Secret Valley ( watch?v=ehSqqqvePSg)
B1F
The terrain in this lush dungeon was filled with flora. The ground was packed with soft earth, and the walls were made out of bushes with colorful flowers growing on them. All in all, it was a pretty place.
"Wow…." Ezra and Carys chorused, taking in the scenery. The air was nice and crisp, and it smelled nice and fresh, with a hint of roses.
"This place is beautiful!" Exclaimed Ezra.
"Uh-huh. Maybe the end of this place can be our vacation spot. If the inside is this pretty, the outside must be stunning." Agreed Carys.
With that said, they got moving. They didn't talk much; they were too busy enjoying the area. The only foe they encountered was a Chikorita, which fell easily to a Flame Burst from Ezra. This floor had only five chambers, with short halls in between. Hopefully the rest of the dungeon would have tiny floors like this one.
B2F
"What are you going to say to the others when we get home? Will you give them the whole story, or will you leave out some things?" Asked Carys to Ezra, meaning the mysterious voice in Ezra's head.
Ezra thought for a moment. What she was going to say would be no small thing, but she felt brevity would work best in making her friends believe her. It was a miracle in itself that Carys believed her and didn't think she was insane. She wasn't sure if she could pull the same thing off multiple times, as it was entirely possible that what would convince one Pokemon wouldn't convince another. Yes, a short explanation would work best, she thought.
"I think I'll give them the short version of what I told you. I'll tell them….I'll tell them that I was contacted telepathically by a mysterious entity who desperately needed my—and everyone's—help. I'll explain about the Shards, and—"
"Hold that thought, there's an Ivysaur who wants to tango with us." Interrupted Carys, who was leading the party.
"Move over and I'll Flame Burst it." Said Ezra. Carys moved, and Ezra hit the foe with the attack. Well, she attempted to. Ivysaur ducked and rebounded with Sleep Powder, making Ezra fall asleep.
She didn't feel anything hit her, luckily, so Carys must have taken care of it. When she awoke, the Ivysaur was indeed gone.
"What was I saying?" She yawned, stretching as she got up.
"You'll tell everyone about the Shards." Supplied Carys helpfully as she took the lead again.
"Oh yeah. I'll tell them that Voice is His captive, and we need to rescue it."
"But how will you convince them all that Voice is on our side, and not Him in disguise?" Asked Carys. She had a very good point.
"Well…..it wouldn't make sense for Him to want to gather all the Shards, when it was He who spread them out in the first place. I think He'd want them to remain hidden, so we can't give them back to Voice. I'll ask it if it can project itself outside my mind again. That way they can hear it themselves. That's all I got for now; I'll think on it some more." Said Ezra, shrugging.
B3F
"Oh hey, Stairs." Noticed Ezra when they spawned.
B4F
"More Stairs!" Trilled Carys, laughing.
B5F
This time, they spawned with a Meganium and Roselia, along with a Pecha Berry lying in one corner.
"Oh yay. Status effects galore." Sighed Carys, Trick-or-Treating the Meganium.
"Don't worry, you have me on your side. They won't stand a chance. See?" Replied Ezra as she KO'd the Roselia in one Flame Burst. She was liking this dungeon even more. She could one-shot anything that stood in their way.
Meganium, in the meantime, had hit Carys with PoisonPowder.
"You—ugh—think that concerns me? There's a freaking Pecha Berry behind you!" She chastised it, hitting it with Shadow Sneak. Even with Trick-or-Treat, it wasn't enough to defeat the foe.
Ezra ended the fight with an Ember. She looked at Carys and smiled.
"Show off." Grumbled Carys, going over to eat the Pecha Berry.
B6F
This floor, like the very first one, was tiny. It only held six chambers, and they had finally found the one that held the Stairs. The only thing that lay between them and the Stairs was a simple Bulbasaur. Ezra went to tangle with it as Carys went to pick up a Warp Orb that was lying nearby. The fight ended before Carys even touched the Orb.
B7F
They were wandering through the halls when they came across a Roserade. It kicked off the fight with Magical Leaf, which fortunately didn't do much to Ezra, who was leading. She countered with Ember, but the foe easily jumped out of the way.
