Ezra was rudely woken from her slumber by a familiar voice.
**Ahh….ahhh…** Voice moaned. **How…how long was I unconscious…?**
Hwhhaaat? Ugh…What time is it? She thought groggily, staring out the window.
Seeing the faintest pink line on the horizon, she presumed it to be almost dawn.
Did you really have to wake me so early…? Ugh, I guess that means I'm getting up now. She thought irritably.
**Sorry…I've only just woken up since our last conversation…Oi, everything hurts…How long was I out?** Voice winced, sounding like it was in pain.
Uh… Ezra couldn't think straight quite yet. A few days, I think. What happened?
**A few days?! Oh my, that is worrying. I'm getting weaker and weaker…**
What do you mean?
**I should explain. I currently am being imprisoned against my will. The last we spoke, I was surprised by my jailer, who caught me using telepathy. Normally I can evade his suspicion, but it appears I was overconfident. Anyway, he struck me, and I have been unconscious until just now.** Voice explained, regaining its strength.
Wait, you're trapped? Tell me where you are! I'll come rescue you! Ezra exclaimed.
**I cannot. To tell my location would mean my death, which is something I'd rather avoid. My jailer and my warden are ever watchful for mention of my prison, and they would most assuredly kill us both if they heard me speaking it. Besides, you are not capable of rescuing me right now, Ezra. I mean that in no disrespect, but it is the truth.** It said gently.
Hmph. Fine. Who are your captors, or are you not allowed to tell me either?
**Alas, I cannot. I am sorry. Tell me, do you still have the two Shards?**
We do. Luckily we only need to find one more!
**Nay. You need to find…four more.**
What?! But you said that there was only one more Shard left to find! Ezra protested.
**At the time that I told you that, yes. But I have lost four more since then. My captors are slowly killing me by removing those Shards from me…Ugh, the mere presence of my jailer is enough to weaken me. I suppose that's what to expect, given his particular abilities…** Voice mused.
Ezra seethed inwardly. They had to find four Shards, which were hidden somewhere across the continent?! Suddenly, a revelation came to her.
You…You're the leader of the Light side, aren't you? Uxie said that the leader of the Dark imprisoned the Pokemon who sent it away years ago. That's you, isn't it?
**You are correct. I punished my warden millennia ago, and in revenge he is holding me hostage. But that's all I can say, unfortunately. My captors listen closely for certain names, you see.** Answered Voice.
That's amazing! I need to tell everybody about this! Exclaimed Ezra.
**NO! Please, don't tell anyone about me. The fewer who know of me, the better. …I have to leave for now, but I'll speak to you soon. Fare thee well, Ezra.** Voice said as it departed.
Ezra frowned. Why was Voice so adamant about not being known to anyone else? Perhaps it was afraid of a Dark spy learning that it was in contact with an outsider.
She looked out the window, and saw that it was dawn. Since breakfast wouldn't commence for a few hours yet, she settled back down for a few more hours of precious sleep.
After breakfast, Ezra and Carys completed their morning routine of buying, selling, and storing items. Thanks to Franziska's efforts to wean Carys off of candy, they had a lot more money in the bank now. As they were just about to head home to look for a mission, a voice behind them spoke.
"Um, excuse me, are you two an exploration team, or do you know where to find one? I desperately need one." They turned to find a green Espeon standing behind them.
"We're an exploration team, and we'd be happy to help! What do you need?" Asked Carys.
The Espeon brightened. "Really? Oh, thank you! My name is Soledad, and as you can see, I'm a Shiny Espeon. I need help getting back to my tribe on top of Mt. Sunlight. I'm not a fighter, so I require the aid of an exploration team."
"Well, I'm Carys the Pumpkaboo, and this is Ezra the Shiny Litwick. We're Team Banshee, and we'll escort you back to your tribe." Grinned Carys.
"Awesome! Just let me know when you're ready." Soledad smiled.
"Actually, we're ready right now. Shall we be off?" Asked Ezra.
"Yes! I can lead you to Mt. Sunlight. It's about 15 miles south from here. Let's go!" Said Soledad.
Mt. Sunlight ( watch?v=41pqcbjdg_U)
The terrain was rocky, but the rocks themselves were smooth, reflecting the sunlight. It was sunny overhead, and all the glares from the rocks were giving Ezra a headache.
"Well, this is it. Me and my people live at the very top of the mountain." Said Soledad, looking up at the mountain peak.
"Sounds good to me. Everyone ready? Let's go!" Said Ezra, leading the way.
