The Shore
The salty sea air blows on the shore, some Hoppip and Jumpluff floating in the wind. The waves sparkle a regal blue and slowly shift up and down. The sun is starting to go down, sitting on the horizon and letting its rays bathe the entire beach in light. As the sun set, Ash laid on the sand, sleeping peacefully. The waves started moving up to his neck, the cold water stirring him awake, before receding.
"Ugh, morning already?" Ash's eyes twitch as the sun's light hits them. He yawns as his eyes slowly open. "Wha-? Where am I...?" He rubs his eyes with his hands and looks around. "I'm on the beach? Wait...why are my hands so weird?" He looks down at where his hands should be, however, he finds stubby, yellow paws. "Wait, WHAT?!"
Ash stands up on his hind legs and looks down at his yellow mouse-like body. "This has to be some weird dream!" He gets down on his paws and feet and looks behind him. "I even have a tail! " He wiggles his tail back and forth, trying to make sure if this is real. He stands back up and looks around again. "This can't be real...there's no way that I'm a Pikachu! And how did I get here?"
Ash walks towards the shoreline and stares at the water. For a little while, he can see an image of a Pikachu before the water moves again and the image disappears. Ash cups some of the water in his paws and splashes it on his face. The cold water causes Ash to jump. He definitely feels awake now. Despite this, he wags his tail and sees his yellow paws.
He sits down on the sand, trying to take all of this in. "This isn't a dream. I...am a Pikachu." he says. He doesn't know how to respond to this. He doesn't feel any pain, just weird. He felt lighter...and having a tail was weird at first, but he's gotten used to it. He felt some sort of surge of energy in his face, but couldn't pinpoint the feeling.
Ash snapped out of his daze and stood up on his hind legs. "I can't just sit here! I need to get back to the Pokémon Center. I know I was...in Viridian City? Yeah...I stayed at the Pokémon Center. Wait…" Ash jumped as he frantically looked around.
... where's Pikachu!?" Ash runs on all fours along the shore. He knows that he and Pikachu were staying at the Pokémon center. Heck, they were in Viridian City, nowhere close to any beach. How did this happen? Ash ran as questions continued to race in his mind.
As he ran, some Pokémon glanced at the sight of a ragged Pikachu, curious on what Ash would do next. Sandygasts looked onward as they put sand on each other, while Mandibuzz entertained the thought of Ash as easy prey. Skiploom float in the air without a care in the world, going to their next destination as they look down below. But no one really cared about the situation. What were they, an exploration team?
The soft sand began to harden, starting to be replaced with pebbles and gravel. Some pebbles stabbed into Ash's feet, but he didn't care. He had to find Pikachu. Or at least know how he got on the beach. It started to get colder as Ash moved away from the sun. The ground turned hard and rocky with jagged rocks making a sort of path to a sea cave. The imposing cave was dark from the outside with jagged rocks around the entrance. A rickety wooden sign stood in front of the cave. It had claw marks, but it was still somewhat legible. Ash glanced at the sign as he ran into the cave. "Topaz cave, huh? Maybe this cave has some answers?" he thought as he continued to run.
"Hey kid, wait!" Said a booming voice from across the beach. But by that time it was too late. The creature stomped its feet in irritation. "That dang kid! Everyone knows Topaz Cave is the most dangerous part on the beach! Ugh, looks like we have to go in and help him!" The Pokémon looked at a smaller fox-like Pokémon with a small blue ribbon wrapped around its red fluffy ears and a little brown reptile Pokémon with red sunglasses. "And by "we", I mean you two!"
The smaller Pokémon looked shocked. "But Mr. Exploud! Sandile and I have never been to Topaz Cave! Who knows what'll be in there..."
"IT DOESN'T MATTER! Get a move on you two, or all of your exploration spoils go directly to me!"
Both Pokémon jumped at Exploud's voice. Not that it was shocking for him to get this loud, but still terrifying nonetheless. "Y-yes sir, Mr. Exploud sir! C-c'mon Fennekin, let's shake a leg". Said Sandile, slowly backing away from the Exploud and walking toward the cave. Fennekin begrudgingly followed suit, rubbing her ringing ears with her paws.
