Amber chuckled a little at Aedre's reply. "Well, that's not the only crystal I found," she answered. "My Pokemon and I picked up some ordinary ones, though I'll have to feed a few gems to a certain somebody here." She glanced down at her belt, at the green pokeball that stood out among the red ones. "Assuming this Sableye wants to come along."
Her eyes scanned the network of tunnels as she followed Rachel. Occasionally, shadows stirred behind rocks, only to shrink back from Kyra's barks. This wasn't the place to let the Sableye out. The little ghost probably already knew the ruins, but if she was going to cause any more trouble, this would be a particularly bad area for it to happen.
As Nyxx, who now also had a new addition to her team, piped up, a strained smile spread across Amber's face. "Eheh... Yeah, let's make sure this is something to remember for the right reasons." Nyxx had been joking, but her comment still sent a shudder through the researcher.
Before long, a sign came into view. A sign with an image of some kind of Pokemon. "Hmm... Well, that's not one I've seen before," she commented, studying the figure. The wispy protrusions on its head indicated it was probably a Ghost type, but it didn't look like any she knew of. Taking out her notebook, she jotted down her observations and made her own sketch. "Rachel, would you happen to know what this Pokemon is?"
At the sight of the Gigalith the Rock-type leader sent out for protection, Amber stood in utter awe. Blue crystalline features shimmered in the Cradily's light, reflecting it all around. "That... That's a simply magnificent Pokemon you have there! Such beautiful crystals!" A hulking mass of rock wasn't most people's idea of beauty, Amber knew that, but to her, this Pokemon was a truly breathtaking sight. "And a rare colour for a Gigalith!"
Other interesting Pokemon made their appearance, namely more Goletts, and the researcher even saw the towering shapes of a few Golurks deep inside the cave. As fascinating as this all was, wariness tempered her excitement, both of those feelings growing the further she advanced into the tunnel.
Oscar takes mental notes of what Vivianne say about the two incidents. He was doing a quick comparison to the Hoenn Teams. By the time Oscar was going to help Vivianne with the Hoenn Teams, he was interrupted by a monstrous roar from outside. Sophia looked out a window, displayed a face of despair, recommended to stay put. Oscar turned to Vivianne before he said "Well, can we trade our information? I want to do so when we have the chance.”
After information was exchanged, they mingled around for around for a few minutes. Aurora perked her head and started to tug on Oscar. ”What is the matter?” Aurora pointed out the window. Oscar nodded in acknowledgment and turned to the others. "I am sure it is safe to leave now. What you two say?”
Vivianne, eyebrows furrowed, peered out of the window again. "I knew he wouldn't stick around long," she muttered. She knew exactly who he was. Here, it was unfortunately impossible not to know who Detective Jack Hammer was. "For all his big talk, that guy's about as brave as a Wimpod faced with a flock of Pidgeots."
At Oscar's question, she nodded. "Well, the coast's clear," she replied, "but fair warning. The Pokemon behaviour I mentioned... Some of the wildlife around here seems to be getting swept up in battle-rage for no apparent reason. Sometimes it even happens to low-level trained Pokemon. Thankfully, from what I've heard, they don't stay in that state for long, but we'd still better be careful."
She turned to the Porygon Z. "Time to make a move, Pixel." The artificial Pokemon, who'd calmed down now the broken electronics were gone, floated to its trainer's side, prepared to defend her and the other two if they ran into trouble.
"Y-Yeah... Exactly why he doesn't scare me in the slightest," Sophia replied, the confidence in her voice faltering just a little. "I'll come along. Got to be the first to get a full team, after all! Just you watch!"
And there she was, agreeing to travel with Oscar again. Because, well... She couldn't let her rival outdo her! She'd show him she could fill her team first! She seriously hoped nobody had already beaten her to it. That would be yet another in a long list of embarrassments.
At Vivianne's words, all thoughts of competition left Sophia's mind, memories taking their place. An Eevee covered in scratches as her Purrloin lashed out again and again. Her Gothita sending that defenseless Hoppip hurtling through the air. Alexis' horrified shouts that she hadn't listened to until it was too late.
That explained it, just like it explained what had happened with Rheese's Wooper and Alex's Beldum. The knowledge, though, did nothing to ease the crushing guilt that came back full force.
"Gothi?" The squeak snapped Sophia back to reality. She cringed inwardly at the shame that was clear on Lacey's face. Grimalkin, who'd spent the past few minutes continuing to sulk, turned her head, ears pricking up, a shudder visibly running along her sleek form. Leaning down, Sophia petted both of them. The little cat went back to acting as if nothing were wrong, but Lacey's wide blue eyes still bore that frightened, confused look.
Picking up the Gothita and cradling her, Sophia faced the other two trainers. "Ehh... We've been cooped up in here long enough, in any case," she blurted when she could bring herself to speak. "What are we waiting around for?"
While she covered up her initial reaction from Oscar and Vivianne - or at least tried to - she looked down at the distressed Pokemon in her arms, sending her a thought.
It wasn't your fault, she reassured Lacey. Please don't blame yourself.
The first step to getting better was to gain experience. The most basic task a trainer takes is one of competitive battles. So that's what Alexis did. She found someone to battle. Of course, she didn't care much for the person she faced. She didn't even commit their identity to memory. All she did was challenge let them challenge her, and benevolently accept, despite being so out of their league.
The battle was simple enough, she tested out Puffpuff's newfound abilities by sending him out first. The strategy was simple, whittle down their Lillipup with Tail Whips, heal with Synthesis, then finish them off with tackle. Of course, with the Hoppip being so inexperienced in actually fighting, the round dragged on for much longer. Even though Puffpuff won the round, it was too exhausted, so Alexis switched him out with Gabby. It was a good thing as well, since the trainer's next pokemon was a Pidove. Alexis had to give them credit. They knew the basics of types and weaknesses. Too bad Gabby didn't share those weaknesses Hoppip had.
On the other hand, Alexis hadn't taken into account Gabby's playful personality. The tricky Eevee had too much fun messing around with the bird, and ended up getting tripped up and knocked down, losing her round. Yuki didn't even need Alexis to tell her to go in. She simply walked forward to the battle while her trainer returned Gabby to her pokeball. The next two rounds were...Well, Snorunt was disinterested for the most part. Mainly because she held the advantage. Pidove was easily taken down since being weakened from its fight with Gabby, while the Bulbasaur that came up next couldn't handle the cold. Of course, it helped that the Snorunt was the strongest in the group.
