"Come on, kid, wake up.  We don't have all day."

"Gahh...huh?"

I pried my eyes open, exhaustion attempting to keep them sealed shut.  Squinting in the early morning sunlight, I found myself face to face with a dark shape looming over me.  It contrasted the bright light seeping in through the tree branches, which was able to make out the silhouette of a head and shoulders.

A person...? I don't remember any other people around...

"What?!" I shot up, my head colliding with the newcomer in the process.  Pain flashed through my temple, causing my head to spin and to flinch away.

Kind of getting tired of having my head smacked around.

"Ow, watch it," the strange person growled, revealing a familiar, feminine voice.

Rubbing a hand over my forehead, I tentatively looked up, my eyes adjusting to the light.  I eventually found myself staring at a young woman with tousled brown hair, olive skin, and dark, unreadable eyes.

"Knight?"

"Finally, you're catching on," Knight grumbled, though her tone was not unkind.  "How you doing, Veerium?  I found you and Lugia lying on the ground crashed, not to mention the shit ton of cuts and bruises."

At first, I was unsure of what she was talking about.  "Err, well," I replied, standing up slowly.  I immediately began feeling an unbearable ache in my chest, which was when the memories all began flooding back.

"Where's Fathom?" I suddenly called out, frantically searching around the area.  We were in a more open section of the woods, with the only undergrowth being a few saplings and tall grass, with larger trees nearby.  Yet, even in the more open area, there was no sign of Fathom's pokéball.

"Lugia!" I whipped around, rousing him out of his sleep.  His skin was bruised, and feathered-wings battered, not to mention a nasty looking gash along his shoulder.  He looked exhausted, but I shook him awake regardless. 

"Did you see Fathom?"

Lugia's eyes were half-shut, and his face contorted with pain as he got to his feet.  He eventually replied with a brisk shake of his head.

"Are you talking about this?" Knight asked.  "I found it next to you when I arrived."  She held out a pokéball.  "Does it have a Pokémon inside?"

Overwhelmed with relief, I lurched forward, grabbing Fathom's pokéball out of Knight's hands.  "Yes, thank you!"

Knight raised an eyebrow questioningly.  "Did you get all those injuries just from catching that Pokémon?"

"Er, yeah.  It was an Absol, and they were pretty tough," I replied, looking away in embarrassment. 

Knight snorted.  "Oh well, you caught it anyway.  How about we get that bloody shirt off you and bandage your chest?"

Puzzled, I glanced down, only to discover that Knight was correct.  My shirt was ripped and stained dark with blood, and I was hesitant to see what lied underneath it.

Knight grabbed some bandages and a black jacket out of her bag.  "You can use my jacket, although it might be a little big on you."

"Thank you," I mumbled, slowly pulling my shirt off.  I grimaced as the blood-covered cotton peeled off my wound, making it sting.  I tossed the shirt aside, preparing myself for what lay in store.

A rather disgusting looking bruise covered the majority of my chest, making it a dark purple-yellow color.  A large, bloody, and pus-covered wound lay at the center, probably being about the size of my hand.  I guessed that was where Fathom had slashed their claws in.

"Damn, looks like it already might be getting infected," Knight grumbled, beginning to wrap the bandages around me.  I tried to ignore the fact that it stung like crazy, and that I was half-naked in front of someone else, and thanked her once more.

Eventually there were bandages wrapped from my collar bone to breasts, and Knight's jacket hung loosely on my body, but I was grateful nonetheless.  Lugia had been bandaged as well, and Knight had shown me some natural medicines to use on Pokémon from simple ingredients. 

"You should probably just send him back into his pokéball to rest," Knight remarked as she regarded Lugia's trembling, bandage-wrapped figure.

Guilt immediately washed over me.  I completely ignored how he felt.  I need to do better.  Nodding, I returned him to his pokéball wordlessly, slowly placing him back in the bag that hung at my hip.

We sat in silence for a while as Knight prepared supplies, though I was dying to ask her questions.  However, I was too nervous to dare disturb the silence.

"I can tell you wanna speak," Knight said without looking up.  "Go on."

"Oh uh."  I rubbed my head awkwardly.  "Well, isn't this a test?  Why help me out if we are competing together?"

Knight's dark eyes flicked up, and she was silent for a moment, making me feel as if I had said something out of place.  However, she quickly returned to her task.

"Yes, this is a test, but no one said we couldn't help each other.  I mean, we are still teammates on the same side, and I'd feel bad if I had just left you like that."  She suddenly froze.  "Plus, I didn't want to leave you alone.  I have my suspicions."

I tilted my head.  "Suspicions?"

Knight set her supplies down, slowly moving over to my side, until her mouth was only a few inches away from my face, and I could feel her warm breath on my nose.

"I don't think we are alone."

Before I could question her, she stood up, moving back towards her belongings.  "We should go now.  We have things to do."