Topaz Cave Floor 1
Ash looked around the damp cave completely lost. To be honest, he didn't really know what to do in this situation, but he couldn't just sit around and wait. This cave has got to have something. Ash walked around for a while, looking for anything that really stood out.
The stalactites in the cave glowed multiple colors, making the cave wall almost look like a rainbow. The stalactites drip, causing a little "ploop" sound every now and then which would echo in the cave walls. The scurrying of Wimpod and other critters can be heard, causing Ash to turn his head. Some stalactites break and fall on the rough floor, breaking into colorful pieces. Ash looks at them curiously but continues looking. "What do you look for when you turn into a Pokémon?" He leaned against a wall that was decorated with odd flowers as he thought. "The first thing I need to do is find Pikachu...but then what? Maybe my bag?" The cool air tickled Ash's fur that was now all over his body. He chuckled. "I guess I don't need to find my clothes since I'm a Pokémon..."
"Yeah, clothes get in the way of the flavor..." said a slimy voice. "Yeah, they tend to get in the...wait what!?" Ash jumped away from the wall as a Lileep slowly crawled off the wall, its flower-like tentacles extending. Its eyes had a ravenous look. "My, my, a Pikachu! Those don't come around here often. I bet you taste soooo good..."
Lileep lunged at Ash, trying to wrap its tentacles around him. Ash dodged, causing the Lileep to wrap its maw around a stalagmite before he started to run away in fear. "First I'm turned into a Pikachu, now I'm about to become someone's dinner? No way!" The Lileep spit out the stalagmite, its golden eyes staring with hunger. "Come here, just one bite!" It said as it chased the Pikachu. "Rodent Pokémon are a delicacy, y'know!" It lunged again but missed as the rodent was just too fast. "Urgh, stop moving!".
Ash turned around to face the Lileep. "You're not gonna quit, are you? Alright fine!" He said, tensing up. Throughout his journeys, some wild Pokémon were very persistent, but usually stayed away from strong trained Pokémon. But now that Ash was alone, he needed to hold his ground. His heart rate started to run as fast as a Rapidash, his eyes narrowed, piercing back into the eyes of his pursuer. As though it was instinct, he scratched the Lileep with the claws on his paws. They dragged on Lileep's rough skin until blood began to ooze. Despite the typing, the Sea Lily Pokémon screeched in agony and its eyes furrowed in anguish. "Why you..." it lunged again but Ash quickly moved out the way again.
"Woah, it must be real hungry if it's still going at it." Ash thought. The Lileep looked at Ash again with the same expression of anger as it approached with its four little roots. "How do I end this quickly? More scratches could do it, but I don't know how many...". Sometimes, Pokémon aren't won by strength and simply attacking moves, but from strategy. "Maybe catching it off guard could do the trick." Ash thought, coming up with an idea.
Ash jumped in the air, making sure to avoid the stalactites on the ceiling, and turned around. Ash hit Lileep with his new tail, which distracted Lileep for a bit. "Gotcha!" Taking the opportunity, Ash spun around and scratched the Lileep again with extra force, its claws sinking much deeper than they did prior. The Lileep screamed with more pain as Ash ran away again. The Sea Lily Pokémon lunged, its movements much slower and sloppier than before.
Ash dodged again and noticed how the Lileep winced in pain after missing. Lileep appeared to be breathing heavily and its eyes began to droop despite Lileep still trying to look intimidating. "One more scratch should do it!" Ash thought. Ash lunged and used scratch once more around Lileep's stem. Lileep's scream bounced against the walls of the room and the Sea Lily Pokémon finally collapsed. "Y-you won't get away with this..." it said with one more glare before fainting. Ash's body relaxed as he got over his near-death experience. Relaxation then turned into excitement as he jumped in the air in celebration.
"Oh Yeah!" Ash said, his voice echoing in the cave. Ash smiled at his victory. "My first battle as a Pokémon...that was so awesome!" Ash jumped around feeling the energy of his win build up inside him. Suddenly, he felt his cheeks become hot and not long after, electricity soon spewed out, hitting a wall and leaving a scorch mark.
