Not much to say other than this took way too long to figure out how to do in a realistic way
Beta read as per usual by Sparkfire
Chapter 22: Frozen in Time and Mind.
Ian immediately began to walk forwards into the dungeon, ears flat against his head. There was no wind in here, as opposed to outside, and he only had one way to go, forwards through the perpetually lit ice cave. Despite the floor's transparency, he couldn't see far into it, the slippery surface absorbing all light into a dull blue glow. Ian unsheathed his claws to dig into the ice, preventing him from slipping. It was cold. Too cold.
The actual air temperature wasn't much better. Outside was frigid, and it wasn't much different here, either. Ian estimated the temperature to be no higher than negative thirty… at best. His shaggy fur was the only thing keeping his body temperature stable, and it still wasn't great. Each step lightly clicked through the hall, his claws making the only noises. The silence in the cave was deafening.
Eventually, though, he reached a 3 way crossroads. He couldn't seem to see more than maybe twenty feet down each path before it led to another turn. He could hear an odd growl down the left tunnel, as well. Shuddering, he went through the right tunnel, and turned the corner. He came across another open room, this one seemingly out of place. It was a large dome-like room, filled with snow. There was a few holes in the snow, which at a second glance, were dugouts. dens. This must have been home to some of the feral Pokémon.
He heard a shattering noise down the far pathway, and his ears perked up. Ian trotted over to the next tunnel, and started in. Turning a corner, he came face to face with an angry Glalie and a seemingly calm Froslass locked in a fierce fight with each other. The Froslass had thrown Glalie across the room, smashing it into a wall, and causing it to roar.
Ian stumbled back, as a miniature blizzard kicked up in the icy room, possibly caused by the Froslass' ability. The glalie got off the ground, looking at the Umbreon, and roaring. Ian yipped, trying to scramble back into the hall he had come from, but it was too late. The Glalie had tackled him, its massive jaws trying to attack his torso, when the Froslass blasted it off. Ian spun around, belly and claws up, as it spotted the Froslass
The Froslass was sending multiple ice shards at Ian, but right before they hit, he rolled out of the way. The ice shards hit the frozen floor, causing cracks to splinter out. The Froslass didn't seem to notice, but the glalie, being more attuned to rock and stone, certainly did, quickly fleeing down one of the paths, leaving Ian to the Froslass.
He spun around, seeing the cracks growing and splintering. With them appearing, he tried to back into the hall, and just as he did, the floor in the room shattered, a loud smash and crash as the icy floor fell into a dark, unlit abyss. The Froslass hovered over it, staring at Ian, before it send a volley of shadow balls at the Umbreon. One hit his face, dissipating, and he scoffed, angry. He couldn't do anything from this distance, and as such, turned tail and ran back down the hall.
Back in the prior room with the snow and dens, he growled. "Stupid Froslass. My face aches…" he complained to no one in particular, as he sat next to one of the dens. He contemplated where to go, as a bout of tiredness hit him. He yawned. "...I could sleep… I mean… a quick nap couldn't hurt, right? I have more pathways to check, after all…"
He reasoned with himself, crawling into one of them as sleep began to overtake him. He knew he was still in the dungeon, but had no real choice.
An unknown time later, he woke, a massive headache pounding inside of him, rousing him from his shallow sleep. He crawled out of the den to the same dim cave. He was tired still, and had no clue how long he had slept. The headache in his head wasn't going either. It was annoying.
"Stupid…" he grumbled, checking to make sure his gear was with him. His eyes darted around. Had something seen him sleep? He couldn't risk it. He had to get out of here…
His thoughts frantic, and somewhat scattered, he continued back to the second split he had been in in the dungeon. The floor seemed to have regrown over his sleep? He raised an eyebrow, but continued down the far hall, the signs of yesterdays fight having vanished overnight.
As he travelled the far hall, he could hear more clicking, the sounds of more claws on ice. Someone was here… but were they an ally? He began to jog and try to catch up. He might have a way out, or something to eat…
His hunger flared at that moment. He was hungry. Something in his instincts was telling him to hunt. To find meat. It was his only option after all. And he was a carnivore…
He shook his head, the headache growing. What were those thoughts!? Was he going to eat someone? A civil? He couldn't… he was hungry, but not that hungry… the dungeon must have been getting to him, and he hadn't even gotten very far in…
He stopped, waiting a few moments, before opening his eyes again, and continuing down the hall. He had seen small claw marks in the floor below his paws. He had found where the earlier clicks had come from, but whatever had made them was gone.
