THIRD PERSON

     There were only a few words to describe the moment unfolding in the mansion.

     Despair was one of them, and it heavily lingered around the air outside.

     "What..? How the hell is that possible?" Inu hiccuped from being on the brink of tears. The sight itself was horrifying for her. All of that motivation to escape, and finally have it directly in front of you, only for it to be shattered in pieces.

     "I warned you not to break down the windows or doors," Sam crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the hardwood floor, "the heating unit is not prepared, so everything in the house will now be a lot colder."

     "What is this, a flat?" Prince scoffed, turning around to hiss loudly at the Braixen.

     "Why are you all freaking out?" The royal Salazzle also folded her arms. "It's just glass."

     "That glass looks quite thick to me," Loki frowned, hovering a claw over her chin, "there just has to be a different way."

     The royal Salazzle rolled her eyes and gazed up at the bright light illuminating from the plexiglass. It seemed so unnatural, almost like a machine was providing rays similar to the sun. Nonetheless, Nightshade's wings spread wide open. It wasn't until then that the lights finally gleamed through and directly onto her visible purple scales, another attribute of hers uncommon to a Salazzle—disregarding the white streak running down her face and stopping at the beginning of the muzzle—however still left unquestioned.

     With that, the purple-scaled Salazzle's wings beat as she propelled herself into the air.

     "I don't think that is the greatest of ideas," Leon frowned and slightly walked forward to get a better angle of the Salazzle, "you sense it too, right Hydra?" He turned to the taller Lucario.

     "Yeah...I don't like it," Hydra huffed and dashed forward to gaze up at the airborne Salazzle, "Nightshade! You need to stop!" The Lucario called.

     With no warning, the royal Salazzle slowed down upon nearing the glass. The light was blinding, yet still somehow able to be seen through. The scenery replicated somewhat of a sky—yet somehow unsuccessfully. Nightshade's body swiftly shifted as her tail caught in flames, slamming harshly against the plexiglass. The sounds of scales screeching against the material eerily reverberated around the area.

     "See?" Nightshade called in the air, the only sound being her wings beating quickly in the air. She confidently smirked and turned back to see the damage she had done.

     Not even a scratch had been done to the glass.

     "W-What..?" Nightshade gulped, gazing around the area.

     "Please, run!" Loki called as loudly as possible, gazing in horror as an Inteleon shifted into sight, aiming his index finger at the royal Salazzle. Nightshade attempted to move in the air and quickly shifted the angle of her wings. Flying higher into the sky, it wasn't long before a beam of water energy came hurling to her, slamming directly onto her chest.

     "Her body is too weak to survive that fall, by the way," Sam grinned before glaring at the crowd, "someone's gotta be the brave one, right?"

     The group of Pokemon were hesitant, but it wasn't long before one revealed to care about the royal Salazzle.

     Hydra quickly readied himself and dashed full-speed out of the crowd.

     "I knew it," Sam giggled, "why is it him?" She gazed at Prince. "Shouldn't it be someone else?"

     "What's wrong with you?" Prince hissed at the Braixen, who only playfully rolled her eyes.

     "Oh nothing...just the irony," her gaze turned back to Nightshade, who was already in the arms of the Lucario, "looks like Hydra did his job."

     "You're acting extra fucking bitchy today," Inu wiped away some fresh tears and rose to her feet, "I swear to Arceus I'll kill you!"

     "Woah! I'm terrified!" Sam giggled and shifted her attention to the Infernape.

     "You need to calm down..." Galant muttered next to the Infernape and curled his arm around her chest to prevent the fire-type from moving.

     "This is terrible," Luna shuddered, his gaze scrolling through the outside.

     "At least it's better than staying inside of a mansion," Luster heaved a long sigh, "I'm looking for an exit." The Luxray muttered before shifting his body and pacing away from the rest of the Pokemon.

     "Are ye crazy?" Vince scoffed, pointing directly at the Luxray. "I'm keeping myself indoors."

     "I see a pool," Luster called at the sight of filled water against an indented section of the ground, "maybe that could change your mind?"

     "Fuckin' aye," Vince groaned and stepped forward to follow Luster.

     "Whelp! I did what I wanted to, see ya!" Sam waved and was immediately teleported away by a hidden Gengar.

     "What a pest." Prince hissed under his breath.

     "I ain't sittin' here just to die. I'm helpin' Luster find a way out," Sherwood shrugged and began to follow the Greninja and Luxray, "good riddance."

