The Danger of Love

Hyron had dozed off. The twilight hours paled the sky , hiding the stars from view. In his sleep, he squeazed Dandy tighter to himself. Dreams swirled in his mind.

::*:*:*:*::

Hyron struted across a strange land. Something told him this place was far away from lake Eerie Lavender hued feilds ran past deep green-blue mini leafed trees. The sky appeared orange tinted filtered through steel tinted clouds. Hyron moved towards a green ridged stream and dropped his head to drink. The water was clear, sweet and cold. He looked down at his reflection. The face that appeared wasn't his own. yet .... it was. Hyron looked around. Where was Dandy in all of this?

"Hello!??" He called out.

The sound of his voiced echoed out almost visibly and returned to him in the form of a strange pokemon. A cat-like bird many times larger than he percieved himself. The pokemon's orange coat and bright feathers struck fear in his mind. The cat-bird glared at him with hate and sorrow.

"You're a disgrace to your kind!" she hissed at him and flew off again, leaving Hyron alone. Hyron tried to run after her, but felt as if his legs were cemented to the ground.

"Wait.... what am I? Who am I??"

::*:*:*::

Hyron shivered in his sleep and held Dandy even tighter, wimpering quietly. He awoke with a jolt. The reality of the dream faded from his mind as the morning sunlit scenery came into focus.

"Dandy ... have you been up all night?", Hyron asked quietly as he stood up and stretched himself. The bird stretched his wing. It seemed better , but he would rather wait another day before trying to fly on it again.

Dande nuzzled Hyron "I just woke up a couple of minutes ago my love, I didnt want to wake you up just yet, you where looking... startled, is there something troubling you?"

Hyron could faintly remember the strange creaures in his dream. But it was just a dream after all, wasn't it? The psychic bird shook out his feathers, fluffing them out as he did to let the loose ones fall. "I'm ok, now. Just had a strange dream... maby just a reflection from yesterday in my head."

Hyron dipped his serpentine head and kissed his dearly beloved Dandy. "Let's keep going towards that giant tree. Maybe there will be some nice berries or seeds on the way."

As they walked, Hyron couldn't stop thinking of the face he had seen in the river in his dream. Was it really what he would loo like one day? "Dandy, have you ever thought about evolving?" the psychic-bird asked curiously, "I know you just did not too long ago ... but do you think there's a final stage to reach?" Hyron continued to think about what his evolution would be like.... if he was able to evolve at all.

Dandy sweatdropped. He knew he wasnt far off evolving....and shuddered...he knew nothing about hoppips last form, wether he was to evolve once, or twice as a hoppip...but he couldnt see it looking ANYTHING like the Muk hed become. "Im...im not sure darling...why ya ask?"

"In my dream , a fearsomely beautiful face appeared in the waters of a river... and it was me. I think it's what I evolve into. But later in the dream , there was another creature.... it looked so diffrent from me, yet I felt as if it were one of my own kind as well. It frightened me so much!" Hyron gave Dandy a squeeze, " She yelled at me about not being a good member of my kind.... and .... i don't even know what my kind really is , so how could i argue? ... Dandy ... am I ... bad?" Hyron asked in a frantic voice. The reality shown by the dream frightened him more than the man-creature of yesterday's battle.

Dandy hugged him, perhaps a little to tightly, but the urge to comfort his lover was far to strong for him to worry about that, "NO! Your not bad! Your the best, sweetest, most beautiful, majestic and kindly pokemon EVER!" he almost was on the verge of tears at the thought of Hyron doubting himself this way "Your not bad in any way! I wont hear of it! I dont care what any pokemon says, in lake eerie, your dreams or anywhere else! Its not true!"

Hyron sniffled, "You really think so?" he hugged Dandy as much as his wings would allow. If Dandy said it was so , then it must be true!

~*~ *~*~*~

In a land farther than the last horizon, a large preditory pokemon fed over a kill. Blood clung to her feathers and fur. Her foreclaws slashed through the toughed hide of the rhyhorn, releasing more of its bounty to her heavy hooked beak. It was almost breeding season, and she would have to leave her homelands to seek out a mate.

Great billows of air gushed forth under each stroke of Tawny the Leogle's wings. She had travelled over many regions of land to find just one of the males of her kind. In the past, mates were common place and battling over them was the way things were done....but now, there were so few and far between , some of the females of her rookery thought the males to be extinct. Tawny had to prove them wrong! She decided to stop in the area of the Lake in her view, to hunt.

#*#*#*#

Hyron stepped a few paces towards the big tree he and Dandy hoped to one day reach. He wiped away his last tears and smiled again. "Thank you for cheering me up. We should try to make it to that tree today. I think it will be a perfect home!"

Hyron moved with the natural grace given to most long legged creatures. His strides were even and swift through the grasses and brush they encountered. The psychic bird was careful not to let his love fall behind him or lose his way. More of the top of the tree could be seen now. The needle-like leaves and yellow green cones swayed in the gentle breeze. Hyron liked the thought of living way up high, where the wind would caress his feathers in a constant stream , but wondered if his small counterpart would be able to handle such great hieghts. The psychic bird decided he could settle with half the height of the tree. For a split second, the sky above them suddenly turned black. Hyron thought he saw a giant meowth soar over head. But what meowth would have wings? "Dandy ... what was that?"

Dandy shuddered "Uhhh....i dunno honey..." he looked up, he hadnt seen what was there, but had felt...something. ~~I wonder what that was, it definitely seems to have shaken up Hyron, maybe it was somethiong to do with his dream?~~ Thought the grass covered Grimer.

Hyron shrugged it off, " I must have been seeing things...." The psychic bird continued at Dandy's side travellng nearer to the giant tree. He could make out the spanish moss that decorated the lower branches of the top half of the tree. The place he hoped to call home looked nicer and nicer the closer they got.

*#*#*#*#*

She spied a dead stantler being ravaged by some quilava. Hunger from her journey took over. A very short battle ended with some food for her.. though not what she would need in the end. The leogle used her heavy blue beak to scisor off another large hunk of Stantler from the bured carcass she had aquired from her quilava appetizers. The meat was toughening and the soft intestines had been eaten before she got there. If the parts she favored were still in the body , she might have let the quilava go .... but not likely.

When she finally found a male of her species, she would need to have as much energy as she could possibly store. The rituals of mating were vigorous and her own body would be at risk when the precious egg began to develope... worse off if there were two. Tawny snapped through a heavy femur. The bone splintered and revealed the iron rich marrow. The leogle swallowed sections of it whole. Her stomach would do the rest for her, digesting the marrow, bone flesh, hide and even the hooves and horns of what she would eventually eat. The sun began to grow dark over head. Tawny hissed and whipped her tail around. The eclipse had an unatural air to it. She cursed at the blood stained ground as she got up. If there was something powerfull arrising, she would go to meet it , challenge it and devour its carcass. The future of her species depended on it. Tawny took off to the north, but not before she finnished the rest of the Stantler.

The full eclipse cast a strange light on the Leogle as she flew closer to the smouldering peak of the volcano. The hot air currents pushed her higher into the sunless sky. Tawny hissed, the energy was coming from inside, where she could not go.

~*~

Houndoom dragged her broken limb behind her as she tried to find a place where she could rest. If her brother , Wario-Oni was still alive , she would call upon him for the healing stone of the underground. But he was gone, killed mysteriously before the end of the freak blizzard. Houndoom stopped to pant and fortify her mind against her physical pain. She cursed the name of the growlithe that had robbed her of her planned destiny. She wanted to rule the volcano and the caticombs beneath in place of her brother. If she had trained just a little longer she would have achieved the strength he had... she would have surpassed him in power. The female hell-hound sneared in disgust. The bond her spirit now bore with the new Dark Arcanine sent her news that he was succeding in his dream.

She snickered wickedly. "If he thinks he will live to see the setting of another 3 suns , he's got another thing coming !" Houndoom began to move towards one of the exit tunnels. She needed to find a body of water.

Houndoom panfully dragged herself out into the daylight. She furrowed her brows to scan the horizon. She knew of a few spring fed rivers that trickled halfway down the volcanic mountain. If she could reach one deep enough, she would throw herself into it until the painful end was brought on. She grinned, half mad with pain and destiny. "That will show that demon spawn cur!"

Tawny watched with intrest as a large black pokemon left from the side of the volcano. She sense by the way it moved that it was weak and dying. Hardly a meal worth her time, but there was something strangely intriguing about the houndoom. The leogle screamed out loud, peircing the sky with her harsh raptors call. Tawny felt a stronger power leave the volcano area. She scanned the mountainous terrain for movement , but found she was unable to locate the creature who possesed the source of the power . Oh well , the houndoom would do for now. Tawny circled closer to her prey.

