(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)
Time passed differently underground. There was no sun or moon to watch travel across the sky, and no night to separate one day from another. Eventually your eyes adjusted to the dim light and adapted to the low glow of bioluminescent moss, something that went from being a luxury to a necessity in the darkness below.
That had been the first challenge they faced, adapting to the constant gloom where even the slightest noises were amplified and your fear played tricks on the mind.
The second came in the form of a realisation. There wasn't a single bit of flora or fauna that he recognised from the time before. No worms or beetles or grubs. No moles, or any other dirt and cave-dwelling beast he would have expected to find.
Nothing to speak of his past. Nothing to suggest home wasn't far away, too far to reach.
Hope was not one of the many abundant resources you could find underground, something that Aaron had felt in the form of a grim, sinking acceptance that this truly was not the world he knew. A weight that would have dragged him down if not for two things.
The first of which he felt perk up at the same moment he did, mirroring him as Aaron lifted his chin from where it was resting against his chest and listened closer. A faint vibration which first started as a quiet rumble soon grew in volume to rapidly become a roar, sounding like an avalanche had been released and was unmistakably racing towards them as Aaron softly sighed and pushed himself up the wall.
"Here they come."
An answering chuff berated him, the exasperated sound making it clear just how unnecessary they found his habit of stating the obvious while also putting a smile on his face as he walked towards the tunnel entrance and leaned himself against the wall. Crossing his arms and closing his eyes, Aaron settled in as he felt the constant presence of his companion lazily shamble over to the other side, briefly mirroring him as best as they could on all fours before turning their sharp, focused blue eyes towards him and readying themselves.
"Remember," He said while lowering his voice to a murmur, the sound only just loud enough to be heard from six feet away over the echo of crashing boulders. "Not until I give the signal."
Even with his eyes closed he could see the eye roll his words produced, but Aaron couldn't bring himself to regret it. A part of him feared that if he stopped talking, he might just forget how.
The roar grew closer and figuring they were maybe approaching ten metres out, he opened his eyes and readied himself to begin.
"Harden."
A bright white light burst to life to his right as he chose to focus on the rest of the cave instead of letting himself be blinded.
"Harden."
The light came again as he examined the enclosed space they were in. It was maybe twenty feet across, but the prize lay not in its size, but in its layout.
Aaron felt the white light fade just as the sound reached five metres.
"Harden."
A circular room with only two features of note. A door in… and a door out. Both of which were exactly opposite from one another. Exactly.
A grin bloomed to life as the light faded for a final time once their threshold was reached.
'For now…'
They were out of time anyway.
The tumbling rocks turned the final corner and the room's shaking reached a crescendo as the first grey blur erupted from the entrance. Hitting a bump it launched itself up as the boulder-like blob twisted through the air before almost seeming to unravel at the apex of its jump. Four lumpy grey limbs extended, fanning out as a pair of white eyes snapped wide and its pink mouth opened wide.
"GRAVELLER!" It cried, pumping its misshapen but powerful arms as it launched across the room before tucking back into a ball and tearing off down the opposite tunnel, never looking back once as it shot through the opening with its brethren right behind.
'Two, three, four, five…'
Much like most of the monsters he'd encountered in these god-forsaken tunnels, they always moved in packs and there was always a hierarchy. The Alpha took the lead, followed closely by its inner circle which usually consisted of up to five other graveller depending on the size of the group. After them came the much weaker variant, geodude, with bodies like a bowling ball and only two arms. The weaker they were, the more they got outpaced, and only the strongest had a hope of keeping pace with their elites. In a group of around fifteen other geodude, it was inevitable that some would get left behind. Meaning that with every blur, the gap between the last and the next grew wider. And not one of them ever stopped to look around, only focused on the path ahead and never looking back.
A mistake they wouldn't even realise they'd made.
Most of the group passed and the remaining sounds were more identifiable, the raucous rock slide becoming a handful of skipping rocks as Aaron squeezed the comforting bone hilt of his weapon, its red and black blade oriented with the point facing the ground as he crouched.
'Almost, almooooost…'
He counted them down in his head, practically ignoring the passing geodude as he concentrated on the only one that mattered. Another brown blur skipped past and suddenly, there was only one rolling stone left.
His blade shot down-
'TING!'
"Headbutt."
He said the command more out of habit than necessity. After all, Aron was already moving.
The shooting form of the very last geodude only made it a foot inside the door before a triple harden enhanced headbutt t-boned it in mid-air with a stone-tearing crunch.
"GUAH!?"
