The Beginning in Kalos RIP

by BardofWorlds

As Ash attempts to win the Kalos League, he reunites with old rivals, friends and meets new ones while threats he dealt with and ancient forces begin to awaken from slumber, heroes rise to face them. In the end everything is connected and the destiny of many is not what they expect but one that they will love. Ash/harem Clemont/OC muilti story plot/ many stories united at the end

25. Chapter 25

Here's chapter 25, sorry it's two weeks later but I got bit by a rapid plot bunny and before I knew it I had spent the last two weeks working on the end of one of my plot lines, setting up a new spin off story or three and reworked what I wanted this chapter to be and I finished at around 35 thousand + words! This one is all Brock and what Happens with the Chimera Hiver, but we haven't seen the end them yet! And with Brock you all see the first, what happens when someone with an Awakened Aura Mega Evolves a Pokemon, I hope you enjoy it all. But good news, with the rewrite I have a lot of material for the next chapter, so hopefully the next chapter will be out by the 3rd of June!

And Nick here's the answers to your questions. 1; Yes book one with have Ash in Kalos, AKA Pokemon Anime XY but other characters around the Pokémon world will be in the story and have plot lines. 2; Most of Kalos and around the World like I said. 3; the characters Ash/Misty/Dawn/May/Serena/Clemont most rivals = 15 \Max = 9[Was 6 when Ash met] \ Brock =21 \ Bonnie = 8 \ Jessie and James = 22 [Jessie was 4 when mother died]. 4; All the ones they had on their teams in the show but I will add a few here and there. 5/6; For all the chacters at the start what Pokemon they had in the anime and how long they had them in the show.

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Lance swung his sword and killed one of the Hiver-Warriors by cutting it's head off and dodged backwards as a Hiver-Alpha attacked him and his Dragonite body slammed it to the ground and fired a blast of fire at a Treewing that dive bombed them before throwing the Hiver-Alpha at a Treeslasher who destroyed the head before the explosion the death caused took out most of its upper body. Looking around for a second he cursed as he saw Giovanni in battle with a Treeslasher as a Treehound and his Ryhorn dueled nearby, Lance could see other trainers fighting for their lives as the Hivers and the strange wooden things fought each other, only the Chimera trying to position the Trainers between themselves and the other force.

"A simple mission, get a few people together and draw out the Chimera while someone kills their maker. Of course something like this would happen." Lance said as he looked around and tried to figure out where he should lung at next. As he looked around he turned his head sharply as an explosion and saw the a Treeslasher had killed another Alpha and three nearby Hiver-Warriors looked around and raised their stingers at each other before charging in unison at the wounded Treeslasher and destroyed it.

Lance dodged backwards suddenly and saw a Treeslasher had attacked where he had been standing and moved to attack and let his instincts take over as he tried to figure out what he had seen. Okay it took a few second for those Chimera to not attack each other, then that means that what, they don't think like 'normal' Chimera? Then those leaders do more then let them use attacks like we thought, they think for them too. Then take out the horn heads and their ability to fight would be weakened a lot, but these moving trees are the problem. Lance thought as he blocked blows and gave his own blows back at the Treeslasher, cutting off one arm and lining it up for his Dragonite to tear its head off. However the Treeslasher still attacked Dragonite even though it didn't have a head and Lance slashed it in two with an overhead blow and saw one side sprout roots that tried to get the other side and cut away at the body until a green gemstone dropped from the body as it stated to decompose.

"What the hell?" He said as he picked up the stone and felt a beat from it, almost dropping it as he stared down at the gemstone in his hand and he felt something from it that he couldn't even explain how he did so. "What is this, what are these things?!"

Lance looked around the battlefield and tried to figure out anything and before his instincts screamed at him to lung to the left. Moments after he did so a Treewing came down and his Dragonite slashed at its wings as it passed and fired a Dragon Rage that hit it point blank. Looking around Lance could see the other wooden things looking at him swallowed. Wonderful, whatever I found each to those things must have one keeping them together! And since I've got one in my hand or found a piece of solving these things they're trying to kill me now…..maybe I could use this, but how? No to stay alive now and let Giovanni know what I found! He thought as he looked around and spotting a Nidoking fighting against a Hiver-Alpha he gestured towards it after he saw Giovanni fight a Hiver-Warrior near it.

He dropped the gem into one of his pocket he looked around and charged towards Giovanni and his Pokémon with Dragonite followed after him. As Treeblasters fired at them Dragonite formed a Protect to block the shots as to Lance's surprise Hiver-Warriors attacked the Treeblasters and destroyed them as Lance ran towards Giovanni.

"Enemy of my enemy of course, but the fact that those things could even notice that isn't something that I really like." Lance muttered as he ran as his Dragonite protected him.

Giovanni slashed down with one of his two short swords deeply into the Hiver-Warrior he was fighting and breathed heavily as he looked around and tried to catch his breath, a scowl forming on his face as he looked around at the chaos of the battle and saw Trainers and their Pokémon doing everything they could to survive. As he panted and removed his short sword from the dead Chimera he tried to figure out anything to try and win this mess. This is impossible, I mean I couldn't even thing about such chaos like this was possible! What the hell are those wood things even doing attacking and where did….. wait they're the things that attacked the Farmers! What are they doing here and why? Giovanni thought as he gripped his swords as his Nidoking growled and protected him from the chaos of the battle as he looked around. He looked about and saw a Hiver-Gather farther back and he thought that maybe it was directing the others, either as the leader or as a lookout, he had hunted Pokémon Packs that did similar so he was conscience it was possible. "Nidoking, prepare to fire a Hyper Beam target….."

An explosion caused him to stop and turn to see Lance running towards him with his Dragonite with a Protect up that it used to tank shots from a few Treeblasters and he saw a Treewolf run towards Lance as two of the Treewings break off their own fights to fly at Lance's Dragonite. "Nidoking, Hyperbeam on those flying plants!"

NIDOKING!" Nidoking roared before firing a yellow energy beam that hit both of the Treewings and exploded, engulfing them and destroying most of their bodies as they fell to the battle below and some of the Hivers finished them off.

Giovanni was about to move and run towards Lance when Lance's Dragonite tanked another shot as it Treeblasters started to fire at them. Giovanni only could watch as the Treeblasters fired at Lance, ignoring anything else eves as Hivers-Warriors attacked and destroyed them.

"Nidoking, Protect sphere! Lance did you do to get them to act like that and can you replicate it?!" Giovanni demanded as soon as Lance made it within voice of him, the chaos of the battle around them falling away as Nidoking tanked with the Protect. If we can direct where those things attack then we could turn this around, the Chimera we can deal with but these others, they aren't alive, I don't know what they are but I can tell that much. Giovanni thought as Lance panted before showing him the gem Lance had taken from the Treeslasher.

"This is the 'heart' of those wood things, and they don't want us to have it for some reason." Lance said as Nidoking formed the Protect around them. "I don't know what these things are but if we…what the?" Lance asked as he looked through the Protect and saw the wooden things had returned to normal, the Hiver's having a small disadvantage as the other things acted as one organism as the trainers fell back as the Chimera ignored anything else but their strange foes.

"The Protect, it's blocking that thing from their sight! We can use this, we can…..we can." Giovanni's voice caused Lance to stare down at the crystal as it came apart, dispersing into green sand in Giovanni's hand. "How? Wait, blocking… that's it! The Protect! It must have blocked more than their sight, it blocked a form of energy that kept this thing together!"

Lance could only stare at the sand, for once shocked. How could being under a Protect cause a gemstone to turn into that? No get it together Lance, think of the now and deal with this later! He thought as he shook his head as his Dragonite coooed at him. "Great information, but it's worthless to us, we have to keep fighting until anyone can get away and kill their leader."

Giovanni stayed silent as he looked across the battlefield towards the sloops leading down, his face paling as Lance watched. Curious but feeling a lead weight form in his stomach Lance turned and saw at least twenty Treewings flying towards the battle with a legion of the land bound being led by a Treelord and three Ursi-growths towards the battle. "Hey Lance?"

"Yeah?" Lance asked flatly as he looked at the charging force and swallowed at what he saw. This is insane, where did those things come from and did they do anything to Viridian or the Plateau!? Lance thought as he looked on dumbly.

"I think we might be in the strange situation where we have to help the Chimera." Giovanni said as Ryhorn started to charge a Hyperbeam. "Unless Bruno and his group makes it here in the next few minutes."

Before Lance could say anything muiltiple energy attacks hit the charging forces and a load roar caused them to turn and see a mammoth sized Onix with Bruno on it leading a charge of trainers riding Pokémon yelling war cries as they hit the enemy.

"I think we might not win unless the Legendaries appear and attack the Chimera." Giovanni said robotically and after looking around and nothing happened and Lance looked at him with a scowl and Giovanni only shrugged. "It was worth a try. I'll gather a few others and we'll go and try and kill that big one, it's either a scout or a leader."

"When Viridian was attacked, maybe it stayed back and collected information, maybe that's why the attack stopped so abruptly. I'll try and get to Bruno and tell him what I found, see if I can do it again to give you an opening to try and turn the tide." Lance said before he charged towards Bruno with his Dragonite flying behind him, hoping they could do it while Giovanni looked about and frowned when he saw a flash of red hair and with a Feraligatr next to him and gritted his teeth.

Nearby Brock slammed his one of his hammers down onto the head of Hiver-Warrior, killing it as his Swampert shot a stream of black liquid at a Hiver-Warriorfly brining it down to the ground as his Forretress formed a circular Protect shield and blocked a blast from a Treeblaster. Brock just panted as he watched a Treeslasher kill the down Hiver-Warriorfly before his Swampert attacked the Treeman, Brock stayed back and looked around, a scowl on his face as he tried to find anything in this mess that might explain what had happened. This can't stand, even with Bruno here to help us with those reinforcements if just one more group of those plant things makes it here then we lose, and that's not counting the Chimera! Where the hell is the group that's supposed to go and kill that maker, somebody had to have made it around to that point by now! Brock thought as he glared around and an explosion behind him threw him to the ground and as he tried to get back his feet he saw three Hiver-Warriors moving towards him and his Swampert trying to disengage the Treeslasher as it attacked back. Brock could only watch as his Forretress move to stand between the Hiver-Warriors and him when a blast of fire engulfed the Chimera!

"Arcanine, keep up the pressure!" Rosette's voice caused him to look towards her as he struggled back to his feet and he saw Rosette, her Arcanine, Riley and his Lucario running towards him and his Pokémon.

"What are you two doing here?" Brock gasped out as he swayed for a second on before he regained his balance. "I thought you were in the last wave."

"We found signs of those things during our assent up the mountain, at least signs of a battle! We went up to report so we were in the second wave after all." Rosette said as she looked around the chaos of the battle, a crossbow in her hands as her Arcanine growled as it stood behind its trainer, the Chimera having been burned to death. "Any how we just started to try and find a way to survive this mess when we found you on the way out of this mess."

"Out of?" Brock asked before a beeping from his modified Local Gear caused him to look down and notice the program flashing. He looked around and noticed that they were near the battle's edge near the Chimera side and saw a tunnel leading into the mountain and three other trainers, a two men and a woman with their Pokémon defending it as they looked back towards the battle with the woman having a worried look on her face. "Over there, they must be waiting for others to come and join, guess that's us!"

"Come on!" Riley said suddenly as he looked to the left as he paled. "We need to go now, that does not look good!"

Brock turned and saw one of the Ursi-growths charging through the Chimera, tanking blasts from a group of them but he noticed that it was traveling in the direction of the hole with five Treeslashers and four Treeblasters following in its wake. "Does your Lucario know Rock Tomb?!"

Riley shot a look at Brock and he grinned. "I get you and yeah, let's move!"

As Brock, Riley and their Pokemon moved towards the tunnel hole, Rosette started to understand what they were thinking.

"GET IN, WE'RE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" Brock called out and the three trainers looked at him before moving into the hole, their Pokémon following behind them.

"Lucario, Rock Tomb around the entrance!" Rile called out as soon as they made it into the tunnel.

Lucario's eyes glowed and suddenly four stone pillars shoot around the tunnel entrance and all within were plunged into darkness.

"Ninetales, Will-O-Wisp, carry!" A feminine voice called out and Brock looked towards the voice as light flared and a Ninetales with a halo of fire moving above its head was revealed standing next to a woman in a red shirt and pants with a black vest and grey fingerless gloves with long red hair with a bang over her right black eye, two sai at her wrists.

Next to her was a man in black cloths and a grey tactical vest with what look like flash bangs and grenades holding a dagger in his right hand with his left going towards a flashlight hanging on his vest, he had a visor over his eyes with a bandanna covering his head and a weapon handle over his right shoulder. He whistled as his Pokémon, a Druddigon looked on. "Nice move little lady, gonna have to look into getting something that can learn that move for my team."

"At least it's better than our plan, hu partner?" The last person spoke up, a man in a green jacket and grey pants with short white hair and blue eyes with a mace in his hands as he put it on his back. Next to him was an Ampharos that nodded with its trainer. Brock looked towards the tunnel entrance and saw a bit of light shine down and he frowned as dust fell down.

"We need to move and find a side passage or something to hide from them when they break into the tunnels." Brock said as the others nodded before Riley acted.

"Infernape come out!" Riley called out as a three foot tall bipedal, primate-like Pokémon with a tail with its fur primarily reddish-brown with sections of white on its chest, head, and lower legs with several gold markings on its body with whirled, circular ones on its knees and shoulders flame-shaped ones on the back of its hands, and a stripe around its back that forms two swirls on its chest and its face was a rounded muzzle, long, round ears with blue inside, and a red ridge between the white fur and its blue yellow sclera eyes. Between its ears and behind the white fur on its head was a large flame that cast a little light into the darkness of the tunnel. "Let me, Infernape and Lucario will lead the way, I have experience in tunnel fighting."

"Fine with me friend you lead I'll be right behind you with Druddigon, and I'm Edik." The man in the tactical vest said and nodded as his Dragon type gave a growl of introduction.

"This one is called Mizuki, a simple coordinator who heard the call to arms." The Woman said as she bowed to them the last person laughed and smiled.

"Call me Tom, a simple traveler." Tom, the Trainer of the Ampharos said as Riley nodded.

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Riley this is Brock and Rosette, but Brocks right we have to move before those things breakthrough and we're pincered between them and the Chimera." Riley said as he led the way and Brock looked back as he thought he heard a scream of a Pokémon before he moved after the group, with his Pokémon at his sides.

The Ursi-growth fell to the ground as the hole in its center dripped black liquids as it started to decompose as Butoro smirked as his male Pyroar huffed and he looked at the rocks around the hole. That was that bitch, she did come here after all, good! All I have to do is go after them, make sure they die and I'll be home free! It was a good thing that I was along this side of the battle and saw her go down that hole before Bruno did. He thought with a chuckle as he looked at the rocks blocking his path.

"That was her, right General?" Zontro's voice caused Butoro to turn to see him standing there with his Pokemon next to him, a Barbaracle; a Water/Rock type that's body was four feet tall, with a body made of two gray rocks, the top one having four arms, two on each side one pointing diagonally up and the other down each ending in with four claws hands with an eye in the 'palm'. Its head was a fist with four fingers and a thumb on the right cheek with only two eyes, its 'bottom' had two legs ending in four clawed feet.

"Yes, it was now all we have to do is get around this and we're home free! So sad that she'll give her life to kill the Chimera but that's just fate!" Butoro said with a dark chuckle that Zontro joined in as around them five men in form covering bodysuits with goggles above their eyes moved one of the stones that was blocking the tunnel out of the way. One of them moved towards the two Guard officers and saluted them.

"Sir, we have removed one of the stones, we can move on the targets now!" He barked and the two officers looked at what they had done.

"Do you want to stay up here and let us do it General, plausible deniability and all that?" Zontro asked but Butoro shook his head.

"I'm going in too, I want to be there to tell her why she's dying and why, just so I can see that look of despair on her face." Butoro said with a dark chuckle that caused Zontro to look at him in confusion.

"If you're sure sir." Zontro said with a blank face. Then I was right, it is personal to him, another reason to hate him. Business decisions like this should only be done with a clear head and never let emotions get in the way. Zontro thought as he looked at Butoro. "But I respectful suggest you don't."

"The suggestion is appreciated but I will go, you may begin the mission." Butoro said and Zontro nodded with a resigned look.

"Yes sir. Omega Squad, deploy. We're not coming back without leaving a few corpses behind." Zontro said with a grin as the Special Forces team Squad Omega moved into the nest after prey both Chimera and not. But as they moved into the tunnel none of them noticed that Silver had seen their actions and was following them from hiding.

"Looks like we were right about them partner, they are after someone." Silver said as he looked at the tunnel between the rocks and looked about the battlefield and saw that he was out of sight of the nobody and nothing was paying attention to what was happening by the mountain.

"Guess we should go, hu partner?" He asked as he turned towards a blue scaled bulky bipedal crocodilian like Pokémon with large powerful jaws lined with sharp fangs with a yellow colored under jaw. Its eyes are red with black markings around them with a red ridge with three points on top of its head and there are two more ridges, one between its shoulders and the last on its tail. Its hands have five claws and its feet have three clawed toes and there are several groups of large scales on its arms, knees, tail, and waist. Silver smiled and looked towards the tunnel, his battle lust wakening up. "Well, I guess that we can't let those people attack whoever their after if we can stop them, right partner?"

"Ferigator feri!" Ferigator said as it nodded at him.

"That's what I thought, so let's go." Silver said before a hand grabbed his shoulder and he turned his head and saw Giovanni standing there looking at him with a scowl on. "Dad!"

"What are you doing here Silver, I thought I told you to stay at the Plateau!" Giovanni demanded as he held Silver's shoulder tightly.

"You didn't say that I had to stay at the Plateau until it was over and after I help throw off an assault by them I joined up with the group that Bruno formed and well here we are." Silver said as his Ferigator shrugged and Silver looked at it. "And don't you start, you were just as eager to go as me!"

Giovanni only looked at his son argued with his Pokémon as around them the battle moved away from the cliff face and the tunnel and the sound of a falling stone caused him to look at the tunnel and see another stone fall away from the entrance. "The talk about this, that can wait until we're back home, what's happening here."

"Basically I think two members of the Guard are hiding something about the outposts and are going to kill the only witness to the attack on the one on the mountain. Those two and a five man squad went into the tunnel to kill them after they killed the Chimera Breeder down there." Silver said and Giovanni looked at his son but before he could open his mouth someone else did.

"Mind telling me about that?" A voice behind them caused them to turn and see Van looking at them with a light brown, canine Pokémon with a short snout covered in long, cream colored fur which forms a mustache and three points above its eyes with shaggy dark blue fur covering the top of its body and short tail with its four short legs that end in three-toed paws. "Because I think me and Herdier need to hear that."

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Leaf stared at what she saw, too shocked to even breath. Mount Terror had one of its sides down like a hinge had opened and the people, things and Pokémon they had been tracking had started to attack a force of those strange tree things and all she could do was stare at the battle that was happening in the distance as the members of Team Gaia fought their way up it through Treemen. Leaf could see a group of them had broken through the Treemen battle line and was even from here she could hear it.

"Leaf what is it, what's making that noise and why'd you go so…..quiet." Chogan said as he pushed his way out of the forest and saw what Leaf had, the others following and staring as well was halfway up the top and as the others who hadn't seemed to make it to the break fight harder to keep the pressure off their comrades.