Houndoom had an eerie feeling something was hunting her down. The dog of dark-fire paced around , panting with confusion. Her broken limb was swollen and burned with infection. She could feel the affliction spreading into her hip, slowing her down. Her paws ached, but she could not lay down. A dark shadow passed over the houndoom .... twice.

Houndoom jerked her body hard as if hit with a powerful attack. "The cursed cur must be in a battle" she snarled to herelf, "better make sure he loses"

Tawny swooped down, claws extended, bowling the houndoom over a few feet. Fresh blood tipped the Leogle's paws. Houndoom recovered to her feet and looked at her assailant in surprise. Her body wavered, and her knees buckled. Tawny hissed at her victem, " What is wrong with you... are you sick with something?" she asked with no concern.

Houndoom looked at the leogle and flashed her teeth ," I have no sickness ..... but my destiny is linked to another's .... and I want him dead!"

"As you desire" Tawny purred and licked the edge of her beak. The feline raptor took a quick three paces to close the distance between them. Houndoom took a deep breath and cleared her mind of all thoughts .... the end , she hoped , would be swift.

Tawny slashed at the houndoom with a heavy forepaw, ripping the flesh and dislocating the shoulder of the houndoom. Houndoom howled in pain and lay whimpering. Tawny licked the blood from her claws and stepped down on the houndoom's neck. Houndoom closed her eyes, and let herself pass into the other world beyond the stars.

Tawny licked the last scraps of meat from the skull of the Houndoom, only slightly full from her meal. She needed to find more, powerful pokemon to fill her hunger. She also had to find the Psycat. She could sense his presense was near, yet the location remained veiled through a foggy block.

"Could be he has yet to evolve..." she growled to herself, " But the last mating season , there were only 4 males left .... and one other in human hands," Tawny spat at the word 'human', "My kind will dissapear forever if we can't increase our numbers somehow..." The leogle took off into the sky soaring in a south-east direction. Her nose caught the scent of a very odd, but powerful pokemon. There was a taint of human deeper in the breeze , but not close enough for her to worry over. Tawny landed on the edge of the forest to hunt the strong pokemon in the area.

*#*#*#*#*#*

Dandy sighed, the apparition forgotten he looked at the tree. The sunlight reflecting from it looked so pretty, and the surrounding area was beautiful countrside, as was all of lake eerie. "O, isnt this place just......just...." he could not summon the words to describe the feelings he had when he saw all the beauty around him.

Upon arrival at the tree's base, the slightly worn out Hyron gasped. The giant tree was several hundred feet high and spread out over a dozen times wider than Hyron's wing span from tip to tip. The base of the tree was a tangle of roots and rocks. Small flowers dotted the carpet of moss that draped over the crags and lined the caverous holes in the gigantic trunk. "Ohh, Dandy! ... look at all the nice places to live!"

Dandy grinned "THis place is amazing!" he said in awe of all the nooks and crannies, and he looked up seeing how tall the tree was "Oh my! Think we can get right up there?" he asked in amazement

Hyron grinned, " when my wing gets better , I assure you, I'll fly you there myself!" "as for now," the psychic bird paused, " which of these great big holes do you want to explore first?" Dandy had no clue which to pick. He noticed one, a little darker than the others, noting as ittd be nice and tall for hyron he pointed to it. "That one!" he said smiling. The red fungus growing on it and around it was pretty and contrasted with the nice moss.

"Lead the way my darling!" Hyron nodded excitedly. He couldn't believe he was actually able to go house hunting with his belovefd Dandy!. "I hope if we have neighbors, that they are the friendly type!" Hyron placed a wing over Dandy's shoulder and kissed him on the top of his head.

Dandy looked upa nd returned the kiss onto the birds beak. "Youre so beautiful." he said, snuggling into his beloved as they walked. As the 2 lovebirds...or one lovebird one love-pile-of-grass-covered-ooze, approached the hole, several pokemon watched them from various places in the tree. all the eyes, moved as one, but were neither happy, sad, malicious or indeed any emotion. They made no extra effort to conceal themselves as they were inconspicuous to begin with.

Hyron's feathers glittered under the influence of the oncoming eclipse . He looked to the sky. "Dandy..... where's the sun going?"

Dandy looked up, unprepared for the sun to dissapear at this hour. "Um...i...i dsont knOOOW!" the last syllable being amplified as he heard the blood chilling screaming howl of some distant animal. "Im..im m.mo..more interested in what the heck THAT was?!" he said, clinging protectively and scaredly to the comforting form oif his lover

Hyron shivered and clung tighter to his beloved Dandy. "I don't know ... maby we should find a place to hide?" the hyron asked nervously.

Dandy nodded as best he could and made his way to the larger of the holes in the base of the tree amongst the roots and rocks with his beloved in tow. A single pair of black eyes watched the pair from a rock, sunning themselves before dissapearing under the rock and huddling in there. Anyone listening hard would have heard a high-pitched peeping from that direction, but only one pokemon in the vicinity heard more than that.

Hyron shivered. The solar eclips combined with the eerie feeling he was getting from the new surroundings put his nerves on end. He gulped down a lump of fear and followed the grass covered grimer he loved. A tiny rippled tingling surged across his skin. Hyon was sure they were the largest goosebumps in the history of goosebumps.
"It sure is pretty .. too bad we can't see it in full day light.." Hyron commented to Dandy about the velvet soft moss that coated the massive tree roots. A few brightly colored mushrooms dotted the thick mossy surface, some strung with fine beads of moisture left on spider webs.

Dandy smiled as best he could, he was feelin it to. "Well..er, the lighting is very atmospheric...some might say....romantic?" he said, fluttering his eyelids and stretching up to kiss Hyrons cheek, hoping to ease him a little. As they entered there was a scuttling heard, and then an eerie silence. From the outside, a yellow cone from the huge tree rolled in, it bumped Hyrons foot and a darker spot on the cone was half visible.

"EEEEEPPPP!!!" Hyron shreeked like a woman and grabbed Dandy up into his arms,, jumpin up and back onto a higher perch. Hyron sqeezed his eyes shut. "What is it ?"

Dandy grinned "Its a pine cone baby..." he said, giving his cheek another kis, before un-entangling himself from the birds embrace, and picking it up. "See?" he said, holding the cone up to the bird...and only then noticed there was an odd symbol painted on it, it was an odd face, 2 small eyes, a small nose and a large and seemingly tooth filled mouth. He looked at it surprised. "Now, what do you make of that dearest?"

Hyron flushed with embarassment. How could he be frightened by a pine cone! Hyron examined the odd looking markings on the cone, " Looks like someone has been decorating around here." Hyron looked around, wondering what kind of creature lurked with such strange tastse in decorum.

Dandy smiled. "Its a freindly little face...i think..." he said, the blankness of its eyes was soemwhat disturbing...but hey! A smile was a smile right? Wanna go in deeper, or go outside to see where our 'invader' came from?" he asked, smiling brightly.

Hyron had to think hard. If they went outside, they might find the decorator... but the pokemon might not be friendly. If they went into the cave , there might be more unusual pokemon who may not be friendly. "Let's step back outside for a little bit. I want to see if the sun will come back." Hyron decided it would be best to return outside. The solar eclipse was making it harder for him to see, but it was better than the lack of light in the cave.

Dandy was secretly relieved, he had no idea what manner of Pokemon might be in the cave, so was happy to get out of there.

As they exited, another pinecone rolled down and stopped when it hit dandy, only this time when dandy looked at it, there was an angry face painted on the side, with heavy brows, and the same toothy mouth but in a frown rather then a grin.

Hyron poked his beak over his lovers shoulder. He looked at the oddly decorated pinecone and cocked his head. "What's that , then ... it doesn't look very happy that you picked it up." Hyron sat back onto his haunches and tucked his clawed feet under his feathers. He fanned out his tail, feeling a somewhat odd tingle in them .

Dandy griamced and threw the thing into a crevice in the rocks, not wanting anything to do with the bizzare looking thing. A Squeak was heard and the cone came hurtling back at speed, imbedding tiself in the back of Dandys head, at which he winced. "Blimmin heck!" he said, trying to reach around to remove it.

Hyron looked at Dandy with surprise... and deftly removed the cone from his love's head. "DARLING!" he squawlked, " Are you ok?" Hyron stood up and stood protectively over the grass covered grimer and looked around for the malifactor's source. "Jerk! Show yourself!" he hissed and displayed his feathers in the way male peafowl do to frighten and intimidate.

Dandys head reformed its usual shape and the indentation of the cone popped out again. "Im...just a little dazed my love." he said, using the injury as an excuse to swoon into Hyrons wings "Is there anyhting on the cone?" he asked, but he could see for himself that there was a picture of a very nasty looking face. The same as the others, but with fangs, and very heavy brows in a nastily frowning mouth.

