Chapter Ten: THE ROCK PATH & MT. BLAZE
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"I'm sure that I saw them head this way…" muttered one of the Pokemon in the group of Rescue Teams.
"We'd better report back to Gengar." said another.
"Let's go. He'll chew us out, but maybe he can actually help us."
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Team Invincible had been on the run for at least half a day now. They had come from the Square to two caves: one leading to inside Mt. Blaze, the other going into some other portion of the mountain, the Rock Path. Mt. Blaze's exterior was mainly hardened lava rock, gray in color, and regular, flowing, red and orange lava.
"Oy… We need to keep going…" Justin groaned. "But we've come so far…"
"Well, what's more important? Our lives or our personal pain?" Pat sighed. "I say, just in case some tougher Teams, like, oh, I don't know, A.C.T., come by, we take the Rock Path. We can hide in there, plus some Teams will probably think we took the Mt. Blaze path."
"Aren't you genius?" Pika giggled. The three entered the left cave, entering the Rock Path.
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Unlike the Lapis Cave, the Rock Path was filled with dirt and ordinary rocks, plus it was a lot lighter.
Many Gravelrocks laid about, but Team Invincible didn't bother picking them up, since it would only slow them down.
A few minutes after entering, the three ran in to a Pokemon. A powerful one, at that: Pidgeot, a Normal/Flying Pokemon, the evolution of Pidgeotto, with a cream-feathered bird body, black marks by its eyes, a streamer-like set of flowing red and yellow head feathers, pink feet, and a pinkish beak.
Immediately, the Pidgeot attacked. It flew upward and then zoomed down with glowing wings towards Pat, preparing a Wing Attack.
"I got your back, Pat! Shock Wave!" Pika shouted. She charged up a blue lightning ball in front of her with electricity from her cheeks, and then shot it at Pidgeot, stopping its attack and delivering a super effective hit to the Flying/Normal Pokemon.
"And now, eat my Ember – Non-Machine Gun Style!" yelled Pat. He shot several red fireballs at Pidgeot, finishing off the fully-evolved Pokemon's HP.
"Quit saying that stuff, will you?" Pika sweat dropped.
"It tends to get annoying." Justin added.
Pat sweat dropped as well. "Fine. Let's just go."
Team Invincible made it out of the Rock Path without further incident or fight…
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But once outside, they realized… THEY WERE RIGHT BACK OUTSIDE OF MT. BLAZE!
"Isn't this where we started from…?" Pika asked.
"…Uh… Yes, I think so." replied Justin. "We went in a circle, basically! ARGH!"
Pat went over to the right cave, and motioned for the other two to follow him. And so, the three entered the dangerous Mt. Blaze…
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Just like outside, the walls of the Mt. Blaze caverns were gray, and small puddles of lava were in several places. Also, every few yards was a large opening in the wall where one could see large pools of magma.
"Well, guys, whether we like it or not, here we go…" Pat sighed.
The three "fugitives" continued walking deeper into Mt. Blaze's cavern, finding large rocks which led up to a higher level in the volcano.
"This place really amazes me. I'd like to come back to here and the Lapis Cave once we uncover the truth about us." Pat said as he stared in wonder at the almost staircase-like rock formations.
And after climbing two of those strange configurations, the trio finally found two wild Pokemon: a Pidgeot and a Numel, a Fire/Ground Pokemon with a brownish-orange camel or horse-like body, with the snout cream and the top of its round back green, dark blue-lined eyes, and an overall dumb and oblivious facial expression.
"Pika, you get Pidgeot. I got the Numel." Justin said. "Water Gun!"
He shot a beam of water at Numel, hitting the Pokemon with an ultra effective hit, instantly knocking out the Pokemon. Pika, meanwhile, attacked Pidgeot with a Thundershock, also using a super effective attack… But still, the Pidgeot was strong enough to retaliate with a powerful blow with its beak, a Peck attack, to Pat.
"OWIE!" he cried out. "Taste a real Peck! Hi-YAH!"
With that shout, Pat slammed his beak into Pidgeot's body, finishing the Pokemon off.
"Alright. Revenge is sweet." Pat smirked as the defeated Pidgeot laid on the ground unconscious.
The three moved on, passing many towering rock formations and large pits of lava, eventually coming to the same kind of statue they came across in Mt. Thunder a few days ago; a healing Kangaskhan statue.
"Neat… So, wait. Does this mean there's a tough Pokemon ahead?" Pika asked as they were completely healed by the statue's mystical powers.
"I don't know. I hope not." replied Justin. Team Invincible quickly rushed through the room, finding themselves in a part of the volcano's insides that was just a little different than before: there were more magma pools, and they were larger.
"Ugh… This place is really hot…" Pika moaned, wiping sweat off of her forehead.
Twice the trio came across a portion of magma that was in their way that couldn't be moved, so Justin mustered up enough strength to deliver a cold Water Gun beam to both, cooling the small streams to a point of almost solidity. After making sure it was safe, Team Invincible merely hopped onto the solidified center, then to the other side.
Fifteen minutes after finding the statue, Pat led the group outside, and from there to the very summit of the mountain. The rocks and ledges around the lava-filled crater were crumbling a little bit, but still safe enough to walk on.
"Wow. So this is Mt. Blaze's summit…" Pika said, peering at the dark red and orange lava fifty feet below.
"The lava looks like it's higher than normal. We probably picked a bad time to come by…" Justin mumbled as Pika walked back over to him and Pat.
"Maybe it's somewhat of a natural disaster." suggested Pat, who was feeling fine, being a Fire Pokemon.
Suddenly, two pillars of lava shot up, then fell back down.
"AAH! It's so hot here… Like a furnace…" groaned Pika. "Let's hurry up and get going."
Before even one step could be made, a deep voice reached the Team's ears.
"HALT!"
With that, the sky darkened, even though it was already dark enough with the smoke.
"What the…?" Pat mumbled.
"I can hear the mountain's screams… It is shrieking in pain… Someone is causing Mt. Blaze to writhe in agony! IS IT YOU?!" roared the voice.
"Where is that voice coming from?!" cried out Justin.
"It's not us, whoever you are!" Pika shouted. "We're just passing through here! Where and who are you, anyway?"
"SHOW YOURSELF, MORTAL!" Pat yelled upwards.
Pika ran over to him and clamped his beak shut with her mouth. "Quiet, you idiot! Don't get it mad!"
Two red flashes lighted up the scenery, and two more fiery pillars shot up from the lava.
"The mountain's rage is MY rage!"
Three more flashes brightened up the sky to a very deep red, even the smoky areas, and with a loud bird-like shriek, a large Pokemon about Zapdos' size zoomed down to in front of Team Invincible.
The Pokemon had, like Zapdos, a bird-like appearance, but its body was a yellow orange, with a long, orange-brown beak. On its head was a cluster of red and orange flames, and the same colored flames served as the feathers on the backs of its wings, and for a tail. Its feet were orange, and its claws white.
"I… am the legendary Moltres! The warrior of fire am I!"
Another fire pillar shot up.
"There is no forgiving those who befoul the mountain! En garde!" Moltres roared.
Thus began another battle against a Legendary Pokemon…
PM: Another cliffhanger. GACK-ACK-ACK-ACK! Just like with my Mt. Thunder chapter! GACK-ACK-ACK-ACK-ACK!