"Okay Franz, you were right about where they were going." Isa said as she finally got her wits back.

Franz shook his head and looked around the others and their Pokémon and swallowed. Okay I was right about the mountain

"Over there, behind the mountain around on the other side, it's about center mass of that side." Franz said as he started to run towards the mountain, the others following him with their Pokémon following their trainers.

"And you found this place while on a trying to deal with those Spearow and Fearow that have been attacking your family's herds?" Leaf asked in disbelief as they moved past the battle and dashed towards the mountain. You better stay alive you idiot, if I have to tell your grandmother about what happened to you then so help me! She thought as she looked at the battle as they ran, hopping that no one would even notice them.

"After I ran into them they started to attack and chase me, I just started to run and well I made it around here and fought them off from the cave I found. Once I did that and felt a breeze from within I couldn't leave a mystery alone so well…." Franz said as led the way as the group made it around the mountain and angled towards the cave he had

"You couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?" Isa asked dryly as she looked at the mountain, the group even now able to hear the yells and explosions from the other side from the battle between Team Gaia and the strange wooden things.

"Last time, that was the start of the Fearow and its flock, never again cousin." Franz said with a cold tone as they moved closer to the cave before he stopped and looked at the mountain and frowned. What's that thing above the cave mouth, that wasn't there the last time I was here…. a watcher? He thought as he looked at the thing hidden by the mountain's shadow.

"What is it?" Holly asked as the party readied their weapons and looked around, hoping to see what Nick had. Nick only pointed above the cave's mouth at what he had noticed and Leaf swore.

"Isa?" Chogan asked and Isa nocked her bow. Leaf had come up behind her with her Raticate out and had gotten her shield gauntlets on and

"I see it, it might be something but it might not be, I have about fifty arrows in total, I'll use one and see if it's something, I can recover if it's not" Isa said as she aimed and then the arrow flew, hitting the thing that Franz had seen and reared up, revealing it to be a serpent with a body made of what appeared to be bark with a mouth with two jade fangs pointing downwards with two red emeralds for eyes that tore off the arrow from its 'flesh' and bit it in two before it roared.

Chogan cursed as his Zoroark growled as the wooden serpent [Vinesnake] looked at them as he twirled his sickles. "Well if those things know about this way in and are guarding it, then that means it's something that they don't want anyone to use."

"Then we just have to make it past it then! Go Sandlash, Drill Run!" Holly cried and released her Sandlash which charged at the Vinesnake and jumped at it, spinning sideways until its body looked like a drill but before Sandslash reached it the Vinesnake only fired a green blast and Sandslash fell to the ground, trying to struggle back to its feet. "Sandslash No!"

"That was an Absorb! Everyone move about and try to get a clear shot!" Franz called out as he and his Chesnaught looked at the Vinesnake and Franz didn't like how it was looking at Sandslash. "Chesnaught, Vine Whip to throw Sandslash back, somebody play catch!"

"You heard him Zoroark, do it!" Chogan called out as Chesnaught used Vine Whip to grab Sandslash and throw it into the air before another green beam hit the ground where Sandslash had been. As it neared the ground Zoroark appeared and grabbed it, bringing it to Leaf who had released her Raticate and Dodrio as the Vinesnake reared up, aiming at them.

"Raticate, Protect!" Leaf cried as she looked over Sandslash, Raticate forming a Protect dome around it, its team mate and trainer as she worked as the Vinesnake fired green energy balls at them.

As Franz watched the fired balls of green energy hit the Protect but Raticate just tensed and tanked the shots. It's attacking Leaf, is it because she's looking over Sandlash, is it still on the 'hunt' for one target at a time, was it because it was attacked by Sandslah? We need to get by this thing and into the cave so we can find Nick! Franz thought as he tried to figure a way out of this when the Vinesnake screeched and out of the cave came two Treeslashers that charged at the group.

"Chesnaught get the one on the right with your Leaf Sword!" Franz said, his Chesnaught charging at one of the Treeslashers as a green energy sword formed in its hand.

"Zoroark back it up with Shadow Claw!" Chogan cried prompting Zoroark to charge after Chesnaught with its claws enveloped in black energy and met the Treeslasher on the right as Chesnaught swung its energy sword at the other one. As the Pokémon and the Treemen traded blows the Vinesnake only looked on and Franz stared at it, and thought he saw something on its body glow.

Chogan looked at the battle and looked around the mountain, hoping that none of the members of Team Gaia were trying to get around and discover the battle. I don't get it, dad always told me if you can't power through something then you have to find a way around it, why isn't anyone here trying to do that, even climb up the mountain around back… do they even have Pokéballs? Chogan thought before a cry from his Pokemon caused him to turn back and see Zoroark had been able to tear the right arm of the Treeslasher he was fighting and he grinned before the Vinesnake sent a blast of energy at the Treeslasher and before their eyes the Treeslasher regrew its arm!

Franz saw the glow from the Vinesnake was gone and he suddenly understood just what he had seen. That thing, it can heal others, and the Absorb is how it gets the power to do it! These things, their like robots! That has to be it, then it's not doing anything because we're not in its range but it attacked Ratticate, no it attacked Sandlash! Then the Protect is blocking its sight, maybe it's doing it for the others as well! That's a game changer, but if they're attacked from it then…..later, for now we just need to deal with those two. I have to tell the others before one of them…. His thoughts died a terrible death as he heard Holly call out.

"Druddigon, Flash Cannon at the Big one!" Holly cried out and Franz tensed as thought connected in his head as he watched the Vinesnake move towards Holly.

"Holly no!" Franz cried but it was too late.

"Druddigon!" Druddigon cried out before it fired a gray blast of energy at the Vinesnake moved its body and let the blast tear it in half. The front half screeched as it looked down at the other half and fired a green beam at its damaged part and it regrew the damaged section as the torn off part decomposed and the Vinesnake reared up and fired an green Absorb beam at Druddigon who dodged the beam and the Vinesnake roared and charged from above the tunnel mouth at the Dragon.

"Holly, you and Druddigon just keep away from that serpent and whatever you do Holly, don't attack it personally! Chesnaught try and cut off that thing's head!" Franz said prompting his Chesnaught to roar and form another green energy sword in its free hand and started to slash with both blades at the creature it was fighting, causing Franz to stare. "You did it you did it!"

An arrow flew by his head and hit the Treeslasher his Chesnaught was fighting. Turning he paled when he saw that Isa had her bow drawn Leaf had let her Raticate drop the Protect with Dodrio standing over Sandslash ready to defend it.

"No Leaf, have Raticate keep the Protect up, I'll explain later but don't attack the serpent, we have to deal with it carefully! Isa don't get hit, we can't let it gain more power!" Franz said and Leaf looked at him before nodding as Isa knocked her bow.

"What about us Franz, me and Poliwhirl can help her!" Kimi said as her Pokémon, a three foot tall blue bipedal Pokémon with a spherical body, bulbous eyes protruding from the top of its head with a black and white swirl on its belly it had on what appeared to be white gloves on its hands and rounded, digit-less feet.

"Poliwhirl!" The Poliwhirl called out and Franz shook his head and looked at Druddigon as it dodged the bite of the Vinesnake. Zoroark meanwhile had cut off another arm from the Treeslasher as it dodged blows form it.

"That thing's a Grass type whatever it is, and if it gets you it can heal the others, help Zoroark!" Franz said as he watched his Chesnaught fight the Treeslasher that was it's opponent.

"You heard him Poliwhirl, use Mud Bomb on Zoroark's opponent!" Kimi said prompting Poliwhirl to cup its hands and generated mud that it shot at the Treeslasher and Zoroark jumped over its head as the mud hit and forced the Treeslasher back as the mud covered it as Zoroark landed and slashed off one of the Treeslasher's arms at the elbow and as the Treeslasher screeched the Vinesnake reared up and shot a green beam at it and it decomposed before their eyes. Franz cursed as he saw the lights on the Vinesnake's body light up more and as it reared up it spat green energy spheres at Druddigon and Holly stared in horror as she tried to figure out how to get out of this mess as Chesnaught fought its opponent as Franz looked on, trying to understand what he had seen.

"Franz, can you and Chesnaught handle yours, they need help to deal with that snake thing!" Chogan exclaimed and Leaf cut in before Franz could.

"I'll back him up with myself and Dodrio!" Leaf called out as she knocked another arrow and looked at the battle, trying to understand just what she was seeing.

"Then Zoroark fire Dark Pulse at the serpent, aim high!" Chogan said as he looked at the Vinesnake and spunk his sickles before running towards it with Zoroark leading their charge. Holly had heard and shot a look at her Poliwhirl and decided to join in on the attack.

"Ice Beam same target Poliwhirl but at the part touching the ground!" Holly ordered as she looked away from the Treeslasher to stare at the Vinesnake as Druddigon dodged towards them as the Vinesnake followed after, unknowingly giving its enemies a clear shot.

Zoroark cupped its hands and fired dark circles at the Vinesnake as Poliwhirl fired a buelish white beam at the same target, the Dark Pulse hitting mid body and the Ice Beam freezing its tail and lower body as it screeched in….. pain?

"Dodrio, Drill Peck on that thing!" Leaf called out and Dodrio screeched as it charged at the Treeslasher as its becks started to spin and jumped at it, forcing it down and plunging its becks into the treeslasher's shoulders and head, destroying the head completely and Dodrio moved seemed to admit a smug feeling before the headless Treeslasher threw Dordio off and got back to its feet.

"It's still alive?! That's not important, Raticate use Iron Tail and take out its left arm before it can attack Dodrio! Dodrio get back to me!" Leaf called out before her Raticate charged and swung its white glowing tail as at the Treeslasher's left arm and tore through it as Dodrio got back to its feet and ran back with Raticate to their trainer as Franz suddenly gained a look of understanding at exactly what he had seen.

"No, they're not alive at all." Franz said softly as he looked on as his Chesnaught charged and sliced the Treeslasher in half down the middle. Franz was about to look towards the Vinesnake when he saw the right side of the Treeslasher was still showing signs of life and noticed something glittering in the body, a kind of stone. "That stone, cut it out Chesnaught!"

"Chesnaught!" Chesnaught cried as it slashed with the energy swords in its hands and the stone fell to the ground. As he dashed and picked it up a screech caused him to try and turn only for his Chesnaught to grab him as it lunged away as energy spheres hit the ground where he had been standing and he saw the Vinesnake looking at him with a feeling of anger. What…..why?! this doesn't make sense why is that thing doing this, I didn't attack…the stone! It must be important! He thought as he looked down at what he had grabbed, a green gemstone that pulsed with life.

"Raticate, get to them and use Protect!" Leaf called out.

"Raticate!" It screeched as it ran before it stopped between Franz, Chesnaught and the incoming attacks and formed an energy shield around all three of them.

The Vinesnake stared for a few seconds at the dome before it started to attack the others around it and Franz looked down as he felt the stone decompose into shards. I was right, about it I was right! We can use this, if we can get one of those things in a Protect then maybe we can take them out, but it might not work if the stones are still in them! Franz thought as he looked at the shards in his hands and started to understand something, something that he hoped he was wrong about.

"Franz are you okay?!" At Leaf's words Franz smiled at her and nodded.

"Never better, lets deal with that thing!" Fanz said as he looked at the Vinesnake and scowled as he saw that the battle. "Chesnaught, use Seed Bomb, aim at the middle of that thing!"

"Raticate, charge Hyper Beam and aim at the head!" Leaf cried out as Raticate looked straight at the Vinesnake as Chesnaught opened its mouth and fired a barrage of glowing multiple glowing green seeds before Raticate fired a large yellow beam, the beam hitting first and cutting the Vinesnake in two. The head part started to decompose as the lower part wriggled around as the others crowded around it and could only watch as it started to regenerate, a small mass forming form the cut off portion.

"What are we to do, burn it?" Holly asked as she looked around and Franz started to think, everything he had seen in the battle crystalizing in a realization that he hoped was right

"Everyone get back! Leaf, have Raticate create a small Protect around this thing." Franz said as he looked at Leaf who started to say something but he shook his head. "Leaf please, I'll explain later once it's done, if I'm right then we might have a weapon we can use against them."

Leaf looked at the others, meet their confused gazes before turning towards her Pokémon who nodded at her and she smiled at it as she and the others moved backwards. "Do it Raticate!"

"Raticate!" It screeched and waited until the others were at least five feet away from it before it made a small Protect dome around it and the lights on the body part started to die down and after a few moments the part started to decompose as they watched.

"What…..What happened?" Chogan asked as he stared at the matter, shocked beyond words. "Just how did you?"

"I was right; those things are receiving something…wirelessly that gives them life." Franz said as he looked down at the mater that the Vinesnake part had become. "Come on, we need to move, if Nick and those others are attacking what's ever in the mountain then it's important to those things, might even be where they're from!"

"Then we can get him out of there in the chaos and find out what's wrong with him once we do!" Holly said with a grin before the friends nodded to each other.

"How's Sandslash?" Holly asked and Leaf beamed at her.

"He's fine, a bit weak but nothing a good berry didn't fix!" Leaf said as Sandlash came over and nudged his trainer who smiled down at him. "Still these things, how could that have happened, I mean Chimera are alive on their own, these things aren't so what are they?"

At Leaf's words the others looked at each other and Franz took charge.

"What they are we can find out later, for now let's go and see if we can save our friend! I'll lead with Chesnaught!" Franz said as he charged at the cave, his Chesnaught following behind, the others and their Pokémon following behind after a few seconds.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A Hiver-Warrior walked up the mountains, so far away from its creator that it was sluggish and could barely receive what it needed from it to stay alive. It moved about, its semi-sentient brain feeling the weakness in its body and mistaking it for hunger it moved about when it heard something and it went still and looked around until it saw three purple rats like Pokémon eating some mushrooms and drooled. One of the Rattatas looked up and stared at the Chimera in horror before screeching and dashing off, with the other Rattata doing the same as they saw it. The Chimera screeched and followed after them, not caring about the way its body was reacting, content on the hunt before it. As it chased after one of the Rattata, following it into a cave for a few moments before the Rattata escaped from the Hiver. It looked around trying to find any sign of a way out or food and after a while it found a few mushrooms that it ate before walking off, not noticing that something had seen it feed itself.

As the Chimera wondered about the cave a group of blue bat like eyeless Pokémon attacked it. As the Zubats attack the Hiver it caught one and slammed its stingers into the body until it died, the others flying away, leaving the Hiver-Warrior to eat its newly killed meal in peace. After the Chimera had finished its grisly meal it looked around as it sniffed the air and caught a scent of warm air, flowers and water from one way and nothing but a cold wind and the dead mountain behind it so it ran and followed the warm air.

After a while it exited the cave and came out onto a valley ledge above a valley. A waterfall to the right was the source of the water and a few trees to the left along a path downward was the source of the plants, a single tree bearing two strange blue triangle shaped fruit. As soon as the Hiver-Warrior caught a whiff of it carried on the breeze it was seized by a desire to eat it and charged at the tree only to be flung backwards in the air by a Machoke holding a large tree branch as a club appeared from behind the tree and glared at the Chimera as it recovered. It bashed its free hand against the tree and one of the two fruits fell, the Machoke caught it and ate it, it's body glowing white as it gained another pair of arms on top of its shoulders and the light died down to reveal its face had gained pale yellow lips and that it's legs have gained considerable muscle tone, and its feet have two toes each.

"Machamp!" The Machamp roared as the Chimera looked at it and snarled, its mouth dripping as it looked at the lone Fighting type and roared a wordless challenge as it charged at the Machoke as it counter charged and they met in the middle, both sides wanting the other dead.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Brock looked around the caves, wondering how long it had taken the Chimera to make it all as he followed after the group, Mizuki and Rosette looking on one side of the tunnel as Edik and Tom looked at the other as Riley led the way deeper into the nest.

"I can't believe that those things were able to make something like this without anyone discovering them, what the hell were they eating?" Edik asked as he looked over his side of the tunnel as he shook his head. Brock kept quite behind him, remember how Riley had said that this had been made centuries ago before they had been sealed away and let them talk.

"What do you mean?" Tom asked causing Edik to scoff.

"I mean what did they eat, how did so many of these things were born even." Edik said as he looked around. "I mean most sieges like this are born when a Black Mark finds a place to hide and generate a swarm, but I've never heard about any new one that was around here."

"The mysteries of the world my friend, all we have to do is keep fighting against them and believe that we stopping this thing." Edik said

"This one agrees, the stories that my parents have told this one about the horror of Chimera they've heard of over the years, it bring Nightmares it does." Mizuki said with a formal tone that caused Rosette to look at her before looking at Riley as Edik continued.

"Yeah, that's for sure lady. I know once we're done here I'll be looking into these caves for a few days to make sure we don't miss anything." Edik said as he looked around, his Druddigon nodding as they moved through the cave.

"What do you mean, miss anything?" Brock asked from behind as the party moved ahead quietly as they tried to find anything that might reveal the presence of an ambusher before they attacked.

"An egg in a hidden chamber or something. They say the Twentieth Siege in Unova happened because one Chimera Egg escaped notice and was able to hatch and reproduce." Edik said as he looked around the tunnel and stopped suddenly. "Got an opening here, and there's some kind of webbing on the floor around it."

Turning they saw Edik was right, a small tunnel mouth wide enough for two people to walk through side by side with a little space left over with the ground covered in webbing. Shinning his flashlight over the floor they saw the webbing continued into the tunnel to a sharp turn to the right.

Brock looked at the web and remembered everything Yuji had told him about how he had tracked that larger Chimera he had found by finding a dying tree, his awakening his Aura and suddenly understood why it was there. This might be like the thing Yuji found, if it works like that then it must be here as a defensive measure, then that means! Brock thought as he looked at the web and saw Tom reaching for it. "Wait, don't touch it!"

Tom stopped and everyone looked at Brock in shock at his tone.

"Brock what's wrong?" Rosette began before Brock continued.

"I think that's a way for these things to know if anyone comes this way, if we disturb it then it might let them know we're here!" Brock said and Tom swallowed and moved his hand away from the webs and looked down the tunnel.

"I'd guess that there are some of them waiting for anything to disturb it….. but if the maker is down there... What should we do?" Riley asked and he looked at the walls of the tunnel as he waited for a response. I could use one of the last Abilities teacher taught me to move along the walls, Rose and Brock I don't mind showing but the others! Riley thought as he looked around at the group.

"Come back after we move forward, if we can find a way to it we'll come back after we're done and look over every inch of this place." Edik said and after a few moments the others nodded and off they went, not noticing that the webbing was moving, a sign that something within the tunnel was moving towards the tunnel mouth before it stopped

A few moments after Brock and the others Omega Squad moved into the area, looking around as their Machokes moved after them as they looked around the area with their own flashlights as Zontro and Butoro followed behind them.

"They stopped here General, I think they were looking at that tunnel for some reason." One of the squad members said as Butoro looked down at the webbing on the ground and remembered a few spider webs he had seen over the years and scoffed.

"This must be a way for those things to move faster, somebody burn it!" Butoro commanded as he brushed the opening.

"Yes sir!" Another of the squad members said as Zontro looked at the webbing and frowned, something was bothering him that he couldn't tell what it was. As the Squad member got a lighter out and moved it towards the webs before an energy bolt flew out of the darkness and skewed the man's head and threw his body backwards.

