(ACE) The OLIVINE Team

Well, if nothing else positive could be said about the godforsaken downpour chilling his already-cold body, at least it helped to cleanse Rebel’s body of the rotten blood, both his own and his victims, fresh and stale. Though Miyu herself could not praise it for that-- being as pristine as one could hope to be in the epidemic, her tiny body was only soaked and weighed down by her massive bulk of fur retaining water.

“Did… are we done…?” Miyu whined, dragging out the final word of that sentence. Sadly being cute and sad wasn’t enough to complete the ‘game.’ Aren’t games supposed to be fun…?

"Did it.. kill one of its own?!" Etin’s voice beckoned both siblings’ attention to the Luxray. Lo and behold, the damn cat was thrashing another undead around, spreading torn up pieces of rotten meat in either direction with every shake of her head. "Don't get too close. It might of mistaken it for one of us." Faux replied. The Jolteon hummed, watching the cat’s vicious display. “Wouldn’t she notice a difference in the taste?” Well, he would’ve. Undead tasted like ass compared to fresh blood. “Unless she thought it was me.”

What remained of the corpse crumbled in the Lux’s mouth, a sight waaaay too much for the kit. She craned her short neck and retched harshly, coughing up mostly the excess saliva caused from it. Though he put a comforting paw between Miyu’s shoulders, his eye was set on the cat and her voice-- that same damn sound of a perversion of life. Fucking epidemic, as if death being guaranteed wasn’t enough.
"Not. My. Own." Wait, what.
"You.. You're dead too. You have the disease!" The Quilava’s words were so forced. It was like delivering heartbreaking news to someone when all you wanted to do was say “have a nice day.” The cat hadn’t exactly seemed like the pinnacle of sanity, but did she really catch the ‘minor’ detail of her… you know, death…?  "Did she attack anyone, or just undead?" Multiple looks were exchanged between the group’s members, each looking for any misplaced or Luxray-wounded survivor following Mel’s suggestion.
“Arry!” Miyu squeaked in alarm, “Where’s Arry?”
“He hid,” Rebel assured. “He’s okay.”
Miyu breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. Were you watching out for him?”
“Ain’t gonna let a kid get hurt if I can help it.”

There was only a second for the Eevee to blink in something like respect for her brother before Cinder’s voice brought them back to the very-temporarily forgotten situation. "Why did you kill that one then?"
"Just... the damned." … The damned? As an undead himself, Reb had some names thrown at him. Biter, rotter, zombie asshole, or just ‘dead,’ to name a few.
The Quilava began again, trying for more from the Luxray but whatever confusion the cat would respond with was stolen away by loud and concerning sounds from high above them. They lasted just moments before dying, along with the artificial downpour making this day suck even more.

"Game No. 1 complete. Victory goes to-- the challenger!" The electronic voice from earlier was just as loud and irritating as before, but at least the damn thing was giving some decent news. The Jolteon still cringed at the sound, meanwhile his sister held her ears in an attempt to block it out.
“... We won by killing everything,” the Jolteon groaned, “Is this shit being controlled by some dick named Jigsaw or what?”
Miyu half smirked. She didn’t get the reference but it was amusing nonetheless in such a stressful setting and his mouth was, for once, appreciated. “So, are we done, Cinder?” She asked. “We won, didn’t we?”

Etincelle growled, the scales tilting unfavorably. "It didn't get me, but we were also on opposite walls." It could have come for him if he was closer, the risk was still there, but as words were exchanged it seemed the cat had its own resolve in what it killed. What exactly that was or what it meant, he didn't understand nor care. It's an undead, a violent one that none of us know. He shot a glance at Rebel, acknowledging the juxtaposition of his being. She's a safety hazard..

On the other paw, Mel was breathless and amazed that the feline had such mental capacity. She hadn't attacked any of her friends; despite their previous squabble she had purposely sought out other undead in some weird desire instead of seeking revenge. What could that mean? Was she on their side, or just against the undead? Did she know these Pokemon somehow, or was she a prisoner in this building? “Arry! Where’s Arry?” Miyu called out, and the fox gasped, a lump forming in her throat. In the panic after the doors shut she had forgotten the defenseless child, and even now it took his name to jar her memory. "Arry??" She echoed Miyu with her suddenly remembered concern for the youngster. Luckily, another had been more observant. “He hid. He’s okay.”

With a thick sigh Mel listened for Arry's steps and hoped the kid would either stay in place or run to them. Instead, her ears were met with the grating sound of of machinery turning and an intercom announcing, "Game No. 1 complete. Victory goes to-- the challenger!" The beating of water against her pelt ceased, her naturally high internal temperature finally working its way outside once more. “So, are we done, Cinder?” Miyu asked, the thought reverberating in her own head. Tentative hope flickering in her thumping heart, and the fox listened intensely as she gave a question of her own. "Did the doors open, or at least unlock?"

The Electrike looked at her for a moment before looking back at the Luxray. So.. they were just going to ignore her again? If that was what was needed.. Something akin to disappoint hung heavy in his heart. She still wasn't attacking, and he didn't have the spare energy to make a scene of it. With a sigh he trotted toward the door they had entered from and gave it a sniff before scratching it with his paw. It did not move, nor did it give any indication that it would be willing to do so. "I don't believe so," he said quietly, his voice growing calmer. So they were still trapped? Without the threat of a hoard attacking them that didn't seem nearly as devastating.

Arry remained hidden in his hiding spot so the undead don't attempt to hurt him. After a while the sprinkling water stops coming down. Did the others stop the mean pokemon? Miyu had shouted out to Arry. “Arry! Where’s Arry?” Thankfully the eevee was okay, then the sounds of Mel had made Arry wanting to run right out to let her know he's safe. "Arry??" Thankfully Rebel let them know he was safe. “He hid. He’s okay.” Arry wanted to ask if he could come out, but he wasn't sure if they would need him to keep hidden. Some of the boxes didn't look to sturdy, but the one that he was looking at had something inside it. Though there was a small hole in the side, he could see something like a toy or a circle thingy that humans use to teach pokemon moves. He wondered if Miyu or Rebel could use their claws to open the box since the young steel type's claws wouldn't work.

Before he could come out, he heard Miyu and Rebel talking. “Thank goodness. Were you watching out for him?” Rebel's response shows that he was a caring pokemon despite his look. “Ain’t gonna let a kid get hurt if I can help it.” Arry really did want to come out to give Miyu and Rebel a hug for making the mean pokemon go away. "Game No. 1 complete. Victory goes to-- the challenger!" The aron looked around to where that noise came from. Eventually he moved out form his hiding spot and started to run to the others. “So, are we done, Cinder?” The child was waiting for a click from the door, but it never happened. Did it lock them inside the arcade itself? Looks like some small pokemon are going to have to go inside the vent and try to open it from the outside or if theirs a button they could press.

