Chapter 5
The silence weighed heavy on the four rookie trainers. They watched, numb from the events, as the Pokémon of Mt. Moon took care of the aftermath.
A massive Parasect scuttled in with a horde of Paras surrounding it. The bug-types released String Shot after String Shot to bind the now unconscious collection of Rockets, only allowing them to breathe at the request of the matron Absol. Geodude and Graveller cleared the debris and settled the ground. A Golem, giant and smooth, stomped over to Absol and Parasect who were conversing in hushed tones.
The gentle melody of Clefairys soon rang through the crowded cavern as the little pink fairies bounce-floated in. They gathered the still living but unconscious Pokémon of the Rockets and disappeared down a different tunnel, carrying them away. The remaining… bodies… were scooped up by hordes of Golbat and Zubat and dragged off to places unknown.
A Crobat remained. It didn't fly with the grace its species was known for and the lightness of its coloring showed its youth as it landed with the other supposed leaders.
Gary watched everything happen with curious eyes, wishing he had the strength to record it all. He knew his grandpa would be overjoyed to hear of what he witnessed, though the circumstances that led up to it may darken the story. More inhabitants of Mt. Moon slowly trickled in and out, with each came a fully evolved form of their species who joined the other leaders. Even the seldom seen species joined them. Gary counted a Hariyama, Chimecho, and Bronzong amongst the two monarchs of the nido-line. The only Pokémon he didn't see join the gathered leaders, were an Onix, or Steelix, and a Clefable.
The Omanyte in his arms snuggled closer, a light shudder running through the ancient Pokémon. He tried to soothe it as best he could, but felt just as shaken. Evis brushed against his leg, making her presence known as she stood guard at his side. His Spearow landed on his shoulder, careful and ready to take off again if Gary wasn't capable of holding his weight. When he was certain, Spearow settled more fully and lightly nipped at his ear before going on guard as well.
He glanced around to check on his friends.
Leaf was at his side, her Machop on guard like Evis, and the Kabuto on her lap. She stroked its shell absently, her gaze watched blankly as the Zubat line carried off the dead. Her Nidorina sat beside her, focus entirely on the Nidoqueen that had arrived.
Ember was on her knees a bit in front of them, body tense and unmoving. He couldn't see her face nor could he follow her gaze, but by the way her Houndour and Sandile flanked her, he guessed she wasn't doing well.
Then there was Ash. His best friend and rival was the furthest from them, hugging a young Aerodactyl's head to his chest. Even for a young member of its species, Aerodactyl were large Pokémon, and one wrong move could result in Ash losing a limb. Ash wouldn't think of that though, not if the Pokémon was hurting or frightened. His Pikachu kept shifting between growling at the wild Pokémon that got too close, checking on Ash, and checking on his teammate. His Drilbur stepped away to talk with some of the wild ground-types, and seemed to be helping the Sandshrews and Sandslashes that had gathered in finding hidden fault lines.
Evis growled, drawing his attention back to see something not many living people have seen. A small group of Kabutops and Omastars came out of the shadows to gather around their young, still protected by Leaf and Gary. Their colorings were much like their first stages, more suited for cave dwelling than ocean living. He had to wonder if they were still the typing he knew, or something new entirely.
Kabuto and Omanyte clicked and hissed at their evolved forms, but didn't leave their spots with Gary and Leaf.
Gary almost balked when he noticed traces of blood on a Kabutop's scythes, but he held back. He'd seen what happened here and knew casualties couldn't be avoided… but even still. He loosened his grip on Omanyte, but instead of leaving, Omanyte wrapped a tentacle around his wrist and pulled it back. It made a little gurgle noise, eyes turning up in a smile towards him before continuing to converse with the other fossil Pokémon.
Ember stood, slipping something into her pocket as she did. Her Pokémon loyally followed at her heels as she headed towards the leaders. Several glared down at the audacious human child who so casually approached them, but none moved to attack at Absol's request.
"What happens now?" Ember asked. She could feel Gary's gaze on her back, but she didn't turn to look. Of the four of them, she was the only one capable, in that moment, to help, and she knew it. She could feel the strain Ash was under and had to force herself to push the feeling away, unable to help him in this aspect.
The Pokémon considered her. A Kabutops came to join them.
