Chapter 6: Underworld City Slickers

A large tan tyrannosaurs rex with two crooked horns stomped around in Pouril Forest with a muscular gray man running with a flamethrower in arms. "Man, who would've thought he had Ixxik in his deck?" he grunted before scaling up Dractyl's Nest. He faced the giant T-Rex with brown fur over its back. "Eat Pyroblaster!" Ixxik ran headlong into the tree, collapsing the nest and knocking the gray man's balance out from below. He fell and Ixxik saw a meal falling into its massive jaws.

"LUNCH!" it roared. It bit on the gray man, a spray of code gushing. In the PortCourt, Ash returned to Peyton and the Pokémon.

"Dude, that was totally rad!" he cheered. "Your Ixxik was off the charts against Brimflame! I know that's one of the more tame War Beast in Chaotic that lowers other creatures' energy, but at least it's controllable!" Ash snorted a laugh as he slurped on a milkshake.

"Are you kidding?" he gasped. "Being a War Beast like that… I now wonder what it's like being a Groudon." Peyton irked in interest to the Pokémon. Still, he thought to the previous couple of days.

"And you're still undefeated… That was… what, your fifth drome victory?"

"At least," he sneered. "If I recall, two in Imthor, one in Crellan, one in Hotekk and one in Beta."

"Not to mention seeing and trying all those creatures in your lineup! Vollash, Maglax, Uro, Dardemus…"

"And to think, there's more I've yet to try, though I'm kinda iffy about Takinom." Peyton gave a grin to Ash.

"Why, because Takinom's a girl?"

"And it wouldn't be the first time." Peyton giggled to Ash's pained face.

"I won't ask, I can tell. Speaking of, your gaming has brought attention of the finer set." Turning around, Ash saw girls swooned and cooing to him and Pikachu.

"I'm honored…"

"Anyway, I've got a few cards on hand. See, I have a Mipedian Conjurer who would work well with Ixxik. That way, Ixxik's negative 10 Energy effect isn't effective. Know what I'm saying?"

("Not really,") Froakie croaked.

("Mind telling us?") asked Pikachu.

"If I know what the cool blue frog and lightning quick mouse are asking," Peyton guessed. "I mean a trade." Ash gasped to the definition.

"Trade?" he repeated.

"Come, I'll show you." As they headed to another table, a replay of Ash reverting from Ixxik as he roared in triumph, his chest flexed out. Lulu sat with other girls watching the replay of Ash's battle.

"I wonder what his chest feels like when he does that?" questioned Lulu. At the table, Ash and Peyton inserted their scanners into the slots. Ash pulled Ixxik from a folder.

"Now, for Ixxik," Peyton started. "I am willing to offer you for that War Beast… Marquis Darini!" Ash's eyebrow twitched as Peyton showed a yellow muscular lizard holding a sword. He had a blue cape and loincloth.

"Seriously, Peyton?" he mulled. Peyton decided to adjust the deal.

"Okay, okay… maybe I'm being a little cheap to this. A War Beast needs more than one creature… which is Vinta!" Ash wasn't sure as Peyton brought the second Mipedian card by Darini. This was a brown komodo dragon-like creature with a blue shoulder guard. Ash wasn't so sure about the extra card.

"Peyton, I should say that a trade-" Peyton waived his hand to him.

"I know that look from anywhere. It's not enough. I see it, I see." Peyton took a deep breath before changing into a new character. "Son, you must understand…" Peyton now sounded like an elderly Italian mob boss. "I'm making you an offer you can't refuse. Ixxik is a valuable creature, of course." Tom, Sarah and Kaz watched as Peyton became someone else.

"Great," she mulled. "Suddenly, Peyton's Vito Corleone?" Kaz blinked to Sarah's belief.

"Who?" he asked.

"Vito Corleone!" repeated Tom. "The Godfather…" Kaz blinked again.

"I have here three creatures I know you don't have in your deck," Peyton informed. "For your Ixxik, I have Marquis Darini, Vinta and now… Fivarth!" With the third Mipedian card up, Ash faced a hard decision. The new card showed a brown lizard in a red cloak. He placed a finger on the Ixxik card. A trade potentially struck, Peyton continued his Vito act. "Even now, you begin to understand the offer. It's a deal that-"

"Forget it!" snapped Ash. Peyton gawked as he heard Ash, then watched as he returned Ixxik back to the folder. Ash removed his scanner as everyone gasped in awe to Ash's refusal.

"But- But… I said it was an offer you can't refuse!"