With that surprisingly difficult easy victory in hand, Alexis continued on her way. Of course, she didn't know where to go from there, but she couldn't ruin her confident exit by coming back and asking if there was any place of interest nearby.
Aimed towards Vivianne, Oscar says "I am well awave. I have encountered two such incidents. As long as we stick together, I am sure we can fend for ourselves. As long as they are low level pokemon like you said. Oscar recalls all his pokemon except for Roadrunner. He turns to his two traveling companions before asking "Who is up for some spelunking? I know I am."
Although Sophia took on a look of distress at the warning about berserk Pokemon, she still expressed a desire to leave the gym, as did Oscar. "Good opportunity to study the wild Pokemon around here," Vivianne agreed at the mention of spelunking, her Porygon Z drifting close by as she headed towards the door. Observing the behaviour of the local wildlife was, after all, what she'd come to Mesalon in the first place to do. "Hopefully they won't cause trouble."
The first time she'd stopped by this town, she hadn't had a chance to do much exploring before being called away on an assignment, but now this was part of her task, and would allow Oscar and Sophia to train in the meantime. She just hoped she could keep them safe if they found themselves faced with anything they weren't ready for.
"Sure! And if anyone here can fend for themselves, it's me," Sophia answered, head held high as she strode alongside the others. Oscar would see right through the act as always, but that only meant she had to make it real. She had to become the person she pretended to be, and training would be a step towards doing so.
Not only that, but if it was low-level Pokemon who tended to get battle-crazed like that, would bonding with them and helping them grow stop it from happening again?
Despite the fake confidence, there was a hint of concern in her eyes. Two incidents. Oscar hadn't just seen the out-of-control battle between Wooper and Beldum, but another, similar event. "This other incident... Was everything alright?"
"I will admit, you are not the first person of your group I expected today." Lan said as he stood up to face the challenger. "Though I can tell by the look in your eyes that whatever happened yesterday has pushed you to grow as a trainer. Let us hope that it is in the right direction."
"I...It had to." Rheese said, shaking slightly now that the moment had come. It was time to prove to himself that he wasn't the hindrance Ray's words had made him believe. Despite his body language, there was a steeled look of determination in his eyes.
The referee, one of Lan's students, stood at the middle of the arena. After he explained the rules of a standard three versus three pokemon battle, both sides decided on the Pokemon that would kick the event off.
"Cottonee!" Rheese shouted as he threw the Pokeball to reveal the small ball of cotton.
"To the front Doduo." Lan stated calmly as the Pokeball in his hand opened. The two headed flying/normal type emerged immediately. Aside from the difference in size, the type difference made Rheese a quite a bit less confident.
Even so, he couldn't back down now. Cottonee however, wasn't phased in the slightest by the match up. She smiled up at the doduo as though it was a simple play date.
"Cottonee, use leech seed!" Rheese commanded, snapping the grass type out of her friendly demeanor. A burst of seeds covered Doduo and began sapping its health.
"Doduo, Aerial ace." Lan said. The attack struck Cottonee and sent her spiralling upwards. The fact that she held on through the attack was surprising in and of itself, but it likely wouldn't be enough.
"Strike back with fairy wind!" Rheese yelled. Cottonee's attack was clearly less effective than its opponent's, but combining it with the leech seed was still fairly formidable.
"Finish them with another Aerial ace." The command came, signalling the end of the first round. Cottonee was launched directly into Rheese's arms. The unconscious pokemon twitched slightly.
"You did good, I couldn't have asked for more." Rheese said giving Cottonee a quick pat and returning her to her ball. "Minior, your opponent's weak! Let's go!" Rheese shouted as he threw Minior's ball. As he should have expected, the spherical pokemon launched itself directly at him. By now, however, Rheese's reaction time with his Pokemon had improved drastically. He sidestepped Minior's assault and caught the Pokemon before it had the chance to resume its assault. "I'm happy to see you too Minior, but we're in the middle of a battle. I need you to focus up." Rheese whispered right next to Minior clearly calming it down. This was his ace in the hole, the Pokemon that had the clearest advantage against everything Rheese had seen Lan use...It was stupid to rely on type advantage so heavily, but he was already behind in this battle and he needed anything he could get.
"Hmm? A good choice of typing for this battle, though it's clear your Minior's training is lacking." Lan said, earning a glare from his opponent.
"Minior, use rollout!" Rheese shouted, not dignifying Lan's accusation with a response. Minior launched itself at the opposing Doduo and plowed through it with little resistance. The red glow of it returning to Lan's Pokeball made Rheese smile slightly. In one move, Minior had both evened the score and retaliated to Lan's statement.
"Go, Furfrou." Lan said, clearly unphased by the Doduo's defeat. Immediately, Minior changed course and hurtled towards the new opponent with gusto. "Cotton guard." Lan said just before the Pokemon impacted causing the rock type to glance off of Furfrou. The defensive move certainly lessened the damage, but anyone could see that the move was still fairly effective. If this went on and Minior continued gaining momentum however, it would eventually push through.
"Keep going Minior!" Rheese encouraged his Pokemon. It felt a little cheap to bulldoze through like this, in fact it felt very cheap. It wasn't the battle he had hoped for at all. He wasn't winning as a result of his training, he was using a 'strategy' that relied solely on Minior and not his other Pokemon.
In little to no time, Furfrou was finished and Lan's Munchlax was all that remained. "Munchlax, use zen headbutt." Lan commanded. The bright energy that surrounded the normal type's head collided with Minior's rollout causing an impressive shockwave that launched both Pokemon backwards. Minior rose back into the air in a few seconds, its shell cracked and crumbling. It quickly shook off the rocky coating and began spinning up once more. Munchlax picked itself up as well, the bluish pokemon scratched its head where the attacks had collided before reaching behind it to reveal a sitrus berry that it scarfed down immediately.
Despite the additional health, the next collision ended the fight in Minior's favor. With that, the battle was over. Rheese had won, though he wasn't happy with the method. If Lan was displeased by his loss, his face didn't betray it at all. The stone cold stoicism he had shown in previous battles carried on as he handed Rheese his badge.
