November 26th, 2010: A mission for Lord Verin
Today I was asked by Lord Verin himself to carry out a specific mission of retrieval. He came to me with a rather bizarre look in his eye, and he spoke up with an order. "SNAPS, I feel frivolous today......BRING ME SOMETHING TO KILL. Preferably something small and pink."
I immediately understood what he wanted me to do. It was obvious that he came to me for a reason, for I have excellent tracking capabilities. When I was bitten by the Mightyena, and turned into such a beast, my senses were all enhanced. I can hear things that go on from miles away, and I can smell the energy in the air. I was more than capable to obtain "something to kill". the fact that he had specified that he wanted me to bring him something "small and pink" also was just enough for me to understand what it was he wanted me to bring back. I started out on my mission to retrieve a Skitty, but not just any Skitty....Verin was malicious, and he wouldn't want just any sort of the Pokemon, he would be very particular... Verin wanted me to search for one that would make an emotional impact on the members of the PWF. He wanted a relative of the Skitty who was utterly destroyed on the night of our first attack. The PWF had mourned the Pokemon ever since it was wiped away from this world, and Verin wanted a way to manipulate the emotions of the group by seizing a Skitty from "Bubbles'" family.
With My Mightyena, "Ebony" at my side, I immediately headed out for the location of the Nightwalker's first battle, the former location of Battle Square. Sadly, I wasn't around at the time of the war to account for the things that had happened, but nonetheless I had heard word that this was the location of Bubbles' slaughter. It was a desolate wasteland now. Only the remains of protruding tree were left to tell the tales of the dead. It was such a broad area of nothing, I stood there for a moment or two, it took a few minutes to decide where I should start. If I am to find a relative of Bubbles as Verin has commanded, the best way for me to go about the search would be to learn the scent of the little rodent. I concluded that I should be able to sniff around until I could find the exact location of the Skitty's death. Ebony was already doing her job, she was sniffing around, brushing the dirt with her nose trying her best to catch a smell that might help me out in some way. I began sniffing the ground as well, trying to pick up any hint of a familiar smell that I could recognize as a clue. It was not long after I started observing the smells of the area that I did happen to catch a waft of a familiar smell, but it was not exactly what I was looking for. That smell...is it? I followed my nose until it lead me to a spot of ash. Could this be it? I began to sniff the ashes, it carried multiple smells. Smells of fire, smells of a certain kind of Pokemon (I hadn't a clue what Skitty smelled like at the time), but most importantly, it carried the smell of Sunny. I could easily recognize that smell anywhere. "Ebony! Come here!" My partner rushed to my aid with a quick bark. "Sniff this for me, is that not the remains of the Skitty that was killed on that night?" The Mightyena began to sniff the ashes violently, it was obvious there was some kind of smell that lied in those ashes that was stealing her attention. She stopped and her tail stood straight up, she let out a long howl. "So it is? This is the ashes of Bubbles, Sunny's Skitty?" The pooch barked happily, it was enough of a sign to let me know that my assumption was correct. I decided it would be beneficial to remember that smell myself, the smell of Bubbles. If I could find that smell anywhere else, I would know that it was the deceased Pokemon's family.
How will I ever find the location of this Skitty's family? The thoughts frustrated me, I was a bit discouraged. I had found the remains of the Skitty, and got a good example of how they smell, but I did not know how to go through with the rest of my search. "Ebony! you seemed to recognize the smell of the Skitty, correct?" She barked in acknowledgment. "Meaning, you knew the scent of the family already. Obviously you've had some kind of encounter with the Skitties before, otherwise you would not have recognized the smell. Do you think you could lead me to the place where you met with the Skitty before?" The Pokemon didn't respond verbally, she darted off without hesitation, expecting me to follow, as I did. As we ran to our destination, thoughts were swirling through my head. I wondered how the PWF would respond if they learned of the death of an innocent Pokemon that was in relation to the one who they had so closely been attached to. It didn't really concern me, I was almost excited to find out the answer to that question actually. It was too bad Lord Verin wouldn't let me kill the Pokemon myself, but I suppose he wants to make it a bit more personal with Sunny.
Over time, we had left the dead wasteland of Battle Square, and we found ourselves deep inside the trees of a well lit forest. I seemed like the perfect place for a defenseless Pokemon to stay. I assumed we were close, and I was correct, for shortly after the thought crossed my mind Mightyena stopped still and began sniffing the ground. I joined him, I figured I could put myself to use. It was amazing, as soon as I began sniffing the smell I had smelt in those ashes reunited with me, only now it was about ten time stronger than what was left on the ashes. It was no doubt this was the location of the Bubbles' family. Ebony was zigzagging his way through leaves, and grass. I decided to climb a tree to get a better view. When I reached the top of the tree, I noticed a few figures, other than my Pokemon, skipping around. They were small, and I could hear their soft voices as they hopped. They were off a little ways in the distance, and Ebony was following his nose straight for them. It reconfirmed my belief that the Skitty family was here. I jumped out of the tree, and called out to Ebony, "Come on pooch, follow me!". Ebony heeded my command, and we traveled deeper into the woods. "There's one! Seize it!" Ebony dashes her way over toward the Pokemon and pins it to the ground. I walk my way over to the two. "Confirm that it is family...." The Mightyena sniffed it a bit, and let out a bark to let me know that it was indeed a relative of Bubbles. "Good, lemme have it." Ebony took the Skitty and dragged it over to me, I almost questioned whether or not he had killed it, because it refused to move in his aggression. I picked it up, and it reassured me, it started trying to claw me like a baby kitten. I gripped it with one hand in a way that it could not reach me with its minuscule little claws. It's smell was strong, I didn't have to sniff it. It was just like the smell from the ashes. I held it in front of my face. I was thrilled to see how scared it looked. I guess we should be heading back now.... It's no telling what Lord Verin plans to do with this little beast....
Ohh, the PWF, and Sunny herself would just looooove to see another Skitty casualty put to the slaughter, now wouldn't they? I tried, but nothing could contain the happiness that swelled up inside me. I started to laugh a bit. "It's time to go Ebony. Lets bring this little fella back to the Master, and see how he will put it to use. I imagine the PWF will hear about this soon enough."
We were just about to leave the forest, with the Skitty screaming in my hand. I had almost passed the final set of trees when I heard Mightyena whelp in pain. I looked back in surprise to see a fairly large Skitty latched to the back of Ebony's neck. The pooch thrusted forward with all the strength she could muster, and the Skitty was catapulted through the air, slamming into a nearby tree. The pink Pokemon began to climb to its feet, but Mightyena wouldn't allow it. She ran over and clamped her mouth over the objecting Skitty, and wrestled it to the ground. It did not stand back up, and Ebony judged that she had done her job. I didn't say a word, I just kept walking.... it seemed as though the Skitty in my hand stopped squirming after this occurrence, most likely in fear that something similar would happen to it as well.
When I returned to base, I met up with Lord Verin. "Lord Verin, I have retrieved you the Pokemon you asked for! What am I to do with it? I held up the Pokemon for The Master to see, and waited for his response.
The man grins with a horrid smile, reaching out to the Skitty, he rubs a hand along it's face.
"Dear...sweet Skitty, it has no idea what I intend to do with it."
