My Pokemon Platinum Nuzlocke: Beyond the Darkness

it's the real world if a Pokemon dies then it need to stay dead.

Why only one Pokemon per route?
Too many Pokrmon to catch on a rout, just capture the first pokemon that you see and nothing else.

Why do your rival's Pokemon stay alive?
Pokemon conservation?
the no doppelganger rule*
Why are trainers allowed to kill wild mons if they're trying to
the rival's Pokemon are slightly stronger then mine so they don't die, I think we should be able to understand what the Pokemon say, they have dreams and feelings to you know.

Catching the same pokemon on a different rout would be like replacing the one that you had been training before when it died, as for the "killing the other Pokemon on the said rout they just get knocked out.

The Pokeball make an illusion(be it a forest, open plain, or even a comfy coushon) and helps keep the pokemon calm with no drugs involved.

The Rival:
because my rival is a duchbag. therefor he is always jumping into things without thinking it through. so he returns his Pokemon before they die.(Same applies for the evil organization)

Rated PG-13 and up for blood and langrage

Pokemon Platinum Nuzlocke Fanfiction: Beyond the Darkness

Prologue

The small light coming off from the T.V. had just been turned off as a young girl of 15 stretched her arms and was about to head to bed. The room was full of many things but one thing stood out. A small picture of a man, a woman, and a small child torn in half on a desk beside the bed, "Night dad. Tomorrow I get my first Pokemon." she whispered being careful not to disturb her mom who was sleeping in the room next to her. Just as she was about to get into her bed there was a faint tap at her window. Walking over to her window only to see a Starly tapping it's beak on the glass as if to say good night.Giggling softly she turned to head back to bed and bumped into something slightly taller than her. Before she could do anything like screaming for her mom a hand was placed over her mouth muffling the not so loud shriek . "Will you calm down, Elena? It only me." she heard a voice say already knowing who it was by the tone he was using.

With a frustrated sigh she removed the hand and glared at the blond haired boy. "Tamaki, what on earth are you doing in my house? And how did you get in here?!" she whispered loudly with a look that could kill. "Simple I found your house key under the mat for the back door, also you saw that Red Gyarados? Oh man Professor Rowan sure know a lot about Pokemon." he whispered in admiration. Elena just sighed while placing her hand on her hip, "Well he is a world renowned Pokemon Researcher. Also that's not the only reason you broke into my house at 11 o'clock at night is it?" she said with a slight accent she got from her mother. Waving his hand in front of him he chuckled quietly, "Ok, ok you got me. I don't want to wait to get our Pokemon tomorrow so I thought we could go and get them now." he said with a devious grin.

Before Elena could reply Tamaki had already bolted out the room through the window. Running to the now open window Elena looked out to see Tamaki running to his house. I swear that guy takes after his father sometimes. she thought as she put on her black jacket and Bunnary slippers. Sneaking passed her mother's room she tiptoed down stairs and went out the front door. With a sigh of relief she took off towards Tamaki's house, as soon as she got there Tamaki rammed into her causing her to fall. He grabbed her hand before she fell to the ground. "You know you need to be more careful when you trying to get somewhere." he said with a grin. Standing up straight Elena dusted herself off. "Maybe you should take your own advise." she mumbled. Not hearing her Tamaki took off once again, leaving Elena in the dust.

With a small growl she ran after him towards the edge of town. Finally catching up to her friend she saw him standing near the tall grass, looking at it she heard what her mother had told her many times before, "Don't go in the tall grass. There are wild Pokemon that can hurt you." the words echoed in Elena's ears. "Tamaki I think we should head back home with if we run into a wild Pokemon." she said with a worried tone. Tamaki shrugged it off before looking at her, "Hey don't worry so much. We'll just stay close to the edge of the grass and avoid any Pokemon all together." he said before running away from the grass. "Ok!! Three...Two... One!!" he shouted as he started to run towards the grass. "Hold it right there!" an older voice shouted loudly causing Elena to jump a foot out of her skin. Tamaki actually tripped and fell on his face. He turned to see who had stopped him from his destiny and saw an old man with a mustache and a young boy behind him.

"Y-you're-" Tamaki stuttered before he was cut off. "What do you think you're doing heading off into the tall grass without any Pokemon?" the man scowled Tamaki. Wincing at the tone Elena quickly came to his defense, "It was my idea sir, you see tomorrow we get our first Pokemon and i was so excited I wanted to get it right away." she said trailing off at the end. With a stern look the man looked at the two kids before turning to the boy behind him, "Lucas hand me my briefcase." he said. "But Professor are you sure they can handle them? What if they are too much?" the boy protested. The Professor didn't say a word but only held his hand out for the briefcase. The boy, Lucas, gave the man his briefcase with a sigh and the man opened it. Tamaki's and Elena's eyes widened in astonishment. Inside were three Pokeballs, taking all three the man released the creatures inside of them.

Elena could hardly contain her excitement, in front of her were three of the cutest Pokemon she had ever seen. "You both may choose only one Pokemon to be your partner." the Professor said placing his hand behind his back. The turtle like one just stared at her and quickly tuned away almost like he said, "Hump". With an unsure chuckle the looked at the other two Pokemon, the small blue one looked like a penguin and looked at her with lazy eyes. "I'm picking this one!" Tamaki shouted picking up the unsuspecting Pokemon. With wide eyes in shock Elena looked back at the last Pokemon. A small chimp like Pokemon with a small flame. He looked like he was enjoying the night sky, with a small chuckle Elena reached out to the Pokemon, "Would you like to come with me?" she asked him.(at least she thought it was a boy) The Pokemon looked at her hand and at Tamaki who was now twirling around with his new but dizzy Pokemon. "I'm going to call you Honey-Senpai!" he shouted. "Piiplu-uup!(My na-ame is Yuki!)" the Piplup shouted.

The fire type laughed and took Elena's hand, "Sure." he said. Elena was surprised did the Pokemon just talk? Elena shook her had, she had to be hearing things just then Tamaki stopped twirling and thanked the Professor. Before Elena could also thank the man he walked off. "Elena why don't we have a battle?" Tamaki asked his childhood friend. "Tamaki I just want to go home before my mom wales up." she whined. The Chimchar was now on her shoulder and looked at the dizzy Piplup. "You ok Yuki?" he asked his friend. "Pip piplup.(I'll be fine once the sky gets back to where it's supposed to be.)" he replied dizzily.