"I can sense your unease with such a victory." Lan said, forcing Rheese to look up. "It's not unfounded, your victory was a display of your minior's strength not your own."
The already hollow feeling victory being punctuated like that by the gym leader stung. It would've been easy to shrug off if he hadn't already been thinking it.
"Though, that should be the furthest thought from your mind." Lan said, confusing Rheese. "You cannot raise your Pokemon properly if you compare your own performance to theirs. Instead of chastising yourself, you should be praising your Pokemon. Your Cottonee performed admirably, and despite its behavior, your Minior has quite a bit of potential. Remember this moving forward."
Eventually the group reached a sort of archway at the end of the tunnel. It seemed to double as both decoration and a load bearing support. Rachel motioned for the young trainers behind her to stop as she advanced. Supports like these would often hold traps or other means of deterring intruders.
She inspected the intricate carvings carefully as she replicated them to the best of her ability in her notes. As she did, she saw the slightest bit of Cradilly's light reflect off of a string at the bottom. Her mind immediately raced with possibilities as she traced the tripwire to the source. Once she found the mechanism it was attached to, she grew quite concerned to see that it was attached to some barrels. The easiest assumption to make was that the barrels would explode once triggered and the tunnel would collapse... Though, upon closer inspection it seemed that someone or something had already disarmed the trap.
Rachel sighed in relief and wiped some sweat from her brow. Something like this could have been disastrous if a trainer would have wandered into these caves and stumbled over this unknowingly. Still, the possibilities of another explorer having delved this deep were intriguing to say the least.
As an extra measure, Rachel snipped the wire and continued forward offering a nod back to the trainers behind her. The path through the archway opened up to a what appeared to simply be a massive cavern. However, once Cradily emerged from the tunnel behind Rachel it was revealed to be much more incredible. It seemed that the cave they had entered through was a mere escape tunnel connecting to what was once a massive underground highway of sorts. On Rachel's left what appeared to be a large road extended as far as she could see, though on her right it appeared that a large portion of the ceiling had collapsed to block the path.
Rachel's jaw practically hit the floor at the discovery. Purple flames sat upon pedestals lining the sides of the road and dimly lighting the path. She reached for her Pokenav to contact Kraterdesh's gym leader. Purple flames like these weren't natural, they generally used souls or other supernatural sources for fuel...And of course he would probably be quite interested to hear about this.
Unfortunately, she was completely unable to receive a signal from this depth so it was kind of a moot point. Instead, she let the rest of her Pokemon out of their balls as an extra security measure. Archeops took to the air above the group and Tyranitar walked right beside Rachel. A few ghost Pokemon lurked, clearly interested in the group, yet not brave enough to challenge one of the gym leader's Pokemon that vigilantly watched every direction. It was clear that this wasn't their first time dealing with such a situation. Even so, Rachel clasped her keystone. She knew it was irresponsible to keep going with these fledgling trainers, but there was something close...Perhaps her adventurous side was simply getting the best of her.
Nyxx followed the group after having caught her new Golett and named him Hero being that he liked to white knight himself to the front line. She kept all her Pokemon in their balls, figuring all their personalities were entirely too animated for something like this, even if she made the life-threatening joke light heatedly she didn’t honestly feel like kicking it today. She could see Cheshire expand her shadow out into a large circle on the ground following her around, probably as some form of insurance to further protect her. At the same time Rachel, who had just discovered a deactivated trap and decided she wasn’t about to play the game and released her Pokemon to act as bodyguards for the entire group. Nyxx briefly entertained the thought of having a battle with the gym leader using Cheshire, not like the imp would even listen to her.
Once the group entered the room itself with the purple flames something happened to the Gengar in question as he appeared from her shadow and chose to float just above her head. Its wide smile had faded and for the first time, Nyxx saw the true face of one of her mother’s battling Pokemon.
“Something about those fires has Cheshire irritated” she spoke out continuing to walk along with the group, one hand on Golett’s Pokeball if anything would happen to the ghost types that were following them he’d be a decent help.
Gengar held out his hand and formed a normal sized shadow ball that it then tossed in the air where it then popped revealing a weak dark pulse inside that expanded outward shinning a bright off purple light throughout the entire room. Rachel’s Pokemon wouldn’t feel the hit as more than a slight itch, but most of the weaker wild Pokemon fainted on the spot and would serve as a warning for the ones who were too far away to be actually damaged. For a solid couple of minutes, the entire road from beginning to end was illuminated just enough to clearly see from one side to the other.
Mistress Hollow continued to chase after her Lucario who was hot on the trail of ‘detective’ Hammer the only thing she could think of was running the man through all over again for his rudeness, now she wanted information and his badge. The sound of clacking heels was the only good signal she was coming, other than that most people just saw two blurs go by. Justice zipped passed trainers battling even going in the middle of the battles itself one such battle had just ended and nearly knocked the poor trainer over signaling for Hollow to stop and call her bloodhound of a Pokémon back for an apology.
“I’m very sorry for my Justice, he is blind and sometimes gets tunnel vision when chasing something through the aura” she apologized with sincerity oozing from her every word, even going so far as to take out a small towelette and wipe some of the dirt of the girl’s cheek.
Before she knew it, Alexis was on the ground, knocked over by some incompetent trainer's undisciplined pokemon. Alexis was very much displeased, to say the least. Of all her time here on this continent (that is to say, not very long), She had never been treated like this. She even hit the ground face first! What trainer in their right mind would let their pokemon do something like tha-
To say that Alexis was in shock would be a very accurate observation. The moment she lifted her head up to see the pokemon's trainer, she immediately recognized Mistress Hollow. A celebrity, loved by the masses was standing right in front of her. One of the figures that Alexis had dreamt of standing among and against was standing right in front of her. Of course she would freeze up. Many concerns were passing through the wannabe idol's mind:
'Did she see my battle? Please tell me she didn't see that! Why am I covered in dirt in front of her? I need to be presentable! Mistress Hollow is right in front of me! SHE'S TOUCHING ME. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-'
Amber stared in wonder at the intricately-decorated archway. As eager as she was to find out where and what it led to, though, she stopped. Exploring a place like this without a healthy amount of caution would be suicidal. Of course, being in this cave in the first place was rather less than cautious, and the researcher briefly wondered if she should try to convince the group to turn back.