The child was feeling hungry again. First though is to try to get that thing out of the box that he was hiding behind earlier. "Rebel? Can you open that box for me I was hiding behind? I saw something like a toy." Ahh yes, toys was something Arry always likes having to comfort him when he's scared. Here's hoping it was as he looked at Rebel with adorable eyes. Arry wanted to give something to the Luxray, but he had nothing to give her. One thing for sure is that if it wasn't for her they'd still be fighting those mean pokemon. Getting out of this room though would be tough as it doesn't look like any place for them to go out from other than that door. "C-cinder? How are we gonna go back and make the yummy food?" He asked the Quilava as he waited for whenever they decide on how to get out. If they wasn't careful he'd end up eating the machine next if his hunger gets to strong.

Amber heaved, the muscles of her abdomen contracting as her lungs pushed up any blood she had swallowed. What remained of the Politoed fell limply on the ground around her with a faint splash, however, the rain was coming to an end. She did not look up to watch the falls cease, as her red gaze was locked on the weasel. It seemed distressed, flustered even as it spoke and moved, a fearful look in its eye. Why? It was not being attacked now, there was no need for this behavior. In fact.. It was so akin to prey the big cat was ready for another tussle but the screech of the intercom set off alarms in her head. The noise, eerie and familiar it was, arched the cats back as she roared at nothing. "Game No. 1 complete. Victory goes to-- the challenger!" This was not the oppressor she remembered.  

A long shadow cast out in front of her, a sign that the board behind her had once again come to life. It hummed and flashed, the lights around its parameter chasing in shades of red and white. Turning her head back toward it the lionness roared her displeasures to it, but the board simply continued to make strange hums and sounds. She did not want to be here. Amber's blood-stained fur stood on end, fangs bared as she looked back at the other Pokemon. One had ran up to the door on the fall wall, but his gestures gave the unwanted answer. "This place... why can't we leave?"

Every hair in Cinder's pelt, slathered by water or otherwise, was stiff and tense as her golden gaze slowly made its way across the room. Aside from the stopping rain nothing had changed. They were still on the battlefield, surrounded by bodies, and locked in by their only feasible escape. Did the system break? It said they won, and the panels on the board had lit up but nothing was happening. “Is this shit being controlled by some dick named Jigsaw or what?” Rebel commented, and though Cinder only vaguely recalled that name it made her wonder if the damn machine was just messing with them. Do we need to turn it off and back on, or give it a good punch?

“So, are we done, Cinder? We won, didn’t we?” Rubbing the back of her head the Quilava mulled over what she could say. "We definitely won. The dang thing told us so!" So then why wasn't it working? "But, maybe it doesn't know how to process deaths instead of defeats? Or its buffering cause it hasn't been used in a while." Pokemon didn't usually die in these fights, and since none of the undead were recalled perhaps that was messing with it? That, and years of neglect always left electronics sorta wonky. Mel asked about their escape, and after a quick check Etincelle confirmed that the doors had not unlocked. If that was so, how long would it take for them to work again? Did I get us trapped in here?

Cinder swallowed back her horror as Arry came charging out of his hiding place no worse for wear. She shook her head, refusing to believe that to be the case, and smiled at the Aron who had managed to stay safe. "C-cinder? How are we gonna go back and make the yummy food?" There was a shake to his voice, just enough worry that the starter struggled to keep up her smile. Did he watch the battle? There was no way he got away from the sounds.. Did he realize their predicament? How badly had it effected him..?

With an awkward chuckle she beamed a cheesy grin at him and shrouded her worries as best she could. "That door'll open once we do the right thing, I'm sure of it!" Those words felt so hollow on her tongue, so very unsure as the room continued to sit in limbo. Vaguely she recalled matches going for seven rounds in these places, but they wouldn't even get to think about their chances of surviving that long if the next one didn't start.

Faux, however, refused to give in to panic as she ran through their current options. With her pale eyes locked upon the banister atop the seating she tried to picture the door she had come through before. She had left it ajar, just as she found it, and if they managed to get someone up that high they could easy run around to the other side of the entrance. Would they even be able to open it from that side? What if other undead had awoken in the building? Sending someone off alone would be risky.
Grunting, she took a few steps toward the doors at ground level. They didn't look particularly reinforced, and would probably yield after an assault. Blowing her bangs from her eyes Faux smiled at the Aron. "And if not, we can always show it a thing or two." The plan was already starting to come together, an attack order, a precise point, and a broken door, but her thoughts were interrupted by two things.

"This place... why can't we leave?" The undead growled as though something more sinister was happening than a machine malfunction. The fox didn't want to humor the rambling of the deceased but the idea was too malicious to ignore. Like we aren't alone. Before she could answer it, not that she would have, something else happened. A loud thunk thunk sounded above them not unlike when the rain turned on and off. "Oh no," Cinder gasped softly, clearly fearing that more water was headed their way, but when Faux looked above them it was not rain that she saw. A mist, clear or maybe white, was fizzing down toward them thicker than any she could call normal. Instinctively Faux held her breath in case of chemical warfare and threw a paw over her muzzle. Her eyes darted to the boxes Arry had mentioned before, but panic told her they would not be enough.

"Ahh!" The Quilava called out, and for a second Faux feared her flames had ignited the toxins for wide spread chemical burns, but a glance through squinted eyes told her otherwise. The weasel's body had relaxed significantly, and her eyes appeared visibly calmer. "It's... a Potion spray?" Faux's head moved back on her shoulders, shocked. "What..?" The spray was moving strikingly quickly, and dotted her fur within moments, but instead of searing pain the fox felt soothing relief. A respite..? But why? Why would the same 'game' that tried to kill them soothe their wounds?
With another set of thunks the restoration came to an end much too quickly. The familiar electronic voice returned, calling out, "Team restoration complete. Contestants, prepare yourselves for game 2!" Gritting her teeth the fox growled as the board began to cycle again. Whatever they got it was bound to be unpleasant.

"We definitely won. The dang thing told us so!" The doors were gonna open then, right? Any second now… "But, maybe it doesn't know how to process deaths instead of defeats? Or its buffering cause it hasn't been used in a while."
“Worst case scenario, we’re gonna be stuck in here and be forced to canniba--” The Eevee fell silent as Rebel hushed her ramblings with a softly placed paw between her ears. “That won’t happen,” he promised emptily. Fighting when you're certain you're gonna die anyway was a death sentence. Mel questioned about the state of their lockdown situation and while both foxes were expecting it deep down, the disappointment when Etin affirmed they were just as screwed as before was real.