Hyron craddled his love gently in his wings and looked the cone. The unfriendly face on the cone stared back at him.
"Dandy , I don't thing we are wanted around here. " Hyron sighed, almost brimming with tears, " And here I thought we would be able to live somewhere on this magnificent tree!" Hyron tried his best not to break down into a sobbing feather duster. He was beginning to feel a little bit strange. A funny twinge in his feathers set them on end. He looked as if he was slightly fatter.

Dandy hugged his love, "Now...I'll agree that the omens aren't all good, but perhaps we jsut have to meet the locals and make friends? I mean, we ARE newcomers to this tree, and perhaps we'd be better to make sure its OK before settling in." he could see Hyron was upset by the attitude of the pokemon around...it didn't please Dandy to much either, but Grimers were used to living where they werent wanted, and he wasn't about to leave this wondrous place without trying every avenue first.

Hyron nodded ... "So , how do we get them to come out and meet us? Getting pine cones tossed at us with mean faces on them isn't helping us any.... maybe , if there was a way to change the face... we could throw the cones back and show we mean to be friendly?" Hyron plucked a quill from his tail. "We could use this , but we need something to make the marks."

"Not a bad plan my lovey!" said Dandy smiling broadly, "As for what to make the marks with, howaboooout...ummmm, perhaps some mud?" he said, looking around.

The large roots of the tree had formed many small pools of water where rain had gathered, he picked one, and scooped some water out onto an area of black earth, before mixing it with a twig. "That do the trick ya think baby?"

Hyron nodded approval ," yes , that should work just fine! "
The psychic bird took his quill into his beak and dipped it into the mud. He touched the black tipped feather to the cone , attempting to make a face , but succeeding in barely making a mark that could pass as a circle if the viewer were drunk. Hyron looked at the mark and turned his head from side to side , hoping it would look better at a diffrent angle. "Bah! ... I'm a terrible painter" Hyron sighed and handed Dende the quill, " I bet you could do better than I did .... specially since you have hands"

Dandy instead found a fresh cone, "Let's try this one..." he said, taking the quill and dipping it again in the mud." Howabooout..." he said, trying to make a new face on the cone...and ending up with a sort of a face...well...it had no nose, and the eyes were to big, but the smile was genuine looking. "Right, shall I lob this back to where that other one was thrown from?"

Hyron marveled at his love's skill with the quill and mud. He nodded enthusiasticly at Dandy, " Oh yes , we should chuck that pretty cone back where the others came from. " Hyron took another good look at Dandy's artwork, " With a smile like that they would shurely know we mean to be friends!"

Dandy smiled "You are so kind." he said, kissing his loves cheek and lobbing back the cone. A hand caught the cone midflight after it had rebounded off a rock and was heading down a small hill. Scuffling could be heard, and minutes later, at the very top of the tree a heated conversation took place, the outcome of which heralded a meeting in the branches, attended by many different individuals.

All listened to a speech, a long winded and very in depth speech, that could have been summed up in the few words "Bring the fat green one up here please." many Pokemon descended the tree, from the inside, and a plan was hatched.

Dandy, while waiting for a reply from the rocks from where he had thrown the cone, heard somehting from the large crevice they had entered before, looking over he saw a pile of the cones in the entrance. "Honey...how did those get there?" he asked Hyron, gesturing to the cones and the cave. Hyron looked at the pile of cones. They seemed to have appeared by magic!

"I think , maby ... we should go see who's inside. Perhaps these are a gift for your talent?" Hyron had a strange feeling in his feathers again. It was kind of an itch and kind of a numbed tickle. Hyron preened his wing and yanked out any loose feathers.
Hyron fidgeted a bit more at the entrance of the cave, waiting for a response from Dandy. The psychic bird wasn't sure why, but he felt as if things were soon to change in a dramatic way. Hyron was also beginning to itch like crazy. He plucked a few more feathers from his crawling skin.

Dandy smiled, his head almost swelling "Perhaps they liked my picture so much they want me to make more!" he said rushing over to the pile of cones, holding the wing of his love and smiling broadly "Next im gonna draw a picture of you!" he said happily, taking a cone and setting the quill to ist surface. Several sets of eyes watched from the boughs above, keeping a keen eye on the small fat one, he had to go inside the cave eventually...and watching to amke sure that the tall beaked one didnt get in the way.

*#*#*#*#*#*

Tawny sniffed at a few tender leaves on a sappling leading a procession of young trees out of the forest and onto the grasslands before the foot of the mountain. It smelled of nidoran, but not a very strong one. She moved further until she found a few tracks. These too were of nido origin. A nidorino and it's mate she guessed. Still they weren't strong enough for her to bother with. The leogle moved deeper into the woods.

Achikochi felt a power , like thunder in a distant storm , moving closer to her. One by one she moved her protesting progeny back down the den. She motioned for them to be still and quiet.

~*~

Tawny had picked up the scent of another nidorina. She snorted hard, wondering if these nidos were all that the forest had to offer for food. The leogle moved deeper into the woods untill she found a very strong trail. It took her to a quiet little cove under the watch of a peach tree. Tawny spotted a den.

~*~

Achikochi sweated with fear, her kits huddled as close as the could , somehow knowing there was a terrible danger facing them. Achi licked them one by one, doing what little she could to protect them. Tawny moved a massive paw down the shaft leading into the den. Achi felt the hook-lke claws graze her flesh. She bit her lip to stop from screaming. Brownie growled with anger at the invading appendage and charged, biting down deep with his sharp young teeth. Achikochi screamed , but it was the silent kind straight from the heart of a mother's worst fear. Tawny withdrew her paw with the kit attached and snarled. It must have been a false lead.

She bit into the young nido and tore it from her arm. Brownie's teeth ripped a jagged wound into the leoline foreleg, his first and only act of bravery. Tawny left the den site to look for something larger to fill her need for food. A scrap of fur was all that was left behind.

~*~

Achikochi drew her last 3 kits close to her, sobbing and grooming them. She ignored the parellel wounds on her flesh.

"Where's Brownie?" Flailer asked with tears streaming from his deep blue eyes.

"I'm sorry ...." Achi choked, " He's gone ... that thing took him away."

"When will he get back?" Daina pouted. Brownie had been her protector when her other brothers picked on her in games.

Achi simply licked the tiny female kit, " hush now, my darlings... go to sleep."

Achikochi looked at the shaft of light from the den's entrance. Bitter tears began to mingle with the ones shed in sorrow. Where was her mate? Wasn't he supposed to help protect her and thier kits?

#*#*#*#

Tawny was dissapointed at the small catch. The furrball had barely wet her throat with its blood. She moved up into the trees and catwalked across branches, keeping her eyes turned down incase she could ambush something. She still sensed a power from the east, and slightly south. It seemed to promise a rich meal that would provide enough energy for the young she hoped to conceive.

Tawny moved with barely a sound up in the dense leaf lined branches above. She minced past a few nests, ignoring the noisy contents just long enough to pass them by. She grinned to herself as her stiff plumed tail tipped the nest off the branches. The leogle's stomach growled. She would have to feed on something soon.

#*#*#*#*#*#

Dandy was startlked by a noise from above, and suddenly a group of purple pokemon leapt down from the trees, grabbing him and then seemingly sweeping right abck up, into the thickest areas of tangled branches they dragged the protesting grimer, who was sprayed with a strange blue powder that put him to sleep almost instantly, but not before he could yell "HYYYYYRRROOOOONNNNNNNN!!!!"

Hyron whirled around at Dandy's scream. He looked franticly around the cave and up into the branches. Hearing some rustling movements in the leaves , the bird picked up a few cones and chucked the as hard as he could into the branches. "GIMME BACK MY BOYFREIND YOU JERKS!!" he yelled and clawed at the thick spongy bark. If only he could fly again!

n Dandy remained asleep as he was placed in front of a pokemon, seated on an ornately built stool high atop the tree. The stool itself was made primitively...and yet through the crude materials and simple fastenings it could be discerned that a lot of work had been put into it, and the Pokemon atop the stool certainly looked capable of creating it himself.

His face appeared wise....but when one looked at him...sort of ridiculous also. "So, my students, you have done well in capturing this, the object of my desire." he said in a high pitched voice, smirking and stepping from the stool onto the wide bough to view the captured Grimer. "See? he is a living, breathing stylistic marvel!" he said, running his fingers over the flowers that had grown unchecked on Dandys head. "His sense of flair is unrivalled! He...HE shall be the finest addition to our little...project." he said, snickering somewhat.

Several small pokemon, slightly more ridiculous looking than thier master sat and watched, grinning like idiots at the praise and awaitingt fresh orders.

"That bird, while pretty, could never hope to understand what this living masterpiece hopes to accumplish!" he said with a twirl, swinging around his bizzare tail. "have it bought to me though, I do so admire its plumage...that to will amke a fine addition to the project...after all, one cannot have to many materials, now can he?" Without a word three purple pokemon swept down from the tree, grinning and chattering , looking for an opportunity to grab Hyron without being speared by that mighty beak, and without damaging the feathers. They sat and watched him from the brtanches jsut above, hoping hed tire out and rest soon.