Its pained cry rang out while its form lost cohesion as the sudden change in momentum buckled its body while its eyes tore open, filled with agony and fear-fuelled rage as instead of soaring ahead it was THROWN to the side.
Aaron didn't react beyond idly trying to count the numerous chips of stone that were ripped from its rocky hide as it flew past him, skipping across the floor with a shower of sparks before crashing thunderously against the far wall. It briefly hung there, embedded in the spiderweb of cracks that had spread across the stone before its weight pulled it free and it thudded against the floor.
"... Huh," Aaron blinked, glancing at the damage. "Nice timing."
"Chah. Aron."
His companion's haughty sniff came out more like a gust from the dark vents in its face plate which served as nostrils, conveying a wordless question of 'Did you expect anything less?' but in far fewer syllables. He chuckled, pushing off of the wall while stretching out the stiffness in his neck.
A faint groan from the broken wall drew their attention and before Aron could ready itself for another attack, Aaron raised his hand.
"Hold on! Still need to check." He muttered.
Despite Aron's impatience, Aaron still smiled as he let his eyes run across them for the thousandth time. From the powdery white armoured shell dotted with pitch black vents to the slate grey of its underbelly held aloft by four stubby white legs. His gaze found that long, round head and the blue of its eyes, eyes that returned the fond warmth he could feel filling his chest as he found what he was looking for and slid it out of his waistband.
'Click!'
Muscle memory took over as his eyes broke contact and he looked to the device in his hand, a single flick of his thumb sliding it apart to reveal another panel with an embedded screen. A button press later and it shone to life, lighting up blankly before, quickly, data spread across the display as he took aim towards the geodude and a red beam flickered to life.
Full Scan in progress: G-G-G-Geodude, the R-R-ock Pokemon.
"Tch. Come on baby, come on," Aaron growled as the red beam flickered weakly over the slowly rising geodude. "Just a little bit more, get it together…"
Giving the clunky machine a sharp slap on the side caused the screen to briefly flicker before Aaron grinned as it resolved itself, the red laser bursting back to life and swinging across the growling pokemon to finish its work before releasing a soft ding.
Full Scan Complete! Geodude, the Rock Pokemon.
When Geodude sleeps deeply, it buries itself halfway into the ground. It will not awaken even if hikers step on it unwittingly. In the morning, this pokemon rolls downhill in search of food.
It finally succeeded in getting its arms under itself and using them to shakily rise as Aaron felt Aron move into position, armoured head lowering in preparation as he calmly eyed the spitting mad rock before refocusing on the screen, scrolling past the rest of its species general entry as it reared up and bellowed an enraged "GEODUUUUDE!"
He found what he was looking for.
This Pokemon is Male and possesses the ability Sturdy.
"Whoo! It's not Rock Head!" Aaron cheered.
Smirking triumphantly, he folded the second strongest reason he hadn't given up hope all those months ago before cooling his expression and nodding to the first.
"Finish it."
The geodude's skin shone with the first flickers of a harden as it raised its arms in what Aaron presumed would be a flex. Not that they'd ever get to know. Before the geodude could even brace its guard it was struck by a four-legged snow-white battering ram, its valiant roar reduced to a breathless gasp as the brutal headbutt tore past its arms and slammed against its centre mass, the shock wave it emitted pushing at Aaron's hair as the small boulder was ploughed violently backwards into the already weakened wall with enough force to shatter it completely.
Checking to make sure the cave wasn't about to fall in around them, it was more habit than anything that made Aaron check to confirm the swirls in its eyes showing it had fainted before he approached, reaching his companion's side and crouching to pat them on the spike sticking out of their back.
"Nice job." He murmured. "Now hold him still."
Huffing contently under his hand, Aron shook its coat with the sound of rattling steel and stepped forward, using its body to hold the geodude in place as Aaron brought the tip of his Haxorus tusk to hover over its dazed and open eye.
"Nothing personal." He somberly said.
'SQUELCH!'
(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)
Four and a half months earlier…
With his heart beating in his throat, he slumped. The rough tunnel wall scraped against his back as he collapsed to the floor but Aaron barely even noticed. After all, what was one scratch amongst many? Not like he could really feel the pain anyway considering how much his head was spinning, the constant headache and desert-like dryness of his mouth an unending reminder of just how dire their situation was.
A sudden reverberating growl also chose that moment to remind him of its presence, and Aaron was sure he would have cried at the tearing ache of his shrunken stomach if he had the moisture to spare.
"I don't think I can go on much longer, bud." He croaked.