"No you don't." Said Carys, extending her shadow past Ezra and onto the Roserade. It scowled and used Weather Ball on Ezra, who wasn't too badly hurt by the attack. A Flame Burst later, and the enemy was gone, only for a Bayleef to take its place.
"Really?" Sighed Carys, lobbing their last Gravelrock at it. The Bayleef caught the item and tossed it onto Ezra's head, giving her a slight headache.
Trying to gather the energy for a Flame Burst, Ezra dodged a Razor Leaf from Bayleef. She shot off the attack, and the Bayleef stumbled. It took some serious inner strength for it to get back up again, but unfortunately for the Bayleef, it was quickly dispatched by a Shadow Sneak.
They had only gone a few steps when yet another foe came to stop them. This time, it was a Floette. Ezra's fire attacks wouldn't so much good against this particular foe. She sent out the red waves of energy that was Night Shade, and was hit with a Fairy Wind for her trouble.
"Shadow Sneak!" Stormed Carys, extending her shadow once more. The Floette fell, and thankfully no other Pokemon came to harass them.
B8F
"How long do you think this place is?" Asked Carys shortly after they had spawned. They were in a chamber with exits in the north, south, and eastern walls of the room. They were heading for the northern exit.
"Dunno. Hopefully not too long; this little detour is already delaying our arrival home." Frowned Ezra, who had hoped to be in Lily Town by now.
"True. Hmm, I wonder what's been happening in town while we've been—oh! The Stairs!" Grinned Carys as they came to the next chamber, which held the precious Stairs.
They raced towards them, with Ezra in the lead. Just a few more steps, and…and she set off a trap. This was a new one, and had the face of a Slowpoke printed onto it. As she activated it, she felt all of her energy be drained in an instant. A great lethargy came over her, and it was all she could do to remain upright.
"What happened to you?" Asked Carys, skidding to a stop once she realized Ezra had fallen behind.
"Dun….dunno…..So…tired….." Wheezed Ezra, who wanted to lie down and take a nap right then and there. Carys looked at the activated trap and sighed.
"A Slow Trap. Well, no use having you walk with me to the Stairs. You'd better just stay there while I descend down the Stairs." Said Carys. It took all of Ezra's energy to nod in agreement.
B9F
"At least we have another easy floor." Remarked Ezra as they noticed the Stairs were with them again. She was enjoying having her energy restored.
"Yep." Agreed Carys.
B10F
In this tiny floor, they had found the Stairs to be in the next chamber over. They were guarded by a Meganium and a Chikorita, which meant that this fight would be a short one. And indeed it was. Ezra one-shotted the Chikorita with a Flame Burst while Carys used Confuse Ray on Meganium. A Flame-Sneak later and they were good to go.
"Hey, do you remember our very first clients, on the day we met? The Meganium and her Shiny Chikorita child?" Asked Carys, reminiscing.
"Yeah, I do. I wonder how they're doing. I hope they've been having a good life out in the country, and that no one has bothered them." Nodded Ezra as they wandered over to the Stairs.
"That was…a little over a month ago? Around that. Wow." Said an amazed Carys.
"Wait, I've been here for a month? That seems….too short." Protested Ezra.
"It does. In the span of almost two months, we've met so many Pokemon and done so much. I wonder what we'll accomplish in the next few months." Carys smiled warmly at her best friend.
"Only one way to find out. Shall we?" Offered Ezra, gesturing to the Stairs next to them.
Together, they descended.
—Waypoint—
To their utmost surprise, they found themselves at a halfway point. The terrain was the same, only the walls were outlined in small pools of water.
"Uh…why is there a waypoint in here? Is there something up ahead?" Frowned Ezra, touching the Kangaskhan Rock just in case.
"I guess. Maybe there's a boss at the end of this place? Or special treasure?" Wondered Carys, sniffing a flower growing on a wall.
"Either way, we're forced to go forward. There's definitely something up ahead, something important enough to garner a waypoint. Let's proceed with caution." Ezra said stoically, wondering what lay ahead of them.
