Chapter 14: The Elusive Woods
Excerpt of Page 82 of the Explorer's Guide: Orbs
Orbs are spherical blue gems that, when smashed against the ground, execute special effects that affect the user's room or floor. There are numerous kinds of Orbs, and are all denoted by the engraving set within the surface.
Matheus' Notes:
Orbs are a blessing of nature to us adventurers. Even if they can only be properly used in Mystery Dungeons, they can be used for other things, like a paper weight. They are also useful for when you need a mirror, as they have a highly reflective surface. Now, if you excuse me, I have a certain Pokemon to meet in my own…
Sion grimaced at the sight of a grey set of brick stairs that descended into a black pit, the room below unseen. Ren and Ekon had already descended the unnatural landmark, their voices unheard to Gaiden, Sion and Cosma. The unconscious bodies of Gloom, Scyther and Venipede lay scattered around the Stairs, a trail of conquest by the vengeful Pokemon.
Cosma hovered above the Stairs, immediately retreating to Gaiden. "I don't like the looks of that; it's dirty and scary."
Sion set a foot on the top step, feeling nothing different than that of a regular set of stairs. "These go down to the next floor, and if we want to get out of here, we'll want to go down." He looked back to Gaiden, who gestured for him to go down first. Sion gave a shuddering sigh, and went into the inky blackness, melding into the depths.
After a few moments, Gaiden snatched Cosma from the air and began descending the Stairs himself, to the protesting cries of the islander. "Hey, let me go! I want to find another way down!"
Gaiden looked down at her and said, "The only way out is down, and unless you want to be bug food you better come down with me."
Cosma immediately stopped complaining, holding her breath with her cheeks puffed out as she sunk into the darkness. She let go of her breath as she felt a sudden drop, Gaiden landing with a spring. Cosma looked up, seeing a dark square that marked the location of the Stairs above, hanging in the sky like a dark cloud.
She wriggled out of Gaiden's grasp, giving a sigh of relief. "That wasn't so bad. Why can't these woods be like every other forest around here?" Sion stood in disbelief at the sky, seeing the same exact canopy as the floor above, despite the fact they had descended.
Gaiden peeked into the one tunnel they could go through, saying to Cosma, "Mystery Dungeons like this are treacherous, but they provide the fastest way to go to various locations, and provide things like seeds, berries, even TMs to us without having to produce them. Equivos simply wouldn't be the same without them." He turned to them and said, "Looks like the coast is clear. If I remember correctly, these woods have around seven floors, although it's been a while since I've been here; I've always preferred going around due to the Grass Pokemon." He proceeded into the tunnel, with Sion and Cosma just behind.
They turned around many corners, meeting no Pokemon whatsoever. Gaiden looked side-to-side pretentiously, seeming to expect danger to come from anywhere. Cosma had broken free of his arms and floated vicariously through the air, quickly rebounding from her fear of the Stairs. Toward the back, Sion studied the dungeon as Gaiden did, though more in fear rather than in expectance.
Finally, at the center of the room at the end of the tunnel, the Stairs appeared once more, their eternal darkness continuing. The party looked around curiously, seeing no items or enemies whatsoever. No sign of Ren and Ekon either.
Sion turned to Gaiden and asked, "Strange how we didn't have to do anything but walk in a long tunnel, right?" Gaiden only grunted, walking down the Stairs, with Cosma floating just behind.
"I like going down these now; they're like going through cold mud!" She exclaimed, dropping into the abyss. Sion stood in the room for a minute, listening to the disturbing silence of the floor. He shuddered afterward, the quiet eating into his mind. He anxiously stepped down the Stairs, the feeling of the descent just as Cosma described.
Sion dropped into the room, narrowly dodging a stray sphere of supersonic energy. He whipped around, seeing Ekon wrestling with a Scizor on the other side of the room, attempting to attack its face with his soundwaves. Ren batted at a Scyther with a glowing blue bone, knocking away its blades and swatting its legs, while Gaiden dove into the air and landed in front of another Scyther, disappearing in a purple mist. Cosma cowered in a corner formed by the trees, covering her eyes and expecting the worst.
Ren swung his bone on the Scyther with a sickening crunch, shouting out, "Finished this one off! How're the others coming?"
Ekon screamed into the Scizor's face, stunning it, loosening its iron grip. He tore free and punted the Scizor with his legs, replying, "Dunno how this guy got a hold on an Metal Coat, but he's down! How 'bout you Gaiden?"
The final Scyther slashed the air around it wildly, attempting to land a blow on the unseen Gaiden. It suddenly raised both arms to the sky, falling to the ground with a black slash across its back. Gaiden reappeared, standing on a single leg, his eyes closed. He met Ekon's gaze and said, "I prefer not to take too much credit for my actions. After all, you two attracted them to us."
Ekon harrumphed, turning his head. "Not my fault. You know I can't control it," he said. He squawked once more, clamping a claw over his mouth.
