Holy cow, it's Chapter 10. I thought I'd have given up on this before Chapter 2 was made. It still baffles me that I'm getting so much positivity in response to my writing. It makes me happy knowing that people are enjoying this. I'm just trying to bring some interesting concepts to this story. So.. thank you.
Edit. While writing this chapter, about.. 3700 words in, which was about 4 days worth of writing for me (due to a lack of drive to write), the app just DELETED most of my progress for no reason. I went from almost 4000 words to only 200! I was going to give up and stop writing for a while, but then I decided to re-read the Reviews I've been given. And now, in a single hour, I've re-written most of what I lost with a burst of inspiration. To everyone who reviewed this story, and to everyone who reads it in general, thank you. It made me want to keep going.
Disclaimer: Other than Lucas and Lorelei, I don't own any of this.
Lorelei's POV
After a night of rest (on Bidoof's request) and preparation for the mission ahead, we finally make our way to the Dungeon. We have to be as vague as possible now, since Bidoof is following us..
First things first though.. in order to get to Limestone Cavern, we first have to make our way through Boulder Quarry. It's mostly Ground and Steel Types, so Grovyle will have the advantage here.
The walk to the dungeon was uneventful, and surprisingly, so was the Dungeon itself! Since Grovyle knows Dig and Leaf Blade, nothing could really get in his way! At least, for a while. On the second to last floor, we got chased by a very angry Steelix when Grovyle accidentally dug under it and made it topple over, crushing whatever it was eating.
I have never seen Grovyle so scared.. but with some quick thinking by Bidoof, we got away. Since it was digging after us, it couldn't find us if we stood still! As soon as it came back up, Grovyle tossed a Sleep Seed into its mouth and we moved on.
After that terrifying experience, we decide it's best if we take a break and eat. We weren't prepared for that Steelix.. I need to remember to bring more seeds next time.
"It's sure is a mighty coincidence that you came here, by golly." chipperly says Bidoof, munching away at his Apple. Coincidence? "What do you mean?"
"Well, the Guildmaster went through that very same Dungeon with Team Charm, yup yup!" His cheeks grow somewhat red, a slight tinge of jealousy in his voice. "Gosh, I'd have loved to adventure with them too..!"
"The Guildmaster went through Limestone Cavern?!" I shout, a little louder than I probably should have.. even Grovyle is unsettled by this..
"Yup yup, sure did! He told us all about it at base camp!"
Grovyle mutters something under his breath, his voice sounding somewhat panicked. "He's onto us.." Luckily, Bidoof didn't catch that. Or.. maybe Bidoof is onto us too..
If the Guildmaster knows Grovyle is the Time Gear thief.. then Lucas might be in danger too! I scoot closer to Grovyle, whispering so Bidoof hopefully won't hear me.
"Maybe.. w-we should go back?" I ask, timidness in my voice, hoping Grovyle would agree. But he shakes his head.
"If Bidoof poses too much of a threat, I'll knock him out. As for Lucas.. I doubt anyone at the Guild would attack him." Grovyle whispers back. He isn't confident about this, but he refuses to waver from his mission. Maybe I can reason with Bidoof..
That'll have to wait, though.. we have a dungeon to explore. Now somewhat rested up, we move on to the next area. The entrance to the Limestone Cavern is marked by a Kangaskhan Rock, so it's pretty easy to spot. I dig through its pouch, picking out some extra Oran Berries and Reviver Seeds, as well as a couple Stun and Sleep Seeds.
Taking a note from Lucas, I stash a Blast Seed and a Stun Seed in my scarf too. Azurill told me all about that little trick! I don't think Bidoof or Grovyle noticed.
"S-so.. what should we expect in here?" I ask as Grovyle slings the restocked Exploration Bag over his shoulder. The cave we're in seems kind of damp, so.. Water Types?
"According to Lucas, this dungeon also has 11 Floors, and is home to powerful Water Types.." Called it..
".. as well as some Bug and Flying Types. If I recall correctly, a Ditto waits at the end of the Dungeon."
"Gosh, a Ditto? That's mighty dangerous! I hear those things can transform into any Pokémon! What if it turns into one of us?" Bidoof asks, seemingly more curious than concerned.
