Heeeey! :)
Soooo . . . update! After so long, I know!
Hopefully the gratuitous length will make up for it's lateness. :)
And also, quick thanks to all my reviewers! You beautiful people, you. ;3
Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing. As per usual.
Welcome to the Labyrinth
"Oof!" Ash grunted as his back hit the ground with a soft thud, where he continued to lay for a few moments in a stunned daze, "Ugh . . ."
"Pikapi . . ." he heard Pikachu groan beside him, and the sound of his voice and the realization that he was here was enough to spur Ash out of his temporary dizziness.
Sitting up with a wince, he reached over to where the mouse pokemon lay sprawled out beside him and placed a concerned hand on his back, asking softly, "Pikachu, you okay?"
"Pika," Pikachu nodded, clambering back to his paws and giving his body a rough shake, "Priii!"
"That's good," Ash said with a relieved smile.
Standing up and brushing himself off, Pikachu hopping to his usual perch, he gave a cursory glance to his surroundings.
What he saw made him gape in wonder, shock, and confusion, for wherever he was, it certainly wasn't the Ruins. Or any place that could have existed naturally, at that. All around him, as far as the eyes could see, was a vast swathe of black, piney forest, the trunks all withered and frail with nary even a trace of green. No shrubby or other plant life covered the dirt strewn cobblestone that seemed to weave around every tree, the patchy rock forming a mosaic of black, grey and white that seemed to have no rhyme or reason to it. A few frail twigs were scattered about as well, but the dead kindling was hardly a respite from the stark, empty ground. Even stranger, here and there Ash could see the shapes of houses, some large and some small, that were interspersed amongst the trees, looking very out of place with their awkward, almost cartoon-y proportions and garish colors. In truth, the bright colors just made them seem even more disturbing. The thin branches of the trees, without so much as a leaf to their name, all twined together to form a latticework of twisted, knobby wood over his head, the black boughs wound so tightly together that Ash couldn't even see the sky. It gave the already gloomy wood a very desolate and lonely feeling, made even worse by the utter silence that seemed to dominate the forest floor. No birds twittered in the trees, no animals rustled the branches, and no talk echoed from the odd homes that dotted the ground. It made Ash uncomfortable. No place, no matter how empty, should ever be this silent. The air felt thick and heavy, too, perhaps due to the fact that it had nowhere to go, and every breath Ash took tasted stagnant and dry.
"Where . . . where are we?" Ash asked to no one, feeling the first flickers of fear begin to worm their way into his heart and he was unable to suppress a shudder at how wrong this place felt.
"Pikachu . . ." Pikachu moaned, unconsciously pressing himself against Ash's neck. Ash brought up a hand and pressed it into Pikachu's warm fur, both as a means of giving comfort and receiving some in return.
This emptiness, this gloom . . . there was no way this was natural. But it couldn't be like this forever, could it? There had to be a way out! There had to be . . .
He didn't want to be alone in this place . . .
"Ash!"
Ash started and spun around, only to feel a powerful surge of relief when he saw Iris and Cilan running towards him through the trees. The sight of familiar, friendly faces in this dark, aberrant place made Ash's heart soar, and just like that, he felt his fear start to melt away.
"Iris, Cilan!" he cried, breaking into a run to meet them halfway.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted, spirits bolstered by the sight of friends.
"Ash!" They both shouted back.
"Axew!"
"Thank goodness you guys are okay!" Ash said as they reunited, smiling joyfully. Both of them looked unhurt, if a bit shaken, but that was a feeling Ash both understood and sympathized with.
"I'll say!" Iris said, smiling from ear to ear and making her happiness no secret.
"Axewewew!" Axew agreed, finding courage enough to clamber out onto Iris's shoulder.
"It's good to see friendly faces in such an . . . unfamiliar place," Cilan gave an uncomfortable glance to their surroundings, which quickly pulled his two companions back to their unfortunate reality.
"Yeah, just where are we, anyway?" Iris asked, folding her arms over her chest as if to ward off a chill, "And how did we even get here?"
"I have no idea," Ash admitted, shaking his head.
"The last thing I recall is that we were all celebrating the defeat of Team Plasma, there was an earthquake, and then . . ." Cilan furrowed his eyebrows together, then sighed, "Then I found myself here."
"That's all I remember too . . ." Iris said forlornly.
Ash thought back to the last memories he had before winding up here. Team Plasma had been taken care of, N got to speak with Reshiram, the earthquake like Cilan said, and then . . . and then . . .
A voice.
With a small gasp, he looked to his friends seriously, "Hey, do you guys remember hearing a voice, too?"
"A voice?" Iris asked. She thought for a moment, when her eyes suddenly widened, "Hey, you're right, I did hear a voice!"
"So all three of us heard it?" Cilan mused, pressing a thoughtful finger to his chin, "How odd . . ."
Iris shuffled, looking uneasy, "Oh, that's really creepy! And . . . some of the stuff it was saying . . ."
Ash swallowed nervously when he remembered the words, a cold knot tying in his stomach, "We need to get out of here."
"Agreed," Cilan said. Looking around, he frowned, "Though how we go about doing that may be a bit of a problem."
"Yeah, it's not like there are any landmarks we can really use here, except for the buildings," Iris said. Looking up over her head, she frowned, "And I can't climb up through the trees to see where we are, either. The branches are just too tightly woven together."
"Hm . . ." Cilan hummed thoughtfully, but no plan was forthcoming.
Ash gnawed on his bottom lip, but no idea came to him. Aside from marking where'd they had been before, there was no way for them track their progress. And it wasn't like they had a map. What could they do? Ash's eyes strayed over to one of the houses, eyebrows furrowed with contemplation. Maybe . . . they could try asking for directions? But the thought of going up to one of those creepy houses made Ash's stomach churn in discomfort. He'd honestly rather avoid them if he could. But then, what? What else was there for them to do?
Nearby, a twig snapped.
"AH!" Iris yelped before slapping a hand over her mouth, fighting back another scream as she whirled around. Axew dove back into her hair instantly, and the blue tresses shook as the little pokemon hidden within trembled. Cilan managed to not make any sound save for a small whimper, but his spine had gone completely rigid and his shoulders shook.
Ash ran in front of the two, heart pounding but putting on a brave face as he confronted whoever (or whatever) had emerged from the trees.
Brown eyes stared back into his own, and Ash very nearly dropped to the floor when he recognized who it was, "Satoshi!"
"Pika!" Pikachu shouted jubilantly.
"Oh thank gosh . . ." he heard Iris mutter, shoulders drooping and letting her arms hang limply by her sides.
"Talk about a heart-stopper . . ." Cilan sighed, placing a hand over his heart.
"Shh!" Everyone fell into silent confusion as Satoshi rapidly pressed a finger to his lips, telling them to be quiet. He then looked around warily, as if the trees could come to life at any moment, before coming over to Ash and grabbing his wrist, "Follow me. All of you."