"Rebel? Can you open that box for me I was hiding behind? I saw something like a toy."
The lanky, demonized remains of a Jolteon angled his muzzle downwards towards the tiny voice. The little guy was gazing up at the undead, youthfully innocent like he was starely fondly at someone as normal as the others. Rebel hesitated for a moment. “Sure thing, kid.” A toy would be a good distraction. The last thing they needed was terrified child. The Jolteon slunk around, quickly checking to reaffirm he was at the correct box upon reaching it. Several of his joints cracked as he stood high on his hind legs and brought the box down onto its side in a quick, rough motion. He backed a few pawsteps from the spilled contents. “Does that do the trick?”

"This place... why can't we leave?" The Luxray yowled and Rebel’s pelt spiked in annoyance towards the creature.  That’s the million dollar question, sweetheart. She could give him the said million and he’s still want to hit her with a Hyper Beam. Shame he didn't know it.

His mulling over that tragedy ended abruptly as sounds as familiar as they were unwelcome rung out from high above. Likely the attention of everyone present turned upwards to the cloud descending onto them. “What’s that?!” Miyu asked. Her form tensed up, as did Rebel’s, as the mist reached them and coated their bodies in light layers. The substance mingled with the dripping water on her pelt and ran down her chest-- which was when it occurred to her, the itchy, stinging, annoying pain of the minor injuries she sustained was numbing until she couldn't remember where the wounds were. Rebel, on the other hand, felt little more than a warm (in comparison to his body) blanket of mist covering his body due to a majority of his pain sensation being gone besides intense agony.

"Team restoration complete. Contestants, prepare yourselves for game 2!"

“I want out of here…”  Miyu whined, ill with thoughts about what hells awaited them this round. The cycling began just as it did before and to say there was dread waiting for the board’s decision was an understatement.

Melanie couldn't say she was expecting much, but hearing a drawn out 'we're trapped' was really unsettling. So much so her paws itched and refused to stay still, and without much thought on the matter she paced her way over to the door as well. At this point she could no longer recall which portion of the wall had said door, but the closer she got the more she was able to pinpoint Etincelle's steps each time his claws touched the floor. The slight heat from his pelt as she brushed past him along with signals from her whiskers stopped the fox a second before she hit the wall. Placing her warm pads along it she could feel the raised and sunk in portions that separated the two things, but even as her claws caught within it the door made no indication of moving.

Mel sighed, her ears falling back for only a moment before they shot up when Arry's voice graced them once more. "Rebel? Can you open that box for me I was hiding behind? I saw something like a toy." To hear the child alive and well was a real weight off her shoulders, and in that moment the fox could forget their situation if only for a few minutes. With a better grasp on her position it was easy for Mel to listen to the tap tap of Rebel's steps and find her own way to boxes Arry had found shelter in. Forgetting their exit entirely she sat far enough away from Rebel that, hopefully, no shrapnel would reach her, and listened for Arry's small but heavy steps.


Etincelle was not satisfied with his discovery. Thrusting his head against the door he let electricity flow throughout his fur and into the metal of the door. It seemed to be taking, the arching bits of energy bouncing into or across its surface, but nothing changed. It was disappointing, but the small canine assured himself this room was specially made to within stand attacks. It was built for battles, so something similar to that had to be true, right? He sent another bolt of electricity through the door to no avail before padding off with his head down. Would they have a second exit? In a place with powerful brawling Pokemon one pair of doors didn't seem like enough. Looking up from the floor the Electrike's thoughts burst as he realized he had padded up to Mel who was 'watching' Rebel smash one of the boxes.

"What'dya find Arry?" He asked as cheerfully as he could, a gentle grin spreading from his blue face. To think the kid could find positivity even in this place... it was a wonder of innocence. "Can you describe it for me Arry?" Mel quickly followed him, her voice sweet and soft. While the small hounds smile did not fade the reminder of his failure definitely lessened to delicate feel of the scene. He's so young. What happened to Mel was a tragedy, something she'd have to live with forever.. by the legends he swore he wouldn't let Arry suffer the same fate.


And anything reared its ugly face in. The ceiling clunked again, an eerie warning sound of something to come. Both Pokemon instantly crouched low to the ground, their heads turned toward the ominous sound. Etin's belly fur was touching the floor and he could see that Mel's tails had fanned out. "What was that?!" She barked, nostrils flaring and ears rotating for every minuscule sound. Their was a faint hiss but Etincelle couldn't see anymore water. In fact, he saw.. "M-mist is falling?" Nearly as soon as he realized this the fine vapor brushed a cut on his nose and the stinging pain started to fade. It was... gentle.. but why..? "Team restoration complete. Contestants, prepare yourselves for game 2!" A voice called out from above as the board began rotating once more. "It.. wants us to fight again?!" The fox exclaimed, appalled by the prospect as she leapt to her paws. His body may have been soothed but phantom pains of past and future agony made the Electrike shake within his own fur. "Legends help us."

Arry follows the jolteon as they returned to the box where he was hiding behind. “Does that do the trick?” The child looked through the contents and found a nice toy out of the whole pile. A tiny giggle come from Arry as he was happy once more with the toy he got. The toy was shaped like a legendary and it was soft and snuggly. A sudden voice spooks the Aron a bit when Etin approached. "What'dya find Arry?" Arry looked at Etin and showed him, but a bit shy as his words kind of sounded a bit spooked still. "A t-toy, its s-soft and huggable." He said as he looked at the electrike. Soon Mel came over and asked if he could describe it. "Can you describe it for me Arry?" How could he describe it? Basic colors would work and hopefully it should work. "Its blue and its got four legs. It kinda has a white color under it." Hopefully Melanie knows what it is since he doesn't know very much. The thought of it being safe made Arry at least happy. Just hugging the toy made him feel very happy and hopefully he can bring it back with him so that his other toy has a friend.

A sound came from the room they was in and it startled the steel type enough to lose his happiness again. "What was that?!" Some stuff was sprayed around and it made the others feel better. "M-mist is falling?" Arry was unsure what was going on and he hid once more so that he would be safe. "Team restoration complete. Contestants, prepare yourselves for game 2!" The child was shaking in fear this time and the sound of the speaker was louder than usual. "It.. wants us to fight again?!" Why does the voice want them to fight still? The child didn't want to fight as it was is scary enough. He didn't want to stuck in here anymore. There was mean pokemon that it kept sending. "Legends help us." This wasn't good as this room has to be the scariest of them all.

