Shadow of Groudon
Damon had stopped moving, his feet ingrained into the molten rock that lay below him, lava cannoning and flowing down the rough walls. Finally he had arrived in the centre chamber of Mt. Chimney after what was weeks of planning and travelling through the thick jungles surrounding the active volcano in the Hoenn Region. He had to avoid the stares of Giovanni and the Team Rocket in order to get some time to himself, and so now was his only remaining chance to find answers. After spilling everything he knew to Professor Oak over a week back, he had felt himself growing in strength and power as the red chain leaked through his body. His Pokemon were afraid of him, unsure what was wrong and he struggled to describe the problem to them and what would happen in the near future. He needed answers, and it had all started here in Mt. Chimney many years ago when Hoenn was dealing with a completely separate problem.
Damon found a place to sit, a flat boulder staggered high above the chamber of lava flowing below, as his Magcargo lay nearby enjoying the heated conditions. Normally, nobody would be able to survive the temperature and terrain this deep into the volcano, but yet Damon was able to feel perfectly fine with the red chain powers within him repelling all discomfort. He felt invincible, but almost like a poison and unlike Giovanni; he wasn't sure how to use his powers to empower everything around him. Trembling slightly, he opened up a charred backpack and grabbed a melting water bottle from within before realizing that all the water had evaporated inside. Lacking supplies and running low on time, he knew that he would have to reach the Central Chamber soon in order to make it out in one piece.
It had been heavily rumoured that Groudon occupied the chamber at the base of the volcano, the lava and flowing magma empowering its fiery strength and allowing it to grow stronger. It hadn't been seen for several years now since the battle with Kyogre where a young trainer miraculously called upon Rayquaza to invoke peace on the Hoenn Region once more. That trainer had long disappeared off the radar, his name and face now unknown, and the Legendary Pokemon had been living in isolation since. However, for Damon, this was beyond peace and instead a pure act of survival and answers before Giovanni began to unleash his true plan.
Closing his bag, Damon edged forward, his trainers releasing the stench of burnt rubber from its soles, as Magcargo followed steadily on one of the smoking molten walls. The Lava Pokemon breathed heavily, its body in utter peace in the environment, as Damon urged it forwards to find the next chamber forwards into the depth of the volcano. Everywhere seemed to glow red in each step he took, as if some sort of energy was being attracted from within the walls, but was he going the right way?
Coughing, Damon commanded as he beckoned Magcargo onwards, "Magcargo, use Secret Power! Find the way!"
The Lava Pokemon screeched, understanding the command instantly, as it flung itself off the wall with its hardened shell glowing brightly. The sparkling lights flickered off the walls and throughout the entire molten rock room as suddenly the world began to change around them both. Damon felt the heat increase sporadically around him, his inner energy exploding into life, as he buckled to the ground in exhaustion and pain. Concerned, Magcargo approached its trainer, but Damon smiled weakly and asked for it to continue moving forward as a charred wall began to crumble ahead.
"Use Heat Wave, destroy the wall!"
In the wake of the heated attack, Damon ran into the next Chamber, sweat pouring from his head as desperation began to grow over him. He had never felt so weak before, his powers vanishing steadily, sapping his life force as his vision began to blur in the conditions. However, the next room brought calm back to the scenario, and was pitch black apart from the shimmering light of lava from the previous area. Blinking, his eyes adjusting to the new light, Damon moved forwards cautiously while clutching his aching sides. Magcargo led the way, the light from its body barely illuminating the room, but Damon suddenly felt a sense of epiphany.
They had finally arrived.
…
"He's gone to Mt. Chimney, doesn't take a genius to work that out." Giovanni spat on the ground as his computer screen continued to illuminate in front of him. "He wants answers to our…affliction."
Daniel's response carried a weight of confusion as he mind began to focus on what Giovanni meant by an 'affliction'. Ever since they had met, the Team Rocket leader had rarely mentioned how the Red Chain had consumed him in his search for the ultimate power. Its source remained unknown until only a few years recent where another criminal organisation discovered its natural power source on Earth. Giovanni found it, researched it and now it rippled through his entire body where he studied its contents and potential. Daniel would never forget the day they had discovered how many individuals carried the power of the Red Chain without even knowing, but was Damon's trip to Mt. Chimney really the answer? Daniel coughed, "I don't see a connection with Groudon and the Red Chain, Giovanni. Team Galactic's research never related to the Hoenn Region."
Running his fingers through his own sleek hair, Giovanni nodded and replied with a snarl, "The source of the Red Chain could come from many places in the world. Damon will find what he is looking for, but it will give him no answers. We know the natural source of it is there, but we need the reasons why."
The final word echoed around the room before descending back onto Daniel who glanced back at the marble floor in wonder. Giovanni was hiding something about its power, but he wasn't sure what it was. Pushing the urging thoughts away, he looked back up and re-focused on the plot at hand, "The Thieves Guild has already reached Mauville City, sir. We believe Cynthia and Gary Oak will attempt to intercept, do you wish to travel to Hoenn?"
"I'm sure the Thieves Guild will manage. I have no interest in Hoenn at the moment apart from Rod and his father. Damon is running out of time to track Blue down."