"The Ditto won't be an issue. The Dungeon itself is. Kingler, Slowking, Seviper and Dragonair were some of the Pokémon Lucas mentioned. As well as a Mid-Point in the dungeon, separating Limestone Cavern and its Deep section. As with Boulder Quarry, there should be 5 Floors on the Upper Section, and 5 Floors on the Lower Section."
Oh boy.. "A-are you sure you need my help for this..? I think you two are strong enough without me.."
Bidoof tries to calm my nerves with a friendly pat, but I can sense how nervous he is too.. that doesn't calm my nerves at all! "Don't you worry one bit, Lorelei! I reckon you're tougher than you think!"
Grovyle's patience is running thin.. probably the stress getting to him. "We don't have all day. Lets go."
"Right." Bidoof and I say in unison, turning to face the entrance. Or.. entrances. It splits into two paths! One on the left, and one on the right!
"Er... which one do you think is Limestone Cavern? Or are they both Limestone Cavern?" I ask the group. The two entrances are almost identical.. except one side has some green stones in the walls, while the other side has blue stones.
We decide to take the Left Path first, since Grovyle is also green.
-{o}-
Limestone Cavern? B1F
Grovyle
Level 41
Ability: Overgrow
Moves:
Leaf Blade
Dig
Quick Attack
Mega Drain
- -
Lorelei
Level 10
Abilities: Run Away/Adaptability
Quick Attack
Bite
Tackle
Tail Whip
- -
Bidoof
Level 25
Abilities: Simple/Unaware
Moves:
Tackle
Headbutt
Growl
Defense Curl
-{o}-
Grovyle, naturally, takes the lead for our team. Since I'm the weakest (by far..), I'm in the middle of the group, where it's safest. Bidoof brings up the rear. The ground is slightly damp, and a little mossy. Honestly, it feels kind of nice under my paws..
The walls are green, smooth and glossy, with little holes spewing out fresh water into puddles on the ground. It looks like the walls are.. gemstones? Or maybe just shiny green rocks. I can definitely see why Water and Bug Types like it here.. but why Flying Types?
I catch the sound of rippling water nearby, and spot an Ampharos drinking from a nearby clear pond. It hasn't noticed us.. I thought Grovyle said there were Bug and Water Types here?
Before I can say a word, the Electric Type is cut down by Grovyle's Leaf Blade, a deep gash carved into its back. Needless to say, it's been knocked out.. "G-golly.. you don't gotta be so brutal, Grovyle.." Says Bidoof with a tinge of fear in his voice.
Grovyle says nothing in response, his entire disposition having shifted to be far more serious. Something's wrong.. He motions for us to follow him, and we do.
The upward path curves right, leading into a long, narrow stretch. It seems to end in another room, but splits off halfway, forming another path down. "This way." Says Grovyle, taking the turn. It leads straight to the stairs!
"How'd you know they'd be here?"
"Experience."
There's a Lairon napping in the room.. Grovyle readies his Leaf Blade, giving me a moment to stop him. "I-it's asleep. Let's just move on!" I say in a whisper. Thankfully, he obliges. We move on with no issues.
Limestone Cavern? B2F
Looks like we won't be exploring much of the Dungeon.. Grovyle wants to get to the Time Gear as soon as possible. He's the leader right now, so I guess there's nothing I can do about it..
Bidoof wanders off to collect a pouch of Poké. "I still think we should say something to Bidoof.." I whisper to Grovyle. He seems to be mulling it over..
"... no, it's too risky. It'll be easier to knock him out when the time comes." Grovyle responds. Bidoof doesn't deserve this.. but we have no choice. For now, we just move on.
We decide to vote on our next path, and agree to head to the Left. A large, pink Pokémon wearing some kind of crown confronts us halfway through the corridor. A Slowking! Grovyle leaps straight at it, but the Slowking ducks, his crown blocking the attack, leaving only a small cut.
"Now now, there's no need for that." the Slowking, shockingly, says to us. Grovyle is caught off guard, giving the Slowking an opportunity to raise it's hand and.. motion for us to follow? "U-uhm.. aren't you supposed to attack us?"
The Slowking chuckles at this. "Yes, I suppose I am. Though I don't see any need in the violence. You're travellers, yes?"
