Chapter 9: That's Not Water...

Lloyd found himself alone in the front halls of the Brotherhood HQ, not a soul, even Lopunny, was around.

"Hello?"

Behind him, he heard a noise, approaching footsteps. It was Zar, but he had evolved into a Charizard.

Zar said nothing, he instead let out a mighty roar, and ran full speed at Lloyd. He had no choice but to run away.

Zar caught up with Lloyd, his gaping mouth inches from devouring him. Lloyd managed to escape though a narrow doorway that Zar couldn't fit through.

Lloyd didn't notice that he had ran into the elevator, the doors closed before he could get out. One of the buttons started to glow, saying "B100" Meaning the 100th basement. That had to be thousands of feet.

A snap was heard from above, and the elevator began to plummet down the shaft.

The elevator sped up faster and faster until... Rita suddenly appeared.

"Lloyd get up! Its already noon!"

---

Lloyd couldn't control himself, he released a an electric shock that spread through the entire room. Rita was standing beside his bed at the time.

"... Oh hey Rita, scared me." Lloyd yawned.

"Yeah, I figured. You need to learn to wake up earlier. Now get out of bed the exams in an hour. Ewan just came by and told us to get ready."

Lloyd crawled out of bed and slumped to the floor, his entire body felt like mush. He put his paws to the ground and stretched, making his back crack loudly.

"Oh yeah!"

Lloyd stood up, on a table was what looked like breakfast.

"I brought you some breakfast, I didn't know what you'd want so I just brought some milk and a bowl of oatmeal."

Lloyd went over to the table and brought the food over to his bed and sat there. He began eating the oatmeal, it was pretty good, but it could have used some sugar or honey. He finished it off by drinking the milk, the milk was kind of warm, but it was still refreshing.

"So you ready? They're waiting for us now."

"Yeah let go."

Rita and Lloyd went out into the hallway, it was much more busy then it was yesterday. Dozens of pokemon going in both directions, getting to where they needed to go. Rita and Lloyd had to hurry to avoid getting trampled.

"So where are we going?"

"Not far, its on the same floor as we are. Ewan said to bring some supplies so I dipped into our cash and bought some things. Here, you hold the bag, be careful, I just bought that."

Lloyd unstrapped the bag from around Rita, he looked inside as they walked down the hall. Inside was a few Oran Berrys, a pink berry he didn't recognise, and the escape orb they found in Storm Canyon.

"Where's the rest of the cash?"

"I still have it, its in the pouch on my waist. Not much left in it though, only eighty poke. Don't worry though, Ewan said when we pass the exam we get some cash to start with."

Rita and Lloyd turned the corner into a less populated section of the hall. Rita opened the first door to the left and went in. Ewan, as well as two others were waiting for them.

"Hey Ewan!" Said Rita.

"Ah, Good morning, I see you managed to get Lloyd outta bed."

"Not without getting shocked I didn't."

Everyone but Rita laughed.

"Shut up guys, it hurt!"

"Well, I think we've waited long enough. Come here you two."

Rita and Lloyd came near where Ewan was standing. They noticed a manhole right below him.

"Ok you two, I bet you're wondering what your exam is. Well, the one thing every team in the brotherhood ends up doing, is going through Mystery Dungeon after Mystery Dungeon. So, what we'll be doing, is sending you down here as a test."

Rita looked disgusted. "Is that... a sewer?"

"It used to be, back when humans were still around, but now it's a habitat for a ton of wild pokemon. Since it was so close to our HQ, we decided to block off part of it from the rest of the city's and use it to test new recruits."

He turned to the pokemon behind him, a machop and mankey.

"Ok boys, open 'er up."

They did so right away. Both grabbed a handle and lifted up the metal disk and threw os aside. The stench that came out was overwhelming.

"Ah, what a nostalgic smell. It seems only yesterday I was a wee mudkip joining the Brotherhood. Ok you two, I'll put this nice and simple. The Havok Sewer is 10 floors deep, containing mostly normal, poison and water type pokemon. Your job is to get to the 8th floor minimum. On the 8th floor is a ladder back up, come out from there and you pass."

"Wait." Said Lloyd. "You said 10 floors, why do we only have to get to the 8th?"

