Chapter 10
And so Team Firebolts ran. They headed South at first, mainly to elude all the rescue teams following them. They then turned West, travelling through fields of fire, frozen wastelands, dark caves… each step taking them further away from home, but closer to the truth.
They travelled only by night, resting during the day in and crevices they could find to shelter in. There were times Amez honestly felt like they were going nowhere, but Pikachu never complained. Everywhere the climate was out of control; just another reminder of the danger they were in if they got caught, and that drove the two little Pokemon forward. Anything to allow them to return to their beloved team base again.
They were travelling through yet another cave, apparently known as 'Lapis Cave', where they were sheltered from all the climate chaos in the open. Soon they emerged through a fissure, and found themselves in a completely barren wasteland, a huge change on what they had come across before.
But the first glance was misleading. On one side of the wasteland, a huge volcano stood, lava spitting from its mouth and layering the ground with ashes. On the other, a giant mountain, covered with ice. On the final side of the barren wasteland, opposite to where they stood, was a black forest. The wasteland was like a battlefield, once you were in, there was no way out.
'Alright, let's have a rest' Pikachu sighed, collapsing on the dirt.
Amez was tired also, but she had a strong feeling they weren't safe here. She hated being out in the open; anyone could be watching and could attack them, and then there would be nowhere to run.
She knew that if she sat down, she wouldn't be able to get up again, so she waited patiently while Pikachu got his breathe back.
A noise echoed over the barren land. Amez's ears perked up, suddenly alert, as did Pikachu's.
'What's that?' he wondered.
Amez's fur was standing on end, and she felt a strong urge to turn and run. But there was no point in retreating back into Lapis cave when the other rescue teams were coming that way. Nevertheless she didn't want to stay out here in the open. Pikachu got up, now recovered, and they scanned around, looking for an exit.
'Turn back. You may not pass!' a heated voice rang over the wasteland. The two Pokemon were frozen to the ground in fear, the voice sounded like it was coming from the volcano!
The volcano erupted, sending out burning rocks of lava. One rather large piece was travelling faster then the others, out over the field as oppose to just meekly falling to the ground. It shot through the serene sky, and it began to take a form of a bird.
They gasped, hugging each other in fright. The bird was massive, the same size as Zapdos, only it looked a lot bigger from the ground. It was yellow, with flames that seemed to adorn it's wigs and head, much like a phoenix. It hovered in the air around twenty metres above them, flapping it's wings, sending down sprays of ash like the volcano.
'I am Moltres, the voice of the volcano! I forbid you to pass over my territory!' He ordered, in a Spanish accent.
He would have continued, but he was interrupted by a rockslide from the ice mountain. Pikachu was petrified, but Amez was enticed by the strange being that she forgot to be scared.
Another rock shot through the sky, however it was an ice boulder, and that took the form a bird too! This bird was the same size as the first, Moltres, but this one was a magnificent blue colour. It's fur seemed to be composed of icicles, all glistening together. It hovered opposite Moltres, beating it's wings.
'I am Articuno, the Warder of Ice! And this is my land!' he thundered, in a voice that sent chills over the wasteland.
Moltres was outraged 'No! Fire shall rule over ice! This is my land and I decide who goes by!' he shrieked, the volcano erupting with him.
'You're wrong, I am the one who runs with the icy chill over this land. It is mine!' Articuno screeched, flapping his wings in anger.
Both birds glared at each other. They hovered as if preparing for battle. Then, as if on cue but with sudden movements, they both attacked.
Articuno sent out a beam of ice from his mouth, but Moltres countered it with a throng of flames. They both screeched together, and moved forward, now physically attacking.
The sky was filled with ashes and snowflakes, and the cries of the monstrous birds. The little Pokemon were standing on an edge; there was no where to run.
As the fight became intense, much larger chucks of ice where falling, and the ashes were covering everything in grey.
'Amez! Get out the way!' Pikachu hollered, diving at her, pushing her out the way of a particularly large chunk of ice, bracing himself for the hit.
Just as it would have hit him, a line of flames burned it, changing it's matter into water. However the flames had not come from Moltres, he and Articuno were still fighting up in the air.
