Rose Isle Royale

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OOC: I am indeed back from Cornwall. Two whole weeks of all-surfing (all-failing) no-internet fun with my ravingly insane and mildly alcoholic extended family. Sorry for not posting yesterday, but I was busy with my Fire Emblem: The Last Scion sign up sheet, which I will also be posting soon.


IC:

This was not exactly Tim's day. The Tentacruel and Gyarados he could handle. The sleep deprivation and hunger were not that bad, even the first appearance of the stomach-churning zombies he could deal with, but this was a little too much. His choices were fight his fellow competitors… his friends probably to the death, or let hundreds of innocent people die? He was glad that Roisin freaked out, so it wouldn't look quite as dramatic as he had a small mental breakdown. He leant back on a wall, and slowly fell into a seating position on the surprisingly dry floor, nestling his head in his hands and mumbling gently

"This isn't what I thought… I just wanted to… but now I have to… and all the people…" Nabe walked over to his master, unsure what he was doing. He had never see Tim act like this before, and he cocked his head inquisitively for a moment, before walking to his masters side and trying to reassure him the best a Charmeleon could. He placed his clawed hands on Tim's shoulder and made soothing noises. Tim looked up at his companion and smiled weakly, before turning to the other competitors. Roisin, she was young, and had a lot of life ahead of her, but now she trapped in here, he doubted she would see it. Langley, he was tactically minded with his little Spinarak and grudging Ninetails, and he hoped the chivalrous man gave the Guardian a run for its money. Aaliyah, he didn't even know her too well, but he was distraught about everyone. She was so caring and nice, if not the strongest of trainers. And Annalyn. Of all the trainers there, he hoped she came out on top. She was accomplished, but she could go so much further. The Labyrinth and the Guardian had been the cruelest to her, her and her Pokemon had evaded death and injury multiple times, and she had only narrowly escaped being toasted alive by a vile Arcanine. He just thought it would be a terrible loss to the world if she never made it out of this god forsaken maze.

As he thought this, the way they had come collapsed in on itself, leaving only this new, drier, stranger corridor to go down. Damn, there goes my first plan, he thought as he watched their only exit seal itself with rubble. He couldn't run away now, he was going to have to fight, be it against the Guardian or against on of his friends, he was smart enough to realize he didn't have a choice in the matter.

"So, how do you guys feel? Fight each other to the death, or fight him to the death?" Roisin offered, after hearing the Guardian challenge her, and them, to fight it instead of each other. He would much rather fight the Guardian, even though the odds were clearly against them, they still stood a chance; they were all skilled trainers with strong Pokemon, and it was only one person… with an army of zombified Pokemon admittedly, but they could handle the zombies, he knew that. Besides, he would much rather lose against the Guardian than win against one of the other competitors, at least this way he knew he was doing good.

"I'll take my chances with the masked weirdo thanks." He stated calmly, picking himself off the ground and brushing off his now ruined suit. "I don't think I could bring myself to fight any of you now we have a choice." He hoped everyone else felt the same way, although he had seen Langley studying the way he battled earlier, like he was preparing.

"Meleon." He heard Nabe growl from next to him. The Charmeleon's claws were raised defensively, and his eyes were darting about furiously around the corridor. He had returned all his other Pokemon before venturing in here, but he liked to keep Nabe with him. The flame-tailed lizard may not have been the warmest and fuzziest Pokemon ever, but it was Tim's oldest friend, and its presence comforted and calmed him

"Kanabias really does not like it in here, and I have to say, I'm not crazy about the place either" he commented, studying the new corridor. It was more ornate than the other dripping slimy ones they had passed through. It looked just as ancient as the rest of the place, but it had been kept in better condition. Nabe was still growling loudly, and it was getting distracting. "Hush, Nabe," he said, placing his finger on his lips, "it's alright, don't worry." He smiled as he stroked the Pokemon's bony head. "I wont let anything happen to you Nabe." He began, kneeling down beside the Charmeleon and looking it in the eye. "I'm sorry I ever brought you here Kanabias, I really am. I'm going to put you back in your Pokeball now, please don't protest, its for your own safety." He reached into his pocket and drew out a traditional looking red and white pokeball, which looked battered and aged. He resized it and opened it in front of the Charmeleon, who disappeared in a beam of red light. He stood up again, tucking the now miniature Pokeball back into his pocket. He was about to say something to the group when he heard the Guardian's unmistakable high pitched voice drift from nowhere,

