We Are The Pokemon & We Have Risen [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 6

Cress had left us at the beach, and we had started to head inland.

The sand soon turned into dense forest, and we were all moving through the undergrowth while Pidgey was wrestling with the map, "No, wait, this road leads-- ugh!" Pidgey tried and failed to straighten the piece of paper out, but the wind tugged it out of his talons.

"I got it!" Private Psyduck cried and leaped up and grabbed the map. "YES! Oh yeah! Here you go Pidg-- whoops!" Psyduck tripped and fell on his face, the map falling onto Charmander's tail flame and catching fire instantly. I just stared in pity as Psyduck frantically tried to recover the ashes. Charmander gave the water type Pokemon a pat on the back.

"It's okay buddy, that was partially my faut. But don't worry, I have a spare." He reassured and brought an extra map out of his bag.

"That I'll be holding." Snivy interrupted, grabbing the paper and glaring at Psyduck, who was near tears. My ears perked up at a noise in the undergrowth. I raised a paw and everyone fell quiet.

"Did you hear that?" I asked in a whisper. The forest was silent. "Okay." I said relaxing. "It was probably--"

"SCREEE!" A huge winged shape descended from the trees, it's claws outstretched towards me. Before I could react, Snivy cannoned into it, knocking the attacker to the ground as more shapes fell from the trees upon our party.

There were Tranquill, Deerlings, Pansages, Emolgas, Cottentee and Sewaddles, all jumping from the forest canopy. Some held spear like weapons, while others simply readied their attacks, all aimed at us. Snivy and the Pokemon I could now recognize as a Taillow we're still locked in bitter combat in the dust on the ground. Snivy broke away, panting and scratched, her amber eyes narrowing at her enemy.

The Taillow stood up, also panting with a nasty scratch over one eye and returned the glare. I was backed up against a tree, snarling with my enemies cornering me and my friends making a protective circle around me.

"You--" pant "--are trespassing on Her Majesty's kingdom." The Taillow gasped. I snorted and stepped forward.

"Look pal, We're just passing through. I don't give a Rattata's butt what your Queen thinks." I hissed. I noticed out of the corner of my eye Snivy had gone very still.

"Queen?" She asked in an extremely small voice. Pidgey tapped my shoulder and whispered in my ear.

"Eevee, these guys might not be a the right people to tick off." He warned and gestured to their spears which I could now see were dripping with a purple substance.

"Their spears are tipped with Scoilpede poison."

"Is that bad?" Charmander asked.

"Only if you think painful death sounds fun."

"Bad then." I closed my eyes. Maybe this Queen would listen to me, I was a ruler after all. I raised my head and addressed the guards. "I'll go with you, but I'd like an audience with this queen of yours."

The group hissed. "No one just requests an audience with the Queen." A Cottontee scoffed.

"Who do you think you are?" A Panpour snorted. I jumped forward, my gold bandanna and eyes flashing in the sunlight.

"Eevee. The Eevee." I said, my eyes pinning the Panpour to the ground. All the color drained out of his face and he scurried away. The Taillow looked like he was trying to swallow a golf ball. It was funny how fast tables could turn. I loomed over him.

"Now. Take us to your Queen. We have things to discuss."

***

Our attackers turned escorts led us along the path. I realized that Snivy's skin was much paler than usual and she was shaking a bit. I beckoned her closer with my tail, and she changed positions by walking next to me.

"You alright?" I asked in concern. It took a lot to rattle Snivy up, and I didn't think that fight with the Taillow (who I now knew was named Ace) had anything to do with this.

She ran her tongue over her dry lips and shook her head. "I- I'm fine." She stuttered. Now I was worried.

"Snivy if something's wr--"

"We're here!" Ace cut me off. I turned my head to snap at him but the words died in my throat. When they said they were taking us to a palace, I never could have imagined this.

For one, the place was a giant tree.

For two.... well, nothing, but the place was a giant tree.

A single light brown trunk soared skyward, exploding in emerald growth at the top. The trunk was so thick, seven adult humans could have held hands to make a circle around it, and it still wouldn't have been enough. There were large doors and windows carved out of the wood, all the way to the top, and the place was buzzing with activity.

Forest Pokemon of all kinds were flying out and around the windows, carrying things, taking messages, being busy of trying to look like they were busy. We walked through a beautiful soaring archway, into the tree.

The inside was even more breathtaking than the outside. A staircase made of vines wound up the walls of the trunk to reach the branches, and the wood under our feet was imprinted with the countless rings of the tree's years on earth. A chandelier of live Volbeat and Illumise, glowing like a thousand candles and lighting up the entire palace hung from the very top of the ceiling.

More Pokemon scurried up and down the staircases, to different levels of the tree.

"This is beautiful." Kip breathed. Ace ruffled his feathers self importantly.

"Why thank you. This tree has been standing for thousands of years, taking care of us as we take care of it."

"I'd like to take a chainsaw to it." Snivy muttered.

"Are you always this annoying and rude in the presence of a handsome bird?" Ace taunted.

"No. I'm always this way in the presence of you." The two glared at each other until there was an explosion of noise from one of the upper levels.

A Zigzagoon scrambled down the steps and made a hasty bow before us. "Uh--" haf haf, "--presenting, the one and only--" pant, "--her majesty--" pant pant, "--Queen Serperior!" The fluffy Pokemon cried and collapsed on the ground.

Snivy made a small strangled sound and attempted to step behind Charmander. Ace and the other guards dropped into a low bow as a Pokemon came down the steps.

It's long body whipped from side to side as if it had all the time in the world. Regal gold, white and green patterns wound their way through it's body and a pair of small arms were folded behind it's back. A noble head was risen high above mine and red eyes looked down on all with what appeared to be a death sentence. The majestic Serperior slithered up in front of me and looked down. I felt the urge to plaster myself to the floor from one look from those eyes.

"You are Eevee?" She asked in a regal voice that cut through the silence like a Razor Leaf. I took a shaky breath and rose to my full height.

"Yes. And these are my companions. Zoura, Charmander, Pidgey, Kip, Psyduck and uh.." Kip grabbed Snivy's arm and brought her out into view. She was white as a sheet. "And the General of my army, S--"

The Queen moved so fast I didn't have time to react. She bolted past Zoura and knocked Charmander and Kip aside with one slap of her tail. The Queen wrapped her coils around Snivy in a split second and pulled her close.

"My baby! The royal cried franticly. "I knew you were out there, trying to find your way back. I never stopped searching for you." The Queen gasped.

The Serperior then snapped her head towards the extremely flustered Zigzagoon, and made a motion to him as if to say, 'get on with it!'.

"Uh--" erf, "--presenting, the lost heir to the royal throne, Princess Snivy!"