The sight of the string and barrels backed up her doubts about continuing onwards. She tensed as if to step away, but thankfully, someone had already rendered the trap harmless. This cave, for all its mystery, wasn't quite as unexplored as it seemed.
"Whew... Close one," she muttered. As Rachel headed through the archway, so did the researcher, against her better judgement. For such a trap to have been set up, there had to be something noteworthy in here. Something she just had to see.
Some example I am to Coral, she mentally scolded herself, advancing all the while.
Her breath caught at the sight before her - an enormous cavern, with a path running through, bathed in an eerie light from purple flames flickering in braziers. A shiver ran through her. These kinds of flames had to be created by some sort of otherworldly power, or even from life energy.
More little fires danced nearby. Blue ones. Catching a glimpse of several small, candle-like forms, Amber quickly turned her head away, raising her arm to shield her eyes. "Litwicks. Don't look at them," she warned the rest of the group, a growl from Kyra emphasising the statement. She'd never seen a Litwick before, but she'd heard stories about them draining people's life force and luring them to the ghost world. That was one theory she wasn't exactly willing to test.
Before the wild ghost types had a chance to try anything, the Gengar stepped in, sending a burst of purple light pulsing through the cavern. In an instant, Amber recalled all her Pokemon, but it turned out Nyxx's guardian angel - well, guardian demon, more like - had pretty good precision. The only Pokemon who had taken any real damage were the wild ones. Several Litwicks and two Yamasks lay fainted on the ground, while a Duskull fled into the shadows and a group of Misdreavus disappeared through a stony wall.
With all these ghosts around, was continuing further really a good idea? Amber knew the answer. Still, she had no intention of leaving this cavern just yet. Curiosity killed the Meowth, but satisfaction brought it back, she reminded herself.
Rheese had won, and at first it seemed to be a pretty hollow victory. Though, given what Lan had said it was easier to look at it as more of a stepping stone. He wasn't quite as weak as he had thought, in fact he had added a Pokemon to his team that practically made the battle fairly easy. Minior wasn't exactly well trained, sure, but it was starting to listen and clearly had already bonded with him a fair bit. Even if its shows of affection weren't exactly great for Rheese's lifespan.
Without another word, Rheese left the gym and had Cottonee and Minior healed. Despite the latter not taking much damage, Rheese would have been irresponsible to not heal it.
Upon exiting the pokemon center, Rheese spotted Sophia and Oscar walking with a lady he hadn't seen before. He quickly ran up to the group, but not before shoving his newly acquired badge into his pocket. It wouldn't exactly be courteous to shove the badge in Sophia's face after her previous loss.
"Sophia, Oscar, wait up!" He shouted after them as he sprinted. He wasn't about to be left behind when they could be embarking on another adventure.
"Those fires are...well, they're a common site in places with links to the ghost world." Rachel said, keeping herself from mentioning the likely fuel for such flames. "Though I question the likelihood that a gate could go completely unnoticed in a place like this. Lan almost definitely knows it's here...though why he'd hide that information is puzzling for sure. It's good that you have that Gengar around, it seems quite powerful. While I'm confident I could keep you all safe, any extra measure of security is welcome in my book!"
Rachel took note of any landmarks that Gengar had illuminated, though to her surprise it seemed that the group was near some kind of massive door covered in carvings that Rachel couldn't make out clearly from there. One's first intuition would likely be to assume the door was the gateway to the ghost world mentioned beforehand, though Rachel could confidently say otherwise. It seemed more like the entrance to some subterranean structure given the load-bearing columns on either side, a feature that a gate to another plane wouldn't need.
Rachel ventured close to the structure and examined every square inch as well as the surrounding area. It seemed that this door was the only way in or out of whatever this place was...And the only way to open the door seemed to be a strange lock mechanism with a slot that resembled a fire of some sort. She seemed disappointed at this revelation, as it meant the end of this scouting expedition. While any of her pokemon could very easily smash through a door like that, it would be an almost unacceptable action. No, she would need to return with a full crew and more precise tools for excavation so as not to risk a cave-in or destroy something accidentally.
Besides, she needed to have a talk with the local normal type gym leader. Such a spiritual man being oblivious to this kind of activity was beyond suspicious, if it was simply off limits he would have let her know before allowing her to spelunk freely...No, something else was at play.
"Well..." Rachel said, her hands falling to her sides. Explaining that the trip was going to have to end just as soon as things were getting good was never fun. "I know how disappointing this is going to be, trust me...but it's about time to head back. We've made an incredible find, but pressing forward is going to require a key of some sort or a set of equipment I didn't think to bring along."
On the way to the cave, Oscar answers Sophia's question. "Yeah. Mainly a horde of low level pokemon. Nothing too life threatening" Oscar thinks about the crazed pokemon and home. He had heard about the reports of hordes of pokemon fleeing inland around the time of the assumed awakening of Kyogre and Groundon. Could there be a disturbance that is making the pokemon react so violently. A voice snaps Oscar back to reality. A familiar face is running up towards them. Oscar smiles to see another happy soul. "Hi there. You seem to be in a good mood."
The group had nearly reached the caves when a shout caught Sophia's attention. "Ah, hey!" she called, turning around as Rheese ran up. "We were just going to go explore the caves. That way, I'll fill up my team in no time!"
The latest addition to her team scampered up to the newcomer, bouncing up and down, letting out chattering noises. "Ehh, Lumas here only seems to have two settings. Off and turbo," Sophia explained, setting Lacey down and petting the baby monkey. This little one was turning out to be quite the handful, but there was something oddly endearing about that.
"Everyone ready?" she asked the group, strutting forward, taking the lead again, ignoring the slight sigh from Vivianne - and the shiver of tension the sight of the cavern brought. Get a grip, she scolded herself, so a few low-level wild Pokemon might be acting out. Like that's anything to fear.
As soon as Sophia stepped into the cave, Arcturus' core took on a brighter glow, revealing a myriad of gemstones jutting from the walls and floor. The brunette stared through the dim light. Such a place of beauty, and yet... there was something off about it. That feeling hadn't just been nerves.
Focusing her senses, she froze. She recognised that kind of presence all too well.
"Oh geez..." She stumbled back, goosebumps breaking out over her skin. "This place is haunted."