"So, you have also wish to fight me instead of your friends?" A high pitched laugh echoed around the walls. "I admire your determination, but you will fail, I will kill you, and then I will take that Charmeleon from you and use it myself." Another cackle reverberated around the corridor, and as it died away Tim looked to the other trainers, to hear their answers. He doubted any of them would choose to fight each other now that there was another option, but he wanted them to clarify it, he wanted to know he was thinking rationally about it, and even though he knew he had made the right choice, he waited for approval.
 
Annalyn couldn't help it. Despite everything that was going on around her, the smell was nauseating. Maybe the others were too wrapped up to notice, but Annalyn couldn't stand it anymore. "Guys, do you smell that? It smells like... embalming flud..." This unusually ornate hallway reaked of the chemical. While her mind was flushed with questions, the smell had begun to overwhelm her. Annalyn was already weakened from being charbroiled, so she was unusually sensitive to odd anomilies in the environment.

"If I had to guess, I think we're in a burial vault. Look at it: ancient carvings, elaborate decorations, the scent of embalming fluid. I'm not sure exactly who's it is, but..." Annalyn said, but suddenly she felt very dizzy. She grasped her face with her two hands and attempted to stay standing. But her head felt like it was spinning and her body felt like it was disconnected from it. Annalyn slid slowly down the wall, joining Timothy on the floor. She had no Pokemon to comfort her, but this time she had to do this on her own.

She then spoke with conviction despite the dizziness, "We'll fight that bastard. And we'll fight him with everything we have. This is no longer a competition. The League did not plan this. They couldn't of. They may have sent the Gyarados and the Tentacruel, but this couldn't of been within their plan. Haven't you noticed there's no cameras in here. The Guardian took advantage of the situation somehow. He may not be just blood-crazed, zombefying maniac. Maybe... just maybe this 'Labyrinth' is a burial vault of sorts and that's what he's the true Guardian of..."

From the depths of the Labyrinth, the Guardian's feminine voice rang, "Dr. Gerundt, I gave less credit to you than I should of. Yes, I am the last of the Ixais, the race that lived here long ago. And this Labyrinth was built as a means of protecting my people from outsiders. But you all," the Guardian's voice grew angrier and increasingly masculine as it spoke, "have continued to trod on our land and enter our sacred labyrinth! It infuriated me so, and as Guardian, I had embued with dark powers that allowed me to reanimate lost Pokemon. Originally, this was meant as a means to keep Pokemon alive that were needed to plow the fields. But over time, my people left me, and I grew lonely. So, whenever Pokemon on the island died, I took them and brought them back to life, as my own. No, I'm not bloodthirsty or insane. I'm just doing my duties as Guardian. And a part of my duties is to KILL YOU ALL!" And with that, his voice trailed off with a maniacal laugh.

Annalyn looked at her companions. Her dizziness had started to wear off, but she remained seated. They all looked so young. She couldn't let them fall to the Guardian's "duties."

"Let's move guys. I think our friend the Guardian is in a tremendous amount of pain and he needs someone to release him from this bondage he's caught in. Let's be that someone. Let's stick together and beat him to a pulp," Annalyn said in a firm tone.
 
Aaliyah was contemplating for awhile before the smell had distracted her from her thoughts. She almost cupped her hands over her nose and was close to complaining, but she kept her mouth shut. She couldn`t keep herself from covering her nose, however, and ended up falling down to her knees. She was going to mention something when she heard the guardian again.

