Once again, I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to those of you who have read this far. It means the world to me. And, since this is a political satire, and Election Day is coming up next week - if you're in the US, please vote!
And yes, I've updated early once more. I'll try to scale back the speed a bit from here on out, but I just couldn't resist. Quite a bit happens in this chapter, so I will appreciate it if you guys review, favorite, and follow to show your support. Enjoy!
Current music: Not Gonna Die - Skillet
After yet another tight squeeze through the cave's entrance, Flash's back ached like you wouldn't believe. He didn't think the coming trek would come easily.
Thank God (or rather, thank Arceus) for Lazarus. The Zoroark refused to take no for an answer; no matter how much Flash might complain about the walk, the Luxray would always be reminded that he had no other option.
Yes, it was ultimately futile, and it probably only made things worse, but Flash would be lying if he said it didn't feel good to moan about his back. Having any source to vent to - even if it were someone who wouldn't understand at all - was welcome.
Other than that, the walk went pretty well. Lazarus seemed to know the way perfectly, as though he'd lived in this forest his whole life - which, of course, he probably had. The Zoroark moved with such confidence and grace that Flash was forced to jog to keep up.
"Just a little slower, please," the Luxray pleaded. "I don't know if I can manage anything more intense."
In response, Lazarus merely turned his head and narrowed his eyes. "I'm afraid not, Flash. Remember your deadline."
Flash had to admit that Lazarus was correct. With every few steps, Flash could feel the seconds tick by. One day was twenty-four hours, which was 1,440 minutes, which was 86,400 seconds, meaning that three days was… well, math had never been his strong suit beyond that. Nor did he want to calculate any further.
Although Lazarus claimed they were in a hurry, the Zoroark would occasionally stop right in his tracks. This usually happened when the pair were in a clearing, or at least a part of the woods where the trees were spaced further apart. And he'd try to teach Flash a move.
At first, Flash had his doubts about whether such moves were possible. But then, after being warped into the world of Pokémon, nothing should have surprised him anymore. Of course they could use their moveset.
As it turned out, the learning curve wasn't as steep as he'd feared. First Lazarus taught him Tackle, then Leer, which were pretty much self-explanatory. Thunder Shock took a little more concentration, but after squatting and straining like Atlas holding up the sky, Flash could manage it.
The sun was now directly overhead, its rays ruthlessly penetrating the canopy layer of the forest. Every so often, Flash's back would hurt again; continuing to take each step took more and more effort as the temperature grew hotter. But he knew Lazarus would never let him quit.
He supposed the forest floor was picturesque enough. Crystal-clear pools of spring water, flowers in every color of the rainbow except green, moss that filled in the last color of the rainbow, the occasional mushroom or berry bush… the natural world was a thing of beauty, whether you were on Earth or Nexus.
If I get back to Earth, I should make sure none of the high-speed rail lines go through any national forests. We've got to keep our last unspoiled places just that - unspoiled.
And yet, the Luxray's heart filled with desperation, and maybe a little despair, when he considered just how tall an order that would be. Of course, he was taking the best course of action he could right now; that's all that mattered.
"We're here," Lazarus announced in a singsong voice, stopping in his tracks again and pointing ahead. "There's the Forest Temple."
Flash looked up ahead. He did not know how far they had trekked to get here, but the sight was well worth it.
The structure seemed unable to decide if it was natural or manmade. From this vantage point, it looked like a log cabin of sorts, albeit scaled up a few orders of magnitude. It was held in place by a series of Roman-style columns on either side, also made out of trees.
"Wow," Flash mouthed, because that's the first word that came to mind.
"Wow is right," Lazarus replied. "Unfortunately, there's no way to get to the roof without going inside of the temple. Unless you're a very skilled tree-climber, that is."
Flash rolled his eyes. "Do I look like that to you? Quite frankly, it's malarkey."
"I never said you were," the Zoroark said. "Since we can't go above it, we'll have to travel through it. Hopefully, we don't come face-to-face with the Zoroark King; they say he packs quite a punch, and has only been knocked out three times in recorded history."
"Are you trivializing this? That would probably mean serious brain damage on Earth."
Lazarus shook his head. "It takes a lot to defeat him in battle. If we end up needing to, though, you've got your moveset. I've got my illusions. We're not helpless, and we don't really need to defeat him - just keep him occupied long enough to sneak by."
Flash sighed. Truth be told, this all sounded quite intimidating to him, but it's not like he was going to object. It was Lazarus' way or the highway, and there were no highways in this forest.