As it looked like they was going back to fight once again, Arry seen a vent shaft that looked big enough for him to fit through. He nudged Etin trying to get his attention so that he could tell him that he could fit in the vent so they could get the door opened from the outside. "Look, t-think I can g-get in there?" If they tell him it would to dangerous then he would stay safe inside his box to keep the mean pokemon from hurting him. The child hugged his toy as tight as he could trying to keep calm, but it wasn't working. He thought there was something terrible down below that they didn't know about. "I-I'm scared. I don't wanna be in here anymore!" The fight looked like it was about to start. If only if what Cinder said was true then maybe they can get out of this scary room.

The Quilava swallowed in an attempt to clear her throat. Despite all the moisture in the air and the constant pelting she had just faced her throat felt dry and scratchy. She was not the least bit ready to continue barking battle tactics with Faux and send flames asunder, let alone ease her companions worries. “I want out of here…” Miju's words tore at her heartstrings. Me too.. She thought, not daring to say it aloud. "Those undead were in pretty sad shape," Faux mulled as she watched Rebel break apart the boxes. "If circumstance holds true the next will be as well." Cinder nodded as a small hope fluttered in her chest. "Yeah, hopefully you're right." Before her the bright lights of the board spun and glistened. The patterns moved so quickly it was near impossible to discern what each little icon was. A Pokeball? A lightning bolt? Did any of the icons mean something good, or open the door..?

"I-I'm scared. I don't wanna be in here anymore!" Again the Quilava winced, pain tightening in her chest as the youngest of her group felt very real fear. You shouldn't have to experience this. What if something got him? What if the next round was a fire fall instead of water? He can't hide from that. With her gaze glued to the screen Cinder didn't blink until the highlighted box in all three columns had come to a painfully slow, staggered halt. She struggled to recognize the icon within, but being vaguely skull shaped on a blood red background was enough to send chills through her spine. A small screech preceded the the annoying intercoms voice as it told them, "Game No. 2 is.. Kick 'em While They're Down!"

What...? The hell did that mean?! The ground beneath her gave a concerning rumble but Cinder's entire being was frozen with horror painted upon her face. Was it joking with them because they were stressed after fighting?? The voice continued as the shaking got worse with an added whirring. "Contestant, prepare yourself!" Cinder's jaw tightened and her eyes started to bug out. That's not what you said before. Did that mean something? Was it just because this wasn't the starting round, or were the enemies getting stronger? She couldn't remember those specifications-- hell, the things she knew about these places would have been redoxed long ago let alone now. Her flames grew with an intense anger but any curses she held could not leave her maw.

Faux's claws dug into the floor, the ominous shaking enough to send panic throughout her. Within a second Faux reared onto her hind paws and roared, "Get off the arena!" Pressing her pads deeply into the wet floor she bound for the walls as fast as her paws would carry her, delaying only to have her many tails whack the Quilava and snap her out of it. The whirring grew louder, and muffled groans and thuds could be heard beneath tiles as they started to open once again. The cries of the undead quickly became clear and fervent as a horrid mechanical whoosh sounded in quick and consecutively from every compartment.The terrible sound mixed with wet squelches of something digging into flesh repetitively that chilled the fox to her core. Dark red and blackish splatters of blood erupted from all the open sections like miniature geysers, and oozed from the floor in places that hadn't.

"What the hell is going on in here." She growled, again cuffing the Quilava but this time with her paw as undead again started to rise from the floor. However, Faux could tell immediately this time was different. Each was oozing blood from fresh wounds, and she could see rusted metal rods sticking from their bodies in multiple places. The closest Pokemon to her, a Sneasel, was a clear victim of this as the rod had gone threw its arm and pined it against its body. A bulge on the other side of its stomach revealed the metal's other end, and through it had not made it all the way through the damage was severe. Off-balance, and with another rod in its leg the the dual type struggled to stand let alone move, and each motion was accompanied with a spurt of blood. Giving a solemn prayer Faux turned her gaze away as she blasted a white hot stream of fire at the suffering Pokemon. "This is sick..." Cinder finally mumbled, and, with a heavy heart, dragged herself in to the fray.

"I-I'm scared. I don't wanna be in here anymore!"
The Jolteon cut his eye towards the little Aron. Even with a face as wicked as his, the gentle frown he gave showed nothing but sympathy for the kid. “Don’t be scared,” he said softly, “be brave, kiddo, we’ll be alright.” His voice brought ease to Miyu’s anxiety also - it was easy to focus on the words in those nerve grinding moments her eyes were focused on the roulette and her mind on her inner thoughts. Slowly, irritatingly so, the reels came to a stop and displayed a less than encouraging image; something reminiscent of a skull in front of a pure red background. "Game No. 2 is.. Kick 'em While They're Down!"

What? Kick who? That was a vague statement and situationally, either side could suffer. I don’t think we could be very much further down... For a split second, she thought she’d finally gone insane as her ears picked up a quiet rumble. Much sooner than she think about asking, it grew louder and everyone’s reactions confirmed she, one: did in fact hear something, and two: was still sane.

"Contestant, prepare yourself!" For what?! The Jolteon, in a swift motion, caught Miyu by a mouthful of her fringe and held her much like a mother would. She was waterlogged and had inconveniently short legs to begin with, worming worry for his sister into Reb’s mind. "Get off the arena!" Faux bellowed. The Jolteon was quick to comply and didn’t stop sprinting until he could press his emaciated body back-first into a corner with eyes locked onto whatever hellish game was about to transpire.

The groaning of more undead was faint, but unmistakable, with the various sounds blending into an awful, constant hum of dread and death. The haunted house trap door-esque tiles opened as before, accompanied by some machinery noises that were absent the last round.
The undead’s once quiet moans and groans became shrill cries in discord, worse with every second the machines whirred and brought a chorus of sickening sounds not unlike bodies would make during various destructive situations. The open floor panels released fountains of old, foul blood that permeated the air with death. Many a rivulet of blood bubbled from the floor and painted a horrific pattern on the floor, making the entire scene look like something you’d see right as the grim reaper was taking you away for an eternity in hell. The Jolteon nudged his sister back into the safety of being both underneath him and in the corner, her eyes were not spared the awful sight unfortunately and with the undead’s appearance, it only grew worse.

Many of the reanimated dead lay, permanently fallen from what looked to be metal rods impaling them in random places. What few remained hadn’t been shown mercy but pure luck though they struggled all the same. “What the actual fuck.” Rebel said under a heavy breath. How in Christ’s name did the humans think the existence of something like this was anything but evil?

