***Jason's P.O.V.***

Its been two days since our first gym battle with Damian. I still couldn't believe I won, without any of my Pokemon fainting too! I started to skip beside Sean as the glee shot up into my head. 

Sean had won too, but it was extremely close. I mean, he went entirely off the book, using such ineffective types to beat Damian. If you'd seen him battle you'd be as amazed by him as I am. He stood there, so brave and calm, commanding his Pokemon with authority. I let a sigh slip through my lips. I hate to admit, but I kinda like the way he takes charge.

We were on our way through this weird forest that was eerily quiet. It was like in one of the movies where you knew something bad was going to happen. It was dark, due to the tall trees overshadowing us. Any sunlight that tried to reach the ground was barred by the tall, looming trees. The trees were a dark, dull brown that scented the air with the vegetation around it. And if the place couldn't have gotten any scarier, you couldn't have seen more than two meters in front of you because of the darkness. Torchic volunteered to provide a bit of light for us with some flames, that's what got us through thus far.

Silence filled the air. Neither of us said anything. I just walked. And he just... walked. It drove me nuts, but inside my head, I had to keep cool. Spending this much time with Sean has made me realize something, he's not one to give in and pour out. He's not the talky-type. I just had to let him talk first.

"So, those gym battles were pretty cool huh?" He said, breaking the deafening silence that had surrounded us. See?

"Yeah, I mean, they were okay," I said trying to stay cool. Sean huffed in amusement. "What's so funny?"

"Okay? Jason, you were sweating an ocean out there!" He joked laughing a bit too hard.

"Sorry, but I'm not the one who was on the ground beating the floor when a certain Pokemon fainted," I cut back, directing my words to Torchic.

Sean gasped, and then the place fell dark. All I could see were those scarlet eyes of his, gleaming in the dark. How was that possible. They were so majestic, so subtle yet so overwhelming. They were, they were-

"Great," Sean said out of the blue... Black.

"What'd you say?" I asked confused at how he read my mind.

"You got Torchic upset."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"Well it came out like that," he said, but not angrily. It was more matter-of-factly.

"Hey, Torchic I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I meant to get back at your stupid trainer." My words went from calm to bitter. Sean's eyes rolled in the darkness. A second later our path was illuminated by Torchic's flames once more.

"So, where to now?" Sean asked me as we stepped over a set of logs.

"You're asking me? Aren't you supposed to be the one in charge of this thing?"

"Being in charge all the while gets... Overwhelming, so, it's your turn," Sean smirked as he skipped ahead of Torchic's light and out of view.

Great, he's disappeared, not the first boy to do it.

I continued walking trying to ignore the fact that Sean had started a game of hide-and-go-seek which I didn't agree to. And I was freaked out, just a tad bit more than usual. I mean sure, I had Torchic and Snivey by my side, but... It was still scary. "Hey, Sean!" I shouted into the uncertainty of the forest. "You can come out now I'm not playing!"

No answer.

I swear this boy is doing too much.

A crackle came from somewhere off the path. This was getting creepy fast.

Another one, this time with a bit more CRACK and a bit less of the rest.

"Sean, get yo ass out on this damn path now before I make Snivey Vine Whip yo ass to the next town!" I yelled, half afraid and half angry. I hated when the  black stereotype in me lashes out.

One more crack. This time closer to us. I began to freak out in my mind, Snivey must've sensed my fear cause he sprung out of his Pokeball which was right in my hand at the moment.

The forest remained silent for some time, well until Sean decided to reveal his whereabouts with a hollering, "Help!"

Torchic, Snivey and I snapped our heads in unison to the direction where he made the scream. Arceus knew how weak I was at that point cause Arceus knows Sean had made me wanna piss myself.

This boy was being choked by a vicious snake Pokemon!

I'm done, I didn't sign up for this.

"Sean. Man, come on," I said frantically searching around my backpack for Arceus knows what could help. I fumbled over a few things until my Pokedex proved the most helpful by booting up. I pointed the device over at the Pokemon that was basically strangling my partner. My cheeks heated up at the thought, but I choked down the tingly feeling I was getting and tried to focus more on the problem before me. 

"POKEDEX IDENTIFIES POKEMON AS ARBOK!" the thing basically blasted billions of hertz into the air. Arbok hissed and started to sway awkwardly. "Pokedex has performed standardized confusion drill to assist in such a situation. Wild Arbok is now confused and will be easier to either catch or run away from." It booted down.

"That's pretty cool" I said to myself, staring at my Pokedex in awe.

"Umm, hello. Being killed by a snake here," Sean struggled to spit up from the grip around his neck. I snapped out of my astonishment and ran over to Sean.

"Well, we wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for someone's childish behaviour."

"I know right!" He said as he got up from underneath the swaying snake slowly. "I mean how petty can you get?" He asked looking disappointed. Wait. Did he just pin this on me? Ugh no.

"Me? You're pinning this on me?"

