<Ventura's POV>

Moving around with Kirei was an unusual experience to say the least. She'd spend her time muttering to herself as she walked aimlessly, turning right sometimes and left some other times, with no visible pattern. At first I just watched and followed her, trying to see where she would take us while sensing my surroundings for anything of interest. But I eventually got tired of her whispered complaints and decided to ask her what the problem was.
"Everything's the problem, it's just evil, left right and centre and it's impossible to make out anything else!," was her reply.
She kept on walking, absorbed by her thoughts. When she took another turn, I reckoned this whole thing was taking us nowhere.
"In that case, don't you think you should stop and try to get some sense out of it?," I told her. "Or do things just work out when you move randomly?"
She finally stopped to think.
"I... I don't know, I never really gave that any thought. Maybe we should stop and think a little bit." Then she sighed. "Okay, Kirei, you're the psychic, so use your powers..."
I used all my patience not to look offended by her latest words. Though she was concentrating so hard she didn't even notice if my face changed at all. If anyone would, anyway.
"It's no use! I can't make out a single thing, it's just despair all around!," Kirei cried out. I had to take action.
"Ok, I may not be a psychic type, but I'm the best at using Psychic abilities in my team," I informed the Espeon. "From what I can sense, some of these corridors are connected to each other. There's no use in exploring those ones. Altough so far we haven't." That got her to lift her head up and look at me. I went on. "The rooms seem to be empty aside from some sculptures, furniture, vessels and some other objects. Nothing too interesting. I don't sense anyone moving around us. And we're definitely nowhere near the pool."
"I'm glad one of us can work this out!," Kirei replied, much to my own pride. "Sorry, my gem must be faulty or something, it never seems to work when I want it to."
"From what I've heard, it works when you're not trying to use it, so I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up stumbling upon something good if you try to follow me instead of being on the lead."
"Well, I guess, I know we're not getting very far at the minute."
"Now, why can't I detect anyone around?... This place should be crowded with... Kirei, where are you?"
As I was speaking, Kirei had disappeared from the range of my radar sense. It was as if she'd vanished right in front of my eyes (only it was not my eyes, but it was just as frustrating). I tried to search for her, sending psychic probes in all directions, but the Espeon was nowhere to be found. That was the last thing I needed; losing my partner like that. It was humilliating, not to mention the horrors Kirei might be exposed to wherever she was now. I forced myself to stop and think logically. Kirei couldn't teleport and I hadn't sensed any other presences, so she had to have fallen into some kind of trap. This was an ancient temple, so there had to be some defense systems, possibly powered by magic or some lost technology.

I was tryig to figure out the answer when I felt something emerge from the wall behind me. I turned around right in time to see Kirei's head coming out of the wall as she shouted "Boo" at me. She grinned like a naughty child when I stared at her. I didn't respond to her gesture. I had more important things to worry about.
"Looks like we have illusions to contend with on top of everything else!," Kirei commented, walking back into the corridor.
"Ok, so that's what's going on! Something's blocking psychic probes," I deduced. "We can't trust what we see, nor what we feel. But we must be on the right track. Otherwise they wouldn't bother using all those mystical protection methods."
"Guess so," replied Kirei walking towards the wall in front of her. "We'll just have to trust the magic Espeon, because..."
She bumped her head right into the wall. She was a hard case.
"Okay, you were right, it only works when I'm not trying," she conceded.
I let out a low sigh before asking her what was behind the fake wall.
"Another corridor," she answered sticking her head into it to check it again. "Only this one's a lot better kept than the others."
"Could be a hint. Let's go there," I suggested.
"Yeah. Sounds good."