He took a deep breath, and began to jog, following the marks in the ice. Turning a corner, he came to yet another room, with the claw marks leading him down the right path. He followed it, and it lead… outside?
The right hallway had led to a small part of its pathway being cut off by the edge of the mountain. There was a crack along the lower wall, not big enough to fit out, that sunlight streamed in through. It didn't seem to be out of the dungeons effects however, but the path did seem to rise up, as it curves a fair bit.
After about fifty feet, it sharply turned left, going right back onto a new floor of the dungeon. The claw marks headed to yet another open room, however this time, they seemed to stop right in the middle of the room. There was a single other exit at the far side of the room. Confused, Ian looked around. Where had the creature gone?
Suddenly, a dull growl was heard behind him. He spun around, coming face to face with a ghost white Zoroark! It seemed to have wisps coming off every part of its body, soulless yellow eyes, and most notably, red streaks across its fur. Whether or not it was natural or blood was hard to tell in the dim room.
Ian stumbled back at the sight of the Zoroark. 'What the-? What the hell is up with this Zoroark! They're meant to be black!'
Suddenly, the Zoroark let out a cry, and tackled straight at Ian, but… it seemed to pass through him? He spun around to look at the Zoroark after it had passed through him, but nothing was there..
A loud shattering noise came from behind yet again, as both exits to the room collapsed, covering themselves in rubble, made from icy chunks and bricks, seemingly from the ceiling above. He was trapped!
From the weight of the ice, the floor began to crack, like it had yesterday, splintering off in a million directions, before a loud shatter, and suddenly, there was nothing there to stop Ian from falling into the black dungeons void…
He let out a blood curdling, almost feral scream as he fell, seemingly for minutes. As the Umbreon fell, flashes of light passed around him, made of many different colours. Over time, As he fell, they grew in complexity and size, slowly forming images around him, some animated.
He could barely make them out as his body barrelled down through the pitch black abyss. Some flashes of light were a light brown. Others, yellow and black. They were images of Pokémon he knew. The hateful eyes of Neo and Nova. Venus on top of him on their journey to Mystery Jungle. A flash of pink, mews face, scowling as it looked at him with scorn. Ava as an Eevee, skeptically looking at him the first time they met. It was the most positive thing shown, but it wasn't much. The tens of times he and Ava had been in danger, or fights as they worked team supernova. So many of his allies hurt.
He covered his head with his paws, shaking it. "Stop! Stop! Stop please!" He cried out, closing his eyes. Even their redness, and his yellow rings glow hadn't been able to cut through the darkness in this hole.
As he fell, it seemed to spike his headache again, and he snapped out at the air, lashing out at anything around him. It hurt. It hurt so much… and eventually, he couldn't take it, the headaches, the falling, the images, he fell faint from the information overload, dazed, confused, tired, hungry, and with an overwhelming sense of instinctual anger.
He slowly awoke, shaking his head. He was hungry. It hurt…
He opened his eyes, and Ian looked around. He was in the den again. Had it been a dream? An illusion? Whatever it was, it… had hurt. He let out a low growl, crawling out of the den. 'Stupid…'
Without waiting, he jogged down yet another hallway of the dungeon. He needed some food. And he was going to get it, no matter what.
As he jogged through the maze of rooms, the Umbreon couldn't catch a break. Whatever effects the dungeon had, they had latched to his mind. If anyone else was here, they'd have called him irrational. But to him, he was just surviving. Relying on his instincts. He tried not to think too hard. It hurt too much…
And so he wandered the halls.
3 months later…
Frosty forest outskirts
A lone Espeon walked a thin trail of footprints. Ava had passed mount blaze the day prior, and was quickly reaching frosty forest. She had restocked in Wigglytuff Village, which was just past Lapis Cave, and was now ready for the final leg of the trip to mt freeze. Ava had been in touch with Ninetales through the use of an anonymous connection orb. She knew if it wasn't anonymous, the expedition society might have stuck their snouts in, and she wasn't exactly happy with Venus.
