The labyrinthine caverns of the Sinnoh mountains were renowned as an archaeologist's wet dream. Even after centuries, or even longer, the caves continued to hold incredible secrets and mysteries that few could possibly imagine, and even fewer could resist. Carvings depicting great Pokemon, confusing inscriptions written in an unknown language, or faded to nearly nothing taunted the brilliant minds of the people sent to explore and unearth these secrets.
And yet, time after time, more relics were discovered. More strange artifacts and runes were found and brought above ground once more. And sometimes, entire new caves and passageways were discovered, and the ones lucky enough to find these places would fall over themselves in a mad scramble to call all their treasure-hunting friends or scientific contacts to examine the discovery and hopefully uncover the next chapter of the lost Sinnoh lore.
However, this site was different. It was not merely a chamber that had been lost over centuries only to be discovered again. It had existed, been discovered and thoroughly explored, and then removed of all its ancient history, and re-sealed afterwards, condemned by humans for being a treacherous, unstable passageway that had claimed the lives of numerous miners and scientists. Such things were expected in that line of work, and few questioned the reasons for the passageway's sealing.
Yet some could sense it. The powerful and unmistakable aura brimming within the chamber, a shard of darkness so great that no light could snuff it out. Even the Pokemon that could not sense it directly still became anxious and apprehensive when they drew nearer to the pit leading into the condemned chamber, and so it didn't take long for the passageway to be completely abandoned, and the subject of many urban legends, both among humans and Pokemon.
Footsteps echoed softly in the empty passageway, and flashes of orange danced along the jagged rock walls, becoming brighter and more concentrated as the source of sound and light drew nearer. The trio of Pokemon ignored the massive sign warning of the hazard, the lettering faded with dust and bits of rock, but otherwise undisturbed.
"This must be it," one of the Pokemon murmured, peering into the gloom. He was a short bipedal Pokemon with blue fur and a canine face, his red eyes masked in black fur that matched the color of his drooping ears. One paw was ablaze, but with an odd blue glow that didn't match the orange flames of the quadruped Pokemon beside him, which had a sleek body with blue fur along its back and an otherwise tan body. Its head and lower back were both burning with orange flames, casting the illuminating glow around them.
"Sweet!" the Quilava chirped, bouncing her weight from paw to paw before shooting a glance to the third Pokemon, another biped rivaling the Riolu in height, with black fur and a crown of red feathers adorning her head. Sharp red eyes peered into the dark passageway, unhindered by the pitch blackness, and vicious claws glinted in the firelight. An elegant blue scarf was draped around the Weavile's neck, the ends trailing down to knee-level, adding more color to her profile.
"Lin?" the Riolu prompted, seeming a bit confused about the prolonged silence. "Going to say something?"
"No," the Weavile replied curtly, stepping past the Quilava and beginning the walk down the passageway, the scarf trailing behind her as if blown by a gentle wind. The other Pokemon exchanged glances before following in equal silence, which was broken only by the scuffing of their feet against the worn rock and the crackling of the Quilava's flames.
At the far end of the passageway was the large hole that had once served as a entrance shaft to the chamber below. There had once been a trapdoor placed here, with desperate warnings not to attempt to breach the locks placed upon it, but the warnings had been ignored, and the locks had been shattered years ago by thieves, unwilling to believe that there was nothing left to find down below, and the shaft now lay open, like a gaping maw.
"Ugh...it's so much colder here now," the Riolu whispered, teeth chattering.
"Need to cuddle, Force?" the Quilava giggled teasingly, moving closer to him. The Riolu flinched as she brushed against his leg, and immediately backed off several paces.
"No, I'll manage, Cecilia," he said nervously.
Lin gave them both an exasperated look. "Could we keep focused for just a little longer? Cece, stop teasing the kid. Now step up here and blow a bit of fire down into the hole, I can't tell how deep the drop is."
"Fiiine," the Quilava huffed, and stepped up to the mine shaft, inhaling and expelling a tongue of orange flame from her mouth into the pit below, illuminating the chamber for several seconds before the stream of fire dissolved.
"You didn't do it long enough," Force complained, straining to see over the quadruped's shoulder.
"That's what she said," the fire type retorted.
Lin snapped her claws loudly. Nothing had to be said; the annoyed glare she fixed them with was more than enough to silence the argument.
"Wait here," she ordered, and dropped into the chamber below. She stuck her landing gracefully. Now that she was down here, her eyesight was able to pierce the inky blackness with only a few moments needed to adjust.
The chamber was impressively ornate, with numerous carvings displayed along the walls, many of them too worn or crumbling to get an accurate reading on them, but that wasn't what she was here for. She and the others had traveled to numerous digging sites in the past few weeks, and this one was even more noticeably stripped of its artifacts than the others. Everything even remotely valuable or glittering had been taken, and all that remained now was the immovable carvings and rock.
