Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I've said this enough, haven't I?

Thanks for the reviews! Just came back from third language again; so I won't stop to talk too much… just… thanks for the reviews; and if I've made any mistakes please feel free to point them out… I'm still not sure I haven't; I've been rush-rush-rushing for a while now.

Anyways, I do hope you all enjoy this chapter; I've not much of an idea how anything's turning out, so watch out! Pokémon Go, chapter 22!

Ash grimaced as the dust cleared again; fang struck fang as both Pokémon disengaged.

"Ash… you're not doing justice to Griven one bit!"

Erynn was more than a little indignant as Ditto-Growlithe whirled in mid-air.

"Ditto; bring it home with a Fury Attack!"

Nodding, Ditto was off the ground the moment it touched it; sweeping into the air on Farfetch'd wings, it sped in the direction of the Houndour. Ash turned to Erynn and stuck his tongue out. Pointedly, she ignored him.

"Dodge it and Smog, Houndour…!"

The black dog skipped out of the way, spewing noxious fumes as Farfetch'd attempted to follow it.

"Ditto; Gust the Smog away!"

Ditto complied, its wings flapping hard as it blew the dark fumes out of the way.

Wha…?

Ditto crashed to the ground, the fumes diffusing into the wind.

"Was that a Faint Attack again…?" Ash's voice was almost bored, but there was a certain tension behind it.

Michelle shrugged, smiling without looking up. She had sit down on a rock, and her pencil was now flying over her sketchbook again.

"Fine… Ditto; try a Flash attack!"

Calmly, Erynn reached into her pocket and put her shades on. Ash took refuge under his jacket. Michelle looked up, a tad alarmed.

"Houndour… Smog!"

The attack just managed to keep Michelle from the worst of it, but Houndour was less lucky. The white Tangela bounced up and down.

"Save the victory dance for later; use a Bubblebeam before it recovers!"

The girl put her sketchbook down.

"Houndour; Odor Sleuth… dodge to your right!"

The Dark Pokémon shrugged off the shock of the temporary blindness; skipping to a side as the intense stream of bubbles crashed against the ground to its left. Ash cursed.

That doesn't work either…

Michelle had taken the book in her hands again. She didn't even have to look up as she spoke her next command.

"Faint Attack one more time, Houndour…"

The Pokémon faded away, appearing directly in front of Azumarill-Ditto.

"Counter!"

Houndour's jaws closed in on Ditto as it turned white, shifting forms again. A second before the jaws slammed shut, the attack was brought to an abrupt stop as the lightning-swift kicks of a Hitmontop completely canceled any momentum it had held.

Using the Houndour's jaw as a boost to execute a swift scissors-kick, Hitmontop sought to send the Pokémon flying.

"Put a stop to their plans with an Ember…" Michelle seemed almost entirely focused on her drawing, her eyes focused on the battle, but without seeming to have any real interest in the fighting.

With a howl, Houndour released a burst of flame, singing Hitmontop-Ditto's leg before being kicked in the side of the head. Flying a few metres across the field, Houndour recovered well, landing lightly on its feet and pouncing back into the fray.

"Triple Kick, Ditto!"

"Faint Attack, Houndour!"

The two trainers called their attacks out simultaneously; all three trainers watched expectantly as the two Pokémon engaged in mid-air. Hitmontop's first kick struck empty air as Houndour faded in once more, the attack familiar in its warning.

The second kick missed Houndour by inches as it faded in behind Hitmontop; while the Fighting Pokémon had predicted the Pokémon's appearance, it hadn't been able to accurately judge the attack.

In a single rush, Houndour slammed into Hitmontop, knocking the breath out of Ditto as it fell to the ground, regaining its pink colour.

"Ugh… Ditto; you alright?"

Ditto got up, nodding across to Ash. Michelle flipped a page of her sketchbook, looking up at Ash as she did.

"You don't have to go through this if you don't want to…" she said half-heartedly.

Ash glanced at Erynn, who innocently looked elsewhere.

"… This really is just meant to be some sort of punishment, isn't it?"

Michelle laughed.

"Don't make me laugh… oh; too late. Why would I want to inflict any sort of punishment on you? The trials of a Pokémon Trainer are arduous enough without me having to add in broken bones, a few severe burns, poisoning, and eventual death to the equation…"

Ash shrugged, looking between Erynn and Michelle.