**I sense a Shard up ahead.** Voice cut in unexpectedly.
"Voice says there's a Shard up ahead." Reported Ezra.
"Hopefully that's the only thing waiting for us." Carys said darkly.
Bracing themselves for the rest of this colorful dungeon, the two set off.
Far Secret Valley ( watch?v=OE3EJ7IaFmk)
B1F
"Hey, Stairs right off the bat. Cool." Smiled Carys. The land had now changed from soft earth to soft grass with small pink flowers here and there. The walls remained the same.
"Let's see…We went through ten floors already. That means we have about ten floors left, give or take a floor." Ezra was calculating.
"I'm ready for whatever faces us at the end. Let's be off!" Carys shouted, racing for the Stairs.
B2F
They spawned straight into the hands of a Florges and Ivysaur.
"Confuse Florges. I'll take care of Ivysaur." Said Ezra as she dodged a Vine Whip from the Ivysaur.
"On it." Said Carys, nodding, as the two traded blows with their respective enemies.
Ezra managed to hit her foe with a Flame Burst, but oddly it survived the attack and surprised her with a Stun Spore, rendering her paralyzed. As she struggled to move, she was hit with Razor Leaf after Razor Leaf. While they certainly were painful, they weren't enough to do serious damage to her by the time she recovered her mobility. She ended the fight with an Ember, then went to see what Carys was up to.
Carys was busy dodging a Moonblast from the not-confused Florges. She sent out a Razor Leaf, but the Florges easily dodged the attack. Ezra snuck behind it and hit it with Hex, startling it. It whipped around to face her, leaving its back completely exposed to Carys, who took advantage by using Trick-or-Treat. A Night Shade later and it was gone.
"It kept dodging my Confuse Ray." Explained Carys as they got moving.
"Well, it's good to know that the Double-Team Special maneuver still works." Smiled Ezra in response, trying to cheer her friend.
B3F
As they were traveling, they came across a chamber that held an Orb they had never seen before.
"What is it?" Asked Carys as Ezra picked it up.
"I don't know. Only one way to find out, I guess." Replied Ezra as she broke the Orb at her feet.
Without warning, there was a deep rumbling sound, then the earth trembled for what seemed like eternity. Finally, it stopped, and the inner walls collapsed, leaving the floor as one entire, giant room. They could see everything: foes, items, and the Stairs.
"Uh…what just happened?" Asked Ezra, breaking the silence.
"I think that was a One-Room Orb. You can see what it does." Carys explained wryly.
"Well, the Stairs are over there. But there was a bunch of enemies heading our way too." Pointed Ezra at the horde of foes rushing towards them.
"I guess this means it's time to run the gauntlet, Ez. Come on! Don't stop running!" Shouted Carys as she began sprinting towards the Stairs, blasting everyone that came near her with Shadow Sneak or Razor Leaf. Ezra sighed and followed.
B4F
They spawned with the Stairs again. This time, Carys' joke involved staring at the Stairs intently.
B5F
"Ooh. Getting hungry." Said Ezra as they were walking along a corridor.
"We don't have any apples. We ate them all this morning." Winced Carys.
"Ugh, that's alright. I can hold on for a little longer. If we find anything edible, I'll eat it as we go along." Ezra said, putting a hand on her stomach.
They wandered around for a little bit longer when they came to a chamber that miraculously held an apple.
"Yes!" Shouted Ezra triumphantly, racing over to pick it up.
She was walking back towards Carys, intending to offer to split the apple between them, when she felt the telltale dip in the floor that meant she had activated a trap. She looked down to see sludge spray up and onto her precious apple, rendering it into Grimy Food.
She made a face in disgust as Carys caught up to her.
"Wow. Of all the rotten luck." Carys winced, sympathizing with her.
"I'm so hungry. But I don't want to eat this." Said Ezra, unsure of what to do.
"It's still edible. It'll taste nasty and give you a status effect, but it should tide you over for a bit." Carys supplied unhelpfully.
