The Devourer Attacks

[emsiecat]

Liana jerked awake and sat up panting and pouring sweat, almost falling out of her bed at the abrupt motion. It had been three days since Mew and Mewtwo had left and every night since Liana had woken from nightmares. Nightmares she knew had to be terrible but couldn’t remember upon waking except for the knowledge of something awful approaching and nothing could be done to stop it.

"I'd like to get a full night sleep at some point this week." She growled into the gloom at nobody.

Feeling her need to sleep return, but unable to force herself to lay down and submit to the nightmares that plagued her, Liana got out of bed and shuffled out the room to find some breakfast.

It was shortly after dawn that the rest of New Island's inhabitants began stirring. Lucinda bounded down to join Liana at the table chirping happily about anything that came to mind like a canary, as she so often did in the mornings. She stopped in her chit-chat about how fun Meowth was to talk to in favour of looking at her friend's half asleep and overwrought face.

"Damn Liana you look like Hell!" Lucinda never had minced her words.

"Thanks for that, makes me feel great." Liana muttered around a yawn and a sip of orange juice.

Lucinda called Rhys over to question the girl. Rhys couldn't fathom why the girl was so tired, and when Liana admitted to suffering from a recent spate of nightmares, Rhys couldn't see what they were even when he tried to pry into her mind for her.

"That's strange. Usually I can get a dream out of anyone." Dreams and telepathy were Rhys's specialities.

"Forget it; I'm probably just stressed over nothing."

Rhys, ever perceptive, pulled the girl aside when Lucinda was drawn into a conversation with Jessie, and questioned her some more.

"We noticed you wandering off a lot just recently and looking worn out. Nothing's wrong is it? I mean the clones haven't decided to start bullying you or something?" he tried to keep the conversation light.

"Haha. No, apart from having bugger all sleep this week I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you sure? You just seem to be disappearing a lot…" he pressed the matter.

Liana rolled her eyes at her friend's overprotective streak before answering. "What do you thinks going on Rhys? That I'm in league with the Scorpyres and planning on feeding you all to them? That I've decided to reform Team Rocket and am secretly employing Jessie, James and Meowth?"

"Lovely as those ideas are I was wondering more along the lines of; has Mewtwo been forcing you into helping with the whole world domination ploy?"

"I thought mine were far fetched. Trust me that guy wouldn't ask for help if his life depended on it. He wouldn't ask me to aid him in his little world conquest plot."

"Then what's going on?"

"That's for me to know and all that." Liana stated yawning. Her patience was fraying.

"You're infuriating!"

"And you're annoying! Glad we've come to some agreement. As fun as it is discussing things with you this early in the morning, I'd rather finish my breakfast thanks."

Liana sauntered back to the table with as much annoying pride as the tired girl could muster.

Mewtwo felt it before Mew did. A feeling of wrongness surged so strongly in his insides that it nearly made him sick. He'd known that leaving New Island was risky, not for him, but for the companions he'd be leaving behind. However he'd never thought…

~Mew! Do you feel that?~

Mew paused mid-flight and concentrated. They had been travelling steadily for the past three days and they had just left Viridian City. The Pokémon League was not far away now.

"Yes, do you know what it is? Where it is?"

~It's headed for New Island. I don't recognise the aura though, it isn't the Scorpyres or the monster we felt one night in the forest.~

"I know it." Mew said grimly. "That's a Stealer, a Devourer. They hate water though, how is it heading to the island?"

~I don't care how it's getting there. All that matters is that we get back there before it kills everyone.~

Mew nodded in agreement and the pair wasted no time in turning tail to try and teleport back to the shore.

Liana was dozing on one of the couches when she was forcefully woken once more. At first she hoped that the lingering effects of a nightmare were around her still, but as moments passed she realised this was not the case. Something evil had made it to the island. She jumped to her feet blinking the sleep from her eyes and ran towards the main doors just as they burst open to reveal panicking clones clamouring to get inside.

Squirtle and Pidgeot had been enjoying the sunshine outside with several others when they sky had darkened involuntary. They had looked about them confused just as a massive crack of thunder sounded, preceded by a blinding flash of light. When they had finally blinked the spots from their eyes a large, imposing human stood on the docks.

Squirtle had growled at his presence and gone to charge at him when he noticed something off to the man's right, hiding between the rocky landscape of the island.

A massive lizard like creature stepped smoothly into view. Its eyes were mad and rolling, its forked tongue flicked to taste the air. It looked at the clones and bared ridiculously large fangs. The man spoke.

