Chapter 5
Team Charm on the Scene!
After a few days of several more jobs completed, Team Poképals and Team Go-Getters both appeared to put the heartbreak of letting go of Manaphy to be raised properly by Walrein behind them. They worked out their resolve and managed to be completely full of energy again. When they made their way into the boards floor within the guild to take more jobs today, they noticed that the room was not occupied with any pokémon whatsoever, which was very unusual.
"Hey, where's everyone at? Bingo?" joked Leon.
He and the others had a laugh on his comment. Once the laughing died down, they heard noises of pokémon talking below them.
"Maybe something's down below us that's got everybody interested in other than jobs here!" insisted Blaze.
"Let's check it out, then!" replied Ian.
The two teams went to the right ladder to go below a floor to the guild quarters.
When they went down, they saw a crowd gathering around to admire and talk to a group of three pokémon. Team Poképals and Team Go-Getters, wanting to see who they were, went in to get a closer look. They got a clear view of the following three pokémon…
Gardevoir, a psychic-type pokémon who had green hair and a white body, which looked like a dress.
Medicham, a fighting-type pokémon who had the top of her head and pair of legs in purple, while the most of her body was pink. She looked like she was wearing baggy pants and a strange hat by her appearance.
Lopunny, a rabbit-like pokémon that had brown fur and abnormally large, white, fluffy ears hanging on each side.
After seeing the three pokémon for themselves, the two teams turned to each other for a quick chat.
"So that's what everybody's interested in," Leon said.
"Yeah, and-" Ian began to reply, but cut himself off when he realized who two of those pokémon were. "Wait! My teammates and I know two of those pokémon! One who was formerly with Team Meanies, and another that I managed to revive not long after we saved the world back at the Air Continent!"
"Wow, you guys really met them before?!" responded an amazed Leon. "That's like some sort of reunion you've got going on here!"
"But Leon and I don't exactly know who they are, though!" Blaze replied. "Let's ask Chatot nearby!"
They turned to the parrot to talk to him.
"Hey, Chatot!" Leon began. "Who are those pokémon?"
Chatot turned to the two teams beside him, seemingly shocked that Leon and Blaze didn't know who the three pokémon being surrounded were.
"What?! I'm surprised that you don't know those three pokémon there!" he exclaimed. "That lovely trio is Team Charm! They're all known for being ultra famous treasure hunters! They are at the Master Rank level, which is one of the most highest ranks that an exploration team can achieve. Team Charm has that extraordinary merit to achieve that wonderful rank! They're experts at treasure hunting, discovering countless treasures, and earning recognition not just for their business...but for the way that they're strong, smart, and beautiful! The sheer style of their treasure hunts is what makes 'em celebrities~!"
Chatot went on to explain who the members of Team Charm were to both Team Poképals and Team Go-Getters. After that, he began to wonder what the beautiful trio was here for, until Wigglytuff came out of his chamber to greet them. Everybody quieted down and turned to him.
"Oh, Wigglytuff, darling!" Lopunny greeted back. "It's been a long time, sweetie!"
The guildmaster went closer to the trio.
"You haven't changed one bit, Wigglytuff!"
"Seeing you now as a guildmaster is quite amazing!" Medicham said.
"It's been a long time, Wigglytuff!" Gardevoir said.
"Yup! Long time no see, indeed~!" replied the guildmaster. "Have all of you been well?"
Team Charm nodded in agreement, while the guild's members were stunned that they somehow knew Wigglytuff from a long time ago.
"Long time…? Do you mean..."
"Guildmaster, are you already acquainted with Team Charm?"
Paying attention to their comments, but not looking to them, Medicham continued talking to Wigglytuff.
"Wigglytuff, you were a real go-getter back in the day, just like three pokémon I knew back at the Air Continent! How are you nowadays?"
"Back then, Wigglytuff here was something else!" Lopunny commented. "He was so cool that no one could beat him!"
The guildmaster had a little laugh, as Chatot was the next to speak.
"Uh, guildmaster….how do you know Team Charm here?"
Wigglytuff and Team Charm turned to him.
"Well, they're my old friends from long ago~!" answered the guildmaster.
"That's right," responded Lopunny. "We were partners in exploration with Wigglytuff."
"WHAT?!" everybody shouted.
They were stunned that the four pokémon knew each other without the knowledge of the guild themselves.
"The guildmaster...and Team Charm...knew each other a while ago?" whispered a shocked Chatot.
Wigglytuff and Team Charm turned back to each other.
"So...what brings all of you here?" questioned the guildmaster.
