The Journey Continues
Chapter 52
The Orb of Time
Sinnoh Region – Canalave City
"Aggron, use Iron Head!"
Aggron released a ringing roar and charged forward. A silver aura grew around the Iron Armor Pokémon as it lumbered forward, its gigantic feet shaking the ground with each step. Slowly, Aggron ducked its head, charging full speed ahead at the underwhelming ground-type on the other side of the field.
"Hippopotas, let's use Dig one more time!" Ash countered. Hippopotas chattered and dug its way under the ground in an instant, leaving only a small hole in its place. Aggron thundered over Hippopotas' previous space as the Hippo Pokémon shuffled about underneath the ground. Once Aggron realized it had missed its target entirely, the tall steel-type came to a skidding stop. At that exact moment, Hippopotas tore its way out of the ground, ramming into the back of Aggron's knee with a full-body tackle. It was enough force to surprise Aggron and bring the steel-type down to one knee, allowing just enough time for a follow-up attack.
"Hippopotas, use Sand Tomb!"
Hippopotas leaped away from Aggron, generating a whirlwind of dirt and sand around its body. Hippopotas flexed its muscles and send the twister at Aggron, wrapping the Iron Armor Pokémon up in the vortex. The sand stung Aggron's eyes and irritated its body, infuriating the steel-type.
"Aggron, pull yourself together!" Byron shouted, "Use Iron Defense!"
Aggron did as asked, and Ash gritted his teeth as Aggron raised its Defense level. The Iron Armor Pokémon had used the Defense-increasing move quite a few times, making it rather difficult for Hippopotas to dish out damaging attacks.
"Hippopotas, use Crunch!"
Hippopotas bounded forward, its little legs carrying it quickly and sending the ground-type to Aggron's legs. The Hippo Pokémon opened its wide jaws and clamped onto Aggron's lower left leg. Aggron roared as Hippopotas' powerful teeth sank in, but the roar was cut short and Aggron easily endured the pain, glancing down at the toiling ground-type below.
"Ah! It's not doing a thing!" Ash gasped.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha! I love defense!" Byron howled, "Aggron, grab Hippopotas! Send 'em for a ride!"
Aggron reached down effortlessly and grabbed Hippopotas by the scruff of its neck. Hippopotas complained as Aggron's claws squeezed it, and Aggron lifted the ground-type up so that it could meet its eyes. Hippopotas stopped its crying as it locked eyes with Aggron, and the ground-type trembled as Aggron's eyes flared. Then, Aggron reared back and slung Hippopotas high into the air. Hippopotas wailed as it flew, its little legs flailing about in the foolish hope that it would cling to some sort of ground.
"Now, Aggron, meet Hippopotas on its fall with Iron Head!" Byron called.
Aggron scraped its foot along the dirt like a race horse ready to take off, taking a charging stance and preparing to go. A sudden vortex of dirt appeared at Aggron's feet and rushed up around its body, swirling about and scratching the steel-type's body.
"Yes! Sand Tomb's taking effect!" Dawn cheered from the sideline. Aggron roared and the Sand Tomb went away, but the damage was done. It had no chance of hitting Hippopotas now. Regardless, the steel-type heeded Byron's earlier command, rushing forth with an Iron Head.
"Hippopotas, quick! Right yourself and use Dig on the way down!"
Hippopotas heard Ash's call and straightened its body out mid-fall. Focusing, Hippopotas crashed into the ground, burrowing underneath the earth easily. Aggron lumbered past once again, allowing Hippopotas to once again dig its way out and slam into Aggron's backside. Thus time, though, Aggron was able to grab Hippopotas before the shifty Hippo Pokémon could dash away.
"Aggron, Double-Edge!"
Aggron lurched forward at maximum power, crushing Hippopotas at point-blank range with the ultra-powerful attack. Hippopotas was thrown far to the other end of the battlefield, landing unceremoniously nearby Ash. Aggron cringed as it suffered from recoil damage. Along with that, another Sand Tomb vortex rose up from thin air to add a little extra damage to Aggron. Unfortunately for Ash, Hippopotas was feeling weak. It had landed some decent hits on Aggron thanks to its double type advantage, but Aggron had been able to withstand the hits thanks to Iron Defense and also hit back even harder than Hippopotas could.
"How's it going?" Lester asked, having finally returned to the battle room. He took his previous spot beside Dawn, leaning against the railing once again.
"It's hard to say." Dawn admitted.
"Hippopotas, can you still battle?" Ash asked calmly.
"Hippo-po-tas!" the ground-type replied.
"Aggron, use Metal Sound." Byron commanded.
Aggron beat its steely chest and then leaned forward, opening its mouth and releasing a screech that could only be likened to long nails scratching a chalkboard. The noise was disturbingly painful to the ears of both Ash and Hippopotas, and both Pokémon found themselves a little disoriented when the noise finally stopped.
Dawn closed her eyes as tight as she could to try and fix her own disorientation. Lester seemed relatively okay as he spoke, commenting on the battle below, "That couldn't have felt good."
"Ugh, no kidding…" Dawn groaned.
"Hippopotas, let's go with—"
"Hip!" Hippopotas objected. Without another sound, the Hippo Pokémon stepped forward, glaring at Aggron. The Iron Armor Pokémon held the ground-type's gaze and gave a toothless grin, as confident as ever.
Hippopotas suddenly reared up on its hind legs. The bottoms of its front feet glowed white, and the Hippo Pokémon leaned forward again in order to crash its feet into the ground. The earth exploded and glowing white waves went outward in every direction, shaking every inch of the battlefield. Dirt broke up into individual sections and churned back and forth, instantly causing Aggron to lose its footing and fall to the ground. From there, the ground ravaged Aggron's body, showing no mercy for all of a few seconds. The ground then suddenly settled, returning to its original undisturbed state as if nothing had ever happened.
Byron's and Ash's jaws had both dropped. "That was…that was Earthquake!" Byron stammered.
Ash's shock turned into elation, "All right, Hippopotas, you learned how to use Earthquake! That's great!" the teenager praised, "Now, let's use Dig one more time!"
Hippopotas burrowed under the ground, and Byron shook as he recognized the sudden momentum Ash was tapping into. "Aggron, quick, watch for Hippopotas to come up and then use Double-Edge immediately!"