It was not a choice he was giving them, and Ash sent a baffled look back to his friends, who could only give him clueless shrugs in response. Satoshi dragged them all into a fairly packed portion of the woods, a dense outcropping well out of sight of all the houses.
"Um, can someone please tell me why we're hiding?" Iris asked, flinching as a low hanging branch snagged the sleeve of her shirt.
"Yeah, what's the deal, Satoshi?" Ash asked, looking at the other boy in confusion.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked, tilting his head to one side.
He didn't answer right away, as he was too busy peering through the trunks and into the forest beyond, examining the area with almost hawklike intensity. Ash looked too, but he couldn't see anything save for the dark and gloom of the trees.
Growing impatient, Ash stepped forward to get the boy's attention, "Hey, Satoshi!"
Satoshi finally looked at him, and his eyes seemed to gleam in the dark.
"This is a bad place to be," he said slowly. Looking back to one of the small, awkward houses outside their hiding spot, he continued, "We have to find a way out of here soon, or we'll be in a lot of trouble."
"Do you . . ." Cilan started as his eyes widened in wonder, and he took a step closer to him, "Satoshi, do you know what's going on?"
Ash started when he understood what Cilan was getting at, and he looked at Satoshi for confirmation. Did he really know? He seemed to, more than any of them did. And, thinking about it, hadn't he tried telling them to get away once everything started to go wrong?
Satoshi looked away, right hand subconsciously clutching at his elbow as he frowned, "I . . . I might. At least, I feel like I have seen this before. But I can't remember where from, or why."
Silently, almost unconsciously, his right hand traveled down the length of his arm and he gently ran his fingers over the ring he wore.
"Then, you should know a way out, right? Maybe?" Iris asked hopefully.
But those hopes were dashed as Satoshi solemnly shook his head, "No. I'm sorry."
Everyone's spirits fell with those words, the worry becoming almost palpable as it stewed in the silence. Ash frowned. If they allowed themselves to give up, then there would be no way they'd ever be able to get out!
So, with a firm shake of his head, Ash looked up and said, "Hey guys, we can't give up just yet. There was a way into this place right? So there's gotta be a way out somewhere! We just have to find it!"
Everyone stared at him for a moment, when a fire appeared in Iris's eyes, "You're right! We can't let something like this get us down."
"Quite right," Cilan agreed with a nod, spirit rekindling, "Where there's a will, there's a way! And besides, it would be in bad taste to give up so soon!"
"Pikachu!"
"Axew!"
"Okay, so first things first, we need to start movin'!" Ash said.
The agreement was unanimous amongst his friends, who all shared an approving nod.
Satoshi, however, was hesitant, "Are you sure?"
Ash nodded, "I sure am! Besides, it's not like we're getting anything done by just standing here."
"Maybe that's true . . . but it's also true that it's really dangerous. I know that much," Satoshi said, and the emphasis on the word 'know' and the meaning behind it was not lost on Ash.
But he wasn't about to let that stop him, "Well, sure it is! But it's not like we haven't been in dangerous situations before."
"Yeah! I mean, we just got done wrangling with Team Plasma, it can't get much more dangerous than that!" Iris chipped in reasonably.
"Besides, so long as we have your instinct to guide us, I'm sure we'll be just fine!" Cilan added helpfully.
"See?" Ash inquired, "It'll be okay. Trust me!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said encouragingly, ears twitching.
Satoshi remained in a tentative silence for some time, contemplating their words before finally saying, "Alright. But let's move slowly. And quietly."
"You got it," Ash agreed with a wink, smiling and holding up a determined fist.
"WAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!"
The silence was immediately destroyed when three loud, piercing screams suddenly resounded throughout the forest, seeming to echo underneath the thick, woody canopy for miles.
"W-what was that?" Iris asked, face going pale.
"It sounded like it came from over there!" Cilan said, pointing to his right toward a patch of gnarled wood.
Not even a second later did they all hear the sounds of frantically running feet and see three familiar shapes burst out of the thicket, nearly stumbling over each other in their mad attempt to flee.
"It's Team Rocket!" Ash shouted, and he actually felt an incredible amount of surprise to see them here.
"What are they doing here?" Iris asked, astonishment taking the place of her fear.
But Cilan was the one who asked the important question, "And what are they running from?"
And that answer was also quickly given, as right then the wood behind the fleeing trio exploded into a shower of splinters, and a large creature Ash had never seen before slid into view. It's whole body resembled that of a squashed, almost mannish ape, with oversized arms that hung so low to the ground that it's thick knuckles dragged along the cobblestone at it's feet. In place of it's head, all he could see was a huge tribal mask made of polished bronze, with curved tusks and blank, empty eye sockets. It's movements were harsh and jerky, without any fluidity or grace, and it's fur looked like it was made of black . . . scribbles, as if someone had just taken a pencil and hastily drawn it in. It looked . . . wrong.
It couldn't be a pokemon . . . could it?
But the collective shrieks of Team Rocket quickly brought him back to reality.
"AHH! Y-Yamask, use Shadow Ball!" James shouted, voice taking on a higher pitch than was normal.
The ghost pokemon hovered into view, gathering streams of dark energy and firing it into the creature's face with a bang. It didn't look like it had done much damage though, leaving only a black smudge across the bronze nose of the mask.
"Woobat, teach this thing a lesson and use Air Slash!" Jessie shouted, keeping more composure than her two comrades if only through the power of her anger.
Woobat flapped it's wings and sent two glowing saw blades of light forward, which slashed into the creature's stomach and sides, but again, seemed to do little to nothing. The creature let out a low, deep groan, when it suddenly lifted one of it's brutish arms and slammed it into the ground at it's feet, crushing the stone to powder as a shockwave made the entire floor tremble. The force threw the trio to the ground, leaving them stunned and helpless before it. And already it was lifting it's other arm to finish them off . . .
"AH! This Meowth's too young to die!" Meowth cried piteously, covering his eyes with his paws.
"Is this the end of the line, Jessie?" James asked in fright.
"I hate to say it, but it might be!" Jessie admitted.
"It was good runnin' with yous guys while it lasted!" Meowth shouted as the creature's arm began to drop.
Ash was having none of it, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
And evidently he wasn't the only one, "Axew, use Dragon Rage!"
"Pi-ka-CHU!" Pikachu cried as he unleashed a volley of electricity the creature's way.
"Ax-ew!" Axew shouted, mouth lighting up with energy before releasing it into an orb of swirling green light that raced over the cobblestone.
Both attacks merged together right as they slammed into the creature's gut, hitting it with enough force to send it flying back into the forest. The black wood was unable to support it's weight, and the feeble trunks snapped in half with an enormous clamor that seemed to ring forever through the gloomy dusk.
"Look at that!" James shouted.
"It's the Twerps!" Meowth cried, sounding shocked and relieved at the same time.
Ash ran over to them with his friends by his side, asking, "You guys alright?"
