Part II of IV: The Bonds of Survival
Chapter 9: A Fresh Start
Deep within Rypherior's cavern, making their way past the many dead or unconscious rock and ground Pokémon that once guarded the passageways so adamantly, the entire main force of the East Side, led by Luxray himself, made their way through the now-unguarded cave. They had received word of Rypherior's defeat a few days prior, but it was another thing to see the results for themselves.
For years, they had been unable to cross through the passage to the western side of the region, but with Rypherior and his guards gone, the advantage was theirs at last. As they went, groups of agents broke off from the main force to scavenge for any supplies or treasures Rypherior's armies may have been hiding, bringing as many back as they could.
Spearheading the East Side army, flanked by his vanguard, Luxray calmly and confidently strode through the once-impenetrable cavern passages. He still wondered how it was that Rypherior had been defeated, deciding it must have been because he was attacked while his main forces were off gathering supplies and defending other territories they owned. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, he thought smugly.
"Is there any news on the Pokémon that bested Rypherior?" Luxray asked.
Mienshao, one of Luxray's newest and strongest commanders, shook his head.
"None so far," he replied. "However, we are receiving reports of a Pokémon causing quite a bit of chaos in the nearby town."
"No doubt our dear friend Absol again," Luxray chuckled. "Tell the men to fan out and check each passage thoroughly. Take one of the squadrons and search for hidden TMs and battle items. I bet Rypherior has been hording quite a few treasures in here. If you see any survivors, kill them."
Mienshao saluted and turned away from Luxray's vanguard, relaying his orders and taking his own squadron to search the cavern. The cave was easily large enough to allow the thousands of Pokémon from the East Side pouring into the cavern to search every square inch for supplies. They were finding even more than they bargained for. Apparently, Rypherior kept most of the essential supplies he collected in that very cave.
Luxray grinned every time one of their groups returned with a massive load of food and treasure. If they found much more, they'd have to start leaving it behind! He reveled in the end of Rypherior's rule. That Pokémon had caused him so much trouble in the past. Rypherior was the reason the East Side was never able to reach Houndoom's forces on the other side, at least not in any large numbers.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luxray noticed a Manectric getting a bit too close. He glanced at the green and yellow Pokémon, who was trying to pass him and take the lead. Luxray let out a low warning growl. The Manectric didn't take the hint and continued to walk ahead of Luxray and his vanguard, even daring to growl back at him.
The Manectric's snarls were suddenly cut off as Luxray pounced upon him at blinding speed, knocking him on his side. Then, before Manectric even had a moment to recover, Luxray swiftly and viciously bit his neck, his cold fangs penetrating the life blood vein in his neck. The Manectric dazedly tried to stand and fight back, but he slowly lost all strength and toppled to the ground, unmoving. Luxray took a moment to enjoy his triumph, then turned back to his soldiers.
"Keep going," he barked.
His army obeyed without a moment's hesitation. It had always been this way. Being the leader of the East Side—or any group of Pokémon-was a hard life. Overconfident or eager Pokémon would occasionally try to pass him or even attack him to try to take his spot as leader, and he had learned to quickly kill them without mercy, as he did to the young and impudent Manectric. It was the only way to ensure the others never tried the same thing. The East Side was a giant pack and he was the pack leader.
Over the years, Luxray had become stronger and swifter through the countless battles to hold his position. He was more vicious than the other Pokémon, his mind worked quicker in battle, and he knew how to kill opponents before they could strike back. His particular race was not the strongest of the Electric types, and he had made it very clear that he was the exception to that rule. Luxray was a natural born survivor, and a natural born killer. It was his destiny, and he accepted it. Deep down, he almost enjoyed it.
Killing used to be repugnant to him, but that was a distant memory, long since covered up by the harsh realities of the wild. Here, it was kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. It was all he knew. He despised the weak and respected the powerful. Only the strongest could rule the region, and he was the strongest. And to remain the strongest, he had to kill anyone who ever dared oppose his authority to make an example to the others. It was the only way to survive. Kindness, compassion, love, and spirit did not exist for him, and those who clung to their existence were weak and destined to die.