With a glance around at the others, she tried to regain her composure. "N-Not that I'm scared of ghosts! In fact, I'm rather used to them." The last bit was true... and the first bit was sort of true, in some situations. She'd taken a few visits to the Celestial Tower her mother helped to maintain. There was a big difference, though, between ghosts kept calm by a bell in a well-staffed cemetery, and a cave full of wild, potentially harmful spirits. Reaching to her belt, she recalled Lacey, who seemed rather less than comfortable judging by her twitching bow-like organs, and Lumas, who likely didn't have much of a sense of danger.
The paranormally-gifted girl drew on as much of her power as she could, sensing all around her despite the dull ache flaring up in her head. Most of that spectral energy seemed to be coming from a tunnel leading deeper into the mountain. There was something else, too, something nearby. It wasn't easy to pinpoint, especially with that ghostly aura seeping from the cave's recesses, but after glancing around, Sophia noticed what it was. A metal disc with a blue patina, propped against a rock. Giving it a wary look, Sophia felt the unmistakable tingle of a psychic presence.
The being must have sensed her too, its aura crackling as it awoke, rising into the air and spinning round to reveal a pair of yellow eyes. "Bronzor!" it cried, turning this way and that before its attention settled on the group. "Zor?" Sophia took a step back, but the Pokemon seemed more curious than cautious or hostile, floating over and studying the newcomers.
"Eheh... You alright there?" the psychic girl asked, thinking back to the Darmanitans and how she'd disturbed them.
The Bronzor bobbed in the air as if nodding, then tilted to one side. "Bron? Bronzor?" There seemed to be a hint of concern in its voice. It drifted towards her, flipping around, protecting her like a shield.
Sophia stared in surprise. This was one brave Pokemon - especially considering its type disadvantage. What if it got itself into danger? What if the entire group got into danger? "I'm fine really," she reassured it, before glancing at the others. "But, uhh... We might want to try a different cave. I mean... Maybe the ones nearby have more Pokemon! And more gems!"
She seriously needed to work on making her tough act convincing.
The arrival of a newcomer - a friend of Oscar and Sophia, it seemed - briefly snapped Vivianne from thoughts of her task. "Hello there. Yes, it'll make for a great training and field research opportunity, as long as we're careful," she said, taking a glance at the cave mouth. Somebody, namely Sophia, was currently being rather hasty, bragging and striding right in. Sighing and shaking her head, the research assistant followed Sophia into the cavern.
Her attention settled on the Pokemon revealed by the Staryu's light, mostly Sandshrews scurrying along tunnels, and the occasional Zubat flitting past. Nothing out of the ordinary - or so it seemed, until Sophia stood rooted to the spot, her already fair skin turning sickly pale as she blurted a warning. Ghosts.
"Shortout." Pressing the button of a Pokeball, Vivianne let out a sparking orange ball of plasma. "Keep a look out for any trouble... and speaking of trouble, please don't get into anyone's Pokedex this time." With a disappointed mumble, the Rotom drifted ahead, whirling round as a Pokemon appeared.
Vivianne's eyebrows raised at the sight of the living, floating metallic mirror. "Bronzor. One of the species of artificial Pokemon that have existed since ancient times." That was a Pokemon she simply had to study at some point, but right now, staying safe was the important thing.
"Ok, we could take the training and study session elsewhere," she said, turning to the group, "or, if you'd rather stay here, it should be alright as long as we stay by the entrance. Shortout can fend off other ghosts, and Pixel's immune to many of their attacks." Although the thought of the cavern's secrets piqued her curiosity, she couldn't drag a group of new trainers into potential danger.
She couldn't help but wonder what a trip into a cave like this would be like if she'd come to Kosei accompanied, as planned. She knew exactly who'd be fascinated by a place like this.
Just like that, the expedition was over before it had truly begun. Amber didn't know if it was more of a disappointment or a relief.
"Well, at least we know where this place is," she commented. Seeking out this cavern again probably wasn't the best of ideas now she'd seen a glimpse of what was inside it, but surely they could come back once they were better prepared? "And it wasn't a total loss. We got some new Pokemon, after all." She brushed her fingers across the newly-occupied green capsule. "Training Ghost types, that's going to be, uh... interesting. In a lot of ways. Aedre, would you be able to tell me and Nyxx what it's like to train one?"
An opportunity to learn more about ghost behaviour - albeit a rather unwanted one - came right up as, to the side of her, something stirred. Amber spun round, letting out a gasp. Just in time, she sidestepped a shadowy hand that reached for her ankle.
Looming before the group, glinting in the soul flames, was a coffin of gold. Open blue segments at its top revealed a pair of glaring red eyes.
"Well, uh... There are certainly better ways to study them!" Amber pulled back as two pairs of ghostly arms stretched from the casket. It must have mistaken them for grave robbers, she realised - and she knew the stories of what a Cofagrigus could do to intruders into ruins. "Let's get out!"
Mistress Hollow wiped down Alexis’ face clearing the dirt away and throwing the dirtied towlette away in a nearby trashcan. Snapping her fingers, she called for Justice to come back with haste quite cross with the canine though she had to admit he was acting on her orders, that didn’t mean he had to go and start disrespecting young trainers. Justice didn’t waste too much time in bowing to show respect and all at once Hollow’s anger towards Hammer was momentarily subdued by the current events even going so far as to return Justice to his Pokeball. Looking over the girl she couldn’t help but notice her hair was fairly messy due to the fall and took it upon herself to take out a brush and comb and began to style the girl’s hair. Running the comb and brush through her golden locks right in the middle of the training field humming to herself as she went full on mom on Alexis.
“There we go, all fixed up sugar… oh wait one more thing, ” she said using her thumb to push back her leftover bangs “There now everyone can see your pretty face clearly” the woman finished and planted a kiss on her forehead.
Nyxx scratched the back of her head, having Cheshire made her feel perfectly safe, so it was reassuring that she wouldn’t get her soul taken or just plain kick it down here, even without Gengar having grown up with him and several other ghost types left her a bit harder to scare than most. As an added bonus, she met her Golett who she could just tell had something special based on his personality alone. Her mouth spread slightly at the knowledge that they were going to be leaving instead of venturing deeper, she may not be afraid, but this wasn’t exactly a pleasure course and the danger was still there and made very real by the Cofagrigus making an attempt on Amber’s life signaling Gengar to turn around towards the mummy.