For a moment they were still before the dead man's Machoke roared in anger and sorrow it suddenly started to glow and evolved into a Machamp! They all stood there in shock at what they had seen but before they could do anything the Machamp charged into the tunnel before anyone could react. As they looked into the tunnel a screech was heard before the Fighting type's roars died suddenly.

"NO! Defense now, away from the tunnel!" The squad leader roared as he moved backwards and the others reacted as well as Zontro moved behind his Barbaracle as they all looked at the tunnel before three Hiver-Warriors charged out of the tunnel and the squad reacted by throwing knives at them before the leader's Machoke jumped at them and kicked one of the Hiver-Warriors into the wall before punching another towards Barbaracle and Zontro.

"Razor Shell, take its head!" Zontro called out and Barbaracle dodged the living missile and slashed its head off with a glowing claw as the other Machokes killed one of the Chimera as the squad leader moved in and slammed a dagger into the remaining Hiver-Warrior's head and looked at tunnel mouth. Shinning his flashlight down it he saw what looked like glittering red webbing and he moved his light and saw the red moved along the webs until it reached the turn and disappeared into it.

"Well that was something, we're down one trainer and his Pokémon, they killed and took a Machamp and now we have to deal with those things knowing we're here." The leader said as he looked around at the others before looking at the body of his dead teammate. He walked to it and bent down, seeing the hole through the squad member's brain, the death was quick at least. Spending a few minutes to police the body and remove the few identifying items from it he stood up and walked off, paying no more of his mind to the corpse that had been one of his and compartmentalizing his feelings to focus on the mission. "Leave the body, we can't weigh ourselves down with it, we have to move now. General, stay between us, with Omega Three, Five you and Two; you're the rearguard with your partners, Captain, with me please."

The squad leader moved off and passed Butoro and Zontro stayed where he was for a few seconds as he looked at the tunnel before walking off, his mind going places he didn't like. That Machamp, it had to have awoken its Aura, then it is how strong their Aura is, that's what causes evolution! I have to tell the Lady about this, if we can use the methods to awaken to evolve some Pokémon we might have a leg up on the others! He thought as he and his Pokémon moved after the others, sparing a glance at Butoro as he passed him, seeing he was looking all around looked all around and he kept a sneer off his face by force of will as he saw the way that coward behaved. A few seconds later he was next to the squad leader who moved his head closer to Zontro's so they could speak quietly.

"How much longer until we can kill him sir, we already lost one of our people because of him." The leader muttered and Zontro shook his head, prompting the man to try another tactic. "I mean can't we say he gave you a promotion, use a few black market connections to forge a will that would promote you, do we really have to carry him through this place and make sure he's alive at the end?"

"No, we wait until I know all that his network is and how to control it, then we torture him for what he doesn't show me. If at the end you want to put him down, then you can." Zontro muttered to the squad leader who nodded after a while. "But if you want to be the one to question him when it's time, fine."

The squad leader nodded and they and sent a few hand signal to the rest of his team, telling the others what Zontro had said with a few beeps from their earbuds, some of them chuckling darkly, not that the good General even knew what they meant or even hearing it.

Giovanni moved ahead with his Rhydon to his left as Van, Silver and their Pokémon followed behind him, cursing that his son was just like him once more in his head.

"Still don't get why you dropped a listening device into his cloths Silver, makes me wonder really." Van said and Silver just shrugged.

"I'm a professional Quester really, with a specialty on investigations. A few incidents over the last year made me a little….. worried about the Guard, them in particular. When I saw them the night before I decided to see if I could get anything by fishing." Silver said as he looked around the tunnel, hoping to spot anything and that might be dangeours to them.

"I'm going to want to talk to you about that once we get out of here, Bruno too most likely, but for now how'd you start to feel to do that." Van said as he looked at Silver and tried to

"A few Quests here and there, noticing them in the same area as where the Plateau police found a black market, a few times noticing the Captain talking to people that might have been in a local gang." Silver said as he walked on and looked at his Ferigator as it looked around and sniffed the air. Good work partner, keep looking for anything that could attack us. Silver thought as he moved down the tunnel, hoping that Van believed him and wouldn't look into it to deeper.

As they moved through the tunnel Van kept one on Giovanni and Silver and another on the tunnel. Okay, that might make sense but there's something else here, I can tell. I think I might have to look into Giovanni a little bit. Van thought as he followed the others. "So were you able to haer anything about who we're following?"

"I overheard one of them say ' Omega Squad, deploy.' I don't know how helpful that might be…." Silver trailed off as Van gasped and stopped, staring at Silver in open shock.

"Omega?! There's an Omega….. he has an Omega squad with him?" Van asked as he felt faint and looked at Silver as Giovanni stopped and turned sharply.

"You never said they called themselves Omega, this is worse than I thought." Giovanni muttered as he kneaded his noise.

"Yeah, they called them the squad Omega, what's wrong? What don't I know?" Silver asked as he looked at his father and Van.

"The Guard is set up for the squads to be named for types of missions they'll supposed to do, a way to keep focus, Omega is black bag stuff, capture or kill." Van said faintly. "And there not supposed to exist anymore, the kinds of people able to do that kind of job!"

"The League used them back when I was a kid, most of them became Chimera Hunters once that became a thing." Giovanni said as he shook his head.

"Those who passed the screenings anyway, the rest stayed in the Guard until they retired. I heard from an old sergeant that the Guard once had tests to identify those who could handle the jobs Omegas did." Van said bitterly. Of course we wanted to find them so to use those tests to find those who shouldn't be in the Guard.. He thought bitterly as he remembered the hours of investigating he had done on some of those people and the hidden horrors they had as parts of their personalities. "Of course when we looked into it we found only destroyed material. I think that Bruno is going to love talking to this General with Champion Lance along."

Giovanni scoffed and looked ahead before going still. "I found a corpse, we're on their heels."

"What?" Van asked and dashed to it as Silver and Giovanni looked around as their Pokémon took up defensive positions.

"Tunnel over there, must have been fast at least, and powerful to throw the body against the wall like that." Silver said as he looked around and turned to Van who was cursing as he got back up.

"Nothing, I there's nothing to tell who this person was. I've never seen him before and the cloths are the kind of equipment that most retail stores sell!" Van spat as he looked at the body as he stood there. "Nothing that shows if he was a member of the guard at all or was just using the Omega name as his own!"

"Still we know that their going this way, that means whoever their tracking is too. And they haven't moved on them so they haven't the maker yet. The webbing is a good sign that they didn't go that way, so we shouldn't go that way, especially since I think that the attack that killed this one came from there before something was dragged off." Giovanni said as he shinned his flashlight into the tunnel, catching something red and shiny on the webs. "Do we try and find out where this passage goes or after them?"

Van looked at his Herdier who sniffed the body before looking towards the side passage way and barked three times. So this one's Pokémon went this way and probably died, if it's not here then maybe it was carried away, then that means this is a security system. The smell of smoke means he tried to set it on fire, so then this one was killed and his Pokémon tried to avenge him…then we shouldn't go down that way. He thought before shaking his head. "We stay the course and follow where they went. Better to attack from behind then from the side."

Silver nodded and shared a look with his father before they moved down the tunnel, Van and his Herdier following behind them, Herdier keeping a noise open if any smells that might show that they were being watched.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Deeper with in the mountain caverns, two Hiver-Workers pulled the corpse of a Machamp through the tunnels as the remaining Hiver-Warriors moved about, each grouping being led by an Alpha towards the others within the nest. As they moved mindlessly they were watched by a few of the Hiver-Alpha's who had stayed when the majority, a final guard that stayed behind; those who were too young or injured like one of the oldest had lost its left stinger in combat with one of the soft-skins and its side had scabbed over. The Hiver-Alpha in question was moving about the chambers before the place in the nest where they were hatched as seven Hiver-Warriors and two more Hiver-Alpha's stood there as part of a guard force, mad beyond measure hoping for a chance to hunt down the one that wounded it so but the Maker had ordered that all remain here to defended the nest from the soft-skin's response to the attacks on their nests. I can only hope that the one I want isn't killed by the others before I can get me lances into it. Oh its passing will become a thing of legend, I will make that thing scream such that the creature will run in terror from me! At least I will when I get something to allow me to heal, if I'm not to be a battle-sacrifice. the Hiver-Alpha thought as is stood there, its wounded side having scabbed over before but it hadn't been allow anything to let it regrow its lost appendage and it was worried that like others wounded in the past it might be staying there to be used as a battle tester to test out a new caste of their swarm in a life or death test if what the Maker made would survive against other life forms.

As it walked one of the other two Hiver-Alpha's sent bolts of Aura between them, one of them nodding as they watched the elder Chimera move about.

The one on the right sent a bolt of Aura to the right one who nodded at its comrade. [I still say that one is completely mad kindred, if the Maker sends it to kill I think it will rampage until it either dies or finds its foe]

The other one seemed to snicker and nod before sending a bolt of Aura at its fellow who joined in the snickering. [I agree my kin, but let us see if we can't us it to our advantage we

[TO ME, NOW!]All the Hiver-Alpha's fell to the ground at their Maker's broadcast and the other two shakily got back to their feet before looking at each other.

The scabbed Hiver-Alpha looked at them before sending two bolts of Aura at them before walking off towards their Maker. [Our creator calls us, we must go so get up and follow me with your mindless in tow.]

The two Hiver-Alphas stayed still before going after the scared one, the Hiver-Warriors they controlled following. After a few moments they reached the chamber where their Maker had called them all to it before and looking around the scared one saw that beside the three of them only five more Hiver-Alpha's and at most twenty Hiver-Warriors stood there, the two Hiver-Workers and the Machamp body lay there bleeding out as they all waited for their creator to 'speak'.

As the scabbed one stood there and waited it saw other Hiver-Alpha sent bolts of Aura between each other as they 'conversed' with each other and a few of them moved their Hiver-Warriors back towards the entrance to the rest of the nest when their Maker 'spoke'.

[We have been invaded! Those of our own that we sent out to continue our line have all left, but we are attacked by those softskins and a new creatures of plant! But after we dealt with the newest of the plant things did another force of them and the softskins attack our realm! But despite the efforts of our forces some of the softskins and their servant creatures are within our home!]

The scabbed stood there it watched as the other thinking members of the swarm 'talk' to each other and it sensed that the others were getting riled up, each of them pushing the others towards a frenzy. As it tried to remain calm it looked down at the corpse of the Pokemon and wondered why it hadn't been eaten yet. It let its sense taste the meat and it saw possibilities within it, strength that might let it become strong enough to find and kill the one that took its arm from it!

[But this stain on our honor will only be cleansed when their dead bodies are shown to me! All forces charge and take them down, kill them all!] Their Maker broadcast and the Hiver-Alpha's roared in agreement before they charged out of the chamber with their Hiver-Warriors following behind before a bold of Aura hit it. [Not you, stay with me.]

Turning towards the darkened chamber the scared one saw a three fingered chitin covered hand the size of its whole body pull the Pokémon corpse into the darkness and heard the sounds of something consuming it before it heard another broadcast. [I remember you from before the slumber, you used brute strength to destroy and hunt, a position that I need now.]

The scared one bowed and sent a bolt of Aura into the darkness beyond and waited a reply. [My maker, I am yours. All that I am, I offer to the swarm and your glory.]

A wet splat caused it to look up and see a blob of meat dripping in a black liquid was before it.

[Then eat my chosen, eat and gain strength.]

The scared one didn't need to be told twice and ate the blob, a black energy covering its head as it ate, feeling its brain burn as it changed and its psychic control abilities were improved as it stood there and caste its mental eye into the darkness of the it's maker's chamber and suddenly understood.

[My maker, does this mean?] The scared one asked as it broadcast the question into the darkness. A sense of laughter came to it from its maker and suddenly twenty more Hiver -Warriorscame to the edge of its mind and they walked out, each carrying a ball of meat between there stingers.

[You understand my final plan then, good. Take these, my last Warrior-Children and meet some of the invaders at the battle test site, slay all that you can then go and break this place, killing to your heart's content all that you desire.] The scared one looked into the darkness and bowed once more before it moved off, directing the warriors to follow behind it as they moved towards the site where it would meet its destiny.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Nicholas panted as he destroyed the last Treegrabber as his Knight Stalker golem finished its own foe with help from Teddyusa. Nicholas looked ahead and saw they had reached the homestretch, they had breached the enemy's lines and as the rest of the team handled the others they had reached the top of the slope and whatever the tree creatures were protecting had to be within their reach. He looked around and saw that he had only been able to break through with ten Templars and two other Knights, an older gentleman with red hair, a beard and mustache leaning on a male Pyroar and a younger Knight with a Houndor by his feet panting, looking to the left he saw a few Golems, a mix of six Knight Stalkers and four Shield Shooters. Looking back he tensed as he saw the chaos of the battle line, Dante was leading a charge at a group of Treeblasters grouped around one of the strange large trees and for a second he thought he saw something in the branches move but he shook his head and looked around at the force he had available and nodded. The big guy is hitting them, so if he can keep the pressure off us here then we can go and kill the source then they can mop up the rest. He thought before he looked around at the soldiers he had to work with, what Pokémon and golems he would have to work with and nodded, they could do this.

"Come on, we can't let the others down, if we can take out whatever's in here then we might save them." Nicholas said as the others looked at him and the Templars saluted before running with the golems following them towards the lip and into the valley in the mountain as Treeslashers charged over the lip at their foes with Nicholas charging after them.

Victor looked at Bryni as the Templars and Nicholas moved upwards and scoffed. "You know I think that I can see his leader in his tatics."

"If these things are anything like a Lesser Chimera then if we take out the power source then all of them will 'die' kid, the plan is smart, but I'm getting a bad feeling about this, it's too easy."

"What do you mean to easy?" Victor demanded as Bryni only chuckled and shook his head.

"If whatever is behind this set up a defense to deal with people and Pokemon it's like it was half effort only, and the attacks on our base that doesn't make any sense." Bryni said as he started to move after the others. "Just something that won't stay quiet, I hope."

Victor looked at him and shook his head. It's just a feeling, nothing that might be more, I just have to find anything that might help out my boss and then I can drop something that might help us rise higher in her service. Let's just kill whatever's here and then we can get back to finding a way to conquer Johto or Kanto first. As watched he saw Nicholas and the Templar charge into the valley and down the other side so he started moving again and he slapped Bryni's shoulder. "Your bad feelings are something that I don't want to think about old man, but for now let's hope your wrong for once."

Bryni looked to say something but stopped when they reached the top and looked into the valley, seeing large trees like the ones on the slope, only these ones seemed to be growing large fruits the size of a man and as they watched one of the fruits drop to the ground and splatter, from the remains a Treeslasher shook itself free before charging at them, a throng of at least twenty assorted Treeslashers, Treegrabbers and a single centaur leading the charge.

"I really want to kick your feelings in the nuts man, I really do." Victor said with a sigh as he Houndor started to growl as flames licked its muzzle.

"Yeah but do you see what I see in the back?" Bryni asked as he reached for the axe on his back as Victor drew his scimitars from his waist.

"What do I see, those things charging at us?" Victor asked with a grin. This might be my death but hey, I knew it might happen sooner or later. Still if I can help save the lives of the people around here then I guess that's okay, still would have liked to see what the boss would have done when he takes over but maybe Houndor will make it out of here and find a good trainer. He thought as he readied himself.

"No, that temple there after the grove." Bryni said as he pointed across the valley.

His eyes following Bryni's arm he saw a temple or stone structure set against the other side of the dome valley, a massive stone step pyramid with a large tree at least thirty feet wide that stopped just below the top of the cliff face in the center of it with what looked like crystal jade sphere's growing on the branches and here and there on the trunk of the tree.

"Tell me those 'fruits' don't look like the jade Taillefer put on the golem once, you know the one he said could turn sunlight into Aura Energy?" Victor asked as he looked at the crystal 'fruits' and stared at them. That has to be what it's using to make those things, it's the only thing that makes sense! So he was right, this must be the place that's controlling these things, if we can take out their Command and Control then we might win after all! He thought and was about to move towards the battle line that had spawned from the creatures and the Templars and Golems meeting when Bryani grabbed his shoulder, causing him to turn and see the older man paled with a look of fear on his face.

"Yeah, but didn't it exploded, something about too much energy or something that broke the battery he was using?" Bryni asked as he looked around and down at the ground and Victor paled as well as he realized how small the jade Taillefer had used compared to the giant jade.

"One stray blast or if one of them is connected to the power source and most of Kanto might be screwed." Victor said as he realized what danger these things truly represented. "We have to make sure we're some of the people who make it inside, just so that this region doesn't explode."

"But how will we make sure…"Bryni began before Nicholas interrupted him.

"You two, get back in the battle! Use your Pokémon and take out the trees on the far sides, that should keep more of those things from being born!" Nicholas called out from the battle line as he slew a Treeslasher. "Everyone, that structure is our goal, we will get into it and destroy the scourge at the source and return in triumph!"

"Well you heard him, Pyroar, Flame Thrower!" Bryni commanded.

"Back them up Houndor, use Will-O-Wisp!" Victor called out as he started to run towards the trees with Bryni following him, their Pokémon leading the way firing their attacks at the tress.

OOOOOO

OOOOOO

Isa fired another arrow at one of the Treeslashers as her Breloom spun around in midair with a silver glowing tail that tore off the head of a Treeblaster while Leaf blocked a blow from a Treegrabber with her arm shields before her Raticate bit down and tore off the tentacles before her Dodrio tore out its crystal heart as the party moved through the caves. A few moments after they had entered the cave at the mountain base they had been fighting their way upwards, fighting multiple Treeslashers, Treeblasters and Treegrabbers plus two more Vinesnakes as they traversed the cave. As the last of the enemy died the party panted as Leaf moved around and looked over the injuries of both human and Pokémon while the group rested while Franz kept his eyes out for any

"This is crazy, truly crazy!" Chogan panted as he spun his sickles as his Zoroark panted as it flexed its claws to get some of the green 'blood' of the wooden things off as its trainer looked around at the others. "How much longer does this tunnel last Franz, and you found camped out here the last time you came here?"

"A bit longer, not much more I think. And you know this makes a lot more sense, I wondered why some of the chambers looked so large."

"You think someone made this?! But how, why and when?" Isa asked as everyone stared at Franz in shock before looking around at the caves, noting a few old marks here and there that might have been created by someone or thing.

"Look there." Nick said as he pointed at a few stalagmites that cut off the chamber here and there. "Those things make it so a few people can hold this place against an attacker from both directions, I think this cave is manmade, a way to escape and have this things hold off anything or one who follows after them."

"But when and how old are these things? And that doesn't even get around how their controlling these things!"

"I think their some kind of old, ancient maybe, robots." Leaf said abruptly as everything suddenly crystalized and a puzzle slid into place and she saw the picture it formed.

"Are you saying that someone made these things?" Holly demanded as she looked at her friend whose face grew hard.

"Yeah, I don't know why their attacking but I think I know what for…..They were after supplies or something like Chimera do." Leaf said as she shuddered as the others looked at her, paling as they understood what she was proposing.

Everyone went still as they realized she was right. People didn't know much about the reason Chimera hunted or how they changed overtime but they were theories; the one of them was that a Chimera could take in the abilities and characteristics of what they ate.

