Chapter 3

For the reminder of the day, Frost and Brett did not utter a single word. Instead, they simply packed their things, and left, it was as simple as that. Cyndaquil sat on Frosts shoulders, and also kept to himself. You may never find a melancholier pair in your life if you tried. All that can be said, is that they left Jeneville City behind, and hoped that they would never return, for these two young boys had endured a lot. Too many burdens for them to bear.

Out beyond Jeneville, the wilderness was a welcome return. Once again, they found themselves with not having to deal with crowds of people, or traffic, or anything like that. Once again, they found themselves in the unforgiving wild, far from people. Even though, after what happened back in town, the wilderness seemed more friendly. Just a day passed them by before they reached the borders of the wastelands. As they reached closer and closer, the land around them started to die.

There were few trees, and even those that stood, were scraggly and unappealing. There was only dead or dying grass, and dirt. By noon on the second day, they reached the borders, and from the looks of it, the barren, dreary, terrain was even less appealing to the eye than Selthwood, minus the danger and death, they hoped. Frost still could not forgive himself for driving Megan away, but why should he feel guilty? He deserved a fan club, after all, his success was guaranteed. Of course he had to think of himself, Megan was just mad that she was not as successful as he was, she was jealous.

Not that it mattered, she was gone. She could not hold Frost back from unlocking his potential any more. Now he could unlock his real skill, his real power. Finally, he was able to be the great trainer he was destined to be. Some time during the day, perhaps a little past nine, maybe nine-thirty in the morning the pair of them finally crossed into the wastes, and stopped for a moment, as Brett pulled the map out. He glossed it over, and then looked at the scenery around him. "Are you sure that this is the best way to get to Heshbett City?" He asked. Clearly, he was beginning to question how safe the land was. With Frost, he would need to readjust his calculations. Even though he knew that Frost did not go looking for danger, he was a bad news magnet. Frost did not intentionally beckon death, he did not go looking for trouble or ways to meet his end, he simply had bad luck. Wherever he went, things ran the risk of going wrong.

"Sure as day," Frost answered. "Unless you want to take several more months to go around, but that isn't going to happen, as my schedule is set in stone. I could not possibly try and have it postponed to meet my requirements. Plus, it's way too out of the way, and we would pass by several other towns on the way, making Heshbett obsolete. So, we are going through, so stop complaining," He grumbled, and started off again.

Brett rolled his eyes, and trailed closely behind. For several hours, they just walked and walked. Unhappy with the grotesque scenery, and bored to death of the depressing dirt and rock. Eventually, they hit a snag. The ground sort of opened up, slanting down in a kind of chasm. "I guess we should go through there?" Brett asked. He knew it was a stupid question, but for the sake of breaking the silence, it did what it had to do.

"Of course, don't be ridiculous," Frost scoffed. He paced back and forth across the edges, looking for a safe way down. "I think we could climb down there," Frost pointed towards a jagged slope, with rocks protruding out from the sides. "Yeah, this will do just fine," He assured himself. Cyndaquil however, did not want to go down there. He could not pinpoint what it was, but something down there gave him the spooks. He had this feeling before, a kind of sixth sense. Frost took no notice, and began the climb. As he descended down further, the ground became more obscured by a thick blanket of fog. Brett came shortly after, and had just as much trouble navigating it as Frost.

"Not a whole lot to look at, is there?" Brett joked. "This fog is going to be a problem," He stepped forward before bumping into a large boulder.

"I've seen worse," Frost admitted. "Back when Megan and I were traveling through Selthwood, the fog we had to deal with in those dreaded trees was so thick, you could cut it with a knife," He chuckled. Down in this chasm of course, the fog was not nearly as thick, but just as inviting. "At least here, there are no giant Ariados or dead bodies," He noted.

"You never did tell me exactly what happened in that dreaded place," Brett sat down. Frost told him about the thick fog, and the Ariados, and the trail of dead bodies they left behind them. He did not mention Clayton or Talia, as he did not feel that any more news regarding Team Rocket would make their day better. Besides, he did not know if they even followed him in there. Perhaps they were out there somewhere, just waiting for a chance to strike.