At last, Luxray's vanguard reached the end of the massive cavern, slowly being followed by the rest of their main force. Luxray entered the circular cave room, soon followed by Mienshao, who had returned with several valuable TMs. This was the moment he and his men had waited for. They were standing in Rypherior's own chamber.
Luxray's grin widened when he saw Rypherior.
The massive rock Pokémon was still alive, but he was limping and clutching a massive wound on his side, barely able to move. Perfect.
"Take him," Luxray commanded.
Rypherior turned. He was about to launch an attack, but an Eelektross coiled itself tightly around his right arm. Rypherior tried to free himself, but a Galvantula shot a thick web at his left arm, trapping it as well. Normally, Rypherior would have broken free with ease, but he was obviously far too weakened to fight back. A Jolteon used Swagger, Rypherior hurting himself in confusion. Finally, an Ampharos used Focus Blast, finishing the weakened Rypherior off with ease.
Luxray smirked, standing in front of the half-conscious Rypherior, looking at him with both satisfaction and contempt.
"Such a pity," he taunted. "If only you had simply let us pass through your cavern, perhaps none of this would have happened. Instead, you stubbornly fought us at every turn. Then, thinking you were safe here, in your ridiculous overconfidence, you send your main forces elsewhere, allowing a pair of wild Pokémon to cut through what numbers you left behind to guard the cave. As if that weren't stupid enough, you arrogantly challenged the Pokémon yourselves, and then you actually lost! I clearly overestimated you."
"Enough with your mind games, Luxray," Rypherior said between strained breaths. "What do you want?"
"Ha! I already have what I want. I've killed all your men, so no one will ever know what happened here. The rest of your forces that you sent elsewhere won't return to this cave until you send for them, so we can pass through your cavern whenever we want, and we've already helped ourselves to all your supplies. Now, the only thing left to do is dispose of you, unless you want to try begging for mercy."
"Your conversation with the maker will be a short one but the consequence with last an eternity. I think you-" Rypherior suddenly twisted throwing off the Eelektross. The stone monster raised his arm and used his last strength to fire a full power Rock Wrecker. Luxray flatened himself to the ground as the huge boulder flew over him crushing half his vanguard.
The warlord's eyes shimmered, black energy and electricity forming on his scythe-like claws. He jabbed them into Rypherior's throat, tearing through his rock-like body with frightening ease. By the time he was finished, he had nearly cut Rypherior in half. He yanked his claws out of Rypherior's body, the Rock Pokémon leader collapsing in a heap.
Luxray grunted slightly, his breathing becoming strained. Mienshao picked himself off the ground and stood at his side.
"Are you alright, Leader?" he asked.
When Luxray finally caught his breath, he nodded.
"The scars Absol left behind still plague me," he said bitterly. "But they will never beat me. Gather together whatever supplies we can carry and order the men through the exit. It's time to set up a base of operations on the western side of the region for our coming battle with Houndoom."
Luxray walked toward the exit, kicking Rypherior's body out of his way as he went.
"And get rid of this," he added.
The morning after her incursion into the city, Ember woke up early, the ground pleasantly damp from last night's rain. She felt completely refreshed, both physically and mentally, as though the trials of the previous day were but a bad dream. Next to her, Absol was still sleeping soundly. She smiled when she heard his deep breathing. She knew his body was still recovering from the effects of the poison and decided not to disturb him.
Ember quietly stood up and decided to walk around the fields a bit. She smirked, realizing this was the first time she'd ever gotten up before Absol, and once he recovered fully, it would probably be the last. She went over to the nearby lake, slowly dropping into it, her inner fire heating up her body despite the cold of the water. She was grateful for the chance to get cleaned up, especially after going through so many alleys back in the town.
