Snapping back to the present Stlix focused as the sounds of battle grew louder and they duo drew closer to the metagross hive. As the surrounding forest and mountainside started to blur with the speed that Buddy moved at the reached a plateau of rock where the entrance of the metagrosses home caverns opened out.
Stlix could see a group of people all dressed similarly with dark uniforms that proudly presented a larger yellow 'R' on the front. They were armed with a multitude of Pokémon that radiated heat and distortion. Stlix could see Pokémon that seemed to be of living lava, one shaped like a snail with a large rocky shell and another with a flame like head. He could see another that seemed a humanoid tiger that pressed a foot down upon a metang.
"Don't use any area moves Buddy they might hurt the metagross underground." He leapt off the steelix's head before he could reply and ran at one of the humans. They turned and shouted something to the Pokémon as he ran at them. Great gouts of flame shot out from the snail and lava Pokémon as the tiger Pokémon's eyes narrowed. The flame were all aimed at steelix as he twisted slightly then lashed his tail that glowed with steel type energy. As the iron tail landed upon the slow snail its snail cracked and flew off the plateau with a scream. Without pausing steelix lashed out again at the crowd of Pokémon.
As steelix was fighting the fire types Stlix reached the first uniformed thug. The thug frowned and spat something.
"Every region. No matter where you go there is ALWAYS a nosey, troublesome brat." The other grunts moved closer and one said to another.
"Isn't he too young to be a trainer."
"Don't know. Don't care. Kill him and ball the captured Pokémon. Then we can leave." Another one responded. Stlix heard this narrowed and dodged around a slow punch aimed at his head. He reached at the thug's waist a ripped free a belt full of red and white balls he had seen the Pokémon captured into.
"Oi. Give that here brat." The thug snarled out and tried to grab Stlix. He ducked out of the grasping arms and dashed at the next person grabbing for his belt as well.
As this was happening steelix wound himself around the tiger Pokémon and squeezed. The metang floated up from its imprisonment and lashed one out arm glowing with energy at the Pokémon's head. It repeated it twice more and as its arm rose the from the final the strike it revealed a being that no longer struggled against its confinement. The metang scratched and injured, then floated to the entrance to help its hive in battle.
Steelix unwound from the corpse and slithered over to where Stlix was still pursued here and there by the group of people but as the shadow of the mass steel snake was cast upon them the turned and screamed. As they tried to flee the steelix's tail came around in a lazy strike. It hit them in their midriff and knocked them flat against the plateau. As their heads hit the rock their consciousness ceased.
Stlix slowed and panted as his pursuers were knocked unconscious one hand upon his stomach and the other grasping six belts laden with the red and white balls. He pulled the belts over one shoulder and the lengths of fabric fell by his hip. He nodded at Buddy then nodded at the entrance. Turning quickly, he hurried to it. The steelix sighed again but followed him towards the battle below.