Gaiden smiled ever so slightly, pointing to the tunnel to his right. "I believe we should go-"
"That way! Here we go!" Ekon shouted, running down the tunnel…that went the opposite direction. There was a sudden squawk, and Ekon said, "Aw great, they have friends!" He rushed past the others, an angry buzzing of many Scyther coming from within.
Ren paled, taking a step toward the other tunnel. "That's way too many for us to handle…" Gaiden took Cosma from the corner and charged for the tunnel, the ferocious cries of the Scyther growing closer. Ren soon followed, nearly falling to the floor in the process.
The Scyther came into view as a massive swarm, all coming toward the intruders. He turned around and sprinted as fast as he could, drawing the cloak over him and casting invisibility over himself. He hated feeling useless on their first trek through a dungeon, especially since Ren got exactly what he wanted: Pokemon to fight. All Sion had found was a few Blast Wands and a couple of Berries; hardly an interesting discovery.
He felt a desire to shed his invisibility and attack the Scyther, to halt his maddening progress through the rooms of the floor and be a shadow in other Pokémon's trails. His logical side convinced him against such actions, knowing that he would suffer death by hundreds of knives if he did so. A new plan rose into his mind, one that could earn him a place among the achievers in the team.
He looked behind him with a determined look and flung his claws toward the Scyther, a faint wisp of red mist trickling out. A booming roar echoed through the forest, and the Scyther stopped in their tracks, unsure of the source. A black specter formed in front of them, a dark persona with elongated arms and legs, and crimson eyes.
It stomped forward, and glistening white fangs materialized beneath the eyes. It bellowed once more, and made a false swipe at its enemies. The Scyther fled in a mass of terror, their once-organized flight falling into disarray as they fled to the darkest corners of the dungeon.
Sion did not dare look behind him, expecting his little trick to simply stun the Scyther temporarily. He saw the Stairs ahead of him, abandoned by what Pokemon there may have been. He hurriedly descended them, emerging in the fourth floor with his comrades.
He gave a sigh of relief, saying, "Good thing I scared those guys off, or else we would have had a whole lot of trouble."
Ekon's eyes widened, and he pointed to the canopy above. "You mean you made that horrid roar? That didn't sound like anything I've ever heard before…and I mean that in a bad way," Ekon stated.
Gaiden set Cosma free to the air and pointed at Sion saying, "Was that thing simply instinctive, or did you know what exactly you summoned through illusion?"
Sion thought back to the roar. He didn't look back to what exactly he made; he only heard the devilish roar that came from it. He wasn't even thinking about what came from his illusion, just that he needed something to distract the Scyther.
Sion shook his head, replying, "I don't really know. I don't even know how it looked like." Gaiden nodded slowly, thinking carefully. He turned behind him, the tunnel ahead empty and forsaken.
Ren shuddered, saying, "I don't know what you did, but I think it scared more than the Pokemon on that floor. Who knows? That roar could've come down here too." Cosma floated still in the air, voiceless.
Ekon nodded his head, motioning around him. "It may be possible. We aren't truly descending through the Woods after all, if what I heard is to be believed. See, I heard from Alakazam Guild that they believe that the floors of the dungeons are all really on the same level, and the Stairs act as portals from one section of the dungeon to the next. Makes sense in a way, as in places like this, we can see the sky everywhere we go." He began to go down the tunnel, adding, "Either way, that roar could very well be heard down here. Let's be off; we'd be lucky if no more wild Pokemon could be seen.
They progressed through the dungeon with relative ease meeting no resistance. It seemed that the wild Pokemon did flee to the exit from Sion's illusionary tactics. The air of the dungeon felt unsettled, as if a form of darkness had suddenly taken the air and infused fear into it, causing all who breathe it to feel the constant need to escape.
Now progressing through the fifth floor, with little more than some Plain Seeds and a Slow Orb found, Sion looked down at his claws, wondering what on Equivos came to his mind. He usually used his powers to hide himself, and very rarely made constructs of other Pokemon. The last time he could remember was making an imitation of Molly sleeping at her desk, to make it seem as if, to her customers, she was there at all times, when in reality she was taking some liberties to shop at Kecleon's roving shop tent, one in few opportunities.
Still, while the strangeness of the dungeon unsettled him, he knew that this wasn't the best example of what to expect in an exploration team. He'd be going into dungeons with a clear purpose outside of simply reaching the end, often saving Pokemon from grisly fates from the night, while collecting rare items along the way. A dungeon like the Elusive Woods was frightful, yes, but nothing too exciting to look for items in.
On the seventh floor, the snarling and screeing of various Pokemon could be heard, all coming from a single direction. Ekon perked an ear toward it, his face drooping.
"Cursed Pokemon. There's so many of the blighters that there's a line to the Stairs, at least as far as I can tell. I can certainly take a few down, but with how many there is all in that tiny little area, I doubt we'll get far."
Ren groaned, looking to the ground. "I was hoping to crack a few more skulls…"
Ekon laughed, wrapping an arm around Ren. "Believe me, it'll end up with your skull cracked, and you being the next meal of a crowd of Scyther, Gloom, and whatever else is in this place. I've heard Lucario is a delicacy to the wild ones."