"Our young wish to leave," Kabutops said. "We shall respect - and they will go with those -. But what of the last flyer?"
"Go to the boy, tell him to take care of the Young Ancient," Absol answered. "It is time for their species to cease existing here."
Kabutops slid its scythes together in thought before heading towards Ash and Aerodactyl. Absol regarded Ember once more, her eyes glowing with psychic energy.
"Have your friends capture their chosen Pokémon and wait here," Absol said. "Humans, good ones, will be coming shortly and they shall bring you all to safety." She blinked the light from her eyes. "I request you not share the full extent of what happened here today. We are not proud of the outcome, and I am not proud of my own failings. We will lead the humans to your fallen so they may be put to rest."
The Nidoking thumped his tail on the ground with a growl.
"And why trust these humans?" he grumbled, voice like trembling earth. "What makes them better than any others?"
"Nothing really," Ember shrugged, "but we try." Her response gained her more attention from the leaders, some of interest, while others became wary.
"And I see great things in their futures, should they prevail from the surrounding disasters," Absol added.
The Bronzong shuddered.
Death approaches, it announced, voice deep and rumbling.
Absol nodded and the other leaders called to their kin to disperse.
"I shall find Waymaker, and ensure the Ancients are placed to rest together," Absol said before the leaders all left as well.
"Waymaker," Ember said. "That Onix?"
"Correct," Absol nodded. "She has been here before all others, and has shaped most of this mountain over centuries."
There was a flash of white. Ember glanced over to Ash who stood with his head bowed, a Pokéball in his hand. Ember nodded at him, even if he wasn't looking, and turned to the other two.
"They want to go with you," Ember said. "Catch them now, but stay put. We'll be rescued soon."
Leaf moved with numb muscles, Pokéball expanded and tapped against the Kabuto in her lap. Gary followed her lead a moment after. There was no struggle, only soft clicks as the captures succeeded.
The twins made their way back to the other two, watching as the remaining fossil Pokémon left and soon after so did Absol. They huddled together, surrounded by their Pokémon and waited.
A cold settled over Mt. Moon, felt by all Pokémon.
Ember shuddered.
XXX
The report of a cave in made it to the Elite Four. Brock was already mobilizing to check for any injured trainers, or worse, but he requested League back up just in case. In this case, League back up included Bruno and the newest trainee Will, who teleported the two of them to the front of the entrance just as Brock made it.
Will was grinning when he first arrived and turned to start into Mt. Moon before Brock or Bruno could begin to talk. Bruno made to stop him, but it wasn't necessary. The psychic trainer froze in place, fingers lightly touching the entrance's wall. Any excitement Will had for his first mission was gone as the chilling, otherworldly cold settled inside him. He'd only felt this once before, the one time he'd been around Agatha using the full force of the ghost type.
Death was here.
Ace trainers arrived moments after.
"What is it," Bruno called, snapping Will from the haze. He drew back, fingers numb as he held them close to his chest.
"Death," he whispered, voice cracking.
"How many?" Bruno asked. His voice was strong, authoritative, and was helping to ground the psychic as he fought against the urge to run… or puke.
"Too many," he answered.
"Any living?" Bruno asked.
"I can't tell," Will answered. He felt sturdier now, though he was sure he'd have nightmares for weeks to come.
"I need you to try, Will," Bruno said. He gripped the boy's shoulder and squeezed gently. Brock felt sick at the news, but he kept his guard up. He was the youngest gym leader, after all, and he needed to have those around him see him as an authority, not a kid.
He let Bruno handle most of it, but to begin he ordered a few Ace trainers to get over to Cerulean and alert the Sensational Sisters. They needed the other side closed off until they could verify that the caverns and tunnels were stable. Onix and Geodude were released as well, both knowing what to do instantly. Geodude rolled ahead of them into the cave and Onix slithered away from the mountain before tunneling into the ground, disappearing with only a slight tremor.
Will released his two Xatu, both held a wing to their trainer's back as he pressed his hand back against the rock. All three psychics shuddered under the weight of the ghostly energy, but they pushed through. Signs of life started to appear in their minds' eyes, wild Pokémon that called the caves home came into view. They searched further, deeper, and they found more life signs, three humans huddled close and many dimmer human lives, deep underground. Unconscious but alive, and the three… no, four… were clearly young, their Pokémon around them. He saw the blank spots that meant dark-types close to the faint life signature of the fourth person.
