Warning: This story will involve scenes of oral vore and graphic digestion. Although this particular chapter does not. If this is not your thing then stop reading now. You have been warned!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo and Game Freak.

Guardians of Alicrest: Chapter 9: The Search for Ouroboros

How had it come to this? They had survived the desert heat, navigated the endless sandstorm, and even managed to find the Oasis of Purity; All for the selfish actions of one cowardly Pokemon to ruin everything. Now Vorlord Nefarious had Ava, Cedric was in no condition to fight, and Ming was left standing face to face with the most viscous of the Vorlords, Vorlord Draco.

Ming tried her best to put on a brave face, but she knew she couldn't defeat Draco. He was known for his ferocity in combat, even the strongest of the resistance fighters were no match for him. Things looked bleak for the Meinshao and Meowstic.

Draco scoffed at the prey before him "Nefarious said he would deliver me some worthy prey, but you two hardly seem worth my time."

"Don't get too cocky, we might just surprise you." Ming replied.

Suddenly Ming made a beeline for Draco, making him smirk and slash his claw at the reckless Mienshao. However, Draco's claw passed right through the afterimage of Ming, leaving him open to attack. The real Ming appeared in front of his face and slammed her paws together against his muzzle, dazing him for a moment. Ming took the opportunity to grab Cedric and run into a nearby alley. That Fake Out technique wouldn't fool Draco twice.

Draco shook his head to recover from his daze. His vision cleared just in time for him to see Ming carry Cedric out of sight. He let out an enraged roar and launched into the air to pursue his quarry. He quickly spotted them running down a narrow alley. He dove towards them and shot a ball of fire to block their escape. However, they ducked into a building right before the fireball hit. Draco let loose another roar, this one gathering the attention of all the dragons in the area. They began to circle and keep an eye out for any fleeing Pokemon.

Ming was running on pure adrenaline and instinct. She didn't have any kind of objective or plan. Her only thought was to run, run as far from that Vorlord as possible. She exited the building into one of the busier streets of Sha'alzir. Pokemon quickly moved out the way of the fleeing duo, knowing better than to get between a Vorlord and his meal. As Cedric and Ming made their way down the street, a Dragonite slammed down in front of them, cutting off their escape.

Despite his weakened state, Cedric summoned the strength to launch a Psybeam at the Dragonite, knocking it off balance. Ming followed up by leaping up and slamming her foot into the dragon's chest, knocking him over completely. She wasted no time in hopping over the dazed Dragonite and continuing forward. She dared to sneak a peek behind her and saw group of dragons heading straight toward her. She decided to cut through another building, hoping to throw off her pursuers. However as she reached the other side of the building a Hydreigon flew down and blocked the exit. Ming changed course and found another door to exit.

However this door led them into an open plaza, with almost no cover to protect them. Ming ran as fast as she could, trying to plot her next course of action. But suddenly a Flygon slammed down on the ground next to her, shaking and shattering the earth at her feet. Ming lost her footing and fell, launching Cedric a few feet in front of her. She tried to recover, but the Flygon was on top of her in an instant, pressing his weight down on her to keep her from moving. A few more dragons flew down to join them, followed by Vorlord Draco himself, who took a few steps forward and lifted Cedric by his throat.

"No!" Ming cried out helplessly, as she thrashed under her captor.

A small crowd of Pokemon had formed around them, drawn by the sudden commotion. Despite the horror of the situation, many Pokemon couldn't seem to take their eyes off the sight before them.

"This little game of Delcatty and Rattata is over!" Draco declared "Now to claim my rightful prize."

"Please, don't just let this happen!" Cedric pleaded to the crowd "I know you're scared, but if you don't act, this cycle will only continue! Sure it might be me today, but tomorrow it could be you, or your friend, or your loved one! You can't just sit and hope for someone else to save you! The only way to end this, is to stand together!"

Despite Cedric's rousing speak, there was no response from the crowd, save for a few nervous fidgets.

"What utter nonsense!" Draco spouted "Look at these Pokemon, they have already accepted their lot in life. They know that they are nothing but prey. Do you really believe that they can be anything more than that?"

Suddenly a blade of wind shot from the crowd and struck Draco in the side of the face.

"I believe." Abosolon stepped forth from the crowd "I'm tired of living my life in fear. All I want is to explore the natural beauty of Alicrest without constantly having to check my back for predators."