"Kill whomever you wish here. Take their souls my friend, but I want that abomination of a Pokémon and my niece bought back alive understood?"

When the lizard hesitated in acquiescing, the man turned on it, blue and black fires jumping from his hand to strike the Devourer which shrieked piercingly. "I said do you understand?"

The Devourer let out a guttural growl and the human seemed satisfied. Squirtle gaped as the man seemed to dematerialize more than teleport leaving the monster behind.

I do not usually obey such pathetic species as humans. However Thanatos has promised me more souls than I could ever eat if I do his bidding. It's been so long since I had a decent meal.

Squirtle backed up a step at the sound of the lizards' sibilant and androgynous tones. The voice in the clones' heads echoed unpleasantly and hissed hungrily. The monster did look in need of a good meal, ribs were showing and its spine was prominent.

The Devourer laughed a crazed, high pitched noise and took a purposeful step forward. The clones had sense enough to run rather than fight.

Pidgeot was first through the doors; he saw Liana approach them and warned what was coming, though his cries didn't reach her ears over the frightened shouts of his brothers and sisters. He needn't have bothered though. Liana felt and saw what was charging towards the doors and slammed them shut just before the Devourer ran into them at full force.

Liana fell back from the impact and jumped up again to throw her weight against the heavy wooden doors as the monster screamed madly trying to tear its way through.

"The doors!" she shouted. "Help me hold the doors!"

The stronger and heavier clones rushed to her aid, pushing themselves against the doors to stop the Devourer gaining entrance.

The humans and every other clone ran into the entrance hall at the cacophony of shrieking, pounding, and panicked shouting.

"Liana what's going on!?" James was at the girl's side, pushing himself against the wooden doors too.

"A Devourer, it's on the island. We can't let it get in!"

Liana and several clones fell back again as the Devourer charged once more. It almost got in before Charizard sent a burning lick of flame through the gap in the door sending the Devourer reeling backwards screeching in pain.

Liana knew it was only a matter of time before it managed to get in and shook terrified even as she braced against another charge.

Inspiration struck the girl as she fretted. Obviously this thing had to die or they all would. She knew they couldn't best it in battle alone, something that ate souls and hypnotized by looking its prey in the eye was too formidable. There must be something they could do…

"Jessie! Get the Pokémon somewhere safe, now!"

"What? Where? Liana they're the only things keeping it from getting in!"

"It'll get in soon enough; we don't have the strength to keep this up much longer. If we don't fail the doors will!"

Liana let her thoughts drift for a moment. In her mind she sent a terrified plea to Mew and Mewtwo. Hoping against hope they'd hear it and respond before she turned back to the group. She noticed in passing Rhys sending a plea as well, his face screwed up in concentration.

"Mewtwo's room is the safest, and the largest. All of you go up there and lock yourselves in. Stay quiet and calm and the Devourer shouldn't sense you."

"What the Hell are you suggesting Liana?" Lucinda noted the girl's use of 'you' and not 'we'.

"I'm gonna give this bastard something to chase."

[emsiecat]

"Are you crazy!? It'll devour you!" Meowth jumped from foot to foot clearly agitated.

"I've got more chance of surviving this because I can change my form. Go and hide now!" Liana roared.

A few of the meeker clones and James took a few uncertain steps towards the spiral staircase. The rest looked at one another at a loss of what to do.

"We should fight this thing together."

"No, Luce. It wants us to do that so it can pick us off one by one. Please just trust me!"

The clones and humans not holding the doors nodded grimly and began to run towards the stairs.

"Rhys! I need you to put a psychic lock on the door. I won't be able to hold it alone!"

A particularly violent shove against the doors sent them reeling back once more before they quickly gained their feet and got back in place.

Rhys held his hands out, palms up, and began muttering as his aura flared around him. A sudden wave of energy detached itself from Rhys and bound itself to the doors; Liana felt it tingle at her back.

"Go, now!" Liana shouted at the clones that still stood with her.

They ran, Venusaur half carrying the worn out Rhys. "I put all I could into that lock. It'll buy you a few minutes." He called back weakly as the last of them ascended towards Mewtwo's room.

Liana took a few steadying breaths and stepped away from the shaking doors. The Devourer was relentless in trying to get in. She could hear its frustrated roars from beyond the thick wood.

She backed up until she was at one of the doorways that led out of the entrance hall, picking up Lucinda's training glaive as she went. The minutes seemed to stretch into hours as Liana fixed her eyes on the entrance. Slowly but surely she felt Rhys's lock flicker like a guttering candle before it disappeared completely.

Arceus protect me. She thought desperately as she raised the glaive to chest height.