"Found some," Will said. They began to pull back, mentally tracing the pathways back to them. One Xatu cried out and tried to release their connection, but it was too late, Will saw.
He stumbled back, hitting the ground hard as his body ran cold. He heard someone throw up, and only when he felt Bruno's massive hands supporting him did he realize it was him.
"They were…" Will tried to breathe, his eyes watering. His hands clenched into fist, knuckles white as he gulped in air.
"You've done enough, Will," Bruno said.
"No!" Will shouted, standing up on shaky legs. His Xatu took their positions on either side of him, gazes directed in opposite directions. "There are kids trapped down there. We… we can get you there. Ten people come with us, the rest assist Brock. We'll need all the teleporters we can get."
The League trained psychics, mainly Alakazam, took the coordinates from Will's mind as Bruno called over those to assist them. He braced himself for Will to teleport him once more, a brief flash of concern came over his face before he hardened it back into his stony countenance.
The cavern they appeared in was eerily silent. Even Bruno, the least adapt to feel any of the three mind elements, could sense the otherworldly cold surround him. Lights came on, flashlights mixed with the ghostly lights of Will o' Wisps released by a Ninetales. Her intense control over the move allowed her to spread the fire balls around the room, though no heat was released from them.
Bruno's eyes fell on the unconscious people at the center of the room, their red R's stood out even in the dim light. Raw fury rose through him at the sight of Team Rocket, only dimming slightly when he noticed they were all tied up in what appeared to be String Shot.
Will nudged Bruno, his finger pointed at the four kids huddled away from the Rockets, their Pokémon growling at the newcomers.
"Remove the Rockets, make sure none of them escape," Bruno ordered, his voice echoed through the cavern despite his attempt to keep it low. He took a step toward the kids, but stopped when a Houndour and Pikachu growled at him. Fire and Electricity glowed around them as they glared at him with the intent to kill.
He was certain his weakest Pokémon could take out both of them without breaking a sweat, but that's not what was needed now.
A Will o' Wisp floated over to the kids, hovering over them to illuminate their faces. There were more Pokémon around them, some more exhausted than others, but all ready to fight if need be. That wasn't what held his attention though. No, it was the faces of the four kids they were protecting.
"Ketchum, Oak, Forest," Bruno called. He dropped to a knee, gaze kept on the kids. A few Ace Trainers searched the room for the three famous trainers, but were only met with confusion as Bruno just watched the kids. Will took a moment to figure it out, but once he really looked at the kids, he could see the resemblances to their older siblings.
"Bruno?" Gary Oak croaked out.
"Stand down," Leaf Forest called to their Pokémon. Pikachu and Houndour were the only two not to listen, waiting for their trainers to give the order. A Sandile sidled up beside Pikachu, low hiss in its throat.
"Stand down," Ash Ketchum repeated. He was the first to stand, his legs shaking as he stepped around the three Pokémon. "He's a friend."
Bruno waited for the Pokémon to relax before he stood again. Ash met him halfway, the Pikachu leapt on to his shoulder as he walked. Bruno knelt again to be closer to eye level with the boy, his normal smile looking tired and somewhat forced, but the relief was plain in the boy's eyes.
"Are you four ok?" Bruno asked.
"Gary is the worse off," Ash reported. "Rockets grabbed him a couple of days ago, Leaf yesterday and us today. Leaf might be hurt, but Ember and I are physically fine. Just tired."
Bruno nodded.
"Will," he called. "Can you get these four to the Cerulean Hospital?"
Will stepped up and looked over the kids. His eyes lingered on the two dark-types that had drawn closer to the only kid yet to speak. He nodded after a long moment, releasing his Espeon and Alakazam to assist them.
"The dark-types need to be returned but we can manage," Will said. Both growled at him, their gazes wary of the new Pokémon. Miracle Eye could be used if it came down to it, but that plus a long distance teleport with dark types would wear out his Pokémon, maybe even himself.
The girl didn't even seem to register what was happening around her, glassy gaze set on a distant wall.