His voice was so hoarse it made him flinch, and he refused to look up at the distressed whine his words resulted in. A firm nudge against his arm almost broke him, but he kept the misery contained as the familiar head of his companion worked its way under his arm, pressing against him and letting the soothing coolness sap away some of his pain where it pressed against his ribs. His jumper was so threadbare at this point that it almost felt like he was wearing nothing at all, and a tremulous smile worked its way onto Aaron's face as he allowed himself to lean into it he comfort.
How long? How long had they been running?
No matter how hard he thought back, Aaron just couldn't figure it out. Ever since he'd awoken to Aron's snuffling in the cave where their improvised escape tunnel had let out, they'd been forced to run. Nothing drew attention like fresh water, and word must have gotten out because the monsters came in waves. The desperate search for sustenance carried on between whatever moments of rest they managed to snatch away for themselves, but no matter how far they travelled, how hard they looked, there was no luck to be had.
So in his desperation, Aaron resorted to stupidity.
"I'm such an idiot…" He whispered, drawing up one knee to wrap his arms around while Aron lay down on the other, looking up at him with those big, soulful eyes that he just couldn't bring himself to meet. "I'm sorry, Aron. I'm so sorry." His shoulders started to shake. "I don't know what to do. I think… I think I'm dying?"
The trembling grew and Aron whined, pushing itself up to wedge the top of its head under his chin, pressing desperately against him as Aaron lay his face against the cool metal and bit his lip to fight back the urge to sob while his voice came out strained.
"I don't know how long I have before I have to leave you alone." He snivelled.
Aron didn't have the words so its body was all the comfort it could give, pressing against him hard enough to bruise as Aaron squeezed his eyes tight and forced himself to breathe, drawing in deep lungfuls of air that quivered in his chest before he finally huffed a sharp laugh.
"Hehe. At least I won't keep dragging you down?"
The gentle bump against his chest told Aaron that his jokes weren't appreciated, and his eyes quickly grew heavier as he relaxed beneath the comforting weight of his partner. He was just so tired. His head, his stomach, his arms and his legs. All of his muscles felt like lead.
'Just a little…' Aaron told himself, wrapping his arms tighter around Aron's head as he curled up. 'Just for a little bit…'
It felt so good to close his eyes, the quiet rasp of Aron's breath and the vibration of the rock around him soothing Aaron as he felt himself slip deeper, consciousness hanging by a thread as he prepared himself to let go and-
'Wait.'
Even with his brain like mush Aaron zeroed in on that single thought, a concern prodding at his brain until he forced himself to pay more attention and think!
'Vibration?'
Aaron focused on his body and, for a moment, thought he was imagining it.
Then dust began drifting from the ceiling.
A faint rumbling that had started so quiet he never even noticed grew louder, building until the simple trembling became a bone-shuddering quake as he jerked his head around the corner they'd taken cover behind and peered back the way they'd come.
Like the lull in a storm, the shaking stopped.
Aaron held his breath.
The drumming of his pulse filled his ears as he watched wide-eyed as in one moment, the tunnel was empty. Then, like a rising brown tide, they came.
"-lett, Dig Dig!"
"Digleeeett, Dig-"
"Diglett Diglett!"
"DUGTRIO!"
The shaking returned with a vengeance and Aaron's eyeballs felt like they were rattling in his skull as he searched out Aron's horrified eyes and did the only thing he could.
"RUN!"
His scream tore through the dust poring over them as Aron jerked away to let Aaron roll to his feet. The weakness infesting his limbs almost threatened to make them buckle and send him spilling back down into the dirt, but the adrenaline pumping through his system gave Aaron all the energy he needed to point himself in the other direction and push, his companions tapping steps sticking close-by as the two of them tore their way through the subterranean systems ahead.
Almost immediately his lungs struggled, and the pounding in his head was getting worse but Aaron refused to stop. The threat of death hung over him as they ran and when he looked back he could already see the glint of beady black eyes giving chase, their turd-like bodies bobbing in an undulating wave as the countless diglett and their superior remained in hot pursuit.
It didn't take him long to find the singular diglett leading the charge with a furious glare.
The same one who'd been casually gnawing at a patch of moss when he'd pounced on it from behind with the intent to make it his dinner.
Needless to say, he'd underestimated the little creature.
"Ar, Ar? Aron!" Came the panicked cry, and Aaron brought his head back to the front just in time to see what Aron was trying to warn him of.
It wasn't hard to figure out.
The rest of the tunnel was a straight shot with no turns or bends. Where it let out, however, was a chasm.
With the other half of their escape on the other side.
They'd run into them a couple of times. Great, gaping ravines underground where the path ahead suddenly dropped off into unassailable cliff walls where you couldn't even see the bottom. Every time they'd run into one before, they'd been forced to turn back.