Still...there was a lingering sense of unease here. Lin was not one to be dissuaded by the thought of haunted ruins, but all her instincts were screaming for her to leave, and she usually trusted her instincts above all else. Ignoring her better judgment for once, she took some tentative steps forwards, tensing when she heard something crunch under her feet.
Stepping back and inspecting the ground revealed the now-broken skeleton of a small Pokemon, but her honed observations confirmed to her that it died by non-violent means, so it was probably a Pokemon that had fallen down here and had ultimately starved to death. A quick scan of the surrounding area indicated that it had not been the only victim claimed by the chamber in such a way. In one corner, she could even see the partially decomposed body of a human, and made a mental note to not get too close to that one.
"Everything okay, Lin?" Cecilia's voice called down, making Lin jump slightly, for a moment having forgotten her objective.
"Yes, I'm fine, Cece," the Weavile replied. "I don't see anything of value yet. Is Kaito sure what we're looking for is down here?"
"All the signs point to it," Cecilia chirped.
"Don't you feel the vibes? Follow them," Force suggested nervously. "It probably looks ordinary, if no one's taken it yet."
Lin frowned to herself and returned her attention to the task at hand. With the chamber stripped as it was, it was unlikely she'd be able to deduce the chamber's true original purpose. Many of the other sites within Mt. Coronet had paid homage to some of the legendaries, or had aspects of the ancient lore carved into the walls. Yet this one was far more peculiar, not only did it seem to have no other entrances or exits, but there weren't even markings in the wall to suggest torches had been placed there. No pedestals, either, so a holding place for a sacred artifact was also unlikely.
Then there was the matter of the ominous feeling in her chest. Had there been more remains of unfortunate Pokemon here, she would have pegged this as an execution chamber. Nothing else should fill her of all Pokemon with such apprehension.
Lin took a deep breath to steady her nerves and began to walk along the chamber's perimeter, taking note of whenever her anxiety flared up again. Then, she repeated the stroll in the opposite direction and forming a tighter circle. When her instincts screamed at her to turn back, she pressed forward instead, thrusting her claws out despite the empty air in front of her. Her claws hit empty air, but her foot struck something with a metallic clang, the reverberation stinging her sensitive hearing. It was only by chance that she managed to recover her footing, yet as she glared at the ground, she saw nothing that could have possibly tripped her up, least of all something metallic.
"Uh...Lin, what was that?" Cecilia called down nervously. "Are you sure everything's okay?"
"Stay there," Lin called back. "Neither of you can climb back up on your own. I need to check something."
The Weavile narrowed her eyes, cautiously prodding the space before her again with her claws, circling around that spot to be sure it wasn't just something placed at an angle her eyes had overlooked. Her claws still connected with something solid, but she could not see it, no matter how much she tried. For all she could tell, there was something invisible laying there.
"Cece, spit some fire again for a few seconds. I need a bit of light."
Lin waited for a moment for Cecilia to process the request and soon the chamber was bathed in a fiery orange glow. Lin's expression slowly curled into a smirk. The light revealed nothing, but prodding the empty space again caused a subtle rippling effect.
"Is that all it is?" Lin mused to herself. She focused for a moment, and purple flames formed around her claws. She didn't even need to strike; the presence of the ghostly flames dispelled the rippling effect with ease, and exposed a odd stone fragment impedded in the ground. As she watched, the purple fire produced by her claws began to flow towards the stone, as if a breeze was blowing, but her scarf remained inert.
"Interesting..."
Several minutes later, Lin clamored back into the passageway, using her sharp claws to anchor her grip until she could pull herself up. Force offered a paw to help her to her feet, which she accepted with a curt nod. Once standing, she nonchalantly brushed the dirt and dust from her scarf, as Cecilia inspected the stone she had brought back with her.
"Is this it?" Cecilia wondered, her blue eyes narrowed with skepticism. It looked ordinary at a glance, but closer inspection revealed it to be made of a strange silver-grey stone that seemed far more durable than it appeared. Despite this, there were several runes carved into its surface.
"Force, aura check," Lin ordered. The Riolu focused, the blue glow returning to his paw and his eyes took on a similar glow. The rock fragment shimmered with a matching aura, which then darkened rapidly to a pure, malevolent black coloration. The Riolu recoiled as if he had been stabbed, the glowing fading from his body entirely, and Lin had to seize his wrist to keep him from stumbling into the hole.
"Is...that a good sign?" Cecilia wondered nervously. The rock had stopped glowing as well, and sat before them innocently, but the sense of unease they felt did not fade with the glowing.
The Weavile frowned slightly. "Yes...a very good sign."
There was a brief flash, bright enough to distract them from the stone, and to focus on the fourth Pokemon that had appeared in their midst, a feminine humanoid with green, shoulder-length hair, a pair of pink horns set like hair-clips on its head, shockingly bright pink eyes, and seemingly clad in a white skirt. The Kirlia immediately wrapped her arms around Force and pulled him into a deep kiss, which he returned after a moment's surprise.