“Hey now there’s no need to start something, look Amber is fine,” Nyxx said talking the now high-strung ghost type down from getting into an unneeded conflict, not like Cheshire would actually listen to her in terms of battling. Gengar sighed and shook his head this obviously being the first time he had to play the role of protector, soon enough, he faded from view completely, but his chilling presence could still be felt all around the room. “Alright, let's get out of here before something unexpected happens” Nyxx chuckled folding her arms behind her head and started to walk towards the exit.
It seemed the entire cave was coming to life now. Something about that Cofagrigus's actions seemed to spark a bit of ire in the other ghosts. As though one of them making an attempt inspired the rest to drive the trainers from their territory.
In an instant, Rachel's keystone and her Tyranitar's Mega stone lit up the entire cave. Most of the ghost types fled immediately, and the ones that didn't made it clear that they weren't going to cause trouble. Tyranitar transitioned to his mega form and roared at any and all of the remaining ghosts. "Right then." Rachel started, slightly winded. "That's sorted, let's get back to the surface."
In moments the group was back at the entrance to the cave, Tyranitar transformed back to its normal form.
"If it's got you uneasy, I think we should." Rheese responded. As things were, it'd be better for the group to avoid unnecessary danger. They had been through enough lately.
Rheese idly kept his hand near his belt. If anything attacked them, it would pay to have all hands on deck. He wasn't going to be useless in a situation like this, not anymore. At least, that's what he told himself.
Instead of ghosts, however. A group of trainers with a few familiar faces emerged from the cave. Minior broke free of its Pokeball and lunged straight at the brown haired lady that seemed to be at the lead. Before Rheese could react, the lady in question casually stopped the rock type with a single hand. A blow that would have seriously injured most people wasn't even cause for surprise for this lady.
"Hey there cutie!" Rachel shouted as she brought the minior into a tight hug.
Rheese's eyes widened as cracks appeared in Minior's shell. This lady couldn't be human.
"So, you finally found a trainer? Ooh, have you been having fun with them?" Rachel asked the little Pokemon as it squeaked in response. "Good, I'm so glad!"
"Err, have you two met?" Rheese asked, Minior's attention immediately shot back to its trainer...along with the rest of it as it let out a happy squeal. Rheese dodged instinctively, but Minior stopped just short of him and bounced excitedly as if to show Rachel what it was talking about. To which she nodded in approval.
Shadows billowed through the cave as a horde of Ghost types advanced to back up the Cofagrigus. "Eheheh... I guess that's a few theories confirmed!" Amber commented, stepping further away.
The next moment, a brilliant flash of light drove away many of the would-be attackers. The ones who remained kept their distance, their once-menacing gazes now wary as one of the most utterly magnificent Pokemon Amber had ever seen towered over them and roared. "A Mega Tyranitar... Wow. An actual Mega Tyranitar," she breathed, craning her neck upwards. As the last of the ghosts fled and Rachel suggested the group should make their own hasty retreat, Amber rushed alongside the others.
"Well... On the bright side, I assume not many people get to see that many ghosts and their defense mechanisms in action, and live to tell the tale!" she said as she began to recover from the shock. "That must have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Uh, without the rather morbid other meaning. I mean, we'll have the chance to make that twice if we want! When we're much, much more experienced trainers, that is... Rachel! Look out!"
Amber watched, stunned, as instead of dodging to avoid the hurtling Minior, Rachel casually reached out with one hand and stopped it as if it weighed no more than a foam ball. "O...kay? I guess considering who your brother is, I shouldn't be surprised..." She trailed off as something else rather unexpected caught her attention. A familiar face.
"Vivie...?" Seeing her was like a twinge from an old wound. This was the last person she'd expected to meet here. After everything else had changed, hadn't the other researcher's plans? Hadn't she decided to make a fresh start in Hoenn? "Uh, Vivianne." She gave an awkward smile. "Nice to see you."
"Ahem." Vivianne turned a sharp, steely gaze towards the Rotom as it snuck towards the new boy's backpack. It spun around and drifted away from Rheese, letting out a moan, bolt-shaped appendages drooping. "Pokegears, laptops and phones are off-limits too. As are all other people's electronics." Catching a glimpse of red and blue by her side, she turned round. The Porygon Z, seemingly still rather hyper from earlier, recoiled in surprise, multicoloured squares briefly appearing all around its body. "Pixel, Shortout, that applies to both of you, and my belongings as well as everyone else's."
The research assistant faced Rheese. "I do apologise. These two rather like to find loopholes." She caught sight of another Pokemon, this time a little wild Ghost type, starting to bother Sophia. "Shortout, drive it away." Just as the Rotom prepared a Shadow Ball, the creature fled to avoid the combined efforts of the stronger ghost and Sophia's Pokemon. "Agreed," Vivianne replied to Rheese with a nod. "A place where we can study and train in peace might be better..."
Her stern eyes widened at the sound of terrified yet excited babbling echoing from further in the cave. She recognised that voice... and only one person she knew said things like that...
As the group of four emerged from the tunnel, Vivianne didn't even react to Rachel stopping the Minior with one hand. She and the travelling Rock leader had already crossed paths a few times, and she'd heard rumours that Rachel and her Tyranitar wrestled. Instead, her attention was on someone else. Someone she'd hoped she wouldn't run into, for both of their sakes.
"Amber... Hello there." The corners of her mouth quirked up into the slightest of smiles. "It's a small world, isn't it? There was a change of plan. A research opportunity."
She hoped her brief, formal explanation and neutral tone masked the guilt that welled up, guilt she'd tried to keep tamped down over the past two years. Amber still wanted to talk to her, even after that mess back then. A mess that had poisoned and withered a seemingly solid friendship. A mess that Vivianne had nobody but herself to blame for.
Sophia cringed at Rheese's words. "N-No! It's not that! I'm fine! I mean... Yeah, let's explore more caves while we're here. But... But not because this one's a problem for me! I'm telling you, it isn't!" It really didn't help that the Rotom who was meant to protecting them seemed more interested in pulling pranks than keeping guard.
Right on cue, Sophia felt the ghostly aura grow stronger as something approached. Letting out a yelp that ruined the already less than credible act, she whirled around, staring frantically from side to side as she tried to figure out exactly where it came from. The many spectral presences permeating the cave, as well as the ever-growing strain she put on herself, made doing so particularly difficult.