"Well, on the tenth floor is a prize, its totally optional to get, and you're in no danger of failing the exam once you get to the ninth floor. But the pokemon down there are a lot more powerful, typically more powerful then your average recruit. This means in order to get the prize, you gotta use your wits, and a little luck."

Rita brightened up a little. "Wow, what's the prize? Money? Jewels? Priceless artifacts?"

Ewan shook his head. "No idea, nobody's made it to the end in years. Last one to get through was the Captain himself. About 40 years ago. He kept it a secret from everyone, even till today, just to tease us."

Rita turned to Lloyd. "We gotta get that prize!" Without waiting Rita jumped in through the hole, forgetting the awful stench.

"Rather eager girl she is, you take care of her Lloyd."

"I will Ewan." Lloyd jumped down after Rita. The exam had begun.

---

Location: Havok Sewer, Level 1

Lloyd landed safely on something soft. Rita was no where to be seen.

"Rita! Rita?!"

"Mmmph."

Lloyd heard her muffled voice beneath him, he hand landed on top of her.

"Mmmff Moff Me! (Get off me!)"

"Whoa, sorry!" Lloyd did so, Rita gasped for breath.

"Man, you're heavier then you look, you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Lets just go, who knows how long before a wild pokemon finds us."

---

Location: Just Outside Havok City

"Listen Boss, I looked everywhere, but the place you told me to go has no way into the sewer."

Zar stood by one of the blocked entrances to the sewer beneath the Brotherhood HQ.

"That's because its underwater. You have to swim."

"But Boss, if I go in there I'll die!"

"Use the stone I gave you, don't worry as, if they are in there, you will have enough time to get the pokemon and back out before you devolve."

"But even then, won't it..."

"Hurt? Oh yes, even evolved your going to feel an extreme amount of pain. So you'd best hurry. Its definitely too late for you to turn back now. Good luck now."

Zar wanted to say more, but the Boss already turned off his radio. Nothing but static. He put away the radio and replaced it with the box containing the Infinity Stone. He opened it and dropped the stone into his clawed hand.

He began to evolve. His entire body was glowing, his size grew and he could feel the power building in size inside him. When the glowing stopped, the once small, but still somehow intimidating Zar, stood a powerful Charmeleon.

Zar laughed upwards in triumph, and dove into the disgusting pool. Not caring about the pain or filth, he was full of the power he longed for years.

---

Location: Havok Sewer, Level 1

They had travelled several 'rooms' already and had yet to see a single wild pokemon. They did find some items though, another Escape Orb, and 20 poke. A lucky trip so far.

"This exams not so bad." Said Rita as they travelled the next hallway.

"Well, be careful, I trust Ewan when he says this won't be easy."

"Meh, you worry too much. Just enjoy the fact its so easy."

Then the first wild pokemon of the sewer rounded a corner, heading in their direction. It was just a Rattata.

"Well, here's the challenge you were asking for. You go ahead and get it."

Lloyd stepped forward and charged up a thunder shock. The Rattata tried to run away back around the corner, but it wasn't quick enough. Lloyd let loose his attack and it directly hit the rat pokemon as it was running. It let our a loud squeak and fell down.

"Good job Lloyd!"

But despite what they thought, the Rattata wasn't done yet. It got back up and began to make a screeching, squeaking noise. It was calling for help.

Rita quickly defeated the Rattata before it could make anymore noise with one of her leaf attacks. Like always it hit and Rattata fell over, down for good this time.

"You think any of his friend heard that?" Asked Lloyd. Rita shrugged.

Just then, not one but three Rattatas dashed to where the first one has been attacked. Lloyd and Rita were surrounded.

"Not good." Said Rita. "You go after the one behind us, I'll go for the one in front."

"Got it."

The Rattata all went for them at once, Rita ran for hers while Lloyd stood there and charged another thunder shock. When Rita reached her Rattata, she over powered it with a more powerful tackle. Not assuming this took it out, she launched a leaf attack in its direction, hitting it in mid-air, when it landed, it didn't get up. It was unconscious.

Lloyd unleashed his thunder shock on the incoming Rattata, hitting it mid stride. But the third Rattata, coming in from the side, tackled Lloyd without him noticing. Sending him toppling into the nearby wall. Lloyd got up and prepared for a continued attack. When the Rattata tried a jumping attack, Lloyd batted it out of the air with his tail, sending him flying towards his already fallen brethren, fainting just like they had.

