Chapter 39- A Dark Soul of Steel

A/N: This is an original Pokémon Fan Game, made by Amethyst. if you wish to check it out and play the game download it at Reborn Evolved. search for it on your web browser if you want to get to the website.

Time: 10:55

Location: Depths of Tanzan Mountain

"Vee, Leaf blade on the—" Percival cut himself off, and held Vee's pokeball in his hand as he looked around. Having noticed he was no longer in the machine filled area of Team Meteor's Base. Where Percival was… well he didn't know. He could barely see through blackened abyss in front of him. There was the eerie noise of something in the darkness. With the cold damp air, Percival's senses made him aware he was in some sort of cave. "First things first… Find Saphira. Oracle, come out an—" as Percival was about to send out his Delphox to create a source of light his hand was grabbed.

"The hell you thinking? You trying to get yourself killed?" The voice was low and familiar, but an unexpected and unwanted.

"Nero!?" Percival flinched back tearing his arm away from Nero.

"Really, sending a fire type out in this pitch-black cave. That is a blatant death sentence." Nero sighed as he turned to give Percival a lecture. "it'd be like going into an enemy territory and yelling that your blind."

"What!?" Percival was unexpected from the lecture, that was coming from Nero. Before realizing. "Wait you can see in here?"

"You'd be a piss poor excuse for a dark-type trainer if you couldn't." this was true numerous people who trained in Dark types developed a surprisingly good notice of night vision. Compared to Percival who could barely see his own hand. Nero could see more details of the surrounding cave. The walls were oddly shaped… but Nero could just write it off as just wear and tear from the nearby Pokémon. What interested him was the metal containers, he had recognized them from the Meteor Base. "… So, this where the missing equipment went… We're still in Tanzan Mountain… but who knows how deep…" Nero took one more look over to Percival who was slowly stumbling around. "Take it easy, it'll be a while before your eyes adjust to this level of darkness."

"You say that like you're trying to help me." Percival scoffed. Nero was a member of Team Meteor, an enemy, someone who had recently kidnapped Percival's closest friend.

"I'm not helping you, per se, I'm just helping myself to stay alive a while longer." Nero said, forgetting how much Percival couldn't see, he still motioned to Percival's pokeballs. "Unlike you who still has his whole team. The damn Abra only teleported me and half my team."

"You think you should be telling me that?" Percival smiled as he heard Nero didn't have his full team.

"Yeah, because I'm not afraid of you, nor do I think that you can afford to fight me here." Nero remarked. "Get real Shiro, you're in a location you don't know, and can barely see your own hand. Hell, you're not even looking at me, you're looking at two metal barrels! Meanwhile I can see perfectly fine down here. The reason I'm not attacking you is because if I do that, then sure as hell doomed to be killed by the wild Pokémon or Saphira. Even if you do by some miracle do beat me, you're going to be at a severe disadvantage going forward. You can be stupid, but you're not dumb enough to not notice them."

"…" Percival felt it the moment he appeared here; they were being watched. Stalked if you would, two powerful figures randomly appeared in new territory. The nearby Pokémon were watching waiting for their opening.

"They haven't pounced yet, cause if we work together, they won't stand a chance." Nero stated.

"You think I'd work together with you?!" Percival shouted back at Nero.

"Most wild Pokémon would choose survival over death." Nero countered. "The way I see it, you and Saphira haven't finished the task you set out to do. You rather die than complete it? Besides, this will last until we get out of this cave. After that you can try to kill me."

"…" Percival clenched his teeth in anger towards Nero.

"I'll take that as a yes." Nero said. "C'mo—"

BSSSH!

The cave shook, causing both Nero and Percival to nearly fall over. "The hell was that?"

"Don't know…" Nero had a bad premonition from the shaking. "Rather not stick around to find out."

"…me either…" Percival sighed, seeing his best chance of survival was with Nero.

The two then started their way through the cave. Though it still periodically shook, as if earthquake was being used in succession. The nearby wild Pokémon never got to close, sensing a foreboding aura from the two. But Nero as they walked sensed something else from the Pokémon. Something he didn't like; they were scared of the shaking. As they progress Nero scanned the walls, they had odd shapes, and from how common the Diglett and Dugtrio were here… He had a hunch of what was making the mountain shake, but from how big the tunnel was, he rather chose to not believe it.