Lin and Cecilia blinked at the lovers with mild bewilderment, although Cecilia seemed far more entertained than she had any right to be. Lin cleared her throat loudly, prompting the two to break their embrace, both now sporting matching blushes.
"Any reason you chose to join us, Iris?" Lin asked.
"I felt something wrong...I had to check on Force," the Kirlia explained sheepishly.
The other three exchanged glances. At least, all three of them would have, if Force wasn't instead looking fondly at Iris.
"That was...really prompt, even for an emotional bond," Cecilia giggled. She winked at the Riolu. "She's a keeper, Force."
Lin snapped her claws, her gaze on Iris. "I think we're about done here, Iris. Could you teleport us to the entrance? You can take Force a few hours early if you do."
The Kirlia giggled and did a slight twirl. "Sure thing! Ready?"
Lin picked up the stone fragment and gave a silent nod. Cecilia and Force both confirmed they too were ready to leave the caves, and the Kirlia closed her eyes, her body glowing with a faint pink light, which slowly extended outwards to encompass the other three Pokemon. The light intensified until it was bright enough to force their eyes closed for a moment.
When the light faded, the sounds of bird Pokemon could clearly be heard and natural light poured through the cave entrance-way that they found themselves presently next to. Lin slipped away from the other Pokemon and gazed cautiously outside, scanning the path leading away from the mountain. This particular entrance was in close proximity to one of the frequently-traveled human cities in Sinnoh, and they had more than one close call with fledgling Pokemon trainers coming across them when they were leaving a venue.
"All clear," she said finally.
"Sweet!" Cecilia chirped, joining the Weavile at the cave entrance and inhaling deeply, savoring the fresh air. Force and Iris hung back, more sensitive to the brisk air that was normal for the region, but had been steadily growing worse as the harsh winter months approached.
"So am I off-duty now?" Force wondered, glancing between Lin and Cecilia awkwardly. Lin cast a glance in his direction, and then nodded. Iris brightened and with another little twirl and flash of light, the two of them vanished, leaving Lin and Cecilia alone.
"They're adorable," the Quilava giggled. Lin allowed herself a brief smirk and began to walk down the incline leading away from the mountain cave. Cecilia fell into step behind her, the crackling of her flames the only sound either of them made until reaching the bottom, where the rock and dirt gave way to a sea of grass and flowers until a worn stretch of road intersected it, guiding travelers to the human city ahead.
As of now, the road was completely empty, and even other Pokemon in the area only appeared for brief glimpses of movement, all of them busying themselves with gathering tasks of some sort. Lin paused to examine the sky, comparing it to the clouds that always seemed to form at the peak of Mt. Coronet, and taking into account the direction and speed of the wind.
"So the storm's going to be really bad, huh?" Cecilia asked, before Lin had even said anything. The Quilava sat down beside the Weavile, licking a paw and brushing it lazily over her blue fur, somehow grooming her flames into a tidier arrangement. Seeing Lin's surprised glance, Cecilia elaborated, "That's what all the human news reports have been saying. One of Sinnoh's worst winters and all that."
"How do you even hear the human weather reports?" Lin wondered, raising an eyebrow at her friend. When Cecilia started to smirk, the Weavile waved a paw hastily. "Never mind, I think I heard this story already."
"No, you didn't," Cecilia replied promptly.
Lin shook her head firmly. "Another time, maybe. The weather is starting to take a turn for the worse, and I want to show Kaito our find," she said, holding up the stone fragment for closer inspection now that she had natural lighting. She turned it over slowly, and absently traced one of the runes with a claw. "Something about it unnerves me. I don't want to hold onto it for longer than I need to."
"Yeah, it's creepy," Cecilia agreed. She leaned back onto her hind paws and gazed around restlessly. "So...meet up at the Chateau in a few hours?"
"You're going to wait until dark?" Lin asked incredulously. "With an incoming winter storm, what could possibly be-"
"I've been cooped up in the caves all day. I need to burn off some energy," Cecilia retorted, betraying a rare moment of irritation, but her expression softened immediately afterwards and she grinned before adding, "Literally."
"No need to get all fired up," Lin replied. "I'll see you around, Cece."
With a final nod, Lin departed, the ends of her scarf trailing behind her, already picking up the beginnings of the frigid winds that were making their way across Sinnoh. Snow would follow soon enough, and the entire area would become covered in a beautiful blanket of white, from the depths of the forest to the tops of the mountains, and even over the streets of the human cities. Beautiful, clean, and pure.
Lin winced and relaxed her paw, so that the jagged stone fragment no longer was in danger of piercing her skin. It may have been her imagination, but she could have sworn that the odd black aura that Force had managed to expose from the stone had reappeared, but when she had looked again, it looked exactly the same as before. Completely ordinary, just a stone clutched in her paw.
But then, why did she still feel so uneasy?