"I-I'm scared. I don't wanna be in here anymore!" The smile Etincelle had painstakingly kept up faltered, the facade too great to bear before the suffering youth. “Don’t be scared,” Rebel soothed him better than he could have ever hoped to. “Be brave, kiddo, we’ll be alright.” Standing firmly the small hound refused to let Arry in on his own fear and sought to do something about it. Padding over to the grate he had been investigating the Electrike gave it a curious couple of sniffs. It smelled dusty and unused, the tinge of metal reminding him eerily of blood. Could this work? If Arry was able to get in, where would it go? Would it slant upward, or move throughout the building? The last thing they needed was to send him off somewhere even more dangerous...

Though hesitation prevented him from pulling at the grate the shaking sensation that followed the call of the electronic voice made him back away from it. What's going on? Was something coming through it? There was something dubious about a shake following the round name, worse so than the clank that preceded the showers.
And worse it was. The sounds of undead returned, sending shivers through his pelt, but it was what accompanied them that truly froze him to his core. "Get off the arena!" Faux nearly screamed, which thank the legends he already was. Mel scurried to his side, her journey short but panic was clearly throughout her already. Her face agape with horror, ears back and all teeth showing as bone-chilling wails filled the room over the whir of metal. "What hell would cause humans to do this..." She gaped, the fresh wafts of rot and blood making her gag. Though she could not see the torture that was happening just before her her imagination did not leave her hanging. Bloodied, broken bodies with missing limbs and fresh wounds coming toward her. Corpses that humans had tortured.

"Etin.." she yelped, her tails brushing the wall as she backed all the way up. A small moan was getting closer and closer, but her body refused to stop shaking or attempt to defend her. Her jaw clenched, any fire power getting trapped inside as the undead's steps got dangerously close. Then, a thud. "I've got you Mel!" Etin gasped as threw the undead to the side. "Remember, we're in this together."

The machine started speaking again and the static that was being heard from the speakers. It was enough to make the aron run back to the box. "Game No. 2 is.. Kick 'em While They're Down!" Arry was shaking in fear even though Rebel tried his best to keep Arry's fear down, but even the toy didn't help much. The child wished he was brave like his parents were and even Rebel. This however wasn't the way to learn. Locked into a huge metal room and nowhere to go other than what's in front of them. It was definitely putting Arry in a mood to where he's about to cry from it. He wanted to go back to the kitchen and eat that metal bar again. "Contestant, prepare yourself!" Prepare for what? Though being off the arena itself he could still feel the vibrations from below. It sounded like the gears was grinding against each other as if the machinery was failing from being unused and left to rust for years. Arry always had been told that rusted metal doesn't taste good and it is quite icky.

As some stuff started to rise up from the ground that looked like pumps, Arry worried that it was going to spray water all over the place or make artificial hail. if that was the case then the box would keep him safe as long as it could hold up. Faux shouted something that truly made Arry scared even more. "Get off the arena!" He crouched down closing his eyes trying not to see what was happening. It worked for a time, but when the things started going off spraying red and blackish blood, Arry opened his eyes and watched the fountains shoot it all into the arena. The smell though was so putrid that it made him feel sick to his stomach. One of them stopped spraying for a bit before a finger launched out afterwards. Just seeing it made him actually knock the box over on top of him. The steel type couldn't see anything inside it and if he stayed quiet he should be safe. "What hell would cause humans to do this..." That sounded like Mel and whatever that was making a wailing sound. It was horrible and the box did nothing to block the sound out. "I've got you Mel!" It sounded like Etin talking to Mel. His words then had at least calmed Arry a bit. "Remember, we're in this together." Arry's nerves calmed a bit and he now was trying to find a way to get out from the box.

The child thought for a bit and tried to push it forward even though he couldn't see where he was going. After going for a bit, he bumped into something hard. "Ow!" He tried pushing it again but it wouldn't budge. Pressing against the front of the box it felt like it was a wall. After that he went to push against the other side that felt longer. Each push made the box move in the direction he wanted to move, but he bumped against something else and it didn't hurt. Something that was soft and pushed back against it. It smelt a bit musty, but it wasn't putrid. The child pushed again and it sounded like a squeak was coming from what he was pushing against. Was it a toy he was pushing against? Once more he pushed against another side of the box trying to find a way to get the box off him. However, he got close enough to something that was snarling. "W-what's that?" Arry spoke silently to himself. The Aron dared not to move. Whatever it was, it sounded vicious and it smelt bad.

Amber crouched defensively, her metallic leg jutting up awkwardly at her side as the board talked to them. A deep growl came from her throat, saliva strings dripping from her maw as the sound of machinery came alive. The small fox roared and the others followed, but Amber held her ground. The sound, that dreadful sound of metal and cries of distress.
She knew them well.

The Luxray's call's grew louder, her red eye going wide as the whirring grew more intense. Cruelty. Torture. Those horrid sounds and the damped screens that covered them.. It was like she was back in the place of her youth. The panels of the floor moved and the cries echoed in her ears. In a way, they were familiar, like the wails of her old companions back in that place. Sounds of disappointment, frustration, abuse, and neglect. The machines click, click, clicked and Amber knew that punishment was next. She let out a massive roar as the shnk shnk and wet sounds of forming wounds filled the room.

Blood poured, staining the floor red and black in an all too familiar scene. Within her red gaze Amber could see those she knew, beaten and broken, with humans standing above them. The vision refused to fade even as the next set of Pokemon was lifted into the room. At that time she would not have fought back in fear of a worse punishment, but now she had nothing to lose. "Devils!" She screamed to the heavens, electricity shrouding her pelt in a cloak of light. "Tormentors!"

The image finally faded and the big cat locked gazes with another set of red eyes. Giving one more roar the cat launched herself forward and sunk her fangs into the undead. Her claws followed, and as they met metal she curled her pads around the rod and pressed. It followed her weight, jutting upward as it ripped through the things rotten flesh and narrowly missed her down jaw. With a vicious shake she dropped the unknown Pokemon and turned her furious gaze toward her next victim.

Flames puffed from Faux's maw with each pant as she backed away from the charred corpse. Though Cinder had joined her the other fire type still looked wide eyed and lost. A quick survey at the others informed her that everyone felt the same way; what the actual fuck just happened? Clamping her teeth down the fox resisted her urge to yell until smoke vented out through her teeth. Why?! What did humans seek to gain from that.. that torture? If those Pokemon had been alive... She had seen the darker side of humanity countless times in her years but this was a new low. And this place was the highlight of strength? She could vomit.

