Chapter 28: Where Team Purple breaks in to save the day.
Mo got more and more used to the height.
It's been hours now since they met Lunala at the peak of Mt. Steel and for himself it felt even longer. It has been almost a month now since he, his best friend and a stranger formed Adventure Team Purple, but it kind of felt like an eternity. He just didn't know why.
He slowly began to realise how important their role became und, if everything should go right, this epic adventure would come to an end. They almost have the key to their goal. And maybe even his own goal, Mo thought to himself.
"This is where I drop you off!", Lunala said.
Mo had spaced out. He did not realised they just arrived at their destination.
Lunala flew lower and landed near the shores. They landed somewhere in the nowhere. It was still dark due to Lunala and hard to they where exactly they really were.
Charlotte was the first one to jump right out of the bag.
"The base of the Forces of Darkness is somewhere over there.", she said and pointed into the distance she was facing. "I will go now and look for Axel and Amy. Once I've got them, I'll return to you. We'll meet near their base again."
Aaron and Mo also left her bag. All three looked up to Lunala as she prepared leave them.
"What if something goes wrong?", Mo asked her.
Lunala looked at him silently.
"The Chosen One is our priority. YOU are quaternary.", she answered. She rose up into the sky, turned around and with high speed flew away into the distance.
As she did the sky brightened, making it day again. The sudden brightness hurt Aaron in his eyes.
From what Mo understood it was not sure if Mo and the other ever returned, even if their own mission was successful.
Mo and Aaron looked at each other. Meanwhile, Charlotte already let the way. They had to run after her as they realised.
Team Purple found themselves in a wide plain area near the shores. Gras, sand and sea as far as the eye can see. No trees, only some bushes here and there. Mo began to have thought if they even were in the right area.
When they caught up to Charlotte, Mo climbed on Aaron's back and checked their map to check their location. He remembered the Ribombee showed them a small island between the Water and the Air Continent, so he tried checking for this.
Their map wasn't the most up to date. There still were some arguments about size, distance and exact locations and still many maps lacked of quality. When it came to locations outside the Air Continent, the guild probably saved money.
"Mo? You should put down the map.", Aaron suggested to him.
The team was just walking up a small hill. By now Aaron never complained about him getting ridden, and Mo was looking at the map for maybe a minute or two.
"Huh? Why?", Mo asked, lifted the map up and looked to Aaron's head. He was focused to something ahead.
Mo looked up to where he was looking. On the other side of the hill was not just more, and more of grass and bushes. Mo's eyes glow up.
In the middle of the plains, far in the distance stood a large building out of dark grey brick. A castle in European style and at least double as large as their own guild HQ. Towers and windows were uneven and it all seemed to be build in haste and without proper planning.
"... huh!", Mo exclaimed and put the map back in their back. They were nearer than expected. "And now?"
Charlotte rolled down the hill, heading straight to the castle. Mo and Aaron went after her, again.
They realised the Forces of Evil could have their eyes everywhere, maybe they already knew that they were here. Directly charging towards it, running through the whole facility while beating everything that may or may not be inside like mad until they arrived at their damsels in distress and hoping they have an escape rope or something like this ready was not a smart plan.
Mo had a scenario in his head if this castle wasn't even belonging to the Forces. They could, up on entering, accidently crash a wedding. Then again, who would build a castle in the middle of the swamp?
Instead Team Purple tried to stay as hidden as possible by running up from bush to bush until they arrived. It took a long while until they were finally close enough to see clearer.
Hiding behind a bush, they spotted a Koffing and an Oddish guarding the entrance. Spearows were roaming the sky or resting on the top of the hideout.
Mo looked at Aaron and Charlotte.
"And how do we get in now without causing alarm?", he asked. Directly attacking would definitely end in failure, even if there was another entrance, it would be guarded as well, and the only thing that came in his mind that could work was sending one of them as a diversion.
"I can help you with that!", a young female voice behind them suddenly answered.
Mo, Aaron and Charlotte were startled and turned around. Mo covered Aaron's mouth, fearing he would make noise.
Behind them they found Fystiki, the Ribombee from Destiny Tower.
"Where did you come from?!", Mo asked while trying to stay quiet himself. It was a relief for them to find someone friendly, even thou it was weird what she was doing her or where she even came from.