1F
The floor was a grayish-colored dirt, and the walls a darker shade. Small rocks were embedded in the walls here and there, reflecting the sunlight. The trio had the misfortune of spawning next to a Sunflora.
"Grass-type! I got it! Flame Burst!" Shouted Ezra, taking the Sunflora completely by surprise. It didn't stand a chance.
"Wow, that was impressive." Remarked Soledad as they got moving.
"Thanks. We're not too shabby, Carys and I." Said Ezra, smiling over her shoulder.
"So, Soledad, how'd you end up in Lily Town?" Carys asked conversationally.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She sighed.
"Try us." Invited Carys.
"Well….I was with my closest advisor when suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant purple hand picked me up and put me somewhere else!" Soledad exclaimed.
Both Ezra and Carys stopped in the middle of the corridor, causing Soledad to crash into them.
"Oof! Sorry. You were attacked by a giant purple hand? Did this hand have a pink wrist and come out of a yellow ring?" Ezra asked excitedly.
"As a matter of fact, yes. Why? Do you know who displaced me?" Soledad asked as they started walking.
"Not exactly. Do you—Stairs!" Shouted Ezra, spotting them.
2F
"Do you know of the Lake Trio kidnappings?" She continued.
"Yes, I do." Soledad nodded.
"Well, they were kidnapped by a giant purple hand, the exact same one that took you." Said Carys.
"You're kidding! I came in contact with their kidnapper? Oh my, I'm glad I wasn't hurt. Ooh, that's scary." Soledad shivered.
"Stairs aren't scary, though." Said Carys, eyeing them.
3F
"Did you ever see the rest of the Pokemon who took you?" Ezra asked.
"No, I didn't. I was taken through the yellow ring, and it led to my brother's home. It dropped me right in the middle of him and his tribe, and then it disappeared through the ring." Soledad explained.
"Hold on, a Deerling wants to play with us. You want the honors, Ez, or should I have them?" Interrupted Carys as a Deerling came to meet them in a hall.
"I got it. Night Shade!" Shouted Ezra.
Since the Deeling had little room to maneuver in, it was forced to take the attack. It glared intensely and sent a Leech Seed at Ezra. The seed hit her, and subsequently grew quickly, vines wrapping her up and immobilizing her.
"Hey! I can't move!" She exclaimed as she felt the energy being drained from her and into the Deerling.
"Shadow Sneak!" Helped Carys, extending her shadow from under Ezra and to the Deerling, which fainted.
Almost instantly, the Leech Seed died, freeing Ezra.
"Phew! Thanks." She grimaced.
"No problem. What were we talking about? Oh yeah. What happened after you were freed, Soledad?" Carys asked.
My brother instantly told me to get out, so I couldn't ask him for help. His pack pushed me out of the dungeon, and so I went to Lily Town because I heard that there were a lot of exploration teams there." Soledad sighed sadly.
"He kicked you out? Why?" Asked Ezra.
"We had a huge fight the last time we spoke, so I guess he's still mad at me. His pack lives not too far from here, actually." Soledad explained, looking forlorn. No doubt she still loved her brother even after their argument.
"I'm sorry. I hope he forgives you soon." Ezra sympathized.
"I do too." Soledad sighed.
4F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"Ooh, I love the sun." Breathed Ezra, soaking up the rays.
"I like it too. We Espeon are supposed to be connected to the sun in a way. That's why me and my tribe live on the peak of this mountain, because it's sunny almost every day." Soledad smiled.
"Are you the leader?" Inquired Carys.
"I am, yes. I'm the leader of a group of Espeon. You're probably wondering how a weak fighter like me is leader. Well, I settle disputes diplomatically, and I'm very good at pacifying others peacefully. My brother, Roran, is a Shiny Umbreon. He lives in a place called Moonlit Meadow, and he leads a pack of Umbreon. I'm the diplomat, he's the aggressive one." She explained.
"Wow, neat. Don't worry, we'll get you to your people soon." Reassured Ezra.
"I have faith in you two." Soledad nodded.
5F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"Oh, the Stairs are here with us." Said a surprised Soledad.
"Isn't it great?" Laughed Carys.
6F
Weather Condition: Sunny
They were walking down a hallway when they were ambushed by a Sunkern from an adjacent hall.
"Ack!" Cried Ezra as she was hit with a Razor Leaf.
"Ember!" She stormed. The Sunkern nimbly dodged, seemingly with no effort.