"We came here for an important matter," Gardevoir answered. "Do you recall, when we were exploring a long time ago, that we found a mysterious key? At the time, we didn't know what it was for, but now we found out where it should be used."
"You see," Medicham inserted, "we discovered a place called Aegis Cave. That's where the key will be a perfect fit to unlock its entrance. Even more, it's said that the cave itself holds a vast trove of treasure."
Everybody else was amazed by the discovery.
"A vast trove of..."
"...Treasure?!"
"Say, Wigglytuff..." Lopunny said. "Do you still have that key that we found back then?"
The guildmaster himself looked confused by her question.
"Key? Ummm...what kinda key? I can't remember!"
He had a little laugh, while Medicham appeared to be a tad mad about it.
"Hey! We went through a lot to get that key! Are ya saying you've lost it?!"
Gardevoir could only sweat-drop, as she spoke next.
"That's typical for you, Wigglytuff. It seems that some things haven't changed at all." Gardevoir turned to Lopunny. "Lopunny, it's time for our gift."
"Gotcha, Gardevoir!"
The rabbit pokémon took an apple out of her team's bag and gave it to Wigglytuff.
"Here you go, Wigglytuff! We've got a Perfect Apple, just for you!"
"Yay! Thanks~!"
The guildmaster placed the Perfect Apple atop of his head and played with it. While he did so, Team Charm continued to talk to him.
"So, about that key..." Gardevoir said.
"That's right!" Wigglytuff replied. "I'll go look for the key that's shaped like an unown!"
He turned around and went into his chamber to go look for the key. It only lasted a few seconds, as he used his Hyper Voice to shatter something hiding the key. He went back out of his chamber to give the key to Team Charm.
"Here ya go~!"
"That's it, darling!" Lopunny replied. "This is the key that will open the way into Aegis Cave! Thanks, Wigglytuff! Since you look to have all the time today, why don't you join us for our exploration? It'll be just like old times!"
The guildmaster, back to playing with his perfect apple, was too distracted to answer back.
"Perfect apple~, perfect apple~!"
Team Charm simply sweat-dropped.
"Ha, you really haven't changed, have you?" Gardevoir said.
"I guess we'll be going now, sweetie," Lopunny said next. "See ya, Wigglytuff!"
Team Charm turned to their left and started to make their way out of the guild, when Blaze stopped them.
"Uhhh...excuse me!"
The trio turned to the two teams, with Leon and Blaze having blushes on their cheeks, and hearts in their eyes.
"What is it?" questioned Lopunny.
"May...may we go e-exploring with you?" requested Leon.
"Yeah! We're interested too!" Ian said.
The rest of the guild, having hearing the requests, wanted to go as well.
"ME TOO!"
"And me!"
"Eek! I wanna go too!"
"Please, take all of us to explore the new dungeon with you, Team Charm!" Leon pleaded.
"Pleeeeeease?" everyone else said.
Team Charm looked at everybody in the room having puppy eyes as they considered their request. Lopunny had a little laugh before she spoke next.
"Everyone is so earnest around here! All of you are so adorable!" She struck a pose. "Of course you may!"
Everybody cheered, as they were happy and excited to go to Aegis Cave with Team Charm.
"Hooray! Thank you so much!" responded Blaze.
"Alright, sweeties." Lopunny announced. "All of you can follow us to Aegis Cave whenever you're ready! It's located southeast of here!"
As soon as Team Charm moved toward the ladder, Team Go-Getters and Team Poképals, along with most of the members, followed them up of the guild to make their way to Aegis Cave.
When everybody arrived at the entrance of the cave, Team Charm turned to both Teams Poképals and Go-Getters to have a conversation with Ian, Charmander, and Chikorita, before the key was used to unlock the gate itself.
Team Poképals properly introduced themselves for a few moments, before Team Go-Getters talked to Team Charm themselves.
"Hey, Ian!" Lopunny began. "Is it true that both of my teammates here met the three of you before?"
"That's right!" the squirtle answered. "Gardevoir here was one pokémon that I managed to rescue and revive when Gengar and I ventured into Murky Cave to get her. Although she doesn't know much of her prior life, is it true that she managed to travel to the Grass Continent here to join your team?"
"Yep!" Medicham answered for Lopunny. "That's exactly it, squirtle boy~! I was formerly a part of Team Meanies as all three of you can remember, until Gengar wanted to disband our team once he turned his attitude around after getting back Gardevoir. I was sad once that happened, but she wanted me to travel with her here so we could form a new friendship with each other."
