Chapter 50! Gosh, I didn't realize I'd get this far...I'm about to cry...Oh, hey there...I was just practicing for the Chapter 50 extravaganza...Um...Yeah...Urk.
There will be a surprise for that chapter...
By the way, the past few chapters are where I'm starting to stray a little bit from how the games went, and every now and then throwing my own spin into things. However, a very prominent switch is made in this chapter...meh, and the next two!
~Season 7, Rocket Battles~
Opening: We Will Be Heroes
Chapter 40: Ice, Himself
"Ethan!" Lyra tugged Ethan towards the edge of town. Behind the Pokemon Center, a cave stood with a sign that read, "Ice Cave."
"That place doesn't look tame..." Ethan complains.
"Yes it does!" Lyra tosses Ethan into the cave. He rolls and scuffs across the ground, finally stopping at a Stalagmite jutting from the ground. He rubbed his head, but felt the rock. It had a cool touch and he found it had a layer of ice atop it. "Ice...Hmm..."
Lyra steps in after him. She looks around and sees that vastness of the inner portions of the cave. Large Stalactites hung from the ceiling, sharp, menacing points seemed to laugh as they passed under them. Ice crystal were everywhere, and as they went deeper, the air got colder and the ground, ceiling and wall began to be more and more coated in the silvery ice.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." Lyra said, her voice quivering from the cold. Ethan opened his bag and dug deep inside. He pulled out a red and blue scarf. He handed Lyra the blue one. "Here, maybe this will help." Ethan wraps his around his neck and tucks his hands inside the pockets on his sweat-shirt.
"Thanks, but you're still better off because of that shirt!" Lyra scoffed. She tucked the scarf in itself after wrapping it around her neck.
Ethan snapped his fingers. He took off his hat and placed it inside his bag and pulled his hood up.
"Thanks for the reminder!" He then smirks.
Lyra grimaces and looks forward. Suddenly, she slipped. The floor turned into a smooth, crisp layer of ice and the cave sloped deep down into the ground.
"Lyra?" Ethan steps forward and suddenly slips as well. "Ahh!" He then descends into the murky darkness. A few minutes later, Ethan is deposited into a large room where the slope ends and just rocks are on the ground. He looks up, bringing himself to his feet, and sees Stalactites at least thirty feet long protruding from the half-mile long ceiling. The tips almost touched the equally tall Stalagmites on the ground. Ethan made his way through the icicle maze. Soon, he found a tall ice stream that looked like it used to be a waterfall with a man sitting in front of it. He spotted Lyra standing behind a cicle.
"Lyra!" Ethan shouted. Lyra put a finger to her mouth to hush him.
Ethan hid behind an icicle and stared at the man. The man had thinning white hair, a blue scarf around his neck, atop a blue robe that stretched to the floor, and brown pants. He was barefoot, which was hard for Ethan to look at.
The old man sighed and stood up, grasping the wooden cane next to him. "I can't sense Piloswine anywhere in here!" He spit. He looks around and starts down another tunnel that went deeper into the cave. Suddenly, he stops. In a flash, he draws a ball and sends out a large, shelled Pokemon. "Who's there?" He looks around. "Hm. Cloyster, Spike Cannon!" The large pokemon glowed and fired white needles around the room. They crackled and shattered numerous icicles. Lyra crouched as one split her icicle in half at the peak.
Ethan zipped from behind his and pushed Lyra out of the way as another spike destroyed the cicle.
"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!" Ethan sent out his fire-type. It let loose a roar of fire that eliminated all remaining spikes.
"Cloyster, Withdraw!" Cloyster closed its shell and the fire evaporated from it. "Who are you?" He screamed.
"I'm Ethan. This is Lyra. What are you doing down here?"
"I should be asking you that question, trespassers!"
"Looks like you're the one trespassing!" Lyra shouted back, now standing. Typhlosion stepped back next to Ethan.
"I partially own this cave, so it is you who is here wrongfully! Cloyster, use-"
"Wait! Who are you?" Ethan cut in.
"What business is it of yours?" The man replied.
"We have a right to know since we revealed our names before you revealing your own. That's proper etiquette you know..." Ethan retorted.
The man raised a brow and Ethan could have sworn a smile crept onto the corner of his face, like it was just yanking at it. "My name is Pryce. I am the Gym Leader of Mahogany Town."
"This guy is the Leader!" Ethan thought. Out loud, he said, "Well, I heard you're looking for something. Maybe we can help."
"Meh. Fine. Cloyster return." Pryce recalled his pokemon. "I am searching for my Piloswine who got out of the Gym today after a match I had with another boy. He usually comes into the cave here...But I just can't seem to find him. He never wanders this deep, and this part of the cave is initially dangerous if you don't know the way..."
"Where does this cave lead to?" Lyra asked.
"Blackthorn City, but this isn't the correct way."
"Okay. We'll help you search for Piloswine! Typhlosion here is a good scouter, along with...!" Ethan sends out Aipom, who lands on top of Typhlosion's head. "Aipom. Okay, let's get looking!" Lyra nodded. They take off ahead of Pryce, but he was surprisingly fast at running and catches up with them quickly.