After swimming around and enjoying herself for a few minutes, Ember climbed out of the water and shook herself off, stretching out her stiff legs and tails. After taking in the fresh air, Ember ran to the top of the nearby hill, gazing out over the horizon at the beautiful sunrise bathing the sky in a myriad of warm colors. She was glad she woke up early enough to see it.
She heard someone coming up behind her. She turned to see Absol walking up the hill, joining her at the top and watching the sunrise as well. She was grateful he had made enough noise during his approach to avoid startling her.
"Good morning, Absol," Ember said cheerfully. "Are you feeling better?"
Absol smiled. "Much better than I expected. It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do for your body."
"Sorry if I woke you."
"I never even heard you get up," he reassured her. "So, how about some breakfast? I'll go catch a few fish pokemon at the lake if you'll light the fire."
Hearing a growl from her stomach, Ember nodded eagerly. Absol chuckled, strolling back to the camp site and carefully slinging the trainer bag over his shoulder. Last night, Absol had insisted on carrying the bag again once he recovered his strength. Ember didn't mind, especially since the bag was starting to get heavy with all the supplies she managed to find in the city.
Ember went about the task of finding fallen branches and twigs to use as firewood, occasionally hearing a splash at the lake, followed by Absol bringing a caught Finneon back to the camp and then heading back to catch some more. By the time Ember finished gathering a suitable supply of firewood, Absol had caught five Finneon, setting three of them aside for her.
Knowing that Absol would probably be as hungry as her even if he didn't show it, Ember split one of her fish with her claw and gave half of it to him to make it even. Absol smiled and nodded his thanks. Ember glanced at the caught Finneon for a moment, which were each nearly a foot long and more than enough to keep them going.
"Absol, how did you learn to catch fish, anyway?" she asked.
"Lots of time and practice, and plenty of failures. It's essentially all about speed and patience. I'll show you sometime."
Finally, the two sat down, Ember lighting the sticks with Will-o-wisp. Absol raised an eyebrow.
"Did you learn that move in the city?" he asked.
Ember nodded. "It was incredibly useful. Oh, that reminds me, Absol, I found something I think you can use."
She reached behind him and opened the bag, pulling out the TM Keckleon gave her the other day.
"I tried to use it, but I don't think I can learn Stone Edge," she said. "Maybe you can, though."
Absol placed a paw on the disk, which began to shimmer. His fur glowed brightly for a few moments. Finally, the light died away.
"Looks like I can," he agreed. "I've been meaning to replace Swords Dance with a better fourth move anyway. Thanks for that."
Once they cooked the fish Absol caught, after a pleasant meal that filled their hungry bellies, Ember stood up, glancing around a bit before looking back at Absol.
"So, where are we going today?" she asked.
Absol stood up as well, grinning sheepishly.
"I don't actually know," he replied. "Now that your trainer has gone off elsewhere, I have no idea where we can find her again."
Ember nodded, hiding her slight disappointment. She expected as much, considering there was no way to know where Rose could have gone.
"However," he added, "I think I know how we can find out."
Ember instantly perked up, listening intently. She knew Absol would find a way.
"I have an old friend who lives somewhere around here," Absol continued. "He's an Umbreon, but he likes to be called 'Umbra.' I think it was his old trainer nickname or something. Anyway, he enjoys living near cities—not too near, of course—and listening in on all the latest news and gossip exchanged by the humans."
"Gossip?" Ember asked, curious.
"That's right. You wouldn't believe the kind of rumors he hears around there. Humans love gossiping about other humans, and they love gossiping about Pokémon even more. I bet you didn't know they even have rumors about you and me. Sometimes, they even put those rumors in their Pokedex."
"Really? What rumors do they have about you?"
Absol chuckled. "Well, some Pokedex say that Absol in general can detect disasters before they happen. Others say we have the evil power to spread disaster and calamity wherever we go."
Ember laughed. "You're kidding! What do they say about me?"
"You? Don't you know? Your trainer carries a Pokedex, right?"
"Yeah, but I've never seen what's in it."