"We sure are, by golly! How'd you manage to keep your wits down here?" Bidoof asks as we walk onwards together. After a moment to gather his words, the Slowking answers.
"In a way.. I haven't." He says with a calm smile. "My mind is long gone. Who I was, where I came from.. I no longer have any recollection of. However, once this Shellder clamped onto my head, it was as if I'd awakened as... something more."
"... Shellder? That thing is a Shellder?" Even Grovyle is curious about it, giving it a few cautious taps. It.. jiggles on Slowking's head, and he winces in discomfort. On closer inspection.. that thing is biting his head!
"It was. Now.. it is but a vessel. A container for the venom that holds my mind together. If it came off, well.. I'd become a simple wild Slowbro."
Slowking guides us through the floor of the Dungeon, though he has a hard time fending off the Wild Pokémon in the dungeon. His movements are slow, making us all slower as a result. But I don't think any of us mind. "So then.. what brings you three to the Boulder Cavern? I'm afraid there's no treasure hidden here!"
"B-boulder Cavern? Isn't this Limestone Cavern?" I guess we did go the wrong way..
"Not quite. There are certainly paths from Limestone Cavern that bleed into these side paths, however, you cannot enter those paths from this side. It's how I ended up here, wandering for Arceus knows how long!"
"You know where the Stairs are, right? Why don't you just.. leave?" His patient smile fades into a more somber look.
"True, I am aware of how to leave the Dungeon. However, I am still a Dungeon Pokémon. Regardless of my intelligence, I cannot leave unless escorted by Pokémon living outside the Dungeon."
"Well, you can come with us, by golly!"
His smile returns as we enter a new room, one with a set of mossy stairs. "I didn't want to burden you, escorting an old man out of this place."
"Not at all! We're Explorers. Saving others is what we do!" I grin, proudly flashing my Silver Rank badge. But he doesn't seem to understand what it represents..
"I thank you, Explorers. Though, don't think I won't reward you for your efforts!" With Slowking in tow, we move on, only a little bit upset that we went the wrong way at the start.
Boulder Cavern B3F
Slowking offers to lead the way for us once more. "Though this may be a floor I've never seen, I doubt it will be much different than what I am used to." Even Grovyle agrees.
"So.. what should we expect in this Dungeon..?" I ask the group as a whole. Since this isn't Limestone Cavern, the Pokémon inside must be different.
"A rule of thumb for you, Explorers. If a Dungeon has side paths to take, you can expect the Pokémon of the Dungeon to rarely appear in those side paths."
Grovyle attacks a Claydol blocking our path, knocking it out instantly with his Leaf Blade. Now safe from danger, Slowking continues. "I cannot speak for the other path, but this path generally has Ground and Electric Types."
"How long have you been in here..?" I ask our guide.
"A very, very long time.." He leads us to the stairs once more.
Boulder Cavern BF4
With Slowking guiding us, we had no trouble on this floor. We stored a Pecha Berry and moved on without finding anything to fight.
Boulder Cavern BF5
Right off the bat, a Staraptor swoops at us! Bidoof barely dodges out of the way, before the bird is struck with a pulse of pink energy. Slowking used Psychic! The bird went for another attack, but was cut down by Grovyle.
"Wonderful dodge, Bidoof." Slowking smiles, using the same weak Psychic to bring Bidoof back to his feet. Bidoof gives a bashful "Aw shucks..." in response. Slowking already seems winded..
After giving him a moment to catch his breath, we move into the corridor to the right. A Shelgon blocks our path, though a team attack by Slowking and Grovyle deals with it quickly.
"I must say, I am eager to see the outside world once more.. a good night's rest will do these old bones some good." huh.. I wonder how old he is.
With nothing else in our way, we take the stairs out of the Dungeon.
-{o}-
Somehow, we end up walking out of the same path we entered! "W-whoa, how'd that happen?"
"These paths wrap around in one big circle. They always lead back to this room, the Illusion Rock Chamber." Slowking tells us, moving over to the Kangaskhan Rock. He pulls out a large apple, and immediately devours it down to the core.
After putting away our extra items, and another quick snack each, it's time for us to move on again. "Okay.. Right Path it is then. Ready?"