"Never better!" Meowth responded, hopping back to his feet, "But now I think it's time ta blow this joint before big, mean, and brawny gets up again!"
And he was right. Already the creature was climbing back on it's stumpy feet, grunting and groaning in an unintelligible gibberish that set Ash's teeth on edge.
"Come on, this way!" Satoshi called to them, gesturing to a deeper part of the woods before turning and breaking into a run.
That was when the creature let out a deep, guttural bellow that seemed to echo throughout the entire forest, shaking the trunks and branches and making Ash's blood run cold.
"Aaah, let's get out of here!" Iris yelled in fright.
"Right behind you!" James shouted in fear as he broke into a run.
"And right after me!" Jessie yelped as she sped past both of them, and it was amazing how her hair didn't snag on any low branches in the midst of her flight.
Everyone was very quick to follow their lead, keeping pace and eager to be away from the frightening beast that had attacked them. For once, nothing needed to be said, because it was all unanimously agreed that they'd rather be together than separated in this place.
Ash gave a quick glance over his shoulder to see if the creature was following them or not, relieved to see that it was still floundering in the trees. However . . .
He'd run far enough away for most of the houses to be obscured by the trunks by this point, but even from here, Ash could swear he saw the gaudily painted doors slowly start to open. But he eventually had to tear his eyes away in order to see where he was going, and as a result, he couldn't see what emerged from the strange homes in the woods.
But something told him, something innate and instinctual, that he didn't want to stick around long enough to find out.
They took a break in the relative safety of a shadowy dale, panting and thoroughly beat after their long run. Unfortunately, the woods seemed to never end, just stretching on and on as far as the eye could see. Which meant they were still trapped.
"We should be safe here," he heard Satoshi say, "For a little while, at least."
"Yeah, who exactly are you, kid?" he heard Jessie ask irritably from where she leaned against the trunk of one of the trees, hands on her knees as she fought to catch her breath.
Satoshi gave her a glance, appearing untroubled by her sour attitude as Ash quickly cut in, "Uh, he's my brother."
"Huh, I didn't even know the Twerp had a brother," James commented to Meowth none too quietly.
The cat pokemon placed a paw to his head, face flat as he spoke, "Didn't we already come ta dat conclusion back at the Ruins?"
"Hey, you two, now's not the time for that!" Jessie reprimanded sharply.
"No, it's not," Satoshi interjected simply before turning his back on the trio to continue his vigil.
"And where do you get off telling us what to do, Twerp?!" Jessie demanded with a growl, face going an indignant shade of red as she pointed at him.
"Now, now, everyone settle down," Cilan intervened with a wave of his hands, "I know we're all a bit out of our element here, but we need to keep our heads if we want to figure out how to get out of this place."
"Yeah, so would you stop trying to pick a fight?" Iris admonished, placing her hands on her hips.
Jessie growled and looked like she was still quite ready to pick a fight when James intervened, "Now Jessie, maybe the Twerp's right-"
"Are you really siding with her over me?" Jessie demanded, now turning her wrathful stare on the man.
"Ain't no one sidin' with anyone Jess," Meowth said placatingly, "What James is tryin' ta say is that we're in a bit of a situation here, and arguin' ain't gonna help."
James nodded almost desperately, and after a moment of stewing silence, Jessie finally relented and let out an aggravated sigh, "Fine."
The immediate threat now sufficiently calmer than before, Cilan again decided to try and reason with the three, "Now that everyone's calmed down, let's talk about this reasonably. As Meowth said, we're all in a situation, and if we want to get out of it, I think it would be best to work together."
"I think he's right," Ash added, stepping forward.
"Yeah. Besides, weren't we all technically working together already before this happened?" Iris supplied.
Jessie placed her hands on her hips and seemed to mull it over, when she finally nodded, "I guess that's true. Fine, we'll keep working together, at least until we get out of here in one piece," Holding out her hand, she asked, "Truce?"
"Truce," All three of them said in agreement, and they and the rest of Team Rocket clasped their hands together to seal it.
"So, what do we do?" James asked, placing his hands on his hips once the truce was made.
"That's what we've been trying to figure out," Cilan replied honestly.
"One things for sure, though; we have to keep moving," Ash added, "And look for anything that could point to a way out."
"Well yeah, obviously," Jessie quipped, crossing her arms and leaning back against the trunk of nearby tree, the wood creaking ominously beneath her, "But how are we going to do that? I don't know about you Twerps, but I can hardly make heads or tails of this place."
"Uh, well . . ." Iris trailed off, scratching helplessly at her head.
The sound of a clearing throat got everyone's attention, and Ash looked down to see that Meowth had puffed his chest out and was smiling, "I think you're all thinkin' a bit too hard about the answer."
Lifting an inquiring eyebrow, Ash asked, "Meowth, do you have an idea?"
"Pikachu?" Pikachu questioned, ears up.
"Course I do! Any Meowth worth his salt's gotta have at least one good party trick up their sleeve!" Meowth replied. Holding up a paw, he said, "Now, watch closely."
Walking up to another one of the leafless trees, he held up a paw and flexed it, and Ash watched as three sharp, ivory tinted claws extended from the tip of each 'finger'. In reality, they were no sharper than normal, but in the deep shadow beneath by the sunless branches, they seemed to glint and shimmer with almost unnatural potency, looking like three sharp prongs of bright silver against the gloom.
With one, two, three easy swipes, Meowth left nine deep, intersecting grooves across the trunk, and Ash's eyes brightened as he understood, "I get it! Those are to mark where we've been, right?"
Meowth pointed at him, "Bingo!"
"Ah, so that way we'll know if we've backtracked!" James said.
"Alright, great job Meowth!" Jessie congratulated.
Meowth shrugged, waving a dismissive paw though Ash had no doubt in his mind that the cat enjoyed the praise, "Hey, don't sweat it."
"We should start heading out," Ash looked over at Satoshi, who had come down from his perch and had joined their little circle, "Before anything figures out we're here."
"Gotcha," Ash said, nodding.
"Yeah, I'm all for that," Iris commented, rubbing her arms, "The sooner we get out of here, the better."
Crack.
That sound was the only warning any of them got when the branches overhead began to violently shudder and shake, and three black, shadowy shapes suddenly swung down into view.
They were not the same brutish creature they'd seen before, but that did not make them any less disturbing. Their limbs were gangly and thin, like those of a spider, and unlike the creature from before, the beasts before them lacked any sort of musculature or fur. Their movements were no less awkward or jerky, however, and situated on each of their heads was a bronze plated mask depicting the thin, scaled faces of a hissing serpent, curved fangs glinting and poised to strike. They just could not get a break in this place, could they?!
Then, on some unspoken cue, each one released an awful caterwauling that seemed to rend the air in two, the painful cacophony driving deep into Ash's skull even when he covered his ears to blot out the awful noise. But even then, through it all, he could still hear the symphony of words spoken over and over and over again in their almost childlike voices;
"Allein! Allein! Die Art und Weise alle Dinge Enden und sterben! Allein! Allein! Die Art und Weise alle Dinge Enden und sterben! Allein!"
