Chapter 9-Lightning Strikes on a Hedgehog's Destiny
Before my team and I went off to Mt. Thunder, we did some preparations. The only one that isn't going is Scyther because of his Bug/Flying element combination and his weak defenses, so he decided to stay in town and help the others. Also we met up with Zapper's team, Pikachu and Elekid, who were worried about their leader but was afraid of Zapdos. I feel that Zapper's one happy team leader with these two. Shinx wanted to come not only because of her brother, but also she had a bit of an advantage with her Electric element attacks against Zapdos' Flying element, although it was made neutral by his own Electric element, and Geodude is coming along to help weaken the crazy bird's thunderbolts with Mud Sport and my speed can be helpful against that long beak of his.
I also asked around about Zapdos, and I realize I'm gonna need to be more prepared than usual. I found out that Zapdos is one of the three Legendary Bird Pokémon, with the other two being Moltres, the Bird of Fire, and Articuno, the Bird of Ice. Like with all legendary Pokémon, he is stronger than normal ones and is difficult to defeat and recruit. His thunder attacks paralyzes almost instantly and he could eat us for dinner (at least that what Tyranitar thinks but I doubt it.) After learning all of this, the team and I trained up with different jobs to get stronger, plus it also earned us points to get our rank as high as the Silver Rank and to be extra careful, I bought a few more Cheri Berries, Reviver Seeds, Oran Berries, Max Elixirs, Sleep Seeds, and Stun Seeds, with enough room to spare for more items, and put the rest of the Poké in the Felicity bank.
Before we left, Alakazam and his team came up to talk with us.
Alakazam: Are you sure you should do this? Zapdos is more powerful than what you think.
Me: I'm sure 'cause listen, I've went against an angry water monster, an out-of-control experiment prototype, tones of robots, dark creatures and their earth-breaking boss, heck I even survived spending quite a few nights as a werehog, stopped a friend from siding with some aliens who want to destroy my world, and was called a fugitive once before the military found out they jumped to the wrong conclusion! I even had my friends to help me out and I helped them out in return, so I can tell you this; when I'm ready, I'm ready!
Charizard: …Whoa.
Tyranitar: You can say that again.
Alakazam: Well, you certainly sound ready. Well then, good luck, Team Spirit!
Me: Heh-heh, thanks Alakazam! Let's go, team!
Geodude & Shinx: Yeah!
Before we left, I looked at my map and saw that Mt. Thunder was just a little ways past Silent Chasm and it was taller than Mt. Steel! This dungeon was full of not only Electric types, like Electrike, small, green, aerodynamic wolves, their evolved forms Manetric, larger blue and yellow wolves, Electabuzz, yellow Pokémon that are the evolved form of Elekid with strong fists and 2 antennae on top of their heads, and Ampharos, yellow Pokémon with slightly long necks and a sphere on their black-striped tail, but a few other types as well. There's Growithe, small, red, Fire-type puppies, Poison-type male Nidoran, which are like the female kind except purplish-pink with longer horns, Flying-type Pidgeotto, Pidgy's evolved form with a crown of red feathers on its head, Weedle, Beedrill, Poison/Ground-type Gligar, which looked like a purple cross between a flying squirrel and a scorpion, Grass-type Cacnea, which look like a walking round cactus with a yellow flower on its head, and Normal-type Stantler, which looks close to a bit of a moose and deer cross with black spheres in its antlers.
After going through 10 tiring floors, we made it to a small room with a statue in it that looks like Kangaskhan.
Shinx: This is a Kangaskhan Rock.
Me: Kangaskhan Rock?
Geodude: Yeah! If it's in the middle of the dungeon, you can only rest, but if it's at the beginning of the dungeon, you can take out and store items like at the Kangaskhan Storage in town!
Me: Whoa! Looks like this might come in handy in the near future!
Shinx: Also if Zapdos beats us, we warp back here! But we loose all of our Poké and half our items, like in normal dungeons.
Me: Sounds like we need to watch each other's backs. Let's rest here a bit then get going to Zapdos! A team that's worn out could only look for trouble, especially with a Legendary Pokémon.
Geodude: You said it! How'd you get to be a cool leader since it's you're not really a Pokémon?
Me: *Shrugs* I guess it's natural to me. I get help from my friends back at home all the time when it came to battling Eggman.
Shinx: Who's Eggman?
Me: Well…he's a tall egg-shaped human with a really bushy moustache.
Geodude: How bushy?
I looked around and saw some long, dried grass so a picked it and put it under my nose to show how bushy Eggman's moustache was, which caused Shinx and Geodude to double over with laughter! I looked in the water and I laughed too, seeing how silly I looked making fun of the egg-head! Plus the laughter increased our spirits for the upcoming battle ahead, as well as my pride as a Rescue Team leader which got me thinking about how Alakazam and other team leaders must feel.
After a few minutes of our rest, and three short floors, we made it to the peak. The sky was gray with clouds and there were lightning bolts coming from them, which seemed to be the perfect setting for our battle. We looked around, but we didn't see Zapdos anywhere, so I decided to get his attention.