"Then whatever they are, the bodies they have are partly connected to what they eat, the clawed ones at least but what about the tentacle ones?" Isa asked as she looked at the others.

"They seems artificial, hence the robot idea I mentioned. I mean nothing alive has a crystal that's the source of their life." Leaf answered and Franz nodded before he spoke his thoughts.

"Makes sense, those crystals, they have to be what powers them remotely. It might even be here." Franz said as he looked around with his light, frowning as he thought he saw something reflect it back. What's that? I know I didn't see that the last time I was through here. He thought as he followed the light as the others talked.

"I agree that this was the right thing to do, but will Nick really be one of the ones who will make it to that valley? We could double back and spy on them." Kimi suggested and the others looked at each other, conflicted a little, worrying about what they might face in the valley or the on the ledge they would exit out on.

"I think he'll be there, but we have another way there, well maybe." Franz said as the others looked at him and saw him looking down a tunnel. "This wasn't here before and it's going down and towards the valley, if I'm right this might end somewhere in the structure there. It wasn't here before, if it opened because of the mountain then it might led to the structure in the valley."

"If it hits a dead end then we're dead, but if more of those things hit us in an ambush then we're dead…do or die time people." Holly said as she looked around. "I say we take a chance."

"But if the cave is the way we need to win, but is there a chance it's not, that it's because of a local earthquake or something Franz?"

"No way, it's too smooth, this was here a while and like I said, it wasn't there the last time I was here." Franz said as he rubbed a hand along the wall of the

"But this might be the only chance we have to find a place to ambush them when we find them, if we make a ruckus on the ledge then they will know we're here." Chogan said and looked towards the tunnel they knew led to the ledge. "And I'm talking about those people with Nick."

"Still can we not take a chance to gain any advantage we can, I mean…" Kimi said as she looked around at the others and her Poliwhirl nodded at its trainer's words.

"But can we take a risk, I mean if that tunnel goes somewhere else." Isa said as she rubbed her arms and Leaf sighed.

"You know, we can hold here and send someone to see if there's anything there, we don't all have to go." Leaf said dryly and the others looked at each other and Franz blushed.

"You know, I can't believe that we missed that." He said as he starched his head. "The question remains who stays and who goes?"

"I'll stay; me and Druddigon have experience with fighting retreats." Holly said as she looked down at her Sandlash's Pokéball. Plus I want you to rest a bit more before I send you out. She thought as the others looked at each other. After a while Chogan and Isa followed Franz into the tunnel leaving the others to watch the as they looked around at they waited in the cavern. To keep busy Leaf moved around and looked over the Pokémon as they waited.

"So think that tunnel will lead somewhere?" Leaf asked as she rubbed Druddigon's neck and smiled as she moved away and looked at the other Pokémon.

"Like I said before, if the tunnel ends then it's a death trap. And given how much trouble we've been having trying to get through maybe we should head back out?" Kimi said as she sat down on a rock and looked around at the others, Holly looking at her with a scowl. "I'm not saying give up on getting Nick, I'm saying maybe we should be smarter about this!"

Leaf looked up went still as she looked towards the tunnel that towards the valley and moved her hands to her ears. As she did so Kimi walked closer to the tunnel out and sighed. Sorry girl, but I want to save my boyfriend. If we can talk to him by going after them out of this place then fine, and like the old man said, do everything smart not hard. She thought as she

"Yeah, I get what you're saying, but you saw what was happening and how many of those others are with him, can we fight our way in and out of that mess?" Holly asked and Isa looked at her and shook her head. "Yeah, I thought so."

"But we have to do something….!" Isa began but suddenly Leaf interrupted them.

"Quiet, now!" Leaf said as she held up a hand and leaned towards the tunnel. Kimi looked at her as they all went quiet and then she turned her head towards the tunnel when she heard the sound of feet moving towards them.

"Something's coming from behind us!" Kimi said as she listened and paled as she listened. "At least five of them, maybe more!"

"And from ahead, just as many!" Leaf said as she moved backwards and held her shield's grips tighter. We shouldn't have split up, never split the party! That's basic, why did we have to make such a mistake! Leaf thought as she tried to figure out a way they would survive this.

No choice; after the others, come on! Druddigon, use Rock Tomb as soon as we're through so come on!" Holly said as she moved towards the central tunnel and Leaf, Isa and their Pokémon followed with Druddigon last and it raised a hand as a pillar covered the them seconds before five Treeslashers, four Treeblasters and two Vinesnakes came into the cave as across from them five Templars and six Knight Stalkers came from the way out and looked at each other before they charged, the blades of the Templar's glowing pink as the Treeslashers roared and charged, the Vinesnakes rearing up and none of them noticed that a rock pillar against the wall had an impression that revealed that a tunnel had been hastily blocked. Within the tunnel the girls and their Pokémon looked at each other as the sounds of combat and nodded before they ran after their friends.

Farther down the tunnel Franz looked backwards and frowned as he held up a hand and turned his head around. "The air flows lessened."

"What do you mean, the air flow lessened?" Chogan asked as Franz looked the way they had come.

"There was a flow of air from the outside, it stopped. Something happened to the others!" Franz said causing them to turn and after a few moments they heard the sounds of feet and Leaf, Kimi, Holly and their Pokémon appeared.

"What are you doing here?" Isa demanded as she looked over the others, hoping and not finding any signs of combat.

"Something came at us from both directions, some of those wood things from one way and some of the people Nick was with from the other. We thought it was just those wood things but they started to fight as soon as they met. We closed the tunnel mostly and well this is the only path we can take now." Leaf said as Franz looked back at the chamber the girls had been left in and cursed.

"How many of them were there?" Franz barked as he looked past them a little pale.

"Maybe twenty; at least ten from both directions." Kimi said and Chogan swallowed and looked around at the others.

"Then there's no choice but to go forward then, right?" He said as he looked down the path away from the chamber.

"How much farther is it?" Kimi asked and Chogan shook his head. "Brother?"

"That's not the issue anymore little sis, if whoever wins back there finds out about the hidden tunnel then they might come after us." Chogan observed grimly as the others paled as they realized what he meant. "It's a race, will we get to the end first and will there be a way into that structure you saw?"

"If I'm right we have maybe another five minutes to get to where I think the valley is, if we don't run into a wall then we'll know." Franz said as he looked back down the tunnel away from the chamber they had left and Leaf hugged herself as her mind went dark places for a few seconds.

"Druddigon could leave a few more pillars with Rock Tomb whatever might come after us has a harder time." Holly suggested but Franz shook his head at this.

"No, let's wait until we find a sign that this is a way to that structure, if it's not then it'll be harder for us to get out." Franz said as Holly paled as she understood just what he wasn't saying. "Once we make it to a structure or a find a way into the valley, sure but let's not give us more work then we need right now if we head back."

"Then let's go!" Leaf said as she dashed down the tunnel, the others and their Pokemon following along.

Back in the chamber a stray shoot had hit the stone pillar and broken enough of it to show a tunnel beyond. As the surviving Vinesnake, two Treeslashers and the last two Treeblasters looked at it the Vinesnake screeched and three Treegrabbers moved out of the tunnel to the valley and moved towards the stone pillair, quickly getting to work at removing it as the two Treeblasters and a Treeslasher walked out of the cavern to stand guard outside the cave entrance as the Vinesnake watched the Treegrabbers move the rock out of the way before slithering down the tunnel with the Treeslashers and Treegrabbers following it after the party.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Brock looked around as he followed the other through the tunnels, his hands gripping his hammers tightly as they moved. Since the side passage they had found they had moved through empty straight tunnels, finding nothing. As Brock was about to bring up a thought he had Riley held up a hand, looking ahead Brock saw a large circular chamber with the light from Infernape's flames revealing four tunnels out. Two of them went to the left, one going downward and another went upward, the third went straight ahead and the last went to the far right at the side of the chamber

"We've found something, it would be nice if there was a single sign that we could use, eh my friends?" Tom asked as the group moved into the chamber and looked around as Rosette dropped to the ground and started to look at the floor on the left near the two tunnels. "What have you got there miss?"

Rosette held up a hand revealing a bit of webbing with white fur on it as she looked at Tom as she pointed at the downwards right tunnel. "Those things dragged something this way, down that."

"So a ladder, or is it where the things maker is?" Edik asked as he looked around, none of the others even having an idea as Brock looked at the tunnel upwards, something about it bothering him.

"We could go straight, try and see if we can't find something there." Rosette suggested as the others and their Pokemon looked around.

Riley had just opened his mouth before going still and looked towards the right side. "Incoming!

He had barely spoken before a screech echoed off the walls as fifteen Hiver-Warriors charged into the room and fired energy bolts from their stingers at the trainers who dodged backwards and Brock was split from the others as he was forced along the downwards tunnel as the others went to the tunnel Rosette had been investigating.

"BROCK!" Riley called out as he realized that Brock had been split from the group.

"GO, I'VE GOT THIS!" Brock called out as his Swampert blasted a spiral of water at one of the Hiver-Warriors and forced it backwards as

"We've got to find the maker, if we can kill them then the others will die!" Riley said as he pulled Rosette down the path as Edik threw a few flash bangs that shocked the Hiver-Warriors. Riley looked back and saw that they had blocked Brock from getting to them and the only way forward was to hope that he could survive on his own. As the party ran down the tunnel they heard a screech and the sounds of the chimera charging after them, Riley led the way with his Infernape next to him, hoping that they would find anything that might help them survive.

They ran along the tunnel until they saw light ahead and came out into a large chamber at least a hundred feet long, wide and high. Above a large spherical crystal shinned light down on the chamber revealing a tunnel at the far end and what looked like stands sixty feet high along one wall with a higher cliff twenty feet higher in the center of the stands and a large tunnel thirty feet high on the left side the chamber from the field with a tunnel the same size on the opposite side set into the rock the stands were made of.

"What it this place, did people make it or did they do it, and why?" Edik asked as he was shocked at what they had found.

"We can find that out later, what I'm wondering is why they stopped following us?" Tom said causing the others to turn to the tunnel they had just gotten out of and saw that the Chimera were just staying there at the edge of the tunnel, not moving but standing there as they watched.

"Why aren't they attacking our party anymore, what is wrong with them?!" Mizuki asked as she moved backwards, a look of horror on her face at their behavior. "They are animals, just animals! They only attack and devour, they can not plan!"

"Hey!" Edik said as he grabbed her and forced her to look at him. "Calm down, don't let your emotions control you, you have to control them!"

"Take it easy girl, if they aren't then we deal with these things no matter what." Rosette said as she looked around and nocked an arrow to her crossbow as she looked around as her Arcanine growled at the Hiver-Warriors as the trainers Pokémon moved between them and the Chimera. "We have to figure out why they're not moving, maybe we could….."

[Because my will alone moves them, and my will was but to lead you here. For this is where you will all die.]They all stopped as they heard that telepathic message in their brains they looked around as they tried to find the source.

"That wasn't a psychic communication, what was it?! But who…..no it can't be." Riley said as he looked towards a bump in the stands, paling as he started to sing. "Beware, beware the hive of death. Their lord stays back, while it's stingers kill all, to hear their minds is to be undone. That's what you are, that's what this is!"

[Yes, but how do you know that chant, I have not heard it since one of the old controller's…..ahhh so that is it, you're one of them. And I can taste a hint of the one who wounded me so badly, to kill you will be perfect, I owe him and your old ones such for the sleep they sent my maker into, perhaps you are the last, truly I was blessed this morning!] Riley growled as he looked around, trying to find the source and noticing shadows cast by the crystals set into the cavern and frowned, not seeing anything that showed where the telepath was.

"Ha! The group spilt because of your Maker, some of them they still exist and when they realize what you are they will come for you, even if we die they will come and kill you all!" Riley spat at the shadow as the others looked on in shock, only Rosette realized what he meant as the others looked at him in confusion.

[Ahhh, that is good to know. More of such wonderful meat to hunt! What was your battle cry, ahhh yes, 'For the might of Life!' I will enjoy killing you all more then I should I think.] Riley looked at where he hopped the Chimera was only to turn as Mizuki gasped as she stared at him in total shock as tears came to her eyes.

"You're a Guardian, an Aura Guardian like father was, I I thought everyone was dead!" Mizuki stammered as she looked at him as Edik and Tom both turned their heads to her as Riley's mouth dropped open. She's related to one of the Guardians, no I'm not that lucky. I have to talk to them about it with Truth Teller active…that's the only thing I can do, and I hope those two aren't connected to those scum. Riley thought as he looked at her but before he could say anything Edik and Tom cut in.

"Your dad was like my aunt?!" Edik stammered as he drew forth his double bladed axe from his back and looked around, hoping to find the source of the mental voice.

"Just another reason to survive then my friends, if only so that I can find out if any of you know why my sister never came back home!" Tom said as he looked back at the Chimera at the tunnel entrance and slowly moved his hand to the mace on his back and readied himself. "So come on abomination, you won't find easy prey here!"

"You're all related to Aura Guardians!?" Riley asked as Rosette stared in shock at them.

[Three of my old foes to kill, truly I am blessed!]The giant Chimera projected as it started to run its eyes over them, wondering if they would provide a challenge to it.

The mental roar caused the others to tense and brought them back to the present and looked at the shadows as the Hiver-Warriors behind them started to screech as they heard the sound of large foot falls. As they watched as what looked like a Hiver-alpha thirty feet tall walked into the light. Its face was normal but it had two curved horns that started from the top of its head and extending over its eyes, on the left side of its body it had two stinger arms and an oversized on the right side, its front legs had sickle like claws on their back, its body had small spikes all around it and as its mouth dripped a green liquid that bubbled and smoked as it ate away the ground.

Riley prepared himself, readying his Aura to use every technique that he could to kill this monstrosity when Edik suddenly roared and a blue energy aura formed around him before he shot at the giant Chimera, his axe flashing forward in a blow that it met with the giant stinger, it glowed green as it met the weapon and forced him back.

"Tell me that wasn't Aura, tell me we're not in that much trouble." Tom said numbly as he reached down and help Edik back to his feet as they watched the Chimera look at them.

"Yeah we are, you know I didn't think that was possible, for those things to have Aura, their genetics are supposed to be too mixed up for that to work." Edik mussed as he looked at the Chimera and Tom went still as he looked over the Chimera and went pale. That can't be it, can it? if that's the case then a lot of people have been entremely lucky over the years, more than I thought could be possible. Tom thought as he swallowed.

"We can't forget about the things behind us either!" Rosette said as she looked, eyeing the stands and hoping that their won't more of them. An energy bolt flew past her face and she looked at the Hiver-Warriors caused her to look back at the tunnel and she saw all the Chimera had their stingers pointed at them, some of them starting to glow.

[Don't worry about my soldiers, they will stay until you die and are carried to be food or I die and then, well they will do what animals do.] The projected thoughts didn't reassure them and Rosette

"So how are we doing this, all at once or one at a time?" Rosette asked as he readied her crossbow and looked at the giant Chimera and prepared herself to attack as her Arcanine growled as it stood next to her as they all watched.

[I want the pleasure of face you one by one, if not then I suppose that the others can join in.]As the message ended a sound was heard from the stands and ten more Hiver-Warriors appeared and looked down at the trainers as ten energy bolts flew over their heads from the Hiver-Warriors in the tunnel mouth.

[One of you Softskins and your creatures against myself, I doubt that it will last long but I want the pleasure f seeing your spirits crushed, this will be a good practice until I find the one who took my stinger!] The giant Chimera projected as it snapped its claws and looked at the party.

Riley looked at it and suddenly understood something that caused him to freeze. It must mean either Yuji or Shadow, then that old book I read was right, some Chimera are sentient! I was just telling Rose that but I didn't really believe it, I so hoped I was wrong but I had to be right! He thought as he looked around at the others who were looking at the giant Chimera and the watchers it had on the stands and he swallowed and was about to step forward when suddenly a boom from tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern caused even the giant Chimera to look as the screeched as dust flew into the air, making everyone wonder what had happened.

Brock shook his head and saw the flash-bang had paralyzed the Chimera and he chuckled, hoping that this would give him the chance he needed to survive this as he reached for two Pokéballs and threw them. "GO CROBAT, FORRETRESS!"

As a purple bat-like Pokémon with a small, round body with long, pointed ears, yellow eyes with red pupils, and a small mouth with its teeth bared, two wings on both sides of its body with the upper wings having two claw-like fingers near the middle and two small feet on its bottom that flew above Brock as the other, a spherical Pokémon with the upper and lower halves of its body capped by bumpy steel plates, the outer plates have zigzagging ridges that open along its back and front, revealing its smooth, red inner shell that is punctuated by four cylindrical spikes, each tapering to an open point. Between the spikes, the inner shell opens along a straight line to reveal round eyes large pupils. Before Brock could call out a command the Chimera got back their senses and started to fire energy blasts at him and he reacted swiftly.

"Forretress get on Swampert and use Protect to block the shots, Crobat lead the way, let me know if something's ahead of us and Swampert carry Forretress as we get out of here!" Brock called out his orders as he dodged the blasts from the Chimera.

"Forretress!"

"Swampert!"

"Crobat!"

As soon as they heard his orders Swampert dropped down to let Forretress get on him and form an energy wall between the shots and Brock followed after Crobat as it led the way as Swampert followed behind them as five Chimera chased them, firing blasts as they chased their prey. Brock looked over his shoulder as they ran, a scowl forming as he ran, counting on his training to fight in the dark and his experience in caves to keep him moving as he followed Crobat. I just have to hope that the others can survive until I can find our way to them! Never split the party, but always try and find them if you are! Brock thought as he ran, keeping his eyes on Crobat as it flew, Swampert running behind them as

After running for a few minutes Crobat gave a screech and they entered a forty foot wide circular chamber and Brock knew that this was where they would have to make their stand.

"Forretress keep that Protect up but be ready to drop it when I say so! Swampert prepare to fire a Hydro Pump at all of them and Crobat get high and prepare to fire an Air Cutter!" Brock commanded as he drew his hammers from his back and readied himself. As Crobat flew upwards Brock looked around, hoping to find anything at all he could use and he thought he saw something before a screech caused him to look up and see the Hiver-Warriors charging.

"Now drop!" Brock called out as the he saw the Hiver-Warriors hit the Protect and as it disspeared they stumbled and Swampert fired a powerful jet of water from its mouth and moved so the water hit all of the Chimera and forced them back before multiple light blue blades of energy hit them, some of the attacks cutting into the heads and killing the Chimera where they stood. As the remaining two got back to their feet Brock and Swampert charged, Brock killing one of them as Swampert grabbed the last one with its mouth and threw it into the chamber

"Flash Cannon Forretress, now!" Brock called out before Forretress fired a white beam of energy at the Chimera and cored its body, the beam going farther out and destroying the wall revealing the outside as air rushed out of the chamber. As Brock braced himself Swampert and Forretress both stayed in the cavern as Crobat was sucked out, but as the pressure died down Crobat flew back in and hovered as Brock and his Pokémon took stock of what had just happened. Hearing the sounds of battle Brock looked out the hole carefully and saw that the others were still handling the Chimera and wooden creatures, but Brock knew that this couldn't last much longer. I have to find the others, sure I was able to handle some of them but if they'll led into a trap I might be their only chance by hitting these things from behind! I gotta! Brock's thoughts died as he tripped over something. He looked at what he had tripped over and saw it was a human skeleton with a strange stone on a bracelet with another stone on a necklace around it. "That's a!"