"Woah...did I just learn...thunder shock?!" Ash said in awe. Is this what it's like to grow stronger as a Pokémon? The rush to outsmart your opponent and come out victorious? The ability to think on your toes and attack with all your might? Ash pondered everything he was feeling, wondering if this could be applied to Pokémon battling as a trainer. "Maybe this is why I'm a Pikachu...to put myself in the place as my Pokémon, to become a better trainer. Whatever reason, this is really cool!" Filled with new excitement, he ran into the next room. Scanning the room, Ash saw...a set of rocky stairs? They appeared to lead to a higher level. "Stairs? I've never seen any cave with stairs. That's weird."
Ash shrugged it off. "I guess I have no other option." He moved up the rock stairs, moving on to the next floor.
Topaz Cave Floor 2
On the second floor, Ash continued to move around from room to room. The rooms were mostly empty, with the occasional Geodude that didn't bother to attack. As he walked, he reflected on his battle with that Lileep. "Wait...that Pokémon talked!" he said out loud. He's only encountered a handful of talking Pokémon, mostly just Team Rocket's Meowth, so this was quite new. "I guess I can talk too and I'm a Pokémon. Maybe I can understand them since I'm a Pokémon. Am I speaking Pokémon right now?" Ash thought. Was he saying "Pika Pika" and Pokémon just immediately understood what he was saying? How does this work? When Ash's head started hurting, stopped thinking about it and continued to move.
"I guess these rooms don't have anything too valuable...I should probably look for more of those stairs." Ash thought as he trekked the floor. He made sure to look very closely in each room. That last sneak attack was dicey, and becoming lunch was not something Ash wanted to be. His attention paid off, as he avoided some rocks which were actually Roggenrola and steered clear of a few Dwebble who seemed to be looking for suitable rocks to call home. Ash didn't really care to start fights with Pokémon that didn't want trouble. Something about being, or previously being, a human-made picking on Pokémon who are just trying to live felt...off. He'd fight if he had to, but for now, he'll focus on finding Pikachu.
Suddenly, Ash heard a crashing sound. A stalactite had dropped directly beside him, causing Ash to jump back. "Woah! That was a close one." He picked up the glowing blue rock. It had a decent weight, but he could probably throw it. Looking ahead, he noticed a colony of Woobat around the exit of the room. He also saw that another massive stalactite was overhead. "Hmm, I don't want to hurt them...but I don't know if they would be very happy to see me." Ash looked at the stalactite overhead again and looked at the stalactite in his hands.
Ash got an idea! Ash took a couple of light steps back, making sure no noise was made and that the Woobat wouldn't be alerted. Luckily, the dripping of liquid from the ceiling and the flapping of wings made Ash not be heard. "1...2...3!" Ash said mentally as he threw his stalactite at the stalactite near the Woobat. The Stalactite shattered into hundreds of tiny blue pieces, causing all of the Woobat to screech and scatter from the exit and out of the room. Ash breathed a sigh of relief and ran to exit the room, his feet tapping against the cave ground.
In the next room, Ash found another set of stairs and quickly climbed them, thankful that no Pokémon wanted to pick a fight on this floor.
Topaz Cave Floor 3
Ash looked around and gasped at his luck. "Woah, the stairs are right there!" At the other side of the room were another set of rocky stairs. Sadly, they were blocked by an upset-looking Buizel. It paced around the stairs, whispering to itself. It kicked some bones on the ground in frustration, causing Ash to jump. "B-Bones!?" Ash yelped before composing himself. Buizel perked up and looked in Ash's direction.
The Buizel glared at Ash. "Don't even try it, bucko. " Buizel got into a fighting stance. "The Buzz and I have a real good deal going on, and they told me to not let anyone through unless they're dinner..." Buizel said, hoping he sounded tough. He rehearsed this line so many times to other Pokémon and it usually caused them to hightail it in another direction. But Ash just stared back as though he was hit with confusion.
"The Buzz? Look, I don't know who they are...but I'm looking for a friend of mine, so can I please get through?" Ash started to walk towards the Buizel.
Buizel sneered and glared again. "Are you really that dumb? I said NO!" Buizel swished something in his mouth before spitting out a stream of water at Ash. Ash got pelted with it hard like a slap and was launched by the force. He fell down at the other side of the with a thud that echoed the room. Ash started coughing up a bit of the water as he looked back at the Buizel, who had a very smug face. "Geez, water packs a punch..." He got on all fours and shook himself dry as he shivered from the coldness.
