AN: WE'RE BACK! After a long hiatus, Pokemon VRC has been revived (along with ym creative spirit). To get the ball rolling I have this short chapter for you to hold off my awesome audience while I work on bigger and badder things (*cough* next gym battle *cough*). I hope you all enjoy this and don't forget to favorite, follow, and review! I now present to you:

Chapter 8: Fossil Fueled

Galice Summit- 2079

"Oddly enough, this is the only way to get to the other town. The cave's only other entrance is at the foot, quite a distance away from here at the outskirts of Obsidian City. When you reach a fork with many tunnels take the fourth path. There should be a sign pointing to Obsidian, but just in case. Also I'd advise not touching the blue crystals inside, since they could give you either frostbite or singe off a layer of skin." Kai explained.

"The hell? How does that work?" Ren protested.

"We're not sure yet. Some say they tie in with a legendary Pokemon. But isn't that the answer for everything nowadays" Kai chuckled "Well I'm off now! We'll meet again. Farewell!"

Kai walked back to the departing tramcar, leaving our heroes to turn towards the cave. Acacia's Umbreon sat on her shoulder, giving off a blue glow to provide light from its shiny markings. The cave was almost pitch black inside, but they had more than enough light between Umbreon and the flashlight Farron had brought along. The cave walls had a massive amount of cracks and dents that it seemed as if it should have collapsed hundreds of years ago. The odd crystals popped up from the ground in random spots along the main path, glowing a bright, icy blue filled with a crimson red core.

"Wow… they're incredible!" Acacia exclaimed.

"Apparently not so incredible to the touch… anyways. Any info on the next gym leader?" Farron asked.

"Yeah she's… well she's kinda… small." Acacia mumbled.

"Small? I don't care about her height! What's her type preference!" Farron questioned.

"I know, I know. Just saying… she's eleven." Acacia mumbled once again.

"Come agai- AGHHHHH!" Farron had stepped on a cave crystal and it burned a quarter-sized hole on the bottom of his shoe, revealing raw flesh.

"Oh no! Grab a burn heal! Or an ice heal… shit. Just grab something!" Ren fumbled through his pack.

"Gah… that stings!" Farron said, having collapsed onto the ground.

"Allow me!" a man said from behind the group.

Farron's vision was a daze now as the icy poison crept up his body, but he could make out an older man, about the age of 55, carrying a mysterious, purple pot. He dripped a little out onto Farron and the pain quickly subsided.

"T-t-t-thank you sir!" Farron exclaimed, trying to shake off the cold.

"Ah! Don't mention it, young trainer! I'm a cave researcher after all! This medicine was actually extracted from the very core of those crystals!" The man said boisterously "Name's Rafan! I practically live in this cave! Studying anything from medicine, to the different rocks, ice formations, and especially the Pokemon!"

"Haha well I'm sure in that case, you know the way out… right?" Ren asked nervously.

"Of course I do! But… could I ask a quick favor of you young trainers?" Rafan questioned curiously.

"Sure! I owe you one anyways!" Farron said with enthusiasm.

"I'm looking for a particular fossil deep within the now unsealed ruins of this cave, but I believe there's a Pokemon guarding the digging site." Rafan went on.

"So you want us to battle that Pokemon then?" Acacia replied.

"If you could! Or at least shoo it away, so I could mine a bit. Would that be too much to ask? The Pokemon is quite strong!" Rafan asked.

"Heh! Nothing's too strong for the Mighty Ren- OW!" Ren's monologue was interrupted by Acacia pulling on his ear.

"Then come along! It's only a couple level's below here!" Rafan motioned to the group.

The cave grew wider and roomier with each step, but at the same time, the poisonous ice crystals grew more frequent to the point where they were hanging overhead. A few Swinub huddled around a mother Piloswine for extra warmth in a corner of the cave. A Woobat shivered above and Snorunts ran aimlessly across a solid ice pathway. The Pokemon were many, but as soon as the cave grew narrow, closer to the gateway into the ruins, they all seemed to scatter. Acacia noticed the nervousness on Ren's face, maybe he shouldn't have been so cocky about battling this supposedly strong Pokemon….

"Ahah! Here it is! If you don't mind… I'm going to stand back a bit. Kinda scared of the beast ahead." Rafan stepped back "Go on now! What are you waiting for!"

The three took a single step forward into the ruins and looked around. Umbreon was particularly curious about the frozen pillars that had crumbled on the cave floor. Maybe there was some sort of ancient pavilion inside? A shadowy figure stood upon a pedestal-like structure towards the far back. The trainer's armed there pokeballs as they approached it. It slowly, but surely came into view. A stern yellow beak. Ruffled, white feathers. A large, red tummy. And a leather, round sack.

"Is that…" Ren looked closer.

"Can it be?" Acacia squinted.

"No way…" Farron closed in.

"A DELIBIRD?!" they all exclaimed "HAHAHAHA! RAFAN IS SCARED OF A DELIBIRD!"

"This is… too good!" Ren couldn't stop laughing.

"He's ADORABLE! Let me hold you!" Acacia bent down to grab the Pokemon.

"Wait! He's…" Farron watched Acacia touch the bird "Sleeping…"

At that moment the Delibird woke up, startled! His eyes changed from sleepy and hazy, to pure, hellish anger.

"DELIIIIIII!" Delibird shreaked.

"Oh sh-" Ren started.

"Runnnnnnn!" Farron called out.

