Chapter 97 – The aura (Pokémon) awakens!

Happy third anniversary of this story…three years, 100 chapter!

"No…NOOOO…. Please STOP!"

It was pain beyond imagining. Beyond anything Ashachu had experienced in his whole life up to this point…And despite his young age that was a surprisingly high bar to pass. It felt like his entire body was on fire as the cruel claw dug deeper into his flesh. The violence the Team Flare scientist was inflicting on his body.

"You are a perverted. Disgusting. Little monster," said Aliana, his voice filled with hatred. "My comrades are dead. Mable is dead. Lysandre is dead. All because of you and your trainer. And for that. You will suffer."

Ashachu bit his tongue to try and quell the cries coming from his maw. He wasn't going to beg. There was no point. This woman wasn't going to take any pity on him. Quite the contrary. She was going to take pleasure in every cry and squeak that came from his maw. In every twitch of his ears. In his writing in agony. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"I only need your aura. And for that I only need to keep your little heart beating. I wonder how much you can take before you'r heart gives out little chu."

Ashachu was wondering the same thing. How long would he have to suffer like this? How long before he blacked out. Before he died. He wanted this to be over. Even as he thought that a great sadness entered his heart. Relief would mean he would never see his parents again. Never see him again…

"Hunter," he whispered. "I love you. Goodbye…"

"You really are a pervert aren't you. Perhaps you should try some repentance. Before I send you to the distortion…"

There was a sickening snapping sound, and then…sheer horror…Aliana presented Ashachu with his tail. She held up the severed body part, covered in blood and with part of the bone sticking out of the end.

"Pika!"

"Not so tough now are you, aura Pichu. Now let's see. You can survive without your paws."

Even more pain. Aliana pressed the Sneasel claw into the sole of his right foot paw and pushed it in deep. So deep to touch the bone.

Ashachu couldn't keep biting his tongue. He opened his maw and screamed. "Piiiikaapikkaachuuu!"

And then…

WHACK!

Aliana suddenly seemed to collapse, falling over and disappearing from view. It had all happened in a split second. A crimson creature jumped out somewhere and tackled the Team Flare Scientist to the ground.

Ashachu raised his head and looked over the edge of, whatever it was he was lying on, and saw Aliana wriggling, with a red lizard Pokémon with a flaming tail sitting on the small of her back.

"P-Pyre." Ashachu was certainly surprised to see the Charmander. Where was he? What was going on?

"Get off me! Get off me you little…"

There was a sickening snap. Pyre had taken hold of Aliana's head, griffin her hair and chin with his claw and wrenching it hard until it turned to an unnatural angle. Ashachu averted his eyes.

Aliana convulsed once then lay still…Finally out of Ashachu's life.

A second later the Charmander's head popped up right in front of Ashachu as he climbed onto the surface on which Ashachu was tied.

"P-Pyre," he said again bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello there." Pyre gave Ashachu a wide smile. Using a single claw on his right paw he cut the bonds restraining Ashachu's paws and foot paws.

Ashachu sat up…And noticed the blood….

He was covered from the waist down in his own blood. His usually yellow fur had been turned as red as Pyre's scales. There was also a pool of it all around him. And there was the pain. Always the pain.

"Oh my."

He felt a wave of dizziness overcome him and he fell backwards.

Pyre grabbed him before he collapsed and held him against his chest. He was cradling Ashachu in his arms. "Shhh. It's okay. You'll be okay."

He lowered his right paw to the bleeding stub that had once been Ashachu's tail. It begun to glow and became surrounded by a blue orb. Ashachu knew what that was.

"You can…use aura," he whispered.

"Mmmmhmmm." Pyre nodded.

"You can. Heal me." A feeling of relief begun to wash over Ashachu as the pain gradually subsided.

A sad expression crossed Pyre's face. "I can stop the bleeding…But I don't think I can reattach your tail."

Reattach your tail…

"Ahhh." Ashachu suddenly lent forward. He tried to get to his feet, but Pyre restrained him.

"TCh. Hold still will you."

And then Ashachu caught sight of it. Lying on the floor beside Aliana, and like the rest of him covered in blood. His tail. He hadn't quite believed it when Aliana had first shown it to him, but now the full horror of it hit Ashachu like a rolling Golem. His tail, his beautiful tail, had been cut from the rest of him. He was tailless.