"I guess you've had bad luck chasing you since day one," Brett chuckled.

"I guess so," Frost joined him. "I guess that's what happens when you are on the road to greatness. I've learned to live with it," He joked. Cyndaquil rolled his eyes. As much as he cared for Frost, but he himself did not enjoy their perils one bit. In fact, when all was said and done, getting lost in the mountains, to nearly being eaten alive, to getting blown up and or shot, the dangers they had encountered became more similar to an inconvenience.

"You don't suppose do you," Brett sat down. "That we are in any danger down here?" He asked. "This does look like the type of place to hide something dangerous,"

Frost looked around, and had to agree. "It does look like it, doesn't it?" He smiled. Together, they had a good laugh, and continued their way through the fog, trying to navigate through the rocks, and hopefully find a way out. Cyndaquil climbed up on top of Frosts head, and sniffed the air. "Cyndaquil get off of me," He pleaded. Cyndaquil still smelled the air. Underneath the smell of his friends, there was a hint of an aroma he didn't quite recognize. His nose had trouble identifying it, and that could mean only one thing; trouble.

Day in and day out, they crawled through the dreary maze. For three days, they moved aimlessly in hopes of finding the other side, or at least a way back to the surface. "Frost, do you know where we are going?" Brett questioned. He began to think that they were in this chasm longer than they should have been.

"Of course Ido. Ive known where we are going for days now," Frost grumbled. He didn't want to admit it, but he had lost his way some time ago, and was hoping to accidentally come across a way out. Cyndaquil was too preoccupied with finding he source of the aroma he was smelling to worry about Frost. Besides, Frost needed something to bring him down a bit. His ego was starting to take over again. Perhaps realizing that he was wrong would straighten him out enough that he would be willing to work with Brett to find a way out.

Another day passed, and Brett was getting angry. "How long have we been lost?" He stopped and said outright, not willing to beat around the bush anymore. "We should have found a way out of this rocky dungeon by now. Instead we've been going forward without any idea of where we are," He complained.

"It's not my fault," Frost got defensive. "I would have you know that I am fully aware of where we are,"

"No you don't," Brett scorned.

"No, we've been lost for almost three days," Frost agreed. "Now let's get a move on," He insisted. "We have to find a way out," Frost didn't even acknowledge the fact that he was completely being unreasonable, and kept on walking like nothing happened. Brett didn't even waste his time, he just rolled his eyes and followed. He knew there was no sense in fighting here, the only way they could find a way out is if they worked together.

Hours went by and he scenery did not change at all. Cyndaquils smell did get stronger however, whatever it was. Upon further investigation, Cyndaquil realized he had smelled it before, but where, is what slipped his mind. Whatever the source of this most peculiar aroma was, Cyndaquil figured it must be close by. Up in the sky, they could see the dark clouds passing over, and knew it was going to be a bad storm. So with the time they had, they looked for any place that could offer shelter.

When Frost turned around a corner, he stopped. "Hey, be quiet," He signaled. Just around the corner, was a cracking sound. Someone was coming this way! Frost stepped back, before whoever was coming could see him. Brett and he stood at opposite ends of the path, and waited for the person to walk by. The footsteps grew louder as the person came nearer, Frost crouched down and leaped!

What happened next left Frost in a daze. A thick brown tail smacked him right in his face, and sent him down onto the ground. The fall left Frost dizzy, but Brett could see everything. Standing above Frost, holding him down on the ground, was Sentret. Not just any Sentret of course. He looked down upon Frost and gave him a sinister smile, before John came around the bend and called him off.

"Play nicely, Sentret, you wouldn't want to make them cry" He ordered. Sentret's wicked grin transformed into a cute and innocent smile as he climbed off. "Well, I was wondering when I was going to see you two again," He chuckled. "Wait…" He looked at Frost and Brett. "What happened to the other one? I think her name was Megan?" He asked.