Aggron watched the ground carefully, trying to sense the vibrations in the ground that would signal Hippopotas' movements. This failed, though, and Hippopotas came up from directly underneath Aggron, smashing into its belly. Aggron roared and staggered back for an instant, quickly recovering and charging at Hippopotas with a Double-Edge attack. Hippopotas effortlessly rolled out of the way, and Aggron kept running.
"Hippopotas, catch Aggron and use Crunch! Get him behind the head!" Ash shouted. Aggron's head had been ducked forward, suddenly exposing a space in the back of its neck that could be quite vulnerable. Hippopotas raced after Aggron as the steel-type realized its attack had failed. Before the steel-type could stop and stand back up, Hippopotas caught up, hopping up onto Aggron's leg and swiftly climbing up. The Iron Armor Pokémon realized what was happening and tried to thrash about and shake the ground-type off, but it was useless. Hippopotas cleared the distance with ease and opened its wide jaws, clamping down right in the open space underneath Aggron's layered armor.
Aggron's instant reaction threw Hippopotas away, but the damage was done. Aggron stumbled, and Hippopotas quickly stood up. Another Sand Tomb ravaged Aggron's body, and it was just enough to get the job done. Aggron roared as the Sand Tomb disappeared, glanced over at Hippopotas, and then collapsed, shaking the ground a final time as its heavy body crashed down.
"Aggron is unable to battle! The winner is Hippopotas!"
"Hippo-po-tas!" the ground-type cheered. Byron wore a stone glance, unhooking Aggron's Poké Ball and calling the fainted steel-type back inside. After thanking the Iron Armor Pokémon for its help, Byron pulled his fourth and final Poké Ball from his belt, brushing the end of his thumb across the clean red-and-white capsule.
"We're ready, Byron." Ash called. Byron looked up from the Poké Ball and gave a wicked grin.
"You see, Ash, that's the thing. I'm not so sure that you are." Byron taunted. He pulled his arm back and slung the Poké Ball out to the field, "Bastiodon, prepare for battle!"
The Poké Ball burst open and familiar white light jumped out from the capsule's insides. The light landed on the ground and shaped itself into the short, wide shape of the Pokémon inside. As quickly as it had come, the light vanished, revealing Byron's Bastiodon in all its glory.
"Bas…" the Shield Pokémon growled in a deep voice.
"Let's get started, shall we?" Byron asked rhetorically. He stiffened as he raised his voice, "Bastiodon, use Flash Cannon!"
Byron had wasted no time in calling for the attack, and Bastiodon in turn launched the attack in almost no time at all. A powerful, silvery blast was thrown from the steel-type's throat, speeding toward Hippopotas' vulnerable body. Hippopotas' eyes widened, and the Hippo Pokémon instinctively tried to dodge, but the attack hit quickly and powerfully, sweeping the ground-type off of its feet and dragging it backward through the air before dropping the Pokémon to the ground.
"Hip!" Hippopotas winced as it stood back up. The attack had dealt a decent amount of damage, and Ash quickly connected the dots. Aggron's Metal Sound had dropped Hippopotas' Special Defense capabilities, making it vulnerable to future attacks from a distance. Byron had planned well in advance.
"Just looking at you tells me that you've figured it out, Ash." Byron commented, "Now, come on! Show me that your power can match my Bastiodon's! Flash Cannon, again!"
Bastiodon opened its maw a second time and the orifice lit up with silver light. Ash tensed and called for Hippopotas to respond, "Hippopotas, let's use Dig!"
Bastiodon fired its attack and Hippopotas swiftly dug its way underneath the ground. The Flash Cannon blast missed easily as Hippopotas escaped to the safety of the underground, giving Ash the element of surprise.
"Okay, then, Bastiodon, use Iron Defense." Byron ordered. Bastiodon relaxed and its body glowed. The light quickly went away, but the Shield Pokémon already looked tougher. Without any other option, Ash called for Hippopotas to attack. The Hippo Pokémon erupted from under Bastiodon's chin, crashing into the steel-type with a full-body tackle. Bastiodon complained and took a few steps back, shaking its wide, shield-like head and blinking.
"Now, use Metal Burst!" Byron shouted. Bastiodon briefly grinned and formed a ball of light inches from its mouth. Hippopotas stood, frozen by its own uncertainty, and Bastiodon threw the light burst at its opponent. The Metal Burst attack struck Hippopotas at full force, dealing devastating damage and slinging the Hippo Pokémon away. Hippopotas hit the ground hard, bounced further away for a few seconds, and finally skidded to a stop near Ash.
"Hippopotas!" Ash gasped.
"Hiiiiip…" Hippopotas whimpered. The ground-type lifted its head, held it there for a moment, and then slumped back to the ground, signaling the end of the round.
"Hippopotas is unable to battle! The winner is Bastiodon!"
"Bastio-don!" the steel-type roared, its deep voice shaking the battlefield for a moment. Byron chimed in, "Amazing job, Bastiodon!"
"Hippopotas, return!" Ash called. The ground-type dissipated into red light and was recalled into its Poké Ball, offering some much-needed rest to the unconscious Pokémon, "Hippopotas, you did a great job taking down Aggron. I'm really proud of you." Ash said truthfully. He tucked the Poké Ball away and immediately grabbed his fourth and final capsule.
"I wonder who Ash will use next." Dawn wondered aloud, "He's going to need a hard-hitting Pokémon to counter Bastiodon's high Defense."
Down on the field, Ash reared up and tossed the Poké Ball into the fray. "Riolu, I choose you!"
The Poké Ball popped open and a ball of light sprang forward, landing on the ground and reshaping itself into the underwhelming form of Riolu. "Wah?" cried the Emanation Pokémon, glancing at the Bastiodon at the other end of the field. Riolu glanced at its surroundings, its face a mask of confusion.
"Riolu, we've got a battle to win! Are you ready to go?" Ash called.
"W-why would Ash call on Riolu at this point?" Dawn gasped, "Riolu's a tough Pokémon, but he has next to zero battling experience! Surely there's a better choice here."
"Maybe that's what Ash is counting on." Lester offered, though even he didn't seem to believe it.
"Seems like your Riolu is a bit lost there!" Byron taunted, "Are you sure you've made the right choice, Ash? Or did you slip up, perhaps?"
Amid Byron's overconfident jawing, Ash closed his eyes, focusing on the small form of Riolu. Blue flashes of Aura appeared in the blackness of Ash's shut eyelids, and Riolu's shape appeared to him.
"Riolu, I know this is all a little overwhelming, but I believe in you!" Ash said, "We've been training really, really hard for the last several months, but we don't have a lot of battling experience yet. Bastiodon may be a big foe, but you pack some powerful punches, so let's win this one together!"