"Magic!", she happily said and formed half a circle with her arms, like she was forming a rainbow. "Seriously now. I'm not supposed to be here. If the Forces capture me too, we'll all be in a lot of trouble. And I mean a lot!"
She sat down on Mo's fake head with her stick sceptre on her lap.
"I can distract these fellows for you, so you can sneak in.", she told the group. "I can't say where you're friends are kept. You need to find them yourself."
Mo tried to look up to see her.
"How do we know we can trust you? You seem weird to me.", Mo told her.
Charlotte showed Mo a sign she wrote:
"Do you have a better idea?"
Mo tried to look up, again.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
"I'm much tuffer than I look. I can handle them. You should be worried about yourself and your friends.", Fystiki said as she flew between the group.
"Good luck!", Aaron encouraged her.
"Just don't tell Arceus.", she answered and turned around.
she froze for a second and quickly turned around again.
"Oh! And by the way!", she said and then faced Mo. She suddenly was not happy at all anymore and gave Mo a mean glimpse. She pointed her fingers to her eyes and then to Mo, telling him she is watching him.
Mo did not knew what to think about this, and so did the others.
Fystiki quickly flew out of the bush directly to the two guards.
"Hey, guys! I know where you life! You better go and catch me! 'Cause I'll everyone about it!", she announced really loud directly in the face of the Koffing.
The Koffing puffed a cloud of dark smog to the Rimbombee, but she just flew out if it, making funny faces at it and the Oddish.
"GET HER!", the Koffing shouted alarmed the Spearow, as well as another Oddish inside the base, and puffed another smog cloud at her.
In a kind of comedic way they began to chase her, trying to attack her or at least slow her down. They all ran, flew or floated off into the distance, with Team Purple looking still behind their bush.
"... huh!", Mo exclaimed again.
The inside of the base looked almost like the outside. Strangely completely empty in two way. There was no kind of decoration, carpet or something similar, only a few candleholders with candles filling the dark of this building, which were the same kind of candleholders they also had at their own base. There were no door either, only holes where normally a door was supposed to be. And the walls were just as broken from the inside as they were from the outside. And for a base this size, belonging to an evil organisation planning to take the most powerful item there is, it was quit no one around.
"It's too quiet.", Mo said as they wandered though the halls, looking for a clue. "They're up to something or more disorganized than we all thought."
His voice echoed, so he decided to not talk anymore.
"Hello?", another voice echoed. Mo just blew their cover.
Team Purple quickly hid in one of the rooms with no doors. Beside of a few piles of hay it was empty as well.
"Master Ferhat? Have you returned already?", the same voice asked again. It was a male and he sounded quit croaky.
All three took a peak from the door frame to the hallway. A single Trapinch was walking down towards them, looking confused.
"Hello?", it said again. "I heard some commotions. Did everything went according to plan?"
As the Trapinch walked past their door, Aaron quickly snatched and forced him into the room with them.
Aaron held the Trapinch and forced it to the ground, holding it's big mouth shut. He struggled hard as it tried to break free, trying to call for help.
"Listen here, antlion.", Mo quietly said to him and let his eyes glow up. "We're from the Adventurer Guild. You captured three adventurers a few days ago. Blue scarf. A Pikachu, a Litleo and a Hoothoot. Where are they?"
The Trapinch tried to say something, but could not due to Aaron still holding his mouth.
"My buddy here will now slowly lose his grip, and you better tell us what you know and don't-"
"Hey!", Aaron interrupted and turned the Trapinch's head a little to the side to take a closer look at him. "I know you! I know you!"
Neither the rest of the team or the Trapinch knew what Aaron meant.
"You were there when your organisation attacked our guild! And you bit my leg!", he announced and presented his hind leg to them.
Days ago there was a found that was medically treated by Heidi. Over the time it healed away. You could see a little bit of the biting mark, or what was left, if you looked closely.
The Trapinch began to sweat.
Mo grabbed his head and turned it to him.
"Is that true? Did you really hurt my friend?", Mo asked him, sounding grudgy.
The Trapinch began to sweat harder, shaking his head, trying to deny it.