He stood back up and glared at the Buizel who was snickering at his misfortune. "I will get through!" Ash felt electricity spark from his face. He rubbed his cheeks, letting the electricity build up. Heat began to increase in his cheeks as he felt like the build up was getting to its limit. "Take this!" He then released a small bolt at the Buizel, it raced from across the room, lighting up the once blue room with yellow and white. Buizel's eyes were wide open as the blast of lightning went toward him.
The Buizel stood there shocked before taking the hit. It screamed in pain as the electricity coursed through him. The shock was so strong, it left him paralyzed on the ground. "Why you..." the Buizel groaned. Ash sighed, tired from using so much energy. He rubbed his cheeks again, feeling some energy build back up.
Ash walked around the Buizel. "Sorry, but I told you I'm looking for someone. And I won't stop till I find them." He said before climbing up the stairs.
Topaz Cliff
Ash was surprised to see the sunshine after he finished climbing the stairs. He ran out the cave and toward the light before being engulfed by the sun's rays. The salty sea air hit Ash's nostrils immediately now that he was outside. "Finally, I'm out!" he said with joy. He looked around to see huge shards of multi-colored crystals protruding jaggedly from the ground, which changed color from orange to blue to pink then back to orange. Ash stared at the crystals with great interest. "Woah, cool..." he admired, walking around. He shook his head remembering the task at hand. Looking around, he didn't see Pikachu or any sign of him. "Hmm, I guess he isn't here," Ash said, wandering around. He noticed that besides the crystals, there was a great deal of bones and skulls of many types of Pokémon. He shuddered before he continued looking around the area. He went to the edge and looked at the endless sea below. It was quite a sight, especially with the sun setting. The orange rays touching the waves and the light shimmering off of the crystals and the sky a beautiful combination of purple and orange.
Ash sat down, thinking about his options. He thought earlier, that maybe Pikachu got lost or something. Sure, he may have not thought this completely through, but still, searching was searching. The cave didn't seem to have any signs of Pikachu, so where else to look? "I guess I should look around the beach." He said, looking again at the scenery. He saw the Jumpluff line migrating, some Flabébé floating in the wind and some bird Pokémon flying in the air.
"Wait, are those Pokémon getting bigger?" Ash narrowed his eyes at the silhouettes of three bird Pokémon. An awful caw sound came from that direction, followed by cackling. Ash stepped back at the blood curdling screeches that made him cover his ears. "HEHEHEHEEEE, Well Well! Look who wandered into our nest!" screeched one of the birds flapping their wings faster. "HAW-HAW! Mmmh, my mouth is watering!" said another, seeming to be racing the both of them. "CAW CAW! I can't WAIT for a new skull, hehe." said the last one who lagged behind, but still sped up.
Ash began to flinch from the massive amounts of wind coming from the flapping of their wings. The air pushed away many skulls and bones, some even flying around in circles. Now that they were closer, Ash was able to get a better look at them. They all seemed to be the same Pokémon, bird Pokémon with beaks and talons as sharp as daggers and glares that cut much sharper. Their wings were almost as dark as night and so large that they seemed to nearly block the sun from where Ash was standing. Their wings were producing massive amounts of wind, almost like they were readying to summon a hurricane.
The three of them landed at the same time, their talons digging into the ground below. The largest bird landed on a skull and crushed it between her talons with an evil grin as she stared at the electric rodent. Another one, who's bone skirt was bloody from prey, eyed Ash hungrily, drooling at the sight. "Haw-Haw! What brings you here, little one?" Ash shuddered at her shrill, excited voice. He mustered up his courage and looked the bloody thing directly in her eyes. "I came to look for my friend!" He said, looking up at the three birds. The bird that lagged behind raised an amused eyebrow while the biggest bird chuckled.
After chuckling, she smiled at Ash. "Well...this nest is The Buzz's turf...for Mandibuzz obviously. I thought that water pest was supposed to stop anyone from coming here." The largest Mandibuzz's smile turned to a grimace. "What are we gonna do with this one?" She said.
The Mandibuzz in the back scratched its head with its wings as though it was in thought. It scraped its feet on the ground, causing the bone-like rings on her talons to get dirty. Suddenly, it grinned evilly, thinking up a nasty plot. It whispered into the bigger Mandibuzz's ear. Soon enough, she was grinning too.