"Ok! Honey-Senpai use Growl!" Tamaki ordered. Shaking his head the newly named Honey-Senpai growled and did as he was told. "Uh..Chimchar use Scratch!" Elena said not fully sure of what to do. the chimchar shuddered slightly as his opponent growled at him but started to swipe his fingers at the Pokemon. This went on for a while as soon as the battle had started it was over. Both Pokemon were nearly out of breath but the Chimchar looked like he was about to pass out. "Honey-Senpai use Pound!" Tamaki shouted as the Pokemon charged forward with his flipper high and pounded the small chimp. With a pained cry the Pokemon passed out. With a gasp Elena ran towards her Pokemon. "Are you ok little guy?" she asked the Pokemon. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine after a nice long rest." he replied. Elena quietly gasped she did hear her Pokemon talk. Had they already formed that strong of a bond after a battle? "See you tomorrow, Elena!!" Tamaki shouted racing home dragging the Piplup with him.

With yet another sigh Elena picked up her Pokemon and started walking home. "Why can I understand you, but not Tamaki's Piplup?" she asked the Chimchar. "I'm not sure, i think it's like that for every Pokemon trainer. They can understand only their own Pokemon." he explained. Elena giggled, "Tamaki must of been to excited to hear what Piplup was saying. By the way my name's Elena, what's your's?" she asked the fire type. The chimchar was surprised at this, normally the trainer would just give their Pokemon a nickname without asking if it was ok with them. He looked back at her with a wide smile, "My name's Starkk." he replied as they entered Elena's home. Elena noticed that the living room light was on and imedeitly felt sick to her stomach. "What were you doing outside this late at night?" her mother asked her. Quickly turning around Elena faced her mother as she tried to explain. Her mother saw the exhausted Pokemon in her arms and sighed, "Just go to bed. I'll talk with you in the morning." her mother said kissing her daughter's forehead.

With a sad nod she headed up stairs,"Are you in trouble?" Starkk asked quietly. "Yeah but I think I'll be ok. I'll just tell her what happened." Elena said taking off her slippers off at her bedroom door. Placing the Chimchar, Starkk, on her bed she took off her jacket, placing it on the chair and curled into bed. "Good night Starkk. See you in the morning." she said with a sigh. Taking one of the pillows she gave it to Starkk, he looked at it and smiled walking closer to her he curled up close to her chest and closed his eyes. "Good night, Elena. Also thank you."

Chapter 1
The beginning of a New Adventure

The sun had risen above the trees when Elena had woken up. Getting dressed and glancing at Starkk who was still asleep. Walking out of the room closing the door behind her, "I'll be right back Starkk." she said softly. Heading down stairs she saw her mother watching the news. "Good morning." she said quietly as her shuffled her feet nervously. Hearing her daughter, Elena's mother turned off the Television and faced her daughter. In the corner of the mother's eye she saw the Chimchar from the previous night. Elena was ready for the shouting and closed her eyes in fear. Unaware that Starkk was watching he saw Elena's mom give her a comforting hug, "I'm just glade you're safe. You really are similar to your father. Just let me know when you leave to keep Tamaki out of trouble, ok?" he heard her say.

Elena looked up at her mother with wide but confused eyes, "You're not mad?" she asked. Her mother chuckled, "I am mad but not as much as before. I see you have a new friend." she said nodding at the Chimchar. Looking to where her mother was she saw Starkk climbing down the rail and leap onto her shoulder. "I'm glad you didn't get into that much trouble." he said to her as he rub his head close to her face. Elena giggle as she felt the soft fur tickling her, "Where did you get this chimchar anyway?" her mother asked holding out her hand to the fire type. Starkk looked at the mothers hand and took it with his paw, "Nice to meet you ma'am." he replied. "Professor Rowan gave him to me." Elena replied. Elena's mom looked at her with curious eyes, "He did? Did you thank him?" she asked. Elena let out a nervous chuckle, "Well I was about to but he had just left and Tamaki challenged me to a battle." she explained.

"I understand, I think Rowan is in Sandgem Town. I want you to take these as well." Elena's mother said reaching near the end of the couch. Elena tried to see what her mother was reaching for and nearly fell over. Quickly regaining her balance her mother revealed what she was getting. "An old pair of sneakers?" she asked. Her mother chuckled, "I know they look warn out but they still have some spirit in them left." she said giving her daughter the shoes. "I'll be back as soon as I can!" Elena called after putting on the shoes. Heading out the door she began her walk towards Sandgem Town.

After a few minutes she was at the Sign Post that helped guide travelers to the towns and the Lake near Twinleaf. "Elena!!" she heard her name being called. "Oh boy, Tamaki I don't want to battle right now. I need to get to Sandgem Town and thank the Professor for letting me keep Starkk." she said crossing her arms. "Aw, come on Elena I just wanted to see if you were ok after having another argument with your mom." Tamaki said with a sigh. Elena's hair covered her eye so Tamaki couldn't see the angry glare she was giving him. "Is he always like this?" Starkk asked her feeling her tense up. "Yes." she muttered with clenched teeth. "Elena you'll brake your teeth like that if you don't stop keeping your anger in from the argument with your mother." Tamaki said turning his back to his childhood friend.Starkk thought Elena was going to explode she was as red as a Cheri berry. "Tamaki, if you don't want me to punch your teeth in you better start running!" she shouted charging at him. The blond boy turns and started running as fast as he could to get away from his raging friend.

Stopping for a moment after dashing through the clear path, and taking deep breaths Elena started to calm down. "A-are you ok? It looked like you could of used Flamethrower on the guy." Starkk said glancing at his friend. "We went in the wrong direction. That's what I get for letting him get to me." Elena said looking around as she noticed they were at Lake Verity. "Is it safe to come out?" she heard from behind her. With an annoyed sigh, "Only if you apologize." she said with a huff. "Huh? What I do?" Tamaki asked slowly getting out of his hiding place. "Pip piplup.(Just apologize to her.)" Honey-Senpai muttered. Tamaki glanced at his Pokemon before fully coming out of the bush, "I'm sorry. But I--" Tamaki never got to finish his sentence as Elena put her hand over his mouth and put a finger up telling him to be quiet. Taking his hand she dragged him back into the bush.