"You know this Gourgeist, with the scar? I did that to him because I didn't liked his friends", he said and his eyes glow up. He did not care if Aaron was telling the truth or not. Intimidation is a good strategy. "Guess what I will do to ones that harm the Pokémon close to me."
Mo let go and made a gesture with his claws as if he was ripping something in two.
The Trapinch began to struggle even more and tear rolled down from his tiny eyes down his large head.
Charlotte pushed Mo aside and showed the Trapinch a sign she wrote just now.
"Tell us what we want to know and no one get's hurt."
She made a gesture to Aaron to loose his grip. And so he did.
"Please, I'm just doing my job! I'm getting paid for this! I'm supporting my mother! I'll tell you everything! Just let me go, please!", he immediately said and began to cry. "We've got cells on the second floor. At the moment only one of them is in use and it is constantly guarded. The guard has a mastery key for all the cells we've got. That's all I know. I just want to go home now!"
Mo looked at Aaron and wondered if they should really let him go or now. He could still alarm the rest of the facility.
This problem was solved quit fast and also easy as Charlotte smacked the Trapinch's head with her log, knocking him out instantly.
"Charlotte! What that necessary?!", Aaron quietly argued with her. Maybe it was. Somehow, Mo was proud of her.
They placed the body in a corner, hoping it won't look too suspicious.
Aaron checked if the hallway was clear and lead the team in search for the cells. Fast but still trying to make no sound they rushed through the facility, checking every room and every corner for enemies. Many of the rooms they past were literally empty with absolutely nothing inside except the room itself. In one stood only a small table.
They reached the stairs to the first floor. The same material as the rest of the base and crooked beyond believe. There was no way no one already fell down these. Whoever constructed this should be punished, outside of cooperating with criminals.
Mo already saw Charlotte getting up and down stairs. She was always way fast down than up by just rolling like the log she was and held. Every time he was worried she'll get hurt by hitting the stone steps with her side or back. This time, to make less noise, Aaron picked her up first.
Where the stairs to the first floor ended, the stairs to stairs to the second floor started. IF someone would fall, it would definitely take some time and hurt a bunch. They quickly checked if the coast was clear before running up further.
They saw no one, but heard others talking. Muffled talking from another room somewhere down the hallway. Mo imagined all the members having a great meeting in one of the rooms, probably better suited then the others. If they are not careful, they could be hunted down by the whole Forces at once.
The second and highest floor looked exactly like the other two, grey and empty and now windows.
Mo's heart raced as they went deeper and deeper inside the base, not knowing if their mission would be successful. There always was the danger in adventuring, but it this time a mistake could be fatal.
As they checked on of the rooms they saw something very different.
A long room with many steel doors and a single Koffing, wearing a key around it orblike body, was floating up and down.
Team Purple quickly hid again before being noticed. That must be it!
The team members where looking at each other what to do next.
Afraid to actually talk, Mo took one of charlottes signs and pen and wrote:
"If got an idea."
He signed his team mates to be quickly and checked the room again. The Koffing just turned around again and floated down the room.
Quietly as possible, Mo followed it, took his fake, wooden tail as he did and began charging it, making it grow as tall as possible for him. He held it up like a baseball bat, standing behind the Koffing. The same dark aura around his tail covered his body as well and his eyes glow up in anticipation.
The moment the Koffing turned around Mo jumped up and smacked it with his tail. The Koffing slammed again the wall behind it and released a dark, smelly gas. Mo tried not to but had to cough because of the gas.
When the gas finally disappeared, he found the Koffing knocked out on the floor, still wearing the key chain with the key. He took the key from it and proudly presented it to the others. Aaron was standing at the entrance on his two hind legs and holding his head in shock with his forelegs. His eyes wide open and Charlotte casually beside him.
"What's going on?! Who is there?!", a young female voice asked from the other side of a cell door.
Aaron came in and pressed his long ear against the door.
"Nya?! It's us! We'll get you out!", he answered her.
"I've been up here for three weeks!", a male voice said, surly being Richard. Mo knew how Ziggy's voice sounded like.
Aaron took the key from the Koffing and unlocked the cell door. It opened quit easy and without much noise.
There they were, in a small and dark cell and chained to the wall. Team Blue. Or better said 2/3 of them. Ziggy was not with them.