'Stop it!' a new voice cried, halting the two birds in the air. All four of them turned to look at the newcomer.
A white, wolf-like creature stood before them. It was bigger than Amez in size, but not by much. It had a dark blue ruff around it's neck, with a sickle shaped growth protruding from the left side of it's head. It's face was also dark grey, with pale red eyes and had sharp, razor like claws. It stared coldly at them. Pikachu felt intimidated, Amez looked interested in the stranger, Moltres and Articuno looked angry.
'Absol! What do you want?' Moltres grumbled, clearly unhappy to see it.
'Let them pass. They have done nothing to you, and they pose no threat' Absol stated.
'Snow is starting to melt! Snow has never melted on my ice mountain before; the air has gotten warmer. It must be their doing!' Articuno shrieked, flapping angrily. Pikachu shied away, Amez glared at the ice bird.
'Calamities are occurring everywhere, not just here. I have the ability to sense natural disasters, but these happenings are of a special nature. I have never experienced such before' Absol replied calmly, but still with cold eyes.
Articuno calmed down 'So there are calamities besides this?'
'Indeed. My volcanoes are slowly become less warm, the lava is steadily turning to rock' Moltres had to agree.
'We're trying to figure out how to stop the calamities!' Pikachu squeaked, his voice an octave higher than usual.
'See that you do' both birds said together. They turned to face each other.
'When the calamities are no more, we will fight again!' Articuno declared.
'Agreed' Moltres finished. They both swooped off to their respective areas.
Pikachu let out a breath 'Woah, that was way to close. Thank you, you saved us!' he told Absol cheerily.
Absol just gazed back, again with his cold stare. He was silent for a few seconds 'Rather than saying thanks focus on stopping the calamities before they worsen. If they don't, the worse will befall upon this world. My instinct warns me so' he turned around, preparing to leave.
'Wait!' Amez called, walking slowly toward him.
'Yes?' Absol eyed her, suspicion clear in his pale eyes.
'Do you live here?' she asked, stopping two feet in front of him.
'I have no home. Wherever I go, the Pokemon ask me to leave' he answered simply, but his voice broke on the last word.
'Why's that?' Pikachu inquired curiously.
Absol glared at them 'I have the abilty to sense natural disasters, that labels me as a 'doom bringer'. No one wants a doom bringer around their home'
'Would you like to join our rescue team?' Amez said, looking at him with sympathy.
'Excuse me?'
'We're a rescue team, Team Firebolts. We help Pokemon in trouble, just like you helped us. I can sense that you've misunderstood and ignored'
'How can you sense that?' Absol asked fiercely, crouching as if ready to fight.
Amez ignored the question 'It must have been terrible for you. But I'd like to help you. Would you join our team? We can be your friends, team mates, and work together to stop the calamities'
Absol's stance suddenly became limpid. His pale eyes became soft, and his hard face crumpled; he looked broken, vulnerable… hurt, ignored.
'Would you really accept me as a team member?' he asked.
'Yeah!' Pikachu said, smiling welcomly.
'I'm touched. You're the first Pokemon to be nice to me, to accept me. You are special, young Eevee' he looked touched.
'My name is Amez' she smiled.
'I agree, there is something special about our Amez. She used to be human' Pikachu told him.
'Ah' said Absol, nodding with keen interest.
'However Amez has no memory, and has been accused about being the antagonist in the Ninetales' Legend'
'I know that someone like you Amez could never be that bad' Absol said, honesty in his pale eyes.
'You know of the Legend?' Pikachu asked, surprised.
'Yes. Mt. Freeze, where Ninetales lives, is beyond that black forest' He indicated the direction with his scythe.
'Could you take us there?' Pikachu pressed, hope shining in his eyes, mimicking Absol's honesty.
'Of course. We must not let a fellow team member be wrongly accused! I will escort you there. I know these parts well, and my ability will come in handy when we are traveling'
They all smiled 'Go Team Firebolts!'
Yay! I've been dying to introduce Absol; he's my fave character! Hope you're enjoying this!
Rose