The words seemed to tear into Ash's very mind, like a thorn being slowly driven through his skull and planting seeds of doubt and grief in it's relentless wake.
"W-What are they saying?!" Iris shouted over the awful din, hands clamped tight over her ears as her face twisted into a grimace of pain.
"Don't listen to it!" He heard Satoshi yell over the noise, "Whatever you do, don't listen!"
Next to him, Jessie grabbed one of her pokeballs and threw it into the air, screaming, "Frillish, get rid of that awful racket with Psychic!"
The pink jellyfish pokemon materialized above their heads, translucent body beginning to glow a pale shade of blue as it hovered lazily in front of them. That light was transferred to the three encroaching creatures in quick succession as Frillish wrapped them in aura of psychic energy, and soon they were paralyzed by the sheer iron force of it's will.
"Fri-llish!" Frillish cried as it hurled the creatures into the branches above, pieces of splintered woods raining down onto their as the boughs snapped and cracked. Blessed silence returned soon after, and Ash quickly grabbed one of his own pokeballs, knowing that now was the time to fight.
"Go Snivy! Use Leaf Storm!" Ash cried as he hurled the pokeball into the air.
The little pokemon wasted no time once she appeared, eyes flashing as she summoned a hail of glowing, razor-sharp leaves that covered the three lanky beasts in a swirling cloud of green, "Snivy-vy-vy!"
The leaves left a swathe of smooth cuts crisscrossing the black bark of the branches, some deep enough to leave a few hanging on by only a thread. Of the creatures, there was no sign. Were they . . . gone?
"AH! Monster at four o-clock!" Meowth's alarmed cry got everyone's attention, but sadly the warning came too late. Like lightning, one of the creatures detached themselves from the shadows that pervaded the forest and made a straight beeline for Snivy.
"Snivy, dodge it!" Ash shouted, but alas the creature simply moved too quickly for her to react to his command in time.
With a sharp swipe of it's gangly arm, it dug it's claws into Snivy's side and sent her flying into the trunk of a nearby tree, the bark cracking beneath her as she let out a pained cry, "Snivy!"
Ash looked on, dismayed, "Oh no, Snivy!"
At the same time, a clawed hand reached down from between the branches of the trees and viciously grabbed hold of Frillish, crushing the pokemon in a tight and merciless grip, "Frill!"
"Hey, get your grubby paws off my Frillish!" Jessie shouted angrily. Turning to her partner, she yelled, "James, do something!"
"Uh, on it!" James said before pulling another pokeball from his belt and throwing it into the air, "Go, Amoonguss, use Stun Spore!"
"Amoonguss!" Amoonguss cried as he was released. Holding it's two pseudopods up, it released spray of noxious brown mist that engulfed the creature strangling Jessie's Frillish, it's paralytic toxins already taking affect. Wiggling desperately, Frillish was finally able to slip out of it's captor's claws to freedom.
Beside him, Iris yelled, "Axew, use Dragon Rage to help Snivy out!"
"Axew!" Axew responded with a nod. Jumping off her shoulder and landing on the ground at her feet, he opened his mouth and unleashed an orb of swirling power at the creature who was even now stalking closer to the injured grass pokemon. With a forceful slam, it burst on contact and enveloped the creature in a cloud of brackish smoke.
"Snivy, are you okay?" Ash cried, running to her side.
"Sni . . . vy," Snivy said weakly, struggling to her feet despite the pain she must have been in.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said before hopping down to stand beside her, giving the other pokemon a shoulder to lean on as the smoke began to clear. The creature swayed to and fro on it's skinny feet, seemingly unbothered by the attack. But it did not come forward. No, it just sat there, watching them through the empty sockets of it's mask. What-?
"Ash, behind you!" he heard Iris shout.
Ash spun around on his feet only to see another of the creatures depart from the branches above, bronze mask looking ghoulish in the shadows around it. It lashed out with it's right arm, curved claws glinting like steel right as Ash backpedaled in order to avoid the blow. He pulled back just in the nick of time to dodge the claw, but the very tip managed to catch the corner of his hat and fling it away, and Ash could only watch as it flew into the woods and out of sight.
Behind him, he heard the sound of scuttling feet, and he knew without even having to turn his head that the other creature once standing idly by was know rushing at him with murderous intent, hissing as it ran.
"Pi-ka-CHU!" Pikachu shouted as he unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt at the approaching monster, driving away the shadows and basking the entire dale in coruscating splashes of yellow light. The creature screeched as it's whole body became a conduit for over ten thousand volts of electricity, drawing back to escape the attack and ending it's charge.
"Now Pansage, use Bullet Seed!" he heard Cilan shout as he tossed a pokeball into the air, quickly followed by an affirmative, "Pansage!"
A hail of stinging seeds began to rain down on the other creature flanking him, and it drew back with a hiss as they dug into it's side.
"Axew, Dragon Rage!" Iris shouted, and right after another whirling sphere slammed into the creature's mask and sent it reeling back into the woods, knocking it down with a bang.
"Alright!" Ash cried jubilantly, seeing that the tide of battle begin to turn in their favor. A sense of renewed vigor filled him despite their situation. They were going to win!
Then the ground beneath his feet gave a violent shudder, and suddenly the trees not five feet away exploded into a haze of splinters as one of those huge, muscular brutes lumbered into the dale, howling in near blind fury as it slammed it's huge hands into the ground, the entire cobblestone floor shaking with every slam.
"AH! Big, mean, and brawny's back!" Meowth cried as he ducked behind his two comrades, who were still wrapped up in their battle with the third creature.
It turned it's hollow eyes on them, which made the entire trio freeze in fright. Then, as if deeming them too troublesome to reach, it lowered it's gaze to the left and instead looked directly at Ash. A palpable sense of rage oozed from it's entire being and, with another bloodcurdling howl, it dug it's fingers into the stone and charged, cracking the rock like eggshells and leaving only a trail of shattered pebble in it's wake. And it was so close, too close to be able to grab both Pikachu and Snivy and get out of the way in time! It had to be one or the other, but for Ash, the choice was already made. He already knew who he was saving.
But before he could enact his plan and get Pikachu and Snivy out of the way, he felt something long and sinewy wrap around his waist and suddenly hurl him out of the creature's path. He hit the ground with a thud, the hard stone disagreeing painfully with his back when he felt a soft thwump on his stomach made him look up.
Pikachu.
But then, where-?
And then he saw her. Snivy was still standing where she had been before, green vines hovering around her head as she gave him a soft and accepting smile. And she was still right in the monster's remorseless path.
As if he could still somehow save her with his desperation alone, he reached out to her and screamed, "SNIVY!"