"I reckon we should let Mr Slowking rest before we move on. He looks downright exhausted, by golly!" Just as Bidoof said, Slowking was nearly asleep against the Kangaskhan Rock! At the mention of his name, he stirs enough to speak.
"I.. apologise, but I won't be accompanying you three this time. I'm simply too tired to go on." He yawns, laying back against the Kangaskhan Rock. Before we can say anything though, he snaps his claws.
"Oh yes.. I promised you three a reward, didn't I?"
"Nono, it's alright! You already helped us in that dungeon!"
"Nonsense! While I may not have much to give you, I can at least set you on the correct path! You see.. this room is called Illusion Rock Chamber for a reason!" He chortles at our confused expressions.
"Pay close attention.." He holds the core of his Apple and slowly stands, using the Kangaskhan Rock as a crutch. "I don't know what you're searching for, but you've helped me a great deal. So then.. go this way."
He tosses the Apple Core at the wall between the two paths, and instead of splattering against it.. the Apple Core sails right through! Somehow, in the brief moment I looked away from Slowking, he'd fallen back asleep at the base of the statue.. I whisper a soft 'Thank You', and the three of us head into the real Limestone Cavern.
-{o}-
Limestone Cavern (For real this time) B1F
Grovyle
Level 41
Ability: Overgrow
Moves:
Leaf Blade
Dig
Quick Attack
Absorb
- -Lorelei
Level 11
Abilities: Run Away/Adaptability
Quick Attack
Bite
Tackle
Tail Whip
- -Bidoof
Level 26
Abilities: Simple/Unaware
Moves:Tackle
Headbutt
Growl
Defense Curl
-{o}-
Now in the Dungeon proper and fully stocked up on items, it's time to explore. Or, at least it would be, if the stairs weren't right here.. Oh well.
Before we can move on though, Bidoof pipes up. "Leaving already? I thought you came here to explore, by golly!" Right.. we did tell the Guildmaster that, didn't we..
Grovyle is quick to answer though. "True, though the dungeons have been more difficult than I'd thought. Lorelei is in more danger the longer we stay here."
"Gosh, if that's true.. then why'd you want to come here anyway?"
"U-uhm.. I thought I could handle it! I've been training hard, after all.."
Bidoof seems to accept this answer, so we agree to just move on. At least for now.
Limestone Cavern B2F
Okay, NOW it's time to explore the dungeon. No stairs in this room, no enemies.. perfect! Grovyle, once again, leads us, with Bidoof covering our flank. That leaves me between the two.. I'm safer there, but I can't contribute as much. I am the weakest one here, though..
We decide to head down the rightmost corridor. There's absolutely nothing on the way to the next room, though the room itself has a few goodies for us! An Oran Berry, a pouch of Poké and a seed of some kind. Upon closer inspection.. that's a Stun Seed! Grovyle takes it.
"You said there's a Ditto at the end? Well.. how are we gonna beat that, by golly? They can turn into any Pokémon, yup yup!" Bidoof asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Grovyle doesn't seem bothered, though.
We take the left path from this room, walking onwards. I can hear the distant sound of tiny wings.. sounds like a Bug Type is approaching.
"Simple. We attack it together. Regardless of the form it takes, it won't be able to withstand all three of us at once." Huh.. not a bad plan, Grovyle.. overwhelm it!
Just as I suspected, a Volbeat is in the next room. And so is an Illumise! They're flying around eachother, their tails glowing rhythmically.. it's kind of pretty, actually. Isn't this what they do to call a mate?
Even Grovyle is distracted by them! But not for long.. his Leaf Blade knocks them both out. At least I hope so.. those things are sharp..
No wait, they're definitely still breathing. Whew.. they'll be fine. Grovyle is brutal.. at least Dungeon Healing will fix them up..
Other than the stairs, there's nothing else in this room. Up we go.
Limestone Cavern B3F
"Holding up alright, Lorelei?" Asks a concerned Bidoof. I smile and give him a nod. Other than a little stress about the Time Gear, I'm fine..
... The Time Gear. Right.. We'll have to do something about Bidoof before we get to it. I should probably bring this up with Grovyle soon..
