Chapter 10: The Sticky Nest
They'd taken shelter in the hollow trunk of a large dead tree surrounded by healthier green counterparts. As they awoke, sunlight flooded the trunk. Helios, still half asleep, rolled over. A cry of pain and an enormous neigh caused the still sleeping members of the gang to immediately awaken. As she rolled back, a buzzing sound filled the hollow. The Rapidash had rolled onto a sleeping Combee which had stung her in defence. Taking aim to sting again, Helios stood and lifted her front hooves, before plummeting them both to the ground. Crack! Sure, the stomp had caused the Combee to pass out in fright, however, the floor inside the tree crumbled, giving way, and causing the group to plummet deep underground.
o o o
"Right everyone," Callus said to his Pokémon in an authoritative voice, "the group were last seen around this area." As he spoke, he pointed to the dusty path where the battle commenced the previous night. Scorch marks still covered the ground where the Scyther had fainted. "Scout the area."
The three Pokémon spilt apart. Lyla, Callus's Jynx, was the first to round everyone up. She'd used her Psychic powers to lead them to hollowed-out tree stump where she noticed the group had been. As they stepped inside, they screamed as they realised the ground was missing and they dropped to the depths below.
o o o
Regaining consciousness, Moss's eyes gradually opened. A yellowy-orange glow and sweet aroma overloaded her senses. They had landed on something soft and sticky. Pulling herself to her feet, she looked around to check on the others- all breathing! A quiet buzzing sound began. She listened again. It was coming from under one of Helios's saddle bags. Rushing over, she lifted the buzzing bag to find a three-headed bee with a red spot above the central face. It was the Pokémon that had scared her Rapidash earlier. Trying and failing, the honeybee tried to flee, but to no avail. Its wing had crumpled in the fall. Reaching out to one of her other bags, Moss pulled out a spray canister (a super potion) and sprayed it upon the tiny bee's broken wing.
"There you go. All better now!" she said calmly. The Combee, now healed, flew up to Moss's face and gently nestled against it in gratitude. Lifting a Poké ball, she asked, "You want to come with us?" Excitedly, the Combee flew up to the ball and leaped inside.
o o o
Deeper underground, the queen was growing angrier by the minute. Something had broken apart of her precious hive. Her Combee and Weedle drones had already informed her of this. She made a harsh humming sound indicating to her Beedrill warriors, who were lined up in a row ready to protect her, that they were to find the intruders and bring them to her now! The keen warriors saluted to their Vespiquen queen, before flying away to find the vandals who had invaded their home.
o o o
Callus woke up confused and winded. His three Pokémon had landed on him in the fall. As he pushed them off him, he saw a Combee disappear into a Pokéball carried by a young girl with a scarred face in front of him. Was he dreaming? Where had he landed and why did it smell so sweet? Confused and surprised, both Moss and Callus's eyes met. "Who are you?" they both shouted whilst pointing at each other. But before they could reply, a swarm of Beedrill appeared. Within seconds, they ejected white String Shots from their bodies, wrapping the unwelcome visitors up completely and pulling them all away to the queen's throne room in a bundle.
"Magneton, record the following: Specimen F is making surprising progress," Doctor Splicer excitedly spluttered. "All other specimens have failed and died. This one however, is… special. The genes we've inserted have made it strong and robust. Soon, Giovanni won't know what's hit him when we succeed where he failed!"