"What the…? Alright. Hex!" Ezra tried again. Again, the Sunkern jumped out of the way.
"Chlorophyll." Said Carys.
"Huh?" Demanded Ezra, trying and failing to hit the Sunkern.
"Sunkern's Ability. It makes it go faster in strong sunlight." Chimed Soledad. "Allow me to help. Trick Room!" She intoned, her eyes glowing white for a second.
Suddenly Ezra felt herself bursting with energy, prompting her to act quickly.
"Ember!" She shouted, darting quickly and shooting embers at the Sunkern, who was too slow to dodge. It fainted.
"Wow! What happened? I feel so energetic!" She asked.
"I do too!" Sang Carys, who was doing backflip after backflip.
"Trick Room switches the speeds of attackers and defenders. We'll have Sunkern's speed boost for the rest of the floor." Soledad explained.
"Awesome! Hey, Soledad and Ez. I'll race you to the Stairs!" Laughed Carys.
"You're on!" Said Ezra, running ahead.
"Hey! I didn't say 'go' yet!" Raged Carys as they tried to catch up.
7F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"What prompted you two to form an exploration team, if I may ask?" Asked Soledad.
"Well, we saved a baby Chikorita from being kidnapped by evil Pokemon. After that, we agreed that we liked exploring dungeons and rescuing Pokemon, so we decided to form a team." Explained Ezra, giving Soledad the shorter version. She wasn't sure if telling Soledad that she used to be a human was a good idea.
"How brave of you two. I'm impressed." Soledad said, awed.
"It's nothing, really. How do you spend your days as tribe leader?" Asked Carys.
"We search for food, defend our territory, and we trade with other nearby tribes. We used to trade with my brother's pack, but ever since our fight…" Soledad trailed off, drooping.
"Maybe you could send a gift of some sort? Maybe if you let your brother know you're willing to be friends again, he'll forgive you." Offered Ezra.
"That might work. I'll consider that as an option. Thank you." Soledad nodded thoughtfully.
8F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"Ooh, I'm starting to get tired of all this walking. Do you two ever get tired?" Asked Soledad after they had been walking for a while.
"Sometimes. We have food if you're hungry. But normally we just press on until the end. We don't let fatigue tell us what to do!" Carys beamed.
"I see. I will try to keep going. Forgive me, I've rarely been in dungeons, so I'm not experienced in exploration." Soledad bowed.
"It's all good. Hey, there are the Stairs! …Being guarded by a Solrock and Sewaddle." Carys said as the two foes took notice of the three.
"Here we go. I see Sewaddle's under the influence of Chlorophyll. Soledad, think you could Trick Room us again?" Asked Ezra as she prepared for a fight.
"Sure. But first, Helping Hand!" Soledad said as she waved her forelegs. Ezra suddenly felt stronger.
"Helping Hand ups your attacks." Soledad nodded. "Trick Room!" She shouted as the Solrock and Sewaddle were within striking distance.
Ezra felt her speed increase as well. "Ember!" She shouted, knocking out the Sewaddle immediately. "And Night Shade!" She followed up, striking the Solrock.
It was knocked back a bit, but came forward, hitting her with a Psybeam. But faced with three speedy foes, it fell quickly to Carys's superfast Razor Leaf.
"Woo! Extra speed is really useful for battles!" Carys cheered, racing to the Stairs.
9F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"Whee, more Stairs!" Trilled Carys.
10F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"Even more Stairs!" She guffawed.
"Does this happen often?" Asked Soledad.
"Not really." Shrugged Ezra.
11F
Weather Condition: Sunny
A Sunflora had spawned next to them as well. It was just as surprised as Ezra, Carys, and Soledad, but the latter three recovered quicker, and took it down almost as quickly as they had gotten over their surprise. Moving further into the dungeon, they found a small Kecleon Shop.
"Hello travelers." Kecleon greeted.
"Hello. What do you have for sale?" Asked Soledad, coming over to look at the four items for sale.
"I have an apple, an Oran Berry, a Power Band, and a Black Gummi." He replied.
"Careful, Soledad. The prices are outrageous." Warned Ezra.
"I've no need for any of these items anyway. Thank you, though. Have a nice day, sir." Soledad bowed diplomatically to Kecleon as they left the chamber.
"My tribe often trades with these wandering Kecleon. I agree with you that their prices are extreme, but sometimes they have interesting items." She said to Ezra.
"Like what?" Asked Ezra.
"Well, different bands, evolutionary items, seeds…Useful things."
"But no one can evolve now, thanks to the distortions in the world!" Protested Carys.