"That's correct!" Gardevoir said. "She came with me to this continent and we met up with Lopunny. She was quite an excellent treasure hunter, and requested that we help her out in raising her and our reputation. Of course, we accepted it, and thus, our Team Charm was formed!"
"Man, that's quite a story!" Charmander replied. "It's not only us that came to the Grass Continent here, but both of you, Gardevoir and Medicham, as well!"
"We're really not the only ones when it comes to exploring new lands in this great world of ours!" Chikorita remarked.
Everyone had a little laugh at the comment.
"Well, it's time to explore the Aegis Cave now!" Lopunny said. "Give us a moment to unlock the gate to the cave!"
She and the rest of Team Charm turned back to the entrance to use the Unown Key to unlock the gate. Once it was opened, everybody went into the Aegis Cave.
Once everyone was in the cave itself, Lopunny explained that no one else had been able to explore it in a long time. Once they got to a stone tablet, she examined it and told them that there were unown letters inscribed in it that led to some clue for opening a new path to be discovered. The letters on that stone tablet had read "ICE", while the rest of the inscription had said, "If you seek passage, close your eyes, then submit your proof." Everybody would keep this in mind as they made their way into the dungeon.
The dungeon of Aegis Cave was filled with various pokémon, but more importantly, alphabet pokémon who were called unown. These letter pokémon species were key in solving the mystery of the stone tablet at the beginning of the dungeon. When one was defeated, it would sometimes shrink into a smaller, inanimate stone. Team Poképals, collected an "I" unown, with Team Go-Getters getting "C", and Team Charm having "E".
They arrived back at the very same place where the tablet was, noticing that the "Ice" section looped back here once it was completed. Deciding to solve the mystery once and for all, the three teams stood close to the "ICE" tablet holding out the three letters. Suddenly, the tablet glowed white, and it blinded the room for a few seconds. Once the light died down, a set of stairs replaced the stone tablet, and the three teams went down the stairs.
They arrived at a chamber and ran into a guardian pokémon named Regice, an ice-type who was wanting to test their power in a battle so that they could proceed further into the Aegis Cave. Despite there being eight pokémon to battle the guardian, it had great strength that was almost equal to a legendary pokémon, so everyone had to know not to hold back. After a few moments, Regice was defeated, and a spherical light coming from its remains enveloped Leon as it made him glow white for a second. It signified that the guardian's permission had been granted, and the wall where Regice had been standing in front of, opened up for the three teams to proceed deeper into Aegis Cave.
They ran into another stone tablet, this time with the word "ROCK" inscribed on it. Understanding by now what it meant, they went into the "rock" section of the cave to find the "R", "O", "C", and "K" unown.
When Team Poképals and Team Go-Getters arrived back at the second tablet after "clearing" the dungeon, they noticed a piece of paper containing a written letter on a floor. They read it, revealing that Team Charm had written it and said that they were ahead of both of them. They urged them to catch up, and the two teams went to the tablet to go further. Team Poképals had the letters "R" and "O" in their bag, while Team Go-Getters had "C" and "K" in theirs. They took them out and presented them to the stone tablet to reveal another set of stairs.
The two teams ran into another guardian pokémon named Regirock, which was covered in rocks and steel. Despite being short of Team Charm, they managed to defeat it and go further into the cave.
Another stone tablet awaited the two teams, this time having the word "STEEL" inscribed on it. They went into the "steel" section of the dungeon, where they found the letters "S", "T", two "E's", and "L" to replace the tablet with a set of stairs.
They ran into another guardian named Registeel, which was a robotic-like steel-type pokémon. Once they defeated it, they opened the cave behind where the guardian was. Before they made their way, Team Charm suddenly appeared in front of them, and were lying on the ground. They got up and explained that they were defeated by Registeel, and requested them that they would need help whenever a strong pokémon like it appeared again further into Aegis Cave. Team Poképals and Team Go-Getters happily accepted their request, and went ahead into the final dungeon section of the cave.
Once the three teams made it to the last chamber of the cave, they saw a group of several pokémon encased in stone. There were four hitmonlee, who were fighting-type pokémon, four bronzong, which were bell-shaped steel/psychic-type pokémon, and a Regigigas, who was a colossal normal-type pokémon bigger than the prior three guardians of Aegis Cave. They got closer to the frozen pokémon, but the light in the chamber suddenly got dark, as a voice spoke out.
"Those who seek the treasures sleeping in the ground...show us all of your power!"
A blinding light emitted within the big room, and when it went away, the statues suddenly came to life, startling the three teams!
"Whoa! The stone statues came to life!" Ian exclaimed.
"Not to worry, guys!" Leon insisted. "We're all battle together!"