For now though, we have a dungeon to explore. Feeling surprisingly confident with Bidoof cheering me up, I decide it's time for me to lead! "Gosh, are you sure?"
"It's risky, you know. You aren't exactly strong."
"I can handle this! .. I think.. j-just uh.. watch my back, okay?" there's my timidness.. I, literally, shake it off though. C'mon Lorelei, you've got this!
I lead the way through the upwards path! And.. immediately find a Seviper blocking us. Those teeth are very dangerous.. and the way it's glaring at me.. I can feel my fur bristling up. I want to back off, but..
I give myself a slap to steel myself and charge in with Quick Attack, accompanied by a.. kind of wimpy battle cry. I wanted to do some kind of snarl, but it sounded more like a mewl.. the sound distracted the Seviper though, so.. good enough!
I slam into the snake, and it gets knocked back as a result. It flinched.. I really hurt it! "Golly, nice shot Lorelei!" Bidoof praises, moving in for the next hit. One Headbutt and the Seviper is down! "Y-yeah, Teamwork!" My cheeks warm up a bit from the praise, my tail swaying on its own.
With the Seviper out of our way, we move on to the next room. "While that was a good attempt, I'd say I'd be better off leading. No offense to you, Lorelei." Ouch.. rude.. But Grovyle's right. I let him take charge, and we head into another corridor.
This corridor. Arceus, this corridor. It took almost 8 minutes to reach the end of it! We took 5 turns along the way, ran into two more Volbeat, and we ended up in the same room we left from! It wrapped all the way around the dungeon!
"Ugh.. all that time, wasted!" I whine in annoyance. Bidoof pats me on the back in an attempt to comfort me. Now we have to backtrack to the starting room.. I should've gone left from that room, not up!
With Grovyle leading us now, we find the stairs almost immediately afterwards. There's nothing else in the room other than a pouch of Poké. That makes.. 641 Poké so far. Not bad!
Limestone Cavern B4F
This entire floor was mostly uneventful until the final room. No enemies, and only a pouch of 77 Poké. The room itself was completely uneventful too. It was when we went to leave that things got complicated.
Bidoof went first this time. I don't think he realized we weren't following.. but that gives Grovyle and I the perfect chance to talk. After all, Bidoof is the problem here.
I voice my concern to Grovyle, who doesn't seem fazed. "I told you already. If he poses too much of a threat, I will simply knock him out."
"B-but why would you do that?! He's not a bad Pokémon.. we could probably just.. convince him? I'm sure he'd listen if we gave him the ch-"
"Absolutely not!" Grovyle shouts in response. My ears splay back, his shout making me shrink back. "W-why not?! Don't you think it'd be better if he was on our side?"
"Regardless of that, I won't risk our mission on a chance. We have one shot at this! If he told anyone at all, then we'd be screwed!" Grovyle says firmly. His shouting is more from conviction than anger.. but..
"If that's true, then don't you think Knocking him out would be the worst thing you could do? I mean.. you'd just send him straight to the Guild!" Grovyle gasps, only now realizing this. I guess he forgot about our Badges.
He crosses his arms, mulling this over, until he eventually speaks up again. "You make a good point, Lorelei.." He sighs. "Alright. You may tell him about our plans. But it must wait until after we've defeated Ditto."
"Deal!" That's a huge weight off my shoulders..
"However.. if he turns on us, I will have no choice but to kill him." He says coldly. I take a step back in sheer shock. "K-kill him?! Grovyle, you can't be serious!"
He doesn't answer, opting to just move on to the next floor. Great.. I've somehow managed to make things worse..
Limestone Cavern B5F
Alright, we're about halfway done! This won't be that hard, as long as we have Grovyle on our side. Though.. the faster we go, the more risk there is for Bidoof..
Speaking of Grovyle.. as soon as he walks forward, he steps right into a trap. Good job!
The ground clicks, and a dark grey panel appears under his foot. The pattern looks like a kind of.. funnel? I was curious for a moment, before it triggered.
A puff of pink gas billowed out of it, and once Grovyle got a whiff of it, he was out like a light! What was that, some kind of Knockout Gas?!
"G-Grovyle!" I rush to his side, digging through his bag for an Oran Berry. Bidoof stops me before I can feed it to him, though.