"I haven't seen you in these parts...are you lost?" The Mandibuzz said, sickeningly sweet. It hit the bloody Mandibuzz with a wing, before whispering in its ear. The bloody one quickly straightened up and backed away from the rodent. Its ravenous smile turned into a slight grin.
Ash looked at the three birds. He wasn't just going to trust them, especially the one with bloodstains who was drooling moments before. He slowly began to move backwards, making sure not to step on any skulls.
The Mandibuzz noticed these movements but didn't change their expressions. "Now, I know you're a bit nervous. But, we might know where your friend is...have you heard of Spark Plains?" Said the large Mandibuzz, who was now playing with a bone on the ground. The bloody Mandibuzz smiled and played along. "Yeah, it's a place with a lot of electric types...and if you explore it deep enough, there's a forest full of Pikachu! Maybe that's where your friend is? They are a Pikachu right?" She said excitedly. This got Ash's interest. "Pikachu forest?" He stopped backing away. "Yes, we could take you there...as an apology for scaring you and whatnot. What do you say?" Said the large Mandibuzz holding out its dark wing to give a type of a handshake.
Ash started to back away again. "Look, thanks for telling me where I can go...but I can go myself. Thanks again!" Ash said, with a genuine smile. Finally, he actually has a clue of where to go. Hopefully, he can find Pikachu then find a way to get out of this weird world. He looked at the glowing crystals again as he turned around to walk back to the entrance. In the reflection, he noticed a dark figure flying towards him and felt eyes staring into him so intently, it was like they were looking right through him. He turned around to see the bloody Mandibuzz peering over him. Judging by the smell, the blood was fresh. "C'mon. I know you might have your reservations, but don't judge a book by its cover. We'll take you there all safe and sound!" The Mandibuzz tried to smile a bit bigger but ended up with an unsettling grin. The larger Mandibuzz cleared their throat. "C'mon, it will be quick and easy! Just come with us. We don't bite, we promise!"
Ash found that quite hard to believe considering who he was looking at. He smiled again but was slightly more nervous. "Listen, I really appreciate the help, but I can take care of myself! I'm sure there's a map that has Spark Plains and Pikachu Forest!" Ash stepped back from the Mandibuzz in front of him and looked at all three. "Thank you but no!" He said firmly before turning around towards the stairs again.
The large Mandibuzz's fake smile turned into a dark scowl. Its kind eyes turned into a mean look and began to glow blood red. A laser beamed from its eyes, immediately hitting the electric rodent before he could go back into the cave. Ash's muscles suddenly tensed up as though he was paralyzed and it felt like a Snorlax was sitting on his chest. Another Mandibuzz uttered a caw and a whirlwind was whipped up. Bones and dirt spiraled in the air as though a tornado hit a graveyard, repeatedly buffeting Ash's motionless body. All Ash could do was wince at the pain.
"Hehehe. Now back to what we were saying. You poor Pikachu...I bet you feel so sad not having your friend by your side...the thought just brings me to tears!" The Bone Vulture Pokémon said with a fake teary voice, unaffected by the whirlwind. "We Mandibuzz just adore Pikachu...but they just won't let us into their cute little village. But, with an injured Pikachu in our wings, perhaps that village of Pikachu will finally let us in..." The Mandibuzz smiled an evil smile before nodding to the bloody vulture beside her. The bloody Mandibuzz started concentrating dark energy in its wings, forming a dark sphere. "Haw-Haw! And when we gain their trust, we can gobble them up when they least expect it!" The Mandibuzz laughed as it started to salivate again, the pitch-black ball still growing in its wings, sucking up the light from the area. "Say goodnight, ya little rat!" The sphere exploded into multiple beams of darkness that were launched at Ash. All Ash could do was close his eyes and brace for impact as the beams zoomed closer and the whirlwind raged on.
Before the blast made contact, a round of fireballs collided with the dark energy, causing a fiery explosion of black energy before hitting Ash. Ash opened his eyes to see two Pokémon, a Sandile and Fennekin who had just climbed the stairs and were in the cave. The Fennekin cleared its throat with a dry cough and looked at Ash, whose shocked face didn't match his still, motionless body. "Tada! We're team Sandfla-Woah!" she said, wincing at the whirlwind. The Sandile looked at the three targets and started sweating. One of the Mandibuzz looked violently angry, clenching its beak while another looked very irritated and clawed at the ground with its talons.
