Chapter 31:
Cave of Electrified Wonders
Location: Chargestone Cave
I woke up, indicating that I did indeed get sleep that night. Reminder: last night I was dealing with a sore arm, a mattress that refused to behave itself, a rocky floor and the knowledge that Team Plasma were in Chargestone Cave to.
"Thanks for your hospitality," I told Alan before I made my move.
"You're welcome," he said. "Sorry about Archen back there. The bite wasn't severe so you should be patched up soon."
I adjusted my hat with my left arm and made my way through the cave.
I came across a large bridge that led to the next floor down. It was a concrete bridge; likely so that won't float when subjected to electricity. And speaking of electricity…
Tynamo (シビシラス)
108
Electric Type
Elefish Pokemon
0'08" (0.2 m)
0.7 lbs (0.3 kg)
While one alone doesn't have much power, a chain of many Tynamo can be as powerful as lightning.
The floating, white Electric Type suddenly appeared.
"Drilbur, I choose you!" I shouted. "Use Dig!" Drilbur went underground, dodging Tynamo's Tackle. Drilbur then came back up again…
Tynamo didn't feel it. It had the Levitate Ability, which gives immunity to Ground Type moves. This meant that Tynamo had no weaknesses! It hit back with another Tackle.
"Drilbur, Rock Slide!" Drilbur made rocks tumble down from the cave ceiling. Tynamo was almost down. It came back with another Tackle. "Now use Slash!" Drilbur slashed at Tynamo, knocking it out.
"Great job Drilbur! Sorry you didn't know about Levitate!"
Drilbur was immensely proud of itself. It was shining. No, it was literally shining. Drilbur was starting to evolve! The shining died, and Drilbur was now a powerful Excadrill!
"Alright!" I shouted. "Ever since we beat Clay, I knew you would evolve!"
I decided that Excadrill shouldn't learn Horn Drill because honestly, I consider OHKO moves to be cheap.
I got across the bridge to the stairway which would lead down to B1F. Team Plasma was down there, and I was going to take them on.
Immediately on reaching the next floor, I was greeted by an M Grunt.
"You guys like me breaking a promise don't ya," I said.
"This cave is sparking, like us when every Trainer in Unova had liberated their precious little Pokemon!"
Hilbert Vs. Plasma Grunt M
"Sandile, go!" the Grunt shouted.
"Go Foongus!" I yelled.
"Sandile, Assurance!" Sandile rammed into Foongus.
"Foongus, come back with Mega Drain!" Instead, Foongus fired an even stronger beam at Sandile. It was more than Mega Drain; it was Giga Drain! The Sandile was almost finished.
"Assurance again!" Sandile once again rammed into Foongus.
"Giga Drain!" One more beam and Sandile was completely drained.
"Scraggy, go!" the Grunt yelled.
"Good job Foongus. Go Dewott!" My scalchopped warrior was sent out. "Use Revenge!" Dewott punched Scraggy for Super Effective damage.
"Scraggy, Poison Jab!" Scraggy's right hand turned purple. Then, it jabbed Dewott. Dewott was not only hurt, but poisoned.
"Dewott, come back with Razor Shell!" Dewott sliced Scraggy with its scalchops, finishing it off.
"Watchog, you're last!" The Grunt sent out the Normal Type.
"Good job Dewott. Go Excadrill!" I replied. "Use Hone Claws!" Excadrill sharped its claws, raising its power.
"Watchog, Super Fang!" Watchog bit Excadrill, halving its HP.
"Now use Rock Slide!" Excadrill made multiple rocks fall from the ceiling. It finished off Watchog in one.
"PLLLAAAAAAAAAASSSSMAAAA!" shouted the Grunt.
After the Grunt ran off, I immediately started looking for the next Grunt. I had gone from trying to avoid Grunts to actively seeking them out like some Jr. bounty hunter. Wait, was I a bounty hunter if a member of the organization asked me to beat them? I didn't know. The whole situation was confusing.
"Hey!"
Well, why look for trouble when trouble finds me first? An F Grunt ran to me.
"Lord N says to show no mercy! He's impressed with you; I'll give you that."
Hilbert Vs. Plasma Grunt F
"Gothita, come out!" I yelled.
"Go Trubbish!" replied the Grunt.
"Gothita, Psyshock!" Gothita fired psychic balls at Trubbish. Most its health was taken away.
"Take Down!" Trubbish rammed full pelt into Gothita. Gothita was almost taken out.
"Use Psyshock again!" Gothita fired more psychic balls at Trubbish, finishing it off.