"Ember," Ash called. Her attention snapped up to him, eyes beginning to clear. "Teleporting."
Ember nodded and pressed the buttons on both of her Pokéballs, returning the dark-types.
None of us wish to touch that one, one Xatu – Zazu – said to Will. Espeon went over to Leaf and Alakazam lifted Gary into the air. Both of them returned their own Pokémon a moment before they disappeared.
"I'll need one of you to help me," Will whispered. Zazu nodded as his companion Xatu – Nanu – took deliberate steps towards Ash.
"Will," Bruno called his attention before he moved over to Ember. "Stay with them at the hospital." His tone left no room for argument and honestly, Will was more than happy to never return to Mt. Moon. Nanu disappeared with Ash, as Will and Zazu reached Ember.
Will crouched beside her, looking to see what kept pulling her focus.
"That's a nice rock," Will said, trying to be friendly. He figured she might be in shock with the way she was acting.
"It's a stone," Ember whispered, gaze not leaving the stone.
"Is there a difference?" Will asked.
Ember looked up at him, eyes blinking away some sort of fog in her mind.
"Between what?" she asked, voice sounding clearer.
"A rock and a stone?" Will asked, confused.
The look Ember gave him reminded him of someone, but he couldn't place who. It was a look between "are you dumb" and "what are you talking about". Ember slipped the stone into her pocket as she continued to stare at him.
"Uh… right," Will coughed. He took hold of Ember's arm, Zazu placed a wing on his back, and they gathered the energy to teleport.
Ember's head snapped up to look at something and Will followed her gaze, feeling the air leave his lungs. A Dusknoir regarded them with ancient eyes, and then… they were gone.
XXX
Will sat in one of the most uncomfortable chairs he's ever sat in. It didn't help that he was in a hospital, or that the only sounds were the beeps of machines and light breathing of the occupants.
All four kids were placed in the same, high security room, with him as the sole guard inside of it. Two Ace Trainers were guarding the door, and his two Xatu had their eyes on the future in case anyone tried to come after them. He doubted that it was all necessary, but after reporting to Lance on the situation, he was ordered to do so.
The doctors had given the kids something to help them sleep and their Pokémon were taken to be healed. The Pikachu had tried to resist, but a Hypnosis was all it took to knock it out for the medics. They were returned about an hour ago, the Pikachu nestled close to Ash, occasionally sending a glare at Will.
He shifted in the chair, butt starting to ache.
He thought about contacting Bruno, but after his first attempt not going through he figured it wouldn't be worth it.
His Pokégear went off.
"Hello?" he answered. Did he doze off?
"Wake up, boy, why in distortion did you want to speak to me?" Agatha's cranky voice came through.
"Oh, uh…" he sat up straight to stretch. "Back in Mt. Moon, I saw something."
"Spit it out," Agatha snapped. "I'm not getting any younger."
"There was a Dusknoir. I saw it just before teleporting away, but we didn't notice it at all before that," he said. "It felt… old."
"Describe old," Agatha said. Her voice loss some of the cranky, but none of the edge.
"Remember when you dragged me to Lavender Town to meet the guardian spirit of the tower?" he asked. "Older than that."
There was silence.
"There was a lot of death there," he whispered, not trusting his own voice. "Humans and Pokémon. It… it hung in the air, Agatha."
"Enough," her voice was gentle. "Do you feel it now?"
"No," he answered, "but one of these kids has two dark-types and a life signature to match. She could be…"
"No," Agatha cut him off. "You would know if it followed you. If I'm right, you caught a glimpse of a Reaper Dusknoir. Harmless unless provoked. I'll look into it further, but you have nothing to fear."
Will felt a bubble of rebellion rise up, but he stomped it down, deciding not to argue with the Ghost Master for the time being. She hung up without another word, not one to waste time with goodbyes.
"So that was a Dusknoir?"
Will snapped his head to the side, eyes wide as he stared at Ember. She stared at him with sleepy eyes, slowly sliding herself into a sitting position. She looked at the side table next to her bed, her two Pokéballs laid on it, along with her Pokédex and the stone.
She grabbed for one Pokéball first, releasing her Houndour onto the bed with her. The relief the dark-type showed as he licked Ember's face was palpable, and the complete opposite to the unease all of the psychics in the room felt.