They've definitely been up to something…

"Whatever it is, I'm not quitting; your Houndour may be stronger than my Ditto, but we've got… something on our side, anyways."

Ditto turned and frowned at Ash.

"Something…? He's got me, and I'm way more than just something…!"

Ash rolled his eyes, seeing the expression on Ditto's face.

"Sure, Ditto; I meant, besides you."

Michelle looked back down at her sketchbook, beginning to sketch a few lines on the new page.

"If you're sure then… Houndour let's get back into it…"

"Ditto; we can win this!"

Erynn rolled her eyes at the melodramatic enthusiasm Ash displayed. She didn't doubt his ability… but there was a difference between the two trainers in front of her…

"And it's fine time he saw it…"

RJ turned and motioned to Dave.

"Come on… over here…"

They had been travelling alongside the lake's bank for a while when RJ had finally found the tunnel marked on the Trainer's Handbook.

"Apparently this tunnel goes under the lake… according to this, there are a few rarer Pokémon down there."

Dave looked down the shaft, trying to see through the darkness. RJ turned to the lake one more time.

"Going down into the mountain, eh…? I wonder just how… safe this all is…"

Dave turned to him and allowed himself a small grin.

"You scared?"

RJ laughed, releasing Machop from his Pokéball.

"No way. Let's go."

Dave nodded, then turned to Espeon.

"You know the drill; lead the way… and please, no funny stuff."

Espeon nodded, ready to enter, but at that exact moment a soft murmuring was heard from below. The four of them, Pokémon and Trainers alike, tensed. The red ruby on Espeon's head glowed, and then faded as she relaxed. Seeing this, Dave relaxed as well.

"It's not anything dangerous…"

The murmuring grew louder as the silhouette of two trainers appeared in the dim light of the tunnel. At their feet a Chinchou was hopping, lighting the way up for them. The silhouette finally took form as they stepped into the light; a short boy and a brown-haired girl. Dave instantly recognized the girl as Fior, the girl he'd seen with a Pidgeotto back in Rubidide Forest. The boy he recalled from Mount Lead the day before… his name…

The two parties stopped moving; not that RJ or Dave had even begun to move.

"Hey… you're…"

Dave spoke first, before he was cut off abruptly by Terry.

Ah yes. His name's Terry.

"Hey aren't you…"

He looked at RJ, askance. It was at this point that Fior jumped in as well.

"I remember you… you're… Dave! Taera and I battled you, didn't we…? Where's Erynn?"

Dave shrugged.

"With Ash, apparently."

Terry thought a moment, then spoke again.

"Ash… wasn't he…?"

Fior nodded.

"That strange boy… he's from Palladium as well…"

RJ was beginning to feel left out. Clearing his throat to speak, he paused in confusion as Terry handed him a throat lozenge.

"Oh… kay…" he intoned, accepting it with unease, "I was just wondering… did you find any cool Pokémon inside…?"

Fior shrugged, gesturing to the Chinchou.

"Terry caught that one… there're a few other Pokémon you might want to check out… I got myself a Stalac."

She detached the Pokéball from her belt, carelessly releasing the Pokémon within. It glowed a light blue in the half-light, its body vaguely resembling a sharp spike. Curious, Dave removed his PokéNav from his jacket.

Stalac, the Spire Pokémon. This Pokémon lives in caves, pretending to be ordinary Stalactites or Stalagmites. Unsuspecting travelers are often surprised when these Pokémon drop from above or attack from below.

Dave shut his PokéNav, thoughtful. RJ nodded at the two as they moved off.

"See you, all…"

The two of them stepped into the tunnel, immediately engulfed by a feeling of loss which accompanied the darkness. Their only light in the dark was Espeon, who continued to walk ahead of them.

"Won't work…" Dave finally said, after they'd taken two more turns heading straight down.

"What won't…?" RJ asked, confused.

"I need a Grass or Rock-type… not another Ground… Stalac won't cut it for the team."

RJ slapped his forehead. The sound echoed in the darkness; several somethings stirred.

"What was that…?" RJ whispered to the wind.

They approached a fork, Dave almost slipping as he came to a sudden decision turning to the right fork, which veered down into a sheer slope. RJ helped him to his feet.