"Should we force him away from Groudon, sir?"
"No…let him see for himself what his affliction really is, and he'll go after Blue without us."
The meeting had ended and Daniel was left with more questions than answers despite being summoned in personally to talk with the Team Rocket leader. Closing the door and shifting through the array of black clothed Team Rocket employees before entering his own office and placing his rucksack onto one side. They had been based in Saffron City for what seemed months now, the old Silph Co building completely eradicated and renovated for the emerging society. Giovanni had control of the Kanto Region, but there had been a lot of uprising from the nearing Johto area. Lance was forming an army of elite trainers there, but they would all perish with Giovanni involved.
Daniel's mind remained caught in two worlds as he sat at his desk, flicking the lamp on, and turning towards an image of his family. A weary smile appeared on his face as he gazed at his parents and the backdrop of Blackthorn City…
…
It glimmered in the shivering room, the molten rock walls threatening to collapse under the intensive pressure. No normal human being could survive in these circumstances, the heat reaching critical levels, but Damon pushed on with the power of the Red Chain illuminating his body and lending him the energy to see ahead. After the final rock had crumbled away, opening into what seemed an entirely empty chamber, Damon had to squint before seeing the shining rock sitting on the ground. Pitch black in colour but with a marble shine, it released draws of energy through the air as the world continued to shake around them all. Taking out a Pokeball, Damon aimed it towards Magcargo and ordered it to return before placing the ball back into its holster.
Bending down, Damon reached out and felt the rock, feeling the smooth and cool outline of it before his heart race began to pulse faster. Coughing violently, he collapsed onto one side as the heated ground began to burn away his shirt with smoke absorbing into the air. Struggling to breathe, Damon felt something inside his chest quake heavily before releasing the rock and heaving a sigh of relief. Regaining balance, Damon glanced around at the large chamber, perfectly built and holding steadily despite the heat in the volcano. This must be the Central Chamber, he thought to himself, and that was when the sense of loneliness vanished.
Damon was not alone.
A vicious dark shadow appeared behind as the floor began to crack and shiver, the world beginning to change very quickly as heavy stomps were heard. Damon coughed again, this time blood appearing and landing on the ground to evaporate in seconds, before looking back at the small rock and diving down at it again. He had felt the energy purge through his body, a sense of life breathing through him and he wanted more of it, wanted to take it all in once again.
Damon roared loudly, the footsteps getting louder and louder in the Chamber as a large silhouetted figure appeared in the distance, "Give me the rock! GIVE IT TO ME!"
Grasping at it, the rock refused to move as it stood in place not even inching from the heated ground. The footsteps stopped as the figure remained shrouded in darkness, the molten lava light refusing to reveal its true form, but Damon knew what it was – Groudon. The Continent Pokemon looked weak, refusing to get any closer to the desperate human as it gazed onwards, its rocky skin flashing red briefly. Damon ignored it completely and continued to pull the rock, feeling its energy brighten his sight up, never had he felt as alive as now.
A powerful Supersonic wave entered the Chamber as Damon screamed in pain, falling to one side as a voice echoed throughout his head: 'Death is upon you. Curse is upon you. Death is upon you.'
It continued, pounding more and more into his skull as Damon screamed once again before finally blacking out in exhaustion, his hand releasing the rock. Groudon screeched loudly and crashed its tail hard into the ground as the lava and molten rock shattered into the air and landed with finality on the single human in the Chamber.
Damon knew what he had to do, but he didn't have much time left to do it…
…
"Do you have any idea why they want you, Blue?"
"When you say 'they', is that Giovanni or Red?"
"Aren't they the same thing?"
Blue had not travelled far since leaving the desert from the centre of the Hoenn Region, his quest to find Rod proving more difficult with Thieves Guild agents everywhere. He had spent a lot of his time communicating with Gary Oak and Cynthia through a transceiver, but they were refusing to reveal Rod's location knowing what was about to happen next. Blue knew he was a target now, but for something he hadn't even expected to reappear in his life again. He hadn't even done anything, it was what he saw and managed to affect.
"Giovanni wants me because I saved Red, he wants me to save him as well."
Gary responded with a slight sneer, "Nobody knows how you did it Blue, but you kept Red alive despite the Red Chain flowing through his body. I personally don't believe you did anything, but yet here we are saving your ass."
Gazing at his surroundings, hiding in a rocky cavern north of Mauville City with Zubat and small Pokemon nearby, Blue replied angrily, "Saving my ass? I'm just following your orders when all I want is my son."
"You'll get your chance, but you might find that Rod is uninterested in your pathetic plan to 'save' him. You left him for dead."
"That isn't true, and you know it."
"But does he?"
Cynthia's voice cut through them both as she snarled, "Shut it both you. Blue, listen, there is going to be something happening in New Mauville Powerplant over the next week where the Thieves Guild are going to intercept Rod's path through. You mustn't be there or you'll be a sitting duck."
"I can take them all out, I just want my son."
"I need you to head up to Fallarbor Town, wait up there for us and Rod will eventually get there on his journey, I promise you."
Blue shook his head in disbelief, but he was done arguing as frustration began to increase. Hanging up the transceiver, he threw it at the ground and began to make his way towards Mauville City.