The next day the group were in Granite Cave trying to find Steven Stone which was proving to be harder than they all expected due to it being so dark in the second floor of the cave and all the wild Zubat that kept popping out
"I can see why aunt Winona doesn't like caves" May said as she frantically looked around her only to find darkness everywhere
"Actually May that has more to do with the fact that aunt Winona has a minor case of claustrophobia" Max said before Castform bumped his head making him yelp "Castform!"
"Nice one" Pikachu said grinning at the Weather Pokémon who was giggling along with Eevee
"Hm? Do you hear that?" Ashlyn said getting everyone to shut up and that's when they heard rumbling sounds getting louder and louder by each passing moment "Oh no quick press yourselves to the walls now!"
And just as everyone followed Ashlyn's orders a large stampede of Aron and Lairon ran passed them lasting for what felt like hours instead of 5 minutes
"Are you alright?" Alain asked Ashlyn as he released his hold from the cave walls
"Yes I'm fine" Ashlyn said smiling at him "May! Max! Are you alright?"
"Ashlyn!" Eevee called out as she ran over to her
"Eevee where's May?" Ashlyn asked worried, Eevee never left May's side
"She was carried by the Lairon and Aron and so was Max Castform went with them" Eevee said making Ashlyn feel a cold wind of fear, worry and desperation wash over her
"We have to find them" Ashlyn said almost frantically worry so very close to clouding her mind
"Ashlyn calm down we will, don't worry so much" Alain said as he held her shoulders trying to bring her back from her inner turmoil
"What if they're hurt Alain? What if -" Ashlyn said before Alain pulled her into comforting hug trying to calm her down
"I know what it's like to worry about your younger sibling trust me I have a little sister who is a right trouble magnet but I also know that panicking about it is useless so let's just calm down and find them alright?" Alain said as he pulled her away from him only to look into her eyes
"Alright thank you Alain" Ashlyn said smiling softly and feeling slightly better
"Come on Eevee" Alain said offering his shoulder to the little fox
"OK" Eevee said before she climbed up his shoulder
Meanwhile with May and Max they found themselves in a small cavern with two Aron nudging berries towards them and an Aggron looking at them softly
"Are you alright young ones?" the Aggron asked softly
"Um yes thank you" Max said as he pushed himself up while May did the same next to him
"Where are we?" May asked her voice calm and filled with respect just like her elder sister taught her "Oh no! Eevee? Eevee?"
"You are in my nest, my children found you fainted" Aggron said softly smiling slightly when she saw May's worry for her pokemon "Yes these two are good humans"
"Thank you for helping us" Max said smiling brightly
"Yes thank you" May said also smiling before one of the Aron nuzzle her waist and on reflex she pets her "Excuse me but did you see an older girl and boy with us?"
"No we just saw you. You were being carried by Aron and Lairon before you fell off them no other humans" the Aron she was petting said
"Oh no Ashlyn-nee is going to panic if we don't find her soon" Max said trying to stand up
"No Max lay back down rest!" Castform said pushing Max down
"She is correct you young ones are in need of more rest" Aggron said
"But Ashlyn-nee -" Max tried to protest
"Can be found by my children" Aggron said calmly before both Arons went out of the cavern
"Don't worry Max they can find her" Castform said optimistically
"What were those Aron and Lairon running from anyway?" May wondered
"A pokemon has been rampaging through our home and the main traveling caverns thus disrupting the peace we have known for so long" Aggron explained making both Maples think
As Alain and Ashlyn continue to look for May and Max Ashlyn couldn't help but wonder what could have happened to them, if they were hurt, attacked, or scared more than once Alain had to snap her out of it by reassuring her that they were going to be just fine and that she taught them how to be good trainers
"Alain back in Rustboro when we were battling that team Magma grunt you used Garchomp but when we asked you to show your Pokémon why didn't you show him to us?" Ashlyn asked trying to get her mind out of the cloud of worry
"Oh my dad sent him to me while we were in Rustboro City's Pokémon Center" Alain said smiling
"And you said a while back that you have a sister what is she like?" Ashlyn asked honestly curious about that
"Her name is Mairin and well technically she's my adopted sister but still. Dad adopted her when she was a baby a little after her parents were killed in forest fire and ever since I could remember she's always been a trouble magnet especially when no one was looking" Alain said chuckling before smiling back at her "Maybe later tonight I could introduce you all to her"
"That would be nice" Ashlyn said smiling softly before a movement in the distance caught her attention but she knew who it was in an instant "Uncle Steven?"
"Ashlyn? What are you doing here?" a man with silver hair, silver eyes, pale skin wearing a hiker suit and gear asked as he walked over to hug his pseudo niece
"We were looking for you but we got separated from May and Max by a stampede of Aron and Lairon. Oh this is Alain Sycamore by the way our new friend and traveling companion" Ashlyn said gesturing to Alain
"Nice to meet you sir" Alain said smiling
"Pleasures all mine Alain" Steven said before looking back to his niece worriedly "Did you say stampede?"
