flute and protect it - yeah, that would be a cinch.

"But there's more. It had to be all ten of us... I'm not sure why, but for some reason, each of us are necessary. And we also... we need to get along and actually become friends." He said softly, looking around at them all. "If we don't... we won't make it in time. And... and it's not just the loss of Pokemon we'll have to deal with either..."
"What do you mean?" Sanyi asked tentatively, not exactly ready for more bad news.
There was a sigh, Kadaj shaking his head. Wasn't he supposed to know less than these people? "Isn't it obvious?" Only Tensai looked at him with eyes that truly understood. "Pokemon balance our world. Kyogre and Lugia make the ocean move. Suicune and Shaymin keep the pollution down. Butterfree, Beedrill, Butterfree... the pollinate the plants. All mammal Pokemon are a very big source of our very oxygen. Without them - all of them - our world will start to die."
Tensai nodded slowly, biting his lip as he recalled the ocean his aunts were looking out over as they mourned the loss of their friends. He hadn't realized it before... but now he did. The ocean had been still. "And if our world dies... so will we."
"Heh... you're a little innocent their Tensai." The silverette spoke again making orange eyes look at him in confusion. "Sure, some of us will get ill. But what will happen when we question whose fault it is? When our food supply starts to run low? When there is not enough clean water to find?" Everyone was looking at him as his eyes narrowed, "There will be war. We'll start killing each other... long before the world can."

There was silence in the wake of that observation - and just looking between each other, seeing how heated their most petty fights had gotten, it wasn't hard to imagine it on a worldwide scale - but this time it would be a doomed fight for survival...
The tension and fear in the air was nearly tangible now.

"Okay. So we can't split up. And we can't fail." Lucina said sitting up, and looking around at them. No pressure, right? She nodded. "We can do this. We need to settle our differences though. Now."

[Rikugurl]

"Right!" Roxel stood up as well, clenching his in the air. "I'm a rescuer and though I may not be strong or battle well, it's true friendship that succeeds in the end. It shouldn't be any different from Pokemon to pokemon and human to human. Nothing can get done if there is no understanding. We may have been sworn enemies but it's time to forgive and forget. That's all behind us now and even if we still don't like each other, we have to think of the pokemon. Not just the world's pokemon or the possible doom of the world. We have to worry about the here and now first and all I know is that those pokemon are hurting, being blamed for something they didn't do. We have to save Kuku and Eskel's pokemon!"

"Wow, I think that's the smartest thing Roxel has every said in his life..." Bonnie mumbled, feeling her girlfriend push her.
All watching closely, the saw the zebra pajama panted boy walk over to another one who was wearing silky black pjs and held out his hand. "What do you say Gunnar? For real this time."
The brunette looked up into two blue eyes, the boy not having his other contact in. His gaze moved down to the hand in front of him before sighing, knowing all eyes were on him. He reached up and took the hand, giving it a strong shake. "Yea... for the Pokemon."

Namine smiled, her own gaze slowly moving to see Sanyi watching the two enemies shake hands. A sweet smile appeared on her lips before slowly wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh Sanyi, did you have something to say too?"

Bonnie watched the others slowly interact and smiled, feeling Roxy get up to walk over to Lucina. As she did, she turned, looking at Tensai smile and nodded. His confidence was growing every day. "Great job, Tensai. I'm sure we'll track down Sammy in no time."

[Reno]

Lucina was watching her brother and rival, but wasn't surprised when a shadow fell over her. She turned her eyes and looked up, before standing, surprisingly them both when she smiled. "You know what's really funny about all this? I can't even remember why we don't like each other."
Roxanne chuckled, "You don't? We were on the playground... me and Xel were making flower wreaths and you guys were playing kickball. Gunnar kicked the ball and one of the kids you were playing with it missed. It hit Roxel and he started crying."
"And he called him a baby... and then we started fighting... oh yeah." Both the girls seemed a bit sheepish. After that they just never got along. Some of their classes had even been jointed together, and they remembered all the times they tried to outdo each other. Everything became a competition. "Seems kind of silly now... doesn't it?"
"It'll be even more silly if we can't forget about it and kill the world." Roxy said sarcastically, and for some reason it made Luci laugh.
"Then, friends?" She offered, opening her arms.
Roxy hesitated before nodding the two hugging. "Friends."