"I still remember my regret trading my Butterfree for a Raticate. I took Butterfree back after realizing how much he was to me being my first Pokémon I caught. Since then, I've raised all the Pokémon I've had and wouldn't trade them to anyone. These cards were given to me by the Codemasters. I don't want anyone else having them!" He stormed off, his point made clear. Pikachu sighed to Ash's boast.

("He left out his trade with Dawn,") he squeaked. Peyton leaned over the table, defeated. Tom and Sarah confronted Peyton's acting.

"Really, Peyton?" scorned Sarah. "Vito Corleone?"

"What were you trying to accomplish?" mulled Tom. Peyton lifted himself up.

"At least I didn't stuff a horse's head in his bed," he mulled. The Pokémon gawked and passed out from the addition. Outside, Ash groaned at Peyton's trade deal. Kaz came out to see Ash.

"Okay, so maybe I haven't seen the Godfather like Tom, Peyton or Sarah," Kaz opened. "Still, that was pretty adamant of you about trade." Ash sighed to Kaz's explanation.

"I got a bit defensive, okay?" he tried to reason.

"No one's mad at that you said your feelings. Listen, I've seen your work with Underworlders and I wanna help you with it." To Ash, it was more trading.

"If you were there, you know about-"

"No, not like that! I mean take a trip to Underworld City! I still wanna send H'earring the Dractyl Scales." Ash became interested to the idea.

"Oh… I gotcha. In that case… can we go now?"

"You bet!" Decided, they reentered the PortCourt and to the Teleporter. They uploaded the Underworld City card before vanishing, Pikachu joining on Ash's shoulder. They vanished and emerged in a city that was underground. The worn city had damage to many a building. Ash whistled to the devastating state of the city.

"Talk about living the slums."

"Underworld City isn't like Kiru City, sure."

("Yeah, not what I call livable,") Pikachu murmured. That's when they spotted a redhead green rabbit with fur on its chest and wearing a black jacket. It turned to find the humans but mostly.

"There you are, Kaz!" he cheered.

"H'earring, how's it been?" welcomed Kaz. He presented the scales to the creature who grew in delight.

"My favorite: Dractyl Scales!" He grabbed the scales and began to eat. Ash's face contorted into different expressions. "It's a good time since there's been discoveries of new Battlegear in the workshop." That made Ash and Pikachu curious while Kaz nodded.

"There's the trade-off." That's when H'earring saw Ash, awing his presence.

"No way… This is the player who was found in the Overworld?" Kaz knew who H'earring mentioned.

"Now comes the meeting of creatures… H'earring, this is Ash. He came from his world by accident and now is with us."

"You mean with your best friend, Tom?" Kaz nodded to H'earring's guess. "And what about this creature on the shoulder? Certainly no creature I've seen."

"Pikachu's not like one of you," Ash clarified. "He's a Pokémon." H'earring seemed confused.

"Really?" he wondered. "First time laying eyes on a Pokémon." Ash snickered to H'earring's belief.

"I actually wanted to bring him here to see what the Underworld has to offer," Kaz described. "Sure, it's far different than Kiru City and Maxxor."

"That's for sure," Ash believed. H'earring had an idea.

"I think I can arrange a meeting with you and Lord Chaor since you brought over all these Dractyl Scales," he planned. "I probably won't be hungry for a week." Leading, H'earring showed Ash, Pikachu and Kaz around before seeing a young red female gargoyle in red fatigues and a blue lizard with a red spiky mane. Ash glanced to the one guarding the giant doors.

"That's Takinom?" he whispered.

"Yep, and the other's Agitos," Kaz confirmed.." Takinom saw Ash and Pikachu, expecting visitors.

"So, you're the young man who emerged in Perim not too long ago," she guessed. "Lord Chaor had wanted to see you since your arrival." To Ash, the invite began to work his nerves.

"Suddenly, I'm a little anxious to use her in my next Drome match." Kaz nodded, sensing Ash's Underworld interests.

"Agitos, I'm guiding the arrivals to Chaor," she announced.

"Understood, Takinom," he hissed. They proceeded inside and arrived at a throne room where a red muscular devil with blue horns viewed the newcomers. He wore brown shorts and boots.

"Kaz, I haven't seen you in Underworld City for awhile," he grunted. Kaz nodded with a nervous laugh.

"I can explain the reasoning for it, Chaor," he mumbled. Chaor noticed Ash and Pikachu, and the Pokémon becoming so uneasy, he retreated to H'earring.

"I assume one of the reasons is this squirt?" Chaor stomped. He rose from his throne before facing Ash. Kaz decided to introduce Ash to his favorite creature.

"This is Ash Ketchum. He fell from above to Perim and was res-"

"I've heard the briefing: a boy and rodent founded by Overworlders." He journeyed to and towered over Ash, but he didn't seem phased. "Of course, compared to Kaz… you're nothing but a puny young man!" Ash stood, unaffected by Chaor's size.