Absol smirked. "Well, if you ever did find a completed Pokedex, it would be more like reading through a joke book. Humans put in whatever rumors and legends they hear about as though they were fact. They say Ninetails have incredible psychic power in their namesakes, and can live for a thousand years."
"Get out of here!"
"Wait, it gets better. Other variations of the Pokedex say that if anyone ever dares touch one of your tails, they'll get cursed for a thousand years."
Ember burst out laughing, rolling on the ground in hysterics. Absol couldn't help himself and started laughing as well.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Ember said as their laughter finally died down. "I can see why Umbra likes listening in on all of this. It's hilarious!"
"Yeah, he's not only a sucker for rumors, but he also hears every bit of news that comes in and keeps track of anything interesting he sees or hears, and he knows his way around nearly every city in the region. He's the ultimate busybody, but he's a good guy when it comes down to it. If anyone can help us find your trainer, it's him."
"And you know where we can find him?"
"Yep. He has a Secret Base around here somewhere. Once we find him, we'll know where to go in no time."
Ember smiled. "I never doubted you for a second."
Absol laughed. "I certainly did! Come on, let's get going. We should try to reach him while the sun is still up, since he does most of his spying on the humans at night."
Making sure the bag was snug on his back, Absol led the way through the fields, Ember following close behind, glad to be on the move with him again. She began to wonder what kind of personality Umbra must have to wait around cities just to listen to rumors spread by humans. She bet it must be worth the risk it to hear those kinds of stories.
"Say, Absol, what do the humans say about Umbra?" she asked as they went.
"I've asked him before, but he never tells me," Absol replied dryly.
"How long has it been since you last saw him?"
"Oh, it's been a while now. I'm afraid we had a bit of a falling out last time we saw each other, but I'm sure we can convince him to help."
The two continued in companionable silence for a time, the scenery around them ever changing. Occasionally, they even saw a few abandoned buildings here and there, usually with the entrances barred by wooden planks. As they passed a nearby town, Ember saw an incredibly large, circular building that looked like it had once been very colorful and gaudy, although the paint on it was deteriorating.
"Absol, look at that," she said when she saw it. "Why does that building look so familiar?"
Absol glanced at it for a moment.
"Looks like an old Contest Hall," he said. "Probably abandoned for quite a while."
Ember couldn't help smiling a bit.
"You know, I've always wanted to compete in one of those," she said wistfully. "I bet it would be tons of fun."
"You never entered a Pokemon Contest before?"
"No. I guess my master just wasn't interested in them."
Absol nodded. "Maybe when you get back to your trainer, you'll get the chance."
Ember glanced at him, still smiling. "You know, Absol, I bet you'd be pretty good at Contests."
To her surprise, Absol smiled back.
"Well, I did win a few ribbons here and there," he said.
Ember's eyes widened. "You entered in contests?"
Absol chuckled. "I even managed to win a Master Rank contest once. I have to admit, they can be pretty fun. I can give you a few pointers, if you like. Maybe we could even practice together sometime."
Ember grinned. "That would be fantastic."
As they went, Ember glanced at the old Contest Hall again. Suddenly, she thought of a great idea to brighten their day.
"I know! Hey, Absol, let's go inside!" she said eagerly. "We might find tons of great stuff in there!"
"Um, I don't think that's such a good idea—"
But when Absol turned toward her, he saw that she was already running toward the building. He sighed, reluctantly following her.
"Wow!" he heard her call from inside. "Absol, look at all this!"
Absol entered the building, seeing Ember running to and fro, picking up accessories lying around. He had to admit, it was impressive how much was untouched. The massive entry hall was almost completely intact, several Pokémon accessories hanging on nearby racks for use. Even the purple carpeting was relatively clean. The light from the slightly cracked windows brightened the room splendidly.
"Ember, we have no idea what wild Pokémon may be using this building as a refuge," Absol said as he ran after her. "We should get out of here and keep moving."
"What was that? I couldn't hear you," she called back. "Hey, check this out!"