"Pika!" He gasped and fell back in Pyre arms. He thought he might faint, though unconsciousness never came.

Pyre stroked his forehead with his claw. He opened his mouth to say something comforting, but he couldn't think of anything to say. He settled on a soothing, "char char…"

"No…No, this can't be happening…"

Ashachu wasn't sure how long it was before he had the strength to sit up. When he finally did after a few minutes…an hour…several hours…however long it had been, he pushed himself free of Pyre's grip and jumped off the…thing…and onto the floor.

And there it was again…He had been hoping it had all been a bad nightmare or something he'd imagined. And even know part of his Brian was still refusing to accept it. His tail. Lifeless and dead looking.

He picked it up in two paws and looked at it. It felt cold under his paws and there was an odd smell coming from it. Without his heart pumping blood through it the cells had died. Now all it would do was rot. The sheer sorrow and horror of the situation crashed over him for a second time.

"Ashachu. I'm just so sorry." Pyre slid off the platform and onto the floor beside him and patted his back. "I wish there was something I can do."

"…This. Is. A dream," Ashachu said slowly. "It has to be. It's a nightmare caused by that Darkrai. Shadow's doing this to me."

Pyre bit his lip. "I'd love to tell you that was the case, but…Unfortunately this is real life. Shadow's nightmares are never as interesting as this."

Ashachu glared at him. "This is interesting."

"Sorry. That was badly worded."

Ashachu shook his head. "Where are we. How did you get here?"

He looked around at his surroundings. The room they were in was circular. The walls, floor and ceiling were colored a pale white or badge and there was a harsh artificial light coming from the ceiling. There was what appeared to be a door adjacent to them leading to…Arceus knows what.

The only objects present in the room was about six glass cases. They reminded Ashachu of the ones Team Rocket often used to imprison either himself, Pikachu or one of their friends, except they were much larger and had white metal frames. They sat at slight incline on a bracket sticking out from the wall.

They were all closed except for two. The one immediately behind him – it must have been where Ashachu had been tied – was open. The front half having parted like two front doors. And another immediately to the left that looked like it has been blasted open with fire. Burnt metal and melted glass.

"To be honest I have no idea where we are," replied Pyre. "One moment I was on a beach and then. Nothing. Everything went dark. That's until I felt your aura."

Ashachu gave him a quizzical look. "You felt my aura."

"I sensed you were in distress. One aura Pokémon to another. And that call got louder and louder until I found myself here tackling that woman." Pyre glanced at Aliana and frowned. "Did you know that human. Why was she so keen to hurt you?"

Ashachu sighed. "Let's just say we've met. And it wasn't a friendly meeting. So. Where do you think we are?"

Pyre sighed and then shrugged. "You're guess is as good as mine. What do you remember? From your point of view what happened. What physically happened."

Ashachu cast his mind back… "Last thing I remember Team Flare was lowering me into a space…Oh shit!"

Pyre frowned at him. "Lowering you into a what?"

Ashachu buried his face in his paws…which were still gripping his severed tail. "Fuck no. This has to be a nightmare. This can't be real. I can't really be in…"

"In what!"

"In outer space…"

To his great annoyance, Pyre actually laughed.

"Hehehehe. No way. Seriously. Now you're just overreacting." The Charmander slapped Ashachu on the back, causing Ashachu to glare at him again.

"I mean it. The last thing I remember is Hunter and I being kidnapped by Team Flare at the Space Centre. They took us into one of the rockets and said I was going to help them get to the promise land or something. You were there too. I remember that now. And Hirosaki and Shadow…"

"Shadow." Pyre raised his head and a note of excitement entered his voice. "Shadow's here too."

The Charmander looked around. It didn't take him long to find the tank holding his friend. "Shadow."

"NO!" As Pyre trotted towards it, Ashachu leapt to grab him by the shoulder. The two of them them fell and collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"Ashachu. What are you?"

"Don't," Ashachu squeaked desperately, his voice going high. "Please don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't let the creature out. Don't let that Darkrai out. He'll kill me."

"But. He's my friend."

"HE'LL KILL ME!"

Deep in his heart, Pyre knew that Ashachu was probably right.

"Please don't do it."

He sighed. "Okay okay. I won't free Shadow. At least until we figure out what's going on. Now will you please get off me."

