I hope none of these delays ever happen again, and I'll be able to stay on schedule next time. Thank you all for your reviews. I hope you enjoy.
The Power Trials:
Chapter 5: The Paths to Victory
The air was thin and cool, and light breezes of wind were blowing through the air. The sky was already dark, and it was already eight o' clock. The lobby of the Power Stadium was still and silent, with only the ceiling lights sending off a bright glow. In one small corner of the large room was a wide double door with green letters etched onto it.
Theater Room
The theater room was the only place in the Power Stadium at that moment that had people inside. It was large and circular, with a large screen filling up the whole front of the room. Rows of seats were lined up in curves towards the back where the double door was, but the only rows taken were the front two. But some of the people were already leaving.
The room was dim and the only source of light was from the screen, which was split into five big sections that viewed the challengers of the first trial. The double door opened as Alan Harrison stepped in, closing the door.
"Don't think you know all the obstacles and where to go now," He called out, leaning against a wall. "The ecosystem is split into five hundred and one sections around the mountain, with one free section for movement. When the next group goes in, the sections slide around, kind of like a mosaic. You have no chance of memorizing where to go."
He opened the door and switched on the lights. "You will need to have dinner right now. There's a restaurant right here in the lobby."
o0o
Eldon was running as fast as he could towards a rocky archway with Ara as the Feraligatr sped after them on all fours. Ara was already a few paces in front of Eldon, and was dashing nimbly along.
"Ara!" Eldon cried out, half panting. "You mind attacking that Feraligatr now since you're so fast? Try jumping on that archway over there and using Night Slash!"
The Weavile jumped high onto the archway when the Feraligatr suddenly stopped. A ball of water swirled in its throat, then streaking out and connecting with the archway with a loud explosion. Ara jumped up just in time into to avoid the attack, and the Feraligatr looked up to see Ara surrounded by a full moon in the night sky. Her right claw was swirling with dark energy. There was a quick sound of rushing wind as Ara struck twice through the air, the claws connecting with Feraligatr's jaw, causing him to crash into the ground with a swirl of dust.
"I think I'm supposed to send out my second Pokemon now, though Feraligatr looks like it's already fainted." Eldon pointed his arm at the ground. "Ah well. Best be careful. Jolt!"
The Jolteon appeared with a flash of light, electric sparks dancing along his fur, and growled at the Feraligatr. It staggered up slowly, an eerie blue light now glowing from its skin.
"Oh, crap. He has his ability worked up now…" Eldon muttered. The Feraligatr began charging at them at twofold its normal speed.
"Run!" He yelled, and ran through the remains of the archway, not knowing that he was about to create a massive battle…
oOo
Markus and Alex were walking contentedly towards the mountain's base, Alex's Glaceon trudging along behind them.
"Ah…" Markus had his hands behind his head, and he breathed in the cool air. "This is awesome. And we're nearly there! We're obviously gonna win this, and there's no obstacles so far!"
As if to answer his words, a deep rumbling sound rung through the air. Markus frowned.
"What was that?"
A large rock formation split out of the ground from beneath him, jutting into the air and tearing across his right foot, splitting open his shoe. Yelping, he jumped backwards and aimed his banded arm at a random direction.
"Sarah!" He called out. An Empoleon appeared in a flash of light, screeching into the air and shaking her wings.
Multiple rock spears of different heights began emerging from the ground with small explosions of dust. After a few moments, they were soon surrounded by rock formations. Standing back to back, Alex and Markus stood silently, their Pokemon beside them and in battle-ready positions. A low wrenching sound was now shaking the ground around them, and a few rock spears collapsed and fell. The ground around them began glowing white with heat, cracking and sizzling. A large glowing silver sphere with spikes upon it began rising from the ground.
oOo
Megan jumped aside as the explosion buzzed through the air in a large white bubble, vaporizing everything in its path. Crouching low with her Lucario, she waited for the smoke to clear. A shadow could be seen rising from the ground, and both Megan and Vera assumed battle stances. It was a massive male Hippowdon, torrents of sand gushing from holes on top of his back.