"Uh... Well um...." The bluette's cheeks turned bright red as he looked at Namine, seeing her pretty eyelashes batting right up at him, her smile so darn cute. His heart started racing. "W-W-Well... Y-Yeah... I um... I err... Well ever since I met you I wanted to..." Oh just do it! "Will you go out with me sometime?" He said it in a rush.

Tensai watched his best friend shake hands with Gunnar, smiling brightly. Maybe that vision he had seen was really possible. He glanced at Bonnie when she spoke and nodded, "Yeah. We'll get in touch with the ranger station and we should be able to figure out where he is in no time." They would have to be quick though. No telling how fast Sammy was moving.

Between all these conversations and happy-fun-feelings, no one really noticed at first when they were suddenly missing someone - actually two, if you included his Pokemon. But as bluish-greenish eyes swept the group, he figured it out instantly.
Kadaj had left.


"Spina... Spinarak?" The spider was asking as he was settled onto a branch up high.
"Save the world huh?" The silverette said dully. "They expect me to save the world. That's hilarious." He shut his glowing eyes as he leaned against the rough bark of the tree trunk, whispering, "What's the point of these powers anyways? I can't save anyone with it. I couldn't save Sephiroth. I couldn't save my parents. I couldn't save Loz..."

He grimaced, remembering the heat of the flames as if it was all around him.
"Hashire! Hashire!!" It was his mother. she was telling them to run.
"Mother! Father!" Kadaj cried, inhaling the smoke around him as he started to cough. They were trapped in their bedroom. The ceiling had collapsed, blocking the door.
"Nii-san!" A hand gripped his, and Yazoo was tugging him away, further into the smoke and heat. Tears were running down their faces from their stinging eyes. They had just made it down the stairs when they heard a scream behind them and the sound of wood breaking. They spun around, seeing Loz, who had been right behind them, toppled over his foot having been swallowed by the last stair. It had collapsed. He started to wail in pain.
They didn't think about it as they ran back, struggling to free him when they too were so small. They managed it, somehow, and Yazoo had to help his brother wobble, leaving little Kadaj in charge of leading the way out. In all the smoke, it was almost impossible to tell which way was which. Everything was hazy, but he did remember them getting out and into the front yard.

"We got him out, you know." Kadaj said, knowing he was being watched - and not just by his Pokemon. "We couldn't get to my parents... but we got Loz all the way out of the house. But when he broke his ankle, he had screamed so much and inhaled so much smoke... He just... he just went to sleep... and he didn't wake up again. We watched our house burn to the ground. No one came until morning, where child services picked me and Yazoo up and shoved us into a orphanage." The silvertte's shoulders shook. "And I did nothing but watch it happen. I have the power of telekinesis... but I couldn't save anyone. Lot of use I am..."

[Rikugurl]

The was a shift in the bushes, a little blue puppy shifting his weight back and forth as he looked up at his master who was standing in the shadows of the forest, watching the silverette and that horrible pokemon. He was still in nothing but his silky pj pants, the chill of the night not bothing him any. He was the first to realize the silverette had left amongst the group who were forgetting their past ties. Now, he had to do the same with Kadaj. However, as he came upon the other, he overheard him speak and listened.

When Kadaj was finished, Gunnar could tell that he was speaking to more than just the spider. "You did the best you could." He replied back, now moving through the rest of the brush before him into the clearing, the Riolu following close behind. "You were too young to understand. You and your brother did something amazing and even though he didn't live through it... you saved him from a painful death that could have awaited him. and you're full of crap if you don't think you have it in you to save someone. You already have..."

The brunette walked closer, trying no to let the spider who was eying him throw him off. "What about Yazoo. He would have died if it wasn't for your devotion. You did something that some other siblings wouldn't. You risked your own life to insure he lived. Not many can say they did that. You're a hero, believe it or not. At least to him and that's what counts. You're smart and fast and loyal... and even if you don't think you're hero material, at least you can say you're one hell of a person. If you believe in yourself and if others give you strength, there's nothing that you can't achieve.