"Urgh, Lord N wasn't wrong. Go Liepard!" The sneaky Dark Type entered from the foes side.
"Good job Gothita. Okay Scraggy, go!" I shouted. "Use Brick Break!" Scraggy chopped Liepard for massive damage.
"Liepard, Fury Swipes!" LIepard repeatedly scratched Scraggy.
"Come back with one more Brick Break!" Sure enough, that was the final blow.
"PLLLAAASSSMAAAAA!" the Grunt shouted.
I wanted to keep going, but my team was somewhat exhausted. Dewott was still poisoned.
"We need to find a Doctor," I told everyone.
"Did someone call a Doctor?" A medical profession, green clothes, and mask, entered the scene. "Nice to meet you sir. I am the one, the only, Doctor Wayne! Oh yeah!"
I was on the fence about whether I wanted THIS guy to heal my Pokemon. But I had no choice.
"Ah ah ah! Only if you beat me, IN A BATTLE! Oh yeah!"
Hilbert Vs. Doctor Wayne
"I choose Swadloon!" Wayne yelled.
"Go Gothita!" I replied, realising the Type disadvantage. "Okay Gothita, use Psyshock!" Instead, Gothita started seeing things. "Is that a new move?" I asked.
"Okay Swadloon, Bug Bite!" Swadloon leapt over to Gothita and started nibbling at it. It fainted.
"Okay then. Pansear, sizzle those leaves!" Out came my Fire Type. "Flame Burst!" Pansear fired a flame at Swadloon. It exploded and it barely held on because it was holding a Focus Sash.
"Swadloon, Razor Leaf!" Swadloon fired sharp leaves at Pansear. It wasn't very effective.
Just then, a large ball of psychic energy hit Swadloon, knocking it out.
"Wayne congratulates you! Oh yeah!" he said. "That move was Future Sight. After two turns, it comes back and hits the opposing Pokemon. Okay, Leonard will get you healed up."
"Thanks!" I said. "And congrats Gothita!"
With my team back on track, it was time to take on another Plasma Grunt. At this point I was halfway through the floor I was on.
Suddenly, a Plasma Grunt ambushed me.
"Well well well, you've come far haven't you!"
Hilbert Vs. Plasma Grunt M
"Krokorok, go!" shouted the Grunt.
"I choose Foongus!" I replied.
"Krokorok, Crunch!" Krokorok lunged at Foongus. It caught the poor mushroom in its jaws and chomped down.
"Foongus, Giga Drain!" In close range, Foongus drained a lot of health from Krokorok. It was practically healed again.
"Krokorok, Crunch again!" Once again, Krokorok caught Foongus in its mouth and chomped down very hard.
"One more Giga Drain!" This Giga Drain drained all of Krokorok's energy. I was the victor.
"PLLLAAASSSMA!" shouted the Grunt.
"We're on a roll!" I told Foongus as I recalled it.
The Plasma Grunt stepped back a bit. "You… just can't keep your nose out of our business can you. Even if our Lord N said it was okay."
Through the cave I went, battling wild Pokemon. Not too much hassle, just a few Klink, Joltik and Ferroseed.
It wasn't too long before I finally reached the stairs that take me to the original floor. However, I wasn't alone. I was in the presence of another Sage. He had gold armour and a purple cloak. His beard and hair were as white as snow.
"Well, you are a funny one," he said. I was worried he was going to give me some weird lecture like Zinzolin did. What, did he want the world to be an electrified wasteland? "No point in defeating the rest, I think we've proven your worth. My name is Sage Ryoku. I believe that you have already met four others."
So, I guess he was told about my meeting with Rood. I didn't exactly want him to know anymore, but I wanted to know how he knew.
"You… know about the Lostlorn Forest?" I asked.
"Lord N tells me everything. Walk and talk. Come with me."
Ryoku took me up to the first floor.
"I have a question," I said. "What does N think of me?"
"I shouldn't say," he simply replied. "Whatever N tells me stays with me. Not even the other Sages know."
"He's my friend though," I brought up.
Ryoku stopped. He slowly turned his head round. "What?" he asked. He walked over and pushed me to the ground. "Are you trying to corrupt him?! I promised Lord Ghets- I mean Ghetsis that he would never, ever be brainwashed by the likes of you or that nerdy boy or that klutz of a girl. Let him be in charge!"
"RYOKU!"
It was N. I got up and brushed myself off.
"N, who is this?"
"Someone who didn't need to go that far, that's what. Ryoku, leave."