"Let's do it," the Luxray said softly. "It's my only way home, after all."
Lazarus nodded. "Exactly. That's what you have to keep in mind."
Once the pair were at the "door" to the temple, Lazarus smiled. "Ah, yes, it's a Sudoku Lock!"
Flash frowned. "A Sudoku Lock?"
"I have to solve the Sudoku puzzle in order to gain access; do you see the grid on the wall?"
"Uh, yeah. So you put in the numbers one through nine, and then the door opens?"
"Apparently so. It wasn't there the last time I entered the Forest Temple; it seems they've beefed up their security since. Anyway, give me a minute to do my thing."
"Okay," Flash said, declining to protest. What was there to protest, anyway? He didn't have a clue on how to solve the puzzle.
After a minute or two, Lazarus stepped back from the wall, clapping his claws together. "Hallelujah!" he exclaimed. "It was an easy one!"
Sure enough, the front door cracked open. At first it wasn't much more than a "crack", but then the door swung fully inside, and it was clear that Lazarus had broken the lock.
"Wow. Without you, I'd be nowhere," Flash muttered.
"Indeed," Lazarus replied. "Now, do you want to find that scroll or not?"
The Luxray frowned. "When did I say I didn't want to? Of course I need to find the scroll!"
"Okay, let's go in."
Given that the building contained no windows on the side walls, one could be forgiven for expecting the Forest Temple to be dark and gloomy on the inside.
The interior was certainly gloomy. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and walls, as did strangler vines. There was something eerie about the latter - Flash pictured one of those tendrils reaching out and wrapping itself around his neck. That would be a horrible way to die.
However, it wasn't dark at all. In fact, thanks to the giant hole in the ceiling, the sun beat down through the air, increasing the warmth and light of the Forest Temple significantly. The light was almost blinding, like looking directly at the sun through a window.
"So you said earlier that this place wasn't a Mystery Dungeon, or whatever," Flash said, taking care not to step on any of the vines.
"I did," Lazarus responded simply.
"In that case," the Luxray continued, "what even is a Mystery Dungeon? And what makes this place not one?"
"Flash, this is a time-sensitive mission," the Zoroark replied. "I don't know if we have enough time to discuss this."
"I'm not asking, I'm demanding," Flash retorted. He didn't play the I'm the President card, but he was pretty damn close to doing so.
"Fine," Lazarus said with a sigh. "You see, Mystery Dungeons are created when two or more ley lines beneath the planet's surface intersect. They also tend to have a random layout and all sorts of unpredictable magic."
"How do you know this isn't a Mystery Dungeon, then?"
"Because there's no haze above it. Trust me, if we were in such a place, we would know. Now, stop asking questions," Lazarus snapped.
"Fine."
They reached a circular door at the end of the room, which appeared to be welded in place. Dread rose within Flash's chest at the sight of it; he didn't think he'd have the strength to pull it apart.
"Are we stuck?"
"Hey, don't lose hope," Lazarus replied with a wink. "Don't underestimate my strength."
And, as though the door were nothing at all, the Zoroark stepped forward and twisted his arms. He "rolled" the door out of the way effortlessly.
"Whoa!" Flash mouthed. "That's quite something."
"Indeed it is. Now what did I say about there not being any time to waste?"
"Right."
On the other side of the door, there lay a long, bright corridor with sets of vines forming a ceiling. The ground was made of moss and a few flowers.
"Wow," Flash said, trying to take it all in. "Is this a maze or something?"
Lazarus nodded. "As far as I can tell, yes, though this is my first time inside. The paths might feel random, but there's an order to this chaos. It's not like an actual Mystery Dungeon, where there'd be no rhyme or reason."
With that, the pair began walking down the hallway. Flash took the opportunity to once more appreciate the Roman-style columns carved out of trees. And to think that those who'd built them had never seen, or even heard of, Rome!
It was all pretty stunning, if one could ignore the immense trepidation Flash felt, which only increased every step he took down this corridor.
"Wow, this place is way bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside," the Luxray said.
Lazarus nodded. "That's the point. Even if this isn't a Mystery Dungeon, there are certain…qualities it possesses that make it different from an ordinary temple."
To Flash, the word temple had a very specific connotation. A temple was a building where people of certain faiths went to worship their ancestors, or deities, or whatever it might be. It wasn't a giant maze of hallways, but rather one room devoted to said religious rituals.