The Devourer pounded once, twice, three times, and then the doors burst open under the strain. A soft dark chuckle choked out of its throat as it stepped slowly inside, its tongue tasting the air for more than just flesh.

Liana took a sharp intake of breath and made sure to avert her eyes from the monsters own.

"Hey, ugly over here!" Whether or not it understood human language, Liana wasn't sure, but it sure as heck noticed her shouting at it. "That's right you heard me you slimy son of a bitch! You want to eat? Then come and get it lunch is served."

Feeling giddy with adrenaline Liana struck the metal of the glaive against one wall making it ring like a dinner gong.

The Devourer hissed softly and began to stride slowly towards the girl. Liana backed up a bit in spite of herself, the monster laughed at her fear.

This is a ploy to save your friends. It won't work you know. After I have your soul I'll find them easily.

Liana was taken-a-back by the creature speaking directly into her mind. Its voice sounded like an oil slick, slimy and suffocating.

However, if you save me the bother of hunting them down by telling me where they are, I'll be sure to make their deaths relatively painless. I'll even consider letting you and the cloned abomination live. Aren't I generous?

"No!"

Liana felt a probing inquiring touch in her mind. The Devourer was trying to see where the others were hidden. Liana pushed the Devourer's mind away forcefully with her own.

You won't tell me? How tiresome! I suppose I'll just have to kill you first.

The Devourer bellowed and lowered its scaly head, charging towards her. Liana gasped and spun on her heel, running down the corridor.

Liana was running full out, the Devourer was fast but the tight spaces of the castle slowed its progress just enough. Her feet were working automatically, taking her through corridor after corridor, through rooms she'd hardly ever been in.

Her mind was running through memorized maps and spoken directions that Mewtwo had given her. As she ran, the Devourer hot on her heels, she realised that he had to have known she'd need to know the castle layout.

If I make it out of this alive, I'll have to thank him somehow.

She grabbed the wall and used the momentum to fling herself around a corner and into another wider corridor. The Devourer, fast but graceless, crashed nose first into the stone, it backed up before following her, licking blood from its snout.

Liana knew from the thundering of her heart in her ears, and the shaking in her legs that she was tiring from the run, the Devourer however was not.

It lunged at her but its aim was off. It slammed into her and Liana fell, Lucinda's glaive slipping from her grip. Liana rolled down some stairs. Thankfully they were not steep enough, nor wide enough, for her to build up damaging speed. All the same she protected her head and neck with her arms, seeing stars as she bumped down to a landing below.

Liana lunged to her feet, thankful for simple cuts and bruises instead of breaks, and threw open the door on the landing, running again, the Devourer hissing as it chased her.

Weapons lined the wall of this long room. Liana looked frantically for something to replace the glaive as she ran. She noted swords, lances and maces, but all were too high on the wall or too heavy for her use. Out of sheer desperation she grabbed a broadsword from a display table as she passed. It was far too heavy for a young woman to use!

Liana backed up towards the door, the cumbersome sword desperately in her grip. Each step of the Devourer was more confident, more certain, as it ate up precious yards in quick succession. She made the mistake of looking at it in the eye.

She felt an odd sense of peace crawl through her veins. Her heartbeat slowing as the Devourer held her gaze, looming over her drooling. Why fight it? It probably wouldn't hurt much.

If Liana had had the strength to look down she would have seen the jewel at her throat beginning to glow steadily, pulsing with a strong light.

She felt a sudden jolt of energy pull her to her senses just as the Devourer lowered its head towards her. Mustering a strength she didn't know she had, Liana swung the sword in her hands to slice deeply into the monsters face, ruining its eyes. Liana heard it howl in agony and felt a hot spray of blood before she turned and ran once more.

[emsiecat]

Liana had the faintest idea of where she was headed, but what she'd do once she got there was another thing entirely. She knew she was heading for the castle basement, the lab. She had been down there just once before, she hated it there. It was dark and foreboding, full of strange and sinister machines. The smell of the place was almost enough to make her gag, no wonder it was abandoned. As far as she knew Mewtwo never bothered to go down there. It was always dusty, full of cobwebs and cold.

Running down a small flight of stairs and throwing herself against a door, Liana found herself atop another set of pitch black stairs leading down into the lab. She slowed her pace, feeling her way down as she let her eyes adjust to the sudden gloom. She had a little time now. She could hear the Devourer thrashing around on the floor above, but it wasn't pursuing her just yet.

Liana walked past stasis tubes that were no longer used, filled with a sickly green liquid. She looked around for any kind of weapon available to her before her eyes lighted on the cloning machine's conveyor belt and followed it to the machine attached to the end.