Ash reopened his eyes, returning to the world. Riolu immediately relaxed, making it clear to Ash that the Emanation Pokémon had gotten his message. The young fighting-type shifted its legs and stuck out one of its arms, taking a fighting stance. "Rio!" barked the fighting-type.
"Hmm." Byron mused, "All right, then. Bastiodon, use Iron Defense, and then go with Iron Head!"
Bastiodon's body shimmered as it activated Iron Defense, and the Shield Pokémon suddenly charged forward once the move was finished. A huge flash of silver ripped into reality and surrounded Bastiodon, and the steel-type stormed toward the little Riolu.
"Riolu, dodge!"
Bastiodon quickly arrived and Riolu sidestepped the Shield Pokémon. Bastiodon continued rushing forward, but quickly stopped upon realizing that it had missed. The steel-type skidded to a stop and glanced at Riolu, its two eyes glowing with curiosity.
"All right, Riolu, use Nasty Plot." Ash ordered. Dark energy appeared around Riolu's feet and quickly trailed around the fighting-type's body, disappearing as quickly as it had come.
"Bastiodon, use Flash Cannon!" Byron howled. Bastiodon quickly straightened its body and blasted a beam of silver light, landing a smashing hit directly into Riolu's torso. The Flash Cannon dispatched Riolu across the field, and the fighting-type rolled around in the dirt, standing back on its feet with patches of dirt all around its body.
Ash grinned. "Riolu, use Copycat!"
Byron's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. Without hesitation, Riolu retook its battle stance and stuck out one of its paws, generating a beam of light identical to the Flash Cannon it had just suffered. The blast of damaging light rushed out from Riolu's paw, crashing into Bastiodon and acting as the perfect counter. Bastiodon released a heavy "Bas!" and stumbled backward, taking a few steps to steady itself and stand still amidst the damaging blast.
"So Riolu knows Copycat!" Lester observed, "With the ability to copy Bastiodon's attacks at will, this battle is already working into Ash's favor!"
"Bastiodon, use Iron Defense again!" Byron shouted. Bastiodon quickly obeyed, and once that was done, the Gym Leader called for another move, "Now, use Metal Burst!"
Bastiodon formed the familiar ball of energy from its mouth and fired the projectile at Riolu. On Ash's command, the Emanation Pokémon acrobatically dodged the move, turning its head to watch the attack pass harmlessly by.
"Ah! Riolu, look out!" Ash shouted. Riolu snapped its head back the other way, seeing only a flash of silver as Bastiodon ran over Riolu with an Iron Head attack. Riolu cringed as it climbed back to its feet, shooting its adversary a displeased glare. "Riolu!" Ash called again, "Just like we practiced, let's use Aura Sphere!"
"Hmm?" Byron mused. Riolu brought its two paws close together, forming a small yet clean sphere of blue energy in between them. The sphere widened as Riolu's paws shifted apart, and with an outward thrust of its paws, the Aura Sphere was thrown at Bastiodon, slicing through the air with a barely audible hum. Bastiodon stiffened and the attack made contact, dealing staggering damage. The Shield Pokémon staggered several paces backward, its huge legs suddenly beginning to wobble before it could stabilize itself.
"A Riolu that knows Aura Sphere? How is that possible?" Byron asked aloud.
"You could say that Riolu is a special Pokémon, Byron!" Ash shouted back, "And now, we're gonna win this thing! Riolu, use Force Palm!"
Riolu dashed forward at the recovering Bastiodon, one of its paws flexed open and pulsing with glowing energy. "Bastiodon, use Flash Cannon!" Byron shouted. The Shield Pokémon fired off a silver blast, prompting Riolu to jump, vaulting high over the Flash Cannon blast and keep running.
"Riolu, slide under Bastiodon to attack!"
Riolu's eyes immediately shifted to Bastiodon's belly. Its wide, shield-like head offered staggering physical defense capabilities, but the rest of its body was nowhere near as protected. Riolu reached Bastiodon and slid into the ground, skidding across the thin rock. An instant later, Riolu's Force Palm made contact with Bastiodon's underside, skyrocketing the steel-type into the air. Bastiodon howled deeply as it flew, soaring in an arc and crashing down with a loud boom, kicking up a smokescreen of dust.
"Bastiodon, are you all right?!" Byron shouted, lurching forward from his battle box, "Bastiodon, if you can hear me, use Metal Burst!"
A few moments later, there was a noise resembling a sort of moo. A glowing silver projectile arced over the huge cloud of dust, curving its way downward directly at Riolu. The Emanation Pokémon chattered worriedly and tried to sidestep out of the way, but the Metal Burst collided with the nearby ground hard enough to cause a seismic thrashing that tripped Riolu up. The instant Riolu hit the ground, Byron's voice echoed from behind the dust cloud, followed closely by Bastiodon erupting from the layer of dirt in the midst of an Iron Head attack, clearing the dust cloud with its thunderous charge.
"Riolu, up! Get out of there!"
Riolu scrambled to its feet, but Bastiodon was a mere few feet away. Without enough time to adequately dodge, Riolu took a defensive stance, activating two Force Palms, one in each of its paws. Bastiodon collided at full force, driving Riolu back all too easily. As Riolu was pushed back, its canine feet dug deeper into the dirt, ultimately slowing Bastiodon down. Soon enough, Riolu had enough room to counter. With both of its paws lit with the energy of Force Palm, Riolu threw Bastiodon sideways into the ground, somehow mustering the strength to pull off such a move. The counter even stunned Byron.
Byron's arms went limp and the end of his shovel fell downward, stabbing into the earth at the Gym Leader's feet. His lapse in thought gave more than enough time for Riolu to step back.
"Riolu, let's finish this! Use Aura Sphere!" Ash yelled. Riolu yipped and charged up another ball of pulsing Aura, pouring as much power as it could muster into the attack. Bastiodon lumbered to its feet, completely unaware of the impending attack that was aimed straight for it. Ash's shout broke the steel-type from its moment of obliviousness, "Riolu, now!"
Riolu gave another yip and did a brief spin, slinging the Aura Sphere after a single rotation. The Aura Sphere spun rapidly as it flew through the air, discharging flares of energy around its spherical form. The attack collided with Bastiodon's exposed side, exploding violently and knocking Bastiodon back off of its feet. The Shield Pokémon roared with panic as it was thrown to the ground, its shout cut off by its landing. The steel-type remained still, signaling the battle's end result.