But right before the creature's fist fell, a black blur suddenly shot forward and dove toward the little pokemon, scooping her up and rolling away right as the ground she had once been standing on was pulverized to dust under the creature's massive paw. The shadow slid on their hands and feet as they were pushed back by the concussive blow, but escaped the blast mostly unhurt as they stayed curled in a defensive ball, ready to run again if need be.
Satoshi, once again, had saved one of his pokemon. Feeling relief like never before, Ash got up and ran towards the other boy who now sat cradling a hurt, but very much alive Snivy in his arms. His friends both took it upon themselves to hold the big one back as he ran to check on Snivy, something he would have to thank them profusely for later.
"Snivy!" Ash shouted joyfully, dropping to his knees and taking her in his arms, "Oh, Snivy, thank goodness you're okay!" Turning to the other boy, he said gratefully, "Thank you Satoshi!"
Satoshi only nodded, relinquishing his hold of the little pokemon before rising back to his feet, eyes locking vigilantly onto the battles raging around them.
"Snivy . . ." Snivy mumbled softly, as if to ask him why he was so worried. Her injuries weren't gruesome, but the limp, dead air of this place must have been taking a toll on her because her breathing was haggard and strained, as if she were barely getting enough of it.
"You did a good job," Ash congratulated solemnly as he took out her pokeball, "Now take a good rest."
"Snivy . . ." she said as she allowed herself to be returned to her pokeball, and Ash stood up with a sigh as he placed it back on his belt. Glaring at the creatures still attacking Team Rocket and his friends, Ash went to grab another pokeball in order to rejoin the fight, when a hand on his wrist stopped him.
"We need to get away from here," Satoshi said, keeping his grip tight, "There's too many of these things here now. Look, out in the forest, and you'll see!"
Ash blinked and turned to look, and his heart nearly stopped when he finally saw and understood what Satoshi meant. It looked as if the entire topmost branches of the trees were alive with jerky limbs and the glinting sparks of bronze masks that seemed to slip in and out of the dark, writhing like a swarm of insects just waiting to attack. Where had they come from?!
"We have to leave!" Satoshi insisted, and Ash could do nothing but admit that he was right. That veritable army amassing in the trees would simply be too much for their pokemon.
But, " . . . Where do we go?"
At this, Satoshi's face became grim, "I don't know. But anywhere's better than here."
Ash nodded, accepting that because right now nothing was more true than that statement. But how long would they have to regroup should they run? These creatures had tracked them down in mere minutes, how long would they leave them a second time? And they couldn't run forever . . .
And then, like a godsend, a cloud of cool mist suddenly descended throughout the dale, covering them all in a soft blanket of white, familiar fog. He heard the creatures snarl and screech in confusion, followed by a furious rustling within the trees. Ash felt Satoshi's fingers tighten, and his own muscles tensed as he tried to make sense of the situation. What was happening?
"Ash!" came a cry from within the mist, and it was voice Ash recognized immediately.
"N!" Ash shouted back, trying to catch a glimpse of the green-haired man through the mist.
A hand appeared on his shoulder, and Ash spun around to find that N was already behind him, urging him back, "Come on, we have to get out of here!"
"Right," Ash replied, nodding. Turning to where he could make out the vague silhouettes of his friends, he shouted, "Guys, come on! We gotta go!"
"R-right!" He heard Iris reply, "Let's go Axew!"
"Axew!"
"Pansage, return!" Cilan cried, and a line of translucent red light pierced the fog for a brief moment before flickering out just as quickly.
"Let's scram, you guys!" Meowth called to his two companions, who wasted no time in recalling their pokemon and turning tail.
From deeper in the mist, Ash saw the vague silhouettes of four others appear through the obscure veil, two of which had a pair of glowing red eyes, and a voice yelled, "Everyone, follow us!"
Ash recognized the voice immediately. It was Concordia! Did that mean Anthea was here as well?
"Come on!" N urged, pulling him deeper into the mist and out of his thoughts. But Ash complied without resistance, nodding and knowing they couldn't stick around here any longer. The sound of footsteps hastening after him reassured him his friends knew where to go, and Pikachu, after a few bounds, leapt up to his shoulder and clung tightly to the fabric.
Under the cover of the fog, and with the guidance of N and his companions, the group was able to travel through the woods unmolested. However, the occasional rustling of the branches nearby would never fail to make Ash's heart pound, and even when they came to another stop, his muscles twitched with the need to keep running, to run as fast as he could and hide.
Slowly, the fog began to dissipate as Gothitelle and Gardevoir released their psychic hold over it, the cool mist departing and leaving only the unchanging air in its place. Ash actually felt somewhat saddened by the loss. At least the fog had felt alive . . .
Straightening up, chest still heaving from the run, he looked N and his companions over for any signs of injury. Thankfully, although their clothes were dirtied and one of Anthea's sleeves had been torn from the elbow down, they looked unhurt.
"Thanks for the save, N," Ash said gratefully, looking the young man's way.
"Yeah, thanks," Iris added in herself, hands braced against her knees as she breathed, "I thought we goners for sure back there."
"Really, your timing couldn't have been better," Cilan said, hand pressed over his heart as if he were trying to manually calm it.
N shook his head, "Please, don't mention it. I'm just glad to know we got to you in time."
"Pikachu," Pikachu said appreciatively, ears flicking toward the man.
N smiled, "Of course."
"I think . . . we're okay for now," Satoshi said, though his eyes still glanced around warily.
Jessie glared at him, "You said that last time, too."
"Careful Jess, you'll jinx it," James cautioned, the shadows making his pale face stand out even more.
Jessie growled, "Be quiet, James."
Snap.
Everyone was there feet in an instant, backpedaling away from the source as James hollered, "See, what did I tell you!"
Ash's hand immediately flew to his belt as Satoshi bolted to his side, gritting his teeth as he watched the tight clusters of feeble, painfully thin trees shake again. How could they have found them so fast?!
They stopped for a moment, when suddenly a hand burst out between the trunks, making several of the group gasp in alarm and surprise as the hand grasped the bark and began pushing it aside. The trunks heaved, trying to force their way back to their original position, when, with a final grunt and effort, the mysterious figure pushed through the bark and stumbled into the clearing.
Only to trip and fall right onto the cobblestone with a startled, "WaaAAH!"
Ash blinked, hand relaxing against the pokeball his fingers were curled around. That voice . . . it was-?!
Looking up, the figure held up a hand despite their prone position and greeted cheerfully, "Hello everyone! Sorry for the scare!"
Iris beat him to the punch, shouting elatedly, "It's Professor Juniper!"
Behind the Professor, who was in the process of clambering back to his feet, the trunks rustled once more, and another figure pushed their way into view.
Ash smiled, feeling his spirits liven dramatically, "And Looker too!"
Looker, clearing the trees with greater ease, stooped down to help the professor to his feet, but his smile was bright as he addressed them all, "Ash! Everyone! It's good to see you're all alright!"
