As the morning sun shone on Walcekite's pale face, she finally emerged from her sleep. She felt happy that she didn't fall from the tree, because it was her first time trying. She stretched her arms and legs and yawned, thinking she wants to sleep more, but her tummy was growling and left no other choice but to wake up. She expected that Meilli, Pela and Chesire were hungry as well. They weren't next to her so she tried to release them from their pokeballs. But they were empty. Walcekite gasped and thought how did she go to sleep. All her pokemon slept next to her in the evening, but now they had disappeared.
Walcekite shouted their names, but only random pokemon cries were heard and certainly not the needed ones. The frightened girl carefully got to the ground and shouted her pokemon names again.
„Where could they be?" thought Walcekite quickly searching the area around her. She felt that the worrying will soon get the better of her. „Why would they leave?"
As she scurried to cover much forest ground she felt the sun shining above her. She didn't eat, she didn't rest. She only wanted to find her little friends with her startled gaze.
Suddenly something rustled in the bushes.
„Wh-who's there?" she asked panicky.
The shimmering stopped for a moment only to release weird growls. Walcekite didn't know whether she should back up or confront the creatures. She quickly spread the bushes' branches and got ready to jump back any moment. At least three Venipede directed their pupils to the trainer who lost her pokemon.
A sweet melody was heard in the air. It somehow felt familiar to Walcekite, but she started feeling strange. The Venipede growled or rather hissed and Walcekite backed away.
„I-I'm sorry if I made you angry or something. I didn't mean to intrude," she apologized to the Centipede pokemon.
But the Venipede's didn't seem to care of the girl's apologizing, rather they became more alert and even irritated.
The melody didn't end, it became even louder and Walcekite felt like sitting down. It wasn't a smart thing to do when there were angry pokemon in front of her, but she felt so tired, so weak. As Walcekite sat down very slowly, the Venipede started approaching her. Suddenly, the pokemon opened their mouths and shot purple needles at Walcekite. With her last conscious thoughts, she figured it was Poison Sting.
The melody was very loud and as Walcekite's attention went to a creature behind the centipede pokemon, she saw a pokemon that's image was one of the first pokemon she ever saw. It reminded her of home, of madam Liana.
„Wh-where am I?" Walcekite's confused and weak voice echoed. It seemed she heard water dripping into puddles and stone. She was lying on her back. She felt something sharp and cold under her, probably some stones.
Walcekite tried to sit up, but she felt very sick and nauseous. Though it was dark in the cave, Walcekite saw a beam of light in the distance. She wanted to at least crawl to it, but her body didn't listen. She managed to get on her belly and noticed the Venipedes, assumably the same that poisoned her.
"Vena. Venipede," whispered the pokemon.
"No… Don't poison me again," her begging was so sorrowful, because of her weak voice, the Venipede flinched a bit. "Wh-what do you want?" Walcekite tried to keep her voice steady, but she couldn't stop the trembling.
"Ve-Vena," although Walcekite couldn't understand what the Venipede were saying, it seemed they were embarrassed and let their heads down as if they were apologizing.
Walcekite was even more confused and her poisoned state didn't help her keep her mind clear. One of the Venipede slowly elapsed beside her and as Walcekite slowly turned her head to see where it was going, she saw the end of the cave.
"Where could it be trying to go?" thought Walcekite tilting her head from confusion.
But then the Venipede went down. Walcekite couldn't get up higher to be sure, but she guessed there was a tunnel going down in this cave.
"Hey, hey. What is it? I thought I was supposed to help you there," someone was whispering and the voice got closer by the second.
"Fa-Farrioust?" the girl feared she was delusional and was having hallucinations.
The boy gasped and ran to her with a Venipede behind him. He kneeled and opened his grey bag to take out a smaller, yellow bag. Walcekite knew that that bag contained berries in it and Farrioust took out a pink, little berry with green leafs at the bottom. The berry's shape resembled an upside down heart.
"Eat this, it's a Pecha Berry," Farrioust put the berry in Walcekite's palm so she slowly raised it to her mouth and ate it.