"Bastiodon is unable to battle! The winner is Riolu!" the referee echoed, "Which means the win goes to Ash from Pallet Town!"
"Rio!" Riolu howled triumphantly, vaulting straight up into the air in celebration. Riolu then ran back over to Ash, speedily latching onto him and clambering up his body up to the teenager's head. Ash giggled, his eyes fixated as far upward as they could go as he tried to look at the Emanation Pokémon. Riolu then tumbled down in front of Ash, landing squarely in the Trainer's arms like a baby.
"Bastiodon, return." Byron called. The fainted steel-type broke down into red light and returned to the Poké Ball, and Byron walked out onto the battlefield with a smile, his shovel hefted onto his shoulders. Dawn and Lester came down the steps by the bleachers as Byron reached Ash, allowing the Trainer and Gym Leader just a few moments to speak.
"Ash, that battle was everything that I had hoped for!" Byron praised, "Your Pokémon are strong, and I can see that they have been raised by the right Trainer. Your power overwhelmed my team's defensive tactics…again!" With that, Byron began laughing loudly. He brought his shovel down from his shoulder and stuck it into the ground.
"Byron, thank you so much." Ash said, "I enjoyed our battle a lot, and some of my Pokémon got some much-needed experience today."
"I must say, both your Riolu and Hippopotas surprised me." Byron admitted, "I was not expecting such little Pokémon to pack such power." Byron reached out to scratch Riolu's chin, something that the little fighting-type very clearly enjoyed. Byron chuckled at Riolu's reaction, and his attention was then drawn to Dawn and Lester as they reached the pair.
"That was some battle, you two." Dawn butted in. Piplup and Pikachu agreed with happy cheers, both Pokémon having been left with the Coordinator upstairs while Ash focused on battling.
"Yes, I was just telling Ash how much I enjoyed it!" Byron agreed, "So, where will you all head next?"
"I think the next stop for us is going to be Chocovine Town so that Dawn can compete in a Contest, and then it's off to Snowpoint City to challenge Candice!" Ash explained.
"Ah, the ice-type girl, correct? She is…peculiar…but an accomplished Trainer without a doubt!" Byron said, "That is a long journey north, though. Taking the ferry to Chocovine Town is a smart move since it'll cut at least half the distance to the city. Lester, what about you? Do you plan to accompany Ash and Dawn to Snowpoint City as well?"
"I haven't really thought about it." Lester admitted, "I just tagged along with them after a run-in with Team Rocket, and once I heard that I would meet you, sir, I was quite excited. I am traveling all across Sinnoh right now, however."
"Would you be interested in heading up there with us, Lester?" Dawn asked.
"Oh, I…I don't wish to be a burden." Lester stammered.
"Nonsense, you're not a burden at all!" Ash insisted, "You should travel with us to Snowpoint City, it would be a lot of fun!"
Lester thought for a moment, "All right, you twist my arm, Ash." Lester joked, "But there are some things that I need to take care of before then, so I'm afraid I cannot go with you to Chocovine Town."
"How about we pull up a map? If you want, you can meet us there or in one of the other towns nearby, and we can travel up to Snowpoint City together from there!" Dawn suggested. Ash and Lester immediately agreed that this was a smart idea, so Dawn accessed the regular map function on her Pokétch, which showed a simple, contemporary map of the region. She scrolled the map until reaching Chocovine Town. "There's not much south of Chocovine Town, but there's a few towns on the way to Snowpoint City. The biggest one would be Sandalstraw Town."
"Sandalstraw Town? That's where we played in the Pokémon Ping-Pong tournament the first time, right?" Ash asked. Dawn nodded and glanced at Lester, who was deep in thought.
"Sandalstraw Town may well work out for me. I have to go to Oreburgh City next, and then I'll be going around Mt. Coronet next to meet with some old friends that are digging for fossils. I could probably catch a helicopter going out of the dig site and get transportation to Sandalstraw Town." Lester said.
"That's a lot of trouble to go to just to meet up with us again." Ash commented.
"Yes, it is…" Lester agreed, "How about we decide later, when I find out what I can make work?"
"That's probably the best option." Dawn agreed, "All this planning ahead is troublesome."
"Sounds like you're all in agreement!" Byron commented. He laughed, "I tell you, if I didn't have the responsibilities of a Gym Leader—or even an adult, really—I'd pack my things tomorrow and run off on a journey of my own! Anyway, I have some things to attend to at the ranch out back, and then I'll be out and about around Canalave City. I'm afraid I need to get going."
"All right, Byron." Ash said. He stuck out his arm for a handshake, "It was great getting to battle you again, I'm glad we got to do this!"
"The pleasure is all mine, Ash, truly!" Byron said, shaking the teenager's hand. He shook Dawn's hand and then moved to Lester, shaking his hand as well, "It was also great meeting you, Lester. Please do give me a call if you're still interested in learning from me about fossils!"
"Will do, sir!" Lester agreed. He shook Byron's hand vigorously, but the Gym Leader didn't seem to mind. He stepped away from the group, hefting his shovel back over his shoulder and padding away, leaving Ash, Dawn, and Lester to themselves.
The trio disembarked from the boat, having made land back on the main island of Canalave City. The afternoon was quickly dwindling—the sun would set in a few hours, and night would quickly follow that. Ash and Dawn's ferry to Chocovine Town left first thing in the morning. After some walking, the trio of Ash, Dawn, and Lester stopped in front of the Pokémon Center.
"I guess this is where we split." Dawn remarked, "Lester, you have my number on you, so you can give us a call if you're able to make it to one of the towns on the way to Sandalstraw Town."
"I promise that I will let you know!" Lester said, "But please, if you're on your way out of Sandalstraw Town before I do, don't worry about it! I'm glad I got to meet you both!"
"So are we, Lester." Ash agreed, "Good luck with your fossil digging later this week."
"Yes! Good luck to you both as well!" Lester said. He began to walk backwards down the block, his pace quickly turning into an excited run. He waved and then whirled around, his unusual excitement carrying him down the block at a run. He disappeared around the corner of the street, leaving Ash and Dawn alone.
"Hmpf…it's nice to see someone who's just so happy, even though there's a lot of bad stuff going on." Ash remarked.
"Yeah…it is." Dawn agreed. Ash sighed and then trotted into the Pokémon Center, prompting Dawn to follow him inside.