The Litleo had a chain leash around her neck, covering most of her scarf, and only able to reach the middle of the room while Richard the Hoothoot was hanging upside down from the wall with both his legs chained.
"Te- Team Purple?! What are you doing here?!", Nya asked them, seeming very surprised.
"Hooray!", made Richard and flapped his wings in joy.
"We were just in the area and thought: Let's get 'em out.", Mo jokingly answered as he entered the cell as well, followed by Charlotte. "You own us one."
Aaron went to Nya to unlock her chains using the key. She seemed very relieved to finally have this thing of her neck. She began to scratch her neck covered by her now dirty blue scarf.
"Where are the others?", she asked. Charlotte rolled over to her and gave Nya a oran berry she got from their team bag.
"We're actually the only one. Team Red is missing as well, Hilarius is probably missing too, and the rest are 'defending' the guild.", Mo answered and began to have mixed feelings. On one side they were the heroes now, on the other side the overall situation was not looking good at all.
Mo looked around the room, even the ceiling.
"By the way, where is Ziggy?", he asked Nya.
Aaron was just unlocking Richard's chains. He fell right of the wall to the ground.
"We're not sure. He must still be around here.", Nya looked at him answered. He joy just turned into worry.
"We actually managed to find the key in Meteor Cave. Ziggy was so proud of himself, he began talking about something, something destiny and probably HE is the Chosen One and not Axel. We then got ambushed by this Spiritomb that lead the attackers the night before and got our butts kicked.", she explained to Team Purple.
"Really hard and fast!", Richard added, still on the ground.
Mo was not surprised.
Aaron picked up Richard and gave him an oran berry as well.
"Anyway, that Spiritomb, the leader of this whole organisation, thinks Ziggy is actually the Chosen One and then he got taken away. Special security chamber, said one of our guards.", Nya explained further as they left their cell. Despite the berry, Nya still had trouble walking.
Outside Richard spotted the knocked out Koffing, jumped of Aaron's back and went straight to it. He poked it with his wing and turned around with big sad eyes.
"Oh no! There's Melonnie.", he said. "That's a shame, she was really nice."
"Yeah, that's her.", Nya confirmed.
Mo began to think. Ziggy is still around here. Imprisoned as well and most likely in bad shape, too.
"Aaron? How many oran berries to we still have?", he turned to the Sylveon ans asked him.
Aaron checked their bag.
"Two.", he answered.
Mo went to Aaron and their bag and took out one of the two berries. He walked over to the Koffing and gave her the berry, much to Richard's joy.
She slowly began to open her eyes and saw Mo, standing right in front of her with glowing eyes, holding her with his black claw.
"Where is your so called special security chamber? Where do you keep the Chosen One prisoner?", he asked her in a threatening tone. To his own surprise his voice sounded slightly demonic.
"Basement! It's in the basement! There are only two rooms!", she cried out in shock. So loud, Mo feared she would alarm someone.
Like before, Charlotte immediately solved this problem by knocking her out again, making Richard sad again.
"So sad ...", he said.
Mo turned back around.
"Well, I'm going to look for him.", he decided.
"YOU?!", Nya almost shouted.
Mo looked to her.
"First, we were told to get everybody out, and this includes him. Second, I'm the smallest and thus probably the hardest to be seen, and third, I want to see him and I want him to know I was the one who saves his big, yellow behind."
Everyone, even Charlotte, gave Mo a long silent stare.
"Can we trust you? You know how you think of Ziggy.", Nya asked him, now being more calm but also more serious.
Mo walked closer to the Litleo.
"I promise I will not harm him and I will do my best to get him out of here.", Mo swore. Mo had ABSOLUTLY no intention of keeping this promise and hoped no one new he was lying.
Nya and Richard looked at each other. Nya then looked at Aaron and nodded. She reached into Team Purple's bag, took out the last oran berry they've got and gave it to Mo.
"Give him this. I have this feeling he's going to need it.", she said.
Aaron came forward to Mo and put one of his ribbons around Mo's arm, holding the berry.
"We will get them out of here while you go and look for Ziggy. We meet by the bushed where we hid before.", he explained to Mo.
Mo nodded and hoped both of their plans would actually work. It was not like they could go back now anyway.