That wasn't an option this time.
"Aron!"
"I see it!" He said as his feet pounded and his arms pumped. "Just keep going!"
"Aron?!"
"I SAID KEEP GOING!"
Aron obeyed without question, but in his head Aaron felt like his brain was burning out. Rapid thoughts bounced against each other as he thought desperately for an answer, furiously trying to suss a way out of their predicament that wouldn't end with them falling to their deaths or getting crushed to a pulp by the surging enemies behind.
All the while, the end of the line was getting closer.
'Come on, not like this… not Aron!'
The pitch-black opening got bigger.
'Think.'
He felt them nipping at his heels.
'Think!'
An anxious whine came from his side. "Kugh! Aron?!"
'THINK!'
They were eight feet from the edge when Aaron found their salvation, and he didn't have time to explain.
"JUMP!" He roared at the top of his lungs.
Without hesitation, Aron threw themself over the edge.
A piece of upturned rubble kissed his heels from the hole of a rampaging diglett as Aaron flexed his legs and followed, diving forward and leaving the tsunami of monsters to cry out as he left them drifting to a grinding halt at the edge of the cliff, a few startled squawks chasing him over as they were almost tipped into the darkness below by their brethren behind.
He didn't have time to revel in their frustration though. He was too busy reaching out to wrap his arms around the flailing piece of armour that was Aron, reeling his best friend into his chest and letting the additional tremendous weight drag them across the chasm. However, they were too heavy to reach the broken-off path on the other side.
That was fine though. Aaron hadn't been aiming there anyway.
The darkness receded as they crossed the distance and fell towards the same glint he'd spotted moments before disaster, the object revealing itself to be a polished bit of rock that had been worn down and smoothed to an almost glass-like state by the doubtlessly countless years of superheated magma the volcanic vent, thankfully now inert, had carried.
"OOF!"
It was maybe six feet across but his aim was true and they fell into it dead centre, clattering and bouncing off the walls as the two of them together tumbled down, down, down, all the way until with an abrasive rip they tore through a wall of thick, vine-like roots that were blocking their way.
"GAH!"
The introduction of surprisingly soft ground to his back did little to stop Aaron from having the wind knocked out of his lungs by the powder-white cannonball on his chest when the two of them crashed to a halt in the dirt, leaving him at the mercy of a series of painful, body wracking coughs that felt like they took an age to subside. When they finally did, the rust-haired young man collapsed onto his back with his arms spread wide and simply fought to breathe.
He had already been tired and worn down when the whole ordeal had started and it took a while for him to recover. Only when his chest stopped heaving and the furious pace of his pulse eased up did he open his eyes and feel them widen.
Aaron lay there, staring in shock at a ceiling that was literally coated in the glowing moss which threaded its way through the caves. It was so thick that Aaron could almost believe that he was the one on the ceiling, and what he was looking at was some fae forest floor so bright that it eventually made him wince as the sting in his unadjusted retina forced him to squint.
That was when it hit him. They were alive.
His ears weren't picking up any noise so they were alone, and Aron wasn't complaining so he was more than willing to believe that they were safe.
"It's… so soft…" He whispered.
Unbidden, the darkness encroaching at the edges of his vision slithered closer and a soft sigh spilled from his chest. Between one thought and the next they closed, and the last thing he felt as their escape took its toll was Aron's breath on his chest as they cooed before curling up at his side.
Sleep took him without complaint.
(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)
Aaron had no grasp of how long he slept. It could have been hours, it could have been days or it could have been weeks. He only knew two things at the moment he awoke. First, it was the single, longest bit of uninterrupted rest he'd had since his time in Momma Aggron's cave. Second? He was being dragged.
"Ughhhh. Mmph… hwa? Aron?"
His head was too foggy to focus and his eyelids were too heavy to open, but the familiar answering growl told him that it was Aron's jaws around the collar of his jumper. Aron who was dragging him. He didn't even have the energy to question it as with one pull at a time he was hauled through the dirt until finally he was released and allowed to collapse with a 'splash'!
Still, he didn't react. He simply lay there, enjoying the soothing wetness soaking into his hair and sighing as it tickled his scalp before his eyes snapped open and he squawked.
Doing his best imitation of a flailing arm tornado Aaron twisted himself around onto his front and threw himself face first into the sparkling blue pool with a second, far more tremendous 'SPLASH!', sending water flying everywhere as he submerged himself up to his neck, opened his mouth and gorged. His spasming stomach cried out at the sudden introduction of sustenance but Aaron didn't care, ignoring the painful clenching and the way he coughed up more water than he drank until the burning in his lungs demanded he pull out with a gasping "HUUUUGH" before tumbling over into the dirt.