"It's good to see you guys as well," Ash replied truthfully. It was good to see so many familiar faces, and Ash couldn't help but feel more optimistic about their circumstances when they were all together.
"Pikapika! Pikachu!" Pikachu greeted with equal enthusiasm.
Next to him, Satoshi spoke, softly to be sure, but with no less relief than the rest, "Good. That's everyone."
"Since you're all here, I assume you've all been trying to find a way out as well?" the Professor asked, running his hands over his jacket to brush the dirt away.
"Oh, believe me, we have," Cilan responded, "Although, we've been encountering a lot of trouble along the way."
"I take it you mean those creatures," Looker stated, crossing his arms over his chest as his face took on a more serious tone.
"Yeah," Ash said, nodding, "You've seen them too?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Looker said, "They've given us some trouble as well."
"I'll say!" the Professor said, "I had quite the time running away from a few when I first got here, and I would have been in some serious trouble had the good detective not been around to bail me out."
"Just doing my job, Professor," Looker said with a humble smile.
After a moment of silence, Iris stepped forward, wringing her hands together nervously as she quietly asked, "Um, Professor? Those things that keep attacking us . . . they're not . . . pokemon, are they?"
Professor Juniper crossed his arms, a look of seriousness crossing his face as replied, "If they are, they're certainly not like any I've ever seen before."
Ash bit his lip as an air of disquiet settled over everyone, the unspoken question hanging in the silence that followed; if these weren't pokemon . . . then just what were they?
Then the Professor spoke again, "Unless I have, and I've just forgotten."
The exclamations and groans of exasperation were nearly unanimous as Ash brought a his hand to his face, shaking his head as he moaned, "Really Professor?"
"Pika . . ." Pikachu grumbled into his ear, ears falling flat against his head.
"Is now really the time for that? Iris asked disbelievingly, palm pressed to her forehead.
Cilan let out a somewhat awkward chuckle, rubbing a hand over his cheek, "Well, at least one thing's stayed the same."
Nonplused by their behavior, the Professor continued, "But no. As of right now, I have no idea what those things are."
"They're not pokemon."
It was N who had spoken, his grave face given an ominous haze by the dark shadows that pervaded the space around him. He continued in low tones, as if he were afraid to disturb the silence that had settled over them, "When we first arrived here, we tried to commune with the creatures in these woods. But the voices we heard . . . they were not natural."
"It's true," Anthea added, had placed over her heart as if to ward it from some unseen evil, "Their voices were distorted and alien, and lacked any sort of emotion. It was as if they didn't have a true conscious of their own."
"Once more, it seemed that something else was prevailing over them all," Concordia added, eyes grim and lacking their usual luster, "Something . . . dark."
"Gothitelle."
"Gardevoir."
"But . . . if they're not pokemon, then what are they?" Iris asked, though Ash could see she feared the answer.
"We . . . don't know," Anthea responded softly, "But they're definitely . . . something else. Something unnatural."
"Something else?" Ash asked, the implication of something bigger setting his teeth on edge, "Like what?"
For a time, N remained quiet, seeming to mull over his next words carefully before finally, and slowly, addressing him, "Ash, do you remember that time when we fell into that pit, and I told you about that 'bad feeling' I felt."
Ash's eyes widened, remembering the incident almost instantly, "Yeah, I do. What does that have to do with this place?"
"When we arrived here," N explained, gesturing to the dark woods around them, "I felt it again. Except this time, it was far more potent than it had been before. Far more than just a feeling."
He turned his head just slightly to the left, eyes turning to the boy standing next to Ash, and he said, "You sensed it too, didn't you Satoshi."
"Huh?" Ash blinked and faced the other boy with a curious stare, and he noted the way Satoshi's eyes fell to the floor. Thinking back to their time in the depths of the cave, Ash realized with a start that N was right. Something had definitely been bothering Satoshi down in the Ruins. But this . . . could it really have been this?
"Is that true, Satoshi?" Cilan asked, green eyes trained on Satoshi as he waited for his answer.
Satoshi shoulders involuntarily tensed when he heard his name, and he seemed hesitant to answer as his eyes remained glued to the floor. Then, with a short, tired sigh, he finally gave them a small, almost imperceptible nod, ". . . Yeah."
A guilty look crossed his face, eyes taking on a penitent gleam as he continued, "I'm sorry. I . . . should have said something sooner. Maybe then this wouldn't have happened."
"Hey, no one's blaming you for this," Iris cut in, eyes soft and reassuring, "It's not like you could have known this would happen."
"But that's the problem! I should have known!" Satoshi yelled as his head snapped up to look at her, eyes flashing with anger. The sudden intensity startled them all into silence, and Iris involuntarily clamped her mouth shut when he turned on her, Axew pulling back into her hair with a frightened shiver.
But then, as if someone had flipped a switch, the passion bled away and Satoshi returned his gaze the floor, voice growing soft and regretful once more, "I should have known . . ."
"Bit of a personality switch from the normal Twerp, wouldn't you say . . ." James whispered softly to his companions, though to Ash's ears it seemed impossibly loud.
"Wonder if he's got some screws loose or somethin'," Meowth whispered back.
Jessie scoffed, "More like missing, if you ask me."
The tone of their voices made it evident that they clearly thought Satoshi was nuts. Honestly, it made Ash angry. Satoshi was clearly torn up about this, feeling fault for a perceived wrongdoing on his part, and they just sat there, gossiping. It made him want to turn around and snap at them for being so thoughtless, though he knew in the end, it would be pointless. It was Team Rocket, after all.
But Ash, seeing the guilt on Satoshi's face, chose instead to ignore their words and keep his peace in favor of taking a step closer and placing a firm, stabilizing hand on the boy's shoulder, "Whether you should have or not, it doesn't matter now, so don't beat yourself about it. Right now, let's just focus on getting out of here."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu added, black eyes gleaming intently in the dark.
Satoshi glanced at the two, and though the remorse didn't exactly leave, Ash liked to think that it seemed lighter and less suffocating. Maybe with something to think about and do, Satoshi wouldn't dwell on it so much.
"That would be the wisest course of action," Looker commented, brushing off Satoshi's outburst in light of their situation and turning to the practical instead. But Ash had no doubt that once they were out, he'd have more than just a few questions to ask the boy, "Though how we do that is a bit of a mystery."
"That's another problem, I'm afraid," N said softly, and everyone turned their puzzled stares to him.
"What do you mean, N?" Ash asked, feeling a morbid trepidation claw at his belly. Whatever N had to say, Ash knew already that it wasn't going to be good.
"That presence I felt in the Ruins, and the one that's here now; it was also present when that earthquake happened," N explained. Eyes taking on a serious, no-nonsense tone, he said, "I think it's what's responsible for bringing us here in the first place."
"Wait, hold on," Jessie interjected, looking alarmed, "Are you telling me that your 'bad feeling'," she air-quoted the words mockingly, "is what brought us here?"