Off in the distance there was a man standing near the edge of the lake looking towards a small island in the middle. "...The flowing time... The expanding space... I will make it all mine one day... Cyrus is my name. Remember it... Until then, sleep while you can, legendary Pokémon of the lake bed...." he said as he started to leave unaware of the two kids that were watching him. "Why are we hiding in the bush? Are you trying to make out with me?" Tamaki said with a smug grin.

SLAP!

Elena got out of the bush and stormed out away from the bush muttering angrily. Starkk was too scared to say anything. "O~w! Elena that hurt." Tamaki whined rubbing his now red left cheek. "Well if you hadn't suggested that, then I wouldn't have hit you!" Elena said glaring daggers at her friend. Poor Honey-Senpai was so scared he was crying in fear.

"Kyuuun!!"

All four creatures stood perfectly still as they heard a strange cry. "What was that?" Starkk asked. "I don't know, come on let's just get to Sandgem Town." Elena said leaving the lake. Now she was truly on her way to Sandgem Town surprisingly she didn't run into any Pokemon. As the two reached the edge of the small forest they had made it to their destination: Sandgem Town. "Finally we made it, I'm exhausted!" Elena shouted sliding to her knees. Hopping off her shoulder Starkk stood in front of his trainer, "Come on Elena once you thank the Professor you can head on home and then we can eat lunch." he said, as soon as he did both stomachs growled. Groaning and putting her hand over her stomach she placed her face into the ground, "Great. I knew I was forgetting something I forgot to get us something to eat before leaving." she whined scolding herself at her own stupidity.

Hearing something approaching them Stark turned ready to defend his trainer. "Hey! Y-you're--" Starkk said before he was cut off. "Hey aren't you that girl from last night?" she heard someone say.Slowly lifting her head Elena saw the boy from last night, "You're Lucas, right?" she asked. Lucas tilted his head slightly and helped Elena off the ground. "What were you doing on the ground?" he asked her. Elena's face turned red from embarrassment, before she could say a word her stomach growled yet again. This made her blush even more. Lucas chuckled quietly and reached for his backpack, and took out a box of Pokefood and two sandwiches. "Here you go little guy", he said placing the can in front of Starkk. "Thanks!" Starkk said as he began to eat the food.

Lucas laughed as he watched the Chimchar began to eat his meal. Sitting down next to Elena he handed her one of the sandwiches, she took it with hesitation and slowly took a bite. Eyes widening at how amazing it was, she started to wolf it down. She felt someone staring at her and she looked to her side and saw Lucas watching her with wide eyes. Oh Arceas. He's gonna think I'm a Snorlax! she thought with embarrassment. But instead Lucas just smiled. "That good huh? I'm Lucas by the way." he said, taking a bite out of his meal. Elena finished chewing her food and swallowed, "My name's Elena. You probably already know Starkk." she said, looking at her partner and he finished the can of food. With a small burp he placed his paw over his mouth, "Excuse me."

Lucas laughed, "Yeah I help the Professor take care of the Pokemon so they can be ready for their new trainers. I can kind of understand them but not that much." he said as he took out a Pokeball out from his belt and released the Pokemon inside. Elena shouldn't have been surprised on what the Pokemon was but, she had to ask, "Is that the Turtwig from last night?" she asked. "Twig turtwig!(My name's Lilly!)" the Pokemon huffed. "Aw come on Lilly. You don't have to get so defensive." Starkk and Lucas said at the same time. Elena laughed, "I don't think she likes me that much. But she is still cute." she said as she got up with Starkk climbing on her shoulder. "Thank you for the meal Lucas but I need to get to Sandgem town." she said as she started walking. "I'm heading in that direction, if you need to see the Professor I can show you where the lab is." Lucas offered.

With a shy smile Elena nodded and started to follow Lucas. As he started walking, he put Lilly on his head. After a short walk they had arrived in Sandgem Town. Taking in the view Elena and Starkk looked around taking in the new smells and sounds. Somewhere off in the distance Elena could hear the sound of waves crashing. "Is there a beach near here?" she asked Lucas as he was watching her. "Yeah. But We need to find the Professor." Lucas said as he opened the door to the lab for Elena. Elena was about to walk inside when something crashed into her, sending both trainer and Pokemon to the ground. Elena didn't need to look to see who had bumped into her, she could hear the angry cries of a Piplup. "OhmygoshElenaI'msosorry! Are you ok?!" he said as he tried to help the girl up. Just like before, Elena was red as fire with anger, "Tamaki start running, before I gouge out your eyes and shove them up your--" Tamaki didn't even hear what she had said he was already heading for home.

"Elena calm down, you need to take deep breaths." Starkk said trying to calm down his trainer. Taking a deep breath Elena managed to calm herself and got off the ground. Lucas was standing at the door trembling in fear, "You can be scary sometimes." he whispered hoping that the girl didn't hear him. Miraculously Elena failed to notice the comment and walked into the lab. Now the lab itself looked small from the outside but on the inside, it was like stepping into a space station. "Wait here I'll go find Professor Rowan." Lucas said before heading off in a direction. Elena wandered around and found herself at a large bookshelf with huge books. Taking one of the smaller looking one down she tried reading it. "W-what does half of this even mean?" she said trying to figure out some of the over complicated words.

"Ahem." she heard behind her. With a small shudder she put the book back in it's place and turned to see Rowan himself. "If you're not too busy, I would like for you to come with me." he said before turning to walk away. Elena quickly followed not wanting to get left behind. "Uh, um, I wanted to thank you for letting me keep my Pokemon. Also my name is Elena." she said quietly. Rowan glanced at her to see her head low and her hands behind her back. He chuckled, "You can relax, and your welcome. You and Chimchar seem to be getting along quiet well. So tell me do you have any plans for your future?" he asked her. This caught Elena's attention, "I want to become a famous singer someday. I also want to find Pokemon that can sing as well or even play an instrument." she said with determination. They were now at the Professor's office and Lucas was already there waiting. "That is an amazing goal to have Elena, but how much do you know about Pokemon?" he asked her. This put Elena in a cold spot, "I'm afraid I know from what I see on T.V. sir." she said with a disappointed tone. Elena watched as Rowan looked at her and went to his desk, picking something up. "Tell me, do you know what this is?" he asked her knowing that she probably didn't know. Sure enough she shook her head no, "It's called a Pokedex. It gathers information on Pokemon that you have seen or caught. If you want to achieve your dreams, might I suggest you go on a Pokemon journey?" he said holding out the Pokedex in front of her. Elena looked at the Pokedex taking it in. If I go an a Pokemon journey I'll be a long way from home. But also it will help me fulfill me dreams. she thought as she looked over to Starkk. "What do you think?" she asked him. He grinned and gave her a thumb's up, "I think you should go for it. Besides it sounds like a lot of fun." he said. With a smile of her own she looked at the Professor, "Professor Rowan, I would like to go on a Pokemon journey." she said as the Professor chuckled and handed her the Pokedex.