Aron's long round head pushed its way into his field of view and blocked out the light above, leaving him to stare up into those beautiful blue eyes.
"I think… that's the best… thing…I've ever… tasted." He panted, voice thick with an undercurrent of emotion as Aron's eyes curled happily.
It took a while for Aaron to sort out the whirlwind of emotions going on inside himself. Enough time at least that by the point he managed to sit up, his compatriot had already wandered off to start exploring, leaving him to look around in wonder at the bizarre cavern they'd fallen into.
He'd never seen anything like it.
The harsh grey walls of stone he'd come to expect were hard to see past the thick layers of vines and vegetation, the first true signs of a mother nature he recognised outside of moss and algae that almost caused his throat to choke up as he drank it all in.
The holes in his shoes where his toes poked through let him feel the dirt underfoot. Not rock, or stone, or gravel. Dirt. Fresh, brown earth that softly sifted against his toes until Aaron finally gave in to the desire to simply take them off and let himself revel in it entirely, a deep moan of contentment that could have made a sailor blush pouring from his mouth as he lightly shivered before smiling and calling out.
"This is crazy. Aron, are you seeing this? Look where we ARE, man!"
It was surreal. Everywhere he looked there was green, and if he hadn't known they were underground he could have easily mistaken it for the workings of a forest, maybe even a meadow! Like someone had cut it out and dropped it deep, deep underground. Somewhere no one would ever find it.
"Haaah… Aron?"
There was no response. A frown made its way onto his face as he turned and still couldn't find them. Closer inspection revealed a deeply inset trail of upturned earth that could have only come from his deceptively heavy companion which led deeper into the cavern, pathing towards a thicket of unruly bushes.
"Oi. You there?" He called out, creeping closer to the thick wall of shrubbery where the tracks disappeared. "What have I told you about running off!"
It wasn't the first time they'd had an incident like this, and he couldn't truly blame Aron. For all intents and purposes, no matter how smart, he was a newborn. One surrounded by a world he'd barely seen and hardly gotten to experience. It was just unfortunate that said world was filled with a million and one ways to kill them.
Never did Aaron feel more vulnerable than when he turned around and his partner wasn't right there.
The vegetation was so thick that it formed a natural wall, one unruly enough and tall enough that no matter how hard he looked, Aaron couldn't see through to the other side.
"Why did you have to be difficult?" He grumbled, hand already moving to his waist as he grabbed the still-jagged handle of his blade and swiftly got to work.
His muscles were sore and his body was still weak, so it took Aaron longer than he would have liked to cut his way through to the other side where he finally found his friend. Once he did though, he couldn't help pulling up short as the sound of his entrance drew Aron's gaze and prompted a cheerful bark while he stood there and gawped.
"Aron! Ar, Ar, Aron!" Came his greeting, slightly muffled by the mouthful of metal that was currently crunching around between Aron's jaws as he quickly turned back to continue tearing out long, rough chunks of steel.
Not rock. Not Iron… Steel.
"What… the… fuck?"
It took a moment for a stunned Aaron to process just what he was seeing.
It was massive, unmistakable and undoubtedly human in design. Overgrown with weeds and roots with two tank treads holding it up, the excavator had clearly seen better days. Its distinctive orange paint was faded and the large mechanical arm with its tarnished metal holding up the bucket was broken, but it wasn't difficult to see what a titan it had once been.
The whole thing was tilted back and sunk halfway into the dirt like God had simply dropped it from the sky, leaving the cabin twisted at an angle as Aaron numbly stumbled towards it. One slow step at a time, he passed Aron where he was currently chowing down on one of the track chains and tentatively reached out to rip away some of the vegetation, revealing a patch of dust and grime that he needed his sleeve to rub away before he could read the big, blocky letters painted on underneath.
"Silph Co…?" He read in a whisper.
His mouth suddenly felt dry as Aaron gulped and burned the words into his brain, devouring the first, real evidence that he wasn't alone… there were people here, maybe, but definitely somewhere. It felt like his heart was trying to hammer its way out of his chest as Aaron forced himself to breathe and suddenly took a step back as the thing that had been staring him in the face this whole time slammed home.
Falling back and almost tripping over his own feet, Aaron whipped his head from left to right as Aron finally stopped eating to look over.
"Chaa?" Aron chirped in concern.
"It's not supposed to be here." Aaron breathed.
