Hey, thanks for reading!

EDIT (11-13-16): Edited for format, grammar, word choice


Previously...

Haruhi and Tamaki left behind the icy wilderness along with a duo of mischievous twins in turn for the cozy happenings and craziness of the Suoh Second Residence. Haruhi learned a bit about Tamaki's vague past along with meeting his father, answering many questions about Tamaki's oddities...

During a fancy and battle-filled dinner, Team Zuka broke in and a three-on-three battle ensued which ended with Yuzuru Suoh's Mr. Mime launching the terrorizing three far away.

Now, Haruhi and Tamaki are en route to the mysterious Orange City!


Route F: On the Road to Viridian-Orange City


It was morning, just a regular, every day, ordinary morning. However, on this bland old morning, standing in the crisp air was Haruhi Fujioka staring up almost dead-faced and drained at what was known as the Great Ouran Divide, A.K.A Jurassic Chasm.

Haruhi's neck began to ache as she attempted to see the top of the mountains which formed the chasm walls, so she gave up in favor of massaging her aching neck. With her free hand, she glanced at her watch.

Nearly seven o' five.

She looked around, seeing only eerie fog and clouds obscuring the tippity-tops of the aforementioned mountains.

In all, she was understandably quite hesitant of her day's future.

"Haruhi, Haruhi!"

The girl turned around to see Tamaki hurrying toward her.

"I found us a guide!"

Well, there was a little relief returning to Haruhi.

"Where?" She asked, attempting to look past Tamaki to view their guide.

"Ah, he's around the corner." Tamaki said, indicating behind the mountain bend at Haruhi's left, a ways behind him. "We came just in time, too!" The teen added. "He's taking a group across pretty soon."

"Good, how long did he say it would take?" Haruhi asked, trying to recall what the PokeNav said.

Tamaki shrugged.

"I didn't ask, but he said we'd be leaving soon."

Haruhi nodded, glad to hear this news.

'The sooner we get through this suspicious chasm the better.' She thought.

"Alright, everyone! Let's head over this way!"

The two loitering before the chasm turned to see a small group of people following a tall man from behind the mountain and coming towards them. The man continued until he was farther than Haruhi, leaving the two to automatically merge with the oncoming people.

"Everyone," the guide began, his voice awfully familiar to Haruhi, "the trip through this chasm is very dangerous, so I want you all to stick together and follow me. These two will be joining us," the man said, pointing at Haruhi and Tamaki, "so please be courteous to them as well as others. All fair maidens- I mean, ladies, should be especially careful today, as it's a hard journey we have ahead of us."

"Have we met this guy before?" Haruhi whispered to Tamaki as their guide began to talk about the vague history of the chasm and why it was not officially noted as a canyon in its title.

"He does seem familiar…" Tamaki mused while listening to the guide talk about how overused the word "canyon" was.

"Alright, enough chit-chat, let's be on our way, shall we? Ladies first, of course." The man said, gesturing them forward.

One girl weakly smiled and spoke up.

"Um, Sir? Shouldn't you be going first? You know, since you're the guide and everything?"

The guide awkwardly laughed heartily.

"Yes, of course! Look at me, my manners throwing aside safety and what not!"

Haruhi deadpanned as he continued to laugh and again pondered the fate of her day.

"Alright, watch your step, everyone!"

Thus, the group was led into the chasm. After only a few minutes of walking, Haruhi and the others noted with blood-drained faces how steep and spacious the foggy chasm was.

"Haruhi," Tamaki began, putting on a brave front contrary to what his eyes were conveying, "if you feel the need to cling to me or for me to hold you, I completely understand."

Haruhi looked away from the chasm's invisible depths and glared blankly at Tamaki, who was currently leaning against the chasm wall to their right.

"By the way," he continued, a brave, idiotic face now genuinely plastered onto his visage, "that goes for any other of you poor kittens as well..!"

The girls in the group blushed, minus Haruhi of course, who was heading off without the blond.

"Hey, Haruhi- wait!" Tamaki cried, beginning to hasten after her only to mysteriously end up in pain on the ledge floor.

Hearing his cries, Haruhi disinterestedly turned around to see the guide who was previously in front of her now miraculously looming over Tamaki, an enraged aura radiating from him

"How dare you! The nerve!" He bellowed, again ringing nostalgic in Haruhi's ears. "Such vile behavior, truly from an animal!"

With that, the guide dragged Tamaki up front beyond Haruhi, who was more concerned about the guide's identity than her beaten companion.