"She's gone, it's just us two," Frost frowned. John smiled.

"So, she left you two, huh?" He laughed. "Probably got sick of being a loser," Sentret chuckled. Frost clenched his fist, but Brett calmed him down. "Can't say I blame her. I couldn't even imagine being stuck with you two for so long," John sat down on a rock.

"That isn't funny," Brett scorned. "You had better take it back," He warned.

John stood back up and stepped over to Brett, then looked down at him. "And just what, are you going to do to me if I don't?" He interrogated. Brett looked up nervously at the towering green haired boy, not wanting to start a conflict. John smirked and sat back down. "How long have you two been in this chasm anyhow?" He asked.

"About five days, maybe more, maybe less," Frost answered. He had no real idea of how long he had been in there. Actually they had been stuck in that dreary place for almost six days, and figured they would be in here for many more. "We can't seem to find a way back to the top," He admitted.

"Hmm, well I can't say that Sentret and I have fared any better," John frowned. "We've been stuck here too. It's like a maze down here," Sentret shook his head in defeat, and his ears drooped. "Poor guy is scared to death. I wish we could just get out of this god forsaken place," Sentret gripped John tightly. "There should be a way out and up, but I haven't found it,"

"Well, maybe we could go together," Frost suggested. "We can't seem to escape on our own, maybe if we work together we could find a way out,"

John and Sentret exchanged looks, and both burst into laughter. Sentret wiped away the tears in his eyes, and John almost fell over. "Of course we are not going to help you," John chuckled. "Sentret and I have come too far to waste any time on you. Besides, you have that stupid prophecy, so of course everything will be fine," His smile faded. "So sorry to disappoint, but I don't need help. With Sentret's keen instincts, we can find our own way out,"

John and Sentret left it at that, and continued on their aimless trek. Soon enough, the storm covered the entire wasteland. Even deep in the chasms, both parties were almost carried off by the wind, and the rain poured down, obscuring the views even more. A few kilometers away, John and Sentret found something of great interest. In the side of the wall of the chasm, was a small hole. Just big enough to fit the two of them inside. "It's a tight squeeze, but I think we can make it in," John grumbled as he squeezed into the small space.

He set his back against the wall and to his surprise, the dirt was soft. As if it was piled up to hide something. Sentret examined the soft soil, which greatly contrasted with the rest of the harder wall and floor. John began digging, and soon the wall fell in, revealing a much larger room. John and Sentret had never seen anything like it, but to be sure, it was another one of those rooms that Frost, and Megan and Brett found while retrieving one of those unusual stones for Rourke. Identical as a matter of fact. What caught both John and Sentret's attention was the great statue carved from stone. A terrible creature, born in legend. John had no idea what it was. "Could it be a Pokémon?" John asked Sentret. He looked down at his companion, who was very afraid of it.

Sentret was locked, frozen, he simply stood there, looking directly into the creature's eyes. John had no idea what the thing was, but he had a feeling that Sentret knew exactly what the statue was depicting. Something that no Pokémon had ever met nor seen, but every last one of them feared. Feared the small beady eyes, all the way down a thin and wrinkly body to their bony seven fingered hands.

John and Sentret were nearly scared out of their wits when they bumped into Frost and Brett, who came in the same hole for shelter from the storm. "How did you find this place?" Frost asked surprised. He and Brett thought they had been to the only one of these chambers.

"Sentret and I found it," John answered. "I don't like the look of this place. We should leave," He suggested. Frost looked around the room, and noticed that the capsule like table had no stone in it. Which obviously meant someone had been here before them.

"Brett, there's no rock here. Someone must have come before us, took the stone, and reburied the room," Frost deduced. "Who else would know these chambers are here?"