Night had fallen on the Sinnoh region when Byron finally returned to his island. The boat shuddered as it came to a stop, allowing Byron to hop off and land on the wooden deck.
"Thanks again, Sully." Byron said with a wave as he walked away from the Gym. Sully responded with an 'Aye' and began backing the boat up, eventually leaving Byron in total blackness. The Gym Leader trotted up the hill, a large bag of feed hefted over his shoulder. It was a large burlap sack of Pokémon food, but the weight was almost nothing to Byron, for his strength had been forged in the heat of the mines back when he was young. He briefly reminisced to that time, the flashbacks inspired by the excited youthfulness of Ash and his friends.
When he'd finally come of age, there wasn't much out there for Byron to do. He had grown up in Oreburgh City and almost never left. The city was almost entirely focused on the coal industry that had jumpstarted the town decades ago and kept it on the map for so long. Even though coal was technically an outdated power source, Oreburgh City as a whole still took pride in generating a sizeable chunk of resources that powered the entire Sinnoh Region. With this in mind, Byron took to his work in the mines with an almost unreasonable enthusiasm. Never once in many years did he ever get tired of mining coal. One day in those many years, he'd met Suzanne, the woman who would become his wife, as a young adult. She was truly stunning. Together they had a single son, who they named Roark.
One day along that point, Byron had his first encounter with fossils. A laboratory was soon erected in Oreburgh City, and as the foreman of the Oreburgh Mining Company at the time, he'd been invited to tour the new facilities. At first, he had detested the prospect. Science, along with ever-advancing methods of energy, threatened his company and his lifestyle like no other. But upon seeing the lab for himself, and witnessing the amazing things they were doing with Pokémon fossils, Byron's feelings immediately changed. He became incredibly invested in Pokémon fossils, which eventually led to him trying his hand as a Trainer. He immediately became fond of the steel and rock types, thanks to their unmatched defensive capabilities. Eventually, he was named the leader of the Oreburgh Gym.
But these changes had not been all good. Over these years, his marriage to Suzanne soured. They argued often, and about a great many things. In addition, Roark came to idolize his father and his father's new interests, and this did not help the situation. Finally, one day, Byron received an offer in the mail to become the new head of the Canalave City Gym. He had taken the offer immediately, never once hesitating to walk down this new path. He had thought he was doing his family a service, but Suzanne disagreed. Once he was settled, Byron asked Suzanne to come, but she refused. She thought that he was no longer the man she married. To make things worse, she kept Roark in Oreburgh City, which in turn soured the relationship between Byron and his son, something that had held on between them until recently. Until Ash. Now, Byron truly wondered where Suzanne was, and what she was doing. Roark had told him that she'd left Oreburgh City once Roark came of age. Was she still alive? Would she ever be interested in seeing his face again?
Byron was dragged out of his memories by the lights of the Gym as he walked inside. The electric lighting in the front room flickered a bit, indicating that he needed to change the lightbulb soon. Byron sighed and walked through the halls to the back of the Gym, reentering the outside world near the front gate of his ranch. He walked up to the fenced-in area, thrown back into the dark of night. When he reached the front gate, he immediately noticed that something was off. The air was oddly tense. Some bushes began rustling far away from Byron's eyesight, but it didn't stop him from looking. When nothing substantial came from the rustling brush, he turned to look back out at his ranch. None of the Pokémon were out, something that never happened. The 'ranch' stretched back into the deep, unharvested forest that covered most of the island. It was reasonable that they were hiding, but from what? Why wouldn't they come out?
"Bastiodon?" Byron called, "…Bronzong? Steelix? Cranidos?"
Nothing.
Byron slit open the bag of feed as he opened the ranch's front gate, approaching the collection of troughs that hugged the inside of the fence. He whistled and dumped the entire sack of Pokémon food in the troughs, trying to evenly spread them out. The food would last until around lunchtime tomorrow, and Byron would have to head back into town. Once the sack of food had been emptied, Byron hung it over the fence, resolving to deal with it later as he hopped over to the other side of the fence.
"Graveler? Shieldon!" Byron inquired, eventually shouting as he still got no answer, "Beldum!"
Still nothing.
"Shit." Byron cursed. He spat on the ground at his feet. Something wasn't right. Byron whirled around and stormed back to the Gym. There was nobody on the island at this time of night besides him. What would the Pokémon be so afraid of that they wouldn't even come to him? He resolved to scour the Gym. He stepped inside the building and walked to the nearest room, which happened to be his room. He speedily searched the room, finding nothing out of the ordinary. In a moment of thinking about his own self-defense, he reached under his bed and grabbed a wooden bat, leaving the room and moving to the next one. Just like the last room, nothing was out of the ordinary.
Everything was the same until about the fifth room that Byron checked. He exhaled angrily as he once again found nothing suspicious, this time in an unused storage room. In that instant, he thought that he heard a voice, and his head instantly cocked toward the left wall. He remained deathly still, silently training his ears for another sound.
Bump.
Byron surged out the door and headed immediately for the next door over. There was one room next to the storage room: his fossil room. It also doubled as an office, really, as he kept both his personal items (such as pictures of young Roark and certain fossils that he deemed special, like the Giant Anorith) and items related to his job inside. He brought his ID card up and scanned it on the electronic lock, causing the door to immediately open.
Byron thundered inside the door, finding a few artificial lights on his desk that had not been there before. Two men were rifling through cardboard boxes on the shelves against the right wall. Barely an instant after he walked in, the two men staggered back, shocked by his sudden intrusion.
In the next instant, a blunt object was slammed into the back of his head. Byron crumpled to the ground with a scream, his vision instantly blurry as excruciating pain ripped through his skull. His bat hit the floor first, hitting with a hollow thunk as he slumped onto the tile floor.
"Byron. Thank you for making this so nice and easy." said an unfamiliar voice, "Have you found it yet?"
The two men searching the cardboard boxes moved to the next one, throwing some things out before they stopped cold. Faint blue light trailed out from inside the box, and there was no mistaking what the light was coming from. Even through his warped, blurry vision, Byron knew what they had found.
"N-no." he groaned. Just speaking was uncomfortable for him, but he still tried to crawl to his feet. A boot suddenly pressed into his back, pushing him back into the floor and knocking what little wind had returned to Byron's lungs out of them. A warm liquid dripped from his lips as well.
"W-what…" Byron gurgled, "What do you want?"