Slowly, more and more of the crowd began to step forward, their courage and determination growing by the second.

"We are not just prey for you to consume, Draco! We are so much more than the mere meals you make us out to be!" Absolon declared.

"Is that so!" Draco said, dropping Cedric to the ground as he turned to approach Absolon "You like nature do you? Then why don't we let nature decide how much your miserable little life is worth?! In fact, I think all of you need a harsh reminder about just how unforgiving nature can be!"

With a loud roar, Draco charged Absolon, striking him with such force that it sent him flying across the plaza. As Draco smirked at how easily the Absol was silenced, the other dragons turned on the crowd of Pokemon surrounding them. Some Pokemon chose to run, while others chose to fight back, throwing the plaza into total chaos. As the battle ensued, Ming felt something warm and slimy drip onto her neck. She craned her head to look up at the source and her eyes went wide as she saw the Flygon eying her hungrily. She redoubled her efforts to escape, but she couldn't pry herself from the weight of the Flygon pinning her down. The Flygon opened his mouth wide, giving Ming a momentary glimpse of his awaiting gullet. Ming closed her eyes and waited for the terrible maw to engulf her... but it never came. Instead there was a slashing sound followed by a thud. Ming slowly opened her eyes to find a Greninja standing over the Flygon's unconscious form.

"Who are you?" she couldn't help but ask as the Greninja helped her up.

"Now is not the time for introductions." the Greninja replied in a female voice "We still need to help Cedric."

Now Ming was even more confused. She didn't know who this Greninja was, but the Greninja clearly knew who they were. There was no time to dwell on it now though; Cedric needed help. Looking across the plaza, Ming spotted Cedric still on the ground. It seemed he had caught the interest of a Hydreigon, who was looking down at him hungrily. Ming and the Greninja both rushed to his aid. As the Greninja ran, she formed shurikens of water in her hands and threw them at the Hydreigon. This got the Hydreigon's attention; He turned and two of his heads fired Dark Pulses at the pair of approaching Pokemon. The Greninja leapt into the air, while Ming sidestepped the attack. In perfect unison, the duo stuck the Hydreigon, causing it to collapse to the ground. Ming immediately went to help Cedric up.

"Here take these." the Greninja instructed, placing a few Sitrus berries in Cedric's mouth.

Cedric could feel his strength returning as he chewed the nutritious berries. He wasn't at full strength, but at least he could stand on his own two feet again.

"Thanks. Whoever you are, you're a life saver." Cedric thanked the Greninja.

"You may call me Sheena." the Greninja responded.

"Sheena?!" Ming and Cedric blurted in unison.

So this was the reclusive reconnaissance coordinator for the Guardians of Alicrest. A thousand questions buzzed through their minds, but they did get a chance to ask as a loud roar came from above them. Cedric turned around and fired a Psybeam right into a diving Salamence. The Salamence crashed into the ground, but wasn't out just yet. He turned on them and fired a Dragon's Breath from his mouth. The trio leapt backwards to avoid the attack, at the same time, Sheena fired a Water Pulse at the Salamence, disorienting and confusing him.

"We're too exposed here. We need to find cover." Sheena stated, blowing a cloud of smoke from her mouth to obscure their position.

They made their way into a nearby building, hoping to find a quick reprieve from the battle. Luckily, the building seemed to be largely abandoned, save for two Zorua huddled in a corner. Once they were sure they weren't followed, the questions came out.

"Sheena, what are you doing here?" Ming asked.

"Blaze though it would be best if I tailed you two in case you decided to do anything else reckless." Sheena responded.

"So the old bird really does care." Cedric muttered to himself "How long have you been following us?"

"Since the first night you left camp, however I lost you in the sandstorm." Sheena explained "I figured you'd end up back here, but I didn't expect you to stir such an uprising."

"Neither did I." Cedric admitted "I guess the citizens of Sha'Alzir were already at their breaking point."

"Whatever the reason, now may be our one and only chance to defeat Draco." Sheena observed "The population of Sha'Alzir should be large enough to handle Draco's minions, but they are not prepared to handle Draco himself."

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Cedric questioned Sheena.

"Indeed, we must be the ones to fight Draco." Sheena confirmed Cedric's suspicion.

"Do you really think we can beat him?" Ming asked skeptically.