"That is exactly what I was hoping you would say, Elena. Would you like to nickname--" "Professor. His name is Starkk, that's what he told me. I was unsure to why I could understand him, but he explained it to me." Elena interrupted the Professor. Rowan looked at the young girl in front of him, he smiled. "All right. You may want to tell your mother before leaving." he told her. Nodding letting him know that she understood, she took off back home to let her mother know that she was on her way to make her dreams a reality.

Chapter 2
The First Catch

Elena was about to head out of town when the Professor called her back. "I would like you to have this Technical Machine, or TM for short. It contains the move "Return"." he explained as he handed the disk to Elena. The girl looked at the disk in confusion, "How does it work?" she asked. "Like the name states, Return is a move used by a Pokemon, it's power depends on the Pokemon's love for it's trainer. For example if you were to teach it to Starkk the power would be normal. But if--" he said pausing to see if Elena could figure out the rest on her own. "So the longer I have said Pokemon with me the stronger it gets with time?" she guessed. "That is correct." Rowan said before Lucas came running out of the lab.

"Hey Elena, would you like to see the town before you head home?" he asked her. Elena blinked. Her mom wouldn't mind her sight seeing for a while right? "You see the building with the red roof? That one is the PokeCenter. You can go there to heal your Pokemon if they get exhausted or injured in a battle." he explained. Elena made a mantle note to go there when she would need it. "And the one with the blue roof is the Pokemart. You can buy all sorts of things from Pokefood, to Pokeball's and Potions." Lucas told her as she took in the new information. "Ok Blue roof is the Pokemart and the red roof is the Pokecenter, got it. Thanks for showing me around Lucas. I'm sorry to rush off, but I want to tell my mom that I'm going on an adventure with Starkk." Elena explained while apologizing. "No problem, I understand. I'll see you around sometime. Come on Lilly." he called before heading out with his Pokemon.

"Well here we go again, let's head home Starkk." she said glancing at her friend. "Don't worry, we'll get there in no time." he said with a laugh. Sure enough Elena found herself at home in no time at all. She told her mom that she was going. Once she was finished her mother sighed and nodded. "I guess I should have known that you would of wanted to leave for a Pokemon journey someday. You can go, just be careful while you're out there, ok?" Elena's mother said, giving her daughter a hug. Elena smiled, "Sure thing Mom." she said as there was a knock at the door. Turning to get the door Elena saw Tamaki's mother, "Hello Mrs. Tsukishima . Are you ok?" she asked with a worried look as she stood to the side to let her in. Tamaki's mother looked at her with worried eyes, "I shouldn't be worried, but Tamaki came rushing into the house saying something about him going on an adventure and then he raced out, leaving his Town Map." she said close to tears. Elena saw the Town Map in her hand and sighed. "Would you like for me to try to find him and give it to him?" Elena offered, seeing her own Town Map on the counter. "Oh would you? Tamaki is lucky to have a friend like you Elena." Tamaki's mother said with a sigh. After getting the maps and putting them in her bag, Elena headed out into the world with Starkk.

Back on the road to Sandgem Town, Elena let out her rage, "I'm going to kill him!!!" she shouted, startling a few Starly and sending them flying in all directions. "Elena, you don't have to get so upset." Starkk said, already getting used to her rage. "If Tamaki is lost in the woods somewhere starving, it's his own fault for leaving his Town Map. I don't mean to snap, but he can be so stupid sometimes." she said, trying to calm down. After a while, the two found themselves back at Sandgem Town. "So where do we go now?" she asked Starkk. He thought for a while and looked around, there was a set of trees on their left and he could smell the sea on the right. "Let's try over there." he said, pointing towards the trees. "Ok, maybe we can find him over there." Elena said as she passed the sign that said they were on Route 202. In the distance she saw a familiar red hat. She had a funny idea and began to sneak up on the unsuspecting boy. "Hey, Lucas!" she shouted, causing him to jump in the air and falling over. Both she and Starkk laughed at his reaction, "Now that's what I call relaxing and having fun." Starkk laughed as Lucas got off the ground. "Elena, don't do that!" he huffed. Still laughing, Elena wiped a tear away. "Come on Lucas, you have to admit it was funny." she giggled.

With a smile, he started to laugh. "You're right. Have you caught any Pokemon yet?" he asked her. Elena stopped laughing and checked her bag. "Aw man. I knew I was forgetting something." she said to herself. Lucas chuckled, "Why don't you let me show you how to capture a Pokemon? That way you'll know what to do when you find a Pokemon. The law states that you can only capture the first wild pokemon you find on a Route, otherwise it'll be either overwhelming for a new trainer or considered poaching." Lucas explained while Elena was taking in the information. "Are you studying to be Rowan's assistant? You seem to know a lot about this kind of stuff." Elena stated as Starkk nodded. Lucas chuckled, "Sort of. You see, I want to be the best I can be when it comes to Pokemon. I'm not quite sure on what I really want to do yet." he explained as he saw a Bidoof munching on a peace of tree bark. "Lilly let's go!" he called out his Turtwig. The Bidoof looked up and saw a Pokemon glaring at him. Setting it's meal down, it took it's battle stance. "Lilly, Tackle! First thing you should do is make the Pokemon too tired to fight back or just getting tired." Lucas said as Lilly tackled the brown Pokemon. The Bidoof slid back and shook his head, charging at the Turtwig. "You ok Lilly?" Lucas asked his partner. "Turtwig!" she cried out. With a sigh, Lucas took out a Pokeball. "When you think the Pokemon is tired enough, you throw a Pokeball at it. Like so!" he said as he threw a Pokeball at the Bidoof. The Bidoof flinched slightly as the ball landed on it's head, clicking open and dragging it inside. The ball wiggled a few time before there was a final "ting" sound, letting Lucas know that he caught the Pokemon.