"Yes, but we like to obtain these items just in case the day comes when the distortions are no more." Explained Soledad.
"Do you think they will?" Asked Carys.
"Yes." She answered simply.
12F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"What do Gold Gummis taste like?" Ezra asked Soledad.
"To me, they taste like bread. It makes sense, since psychic-types deal in a lot of mental powers. Grains are very good for the brain, and carbs provide energy for the brain." Said Soledad.
"Bread? Really?" Snorted Ezra.
"What do Purple and Red Gummis taste like?" Soledad asked back.
"Purple tastes like candy, and Red tastes like cinnamon." Reported Ezra.
"Candy and cinnamon? That doesn't make any sense. What do candy and cinnamon have to do with ghost and fire?" Asked Soledad, confused.
"Halloween. Cinnamon is hot, like fire." Said Ezra.
"I'm still confused." Soledad shook her head.
"Me too, with the whole Gold Gummi thing." Agreed Ezra.
13F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"Stars. I mean, Stairs." Said Soledad.
14F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"Wow! My feet are killing me!" Exclaimed Carys.
"You don't use your feet." Reminded Ezra.
"…I know, it was just a figure of speech."
"We must be pretty close by now. I can feel it." Said Soledad.
"Aren't you tired?" Asked Ezra, stopping to rest her aching feet.
"I am, but the knowledge that I will soon be reunited with my tribe gives me the energy to go on." Soledad replied.
"Well, use that energy to defeat that Solrock that's coming for us, will ya? I'm too tired to deal with it." Panted Carys.
"I got it." Sighed Ezra, getting up. "Soledad, come give me a boost, will you?"
15F
Weather Condition: Sunny
After a few minutes of wandering and battling, the trio came across something they had never seen before. A large door stood in front of them, with a small keyhole marring the otherwise perfectly smooth exterior.
"What's this?" Asked Carys, trying to open the door. It didn't budge.
"A Sealed Chamber, by the looks of it. I've never seen one before, but I've heard tales of these chambers appearing on certain floors of certain dungeons. I never knew Mt. Sunlight had one." Remarked Soledad.
"How do we open it?" Asked Ezra.
"You need a Key, which can be found in some dungeons or in shops. Do you have one?" Replied Soledad.
"…No." Reported Carys after a second of rummaging through the bag. "But luckily Ez and I are ghost-types. We can just phase through the wall!"
"It's worth a shot." Agreed Ezra.
She faced the wall, willing herself to go right on though. To her excitement, she phased through the wall and into the Sealed Chamber. Inside lay a small, orange, sun-shaped stone laying on the ground. She picked it up and went back to her party.
"Well?" Asked Carys. In response, Ezra held out the stone.
"Oh! A Sun Stone!" Exclaimed Soledad, peering at it. "This stone can cause certain Pokemon—such as Gloom or Sunkern—to evolve! Wow, this is incredible!"
"Would you like it?" Asked Ezra, handing it to Soledad.
"No, no! You keep it. We've no use for it in my tribe. Come on, there may be more Chambers on this floor!"
They searched the entire floor, but they found no other Sealed Chambers. They went back to the Stairs, where they found a sleeping Sewaddle where there hadn't been one before.
"When did that get here? Oh well. Let's not wake it up." Advised Ezra as they tiptoed past the Sewaddle.
Mt. Sunlight Peak
They arrived at the mountaintop, where a village filled with Espeon and Eevees greeted them.
"Leader Soledad!" A normal-colored Espeon came running to greet the three. "We thought you had disappeared forever!"
"Worry not, friend. I am here, thanks to these two." Said Soledad, gesturing to Ezra and Carys.
"Oh! Thank you, kind strangers, for giving us our beloved leader back! Please, take some Gold Silk as a token of our appreciation!" The Espeon said, giving the two a gold-colored cloth that was velvety to the touch.
"Gold Silk increases your special attacks and defense, but only if you're a psychic type. It's very rare and valuable." An Eevee explained, coming over.
"Oh, thank you." Said Ezra, feeling the soft silky cloth.
"I cannot thank you enough for escorting me here. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." Soledad bowed.
"Deal. Oh, it's getting late. We should be heading home. Goodbye, Soledad! See you again!" Called Carys, looking at the setting sun.
"Goodbye, friends." She nodded as the two exited the dungeon.
What could the kidnapper ever want with bickering siblings? Find out soon!
The next post will contain: An invitation to a dark meadow, a brother, and a donut thief.