Sweat dripped down the back of his neck as he looked, really looked at the cavern they were in. He hadn't noticed it before but the walls… they weren't natural. As big as it was, it was easy to see how they all followed an almost perfect curve to form the ceiling, and the more he focused the more he could see how they just didn't match the ground. A thought he'd had earlier flashed through his mind but this time with far graver implications.
'Like someone had cut it out and dropped it deep, deep underground. Somewhere no one would ever find it.'
"Someone, something put it here. These plants aren't meant to work down here, we're too deep. This, this place… it was moved here, buried. But why?"
It was like a bubble of the world above had sunk to the bottom of the earth. They sat there in absolute silence as Aron seemed to sense the severity of his concern, but they weren't getting any answers just standing around.
Unbidden, Aaron turned his attention towards the excavator's cabin. Steeling himself he stepped forwards and put his right foot on the tread before climbing up and reaching for the door, tearing away the vines blocking the way until his hand could find the handle as he tried to peer past the thick layer of dust and dirt clouding the glass, only to realise he couldn't.
"Arrr… Aron?"
"Don't worry, bud." He soothed, looking back with a rigid smile as he pulled at the handle and, after a moment of stiff resistance, felt a rough 'clunk'. "I'll be careful."
Aron didn't look convinced. Unfortunately, he needed answers. A steadying breath helped to calm his pulse and relax his nerves, and before he lost them again Aaron flexed and pulled. The door opened up a crack and he had to tug harder, straining as the sound of tearing plant fibre finally gave way and allowed him to jerk it open and release a swarm of dust that tickled his lungs, leaving him to cough and wretch as the stale smell put a grimace on his face before he managed to wave it away and peer upon his reward.
He almost fell back to the dirt below as he was greeted by two empty, bone-white sockets.
"... Shit."
Now the smell made more sense, Aaron thought, screwing up his face and trying not to breathe too deeply as he spent the next few moments simply staring at the skeleton before him. He wasn't too sure on how long it took for a body to decompose, but this one must have been there a while. There was no flesh to speak of, the bones picked clean either by time or something else to leave it clean as could be. The thick, construction worker clothes had a few holes but were otherwise in pretty good condition, and Aaron figured the cabin must have helped to keep them intact.
Other than that, the cabin looked like that of any other piece of heavy machinery. A dashboard and console with a myriad of buttons, switches and levers that he couldn't even begin to fathom what they would do. As for answers, it seemed he was unfortunately out of luck. For the first time Aaron realised he didn't even know what he was looking for, but there was nothing there to conveniently explain just how it had ended up so deep underground.
Pilfering the dead man's (woman's?) pockets revealed nothing, and he was almost about to give up before something caught his eye.
"Huh? What the…"
It was tucked inside a small pocket built into the interior of the door, a long strap leading from it to the waist of the corpse as Aaron peered closer.
"Is that… a phone?" He wondered.
Reaching without hesitation, Aaron grabbed it by the edge and tried pulling it out, only to suddenly drop it with a startled "Whoa!" as the lens on the front flashed and emitted a sharp beep as it tumbled out of his hand while swinging from the strap to loudly clang against the outside of the excavator.
He was just about to reach down and reel it back up when the lens suddenly flashed red and light erupted in a beam.
Right towards Aron.
"DODGE!" He screamed, a sharp burst of terror filling his chest as Aron stood there, wide-eyed with shock as the laser ran over him from head to toe before he dug his feet in and flung himself out of the way.
Aaron was already leaning down with a vicious snarl and a fist cocked towards the little black console before it suddenly spoke.
Partial Scan Complete! Aron, the Iron Armour Pokemon.
They froze. Aaron stared, waiting for it to say something else, but when it didn't he finally relaxed. Sharing a confused look with Aron who was already walking back over, he flexed his fingers and huffed.
"Pokemon?" He questioned, feeling utterly lost and getting an equally unknowing shrug from his partner as he reached for the strap and reeled it in.
When he finally got it in his hands Aaron realised it was far bigger than any phone he'd ever seen. It was thick and clunky with big, blocky edges. He finally found the opening he needed to pry it open and was surprised when one-half of it slid down, revealing a console with a screen and several buttons, one of which with a symbol that he recognised.
"It's a… camera?" That didn't sound right.
"Keuh?" Aron called up to him, and after a moment of deliberation, Aaron called back.
"I think it's pretty harmless, bud. But how'd it know your name?" He muttered, more to himself than Aron as he ran his fingers across the display before, tentatively, letting his thumb rest on the one in the top right. Biting his lip as he deliberated, he looked between it and his partner several times before finally coming to a decision.
"Hey. Stand still for a moment, okay?" He asked.
Aron gave a bark of affirmative and before he could second guess himself, Aaron pressed the button.