The berry was very sweet and Walcekite just loved sweets. As she enjoyed the nice taste, she felt her powers coming back to her. The nausea was depleting with the sickness as well.
"Better?" asked Farrioust with a calm voice, though the concern was showing in his eyes.
"Yeah. Thanks a lot," Walcekite smiled and could finally sit up. "What are you doing here?"
"I guess the same as you. Our pokemon have been pokenaped," Farrioust spoke in a more silent voice than usual. Walcekite thought she should be mousy as well.
"What? Why?"
"I couldn't reach them. Of course I tried and was about to try again, but the Venipede called me back. I saw all my pokemon there, as well as yours."
"Mine? Really?" she quickly stood up. "Where? I need to get them back."
"It's not that easy. They are across a canyon filled with stalagmites. It was probably easy for the pokemon to jump across them, but I don't know if we would be able to. If only they would wake up and come back themselves, but those Petilil use Sleep Powder on them again and again if they wake up."
"Wait, Petilil?" Walcekite remembered the imaged of the little, cute bulb pokemon and felt even more confused. "Why did they take our pokemon?"
"I have a feeling… they are waiting for something," Farrioust said mysteriously and gazed at the lowering tunnel. "I think we need to get them back fast."
Walcekite looked at the tunnel as well and after a few moments she paced towards and into it.
As she saw the canyon she couldn't do anything but stand there with her mouth open. When Farrioust came to her side, he softly groaned from irritation.
"Only pokemon can climb here."
And he was right. The canyon had many stalagmites on the ground, it seemed even more stalactites on the ceiling and a few colons here and there. Walcekite knew her pokemon were agile and small enough to fit and jump from the stalagmites, but she couldn't understand why did they do that. She looked further and saw a high platform with various pokemon. It didn't take long for her to spot Meilli, Pela and Chesire. They were all sleeping in front of the other pokemon. Walcekite spotted Deisus and Raden and some other pokemon, probably belonging to Farrioust. She couldn't believe it, but there actually were three Petilil walking as guards around the pokemon.
"Farrioust, how did they get here?" inquired Walcekite, staring at her pokemon that were so close, yet so far.
"Can't you smell the sweetness in the air?"
"Huh, sweetness?" Walcekite sniffed the air and she clearly smelled that tasty aroma. She thought that the Pecha berry she ate gave this effect, but no. It was a move called Sweet Scent. "They lured them in with Sweet Scent?"
"Yeah, and made them fall asleep. I'm telling you, they are waiting for someone. You see that hole in the ceiling?" he pointed to the gap that was just above the platform. "Well, I think someone will come down and pick all the pokemon."
There were some trees visible through the hole that meant they were under the forest, but Walcekite couldn't help but think that if someone fell down through the gap and landed on the platform, they would probably break something…or worse.
"Humans?"
"Probably. Petilil don't usually know Sweet Scent," noticed Farrioust.
"Yeah, that's true…" agreed Walcekite.
Suddenly, one of the pokemon started moving. It was a half green and half white pokemon.
"Lysus!" Farrioust face immediately ligthened up. "Use Telekinesis on the Petilil!"
Immediately all the Petilil rose from the ground with confused looks and cries. Walcekite was amazed of how quickly Farrioust reacted. Did he know what to say if any of the pokemon woke up or just this one?
"Throw them away and try to transport all the pokemon from the platform to us," commanded Farrioust.
Walcekite understood what pokemon she was seeing. It was a Gallade named Lysus. Walcekite thought they were as rare as Zorua in the Unova region and that was correct, for she never saw a Gallade in person.
The little pokemon on the platform were immediately raised and quickly flown towards the two trainers. Of course the smallest pokemon were Walcekite's and the moment they were close enough, she retrieved them to their pokeballs while they were still carried by Telekinesis. It seemed Lysus wasn't pleased to see his job partially unfulfilled, but understood Walcekite's wish to get her precious pokemon back as fast as she could.
While transporting Walcekite's pokemon, another of Farrioust's pokemon awoke. It was Deisus the Zweilous. It growled his usual sounds and looked at his trainer, waiting for commands.