And one was flying directly at him with a mouth open wide. "HAW-HAW!" it said, tucking in its wings and charging as a yellow light glowed from its body. "Oh no no no no not brave bird, no no no NO!". Sandile sweated and looked around for anything before noticing all the dirt in the air. "Aha! Take this!" Sandile breathed in some of the dirt from the air and spewed a combination of dirt and sand from his nostrils. It hit the Mandibuzz in the face, blinding it temporarily. "Ouch. I- I can't see!" It said, zooming past the Sandile and colliding with a rock-hard cave wall. "Haw-haawww..." croaked the Mandibuzz, whose head was stuck inside the cave wall.
The remaining Mandibuzz gawked in disbelief. "You...you will NOT get away with this!" The largest Mandibuzz said as she ascended into the sky. She flapped her wings hard and created a wave of air as sharp as a sword at the group of Pokémon. The other Mandibuzz hastily opens its mouth and fires beams of dark energy at them too. Sandile began to glow white and boulders with a white glow appeared in front of him out of thin air. Sandile stopped glowing and roared, sending the rocks toward the blasts of darkness. The dark pulse collided with the rock slide, exploding into ineffectual black pebbles.
Fennekin looked at the air slash heading to the Pikachu and began to panic. She swished something in her mouth and spit out some flaming embers at the wave of air. The air slash extinguished the embers and hit Ash with full force, sending him to the ground. Fennekin rushed to check Ash, who now had a large cut on his back. It didn't seem serious, but it will definitely leave a mark. "SANDILE, HURRY UP!" she yelled at the Desert Croc Pokémon before coughing up some dust from the air. Sandile looked at her and the injured Pikachu and rushed towards them, largely ignoring the debris in the air.
The two Mandibuzz saw the desperation of the group and were ready to capitalize. Both of them were now in the air and with every giant, forceful flap of their wings was a sharp wave of air zooming toward the group. Sandile looked at the incoming attacks and using every muscle in his tail and legs, propelled himself into the air. He landed with a massive crash, boulders protruding around the group with massive force. The boulders essentially blocked the opening of the cave, leaving the Mandibuzz outside alone on the cliff. A barrage of wind could be heard hitting the boulders but they had little effect.
The Desert Croc Pokémon turned around to the others. Fennekin looked impressed at this new move he learned. Sandile smirked. "A new tm I borrowed. Rock Tomb. Of course, you'd know about it if you actually trai-" Fennekin barked before he could finish. "There's no time! We have a rescue to take care of!". Ash groaned as he got up from the air slash. "Ugh...ow, who are you two?" As soon as he got up on his hind legs, he slowly backed away wary of danger. Fennekin was taken aback by his voice. It was so familiar, but the only voice that resembled it wouldn't be here of all places. She shook her head of the thought. That can wait when they get back to HQ. "We're Team Sandflame! The exploration team for Exploud Exploration Enterprises!" said the Fennekin with a dazzling smile. "I'm Fennekin and this is Sandile!" Fennekin gestured to Sandile, who gave a nod and slight smirk. Ash moved a little bit towards them. He noticed the Sandile's dirty red sunglasses and was immediately reminded of his own powerful Krookodile. He smiled at the thought. He looked at the Fennekin and noticed the blue ribbon around her ear, now tattered from the whirlwind. It looked oddly familiar, almost like if he thought hard enough, he would know where it's from. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the loud thud coming from the outside. Ash jumped and immediately felt the cut down his back, groaning in pain.
Fennekin and Sandile jumped at the sound too. "Those Mandibuzz seem like they won't quit. We need to leave now!" Said Fennekin. She looked at Sandile. "Do you have any more new moves that you learned with tm's you quote, unquote 'borrowed'? " Sandile looked at her with pride. "I have just the exact thing!" His claws extended and he started scratching at the ground. Mounds of dirt were thrown in the air as Sandile got deeper and deeper into the ground. Another blast could be heard from the outside, some boulder debris breaking off. Sandile clawed at the ground quicker, creating a deeper hole. "Follow me! I'll dig us out of here!" he said, digging until he was out of sight. Fennekin and Ash followed the Sandile down the hole. It was dry, rough, and void of any light. Fennekin squinted at where she hoped Sandile was. "Uh, Sandile? Do you know where you're going? We've never been here before." The Sandile responded but continued digging. "Please. I've kept track of our route through the cave. I definitely know where we're going."