"He's just asleep, by golly! Nothing to worry about!"
"A-asleep? So.. that was a slumber trap..?" Noted.. funnel shape means it's a Slumber Trap. "S-so.. what do we do..? Do we just.. wait?"
"I reckon a good slap would wake him up, yup yup!" A slap? Oh Bidoof, how mischievous..
To be honest, I am really tempted to smack him.. I'm already at his side, so after a moment's thought, I raise a paw and...
WHACK
That got him up! In an instant, Grovyle is on his feet, his Leaf Blades glowing, prepared to strike at whatever attacked him. I can sense Bidoof trying to hold back a laugh.. there's a red paw mark on Grovyle's face now.
"S-sorry about that! You stepped on a trap, and you fell asleep so I uhm.. thought I'd.. slap you awake.." My cheeks are red now, the sense of awkwardness getting stronger by the second. Grovyle, likely fed up with us by now, storms off to the nearest path out. We follow at a safe distance.
Near the end of the path, we encountered a massive Kingler, who immediately swipes at Grovyle with its huge Pincer. But it had no chance against the furious Lizard.. its shell does nothing to block his Leaf Blade. But now, we have a giant unconscious crab blocking our path..
Bidoof to the rescue! "Allow me, yup yup!" he walks past us, and charges straight at the Kingler. His Headbutt strikes it hard, making another resounding whack, and sends the crab flying into the room! "Wow! Nice one, Bidoof! Good thing he's here, right Grovyle?" I say with a glare in his direction. He just huffs indignantly.
In the next room, we find another seed. A Blast Seed this time, nice! I still have my secret Blast Seed, so this one goes into the bag. Other than that, this room is empty. We take the path on the left. It's very short, so we make it to the next room immediately.
Just as we enter this room, a long, blue Pokémon slithers in from the bottom path. A Dragonair? Uh oh.. Grovyle's Leaf Blade isn't very effective! This might be hard..
Or.. it would have been. But Grovyle's Leaf Blade cuts it down, no problem! Sheesh, he is ridiculously strong! And I thought Lucas was tough! The stairs are in this room, at least.. might as well move on again.
Limestone Cavern Midway
... Oh, a Kangaskhan Rock! "So, this is the midway point?"
Grovyle is still pretty upset with me.. he's got a bruise on his cheek now. I shouldn't have hit him that hard, but he did kinda deserve it.. right?
"Sure is, yup yup! Only 5 more floors to go, then we can get you back home safely, by golly!" Bidoof says happily, rooting through his bag. He pulls out an apple.. food sounds nice right about now.
As if sensing my thoughts, Grovyle tosses me an apple from the bag. He's still mad, but at least we're still a team! Munch munch munch..
"... So... uhm... what did the Guildmaster find here, anyway?" I ask him, drawing a glare from Grovyle. Though Bidoof is more than happy to tell us.
"Gosh, he didn't exactly tell us what he found.. but he did find someone! Several, actually! Team AWD was waiting in ambush, by golly!"
"Team AWD? You mean.. that one Weavile leads? They're really strong, aren't they?"
"Yup yup, they sure are! But they aren't stronger than our Guildmaster, no siree!" He says proudly. If Wigglytuff made it this far, there's no way he doesn't know about the Time Gear..
After some silence, I decide to go over to Grovyle. This is as good a time as any, I think. "Grovyle.. do you think we should tell him now..?"
"What? Why would we do that? This would be the perfect place for him to flee from us!" Grovyle replies in a rushed whisper.
"M-maybe.. but it's also the perfect time to get him on our side!" Grovyle shushes me, my voice getting a little too loud. Somehow, Bidoof didn't notice. Or he already knows..
"After Ditto, that's what we agreed on. It's far too early to put this much risk on our mission! I thought you were the smart one."
"I.. I just don't want Bidoof to get hurt, Grovyle.. just let me tell him! I promise he'll understan-" To my shock, Grovyle brandishes a Leaf Blade at me!
"You may be a close friend of Lucas, and you may agree with our cause, but I won't let anyone jeopardize our mission. Not even you."
I gulp, backing away from him in fear. H-he.. he'd even kill me?! His Leaf Blades lose their threatening glow, his message well received.
Is he really Lucas' partner?!