"Deisus, find the Petilil and attack on sight!"
Deisus growled while nodding and started searching around.
As the Gallade levitated the rest of Farrioust's pokemon to the trainers, Deisus shot multiple Dragon Pulse's in various directions. It seemed that put down all the Petilil.
Walcekite was amazed about the pokemon that Farrioust had. She saw them not for a long time, for Farrioust retrieved them to their pokeballs as fast as Walcekite did, but she spotted a Serperior, a Larvesta, a Gothorita and the already seen and fought before – Braviary. Farrioust had a full team and Walcekite felt envious about that.
"Hey! What do you think you are doing?!" a voice was heard from the hole in the ceiling. Both trainers raised their heads up and saw a human. "These pokemon will be saved by the name of team Plasma!" announced the human.
"Team Plasma?" Walcekite didn't hear of this team before.
"I think they are those knight guys," guessed Farrioust.
They spoke quietly, because the team Plasma guy only saw the pokemon on the platform and that a Gallade was levitating the pokemon from it.
A few pokemon were sent down to the cave. There were two Tranquill just waiting for their orders. Walcekite knew that the Gallade was weak to flying types, so he was in a bit of a jam, but with a Zweilous next to him, they should be fine.
"Lysus - Confusion and Deisus – Dragon Pulse!"
"Both of you, use Quick Attack to avoid the attacks and then counter strike!"
Although the wild pigeon pokemon started to fly around as fast as they could, one of them was still caught by Gallade's confusion. Lysus' eyes were red and an outline around one of the Tranquill was red as well. The other flying pokemon evaded Deisus' Dragon Pulse and was very happy about it.
While one of the Tranquill were smashed into one of the cave's walls by Lysus' confusion, the other one used Quick Attack again and hit the Zweilous as hard as he could. Though Deisus groaned a bit, he was still fine.
"Deisus, use Dragon Breath from both of your heads to both of the Tranquill and Lysus, try to hit them with Psycho Cut!"
"Both of you, use Air Slash!"
It was weird seeing a trainer through a hole. It felt like any second he would fall through the gap right onto the platform. "Would his pokemon try to save him? Would they be strong enough to carry a human?" Walcekite wondered while observing the battle.
The heads of Zweilous each turned to a different Tranquill and a cyclone of pale purple wind appeared around its body. Deisus then released a stream of pale purple fire from both of its head at the opponents. Tranquil were scared, but managed to release light blue saw disks from the flaps of their wings before getting hit. Strangely enough, when the wild pigeon pokemon saw Deisus attack, both turned to attack him, though one of them was supposed to hit Lysus.
Well, the Gallade didn't mind and as the bird pokemon where flung to a nearby wall from Deisus' Dragon Breath, Lysus' forearms glowed light blue and both of them grew and extended in the back. Gallade then swung its arms repeatedly and multiple light blue rings of energy came out of them and were thrown at the Tranquill.
A few rings hit the wall and even some stalactites and that part of the cave started rumbling and shaking. The stalactites fell down and would have hit the Tranquill, but their trainer retreved them.
"See what happens when you deny your pokemon freedom? Now you will be trapped here, just like you trapped your pokemon!" the knight laughed running away from the hole. Walcekite was startled, but she didn't want to leave Farrioust like a scaredy-cat.
The teen boy was startled as well, but his concern was only for his pokemon.
"Raden, come out and grab Deisus. You have to take him back. Lysus, jump to me!"
As the Braviary flew towards the Zweilous, the Gallade jumped on top of the stalagmites and quickly reached his trainer who then safely got him back into his respective pokeball. The whole cave was trembling now and stalactites fell here and there, but still pretty far from the trainers.
"We have to hurry!" shouted Walcekite fearfuly backing up one step at a time.
"Raden, give it all you got!" Farrioust encouraged his Braviary and readied his and Deisus' pokeballs. "Just a few more flaps!"
"Ah! Look out!" Walcekite noticed the shaking stalactite just above Braviary. As everyone looked up, the stalactite teared off from the ceiling.