The weak groans of an undead forced her paws forward. It was a Jumpluff, though its mangled and rotten form was hard to discern. It hadn't even left its platform as the heavy metal rod that protruded its body was too much for such a delicate Pokemon to lift. Faux grimaced, the sharp edge of the device was sticking out of its back just behind the stub of its missing arm. With each movement the creature seemed to push it further onto the pole and hinder its motion further. It's gaping maw was oozing black fluid while its hallow red gaze stared through her. It was near impossible for her to imagine that at one point this Pokemon was a trained and agile fighter, and that its own dojo had turned against it.

What did humans possibly see in this... If these Pokemon had been alive they would have been mutilated, disfigured, and could have even died. Surely they wouldn't encourage that in a high class battle facility?! The undead moaned again and the fox bit back her flames. She would not stand for this. Trotting forward she knew the creature was incapable of being a threat, though she was still cautious of spores. Rounding to the side where the pole met the ground she place a paw on it. The metal was cold and dense, a truly primitive weapon if she had ever seen one. The Jumpluff's tail battered the ground but it could do little else as Faux dug her jaw under the metal a lifted it. "Cinder, help me," she struggled to say with her teeth full. The starry eyed Quilava blundered over, that look still strangely present in her distant gaze.

At first the starter was confused as to what to do, but a small gesture told her to grab the rod with her somewhat more capable paws and pull. As they lifted the metal the undead was pressed to the ground, totally vulnerable, and Faux even had to place a hindpaw against it as the pair pulled the rod free from its body. It fell to the ground with a heavy thud, its sharp end twisted and jagged like a makeshift harpoon. Faux's eyes widened, shocked. This was not the things original sharp; it had been altered and forced into this weapon. Another moan drew her eyes back to the Jumpfluff that still lay on the ground, though now it had rolled to its back and, in some way, seemed more at ease. Its eyes now looked right at her, though what they said she could only guess. Its one arm reach out to her but was filled with tremors. After a few moments it fell to the ground, and there was a lasting gasp before silence. It had died.

The fox said nothing, her pale gaze somber. She had not attacked nor killed this one, yet its outcome was the same as all others. It should not have been this way. The sound of a forceful inhalation turned her sights to the Quilava who, still, was staring off with saucer eyes. However, they now looked much more concerned, but as the fox looked off toward the screen in her sights she saw nothing to explain it. "What is it?" She finally asked, but there was a massive pause before she received her reply. "I thought..." Cinder mumbled, her sights locked on a spot just above the monitor. "I saw someone."

Faux cocked her head, unconvinced. "Someone?" She repeated, gently pressing for a more concise response. Cinder gingerly lifted one paw, and though she kept it pinned to her chest she was able to point to the screen. She was stiff and clearly disturbed, but Faux did not know why aside from the obvious. "I saw a pair of red eyes." The fox gave a double take, checking for the alleged eyes, but again saw nothing. "S-someones watching us-s."

Miyu had been utterly silent in the passing moments. Enough so that the Jolteon grew concerned for her, but upon checking, she merely had exceptional composure for her standards.

And like clockwork as the thought passed, as though solely to ruin it, the Eevee let out a yip. “Why isnt it dead!?” What? The word left Rebel’s lips softly as he scanned for what Mi was referring to-- and then he saw it. “I-its immortal…”
He nudged her back a bit. She was shaken by her own imagination. “No it isn’t,” he said gruffly, staring down the Weavile. A pole was jammed through it’s skull and protruded out it’s eye socket. A horrifying sight to be certain, but nothing was immortal.

He zipped across the floor to the creature, shooting electricity as he soared on top of it and forced it back-down onto the ground. “Fuck,” he exclaimed as the sharpened pole nearly claimed his other eye. The zombified Dark- thrashed it’s head, waving the spear as an unintentional defense. Rebel’s body charged, loosing stray bolts and making the Weavile squeal and tremor - during which, he noticed the spear had entered at an awkward angle and missed the brain just enough not to have euthanized it - until Reb bit the pole and released the full force Discharge right into it. Parts of it’s body, clawtips and toes for example, began to char and smoke. A moment after, the skull blew apart with a loud boom not unlike a firework.

“Told you.” It wasn’t a declaration of victory but not much of a comfort. A flat statement by the Jolteon as his sister gagged heavily from the awful smell.

Amber charged, her bright shroud like a bolt of lightening zooming across the floor. Water flew up around her paws, glistening like glass as it fell back to the ground. Her path was clear yet her mind was muddled and distressed. The sounds of the undead wailed in her ears, their pain now her pain. These undead were innocent, their crimes not their own nor their punishment. Why had they been tortured so? Suddenly her paws veered to the side, her stride uninterrupted as she made a b-line for a Gligar and Heracross that appeared from the same spot.

She crashed into the large beetle as though it was a calculated action, her electricity swarming its broken shell. Though it had no where else to go the metal rod was the perfect lightening rod and allowed her attack to bypass its defense. The large beetle shuddered, and after a few wobbly moments it fell to the floor. Within Amber's paws she had grasped the Gligar, her real target, and roared in anger as her Thunderbolt caused it no harm. Its thick claws reached for her, gripping around her wrists and squeezing with what force they could muster before the big cat sank her fangs around its skull and crunched down. It's carapace proved to be adamant, and as she struggled with it the Gligar cut into her legs until dark blood oozed from her fleshy one. The other only gained a scratch.

Though Amber felt a twinge there was no pain, and with a burst of strength she crushed the dual type's skull and the brain within. It was rotten and mush, but the vague flavors of meat managed to bathe her tongue from beneath it. Sadly, any satisfaction in the kill was lost as the Heracross reminded her it was still there. It charged her, ramming its powerful horn into her scarred, damaged ribs. Collapsing to floor the big cat lashed out with her hind paws and battered the bug. Instinctively, it threw its arms in front of its face, but the protruding shaft prevented a proper covering and allowed the Luxray's claws to slash its face.

It backed away and charged some sort of attack within its horn as the color took on an eerie glow, but Amber would not take it lying down. Reaching out with her good leg she hooked the horn and pulled it to the floor. The Heracross flailed, the raw power of its weapon obvious as Amber jumped to her paws and took it within her bloody jaw. For a second the pair struggled, a push and pull of mass power, but the cat came out on top as she pawed down the penetrating rod and off balanced the bug. Letting momentum carry her Amber swung around and threw the big bug at the nearest wall. It hit with a sick crunch before falling lifeless into the scattered boxes.

Faux torched the body of her last kill- a heavily aggressive Marowak who was not to be hindered by its impalement. There was no way in hell she would allow it to rise again, and even as blood dripped, dried, and chipped from her gums she kept blasting the corpse with as much fire as she could muster. The damn thing's Bonemerang had cleaved her several times, the slippery floor making for hard calculated escapes, and if she hadn't managed to get Cinder's attention back it could have ended very badly. Her shoulder sagged in pain as the stream of flames finally ended, and the fox clenched her teeth against it.
"Snap out of it." She barked hostilely, pain radiating from a possibly fractured leg as she started to hobble away from the body. "You would have been next."