After a few twists and turns, Flash's heart grew heavier. It looked increasingly unlikely that they'd be able to get out of the Forest Temple the same way they'd gone in. That meant they might be stuck here, even if they got the scroll.
No. Don't you remember? The scroll is on the roof!
Yeah, but then we'll have to jump down from said roof! And it's a long way down!
"Break," Lazarus said eventually.
"Break what? A leg? I'll pass," the Luxray responded, looking up at the ceiling and instantly regretting it thanks to the light.
The Zoroark shook his head with a dry chuckle. "No. We're going to take a break, get some water. I'll make sure we've still got the Antidotes."
"Why wouldn't we have the Antidotes? Your backpack was zipped this whole time, wasn't it?" At least, Flash hoped Lazarus wouldn't have committed such a grave oversight.
The Zoroark lowered his backpack to the ground and unzipped the largest pocket. He smiled.
"We've got everything we need," Lazarus assured Flash. "You can take your pick of the water bottles - I haven't put my lips to any of them."
"Hey, Laz?" the Luxray enquired.
The Zoroark frowned. "I'd rather be called by my legal name, please."
"Fine, Lazarus. Where did the water come from? Was it the pond, or your sink?"
"Uh… the sink. But the pond water is perfectly safe to drink. If you're a Pokémon, that is; humans have to purify it first."
"Phew," Flash mouthed. "I drank a lot of river water before I met you; it's good to know I won't be getting sick from it."
"Yep."
The pair sat on the ground, each grabbing a water bottle from Lazarus' bag. Something about said bag was odd, though - it could have been just Flash's perspective, but the bag seemed to hold far more than it should have been able to.
"How many water bottles are in there?"
"Ten."
"But this shouldn't be able to fit more than five!" Flash exclaimed.
"Hey, don't question it," Lazarus shot at the Luxray. "What are you going to do, anyway? Complain that we have too much water to drink?"
Flash shrugged with a sigh. "You've got a point, Lazarus."
It felt good to rehydrate; Flash hadn't noticed just how thirsty he had become, and wished he would have drunk some water sooner. Wasn't that the advice national park personnel always told people to heed?
As they drank, Lazarus pointed at something high above.
"What's that?" Flash asked.
"Look more closely. I think it's an inscription of some sort."
After squinting, Flash was able to make some symbols out. His eyes were much better as a Luxray than they'd been as a human, but that couldn't change the fact that he didn't know what the symbols meant.
"Must be a foreign language," the Luxray uttered. "At least, it is to me. Could it be Arabic or something?"
"I don't know what this Arabic is that you speak of, but I do know one thing: It's probably got some meaning. Maybe this temple is for religious rituals of some sort."
"Isn't that what a temple exists for, anyway?"
"Not always," Lazarus responded. "It could be anything here. For the most part, there's only one major religion on Nexus, though there are different interpretations of Arceus' words."
Flash chuckled. "Sometimes it'd be easier on Earth if people all saw eye to eye. But it's very different where I come from."
"Yeah, that script isn't in the sacred language of Arceus. It's something else entirely."
"Huh."
"Anyway, we should get moving. We're not going to be trapped in here all night; this isn't a Mystery Dungeon."
"Mystery Dungeons keep you in at night?"
Lazarus nodded. "Yes. The borders between Mystery Dungeons and the outside world seal every time the sun goes down. But I don't see why that's important."
How could Flash explain that every detail seemed relevant to a newcomer? If even the tiniest data point might help save his life, the Luxray was determined to hang onto it like it was the last lifeboat from the Titanic.
The pair continued their trek through the temple. Nothing of note happened for about five minutes, though Flash was a poor judge of time. Still, those minutes were pretty uneventful.
Until they weren't.
The Luxray tripped over what he thought was a weed, falling to the ground. As it turned out, he'd come across a thorn-covered vine, which pricked his front right foot.
Flash let out a slight yelp of pain, and Lazarus swiveled around to face him. "Are you…".
"I'm f…fine" Flash replied, trying not to look at the wound on his paw. He wasn't necessarily squeamish at the sight of blood, but it was quite different when you were in a brave new world.
"Stand up, Flash, you can't be hurt that badly," the Zoroark insisted.
The Luxray tried to do just this, but the vine quickly sprang up and wrapped itself around his neck. At first, it was only mildly uncomfortable thanks to the thorns, but then the vine's grip on him grew tighter.