"Alright, everyone, let's hurry along, shall we?" The man called from up front with a spontaneously cheery tone.

The inhabitants of the group shot each other confused looks before following after their guide.

The route they were taking began to curve to the right, and as the hikers continued their trek throughout the morning, they were greeted with an impressive view of the chasm's expanse.

At one of these such visible areas, the guide stopped.

"Here we have one of the widest, clearest parts of the Divide. For years, hikers have been trying to find a tunnel or secret passage across, but no one has ever succeeded. However, researchers have discovered that various groups of Dugtrio and Digletts have somehow migrated across the length of the chasm, as well as all through it, utilizing underground systems. How the Pokemon do such things is still unknown to us."

The group gazed far across the chasm to the other side, wider than twenty football fields put together.

"On that note," The amateur hikers turned to face their ruddy guide, "you might be seeing some researchers here or there now that we're entering the middle of the chasm."

"We're only in the middle..?" One teen with glasses asked, astounded. "We've been walking for hours..!"

Sure enough, it was confirmed when Haruhi checked her watch again, seeing the time as 10:47 AM.

The guide laughed, something he seemed prone to, but made Haruhi rack her brain for another cause.

"Don't worry, we'll reach the end before nightfall! Hopefully…" The man added mysteriously in an aside. "Anyway, besides seeing researchers as we go deeper, and hikers and miners too of course, we'll also be entering Pokemon habitat, so please continue to stay on path, stick together, and do not touch anything besides the canyon wall. Thank you!"

Merrily, the cap-donning guide led them further into the chasm, the path ahead obscured in inky darkness.

At this change, Tamaki began to stick to Haruhi, fear evident in his eyes no matter what he said. Haruhi, though bothered, knew why the rich teen acted this way and knew that no matter what she did, it would only make his paranoia worse.

Ghost Pokémon.

The darkness usually housed them.

Haruhi knew well, as she appropriately guessed Tamaki did too, that caves and abandoned places contained copious amounts of ghost Pokémon. It didn't matter in the chasm that it was really daytime everywhere else; here, the ghost Pokémon that Tamaki feared so much could wander freely at any time.

While Tamaki began hastily writing "beauty" on his palm (garnering some followers of his nervous ritual in the glasses-wearing Kazukiyo Soga and numerous others), Haruhi posed a question to their guide as the chasm continued to echo the numerous, disembodied calls of hidden Pokémon.

"Excuse me, Mr. Guide?"

Immediately, the guide turned around from gathering his bearings and focused on Haruhi.

"Yes, Miss?" He serenely replied, unnerving Haruhi a bit with the nostalgia he provided.

"What do we do if any of these Pokémon attack?"

Of course, as to everything said, the guide laughed.

"Don't worry your pretty little head over anything like that, okay? These Pokémon won't attack us and if they do, I'll protect you!"

"Right…"

Haruhi turned around and looked for Tamaki.

"Now where did he run off to?" She mumbled, surveying their group behind her.

Absent-mindedly, she peered downwards.

"He better not have fallen into the chasm…"

"AAAHH!"

Her head perked up as she heard a rich boy's scream and she inched away from the crevice.

"Tamaki…?" She asked wide-eyed as she stared down the chasm.

"Please don't, please don't, please don't- Really, I'm not a good charm against evil Pokémon and I can't even tell you how many times I've fainted during horror movies and-"

Ahead of her, magically with the guide once more, Tamaki was being viciously shoved forward by an impish-looking guide.

"Come now, Monsieur Suoh, I'm sure that you will do the best job out of any of us to see if that teensy little drop is still there. You don't want any of us falling down to our deaths, do you? And you're such a brave man after all…"

The guide continued goading Tamaki until finally, Haruhi grew sick of their childish antics and began heading forward herself.

"Don't worry, I'll check for you." She said as she advanced indifferently.

"No! Haruhi!"

"Step back, madame!"

The guide stopped shoving Tamaki forward to rush in front of Haruhi, standing with his arms outstretched before her as a barricade.

"It is much too dangerous for a young lady such as yourself to go down there for any one of us!"

'If it's so dangerous then why were you so eager to push Tamaki down there…?' Haruhi dryly pondered.

"I shall do it!"

With that, the man turned on his heels and headed before them, disappearing down a slope.

'You're our guide after all, you're kind of supposed to do such things…' Haruhi again thought.

"Haruhi!"

Tamaki's exclamation jolted her from her ceaseless inquiry about who their guide was.