Pikachu chirped a greeting at the two, patting Ash's face twice before curling back up on his chest.
"Is everyone ok?" Ember asked.
"Yeah," Will nodded. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Your brother and you are fine, just a few bruises and exhaustion, most likely from the adrenaline drop. Forest was a bit dehydrated, and had a few bruised ribs, but otherwise well. Oak was worse off, but he's stable, should be fine in a couple days."
Ember nodded as she looked around. Everyone had a table by their bed, two Pokéballs on Leaf's and Gary's and one on Ash's. Ember rolled her neck, eyes closing as she subtly switched over to aura sight to locate the other Pokéballs. The fossil Pokémon were still with them, hidden in backpacks for the time being.
Ash began to stir.
"Let's eat all of the cookies before Ash wakes up," Ember said, a little louder than needed. Will gave her a confused look that only grew when Ash suddenly shot up.
"No don't!" he yelped. Pikachu grunted as he was thrown from Ash's chest, cheeks sparking in annoyance. Ash blinked as he took in his surroundings, grin splitting his face at the sight of Pikachu.
"Hey, buddy," he said, scratching under his chin. "Where are we?"
"Cerulean Hospital," Will answered. Were these really the siblings of Red Ketchum?
"Are you," Ash started.
"Elite Four trainee," Ember continued.
"Will?" they said together.
A shudder threatened to go down Will's spine.
"You didn't," Ember said.
"Call Red," Ash said.
"Did you?" Ember finished. She tilted her head slightly, smile on her face that was anything but comforting. Will debated teleporting out of the room in that moment. He'd seen twins do that before, especially those with strong psychic powers, but damn something about these two made his stomach twist with unease.
"No," his voice cracked some. "I called Lance… he might have called…"
"Damn he probably did," Ash sighed. He fell back onto his pillow with a sigh. He reached a hand over to his table, blindly groping for his other Pokéball and released his Drilbur onto the bed with him and Pikachu.
Will felt another spike of unease as Ember released her other dark-type. The Sandile barely glanced at the Houndour, tension between them clear as day.
The twins chatted quietly with each other, as if Will wasn't in the room. A while later Bruno came in, face grim, despite his best efforts to remain neutral. He relieved Will so he could take time to question the twins.
XXX
An Ace trainer was sent in to gather their stories on the events. Will was present for them all, and although he didn't speak up, he could pick out issues in their stories. Gary played up the delirium card whenever aspects of his story was questioned. Will saw the little shifts in the corners of his lips and glances at his friends. Leaf mentioned several times the possibility of being in shock, or sudden tunnel vision when fighting the rockets. Will doubted much could phase the girl with her snapped responses or snide remarks towards the Ace trainer meant anything. Both knew more than they were willing to share.
Then there were the twins. Will couldn't tell if Ash was a terrible liar or really good at playing dumb… perhaps both. He had to hold his tongue more times than he could count when the boy had to double back on parts or add in some nonsensical observation that caused him to get sidetracked. He definitely played dumb the best out of the four, if that said anything. Then came Ember. Her story was the only one not to line up with the others, given their separation, but there were holes in the story that she refused to fill in.
Honestly, Will was impressed with the patience the Ace trainer displayed. He could clearly see the four weren't giving him everything, and it took until Ember blatantly left a chunk of story out of her details when he finally had enough.
Poor guy just up and left the room, knuckles white as he gripped his notepad. Will was certain he heard the snap of a pen as the door shut. He attempted to pry more out of them but none seemed keen on telling him any more either. Annoying, sure, but Will had to figure their siblings coached them on who to share vital info with and who not to. He doubted he fit into their share box.
Bruno, however…
"So that's when I met the Absols that live in Mt. Moon," Ember said. Her story was more complete now that Bruno was taking the statements. Her description of the Absol matron was… terrifying to Will, but he was sure he hid the fact well.
"I'm sure one slice from her horn could cleave an entire psychic team apart," Ember added. Her smug smile directed at Will made his eye twitch slightly.