Absol groaned, continuing to chase after Ember through the various dressing rooms and hallways of the building. He noticed quite a few photos of dressed-up contestant Pokémon, wondering how many Pokémon were entered for contests in the building before it became abandoned. As he went, Absol found it surprisingly difficult to keep up with Ember. He was certain she was leading him through there on purpose.
"I'm getting tired of this," he muttered. "Ember, where are you?"
Finally, Absol ran through one of the large doorways behind the front counters. He glanced around, seeing hundreds of empty seats where audiences used to watch the contests. He saw Ember up on the stage, looking at the multi-colored stage lights in wonder. She was wearing a large, blue contest ribbon on her scruff and a red feather plume on her head. She walked up to a big stereo near the backstage, tapping a large red button on it. The machine began playing lively contest music. Ember grinned widely.
"I can't believe this old thing still works," she marveled, trying to dance to the beat. "The Pokémon up here must have had so much fun!"
"Which is more than I can say for the Pokémon down here," Absol said between breaths. "Alright, we've spent enough time running around old contest halls. Come down from there and let's go."
"Nah, I don't really feel like it," Ember replied jovially.
Absol's eyes narrowed. "Ember, I'm running out of patience here. Why are you acting like this, anyway?"
Ember rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Absol. All we do every day is run around the region, going through dark caves or dirty marshes. When we're not walking ourselves to death, we're being chased by evil Pokémon gangs. I want to have some fun for a change! Why don't you come up here and dance with me?"
Absol sighed. "Now you're just stalling, Ember. Besides, it's been years since I've entered any contests. It would be an understatement to say I'm more than a little rusty."
Ember shrugged. "Well, I've never been in a contest, if you want to talk about rusty. Why don't we use the stage to practice together like you promised?"
"Ember, this is getting silly. We don't have time for this."
"Why not? You said it yourself, the East Side doesn't know where we are anymore. Come on, Absol, I want to dance with you! It'll be fun! Please?"
Absol was about to protest further, but found himself pausing for some reason. He glanced around the massive contest room, memories of past competitions flooding into his head. The catchy tune echoing through the building from the old radio only added to the nostalgia. He looked back at Ember, who was still sitting at the top of the stage, awaiting his answer.
Absol noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He reached behind one of the old seats, finding a black top-hat sitting there, still in good condition. The faintest traces of a smirk crossed his features as he tossed the hat on his head. He looked at Ember again, hiding a smile.
"Well," he said in mock resignation, "I guess one dance wouldn't kill me."
Ember ecstatically watched Absol climb up onto the stage, the two exchanging playful grins. With that, once they found the right beat with the music, they began dancing together. Absol was a surprisingly good dancer, moving along gracefully with the music. Ember didn't have any real experience, but she was a quick learner and managed to keep up with him.
As they stepped back and forth across the stage, the music slowly picked up, Ember and Absol moving a bit faster. Ember imagined a crowd of humans watching, cheering them on. Amazingly, they managed to avoid stepping on each other's paws through the entire dance, not that Ember would have minded the contact too much. Dancing with Absol was even more fun than she'd hoped it would be.
As the music built up, Ember tried to twirl herself around with it, but her timing was slightly off. She nearly stumbled, almost tripping over her own tails. She blushed a bit in embarrassment, but Absol smiled encouragingly at her.
"Just let the music guide you," he said. "Try to relax and enjoy yourself."
Ember smiled back, relaxing and merely moving with the music, allowing it to move her in the right direction. Finally, as the music reached its climax, she tried the twirl once more. This time, she executed it perfectly, Absol stepping in time with her to complement the move and tossing his hat into the air. Ember breathed a quick sigh of relief, Absol grinning broadly.
The music soon spiraled to a smooth climax, and as Ember and Absol slowly ended their dance, they briefly locked eyes, almost startled by how close they'd ended up to each other. Ember could practically hear her own heart pounding as she looked into Absol's deep red eyes, which gazed back at her with a fondness she'd rarely seen. Before she could even think, she found herself leaning in closer to him. To her surprise, he leaned in closer as well, as if they were both compelled by the same unknown and undeniable force. Their mouths were only inches apart now…
The ear-piercing sound of distant thunder made them both start, snapping them out of the moment. Ember and Absol looked out one of the windows, seeing the sky darkened by thunderclouds.