"I may look puny," he grinned. "But that's only skin deep… you big brute." Chaor growled down to Ash looking up. Face to face, neither seem to want to back down. Kaz began to fear for Ash's life. Moments passed...

'What are you doing?' he thought nervously to himself. 'Chaor can code you with a pinkie finger! You don't have a chance!' That's when Chaor began to laugh. Those around him looked befuddled. "Did I… miss something?" Chaor, still laughing, placed a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"I like him!" he announced. "He'll be fine here." Ash blinked to Chaor's assessment.

"Just like that?" he asked.

"Indeed! You've got the courage to stare back at me despite imminent destruction. In fact, I had the same charisma when I was about your age, give or take a few years." Kaz and Pikachu sighed in relief.

"Well, I didn't know that was the case," Kaz gulped.

("So did I,") Pikachu agreed.

"Nearly fainted…" Chaor had more for Ash.

"I don't care if he was found by Maxxor," he chortled before turning to Ash. "Anytime you want to visit me and the Underworld, feel free."

"I will," Ash acknowledged. Kaz and Pikachu smiled to the sight.

"That's one experience I don't need again," Kaz sighed.

("Chaor's reasonable,") Pikachu squeaked. Chaor turned to Takinom with a reward.

"Take them to the armory," Chaor instructed. "I'm sure there's something for our new friend to… 'take home'." Takinom bowed to Chaor before leading the humans and Pikachu to a new room filled with all sorts of weapons and Mugic.

"That's what I call a motherload!" awed Kaz. Ash and Pikachu looked at the red heptagons, confused to their appearance.

"Is there a difference?" he asked.

"I can help," H'earring offered. He picked one and placed an ear to it. After a few seconds, he made an identification. "This one is Improvisational Melody." He grabbed another heptagon and studied that one as well. "Falsetto…" Then one more. "A real spicy one this is: Searing Symphony!" Unsure, Ash aimed his scanner.

"Let me double check," he offered. H'earring offered the Mugic for Ash to scan. After a few seconds, a red card came up with a spiral of fiery sparks coming from three unknown origins. "Searing Symphony: Deal 10 damage to each Elemental Type it has." This made Ash satisfied. "Nice… Hey, H'earring, you don't mind if I get you, too?" H'earring gawked but awed the idea.

"Me, in your game? Talk about an honor!" Ash aimed and scanned H'earring which then showed up on his scanner.

"Gracias!" Kaz gulped to Ash's new tongue.

"A Pokémon Trainer, and you can speak Spanish?" he stuttered.

"Helped in a battle at the Hotekk Drome." To Kaz, Ash's opponent had the same language. Ash now examined different weapons and vehicles. "And me without a driver's license…" There was a grotesque mask, a giant wheel with a motor and steering wheel, a Pyroblaster, a huge red hammer… but a pair of gold gauntlets with silver plating caught his eyes. "These might work!" Kaz and H'earring came to see the item in question.

"Those are Gauntlets of Might!" answered Kaz. "I know you don't have those in your deck." Ash nodded before scanning them. A card with both gauntlets emerged and a description popped up.

EQUIPPED CREATURES GAIN 25 POWER

Ash laughed before saying that he's ready. "Let's head back to lock them," he suggested.

"Alright," Kaz accepted. "Thanks for the help, H'earring."

"Anything for a few Dractyl Scales," H'earring joked. Ash and Kaz pressed a few buttons on their scanners before vanishing. Back at the PortCourt, Ash inserted his scanner before loading them into his folder. Tom, Sarah and Peyton saw the new cards entering the folder.

"You got Searing Symphony, H'earring and Gauntlets of Might?" read Tom. "Not bad for your first time in the Underworld."

"I know, and gaining the trust of Chaor is still sinking in," Ash sighed. Sarah wildly combed his hair, messing it even more.

"Okay, you're going with me next time," she declared. Peyton had other ideas.

"Hold on, your Ant-ness," he declined. "As an apology for forcing a movie reference into issuing a trade, I'll take him to see more Mipedians!" Sarah, hating the idea, got in Peyton's face.

"As if! It's better for him to see the Danians!"

"Mipedians, Sarah!"

"Danians, Peyton!" Hearing enough banter, Pikachu sparked up his cheeks. Not wanting a blast of electricity, the arguing two clamped up.

"Let me choose where to go," Ash offered. As Ash tries to get comfortable, which friend would he choose?

TO BE CONTINUED…

(I do apologize for the delay. Computer issues hindered my progress. Don't forget to vote for the Type of the upcoming AshMas volume.)