"I've seen you two fight. I believe the three of us together possess a sufficient level of skill to defeat Draco." Sheena replied.

Cedric and Ming looked to each other for a few moments before nodding.

"Very well, let's put an end to this." Cedric said.

"Good, now all that remains is to locate Draco." Sheena stated.

"Cedric, can you sense his location?" Ming asked.

"I'm afraid not, there's too much mental noise right now." Cedric answered.

"If we can't find Draco, then I suggest we bring him to us with the one thing he can't resist, a challenge." Sheena said ominously.

******

"Tell me again how we got reeled into this?" Cedric asked Ming as they stood atop one of Sha'Alzir's tallest buildings.

"We'll be okay, as long as we stick to the plan." Ming reassured him.

Down below the city was still in chaos and it was hard to tell who was winning, but hopefully distracting Draco would turn the battle in their favor.

"Draco!" Cedric yelled from the rooftop "Why are you wasting your time fighting civilians when I'm right here?! Come and face me, unless you're afraid!"

A loud roar sounded from behind Cedric. He turned to find an enraged Draco flying straight towards him. Cedric jump out of the way just in time to avoid a Dragon Claw which left a large gash in the building's roof.

"You must have a death wish to taunt me!" Draco bellowed at them.

Ming and Cedric jumped from the building to the streets below and made a dash for a nearby alley.

"Not this time!" Draco yelled, engulfing himself in flames, and diving towards the pair of fleeing Pokemon.

He landed just behind them, but the force of the impact caused a pillar of fire to erupt from the ground in front of them.  With their only escape path cut off, Cedric and Ming turned back to face Draco, who was looking more annoyed by the second. He reared back his head, preparing to unleash a torrent of flames, when a shadowy figure jumped up behind him. Sheena formed a blade of water in her hand and prepared to slash the back of Draco's head. However, at the last moment Draco reached back with his claws and grabbed Sheena by the arm. He threw Sheena over his shoulder with tremendous force, sending her crashing into Cedric.

"Did you really think I would fall for such an obvious ruse?!" Draco boasted "Your pathetic little tricks won't work on me!"

Draco began to approach the tangled duo, but as he did, he noticed something was different about Cedric. His fur had changed from blue and white, to black and red.

"What the...?" Draco began to question, but he was cut off as a Mienshao landed a High Jump Kick to the back of his head slamming him into the ground.

Immediately after, a prison of psionic energy surrounded Draco, pinning him to the ground. The second Mienshao went to stand by Ming and another Meowstic emerged from the shadows to stand by Cedric.

"What sorcery is this?!" Draco demanded.

"You Vorlords are not the only ones capable of using trickery." Sheena said as the original Mienshao was shrouded in dark smoke revealing it to be a Zorua.

Draco's rage reached new levels. He roared and shattered the psychic prison keeping him down. The two Zorua, having fulfilled their role, ran for cover. The trio could see it in Draco's eyes; he had thrown off all traces of rational thought; he was nothing more than a wild beast now.

Draco lunged forth with frightening speed, slamming his claw into Ming. But before she could even be sent flying, Draco spun around, slamming his tail into her, throwing her into a nearby wall. Sheena quickly unleashed a barrage of Water Shurikens at Draco, but he just seemed to shrug off the attack before setting his sights on her. She quickly jumped back to avoid a Dragon Claw aimed right at her. Draco didn't let up though; he pursued her, preparing for another strike. Once again Cedric tried to restrain the Charizard with his psychic abilities, but he could barely slow the rampaging Pokemon down. Still, it slowed him just enough for Sheena to narrowly dodge the attack and counter with her own Night Slash. Sheena pressed the advantage, delivering several more lightning fast Night Slashes before finishing with a Hydro Pump that sent Draco reeling backwards.

Draco was panting heavily now from the fatigue of battle. His eyes darted between the two Pokemon standing in front of him. He turned to Cedric and fire a jet of flames from his mouth. Cedric fired a Psybeam which clashed with the flames slowing their advance. Sheena threw more Water Shurikens at Draco, but he turned his head, directing his flames at Sheena instead. The shurikens evaporated, but Sheena jumped into the air to avoid the flames herself. Cedric took the opportunity to launch a pair of Shadow Balls at Draco, while Sheena fired a Water Pulse from above. All three attacks struck Draco simultaneously, causing him so stumble back a few more inches.