Hyron continued to jump kick and claw at the tree, achiving nothing but the removal of some moss and bark. The birds molting feathers scattered everywhere, laying about like bits of glittering gems. "GIVE HIM BACK .... GIVE ME BACK MY LOVE !!! I'LL MAKE YOU ALL PAY IF YOU HARM A SINGLE LEAF ON HIS HEAD!!!"

Hyron began to pant with exhaustion. His rants were getting him no where, but he couldnt think straight enough to do anything else. He didn't even notice the pokemon sneaking up on him.

There was chittering in the branches overhead. "It would seem he isn't about to rest...he seems very upset at our absconding off with his companion." one said frowning another replied "Yup, and he's loosing feathers by the fistful...if he looses any more he'll look TERRIBLE and that will displease master..." a third said "I say we grab him now, that way at least we won't get in trouble for his poor condition if he's up there loosin his plumage."

"RIGHT!" they all said at once, sweeping down and grabbing Hyron, firmly, but genly, before dragging him back up into the tree.

Hyron gave little resistance. If these were the creatures who took his beloved lump of green, then he would go with them and find Dandy.... if they weren't taking him to his love , he would deal with them shortly!

The seemingly 5 limbed pokemon swung him up to a higher Bough, where he was unceremonoiously shoved into a large hollowed out part of the tree and closed in with a swinging door, locked from the outside with a crude bolt. "Sorry about the drabness here, we have yet to decorate the prison quarters...they WILL be spiffy once we get to it though!" the leader of the troupe said smiling stupidly and leaving the bird to his cell. 2 caterpie, a weedle and a metapod sat in back of the cavern, eyeing the bid suspiciously.....

===============================

Dandy came to, and looked around, seeing a Bizzarre pokemon playing with his flowers. Despite his odd feeling he yelled very loudly, almost like he was in pain...this was all to bizzare for his tastes.

Hearing Dandy's call of distress threw Hyron into a rage. He threw himself against the bars of his enclosure over and over, as he cursed and yelled at the nearest guard. "Let me out you [censored], 5 handed freak!!" Hyron rapped his bill hard on the guard's noggin.

The Aipom grabbed the beak, and returned the rapping on Hyrons head with the hand on his tail. "Now now! I know that the walls could do with some paint, and we dont have the floors carpeted completely, but there really IS no need to do that!" he said, releasing the birds head and wandeering a distance off so that Hyron couldnt reach him.

The weedle in back smiled "Dont bother...sir....er....weve tried getting out but this whole tree is monitored by them...umm...dont eat me OK?"

Hyron looked agast at the aipom. How dare that filthy little beast hit him!! The psychic bird looked at the weedle that had addressed him, "Blech! please don't make jokes like that ... who would want to eat a bug?" Hyron paced about the enclosure, clawing the floor.

The weedle looked at him oddly "Look, the only birds i ever met considered me an appetiser...but i guess ya aint like that." he said smiling. "Im Fuzzler, these guys are Stinky, stretchy n woody" he said, gesturing to the 2 caterpie and the metapod. "They keep us here to use string shot to make stuph...dunno what but apparently the silk is worth somehtin to them...er...id rather be outa here myself, but thats just me. Woody dun seem ta wnna leave anytime soon." he said, playfully nudging the metapod who chuckled "Not unless im carried..." he said slowly.

Stinky looked at Hyron "So, i guess they want yer feathers. Pity, if they take those as regularly as they take our silk youll be balder than a squirtle before long."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Smeargle had sat Dandy on a slightly less elegant stool than his own and surveyed him. "When i was but young, i was captured by a trainer, and i was treated well." he started. "my trainer was an amazing artist, creating lifelike images out of paint, pencil, anyhting that could be used to make the image he would use. These images are known by them, as art."

Dandy looked confused "So? What has that to do with me?"

The smeargle, whos name was Ochre, smiled. "Humans, paint. I paint. Ever see...say, a bulbasaur paint?"

Dandy shook his head, he hadn't.

"Riight, and that is what seperates Humans and pokemon! Humans are able to create and view images, and APPRECIATE them, in a way most pokemon cannot. In my lifetime i have made it my job, to learn the appreciation of art, and to teach it to others...its my purpose! One day, humans and pokemon shall be brought closer together in mutual understanding as artists! And the world shall be peaceful, and beautiful, a living, breathing work of art! Such as you are."

Dandy blushed slightly "Me?"

Ochre smiled "Why yes! You are the perfect metaphor! A Grimer, formed from debri and destruction...growing a lush garden on yourself! The world is like your former state...evil and pooluted...the land, destroyed by human hand, the air, poisoned by human pollution, the seas and the very lake we live close to, filled with human waste. Once my idea...my ideal..my DREAM becomes reality, we shall be as you are now. Clean, growing, living, breathing and healthy!"

Dandy swesatdropped. "Oh...alright...."

*#*#*#*

The leogle smelled blood, lots of blood. It came from the south and slightly west. There were unfamilliar noises there too. She had heard a few loud echos like thunder. Tawny was unconcerened by it... it was just another challenge to her. She crept past a few strange looking bipedal creatures. They did not look like much to her at the time. Maybe later she's go back and sniff them out for a quick meal. Tawny moved further south in the trees untill a strangely inviting scent filled her nostrils. Someone had left a perfectly plump , but dead vulpix in the tree. Tawny tore into the fire-fox's hide and began to feed. Tawny heard an angered voice. It was one of the humans. She hissed softly and moved into thicker cover.

Jered could only see 4 cat-like paws in the branches where he had stashed the vulpix. "

That sonnova'! ...' The man didn't finish. He heft his rifle to his shoulder and took aim where he thought the creatures heart would be. If he couldn't have a vulpix, he's have himself a nice persain trophy.

The hunter pulled the trigger.

Tawny yowled.

Something hot and metal streaked passed her chest, tearing skin and singing feathers.

Jered paused .... that was not the cry of a persain!

Tawny growled low and shortened the distance between herself and the human.

Jered stupidly moved closer to where the cat-beast was hidden. He moved his rifle to a ready to fire position.

Tawny pounced, tearing great gashed down the man's throat and shoulders. The hunter wavered, choking on the life that bubbled from deeply severed veins. He slumped forward, one of the few humans to have ever seen a wild Leogle. Tawny moved her prey up into the branches to feed.

Tawny licked her paws and gimaced. The flavor of human flesh was not to her liking. She would avoid hunting them for food. The ease of the kill marked humans off the list for sport hunting as well, there was simply no challenge. The leogle could sense the source of power. She was close .... very close. She moved through the woods, looking for potential victems and hints that would lead to a greater quarry. The woods broke ahead of the avian-cat, and opended to the lakeside. A great big , strange looking tree caught her fancy. She could feel the power that lay within. Tawny licked her beak. It was time to hunt.

*#*#*#*#*

The little sandshrew jumped into Spirit's lap. "There's som'it bad-like comin' this away!" He whimpered.

Spirit nodded. "I know, little one, I can feel it too. But never fear, I shall protect you." He sighed to himself, "ah, is is never very peaceful here for long, is it. Tis one of those sad things. no wonder I stayed in the forest so long." He walked to the back of the treehouse and opened a trapdoor, which led down into the cellar, and had a small, narrow passage leading down inth the tunnels that ran everywhere under the lake.
"Hide in their little one, if I fail you, run into those tunnels and you will be safe from most above ground predators. But be warned - the dangers below the ground are great indeed too."

And the little Sandshrew nodded, it was happier under the ground anyhow. "Take care mista!" It whimpered, "I help if'n ya need it, ya?" And then it disappeared into the cellar. Spirit closed the trapdoor, placing a wooden box over it to hide it. Then he polished his spoon and waited...

*#*#*#*#*#*

Hyron blinked at his cellmates. "My feathers? .. well they can't have my feathers! They are MY feathers!!" The psychic-bird ran back to the bars and screamed out into the canopy , " THESE ARE MY FEATHERS ... SPECIAL FEATHERS ... AND YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM.. YOU HEAR ME ???!! .... YOU CAN'T HAVE -MY-FEATHERS!!!!!! "
Hyron backed away from the bars, puffing for breath..... he looked at the bugs and blinked. "Oh... yeah.." Hyron dashed back to the bars, " LET ME OUTTA HERE... AND GIVE ME BACK MY BOYFREIND YOU JERKS!!!"

The Aipom guard regarded Hyron and said "Umm, you don't have a LOT of say in it and so yelling wont help a lot."

The caterpie Stinky remarked. "True that...er...just stick it out. Youll get bald, youll get free, its summer, you'll survive, life goes on yadda yadda yadda."

An aipom landed near the cell. "The master wants the bird." he said before exiting, and returning with 4 aipom and 2 mankey to retrieve Hyron. They opened the cage and grabed him swiftly, before leaping into the rees boughs.