Cinder's face was mortified, her golden eyes shaking and darting. Faux was hurt, could she have died? The fox never showed her pain, how bad was it really? The situation was bad but.. Cinder could not shake the overwhelming fear that screamed in her mind as she looked back toward the roulette board. For a split second, above all the colors and lights, she can see it again. The ceiling was dark, nothing back blackness, but somehow there is a slight shadow and a pair of bone chilling wedges. "Faux there's something watching us." She practically yells at the fox beside her, but when she turned her head back the shapes were gone. Was she losing her mind?!

"But there are also things trying to kill us." Faux growled bitterly with a wheeze. "And they will do so before some on looker." Her pelt was ruffled and matted with blood that was not her own. When they had come to his room it was fairly clean and pristine. Now, everything was damp with a layer of foul water and blood. Corpses lay everywhere, that for safety reasons they would need to make a pyre for layer, and things were quickly getting out of hand. A sigh gasped from her dry mouth as she watched their undead allies take out more of the enemy, and she grumbled, "Try to focus."

With a nod the Quilava followed after the fox as she charged one of the few undead left. It was an Excadrill, sitting perfectly still as though in a state of zen, but its red gaze was focused harshly on the approaching fire types. Its long metal fingers adducted and abducted, making a loud warning sound that the pair only responded to with by slowing their roll. Faux narrowed her eyes. This one was different, it seemed much too calm and aware of their intent. With each of their steps the metal clicks got faster, more serious. Did it think they would listen?

Bracing herself, Faux charged. Her steps were awkward but quick, and she made a quick bank for the big creatures side. She knew its metal hood didn't go all the way back, and she could get at its neck if she could get above it. Making it just far enough to see its tailless backside the undead suddenly moved. With a burst of its hind legs the mole jumped high into the air and turned to angle its spiked claws toward her. Crouching, the fox would have dodged, but her damaged leg buckled and brought her down to the floor. Her eyes went wide, panic bringing fire to her throat, but before the flames could erupt fully her vision cut off.

There was an explosion, a loud blast and boom as something struck and landed on top of her. Faux struggled the pain in her leg growing excruciating as she was tossed about, but she could see nothing until finally the smoke cleared. Her belly was pressed to the floor and she could barely move her neck, but the fox could see Cinder's body physically shielding her. When did she..? Beyond her the undead had slumped to the ground, its head completely removed and blasted to bits. Thick blood that was much brighter and fluid than other undead was pouring from the stump, but it was the dark foggy smoke that Faux was noticing. Her flames couldn't have made that; they didn't connect.

Cinder shifted her weight and helped the vulpine up before hissing quite loudly, a paw flailing to the spot, "There's an undead in the ceiling." Struggling to stay on her paws the Vulpix would have cuffed the weasel if her balance was not at stake. "Not this again--" "No!" Cinder roared, her gold eyes dilated and paws flailing even faster. "It shot something at you! A Shadow Ball or something. It attacked us."

“I got it!”

Miyu could spend her entire life reciting things she would rather be doing than fighting undead, especially solo. But her brother’s sides were heaving. Whether he had the physical need to breathe or it was all subconscious, she didn’t know. But he was exhausting himself.

He opened his jaws in an effort to call her back but the only sound that came out was a wheeze akin to every other walking corpse in the place.
The kit would struggle with anything tougher than a hangry Raticate in honesty, so the heavily injured were her safest bet. She searched one out, a bit desperate as dread balled in her chest. If there wasn’t one she could--

Suddenly everything was rushing around her. A cold chill enveloped her tiny body like wind and she realized, slightly delayed, that she had been thrown. A pile of boxes stopped her body from soaring and she lay dazed for a moment, watching but not registering what caused it. And then she was lifted and forced to stand. “You okay?”
She nodded the affirmative to the Jolteon. Worn he may have been but a thousand armies wouldn’t have prevented him from reaching her.

"There's an undead in the ceiling." Cinder was damn near frantic, making her conversation painfully hard to miss even at a small distance. Miyu and Reb swiveled their ears simultaneously in order to hear more clearly, both jarred at the alarm their fiery leader was displaying. “You got caught in some collateral from whatever just hit them…”

The Vulpix was skeptical of Cinder’s claim. How the calculating fox didn’t notice a ranged attack descending at her was beyond the Jolteon.
"It shot something at you! A Shadow Ball or something. It attacked us." Cinder continued.
“She’s not wrong, Faux,” Rebel called.

Why? Melanie could hear Etincelle shaking out his pelt again. Their last undead, a Hitmonlee, had kicked him across the floor and gotten his fur wet all over again with all the grossness on the ground. Luckily for them the thing only had one good leg left, and as its springy nature unfurled it could not draw it back. While it lay in a heap, defenseless, they tag teamed the muscly meat hunk, and put it down for good. "Nice one," the male panted, his complements earnest and his good nature restored, but Melanie could not savor the moment.

Undead by nature moaned a lot. Their voices had long since been stolen from them, and any sound they made was enough to send chills down your spine. For Mel, it was hell. She could not turn off her hearing and go deaf to the world or even part of the room. It was nothing but a box filled with the cries of agony and suffering, that once targeted grew even worse before being silenced. Without her eyes the big fox's imagination was going rampant. What suffering had each of these undead gone through, how mutilated and decomposed were they? None of their fights sounded particularly intense, like their opponents were unable to fight back. Was this even fair...?

Padding back toward the fox with a small spring in his step the small Electrike felt light on his paws. For so long, for so many years he would always run away. A coward he was not, but his actions could easily be looked down upon. No more. He was holding true to his promise, and though his body ached he also felt alive with a strength he did not know. With each trotting step his Thunderstone tapped against his chest. We will get out of this. Yet as he looked down at his paws Etincelle could feel his confidence wane. Blood tainted his shiny blue fur, and while adrenaline was coursing through him how long would that energy last? He could see the others continuing their brawls but it was clear that exhaustion had long since in.

With a deep breath in he tried to ignore any he might be feeling and raised a paw gently to Mel who was looking pale. "Just a few more--" he started, but before he could even finish the thought the large fox circled him and cloaked him in her many tails. There was a loud crash, something a lot more powerful than they had been dealing with, and the entire atmosphere of the room changed.  Though her tails were long they did not cover him completely, and the hound could see Miyu land a few yards away. Had something attacked her with that?! "Miyu!" He cried out, his sister's face flashing before his eyes. Rubbing a grateful cheek against Mel's leg he dashed for the small fox, but Rebel was there before he could take another break.