"Dr. Gerundt, I gave less credit to you than I should of. Yes, I am the last of the Ixais, the race that lived here long ago. And this Labyrinth was built as a means of protecting my people from outsiders. But you all," the Guardian's voice grew angrier and increasingly masculine as it spoke, "have continued to trod on our land and enter our sacred labyrinth! It infuriated me so, and as Guardian, I had embued with dark powers that allowed me to reanimate lost Pokemon. Originally, this was meant as a means to keep Pokemon alive that were needed to plow the fields. But over time, my people left me, and I grew lonely. So, whenever Pokemon on the island died, I took them and brought them back to life, as my own. No, I'm not bloodthirsty or insane. I'm just doing my duties as Guardian. And a part of my duties is to KILL YOU ALL!" And with that, his voice trailed off with a maniacal laugh.

Aaliyah seemed dismayed. She still had some hope, just not alot. She heard Annalyn say something, however:

"Let's move guys. I think our friend the Guardian is in a tremendous amount of pain and he needs someone to release him from this bondage he's caught in. Let's be that someone. Let's stick together and beat him to a pulp."

Aaliyah smiled happily. The sound of Annalyn`s firm tone made her spirit rise. "Agreed!" she exclaimed.
 
Langley had lost it. The moment he noticed the slight bloodflow dripping from his shoulder, he screeched and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, which he used to staunch the bloodflow. "Arachne! Bandage! Now!" he commanded, chattering in something that wasn't quite fear, but bordered on its edge. The Pokemon obeyed, crawling up Langley's back to release the sticky threads which she used to cover the wound. Langley relaxed. "Thank God..." he muttered, patting the Spinarak's head, "Good thing your webbing makes such an effective bandage. If that wound were allowed to keep going..." his voice trailed off, just as the earthquakes rocked the cavern. Langley stayed silent as the Guardian issued his challenge, and the others one by one denied him before voicing his own opinion: "A chivalrous gentleman never allows anyone to dictate his actions, for good or ill. Guardian, I swear that if you come at me with that sword again, it will run through your chest."

Clytemnestra cursed vehemently in a language neither Arachne nor Langley understood. That Guardian... Krakveldt! I should have known. Why didn't I recognize this before? This whole place is one giant-

She was interrupted by Annalyn. "We'll fight that bastard. And we'll fight him with everything we have. This is no longer a competition. The League did not plan this. They couldn't of. They may have sent the Gyarados and the Tentacruel, but this couldn't of been within their plan. Haven't you noticed there's no cameras in here. The Guardian took advantage of the situation somehow. He may not be just blood-crazed, zombefying maniac. Maybe... just maybe this 'Labyrinth' is a burial vault of sorts and that's what he's the true Guardian of..."

Exactly! And he can-

"Dr. Gerundt, I gave less credit to you than I should of. Yes, I am the last of the Ixais, the race that lived here long ago. And this Labyrinth was built as a means of protecting my people from outsiders. But you all," the Guardian's voice grew angrier and increasingly masculine as it spoke, "have continued to trod on our land and enter our sacred labyrinth! It infuriated me so, and as Guardian, I had embued with dark powers that allowed me to reanimate lost Pokemon. Originally, this was meant as a means to keep Pokemon alive that were needed to plow the fields. But over time, my people left me, and I grew lonely. So, whenever Pokemon on the island died, I took them and brought them back to life, as my own. No, I'm not bloodthirsty or insane. I'm just doing my duties as Guardian. And a part of my duties is to KILL YOU ALL!"

Langley rolled his eyes at the maniacal laugh. "Pardon me, Guardian, but if you aren't really a maniac, why the laugh?" he muttered under his breath. Standing up, he joined his companions. "I'm not backing down. This Guardian... this cur may only be doing his solemn duty, but it gives him no right to fight the way he has thus far. Besides, I owe him for that hit on my shoulder. Yes, together we shall rip him apart and eat him alive."

Clyte sidled up to Arachne before whispering Why did Langley react that way to that wound?

The spiderlike Pokemon shook her head. Langley asked me not to tell anyone, but I can say this: If Langley gets a serious cut, there's a good chance he'll be in danger of his life.

Clyte was slightly confused. Isn't... everyone in danger of their life when they get cut by a sword?