Hyron was dragged up the tree to the forum where he would face the mysterious 'master'. He fought against the grip of the two mankey guards, kicking and pecking the fighting types. "GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF ME, YOU DAMN DIRTY APES!!"

The mankeys were fighting types and so had no defence against the brutal pecking attacks. One let go, and the other tried to hold on but couldnt take it either, dropping Hyron the leapt back, leaving the Aipoms to do it...and they doidnt seem any keener on it than the mankey.

Hyron paced back and forth between his captures. Feathers began to litter the floor and a definate bald patch was developing under his uninjured wing. "Well? ...... WELL? SHOW YOURSELF , YOU SNEAKY UNCOUTH BOYFRIEND KIDNAPPING LOW LIFE TREE SCUM!!! .... I'LL FIGHT YOU MYSELF, FOR DANDY!! ... " Hyron's temper raged on. Feathers were trickling off his body like gental spring rain. If it kept up a the rate it was going, Hyron would be bald by sunset!

A crowd of Aipom leapt around on the boughs below hyron, grabbing the dazzling feathers and taking them to places around the tree to deposit them. "Keep him here and we can just get all the feathers without any hassle!" yelled one. "Yeh! Fallin like leaves in autumn!" yelled another.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dandy made a break for it hearing Hyrons voice "HYROOON!" he yelled, but was restrained by a large mankey.

Hyron became a frantic screeching torrent of feathers and claws. Something strange was beggining to happen to him. The light that filtered through the treetop gathered, almost drawn in and amplified on his feathers. Hyron stopped his wild ranting and stood very very still , glaring very darkly at the host of aipom, who greedily clutched his fallen plumage. "THOSE WHO HAVE STOLEN MY FEATHERS ARE CURSED .... " Hyron's voice seemed diffrent... distant as if it had come from the sun itself.

*#*#*#*#*

Tawny walked slow and deliberately towards Slywuud's treehouse. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Her senses told her there was something powerful inside, but her eyes saw only a tree ..... a very strange tree. Tawny butted her head against it, testing the solidity and density. She backed off a few paces. The tree felt like stone. Her large talons rocked in and out of thier sheaths as she debated whether or not to try to get at the thing inside of it.

The leogle placed her front paws against the side of the tree and pulled her claws down the trunk. The sound of hollow point nails screeched all the way down. The tree took little damage at all. Tawny flicked her ears back and hissed. She needed the energy rich food ... somehow.

The raptor-cat jumped several paces backwards and lowered her head. In four paces she was running at top speed, intending to ram the tree in hopes of shaking its very foundation.

Spirit felt the vibrations as the powerful feline-raptor hit his sanctuary. Casting his spoon about himself he attempted to extend a barrier of psychic protection around the tree, so that the beast could not break in. Then he reached out with his mind and tried to touch it. It was a strange mind, full of hunger and a deep longing. Using emotions rather then words, he tried to understand its purpose and what it wanted. It was a hard mind to penetrate, especially whilst he was retaining the mental barrier, but he had rested for two days, and thought he could keep both running, at least for a few minutes...

Tawny shook her head violenly and scratched at her head with a hindpaw. It felt like a gnat or fly buzzing through her ears and banging around her face constantly. The leogle didn't know what it was looking for, or why it showed up , but she wanted it out of her head.

::~::~:: What Spirit would have 'seen' ::~::~::

Through a Leogle's mind A strange plateau dotted with jungles, covered in mist. The strong scent of leaves and green, richer in life than the forest of lake eerie. One scent grew stronger, the smell of targeted prey. A blur of green and golden brown and the crashing of leaves. Paws firmly attached to a larger creature now peirced by claws. Powerful surgings of muscles as tough hide was torn from flesh, followed by the feeling of satisfaction of hot blood and quivering flesh going down. A meal over. A feeling bubbles from deeper... one that pushes and pulls. Anxiety of pacing, disatisfaction growing stronger in every kill. With every kill , hunger grows stronger. Agitation and irritation buzz and sting.

Have to move , go away ... find the one .... a mate .... continue the species .... go .. move.. kill... eat ... need stronger prey ... must not die out... go... go.... go ...move on ... find him... somewhere close.... somewhere.... Kill annoying eevee, search for food, eat annoying stupid kit ... look for food ... dead vulpix ... something.... new to try ... terrible tasting .. must find something better ... power ... need more power.....

~*~*~*~

The little Sandshrew huddled in the basement, listening to the nasty noises up above. He whimpered to himself. "Issa notta good, notta good at all...."

::~::~::~::

Tawny lashed out at the tree, breaking off a branch. "Get out of my head... I'll crush you .... kill you slowly and let you suffer!"

Spirit felt a cold chill. ~It will do you well to leave Lake Eerie~ He sent. ~ You will not find what you seek here, merely the teeth and talons of those whom you seek as food. ~

He did not gloat, although he was firm enough in the knowledge that if this creature could kill him, it would probably near nigh die in the attempt.

Tawny's mind answered in rage ~ he's here .. hidden.. I must prepare .. and you must become my next meal~ The leogle backed away from the tree and paced around it. There had to be a way to break the barrier, she had to find it.

*#*#*#*#*#*

"Very stirring performance." said a smarmy voice as Ochre dropped from the above branches and landed some distance from Hyron. "Im the one who...aherm...kidnapped your dear Boyfriend. let me tell you sir, that while you have all the flash and fancy of a common treasure hoard, you do NOT have a grasp on context. he's too good for you...quite simply put. Can't you see his artistic vision? His...his...I can't explain further, it defies words." he swaggered to where Hyron was standing. "I think that even if i let him go he'd want to stay!"

Dandy heard all this and yelled "NO I WOULD NOT!!!" and struggled against the large mankeys

Hyron looked at the smeargle. His eyes filled with hate, " LIER! ... Dandy would never leave me ... he would never want to be your ornament or what ever else you have planned for him .." Hyron's feathers seemed to suddenly pale, and lost thier usual brilliant colors, fading into ordinary grey. The only feathers to retain thier color were the ones Hyron had given to Dandy. They psychic bird's eyes filled with tears.

Dandy was watching this from above, and it broke his heart. He breathed in, and then splattered his guards with a toxic attack before pounding them as best he could from his position. Both fell back yelling in pain as the Toxic worked its deadly magic. Dandy leapt from the bough, and landed in front of the smeargle between him and Hyron.

"You want to know the real reason i look like this?" he said in a deadly soft voice, before pushing the brush tailed pokemon on its butt and saying in a louder and clearer voice "Im a fraud. A liar...common decieving charlitan pile of toxic waste. Im currently wearing these plants to look like a skiploom, the evolved form of the hannekko HE fell in love with!" said Dandy pointing at Hyron.
"You heard me right! This 'ideal' you think im trying to uphold is fake! its a lie! I decieved him!" Dandy was crying now, letting the frustration of his pent up feelings out in his angry speech "It was the only way I'd ever find love..im a grimer..no one in thier right mind would love one of us! A living pile of garbage? Oh yes! How huggable! Thats why I did it..to get loved, to be what he wanted, to be the hoppip that he was in love with and YES! its all a lie! that hoppip is dead, I buried him myself! His spirit is now a Ghastly, and I'm still just a grass covered Grimer. I have all the moral...or artistic for that merit.....value of a pile of living excrement. And so does your stupid idea of creating art to be more human. They don't see you as an equal! Not even close! How pathetic....which means we have something in common." he then broke down, and sobbed. He wondered if Hyron had taken it in, and beleived it this time. he wondered what the smeargle would do. He wondered why he didnt just leap off a nice high bough right now and try to end it all.

Hyron's tear filled eyes grew wider with pain. The one thing his kind of pokemon was most hurt by and most hated were liers. The pokemon he loved had been lying to him. Hyron fell to the floor at Dandy's feet. His feathers turned slate grey and crumbled to dust, blowing away in the whispery breeze that sang softly through the treetop. The once magnificent bird lay naked of plumage, choking on thick sobs of anguish. He shivered as his body temperature began to drop and cool. Hyron's claws curled and uncurled as his mind tried to grasp the reality set before him. "why.... oh.. was it all .... was it... do .. you... did..you... ever... love me?"

Dandy wailed and tried as best he could to cover Hyrons body with his own to keep him warm, "Ive always loved you! From the moment we met till right now! You are the one thing in my life i DO love! I cant even begin to tell you how deeply i love you!" he sobbed and clutched Hyron close to him "Im so sorry! I..i didnt want to lie! I tried to tell you, I tried very hard but you..you didnt beleive that hannekko had died, you wouldn't believe his seed was all that was left and i was just a Grimer!" his sobbing was uncontrollable now "I never meant to hurt you...id rather die than make you cry....but now you...you know the truth, and...maybe its best that way...because one such as you...doesnt deserve to be lied to..." he didn't know what else to say, he had no clue as to how to make Hyron feel better, or how to amke things right again, though he was releived his lie was over in a small way, but what did that matter? Hyron wouldnt want him now, not after he knew that thier whole life together was based on deception and the death of his true love.