"That's how you capture a Pokemon. Just make sure that you don't try to capture a Pokemon that belongs to another Trainer." he said with a serious look. "Don't worry, I would never dream of taking someone else's Pokemon." Elena said, holding her hands in front of her. With a chuckle, Lucas reached into his back and pulled out 5 Pokeballs, handing them to Elena, "Oh Lucas, I can't take your Pokeballs, you paid for them with your own money." she said, trying not to be rude. But Lucas chuckled again and insisted. "Don't worry, I've got plenty more. Think of it as a good luck gift." he said, letting the balls roll out of his hands and into hers. Placing the Pokeballs in her bag Elena thanked Lucas and headed off to Lake Verity.

Avoiding the tall grass, Elena and Starkk were hopping off of the ledges and took a short cut to get to the lake. "Ok! Let's get our first Pokemon!" Elena shouted with enthusiasm. "Yeah!!" Starkk shouted, punching his fist the air. Taking a deep breath, Elena started walking towards the tall grass. Here goes nothing. she thought, treading carefully. After a few minutes of looking around, Elena was starting to get annoyed. "Where are all of the Pokemon?" she said as quietly as she could, trying not to scare any of the Pokemon that might be nearby. "Ahhhhhhhh!" came a loud shrill, startling Elena and causing her to look up. She soon felt something land on her face. Starkk meanwhile was getting himself some water from the lake when he heard his trainer screaming about something. Looking back at his trainer, he was trying his best not to laugh. "Get it off me, get it off me, get it off me, get it off me!!" she screamed, quickly running back and forth.

Whatever was on her face was alive apparently because it had somehow managed to get off of Elena's face. Finally stopping, Elena was trying to catch her breath. That was when she heard laughter, turning to see who was laughing. Seeing Starkk near the lake, he was barely able to keep his laughter in. "Oh man you should of seen your face! It was too much!" a voice sounded in front of Elena. Looking down, she saw a small Starly. Before Elena could do anything, the Starly tackled Starkk. Being slightly stronger, Starkk barely felt it. "What are you laughing at?" the Starly asked with angry eyes. What's with this Starly? Elena thought, trying to figure out this pokemon. "First encounter here, So let's try to catch it. Starkk, Scratch!" she commanded. Starkk raised his paws and began scratching at the small bird Pokemon. Starly however was not having fun anymore. The small bird tried to get away by trying to fly. "Oh no you don't! Pokeball go!" she shouted, throwing the Pokeball at the Starly. Hitting the poor thing on the head caused it to cry out, the ball clicked open taking in it's prey. The ball landed on the ground and started to wiggle a few times before it stopped with a final, "Ting" sound.

Still in a small state of shock at her catch, Starkk picked up the Pokeball. Then he started walking over to Elena. "We caught a Pokemon Starkk!" Elena suddenly shouted. Scaring Starkk a little, she picked him up giving him a tight hug. "Elena, I can't breath." Starkk wheezed. Hearing what he said, she placed him on the ground. The sun was now setting, creating a soft glow on the trees and the lake. "Let's meet our new friend. Come on out!" Elena said. Tossing the ball into the air, it released the Starly they had just caught. Hearing a small sniffling sound, Elena looked at her new pokemon. "Are you ok?" she asked him. "-sniffle- N-no. I was just playing around. I-I didn't want to get caught. Mama!!" the Starly cried out, hoping his mother would hear him. Starkk and Elena flinched at the sudden water works. "I think he's still just a baby, or he just left the nest." Elena said. Apparently the Starly heard what Elena had said and started to tackle into her leg with anger. "I am not a baby!! I can leave any time I want to!!" he screeched. "But if you didn't want to get caught, then why did you attack me?" Starkk asked the pokemon. "Because you were laughing at me!" Starly shouted. Elena sighed and picked up the bird pokemon. "He wasn't laughing at you. He was laughing at me. It was kind of funny, but it scared me out of my wits." Elena said. She then realized how funny she must of looked to Starkk as she ran back and forth.

Walking through the grass, Elena was trying her best to get to know the newest member of the team. "My name's Elena, what's your's?" she asked. Starly just turned his head with a humph. He reminds me of Lilly when I first got Starkk. she thought. "Hey come on, she just wanted to know your name you spoiled brat." Starkk huffed. The Starly turned to Starkk with angry eyes, "Mama said never talk to strangers!!" he shouted. "Aww. Come on, please?" Elena asked in a sweet tone. "My name's Paco." the Starly muttered with a sigh.

After a few minutes of walking through the grass, Elena saw a brown shape. "I really hope that isn't poo." Elena said to herself. When she finished her sentence, the brown object moved and looked at them. With it's tongue sticking out and it's eyes looking cross eyed, this was the true definition of a derpy Pokemon. "Durr." the Pokemon said. "Ok, time to fight!!" Paco shouted. Without a command, Paco Tackled the Bidoof. The bucktooth pokemon shook itself and counted with a Tackle of its own. The force had sent Paco back close to the lake. "Paco return!" Elena shouted as she pulled out Paco's pokeball. "Huh? Wait I can still--" Paco never had the chance to finish his sentence as he was returned. "Starkk use Scratch!" Elena commanded. Stack charged forward once again with his arms in the air. This went on for a few minutes. Starkk barely emerged victorious.

Chapter 3
The Dark lesson called Life

Starkk stood there, gasping for breath before he fell over. Quickly running towards him, Elena caught him before the fire type fell to the ground. "Starkk, are you ok?" Elena asked her pokemon. The pokemon didn't say anything. "Starkk? Starkk!" the girl cried out. That was when she felt something wet seeping through her hands. Looking down, she saw dark red liquid. With wide eyes, her breath was becoming short and quick. She stood up and broke into a run. Without a word, Paco followed. As she ran, Elena could feel tears escaping her eyes and into the wind. You're gonna be ok. Mom will know what to do. Starkk, please be ok! she thought. She ran into town, ignoring the stares of a few people as they saw blood dripping down the girl's arms. Already at her house, Elena crashed into the door.

Inside the house, Elena's mother was getting ready for bed. Her pokemon Leila heard something crash into the door and ran to get the door. Opening the door, the Blissey felt the door slam her into the wall.

Seeing the door open, Elena ran in not noticing Leila. Finally collapsing to the floor, Elena tried calling her mother. "Mom, Mom." she got out only in a whisper. "Mom! MOM!" she choked out. Hearing the scared voice from down stairs, Katy saw her daughter and the blood that was slowly pouring into the carpet. "Leila!" Elena's mother called out. The Blissey shook it's head and felt something wrong. Getting out from the door, she saw the blood and went into her Nurse Leila mode. Taking the Chimchar from Elena, Leila took him to the couch. While the Blissey went to work, Katy's attention went to her daughter.