"We do?" I heaved myself to my feet.

"Yes." Knight began tossing everything into her bag.  "We have to find your friend."

I stopped short.  "Do you mean Fate?"

She confirmed my question with a nod. 

"Why?"

Knight ignored me.  "Come on, let's go."  She shoved a hand into her bag, clearly searching for something, and eventually pulling out a pokéball.  With a flash, the Pokémon was released, revealing a large, steel-covered, bird-like Pokémon.

"Skarmory, scout from the sky," Knight ordered, which the Skarmory acknowledged with a growl before taking off with a powerful beat of its wings.  Judging by the look on her face, it seemed she was referring to more than just Fate to scout for.

"Knight, what's going-"

"No time to explain, we need to leave this area," she interrupted.  "I'm assuming you haven't seen anyone since this all started."

"No, I haven't..."

Knight grabbed her hair, tying it up into a ponytail.  "Alright.  Let's get going then."  She didn't wait to see if I was following her, and instead moved deeper into the forest.

I scampered after her, jumping through the saplings and ducking underneath tree branches, and eventually running straight into Knight's back.

"Oh, sorry, I..." I trailed off, noticing that she had suddenly become motionless, and was staring at something at her feet.  I followed her gaze, eventually discovering a bundle of ragged feathers lying motionless in the dirt.

It was a dead Pokémon.

"Oh, that must be the Pokémon I heard last night," I remarked, though slightly unnerved.  "I think my Absol killed it."

"Absol, you say," Knight pondered, crouching down and twisting the Pokémon over.  She pulled away some of the feathers, showing a deep, clean slit along its throat.  She frowned, her expression unreadable.  "I'm not so sure..."

Standing up, she grabbed my hand, shoving me forward.  "I have decided I'm going to head in a different direction, but I need you to keep going."  She pulled out another pokéball, and a dark, dog-like Pokémon appeared.  "Mightyena will go with you.  It is imperative that you find Fate, and I will join you shortly."  She turned to Mightyena, who's black and gray fur was bristled, and bright red eyes narrowed.  "Head eastward and follow Skarmory," she told them.

Before I could protest, Knight raced off, disappearing behind a tree branch, which shivered at her touch. 

Mightyena pressed its nose to my shoulder, urging me forward.  I nodded awkwardly, and kept moving ahead, following the Pokémon.

I wish Knight had told me what's going on.  It's starting to freak me out.... Who could possibly be watching us?

"Our elite forces will be there to ensure that this test is not interrupted by any... unwelcome guests."

Yukino's worrisome statement echoed through my mind, and I felt my feet beginning to drag with each step. 

Could there really be Crimson Army or Orumni forces in the forest?!

A sudden screech of alarm jolted me to my senses, and I glanced up toward the source of the noise.  Knight's Skarmory was swooping down through the tree branches, seeming to beckon us ahead.

Upon receiving our attention, Skarmory whipped around, swerving through the trees and diving under branches.  Mightyena and I raced after them, gasping for breath to keep up with the winged Pokémon. 

It must have been fifteen minutes of mindless running before I identified Fate's familiar blonde hair, with his body hunched down on the ground, motionless.

"Fate!" I called, trying to increase my pace regardless of my exhaustion.

Fate flinched, seemingly startled by my voice, and slowly turned his head to face me as I approached him.

He was crying.

His now bruised, dirty face was streaked with tears, leaving trails along the dust and filth on his cheeks.  Dry blood caked his nose, and his face seemed contorted with emotion.

"Fate!  What's wrong?" I jumped to his side, immediately wrapping my arms around him.  He sniffed, but otherwise remained silent, burying his face into my neck.  I could feel wet tears running down his face onto my own skin, and his hands clenched onto the back of my jacket tightly.

"Fate," I murmured softly.  "What's going on?  Did something happ-"

My voice drew off when I noticed the stains of blood along the ground behind him, along with a slim, glinting body.

Fate's Doublade laid lifeless on the ground, broken and contorted, with blood seeping out of the cracks in its hard body.  It looked completely mangled, creating such a horrific scene that I forced myself to look away.

Instead, I gently grabbed Fate's shoulders, moving back to meet his gaze.  His eyes, usually shining with life, were now dull and seemingly dead.  He stared down at his knees, hesitantly wiping his face with his sleeve.

"Who did this?" I asked him firmly.  "You need to tell me what happened."

Fate did not reply at first, instead wiping away his tears and inhaling a deep breath, as if trying to keep himself from breaking down once more.

"It was another Pokémon," he eventually breathed out, his voice shaky and quiet, as if it were about to crack.  "I don't know what it is, but it was like nothing I had ever seen.  And it was different."  He stopped, taking in a breath.  "I-It was evil and heartless, and just ripped into Doublade with murderous purpose.  There's j-just no way any wild Pokémon would do that."  His body was trembling, with his breathing was becoming more frequent and harsh.