"Bring it here." The same unfamiliar voice from earlier said. The Grunts scrambled over to the man, handing him the orb that they'd discovered. "Magnificent. Tell me, Mister Byron, what exactly are you doing with the Adamant Orb in a cardboard box in your storage room?"
Byron groaned, trying to articulate his feelings as best he could. "…Go…fuck yourself…"
In response to the scornful comment, the man kicked Byron in the side of the head, hitting him into the ground.
"You're not really in a position to be insulting me, now are you?" the man spat, "In any case, it doesn't matter why you have this, because we're taking it."
"What…do you…want?" Byron winced.
"What do we want? We want to rule the world," said the man, "and with this, we are one step closer to doing so."
"You're playing with powers you don't know how to control, much less understand!" Byron protested. He blinked rapidly, trying to get some semblance of his vision back.
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Mister Byron. We do know how to control these powers, and we will. It is only a matter of time…" said the man. He squatted down, speaking more quietly to the downed Byron, "Oh, and, if anyone asks you who did this, tell them…tell them Proton did this."
Byron committed the name to memory, and then he acted. He wasn't really sure where he was aiming, thanks to his blurred vision, but he figured it was worth a shot. Unfortunately, his attempt to attack his assailants failed miserably; he was easily countered by who he assumed was Proton and thrown into the ground on his back. He cursed and heaved in deep breaths, finally accepting that he was beaten.
"Tch. How pathetic." Proton snickered, "C'mon, let's get out of here."
At that moment, Byron inconveniently regained his sight, though he was unable to move. He scanned his attackers, counting three in all: the two men who had been rifling through the boxes, and a third man carrying a blunt object resembling a pipe. Byron looked past the man with bluish-green hair and settling on a man with black hair. His brain scrambled as he tried to understand. There was no mistaking it.
"Y-you." Byron managed, "You're the one who was with Ash and Dawn today. L-Lester…"
Lester grinned cruelly. "Yes, yes I was. A pity you had to find out this way. They asked me to stay behind for this, but I wanted to come along on this mission. Just for this moment."
Byron's mind raced. What had happened to Lester's excitable and polite personality? Had it all been a sickening ruse?
"Why go to all this risk? To befriend Ash and Dawn, to come into my Gym, and pretend. Why?" Byron asked.
"It's a long story…one I'm afraid there's no time to tell." Lester said. "Proton, could you deal with this?"
"You should watch how you speak to an Executive, Grunt, don't get so high and mighty because of what you managed here today. But yes, I'll take it from here." Proton said rudely. He locked eyes with Byron, sliding a syringe out from a pocket in his uniform. A strange green liquid had been loaded into the needle, making Byron's skin crawl. Lester and the other Grunt who had been searching for the Adamant Orb quickly appeared at Byron's sides and held down his arms. Without hesitation, Proton slid the needle into a vein in the Gym Leader's forearm, injecting the liquid and sliding the needle out. Byron squirmed, and Proton chuckled, "I was beginning to think we wouldn't get to use this. Don't worry, Byron, we're not going to kill you. As much as I would prefer to keep you quiet the old-fashioned way, we were specifically instructed not to kill anyone."
Byron's head began to hurt, earning another smile from Proton, "Oh, sorry, does it hurt? That would be the brain agent in the serum I just gave you. It attacks parts of the brain related to short-term memory, severely hampering or even destroying your recollection of what you've just seen and heard. You won't even be able to remember our faces or our names! In just a few moments, you'll black out completely. This way, you can't rat us out, and we don't have to get any blood on our uniforms."
"Y-y-you animals. You won't get away with this." Byron managed. His teeth grinded together dangerously hard as he tried to handle the rapidly increasing pain in his head.
"I'm afraid that we already have." Proton retorted, giving an evil smile, "You should consider yourself lucky that your lifeless shell isn't being shoved into a body bag right now. Goodbye, Byron, and thank you so very much for the Adamant Orb."
The three Team Rocket members shuffled out of the room and the automatic door shut behind them, effectively locking Byron inside. Byron gave a prolonged shout as whatever Proton had injected him with burned his head even more. He then began to feel woozy, and instinctively reached for the pocket in his work pants. Inside was his phone, a somewhat outdated device that he could only make voice calls from. Lucky for Byron, most adults at least owned one, including his son. His sight began to leave him, but Byron was more than able to find Roark in his contacts list and make the call. Another jolt of pain ripped through his skull, and he put the phone on speaker, the sound of periodic ringing calling to his numb ears.
"Hello?" Roark said as he picked up on the line.
"Son!" Byron stammered, "It's me, I need your—aagh!"
"D-Dad, what's wrong? Talk to me!" Roark fumbled.
"I-in the Gym…something's happened—aagh—I'm in the…fossil room…stuck…"
"I'm calling the police, I'll be there as soon as I can! Talk to me, Dad, stay with me!" Roark panicked.
"I-I-I can't…blacking…out…" Byron heaved, his breath immediately going short. He blinked slowly, and his exhaustion multiplied in doing so. Numbness traveled across his body, dragging him into unconsciousness until Byron's head finally thumped on the floor.
"Dad! Dad? Dad?!"
Ash and Dawn had settled into their seats at one of the many tables in the Pokémon Center's lobby. Trays of food were in front of them, each packed with different kinds of food for their dinner. Dawn had gone with a healthier setup, spreading out her options into fruits, vegetables, and grains. Ash, on the other hand, was all about the calories, piling steak and breads on his plate while leaving just a small section of the plate for some asparagus. He created a steak sandwich from what he had on the plate, taking in large bites every few moments.
Off to the side of the Trainers, Piplup, Pikachu, Buneary, and Riolu calmly ate their Pokémon food. Pikachu once again praised Riolu for its victory against Bastiodon, slightly embarrassing the fighting-type. Buneary was relentlessly attempting to get Pikachu's full attention, though it only worked about half of the time. Pikachu, oblivious as ever, chattered friendlily to the Rabbit Pokémon, and Buneary in turn cutely buried her face in the fluff on her body.
"The ferry to Chocovine Town leaves tomorrow at 9:00." Dawn said as she scrolled through her PokéPad screen.
"Sweet, then I can get up and do my usual morning stuff before we have to go." Ash answered. He scarfed down another bite of his steak sandwich, chewing rapidly and then making some room for a dash of asparagus.
"And the Contest is just two days later. It's a Singles Contest, so we'll have to work hard on our counters and special moves." Dawn added, "Piplup, Buneary, are you two ready to win another Ribbon?"
"Pip-lup!"