Ezra gulped and braced herself. She took a bite, and promptly gagged on the horrid taste. It tasted like rotten eggs, but she managed to choke down the entire thing. The Grimy Food made her immobilized, it was so awful. Carys stood nearby, wide-eyed. When Ezra had finished and regained mobility, a wracking shudder shook her to her core. She did, however, feel more energized.
"How was—" Carys started to say, but Ezra cut her off.
"I don't want to talk about it."
Silently, they exited the chamber.
B6F
They had spawned in a chamber that held a Grass Gummi and a Luminous Orb. Carys generously let Ezra have the Gummi and break the Orb.
B7F
"Stairs!" Shouted Carys at the top of her lungs.
"I'm right here!" Yelled Ezra, who was standing right next to Carys. She was sure she had temporary hearing loss.
B8F
"Flame Burst!" Shouted Ezra, sending the volley of fire onto an enemy onto a Jumpluff, who retaliated with a Mega Drain, which didn't do much. They were busy fighting the enemy in a corridor, and a Bayleef was waiting just behind it. Carys finished Jumpluff off with Shadow Sneak just in time to be hit with Bayleef's Geo Pebble.
"Ow!" She grimaced as Ezra used Hex.
"Do you have any Geo Pebbles of our own?" Ezra asked as she dodged a Tackle.
"No. We're completely out; all we have are three Silver Spikes." Carys shook her head just as Ezra KO'd the Bayleef with Flame Burst.
"we also don't have any more room for those Geo Pebbles." She added.
"What do we have?" Asked Ezra.
"Three Silver Spikes, my Stamina Band, three Shards, two Oran Berries, a Rawst Berry, two Blast Seeds, three Reviver Seeds, a Stun Seed, an Escape Orb, and a Warp Orb." Reported Carys.
"Hmm…I don't think we'll need a Rawst Berry in here. I'll eat it for the energy, and then we'll have room." Pondered Ezra.
"Sounds good to me." Said Carys.
Ezra ate the berry, and put the two remaining Geo Pebbles in the bag.
B9F
As they were walking through this floor, they came across a Kecleon Shop.
"Hello, and welcome." He greeted them.
"Hello. Do we need anything?" Asked Carys, the latter part to Ezra.
"Hmm…Oh! I see two apples. I'll eat those, just in case there's a boss up ahead. We'll take those apples." Said Ezra.
"That'll be 50 Poke." The Kecleon replied. Ezra handed over the money, and received the two apples, which she promptly ate right then and there. Immediately, she felt revitalized.
"Thank you." She said.
"No problem. Will that be all?"
"I think so. Have a good day." Said Ezra as they started to leave the area.
"You too." Said the shopkeeper.
Secret Ravine
Ezra and Carys found themselves in a lush, colorful garden that was completely open to the sky. Small hills lay in the background, and the surrounding area was filled with tiny flowers. There was crisp breeze, and the temperature was neither too hot nor too cold. Something glittering lay up ahead.
"That must be the Shard. Let's grab it and go." Pointed Ezra as they started walking towards the Shard.
"Halt!" A voice came from out of the blue.
Two figures swooped down from the sky to bar Team Banshee's way. They were so fast, all of this happened in just a few seconds. The two figures were very similar in shape. Both were avian-like and half white, but one was small and red while the other was larger and blue. Each had a triangle on their chest that was the opposite color.
"These two intruders seek to take what we have been entrusted to guard, Sister." Said the blue one.
"Yes. We've received no instructions to move the Bug Plate, so they must be here to steal it from us." Said the red one.
"Please, we need this Shard! We need to return it to its rightful owner." Begged Ezra.
"Ah, so these two are on the side of Light. That makes them out enemies, doesn't it, Brother?" Asked the red Pokemon.
"Yes. It does, Sister. These two thieves must be punished." The blue one nodded.
"Looks like we'll have to fight, Ez." Muttered Carys to Ezra, who nodded.
"Latias, should we annihilate them soon or should we toy with them?" Asked the blue one.
"I think we should at least let them go down fighting, Latios." Latias said.
"Latios and Latias? You two are legendaries! Why are you fighting for the Dark side?" Asked Carys, horrified.