"Yup" he replied simply.

"How is that even-"

"Shh," he said, placing a finger to my lips gently, sending a weird sensation through my bones. "You messed up, its okay," he said with a small smirk, holding his head down slightly, the way proud people did when they knew they won something. I had it.

"Take your dirty finger off my lips," I said harshly displacing his soft finger from my own lip. "If this is your idea of a joke it isn't funny. You could've gotten hurt - or - or worst!" I began feeling an abnormal twisting in my head, "what if you died? Huh?! What would I - your Father do!" His eyes widened a bit, they seemed to be filled with concern, but it was really hard to tell with them inviting my soul to have a party in their magnificence.

"Wow, sorry," he said, hanging his head in shame. Finally, I got to him. "Guess I did go a bit too far," he said lowly, beginning to walk off. Torchic scurried in front of him. Guess you learn a bit more about someone every day.

Other than the few noises Torchic or Snivey would make, and Sean's mumbling, the forest remained quiet.

Again, I became uneasy at the moments. I would have spoken to Sean, but I figured he was upset that I called him out like that.

So, I succumbed to my boredom and decided to let my other Pokemon out to stretch its legs... Stubs? What does a Poliwag have? Anyways. Yeah, I let him out. "Liwag!" It beamed, jumping up and down.

"Hey Poliwag, happy to get out of that tight space?" I asked, kneeling down to pet its shiny, sleek skin. It nodded, looking super happy. Before I knew it, the darkness had engrossed both of us, and Torchic's flame was nowhere in sight.

I panicked.

No joke.

I legit just sprang unto my feet running in place shaking my hands the way little kids did when they were in trouble. Poliwag remained silent. I started to wonder if it was even still there. I knelt back down and waved my hand through the air hoping to feel the moist, slippery body of my tadpole Pokemon. But I didn't. And that's when the panicking really begun. I jumped up and down, frantically shaking my entire body, screaming and wheezing and coughing and crying all at once. I even began to scream!

My breathing shortened. My limbs gave up, I could feel the lump in my throat enlarging, blocking my attempts of respiration. The darkness didn't just stare at me with its omniscient presence. It ate me up and swallowed my soul, and I felt the cold grasp of death creeping up my face, making me shiver. I closed my eyes and then realized it would be the same-

Dark.

So I stayed on the hard ground, inviting its tickling shrubs to cradle my body to sleep. Eternal sleep.

****

***SEAN'S P.O.V.***

Jason went missing a few minutes ago, and I heard a few screams and cries of distress a while back. I followed them but I didn't find him. I was getting really worried. And by really worried I mean 'tear-my-hair-out' worried.

Snivey wasn't even walking, he was running, forcing Torchic to keep up with him in case we lost him too. I was freaking out. I mean, I just caused him to go super ghetto on my ass cause I was playing around like a little kid and because of my stupidity, I didn't realize my friend had vanished. I caused him to get lost in this dark ass forest. I began to mentally beat up myself. It was all my fault.

I fell to the ground putting my head in my hands, shaking out the million of negative thoughts I had beating at the door of my conscience.

Snivey stopped and turned around standing in front of me. He put his tiny hands to his hips disapprovingly. "Jeeson!" He said authoritatively, pointing to some random part of the forest. That's right, Snivey and Torchic were getting more human the more they grew, it's only expected that they'd start forming speech patterns. He wanted me to get up and continue looking. But how could I? I caused it. I was the reason why-

SLAP

Snivey had Vine Whipped me across the face. It looked at me angrily with furrowed leaf-brows and its mouth slightly agape, releasing a high pitched sound that sounded like a scratched record. "Get. Up."

Snivey just told me to get up. It spoke. I unconsciously rose. That one act of loyalty syringed new sense inside of me. A nudge that said I can't give up on finding Jason. Snivey's wouldn't allow himself to just sit around and wallow in negativity... Like what I was doing. "Let's look for Jason."

****

***JASON'S P.O.V.***

I woke up to wet hands on my face, holding me with caution. My eyes fluttered open. I winced at the brightness of the room.

Room?

I was in a room. Last I remembered I was on the forest floor... Dying. I pushed myself up to rest on my elbows. I had a look around. The room was a part of a cabin, smoothed white birch and oak planks. It was furnished with a few things; an old fashioned, striped couch with old-timey cushions, a rug was on the floor - real classy, and the small bed I'd been occupying. A single window allowed the sunlight to shine into the little room and into my eyes. No door though. Odd. I got up, walking around inspecting everything closer. The place smelled of old shoes and stanky socks. Dare I say - ew! The repugnant scent led me back to the bed, forcing me to cough up a storm. It clouded my vision, stung my eyes and made me all flustered again.

A creaking sound was made from below. I quickly looked down. There was a trapdoor under the rug. I quickly flew under the bed and watched as an Indian-looking boy made his way up the trapdoor. His face became eye level with the ground and our eyes made four. I gulped in fear. He was staring right at me.