Draco appeared to be on his last leg now. His head swayed slightly and it looked like it was taking every bit of energy he had not to pass out. Despite this, it didn't look like Draco was done yet. In fact, the flame on his tail was blazing violently, much like a candle right before it goes out. On top of that, small flames began to erupt across Draco's body. Oh no! Cedric had heard about how some Pokemon had abilities that made them stronger when they were on the brink of defeat. This must be one of them. Draco slammed his foot into the ground, causing fissures to spread throughout the area, like a volcano that was about to erupt. The shaking of the ground cause Cedric and Sheena to lose their footing. The fissures grew in size and they could feel the heat growing beneath them.

"Look out!" a voice yelled, slamming into Cedric and tackling him out of the way just at Draco unleashed his Blast Burn.

Fire burst forth from the ground and shot high into the sky. It was so brilliant the entire city stopped fighting to witness the spectacle. When the flames finally cleared, Cedric saw who it was that had saved him; It was Ming. He'd never been so relieved to see her in his life.

"That was a close one." she said "Are you okay?"

"I am, thanks to you." Cedric replied.

They both looked at the destruction Draco had caused. Smoke and steam still rose from the cracked and scorched earth. Even those who were resistant to the attack would have taken heavy damage, and those who weren't... well Cedric didn't like to think how close he'd come to finding out. He didn't have time to dwell on it though; an imminent threat still stood before them. Draco was still conscious.

"How is he still standing after that?" Cedric couldn't believe it.

"I don't know, but now's our chance to strike." Ming answered.

Ming rushed in and delivered several swift kicks to the recovering Charizard. Cedric joined in as well, firing a Psybeam at Draco's face. This was enough to knock him onto his back, leaving him prone to attack. Ming jumped high into the air and aimed a kick at Draco. At the peak of her jump, Cedric wrapped her in his psychic energy and launched her down with more force than she could achieve on her own. Ming slammed into Draco's chest with enough force to further crack the ground around them. A loud gag escaped Draco as the remaining air was forced from his lungs. He coughed up some blood before his head fell limply to the side. It was finally over.

"We did it." Ming said in disbelief "We actually did it."

"Indeed, the battle is won." Sheena's voice almost startled the two.

The turned to find the Greninja quite a bit worse for wear. She was clutching her bleeding right arm and her body was covered in scorch marks.

"But what about the rest of the dragons?" Cedric questioned "Don't we need to deal with them?"

"There is no need. Without Draco to unite them, the dragons will once again go back to battling each other for dominance." Sheena explained.

It was true. Several roars could be heard around Sha'Alzir. It seemed the dragons were relaying Draco's defeat to each other and it wasn't long before several dragons could be seen taking to the sky and flying back north. They all breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a rough battle, but they had survived, even if they were battered and bruised, they had survived. With the immediate threat out of the way, Cedric and Ming were finally able to return their thoughts to other matters.

"Oh no, Ava! We have to go after her!" Ming blurted out.

She tried to rush forward, but pain shot through her leg. With the adrenaline of battle wearing of, she was becoming aware of just how severe her injuries were.

A weak chuckle reached their ears, followed by a weak voice "Your friend is doomed... You all are doomed." Draco was still alive?!

"What do you mean?! Where is Nefarious taking Ava?! Where is Ouroboros?!" Ming demanded.

Another weak chuckle escaped Draco "I don't owe you anything. You may have defeated me, but none of you are worthy of my respect. That honor belongs only to Ovorlord Ouroboros. His strength... will crush you." Draco let out one final chuckle before closing his eyes as the last of his life left him.

"We can't let that happen. We have to go after Ava." Ming insisted trying to move again.

"Wait." Sheena stopped her "I understand your concern, but you are in no shape to help her. Even if you could catch up to them by some means, Nefarious would kill you."

"But..." Ming continued.

"I'm sorry Ming." Cedric interrupted her "But I think Sheena is right. We need to rest."

"Yes, with rest will come clarity of thought." Sheena added.

"You.. You're right. I'm sorry." Ming relented "I'm just so worried about her."

"I am too." Cedric admitted "But I promise, we will save her."