"That's strange," Ember said. "There weren't any clouds in the sky before we came in."
"I don't like this," Absol replied. "Come on, let's go."
Ember sadly took off her accessories, though she managed to quickly slip the blue ribbon into their bag while Absol wasn't looking. With that, the two ran back outside the Contest Hall. It was now raining heavily, flashes of lightning brightening the valley around them.
Suddenly, there was a loud series of roars in the distance, followed by a deafening booming sound. Ember and Absol ducked behind a few nearby trees at the edge of the valley for shelter from the rain and in case of attack, but all the sounds seemed relatively distant, although they were growing steadily louder with each passing moment.
"It could be a pack of Pokémon hunting for game," Absol said quietly. "Or it could be a trainer. Whatever it is, it's getting closer."
Ember silently nodded, watching carefully. She became slightly nervous as the sound grew louder and louder until it became almost unbearable.
Finally, the source of the noise arrived.
A massive group of Audino suddenly appeared on the dark horizon, running for their lives toward the valley. Ember and Absol couldn't see what was chasing them right away, but they knew whatever it was would be a problem.
"Why would any Pokémon bother chasing Audino?" Ember asked.
"Well, for starters, they can't fight back," Absol replied. "That makes them easy prey. Also, for whatever reason, any Pokémon that kills an Audino gets a major boost in strength."
"So, Audino are essentially walking food and\or experience-boosters," Ember said dryly. "Sounds like a wonderful lot in life."
Absol nodded. "There isn't anything they can do about it, either. They have almost no aggressive moves to defend themselves, not to mention how weak they are in battle. They're essentially at the bottom of the food chain, especially when trainers looking for experience are around."
Suddenly, they heard another booming noise, more loud roars sounding throughout the valley. Finally, Ember and Absol saw the source of the chaos. Chasing the large group of Audino, a pack of electric Pokémon were firing bolts of lightning at them while following them through the valley. There was an Electrode, a Zebstrika, a Galvantula, an Electabuzz, a Klinklang and several Emolga. They were quickly destroying the group of helpless Audino with ease.
"They look like Pokémon from the East Side!" Ember said nervously.
"I know," Absol muttered gravely. "That's what scares me."
As the electric Pokémon drew nearer, Ember stood up, ready to ambush them, but Absol held her back.
"What are you doing?!" she whispered sharply. "I don't care if they're from the East Side, those Audino are being massacred! We have to help!"
"Of course we do," Absol replied calmly. "But not yet."
"Why not?! What are you waiting for?"
Absol's eyes remained on the group of electric Pokémon.
"I want to see if we can get the Hunting Leader," he said.
Ember cocked her head to the side curiously. "Hunting Leader?"
Absol nodded. "Every large group of Pokémon from the East Side that's hunting for game or raiding a territory for supplies has one. The Hunting Leader is a high-ranking electric Pokémon from Luxray's inner circle. Their only real purpose is to enforce discipline in the group. They also take a small portion of any food and supplies the group finds back to Luxray."
"So, you want to wait and see if you can lure the Hunting Leader for this group out?"
"That's right. I'm certain the leader is hiding around here somewhere. Since the leaders are some of Luxray's highest-ranking commanders, I want to capture him for information. We need to know how and why the East Side is here. Let's wait a little longer. The leader almost always comes out near the end of the hunt."
Ember nodded and crouched back down, watching the electric Pokémon attack the Audino and trying to be patient. She did her best to remain calm, but the more and more she saw the helpless Pokémon injured or killed, the more she wanted to charge into the plains and tear the East Side agents apart. She was just about to when Absol turned to her, seeming to sense her thoughts.