Brock slowly and respectably looked over the skeleton and removed the stones and bowed to it. "I'm sorry, but I need to take this so that my friends and I can live through this, when it's over I'll come back with others and put you and any others to rest properly."

Brock got up and moved towards the way out of the chamber, his Pokémon following him and he looked at a the way he had come before looking the other way and saw a passage down and for some reason he knew he should go this way and gestured and Crobat shot down the tunnel Brock and the others following behind.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As Butoro looked around, so intent on the cave that he never even notice the looks that he was getting as they traveled through the cave. Since they had lost their squad member he had been looking around, a scared look on his face as they walked.

"Still I think that we did very good, it was that one's fault to try and destroy the web. Yes, if he had just ignored them then I doubt we would have lost a man because of his actions." Butoro said as he closed his eyes and never saw the looks of rage in the eyes of the squad for the split second that it was visible before they went blank and looked away from him.

Ahead the squad's captain leaned over to Zontro and spoke softly. "Did he make himself forget that he ordered that, or is he ignoring it?"

"Do you think he's honest enough to not constantly rewrite his memories so he's in the best light?" Zontro whispered just as softly as he looked ahead of them as he tried to ignore the way the General was behaving and forced down a smirk as he heard the captain chuckle. still I can't wait until I can takeover that fool's network, once I have that I can use it to slowly get Karin kicked out of the League. How dare that witch contest the Lady's rule of Kanto! He thought as he looked around, his Barbaracle moving behind him, looking for anything when it stopped and started to growl loudly, alerting the others to something ahead of them.

"What is it Barbaracle?" Zontro asked before large energy lances shot by them and he gritted his teeth. "Attack from the front, plan Zeta-13!"

As one of the squad and his Machoke flew past Butoro he looked at the reaming squad member as he and his Pokémon flew past him.

"What are they doing?!" He demanded of the remaining guard and didn't see the look of disgust that was sent at him.

"Zeta-13 sir. One of the rearguards helps the front and one stays back to guard the VIP while the rest handles the attack." The Squad member said as Butoro looked at him shocked. "I believe that it was one of your plans sir."

"Of course, it's just been a while since I thought about it. Good work, perfectly executed." Butoro said as he moved closer to his male Pyroar.

The squad member only looked at him with a disgusted look as they shook their head. Didn't you just get approval for that a weak ago? I can't wait until we can kill this fool. They thought as they watched the battle.

As Barbaracle used Razor Shell on both of its claws and Machoke punched out at the Hiver-Warriors Zontro could only watch as he threw a knife up and caught it as he waited for an opening. As two more Machokes dashed by them and attacked the Chimera he saw that they had pushed them back into a chamber that had four tunnels leading off and the Hiver-Alpha that was leading the Chimera was by two tunnels to the left side. Thinking quickly Zontro threw two knives at the beast and it blocked the first but the second hit its eye and it screeched as tried to not let the pain distract it as the Hiver-Warriors moved to attack him before the captain threw a flash bang.

"Flash out!" He barked he and their Pokémon before the flash bang went off and the Chimera were stunned by the light and sound that the flash bang produced. As the Hiver-Alpha tried to get its control back a throwing knife hit it in the center of its head and moments later it exploded and caused the two tunnels it was near to collapse. Before the Hiver-Warriors could start attacking anything the Machokes killed them and threw the bodies against the wall as

As Zontro looked around he saw that the only way forwards was one tunnel and he cursed. Great, just great! I can't believe this, we were on their tracks but why the hell did those things even think to give its spawn a die and exploded ability! He thought as he looked around the chamber. Looking at the ground he saw that the Chimera had all come from one direction and he looked towards the other, the tunnel that went straight.

"Your thoughts captain?" Zontro asked as he looked at the captain who had been examining the same things he had

"I think that this way is for the maker, if we're lucky then the things we met were going to hit the people we're after from behind, if not we can wait for them to attack their target and then attack them." He answered softly as Butoro and the last few members of the squad came back and joined them.

"So then we've almost caught up with them then?" Butoro asked and Zontro looked at him with an expressionless face, trying everything he could to keep the disgust from showing in his voice.

"Not yet but we think we will soon, and if we're lucky then we'll claim their glory for our own." Zontro said as Butoro laughed.

"Perfect my boy, just perfect! Oh it gives me such a feeling of joy to use that old fool's daughter to get ahead!" Butoro said as he led the way, confident that it was safe at last. "I wonder, when I become the champion should I mention her, give her a few moments of praise? I suppose that would have to do if Bruno is still around by then!"

As he walked off dictating his acceptance speech to a recording device Zontro looked at his squad and shook his head as one of them removed a knife and gestured to the General. Not yet, no matter how much I would love it, not yet. Once I know everything I can about his network and if the people he's taking money from are part of another faction, then I'll kill him with my own hands! He thought as he signaled the others to move out, never noticing that something had been watching them from the side tunnel, hiding away and reporting everything to the Chimera that was using its eyes as its own.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Brock came out of the dust cloud with his Crobat on his left shoulder and his Swampert carrying his Forretress by his side with a large shadow behind them. As the others watched they could only stare in shock as Brock spun one of his hammers in his left hand as he looked over the field, a scowl on his face as he took in what he saw. "How about me first?"

"Brock!" Riley gasped as he saw Brock walk out of the dust as he looked at the giant Chimera as his Crobat flew upwards.

"Sorry we got separated guys, I had to deal with the rest of this things minions, weapons? But I was close enough to hear the challenge, mind if I take first crack at it?" Brock asked As he walked into the cavern his Pokemon followed him and the shadow was revealed to be his 30ft long serpentine Pokémon with a silvery-gray body made up of rock-like sections, with three of them having two spikes sticking out and the tip of its tail is conical with a blunt tip, its head was massive made up of its large, wide jaw with sets of large square teeth inside, along its bottom jaw are two pairs of ridges and on the underside of its jaw were square lumps. Its red eyes were under two long ridges going from the eyes up to the top of its head.

"Brock are you sure, that thing has Aura!" Riley said as Brock locked eyes with the giant thing and it seemed to chuckle.

[I don't mind fighting this one first, but do you think you'll be able to handle me? and since you volunteered lest make this interesting, myself against that one.]The giant Chimera projected as it pointed its large stinger at the serpent Pokémon next to Brock

Brock merely looked at the Chimera and nodded and walked towards the others as his Pokemon followed his as his Crobat took off and flew upwards before doing a slowly circle of the area before flying back and landing on Forretress and nodding at Brock.

[What, don't you trust that I'm alone? I said I would face you one on one, that I wouldn't have any help.]The giant Chimera projected as it looked at Brock beyond Steelix and seemed to give off a sense of hurt that it's words weren't believed.

"You never said you were alone, only that you would face my Steelix one on one, and I've dealt with double dealing Chimera before." Brock said causing the others to look at him in shock. "And there's not saying what you consider one on one."

[This body against that serpent. No more no less. Does that explain what I will do?] The Chimera broadcast and Brock eyed the monstrosity for a few seconds before nodding.

"Yeah, ready Steelix?" Brock asked his Pokémon Steelix roaring in reply.

[Then let's go!] The giant Chimera shot at them and Steelix charged as Brock only looked as the Chimera's left stingers started to glow.

"Steelix Protect!" Brock barked and Steelix formed an energy shield that tanked the blasts the giant Chimera shot as it closed in and slammed in the Chimera, both of them locked and pushed against each other, neither backing down when from the Chimera's spikes energy arrows shot at Steelix and it tanked the shots and pushed the Chimera backwards and the arrows stopped and it spat some of the green liquid at the shield but it flowed down it on the ground and Steelix pushed it backwards before the Giant Chimera fired more of the energy arrows at Steelix.

"That's Pin Missile, it's gotta be!" Tom exclaimed as he watched the battle, transfixed as Rosette looked at the stands as Edik and Riley looked at the tunnel the others had come from. So far it didn't do what I thought I saw, but I think I'm right, and by Arceus I really hope I'm not. If we get out of this then I don't know what if anything I should tell people, I mean Aura users stay away from the light, but I should at least tell the others back home about this! He thought as he tried to keep his cool.

Edik looked over his shoulder at the battle and saw the match had become a contest of strength. As he watched the Chimera fired a bolt of energy from the giant stinger and brock the Protect and fired bolts from both the stingers on the left side and force Steelix back. It spat more of the green liquid at Steelix causing a roar of pain as the poison attack hit the Steel Type and it thrashed as it worked to get the liquid off it. As Steelix dealt with the Poison attack the Giant Chimera moved backwards and fired energy arrows from its spikes and just started to barrage Steelix as it thrashed.

"Steelix Rapid Spin and use the force to get the liquid off and tank the shots!" Brock commanded as his other Pokemon tensed as they watched, Crobat having taken off as Swamert was moving backwards. Steelix moved its body as its spikes started to glow light blue and spin around fast generating a light-blue ring surrounding Steelix that tanked the shots as the last of the liquid got off its body.

"Sure you can handle this Brock?" Riley asked softly as he leaned closer to Brock who only nodded.

"Yeah, I found a trump card when we split up, but when I use it Forretress is going to block the others in the tunnel, you all have to deal with the other watchers." Brock whispered back and Riley looked at the stands, seeing the Hiver-Warriors were either looking at the battle or them and remembered that the giant said that his will guided them.

"Got it." Riley said and coughed and caused the others to look at him and he flashed a few signs with his hands that he hoped the others had been taught. His actions caused Tom to whistle and Edik to grasp his weapon tighter but they all nodded at him and even Rosette looked at the stands as Swampert moved closer to the tunnel. The Giant Chimera had stopped its attack and was staring at Steelix as it stood there looking at it, its eyes calm and that unnerved it.

[Is this the strength of you softskins, I expected more! Do the rest of you have to join in to make this interesting, do you really think that you can handle me?] The Giant Chimera broadcast as it looked at Steelix and prepared to attack.

Brock only looked at the Giant Chimera and grinned. It's trying to get me to make a mistake, perfect! Wait, that means it will break it's word for this to be one on one once I play my card, do I not and work until it plays it's hand or do it anyway? Brock wondered before a cough from behind him caused him to see Riley nod at him as the others and their Pokemon prepare to strike at the Hivers on the stands.

"I'm Brock the rock, former Gym Leader of Pewter city, and together with my Pokémon we can handle anything! Steelix, Mega Evolve!" Brock called out as he held his right hand out towards Steelix and multiple brown energy streams shot at Steelix. As they hit Steelix it's body glowed white as it's body started to change. It grew larger, almost doubling its body mass as it's lower jaw became more heavily armored with a round, curved shape as additionally a third pair of ridges appeared on its bottom jaw, as well as two sharp, flat structures consisting of three conjoined projections on each side of it. As the spikes on its body started to grow larger as its tail sharpened and it grew four spikes set in an X formation just before the spike. As four misshapen lumps formed at the ends of the spikes they brock off after a few seconds and started to float around Steelix's body. As the glow died down it was revealed that the spikes were now a ruby color and the floating spheres were the same color as well.

"STEELIX!" Steelix roared as it looked at the Giant Chimera who backed up a step and looked at the Mega Pokémon as the others looked at the Mega Pokémon in shock.

"Okay partner, start out with a Flash Cannon on the right O" Brock called out and his Pokémon roared before it fired a silver energy beam at the stingers on the left side as the Giant Chimera tried to dodge but it lost both of the stingers on the left, screeching in pain as the wound bleed before it stopped after a few moments.

"That's not normal, how is this?" Rosette stammered as they watched the Steelix.

"So that's what she meant, wait that means!" Edik stammered as he looked at Brock in awe. Before anyone could ask what he meant the Giant Chimera started to chuckle as it stood there.

[Strong, you are stronger than I thought, but don't think I'm done yet!] As soon as the mental broadcast was done a large sphere of meat was thrown befofre the Giant Chimera by one of the Hiver-Warriors in the stands and it at it in a single gulp, the wound glowing black as two stingers grew back and it roared and looked at Brock who only looked on quietly.

"I'm not going to make a problem that you healed yourself; I expected it to tell the truth. I thought that you would…..no….but then…. that's it. That's it isn't it, you're buying time here! This is just to take up our time, so that your maker can escape!" Brock said as he scowled at the Giant Chimera as it stood there and its three stingers started to glow as it aimed at Steelix.

[Perhaps, but maybe I want to fight a good opponent, maybe I just want a challenge.] Brock scowled as he looked at the Chimera as it charged at Steelix who sent two of the floating rocks at it and Steelix roared as Chimera dodged it and fire blasts from its twin stingers and looked at Brock and seemed to release a smug feeling.

[But can you really not stay and fight me? Of course if you'd rather bring everyone into this then I could do that.] As the others absorbed this they looked around they saw the Hiver-Warriors on the stands start to aim their stingers either at Steelix, Brock or themselves.

"Don't worry, I'm in this battle until the end! Steelix, charge in with a Protect and use those 'meteors' to get a clear shot!" Brock called out and Steelix roared and charged in, the two meteors still with it following as it formed an energy shield in front of it as it. The Giant Chimera only moved to meet the charge when one of the other two meteors bashed into its back and it crumpled to the ground as the meteor pressed against as the Chimera tried to get out from under it as Brock looked on in awe.

"Amazing, simply amazing. Steelix, get a good angle and core that thing but keep back, it'll probably explode once its dead!" Brock said as he looked on in glee.

[NOOO!] At the mental screech the Hiver-Warriors on the stand started to fire and the ones in the tunnel started to charge only to run into Forretress's Protect that was blocking them as Crobat started to fire Air Razors as the others had their Pokémon attack the Chimera.

[YOU KNEW WHAT I WOULD DO!] The Giant Chimera stared at Brock as he just looked back as Steelix stared to charge a Flash Cannon.

"Yeah I did, good fight" Brock said before Steelix fired another silver beam that destroyed the Chimera's head before it's body feel to the floor before the Hiver-Warriors started to attack each other as the ones in the tunnel did as well.

"Where's the boom?" Rosette asked moments before the body of the Giant Chimera exploded and part of the cavern caved in and revealed another chamber down below, a tunnel leading to the right from what they could see. "okay, delayed action then. Think the maker is going to be as big?"

"It'll be bigger and stronger, without a doubt." Riley said as he looked at the stands as the last few Chimera threw themselves off it as Steelix started to glow and turned back to normal. "I've read accounts about a few Chimera that made minions stronger and were overthrown or eaten."

"This one will love to see that, especially if you were trained…" Mizuki trailed off as Brock recalled his Steelix, Swampert and Forretress leaving only his Crobat who landed on his right shoulder.

"He knows about my training, but all of us can have a talk later. Great job getting rid of that thing, I didn't know you had a Steelixite!" Riley said and Brock shook his head

"I don't. I found it on a skeleton with the keystone over there." Brock said as he gestured back the way he had come. "And that thing she said, she knows?"

"We all do, that thing somehow knew about our old battle cry. And it talked like it fought some of us so why didn't they let them escape and not tell anybody about 'em?" Edik asked and Riley shared a look with Brock and Rosette.

"Because they fought these things centuries ago, and they were sealed away until something broke them out." Riley said and Edik stared at him as Tom gasped.

"You don't mean the split with those bastards that died out? The so called Protectors do you?" Tom asked in a shocked tone.

"They're not dead, and we can talk about them later. Do we try and get back or go down and see if we can find a way to the maker through that?" Riley asked and the group looked around before as one they moved towards the hole as Edik got out some rope.

The Maker's cavern shuddered as something exploded outside and the few Hiver-Warriors on guard duty looked around, seeing for their creator with their eyes as they looked around until they heard the sounds from one of the tunnels into the chamber and twenty Treeslashers ran into the chamber with two Treelords directing them.

[HOW DARE YOU INVADE MY SANCTUIM!]After the mental screech The Hiver-Warriors stood ready and as the Treeslashers moved in front of the two Treelords and started to screech as the Hiver-Warriors didn't react to their calls. What is this, are these the things that have attacked my forces besides the sofeskins, no….. are they, are they even aware? The maker thought as the Treeslashers only stood there as the Hiver-Warriors stood there and after a few moments the Hiver-Warriors were directed to charge and attack the Treeslashers who finally reacting and both sides clashed with each other.

As both sides clashed some of the Treeslashers made a path through the Hiver-Warriors so one of the Treelords could dash past them and get to the shadow that was the Maker's den, it had reached the entrance way when suddenly a black chitin covered hand as large as the Treelord's horse body reached out and squeezed it until it broke in two and the maker came into view. It was large, over twenty feet tall with four arms and six legs on an insectoid body. The higher pair of arms were lance stingers while the bottom two were normal hands. Its back had numerous spikes on it that glinted in the light and its legs each ended in three talons as it walked into battle and attacked the Treeslashers as it tore one of them in two and threw the top half back into the darkened chamber it had left. As the Treeslasher's body grew roots that tried to reach for the broken part a normal sized white chitin covered hand reached in and pulled out a gemstone as the Treeslasher started to decompose and the gem was brought to a mouth and was soon covered in a black liquid and the covered gemstone was soon shoved into a mouth and swallowed.

As the large Chimera,{[Hiver-Regent]}, killed the Treeslashers with the Hiver-Warriors and the Treelord fired blasts at it as the Treeslashers used their bodies to isolated and kill the Hiver-Warriors all the Treeslashers went still and turned and charged at the Treelord who jerked around until it tried to fight back but in moments it's gemstones had been pulled out and the body was decomposing. At the end three Treeslashers, the Maker and three Hiver-Warriors remained and as they stood there a chuckling was heard from within the darkened den.

The remaining Treeslashers moved away from the others and walked out of the audience chamber and the Hiver-Warriors started to turn and lead the Hiver-Regent out down a different path as an old Hiver-Alpha moved into the room and bowed to the darkness and sent an aura bolt into the darkness. [My maker, the one you sent to stop the intruders was killed.]

[I expected it, that it stood against the enemy and held them back for as long as they did was enough. Leave the hive throught the old escape routes you made so long ago, eat this and gain what I have, may you survive.] The broadcast ended and a ball of black meat was thrown from the darkness and the Alpha ate it before falling to the ground as a black glow its body.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Zontro looked at the ahead as they traveled through the tunnels, a hand on his knives as they moved. I expected those things to be smarter than a dog at least, but the way they ambushed us, that was different. I mean I heard they explode when they die, at least some of them do but the way it threw those others at us, they didn't care if they died; could they even think like an animal or a Pokémon? He thought as he moved. The ambush had sparked more than a few worries in him, he was wondering about a few things he had taken as rock hard facts.

"The ambush is bothering you to sir?" The captain's question caused Zontro to look at him before nodding as they walked. "I mean I did help defend the base but something that didn't even think about their deaths… I don't like these things, but if they can plan or decide to die like that thing did."

"What do you mean, decide to die?" Zontro asked causing the captain to look at him.

"You didn't notice? That thing that you killed, it stood there and didn't move away when the flash bang went off it didn't stumble." The captain said with a look of worry in his eyes. "I don't want to think if those things are trying to led us someplace, but this is the only route we can take."

Zontro looked at the captain before closing his eyes and looked down. Wonderful, this is just what I thought, these things are not like the other Chimera I've heard about over the years, what the hell are these things rating?! He turned to the captain and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. But the only thing we can do is to keep moving, keep our eyes open and hope for the best."