And Flash screamed. The spikes were boring into his skin, each one spurting a small amount of blood. This wasn't nearly enough to be lethal, or even particularly dangerous, but the thorns were the least of his worries.
The real worry was the increasing constriction on Flash's airway. His face felt uncomfortably hot, much like when you try to hold your breath. You can do that for fifteen or twenty seconds, sure, but try doing it for more than half a minute and you'll know how unpleasant it is.
Flash yelled for help again, even though doing so would only cause him to run out of air faster. His eyes bulged out of their sockets, and his tongue lolled around out of his mouth.
And then, as abruptly as the attempted strangulation had started, it ceased with a swiping noise. Flash was able to sit up straight, rubbing his neck to make sure it was still there.
"T-thanks," the Luxray stammered. "That was… not fun."
"Didn't look like it. I could have gotten my machete out and stopped it sooner, but this bag's a lot bigger on the inside than it looks. Are you hurt?"
"No," Flash replied. "Well… a bit. There's some blood around where my collar was." (Come to think of it, Flash didn't know where the pendant was; he assumed Lazarus had placed it in the backpack.)
"You'll be fine," Lazarus said, waving one of his claws. "The wounds those thorns create are very superficial. They're not supposed to do much damage. Just put you in enough pain so that you don't resist the tendril."
"Well, I'm glad you were there," Flash said, not for the first time that day. By the end of this quest, particularly if it was successful, he'd be in Lazarus' debt for life. The Zoroark could practically own him if he wanted to.
"Eat a berry," Lazarus suggested. "It'll help heal the wounds."
The Zoroark tossed Flash an Oran berry, using the same hand motion as someone pitching a baseball. The Luxray somehow managed to catch it in his teeth.
"Nice catch!" Lazarus exclaimed.
Flash scarfed down the Oran berry. It was crazy just how much better he felt after the first two bites as the healing properties spread throughout his body.
"From here on out," the Zoroark told him, "watch your step. Like, really carefully. You don't want one of the strangler vines to creep up on you."
To some people, the voice Lazarus used would sound as though he were trying to blame the victim. In reality, Flash knew nothing could be further from the truth. The Zoroark was looking out for him, making sure he was safe.
Of course, deep within the Forest Temple lurked a different Zoroark with no such intentions.
True to Lazarus' commands, Flash kept one eye on the ground at all times from there on out. He made sure to step over anything suspicious; after all, his neck still felt sore from what had just happened.
There's no way in hell I'm going to go through that again.
There were a number of other forks in the path; at each one, Lazarus took a right, and Flash had no choice but to follow him.
"If we keep going the same direction," the Zoroark reasoned aloud, "we'll eventually reach it. It might take a while, though."
Yeah, well, we don't have "a while." Hopefully, we can get the scroll sooner rather than later.
After several more right turns, they came across another circular door. "This is it," Lazarus insisted.
"How do you know?" Flash replied. "I mean, I want you to be right, but still."
"I feel it in my bones. That's one way of knowing something."
"Okay," the Luxray said skeptically. "Can you push the door aside like you did the first one?"
Lazarus shook his head. "Nope. It's your turn to do so."
Flash's front legs already ached at the prospect. "I don't have arms, though. And it looks pretty heavy."
"They say one's legs are three times stronger than one's arms," Lazarus replied with a wink. "You're going to do it. I'm not asking; I'm demanding."
"Okay then."
Flash walked up to the door and put his front paws on it. Then, recalling the "twisting" motion the Zoroark had used on the first door, he used said motion in an effort to make the door give way.
Surprisingly, it worked. Within seconds, the door "rolled" out of the way, leaving nothing but empty space where it had once been.
On the other side of the door, there existed a rather cavernous chamber, larger than your average church sanctuary. A giant hole in the ceiling let in abundant sunlight, and there was a throne at the far end of the chamber.
On the throne sat a Zoroark with a purple ponytail (in contrast to Lazarus' crimson one.) He wore a crown on his head, and he was licking his lips as he saw Lazarus and Flash approach.
"Come closer" the Zoroark King(?) all but bellowed. "What do you desire?"
He's not going to give up the scroll without a fight, Flash thought worriedly. He's got no reason to. He doesn't know what it means to us - and even if he does, maybe he doesn't care.
Nonetheless, as though his legs were moving of their own free will, Flash made his way closer to the Zoroark King. With each step, the pit of dread in his stomach grew; it was the size of a pea at first, then an Oran berry, then a baseball, then a basketball.
"We want the scroll, sir," Lazarus said, brushing some of his ponytail across with his claw.