This time, when the laser came, Aron didn't move a muscle, letting it run up and down his body for almost a minute straight before it dinged. The screen lit up and Aaron's wide eyes watched as words filled the screen while a robotic voice filled the air.
Full Scan Complete! Aron, the Iron Armour Pokemon.
This Pokémon has a body of steel. To make its body, Aron feeds on iron ore that it digs from mountains. Occasionally, it causes major trouble by eating bridges and rails.
This Pokemon is Female and possesses the ability Heavy Metal.
"Well… I guess… you're a pokemon? But is that like, your species? Or does it mean that-... wait a minute." Aaron faltered, jerking his head back before staring at Aron in surprise. "You're a GIRL?"
Aron blinked her big blue eyes in surprise.
"... Ar, Aron?"
They sat there, staring at each other before simultaneously shrugging.
"...Huh. Okay. Milady? Aron the girl. Aronette?"
The sound of crunching resumed as Aron, uncaring of his meandering mental debate, returned to her meal, resuming her efforts to try and chew through the metallic treads while he went back to reading the data on his screen. There was a lot more to see once he started scrolling, the brief summary he'd been given only brushing the surface as time went by and Aaron was able to familiarise himself with the controls. Once he'd figured it out, he was able to navigate away from the history and biology of what was apparently the Aron line and find his way back to some sort of menu where his focus zeroed in on one thing.
"Starting your Pokemon Journey?"
He furrowed his brow.
"The fucks a Pokemon journey? Hold up. Would you like to open 'The Basics'?" He read.
Tentatively clicking the link, Aaron watched as what felt like an entire library's worth of information unravelled before his eyes, with one phrase, in particular, standing out to him.
"Battling?" He read, and a sense of foreboding dribbled down his spine. "Ohhhhhh no. I don't think I like where this is going…"
His reluctance didn't matter though. Not when he still pressed it anyways.
(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)
Present…
The echoing crack of the geodude's corpse hitting the floor was only matched by the gusty sigh that blew past Aaron's lips as he straightened up, hands sliding around to the middle of his back and pressing until there was a satisfying pop.
"You know what, hun. I think I've had enough geodude to last me a lifetime."
He smiled when Aron's hard head butted against his knee as she snorted, pushing up and preening happily as he reached down with a chuckle and scratched his between the ridges of her armour before grimacing as the sweat dripped down his face.
"Fucking heat," He grumbled as Aron commiserated. "You'd think it would get easier at some point."
A large splat occurred as if to emphasise his point, and Aaron grimaced as he glanced across the obsidian tunnel towards a naturally occurring well in the rock. One filled almost to the brim with molten hot lava and only held back by the thick ledge penning it in.
He turned and took a knee right by Aron and his prey, the first of who was audibly panting in that rather tinny way that came from breathing through her armour while the other lay where he'd dropped it. "You're up, girl."
Neither of them liked the heat, but despite that, Aron never complained. As stalwart and reliable as ever, she simply lifted her left foreleg with a lazy grace and held it there as silver energy wrapped it in a bright sheen.
"Thanks." Aaron murmured, grinning as she looked at him with obvious fondness while effortlessly maintaining Metal Claw.
Every day he woke up grateful that they'd found each other, and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that without her, he would have been dead long, long ago. He knew she didn't mind though. They were partners.
Idly wondering when the shin-high puppy he'd watched hatch had grown to be over two feet, already reaching his knee, Aaron reached out and wrapped his hands beneath the geodude's armpits before dragging it over. Turning the fallen pokemon around, he didn't even flinch as he pushed it forward and let the dagger that was Aron's steel energy-drenched paw slice through the top of its craggy head like butter. They'd learned pretty early on that in death, a pokemon's natural defences faded thanks to their inability to hold type energy, and when you added in the natural advantage that steel had over rock… well…
The paw sawed through the dead mons thick skin and Aaron's nostrils flared as he used it like a can opener, cutting a surprisingly smooth circle through the top before clamping it closed with a hand and dragging it over to the ledge.
"Alright, here we go. One, two, THREE!" He grunted, heaving it up before dropping it back down with a 'thunk' at the edge of the volcanic vein, wincing at the intense heat and the sting it put in his lips as he called out. "Uh, hello? You guys in there?" The lava bubbled and popped. "Excuse me!"
The liquid flame stilled. Aaron waited, resisting the urge to tap his foot impatiently as he watched the thick pool of orange, and just as he was about to ask again, something answered his call.
A small bulge formed beneath the surface of the lava before breaking as two yellow orbs pushed through, blinking curiously as their pinprick black pupils calmly sought him out.