They continued on in silence until Percival finally broke it. Asking Nero, "Why do you hate her?"

"Hmm?" Nero who was more concerned with the nearby Pokémon was half paying attention.

"You heard me, why do you hate Lucille?" Percival asked. His question was one he desperately wanted answered. "You've attacked her on several occasions, haven't you? If I remember correctly, three was: your gang of Scraggy with the Scrafty, that night in Rhodochrine Jungle, Mount Pyrous, and most recently when you kidnapped her."

"…" Nero bit his lip as he remembered those times. With his current knowledge of who Lucille was, it made all that time more painful. "Just for your own knowledge I didn't do anything at Rhodochrine Jungle. We were all captured by Nuzleaf."

"Right…" Percival rolled his eyes at Nero's truth.

"In any event, I'm sure she told you about what happened that night." Nero continued on that topic, remembering that night… how he should have just realized it then and there.

"yes… how you've had such piss poor life, and how you lost your sister." Percival gave a quick and rude rundown of what he heard.

"*Sigh… don't try to kill him… right now if I run into Saphira, he is my only chance to stay alive…*" Nero quietly mumbled. then clearing his throat. "Right, my parents only ever thought of me as a demon… my sister however thought differently. The only light, I had as kid… till the that day occurred."

"…" As Percival felt a slight change in Nero's tone. He unwittingly felt bad for Nero, before he shook that feeling off.

"But what does this have to do with why I ha—attacked Lucille?" Nero changed his wording halfway through, but still trying to give Percival a correct answer. "You can see that… I only did the opposite of what my sister believed. When first saw Lucille, I could only see the similarities between them…"

"Similarities…" Percival remember that tombstone he saw in Beryl Ward, how it said 'Lucille Umbrasyl'. "…She looks exactly like her…"

"Even acts like her…" Nero said. "You know how much it pissed me off, when I noticed that. to just have done the opposite of what one person wanted. Just to see…" Nero failed at finding the correct words to say at Percival. He struggled as trying to answer was just painful…

"…" Percival however, who once hated Nero with everything he had… could no longer find it. He recalled the look of Bianco, just a kid… dealt a terrible hand in life. Percival could almost compare it his childhood… but clearly tell, Nero had it rougher. Unlike Percival who had Marie as an ally growing up. Nero's only one was his sister, yet she had died… or at least was as much as Percival knew.

"Though the world still finds its ways to screw me over…" Nero was about to continue. "Hell… I barely believed it until—"

"…Who's there?" Percival and Nero had been walking to a nearby ledge, one that led to a deep crevasse. Neither had expected a voice to call up to them.

Percival instantly recognizing the voice, called down. "Saphira?!"

"… Percival?" Saphira said surprised to hear his voice down there. "I thought I heard another voice as well…"

"…" Nero bit his lip as he knew how careless he started to get.

"Well it seems that the Abra didn't only teleport us. They brought Nero here as well." Percival didn't care for Nero's worry, and explained the situation to Saphira. "it also seems that Nero only has half his team with him."

"That so…" Saphira yelled from the bottom of the chasm. "Well, as you can hear, I'm stuck down here. The echo fortunately enough for me to hear you."

"Are you hurt?" Percival called down to her.

"No, but I don't see a way up, and it's too narrow to send out my Dragonite to fly up…" Saphira said then the cave started to shake once more. "And then there's that."

"…" Nero as the cave shook, looked around, finding nothing… "Though they seem to just be getting stronger…"

"Whatever's causing them must be nearby." Saphira also noted that it was most likely a Pokémon. "See if you can find a way out. I'll keep looking for some way to climb up."

"Right…" Percival nodded; the situation only seemed be getting worse which caused worry for Percival. As Percival started to walk back the way they came to try and find something they missed.

"Nero." Nero stopped, cold sweat dripping down his neck, as Saphira called to him. "I would like to have a word with you when I get out of here."

"…" Nero had nothing to retort to her, but was thankful that Percival didn't overhear it.

"Wha…" A confused concern was raised as Percival walked forward. "Was this here before?"

Nero followed after Percival, finding a new path through the cave. "No…" Nero placed his hand on the wall, the wall was carved out. He could see a few shining fragments of something on the ground. "…Metal… well…"

"It's someplace new, maybe it can lead us to getting Saphira out of that chasm." Percival ignored the unsettling new passage. Or the fact that Nero didn't like that idea.