"Being on the side of Light has done us no favors over the years. We've been forgotten, discarded, ignored by most. But now, now we have the chance to obtain great power, and rule over this pathetic, happy-go-lucky land!" Yelled Latios, shaking with rage.
"We'll destroy the Light, right after we destroy you." Agreed Latias.
"In your dreams!" Snarled Ezra, her flame blazing with power.
Boss Battle!
"Ezra! Our fire- and grass-type attacks won't hurt them! They're weak to our ghost-type moves; stick with those. I've heard about Latios and Latias. They're superfast, and super powerful. Don't let your guard down." Warned Carys, just as Ezra barely managed to dodge a Zen Headbutt from Latios.
"Ya don't say." Grimaced Ezra as she got back up.
"Trick-or-Treat!" Shouted Carys to Latias, who had no way of dodging the attack.
"Hmph! You won't have the chance to hit me, pipsqueak!" She stormed as a giant ball of mist formed in front of her. She sent the ball straight at Carys, who was sent flying through the air.
"Carys!" Ezra called, just before she was sent flying as well from a pink beam launched from Latios's mouth.
She hit the ground hard, hard enough to create a small hole where she crash-landed. Dazed, she lay there, unable to move. That attack had some serious power behind it! Eventually, she had her wits about her again, and she got up—and ducked just as Latias aimed a Dragon Breath at her face. Feeling the heat of the attack above her, she waited until she was sure the attack had ended. She poked her head above the small trench she had made long enough to send a Hex at Latias, who wailed in pain. Anticipating another attack, Ezra ducked back down as a Dragon Pulse was fired above her.
Suddenly, she felt herself being picked up. She looked to see that, while she was busy trading blows with Latias, she had forgotten entirely about Latios.
"Any last words?" The blue Pokemon asked as he formed a Luster Purge millimeters away from her face.
Just as he was about to unleash the devastating attack, a Geo Pebble hit him in the head. Startled, he dropped Ezra and turned to face his assailant. Carys stood ready, and hurled a Stun Seed at the legendary.
"Ugh!" He grunted, unable to move. Carys turned her captive audience into a ghost-type, and Ezra hit him over and over again with Hex and Night Shade while Carys fended off an enraged Latias. Soon enough, Latios regained mobility, and knocked Ezra out with Psychic. As she revived, she saw Carys KO'd with a Mist Ball from Latias.
The two siblings watched as they were revitalized.
"They came prepared." Observed Latias.
"Yes, they did." Agreed Latios, sounding a bit winded. "But they are still no match for us."
"Did you hear Latios?" Whispered Carys as the four stared each other down.
"Yeah. He sounds tired. Let's focus on him." Ezra whispered back.
"Enough of your whispering! Let's fight!" Snarled Latias as she unleashed a Dragon Pulse. Ezra and Carys combined their Flame Burst and Razor Leaf to counter the attack, creating a small explosion in the middle of the battlefield.
With smoke between the four, Team Banshee ran into the fray, taking advantage of their foes' blindness.
"Confuse Ray!" "Hex!" Shouted Carys and Ezra, aiming where they thought their foes were. But when the smoke cleared, no one was there.
"Nice try." Said Latios just before he and his sister Luster Purged and Mist Balled the two.
As they created more trenches in the ground, the two grimaced and ate their Oran Berries, restoring their health.
"We only have one Reviver Seed left. Let's still try to take out Latios first." Said Carys as used Shadow Sneak on Latios, who dodged.
He unleashed a Dragon Pulse at Ezra, who leapt out of the way. Rolling, she jumped back to her feet and hit him with a Night Shade. Latias dove at Ezra with Zen Headbutt in revenge, but the Shiny Litwick was ready. When the Eon Pokemon was close enough, she ate the Blast Seed she was holding, breathing fire right in Latias's face. The legendary screamed, stopping her attack in order to protect her head.