Elena couldn't fully register what was happening around her other then the blood that was now on her arms. She didn't snap out of her daze when she felt something wrap around her. Her head snapped up and she saw her mother putting something in the wash. "Starkk?" she whispered with eyes shining with new tears threatening to escape.

Closing the lid to the wash, Katy let out a sigh. "He'll be alright. He just needs to rest. Are you ok?" she asked her daughter, seeing a state of shock that she knew too well. A close encounter with death. "Leila's doing the best she can for him." Katy said softly. She hated seeing her daughter like this so early in her journey. She had just put a blanket around the distressed girl, the blanket had it's fair share of sadness, and pain. It was the first gift she had gotten from her husband, Elena's father.

Leila finally came into the room with her trainer and Elena with a small glimmer of hope. "Blissey.(You can go see him now.)" Leila said, extending her arm to let Elena through to go see Starkk. Heading towards the living room, Elena saw Starkk covered in bandages. His arm was in a small sling and his upper torso was fully wrapped. "Will he be ok?" Paco asked. He had been watching the Blissey working on Starkk and she had been so kind to the injured Pokemon. "He'll be fine. He just needs lots of rest." Elena said. Getting up and heading towards the kitchen, she opened the cabinet and pulled out some Pokemon food. Taking out a few pieces of food and putting then in a small dish, Elena started to make the pellets smaller so Paco could eat it with ease.

"You must be hungry. Here you go Paco." Elena said, placing the bowl in front of the small bird. Paco looked at the food and took a tiny bite out of it. "It tastes funny, but it's good." he said with a swallow. Paco's mother always said that you should try to be nice when a person offers you food.(Never accept food from strangers!!) I'll protect you big brother. Paco thought as he finished eating. When he looked up, he saw Elena fast asleep in front of Stark.

*The following morning*

Starkk woke up feeling sore as he stretched his arms. Feeling a pain in his right shoulder, he grabbed it to try to stop the pain. "You mustn't push yourself." a soft voice whispered from behind him. Looking behind him, he saw Leila. "Miss. Elena was worried about you. She hasn't left your side." Leila said with a kind smile. Starkk smirked, "We've only known each other for almost two days. Guess she really is ready to be a trainer." Starkk said quietly as he sat up slowly.

Feeling a slight movement from the couch, Elena and Paco awoke. "Big brother! You're up!" Paco chirped with excitement. "Big brother?" Elena and Starkk asked at the same time. Paco nodded, "Yeah I'm gonna call you big brother from now on. If it's ok with you Starkk." Paco said with a small blush starting to form. With a wide grin, Starkk nodded yes.

After they all had breakfast with Elena's mom and Leila, the trio left the house and made it on to the next step of their journey. Soon on their way towards Sandgem Town. "So what are we doing today Big sister?" Paco asked. Elena stopped for a moment, making sure she heard Paco correctly. "Big sister?" Elena asked Paco. The Starly turned away, trying to hide his blush. "W-well you're like my big sister now. So I thought I could call you "Big Sister"." Paco explained. "I think it's really sweet of you Paco. In a way we are a family." the Chimchar said. Then out of nowhere, a chunk of wood hit Starkk on the head. Hearing the older Pokemon cry out, Paco started flapping his wing in an angry manner. "Who threw that?!" he shouted into the grass. The group was pretty close to Sandgem Town and they had not yet encountered a Pokemon. That was about to change, hearing the grass rustling around them. Starkk kept glancing left and right, trying to see what was happening. "Starkk, you up for a fight?" Elena asked her friend. "Look!" Paco shouted, circling around them from the sky. Looking around them, Elena and Starkk saw a large group of Bidoof. "Oh, Arceus." Elena whispered. These Bidoof didn't look like the one she encountered back at the lake.

"Where'd my piece of wood go?!" an angry voice called out.The Bidoof that were in the front of the circle surrounding Elena and her Pokemon stood to the side, allowing a tough looking Bidoof pass into the circle. "I-it's right here, Boss." a female Bidoof said timidly. Picking up the chunk of wood, the female Bidoof handed it to the "Boss". "What's the big idea, throwing a piece of wood at us?!" Paco shouted at the leader of the group.Taking the wood like a cigar, the boss glared at Paco. Then without warning, one of the Bidoof lept into the air, grabbing Starkk's injured arm in it's mouth. "Starkk! Leave him alone!" Elena shouted at the Boss. Hearing a pained cry, Paco and Elena turned back to see Starkk's arm beginning to bleed again. "Leave Big brother alone!" Paco shouted. Filled with anger, the tiny bird Pokemon charged at Boss.

With a smirk, Boss also Tackled Paco. Boss's tackle seemed to do more damage than Paco's attack. This continued for a while until Elena had had enough of it. Paco was exhausted, but he was still willing to fight. His wing had been injured when he had been tackled into a nearby tree. "Paco, that's enough! Maybe I can catch him!" Elena shouted. As she started to pull out a Pokeball, she heard the Boss Bidoof say something like, "No one catches me." . Lowering his head, he charged forward with another tackle. The female Bidoof from before just wanted all of this to stop. "Boss please stop!" she cried out. Boss tackled Paco in the stomach and sent him flying into a tree with a dangerously low branch. By this time the Bidoof that had Starkk had finally let go, they all heard a sickening crunch of bones breaking.

Boss just stood there wide eyed as Paco fell to the ground. Elena started running towards her fallen Pokemon. "Paco! Are you ok?!" she asked the pokemon in a panic. Starkk was back on Elena's shoulder, his arm still bleeding but not as bad as before. Picking up Paco, Elena started running past the Bidoof, Boss just stood there trembling.

The female Bidoof walked over to him with angry eyes, "I will not be a part of this." she said, following the human and her pokemon.

Elena finally made it to the Pokecenter. Lucas was just about to leave the Center when Elena rushed past him, the front of her shirt was covered in blood. "Elena?" he asked, but the girl did not hear him.

***

Paco was hooked up to a machine to help him breath, the nurse said they did all they could, but it was up to Paco if he would pull through. Starkk had his bandages changed, Elena was sitting in a chair next to Paco's bed. Watching with worried eyes, Elena made a silent prayer for Paco to be ok. "Arceus, please let Paco be ok. I can't lose anyone else." she whispered. Starkk heard what she had said and was curious to who else she was referring to. Hearing a small sound of movement, Starkk and Elena leaned over to see Paco turning to face them.