Each one retold their stories on the events, giving full details to Bruno, after making sure he trusted Will to keep the info quiet as well. Leaf and Gary showed Bruno their new teammates, but Ash held off until he could talk with Aerodactyl later. Bruno didn't seem thrilled at the idea of a ten-year-old with an Aerodactyl but after that story, he wasn't certain if it would be much of an issue. At least, not one he'd win if he attempted to make it an issue.
Once everything was said and done, Bruno and Will took their leave, back to Indigo they went to discuss everything in more detail with the other League members.
The twins were released from the hospital the next day, despite that they remained there with their friends. Leaf was given the okay the next day, and Gary two days after her, so she too stayed until he was fine as well. The hospital, after a word from Bruno, allowed them to stay in the room until all four were released, despite to the displeasure of the doctors. The room was meant for League officials only so as long as none were in need of a room then they allowed it.
All four of them had long, reassuring conversations with their families that left them almost as drained as Mt. Moon had, but it was done and over with after the twins were released.
The TV in the room showed the news. Despite Ember's comments on Gary being an old man, he refused to change it. A report on the Mt. Moon cave-in was on.
"Despite speedy arrival from League officials, there was not much that could be done for the lives lost in this devastating cave-in. The death toll has been confirmed at 54 trainers lost to Mt. Moon and the members of Team Rocket that were linked to causing it. In another report, 53 caught Pokémon were found amongst the trainers, as well.
Countless more Pokémon are being recovered still as Pokéballs are appearing seemingly at random for the rescue teams. Outside of the four rookie trainers rescued on the first day of the cave-in, several more have been found in critical condition, but alive and rushed to medical centers.
As of right now, the Mt. Moon path that connects Cerulean and Pewter City will be closed until it is deemed safe once more."
Ember snagged the remote and clicked over to cartoons. An old episode of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon played in the background.
"That's 107 confirmed dead," Leaf said.
"108," Ember said, eyes glazing slightly as she stared at the TV.
"I know you're bad at math, but 4 + 3 is 7 not 8," Leaf said.
"108," Ember said again.
"More than that…" Gary pointed out before Leaf could get annoyed. "There were the bodies taken away after the fight."
There was a brief silence, the only sound from the TV before Ash spoke up.
"This is the original series," he said, pointing at the screen. "Look, Team Pokémon is about to face off against Team Meanies."
There was a snort from Leaf, followed by a full blown laugh from Gary.
"Remember when we thought Team Meanies was a good name," Leaf said.
"I still don't get why Totodile doesn't use Bite on Gengar!" Ember huffed.
"Charmander stop using Scratch! He's a ghost-type!" Ash shouted at the TV.
"Treecko get away from the poison-types, you dumby!" Leaf added.
Gary kept laughing as his friends continued to shout at their once favorite show.
XXX
The day after Gary was released from the hospital, the four of them gathered just outside of Cerulean to release their teams.
Kabuto and Omanyte happily greeted Aerodactyl, who was taking in the new environment. Now that they had time and proper lighting they could take in all of the differences the three ancient Pokémon had.
Gary recorded the differences for them all, taking time to measure and write down everything. Kabuto's shell was stone grey and rigid instead of smooth, and his legs were sturdier than average. Omanyte's shell was shorter than average, and a darker grey than Kabuto. Her blue skin was lighter with a grey-ish hue to it.
A quick scan was done to figure out their moves.
Kabuto knew: Scratch, Harden, Absorb, and Metal Claw, with the ability Battle Armor.
Omanyte knew: Constrict, Withdraw, Bite, and Iron Defense, with the ability Shell Armor.
Gary tapped his chin in thought after snapping a few photos of the two, glancing at the other Pokémon at his disposal.
Ash was talking to Aerodactyl along with his Pokémon. She was truly unusual compared to the revived ones. Her skin was scalier than normal, and a deep grey color, but the real difference was the abundance of black crystal growing over her body. Her tail was thicker, the spade shape more clubbed and crystal spikes grew at the tip. Her wing span was short too, but Gary attributed that to age more than anything. Her hands, attached to her wings, were larger than others and looked more capable of gripping and climbing a did her feet. The membrane of her wings were black instead of purple.
Ash led her over to them when they finished talking so Gary could get a closer look. Aerodactyl made higher pitched noises than her size would suggest and she was definitely friendlier than normal for her species.