Yes... but Langley moreso then most. The Spinarak trembled with indecision. Should she betray Langley's trust and tell Clyte, or-

"Clyte! Arachne! Get ready to move out!" Langley ordered.

Arachne smiled thankfully. Never mind. she whispered before skittering away to take up her position on her trainer's shoulder. With a sigh, Clytemnestra drew up beside them.
 
Come sail away with me!More like, CASINO Royale...
 
Dalek Jast said:
Come sail away with me!More like, CASINO Royale...
Click to expand...

OOC: WTF? Stupid Spammers. Okay, nothing special, I'm just not in a creative mood :/

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Everybody in the ornate corridor was having their own little moment, Tim and Nabe, Langley and his two Pokémon, Alliyah and Annalyn were having a moment to themselves. Roisin was no exception as she pulled Yanma out of the air and pressed her face into his.[/FONT]

"[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Yanma... Listen, you need to get in your Pokéball, you may not like it but you'll be safe, there's zombiefied Pokémon and a some guy who pretends he's not a maniac, which we all know is the worst type of maniac; and don't forget what happened to Crawdaunt and Heracross, he has control over Pokémon when he chooses too. So Please." Roisin pleaded with her lifelong friend who buzzed in front of her. Yanma shook her head. "Yanma!" Roisin yelled, in a sort of motherly 'get to your room' way. [/FONT]

"[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]YAM!" she screeched, her mind was made up she would stick with Roisin. [/FONT]

"[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]YANMA!" Roisin yelled as she seized the Dragonflies' red and white Pokéball. Yanma looked at Roisin with a face that seemed to say 'yeah right as if that'll help'. "Fine, but don't blame me when you get zombiefied!" Roisin yelled with the same Motherly tone as she folder her arms and turned away from Yanma. The Dragonfly just laughed and started tugging at Roisins collar. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]"Let's move guys. I think our friend the Guardian is in a tremendous amount of pain and he needs someone to release him from this bondage he's caught in. Let's be that someone. Let's stick together and beat him to a pulp," Annalyn said in a firm tone.[/FONT]​

"[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Set him to rest by beating him to a pulp, I like your style." Roisin laughed. "So, I agree, let's get going, Yanma seems to agree," she indicated to the Dragonfly tugging at her collar. "We all have all purpose teams, from Tims' Kemf for flying too my Dunsparce for digging, even a Spinarak that can make bandages... We'll be able to do this, we'll get out of here," [/FONT]​
 
[| I'll be on Holiday from 24th August too the 31st, or something like that, so unless I can materialize a Laptop and internet connection then I won't post obviously >.> I give you permission to bunny my character as long as she;s in personality (you'd probably do a better job than me at that anyway O.o If anyone posts tonite then I may squeze a post in tommorow morning ^_^|]
 
[[ Ahh.. college life. So fulfilling. In the mean time, I actually have some down time, so I'm posting. You all should be amazed. ]]

Annalyn ran down the hallway the best that she could with a burnt leg and a terrible sprain. She was eager to find this Guardian and show her how much his "duties" meant to her. As she ran, she began to notice the hieroglyphics on the wall. She slowed down a bit, so she could better read them. First it appeared that the Ixais had arrived in shanty little boats made of planks and nails. Upon arrival, they found a great, black stone that emanated a magnificent white aura. They saw this rock as a blessing and took turns touching the stone. One particular man, upon touching the stone, was said to have gained great abilities from the rock. This was shown by a man being raised into the air, surrounded by an aura. From that point on, whatever he touched, was filled with renewed energy. The hieroglyphics showed him touching an older man hunched over, and then after being touched by the "Blessed One," he stood with renewed vigor and a correctly aligned spine. Annalyn now walked at a slower pace, and began to pay greater attention to the drawings.