Ashachu removed himself from Pyre's back. And then a thought occurred.

"Hey wait. If you and Shadow are here. Then Hunter…"

He looked around wildly until he found him. In the glass tank immediately to the left of the door, was the form of a Riolu.

"Hunter!"

Ashachu raced over to him and put his paws on the glass. Like he had been, Hunter appeared to have been shackled to the floor of whatever these tanks were. He appeared to be asleep, his eyes shut and a peaceful expression on his face.

Or at least Ashachu hoped he was asleep. Hunter didn't appear to be breathing…

"It's okay buddy. I'll get you out of there."

Pyre rolled his eyes. "Oh, I see someone gets to free their friend!"

There was a small computer screen beside the case. On it was written:

Species: Riolu

Infinite Energy: Medium

Status: maintaining deep hyper sleep

"What's hyper sleep," Ashachu asked, forgetting that Pyre was the only one in there with him.

"Wouldn't have a fucking clue," Pyre replied as he trotted up to Ashachu to examine it for himself. "Mmmm. Maybe we shouldn't try anything. Given we don't actually know what this thing is."

"But you managed to free yourself. Maybe if we break the glass. Stand back."

Ashachu, acting on instinct, prepared himself to use iron tail. But where he would usually feel his tail hardening, he felt only a painful twinge near his rear end. He looked over his shoulder and saw the sad numb sticking out him that had once been his tail, and a wave of despair came over him.

"Ahhh…"

"Here let me." Pyre gently pushed Ashachu aside before punching the glass hard with his right paw. It shattered allowing Pyre to reach inside and force the two-door open.

"Riolu..." The moment the capsule was open Hunter opened his eyes. He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the harsh artificial light.

"Hunter," Ashachu cried.

"Ashachu?" Hunter tried to sit up but found he couldn't. "Ugh. I'm struck."

Pyre climbed onto the capsule and broke the restrains around his paws and foot paws with his claws, as he had for Ashachu.

Hunter sat bolt upright, look around and spotted Ashachu. He slid out of the capsule, onto the floor beside him and gave Ashachu a hug.

"Ashachu. You're okay." His paw trailed down Ashachu's back until it brushed the nub that had once been his tail.

"Ow ow ow…" Ashachu squeaked as a jolt pain shot from the wound up his spine.

Hunter released him immediately. "Ah. Sorry sorry, I'm sorry." And then he noticed Ashachu's injury and the dead tail clutched in his paw. "…Ah. Oh Arceus. Ashachu what in the distortion world happened to you."

Seeing the expression of shock, horror and worry on his best friend's face made his situation feel all the more real to him. As if it had finally broken through the numb section of his mind that was refusing to accept or acknowledge what had happen and his heart burst with despair.

"Oh Hunter…My tail." Ashachu burst into tears.

"Ashachu. Aww come here, buddy."

Hunter put his arms around Ashachu once more and stroked his fur. Ashachu buried his face in the warm fur of his stomach and bawled his eyes out. Hunter licked his forehead and stroked his yellow fur, being careful not to touch his injury.

As Ashachu sobbed into his chest, his eyes met Pyre's. "Hey," he said. "It's Pyre isn't it."

The Charmander nodded. "Hey yourself…"

Hunter looked around the room once again, his eyes falling on the corpse of Aliana. He bit his lip before asking, "What's going on here. Where are we?"

…It took a long while to console Ashachu. He cried and cried until he didn't have any tears left to cry, after which he pressed his face into Hunter's fur and breathed heavily. All the while, Pyre filled Hunter in on everything that had happened before he woke up. And a little about himself…

"You see, I'm an aura Pokémon you see. Just like Ashachu. That's why I was able to sense that he was in distress. One heart calling out for another." The Charmander smiled sadly. "It's a gift I've had my whole life."

Hunter raised his eyebrows. "No kidding. You're an aura Pokémon! Was one of your parents a guardian like Ash?"

A sad expression crossed Pyre's muzzle. "I-I never knew my parents. They abandoned me when I was an egg. I was all alone when I hatched…"

"Oh." Hunter's face fell. "I'm sorry."

Pyre shook his head and waved his paw. "Ah don't be. I've put all that behind me. Family's in your heart not your blood. That's what I say." His eyes slid to one of the capsules. "Hmmm…"

"Hmm."