     "Well then..." Xeonix frowned, stretching lightly. "I'm not getting murdered tonight." The Incineroar turned around and made his way back into the building.

     "Who's gonna rebuild this door?" Zantai stayed near the doorframe and curiously gazed at the screws.

     "Sam, probably. But she most likely won't do it today..." Luna—surprisingly—paced near the Blaziken to begin a conversation.

     "It's already gettin' cold as hell." Zantai wrapped his arms around his chest and huffed lightly.

     "Hell isn't supposed to be cold..." Luna murmured, causing the Blaziken to playfully roll his eyes.

     "I wasn't talkin' 'bout the place," Zantai chuckled softly and walked back into the mansion, "anyway, I'm headin' to my room. Shit's probably going to get colder any second now." He uttered loud enough for everyone left outside to hear before making his way into his room.

     "Exploring is quite the foolish idea," Leon scratched the back of his head, "there could be threats lying under our noses."

     "I don't have a nose," Galant sarcastically spoke to the Lucario, causing him to roll his eyes, "plus, I don't think you'd like to sit here in insanity. Things aren't going to come to you, Mr. Overly-formal Lucario."

     "Don't talk to me that way." Leon barked, his eyes locking with the Gallade.

     "Or what? You'll kill me?" Galant's blade pointed at the Lucario's neck. "You need to learn who you're talking to"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     Through the cold, artificial winds sat two Pokemon.

     "Nightshade?" Hydra exhaled with worry at the sight of the royal Salazzle in his arms. Quickly, his palms released a pink mist of energy, which wrapped around the Salazzle's chest.

     Nightshade groaned in pain and shuffled in the Lucario's arms. "Fuck..." She hissed under her breath. "Get away."

     "What? I'm helping you..." Hydra hopelessly muttered as she slipped away from his grasp.

     "I don't need your help," Nightshade just barely managed to adjust herself against the grass, "it's just glass." She reassured herself before her wings flapped once again.

     "No," Hydra said bluntly, gently gripping her arm and tugging her back onto the ground, "you're not getting hurt again."

     "Please? I don't want to stay here anymore..." Nightshade fell on all fours and hopelessly gazed up at the Lucario, wiggling his arm—to no avail, Hydra kept his grip.

     "You saw how much damage you did, right?" Hydra tilted his head in question. "They hurt you more than you hurt the glass..!"

     "I'd rather get hurt trying to leave than stay in this place," Nightshade frowned, shaking Hydra's arm once again.

     "It's going to take years to break it, judging by how much damage you did."

     "Not if you help me."

     "And what? I get hurt too?" Hydra scoffed, gazing down at the Salazzle. "It would be smarter if we got everyone to do it with us...but that also takes time."

     The royal Salazzle stayed silent, causing the Lucario to let go of her.

     "Come on...let's go at least explore. There could be another way out, I promise." Hydra smiled softly at her.

     "Fine...but if we can't find anything in time then I'm going for the glass again." Nightshade insisted before walking away, Hydra following suit behind her.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "How does it look?" Sammy tilted her head at the sight of the grouped up crowd gazing down at the water.

     "It's objectively warm," Leon dabbed his paw into the water and pulled it back, "debatable, really."

     "I don't want to be here..." Luna—who seemed to be forced to attend with the group—shivered in the cold.

     "This is really unnecessary, don't you all think?" Prince tilted his head, offering the Lucario a mean glare.

     "I think it is," Loki quickly objected, rising a claw in the air, "we need to know where everything is to keep us safe!"

     "I like to think that too. It's more or less a better way to map out everything," Bigby quickly nodded to the Zoroark's question.

     "Whatever! I don't care anymore, I just don't want to stay in this creepy fucking wasteland!" Inu hissed.

     "Wasteland? I think it's aight..." Bigby frowned.

     "Everyone...there's a button here," Luster called and pointed to a big, red button near the pool.

     "Press it!" Vince smirked.

     "You all know what happens with big red buttons..." Luna muttered under his breath.

     "People fuckin' press it, that's what!" Vince called and leaped forward, kneeling to press the button on the ground.

     A loud, irritating beep surrounded the pool and the area outside. A large sheet of plexiglass slid across the top of the pool with machinery. It only took seconds to finally cover the water.

     "Woah..." Sammy whispered. "Is this like...to protect the pool?"