Liana's eyes widened happily as she took it in properly. It was massive; it reminded her of a coiled snail shell. The metal monstrosity was attached to the stasis tubes. Liana looked the machine over with a new respect. It was welded to the floor but it certainly looked top heavy. If enough pressure was put in the right place it would make for a damn good weapon!

Now she had a plan. She quickly moved around the machine to assess its weight and weaknesses. She heard the scrape of talons on stone floor and knew it was now or never, the Devourer was after her again.

Liana didn't waste a moment. Picturing a form in her mind she began to change. Her weight of kilograms became tons, her own human skin took on the appearance of wrinkled grey leather, her ears grew, and a trunk appeared where her small nose had been. In a matter of moments Liana had shape shifted to an African elephant.

Snorlax may have been a better option, but she knew from experience how lazy they were. She needed a creature with determination to accomplish this task. She hoped desperately that she could hold the shape long enough to do it. She never usually took on such forms.

Liana heard the Devourer hissing softly, tasting the air as it reached the top of the stairs into the lab. Blood still dripped from its ruined eyes as it gingerly felt its way down backwards.

Liana stood with a wall behind her, the machine between her and the monster. She bristled as it spoke again.

Clever little human to think of destroying my eyes, I can't hypnotize now can I? I won't need eyes to hunt down your pathetic friends though. I'll smell out their souls and feast off them regardless.

Liana had heard enough. Without a second thought she trumpeted in rage and barrelled into the machine between them at full force. She heard the crunch and groan of the metal as it strained under her tonnage.

It didn't fall!

The Devourer laughed a high pitched, crazy sound that made even the elephants mind within her quake in fear. The monster lashed out with its spike tipped tail, flicking it around the machine and catching Liana across the cheek and ear.

Liana felt furious, the elephant in her felt terrified. She moved out from behind her weapon and shield as the tail lashed again and fangs snapped at her, barely missing her trunk. She was in the firing line now. Her movement had put her almost in front of the Devourer.

Give up human!

Liana felt a fierce surge of determination at the monsters words. If the machine wouldn't crush it then she'd have to try and fight herself. Elephants are peaceful creatures by nature, so it took all of Liana's will to rile the mind she shared into fighting an unknown adversary.

Lowering her head and trumpeting once more, she charged straight into the Devourer. The creature keened and rose onto its hind legs as Liana slammed into its belly. Liana felt a hot searing pain as the Devourer sunk its claws into her shoulders as they grappled.

The Devourer's face registered shock as Liana overpowered it and sent it careening back into the side of the machine. Chunks of debris fell from the ceiling and trapped the monsters tail and hind leg. Liana moved out of the way with not a second to spare.

Liana heard it first. There was the sound of tearing metal, the groaning of something falling under immense pressure, as finally the machine broke away at the weaker midsection. Slowly at first but then faster and faster, the cloning machine crumpled like tin foil and depth charged straight down towards the Devourer.

The monster screamed enraged and frightened, its ruined eyes bugging as it sensed the machinery come crashing down towards it.

Liana averted her gaze but heard the sickening squelching crunch as the heavy metal hit home.

She took several elephant sized steps backwards before her will gave out and she abruptly resumed her own, unfortunately unclothed shape, sitting down hard.

Her eyes finally rested on the mess she'd created. The stasis tubes were smashed to pieces, the greenish fluid seeping across the floor. Chunks of the ceiling had come loose and were scattered like confetti around the lab having smashed tables and chairs, the conveyor belt was knocked askew. The machine itself was crumpled and beyond repair. Her eyes travelled irresistibly to its base and she nearly vomited from the sight. The Devourer laid there, only its head and one hind leg showing. Its eyes were glazed and bulging still, gouts of dark blood and innards oozed out from under the heavy machinery.

Liana slowly regained her feet, trembling from head to toe as the adrenaline finally left her leaving her feeling weak and achy. She shuffled across the room and finally managed to find an old rather threadbare lab coat which she wrapped around herself. She felt battered and torn all over even though she was relatively unharmed. The injuries she'd sustained as an elephant had melted away like morning fog once she'd regained her own body.

"Mewtwo's gonna throw one hell of a hissy fit when he sees what I've done to his precious lab." She muttered as she numbly walked up the stairs, occasionally throwing a glance over her shoulder to reiterate in her mind that the Devourer really was dead.

It seemed to take a lot longer to get back to the entrance hall than it had running from it. She looked at the room gratefully as she entered it and swayed on the spot feeling dizzy.