Rita and Lloyd waited for more, but that seemed to be it.

Rita rejoined Lloyds side. "Good Job."

"You too, lets go."

They both walked into the next room, where waiting for them was the stairs down to the next level.

---

Location: Havok Sewer, Level 4

So far the sewers hadn't throw a problem at them they didn't easily solve. They had fought Rattatas, Zubats, even a Koffing. None of them lasted more then an attack or two, none of them left any lasting marks or bruises on either Lloyd or Rita.

The forth floor was the simplest of all. Other then a single Zubat they defeated before it even noticed them, there was not a single wild pokemon that got in their way and the place was almost fully explored.

"So Rita, are you happy you rescued me?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, so much has changed for us because of me. I'm just wondering is all this stuff, especially being chased by that Zar guy, ok with you?"

"Hmm, to tell you the truth, I'm actually happier then I was before."

"Really? How?"

"Well, firstly, before I rescued you, I've never had many friends, and none that I could hang out with all the time like you. Secondly, because of you I'm about to join the Brotherhood, that's going to be a whole lot better then scavenging what I can from Mystery Dungeons just to survive."

"Huh, so in a way, we've saved each other. Me from Zar, you from your unhappy life."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Why were you wandering around the Wasteland anyways? Don't you have a family?"

Rita frowned and looked down to the floor. "I did, but they... they're dead..."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, its fine."

"Ok, lets just keep going."

---

Location: Havok Sewer, Level 6

They descended two more floors of the sewer. They were even less eventful then the first four. Rita had rushed ahead, impatient to get through the last few rooms.

"Rita slow down, if a pokemon attacks you that far ahead, I can't help you."

Rita yelled from the far end of the hall, standing next to one of the sewers water canals.

"I'm fine, maybe you should hurry up a lit... AHH!"

Rita lost her footing and slipped, Lloyd ran to help her. She was dangling over the edge of the pool.

"Lloyd help me! I don't want to go in there! The water is so gross!"

"I don't think that stuff can be considered 'water' anymore. Hold on, I'm coming."

Lloyd reached Rita just in time, she lost her grip and began to fall backwards. Lloyd stopped her fall by reaching out and grabbing her.

"Hold still I got you."

Lloyd heaved her away from the edge and plopped her on her side onto the floor.

"Whew, thanks, you know how much I would stink if I fell there?"

Lloyd was going to say something, but then something reached out of the pool and grabbed Rita by the foot and pulled her in. Lloyd tried to save her again but the thing pulled her too fast and she fell right in.

"Rita!"

A moment passed when Lloyd couldn't see her, but thankfully, she soon surfaced, coughing up the dirty sludge.

"Ewwww, this is the most disgusting thing ever!"

Rita began to swim to the edge of the pool so she could get out. But once again she was pulled under.

"Rita! What's wrong!?"

She surfaced again.

"Something is in here! Help me out!"

Rita swam as fast as she could to the edge, Lloyd reached out and grabbed onto her, and pulled her out again, his time bringing her father from the edge, all the way to the nearby wall.

"What was that?" Asked Lloyd.

"I'm not sure, but I bet its one of those disgusting Grimers. Lloyd, use your electric attack, maybe you can lure it out, or at least make it faint."

"Got it."

Lloyd charged up a thunder shock and fired it into the pool. The electricity spread everywhere once it hit. Once it was over, a pink hand emerged from the water. The Grimer that pulled in Rita.

Lloyd began to charge a second attack.

"Wait, let me finish this thing."

Lloyd stopped charging up, and stepped aside. Rita moved up.

"Thanks to you I smell worse then a wet Growlithe. YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"

Rita ran up to the Grimer, who was unable to move, the thunder shock had paralysed it. With her leaf on her head. She repeated hit the Grimer over and over, knocking it all over the place. When it tried to crawl away, she used multiple leaf attacks and knocked it over. She ran over to the Grimer and with all the strength she could muster, she batted the Grimer back into the sewers sludge pit back where it came.

"Wow, remind me never to get you mad."

She got really close to Lloyds face, the smell of the sewer powerfully emitting from her.

"Never get me mad."

Rita went off I the direction they were going, Lloyd followed behind. Soon after they found the stairs going down to the next floor.