The Zoroark King snorted. "Lazarus Zoroark, why would I give you the scroll? Can you truly be trusted with it?"
Flash jumped right in, surprising himself with his own courage. "The scroll's not for him. It's for me. And I don't want the scroll; I require it."
"Well, why do you need the scroll?" the King asked. "Are you going to do anything with it?"
Flash considered saying no, but he elected to tell the truth. Wasn't honesty the best policy with any group that didn't include politicians?
"I need to use it to return to Earth," the Luxray pleaded, clasping his paws in front of him as though he were praying. "And if I don't get back to Earth, the Republicans are going to keep blocking the infrastructure bill; they're gonna run out the clock until the next Congress."
Lazarus frowned at Flash. "You didn't tell me any of that."
You're not helping, dude!
"Whatever," the Zoroark King snapped. "Unfortunately, I cannot hand you the scroll, simply because I have no idea what you'll do with it. Any tool, no matter how innocuous it may seem, can be used for evil."
"You know me," Lazarus said.
"Yes, I do know you. That's why I can't give you the scroll. If you wish to both stay alive, the best course of action right now is to leave this hall. There's a door right there."
At the last sentence, the Zoroark King snapped his fingers. At that very moment, a circular door, much like the others, materialized out of thin air.
"We can't do that," Flash insisted, rather afraid of his own words. "At all costs, we need the scroll."
The Zoroark King narrowed his eyes, licked his lips, and bared his fangs. "In that case", he replied testily, "you're going to have to fight me for it."
Before either Flash or Lazarus could say a word, the Zoroark King leaped forward, flying through the air like a superhero before falling down to the ground. The King landed gracefully on his feet, extending a claw to swipe at Lazarus.
Lazarus rolled out of the way effortlessly, kicking every which way in an effort to stun the King. Flash stood to the side, watching this display of martial arts take place.
Every time one of the Zoroarks attacked, the other would either roll gracefully out of the way or parry the attack with a claw. This went on for a minute or two, after which Flash was convinced Lazarus and the King were an even match.
This battle would continue until one of them got tired. Which meant something had to change.
Don't do it, Flash. It's ridiculous to enter the fray. You're not nearly as skilled a fighter as Lazarus - you'd be more of a hindrance than a help.
I have to do something. Otherwise I'm pretty much useless, and if there's one thing I hate as a former President, it's feeling useless!
Flash sprang forward as though he'd been shot out of a cannon at the circus. As he sped towards the enemy, he tried to recall what moves he'd been taught to use.
Thunder Shock. I just have to focus and imagine Zeus - or whatever this world's version of Zeus is - striking the Zoroark King down with electricity. It's that simple.
Flash clasped his paws together and prayed for a lightning bolt.
It didn't come.
"Don't just stand there, Flash!" Lazarus yelled. "Do something!"
"I'm trying!" Flash exclaimed.
The few seconds Lazarus had wasted ended up being enough time for the Zoroark King to sweep him off his feet. Lazarus fell to the ground, then ended up on all fours, like someone doing a crab walk.
And Flash's adrenaline surged. It was no longer just about the scroll - if he wanted to survive the day, he had to win this fight.
The Luxray tried again for a Thunder Shock; he focused as hard as he could on the part of the King's purple mane he wanted to strike. He imagined the electricity coursing through the King's veins, potentially making his heart stop.
And Flash let it loose in one scream.
Right away, he knew it had worked. The Zoroark King collapsed to his knees, then stood up again. But something was different this time - the King's stance was wobbly, and he hobbled around like a drunkard.
Lazarus took the opportunity to go out swinging with his right claw, striking the King between the eyes. The King stumbled backward, then lunged forward with his fangs showing.
The other Zoroark leaped upward, did a pirouette in the air, and kicked the King away. The crown on the King's head, which had somehow remained there all this time, fell to the ground and shattered into ten thousand pieces.
The King didn't notice the loss of his most prized possession at first. Instead, he stumbled forward again, then grimaced, having stepped on one of the jagged edges of what had once been the crown.
"Give us the scroll, or you'll suffer far worse," Lazarus threatened. "You can do that, can't you?"
"I refuse!" the King muttered loudly through clenched teeth. "Over my dead body!"
"We can beat you if the fight continues," Lazarus responded coolly. "It's two against one - eventually we'd win. And if you're unconscious, or worse, you won't be able to stop us from seizing it. The difference between surrendering now and continuing to fight is that in the former case, you at least get to live."