For months, she had been travelling across air. Sure, her goal was Ninetales, but she had decided to check most of the other smaller villages across the land. Of course there was her most recent, Wigglytuff, but there was more.
Cheri village for one. A small village situated atop Lapis hill, filled with many fairy types, and Cheri berry trees. It was quite lively, and the pink blossoms juxtaposed with the snowy landscape created a strikingly beautiful sight.
There was Rollon Village, at the badlands surrounding Mount Blaze, too. A small village composed of caves, rock buildings, and more Gravellers than you could shake a wand at. It was a cozy village, with a unique, and exceptionally friendly culture, focused around mining, hard work, and good food, surprisingly enough. They had a signature dish, the Rock Roast. Ava had passed, but many rock types enjoyed this delicacy, and the place had more comfortable weather in the winter, due to the heat of the volcano
And of course, Wigglytuff Village. A small village, of little more than a couple of homes in the prairies of the Air Continent. It was known for a few things, key of which being it was the world famous explorers hometown, and the location of the old Rescue Team Federation, now a HAPPI subsidiary. Chatots extended family had even moved to the village.
But back to the present, Ava was working her way through the tundra far to the north. She had been told about Absol by Austin, and how he could be a potential ally to her.
Coming off of such a cold winter, while it definitely wasn't spring yet, it had begun to lose the raw coldness February and January had, or as Ava knew the months, the moons of Victini, and Articuno, respectively. March, however, was more mild. Still cold, easily below zero degrees, but tolerable… if you had the gear. The moon of Shaymin was known in other parts of the world as the beginning of spring, particularly on grass, Avas homeland.
As she trudged through the path, the sun shone down on her, and reflected off the mass amounts of snow. A calm chinook blew through the area, as well. It was comfortable, if nothing else. In the far, far distance, Ava could see the silhouette of her goal, Mount Freeze. It was much taller than the other mountains of the regions. A crystalline centrepiece, surrounded by Frosty Forest to the south, and an unnamed mountain range to the north.
However, as she entered the trees, a sight caught her eye. A slight black tail dashing far ahead through the thinly scattered trees. She stopped, and tried to look forwards, only seeing the trees. Shrugging, she continued forwards, slightly wary of the woods.
About a half hour later, give or take, she noticed something off. A burnt out pile of charred logs on the side of the path. Surrounding them was a large patch of melted snow. Ava stopped to inspect it, her shadow cast to the left by the lowering sun, when she was interrupted by a grunt from behind her. "Who are you, and why are you following me?"
Ava spun around, coming face to face with an Absol, only a couple feet behind her. He seemed agitated, but not full on angry. "This is my property, you know. You shouldn't be out here. Its dangerous."
"Oh, sorry mister Absol. I was on my way to mount freeze. Sorry for coming too close." she said, shrinking back ever so slightly. "I'm going there to meet with the Ninetales of Legend." she stopped for a moment, thinking. "You wouldn't happen to be the Absol from Team Go Getters would you?"
The Absol relaxed, and came up to her with a much calmer walk. "Yes. I am. You can call me Nightshade. This area, Aurora Veil, is my home. During the warmer moons of the year, I stay at the peak with Ninetales. Its a moon or two early, but… if its important enough for you to come up here, I can lead you up the mountain."
Ava smiled. "That would be great. Thank you. Shall we go soon?"
"We can, I suppose. You seem prepared enough. Ninetales will likely be able to use her spiritual powers to locate your friend. What species is he?"
"An Umbreon. We evolved together. Then… well… its a long story." she said, slightly hesitant.
"We have time. You can explain it if you wish on our journey." Nightshade began to gather up his scarce supplies. "I presume you are acquainted with my former accomplice, Austin?"
"Yeah. he helped me out a few months ago, and directed me here. Been searching Air since then for Ian, making my way here. The small towns and villages are… they're nice. I like them. Cozy."
Nightshade packed his gear into a beat up treasure bag. "Are they? I'm usually not allowed in by the residents. Many of them fear me, and my abilities. As a result, I haven't visited any of them since the meteor incident."