The Delibird took out "present" after "present" from his sack and tossed them at the trainers. He screamed and danced in protest as bombs filled the cave. Icicles came crashing down around the trainers as the angry Delibird lashed out with almost an endless supply of bombs and explosives. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Farron and Acacia were jumping like crazy to avoid the projectiles as Ren hightailed it outta there! Meanwhile Rafan was watching from a safe distance.

"Guess they were naughty this year. Hmph!" Rafan nervously chuckled.

"Deli, Deli, Deli!" Delibird went on until he ran out of gifts in his pouch.

"Is he done?" Ren peered out from behind a wall of ice.

"Delibird?" Acacia confronted the now helpless Pokemon. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. We were just hoping to mine for a rare fossil behind you. Would you please allow that? I'm very sorry."

"Deli! Delibird!" Delibird continued to look for something in it's pouch to throw, but nothing resurfaced.

"Acacia. Why don't you try capturing it!" Ren suggested.

"M-m-m-me! I don't know if this is my type of Pokemon! I… maybe we should… um… I guess there's no other option huh?" Acacia stuttered as the others motioned for her to go on "Ok Delibird. I'm gonna try to capture you! GO UMBREON!"

Acacia's Umbreon faced the ice Pokemon, ready for a battle.

"He should already be weak! Confuse Ray! Now!" Acacia commanded as Umbreon began to glow.

The bolt of confusing struck Delibird and he wavered in a daze. He plopped onto the ice, as if trying not to hurt himself. It was no use. His fall onto the ground was enough to knock him out at this point, but held on with a sliver of health remaining.

"I think he hurt himself. Let's go! Pokeball!" Acacia threw a Pokeball at Delibird and caught him instantly "Yessss! Got him… now I have to train him… haha."

"Nice work! Truly remarkable!" Rafan approached them.

The three trainers turned around slowly with lowered eyebrows.

"HOW COULD YOU PUT US IN THIS SITUATION! HE WAS BLOWING UP THE CAVE! WE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT! THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" All three yelled in unison.

"Woah woah! I told you it'd be a tough fight… didn't I?" Rafan moved forward "Calm down, so I can focus on the mining. Excadrill! Help me out!"

Rafan's Excadrill emerged from the pokeball and began drilling into the earth.

"What are you looking for anyways?" Ren asked, calming down.

"An Old Amber! One of my friends loves those things! She has been searching the globe for as many as she can get! They're quite rare fossils I tell you." Rafan explained.

"Hm. Old Amber? I swear I've seen one before. Pewter City possibly?" Farron thought out loud.

"Yes! They're displayed at the Pewter City museum. Most of them were found in that region anyways!" Rafan went on.

"Oh look! What's that!" Acacia pointed at a glowing orange stone where Excadrill was standing.

"Ahah! Found it! Check it out! There's actually a Pokemon that can be extracted from this! Looks like my work here is done! I'll catch you three later-" Rafan was cut off by the glares of the trainers "Right. Gotta show you the way to Obsidian City. On my way there anyways. Follow me."

After hours of walking through the cave, they reached an exit leading to a bridge between Obsidian City and Kalt Caverns, which was the name of the cave they had just left. There was a sign posted near the bridge that said:

Obsidian City, Stone and Ore Central

Gym Leader: Tamee

Pokemon Centers: 3

"Welcome to Obsidian City! I told my friend to meet me on this bridge, so I'll leave you here. Thank you so much! Sorry for all the trouble! I'll see ya around!" Rafan said his goodbyes "OH! Good luck with that Deli- too soon? Ok."

"Thank you Rafan." Farron smiled and waved as he walked on by, not before he heard a screech from above "What was that?"

"My friend is here! I think it's in your best interest that you meet her!" Rafan motioned to Farron to return.

Overhead a brown, winged creature of rock swooped down onto the bridge, sending a shockwave of wind across the area.

"Woah! It's an Aerodactyl!" Ren announced.

The rider slowly hopped down from the rock Pokemon and walked quietly towards Rafan. She looked extremely petite, only about 4 feet and 8 inches tall. Her face was quite cute though, and she seemed a bit shy, constantly blushing which paired nicely with her bold, purple eyes and stone brown hair. She held out her tiny hand to Rafan as he presented her with the Old Amber, which almost seemed too heavy for the little girl to carry.

"Thank. You." The girl said quietly as she bowed and stepped back towards the enormous Aerodactyl.

"Um… who is that?" Farron asked Rafan.

"Oh! Her name is Tamee." Rafan smiled.

Red

"What the hell is going on in there!? I demand entrance right now!" Red screamed at the guard.

"I'm sorry sir. No one is allowed to enter without all the Veral Region gym badges. It says clearly in the rules!" The guard answered back.

"Listen here. That strength of gravity can only be used by one Pokemon, and that's-" Red was cut off.

"Pokemon Master Red. It's an honor. Name's Fission." Fission held out his hand.

"Let me in." Red said sternly.

"You may be strong. Some may say, "the best". But this isn't your place to intervene. Trust me." Fission said calmly.

"Do you understand what could happen-" Red started.

"Leave. Your time will come. I need someone else for this. Go and there will be no problems." Fission showed him the door.

"You will regret this." Red warned "I shouldn't be leaving, but I'm not one to cause a scene here. Don't think I won't be getting those badges. I'll be back. Charizard. Take me out." Red left.

"I knew he'd show up…." Fission walked back towards the Pokemon League building, Scizor following close behind.

(AN: Red paid me a visit huh? I know what's going on, but it's up to Farron to find out! Might I add… OMG ISN'T TAMEE SO CUTE! Everyone loves lolis right? Anyways...Scizor, come with me. We have some unworthy challengers to face! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! -Fission)