The next moment, something covered with a flowing black cloth burst from the shadows, grinning as its yellow-and-blue eyes glinted with mischief.
"N-Nice try!" The psychic stood tall, still attempting to save face. "But I think you'll find I'm not exactly easy to sneak up on!" The Bronzor remained in front of Sophia, protecting her with its metallic body. "Bron," it grumbled. The ragdoll-like creature simply giggled, slipping into the darkness again. As Sophia focused on the telltale presence, something moved over the cave wall. She jumped as the Pokemon's Shadow Sneak stretched out two giant hand silhouettes, which crossed into the shape of a bird, morphing at alarming speed into a winged, demonic monstrosity on the rocky surface. Reeling back, the trainer watched the image dissipate and the Pokemon reappear next to her, its laughter echoing.
"Purrrr..." came a growling noise by her feet. Grimalkin sprang up, claws outstretched - and passed right through the Ghost type. A fresh shiver of panic ran through Sophia. What level did a Purrloin have to be to learn a Dark type move? The cat ran out of the way as a jet of water from Arcturus knocked the puppet several paces back. As soon as Vivianne's Rotom joined the fray, the Shuppet slid through a wall, but Sophia could still feel it lurking.
"Heheh, good job," Sophia said - then looked over. This time it wasn't the Shuppet, or any other ghost, but shouts and hurried footsteps. The psychic shifted her focus as much as was safe. The group of people felt unharmed - as far as she could tell, anyway, given her tiredness and divided attention - but the tunnel they ran through was the one that radiated that otherworldly energy.
Four people rushed into the chamber - Amber, Aedre, Alex, and a dark-haired woman Sophia hadn't seen before. For a moment, she thought she picked up on the faintest trace of something unusual, but it was difficult to tell for sure.
Just as Sophia was about to brush it off as nothing, Rheese's Minior charged at the woman - who effortlessly blocked it with one hand. All the young psychic could do was gape at her. It was only when Amber spoke that Sophia realised who the brunette looked rather like...
Dammit, why did everyone with these abilities outshine her?
The bitterness that welled up disappeared just as fast as it had come on, leaving her completely calm. That was odd... Realisation hit, the flare of fear and annoyance it brought fading quickly. Unnaturally quickly.
She sent a thought towards the hidden being she could sense close by. So now I'm a food source, am I? She gritted her teeth as that irritation rekindled. A moment of calm would certainly be nice, if it wasn't caused by a ghostly stalker. Considering its earlier behaviour, this probably wasn't even about helping her. I bet you just love this, don't you?
Edging away, she looked back over at the group. "Are you ok?" she asked, eyes wide. "This isn't just any hangout spot for spooks. What... What exactly did you find in there?"
Oscar stands by the backline, waiting for the crowd to disperse a little. On the side, he release all his pokemon for a little meet and greet of Aurora, the riolu. After a good idea, Oscar shouts to the main group. "So how is everyone's pokemon count? I am sitting at five." Oscar is not too competitive but this is one way that he can still stay in the race with. One more pokemon til a full team which will a great boon to have. "I think it is also a good idea for a large scale meet and greet if that is not a problem with anyone."
For Oscar, friendships and good memories are more important than being the best. It is good to have allies on hand when one needs them for an important situation. This meet and greet might be a small step to that goal for Oscar.
"Ehh, don't worry... thanks to Rachel and her Tyranitar here, we're all ok," Amber replied. "As for what we found, this cavern filled with odd purple flames. And several Pokemon set on guarding it." She glanced over her shoulder to make sure nothing was following, before allowing herself to relax a little at Oscar's question.
"Well..." She gave Vivianne a slight, sad smile. "I'm guessing you're quite a way ahead." As she spoke, she cupped the green capsule at her belt. "Technically, I only just got my sixth, but this one's going to need a fair amount of discipline..."
Proving her point, the Sableye burst out in a flash of light. "Sable! Sableye!" the imp cried, grinning up at her new trainer.
"Uh, hello again," Amber said, tensing as she let out Kyra, Chalcedony and Larimar to keep an eye on the little ghost. At least the Sableye wasn't mad that she'd been captured... and at least she hadn't popped out of the Pokeball further down in the cave. "I know this wasn't quite what either of us intended, but do you want to come along?"
The Sableye's grin widened as she nodded, crystalline eyes gleaming. A trainer who could help her grow stronger, while collecting gemstones in the meantime? This was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
Amber smiled back, despite the earlier chaos the ghost had caused. "Then welcome to the team... Almandine. How's that? Like the garnet. You can be Alma for short." The gem-encrusted Pokemon gave a happy cry, glancing at the surrounding Pokemon, who still glared.
"So..." Amber turned back to the woman she hadn't seen in almost two years. "Looks like that's two of us with Ghost types." She paused, eyes flicking from Vivianne, to the Rotom, to the ground. Making conversation used to be so much easier.
Watching the Sableye's antics reminded Vivianne that things didn't always go as expected - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.
"Indeed... They're certainly an interesting type." It sounded even to her as if she were chatting with a work colleague. No, not even that. A stranger. "You could say they share characteristics with fossil Pokemon."
They did. Both were proof of how remnants of the past could come back.
"Anyway..." She faced Amber's friends. "I'm Vivianne. Researcher in training. And you are?"
Sophia rolled her eyes as Oscar mentioned Pokemon count. Great. As if she hadn't just been humiliated enough, that jerk had to go and rub it in.
"Oh, and that means you can act like you're all that, does it? I'll have you remember I'm not far behind!" she commented. If the Bronzor wanted to go with her, that would put her at the same level, and then surely it wouldn't be difficult to get a sixth...
As she listened to Amber's story of the haunted chamber, something else the other trainer said made Sophia's mouth drop open. Six Pokemon. Six Pokemon already... and by the sound of it, the researcher hadn't even been trying. "W-WHAT?!? How in the name of the Tao trio...?!"
A sudden feeling of calm settled over her, and her scowl disappeared. "Congratulations," she said before she could stop herself. The moment it slipped out, she gaped in shock, that resentment flooding back. A rather satisfied-looking Shuppet reappeared, chuckling.