"What stones? What are you talking about?" John asked, curiously. Frost was almost jealous that he had not been involved in the Jeneville confrontations. Though, the missing rock was still a puzzle, word could have easily spread about the legendary properties of these mysterious rocks. Who else knows just what else they are capable of. Perhaps people were out looking for these rocks at this very moment.

"They're amazing," Frost answered. He didn't want to bore John with the details, and even if he did, he was not an expert on the subject himself. Even Rourke had trouble understanding their magnificent properties. "They can do things, that most rocks cannot,"

"I suppose that; these rocks are more dangerous than they appear. Why else would someone keep them in this place?" John asked. Sentret and Cyndaquil were examining the statue of the mysterious entity in the corner. Sentret wanted to leave and never come back, and John knew there was good reason. This room, had evil written all over it. Sentret was afraid, and John knew better than to dismiss his judgement. "Come here, buddy," John picked him up and held him tight.

"We can't go out in the storm," Brett reminded them, as thunder shook the ground above them.

"Then I guess we will just have to wait out the storm," John agreed. Sentret did not like the sound of that one bit, but there were no other options to choose from.

"Cyndaquil," Frost called. "Let's get some sleep," Cyndaquil crawled onto Frosts shoulder. "John," He called.

"What is it?" John grumbled as he and Sentret propped themselves up against the wall.

"You may not like it," Frost began. "I don't either, but neither of us has managed to find a way out of here on our own and- "

"I told you before, I have no intentions of helping you," John interrupted. "Besides, you don't need my help," He reminded him.

"You're right," Frost agreed. "I don't need you. After all, my victory is guaranteed. I have the prophecy at my back. I could do whatever I want, and I will still be a Pokémon master,"

"Glad to hear it," John grumbled.

"However, my prophecy will not be fulfilled, unless I find my way out, and I can't do it alone. Please, help me, and I can help you," He pleaded. "I need your help,"

Further out, past the borders of the wastelands, Professor Sara Wilson, was preparing to close up her laboratory and go home. All of the Pokémon were enclosed in their respective Pokéballs, and all the equipment shut down and stored away as per the requirements by the National Pokémon Research Association. She was just shutting off the lights in the storage room, and locking up before she bumped into someone she did not expect. Someone she had only heard about; the Zetigrah.

He stood there, in his dark, long black cloaks, his face obscured by his drooped hood. She stood there, unsure of what to do, but she began to inch her way over to the phone, perhaps call the police. "I don't know who you are," She muttered. "But, I'm going to call the police, so you had better leave," She warned.

"Those kids didn't give you what you wanted, did they?" He hissed. Sara had no idea what to say. She just hung up the phone. "they don't want you to know of their secrets," He snickered.

"How did you know that they…" She began, to be frank, she was very taken back by her surprise guest. "What do you want?"

"What I want, is to bring about change," He answered. "Change, and you, are going to help me," He sat down on top of a desk. "Everything is going according to my design, all I need, is to eliminate loose ends,"

"You don't mean the kids?" She was shocked. "They're kids, what do you have against them?" She demanded. "I can't take part in your schemes,"

Whatever our mysterious friend was after, Sara could only guess that the kids had it. How did he even know about them? Or her for that matter? "Tell me what you want," She sternly asked.

"Those kids," the Zetigrah sighed. "They have information that I want. They know about, about the Kentijirians,"

Sara was in a state of shock, there were few to no existing records of anything called Kentijirians. This man, whoever he was, had knowledge that few on Earth possess. "How do you know all of this? The Kentijirians are supposed to exist only in legend,"

"That is why I need you," He reached into his cloak and pulled out several Pokéballs. These units however, were different. For these balls were black, and had a green rune on it that kind of looked like a diamond, and had two lines going through each point, connecting to one another. Sara had never seen these kind before. "These belong to me. I am giving them to you," He handed them to her, and she took them without question.

"I have so many questions," She stuttered.

