Dark Arts and Dark Minds

Chapter 1: An Unprecedented Surprise

*Riku's POV*

"Riku? Riku, wake up! We have a summons from the Guildmaster!"

Ungh... What? My mind was not registering what Risk was saying, so I simply turned over in my bed and closed my eyes again, Then, I heard Photon cry out from the corridor,

"Guys!... Get out here- there's been a murder!"

Instantly, I sat bolt upright, the word fresh in my mind,

Murder!? Who? By what?!

"Riku... We have no time to lose- let's go!" Risk practically shouted, and we dashed towards the commotion. I gasped at the bloody mess that I saw outside...

That's definitely some kind of Pokemon, but.. But... It's so mangled and beaten! The ears are torn considerably, and all I can see are tufts of brown fur, stained with red, and a few small patches of white fur around the neck. Who, or what could even do this?! I thought to myself, as I visually scanned the surrounding crowds. The entire Guild was here, as well as a few other miscellaneous rescue teams. Even Team ACT had gathered here- this murderer must be serious to warrant this level of attention!

Then, Wigglytuff spoke up, addressing a metallic Pokemon that I had never seen before, who was intently studying the broken Pokemon,

"Magnezone, is something the matter? Please," he said, turning his head to each team successively,

"Tell us, what do you see on that body?!"

"Wigglytuff," Magnezone finally spoke, its voice crackling and skipping like whirring machinery,

"Look at the incisions made here, and the missing patch of fur under the neck..." Magnezone lifted the "head" with a magnetic appendage. "Just as I thought, there's another cut here..."

It pried the hole in the Pokemon's neck open wider, revealing the next hideous aspect of the killing- the insides of the poor Pokemon.

They're all... Torn up... Like something just melded the insides of it together and left it there... Wait a second! I think I see something odd about this, too! Only some of the organs are still intact- it's like the killer just picked and chose what he wanted from his victim!... No- the murderer can't be who I think it is! If I'm right...

My eyes widen, as the horrible revelation hits me, full force.

Shaking and anxious to prove myself wrong, I took a closer look at the now-exposed insides of the corpse. Unfortunately, I ended up confirming my own foreboding suspicions in the process...

Tentatively, I fit my paw into the wound, smearing blood on my fur in the process, but the crimson liquid didn't bother me anymore. I kept pressing on a single spot, until I felt a purple liquid draining from the wound into my paw. The pain was overwhelming, but the shock from what I had discovered was forcing my legs to buckle. Desperately, I tried to open my mouth to speak my mind, but the words simply wouldn't come out.

Risk noticed my unstable state and, wrapping his arms around me, carried me back to our quarters and set me down on the bed.

"Give me a minute," he called back to the crowd,

"Something is definitely wrong with him- let me handle this!"

When he was certain the others would not follow him, he turned to me, sitting down beside me and asking,

"Riku, I really need to know- what did you find inside that dead Eevee? That information may be just what we need to find the killer!"

"Risk!" My eyes filled with terror, and I flung my paws around the Riolu.