"Bun-eary!"
The sound of a shrieking siren interrupted Ash and Dawn both. Flashing lights appeared through the Pokémon Center's windows, vanishing as quickly as they had come, but the cause was clear enough. As if on cue, the channel that the TV hanging from the ceiling was on was suddenly pre-empted, airing an emergency TV broadcast. Thanks to the passing sirens, all attention was on the TV. Ash shot up from his chair, leaving his half-eaten sandwich behind and powerwalking to a spot where he could see the TV. Dawn remained at her seat with the Pokémon, watching Ash worriedly. She immediately noticed him tense as he read what was on the screen. Big bold letters were printed on a box at the bottom of the screen:
CANALAVE CITY GYM ATTACKED
Ash went pale. "Byron," he said, "Dawn, I'm going to the Gym. I need to make sure Byron is okay!"
"What?" Dawn stammered in answer. Ash was already on his way out as she called him, "Ash! What are you talking about?" She quickly realized that he wasn't turning around, and she cursed under her breath as she stood up from her chair. She pulled out the twin Poké Balls of Piplup and Buneary, calling them both back in. "C'mon, you two! Pikachu, let's catch up to Ash!"
Dawn bolted out of the Pokémon Center, quickly glancing over to the left to spot Ash's retreating form under the streetlights. She beckoned Pikachu to run with her and they chased after Ash, doing their best to make up their lost ground. Surprisingly, they were able to mostly catch up, finding themselves only a handful of paces behind the older teen as they sprinted through the streets of Canalave City in the direction of the harbor.
"Ash! What's going on?" Dawn yelled. They rounded a corner after him and flashing red and blue lights nearly blinded Dawn and Pikachu. They recovered quickly and ran after Ash again. As they did so, the older Trainer hollered over his shoulder.
"That news report said there was an attack on the Canalave Gym! I've gotta find out why!"
"D'you think Team Rocket did it?" Dawn yelled.
"No doubt about it." Ash grumbled. They reached the harbor together a few moments later. Police boats were speeding along the water in droves, the boats in the back bouncing over the wakes left behind by those in the front. Underneath all of the rapidly flashing lights, Sully the harbormaster looked incredibly uncomfortable.
"Sully! What's happened?" Ash howled as he pushed through the crowd. The sailor recognized Ash and Dawn both and somewhat brightened, although he was still wracked with nerves.
"I don't know!" Sully cried, "Something's happened at the Canalave Gym, the island is crawling with police! But they won't let me head over there and check on things myself! I'm worried about Mister Byron."
"We are too, that's why we came here." Ash said.
"Well, I'd love to help, but I can't leave the harbor and you can't drive a boat." Sully mumbled.
"Leave it to us." Ash said. He unhooked a Poké Ball from his belt, "We don't need a boat."
Sully brightened, understanding Ash instantly, "Really, you'd do that? Thank you so much!"
Ash nodded before looking back, "Dawn, you comin'?"
"Don't exactly have anywhere more important to be." Dawn said with a shrug. She grabbed a Poké Ball of her own, and the two Trainers tossed the capsules into the air, calling on Charizard and Togekiss. They then hopped onto the backs of their Pokémon, taking to the black sky.
Byron's island was easy to point out from the vantage point of the sky. A huge cluster of red and blue lights flashed endlessly from the island and the sea around it. "Charizard, see those lights? Let's get over there, pronto!"
"Togekiss, you too!"
The Pokémon dashed through the air at high speed, clearing the distance to the island in a matter of moments. Charizard and Togekiss then both angled themselves downward, zooming down to the surface of the island and pulling up only when the Trainers on their backs were ready. Ash and Dawn hopped off together, landing cleanly on the ground and returning the two Pokémon with a gracious thank-you. They were immediately noticed by the hordes of law enforcement, but no one stepped off and told them that they couldn't be there. Near the front doors of the Gym, a slim figure was speaking to an unremarkable man in a lab coat. A stretcher had been set up in the grass, and the man sitting on it was none other than Byron.
Ash and Dawn both ran towards Byron. As they got closer, they noticed the red miner's hat on the slim man, who turned around and revealed himself to be Roark. Equal surprise ran through all three Pokémon Trainers.
"Ash, Dawn! W-what are you doing here?" Roark choked.
"Roark! We heard about the attack on the Gym and came to see if Byron was okay!" Ash said a little bit too loudly.
"I'm more or less fine." Byron grumbled with a slight slur from the stretcher. Ash, Dawn, and Roark all looked over. Byron was pressing a wet rag to his head, and there was a red color on the side of his forehead that could only be blood. An ugly cut was also present along his lip, but the bleeding from that wound had apparently been stopped.
"You're not fine." Roark hissed, "You have a concussion, Dad, and you're bleeding!"
"Don't you think I know that?!" Byron shouted. He immediately regretted raising his voice and winced, tightly shutting his eyes as he sucked on his teeth in pain.
"Byron, what happened here?" Ash asked.
"Th-they took it." Byron managed.
"What? Who took what?" Dawn pressed.
"Team Rocket. They took the Adamant Orb."
"What?" Ash snapped.
"B-but that doesn't make any sense!" Dawn protested, "How could they take the Adamant Orb if they attacked the Gym? No one even knows where it…is…" Dawn quickly stopped as she made the connection. She and Ash locked eyes and then looked back at Byron, both of them fully understand.
"Unless you had the Adamant Orb…right here in the Gym." Ash said as calmly as he could. He didn't understand. Why would Byron have the Adamant Orb?
"I know what you're thinking, Ash…" Byron heaved. He winced, "The Pokémon League entrusted me with the care of the Adamant Orb. With all of the trouble that Team Galactic stirred up involving the Orbs, they wanted to keep them somewhere safe. So they asked me and another Gym Leader to each take one of the Orbs and hide them away."
"But why in a Pokémon Gym? Doesn't that seem too public?" Ash asked.
"Tell me Ash, if you were looking for the Timespace Orbs, would you go into a Pokémon Gym and look for one?"
"Well…no." Ash admitted, "But Team Rocket did! How did they even get inside?"
"They did…I don't know how." Byron answered, "I'd just gotten back from the city with a big bag of Pokémon food. I always have to buy a lot because of all the rock and steel-types out in the ranch…they can really pack in the chow. I went out back to dump the food in the troughs…they usually don't eat right away. But when I got there, none of them would come out. I called and called…nothing. I went inside the Gym to search for any intruders…I found them. But before I could do anything, someone hit me in the back of the head with a…pipe of some sort. They were digging through my things in the fossil room. Nobody goes in there but me. I don't even know how they got in there."