Me: YO ZAPDOS! WHERE ARE YOU?! WE'RE HERE TO GET ZAPPER BACK!
After I called out, everything went dark. Soon we heard his voice.
Zapdos: Kwaaaaaaaa! So, you decided to come! Are you ready to fight?
Me: Yeah! If we have to fight to get Shinx's brother, then we'll fight! Right guys!
Geodude: You got it! I'll stay as tough as a boulder!
Shinx: Annoying as my brother is, he's family so I will fight to save him!
Zapdos: …Brave words for some small Pokémon. I'm already impressed by your courage. But will it be enough? Prepare yourselves!
With another cry and a flash of light, Zapdos arrived in front of us. As much as I want to credit for the flashy entrance, I won't let that intimidate me and my team so we started the battle! I threw a Sleep Seed at him and got him to start napping enough to be effected by Leer, Mud Slap, a few Quick Attacks, Sparks, Bites, and Rock Throws, with me using Endure in case he wanted to finish me quickly. He soon woke up and tried to get me with Peck but I decided to surprise him, and ran around in circles with my speed! He was so stunned and preoccupied in trying to hit me that it gave the other two to weaken him more with some Sparks, Bites and Rock Throws, and for me to switch tactics and slam him with a full forced, critically strong Quick Attack at a weak point, which ended the battle!
At first he seemed really tired, but soon spread his wings again, so we braced ourselves for another round. But instead, he surprised us with a kind tone in his voice.
Zapdos: Well done! That was one of the best battles I had in a while! Wait here.
He flew off, but soon returned with Zapper grasped gently in his claws and calmly placed him down in front of us. Shinx was so overjoyed that she playfully tackled her brother, and it caused the rest of us to laugh a bit, until something weird happened. A large lightning bolt struck down at the edge of the cliff we battled on, and left a large crystal in its wake. It seemed like it was yellow, but the light was fading so it seemed to be a very dark yellow, almost black. I went up to look at it closely but as soon as I touched it, it glowed with such an intense light that we all were almost blinded. I tried to let go, but it was like I was glued to it! Then the strangest thing happened, I felt the intense shocking effect of thunder and lightning, as if it was all natural to me, then my true look seem to cloak me for a second, and it suddenly ended with the crystal glowing a gentle yellow light, which seem to stop the unusual lightning storms in some areas. I soon took my paws off of it, and as I was going back to the others who were a little stunned by the whole thing, another large lightning bolt struck down and the crystal disappeared. We were still confused, that we didn't see Alakazam and his team behind us until Tyranitar spoke up.
Tyranitar: Well that was a cool light show.
Me: *Jumps* AAGH! What are you doing here?!
Charizard: Alakazam was worried so he decided for us to check to see if you won or not.
Alakazam: What just happened?
Me: How should I know? I only touched that crystal!
Zapdos: You restored the Electric Crystal. There are a few other crystals; Wind or Flying, Fire, Ice, Water, and Ground or Earth. How you were able to do that, I don't know, but as soon as you restored it, the unnatural lightning storms stopped.
Me: I did that?
Geodude: Whoa…that's cool.
Shinx: I agree.
Zapper: Awesome.
Me: Gee…I did do something pretty cool. Kinda reminds me of the time I was a werehog and I helped restore the Chaos Emeralds. Boy that's a story to tell! But what does that have to do with m-wait a minute! I might know someone who could help! Are you thinking who I'm thinking, Alakazam?
Alakazam: Yes I am.
Shinx: Who are you thinking, Sonic?
Me: Xatu, that's who! Let's get outta here and rest up before we head off to the Hill of the Ancients!
Zapdos: And I will see the Pokémon in the areas of the other crystals if there is anything wrong with them. You are also welcome to my perch anytime, Sonic.
I thanked him before he flew off, to who knows where exactly, and we made it down the mountain ourselves. Zapper's teammates were so happy to have their leader back that they gave my team 300 Poké and a Def. Scarf, which I gave to Shinx to boost her Defense stat and to reward her for a job well done.
We all were really wiped out so we decided to call it a day pretty early. My teammates went to their Friend Areas and I went into my hut, think that it needed something to brighten it up, but too tired to figure out what. As I slept, I saw that some of my friends made new friends and one of those friends was determined to help find a way to communicate to me through Lucario. I would be the happiest hedgehog-turned-Pokémon alive when they do; I badly want to tell them what's been happening around here!
The next morning, ANOTHER earthquake hit! It shook everything, and made me fall out of bed flat on my face!
Me: *SMACK!* Ouch!
Then I heard a loud splash from Lombre's place and I ran out to see if he was alright!
Me: Hey Lombre! Are you O.K?
Lombre: *Spluttering* Yes I'm alright! The question is; are YOU O.K?
Me: Either than a sore nose I'm fine! That quake sure got me out of bed wide awake!
Lombre: Same here! That was the worst one yet!
Shinx: *From the distance, running* SONIC, SONIC!