"B-big sis-ter." Paco said weakly. Elena quietly shushed the pokemon, letting him know that he was in the Pokecenter. "I'm... sorry." he said slowly. "What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong." Elena whispered back. She failed to notice the tears falling down her cheek. "I... wasn't strong enough...to beat him." Paco said, referring to the Boss Bidoof.

"I really wanted to go...with you on your journey. Starkk...take care of Elena, ok?" Paco asked weakly, his eyes were fading of their shine. Starkk nodded trying, not to cry. He knew what was happening, but it seemed that Elena was in denial. "Paco, you will come with us. I'll be more careful next time!" she said. she had risen her voice slightly in a panic. "Elena...I love you." Paco said and he closed his eyes for the last time. Hearing the flat tone of the heart monitor, Elena started crying, begging for Paco to wake up.


Paco the Starly
Captured at Level 2- Death Level 2
Even though your time with us was short, you will never be forgotten. Fly off into the sky, watch us as we get stronger.

Chapter 4
Cries of Thunder

Elena had buried Paco behind the Pokecenter near the forest. Now she was sitting on the beach, lost in thought as she listened to the waves. "Elena?" Starkk asked her. He was worried about his trainer. It would seem that she didn't fully understand the consequences of being a trainer. "This isn't what I signed up for." Elena whispered, as she brought her knees close to her face. "Elena, you can't blame yourself for what happened. This is real life. It's not like it is on T.V." Starkk explained.

"Paco was still practically a baby. He didn't asked for this." Elena said, feeling tears escaping her eyes. Starkk was about to say something when there was a loud clash of thunder, and a flash of lightning. Hearing the loud sound made Elena and Starkk go tense. "What was that?!" she asked in a panic. "Maybe we should go see what it is." Starkk suggested, climbing onto Elena's shoulder. With a curt nod, Elena started running towards Route 202.

***
Route 202

A young Shinx was just thrown into a tree. The young cub was covered in bruises and he had a small cut on his forehead. Struggling to get up, he felt something pick him up by the scruff of his neck. "Get up. We're not done yet." a harsh voice said. The shinx glared at the one that had just picked him up, once he was on the ground. A Luxray was starring at the cub with anger. "Come on, runt. You're so hopeless." a voice called out. The small Shinx glanced behind it's father, seeing it's older brothers and sisters. "I'm not a runt and I'm not hopeless! I can't help it if the rest of you are able to use Shock Wave!" he shouted.The Luxray took a step closer to his son as his body started to give of a few sparks. "What did you just say, boy?" he asked in a dangerously low tone.

The shinx folded his ears back in fear. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean- Ahhh!" the shinx was cut off by getting struck by his father's Shock Wave. Still attacking it's son, the Luxray felt something hit it on the head.

Elena and Starkk had seen the whole thing. It wasn't right, forcing a pokemon to use an attack that it didn't even know yet. Without thinking, Elena threw a rock at the enraged Luxray. Apparently the electric type pokemon felt the rock, as it turned it's head to the two other creatures. The look alone was enough to paralyze Elena with fear. "S-scary face." she whispered to herself. The shinx that was attacked ran as fast as he could to get in front of Elena and it's parent. It tried to use Leer but it seemed to have no effect on the Luxray.

With a low snarl, the large pokemon came charging at the three. With his fangs bared, the Luxray started to produce sparks from it's teeth. Elena brought the small Shinx close to her, trying to protect it with her own body. Starkk was ready to attack when a figure stopped the cat-like pokemon in it tracks.

Glancing back at the pokemon that was protecting Starkk and his trainer, it was a Gallaide. "Elena!" a voice called out from behind the trio. Turning back, Elena saw Lucas and Rowan."Elena get out of there!" Rowan shouted. Looking at the injured Shinx, Elena brought out a Pokeball and gently tapped the pokemon's head. Looking up in confusion, the Shinx was being sucked into the machine. All were silent while the red and white ball wiggled within Elena's hand. Finally, after what seemed like several minutes, the ball stopped with a "Ting". The Luxray just stared at the girl that had just captured it's son.

Lucas ran over to the girl and grabbed her hand, trying to pull her to safety. Elena fallowed with Starkk hanging on to her shoulder. "Elena, are you crazy?! Trying to fight a Luxray?!" Lucas shouted at her as they reached the Pokecenter. "Lucas I-" Elena started, but she closed her mouth, not exactly sure of what to say.

Finally they were at the Pokecenter, now they could have the shinx checked out. The Nurse led the two kids to an examination table and left them for a moment. Elena took out the Shinx's Pokeball and let the small cat-like creature out. "W-where am I? Who are you? What did you do to my father?!" he hissed at Elena.


"Hey, take it easy." Starkk said, trying to calm down the Shinx. "No! We were only training! That's how Dad trains with all of us! He may seem harsh, but he's not what you think!" the shinx shouted. "What's he saying?" Lucas asked. He couldn't fully understand what was going on, but the Shinx sounded really upset. "If he was only training you, then why was he battling you and not any of the other's?" Elena asked. "Dad said that he didn't want the others to cheat. That they would take advantage that I only know two moves." the shinx explained, although he was still mad.

"Still, that kind of training was kind of hard to watch. We just noticed a huge bolt of lightening and we ran to see what it was. I just assumed the worst and I didn't stop to think. I'm sorry." Elena said quietly. The Shinx sighed as the nurse came into the room with some bandages. Elena and Lucas left so the nurse could do her job. "Elena?" Lucas asked. Elena sat on the floor, Starkk was now in her lap. "I don't blame Shinx if he want's to go back with his family. I didn't even think if he wanted to be caught. Just like I did with Paco. How would you feel if some strange person caught you and took you away from your home?" Elena asked. She wasn't really talking to anyone, but this made everyone think about it.

In the other room with the Shinx, the small cub was giving the nurse a bit of a hard time. "Won't you hold still?" the nurse asked the shinx. The window was open to let a breeze to come through, this was really a "Window of opportunity". Hopping off the table he climbed out of the window and ran towards the small forest. "Ohh, Shinx's trainer's gonna be mad at me." the nurse said quietly.