The pictures now turned to the funeral of the Tribe Leader's Pidgeot. Everything was drawn in black, giving a morbid feel to the hieroglyphics. Then, it showed the "Blessed One" touching the dead Pidgeot, which in turn gave new life to the Pokemon. At first, the Pokemon was happy and acted as if it had never perished. But, the pictures showed the Pidgeot growing increasingly aggressive and deadly, attacking villagers with great veracity. It then showed the tribe leader killing his revived Pidgeot. The next drawing showed the old man from before, now deceased and laying in a casket. Then, the villagers began to exile the "Blessed One", pushing him into a hut far from the others. In the meantime, construction of labyrinth had begun, but during the process, a few workers had died, and once again the villagers went to the "Blessed One" for his help. Using his touch, he brought the fallen men to life.

"Oh my God. He can bring humans back to life too.." Annalyn said, her mouth agage. Then, she continued to read. Almost immediately the people noticed that the men were far from the same. Knowing the men were better off dead, the villagers quickly killed and buried in the nearly completed labyrinth. The villagers grew scared of the "Blessed One"'s powers and exiled him to the center of the labyrinth, giving him the title of "Labyrinth Guardian." Quietly and with no incidence, the people left the island, their families' remains, and the labyrinth, setting sail for the mainland. So, they abandoned their homes, and left the "Blessed One" with no one. He soon grew lonely and using his powers, he brought all of the Pokemon that had been buried on the island back to life.

From this point on, the artist of the drawings changed. Probably the Guardian... Soon, people began to step foot on the island, looking for a break from traveling on the sea. The Guardian, now mad in his seclusion, began to use his role as guardian as an excuse for murdering those he set foot in his labyrinth and taking their Pokemon as his servants. The following drawings showed different examples of him murdering visitors and taking their Pokemon under his wing. Then, Annalyn saw something that stopped her in her tracks.

Scratched in the wall it said: WHATEVER YOU DO, NEVER LOOK IN THE GUARDIAN'S EYES. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE LOST TO THE ABYSS.

It was crudely carved, done by a shaking hand with a sharp stone. "Guys, this is so weird..."
 
Aaliyah, whom was walking cautiously in the new corridor, stared at the hieroglyphics. Shhe couldn`t understand much of it, but it made her stomach twist and trun in knots for some reason. Aaliyah stopped to a halt, taking a long time to stare at the picture of a "Blessed One" bringing a Tribe Leader's Pidgeot back to life. She stopped staring when she heard Annalyn.

"Oh my God. He can bring humans back to life too.."

Aaliyah froze. "So..you`re saying he may attempt to send not only a wave of zombie pokemon, but a wave of zombie humans at us?" Aaliyah asked nervously, her voice faltering.
 
Annalyn had run off ahead of him, leaving Tim to saunter up the increasingly ornate corridor. There were drawings on the wall; pictures and symbols, some strange language Tim didn't understand. The pictures, however, seemed to tell the strange story of the equally strange Guardian. He studied them carefully, examining each and every picture on the wall. The stone, the Pidgeot, the labyrinth… Then the style changed. It became cruder and less colorful. Tim guessed that the Guardian, not having much to do trapped for eternity in this maze, began to tell his own story. First, it showed the original inhabitants leaving the island, and their 'Blessed One' behind. The Guardian then drew a series of pictures of Pokemon; An Ampharos, an Arcanine, a Nidoking, an Aipom. These were the zombies they had fought; he had resurrected them himself… for company. Tim's infallible, maniac image of the Guardian began to fade, replaced with one of a tormented and lonely individual, driven slowly insane by hundreds of years of solitude. The drawing he was now looking at seemed to depict some people venturing inside the labyrinth, a family of some kind. In every new image, there was one less member of the family, until only one boy remained. There was a series of drawings of him running scared, before one of him looking straight at what Tim assumed was the Guardian. Drawing himself, the likeness was a little off, but the boy was looking straight at him. In the next picture, the boy was out of the labyrinth, surrounded by people. There was one thing which threw Tim off a little while he looked at this particular painting; the Guardian had drawn the boy with no face. The pictures continued on, until Tim had caught up with Annalyn. She was looking straight at a carving on the wall. 'WHATEVER YOU DO, NEVER LOOK IN THE GUARDIAN'S EYES. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE LOST TO THE ABYSS.'