"Yes," N replied, unbothered by her ridiculing gesture, "I also think it's deliberately keeping us trapped here, though for what reason I can't say. Whatever it is, I can't help but believe that it's alive."
"A-alive?" James asked, looking more than a little disturbed by the words.
N nodded, tone grim, "Yes."
Professor Juniper crossed his arms, eyebrows knitting together, "Normally, I'd say your theory sounded a bit far-fetched, but after Reshiram and this, I'm hard-pressed to dismiss it."
"If you didn't believe it, then we'd vouch for him," Concordia said, eyes hardening, "N would not lie about something like this, especially not now."
"But, if something's keeping us here . . ." Iris started before trailing off, placing a comforting hand on Axew's side.
"That is a problem," Looker said, bringing a finger to his chin, "And I don't think we can just go and ask it nicely to take us back."
"Well, there must be something we can do . . ." Cilan said, though his face was shadowed by doubt as no ideas came to mind.
Ash looked at the ring of worried, anxious faces around him, each one lost in thought as they all tried to come up with some way of escaping. What could they do? There were no exits, at least none they could see, and if N was telling the truth-no, he was telling the truth, Ash was certain-and something was keeping them trapped here . . . then was there even a hope of finding one?
What could they do?
A low, almost undetectable vibration suddenly thrummed through the stone under Ash's feet, and he looked down in startled alarm. He didn't see anything, though. Had he . . . imagined it?
But no, there it was again, stronger this time! The twigs at his feet trembled lightly against the stone, their rough, fragile shells letting loose a soft chorus of rustling from all around. The dirt became displaced as the vibrations steadily grew stronger, and Ash brought a hand to his head in order to keep his hat from falling off.
Except his fingers only brushed against hair, and with the sensation came the remembrance that he'd lost his hat during the attack from the creatures. Ash wanted to curse himself for being so stupid, for forgetting something so important. But the slow intensifying of the vacillating earth allowed him only a few precious seconds of self-deprecation before he was dragged back to his unfortunate reality.
"W-what's going on?!" Iris shouted, holding onto Axew as the shaking grew more intense.
"Another earthquake?" Professor Juniper supplied, though Ash doubted it was a normal one.
N suddenly whirled around to face the other direction, and he spun so fast that Ash only caught a glimpse of the horror dawning across his face.
"Something's coming," he said, voice as tense and rigid as his body, "Something bad."
"What?! What's coming?! You've gotta be clearer than that!" Jessie shouted, alarm filling her face.
But the answer they all wanted was not given, because right then, the trees suddenly began to fly passed them at hypersonic speeds, seemingly of their own accord and grabbing everyone's undivided attention. Ash had to look at his own feet to truly ascertain the fact that yes, he was not moving. Not moving at all. In fact, he and his friends were completely stationary, without even the typical and expected force of being moved acting on them, like if they had been riding in a vehicle. But the trees continued to fly by at an almost impossible speed, whirling so quickly past that they became little more than an indistinguishable blur of black, creating the illusion that they were traveling through a corridor made entirely of darkness.
But then, a light broke out at the end of the 'tunnel', growing larger and brighter so quickly Ash had to actually shield his eyes as they were all suddenly and unceremoniously dragged through it, being deposited at the base of the hole without actually having stepped an inch.
And when his vision finally cleared and he was able to see where he now was, Ash's jaw fell open.
The cavern they now sat in was huge, so huge he could scarcely see the other side of it, the opposite end blurred by a haze of gray and black. The 'walls' were made out of the intertwining trunks of gigantic trees, easily dwarfing any building of human make Ash had ever seen. The black bark of each trunk almost looked as if they had been polished smooth, so glossy that they looked to carved from sheer slabs of pure ebony. Overhead, the dead branches coiled together to form a huge domed ceiling over them, the highest parts almost invisible in that darkness that pervaded the twisted boughs. Shadows seemed to flit from branch to branch, though whether they were living things or not was a point of contention no one could answer. The crooked branches all weaved towards the center, where the longest arched down and coalesced together to form the tangled, twisted facsimile of an eternally swaying pendulum.
The rest of the cavern dipped down into a bowl-shaped groove that was made entirely out of knotted roots, save for the four broken stone stairwells that were crudely thrown together at each of the four cardinal directions, the rough, uneven slabs colored an odd assortment of black, grey, and white. And at the heart of the pit rose the monumental structure of an ancient, broken temple. It was vaguely similar to that of a pyramid in shape, starting off with a base that seemed to swallow the center of the pit before tapering down in size as it neared the top. Small roots weaved in and out of the cracks and pits that marred it's once grandiose surface, the invading extrusions forming an ivy-like pattern along the old, rotted stone. Only half the pyramid was even visible, however, as the top half was completely covered by a huge, vine-y tendril that bore a strangely bronzed hue to its bark. Above that, nothing could be seen. Broken pieces of fractured rubble dotted the roots around the base of the temple, and even from here, Ash could see it looked precariously close to falling apart.
Just where were they now?
"W- . . . what is this?" Cilan asked, voice so low it came to little more than whisper.
Satoshi was already on his feet, tone one of utter seriousness as he replied, "The worst place we could be," looking at Ash, he urged, "We need to leave."
"He's right," N nodded as he helped Concordia and Anthea to their feet, both of whom looked to be in absolute agreeance with their friend.
Ash couldn't help but agree. However bad the place they'd been before, at least some places felt safe. Here, he felt like he was always being watched, always being analyzed, and the feeling made his skin crawl.
Professor Juniper's startled cry set them all on alert, "Hang on, where's the tunnel? It's completely vanished!"
Ash spun around, and he, along with everyone else, gasped at what they saw. Whatever entrance had been present before, all Ash could see behind him now was the smoothly polished surface of another giant tree. Their exit was gone. They were trapped.
"But how is that possible?" Iris asked, "We fell through here right?"
"I thought we did, but whatever hole was here before seems to have closed up. Very odd . . ." the Professor said, running a hand over the bark where the hole used to be. His fingers did not pass through any illusionary wall or mirage, however, landing flat against the trunk that did not so much as bend under his touch.
"So are you telling us . . ." Jessie started, shivering.
"We're trapped here?" James finished, voice trembling.
Meowth placed a paw to his head, rubbing slow circles into his fur, "Man, this is more than my nioves can take . . ."
"Well, we can't give up yet!" Ash interjected, holding up a determined fist, "Maybe there's another exit somewhere else?"
"Pikachu!"
"Quite right," Looker said, arms folded as he examined the surrounding area with a studious eye, "We can't write off a situation as hopeless without first examining every piece of evidence there is to find."
For a few moments, he was silent, eyes roving over everything he could see with careful scrutiny, when his shoulders suddenly straightened, "Huh? What's that?"
"What?" Ash asked, eyes straining to see what Looker had seen, "I can't see anything."
"Oh!" Iris gasped, pointing down to the lower rungs of the pit, "I think I see what you mean! Something's moving down there!"
