Ch. 23: Enter Chandelure and the Two Lampents

Chandelure was up to his old tricks again, he was yet again trying to find where we were living. However, we met him at the peak of Mountain's Ring. Since the mountains were all connected, we had plenty of room for battling off him and his goons.

"Thunder, spread out." The Minun responded by knocking a Lampent further down the peak, the Breloom helping him followed. I might need backup if we can't fight him off.

"Flame, I'll take Chandelure!" The Flareon nodded quickly and proceeded to attack the second Lampent. I, on the other hand, dodged a Flamethrower. I then hit snow and some loose rocks in my opponents face. However, he caught me off guard with a Fire Spin.

I was starting to get tired since this fight had started early in the morning and it should be about noon now. I started to dodge an onslaught of Shadow Balls but one of them was headed in the direction of-

"Flame, watch out!" I yelled as loud as I could when I notice the Shadow Ball going in the direction of him. "Behind you!" He turned around, only to be almost face-to-face to the ghostly sphere.

Suddenly, the same attack came from the opposite direction, and the two collided with such force. I coughed as a mixture of smoke and dust surrounded me. When the air cleared, I saw a familiar figure doing a defensive stance right in front of a rather confused Flame.

Hope took new life inside me as I saw Blaze, who didn't look too pleased, of Team Element. She was a sight I thought I'd never see again and I couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit more confident. Chandelure didn't look too impressed and was about to aim a Flame Burst on her when a million yellow hairs stopped him.

Jolt had appeared next to Blaze's side. It was the first time I didn't see Blaze so much as bat an eye. She was too angry to notice the Jolteon as she glared furiously. She immediately ran and bit the chandelier Pokémon. However, he shook her off but she landed gracefully on the snow-laden ground. Jolt a nasty Thunder on the Lampent who had gotten his and Flame's attention back.

I helped Blaze by kicking more snow and rocks. It was not long before a razor-sharp wind hit the ghostly opponent. I felt one of Razor's feet brush against me.

I started on my last attack by rubbing my paws together. Almost instantly, blue static electricity jumped to each paw. When I pulled them apart, the electricity broke and the energy surrounded me. I released my Thunderbolt attack right on Chandelure when another one hit him.

"You can hide all you want but I will find you, mark my words!" With that, Chandelure vanished. I knew that time would only tell when we would face again. Somehow, I felt that date was not far off.

"Kate!" A yellow blur catapulted into me and, before I knew it, I was being crushed under the weight of a certain Pikachu. This was about when Thunder and the Breloom came back.

"Uuuuh Bolt," I weakly said, "you are hugging me to death." This, undoubtedly, reminded me of the time I first met Bolt. However, I was crushing him under my weight.

"Oh, sorry!" He instantly blushed and got off of me.

"Ahem." –Blaze, who was clearing her throat. She obviously felt invisible due to the fact that I didn't acknowledge her, Razor's, or Jolt's presences.

"Bolt, Kay, Jolt, Razor! I never thought I'd see you guys again!" I almost jumped for joy as I hugged each of them.

"Kay?" Flame came up to the Espeon, shock and confusion was written all over his face. It never clicked that the Flareon did not know what Blaze evolved into.

"Long time, no see Flame. How are things going?"

-/\-/\-

"Where are we going?" –Bolt. We were now walking in a middle of a snowstorm. Blaze and Flame were next to each other catching up. Jolt was at the back watching for any strange Pokémon but I knew that wouldn't happen since no one came out in this weather (even ice types stayed in). All the same, I let him do it. Razor was doing the same thing but she was ahead of us.

"A cave in the middle of this clearing. It is warm and has plenty of food and water." It was the place I was calling home for the past year. The huge cavern was comfortable since there was lots of water for moss to grow.

"Are there any Pokémon around here?" –Razor. She was starting to relax because her jogging pace turned into a simple trot. It was obvious by now that we weren't going to be attacked any time soon.

"They are either in their dens or in a dungeon by the looks of this weather." A horrible gust of wind blew at us, causing everyone to tumble on the blanket of snow. "The storm is too harsh here; outside the Ring of Mountains are forests and bushes providing at least some protection. We're in an open field so we're getting the wind at full force." Only a few trees and rocks dotted here and there but they were practically invisible at this point.

I soon stopped in front of the entrance to the cave. With all the snow, the small gap was covered so the only marker was a tall pine. Bolt took a step ahead but I held him back.

"Let me and Thunder go first. If they see Pokémon they do not know, they may attack."

"'They?'" –Blaze.

"Wild Pokémon also live down there. It is known that Pokémon such as Ursarings tend to raid and/or take the dens of smaller Pokémon." It was a fact of life, the strong prey on the weak.

"Oh." –Bolt.

~~o~/\~~~

The others had apparently gone out so we situated ourselves in the mossy beddings on the lower cavern. An enormous hot spring covered most of the floor but the remaining ground was overgrown with moss.

"Who were those Pokémon we faced earlier?" –Blaze.

"Chandelure and some of his goons. You know the disappearances? Well, he has captured most of them. I and some of the other escapies are trying to save them."

"So this 'Chandelure' was behind this charade?" –Razor.

"Yes, he is very cruel and deceiving. He'll do anything to get what he wants."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to stay in Hideki instead of leave when you got the chance?" –Bolt. I knew he was itching to say that. I had left upon arriving in Hideki without so much as a hello or goodbye.

"I know Chandelure all too well; the only thing I don't know is his name. I knew if I stayed, Chandelure would gather all his buddies and attack." I spoke from experience. I once stayed in a village who provided aid to me and when I returned some time later, the houses were burned to the ground.

"It is not a good idea to upset him." –The Breloom from ealier.

"Who are you anyway?" –Jolt. He had suspicions about strange Pokémon and I agree, not everybody is to be trusted.

"I'm Meph."

"You are on the Missing Board aren't you? Except, you were a Shroomish when you first went missing." –Blaze.

"That would be correct." –Meph.

"Now what do we do?" –Blaze.

"We go to Chandelure." I turned around to-

Back in Hideki…

Kay's POV

"What? They are gone?" –The Lucario who ran the dojo.

"Bolt, Razor, Jolt, and Blaze have left notes stating they went somewhere. However, my partner would never go by herself. Something just smells too fishy because they haven't been back in two weeks!"

"Okay, I'll send search parties but we will not put them on the board just yet."

"Why not?"

"This could raise panic since the last group of Pokémon saying they were going somewhere never returned. I want to be certain that they have gone missing."

"I understand." With that, I took my leave…

-NNN-

It's longer than the last chapter so I guess it'll do. I had planned to evolve some of the missing Pokémon since this did happen years after they vanished (if it's okay). There is still time to send disappearances! Next chapter takes place in Hideki, Kay's POV.

Disclaimer: I will never ever own POKEMON!

On the next chapter: "Outcast? Who's he?

R&R!