"Poor guy." Tim could hardly believe his ears, was he sympathizing with the Guardian? "You have to feel a little sorry for him, trapped here for hundreds of years, no companions except those demented zombies…" He was, he was sympathizing with the man that had tried to kill him and his friends on no less than three occasions. He reached out and touched the carving, running his fingers along the jagged letter shapes. "I bet this guy found that out the hard way." He commented, forcing a laugh. He looked over to Annalyn, who looked not a little worried about the ominous message scrawled on the wall. He tried not to show it, but Tim was terrified.
 
Annalyn grunted. She bent over and grabbed a jagged rock. Using its sharpest corner, she too began to carve her own message into the wall. When she finished, it said: WE WILL ESCAPE THE ABYSS. Annalyn let the stone drop to the ground. She stared at the message she wrote for a few seconds, then turned to Tim. It sounded as if he sympathized with the Guardian. She did too. This man was insane by every definition, but in turn, he was lonely and endlessly loyal to those who had abandoned him. But she still had questions. Why did he speak with a feminine voice when calm? Where is this rock that supposedly gave him his powers? And if he could reanimate humans, why hadn't they seen any of them yet...

"Dammit, I'm bleeding again!" A familiar voice rang from the other side of the wall. The Guardian's voice was stricken with pain and fear. Annalyn turned to the others and pushed her fingers to her lips, telling them to remain silent. She slowly edged closer to a nearby doorway, hoping to gain a glimpse of the Guardian. Annalyn grabbed the edge of the door and peered around the corner. Before her stood not the Guardian, but a man around her age, blond hair and brilliant blue eyes. On his shoulder was the same zombie Aipom, who was looking worriedly at her master. Blood was flowing from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, and the skin on his forearm was a putrid green color. His hands were clenched to his stomach, pulling on the simple brown tunic he wore. This was far from the appearance Annalyn was used to, but his voice was undeniable. Then, he spoke once again, "Why must you punish me? I touched that stone because you told me it would bring indefinite happiness and joy, but instead has brought nothing but angst and sorrow. Guardian, why me? Why leave me in this empty shell of a body?"

Then, the feminine voice that the Guardian voice erupted from the man's mouth, "I chose you Archibald because of all of the villagers, your body was the most capable of handling my spirit. You were virile, strong, happy. The others were full of guilt and anger. You were--pure. That is why when your wife touched the stone, I told her that you, her husband must be the one to touch the stone. It was far from my intention to trap us both in this body. Even with my wisdom, it was impossible to predict that once our souls were fused, it would slowly corrupt and mutilate this body. When we become that--thing, there is nothing we can do..."

Annalyn stood in awe, listening to the man converse with himself. Then, he continued, "Those foolish officials who came here a year ago were just some of the many lives we stole. Then, this beast we created reanimated them, and sent them back to their jobs, and had them start this competition of sorts in our labyrinth. Just because he wished for 'friends' to murder and Pokemon to enslave. But this may have been a blessing. This group that we have unfortunately attacked numerous times, they may be able to free us. Gyack... nooo... Archibald, we can't hold on much longer. It's--it's coming back. Archibald, this is farewell once again. Let us hope--thaaaaa---ahhhhhh!!!!" The man fell to his knees, and with a scream, his body began to bubble, as if it was being boiled. His simple close began to melt, leaving him naked and exposed. As if by magic, the Guardian's typical gaudy outfit began to take form. He raised his head and took a deep breath. The green tint to his skin disappeared, and once again looked alive and full of blood. He then grabbed the top of his head and with a flash of his hand, the demented mask once again appeared on his face.

"Idiots..." he said. The Aipom had jumped from his shoulder, and stood much like a soldier at attention. "Come creature." He turned his head and looked at where Annalyn was standing. She could tell he was smiling, but his look was still unsettling. Was he going to attack? Then, he turned and walked the opposite way down the corridor. "Doctor, it's not time yet! Follow where I walk and we shall meet. And I'll take all of your goddamn pests on at once!" The Guardian said, followed by a maniacal laugh.
 