Megan rushed forward and jumped on top of the Hippowdon who was still slowly rising out of the ground, and swung her fist at the Hippowdon's stomach. "Blade!"
A Gallade flashed into view, and Megan motioned for Vera to come towards her. "It's best if we have three. This guy looks strong. Blade, mind lighting up the sky with your psychic energies? I can't see properly."
Blade nodded and swung his fist into the air, generating a large purple sphere. The area lit up slightly to show that they were in a large circular battlefield surrounded by rocky walls, with two more archways, one on their opposite, and one to their right.
"Wow," Megan muttered, turning back towards the unmoving Hippowdon. "This guy's not doing anything."
Without warning, the archway on the other side exploded, and a yell pierced through the air. Eldon came running in, and he skid to a halt as he looked back to see that the Feraligatr had stopped. Two roars of anger boomed through the air as the Feraligatr and Hippowdon charged towards each other, locked in a ferocious battle. The Feraligatr unleashed torrent after torrent of water while the Hippowdon protected himself with veils of sand, then lashing out with Earthquakes.
"Epic," Eldon said self-consciously, and then gestured at his Pokemon. "C'mon, we don't have all day." Together they walked through the archway, and Eldon stopped with a start. The archway was split into two different paths that headed up. He frowned, and consulted his Pokemon. "What do you guys think, which path should I take?"
Ara shrugged and pointed at the path on the right side, while Jolt nodded towards the left one.
Megan ran forward with Vera and Blade following closely behind, and stopped at the fork in front of the archway, and pointed to the path on the left side. "I'm taking this one," She told Eldon.
"Ok," Eldon said. "Then I'll take the right one."
Both challengers ran forward on their respective paths.
oOo
"Nine-hundred and ninety-nine…" John and his Azumarill were dragging their feet forward through the stairs, until John suddenly stopped with a jolt, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
"What the… This is the one-thousandth step… and there's nothing in front of it?" He was standing in front of a small cliff, and taking a risk, he craned his neck slightly over so he could see the bottom. Beyond a wide chasm on the other side was the mountain, looming ominously in the night sky.
"I think this is the wrong way, eh, Savi…OR!" John broke off as a sudden gust of wind blew him and Azuvio off their feet, causing them to plummet into the seemingly bottomless chasm.
"Yaaarrrgggh! Aqua Jet me to the other side!" Savior grabbed hold of John and a pillar of water surrounded both of them as they sped towards the side of the chasm. John grabbed hold of one of the rocks and told Savior to climb onto his shoulder. Clinging on with all his strength, he managed to rasp, "Absol…cling on for us please…"
A flash of light appeared, and John felt himself grabbing onto hard bone and fur instead of rock. "Thanks, Shadow," He muttered. "Now see if you can get us down, I think there's a platform."
Slowly Absol went down, and they dropped down onto a narrow rocky platform. Before them was a long, dark tunnel.
o0o
Back in the theater room, everybody had finished their meals. A tall boy in casual clothing spoke up. "So when do we start our trial?"
"Ah," Harrison said. "Tomorrow, which is also the resting day for this group you're watching now. Tomorrow's trial will also have ten people instead of five, because of timing reasons."
Another voice spoke up, and this time it was a thirteen year old girl in traveling clothes. "So is it going to be harder?"
"You'll see for yourself, but soon on after in the second trial, many people will leave. Then all the trials will be with the same group," Harrison replied.
"Will leave?"
Harrison suddenly stood up from his seat. "Uh… no more questions. I'll see you tomorrow."
He walked quickly out of the room, and a few people shrugged.
oOo
The light breezes were forming into cold gales of wind, and the air was icy and dry. Leaves could be seen swirling around in mini tornadoes. It was nine o' clock.
Oh yeah, the two people I mentioned were Aiden and Lindsay Skies. R&R please.