Soon, the cave began to darken, so Typhlosion enhanced the fire on its back. Aipom was in front of them all, skittering across the ground, searching every nuke and cranny.
After a while, Aipom screeched at them, pointing to a hall that was adjacent to the way they were running down currently.
"Is Pilo in there?" Pryce asked. Aipom hopped into the hall and used swift to light up the hall, as Typhlosion was too big to fit full-body. Ethan spotted a spot of brown as the broken stars illuminated the hall for a moment.
"There it is!" They heard it roar.
"Piloswine!" Pryce cheered.
"How do we get it out?" Lyra asked.
"Maybe Bayleef can help. Vine Whip, ya know?" Ethan answered.
"Yeah! Bayleef, let's go!" Lyra sent out Bayleef. "Use Vine Whip and try to grab Piloswine. The easiest way is to grab it by the tusks!" Bayleef nodded and shot its vines inside the crack. They wrapped and snapped around the tusks. Bayleef heaved and pulled back. Pryce started to yank as well, and Ethan and
Lyra joined. In a moment, a large brown pokemon plopped out and landed on Pryce, taking him down.
"Hey, you guys hear that?" Ethan said quickly. They heard a whining sound. Ethan peered inside. Aipom lit the crack again, and Ethan saw a yellow pokemon stuck farther inside. "Lyra, use Bayleef again." Bayleef lashed its vines in and wrapped them around the yellow figure. Yanking, it pulled out a pokemon that flopped into Ethan's arms. A small yellow pokemon with large ears and pink spots on its cheeks lay in his arms. It had icicles on its ears, as it was extremely cold. "Guys, we have to head to Mahogany quick! This pokemon is probably sick."
Later, in the Pokemon Center, Ethan watches the glass window as the small pokemon lay on the bed in the center. Nurse Joy and her Blissey were tampering with some machines.
A couple of hours passed and the sign above the door to the room bleeped off and Nurse Joy came walking out, holding the smiling Pichu.
"The Pichu is feeling all better. I have a question though. Why are one of its ears notched?" Joy asked.
Ethan stood and stared at its left ear. "Hey...it is...I didn't notice before." Ethan took the pokemon in his arms and it climbed onto his head.
"It seems to have taken a liking to you. Maybe you should keep it!" Joy smiled.
Ethan stared up at it. "Sure. Wanna join my team little guy?"
Pichu nodded. It scurried off his head and down the hallway into the main room. "I guess that's a hint to go catch it!" Ethan said as he dashed down the hall. "Thanks Nurse Joy!"
Outside, Pichu skidded to a stop. Ethan stepped out as well. "Okay, Aipom!" Aipom was sent out and stood ready. Lyra and Pryce walked out of the center, ready to watch.
Pichu stood and released bolts of blue energy. "Aipom, it's Discharge so look out!" Aipom skittered through the shocks of lightning. "Focus Punch!" Aipom appeared in front of Pichu and delivered an uppercut punch. Pichu flew through the air, but it straightened. Pichu's ears and tail glowed white and it dove down. It collided with Aipom.
"That looks like Pain Split!" Pryce alerted. Aipom teetered back as Pichu released more electricity. They shocked Aipom.
"Aipom, let's keep our cool! Use Faint Attack!" Aipom faded and appeared in front of Pichu, pointing to something, shocked. It then slammed it with its tail when Pichu wasn't looking. "One more! Focus Punch!" Aipom jumped, twirled really fast and threw its fist down. It exploded on Pichu. "Okay, now's the time!"
He enlarged his Fast Ball and threw it. It tapped Pichu's teetering head and called it inside. It clacked to the ground and shook three times, and dinged. Ethan jumped in the air with Aipom. "Yes! We caught a...Spiky-Eared Pichu!" Ethan hurried to the ball and picked it up.
"That's great! Ethan, I had a question. Are you a Gym Challenger?" Pryce asked after Ethan latched the now small ball onto his waist.
"Uh, yeah. Actually, I am! Pryce! I challenge you!"
"That's what I was hoping to hear! I at least owe you a debt of gratitude after helping me retrieve my dear Piloswine!" Pryce replied.
Lyra smiled between them.
"Hey, who was that guy you challenged before? You mentioned someone..." Ethan inquired.
"Oh, it was a kid about your age and height with red hair. He was one heckuva challenge. Fair match, lengthy too. does that answer your question?"
"Silver! Uh, I mean...Thanks, Pryce. When can we have our match?"
"Whenever you swing by the gym! I suppose yo might want to do some training, so I'm free whenever," Pryce replied. He checked the purple watch on his wrist. "Well, it's time for me to head back to the Gym for lunch. See you later, Ethan!" Pryce walked away towards the gym.
"I guess it's time for a little training. Oh, Lyra, this counts as your day I owe you so, I'll just be leaving now..." Lyra's eyes grew big.
"W-What? No! We got sucked into another recon mission! Ethan! Ethan!" She called after Ethan who was skittering away, smirking in a triumphant manner.