Hyron felt a cold inside him. It was like the deep frozen chill of centuries old glacier ice. He felt as if he were dying. The bird's body stopped shivering and his breathing slowed. His heart nearly stopped. The dust from his feathers swirled in the wind on tiny currents, drifting past the naked bird. Slowly , they began to dance and spin, jumping and flicking about like a black flame. The black dust flickered and began to glow pale green. Hyron rose to his feet, as if called by something, and took a stumbling 2 steps forward. The strange flame of dust engulfed Hyron. He cried out, almost in shock.

Dandy leapt back, not knowing what to do, was Hyron going to attack him? Like he had attacked the annoying spearow that day when they were taking Stone na fleck back to his parents? Was he that angry? Dandy wouldnt be surprised. "If you would attack me, i deserve it." he stood there, arms at his side, and awaited what would come.

The smaergle had watched all this impassively, it would seem indeed that there was more going on here than an artistic vision embodied in a Grimer. "Well....ill be going...but ill be watching..." he said, stepping to the above bough and whispering to a primeape in the branches above "They have no real concept of what we hope to achive, they arent what i thought, and so must be...taken care of and disposed with."

*#*#*#*#*

Something on the wind distracted the fierce cat from her quarry. As suddenly as she had begun her attack, she now withdrew, turning south-east. She headed towards a tall tree. Her destiny lay waiting for her there.

~*~*~

Spirit sighed, and nearly colapsed. His battle with the feirce flying cat was over, but not before it had drained alot of his energy. The old Kadabra slowly eased into a cushioned seat to catch his breath.

~*~*~*~

Tawny scanned below, her large eyes drinking in the slightest ripple to betray the life below the liquid mass. In one smooth, silver lined dip, Tawny ripped a seaking from the water. A rain of scales was all she returned. He was out there.... the mate she sought and needed. She would go to any extreem to find him. In the horizon she saw a tree, the lord of the forest, standing taller than any around it. Tawny's wings pumped harder.

~*~*~*~

The strange flame turned hot and white, giving off a bright flash. A sphere of energy swirl counter clockwise around where Hyron once was. It grew larger and brighter, turning hues of pink,green, blue, lavender, and began to open like a flower. Hyron was no longer there. A magestic beast awoke from inside the flaming petals. His eyes burned pale jade, focusing on the world around him. The translucent petals fell and melted away into nothingness. The creature shimmered in the failing sunlight. He was like the moon and stras , all pulled into one. He glared at the smeargle. "You will harm no beast!"

Dandy stood back, amazed, had such an amazing creature ever walked the earth before now? He could do nothing but stare, "Hy...hyron? Is that...you?"

Ochre to was in awe, and could do nothing but gawp for a few seconds, before sneering "Your grasp of the performing arts are admirable...but I have minions upon minions that will fight you! You may be impressive, but you are but one pokemon, and in defiance of my DREAM!" he screeched.

And it was true, from every Branch there were rustlings, as Aipom, mankey, Primeape, Smeargle and a few others appeared and watched the action below. Dandy looked up, and besides the monkey types he spotted a few spinarak, spearow and caterpillar types, he guessed the last 3 were kept for the materials they provided, and had been converted to the mad pokemons ways of thinking.

Ochre growled, "Now, surrender, or we shall take you by force!"

The shimmering creature raised his claws to the smeagle, then crossed them across his chest. " The longer you keep me here , the closer your death comes!" His piercing gaze sought Dandy's eyes. "I know you , and what you are, and what you will be. There is nothing you can hide from me, that I cannot see in your eyes." The large creature drew a wing over the grass covered grimer. " From the most terrible of circumstances, the truest of beauty will shine." The shining of the creature's body subsided, revealing the newly evolved glory he had become.
"I am Hyron no more.... I am Psycat, the last born of my kind. "

Dandy snivvelled under the wing of the giant Psycat. "im...im so sorry!" he cried, not knowing what else to say.

Psycat nudged him gently with his beak "I know, and there is no reason to be...i see your soul, and your intentions were good, and you've made me the happiest creature alive, even though it was with deception. And i still love you with all my heart, as i did before."

The smeargle however cared nothing for this show of love. "AATTAAAACK!" he yelled, and swarms of Aipom, mankey and other pokemon swept from the Branches, and alnded on the 2 pokemon.

Psycat's eyes widened. He stood protectively over Dandy and looked at the Smeargle with eyes ablaze. "She's coming. Let us go or feel her wrath!". Psycat's voice held a quiet, bold and absolute truthful ring.

Ochre looked at the giant cat Pokemon, nad smirked. "you have no clue...absolutely NO CLUE!!" he ended in a snarl before looking above at the assembled monkey types.

"ATTTAAACK!!!!" he yelled at the swarms of Aipom and Mankey, who immediately leapt from the tree , claws out and teeth bared. Dandy clung tightly to Psycat and wimpered, nearly loosing the love of his life, being kidnapped, Hyrons change into PsyCat and all the Pokemon attacking...it was all jsut to much. He couldnt take it...his mind swirled with a million different images, matching his breathing his conciousness was fading in......and...out....in....and...out.......... The swarms reached trhe branch where the two were and wasted no time in launching an assault.

Psycat growled and spread his wings wide. His feathers grew stiff, ready to attack. Psycat grabbed Dandy by a clump if well anchored grass and placed him between his shoulders. "Hold on .... " he warned.

Ochres' troop of mercinary mankeys drew closer with screams and chatterings. Psycat bowed his head to meditate. "Mankeys ... fghting types... weakness .... flying, and psychic attacks." Psycat grinned with confidence and looked at Dandy, "I'm both you know"

The mankeys closed in, dashing forward in mock charges and testing thier courage. Psycat flapped his wings and sent them scatering for cover.

"Cowards!" he smirked at the Smeargle , "Is ths the best you can do ? A lot of filthy, flea infested mankeys? Don't you know how ineffective they are? Now set us free you mincing, tail swishing fool! .... Death is at your doorstep!"

The mankeys began thier advance again. Though as individuals they would have had no chance, in a large group .... just so long as they came from all sides at once.

~*~*~

Tawny as amazed at the size of the tree. The one thing she had travelled so far to get was there, and she would find it. The leogle landed near the base of the tree. She began to circle the trunk quite slowly, not wanting to miss any clues to where her future mate was. Satisfied he was not on the ground, the leogle climbed up the tree counter clock-wise.

Dandy held on tightly and his conciousness faded for one last time, before he went out completely. Lying there limply he barely heard Psycats talking about his flying and Psychic type properties, and mumbled "Thats...nice...dear.." before he went out, feeling strangely hot all over. Strange images confronted him from the corners of his mind, and assaulted the senses that were now detached from the physical world around him. He saw the city from which he had come, pollurted and encrusted with the human filth of generations of careless rubbish tossing and bad air, and then he felt a cool breeze blow and saw the mountains, and forests of lake Eerie unfold, and the grass and trees were so beautiful as to make him want to cry. Slowly the images changed, and the unfolding leaves and blades of grass became feathers, and plains of muscle and wings, slowly building up to the final image, a large face, with a happy sparkle in his eye and a loving aura. It was Psycat. Dandy began slowly to increase in size....

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The first of the mankey landed on the brancha nd launched his first attack, a Low Kick, followed by an Aipom with a mega punch, followed by several Primeape that launched thier attacks, and then suddenly the whole branch seemed to be swarming with Monkeys along its width and breadth, all wanting the chance to attack the PsyCat and his grassy passenger.

Psycat was in a bit of a bind. His own nature restricted him from fighting the monkey-like pokemon directly.. they were weaker than he was. The majestic beast winced and flinched under the barrage of sharp nails and heavy pawed slaps. Psycat concentrated on making a psychic barrier between himself and Ochre's croonies. Psycat felt his dear freind Dandy's weight seem to shift .... no , it was getting heavier. The psychic-flying pokemon used a mild gust attack to send another wave of mankeys tumbling back into the branches.

~*~

Tawny was amazed. After breaching the top layers of the tree, a mankey was convieniently sent right into her claws. It was only a two bite meal, but enough to curb the energy demands her body had. The Leogle poked her head through the branches and into the scuffle of Mankey, Aipom, and the one creature she had traveled so far to find. Tawny screamed out in anger and began slaying the mankeys around her. Psycat looked at Ochre, huffing from exerting psychic power to ward off his attackers,
" See .... death is here .... I warned you!"