Ava thought for a moment as nightshade finished packing his bag. "That… uh… that reminds me. Do you by chance have your uh… sense… thingy going off right now? Or for the past… 18ish moons?" she asked.
"No, nothing of the sort, why do you-" he stopped for a moment, and though. "...your mate is a human, isn't he." he deadpanned.
"Uh… yeah. He is. How could you-?" she stuttered.
"You wanted to know if he was causing a disaster. Absol are smart Pokémon. I could tell the instant you asked about my sense. I can say he isn't. The only times its ever gone off was the meteor, the time gear thing, Darkrai, the Bittercold, and Dark Matter. Its not the most sensitive thing…" he admitted.
"Thats… a huge relief. It also disproves what Neo and Nova thought. Thank you." she said, nodding. "Should we get going?"
"We should."
With that, the 2 of them set off towards Mount Freeze, along an ever thinner trail of footprints left by travellers past.
That evening, as the sun began to set, Nightshade ducked off the path, and towards a face of rocks. In the shade was a small cliff under a hill. Ava stopped for a moment to ask a question.
"Why are we stopping, exactly?" she questioned.
"Its late. There's a small cave along this rock wall we can stay in." he said, leading the two of them to a small cave. It wasn't more than maybe twenty feet deep, but it had a good shape to it. It had old ashes on the floor as well, marking that it had been used for shelter before. Nightshade went over to a small pile of logs in the corner, and began to set them up for a fire, albeit with some difficulty.
"Do you want any help?" Ava asked, heading over to him.
"I would appreciate it. How developed are your psychic senses?" he asked.
"...uh… zero?" she stammered.
"How recently did you evolve?" he asked.
"3 and a half moons ago. Give or take."
Nightshade sighed. "I guess i can get Ninetales to help you out with them while we visit."
"Y-yeah, that sounds good." Ava said, laying down. "How much farther will we have to go?"
"No more than another days travel. Daylight is still somewhat short, but we should be able to make it to the dungeon entrance by the end of the day tomorrow. Its a very unusual dungeon. Its mental effects align with the seasons. During the dead of winter, its nearly as dangerous as some of the deepest dungeons in the world, at least to someone's mind. But around now, and particularly in the summer, its much more docile. i 'm very resistant to it, due to exposure, and knowledge, but someone without much experience solo exploring, well… i don't know if you could call them a person anymore. Getting someone back from that level of ferality would be near impossible, especially without powerful mind altering spells or abilities." Nightshade explained. "We'll be together though, so there should be little issues."
Ava grimaced, as the fire started up, lighting, and warming the rocky cave entrance. "Sounds good. I just hope nothings happened to him."
"As long as he avoids the dungeons, he should be alright." Nightshade dug through his pouch, pulling out a bag of smoked meat, and chewing on a few pieces. Outside the cave was already dark out, a wind blowing into the cave.
"How long have you been out here?" Ava asked him.
"About fifty cycles." he said. "How about you?"
"About half a cycle ago, i hit seventeen. At the end of autumn." she explained, ever so slightly unnerved.
"You have a good future ahead of you. You will have many fruitful years ahead. I can tell. I hope your future endeavours can improve after finding your mate." Nightshade said, lying down on the rocks, and yawning.
"I do too. I really do." those were Avas last words, as she yawned, slowly falling asleep, huddled into her ill fitting winter coat. It was definitely crucial to her, what with Espeon fur being particularly thin. Ian would be fine without, right? He had thicker fur.
He had to be.
This took so long. I'm so sorry. I spent a ton of time trying to figure out how to write the first part of the chapter, going back and forth on how to do it. It doesn't help that I have a job now, my final year of high school, and have been trying to focus more on real life. On the upside, I have the fics entire plot finalized. Every scene from now on is planned, and I have the final chapter count as well. 30 chapters, and hopefully hitting 100k words by the end (for that sweet sweet 100k search filter breakthrough)
Beta read by sparkfire. Thanks dude.
Please review, comment, post it elsewhere, what have you. Feedback is single handedly amazing to get, and I slurp that shit up like a thirst deprived shop vac. Seriously it means so god damn much.
Next up, something long overdue. And another twist one wouldn't see coming.