"And keep an eye out for anymore tricks they might have right?" The captain asked and Zontro nodded as he gestured to the opposite side of the tunnel and the captain nodded, letting their Pokémon look for the front while they looked at the sides.

Behind them Butoro looked around, a slight look of fear in his eyes. The furry that the Chimera had been dealt with had shocked him; he walked a little closer to his Pyroar, his growl causing him to smile as he rubbed his head. "Don't worry partner, we'll get through this and when we get back to base we'll have a good meal and toast his death."

He never noticed the three surviving OMEGA Squad members shared a look and a few quick signs with their hands and one of them chuckled, nodding to them. As they moved along the tunnel Pyroar suddenly started to growl and look at a dark patch and Butoro looked at the spot and hid behind his Pokémon. The actions cuased Zontro, the captain and their Pokemon both to turn and see what had happened, all of them and the rest of the squad prepared themselves as Pyroar spat a ball of fire that revealed a small tunnel hidden by a part of the tunnel. Zontro looked at it and then paled as he heard something coming towards them.

"Oh hell. Barbaracle Protect across it!" Zontro barked and

"Barbaracle!" His Pokémon cried and slammed an energy wall across the mouth of the tunnel as a screech was heard as from farther down the tunnel came three Treeslashers that started to slash at the Protect barrier as behind them came five Hiver-Warriors that raised their stingers and started to fire blasts at the Protect. As Barbaracle stood there and narrowed its eyes as the Protect buckled as the Captain looked at it and swore under his breath as he

"All personal drop back and prepare to engage! Three, Five you and yours handle those things, Two I want you to bring the roof down with yours! But first everyone move down the hallway and prepare to act! Captain get the General farther ahead and prepare to recall your Pokémon!" The captain barked as people reacted to his words and Zontro nodded at him and pulled Butoro father ahead as Pyroar kept its

"Got it Captain, Charge Focus Blast Machoke! Omega Three barked.

"You too!" Omega Five called out

Omega Two looked around at the tunnel above and nodded. "Start charging a Hyperbeam, target above where the Barbaracle is!"

"MACHOKE!" Each Machoke called out and Zontro looked back as he raised a Pokéball and nodded at the others before he activated it, recalling his Pokemon as the first two Machokes fired their attacks at where his Pokemon had been and one of the Treeslasher's jumped over the twin blasts a moment before the Hyper Beam hit the roof and brought down the ceiling and caused an explosion that blinded everyone for a few seconds. When they could all see again they saw the tunnels was blocked off by rubble.

"Perfectly done Lieutenant, perfectly done!" Butoro said with a grin as he looked at the squad leader and continued. "When we get back remind me to put you up for a Marituis Service Award! A perfect plan! Why I'd….. what is it?"

Butoro trailed off as he saw the looks on their faces and followed their eyes to a green liquid trail that moved back the way they had come, leading to a Treeslasher without a right arm and left leg, its body still. He was about to move when he heard his Pokemon growl at it and saw the wounded leg was scabbing over as he watched and swallowed. "What is that thing?"

"Don't know don't care." The Squad Leader said as he looked at the body. "Two, check if it's still aware, I don't want anything behind us."

"Got it One." Omega Two said as he looked at the body and was about to move towards it when Zontro bared his path and shook his head. As they watched him he drew one of his knives and threw it at the Treeslasher and the knife hit the remaining arm and as the Treeslasher stayed still he frowned. "Something wrong sir?"

"A Chimera body will still react after it dies for at least half an hour." Zontro said as the others looked at him before looking at the body. "I think your Pokemon should attack it sir."

"Of course, of course." Butoro said as he looked at Pyroar and nodded. "Pyroar, Flame Thrower please."

As Pyroar spat a torrent of flames that engulfed the Treeslasher it screeched and started to trash about and stumble towards them as they watched until all that remained was a blacked husk. Butoro grined but Zontro frowned and dashed towards it in a sprint and drew two knifes that he used to cut the last arm away and step backwards as the Treeslasher kept trashing and he saw roots grow from the cut away shoulder and reach for the arm and he grabbed the limb and moved it away from the body before he started to stab the chest and move his knives around until he felt something and tore away a green gemstone. Once he removed it the body died and he slipped it into his pocket.

"Did you find anything captain?" Butoro asked and he turned, seeing the Omega's forward and the brave General behind them by his Pokémon.

"Nothing sir, but we should move on, this way is closed so let's try and find our targets." Zontro said as he walked back towards them and he slipped his knives away, his prize in a zippered pocket and as they moved down the tunnel he wondered just what he had found.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Leaf looked at the double doors set against an artificial stone wall they had found at the end of a chamber the tunnel led to and whistled. The door was over ten feet tall and it had blocky designs on it with strange runic letters, each one a good two feet tall and one foot wide. The door was at the far end of a square chamber about fifty feet long and wide that the tunnel had led into with some crystals set against the wall that lit the area around the door and a bit around, Franz and Isa were each looking over one of the doors as Chogan was looking over the wall on the right side as Isa looked over the left, each trying to find anything that could open the doors, Chesnaught held a Grass Sword up and Franz was using the light it gave off to observe the runic letters.

"I know what you mean girl, this is amazing." Holly said as she looked at the door as her Druddigon put another pillar in place to block the tunnel.

"But how we'll get through, that's the problem how." Leaf said as she looked at Holly who only had eyes for the door.

"Yeah, the symbols, runes, whatever they are…..there's something about them." Holly said as she looked at the runes on the door as Leaf looked at her before looking around the chamber. As she looked around she thought she saw something behind a rock, walking over to it she gasped and fell to ground backwards. "LEAF!"

Holly rushed to Leaf and grabbed her shoulders and looked at her. "Leaf what happened, I don't…..oh my god. Druddigon use Sunny Day!"

The others turned and looked at the girls at Holly's cry as Druddigon shot a ball of light into the air as Holly reached behind the stone and held up a skeleton arm with a green bangle on it. Franz looked at the bangle and then at the door as one of the runes on it started to glow.

"Holly, quick! Bring that over here now, that has to be a key!" Franz said as Holly put the arm down and took the bangle and ran to the door with Leaf following. Suddenly a roar sounded as the stone pillar started to shake. "They've made it to us, if this doesn't work we need to break the door down!"

As Holly made it into five feet of the door all the runes started to glow red but nothing else happened. Before they could say anything another roar was heard before the stone pillars fell towards them. As they fell the Vinesnake, Treeslasher and Treegrabbers ran over it towards them.

"No! Franz stay here and try and figure out how to get in, we'll gold them off!" Isa said as she started to fire arrows at the charging wooden things. As Poliwhirl, Zoroark and Breloom charged with their trainers Leaf ran to stand between them and Franz took the bangle from Holly before she and Druddigon charged to help and within moments the glow of the runes had died down.

"Stay here Chesnaught, if there are more of those things on the otherside we'll need you to hold them off until they finish those things!" Franz said as he looked from the bracelet to the door and touched it against it after a few moments realized nothing was going to happen. What the hell, why did that happen!? I mean what's wrong with this thing, I mean what's different between me and Holly?! Okay let me think, it glowed red; why? Maybe that's the color it does when it turns on but it didn't open why? And this thing it opens it how, wait where's the power source? Franz thought as he looked at the bracelet and felt it, frowning as his fingers came away dirty but sure he felt something under the dirt.Getting out a water bottle and a rag he started to clean and within moments had cleaned it. He saw that the bracelet was a crimson color with runic letters like the door and a cubic impression near what looked like flames.

Meanwhile Isa fired an arrow at one of the Treegrabbers then suddenly the sole Treeslasher was right in front of her and slashed down and she barley blocked it with her bow but it was destroyed by the blow her. Before the Treeslasher could attack Druddigon appeared and slashed its arms off it and then Holly was there, swinging with her axe and bisected it. As both of them caught their breath Holly saw the upper body started to grow roots that reached for the arms and lower body.

"Quick Druddigon, kick it towards Leaf, Leaf Incoming!" Holly said as she looked on as Druddigon threw the upper body towards Leaf,

"Got it Holly, Raticate get ready!" Leaf called out from where she stood. As the body of the Treeslasher flew towards them and land Raticate created a small shield around it and the body started to decompose.

As the Vinesnake roared and fired a green ray at Zoroark as it tried to tear apart one of the three Treegrabbers but it dodged the beam and the Treegrabber was hit and decomposed dust. The Vinesnake screeched and fired a ball of energy at Zoroark as it flew in with black glowing claws as Poliwhirl bashed the Treegrabber it was fighting with an Ice Punch before its trainer slashed with her scythe and flicked impieled the body and threw it backwards towards Leaf. "Keep 'em going towards Leaf!"

"Just warn me first!" Leaf called out as the Treegrabber tried to grab her before her Raticate jumped on it and created a Protect dome and the Treegrabber started to decompose. Leaf risked a glance at Franz and saw him looking over the bracelet and then the door with a look of realization and she nodded before looking at the battle and not liking the way the Vinesnake was eyeing Franz. "Raticate, Protect around Franz!"

No soon had Raticate started dashing to Franz did he look up and swallow as he saw the Vinsnake looking right at him. As it fired a green beam at him Raticate got in front of him and formed an energy dome that flicked as the beam hit it. Franz saw the glow from the Vinesnake's tail start to increase and he realized what he thought he saw when they first fought these things outside the mountain was true, and he was worried what a fully charged one could do.

"We gotta take that thing down before it gets another charge, hurry I'll explain after!" Franz barked and he looked at his Chesnaught and nodded. "Root it with Grass Knot partner, and close its mouth!"

"Druddigon, Flash Cannon on the serpent!" Holly called out as she looked at the wooden things.

"Mud Bomb Poliwhirl, on the left one!" Isa barked as she backed away with her broken bow in her hands.

"Zoroark Night Claw after they fire at the right one!" Chogan called out spinning his sickles.

"Druddigon!"

"Poliwhirl!"

"CHESNAUGHT!"

"ZOOOR!"

As Druddigon started to charge up a Flash Cannon roots shot up from the ground and pulled Vinesnake down as its mouth was covered, as the two remaining Treegrabbers tried to free it one of the lost its normal arm. And then Druddigon fired and the Vinesnake screeched before it was killed and Zoroark bound after the beam and sliced off the head of one of the Treegrabbers as Chogan and Holly came in and killed them, Holly going crazy on her target and slaiced down with her axe until nothing was left and she reached down and pulled out a green gemstone from the remains as Chogan held up another one.

"I think Leaf was right about these things being robots." Chogan said as he felt the pulsing gem and shook his head.

"I'm surprised these things are so strong, and their able to do Moves, if those claw things or the one with tenticles could do the same I doubt we'd still be alive." Holly said as she looked around and gasped as she saw Isa. "Isa, your bow!"

"Yeah, I guess wood and those things claws are a bad mix, its not to bad I still have about half my arrows left and I can use them as daggers at least." Isa said as she shrugged.

"Hey!" Franz called out and everyone looked at him as he looked from the door to the bracelet. "Does anyone have a Fire Gem?"

"Yeah, here!" Holly said as they all ran to him and she handed over a red gemstone that Franz put into the bracelet, moments later the gem disappeared as the doors started to open. "What happened, where'd the gem go?"

"This bracelet used the energy in the gem to open the door, I really want to come back here and look over this place more." Franz said in awe as he tried to figure out just what he could learn by investigating this place

"We can try and figure this out later, for now we have to move!" Chogan said as he dashed into the complex with his Zoroark following being on all fours, the others looked at each other before nodding and followed after him with their Pokemon behind them.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Outside the same complex Nicholas sliced through a Treeslasher as he looked backwards and took stock of what had he had to work with, of the Golems that he had when they breeched the valley three Knight Stalkers and a Shield Shoot had been destroyed taking out those strange trees that created more of the wooden things and three Templars, a Shield Shooter and a Knight Stalker and his Teddiursa had made it to the stairs of the pyramid with him.

"How's it going?" He asked as he panted and one of the Templars reported.

"We've been able to hold them, and reinforcements from the others are coming as we speak, Lord Dante was able to rally the others and their breaching the valley as we speak." The Templar's report caused him to smile and he looked towards top of the structure.

"Then we can move on and hope the big guy can handle it, lets go!" Nicholas said as he ran up the stairs, his Teddiursa sighed before it jumped onto a Shield Shooter as the Golems and the Templar started to follow him. From the top of the pyramid two Treeslashers ran towards them and the Templar fired bolts from their halberds at sending them flying as Nicholas slashed the head off one of them before two of the Templar following him impaled them through their gemstones and as they decomposed the other Templar and the Golems followed Nicholas into the structure. As they moved through a hallway three Treewolves charged at them and Nicholas dropped back as the Shield Shooters fired and two of the Treewolves fell to their knees as the last one dodged the shots and jumped at Nicholas with it's jaws open but one of the Knight Stalkers slashed down with both of its clawed arms and as the Treewolf was down another of the Knight Stalkers tore out its gemstone heart as the other attacked another of the Treewolves as the two tried to get back to their feet but only one was able to get up before the Knight Stalker tore of the other's head! The remaining Treewolf charged at the Knight Stalker and tore off one of its arms but before it could do anything else Nicholas was there and slice it in two before he spun and bisected the other Treewolf and tore out its gemstone.

As the Templars caught up to him he nodded to them and led them down the hallway, after a few minutes they reached a double door that had a block tree painted on and as they opened the door mist came out. They entered a large courtyard with the tree they had seen, roots going out and under the ground near the stone walls. The top branches only had leaves on them with the crystals they had seen but the branches closer to the ground had those same fruits that they had seen on the trees outside, at least thirty of them of varuis sizes and as they watched three fruits dropped and two Treeslashers and a Treeblaster fought free of their 'eggs'. Looking at the tree he thought he saw something looking at him from the tree but it was gone in an instance. Shaking his head he pointed his sword at the tree.

"Knight Stalkers attack them, Shield Shooters and Templars, aim at the smaller fruits and take them out! Teddiursa with me!" Nicholas said before he ran, Teddiursa and the Knight Stalkers following behind him as he ran to attack the tree. As more of the larger fruits started to shake the Templars and Shield Shooters started to fire at the smaller fruits as two more fruits dropped and another two Treeslashers started to fight their way free of their birth-fruits. I can only hope that we can handle these things before we're over run! He thought as he slashed out with his sword as he met one of the Treeslashers, never noticing someone was watching him from a shadowed window above the courtyard. As the last of the smaller fruits was knocked off the branches the bigger fruit started to fall but of these fruits only ten figures came out of them; six Treeslashers, 3 Treeblasters and a Treewolf. As Nicholas looked at the battle, comfident that they could survive a loud roar came from the tree.

As the others ran after Chogan, Leaf looked around trying to find anything that might tell her what they had run into. This is insane, this has to be the place those wood things are from, and if I'm right about them being 'robots' then if we can take out their 'server' then we could stop them! She thought as her Raticate ran next to her. She was looking around so much that she never noticed that Holly had stopped until she collided with her, bring them both to the ground with a cry that caused the others to stop and turn.

"What the, Holly, Leaf, you two okay?" Franz asked as they came back and helped the girls to their feet.

"Yeah, until I ran into her." Leaf said as she dusted herself off and looked at Holly who got and looked towards a door. "Holly what is it?"

"I don't know, but I can feel something calling me from over there." Holly said as she walked towards the door, the others could only look on as she walked and touched it, the door opening on its own. As the door opened Franz reached out for Holly but she slipped away and walked through the doorway, the others following as they looked around.

Isa caught her breath as she found a beautiful looking bow with what looked like two blades as the body with the handles built like hilts. As she picked it up she felt a shiver go through her and as she moved the hilts she suddenly had two curved swords in her hands. Blinking she put them back together and it suddenly was a bow again. Okay, this might be useful. But if I can't use this as a bow without…..! Her thoughts died as an energy string went from the tips of both swords and she touched it and felt something. She got out an arrow and pulled it back before releasing it and the arrow flew at the wall faster than an ordinary bow could. "Amazing, simply amazing."

Franz was drawn to a manikin with two steel colored vambraces each with a jade pentagon gemstone in the center. What is this, I mean I could do with some more armor for myself, but really. As he put them on he felt something, a jolt that caused him to shake his head and looking down he saw that the gemstones were each set in the center of a drawn shield and something told him that was important. As he looked around at the others he saw that Chogan had gotten a black cape that drank in the light while Kimi had a necklace made of a silvery metal with a spherical blue crystal with what looked like an yellow iris in the center while Holly had gotten two brown gloves with an image of a sword on them.

Leaf took off a purple circlet that called to her, as she put it on she felt something that she hadn't felt since she had correctly diagnosed a patient for the first time. As she looked at Holly who had walked past them and picked up a book she felt that Holly was well but being compelled to pick it up.

Holly looked over the book and was shocked as she looked over the words, somehow knowing what they meant. As she turned the page she gasped, causing the others to turn to her as she paled and shook. "We have to go, we have to go now!"

"Holly?" Leaf called out as the others followed her the door as Holly slipped the book into her bag as she ran down the hallway, her Druddigon following behind her. "Holly slow down, what is it?"

"You were right, those things are robots! They were created by someone a long time ago, it harvests creatures to feed the 'mother-tree' that makes more of those wooden things." Leaf said as she ran. "The 'mother-tree' is in the courtyard and it takes energy from the sun to make more of them, but what is the main problem is what the book calls {[Tree-Guardian]}, something that awakens when all the new 'born' are threatened. If Nick and those people he's with kill them then!"

"What are the odds they'll do that?" Franz asked before a roar sounded and they looked at each other. "Never mind, of course he'll do that!"

Nicholas looked on as the tree seemed to ripple before a ten foot tall bipedal wooden theropod with a cannon arm on its right side and a large green gemstone in the place of its left hand. It had jade fangs and its head had two curled rams horns with three eyes above its mouth, each one looking straight at Nicholas.

"Oh hell, all Shield Shooters; aim at the big one, Knight Stalkers charge the others, Templars back them up! Teddiursa watch my back!" Nicholas said as he slashed out with his sword and at one of the Treeslashers as the Wood Guardian looked on. As the Shield Shooters started to fire it raised the arm ending in the gemstone and an energy shield in the shape of a circle formed and tanked the shots. Nicholas could only watch as it raised its canon arm and formed a large green energy sphere that it fired at the Knight Stalkers in combat with the Woodstalkers and fired it, it sped and exploded, Nicholas could only watch in horror as the dust settled and nothing, not the three Knight Stalkers or the six Treeslashers remained. Well, if it doesn't mind cultural damage then maybe we can beat it, but that shield, that's a problem. He thought as he gripped his sword and turned to look at the Templars who charged in and were firing blasts from their weapons at the Wood Guardian. "Keep mobile, don't let it get a shot at you!"

The Templars started to move about as the Tree-Guardian looked at the Shield Shooters and suddenly it raised its arm and fired another ball that destroyed the stairs and the golems. As he winced he heard another five fruits drop from the branches and he looked and paled as from behind the tree five more Treeslashers charged. Before they could make it towards him when blasts of energy destroyed them. "Where'd that come from."

"NICK!" At the call Nicholas turned and saw Leaf and the others, Holly and Kimi both crying tears as they saw him. Nicholas felt a jolt of pain as he saw them and wondered if they were talking to him as he looked at them, never noticing the Templars looking at him as someone they would have to kill.