"Dodge it!" a fear errupted from Farrioust as he was running towards his pokemon. He couldn't run far, for the stalagmites blocked his way, but he managed to get close enough for the pokeball beam to reach the pokemon.
The second the statalctite should have reached Raden's back, he and Deisus were transformed into blue mater and retrieved into their respective pokeballs.
The stalactite fell to the ground powerfuly. That hit would have seriously damaged both of the pokemon. Walcekite was shoked, but shook it off and grabbed Farrioust's arm to drag him out of the collapsing cave. They both heard the rest of the cave falling apart but non of them turned around to check what could have happened to them. Only when they ran up the tunnel could they catch their breaths.
"That…was…close," Walcekite breethed to deeply to say the whole sentence in one inhale.
"Yeah… tell me… about it," Farrioust was doing better.
"Vena, venipede," both trainers heard whispers of the Venipede and raised their heads to see the pokemon.
"So you dragged me here… so that I could get… my pokemon back?" Walcekite asked the Venipede and they nodded. "So why…did you poison me?!" she shouted in anger, but the effect wasn't very strong because of her panting.
"I think the poison was just a precaution… that you wouldn't run away." guessed Farrioust panting along with Walcekite. "They poisoned me too after I fell asleep from that Grass Whistle. I wonder who did it."
"Yeah. Venipede couldn't have known that move. Not many pokemon do."
"It may have been the Petilil, though I didn't see them leave from the time I got there."
"How long have you been there then?"
"Well, I decided to sleep in the forest, like you said you would. It was amazing even though my pokemon were lured in here sometime at night." Farrioust looked down to the tunnel. "You know, it's weird that the forest pokemon didn't come here because the Sweet Scent. You think those team Plasma knights somehow made the scent only attracting for captured pokemon?"
"Well then I have no idea how they did that," admitted Walcekite and then remembered. "Umm, didn't the Petilil get burried in that cave just now?"
"Um…it seems," Farrioust looked around thinking what to say. It was his Deisus that probably made them faint and because of him they got stuck there. But then he sniffed the air. "It's Sweet Scent again. They are continuing their work. Well that's a relief," Farrioust sighed and smiled. "We should get out of here."
"Yeah," she nodded and went after the boy. "Thank you Venipede," she waved at them while leaving the cave. The centipede pokemon whispered and went down to the tunnel. "You don't think we should check that, do you?" she asked Farrioust cautiously.
"I think the Venipede will be fine even if they have to battle the Petilil. They should be very weak after all."
"Yeah, I guess," agreed Walcekite and looked around the forest. "It's about 4 P.M. or something?"
"Yeah," Farrioust took a look at his watch. "It's a couple minutes after 4 P.M. How did you know that?"
"Ugh, really? I got it right?" Walcekite was just as surprised as Farrioust. "I think that was just my luck," she giggled.
"I should say it's about time your luck changed. Maybe your pokemon won't be pokenaped again," hoped Farrioust smiling. "Well, anyways," he looked down to the ground. "I think we should stay together till CasteliaCity."
"Heh, sure. If you are scared of being alone," teased Walcekite.
"What? Me? I think you were the one always shaking in the cave, not me. I just offered you that, but if you rather be alone, then fine. I can fly on Raden anyway," Farrioust was obviously ticked off.
Suddenly they both heard something growling not so far from them and a second after, something moved in the bushes. Walcekite immediately flinched and before she knew it, she was clinging onto one of Farrioust's arms. When their eyes met, both saw how much the other one was blushing and though Walcekite let go of Farrioust's arm, she murmured:
"Ok, I think we should go to CasteliaCity together, just to be safer. And I think we should hurry."
"Good idea. I don't want to fight the whole forest just because you are scared of everything." Farrioust's embarressment was gone and he teased Walcekite back.
"Farrioust, stop that or so help me…" she was almost about to have a fight with him, but the bushes rustled again and she used her fright to try and leave this forest faster.
Farrioust inspected the bushes from a safe distance for the last time, and went after her.