[Yandere Meowscarada x Reader] I'll Make Them All Disappear!

77 | Home Beckons for Thee

Descending into Area Zero is a fast, breezy descent, the winds riding up against your face with blistering strength, turning your cheeks limp and flabby. Saggy meat flags flapping wildly in the wind. Upon reaching the bottom, Dragonite's feet touch grass greener than you've ever seen before, the hard winds stabilize into a sweet breeze, and the first thing you do is take in your surroundings, staring like a bug-eyed child stares at their very first Pokémon. At first glance it is nothing like the writings documented in the Violet Book, and yet you don't mind this discovery—Area Zero is breathtaking, unlike the yellowed pages of a book; it's an oasis headed by a ring of mist, mountains crawling up every side of every wall, some entirely unmoving, others spitting thin threads of water so white, it looks as if they were made from diamonds.

This water cascades down over the hills, pearly, strikingly pure, not like any waterfall you've ever seen in your time. You climb down from Dragonite and walk over to the ledge peeking over the crater. Standing here, you don't fear falling to your death like you might anywhere else thanks to the fence lining the very edge of the cliff, running partway down the path. The wood is old, not suited for holding onto. You don't even test its footing. Its flesh is splintered and cracked, browned by age; you figure laying a finger on it might tip it over the ledge. Or it'll turn to dust. One or the other.

Looking over the edge, you find the rest of Area Zero eagerly peeking up at you (that familiar feeling), the sights vastly inhabited by the very paradoxical Pokémon you read about in the Violet Book. Part of you is grateful for this distance you share between them. If the depictions in the pages speak any truth, these Pokémon are no joke—cross them without any firepower in tow, you're bound to be slaughtered. Try to catch them? Not happening. Penny has told you countless things about these Pokémon, often referring to them as creatures instead, given their otherworldly qualities. Doesn't take a genius to conclude catching these things is borderline impossible.

They're not the only things that catch your eye. At the very center of the crater, a massive crystal sculpture emerges. Beyond that, you can tell the path continues, but you can't see how far down it goes.

Penny comes to your side, her hands stretching for the fence, stopping short when she takes notice of just how rickety it is. "Pretty amazing, right?"

"Yeah," you say, only now noticing your breath had left you, "yeah, it's awesome. Feel like I stepped into a fairytale."

"You don't have to be corny about it." Penny cracks a sheepish grin. "We've already got Grumpo over there; we don't need a Cornhole too. Furthermore..." She jerks a thumb back at the group. You follow her finger, your eyes landing on Meowscarada who stands perfectly still, gazing idly at everything around her. Penny adds, whispering: "Your cat's not looking too hot. Might wanna keep an eye on her or put her back in her ball."

You nod slightly, knowing Penny is only speaking the truth. Meowscarada did say she didn't feel good and that it wasn't because of her fear of heights. So then... what could it be?

"I think she's just afraid," you say, and feel your brain immediately recoil at the thought—Meowscarada doesn't get scared, she's Meowscarada. Even Penny looks at you funny for this comment. "Fear of the unknown. It's nothing, she'll bounce back as soon as we get out of this place. Better yet, her condition might turn around when we find something cool."

"You think so?" Penny asks, staring again at the narrow-eyed cat. "I mean, if you say so, man..."

"These Pokémon look exceptionally hostile," Briar calls out from behind you. You look over and see her standing at the head of the path—at least where the safe part of the path ends and steps over into dangerous territory infested with crude robotic recreations of Pokémon you've seen on the surface.