"I know. So I will provide you with answers," He sneered. "You, are going to find those kids for me. They have information that I need. Rourke had discovered many great things about those rocks, they are much more than evolutionary stones. They can be used as a gateway,"

Sara was beginning to put the pieces together, she knew he must want her to go and find Frost and the others, but she wanted to know why. "And you think the kids have this secret? What good would it be to them? Rourke is dead, and his research died with him. There is no point in going after them,"

"No, the point is that Rourke's data endured. They have the knowledge that I seek. These stones will help me do much more than rule the world. With these rocks, I will prove a point. They can be used as a means of communication!" He answered. "The Kentijirians are preparing to start anew. I have every intention of helping them do so, but first, I must find them,"

"You don't mean that…they plan to rid us of Pokémon?" She asked intently. "You couldn't possibly go through with that. You mustn't!"

The Zetigrah stood up angrily. "Do not entice me," He ordered. His deep voice echoed through the quiet laboratory. "The Kentijirians can do as they please, it is their technology, and we must return it to them," He sat back down.

"What information is it that you require?" She became more and more intrigued with each passing moment. "Do you not have the required stones?"

"I have all I need to contact them, but I want to know more. I need the Kentijirians to help me. So I am sending you to fetch the children for me," He eyed the Pokéballs, as did Sara. She figured whatever was in these, were quite strong. "Those Pokémon will obey your every command,"

Sara opened them, and she almost fell over in shock when she saw what was inside. There in her lab, stood the most savage beasts in existence. The Zetigrah had given her command of Latias, Azelf, Uxie, Lugia, Groudon, and Regice. Sara was completely speechless, but the Zetigrah just sat there, as if she had let out a common Bidoof or Hoothoot. "What…I…" Sara tried to comprehend what was happening, but she had never seen any of these legendary creatures, least wise seeing so many in one place. First, Sara wondered where he got them, then she wondered why he had them in the first place.

"These creatures are yours to command. Now, I want you to find the children, and bring me what I need. Bring me the information they hold, and I will ensure that you take the credit for the unlimited advancements," He promised. Now he was speaking her language. Sara may not have been the most complex individual, but if she was promised fame and glory, then the ends justified the means.

"There is one more thing," Sara said as she out the Pokéballs in her purse. "You have made a proposition, and I accept. However, I want to know, why do you want this information? What are the Kentijirians to you?"

The Zetigrah smiled. "The Kentijirians, are a symbol of knowledge, and hope. With them, I can claim my revenge. They are much more than the most powerful beings in existence, they are much more than just unlimited power, I haven't any use for it. The Kentijirians, are the key to unlocking answers that man has spent centuries trying to find. They are my redemption,"

Sara began to suspect that this man was after more than just the Kentijirians and their technology. However, her greed and lust for fame were too strong to resist. As if it made a difference, the only clues to the Kentijirians existence were in Pokémon blood cells. Those peculiar microbes running through them certainly were not natural, and no one on earth had even come close to creating life yet. Aside from that, the Kentijirians had never been seen, and what few accounts of their whereabouts actually come to people's attention, end in death. Besides, most of the people who claim to have seen them had either gone insane, or already were.

"Fine, I will help you. Where can I find the kids?" She asked.

"If they have come through here, they must be on their way to another city. Frost of course wants to be a Pokémon master, according to an ancient prophecy that is," The Zetigrah chuckled. Sara thought that he had made some kind of joke, but wasn't in on it.

"You don't actually believe in that kind of thing, do you?" Sara asked. "What good is a silly prophecy in this day and age?" She made the Zetigrah laugh even harder.

"Don't worry about that prophecy, everything is being done that need be," He smiled. He looked towards the clock, and saw it was almost two in the morning, so he stood up and began to head out the door.

"Excuse me," Sara called out to her new employer. "After I found the kids, what shall I do then?" She asked.

"I have business to attend to in Selthwood with an old friend," He answered. "After you have found the kids, bring their secrets to me," He ordered.

"And the kids," She began. "What happens to them?"

The Zetigrah opened the door. "After you have taken what you need, kill them all," He ordered sternly, and left her standing there in the dark.