The two walked through the path, only to see that it led to another chasm. If it weren't for the echo, it would have been unknown to them that it was the same place as earlier. "Are you two making any progress up there?"

"Define progress…" Nero sighed, as he knew he was once again near Saphira

"A new passage way opened up." Percival explained. "Does it sound like we're closer to you?"

"What do you mean, a new passage appeared?" Saphira exclaimed, something like a cave randomly having a new passage, wasn't something that happened every day.

"Something carved through the rock." Nero answered. "It's definitely a Pokémon, and if it carved through that stone in the time it took for our last conversation… it's definitely strong."

Percival now realizing something being off. Looking at how wide the passage was. "…And large…"

The mountain shook again, this felt more powerful, causing Saphira to say. "And nearby. Be on your guard; I'm going to keep moving."

"We should be too then." Percival responded, heading back into the passage, where he and Nero found yet another passage. "Again?"

"…" Nero analyzed the path of how the passages were looking. "It's hunting…"

"It's what?" Percival was surprised with both what Nero said, and how calmly Nero said it.

"The thing that's making the passages, it's hunting us." Nero calmly asserted. "That Abra seems to have caused us a hell of lot more trouble than expected. I'm sure you noticed those barrels, and that acidic smell."

"…" Percival wouldn't disagree that there was an odd number of things down here, and there was some odd green liquid in some parts of the cave.

"though we may be trying to get people to leave Reborn… pollution isn't one of Meteor's tactics." Nero stated, "But with seeing what's happening here… that Abra has been sending any and all junk from the Base here. With the random injection of poison, the Pokémon here… well say aren't happy. So, believe me when I say it's the same Pokémon that's causing both those earthquakes and the passages being made."

"You mean it's trying to retaliate against you." Percival smirked. "Oh, karma is sweet."

"Yeah… I would agree with you, but with both yours and Saphira's positions…" Nero gestured, with how they are stuck.

"…" Percival's smirk immediately disappeared.

"C'mon… I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd rather have Saphira out that chasm." Nero said, but what he really felt was. "(If I can free her, and have her fight whatever this thing is… I might just make out alive.)"

As the two continued through this recently made passage, they were bare at the exit of it when they heard Saphira shout. "Percival! Nero! Can you still hear?!"

"What's wrong!" Percival shouted back; Nero readied one of three Pokémon that he had on hand.

"Watch out, it's headed your way!" Saphira shouted, as the cave shook

"ha…" Percival was dumbfounded as he stared at the Pokémon that created the large tunnels.

"You have gotta be kidding me!" Nero shouted as he saw it. It was even bigger than what he predicted.

"STEEL-LIX!" The Gargantuan Iron Snake appeared. The Pokémon was bigger than any normal Steelix, at least five times larger that of the average Steelix.

"Steady, you two!" Saphira called to them. "That thing is responsible for all the earthquakes in Chrysolia! Do your best to subdue it! I'll see if I can get into position to help!"

"STEEL!" The Steelix cried bashing it's head on the cave causing sharp and jagged stones to fly at Nero and Percival

"Woah, there!" Percival said barely dodging the jagged rocks. "If that's how you want to play it, Vee! Leaf blade!" Percival shouted bringing out his Leafeon. The Leafeon, Vee, took its head leaf causing it to glow green, and slashing into the Steelix.

"STEELIX!" Which the Steelix took the attack unfazed, turning to the pest that swiped at it and diving its head right at Vee!

"Hades! Overheat!" Nero shouted, with his black hell hound rushing to the Steelix.

"Grrrr!" The Houndoom, Hades, stood in front of Vee growling at the Steelix. Just as a spark hit Hades mouth unleashing a torrent of flame at the Steelix. Barely knocking it back.

"lea…" Vee however could only flinch at the level of heat rom Hades, even though the attack wasn't even directed at her.

"less that first strike was a fluke, and the thing can actually cut through steel. I suggest returning it and switch to that damn Milotic of yours!" Nero shouted at Percival, who just stood there stunned that Nero was helping him. "right now, you're my life line! You die, I die! Vice versa!"

"Steel…" The Steelix instead of growling gave an angry growl at Hades, before starting to shake the whole cave. "LIX!"