"Our guide is INSANE!" He screeched, tears in his eyes.

For once, Haruhi agreed.

"There's something a bit off about him…fishy…familiar…" Pondered the trainer aloud.

"Alright, it's safe down here! Hurry and we can eat lunch before tackling the rest of this!"

The guide's shout echoed through the chasm and Haruhi's group looked warily down the slope. Haruhi shrugged and cautiously headed downwards, closely followed by a jittery Tamaki and the rest of their group.

The hikers settled on a small clearing and ate lunch there. As they were packing up, a curious voice grew louder and louder, approaching the befuddled group.

"What is that?" Soga asked, fixing his glasses more properly on his face, trying to see ahead while hiding behind their guide.

"Hm... Sounds like a Pokémon." The guide added, equally as curious.

Along the hairpin path, out of the dark fog, a small yellow Pokémon with a bill came forward.

"Psyduck?" It asked.

"It's a Psyduck!" Tamaki announced gladly. "I wonder what it's doing here all alone…"

"It's not alone, look!"

At the call of one of their travelling companions, Haruhi and Tamaki looked back up and noticed a larger blue Pokémon also with a bill headed their way.

"What is that?" Kazukiyo asked.

"It's a Golduck!" Haruhi exclaimed, recalling Psyduck's evolved form from her archives of knowledge.

Immediately, Tamaki fished out his Pokedex.

"A Golduck is an adept swimmer. It sometimes joins competitive swimmers in training. It uses psychic powers when its forehead shimmers with light."

"That's impressive and all," Haruhi began, concentrating on the Pokémon, "but what are two water Pokémon doing out here in the middle of a chasm all by themselves?"

At this peculiar news, Kazukiyo and the others gathered around their guide.

"Oh, sorry. They're not alone, those two are mine."

At the sound of a pleasant, hesitant voice, the hikers looked up once more.

Before them stood a man in a faded, wrinkled lab coat. Stubble adorned his chin and his hair was wild much like his clothes.

"And you are…?" Haruhi questioned.

The guide smirked.

"And here, to your left, we have one of the earlier mentioned researchers!"

'Why yes, we can see that, thank you very much.' Haruhi thought.

"He is correct. Sorry for the sudden appearance. My name is Yabu, Dr. Yabu." The man introduced.

Haruhi, Tamaki, and the rest of their group looked from the man to his Pokémon.

'Yabu? Quack? Duck Pokémon?'

Tamaki swallowed his laughter as a well-disguised cough.

"Well, sir, it is quite a privilege to meet you out here." He greeted. "Where are you headed?"

Yabu smiled and glanced down at his Pokémon fondly.

"Ah, well I'm just headed back a ways to double check a few things and log in some information. Soon I'll head over toward the hills to get my Pokémon some well-deserved fun in the sun…one of these days…" He mumbled, averting his gaze.

"So, what do you study down here in the chasm?"Kazukiyo asked.

"Well… I'm not too good of a researcher…You see, I originally was working with the Pokémon Rangers as a doctor for injured chasm Pokémon. However, the branch I was a part of, here in this chasm that is, fell under the control of the Ohtori group."

Numerous members of Haruhi's party shuddered as the heroine herself wondered what was so bad about the Ohtoris.

"I was out of a job and ended up working in here as a researcher since I'm so well-acquainted with this chasm. Right now, I'm using my Pokémon to track and find water sources scattered and hidden throughout this canyon. It's hard work for all of us, but I've grown accustomed to it. Please enjoy the rest of the chasm and stay safe." Yabu warmly finished, only to thoughtfully and warily eye the guide.

"There you have it! Thank you for that, sir!" The guide happily exclaimed. "Now let's get moving!"

With a final cheer, the guide energetically bounded forward, leaving the group to hasten after him and Haruhi and Tamaki at the end. Yabu passed by them, mumbling curiously to himself.

"Funny, I don't think I've seen that guide around here before…"

Haruhi watched him as he headed opposite their direction, musing over what she heard.

The two teen trainers kept to the back as they continued through the chasm, Haruhi out of suspicion and Tamaki for safety.

"We're almost out, everyone!" The guide declared about an hour and a half later.

Haruhi looked at her watch once more.

It was 1:25 PM.

"Think we'll be out by three?" Haruhi asked Tamaki.

"I think so. Sounds right to me. These paths are getting more dangerous, so we need to trek slower."

Haruhi nodded.

"Hey, look."

Her attention was diverted as she noticed two new figures up ahead, chatting to their guide.