It was twenty minutes later, and they were still in the cave digging. During their time digging, there were multiple sounds from above. The sound of a raging whirlwind petered to wispy waves of air and the explosions of dark energy were just a crackle when they were under the ground. The noise would eventually subside altogether.
The Shore
"Okay, I do believe this is the entrance of the cave." Said Sandile confidently. Fennekin and Ash breathed a sigh of relief in what little room they had. The hard ground on their heads and feet was getting uncomfortable. Sandile chipped away at the earth until he finally saw light. He jumped out of the tunnel he created and onto the rocky entrance of the cave. Fennekin and Ash followed suit, jumping out of the hole.
They all took a deep breath and looked around. It had darkened a bit after the sun finally set, but there was still time before it got really dark. Fennekin shook the dirt off and looked at the others. "Finally, we're out!" She smiled at the two of them.
Sandile turned to Ash with an inquisitive look. "Now, why did you go into Topaz cave anyway? Everyone knows it's the most dangerous place on the beach."
Ash looked at them with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry about getting you two into all that trouble. I was just looking for Pikachu." He said. Ash jumped, realizing what he was doing. He was about to run off, but the injury in his back flared up again, causing Ash to wince in pain.
Fennekin was taken aback by his voice. It was DEFINITELY his. Thoughts immediately started racing through her mind. How did he of all people get here? What was he doing here? They swirled in her mind as her face started to turn red and white steam started puffing out of her fluffy ears. She breathed a bit to calm down. She can't just fangirl over Ash right now. He's hurt and needs help. Maybe she can ask questions later but until then, she needs to do her part of being on an exploration team.
For the time being anyways.
"We can help you find Pikachu, but for now, you're hurt. We have places at HQ where you can rest." Fennekin said, hoping her face wasn't red. Ash was about to protest but realized everything that had happened. It was only a few hours in this world and he managed to almost get eaten twice and was now injured. Searching for a location he didn't even know while injured was a recipe for disaster. He sighed. "Okay. Can we try looking for him tomorrow?". Both Sandile and Fennekin nodded. "Of course! Now come on, we'll take you to HQ." said Fennekin. Suddenly, Ash's stomach began to grumble. They all had chuckled at the noise. "Don't worry, there will be food as well. Now, let's get a move on! is waiting." Sandile said, walking on the sands. Fennekin and Ash followed suit.
As they walked on the beach, they all reflected on what had happened that day. As they thought, they could hear the noises of Hoothoot in the trees and noticed some Surskit skating on the ocean. As Ash walked on the sand, he still had so many questions. Why was he here? How did he get here? A new world with talking Pokémon? He tried to wrap his head around it, but he was hungry and tired from all of the dungeon diving and simply couldn't understand.
The cold sand touched Fennekin's feet as she thought of the fight with those Mandibuzz. She frowned at how she couldn't even protect their target. "Those Mandibuzz were no joke. I need to train harder for next time. Perhaps I can train with Sandile?" she thought. But the idea of fire scorching her throat and being pelted by dirt left her more drained than she already was now. It had been a couple of months since the exploration team started and she was still the weakest link. It doesn't matter though, since Exploud didn't put her on the team because she was good at fighting. Fennekin scowled at the thought of her boss but shook the thought away. "I can't let that jerk get to me. Remember, wear a wonderfully radiant smile." She thought again. She sighed but slightly smiled. "Maybe it'll be better tomorrow."
Sandile looked at the band of Pokémon behind him. As he saw Fennekin, he wondered how he could get her to pull her own weight. He liked the sort of flair she added to the whole team, which is why Exploud forced her to join, but that didn't mean anything in the battlefield. He looked at the electric rodent, who he had just met today. "That kid must be quite strong...he did a number on that Buizel. I might want to tell about him..." he thought. Seeing Buizel, a criminal with wanted posters plastered all across town, on the cold cave ground made him wonder how strong this Pikachu was and how strong it would make their team. Team Sandflame, the best exploration team out there...with Sandile leading the pack. He smiled at that as he continued walking.
As they walked, they all eventually had one thing on their mind. "What a day!"