"Be a little more careful…"

Dave shrugged, walking down the slide with amazing alacrity. Espeon, being agile and all, was already at the bottom waiting for the three of them. RJ followed, Machop last. As they dusted themselves off, Dave looked up and whistled.

"This… is quite a sight…"

The walls were glowing with some sort of phosphor; a distinctive light blue glow which reminded him forcibly of Stalac. The air was cold here, and damp.

"I'd say we're probably standing right next to the lake. Somewhere… behind this wall," Dave said, pointing, "the lake is."

RJ nodded. "And I'd agree. I was wondering why the Stalac had that strange blue glow all over it… I guess this is why."

Cautiously, Dave progressed, looking up at the ceiling for any Stalac which might fall on him; in the dim light, it was virtually impossible for him to properly discern anything, but there was nothing wrong in being too careful. The corridor they were in seemed to lead back upon itself; it was like a giant path which outlined the same lake above.

"And below… and all around…"

RJ spoke just to hear the sound of his own voice as they kept walking. Every now and then Espeon's ruby would glow again, and a Stalac would be sent flying off. There was no need for her light now, though; the blue light of the phosphor was more than enough.

Carefully they descended another level; the temperature was steadily dropping.

"If this keeps up, I'll be darned if I don't catch any Ice Pokémon…

Ash yelped and leapt to a side as the Ember missed him by inches.

"You… didn't mean to do that… did you?"

Michelle kept her eyes on the drawing, trying to keep from smiling.

"Severe burns, I told you… severe burns…"

Ash sighed, turning to Ditto; it, too, was exhausted from dodging Houndour's attacks. While Houndour looked spent as well, at least most of its attacks had done damage to Ditto.

"Come on, Ditto! Let's attack with a Confusion!"

The tiny creature transformed into the lavender feline which was Dave's starter. Immediately the gem on its head glowed green as it focused its energies…

"You're not even paying attention anymore… don't you remember…?"

In a single Faint Attack, Houndour had knocked Ditto back into its original form.

"Psychic isn't exactly the best thing to use against a Dark Pokémon."

Ash was still adamant.

"It's not like you're paying attention anymore than I am…?"

She smiled in response to that.

"On the contrary; I do. After all, who knows when Ditto might actually succeed in incapacitating Houndour, maybe asphyxiating it in the folds of its pink, acidic grasp… bringing my poor Houndour to…"

Ash sighed, interrupting her macabre prediction.

"Fine… I give up."

Ash laughed halfheartedly as Ditto waddled up to him gratefully. Michelle shrugged and put the finishing touches on the sketch she'd been drawing before stashing it back in her sling bag.

"And I wasn't even using Leon…"

Ash looked from Ditto to the Houndour; while Ditto had the capability…

It just doesn't have the experience…

Erynn walked over, trying to hide her own smile.

"This was your idea, wasn't it…?" Ash groaned.

Erynn shrugged; it was neither a yes nor a no.

"Both of you then…" he groaned again. Then he stood up, turning to face the two of them.

"Either way though… I've still got to thank you."

He did a small bow.

"I've still got a long way to go with Ditto… with a bit more experience; I know it can beat you!"

Leon growled softly, but Michelle silenced it by stroking his back.

"Leon and I will be ready when you ever feel the need to prove yourself again. I strongly advise against it though, because…"

"… our nerves might constrict under the paralytic effect of Leon's Spark attack, causing our bodily functions to malfunction and possibly leading to muscles rupturing, intestinal bleeding, and certain dea…"

Ash's voice trailed off as he caught the look on Michelle's face.

"I was just going to say that you'd probably be too busy with Gym battles to do so… what kind of sick person are you…!"

Ash and Erynn stared blankly at her. Then her innocent face cracked into a smile.

The three of them were still talking about the battle as they walked back to the Pokémon Centre.

"That was a pretty good prediction you made though…"

"Oh… quit it already."

A/N: Another rushed chapter! It's time for me to go to bed, either way. I hope you lot don't mind the way the battle turned out; I really didn't either one of them to have to fully incapacitate the others' Pokémon, especially since Michelle really is a lot more experienced than Ash is.

And hopefully tomorrow I'll have more time; RJ and Dave's encounter in Baria is next! Oh and could I do a quick poll to see if anyone wants any baddies in the fic? Right now it's on the straight and narrow; road to Pokémon League-dom.

As always though, don't forget to review!