With that decided they looked around town for a place to rest. There were many wounded Pokemon strewn about the streets. Some of those who had managed to avoid the battle were tending to the wounded, while others were taking stock of the damage done to the town. It was rare for the citizens of Sha'Alzir to come together like this, but trying times really did bring Pokemon together. They noticed that most of the wounded were being taken to the central oasis and decided to make their way there themselves. They found that dozens of mats had been laid out for Pokemon to rest on. They located a few mats of their own and settled down. The sun was beginning to set now, signaling the end of this long and exhausting day. Sleep came easier that expected. They were afraid that anxiety would keep them awake, but their tired bodies welcomed a chance to rest and soon they were out like lights.

******

"Are you three alright?" A familiar voice roused them from their slumber.

Cedric slowly opened his eyes to find an Absol staring down at him.

"Absolon, you're alive!" Cedric said with relief.

"I am, but it doesn't look like I'll be doing any adventuring for a while." Abosolon said indicating his leg, which had been severely injured.

"I'm sorry." Cedric apologized "It's my fault you stuck your neck out like that."

"I don't see it that way." Absolon replied "I think we all wanted to stand up to Draco; We just need to hear it."

"Still, we owe you a debt of gratitude." Ming said.

"I'm just looking forward to being able to explore Alicrest without fear." Absolon said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Sheena interjected "While it is true that we have dealt a crippling blow to the Vorlords, there are still other Vorlords out there. There is also the matter of this Ovorlord they keep mentioning. Unfortunately, the world is far from safe."

"Of course, that's it!" Cedric blurted out, drawing odd stares from those around him "I have an idea on how we can locate Ava... But you're not going to like it."

******

A haunting melody echoed through the swamps as a lone Mawile strolled through the murky marsh. She closed her eyes as she wandered along, focusing on the tune she was singing. Soon she heard footsteps in front of her, letting her know she had gotten someone's attention. She opened her eyes to see which unfortunate victim she had attracted today, but she was surprised to find the it was a Meowstic and Mienshao that were standing in front of her.

"My, what a pleasant surprise. I never thought I'd see you two again. You'll have to forgive my rude behavior last time. Sometimes I just can't control myself when presented with such a handsome piece of meat." the Mawile said, eying Cedric "Well allow me to introduce myself; I am Vorlord Morgana. And you are?"

"Ming." The Mienshao replied.

"Cedric." The Meowstic said.

"My, what a fitting name for such a handsome fellow." Morgan complimented Cedric, making him feel uncomfortable "So what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"We were hoping you would answer a question for us." Cedric stated.

"Well don't be shy darling, go ahead and ask. I won't bite... hard." Morgana teased.

"We need you to tell us where Ovorlord Ouroboros is." Cedric asked.

"My, why ever would you want to know where to find such a terrible beast?" Morgana asked back.

"Our friend Ava was taken there. We need to go after her." Ming answered.

"Well if your friend's been taken to Ovorlord Ouroboros, I'm afraid it's already too late for her. If you go after her, you'll only meet a horribly painful death. Why don't you stay here with me? I promise I can make your deaths relatively painless." Morgana offered.

"Thanks for the offer." Cedric didn't mean it, but he wanted to stay on Morgana's good side if he could "But we can't just leave Ava to die. So can you please tell us where she is?"

Morgana looked thoughtful for a moment "I suppose I could tell you... If one of you promises to stay behind and keep me company."

They both knew what that meant and exchanged nervous glances. Staying behind with her was a death sentence, but if they declined her offer, there was a good chance she would attack both of them anyway. After a few moments, Ming began to step forward.

"Ming, no!" Cedric objected.

"Cedric, it must be me. You still have a family waiting for you. Pokemon who can't afford to lose you." Ming replied.

"Aw, he's already spoken for? How disappointing." Morgana complained "Not that that would have stopped me." she added.

"I would advise against that Ming." a voice called out before Sheena appeared in front of them "I'll stay, instead."

"Ah, so you're the one who was spying on me before." Morgana observed.

"So you were aware of my presence?" Sheena asked, mildly impressed.

"Of course, but it seemed like too much of a hassle to track you down, so I just ignored you." Morgana replied.

"Well I'm here now, so what do you say?" Sheena asked.

Morgana began to think again.

"Sheena, you know what she's asking right?" Cedric objected again.

"I am well aware of what she intends to do, but Ava needs you, both of you." Sheena replied "Beside, out of the three of use, I stand the best odds of escaping Morgana."