I followed Kirei into the hidden corridor. She was right, it really was well kept. I could almost see my face on the walls. At the end of the corridor lay a large metallic door. When we got close enough I noticed it was gold-colored. We didn't stop until we were just a few Espeon steps away from it.
"Well doesn't this look promising?," commented Kirei.
"Indeed it does," I confirmed. "Especially because I can't tell what's on the other side. This is getting as annoying as those mind trips to that other dimension Gabi led me to twice."
Kirei stared at me with an odd look on her face. I couldn't blame her, those had been among the weirdest experiences I'd ever had. One could be considered insane just for mentioning them.
"You know something, I'm not sure I wanna know," she finally said. "So how do you suppose you open this thing, it seems so heavy!"
"If we knew what was on the other side, we wouldn't have to open it at all. I could teleport us in. But it could be too risky as it is."
"Hmm... I guess we just try and sneak it open a little, then."
Kirei tried to pushed the door open, but it wouldn't move a milimeter. I tried to think of an alternate plan, but nothing sensible came to my mind.
"Hmm... would it be a good or a bad idea to use Psychic against it?," I tried to confirm.
"In this place? I'd guess a bad idea, but do we have any easier choices?"
"I don't see any. In the worst case, it just won't move. If they detect us, we can either fight or teleport away."
I looked at Kirei, but she wasn't giving me any signs of agreement, not disuasion. I decided I'd give it a shot.
"I'll try," I announced.
Kirei stepped back. I could feel her muscles tensing. I gathered psychic energy until I felt it was enough, and then shot forward. The door swang open, revealing a deserted room with the walls covered in runes, a large pearl globe resting on an altar at the far end.
"You think this might be what we're after?," Kirei consulted me.
"It looks big, that's for sure. Either we've hit the jackpot or fallen into a trap."
"Or both, knowing this place." Kirei cautiously wandered into the room. "Wow, this place is huge!"
"Am I the only one who's getting these strong vibrations?," I asked her, flying in circles around the place. I didn't know what it was, but something powerful was going on around us.
"Uh... yeah, I think so..." she began, but something happened when she edged closer to the pearl. "No, wait, now I can feel them too. See, it gets stronger the closer I get to this..."
She moved even closer to the sphere, at which point the whole room began to vibrate intensely.
"Uh... Ventura... I think I might have just done something stupid..." Kirei admitted.
"Do you know any protective moves?," I asked her, trying to think of some advice to give her.
"Not that I can consciously use, Ade says I know Endure but I haven't a clue how to make that kick in!"
By the little I knew about her, and with that info, I could tell she wouldn't be in danger. I observed her as a dark smoke began to wisp out from the runs covering the wall to concentrate itself on the ceiling. I didn't lose focus on the smoke, nor on my companion. I watched for a moment, until the smoke ascended through the ceiling, seemingly leaving us alone again.
"Uhh... what on earth was that?," asked Kirei.
"Don't ask me. But I bet we won't be alone for much longer, if we even are now."
"We need to call the others, quickly!"
Kirei tried to concentrate in order to send a telepathic message, but it didn't seem to work. She looked like she was about to panick. I couldn't sense any traces of our friends either, but I hadn't expected to, considering our current location.
"Uhh... looks like we're on our own...," Kirei sadly concluded.

I was getting fed up with the whole situation. I needed to do something about it, even if what appeared to be the only option was as crazy as Gabi's plan to use the glowing stone to separate the pokemon from their possessing spirits. But if we just waited there, we'd be easy targets for whatever was getting ready to get us. At least now we still had a chance of having the surprise factor on our side.
"I guess it's my turn to do something stupid. The suspense isn't doing us any good. Be prepared," I warned my partner.
I flew over to the pearl and touched it with my legs. What came next was too horrible to be described with words, especially by me. My mind was filled with images of merciless slaughtering, and an unlimited greed for power which scared me just by thinking about it. They weren't just visual images, it was like being there, only that there were no traces of myself in there. At one point I saw a yellow, reptilian eye, several images of towers and fortresses, and lots of blood and flesh being ripped apart. But the images didn't mean much, it was the emotion that came with them what hurt me the most. It was a lot worse than anything I'd ever allowed myself to feel. There was greed, there was frustration, there was hate, there was fear, there was an ever increasing rage that built up along with the sensation of years of imprisonment... It all surged through me in a matter of seconds, but it felt as if it had taken longer than my whole life. I had trouble breathing when it passed. Kirei had to help me get back to my senses... Back to myself. I surprised myself craving for any emotions that were anywhere close to peace, happiness, friendship... at least hope. I consciously knew I could get all of those just by reaching out, but I felt so empty right then... So lonely... So crippled...