The mankey were amazed, and almost stopped thier attack to gaze upon the other giant bird type Pokemon that had appaerared and wet the branches of the tree with the blood of so many in such a short time! Ochre himself even looked amazed and stood agape. Within seconds the attacks had been directed from Psycat and dandy to the killer of thier Commrades, with ape pokemon launching themselfs from the branches to attack Tawny, with Ochre standing there impassively watching, his composure regained.
"Attack, fight! You must overocme the shedder of red on trees green!" he said irelevantly.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dandy awoke slowly, looking around he had to brush aside the large petals now covering his eyes and stare about at the carnage that seemed to have ensued. "Psy...psycat? Whats...going on?" he asked feebly, feeling like he had woken from a sickness induced sleep full of bizzare drems, though he had been out mere seconds.

Psycat tried to move away from the battle. True to the nature of his kind, he hated bloodshed and death. He felt terribly for the slain, but he -had- warned them. "Dandy , we have to get out of here... that pokemon is here because she was looking for me." Psycat inched towards a clearing in the branches, "But we should set the others free before we go" Psycat added remembering his cell-mates.

~*~

Tawny stared hard and cold at the Smeargle. She could tell he was the leader of the seemingly suicidal pokemon. Flaying thier flesh to scraps was no more effort than swatting a pesky fly for her, but they were in the way of what she really wanted.
"Dishonnerable hypocrit!" She hissed at the Smeargle and shortened the distance between them, " You waste my time!" Tawny lifted a massive talon tipped paw to strike Ochre.

Ochre, being an artist not a fighter, leapt dramaticly from his throne, and droopped as fast as he could to the floor, before running along the branch as fast as he could and leaping to the lower branches. Running away.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dandy looked at Psycat, and asked "What others honey?" before realising his voice had changed, "Hey...my voice is deeper..." he said to no-one in particular, and looked at the paws grasping the neck of Psycat, noting how large they wewre, and how the grass no longer seemed to come out of them, but be a part of them, with thicker blades, and a darker, healthier shade of green. "Uh...oh..." he thought to himself...wondering oif hed beocme...Muk?

*********************

The talons of Tawny's massive paw, crashed through the throne where the smeargle had sat. She hissed and spat in frustration, " You are no leader ... only a coward who hides behind others!" She yelled out to the rustling branches. The arena was now a void litered with scraps of fur and painted in blood. The mankey and aipom who made it had run away, perhaps never to be seen again. Tawny sniffed around, and began her search for her destined mate.

~*~

Psycat walked slowly down a branch, having a little trouble negotiating the proper balance with the new amount of weight on him. "When those monkey-types grabbed me , they put me in a cage. In the cage were a few other pokemon they held captive, weedle, caterpie and metapod... for thier silk." Psycat stumbled on looose bark, lurching forward sharply. He turned his neck back sharply to halt Dandy from falling off, and noticed for the first time that his love had evolved! "Dandy! ... you're a ...a... a... what are you ?"

Dandy looked at his hands, and looked up at his big, new petals, and felt his face, which felt the same, but the grass was actually....a part of him? It couldnt be! He grabbed a tuft and pulled...sure enough it hurt. "i...i dont...i dont know.." he said slowly and haltingly, wondering just what WAS he? hed known evolved Grimer, Muk they were called, but the plants had somehow fused with him in the prosess. He thought about it...it was pretty logical. The plants had been feeding off of him and so contained small parts of him and vice versa, in the close proximity to the rest of him the smaller parts of him in the plants would have evolved in unison with the main part, causing them to be melded with the grass and flowers. But what WAS he? Psycat recalled the same delema had occured when Dandy had falsely "evolved" after the fall of Kisuko's dome.

"Well, hun .... what do you want to be ? " Psycat inched down another trail in the branches tracing back to where he had been held captive with other pokemon. "Keep an eye out for any Mankey or Aipom, Dandy" he spoke in a hushed voice.

Dandy looked bemused "Well...now that you know im a Grimer..er...was a grimer, i guess its safe to say that im a Muk now. Poison type, basicly like a giant Grimer with more toxin producing capability...though i dont have any toxins left thanks to the grass on me and clean food, so im not sure oif that still applies. Plus the grass is a part of me now...i dont know if that alters anyhting."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Stinker the caterpie looked out the bars of the cage, and aw blood run down the bark of the tree. "Doooode....." he looked around at th weedle, other caterpie n metapod. "Guys! Summinks up! We gotta jet...like..now!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Psycat nodded to his beloved. "That is very puzzling, dear. Is a muk still a muk if it has no poison? ... " The psyhic-flying type rounded another bend in the trails of the branches and neared a cage. "Helloooo? .... anyone in there?" Psycat hoped his new form wouldn't scare his ex-cell mates.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Tawny examined the broken leaves and twigs left in Psycat's wake. Finding him would be easy. The deadly pokmon slunk down the trail with a grin of determination on her face, she would have her mate soon.

Dandy grinned broadly "Im so Glad that Evolution hasnt changed your personality! Ummm...even now that you know the truth.." he said slowly, "I promise ill never lie to you again..." He didnt know what else to say, he felt amazingly relieved that Hyrons new knowledge and form hadnt changed anyhting, but still as guilty as ever over his lie. Possibly even more so after the fact that Psycat hadn't stopped loving him, even though deep inside he believed that he deserved punishment...even though it was with the best of intentions at heart. His grin faded and he just hugged Hyron tighter, which he found more pleasurable with his new 'skin' that picked up the feeling more acutely than he had been able to before with either just the sludgy outer layed he had, and later with the grass implanted into him it had felt still nice, but muffled. Now he could feel every feather, every rippling muscle and every movement acutely and it was wonderful.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The captive Bug Pokemon sat inside thier cage, until the giant face of Psycat looked at them, and thenthey yelled "GAAHHH!" yelled sticky, "Thats the thing that killed all the monkey beasts! Ill bet anyhting thats what did it!"

Woody looked around "GAAH! Somebody use me to club it unconcious!"

Stinky turned and fwapped Woody "We dont have hands ya jerk!" he said coldly "And if we gonna die it may as well be now."

Woody scowled "And why is that?"

Stinky looked bemused "Uh...i dunno, it just seemed dramatic...and stuph!"

Everyone sweatdropped and just waited for Psycats reaction. Psycat raised the ridge of feathers over his eyes in high arch, "I haven't killed anyone ..... yet. " He clucked his tounge and shook his head. "Guys ... it's me , you know ... the loud noisy bird you were locked up with .... only , I've evolved."

~*~*~*~

Tawny crouched low. She could see the Psycat clearly. He had his back to her, which would have been good if he wasn't carrying the blob of grass n' goo around. The leogle watched with passive intrest and growing impatients as the Psycat seemed to be conversing with pokemon she wouldn't even consider eating. Larva bug pokemon, Yuck!

~*~*~*~

Psycat knew she was there. He had known since the onset of his evolution she would come for him. If only he could stall for more time... there was so much he had wanted to do and the roads of fate frightened him.

The bugs all cheered "Yay! its that wacky berd guy!" said woody excitedly "Ya gonna get us outa here dude?"

Dandy felt eyes on his back, and turned to seee what was up. He couldnt see much...but then noticed a pair of bright and cruel eyes above and couldnt say a word, he was transfixed.

Psycat nodded at his prison buddies and in a powerful slash from his front talons, ripped through the bars. "Easy as that !" he grinned, "You're all free now." The griffon-like pokemon's ears swiveled sharply behind him. He knew she was there, and by the way Dandy seemed to tense up on his back, he knew Dandy could sense it too. In a deep-voiced whisper the Psycat warned his beloved. "Dandy, the pokemon behind us is after me. I have to face her alone, as it is the way things are for my kind." Psycat dipped his wind and shoulder, gently sliding the plant-muk down and next to the bug pokemon. "Wait for me here."

~*~*~

Tawny sprang out at Psycat the instant Dandy was out of the way. Psycat dodged at the last split second, rolling away and falling off the branch into a nosedive. The leogle folded her wings and jumped after her target.

Dadny and the Bug Pokemon all watched awed, the two were heading down at an amazing speed. "What do i DO?" asked Dandy of himself, at which woody replied "Get a grass cut, that long hair is sooo retro!" before being silenced by Stinky wo patted dandy with a antennae "Errr..not much ya CAN do...umm..."

And so Dandy sat there, and wondered.

Leaves crashed and twigs whipped out at the two pokemon entwined in the chase through the upper half of the tree. Psycat could not escape the season driven Leogle. For every turn and twist, she matched him and lashed out with her paws to trip him up. Psycat was begining to feel winded. He dove down the center of the tree and exited the criss-crossed branches to the open sky. He was flying! He thanked what ever power that had healed his wing and rode an updraft high above the treetops. Tawny followed, but more slowly. She was heavier than he was , and needed to put more effort in to catch him. Psycat could see his gained advantage. He hoped he could escape long enough to figure out exactly what the leogle wanted.

"Don't think you can just fly away, handsome. You are MINE!" Tawny called out from several yards below.