Morgana made her decision "Very well, I accept your offer. There is a cave on the highest peak, in the far reaches of the northern mountains. That is where you will find Ovorlord Ouroboros."

"Thank you." Cedric thanked her before he and Ming began to head north.

"Oh and if by some miracle you survive, do come back and see me some time. I promise to show you a good time." Morgana called after them before turning her attention back to the Greninja in front of her "Well darling, shall we get started?"

"Whenever you're ready." Sheena stated.

"Okay honey, just hold still. I promise this will only hurt for a minute." Morgana said.

In the blink of an eye, Morgana was in front of Sheena, here ravenous jaws poised to stick. Sheena's eyes shrank to pin pricks as she looked up into the hungry maw hanging over her. The jaws snapped down over her, consuming her entire body in just a few chomps. Morgana began to savor the flavor of her latest victim, but it soon became apparent that something wasn't right. The texture and flavor of her prey were all wrong. She spat Sheena out, only to find a drool covered Pokedoll in her place.

"My, that certainly was rude." Morgana said and began to search her surroundings for the hidden Greninja.

Sheena stood pressed against the back of a tree, using her camouflage technique to hide herself from view. She took great care to avoid making even the faintest sound, lest Morgana hear her.

After a few moments of strolling around, Morgana spoke again "You know, you're only making things worse for yourself. The longer you stay hidden, the more agitated I get. And I can assure you, I am much less pleasant to be around when I'm upset."

Sheena didn't listen to the Mawile. She continued to stay hidden, hoping Morgana would just give up.

After a few more moments of searching, Morgana sighed "I guess I have no choice. Oh Scooter darling, could you come here for a moment." she called out.

Sheena watched with interest as a Swoobat descended from the trees above. He wore the same lovestruck expression as the other males Morgana had captivated.

"Be a dear and locate that ungrateful wench for me, won't you?" Morgana commanded the Swoobat.

Scooter released a high pitched screech that filled the surrounding air. "Crap!" Sheena's thought. Her camouflage technique could hide her from sight, but would not stop sonar from detecting her. Surely enough, Scooter turned and looked straight at her. In an instant, the tree she was hiding behind was shattered into splinters and she was sent tumbling across the ground.

"I tried to be an accommodating hostess, but you just wouldn't accept my hospitality." Morgana said as she removed her fist from the destroyed tree truck and began to approach Sheena "It seems you need to be taught a lesson in respect and I know just how to teach it to you."

Sheena rolled out the way just in time to avoid another strike from Morgana.

"My, you're a fast one aren't you?" Morgana commented and she drew her fist from the hole she made in the ground.

Sheena formed the Water Shurikens and threw that at Morgana, but the Mawile swiftly dodged them and moved in to attack. Sheena hopped back and narrowly avoided a sweeping kick from Morgana, but the Mawile didn't let up. She continued to pour on the attacks, forcing Sheena to stay on the defensive. Although she couldn't attack, Sheena was carefully analyzing Morgana's attack patterns, hoping to find a weakness she could exploit.

Unfortunately one false move gave Morgana the chance to land a hit square in Sheena's gut that sent her flying across the marsh into the trunk of a nearby tree. Surprisingly, Sheena found that she was still able to stand after the attack. The attack still caused a great deal of pain, but it didn't seem to contain the same force as her previous attacks. She could see that Morgana seemed surprised as well.

"Oh dear, that won't do at all." She turned back to look at the Swoobat behind her "Scooter honey, what have I told you? Just because I gave you another command does not mean you should neglect your normal duties."

Normal duties? Was this Swoobat supposed to be attacking her as well or was there something more? Sheena observed the Swoobat carefully. Scooter began to flap his wings quickly, generating a gust of wind that swirled around Morgana. The Swoobat also began to emit a sort of energy that left his body and infused with Morgana. Sheena's eyes went wide as she realized what was happening. This Swoobat was the key to Morgana's power! He had been secretly buffing her from the sidelines this whole time, giving her power far exceeding any normal Pokemon.

"Ah, that's much better." Morgana said in a refreshed tone "Now where were we?"