"More researchers?" Tamaki guessed, seeing the new arrivals as well.

"I suppose…"

The two headed closer to the rest of the pack to get a closer inspection of the duo.

The shorter one seemed to be an older man. He had a construction helmet on and wore coke-bottle glasses that obscured his eyes. His moustache was so white it could have been bleached. The other half of the duo seemed to be a female researcher. She had long brown hair, wore a lab coat, and had tinted glasses upon her face. Like the guide, Haruhi got a nostalgic vibe from her.

"Hello there, sir! Guiding a group of lovely young ladies, I see." The female researcher greeted as she looked the group over.

The guide concurred. Finally, Tamaki felt something off radiating from the guide as well as the two new people.

"Haruhi," He tersely began in a hushed tone, "I think we should head back a bit…"

"Why so, Tamaki-senpai?" The girl asked, knowing that even though there were suspicious people ahead, they were their only shot at getting out of the chasm and to Orange City.

"Well, you see, I think I dropped my scarf back there…"

"You weren't wearing a scarf today, Senpai."

"Well, I was carrying one, so if you'd please help me go look for it-"

"Yoo-hoo! You there, the pretty young lady in the back! Would you please come here for a second?"

'Shoot!' Tamaki thought as the guide summoned Haruhi forward.

He tagged along behind her as she headed to the trio.

"See, look at what a darling young girl this is!" The old man crooned.

"So adorable!" The brunette researcher agreed.

The guide nodded.

"Yes, she would be so much cuter if that brute of a man wasn't constantly following her about." The guide strangely growled, glaring darkly at Tamaki.

Haruhi, on the other hand, merely looked up at the guide and delivered her deduction.

"You would think that, Team Zuka."T

he trio gasped and looked at Haruhi shocked.

"I knew they were familiar!" Tamaki announced.

Soga gasped and stepped back.

"Team Zuka? Not the Team Zuka! Oh no, we're gonna be tossed over this canyon!" He despaired.

The guide smirked as well as the two others with him.

"Ha! I knew you were clever! Of course a fair maiden such as yourself would see past our disguises!"

In a swoosh, the trio discarded of their costumes and were immediately back in their white dresses.

Benio cleared her throat.

"To protect the world from exploitation!" She declared, raising a hand to the sky.

"To unite all maidens within our nation." Chizuru added, extending a hand towards the group.

"To pronounce the purity of truth and love!" Benio yelled.

"To extend our talent to the stars above!" Hinako exclaimed, motioning above.

"Benio."

"Chizuru."

"Hinako!"

"Team Zuka blossoms with the color of light! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

The three girls pointed simultaneously at the group.

'Is now really the time for this?' Haruhi wondered.

"All fair maidens shall come with us! Quickly now!"Benio announced.

"Don't be shy!" Chizuru chirped as she shot a net out of nowhere, encompassing all of the females in the group.

"Haruhi!"

"Uh-oh."

Haruhi squirmed about the net, other girls screaming and thrashing about.

Benio and Chizuru were hefting the catch behind them as they fled, Hinako standing as an obstacle to overcome before Tamaki and the others.

"Grr… I'll get you for this!" Tamaki growled. "Don't worry, Haruhi, I'll save you!"

In a flash, Tamaki released a Pokémon.

"Go- Totodile!"

"Totodile! Totodile!"

The happy Pokémon danced about as it appeared.

"Right, I choose you, Seedot!"

Hinako's Seedot appeared before Totodile, looking energetic as well.

"Totodile, use water gun!"

"Dile!"

"Seedot, use bullet seed!"

"Seedot!"

The two attacks collided, but Totodile's water gun was victorious.

"Seeddoott…"

The Pokémon fell to the ground, fainted.

"No, my Seedot! How could you- Wah!"

"Sorry!" Tamaki yelled as he rushed past Hinako and after the fleeing kidnappers. "Get back here, Team Zuka!" He yelled, quickly catching up to the two women ahead.

"Shoot, we're too slow!" Benio cursed.

"Don't worry, Lady Benibara, the balloon is just up ahead." Chizuru revealed as she ran.

Benio smiled.

"Good."

"Not so fast, Team Zuka!"

The duo turned around, seeing Tamaki right on their heels and in reach of the net. He stumbled a bit as he ran over the uneven ledge path, but kept going along with Totodile.

"Don't hurt yourself, Senpai." Haruhi calmly advised from within the net.

"Don't worry, Haruhi! I'll get you out of there! Quick, Totodile, use scratch on that net!"