"Yes" Ashlyn said puzzled
"Well I've been noticing that lots of caverns have been changed almost irregularly like they weren't made by Aron, Lairon or Aggron and I highly doubt that a Mawile could have done them none of the changes look like bite marks, Makuhita or Hariyama are out of the question because the rocks wouldn't have been just the tips missing it would be center to tip and not to mention loud noises from the main travel cavern" Steven said noting all his observations
"So it must be a Pokémon who managed to walk into the cave, easily irritated or enjoys rampaging and loud?" Alain recapped before pulling out his pokedex trying to find a Pokémon like that
"If that Pokémon is causing problems then we should try to coral it back outside" Ashlyn said before two Aron suddenly pop their heads out making Pikachu and Eevee look at them
"Is your trainer Ashlyn?" the younger female Aron asked
"Yes why?" Pikachu asked protectively
"Where here to bring her to May and Max" the older male Aron said
"You know where May is?" Eevee asked with a hopeful voice
"Yeah!" both Aron said as Pikachu and Eevee got the human's attention
"What is it Pikachu? Eevee? " Ashlyn asked before she looked to where they were pointing to Aron who began to run towards their nest
"They know where Max and May are" Eevee said before hopping off Alain's shoulder before running after Aron
"They know where May and Max are" Ashlyn breaths almost in relief before she too ran after the Aron
"Ashlyn wait!" Alain exclaimed before he and Steven run after her
After resting May and Max were led out of the nest by Aggron so that they could stretch their legs and wait for their sister outside
"What is that?" May asked as she heard something coming towards them
"Oh no is that the stampede again?" Max asked scared
"No its that horrible Pokémon" Aggron growled before a moment later Aggron was in from of them and a big Loudred stomped in front of them
"A Loudred!" Max said before he reached for his Mudkip or Taillow
"Torchic! Beautiful!" May called out before her pokemon materialized along side Aggron
"Oh no" Max said when he saw the Hyper Beam attack Loudred was getting ready to launch
"Oh no!" Max exclaimed before Aggron used Protect to shield them from the falling rocks that Loudred broke with his Hyper Beam
"Torchic Ember! Beautify Silver Wind!" May commanded before Torchic sent hot embers towards Loudred as Beautifly helped by accelerating their speed with her silver wind
"Mudkip Water Pulse! Castform Energy Ball! " Max said as he released his starter pokemon who launched a sphere of water while Castform launched a green and yellow sphere of energy both attacks aimed towards Loudred and once all the attacks hit Loudred was knocked several feet away
"It wasnt enough if only we had a fighting type pokemon" Max thought a bit panicked as he watched Loudred getting up
"Beautifly string shot to slow it down Torchic get ready to use Crush Claw!" May said before Beautifly tied up Loudred with string shot before Torchic ran up and used Crush Claw
"Mudkip Water Gun! Castform Thunderbolt!" Max commanded before Mudkip shot Loudred with a powerful water gun attack before Castform electrocuted the soaking wet pokemon then Aggron used Focus punch to deal the final blow making Loudred faint
"I think we should catch him and have dad train him" May said before May pulled out an Ultra Ball just to be safe and threw it at Loudred and in three shakes he was caught
"I hope dad'll like him" May said as she picked up the Ultra Ball
"MAY! MAX!" they heard a familiar voice call out before they turned around only to see Ashlyn, Alain and their uncle Steven running towards them along with the two Aron, Eevee and Pikachu
"ASHLYN-NEE!" May and Max called out before they ran to their older sister and hugged her tightly
"Oh thank Arceus your alright oh thank Arceus" Ashlyn said as tears slipped from her eyes and onto their clothes
"Were just fine Ashlyn-nee thanks to Aggron and her kids" May said smiling and clearly unaware that she reverted back to calling Ashlyn, Ashlyn-nee
"Thank you so much Aggron Thank you" Ashlyn said as she tried to breath easier now that her sibling were with her again
"Of course and I must be the one to thank them, they have removed the very pokemon ruining our peace" Aggron said smiling at them all
"You did? Now there's a story to tell your father and mother" Steven said chuckling
"And for aunt Winona too" May said cheekily
"What Winona here in Dewford? When?Why? " Steven asked blushing a bit
"Wait you didnt check the gym before you came into the cave?" Max asked
"I did in fact Brawly had just about seven gym battles that day trust me I asked everyone in the gym and the nearby restaurants" Steven said puzzled
"You've been down here how long exactly uncle Steven?" Ashlyn asked
"Seven days why?" Steven asked
"Brawly hasn't been taking gym challenges for five days now six counting today" Alain said looking at Steven who was in shock
"What were you looking for anyway?" Max asked curiously
"Oh I was looking for this" Steven said as he was digging into his pockets to pull out a very pretty pale blue diamond like stone
"What is it?" May asked while Ashlyn and Alain looked at each other knowingly
"Maybe later May we should all get out of here" Steven said blushing a bit
"OK" May and Max chimed
Once they got out of the cave Ashlyn had noticed a woman wearing a white long sleeve blouse, light blue pants and long pale lavender hair blowing in the breeze appear in front of the Pokémon Center
"Aunt Winona!" Ashlyn called over just as Winona looked over to their direction
"Ashlyn, May, Max" the Foretree City gym leader called out before she ran over to them
"Hi Auntie" Max greeted as he hugged her waist "Auntie this is Alain our traveling companion"
"Nice to meet you Alain, oh Steven I don't know you were here?" Winona said smiling at the Champion who was blushing now
"Nice to see you to Win" Steven said smiling
"May look down" Ashlyn whispered to her sister who did as she was told only to see the female Aron looking up at her
"Oh hello" May said smiling as she bent down to pet her
"I wanna be your Pokémon!" the little Aron said before she tapped one of May's pokeballs and caught herself
"Congratulations May" Ashlyn said smiling
"Thanks oh I can't wait to train her" May said smiling at her new team member