Ashachu hiccuped and Hunter hugged him a little tighter. "How did you find out you were an aura Charmander?"

Pyre shrugged. "I've always known. Kind of an instinct thing. I can't remember a time I didn't use my aura. In battle." His eyes fell on Ashachu's tail. "Or to heal."

"So how did you get here in the first place," Hunter asked. "Where'd they find you."

Pyre opened his maw to answer, but before he'd formed the first vowel Hunter remember.

"Oh yeah! You were in that truck with us. Did they get you on the? hang on!" A confused expression came over his face. "What where you doing on that beach."

A large sweat bead appeared on the side of Pyre's forehead and a little color rose in his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his head and said awkwardly, "ahh. You see. The thing about that is…"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence. For at that moment the single door to the room slid open with a whir.

"Oruo…"

"Char char."

Hunter looked up and gripped Ashachu closer, while Pyre leapt in front of him to confront the intruder. Even Ashachu looked up from Hunter's chest to see what was going on.

"Pika?"

Standing in the threshold of the doorway was a human and…something else.

The human was clearly a Team Flare grunt. Dyed red hair, a white shirt, red blazers and trousers with a belt that carried the Team Flare insignia. The only thing that distinguished him from the other grunts was that his hair was shorter than most of the others.

But what was the other thing?

It looked, in Ashachu and Hunter's minds, like a trash can. The things humans used to dump their waste into…when they could be bothered to pick it up from the ground.

It was cylindrical with a doomed shape top, sitting on three wheels like a tricycle. One set of wheels was directly underneath it's base, while the remaining two sat and the end of arms that were attached just below the dome.

For a split second there was silence as Pyre and the grunt sized each other up. Then they attacked simultaneously. Pyre opened his mouth to use flamethrower while the grunt shouted "R2!"

A beam of red light shot from the eye on the mobile trash can thing – R2 apparently – and struck Pyre's forehead.

"Charmander…"

He gave a cry of pain and the flames disappeared from his mouth. Slowly his eyes begun to turn red.

"Pyre!" Hunter reacted immediately. He shoved Ashachu off him and leapt to his feet, raised his paws and fired focus blast at the machine.

There was a bang and it disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. The redness in Pyre's eyes disappeared and he fired his flamethrower at the grunt.

"CHARMANDER!"

"Come on we gotta go!" Hunter grabbed Ashachu by the paw and tried pulled him. But Ashachu stumbled and fell over.

There was a sputtering cough from the doorway and the grunt shouted, "Why you little!"

"Char Char!" Pyre gave another cry as he threw himself at the man and punched him in the jaw with his claw.

Hunter looked from the fight to his best friend lying on his stomach. "climb on my back. I'll carry you." He lowered his knees allowing Ashachu to climb onto him and wrap his arms rightly around his neck.

Then Hunter ran for it. Through the door pushing past the man who was desperately trying to throw Pyre off him. The Charmander was clinging to his face, punching the side of his head. He made it a little way down the corridor before he stopped and turned back.

"PYRE!"

The man fell against the wall and Pyre leapt off him and came running after Hunter. Then they heard a beeping sound. The machine. R2. Was still functional. It was turning around to face them. Pyre spun around and fired a large aura sphere directly at the machine.

R2 exploded. It, the grunt and the end of the corridor disappeared in a ball of fire and smoke.

"COME ON!" Pyre and Hunter turned and ran down the corridor, not daring to look back.

The corridor wasn't particularly long. They were only running for about a minute before arriving in the strangest room either Ashachu or Hunter had ever been inside…

Much of the ceiling and walls consisted of a single window, that opened onto the night sky. Except it was like no night either Pokémon had ever laid eyes upon before. There were thousands of stars scattered across a black canvass.

But they weren't twinkling like they usually did. They were just still, like a light bulb. A lightbulb attached to a fan, for they were moving across the sky. Passing overhead like a swarm of volbeat far in the distance.

The wall space that was not occupied by the window was filled with complex looking computer equipment and various screens. In the very middle of the room was an enormous chair with little screens attached to the arms. Like a higher tech version of something you might see in the first-class section of an airplane.