Aaron smiled. "Hey there, Slugma. You doing okay?" He asked.
The small lava slug's expression morphed in recognition and it burbled, closing its eyes and wiggling happily as Aaron watched in amusement and waited for it to finish its happy dance.
"Hehe, yeah it's good to see you too. Hey, would you mind…?" He gestured to the geodude.
Slugma blinked owlishly at the limp boulder before bobbing its head up and down. Smiling gratefully, Aaron hoisted the rock mon up before slowly, carefully lowering it into the lava, letting it sink softly into the orange sludge as Slugma circled it briefly before swimming underneath.
In his early days experiencing the pokemon world, Aaron had thought it was a world of savagery, where wild, horrifyingly powerful beasts roamed unchecked and the strong ate the weak. The longer he spent amongst them though, the more he understood just how wrong he had been.
This world wasn't one of chaos, but one of understanding. The pokemon were an odd mix of instinct and emotional intelligence, capable of understanding even some of the more complex ideas. Some of them, like the Slugma and their evolutionary form Magcargo, were peaceful and even eager to converse, more than happy to help with any simple favours he needed.
Like helping to cook his latest caught meal.
Pride still had its place and, much like humans, some of the moms were more prone to using violence to achieve their means. He'd found though that, for most, respect and diplomacy could go a long way.
Fire and its fuel was pretty hard to come by, so lava-based cooking was the method of choice. Something that worked well with the geodude line, considering their bodies were perfectly built to form a natural soup pot and their skin was just thick enough to let the insides cook without burning.
Leaving his meal in the hands of the ever-accommodating slugma, Aaron sunk to the floor and sat back against the ledge, allowing himself to relax while his hand almost unconsciously reached for his waistband, brushing over the hilt of his blade on its way to the Pokedex tucked inside his pants.
Something almost like melancholy filled him as he pulled it out and simply stared at it. The deceptive device had been in pretty good condition when he'd found it, but the life they lived wasn't an easy one. Nicks now adorned the hard plastic covering and dents littered its surface. Nowadays when he went to turn it on, the screen would flicker a few times before solidifying, and on some of the virtual pages, the colours would run.
It was sad. Almost like losing an old friend.
Aron trotted up to his side and lay down, tucking her head against his hip as he automatically brought a hand up to start stroking her back, idly playing with the now thick and heavy armour as she happily sighed at his attentions.
But now that he had nothing left to distract him, Aaron couldn't avoid the truth any longer.
"I think it's about time we moved on, girl." He murmured.
At his voice, Aron shifted to show she was listening but didn't look up, seemingly more than happy to let Aaron work through his thoughts as he huffed.
"We can't stay down here forever. We've been lucky so far," He said, something he could admit to himself. "There's nothing left for us, no one left to challenge you. We've hit a ceiling…" Aaron realised. "And if we stall out, then it's only a matter of time until something bigger and stronger works its way down here."
Unthinkingly his hand began to drift and Aron shifted, cracking open an eye as she recognised the moment her friend, her trainer lost himself in the memories.
Memories of burning red eyes and earth-shaking roars.
"We've gotta get out of here." Aaron mumbled.
He knew it would be dangerous, maybe even more so than staying. But he couldn't admit the truth that plagued him, not out loud.
'I need people.' He sagged. 'I need to know they're out there. I need to know…' His head tilted back and bumped against the ledge. 'I need to know I'm not alone.'
But a snort and a nuzzle against the outside of his leg reminded Aaron that he wasn't alone. Guilt wormed its way into his chest at what felt like traitorous thoughts, but when he looked down into Aron's eyes, he didn't see judgement. Sometimes it was easy to forget that they weren't the same person, the powerful pokemon feeling more like an extension of himself than a simple partner after all the things they'd been through together. Other times, it felt like she could read his thoughts as easily as he could think them, and not once had she ever shown anything other than understanding and a willingness to follow him.
A single look told him that he didn't even really need to look.
"Well…" He exhaled, before taking a long, steadying breath. "I guess that settles it."
An excited gurgle from behind caused Aaron to push himself up and turn to find the slugma he'd recruited no longer alone, the placid face and thick shell of a magcargo helping it to push the steaming geodude out of the lava and onto the ledge where it balanced precariously as he took the tip of his blade and used it to pop off the "lid", revealing a bubbling soup of melted flesh and brains that he thanked the lava slugs for before squaring his shoulders.
"We're leaving." He decided.
"Aron!" His other half barked in support.
'GRUMBLE!'
…
They both paused at the simultaneous rumbles in their stomachs.
"Tomorrow. We're leaving tomorrow."
"…Aron."