"Fate, it's gonna be okay, I'm here now."  I wrapped him in a hug again, but this time he did not return it. 

"He was slaughtered right in front of me and I couldn't do anything..." he whispered, though it appeared to be directed towards himself rather than me. 

"It's not your fault-"

"It is!" he yelled suddenly.  "I was completely helpless and pathetic!  I just stood there and watched because I was afraid!"

"Fear is a part of every single person," another voice spoke up.  I froze, preparing to battle whoever may be approaching us, only to see that it was Knight that joined our side. 

"It is true that fear can make us helpless, but it can also make us strong.  Fear allows us to recognize our limits."  She sat down beside us, rubbing a hand down Fate's shaking back.  "Even the greatest warrior feels fear; it does not make you weak.  But your friend did not die in vain.  You are still alive, and your teammates are here with you now."

Fate sniffed, although this time it sounded more like a sob.  "That doesn't bring Doublade back though," he whispered.

"I know, hun, I know."  Knight pressed her lips to the top of his head, leaving us sitting in silence for a moment.  I found myself admiring her calmness in the situation, as well as her abundant kindness.

Knight was the first to break the silence, rising to her feet and poking me on the forehead.  "I know this is rather random, but I need to see your Absol."

"What?"

She frowned.  "Don't question, just do it.  I promise it's important."

Puzzled, I pulled away from Fate, shifting my hand through my bag until I found their pokéball.  I held it in my hands for a moment, hesitating.

I haven't seen Fathom since I caught them, I realized.  What if they hate me, or attack me again?

"Come on, Veerium, this is kind of an emergency situation."  Knight's impatience was more than obvious.

Wincing, I nodded, tossing the ball into the air.  It glowed brightly, flashing for a moment, before subduing.  Fathom's form sparkled into view at first, their white fur bristling under their rippling muscles as they stretched.  I was relieved when they showed no signs of hostility, but no signs of interest or acknowledgement in me either.

Knight observed them for a moment, her gaze unreadable.  "What's her name again?"

"It's Fathom," I replied.  "And her?"

"She's a female," Knight stated simply.  "Can't you tell?"

"Uhh."

She shrugged.  "Don't worry about it.  You still have much to learn."  She pursed her lips, walking around the Pokémon for a minute.  Fathom merely sat still, bored and brushing a paw over her face in an attempt to clean it.

"You didn't kill that Fletchling last night, did you," Knight said, speaking to Fathom.  "In fact, you didn't attack any Pokémon at all besides Lugia."

Fathom's paw stilled, though her eyes remained expressionless.  However, her face twisted slightly, as if she were smirking.

"I thought so," Knight remarked, clearly pleased with herself.  "It was a person you attacked last night before your encounter with Veerium.  In fact, it was someone from Orumni."  Knight raised an eyebrow questioningly at the Absol, who now turned to stare at her.  Fathom's eyes were narrowed, and she let out a growl of confirmation.

"I'm sure you attacked Lugia and Veerium because you also thought they were a part of Orumni," Knight noted, tapping her finger to her hip.  "Which, I must assure you, they are not."

Fathom turned, and for the first time, regarded me with a look of interest rather than hostility.  She blinked once before eventually turning away, clearly satisfied.

I took that as the only sign of acceptance and apology I would receive from her.

"It appears that Yukino's hypothesis was correct," Knight remarked, now speaking to Fate and I as well.  "Our test would be interrupted by one of the outside forces of the war; in this case, Orumni.  It would explain why they are pointlessly killing Pokémon, but not people.  Orumni's goal is to stop the Crimson Army by killing their weapons and all possible weapons, which are Pokémon."

Fathom acknowledged this with a snarl.

"Why would they do such a thing..." I murmured, completely stunned by Knight's claim.

"Because they are heartless, selfish murderers," Fate practically hissed, finally stirring beside me.  "People do terrible things when they're desperate."

Knight frowned, crouching down and drawing a finger through the dirt.  "I think the real question here is why they would interrupt an average training test, and how did they know that it would be taking place at this location and at this time?"

"Someone could have told them," Fate pointed out.

"But that would mean that someone from our own army told them," I argued.  "Who would do that?"

"Yukino."

"Huh?"  Fate and I asked in unison.

"Think about it," Knight murmured.  "Yukino and the other elites planned this test, so she would know the exact location and date.  However, it was Yukino that gave us the warning about the Crimson Army and Orumni.  I find that rather suspicious, not to mention that Yukino randomly joined the program this year with no recorded background."

I shivered, shrinking down into Knight's comfortingly large jacket.  "But aren't the elites supposed to be protecting us?  If Yukino did something to Ivory, Jay, and Arien, the military trainees would be left alone and vulnerable."

Knight shot up.  "In that case, we need to leave immediately.  Everyone else could be in serious danger right now."

And that was when a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air.