Then there was a cockpit like console at the very front of the room, in front of the giant window. Three chairs behind a complex panel of dials, switches and yet more screens…

"Ashachu," said Hunter in a horse whisper. "I don't think we're in Hoenn anymore…"

Ashachu felt his stomach turn over at the sight of the stars. He had been right. "See I told ya," he said dryly. "We're in outer space. They took away on the space shuttle."

"This is the space shuttle?" Said Hunter. "Don't remember it being this big."

"And how are we standing," added Pyre. "I thought there wasn't any gravity in space. Meh." He shrugged before sidling over to the large chair. "Now let's see what's really going on here."

"Ummm. I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Ashachu nervously. "You don't know what any of this equipment is for."

Pyre shrugged before climbing into the chair. "Oh, how hard can it be. Humans built it after all. Ohh comfy. Now let's see." He tapped one of the screens with his claw.

At once an image appeared on all of the computer screens. It was of a series of pink and blue shapes that together roughly looked like a duck. A duck with a pink polyhedral body with a blue front, blue triangular prism feet, a blue rectangular prism tail and a pink, polyhedral head that ended in a blue beak and hexagonal eyes.

At the same time a voice filled the room, coming over some sort of P.A. Or intercom.

"Greetings guardians. Welcome aboard the Centurion…"

Pyre coxed his head. "Huh. Are you talking to me?"

"You are the guardians are you not," replied the thing on the screen. "The aura Pokémon. The Pokémon of deliverance."

Pyre frowned. "Umm…I guess. Who are you?"

"Who am I. I am Porygon. The controller of the Centurion. I am this vessels eyes, ears, mouth and nerves. And you are my heart. I am at your service."

"Okay," said Pyre uneasily. "This is starting to get creepy."

"Where are we," asked Hunter. "What is this place."

The Porygon on the screen frowned. "I just told you. This is the interstellar vessel the Centurion. But surely you must know this? And for that matter how did you awakened this early."

"Awakened," Pyre repeated. "What on earth are you talking about? What do you mean vessel? Wait, you don't mean…you don't mean to tell me this is actually outer space?"

"Told you," muttered Ashachu.

"I see your mind is still as sharp as ever Pyre," said a cold deep voice from behind. "What gave it away."

Ashachu and Hunter gasped and slowly turned on the spot as Pyre stuck his head out from round the side of the chair. And then Ashachu felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Floating down the corridor was Shadow…

"Was it the blackness, the stars, or the set from Star Trek…"

"Shadow," said Pyre, his voice an odd combination of nervousness and apparent happiness. "I see you've still got the sarcasm." He then frowned and added, "How did you get out of…"

"No cage can hold me," said Shadow coldly. "At least. Not for long. I have my ways." His red eye did a cursory sweep of the room before settling on Ashachu. "…And what do we have here. Young Hikari."

Ashachu's breath drew short and sharp and he felt his fur stand on end at Shadow's words.

Hunter moved protectively in front of him, though the Riolu was visibly shaking. "You stay away from him," he half growled, half whimpered. "Don't you touch him."

"I see you are no longer in full possession of your tail master Hikari. Though I know that to not be your real name. I don't remember removing it entirely from your body. Who finished the job?"

"Shadow. Come on man," said Pyre holding up his claws. "Leave the kid alone."

Shadow ignored him. "It seems you have other enemies who are desirous to make you suffer. Why don't I kill you know to spare you the pain they intend to inflict upon you?" The Darkrai raised it's paws, a black orb forming between them. He was preparing to use shadow ball.

Ashachu and Hunter ran for it… Ashachu dropped to his all four and bolted across the room, Hunter right behind him. There was another door to the left, open this time. They bolted through it and into another room.

Here there were even more of those glass cases that Ashachu and the others had been trapped inside of. If either Ashachu or Hunter had stopped to look they would have noticed the Team Flare grunts sleeping inside them, but in their haste they did not.

Across the room was another door, this one leading into another white corridor. And off this corridor there were multiple doors leading off to other rooms. It wasn't long however before they came to dead end.

"No…NO," Ashachu squeaked as he and Hunter came skidding to a halt.

The corridor ended in another set of doors leading to an extremely small room, which containing nothing more than a couple of chairs and a small computer monitor.

"Oh fuck…fuck," moaned Hunter.

"Looks like you've got nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Why don't you face me like a real Pokémon Hikari? Show a small amount of courage at the end of your life."