[Reno]

Saved him from a painful death, huh?
"Nii-san..." The voice was strained and weak, "The stars sure are pretty tonight, huh?"

Loz....

The silverette still trembled as Gunnar spoke to him, shaking like the leaves of the trees around him blowing in the breeze. He straighted slowly, discretely rubbing at his face before turning around, looking at the other. He tilted his head some, and then chuckled, "I think I hit you harder than I thought."
The other blinked at him, clueless for a moment. "Heh... Are you actually saying something nice to me?" Before the other could find the words to speak, he shook his head. "Besides... the one I owe Yazoo's life to isn't from my effort..." He looked away, saying softly, "It's to you guys."

[Rikugurl]

A blush ran over Gunnar face as he rubbed the back of his neck. Yea, so he was being nice. They had to be if what Tensai was saying was true. Not that he didn't like the kid. Well, he kinda didn't. With that damn spider and well... his speed and strength... he actually had some competition that he never really had. At least he was better in battle. He hoped...
He frowned, straghtening some when the other looked away. And he was lacking confedence too.

"Whatever, you know that's not true. At all. We didn't watch him for years, providing him with everything they needed and more. We didn't find him shelter and brought him warmth or kind words that helped him try to sleep at night. Kadaj... if it wasn't for you, you'd both be still under that hollow in the alley, holding on to life by a wire. You can't give us all the credit. We just had something that you weren't fortunate enough to have or find. Money... and understanding. Together, we all helped you to help him. Now, he's doing well, reading up on stuff he always wanted to. I think that is more than anything anyone could ever ask for."
"Rio...."
Slowly, Gunnar walked closer, placing his hand in Kadaj's shoulder. "So what do you say? Will you help us now?"

[Reno]

Kadaj shrugged to Gunnar's words, not saying anything. They were siblings, of course he tried to take care of him. It was what siblings did. He didn't feel like he had done anything grand by taking care of his brother - he had just done what he knew was right.

But he blinked as Gunnar walked closer, shifting uneasily. What was he-?
He blinked as he felt the hand on him, finding it strange the way his skin tingled. He looked up though, the look in his eyes suddenly determined. "Whether I make a difference or not, I will do my best. I've fought all my life and I'm not about to give up here." Gunnar seemed to like his sudden spunk, and even smiled - but quickly grimaced in pain.
Kadaj blinked in confusion, before he saw it and remembered. Ah, right... he had decked him. He reached up, running his fingertips over the still dark bruise. Huh, he HAD hit him hard. "Ah.... Sorry." He seemed a bit sheepish, though he still thought Gunnar deserved it.

[Rikugurl]

"Tch..." The brunette winced, feeling the stinging pain from his cheek. Hopefully the swelling would get better by morni---
Sea blueish green eyes widened a bit when he felt cold, chapped fingers run along his bruise, the feeling actually being nice and soothing, though the pressure did spark some weak pain. He supposed it wasn't the pain that he was feeling but the contact itself.
Ok... this is weird...
He though, never having another guy run his fingers over his skin until it was his dad when he had a fever but that was different. It was even different when Luci and him were young as she would wipe away marks on his cheek or forehead if she wrote on his skin with marker.

This was something completely different and strangely enough, it felt nice...

Little ears were perked when the puppy looked up, standing on his hind legs, noticing how close the two suddenly were. He tilted his head, seeing the green pokemon on Kadaj's shoulder a little curious too at the sudden silence around them.
Dark eyes looked into the glowing, noticing how the color shimmered off his long silver hair. His face, now closer than ever before, was young and full of sly expressions, much like one would view a fox. Though the teen was thin, he still had some chub left in his cheeks.
Hesitently, the brunette dipped his head down a bit before proceeding to dip it more, his face coming closer to the silverette. Without thinking, he suddenly pushed their dry lips together for just a split second before pulling away.

W-what?
Wait...
Did.... Roxel's gayness rub off on him!?