Running through the grass, the small Shinx made it to a small clearing. Looking around he saw a strange stone with writing on it. "What's that?" he asked himself. "It's called a Memorial stone." a soft gruff voice said from behind the shinx. The shinx looked behind him and saw his father coming towards him. "Dad, I-" the shinx started only to be stopped. The Luxray sat by his son and looked at the stone. "I should be sorry, for training you so hard." the Luxray explained. He saw the girl from before, that was just a few hours ago. He saw her crying while she had buried her Pokemon. The chimchar was trying to hold his tears, to be strong for his trainer. "I think you should go with that girl, Bejamin." the Luxray said.

The Shinx, Bejamin, looked at his father with scared eyes. "Y-you're sending me away?" he asked with big eyes. The Luxray shook his head, "No, you were captured by that human girl. So you belong to her now." he said softly. "B-but I don't want to go with her, Dad. I want to stay here with you and everyone else!" Bejamin cried, hugging his father's leg. Tears slowly falling down the Luxray's face as his son was crying.

Meanwhile, back with Elena, Starkk, and Lucas. The nurse had just informed them that the Shinx had run off. "I'm so sorry!" the nurse said, bowing her head in shame. Elena sighed, "It's ok, he was probably scared. Come on Starkk, let's go look." she said. "I'll help you look." Lucas offered. With a small nod, Elena took off and Lucas went outside looking around town. "Starkk, can you try behind the Pokecenter?" Elena asked. "Sure thing." Starkk said. Hopping down, he climbed out the window and headed into the small forest.

After a while of searching, Elena and Lucas returned at the Pokecenter with no results. "Any luck?" Lucas asked, panting slightly. "No sign of the little guy." Elena said. I just hope Starkk is having better luck. she thought looking at the forest behind the Pokecenter.

Back in the forest, Starkk was still looking for the Shinx. After a few minutes, he heard the sound of crying. With curiosity, Starkk followed the sound. After walking through the bushes, Starkk found himself at Paco's grave. Paco. Starkk thought sadly. The sound of crying was a little louder. Looking around, Starkk found the Luxray from before, the little Shinx was with him. Starkk watched silently, waiting for one of the two to notice him.

Looking up slightly, Bejamin noticed the Chimchar from before. He knew that he belonged to the girl that had caught him. Letting go of his father's leg, he decided to speak up for himself. "I don't want to go with you! You can't make me! I'm gonna stay here with my Dad." he said. Stomping his paw at the last sentence. Starkk put his hands up in defense. "Hey, take it easy. No one's going to force you to do anything you don't want to. You don't have to worry about being forced to go anywhere." Starkk explained.

"Oh, but you should be worried. Very, very worried."

Chapter 5
Staring over

Previously in Beyond the Darkness

Looking up slightly Bejamin noticed the Chimchar from before. He knew that he belonged to the girl that had caught him.

Letting go of his father's leg he decided to speak up for himself. "I don't want to go with you! You can't make me! I'm gonna stay here with my Dad." he said. Stomping his paw at the last sentence.

Starkk put his hands up in defense. "Hey, take it easy. No one's going to force you to do anything you don't want to. You don't have to worry about being forced to go anywhere." Starkk explained.

"Oh, but you should be worried. Very, very worried."

Now~

Starkk slowly turned his head once he had heard the voice. He knew that voice from somewhere, but where? Finally seeing the one that was there with them, Starkk was surprised. It was the Bidoof from before. "You." he growled.

The Bidoof only chucked, taking out his small chunk of wood. With a smirk he charged at the two Pokemon. The Luxray had no choice but to stay out of it. Luxray weren't exactly known to live in the area. This was Starkk's and Bejamin's fight. However, there was something that he could do. Leaving the Two Pokemon, he left to find their Trainer.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Elena was sitting in a chair with her head on the table. "Elena, we'll find him. Both of them." Lucas said.

He just came back from the Pokemon Center's cafe with two hot cups of tea. Setting one of the drinks in front of Elena, he sat down across from her.

Elena just stared at her drink sadly. "I just wanted to make a Pokemon Band. But in order to do that, I have to learn more about Pokemon. That's why I'm on this journey." Elena said close to tears. Lucas gave Elena a sympathetic glance.

"I know how you feel Elena. I was devastated when I saw a Pokemon die for the first time. It always sad to see this happen to new trainers, but it's unavoidable." Lucas explained.

Elena sighed and got up from the table. "Thanks for the pep talk Lucas. It kind of helped. But I still need to find Little Shinx and Starkk." she said as she started to leave.

"Staarrr!"

Elena and Lucas turned to the cry. At the forest behind the Pokecenter, two Starly were perched on a branch. The Starly took off into the sky, flying over the forest as they left.

"That was strange." Lucas said rubbing the back of his head.

As soon as he said that, a Luxray jumped out from the bush. Elena and Lucas stood perfectly still. "Uh, Lucas is that the same Luxray as before?" she asked quietly.

Before Lucas could answer the Luxray walked over to Elena and laid down, looking at her. "I think he wants you to get on his back." Lucas said. The large creature nodded and continued to stare at Elena.

Elena sighed and got on. Ignoring the protests of Lucas, the Luxray ran into the forest. Starkk, Little Shinx, please be ok. she prayed.

******

Bejamin felt himself being thrown into a tree. Starkk struggled to stay up. Boss chuckled as he and his small group of Bidoof surrounded the two wounded Pokemon. It was similar to before, only they weren't alone. "We'll have to work together in order to beat these guys." Starkk whispered to Bejamin.

Bejamin growled at Starkk, "I can take care of myself. I don't need anyone's help!" he shouted as he charged towards one of the Bidoof. Using Tackle, Bejamin sent the Pokemon back several feet. That was when the Pokemon really started fighting.

As Bejamin quickly finished off his opponent, he was soon attacked by another Bidoof. Starkk surprised the young Shinx by jumping over him, using Scratch on the Bidoof. Bejamin Tackled another Bidoof, sending him flying into a bush.

"I said I don't-" he started before Starkk had cut him off.

"It doesn't matter if you need my help or not!" he shouted, attacking an oncoming Bidoof. "We're a part of a team weather you like it or not! Besides, i'm not fighting for you. I'm fighting for Paco, and Elena!" he shouted. Attacking the nearest Bidoof , he could feel himself slowly getting stronger.

Bejamin felt like he was paralyzed, Starkk's words made him question of why he was fighting.  

OOC: NOT DONE!!