Ashachu swallowed as he and Hunter gradually turned around to find Shadow floating slowly down the corridor. Slowly, taking his time, which Ashachu just knew was to intimidate and frighten him further. Of course, there was nowhere for him to go, so no need to rush.

The two boys backed into the room. "What do we do. What do we do," Ashachu whimpered desperately? His breathing was become in so erratic, short and sharp breaths, that his small lungs weren't taking in enough oxygen, and he was starting to feel lightheaded.

"I'll think of something," Hunter replied sounding just as desperate.

"Though," Shadow continued. "Had you shown courage when it mattered, you would not be in this situation. And dear Blade would not be in the clutches of humans."

"Get behind me," Hunter whispered to Ashachu as he raised his paws and spread his legs apart.

"Hunter no," Ashachu hissed back. "You stand no chance against him."

"What sort of Riolu would I be if I just let my mate be killed without fighting for him."

"Oh Hunter." Ashachu felt his heart swell with emotion…Emotions that quickly changed when Hunter pushed him away from the entrance to the tiny room with more force than was necessary. His body bumped into one of the computer monitors.

Beep…Beep…Beep…Doors Closing

The door suddenly closed, sealing Ashachu and Hunter inside. They heard Shadow curse from outside.

"Dam…You can't evade me forever Hikari. Soon I will kill you and your little friend too."

For a brief second Ashachu and Hunter were plunged into total darkness. Then the lights flickered on and Porygon appeared on the monitors and its voice filled the room.

"Welcome to express elevators. Please select your destination…." Beep…

"Huh."

"What's going on?"

Ashachu and Hunter looked around confused, both wondering what had happened until Ashachu noticed the image that had just appeared on the screen beside. It was a complex diagram of sorts depicting an oval with two wings and four towers jutting off.

"Hey Hunter check this out…"

Hunter peered at the screen. "What's that supposed to mean. What's going on here," he shouted at the room at large.

"Welcome to express elevators. Please select your destination," Porygon said again.

A lightbulb came on in Ashachu's head. "Oh, I see."

"See what?" Said Hunter.

"It's a must be a map of the spaceship. I think we have to…" He touched the screen with his paw…

"Selecting Arcadia. Please fasten your safety belts. You may experience weightlessness during the journey…"

Ashachu climbed into the nearest seat and pulled on the seatbelt. It was of harness design attached to the backrest of the chair. Designed for humans, but it fit on him and despite the buckle being twice the size of his paws, he managed to fasten it easily enough.

Hunter remained standing where he was…

There was a jolt as the elevator begun to move. Hunter fell over onto his but.

"Ouch."

In spite of everything that had happened, the sight made Ashachu giggle.

Hunter glowered at him. "What's so funny lightning…" He stopped himself before finishing that sentence.

"Hehehehe. Well it did tell you to put a seatbelt silly," Ashachu replied.

"Yeah I heard it." Hunter tried to get back to his paws but promptly fell back down.

The elevator was moving so fast the G-forces were making it difficult to stand up or move. Ashachu could barely move his head forward from the back of the seat.

"Ugh…I can't get up," Hunter groaned. "It's like some sort of…WHOA."

And that's when it happened. Hunter started to float, his little Riolu body rising off the floor like some sort of furry balloon.

"Ahhh."

"Hunter!"

Hunter let out a cry of shock while Ashachu's jaw dropped.

"Hunter what's happening to you."

"I dunno but…Hey. Maybe I just learned fly…" A look of excitement crosses his muzzle.

Ashachu frowned. "Err…I don't think so buddy. Can Riolu's even learn fly."

"C'mon fly." Hunter flapped his arms comically, but nothing happened. He remained hung in mid-air, slowly rising to the ceiling.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Hunter dropped out of the air and back onto the floor like a stone. There was a loud THUD as his hit the ground and crumpled into a heap.

"Ouch," he grunted.

Ashachu's heart skipped a beat and he lent forward out of his seat to make sure his best friend was okay. "Hunter. Are you alright?"

Hunter managed to raise his head. "No," he barked in reply.

A second later the sound of a bell filled the room and Porygon's voice echoed over the intercom, "Arcadia level. Please stand clear of the doors…"

The doors to the elevator slid open…And Ashachu and Hunter gaped at what they saw…