Gary approached cautiously even still, and made sure she could see him as he measured her. Her jaw was shorter than normal but her fangs seemed right on track for her supposed age.
Ash scanned her while Gary worked.
Aerodactyl knew: Iron Head, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Wing Attack, Supersonic, Bite, Scary Face, Roar, Wide Guard and Steel Wing. Most of those moves were noted as instinctual moves that the species learns. She had the ability Rock Head.
"Why do you think they trusted us so much?" Leaf asked Ember as they watched the boys.
"Absol saw something in our future," Ember shrugged. She kept eyeing her own Pokémon, the two dark-types hadn't been one even ground since the mountain and neither were keen on explaining why.
"I have a theory!" Gary called out once he finished noting down things about Aerodactyl. "I don't think Kabuto and Omanyte are water/rock type."
"Then what are they?" Leaf asked. She crouched to stroke Kabuto across the back as she watched Gary think. The gears in his head were clearly turning.
"Do you two mind if we do a couple of tests?" Gary asked the two fossil Pokémon.
"Ok," Kabuto clicked. Omanyte tapped Gary twice on the shin to say yes.
"Great," Gary snapped his finger as he looked at his notes. "Kabuto use Absorb on Omanyte."
The green glow of Absorb flowed from Omanyte into Kabuto, but not much happened.
"What did that feel like?" Gary asked.
"-" Omanyte answered. Gary looked at Ember for a translation but she just shrugged. Omanyte tapped her tentacle on her own shell for a moment, almost copying Gary's earlier action. "Like this." She said and then made herself shake.
"Oh! Tingly!" Ember said.
"So not super powerful?" Gary asked. Omanyte tapped his shin three times for no.
"Okay, now Nidorina use Poison Sting," Gary said. Nidorina glared at him before looking to Leaf for confirmation. At her nod, Nidorina opened her mouth and released a single poison needle at each one. The needles broke harmlessly against them.
"Steel type!" Gary said. "Now just need to know if they are water type or not. I'm pretty sure the steel is instead of rock."
"Do you think Pikachu can manage a small shock?" he asked Ash.
"No," both twins and their Pokémon answered together.
"His "Thunderwave" is just a lower powered Thundershock and that still knocked out most weaker Pokémon," Ash explained.
"We can try Ember," Ember suggested.
"You're going to attack?" Leaf asked with a grin. She snickered as she avoided a kick from Ember.
"If they are steel/water then Ember will be neutral like Absorb," Ember huffed.
"Couldn't that still make them steel/rock?" Ash asked.
"What about Aerodactyl? She knows Thunder Fang right?" Leaf pointed out.
"Oh yeah," Ash turned to his newest Pokémon. "Can you use Thunder Fang?"
Aerodactyl tilted her head in thought before huffing a noise of confusion at him. Pikachu hopped onto Ash's shoulder and sparked his cheeks a little to show her.
"OH! I can do that!" Aerodactyl said. She opened her mouth, eyes crossing as she focused and tiny sparks started to form.
"You and I can work on that voltage later," Pikachu said. He sniffed the air before nodding at Ash. "It should be weak enough."
"Aerodactyl can you lean down and let these two touch your teeth?" Ash asked.
Aerodactyl lowered herself, teeth still lightly sparking as both fossils moved to tap them. They reeled back as quickly as they could, both with hisses of pains.
"Water/Steel type," Gary nodded and typed it into his dex.
"Or Steel/Water type," Ember pointed out. Gary's eye twitched but he chose to ignore her.
"Plot twist, they are both Steel/Flying," Leaf snickered. Gary chose to ignore her too, his eye twitching again.
"Or they are just pure steel and that just stung," Ash added.
Gary turned to glare at him.
"I hate all of you," Gary huffed.
"This is weird," Kabuto said.
"I love it!" Aerodactyl chirped. She nudged the other two with her snout before turning to nudge Ash in the side. Pikachu hopped off his perch to her head, earning a happy chirp from the larger Pokémon. Collapse waddled over to talk with his new teammate as well, and introduce himself properly.
"Oh, yeah, Aerodactyl, would you like a nickname?" Ash asked, and elaborated at her confused look. "A special name to set you apart from other Aerodactyl."
"There are others?" she asked, a bit of hope in her voice.