"ah…" Percival almost immediately lost his footing as the cave shook. Rock starting to crumble just above him.

"Leaf!" Vee rushed cutting them down before they hit Percival.

"Arro!" a cry was heard from hades, getting hit from several falling rocks.

"Gah…. Hades!" Nero shouted slightly getting hit both by rocks and seeing his Houndoom fall. Then quickly returning hades to his pokeball. "Izanami, c'mon I need you to distract this beast!"

"Gren!" Nero's Greninja nodded in understanding, began leaping around the falling rocks looking for weak points on the Steelix, and throwing watery daggers into them

"…" it could be told from one look that the Steelix wasn't being overwhelmed, but it was definitely getting annoyed by the darting Pokémon.

Meanwhile Nero with an angry glare, rushed and kicked Percival who was still on the ground. "What the hell are you doing!? You trying to get us both killed!"

"ahh!" Percival recoiled by Nero's unexpected attack.

"Stop groveling on the ground, and get up you bastard. You ain't going to survive if you lie here on the damn ground." Nero shouted angrily.

"…" Percival silently groaned as he got from the ground, "You saw that Vee, and you Houndoom has done nothing, but barely scratch that thing! You honestly think we can win?!"

"Tch… I've been in more dire situations." Nero scoffed. "Size doesn't equate to power."

"…" Percival stood staring at Nero; a bit surprised. Percival moved his hand, but noticed that it was shaking. Then looking to the Steelix, who was still distracted by Izanami darting around, slowly starting to show ware. Percival bit his lip seeing that Nero has done more for their survival than he had. "…"

"Tch…" Nero turned his back against Percival, ready to go back and try to give more commands to his Greninja, Izanami. But as he turned away, he mutters purposefully loud enough for Percival to hear. "To think the son of the Whitehall family, the one who thought they could be a champion, the one who got kicked out, would be such a coward. No wonder you lost against Solaris in less than five minutes. I at least lasted half an hour."

"…" Percival's expression changed, as those words stinging into Percival's being. His anger starting to be relit. Percival returned his Leafeon to his pokeball. "Vee return. Oracle come out." As Percival sent his Delphox oracle out, he looked at Nero and said. "I'll make you regret saying that. Oracle Mystical Fire!"

"Delph!" Oracle takes her wooden stick used as a wand. With a flame appearing at the end, then a pillar of flame enveloping the Steelix.

"Steel!" The Steelix cried as it was hit with an attack it wasn't expecting.

"There ya, go." Nero smiled as he saw the pillar of flame. "(Just needed the right amount of motivation.)" then looking over the Steelix seeing several red-hot points. "Izanami, Ice beam there and there!"

"Gre!" His Greninja jumped diagonally as the Steelix swung its tail at it, missing it. Izanami landed in front of it, collecting freezing temperatures, sending it at the red-hot points of the Steelix.

C…creak, crack!

To Nero the sound of the crackling steel was pleasant, as one of the steel prongs broke off and the Steelix cried out in humongous pain. "STEEEL!" Falling down into the chasm.

"Now that's how you beat something!" Nero smiled to himself, turning to barely being missed by a shot of flame that was aimed at him. Nero's smile then quickly disappeared, eyes hardening, with a calm demeanor. "Yes, Shiro?"

"…" Percival was silent as he glared at Nero.

Though before Percival continued there was a loud noise of modern as the Steelix quickly reached the top of the chasm, though this time it was carrying someone on top. A woman with purple hair, exclaimed as she rode the ginormous Steelix "Much better. Now for the catch." As Saphira jumped off of the Steelix, onto the base of the cave where Nero and Percival were, she tossed an Ultra Ball at the Steelix. Nero and Percival looked on dumbfounded as the Steelix fit into the Ultra Ball… One shake… Two… Three and click.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Nero cursed to himself as he heard the click. Also noting how fucked he was. Hades was down, Izanami was badly damaged, and the only other Pokémon he had was Raven his Honchkrow. No, Zoroark, Hela to use the shadow as an escape route. Nor did he have his two strongest Pokémon his black Absol, Grim, or Orcus his Hydreigon.

"Now Nero, Like I said before. I'd like to talk to you about somethings." Saphira said, a fire was clear in her eyes. Percival smirked as he heard that

"…" Nero stayed silent as he tried to think a way out…