Me: Oh, hey Shinx, Scyther, Geodude!
Scyther: Are you O.K?
Geodude: That quake was intense! I thought I would turn into gravel!
Me: Guys, I'm alright! The quake made me fall out of bed on my face, that's all! Don't forget; we need to prepare for our trip to see Xatu, and Geodude can stay here and help everyone in Pokémon Square.
Geodude: Will do, boss!
Chuckling at the "boss" comment, the team and I went off to prepare for our trip to the Hill of the Ancients. I looked at my map and saw our location was deep in the Great Canyon, which was some ways south from here. We had a quick breakfast, collected and stored supplies, worked out in Makuhita Dojo, stored our money, and set off to see Xatu.
There were a lot of Pokémon of different types here. There were Doduo, a twin-headed, flightless bird, Skiploom, a hopping green Pokémon with a large, yellow flower on its head, Dunsparce, which kinda looks like a blind, yellow and blue-striped, winged slug but was surprisingly a Normal-type, Phanpy, a small blue elephant, Vileplume, Gloom's evolved form with a red flower larger than its body, Breloom, Shroomish's evolved form which looks like a yellow and green cross between some sort of tailed animal, and a mushroom, Murkrow, a black crow, Cacturn, Cacnea's evolved form which looks like a cross between a scarecrow and a cactus, Noctowl, large owls with a large crown of feathers on its face to almost give it eyebrows, Heracross, large blue beetles, Ariados, Spinarak's evolved form with a red body and yellow legs, Tauros, large bulls, and Houndoom, Houndour's evolved form with sort of horns on its head and a skull on its chest.
Soon we reached the Hill of the Ancients and sure enough, there was Xatu, staring at the sun like Alakazam said he does every day. We walked up and I tried to get his attention.
Me: Hey Xatu! Can I ask you something?
Xatu: …
Me: Uh…Xatu?
Xatu: …
Me: *Anime sweat drop* Ooookaaaayyy…
Scyther: Do you think he's asleep?
Shinx: Maybe. I'll try tickling him!
Shinx started tickling him for a few minutes before tiring, without much of a response. But before I thought of smacking him with a Force Palm, he snickered a bit, but then started laughing as if Shinx was tickling him right then and there.
Me: Uh…kinda late reaction there, Xatu.
Xatu: Kwaaaaaaaa!
Me: *Jumps!* YOW!
Xatu: *Turns around* Ah Sonic, what brings you here?
After I calmed my pounding heart, I told him what happened at Mt, Thunder with the crystal. I also told him about what Zapdos told me about the other crystals. He pondered a bit, then let out his cry again, which scared the heck out of me!
Me: Would you stop DOING that! You keep getting me close to a heart attack!
Xatu: I now have a sense of what is happening. The crystals are losing power, causing these natural disasters.
Me, Shinx, and Scyther: WHAT?!?
Xatu: And you, Sonic, are chosen to restore them and bring peace back here to this part of our world.
Me: Whoa…so THAT'S what I have to do…I get it now!
Shinx: Same here and I'll help you no matter what!
Scyther: Same here!
Me: All right! *Holds out a paw in front* All paws and scythes in!
Scyther and Shinx: *Puts paw and scythe on top*
All: Aaaannnnd break! *Raising paws and scythe*
We all said goodbye to Xatu and went back to town. We devised a plan to look for any info on the other crystals so I can restore them. We also planned to keep up our Rescue Team duties to help the other poor Pokémon feel safe.
That night back in my hut as I was dreaming, I felt this sort of power fill me. It was a calm feeling, almost soothing. Then I heard it; one of a few voices I badly wanted to hear. The voice of my little buddy, Tails!
Tails: Sonic? Can you hear me?
I decided to answer in my dream, in case he didn't hear me when I spoke outside the dream.
Me: Yeah I can hear you. Can you hear me?
Tails: Yeah! Yeah I can! I-I don't believe it! The spell worked so far! Hold on a sec!
Soon I not only saw Tails, but Amy, Knuckles, and Shadow too! And I also saw Lucario which made me realize something; I can talk to them in my dreams now!
END NOTES:
O.K let me explain a bit about the Crystal thing I put in to get the plot going. And it's my own thing before you guys say that it wasn't in the game.
I decided to match each Crystal with a disaster(s) or storm(s) that I felt seem to work (note that some have 2): Electric-Lightning storms The Crystals are used to keep the natural disasters at bay and if they go weak, the disasters start up and a chosen one is picked to restore them. In this case it's Sonic. I felt this makes total sense and refered to the famous scene of meeting Xatu from the game as well for a little more humor! I even pulled a CLAMP and decided the last few lines will link into the next chapter, just like some parts of xxHolic and Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa link and crossover with each other! Enjoy and review! Sonic and related are (c) SEGA/Sonic Team Pokemon are (c) Nintendo/The Pokemon Company/Game Freak
Ice-Blizzards and avalanches
Fire-Forest fires and droughts
Water-Monsoon rains and floods
Ground or Earth-Earthquakes
Flying or Wind-Typhoons