"Well, not quite like you, but yeah, there are others," Ash said. "One day we can try to meet them, ok?"
"Yes!" she chirped. "What name?"
"I'll think of some and you can pick which you like, okay?" Ash offered. Aerodactyl chirped her agreement, the noise oddly high pitch for her size but adorable.
Ember turned to look behind her, Neith and Hades were glaring each other down. She sighed, cracked her neck, and moved over to her Pokémon.
"Do you two need to battle?" she asked them. Both looked up at their trainer, wondering if she was serious or not. "You are having some kind of issue with each other, right? So fight it out. Respect the outcome and the winner. Got it?"
The two dark-types eyed each other before nodding and moving off to give themselves more space.
"I won't give any commands outside of stop," Ember said. "I will only call it if I feel the fight has gone too far. If either of you continues after my call, then you automatically lose. Understood?"
Both nodded at their trainer before facing each other. At an unspoken signal, they both burst into action.
Hades released powerful Embers as he began to run, keeping a distance from Neith's jaws. Neith, for her part, avoided the fire by tunneling underground and attempting to trap Hades in a Sand Tomb.
Every time one of Hades' paws would sink slightly, he would change his direction at random and spit fire at the spot he just was, heating the softening ground. The battle quickly turned to an endurance run, both waiting for the other to tire or slip up.
Hades right paws began to sink and he pushed down with his left to get out of there, only for all his paws to get stuck. He struggled against the hold, a full blown Sand Tomb began to swirl around him, pelting his body with crushed rocks and dirt as he was pulled towards the center of the trap.
Neith's head lifted from the center, mouth wide open and ready to snap down. A joyful gleam in her eyes as her mouth snapped shut on Hades' neck. Her teeth met once more, her prey gone.
She hissed in anger that quickly became pained as fire washed over her face. She moved to sink back into the ground only to be forced from her trap and thrown into the air, a clone of herself appeared in her place.
Hades bathed her in fire as Neith flailed in the air, her Sand Tomb dispersed as she lost focus. Before she struck the ground, Hades charged through his own flames to bash his head against her underbelly, sending her flying into a tree.
Neith pulled herself to her feet, burns covered her body and bruises were forming on her tan areas, but she wasn't out yet. Her body glowed as Anger Point activated. Electricity sparked along her fangs and she charged Hades, moving faster than her squat legs would suggest was possible. Hades met her charge with his own, fangs burning.
Neith swung her head, jaws wide and went to sink them into Hades body. She turned last minute, tail smacking away the Beat Up clone and jaws snapping shut on the leg of the real Hades beside her. Electricity shot through Hades' body as he fought past the pain to sink his own teeth into her tail. Fire and Lightning lit up their area, glares matching as they dared the other to give up.
A Neith clone sank its teeth into the real Neith's side, the final blow to knock out the ground type.
"Stop!" Ember shouted. It was unnecessary, however, as Hades released his grip the moment he felt her jaws slacken. He limped backwards, favoring his front left paw, and stared at his teammate until he was certain she was out for the count.
Once certain, he threw his head back, deep, prideful howl rumbled from his chest and filled the air with his victory.
"That was brutal," Leaf said. She'd stepped up to watch the battle beside Ember while the boys figured out what their new Pokémon were capable of.
"Nah, neither can learn Brutal Swing," Ember said. Leaf smacked her arm.
She snickered and returned Neith first, giving Hades another moment to howl his victory before returning him as well. Hopefully that would settle whatever dispute the two had, for now at least. That was going to be an issue with her Pokémon, constant battles for dominance or just to settle arguments. She had no doubts that Hades and Neith would battle again once they evolve, and there was a chance the fire-type would lose to the ground-type one, but that wouldn't be any time soon.
For now, she needed to get back to the Pokémon Center and heal them up. Her and Leaf called to the boys, and, after some fumbling from the two, their Pokémon were returned and they headed back to the city.
XXX
AN/ I LIVE! So here is chapter 5, the after math of Mt. Moon and a little team development. Aerodactyl is based on the mega form since its dex entry suggest that was what they might've looked like when they were alive. And, except from the horrible trauma these 10 year olds went through, they all came out with a new Pokémon! Wait all…
Anyways! Review to let me know what you think. 3