"Yes my lord," Ryoku said. He rang a small bell and suddenly, all the Grunts ran up. "Plasma, our work here is done. This brat has proven his worth. Let's make our leave."
Al the Grunts and Ryoku walked round the corner, where the light of the outside was shining. "PLASMA WILL PREVAIL!" the Grunts yelled, the echoes bouncing off the walls.
N sighed. "Sorry about that. Ryoku is someone who always want me to be, me." He looked at all the Klink, spinning around. "I was close with Pokémon growing up, and Ryoku believes that humans are corrupt. He wants me to stay the way I was at one point."
"We can still be friends though!" I said. "And friends have a battle!"
N got out a Pokéball. "Fair enough. Let's see how our new friends fare."
Hilbert Vs. Team Plasma N
"I choose Boldore!" shouted N. He sent out a three-legged rocky navy Pokémon with red crystals coming out from all over its body.
Boldore (ガントル)
031
Rock Type
Ore Pokémon
2'11" (0.9 m)
224.9 lbs (102 kg)
Because its energy was too great to be contained, the energy leaked and formed orange crystals.
Roggenrola -Lv 25- Boldore
"I choose Foongus!" I shouted.
"Boldore, start with Smack Down!" Boldore fired a small boulder at Foongus. Foongus was knocked back.
"Come back with Giga Drain!" Foongus shot a beam at Boldore that almost drained it completely. However, Boldore had the Sturdy Ability, meaning that OHKOs don't work. It leaves the user with a single unit of HP left.
"Boldore, Bulldoze!" Boldore made the ground shake. Foongus had trouble keeping its balance.
"Use Giga Drain again!" I yelled. The last of Boldore's health was drained away.
"Thank you, my friend," N said, recalling Boldore. "Ferroseed, come on out!" Ferroseed entered the rocky ground. "Use Metal Claw!" Ferroseed's spiked gleamed. It swiped Foongus, dealing the final blow.
"You did good. Okay Pansear, come out!" Pansear leapt out. "Use Flame Burst!" Pansear spat a flame at Ferroseed. It burst on impact, taking out Ferroseed in one.
"Thank you, my friend Ferroseed. Okay, Joltik come out!" The small Electric Type entered to my utter dismay. "Use Electro Ball!" Joltik made a ball of electricity above itself, then fired it at Pansear. It was a Critical Hit and left Pansear hanging.
"Counter with Flame Burst!" Pansear spat another flame. It hit Joltik directly for Super Effective damage but didn't quite finish it off.
"Use Electro Ball again!" Joltik fired another ball of sparks at Pansear. Pansear fainted.
"Good job. Let's finish this stupid shocker off! Dewott, come out!" Whilst Dewott was at a Type disadvantage, I had it covered. "Aqua Jet!" Dewott fired forward covered in water. It was faster than Joltik, delivering the final blow.
"No! Joltik my friend, you were shockingly great. Okay, presenting my final friend, Klink!" N yelled, as the two gears entered at the other end. "Use Charge Beam!" Klink fired a yellow beam at Dewott.
"Revenge!" Dewott ran to Klink and punched it for lots of damage. Klink was finished.
"Your bond; its stronger with your friends than it ever was. Thank you, Hilbert."
"Hey, thanks!" I said, putting out my hand. N just looked at it. "Hey, it was still a great battle. You win some you lose some!"
"Is it impossible for me to win while feeling bad about being a Trainer? As if I could pursue the truth with something as meaningless as a battle."
N certainly confused me which, yeah was nothing new. "What makes this battle different from the rest?" I asked. "Oh, wait. A lot. I used different Pokémon."
N smirked. "They're still Pokemon. Putting them into categories like this? The idea of the Pokédex revolts me."
With that, he walked out of the cave.
Whilst I wanted to get out of the cave, I waited an hour before making a move myself because I wanted to ponder about what N said.
Location: Mistralton City
Mistralton City, the home of Unova's airport for trade. The airport is most of the city actually. There was a large runway with planes, both commercial and business, were coming into land and taking off. This was despite the hail. I wasn't sure how easy it was to sleep considering all the activity going on. But hey, from my experience over the last day I think I knew a thing about bad nights sleep.
My arm was really starting to hurt, so I went to the Pokemon Center to rest up.
Another day, another Team Plasma take down. And another day of N talking gibberish. What he meant this time, I had no idea. But hey, Drilbur evolved into Excadrill! This is my first evolution since I had two Badges, so it was great to see. My team is getting stronger, and tomorrow I will test that strength at the Mistralton Gym!