Langley stared at the carvings on the wall, then slowly removed his Pokenav from its pocket in his bag and began snapping pictures of them. Once finished, he immediately called up the E-Mail function and sent them. I hope you can figure something out from these photos, brother. Because otherwise, we may end up completely unable to get out of this maze alive. As he worked, Langley listened to Annalyn's interpretation of the pictures. Each one, according to her, showed the life of a man in a village who gained the exact powers that the guardian now displayed. Langley continued watching, in a mixture of curiosity and horror, how the life of the guardian had played out. Lonliness, betrayal by his fellow villagers, and exile into the labryinth before being abandoned completely. A pang of sorry touched Langley's heart. If he were alone, he might have done the same things the guardian had. Still, that didn't excuse that black-hearted being from the way he treated others. Reviving those already dead so you could have company was one thing. Conspiring to murder anyone who passed nearby and reanimate them to gain additional company was another. Nothing he had seen here substantially changed his opinion of the guardian. Either way, he was going to kill that fiend whether he was sad or not.

It was then that Aaliyah gasped "Oh my God... so he can bring back humans too?", or something along those lines. Langley wasn't tired, but he was frustrated. "I forget your name," he stated, pointing to the wall, "But whoever you are, see here? Where there's a carving of a man coming back to life? I'd say that's a pretty clear indication that the Guardian isn't picky about resurrecting people.

It was then that Annalyn performed an action that both surprised and gratified Langley. Grabbing a nearby rock with a sharp edge, she chiseled a message into the wall: WE WILL ESCAPE THE ABYSS.

It was at that point that the guardian's voice rang out. "Dammit, I'm bleeding again!"

Langley turned quickly to face this new apparition. It was an old man, blood streaming from his nose and mouth, attended by a zombified Aipom, which, despite its current status among the undead, had still retained a shred of its basic cuteness. Langley stared. Could this be the guardian's true form? With growing feelings of revulsion, general skittishness, and the trademark Antechronos curiosity, Langley listened to the statements of the old man. Apparently, some kind of being had been residing in the crystal, a benevolent spirit of some sort, and she had chosen this man to be her host, or something. But somehow, combining their spirits had decayed his body and transformed them into the being that now guarded the labyrinth. No sooner had Langley finished deducing this then the being screeched before assuming the guardian's true form. Langley made ready to defend himself when, to his surprise, the guardian simply flew away, teasing Annalyn tauntingly. "Doctor, it's not time yet! Follow where I walk and we shall meet. And I'll take all of your goddamn pests on at once!"

Langley's anger knew no bounnds at this outrageous display of cowardice, and he immediately spat out three words that many outside of Johto were unaware of. (There is no point in listing them as they would, of course, have to be censored.)

The Guardian's mocking laughter filled his ears once again. "I know you are, but what am I?"

It was at that point that a small leak broke its way through the "stay-calm" dam Langley had erected in his brain, and as a direct result of this Langley's fist made high-speed contact with the stone wall of the cavern, a rare physical display of anger. Thus vented, Langley turned his gaze to his comrades. "We need a plan," he stated flatly, "Or we're never going to make this work. I'm not a military expert myself, but I do have an older sister who is, so I've picked up one or two things. Therefore, based on my limited knowledge of the situation, here's what I think our options are.

"Option one: Divide and Conquer. We split up and fight our way through the Labyrinth separately, while striking the Guardian's forces. Small armies have beaten superpowers by becoming too expensive to fight and too hard to eradicate. Unfortunately, we don't have the manpower necessary for this approach, and besides, it requires knowledge of the surrounding territory, something we don't have.

"Option Two: Surprise Attack. We hit the Guardian hard and fast with everything we have available to us when he least suspects it. Unfortunately, we have no idea how many more zombies this guy has at his disposal, so for all we know he might have a small army prepared and waiting for us. Aside from that, his knowledge of the Labryinth and ability to vanish make it hard to track him down. If anything, we should expect him to surprise us.