Ren pulled himself away, disgusted by his sense of humor. "Yeah, well, what should we do. If they're crowded around the Stairs as you say, there's no way we can sneak around them. This is the final floor too; we'll be at the exit and to Frederick, then to the Isles, where we can finally get Cosma home!" he said impatiently.
Ekon tutted, replying, "If you think half a day is a long time to be going abroad, you're going to live a rough life. We have to often go out for weeks at time to get where we need, and its only thanks to the Guild Outposts throughout the continent that we can make it to all our requests on time. Now come on, let's think of ideas!"
Cosma immediately hovered into Ekon's face and exclaimed, "Why don't we just be friends with those Pokemon? That's how we did it over on Bulu Island before the UBs came!"
Ekon cocked is head curiously at her, saying, "Ubies? What are you talking about?"
Cosma looked around asking, "Does anyone here know what that means?" None stirred. She sighed saying, "I just took the first letters of 'Ultra' and 'Beast', and put them together! It's much better than saying 'Ultra Beast' all the time. Now come on, is it a good idea or not?"
Ekon shook his head sadly. "Given how the Scyther sharpened their blades right when they saw me back on the fourth floor, I'd say not. Wild Pokemon have a reputation of being hostile to…pretty much anyone who can talk. Nice try though." Cosma harrumphed, rushing behind Gaiden to mutter to herself.
Sion was hesitant to suggest anything-him usually being the one in the background and not outgoing—but he felt it necessary to get out of the dungeon alive. He cleared his throat, and calmly stated, "Why don't we, uh, that is to say, become unseen, like I do when I don't want to be around others." He saw nods of agreement from Ekon and Gaiden, and with a slight smile he added, "I haven't really tried doing more than one, but it can't be much harder, right?"
Cosma squealed with glee, saying, "Why not, I've always wanted to stick my tongue out in front of somebody without them noticing!"
Ren sighed, looking away. "If it's the only way to get out of this place, fine. I'd rather fight my way through than…" The rest fell out of earshot.
Ekon shut his eyes and clenched his fists, saying, "If it hurts, you're going to get a headache for a week." Sion swallowed fearfully, knowing exactly what he meant.
Sion took a deep breath, then lifted his claws. A shimmer fell over them, and at first, nothing seemed to happen. Cosma looked at herself, still hovering in the air. Ekon saw his wings, as visible as ever. Ren looked behind him, seeing that his tail was still perfectly visible.
They wanted to voice their complaints, until they saw that no one was there. Cosma cried out, "Hey, where'd everybody go? You didn't leave me behind, right?"
Gaiden groaned, saying, "No, we just can't see each other. Is there any way we can become invisible to just the wild Pokemon?"
Sion replied, "Sorry, it's all or nothing. I could maybe do something different if I had more practice, but for now, we have to settle with this. Just be careful that you're quiet; they might not be able to see us, but they can hear and smell us just fine."
Footsteps could be heard going to the tunnel, and Ekon's voice said, "Come on, just this way! All the wild Pokemon are clamoring over there; I'm rather surprised they haven't shaken free of that fear yet." Sion agreed, progressing to the Stairs.
After several minutes of weaving through tunnels, he saw a long progressing line of Gloom, all waiting behind the Pokemon in front of them. The entire room was clustered with Pokemon going down the exit Stairs one by one, leaving little room for them to move ahead.
Cosma said in a low whisper, "I can just float over them, so see ya!" The wild Pokemon were unaffected, except for the lone Oddish who was knocked aside by a mysterious force.
Ren said in a hoarse whisper, "How are we going to get through that! There's way too many!"
Wings beat the air over the Pokemon, and a low chuckle could be heard from Ekon. "I know what'll solve this problem. Leave it to me!" he said.
A gigantic roar echoed through the room, causing all the Scyther, Gloom, and other assorted Bug and Grass Pokemon to look around fearfully. The roar came again, and the haunting memory of the fourth floor came back to the wild Pokemon.
They began to run away from the Stairs, expecting the mysterious beast to come after them before they could escape. Ren, Gaiden and Sion dodged past the terrified Pokemon, finally reaching the Stairs and descending into the inky blackness for the final time in the Elusive Woods.
At the bottom, Sion lifted his illusion; the need no longer applied. All were present, if a bit bewildered by the sudden change in scenery. Behind them, an arch similar to the entrance reached into the forest, to pop the entrées back to the start. Trees began to thin to grassland, and the sun had nearly begun its set, hanging just above the horizon.
Ren wheezed a sigh of relief, looking back at the exit. "About time we got out of there. After seeing how many there were, I'm glad we didn't go in there with no thought of safety. Let's get going to the ship!" He began to run ahead, and Cosma followed, rushing to push ahead of the Lucario. Gaiden and Ekon walked behind, watching behind them for any of the wild Pokemon that supposedly came out of the dungeon.