"Totodile!"

Haruhi and the other girls stumbled out of the net unceremoniously as it gave way to Totodile's claws.

"Ow, thanks, Senpai." Haruhi said as she rubbed her knee.

"No problem, Haruhi. Now for these three… Hey!"

Tamaki turned to the two Team Zuka members but was greeted by the sight of a rising hot air balloon and Hinako running past him toward it.

"Wait for me!" She yelled before scrambling up the rope ladder into the basket.

"Now what to do with that one…" Benio pondered, eying Tamaki with dislike.

"Oh! I know!" Chizuru announced. "Roselia, I choose you! Use stun-spore!"

"Great idea! Tangela, use sleeping powder on that blond man!"

Both grass Pokémon appeared and used their attacks, which floated down below ominously.

"Everyone, run!" Soga yelled, fleeing toward the direction from which they had come.

Some girls tried dispersing in the opposite direction, but unfortunately, Team Zuka was gaining altitude and the attacks were floating through a wide range.

"This looks bad, Haruhi! Totodile, quick, use your strongest water gun!"

"Totodile!"

The little Totodile mustered up all his strength to launch a water gun so powerful at Team Zuka's balloon that it popped and sent the three girls blasting off again.

"Looks like Team Zuka's flying off again!" The girls dizzily called as they clung to the basket for dear life, quickly disappearing into the distance.

"Quick, Totodile, retuuurrnn…"

Just as Totodile returned, Tamaki was hit with Stun Spore.

Haruhi looked around. All of their group was either paralyzed or sleeping.

Except for her, of course.

Somehow.

"I don't think we have enough Paralyze Heals and Awakenings for everyone… Wait, do those even work on people?" She asked out loud, trying to figure out their situation.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught some movement.

"Kazukiyo-san, you're not sleeping so please help!" She ordered, catching the scared teen attempting to feign sleep.

Startled, he got up and wandered over to her.

"What do we do?"

"Wait, I suppose…"

And so the two of them waited, the only ones who could move freely.

After an hour, most everyone had recovered.

"Haruhi," Tamaki mumbled, still regaining feeling in his face and half of his body, "what time is it now?"

She checked.

"Two-forty."

The group groaned.

"I suppose we stay on this path…" Kazukiyo guessed, earning a nod from Haruhi and others.

"We'll have to take it slow, though. Not everyone's completely recovered from Team Zuka's attack."

With that factor in mind along with having no clue where they were at, Haruhi and the group inched along the ledge path, finally seeing a bright light at the end at four-thirty.

"It's so late…" A girl in the group said as they joyously hurried outside. The bright light blinded them momentarily as they finally left the chasm.

"Oh, look, there they are!"

A man stood outside the exit, eagerly awaiting them.

"You must be the group that had the fake guide! What happened? Where is he?"

The man looked around.

Vaguely, Haruhi thought the man was a Pokémon Ranger, but really didn't care after the day she had gone through.

"He escaped." Tamaki wearily said.

The man nodded.

"I see, that's too bad. I'm glad you kids made it out safely, though. I sent some Rangers in after you from the other side, guessing that with a fake guide you wouldn't get too far. That Dr. Yabu, the researcher, he told us about the whole thing."

Haruhi nodded and felt an immense gratitude for the man.

"I'm just glad you kids are alright, though. Anyway, keep on this path before you and you'll reach Orange City in about half an hour or so."

Haruhi inwardly groaned and looked at Tamaki.

"Haruhi," he said as the duo continued onwards, passing up the group they had travelled with, "let's just camp out for the night."

The girl trainer nodded.

"Agreed."


Man, what a tiring day for Haruhi and co.! For once, Team Zuka actually manages to do something sinister! Sort of.

Now that our heroes are finally out of that mean old chasm, they can continue on their way towards Orange City, where Tamaki's second badge awaits him!

Sigh, a tiresome chapter to write. I'm not really a fan of it. I wish I could have just written a song for Haruhi and Tamaki to get through the chasm with…

"We're on the road to, O-o-range City, meet some friends along the way…!"

Hm, I'll keep that in mind for future usage.

Don't worry, next chapter will be much better! Viva la Ciudad Anaranjado! Or something like that…yeah.

Thanks for reading! Please review if you'd like; also so I can know what to work on and such!


:::Pokedex Entries:::

Golduck: A Golduck is an adept swimmer. It sometimes joins competitive swimmers in training. It uses psychic powers when its forehead shimmers with light. (Emerald)