"Latias!" Shouted her brother. Carys took advantage of his distraction to nail him with Confuse Ray. She then kept using Shadow Sneak over and over, determined to defeat Latios. Unable to determine what was what, Latios attempted to use Luster Purge on Carys—but ended up accidentally hitting Latias, who was trying to Dragon Breath Ezra.
"Ahhh! Latios! What are you doing?!" She shrieked in pain as Ezra and Carys used a Shadow-Hex combo on her brother, defeating him.
"Noooo!" Latias wailed, seeing her brother defeated. A sheer rage then came over the Eon Pokemon, and she threw a Mist Ball at a celebrating Ezra, separating her from Carys.
As Ezra shook her head to clear the pain, she saw Carys try to Confuse Ray Latias, and fail. Latias hit her with Dragon Breath, and prepared a Mist Ball, intending to finish Carys. Despite the ringing in her ears (if she had any), Ezra ran towards Latias, hitting her with Hex.
Latias turned, giving Carys the opportunity to hit her with Confuse Ray. As they had done before, they then hit Latias over and over, as fast as they could. Just when they thought they had her, Latias's head cleared and she flew high into the air, shouting "Enough!"
She then dove straight for the ground, making a 90-degree turn at the last second, heading straight at Ezra. Unable to dodge, Ezra was knocked out by Latias's Zen Headbutt. That little display had taken a toll on Latias, though, as that burst of power and speed coupled with the pummeling she had already taken weakened her significantly.
Panting, she paused, allowing Carys to Shadow Sneak her. As Latias cried out in pain from the knockback, she was ultimately defeated by Ezra's Hex. Latias fell to the ground, creating a small crater next to where her brother lay.
Silently, Ezra and Carys came to stand next to each other, looking down at the siblings.
"We…did it." Wheezed Carys, amazed.
"Yeah…" Agreed Ezra. They stood there for a moment before turning back towards the Shard.
"We should leave before they wake up." Said Ezra, picking up the Shard—which gave her visions of bug Pokemon and infestations—and putting it into their bag.
They jogged towards the hills at a moderate pace, exhausted by their fight. A small brook lay at the top of the first hill, and they paused to drink gratefully. Once they had finished, and had climbed to the tallest hill, they saw a sight that lightened their spirits.
"Look! I can see Rose's Lofts!" Cried a jubilant Ezra, pointing.
About ten miles away, the top floor of the Lofts could be seen in the late afternoon sun.
Laughing gaily, they ran down the hills and towards their beloved home.
They arrived in town just as the sun was beginning to set. After almost two weeks of unwanted adventure, they had finally arrived home. It was strange, though. Lily Town appeared almost foreign to them, having been away from normality for a while. It would take them some time to get used to routine again, to stop having to look over their shoulders for fear of enemies following them.
"Team Banshee's back!" Shouted Hoopa, who had been talking to Jumpluff from the bank before. At his cry, the entire town poured from every building to crowd around the two, asking incessant questions and almost smothering them with hugs.
"Okay, OKAY!" Franziska's harsh yell rendered the mob silent. "Let them breathe, for crying out loud! They just came back from who knows where!"
"Thank you, Franziska." Said Ezra, grateful to see the surly Dewott again. Rose stepped forward.
"Ezra…Carys…I'm so glad to see that you're okay. We were so worried when Hoopa came back from the north, saying that you two were on the run from a mercenary." She said, giving each a hug that lasted a minute.
"It was a harrowing experience, one that we don't wish to repeat." Said Carys soberly.
Ezra was bracing herself. The time had come to reveal her secret, in front of the entire town.
"We'll answer all of your questions, but…while we were on our way back home….." She trailed off, courage deserting her.
"What? What happened?" Asked Ranna of Team Siren impatiently.
"It's just…" Ezra couldn't say it.
"Just what?" Demanded Franziska.
Ezra took a deep breath, preparing herself.
"I have something I need to tell you all."
Aaaaaand so we end Chapter 8 with a cliffhanger! On Monday or so we'll begin Chapter 9, which will include some fun revelations and shocking discoveries. I can't wait.
The next chapter will contain: The reaction of the town, an unwanted mental intruder, and the confirmation of Sora, Hoopa, and Carys' suspicions.