Sheena quickly used Double Team to make several afterimages of herself, before rushing Morgana. Each of the images threw Water Shurikens at Morgana, assaulting her from every angle. However in the fray, the real Sheena broke away and make a break for Scooter. She formed a blade of water in hand and prepared to cut down the Swoobat, but Morgana suddenly dashed in front of her and delivered a powerful kick to her right arm that sent her flying again. Sheena cried out in pain, certain that her arm was broken.

"So you figured it out did you?" Morgana asked "Isn't he just the little gentleman, tending to my every whim?

Sheena wasn't paying much attention to what Morgana said. She was too focused on trying to ignore the pain from her right arm. She needed to find a way to escape Morgana and fast. Sheena aimed her mouth down at the ground and breathed out a cloud of smoke to conceal her position. Morgana watched the cloud of smoke billow outward until she saw a shadowy figure flee into the marsh. She quickly chased after Sheena and delivered a swift kick to the Greninja, but her foot passed right through the afterimage. Sheena was already darting in the opposite direction. She hoped that would be enough to throw off the Mawile, but then she heard the Swoobat shriek again. In mere moments Morgana was in front of her, blocking her escape.

"I'll admit, that was some trick you pulled, but I'm growing tired of this." Morgana said "I'll give you one last chance to go out peacefully, what do you say?"

"Bite me!" Sheena hissed, her usual calm disposition dropped for a moment.

"Oh, I will!" Morgana said with annoyance before turning around to give her jaws a chance to snap at the Greninja. But before her jaws could make contact, she was knocked away by a powerful kick.

"Ming?!" Sheena exclaimed, surprised to see the Mienshao "And Cedric?!" she added as the Meowstic also appeared in front of her "Why are you two back here?!" she asked, although she was actually relieved to see them.

"We didn't feel right leaving you behind to die." Ming explained.

"Yeah, if we learned anything in the last few days, it's that we can't do everything by ourselves." Cedric said "If this Ouroboros is really as strong as they say, then we will need all the help we can get to rescue Ava."

Morgana had already gotten up and dusted herself off "Oh, you two have come back. Have you reconsidered my offer?" she asked.

"No, we're here to finish you once and for all." Cedric declared.

Morgana actually let out a snobby laugh at this "Oh Cedric, you're so funny. It's a shame I have to kill you."

"Listen." Sheena said to the two standing next to her "Her power is being raised by a Swoobat." she pointed to the Swoobat flying behind Morgana "If we want to have any chance of defeating her, we need to take him out."

"Got it." Ming acknowledged.

"She may be fast, but she can't stop all of us." Cedric said.

"What are you three planning over there?" Morgana said impatiently "You know it's impolite to keep a lady waiting."

Sheena used her one good arm to throw some Water Shurikens at Morgana. Morgana easily blocked the attack, but Ming took the opportunity to engage and attempted to deliver several punches and kicks to the Mawile. Morgana kept pace with Ming, blocking or deflecting her blows, while throwing in a few of her own. Cedric took this moment to jump into the air and fire a Shadow Ball at Scooter. However as the Shadow Ball passed by, Morgana's jaws snapped down over the attack, dispersing it. Cedric grunted in frustration at his failed attack. Morgana broke away from Ming and dashed in front of Scooter just in time to block a sneak attack from Sheena. Ming and Sheena backed up to Cedric to regroup.

The three looked between each other for a few moments before nodding. Sheena created two afterimages and sent them to flank from both sides. Morgana turned to the right and charged a blast of energy in her hand which she fired at one of the images. The shot passed harmlessly through, revealing the fake. She turned to fire at the other one, but Cedric used his psychic powers to launch Ming at her. She was once again forced into close combat with the Mienshao. Meanwhile, Sheena rushed forward, water blade in hand. Morgana saw this and kicked Ming with enough force to push her back, despite her block. Morgana then jumped into the air and let her jaws clamp down over the Greninja... only they didn't connect. It was another afterimage! That meant that.. oh no! A loud shriek confirmed her suspicions as the real Sheena ran her water blade through the back of the Swoobat.

"I'm sorry, it couldn't be helped." Sheena apologized to the Swoobat as he collapsed to the ground.

"Scooter!" Morgana yelled "How dare you kill my little Scooter!"

It looked like she might actually cry, although they couldn't be certain if it was genuine emotion or just another one of her deceptions. Regardless, the time of had come. It was three of them verses her. They had the numbers advantage and without Scooter, Morgana's power would soon return to normal.

