<Shimmer's POV>

Fire. It was everywhere. Thick, black clouds covered the ceiling and flames licked at the floor. The heat was so intense, I felt my skin burning, despite the fact that I wasn't close enough for the flames to singe me.

The smoke burned my throat and stung my eyes. Tears streamed down my face as I watched the flames advances on me, slowly, almost as if to taunt me.

There was no escape, no way to run from the flames that continued to come towards me.

You shall never escape, a voice whispered, You are mine, Shimmer, and I shall never let you get away. I shall have you. Just come with me.

"Never!" I cried, "I would never go with you!"

We shall see, the voice hissed.

"GO AWAY!" I shouted, tears rolling down my cheeks, "GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I shall find you. You are mine, and mine you always shall be! the voice laughed, then suddenly vanished.

I felt relieved, but only for a moment. The flames were still advancing on me at a steady, painstakingly slow pace.

I stared at the fire and stiffened as I started to see images in the licking flames.

First showed the trio I had seen around the table, now standing outside the Shifter Academy, as if waiting to come in. They had malicious grins on their faces, and they watched the school with eyes brimming with hate and evil.

The next scene was my house, burned until just the main support beams were left. I sobbed at the scene. Home. All I wanted was to go home. Was that so hard to ask?

The scene switched again, and I saw myself, or who I assumed to be myself, surrounded by flames, much like now, but there were others there. I didn't get to see how many, because the scene shifted again.

I saw a person, tried up and alone in the dark. The person was clearly a boy, and he looked to be about sixteen, maybe a bit older. I leaned in closer, trying to get a better look, but I couldn't see him very well. However, I thought I saw his lips moving. I tilted towards the scene, trying to make out what he was saying. But before I could get a good look, the scene shifted again.

The flames continued to shift through through several more scenes, each one more horrific than the last. Flashes of light in the dark and eerie silhouettes against flaming buildings. Arial battle scenes that appeared to be taken right out of  Star Wars. Ginormous explosions, and fire. Lots and lots of  fire.

"Stop," I whimpered, "I don't want to see anymore."

What? a voice taunted, Too scared to face the truth?

"Just stop, please," I cried. I tried to look away, but the flames were all around me. They danced closer, the images turning harsher and more horrid.

And evil cackling filled the room, You are mine. You cannot escape. Mine you are now and mine you forever shall be.

I closed my eyes to try and block the images, but they were imprinted in my brain, flashing through a series of horrifying scenes. The cackling bounced around in my head. "Stop!" I exclaimed, "Stop, stop, stop, stop, STOP!"

Suddenly, my eyes snapped open, slicing through the horror of my nightmare. I gasped and sat up straight, my head slamming against the bed above me. I groaned and rubbed my head. I just had to take the bottom bunk, didn't I?

"Are you okay?" a voiced called down from the top bunk.

"Yeah," I replied, "Just hit my head."

"You sure?" a girl with short, spiky, blonde hair peeked over the top. Her eyes were a bright blue, and were currently filled with concern. Joltie, she said is what they called her. It somehow related to her Pokemon. A Jolt Ick, or something like that.

"Why are you crying, then?" she inquired.

I felt my cheek and found it damp. I couldn't think of anything else, so I told her, "Nightmare."

"Ah, a nightmare," Joltie sighed, "We all have those. It's a great thing to wake up and remember that it was all just a dream, and none of it was true. Such a relief!"

"I guess," I stated, shrugging. No use in telling her about how I had the creepy feeling that it was real. And, besides, my memory of the dream was already starting to fade. The most I could remember was the fire, although I got the feeling I was forgetting something else. Something else... creepier...

"Well, we better get dressed!" Joltie exclaimed, "Don't wanna be late for class!"

I reluctantly got ready, donning my usual outfit of a white jacket over a grey t- shirt with grey pants and white shoes. I tried to fix my hair, but no matter how many times I attempted to braid it, the braid simply fell apart as soon as I tried to put the ponytail holder in it.

I eventually gave up and grabbed my backpack filled with the needed supply for school, then headed out the door to the Beginning Berry class.

I would have preferred to have arrived late. Mrs. Leaf (who comes up with these stupid nicknames?), the Beginning Berry teacher. Very boring. I now know how the seeds are made, precisely the amount of sunlight and water is needed for each berry, and how to treat the bushes if a disease comes along. Useful? If your planning on having a carrier in agriculture, which I had no intention of taking on.