"I have no intrest in you ... go away!" Psycat replied grumpily.

"You have no choice!" Tawny growled back and tilted her broad wing, faning out her primary feathers to grab the next updraft. She drew herself face to face with Psycat. "Look into my mind .... and you -will- see the truth."

Psycat gulped, not sure if he really wanted to know. Tawny advanced upon the Psycat and gripped his beak in her paw. "Look into my eyes... and see your destiny"

Psycat had no choice. He gazed deeply into the leogle's amber eyes. He suddenly felt... very strange.

**the Vision**

Green faded into a rainbow of flowers and feathers deep in the jungles of South America. High up on secluded plateaus, pokemon hunted and battled, growing stonger. They were the Leogle, the females of the species. They were preparing for a mating migration. On the other side of the world, deep in the heart of the Congo basin, another group of pokemon gathered peacefully eating fruit and thick husked nuts. These were the Psycat, adult males of the species.

For thousands of years, this pokemon species had survived well isolated from eachother , and from humans. When mankind discovered the magical properties of the feathers of Hyrons and Psycat, they began to harvest them. At first, it was a peaceful affair. The humans would gather feathers that were shed, or gain the trust of a wild hyron or psycat to take choice plumage. When the Leogle arrived for the breeding season, things turned ugly. The humans had missunderstood the intentions of the South Ameican flying cats and retalliated against thier advance. For the first time in the history of thier existance, the Psycat turned physicly violent and slayed the humans who felled thier mates.

The humans who survived the battle returned to thier villages and spoke of evil spirits infesting the psycat population. The supersticious villages gathered thier warriors and began to hunt the pokemon down, leogle and psycat both. The leogle escaped to thier sheltered plateaus, thousand of miles away. The all female flock dispersed to lay thier eggs around the world. The psycats had no home to go to, thus began the decline in thier numbers. Males were becoming harder to find, and females were losing hope of ever finding a mate durring the breeding season.

******

The vision faded from Psycat's mind. It had only taken a few seconds, but the impact on his psyche was incredable. "I .... I don't know what to say."

"Say you will be my mate for this season." Tawny growled, "There are hardly any males these days, and the season is half over. If you won't become my mate , our kind will slip even further into oblivion."

"But, I'm not even...." Psycat wavered in the sky, losing some altitude.

"I -know- what you -are-." Tawny spat with disgust, "And if there were any other male to be had , I would kill you now and go to him. "

Psycat paled. The females were truely barbaric when it came to mate selection. So, her choice had little to do with him, and more to do with the need to contiue the species. He now knew his kind were rare... almost extinct. Did he even want to continue his species? And what about Dandy. Would he condone this appearently nessesary mating? Tawny lashed her tail around, waiting for the psycat to make his descision. If he wouldn't be her mate by choice , she would take him by force.

Psycat fluttered in the air, his plumed tail flowing smoothly behind him. If he went with the leogle, Dandy would be sad and as heartbroken as he was when the whole mess with the marill at the dome happened, but .. if he didn't go , he would certainly be killed.. and Dandy would still be heart broken. Ultimately, he knew he would have to speak with Dandy. "Tawny ... I have ... to ask my lovers permission before I can go with you. I don't want our kind to go extinct ... but you have to understand , I have a boyfriend whom I love with all my heart. He will be the one to decide." Psycat spoke quietly, never meeting the Leogle's mind.

"I know you cannot lie. It is the way of the males. Go to him then ... but if you do not return , I will kill you both." Tawny snarled.

The two pokemon decended back into the giant tree. Tawny stopped up a the topmost supportive branches and waited. She scanned around the green. If there was a mankey or even the Smeargle out , she might amuse herself with a little meal.

Psycat landed near Dandy and slowly approached him. "Dandy ... my love .. I have a terrible thing to ask of you..." The psycat trembled deeply, hoping his love would understand.

Dandy looked at Psycat, then ran to him, and hugged him close "Im so glad you arent dead!" he said, on the verge of tears, he had been so worried when he saw that other Pokemon chase him that way. "What is it darling?" he asked, wondering what on earth it could be....?

Psycat cleared his throat. "I don't know where to start with this ... but that pokemon -is- the female of my kind. She has revealed to me that my kind is in great peril of becoming extinct. And ..... well, there's really only one way not to become extinct..... and ... I appear to be the only male available in this part of the world." Psycat hung his head and sighed. "Dandy ... I don' want to go with her.... but I don't want my species to dissapear either. .... Dandy, what I'm asking is for your permission to leave. The fate of my kind rests with you."

Dandy tenderly traced the lines of Psycats face with a large green paw, feeling every contour and rise carefully and gently. So familiar and yet so new. "Do you mean....for...good? Go live with...HER.." he said in almost a spit. He couldnt help it...yes, he was angry. However he looked at the face of his love and saw only Honesty and hurt, and so he could not stay cross. "I cannot deprive the world of more of your kind...you are far to beautiful for a mere Muk to deprive the world of such as you...go." he said...but wondering still if he meant forever, or only till they had made woop...er...babies.

Psycat felt like someone wrongly sentenced to death. The sadness of Dandy's eyes filled his heart untill it shattered in the great beast's chest. The gental, peaceful pokemon tenderly drew the Muk close to him, enfolding the pokemon in his wings and forlegs. Psycat leaned his head close to where the Muk's shoulder would be and nuzzled Dandy's face. Psycat stayed there, quietly memorizing every detail of all that embodied his lover.
"Dandy ... I don't know how long this will take me, or where I will go... but ," Psycat choked on a lump of thick sadness welling up from his very soul, " I promise you.... I swear it on my very life... I'll return to you someday." Psycat reached around and plucked a thick curly plume from his flowing tail. "Take this, my dearest and only love... and remember my heart is with you, no matter how far we may be from eachother." Psycat sighed again, letting his tears feed the green flora surface of his chosen soul mate.

Above the two parting lovers , Tawny slashed at the thick tree trunk , and wondered just what was takg so long for the Psycat to get done with his goodbyes. She was anxious to get on with the continuation of thier species.

Dandy hugged the great bird as tight as he could. "I love you...please do return...ill be waiting for you...ill wait forever if i have to!" he said and entwined the feather with the leaves of the dandylion in his head and smiled weakly. "Go....the world needs more beautiful Psycat and Hyron...one Muk can wait an eternity so as to not deny the world that he loves that." He placed a large kiss on the Psycats face, took one last look at the creature that he so adored...his one true love, and the one that had loved him so truly. "Go..." he said, breaking the embrace and shuffling to the broken cage where the bugs had been.The hole in the tree was large enough for him to crawl into, and he did so. Not wanting to see Psycat leave. His heart breaking he knew it was for the best, and one choked sob after another made its way from his throat as he pondered life without his lover, his life.

Psycat felt as if he were walking through cement as he took the few steps to the edge of the branch. He struggled to get to the top of the tree, where the leogle waited impatently.

"Well?" she growled and tensed her tallons.

Psycat looked her straight in the eye. He hated her. Hated her for tearing his life apart. Hated her for being violently stronger than he. Hated her for interrupting his relationship with Dandy. Hated her for killing so many pokemon for no reason other than enjoyment. He hated her for revieling the truth to him.
"Lets go then." Psycat returned the growl.

The two pokemon took off into the sky and began the strange ballet of ritual courtship. Psycat felt horribly unsure of what he was about to do ,and frightened his instinct about the dace was so natural feeling. Blue-green-lavender blurred with bolder yellow, orange and red as they joined high above the lake. Thier wings folded tightly against thier body and they fell into a spinning dive. Psycat felt dizzied and sick.Tawny felt pure dangerous exilleration. Moments before hitting the lake, the leogle spread her wings. Psycat trembled in her grip. He relized too late the other reason for his species fading away. He screamed out in anguish. The leogle flew away, heading out of lake Eerie basin, to find a place to have her future young.

Several hours after Psycats departure, Dende...as he had now dropped the facade that was dandy....emerged from the hole in the tree. He had been sobbing the whole time, encased in the cave of wood he heard nothing of Psycats demise, his own heartbroken wails ripping his throat and blocking all noise from the outside world. He waddled to the edge of a large branch, as high as he was he could see nearly the whole lake area. He took a deep breath, stifling the last sob as he fondled the feather entwined with the leafs in his hair.

The feather was lavender and green, and spartkled in the morning sun. Looking at it gave the impression of spun gemstones, and hidden depths of color so pure you could dissapear into it forever. The sky, the green earth, white clouds and azure seas, all hidden in the depths of the reflection and refraction of light in the feathers details, and dende looked at it for several minutes before saying softly "I'll wait for you Psycat. Ill wait for you my love."

And so he stood, on the branch, awaiting a lover, never to return, wishing upon stars that reminded him of psycat, soaking in rain, and growing in sun, awaiting the pokemon that taught him what it was to love and be loved in return. Awaiting Psycat.