Wow. Lazarus is pretty eloquent, that's for sure, even when he's arguing for his own life.
The King grumbled a bit, then stood to his full height. "No," he said simply, crossing his arms. "I promised that I wouldn't let the scroll fall into your hands. What if you decided to do something with it?"
"I don't know who you serve", the other Zoroark snapped, "but it's certainly not Flash here. He just needs to get home, so if you want to stay alive, you'd best give us what we want."
For a few horrifying seconds, the three of them glared at one another. Nothing else happened, as though the scene were frozen in time. Who would win the staring contest?
The Zoroark King was the one to blink. "Fine," he sighed. "Take whatever you need; I can only hope you are stopped."
With that, the King stepped aside and pointed to a door on the other end of the chamber.
Flash frowned. "Just like that?"
"Kid, don't question it. Just take the scroll before I change my mind. It's in your best interest to do so."
The Luxray cringed at being called Kid, but he nonetheless walked forward. In a way, the battle had almost been too easy, but he chalked this up to Lazarus' incredible skill in combat. And he wasn't going to complain - free stuff is free stuff, after all.
"The door is right there," Lazarus pointed out. Blinking, Flash realized he'd been walking directly toward the Zoroark King. If the King did have a change of heart, that would end up being very unwise indeed.
On the other side of the door, there was a steep spiral staircase leading upward. Flash allowed Lazarus to take the lead, but he regretted doing so almost immediately; the stairs were tough to negotiate as a quadruped.
"You've got this," Lazarus assured the Luxray, but Flash wasn't so sure. More than once, he held out his front paws like the wings of an eagle, determined not to fall backwards.
When they were almost at the top of the stairwell, something else occurred to Flash.
"Hey, Lazarus?" the Luxray enquired.
The Zoroark swiveled around to face Flash, nearly sending both of them tumbling down the steps. "Yes?"
"The Zoroark King didn't seem to trust you. He seemed determined not to let you have the scroll."
Lazarus shrugged. "And? That doesn't mean much, does it? He values it highly."
If he valued it so much, why would he leave it on the roof of the Forest Temple rather than in the throne room? Flash thought that, but didn't say it.
Eventually, after what felt like a very long time, the bright early afternoon sunlight came into focus again. They'd done it.
"I see the scroll!" Lazarus exclaimed. "Catch me if you can!"
And the Zoroark took off in a sprint across the length of the roof. Flash tried to keep up, but he wasn't nearly fast enough; if Lazarus had intended to steal the scroll for himself, any chance the Luxray had of returning to Earth would evaporate.
Fortunately, that wasn't Lazarus' intention. The Zoroark eventually slowed down and turned around. He smiled in an apologetic manner.
"I didn't mean that literally," Lazarus said sheepishly. "Please, you should take the scroll. You've earned it."
Sitting on the roof, right at Flash's feet, was what looked like a mass of parchment wrapped around a rolling pin. In other words, it was a scroll, much like a copy of the Torah one might find at a synagogue.
"How are we going to carry that thing?" Flash blurted out.
Lazarus snorted. "I think that's the least of our worries. Tell me, Flash, can you translate any of that shit?"
"The word is malarkey."
"Whatever," the Zoroark replied. "Anyway, do you have any idea what those characters mean? Because I sure don't."
Flash squinted at the scroll, whose text was a bright tint of spring green. The words themselves meant absolutely nothing to him, though, so he told the truth: "Nope."
"Well, you've still got more than two days to interpret it," Lazarus responded. "And then you'll be golden."
"I have to find the other two, though. I think they were in Heavens and Crystal - isn't that what the pendant said?"
Lazarus shrugged. "Well, we'll have to think about where those places might be. But make no mistake - we can do it. When you're under pressure, you don't know what you're capable of."
"Fair enough," Flash replied, sincerely hoping the Zoroark was correct. "But heavens is pretty vague - it could be anywhere in the sky. Or… maybe the afterlife?"
"We don't have to worry about what that means right now. Let's head back to the cave."
"Uh… we only have three days. Don't forget that. The idea that we can spend time resting is malarkey."
"I know. But I never said we'd rest. The cave is usually the best place for me to think."
"Uh… okay" Flash said.
"Indeed. We'll head back to the cave now. And then we'll try to read this thing."
"Makes sense," the Luxray replied, though he didn't think it made sense at all. "But there's one other thing."
"Yes?"
"How will we get down from here?"