Etin was grateful neither of them looked broken, and as Mel ran up behind him she asked the hot question before he could. “What just happened?” He couldn't answer her. There was a lot of dust in the air, had the floor been broken? None of these undead seemed strong enough to cause such a blast.. As he settled he could see the remains of an Excadrill, but he had his doubts. That didn't feel like the floor shaking.. An alarmed voice soared through the air, but it was none of the Pokemon beside him. "There's an undead in the ceiling."

Both Pokemon thrust their muzzles toward the spot the fire type was pointing to. It was dark and shadowed, and Etin swore he saw a flicker, but when he blinked it was gone. "A flyer? Something from the floor?" Mel pressed, her ears forced forward.
“You got caught in some collateral from whatever just hit them…”
"It shot something at you! A Shadow Ball or something. It attacked us."
"A Shadow Ball?" she repeated, and Etin mumbled something beneath his breath. "I don't see any birds.."
The fox cut off her next breath and listened as intensely as she could to the space above them. There were no wing beats, no swoops or feather ruffles. They did not see it, but should be able to whether or not there was light. So many Pokemon could fly, but few wouldn't be seen or heard. “She’s not wrong, Faux,” Rebel said, implying he had seen the attack as well. Something really did come from the ceiling?
Mel swallowed; this was no bird. "G-ghost..?" She practically whimpered. "A ghost?!"

Amber growled, her jaw rumbling as her teeth crunched into the skull of the Charmeleon in her jaw. It flailed, its gross, discolored limbs still full of fight as it clawed valiantly at her shoulders. "Silence." The cat seethed through her jawful, and started to shake the un-life from her prey. It should have been the moment of the kill, but her focus was split, another Pokemon, a Sandslash, was being crushed beneath her paws but still writhed defiantly. Its serrated spikes dug into her pads but Amber still curled her long yellowed claws between the plates of its hide where she could.

The Charmeleon hissed, its wide-set claws gripped at the Luxray's jaw bone as its hind claws tore at her throat. The flesh ripped, rotten and tattered beneath the abuse, but the bit of blood that came was not fatal. It pulled down with its claws, attempting to release itself while a stream of fire burst of its maw but the undead was not facing the right direction to hit the predator. Its strength was growing feeble, the force of its action weak with it in the wrong direction, and the life was starting to drain from it. Amber bit harder, waiting and wanting to make it through the bones, but the Sandslash was relentless as it nudged and nudged its way forward in an attempt to off-balance her and curl into a ball.

Saliva strings oozed from the corners of her gums as she lifted her bad leg and dragged the claws across the ground type's face. It grunted, pushing up with its stomach to jab her, but the cat had had enough. Thrusting her wounded neck up and down Amber started to beat the Sandslash with the captured Charmeleon. Neither Pokemon yielded, and they both continued to struggled beneath the superior predator until they finally succumb to a bloody end.
The Luxray kept up the thrusting motion, using the fire type as a paddle to break the pangolin's face more and more with each strike. Eventually, her momentum faded, and on the last hit her Charmeleon fell apart in her jaws and she finally got to crush her way through its skull. Its legs and abdomen slumped off into a puddle of mush that fell beside what remained of the Sandslash. Its skull was shattered and pushed in, its purpled figure now black, bruised, and just a bloody stump of a head.

She was victorious.

Sweeping her red gaze around the room the cat was almost disappointed to find it void of further undead, aside from the Jolteon. Oddly, the tension had not faded. The other Pokemon still seemed distressed, horrified even, but she did not know why. "A ghost?!" The big fox cried out, and Amber turned her x-ray vision to the ceiling spot they were all staring at. None could hide from one who could see through walls, who could see what lurked in the walls, but as she stared she released it was not something hiding in the shadows. The blurred figure had merged with the wall itself, a cackling smile wide on a nonexistent face. "Face us!" She roared at the spot before sending a bolt of electricity its way.

The fox scrambled up, shocked that everyone had witnessed or believed this thing she had tried to dismiss. “She’s not wrong, Faux.” But how? While Faux was not saying she was impervious to being incorrect there had been a distinct lack of anything devious heading toward the ceiling. A lack of any looming shadows, suspicious shapes, or dubious sounds. Water and medicine had fallen from it, yes, but there was no signs of anything rising to hide far above them. Even now all the dark corners of the ceiling looked the same.  "G-ghost..?" Mel suggested, the possibility suddenly very real and sending a chill down her spine. "A ghost?!" Faux peered carefully at the spot Cinder had not taken her eyes off of. "If it's a ghost then we have bigger problems." Faux warned, her acceptance of this whole situation forcibly changing and very unwanted.

While some sort of relief should have washed over her pelt every hair along Cinder's spine was still tall and stiff. I was not crazy. The unease she felt now seemed obvious that it was the sense of being watched, but the fact that they were being watched only made it worse. The violent sounds of a cruel hunter forced the starter Pokemon to take her eyes away from the ceiling, but it was not Amber's savagery that shocked her. The Luxray finished up with her catch but instead of eating she outlier undead roared aggressively at the ceiling as though she knew more than they did, or that she believed the others words. "Face us!" Cinder had to fight her gape reflex as the cat not only glared at the exact spot she had, but also attacked it without any real provocation.

The bolt of electricity soared in a white hot blast and scattered across the junction of walls. For a few seconds the entire area was lit up like a Christmas tree, bright white and shimmery, before it fell even darker than it was in the first place. Both fire types stood frozen where they were, breaths held and waiting for something to happen. Cinder's heart beat so hard in her chest it formed a lump in her throat, but the suspense was met with nothing but quiet. Nothing fell, or cried out, the walls didn't even bare marks from the blast. "Did it.." Cinder fretted on a tense breath, "did she get it?"
"We would have seen it," Faux explained, her tone firm but not harsh, the doubt finally easing away. "Even a ghost would have to be corporeal before fading." And finally, they both let out a puff of air, disappointed and still tense. "Then what could of--" she starts, but is cut off by a familiar, ear wrenching screech as the intercom system started up again.

The lights and game board flickered for a second, as though the intercom was drawing too much power, before the voice returned to them. "Game No. 2 has been completed. Victory is awarded to the challenger!" Cinder's hackles raised, her flames building as realized that, yet again, the words the automated system said were different. If anything, they had done better this round, if they could really say that, and didn't need the extra sting on the announcement. "Something isn't right." Faux remarked dryly beneath her breath as the lights flicked again and settled into a level that was slightly dimmer than before.