"That's the spirit!" Lopunny replied.
The teams got into their battle stances as they prepared to take on the hitmonlee, the bronzong, and the final guardian of Aegis Cave, Regigigas!
With the colossal pokémon standing back to initially observe the battle, the bronzong occasionally used Safeguard to protect themselves and the hitmonlee from various status problems. Knowing that this would be a problem for the three teams, they took down the bronze bell pokémon first before targeting the hitmonlee. Once the eight pokémon were taken care of, only Regigigas remained. It would be tougher than the three guardians the teams faced within Aegis Cave, so they used various items to hamper its ability to battle, and make defeating it easier.
When everyone landed their last blows on Regigigas, it collapsed onto its stomach with a loud thump. They congratulated each other for the success by giving each other high fives in celebration. Suddenly, a giant red stone tablet appeared in front of them, as they jumped back in surprise.
"Whoa! What's this thing?!" Ian exclaimed.
"I'm not so sure, but there's an inscription on it!" answered Leon.
"Read it for us!" requested Lopunny.
The piplup went to get a closer look of the inscription to read it.
"Lemme see...it says, 'Close your eyes, then let your aura flow into the ground.'"
He closed his eyes as instructed and the red tablet glowed white on and off. Suddenly, Leon's aura spread to the ground, as Regigigas rose back up, startling everybody as it roared and punched the ground, causing the room to shake violently!
"Whoa! W-what the-?!" Ian exclaimed in alarm.
"We gotta get outta here now, guys!" ordered Leon.
Everybody turned around and ran out of Aegis Cave as fast as they could!
They eventually arrived outside of the cave, as they stopped to catch their breath. Team Charm turned to Team Poképals and Team Go-Getters to make sure that they were doing fine.
"Are you guys all right?" questioned Lopunny.
"Yup!" Leon answered.
"Never been better!" Ian insisted with a smile.
"Seems that way!" Medicham said. "Everyone's here, after all."
Gardevoir breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness..."
"What about the treasures, though?" Lopunny said.
"I think we left 'em in the cave back there, unfortunately," answered Medicham.
"That's quite disheartening..." Gardevoir replied.
Medicham turned to her left, as something caught her eye.
"Hey, everyone! Take a look at this!"
Everybody looked to their left next and were amazed at what they saw.
"Whoa! It's an entrance to another cave!" Leon exclaimed.
"The ground heaved up and a gap opened in the face of the cliff over there!" Ian explained.
There was now a giant archway that led into the new cave where it was originally just a wall of rock.
"That means that the tremor earlier must have revealed the true treasures that Regigigas and the others were protecting!" Gardevoir insisted.
"I get it now!" Medicham said. "That's exactly where they hid 'em! They're undisturbed!"
"This exploration turned out to be a huge success after all!" Lopunny said next.
Team Charm jumped in joy for a few moments, before they turned back to Team Poképals and Team Go-Getters.
"But the credit doesn't belong to us this time," Gardevoir began, "it belongs to both of you. Team Poképals and Team Go-Getters."
"Us?!" the five pokémon exclaimed.
"I'd say it does!" Medicham said. "The treasures in the new cave there all belong to you now! All of you have been extra special for this exploration, just like Wigglytuff back in the old days!"
Everyone had a laugh at the remark. After a few moments, they settled down, as Gardevoir turned over to her teammates.
"So, my fellow girls, shall we go on to our next adventure?"
"Yeah, let's do that!" answered Lopunny. She and the rest of Team Charm turned to the two teams once more.
"We enjoyed ourselves very much, Team Poképals and Team Go-Getters! It was fun exploring with all of you! If we keep up our explorations, we may run into each other again someday. Next time, we will be the ones to beat you to the treasure! For now, take care, and be sure to send our love to Wigglytuff!"
"It was also nice meeting you again, Ian, Charmander, and Chikorita!" Medicham said.
"See ya later!" the two teams announced.
"Bye!" Team Charm replied.
Team Charm left the two teams alone at the entrance of Aegis Cave. They turned to each other for a conversation.
"Man, that was like a blast to the past with Medicham and Gardevoir exploring with us!" Ian began.
"Yeah, I never expected them to come to the Grass Continent here along with us!" Charmander said. "That was quite a treat!"
"It sure was," Chikorita said with a big smile. "We totally had a fantastic time together!"
"I'm glad you guys enjoyed this exciting exploration with Team Charm!" replied Blaze. "They sure were lovely!"
"Well, guys," Leon announced, "it's time to head back home now!"
"Yeah!" everybody agreed.
They made their way back to Treasure Town to call it a day.