"Hmph! Not everyone finds that quite so funny as you do!" Sophia glowered at the little scrap of cloth - which, now she thought about it, was actually oddly cute. Like a plush toy. Her glare softened... and then, knowing all too well what it was doing, she took a step back as it giggled again. "And don't think you'll get away with it by pulling that on me!"
She glanced at the Rotom, which hovered behind Vivianne, generating static to frizz up its trainer's neatly tied-back hair instead of keeping watch. What with Amber and Vivianne having some sort of catch-up, how much longer would the group be stuck here?
Striding over to Rachel, she made one more attempt to redeem the situation. If that unnatural strength and sturdiness was some kind of psychic thing, and if her brother was who Sophia thought he was... well, this woman could do with a reminder that there were others like it around. "Heh, I guess that's not a bad trick there," she said, before doing her usual thing of making her Pokeballs spin around her. "But as you can see, I've got a few of my own... Ugh..."
The Pokeballs wobbled as she returned them to her belt. Sophia couldn't help but lean against a wall, surroundings lurching. She'd gone and done this yet again. By remaining on such high alert, she'd exhausted herself - and a haunted cavern wasn't exactly the best place to be exhausted.
While Grimalkin and Arcturus rushed over to her, followed by the Bronzor, the Shuppet stayed behind, talking to Amber's Sableye instead. Right now, Sophia didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. All this bitterness was something she could do without. She dug her fingernails into her palms, shoulders drooping. Why was everyone here doing so, so much better than her?
Still sensing for wild Pokemon against her better judgement, she looked up at an approaching chill. She yelped, stepping to the side as a blur of black cloth slipped through the shadows towards her. The next thing she knew, it had vanished into an empty Pokeball at her belt. The cackling of Amber's Sableye echoed through the cave.
Sophia stared down at the newly-occupied Pokeball. Could she really complain? She'd wanted another Pokemon, hadn't she?
Dang, this Shuppet was doing its utmost to get on her last nerve.
Oscar soaks in all the numbers. So it basically a one for one for everyone. This going to be interesting. Before Oscar could say anything more, a loud sound pierces though the walls of the cave. Oscar and all of his pokemon covered their ears to dampen the sounds. What ever that was, Oscar thought, it must be a powerful pokemon. He decides to go towards the origin of the sound, despite the danger it may pose. "I am going to go investigate. If you want to come, expect the worse. And before any protests, I am aware of the risks."
Oscar recalls his pokemon before moving hastily towards the origin of the sound. Another two more happened along the way and they got louder. Oscar comes across a cavern with a Kommo-o nest. The lone Kommo-o is fighting against a horde of zubats and crobats. The Kommo-o is fighting to protect it's young or what remains of them. "Well, that ain't fair. time to even the odds." Oscar releases Nomia and Skoll. "okay ,you two. Protect the Dragon." Skoll does so with no hesitantion while Nomia was a bit more reluctant. They manage to get attention of a few zubats.
A loud roar, along with a metallic clanging sound, made Sophia jump. "What...?" The next thing she knew, Oscar had rushed off to investigate. Alone. Sophia stared in the direction he'd run. His tendency to play the hero was already gratingly obvious, but this was a whole new level of reckless bravery.
"Dammit, Oscar, what do you think you're doing?!" There was only one thing to do. Pushing through the exhaustion, she ran after him, Arcturus and Grimalkin at her side. "You'd better not get yourself hurt!"
The pain in her head flared up at another clanging noise. As she cried out and grasped the tunnel wall for support, several Zubats fluttered past, fleeing whatever had made the sound. Steeling herself for what she'd find, Sophia ran onwards, until she reached a cavern. She gasped at the sight before her.
The cave was alive with bats. Zubats, Golbats, even a few Crobats, attacking a Kommo-o's nest in a flurry of wings and fangs. The dragon stumbled, her strength rapidly running out.
"Lacey!" Sophia reacted instantly, sending out her Gothita. "Use Reflect and Confusion!" Lacey headed over to the nest, standing beside Skoll and Nomia as she put up a wall of light in front of the injured dragons. A flock of Zubats went spiralling through the air from the Gothita's Psychic type attack.
Looking up to see some of the bats swooping at her, Sophia used her own psychic power to throw them back - only to end up on her knees, her surroundings spinning.
This cave really was a terrible place to be exhausted in.
"G-Grimalkin... Hit them with Fury Swipes!" she panted. "Arcturus, use Water Gun!" As she staggered to her feet, another Pokemon joined the fray.
"Bron! Bron-zor!" Placing itself in front of the two trainers, the Bronzor blasted one of the bats with Confusion. Despite the type disadvantage, though, it was clear which side was stronger. Three huge Golbats, fangs bared, sped at the defending Pokemon.
Ghosts had been far from the only thing to be wary of here.
As the two beginner trainers ran towards what could only be some kind of powerful Pokemon, Vivianne sighed. Besides Rachel, she was likely the highest-level trainer in the group, and had a responsibility to intervene.
"Pixel, Shortout, come along," she called as she hurried after Oscar and Sophia. It turned out her suspicions had been right. She shuddered. As a researcher, she was no stranger to witnessing unpleasant things. This horde of bats, though, attacked the weakening dragon with such ferocity that, if it hadn't been for the lower-level ones fleeing at the cymbal-like crashes, she'd have suspected the battle-rage. And there, right in the middle, stood the two fledgeling trainers, putting up a fight against the onslaught.
"Shortout, use Thunderbolt," Vivianne commanded. A beam of electricity from the Rotom lit up the cave and struck one of the Golbats, which fainted instantly. "Pixel, Psyshock." A purple ball of energy formed in front of the Porygon Z and flew at another of the gluttonous bats.
Some of the wild Pokemon turned and flitted away, but others remained, undeterred.
Amber knew she shouldn't follow, but these were her friends, and by the sound of it, some kind of hurt Pokemon. "Oscar! Sophia!" she called, sprinting down the tunnel. "Vivie!"
She ducked as a dark shape swooped at her. Then another. By her side, Kyra sprang up, jaws clamping down on a wild Zubat. As others descended, Chalcedony, Larimar and Almandine lashed with their claws.
"Whew... Good work," Amber said, heading further into the cave alongside her Pokemon, her pace picking up even though more flutters and screeches made it clear what they'd find. She highly doubted it was just Zubats. "Now let's check on the others!"
lv:11 
lv:10
lv:13