"That does it!" Morgana continued to rant "You all just earned yourselves a horribly agonizing death! When I'm done with you, you'll wish you had gone and let Ouroboros kill you!"

While she still had her strength, Morgana dashed over to Cedric in record time. He barely had time to look shocked before the Mawile's jaws snapped down over him. Ming and Sheena were left speechless for a moment. They could see sighs of Cedric's struggles coming from within the jaws.

"Cedric!" Ming finally yelled.

Cedric's world had suddenly become a dark, slimy pit of flesh. He began to thrash about in a panic, his fur quickly becoming soaked by the fluids that Morgana's jaws were excreting. Cedric tried to manifest psychic attacks in an attempt to hurt her from the inside, but despite its squishy texture, the flesh seemed to be tough as steel. This didn't deter him from trying though. If her could distract Morgana even a little, it may give the others the edge they would need to save him. And he prayed to Arceus that would be soon; He could already feel his skin beginning to tingle...

Ming rushed Morgana, engaging in another flurry of blows. She could feel Morgana's power and speed begin to weaken, but time was against them now. She didn't have time to wait for Morgana to weaken. Ming decided to shift to a more offensive style, even if it meant she would be left open to attack. After trading a few more blows, Ming saw her chance to strike. Morgana threw a punch with her left fist, but instead of blocking the hit, Ming opted to dodge it instead. She dashed to her right, allowing Morgana to land a glancing blow to her left side. Ming felt some of her ribs break, but she fought through the pain and spun on her left foot to deliver a powerful kick to Morgana, knocking her to the ground. Ming tried to follow up by driving her elbow into Morgana's chest, but the Mawile caught her and the two were locked in a grapple. They tumbled across the soft ground, each fighting for dominance of the situation.

With the two so entangled, Sheena could do little more than watch the pair struggle for superiority. She had no choice but to wait patiently for the right time to strike. That moment finally came, when Ming managed to throw Morgana off her and into the air. With lightning speed, Sheena jumped through the air and delivered a Night Slash to Morgana before she hit the ground.

Morgana managed to get up quickly and glare at the two Pokemon in front of her. She held out her hand and fired a Focus Blast at Ming, but Ming countered with a Focus Blast of her own. The two attacks collided and exploded in a plume of smoke, which provided a small bit of cover for Sheena to move through. As she came through the smoke, Sheena employed an unusual strategy. She unwrapped her tongue and shot it towards Morgana. The tongue wrapped around Morgana and lifted her into the air, where she flailed about wildly.

"Yuck! What are you doing?! Put me down this instant!" the Mawile demanded.

Ming did not waste the opportunity. In an instant she was above Morgana, her paw raised high in the air. Morgana's eyes shrank in horror as Ming brought her paw down in a devastating Brick Break right at the thin tube of flesh connecting he jaws to her head. Morgana shrieked in pain as her jaws were severed from her body. Ming quickly grabbed the jaws and pried them open, dropping Cedric and a deluge of foul liquid on the ground.

"Stand back!" Sheena instructed as she threw Morgana to the ground and unleashed a Hydro Pump in Cedric's direction. The great flood of water washed all the digestive fluids from Cedric's body. Afterward, he began to hack and sputter as he tried to fill his lungs with fresh air. Fortunately he looked only a little worse for wear, with only small patches of his fur missing and some minor skin irritation. Ming embraced him, relieved to see he was okay. Although it did cause her to flinch, as the contact reminded her about her broken ribs.

"You! You little brats!" Morgana yelled at them, returning their attention to her.

She was in poor shape. Blood was running down her back and dripping to the ground behind her. She was breathing heavily, barely holding onto consciousness.

"And to think, I actually liked you..." she said weakly "H-How could you do this to poor, little me..."

With those final words she collapsed forward into the mud, her body cold and lifeless.

"Another monster leaves this world." Sheena stated.

"That was too close for comfort." Cedric took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Indeed." Sheena agreed "The last few days have been filled with peril."

"I'm not sure how much more I can take." Ming stated.

"And yet, I fear our greatest battle still lies ahead." Cedric said ominously as they all looked north.

That was where the mysterious Ovorlord Ouroboros awaited them; It was where Vorlord Nefarious awaited them; But most importantly it was where Ava awaited them. They could only hope that they weren't already too late.