"Did you get a good look at any of them?" Ash asked quickly.
"I…I…I can't remember. I know that I talked to them…I remember how nonchalantly they talked about the things they were going to do. But I can't remember their faces or their names…and I don't know why." Byron stammered. His inability to remember infuriated him. How could he forget these things so easily? He didn't know.
"Any details, perhaps?" Ash asked next, "I've run into quite a few people in their ranks."
Byron squeezed his eyes shut and thought as hard as he could. He concentrated, trying to clear his mind and scrounge together some recollection. When that failed, the tension in his face vanished and he reopened his eyes, pure sadness on his face. "No...nothing."
Ash's stomach dropped.
"Dad, it's okay if you can't remember anything. I think it's clear enough who did this." Roark said.
"Team Rocket is already the number one suspect." The police doctor said, finally adding something to the scene. Everyone looked to the physician as he spoke next, "Your inability to remember is certainly a side effect of the concussion. Blunt trauma to the head has a habit of knocking some memories loose."
Byron's eyes suddenly lit up, "Wait! I…I think I may have something!"
Everyone shot their attention over from the doctor to Byron, who immediately seemed much more energized than before. "I remember…their leader…he had a weird color of hair. If I remember right, it was a shade of green, maybe a little bit teal, I think…?" Byron managed.
"Teal hair." Ash repeated, "That sounds like Executive Proton. He was responsible for the incident in Alamos Town."
"Captain!" the doctor called. Officer Jenny appeared through the group of police officers, padding over to the doctor.
"Yes, Dr. Cruz? What is it?" Jenny asked.
"Byron has something to report." The doctor—Dr. Cruz—said. Jenny immediately looked to Byron.
"It isn't much, but I've managed one recollection. One of the people with these intruders…I think he was their leader…he had hair that was a teal-like color." Byron repeated. Jenny's eyes lit up and she immediately produced a notepad and scribbled down the information.
"Byron, this is important information!" Officer Jenny said, "Every little bit helps, truly. Now, I need to get back inside the Gym and coordinate the investigation."
"Of course, Officer Jenny. Please, take everything you think you may need as evidence. I'd like nothing more than to see these crooks captured." Roark agreed. Officer Jenny nodded and briskly walked away, slipping through the Gym's automatic doors and disappearing from sight.
"Byron, sir, while you are healing from your concussion, it might be useful to focus some time to remembering things about tonight. I'm afraid you are in no condition to participate in Gym battles at this time." Dr. Cruz said, "I'd recommend you nominate a temporary stand-in."
"I nominate my son, Roark." Byron said immediately.
"W-what? Dad…" Roark tried to protest.
"Roark." Byron snapped. He locked eyes with his son, silently communicating just why he wanted him to lead the Gym during his absence. Roark quieted and stepped back, reluctantly accepting the offer. Hopefully, he wouldn't have too many challengers coming to the Canalave Gym; he already had enough on his plate in Oreburgh City.
Officer Jenny exited the Gym once again, following a group of officers who were carrying boxes labeled 'Evidence'. The officers shuffled along as Jenny walked back over to Dr. Cruz and the Trainers.
"I think we have everything that we need for this. We'll begin investigating right away." Jenny said.
"Excellent. I trust your department will be able to track down these crooks." Byron said. He winced again as his concussion stung his head, "Roark, can you help me get inside? I need to be in a dark room."
"Of course, Dad." Roark said with a smile. He grabbed onto Byron's arm, helping him off of the stretcher and leading him across the grass inside the Gym. Dr. Cruz and his staff began to pack up their medical supplies, leaving Ash and Dawn by themselves underneath the flashing red and blue lights. One by one, police helicopters began to take off and head back to the city, closely followed by the many police boats that were floating around the island.
It was only a few moments until Roark returned. Officer Jenny climbed onto the final police helicopter on the island and her pilot took off into the sky as Roark reached Ash and Dawn. The three Trainers were now alone in the darkness.
"Roark, you think Byron will be okay?" Ash asked as calmly as he could.
"Yes. My dad is strong…but he will need some time to rest in a dark room or two. Exposure to too much light will only make things worse." Roark answered.
"Have Byron's Pokémon come back out?" Dawn asked next.
"Yes, they have. They're all in the ranch right now, but they're a little bit on edge. I'm sure they're all very worried about Byron." Roark explained, "Where are you two going from here?"
"We have a ferry to Chocovine Town first thing tomorrow morning." Dawn answered.
"And then it's off to Snowpoint City for my next Gym battle." Ash said.
"That's quite the journey, even from Chocovine Town." Roark whistled, "Anyway, I should get back inside. I'll likely be staying at the Gym for a few days taking care of my dad."
"Yeah, that's a good idea. We need to get some rest anyhow." Ash agreed.
"It's been great seeing you both again. I'm glad you're all doing well." Roark said.
"I think we all wish it had been under better circumstances." Dawn offered. Ash and Roark nodded in agreement.
"Yes, but I'm afraid there is nothing we can do about it. We must be careful. There is no telling what Team Rocket will try next." Roark lamented, "You two, please…take care of yourselves."
"We will try, Roark. Really." Ash answered with a nod. With nothing more to say, Roark slowly turned around and walked back up the shallow hill to the Gym's entrance, stepping through the automatic doors as they opened. Ash met Dawn's eyes and sagged his shoulders. "We should probably get going as well."
"Yeah…" Dawn agreed somberly. The pair readied the Poké Balls of Charizard and Togekiss, calling upon the pair of flying-types and taking to the night sky. Ash held the bill of his cap down as the wind blew hard against his face, feeling his locks of raven hair billow in the gusts.
Just a few moments later, they landed on the city's main island, heading inside the Pokémon Center and parting ways to go to their separate rooms. In seconds, they had each changed into their respective night clothes, hitting the mattresses of their beds and curling up underneath the blankets. There, separated by little more than a hallway and a pair of doors, they each descended into a fitful, uncertain sleep.
Hey, guys. Sorry for the later than normal update. Things have been busy. I'm still going to try to get in as many chapters on schedule as I can before I have to leave for college. After that, I simply don't know what the update schedule will be like, but it won't be anything like it is now. Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter please leave a review at the bottom and tell me all your thoughts about what happened in this chapter! Thanks everyone!
Until next time, stay tuned, as the journey continues!