Everyone's eyes followed her finger, looking frantically for the source of the commotion. Then, though he had to strain his eyes to do, Ash thought he saw what she meant; down by the roots, close to the stairs that they stood by, Ash could make out the moving shapes of people. Had someone else been dragged in as well?
"Who are they?" Ash asked, voicing the question on everyone's minds.
"Hang on," Looker replied, reaching into his coat pocket and withdrawing a small, handheld set of binoculars. Placing them over his eyes, he fiddled with the wheels for a time as he readjusted the lenses to suit his needs, lips pursed together in concentration as he struggled to find the group they had seen. Then, he leaned forward and gasped, shouting in shock, "It's Team Plasma!"
"Team Plasma?!" He, Iris and Cilan shouted in disbelief.
"Pikachu!"
"Axew!"
"No way, they're here too?" Ash asked. Close by, he noticed the way N, Anthea and Concordia tensed, no doubt the most displeased with this revelation.
"It would seem so," Looker replied, following the nefarious group through his binoculars.
"How many of them are there?" Professor Juniper asked, anxious over this discovery.
"It's hard to say," Looker responded, "They're running, and through cover, at that, so it's making it difficult to keep track of them. But I can definitely see that Ghetsis is present, as well as Colress."
Ash grimaced at the names. Of all the people to be present, it had to be those two . . .
"They're running, you said?" Satoshi questioned, brown eyes locked intensely on the group below. At Looker's confirming nod, he continued, "What from?"
The question caught everyone off guard, but even that lasted for only a moment as a deeper, darker sense of dread began to descend over them. Turning the binoculars away from Team Plasma, Looker began to focus on the paths behind them, search never wavering as he sought the potential answer.
Then his fingers tightened along the rim of the binoculars and he answered, voice grim, "It's those creatures again."
Ash's hands involuntarily curled into fists, even though he had already suspected that to be the case. Swallowing, he asked, "How many are there? Can you tell?"
Looker somberly shook his head, "No. In fact, it's even harder because they almost blend in with the trees. I was lucky I was able to see even one, and I think that's only because I know what to look for when it comes to tracking."
Removing the binoculars from his face, he continued, "But one thing I can tell for certain; Team Plasma is definitely in trouble."
For a moment, no one said anything. No one was sure what to do. After all, it wasn't that long ago when Team Plasma had been enemy number one and had almost gotten everyone killed. But Ash remembered the situation they were in and the very real danger that was present, and he knew that, despite all the evil they had done, he could not in good conscious turn his back on them when they needed his help.
So, standing with squared shoulders and eyes shining with resolve, he said, "Then I guess we'll just have to help them."
Not surprisingly, it was N who spoke out against his declaration first, "But Ash, it's Team Plasma!"
"I know!" Ash said, turning to him, "They're bad people, and they've done a lot of damage, I know. But does that really make it okay to just leave them out there?"
N opened his mouth to retort, but then closed it again as he truly thought over Ash's words. With a sigh, he leaned back and ran a hand over his eyes, "That big heart of yours is going to get you in trouble someday . . . but I can see your point."
"N, are you sure?" Concordia asked, taking a step towards her young friend.
"Concordia, look at what's around us," N said, raising a hand to the foreboding scenery, "Whether I'm sure or not, the situation goes beyond personal feelings, wouldn't you agree?"
She looked like she wanted to argue with him, but she refrained from speaking. Next to her, Anthea held her hands over her heart as if in prayer, but she too, held her tongue. Both clearly disliked this idea, but even they could see the truth of N's words.
"Is everyone else okay with that?" Ash asked, wanting everyone's confirmation on this plan.
Iris sighed, shrugging, "You're too nice for your own good Ash. But fine."
"No objections from me," Cilan said, always on his friends side.
"The same, though I would recommend you still exercise caution. It is Team Plasma, after all," Professor Juniper warned.
"Since they're technically still under my charge, it's also my responsibility to make sure that no harm comes to them," Looker explained, "So I'm all for this plan."
Satoshi remained silent for a time, then, "Fine. But be careful."
Ash glanced Team Rocket's way. For all his problems with them, they were still involved with this as well. It was only fair for them to have their voices heard, even if they were less than morally wholesome themselves.
Jessie waved a dismissive hand at him, "Hey, we already showed those losers whose top Team around here, so do what you want."
"Just don't expect us ta go outta our way for those chumps," Meowth said, paws braced against his hips.
Ash nodded, satisfied enough with those answers, "Okay, then let's-"
His next words were lost when an explosion suddenly tore through the air, and all eyes fell to the knotted floor far below in a startled panic. A thick, grimy cloud of black smoke was rising up from where a patch of roots had suddenly been set ablaze, the writhing flames burning orange and red, a stark contrast to their surroundings.
"I think we'd better hurry!" Professor Juniper shouted, "Because it looks like things have taken a turn for the worse down there!"
Without hesitating, Ash grabbed a pokeball from his belt and threw it up into the air, "Charizard, I choose you!"
The orange fire pokemon burst onto the scene with a roar, fanning his wings out as he landed on the ground with a heavy thud. Quickly climbing onto his back, he was about to give the command to fly when Iris suddenly ran forward and cried, "Dragonite, go!"
The dragon pokemon materialized right next to Charizard, pumping out his chest and crying mightily, "DRAAG!"
Iris pulled herself onto Dragonite's back and looked at Ash, "I think it'd be a good idea to not split up. Any problems?"
Ash smiled and shook his head, "Nope! Not at all."
Ash blinked in confusion when an arm looped itself around his waist, only vaguely aware of Charizard's warning growl as he craned his neck to look over his shoulder, "Satoshi?"
"I'm coming with you," Satoshi replied simply, leaving no room for doubt as to his intent.
Ash frowned, "Are you sure?"
"I'm coming with you!" Satoshi pressed insistently, refusing to bend.
Relaxing, Ash nodded in understanding, "Okay. Then let's go!"
"Be careful you three!" Cilan called after them as both Dragonite and Charizard began to rise into the sky, the wind kicked up from their wings rustling his clothes and hair.
"We'll be along shortly!" Professor Juniper added.
Ash only had time to nod once before Charizard was soaring down the stairs, the broken slabs and twisted roots all flying by in a near colorless blur as they flew with all speed towards the pillar of steadily rising smoke.
High above, at the temple's highest point, the giant bronze tendril shifted and stirred, the smell of intruders and the shine of a soul brighter than all the rest rousing it to wakefulness.
It's enemy was here . . .
Ooooh, shit's about to go down!
Next time! :D
Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this latest update, as well as the Witch's labyrinth! It was SUPER fun to write! I had an absolute blast with it, and I hope you all did too, more disturbing content aside!
And now, for some translation!
Allein! Allein! Die Art und Weise alle Dinge Enden und sterben! - Alone! Alone! The way all things end and die! (Cheery, I know.)
Rate and review, if it pleases you!