     "Most likely," Galant stepped forward and raised his arm, jabbing harshly against the glass. His blade abruptly stopped, only committing a small scratch against the material below him, "and it's quite tough." Galant walked away from the glass and back to the button, quickly clicking it once again.

     A loud, ear-piercing beep caused everyone to flinch, and it wasn't long before the sheet of glass was rolled back inside of an indent through the cement.

     "What is the point of this?" Prince scoffed. "Dear! There's a bloody pool with a firm glass cover!" The Charizard finished the remark with a sarcastic tone.

     "Shut the fuck up!" Inu leaned forward and pointed her index finger at the tall Charizard. "I've been with you for a day and I already hate you and your cocky, posh, and annoying attitude!"

     "So?" Prince confidently smirked, glaring down at her. "What are you going to do about it?"

     "That's it!" Inu hissed and dashed forward, balling her fist in anger. At that point, no one could stop the speed at which the Infernape was running. With a roar of anger, she swung her fist at him.

     Prince's wings beat loudly as he lifted himself into the air, completely avoiding the attack.

     "How barbaric..." Prince hissed out loud. "Your parents should have taught you better."

     "Can we not fight!?" Luna yelled—something that he had probably never done before—at the top of his lungs.

     The sound of his voice feebly echoed through the cage, but it was loud enough to cause everyone to stop in their tracks.

     "He's right," Sherwood frowned, gazing at everyone, "we gotta just...sit down and talk this out, maybe?"

     "Fuck that..." Inu breathed, gazing at her fist in fury. "That guy will die first...he'll die first..."

     Xeonix quietly paced up behind the Infernape and carefully placed his paw on the back of her head, scratching it with care.

     "Listen. You need to chill...just don't think about it okay? Our goal is to leave..." He spoke with sweetness in his voice, causing Inu to nod gently.

     "Fine..." Inu sniffled.

     "Alright...let's go inside, everyone." Xeonix took his paw from the Infernape's head and turned around to gaze at everyone—who seemed to be all collectively staring at him in awe.

     "R-Right..." Sammy nodded, turning to shift around to make her way out of the pool area.

     "Alrighty..." Loki picked at the cement ground, but rose to her feet and paced away back onto the grass.

     On queue, everyone seemed to agree on leaving the area except Leon.

     "You all may leave. I'm staying here..." Leon called out to them. No one seemed to question it at the time and leave him there. Whether it be a good or bad idea, no one seemed to care.

     "Stay safe," Bigby waved at the Lucario, who waved back with a smile.

     A smile.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     Sammy's POV

     "S-So..." My feet kicked nervously around the bed's frame. I had to sleep with Xeonix again. The first time he was very respectable, but I can't guarantee he'll be like that again.

     "So what?" Xeonix scoffed and pulled open a cupboard. "We do what we did last time...just sleep far from each other..." A loud, eery beeping noise caused the Incineroar to trail off.

     "What was that?" I curiously muttered.

     "I'm not sure," Xeonix turned around to gaze at the boarded-up window, "the windows are blocked...but...it's not like I'd be breaking the rules if I broke them. We've already seen the outside anyways..." He slowly paced near the metal and readied his claws.

     A dark, yet flaming energy surrounded as he let out a powerful roar. His body lunged near the steel plates as he slammed his burning fist into the bars and sheets, tearing them off with ease. The metal shattered out of the once attached frames, and it was a second of silence until I heard a sudden thud from outside—indicating that it had fallen.

     "You're so lucky we're on the first floor..." I frowned at the smirking Incineroar.

     "You comin' or not?" Xeonix's body returned to normal as he waved a claw at me. I admit defeat and crawled out of the bed, skipping to him.

     "Fine, but only to see your face when it was just nothing," I grinned at him.

     He playfully rolled his eyes and crawled through the window frame. I mimicked his actions before pacing right behind him.

     "It was weird...that sound..." Xeonix huffed, but suddenly, the ear-piercing sound was heard once again...to our right.

     "There it is!" I called, dashing away from the Incineroar.

     "Wait, Sammy!" He called behind me. I kept on running, curious as to what I would see. The sound of water splashing was all I heard from around the corner of the entire building, and with a small frown, I turned the corner.

     The pool was directly ahead.

     "The pool! I forgot about this..!" Something was strange however...the plexiglass was already covered over it. With curiosity, I slowly paced over to look inside.

     What I saw...

     What I saw...

     Was something my eyes themselves couldn't even fathom...