Today, Mrs. Leaf took the class out to the central meadow, so that we could try to identify the berries there. I sighed and took out the Berry Identification sheet that she had given us, trying to match the blue berry in front of me to a picture on the paper.

Suddenly, my nose twitched, and I smelled a familiar, foul scent. I paused and sniffed in an attempt to identify the strange stench. Suddenly, I recognized it, and the thought sent horror coursing through my veins. I trembled, my thoughts travling a mile a minuet, and fear swamped my thoughts.

I recognized the smell, alright. It was a smell I wished only existed in my awful nightmares.

---

<Flicker's POV>

"Remember that if you ever get into a pinch in a Pokemon battle, there are several different berries you can use to help you. The first two are obvious; the Oran and Sitrus berries. Both help restore your HP. There are others, as well. Some of these are the Liechi, Ganlon, Salac, Petaya, Apricot, Lansat, and Starf Berries. The Liechi berry raises your attack, while the Ganlon berry-"

My head hit my desk three seconds into Mr. Berry's berry lecture. Yeah, the Berry teacher's name is Mr. Berry. Sometimes I question how creative people's nicknames can be. A Cherrim Shifter named Berry? Really?

I started to drift off from the drone of Mr. Berry's voice, but I felt something poke me in the ribs and glanced up to see Flash looking at me, a somewhat cross look on his face.

A stab of pity shot through me when I recalled what had happened yesterday in the Nurse's Office. Flash breaking down, blaming himself on our loss to Cloudy & Co. Just the though of the pain those three caused Flash made me want to give them a Dragon Pulse to the face. But... I didn't know how to use that move, which angered me even farther.

I felt another poke, and I glanced over at Flash questioningly.

"Try to pay attention," Flash whispered.

"It's so hard," I replied quietly.

"Could be worse," Flash stated, "We could be in Beginning Berry class."

I shuttered, recalling all the exceedingly boring lectures I had received in that class. Some of those lessons I'm pretty sure didn't belong in a Beginning Berry class at all. And Mrs. Leaf... Good teacher? Yes. Interesting lecturer? Not in a million years.

"You've got a point," I replied, "Mrs. Leaf should give her lectures during detention. Maybe that would keep Shifters from ever wanting to come back. The Ultimate Punishment."

Flash smiled, and I smiled back at him before turning my attention to Mr. Berry. He was still droning on about berries' battle effects and I struggled not to drift off again.

I attempted to take notes to keep myself from being bored out of my mind. At the top of my notebook page, I wrote; Berries & Battles. Then on the page I had a doodle of a guy peeking over a fence (I said I attempted, I never said I was successful).

Suddenly, a sharp, foul sent invaded my nose, and my attention snapped back to the classroom. Other Shifters looked around, just as wary of the stench as I was. I felt like I knew the smell from somewhere, but where?

Suddenly, alarms blared through the school, and the fire alarms that hung on the wall flash.

"FIRE!" a person screamed.

Immediately, panic gripped the class as dark clouds rolled down the hallway and slowly snaked its way into the classroom. I instinctively dropped into a crouch. Flash did the same, crouching low where all the oxygen would be. Lucky for him, he was short.

As the chaos erupted, only one thought flashed through my mind.

Where's Ruby?

---

~ Author's Note

*Dramatic music* Bum bum bum, bahm!

And we end on a cliffhanger! Finally, no more exposition, and we can get on to the real action!

Ruby: That was just the exposition!?

Shimmer: I loath you.

Aw, come on! You've got to admit, this story is getting pretty awesome! Be proud of your author! I managed to get two consecutive chapters out on time (even though this chapter is a bit shorter than I had anticipated...)!

Flicker: Good, now we can get to the end of the story faster.

You mean no one likes this story?

Flash: I like it!

Leo: I kinda have to, although you can be exceptionally cruel sometimes.

Don't blame me, blame the villains!

Ruby: And who is this villain?

*creepy voice* You'll see!!!!..........

Ruby: I still don't see anything.

You're ruining my dramatic conclusion! Go on to the next chapter!

Ruby: Of course, I had to end up with the crazy author, didn't I?

If I'm crazy, what does that say about you?

Ruby: ..... And I'm gone. *vanishes*

Good! Now, back to dramatic exit!

*creepy voice* You'll see!!!!...........