"Option Three: Call the Cavalry. Use whatever we can to send out for assistance. Unfortunately, help will probably arrive too late to do anything. It takes a while to mobilize military forces and get them to a remote location like this, and we're not going to get any help from the league if what that guy said is true. If any of us have a spare Pokemon or two stored in the PC or with a proffessor, now's the time to call them in, though.

"Option Four, and Final: 'Ender's Game'. A brilliant stroke of strategy that wipes out the opponent in one swift, final blow. It comes in several flavors: Fool's Mate, Superweapon, False Treaty... unfortunately, the only one I can think of that might help us is a hidden weakness. So far, all we know about this guardian is that if you take off his mask, he turns into an old half-dead guy. Nothing really useful. On the other hand, if you look at these carvings..." Langley waved a hand for effect, "While it does show how the Guardian got his powers and what they can do, in no instance does it show him actually controlling any of the zombified Pokemon. While that may not mean anything, if it does it could be important. Aside from that, there's also the fact that as of yet, he hasn't attacked us personally for more then a few minutes at a time. Perhaps he needs to recharge his power? And on top of that, the villagers had to have some way of keeping this guy in check. What on earth could it be, and is it available to us? We find those things out, we have a chance of surviving this. If not, we're probably going to walk straight into a trap and we may not all get out alive."
 
Annalyn listened to Langley as he went over their numerous options in taking on the Guardian. Those poor souls caught in that body had to be freed. There was no other way to get around it. Her burn was still excruciatingly painful and her ankle was still swollen. Abanow, Syter, Golat, and Ollery were all tired and overworked. She had never put her Pokemon to this much work before, so she knew they were on the brink of over exhaustion.

"Langley, I like the sound of 'Ender's Game.' We need to be swift and powerful. If we have healing items with us, use them. We need our Pokemon at full strength. Without them, we're nothing. The Guardian.. no matter how twisted and pathetic he is, he still out enemy. He WILL do whatever he can to kill us... but do you want to be a zombie? Do you want your POKEMON to be his slave? I don't. I love my Pokemon too much for that to happen. In the end, we're one team. Let's do this guys. Push aside all fear, all angst, all pain. If we hold back, we will not win," Annalyn said, looking each and every one of them in the eyes. Young Aaliyah, who in the beginning kept to herself, but has now become a valuable part of the team. Roisin, the poor young coordinator with a knack for capturing Pokemon. She reminded Annalyn so much of herself. She couldn't let her future be ruined. Tim, who had been by her side since the boat, was powerful and brave. Without him, Annalyn would of perished long ago. And Langley. He was brilliant and strong, and had numerous resources at his beckoning. Annalyn was lucky to be grouped with these people.

"Are you all ready?"

Annalyn kneeled. She suddenly couldn't breath. She gripped her chest and her other knee fell to the ground. Slowly, she fell unconscious, and entered another vision...

Young Lady. I'm sorry for doing this. I only have a short time where I can seperate myself from that fiend. So this has to be short. I'm Kilisania, the true Guardian of this Island. As you already know, I joined souls with Archibald at a time when my power was weakening and needed a pure soul to fuse with. In my ignorance, I had no idea that the fusion of souls would actually corrupt rather than strengthen one. In the end, my foolishness ended the life of a poor mortal. Anyway, I must tell you, there is no way to beat that fiend. At least with Pokemon. He may be weakened by their attacks, but he can't be defeated. In order to truly kill the Guardian, one must stab him with the blade he carries with him at his side. It may be a challenge to pull the blade from his side, but if you do, the battle will be your's. Only then, by piercing his heart with what he cares for most, you will win. I'm pulling for you. Inside his body I am useless, but my advice should help greatly. Goodbye.

Annalyn suddenly awoke, grasping for air. It felt as if she had been pulled from her body and into a cold, empty abyss. But what she had been told was of great importance. She only hoped it wasn't a trick by the Guardian to sabotage them. "Guys, I know how we are going to kill the Guardian," she said. Then she proceeded to tell them what Kilisania had told her. "Do you all understand?"
 
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