"Later ladies, for now we deal with that thing, Holly did that book say anything about what it could do?" Franz asked as he looked at the battle and saw more Treeslashers running towards them from another door behind the tree.

"It has two shots before it has to recover, if we can take away it's canon arm then we can kill it easily!" Holly said as she looked Nicholas with a look of love that shocked him for a few moments before he ran at the Tree-Guardian, happy that someone knew how to defeat this thing.

"Back up Nick, I'll hold those things off, Chesnaught with me!" Franz said as he drew his sword and charged at the Treeslashers with his partner by his side. Before they could reach

Leaf had gone still as she soon as she saw Nicholas and the Templar; something told her that these people weren't people at all. What is this, how can I know that but how…..what happened to Nick? Leaf thought as she looked at the Templar and she saw Kimi charge with Holly as they ran at the Tree-Guardian with their Pokémon. Chogan was about to follow when Leaf grabbed him. "Wait!"

"Leaf what is it, I need to help the others!" Chogan said as he turned and was taken aback at the look in her eyes.

"Those people, they're not human and Nick isn't too!" Leaf said silently, causing Chogan to stare at her in shock.

"That's Nick, what do you mean?!" Chogan demanded as he

"I don't know, Franz is handling the others go and try to get a shot with Zoroark and work your way around behind them, I'll tell Franz so if they try and attack us we can survive." Leaf said as she looked down at the battle and considered letting out more of her Pokemon as Chogan covered his face with his hood as he and Zoroark ran towards the Templars, Leaf never noticing that Chogan started to become hard to see

"DOWN NICK!" Holly called out as she sliced with her axe through a Treeslasher that had jumped at Nicholas and her axe slashed through it like a knife through butter, she lost her balance for a moment and a Treewolf attacked her before her Druddigon appeared and slammed it down before it tore out the gemstone and threw it away from them. "Man oh man, this reminds me of that horde of Sandslash that attacked the farm, hu Nicky!"

"Are you talking to me?" Nicholas asked as he looked at her. Who is she and why do I feel that I know her, why did I feel that I should know what she's talking about? He thought

"Yeah bro, I am." Holly said as she grinned at him and it fell as she saw he was confused. "Nick, it's me Holly, your sister?"

"Sister?" Nicholas said as he looked at her before he dropped his sword and grabbed his head. "My head, what's wrong with me!"

"Nick!" Kimi called out as she saw the Tree-Guardian look at them and trust out with its gemstone arm, moving the shield towards them as if it was a hammer. "Holly get him out of there! Poliwhirl use Mud Bomb on that thing!"

"Poliwhirl!" Poliwhirl said before firing blobs of mud at the Tree-Guardian, the mud covering the gemstone arm and exploded, the arm falling to the ground and they all grinned before tentacle vines sprouted from the tree and shot at the damaged arm and as the tentacles flowed over the arm they broke off from the tree and died soon after, falling away to reveal a new gemstone arm before more tentacle vines shot at the Tree-Guardian.

"Wait what did that book say?" Holly asked as he guided Nicholas to the side as she looked at the giant wooden thing. "Oh no. The tree is charging up the Tree-Guardian. Break the vines before it fires at us!"

"Raticate, fire Hyper Beam at the tree!" Leaf called out as her Raticate aimed at the tree and fired a beam of yellow-orange energy that hit the tree that hit it about half way up it, breaking off the top of the tree and sending the falling against the building, slamming into it with a crash that caused the ground to shake. As the glow from the vines started to die out the Tree-Guardian looked at Leaf and her Pokémon causing her to swallow as she moved with her Pokemon before a blast hit where they had been moments before.

Franz looked at the what it had done and tensed as he sliced off the head of a charging Treeslasher as his Chesnaught destroyed another one. Did they slow down for a second? The tree is more than just the controller, it's a broadcaster too! Franz thought as he looked at the tree. "Bring it down and we can destroy these things easier, maybe even all at once!"

"Templars do as they said bring it down!" Nicholas said from where he had been guided to as he sat against the wall of the courtyard. I know these people, why do I feel so strange when I look at that blue haired girl? Nicholas thought as he looked up and saw Kimi over balanced, a Treeslasher coming up behind her. As he saw this all his memories came back and he remembered everything, Nicholas was gone and Nick was back. "No Kimi behind you!"

As Kimi turned Nick got back to his feet and ran towards the Treeslasher, his sword being engulfed in flames as he slice down and the Treeslasher caught fire as it thrashed.

"Nick, how'd you?" Kimi asked but Nick only grabbed her and hugged her.

"The waterfall where we saw the eggs hatch, there's a path to their base behind it." Nick muttered as he hugged her before he pushed her away as bolt stuck where they had been moments before. That has to have been them, I can't believe that I was caught by them so easily! He thought as he looked up and saw the Shield Shooters and Templars looking at him with their weapons aimed at him. "So I was right, you people are behind it!"

The Templar's couldn't say anything before the Tree-Guardian roared and fired a blot at them, only one of them was able to escape the blast and charged at Nick as he blocked the blow with his sword, feeling weak but resolved to fight until the end.

"Yes we are, and you're not really here. Once we make it back to base I'll make sure that the next one of you doesn't remember this." The Templar said as he struggled with destroying Nick's body. Teddiursa jumped at the Templar who only kicked it away from him as he spun around and slashed at Nick who barely blocked the blow.

Franz saw this happen but saw the Tree-Guardian move closer to them and cursed. "Deal with the big one first!"

"I'll back up Nick, Zoroark hit the big thing with Shadow Claw!" Chogan called as he appeared from near the doorway Nick and his party had come from and jumped towards the Templar as Zoroark appeared and ran at the Tree-Guardian but he was able to draw a long dagger and impale Nick. "NO!"

Chogan cut off the head of the Templar as Isa screamed and grabbed Nick as he brought a hand to his wound and it came away blue. Chogan looked at Nick as Zoroark jumped and destroyed the Tree-Guardian's eyes and it screeched and trashed as it tried to find it. The others destroyed the last of the Treeslasher and directed their fire at the tree, causing it to catch fire. The Tree-Guardian turned its body and looked around with its ruined eyes, trying to find them beofore Holly slammed her axe into its right leg and dropped it as she dodged the blow of the Tree-Guardian before a Hyper Beam from Raticate made a hole through its body and it crashed to the ground as it started to decompose.

Not paying any more attention to the burning tree and destroyed enemies the others ran towards Nick with Leaf running over and stopping with a grasp.

"Leaf, help him now!" Holly demanded

"I can't, I can't help him." Leaf said with a tone of complete certainty that caused Holly to grit her teeth and grab Leaf and raise her up and glare at her.

"You are not giving up on him Leaf; you're going to save him if I have to force you!" Holly exclaimed and Leaf just hung there, not saying anything.

"Don't bother sis." Nick said causing Holly to turn away and drop Leaf as the others looked at nick in sorrow, but they went pale at his next words. "This ain't me."

"Nick?" Franz aksed as he looked around them. "What do….. what are you talking about bro."

"Teddiursa." Teddiursa said sorrowfully as Nick grinned at the Normal Type.

"Little guy go with my sister Holly, she'll get you out of here. This is just…..a remote body. My real-self is…directing it back at their base." Nick gasped out as Leaf covered her face as she realized what she had sensed. "I'll try and fight my way free to the…..water fall…. I'll try and meet you there."

Before they could say anything Nick's body broke apart into a blue liquid that as they watched. Teddiursa just looked at the cloths staining blue and started to cry as Holly dropped down and hugged it.

"Waterfall, what did he mean?" Chogan asked into the silence before Isa spoke up.

"That waterfall." Isa began. "You know the one where we saw those Pokemon hatch years ago, he told me that there's a path behind it."

"Well what are we waiting for, we'll go back the way we came and make tracks to that waterfall." Franz said with a smirk. "And if they get in our way we'll burn their base to the ground!"

As the other prepared to move off Holly looked at Teddiursa. "Hey. I know Nick told you to come with us but you don't have to, you can go free if you want."

Teddiursa looked up from the blue mess Nick had turned into and shook its head, hugging Holly's legs. She just reached down and patted its head and it started to tear up before it started to cry. Holly reached down and picked it up, whispering soothing sounds to it as they party moved on. Behind them Victor moved into the light from the window he had watched the entire episode and smiled down at the blue liquids and he jumped to the ground, his Houndor looking out as he moved to the remains and brought out a small stopped glass tube and took a sample, smiling as he did so.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Bruno looked around the battlefield as the Wooden things started to decompose and trust out a hand as Lance slice off the head of a Hiver-Warrior.

"KEEP FIGHTING! Whatever those things were their down but we still have Chimera to slay!" Bruno roared and he was met with a cry as the Trainers and their Pokémon reganed a little courage and the Chimeras screeched and attacked.

"You've always been good at these kinds of things Bruno. But how do you think we're really doing?" Lance asked he and Bruno went back to back as Lance's Dragonite and Bruno's Machamp attacked a Hiver-Warrior each as their trainers took stock of the battle.

"I sent my Onix to protect the wounded, it's really good at that." Bruno said as he fought to catch his breath. "The sergeants the Guard forces brought are handling it but the General took a squad into the nest to back up a few trainers who went in to kill the Maker."

"Good! Wait, you're doubting something what is it?" Lance asked as he looked around the battlefield and Bruno kept silent. "I know you Bruno, what is it and how will it cause me trouble?!"

"It was General Butoro who led the squad." Bruno said as Lance looked at him in shock. "What can I say, he volunteered to come along and I wanted to talk to him about the total loss of the outpost up here."

"That idiot is here?! Okay, I'm think maybe once we have the rest of these things contained we should go and use that opening up there to go back them up!" Lance said as he looked around and looked at one of the Hiver-Gatherers as he looked around and tried to figure out how to react when what Bruno said. "Wait total lost, a girl survived and I overheard that she said she was thrown out for cowardice in the face of an enemy!"

Bruno looked at him and growled as he started to clench his fists. "It seems I need to have a nice long talk with the good General if he survives this."

Lance was about to say something when the screech of a charging Hiver-Warrior caused them to turn and see three of those things charging at them and Lance gritted his teeth. "Talk later, Dragonite; Dragon Rage!"

"Machamp, Duel Focus Blast!" Bruno barked.

As the attacks hit and forced the Chimera back Lance looked at the mountain where a blast had created an opening and frowned as he saw Hiver-Warriorflys gathered around it and fire down at either Pokémon or trainers. Maybe I should see if I can break through there, if I can back up whoever went into the mountain then I could capture Butoro at the same time. Lance thought as he looked around the battlefield and frowned. "Bruno, do you think you can handle this?"

"Yeah, going to try and infiltrate and keep an eye on Butoro?" Bruno asked as he looked around and tried to find anything that might let him break this swarm.

"Sorry, but I have a really bad feeling about this." Lance said as he got on his Dragonite and it took off. Bruno watched him go and saw a few trainers struggling against a group of Hiver-Warriors and charged with a roar, his Pokémon following behind him.

Yuji had been fighting with his Rhydon since the they had found the Chimera fighting the creatures and he had tried to find Brock, Riley or Rosette as he moved around the battlefield and hadn't been able to find them. As he dodged a blow from a Hiver-Warrior that got past his Rhydon he slammed his mace down and broke its head as he tried to look around and saw Lance getting on his Dragonite and flying towards a gathering of Hiver-Warriorflys.

He shook his head and looked at a Hiver-Gatherer that seemed to be overlooking one of the groups and saw one of the injured Hiver-Warriors, this one without it's left stinger move towards it and it fired a green beam at it and saw it regrowing the lost limb. Looking at his Pokemon they nodded at each other and roared, charging at the six Hiver-Warriors between the two of them and the Hiver-Gatherer.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As they moved through the tunnels Brock looked around and whistled. "I think we're almost to another chamber like where I fought that thing or maybe another intersection, I mean look at how much traffic this place has had."

Riley looked down and nodded as he saw what Brock had and nodded. "Yeah, I agree, with luck we're going to find a clue to where the maker of these things is."

As they moved Rosette gripped her crossbow and looked around, a feeling of slime going down her spine as they moved. A few moments later they walked into a large chamber about one hundred feet long and maybe fifty feet high with crystals shining light down on the area on the ceiling and walls and there were stalagmites and stalactites here and there and a large circular pillar about twenty feet wide in the center, the area with lite shadows being cast by it and most of the rock formations caused by the crystals. She looked around and what she saw caused her to grit her teeth and look around. "This place is an ambush waiting to happen."

"Yeah." Riley said as he looked around and frowned as he saw a few of the nearest shadows cast by nearby stalagmites "In fact lets turn the table! Lucario, Focus blast on that one!"

"Lucario!" Lucario called out as it cupped it's hands and thrust an energy ball at the stalagmites.

"Riley what the heck!?" Brock called out as the attack hit and exploded sending the rocks falling backwards and moments later another explosion acured as all around them fifteen Hiver-Warriors appeared before they held their heads at a mental screech.

[So you are the ones who dare invade my den!] As they got back to their senses the Hiver-Regent came out behind the stone pillar with four Hiver-Warriors standing guard.

"That's the maker then?" Rosette said as she looked at the Hiver-Regent as it stood in the back ready to fall back as the other got their sense back.

"Looks like, who's doing what? I'm killing that thing." Riley said as he looked at the Hiver-Regent as the Hivers started to move and some of them jerked here and there as they moved closer to them. The hornless ones let them use attacks, why can't this one do it too? Maybe they acted as signal boosters because without them this thing overrides the ability? He thought as he prepared himself.

"This one does not think this is all the ones that it has to throw at us!" Mizuki said moments before more screeches came from around them and more Hiver-Warriors came from other tunnels into the chamber. She blushed and looked down. "This one is not a prohiet, but this one is sorry she was right."

"Yeah well I'll be in front, how about a race to see who kills that thing first?" Edik asked with a laugh as he pointed his axe at the Hiver-Regent and Tom smirked.

"Me and my partner will handle the right side and see if I can close a few more holes before we're attacked from there, Miss Mizuki?" Tom asked as he as he looked around with a grin as his Ampharos started to spark.

"Then this one and hers will fight as a sniper!" Mizuki said as she spun her sais as her Ninetails started to growl and form green fireballs above it that it sent at a few of the Hiver-Warriors that were getting closer to them, burning them and causing shrieks of pain.

"We'll back her up!" Rosette said before her Arcanine started to grow in agreement.

"Then I'll take the left with Steelix and Swampert!" Brock said as he released Steelix who reared up and roared at the Chimera as Swampert did as well.

"Let's go!" Riley called out and they all moved, each of them doing what they had said . Riley rushed at a group of Hiver-Warriors as his Lucario followed him as the others went about their parts, the Hiver-Regent staying back and roaring as the Hiver-Warriors met. Riley activated an Aura Technique and his fists and feet had blue energy around them, as he punched and kicked at the Chimera the increase and protection offered by what he had done was obvuis, each blow killing or maiming a Chimera as Lucario did as well

As Edik and his Druddigon charged he grinned as his axe slew one of the Hiver-Warriors as they met and looked at Riley as and smirked. so that guy is a Technique user, great! That means I can use my axe to the fullest. He thought as he brought his axe close and swiftly put a red gemstone into his axe and fed it some of his Aura, wtithing moments his axe's blades started to glow red and he started to slash through the Chimera as Druddigon grabbed one and used it as a living frail to kill another one.

Tom ran towards the right side of the cavern and noticed right away four tunnels along the wall and cursed. "Iron Tail, Ampharos, aim for the ceilings!"

"Ampharos!" Ampharos roared as tail started to glow white before it jumped and used it to cause the tunnel's roof to collapses.

Tom grinned before a screech caused him to turn his head and see five Hiver-Warriors charging out of the nearest tunnel at them. Well guess it's time to see if that new rune set works right! Tom thought as he fed Aura into his mace and charged. "Ampharos, Thunder Empower!"

"Amph!" Ampharos cried as it shot a bolt of electicty at Tom's weapons and it gathered around the mace's head and Tom grinned and thrust his weapon forward as he fed more Aura into it and the results were a large blast of electricity that cooked the Chimer and killed them.

Tom stared at what he had done and grinned, a feeling of victory growing within him. it worked, it actually worked! I knew that old diary was true! He thought as he looked at the other tunnels, hearing the sounds of feet he ran towards the other tunnels with Ampharos following behind.

Mizuki looked at the battle as her Ninetales kept firing fireballs at any Chimera that came close and she smirked as she watched the battle.

"So you're related to an Aura Guardian then?" Rosette asked as she shot her crossbow before reloading it as her Arcanine growled and spat fire at another Hiver-Warrior that was trying to get at them from the

"Yes, by your words this one sense you are not?" Mizuki asked as she looked at the battle and prepared herself to defend as she watched the Chimera try and sneak up on them from the side out of the corner of her eyes, having activated a Technique she had learned to 'see without seeing' as the old scroll had said.

"No, I was assigned to the outpost on the mountain here and was out of it when those things attacked. Long story short I was used as a scapegoat and well, here we are."

"This one will like to talk with those people….." Mizuki trailed off as she suddenly spun around and impaled one of the Hiver-Warriors through its head and kicked it off her weapon before spinning back around. "And this one knows that they will not like the results of our talks

Brock and his Pokémon had dashed to the right, Steelix between them and the Chimera as they moved. As they reached the right side of the cavern Brock saw that there was a single tunnel leading deeper into the mountain, a large amount of tracks leading to it from the far side of the cavern behind the pillar. Okay, that looks important. I bet that wherever these things left their eggs is down there, or maybe where they were 'born'. I guess I can go and try to attack it from behind and then I can maybe win the race. Brock thought before as he looked around and saw three Hiver-Warriors running towards them and he could see the Hiver-Regent move behind the stone pilliar and he frowned.

"Swampert Hydro Pump, Steelix Flash Canon, take them out!" Brock commanded before his Pokémon roared and as they fired their attacks that the Chimera Brock grinned when they were forced backwards and he spun his hammers. "Okay, we can do this, this isn't your first Chimera hunt, just need to kill the creator and then the cleanup."

Brock smiled when he saw the Chimera had been dealt with and was about to move towards the stone pillar when a screech from behind him caused him to turn towards the tunnel and see ten Hiver-Workers charged at him. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me! Steelix, Swampert let's go!"

For the last few minutes Omega squad, Zontro and Butoro had heard the sounds of combat echoing around tunnel, Omega One had estimated it was from ahead of them and they started to run towards it. A few moments they reached a turn to the right downward and Omega One raised his hand and gestured for Omega Three to scout ahead, Omega Three moving out with his Pokémon following behind.

"Well do you think we've found our target Zontro?" Butoro asked as Zontro hid a scowl as he nodded.

"Yes sir, I expect that we'll know what's happening ahead of us soon." Zontro said as he kept his eyes from Butoro. He was reaching his limit, sooner or later he would be pushed beyond his limits and then he kill that idiot. Of course if the Chimera eat him then its not my fault, I'll be able to stay and help his successor take charge and then we could hunt down all his network and then we could really act. He thought as he smiled as he closed his eyes.

The sounds of foot falls caused him to look up as Omega Three came back from farther down the tunnel and nod, from where he was Zontro could see Omega Three's Machoke was standing guard at the turn. Moving closer to Omega One Zontro listened in as Omega Three gave his report.

"Just ahead, a large cavern like I thought captain. There are at least four trainers in there battling the Chimera." Omega Three began. "There aren't any one else in here with us, it could be somepeople who came in after us but I doubt it, she has to be there."

"Perfect, just perfect! All we have to do is sweep them all up and then we can get out of here and starve this monstrosity." Butoro said as he caught up to them. "Now then gentle people, I want her to be left alone, I want the pleasure of…."

"There's more!" Omega Three broke in. "I saw a giant Chimera there, directing the smaller ones. It had to be over twenty feet tall!"

"Then we've found the creator then." Zontro said as they all absorbed the information, Butoro started to pale in fright as he stated to sweat. "Do we let them try and kill it, moving in once the job is done one way or another?"

"Of course, perfect Zontro my boy, perfect plan!" Butoro said as he started to grin. "Let the enemy do the work for us, the best battle won is the one you don't have to fight!"

The rest of the Omega squad looked at each other over Butoro grinned and closed his eyes.

As Riley fought his way through the Chimera he saw his Lucario jump over him and slam an energy staff into one of the Hiver-Warriors attacking him from the front and smirked as he saw that they were almost to the stone pillar. He heard a cry and turned and saw that Edik and his Pokémon were partially neck and neck with him and Lucario and he grinned, part of him happy that soon this world all be over. And then I can talk to the others about how their related to the Guardians, if more of us survived then they won't win! He thought as looked around and saw the last of the Hiver-Warriors dead and Brock holding the last tunnel and he smirked before he ran towards the central Pillar and made a choice. "Everyone, get to the pillar, we can kill this thing!"

Mizuki and Rosette moved in with their Pokémon as the others started to converge, slaying any Chimera that was in their way. Riley looked at them and smiled

[NO! WHERE ARE MY REINFORCEMENTS!] The Hiver-Regent screamed as it moved backwards only for a few fireballs from Ninetales and a fireblast from Arcanine to

"Too far to help!" Edik called out as he charged from the right with Druddigon. As two Hiver-Warriors jumped at him he spun around and cut them both in two and

"And when you need them, their never where you want them? Another mistake you made, of course you'll die a failure for your plan to attack us here!" Tom said as his Ampharos sent a Thunderbult that hit the Hiver-Regent and it started to spasm as the electric attack paralyzed it.

[I am not a failure, you softskin slime!] The broadcast caused Riley to smirk as the Hiver-Regent started to attack him. Perfect it's starting to loose it's mind and let its anger lead it, all we need to do is take advantage of it! He thought as he dodged its hands and kicked at it as it passed below him, breaking it off and causing a screech of pain before his Lucario fired an energy blast at it that it barely dodged.

"This one thinks you failed when you attacked the city!" Mizuki said as she rushed forwards with Rosette and their Pokémon, and she tensed and looked towards the far side of the cavern when she felt over ten lifeforms in the mouth of the tunnel. That can't be more Chimera, it would have come and helped this thing, what is it…..no who is it? She thought as she looked at the tunnel as Rosette fired her crossbow and hit the Chimera in its eye.

As it screeched it broke the paralysis and lashred out with its right pincer and batted Druddigon into the air only for Druddigon to catch the air with its wings and land and shoot at the Hiver-Regent AND slash down with both claws and tear away part of its body above its second right leg and dashed away as the Chimera screeched in pain. A screech from the left side caused Riley to see Hiver-Warriors coming out of one of the two remaining tunnels and he looked at the wounded Hiver-Regent and knew from what he saw that this was their last and best shot to take it out.

"Everyone, forget them! Aim at the maker, we take it out and we take them all out! Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Riley barked

"Ampharos, Thunder!" Tom called out as he looked at the charging Hiver-Warriors and readied himself to give his Pokémon a change to kill the big one. Edik saw what he was doing and laughed/

"Druddigon, Dragon Rage!" Edik commanded as he ran towards Tom and stood next to him, ready to do his part as his family had done for lifetimes.

"Aracaine use Overheat!" Rosette called out as she rearmed her weapon and looked at Mizuki, worried about how she was looking at the tunnel behind the rock pillar.

As Druddigon shot a blast of purple energy that quickly took the shape of an eastern Dragon as Aracinine shot an orange-yellow fire spiral of flame as Lucario cupped its hand before trusting the blue energy sphere that formed as Ampharos shot a power bolt electricity. The attacks merged and hit the Hiver-Regent which screeched before it was engulfed by an explosion that pushed everyone back for and the light it generated caused them to lose their sight for a few moments but before they could see again they heard the sound of a rumbling and they turned towards it and saw a crack form in the pillar.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Outside Bruno slammed a Chimera to the ground before suddenly all of them went still and some of them fell to the ground. As Bruno looked around he saw people staring in confusion before grins started to form on some faces as they understood just what was happening.

"They did it, they did it!" Bruno said as a roar of victory rushed over the mountains and Bruno could see people laugh with joy as they looked towards the mountain peak and wonder who had run the day. It's great for them to react, but we have work to do. I don't know how whoever did this is doing in there but we need to get to them and fast! I should send some people back to base and have them bring in the materials needed to setup a base here for cleanup, I'll contact the Rangers tomorrow, now I'll deal with what's here. He thought as he looked around before gesturing to his Onix who roared and everyone quieted down.

"All right all of you that's enough, we're not done yet! I want the trainers with the fastest Flying types to fly to the Plateau and Viridian and tell them the good news, those going to Viridian are to lead back a squadron of Transport Helicopters with the load out I set up before I departed Viridian, tell them Plan Nest Slayer!" Bruno barked and within moments a few trainers had released their Flying types and were heading towards the two cities and the rest were all looking at him. "I know you all want to rest but we need to move into that mountain, everybody start looking for a way in! The heroes who did this are in there, if their still alive they will need help so let's go! One third into the caves, another third into that hole up there the last third remains here and guards, I'm with the cave group!"

Within moments they had divided themselves and Bruno looked towards the mountain, a sense of pride that they in how they were acting. Ahead Yuji was one of the first to find the tunnel and the stone pillars around it and enter it, hoping that Brock and the others were down here and alive, if they had been the ones to kill the creator of the Chimera. You guys better be alive, I don't want to tell that kid or the Docs you bought it. Yuji thought as he and his Rhydon leading the way into the darkness.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As the ringing in their ears died down they looked around and seeing the few Chimera that they hadn't killed on the ground not moving, they turned back to where the Hiver-Regent had been and saw a few shards of chitin and black blood here and there by the pillar and for a few moments they were silent before Edik reacted.

"HAHHHAA! We did it, we fucking did it!" Edik exclaimed as he threw his axe up and looked at the others and grinned. "Oh yeah! We can take out anything! And nobody but us could have done this!"

"I have to agree with you my friend, this is something we can be proud of!" Tom said with a laugh only to look concern when he turned his head, the others followed his line of sight to see Mizuki looking at the tunnel at the far end with her Ninetales growling. "What is it."

"We're not alone, there are others in there. Get ready." Mizuki said softly. As the others looked at each other Riley nodded to her as he gestured for Brock to stay in the tunnel, ready to attack if these new people were hostil. "Would the gentle ones in the tunnel mouth please come out? This one doesn't want to have to burn you out, but this one will!"

A few moments later four special forces troopers with Machokes came out, each of the troopers had a knife drawn and a slow chuckle sounded from the darkness.

"I see that the idoit we sent to scout must have been seen then, make sure to note that down Zontro my boy." A voice came out form the darkness and Rosette tensed, the action catching the attention of Riley and Lucario as her Arcanine started to growl.

"That voice….General Butoro!" Rosette gasped as a chuckling was heard as Butoro and his Pryroar walked into the light as Zontro and his Barbaracle followed him.

"Ahhh private Zargo, you always could tell when it's me. Of course you never did the smart thing and quiet no matter what I did but then that's life. A disappointment just like that father of yours, always a thorn in my side!"

"Dad…..what about my dad, he died because those smugglers put those chemicals there and when he broke in they were set off!" Rosette said before she paled and looked at Butoro as he grinned.

"Oh, I forgot. That was what I reported happened, of course the truth is a different story." Butoro said as he chuckled.

"No…..you caused that explosion and shamed him!" Rosette said as she looked at him as he laughed.

"Of course I did, he was always so sickeningly righteous that I just couldn't do anything with him around. And sending you to that outpost, I was hopping one of those thugs would kill you and let me paint you as a deserter. Of course if not then you'd be there to take the fall for my smuggling through that station." Butoro said as the others looked at him with such looks of loathing that he started to laugh harder. "And of course then there's these other people to consider, why….."

"And let me guess, this is where you're going to say that since you told us that you'll have to kill us and then blame her right?" Edik interrupted as he spun his axe before pointing it at the squad members before grinning. "Well that's going to be a little harder than you think!"

"Indeed! I don't know about you, but I say we make that impossible my friends!" Tom exclaimed as he started to grin. Butoro looked shocked at their responses, expecting them to roll over or beg but the looks on their faces were of defiance or bloodlust, ready to attack and he backed away as he tried to figure out what to do when Zontro spoke up.

"We'll handle the riff raff sir, you handle the girl. Omega Squad, kill!" Zontro barked and the squad members were about to move in when suddenly from the left.

"Dragonite Hyper Beam!" A voice from moments before an orange beam of behind shot past the group and hit the caused everyone to turn and see Lance standing there.

"Champion Lance…..sir I I." Butoro trailed off and

I heard everything, I can't believe this. I wanted to have a talk when I heard how you treated and blame her for the outpost, but this? I can't believe the rot spread so far and high." Lance said as Butoro looked at him and started to grow red in the face.

"I don't care even if you are here, all we have to do is kill him and then we can say these fools did it!" Butoro said pompously and Zontro looked at him, the expression on his face asking just what was he smoking and would he share it.

"Sir?" Omega One asked quietly. "I know that I could take Lance and the others could handle our targets but how he'll die will be telling."

"Wait a few seconds then take attack, if need be we can take out the pillar and cause this place to crash down." Zontro said just as quietly

"Give up now and maybe you won't go to jail for the rest of your life." Lance began before suddenly.

"Close Combat, now!" Omega One cut in suddenly. His Machoke shot at Dragonite and started to punched it away from Lance and it crashed against the cavern wall. Lance turned in shock as Dragonite shot off the wall and attacked the Machoke and punched it, sending it flying towards the left side of the cavern as everyone stared in shock as Dragonite suddenly started to block blows Machoke as it attacked back.

"How?" Lance asked as he watched the close quarters combat between the two Pokémon

"Surely you can't think Type matters? A good training program can make anything defeat any limitations." Omega One said as the other members of his squadron start to grin and look at the other trainers as they all stared at the combat as it moved towards the right side when Zontro barks a command.

"Don't just stand there watching, get them before reinforcements get here!" Zontro called out but before they could react when suddenly…..

"Herdier, use Thunder Bolt! Braviary use Air Slash!"

"Rhydon, Hyper Beam!"

"Attack Feraligatr, Hydro Pump"

"Herdier!"

"Braviary!"

"Rhydon!"

"Feraligatr"

As the cries echoed a bolt of electricity, glowing saw disc-like energy blades, a beam of orange energy and a blue energy beam merged and hit the Machokes, pushing most of them back while one was frozen into a block of ice! Everyone turned and saw Van, Silver and Giovanni and their Pokémon standing outside the far left tunnel and Van scowled at Butoro.

"He's right, don't let the battle fight if you want to live!" Giovanni called out as the four Pokemon attacked the Machokes.

"Kill them, all of them!" Butoro cried out and the remaining Machokes shot towards Riley and company as Barbaracle tried to free the frozen one.

"Tom, Edik! Back the Feraligatr and Ryhdon up! I'll handle that Barbaracle, Rosette, the Pyroar is all yours!" Riley said

"This one will wait for an opening and strike when it's clear!" Mizuki said

"Thanks Riley. Let's Go Arcanine!" Rosette called out as Arcanine started to growl and shot forward as Lucario moved in as well as the others sent their Pokemon to help.

As the Machoke attacked his Ryhdon Giovanni wondered how he could get out of this when a blast of fire hit the Machoke and a Druddigon appeared and slammed it the ground.

"Need some help old man?" Giovanni turned and saw a blond teen his son's age with a two sided axe over his shoulder and glared at him. "The name's Edik."

"If a child could help me, then I don't need it." Giovanni said coldly and the Edik laughed at the reply.

"Man o man, you Kanto folk really know how to rock don't you? Druddigon, keep it up!" Edik called out.

Silver watched as the Machoke his Feraligatr was fighting tried to use a strange martial arts style that consisted of kicks and quick dodges that let it dodged most of the blows and blasts Feraligatr used against it causing Silver to frown. This is like that battle in that tournament a where this guy evolved, but I can deal with this. Silver thought as he tried to figure out a plan when suddenly an Ampharos appeared and used a Thunder Punch that shocked the Machoke long enough for Feraligatr to blast it with a Hydro Pump that sent it backwards.

"Need a hand stranger?" A voice caused him to see a teen his age with white hair and a smile on his face. "I'm Tom and that's my partner Ampharos, your name stranger?"

"Silver, thanks. This trainer taught his Pokemon a combat style you don't normal see and its…..it's to buy time, he's trying to buy time until he get's help to take us down!" Silver said causing Tom to chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"Just that my comrades are dealing with that problem, so don't worry." Tom said and Silver looked around the cavern, looking for Lance.

"But if that Machoke that's facing Lance beats him!" Silver began only to stop when they heard a roar that shoke the cavern.

"Like I said, a friend is dealing with it." Tom said confidently.

As Arcanine shot at Pyroar Rosette glared at Butoro as he stammered out commands to his Pokemon.

"You traitor, you slime! When I get my hands around your neck I'll!" Rosette snarled as she fletched her hands and pointed her crossbow at Butoro. I can't believe that I was right about dad! I knew something else that wasn't reported happened, but this? When I get him I'll make him take responsibility for everything he's done to my family! She thought as she clenched her weapon, not noticing flickers of something at the edge of her conscience.

"Don't take airs that aren't yours little girl, you will die that's a promise." Butoro said from where he was hiding behind Omega One. "Anytime you want to help Zontro my boy."

Zontro gritted his teeth as he watched his Barbaracle try to deal with that blue clad trainer's Lucario. Something easier said than done you stupid buffoon. This is getting more and more hard every second. I wonder if I'll have to use my escape point after all. He thought as he looked down and fingered a Pokéball on his waist.

"Overheat Pyroar, at that witch!" Butoro cried out. Pyroar roared and sent a spiral of flame at Rosette as everyone turned and looked at the scene in shock. Rosette didn't move, only standing there as the flames moved closer before speaking.

"Finish this Arcanine, Flare Gather and then Flame Thrower!" Rosette called out and her Arcanine howled as it gained a red glowing outline around its body. As the flames reached and went past Arcanine was they suddenly circled back and gathered in a ball in front of it. Arcanine only looked at Pyroar and then it roared and sent a spiral of flames from its mouth that met the ball of fire before it before merging into a large spiral of fire that shot at Pyroar and engulfed it completely and when the fires died down Pyroar coughed and collapsed to the ground. The sounds of ice cracking alerted Riley to the fact that the frozen Machoke was freeing itself but another roar and another Machoke landing by its trainer caused him to smirk.

Van looked on as the other trainers came to help them and chuckled moments before a loud roar sounded and a strong looking Steelix suddenly burst out of the ground and grabbed the Machoke and threw it towards it's trainer. As he watched he saw the other trainer's Pokemon beat the Machokes back and he grinned when he saw Aracanine

Zontro could only look their Pokémon were defeated one after another and made a choice. "To me, we're getting out of here now!"

"Zontro?" Butoro asked as Zontro threw a Pokéball and released an Electabuzz that he grabbed as the squad members did the same as well and Butoro put his hand on Zontro's shoulder. "I didn't know you had a Electabuzz!"

"NO, TAKE IT OUT!" Lance bellowed as his Dragonite and Riley's Lucarrio reacted and shot at the Electabuzz, but before they could get more than half way to it Zontro barked out a command.

"Teleport now!" As soon as the words left his lips, Zontro, Butoro and the squad members were teleported away with the Electabuzz.

"NO! Where'd they go?" Rosette asked as she looked around the chamber and turned to Lance as he sighed.

"Anywhere on the continent, I guess the only thing to do is put out the word to law enforcement to watch for them, and the people and Guard back at the Plateau will probably raid their homes as soon as we can get the word to them." Lance said loudly as he walked over with Brock and their Pokémon following. "And I will have to work about changing the records about your father mam, and your discharge of course."

"Thanks." Rosette said as he Arcanine whimpered as it rubbed her legs. Do I want to go back, it'll be better but what I wanted happened, and the Champion himself is going to do it…then there's the other group that Shadow told us about…yeah no I think I'll travel with Riley and Cameron if they let me. Rosette thought as she looked at Riley for a second before replying. "But I don't think I'll be going back to the Guard after all this."

"I didn't think you would, I just meant that it wouldn't be considered dishonorable." Lance said as Rosette released a sigh and a nod. "Each and every one of you is a hero for killing that thing if it was the source."

"We still have to search and clean up this place though." Edik said as the others looked around, Brock looking down the tunnel the Hiver-Workers had come from in particular.

"Yeah, but that can be done tomorrow. For tonight we should all rest and have a few people keep watch, but for now. This nightmare is all but over; all we have left is the cleanup." Lance reassured them all as echoing cries alerted them to others coming and he grinned. "And with that lets get out of here and heal. This threat is defeated, that much I think we can gamble on for now."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Within the mountain valley a lone Hiver-Warrior lay on the ground by a tree, juices staining its mouth as it lay there, the body of a dead Machamp near it. As it lay there a bird flew over and started to peck at it before one of its stingers slammed it into the ground and kept hitting it until it died. As the Hiver-Warrior got back to its feet it looked around the area, a look of wonder in its eyes as it blinked and looked around, thinking for the first time. What is this, I haven't… wait I? How can this be how can I think I just…. The fruit, it must have done something to me, that burn…I….. I felt myself being born anew. It thought as it looked around and looked at the dead bird and as it gazed at it a strange sensation went over it and it threw up a black liquid that covered the corpse. It ate the bird and it was assaulted with the sense of stronger wings, a beak and feathers of all things and as it choose none of them it felt them being absorb into it and it looked around the world that it didn't know it had lived in.

As the Chimera took stock of itself it started to understand just what had happened and went over some of the memories of interactions it had heard during its time as an unthinking creature. That old monster, how dare it! It took the right of thought from me and so many of my kin! If it hadn't died then I would kill it myself….wait the other force it set out, I need to track them down and punish them, why should they of all us be reward with that! I earned this by killing that creature all on my own while they were giving it by sucking up to that monster! It thought as it stood up and looked down at the hidden valley, a sense of lust and vengeance taking over it.

As it watched it saw Pokémon, animals and plants stretch out the valley, miles long with a larger lake at the top of a waterfall that fed into the valley and into a tunnel that was beneath the cliff it was on. I can use this place; I can grow stronger and gather enough power to take my vengeance on all that dared to oppose me! But the first thing to do is to change, and I have the perfect bit of food to start it with. It thought as it turned hungry eyes on the corpse of the Machamp and walked towards it, a snicker coming from it as it stalked over to the corpse, never noticing another Decade Fruit on a branch on the other side of the tree, or signs that something else was in the area around the valley, or anything that would let it even think about the war that would soon start.