"Attack them now and you'll only be condemning the Audino and ourselves to death," he said soberly. "If we don't take down the Hunting Leader, even if we beat all the other electric Pokémon, the leader will just come back with a larger party to kill the Audino later, not to mention he'll report our whereabouts to Luxray and we'll be fair game again. I know it hurts, but be patient and trust me."
As difficult as it was to wait, Ember trusted Absol more than anyone, so she managed to contain herself. The Audino were still crying out helplessly, trying to fight back with their woefully inadequate attacks, such as Doubleslap and Present, which did almost nothing to their opponents more often than not and sometimes even healed them. It was a pitiful sight.
Suddenly, however, Ember noticed something gray and machine-like emerge from behind a few rocks nearby. When she saw its large, ominous red eye, she recognized the Pokémon as a Magnezone. It made an eerie, mechanical humming noise as it floated over the group of electric Pokémon, energy coursing through it.
"Is that the leader?" Ember asked hopefully.
"No doubt," Absol replied. "Let's go."
Ember breathed a quick sigh of relief and ran out into the fields, Absol doing the same. As soon as they reached the enemy, Ember instantly activated Drought, the rays of light cutting away the east sides Rain Dance. Taking advantage of the added boost to fire moves, Absol attacked Magnezone with Flamethrower, the creature letting out a metallic groan as the move torched it.
When the other electric Pokémon saw their leader being attacked, they quickly turned away from the Audino and engaged their assailants. Ember instantly launched a Fire Blast at Klinklang, taking it out before it could use Shift Gear. The Electrode and Electabuzz ran over to battle Absol and assist their leader, leaving the Zebstrika, Galvantula and Emolga to deal with Ember.
The Zebstrika used Wild Charge, moving at unavoidable speeds. Rather than try to dodge the attack, Ember launched a Will-o-wisp at close range, burning the Zebstrika and weakening its attack. Ember was still knocked back by the force of the blow, but it didn't hurt as much as it might have, and she managed to get up quickly enough to avoid the Galvantula's Discharge.
Ember used her Solarbeam, nailing the Zebstrika and finishing him off before he could attack again. However, one of the Emolga used Thunder Wave. Ember instantly felt the same horrible tingling sensation she felt when hit by the Jolteon near the mountains. She tried to strike back, but the paralysis prevented her from moving quickly enough.
She felt herself moving slower, every muscle in her body quivering with the electricity. She wanted to grab a Rawst Berry from their bag and heal the paralysis, but Galvantula's eyes were glowing bright green. Its ability, Unnerve, would prevent her from eating them anyway. The rest of the Emolga were constantly flying about, striking her again and again with rapid electric attacks. She had no idea what to do.
On his end, Absol quickly pivoted around and struck the Electabuzz with Sucker Punch before it could nail him from behind with Cross Chop. The Electrode was rolling around them in a circle, launching Thunder after Thunder, Absol having to precisely avoid each and every one of them while still focusing on the battle at hand, which made things twice as difficult.
Absol heard a low humming noise. He turned just in time to see Magnezone charging up a Zap Cannon. He deftly dodged to the left, avoiding the incredible ray of electricity. The beam of energy sailed past him, vaporizing the entire nearby hill he and Ember used to view the sunrise earlier. The brief distraction caused Absol to be hit by one of Electrode's Thunder attacks, knocking him to the ground.
The agony from the attack was almost unbearable, but Absol managed roll to the side just in time to dodge Magnezone's Flash Cannon, the beam blasting a large hole in the ground where Absol's head would have been. Quickly getting to his feet, Absol used the brief moment to watch Electrode. He waited for the precise moment to pounce. Then, seeing Electrode coming in closer and charging up a Thunder, Absol darted at him and used another Sucker Punch, striking down the Pokeball-like Pokémon with ease.
However, before he could react, Magnezone used the moment to launch Thunder Wave, paralyzing Absol as well. The Magnezone then began charging up another Zap Cannon. Absol tried to stagger out of the way, but his legs felt numb from the electricity coursing through him. Even if Magnezone missed, there was nothing Absol could do to avoid any other attacks Magnezone launched.
Ember and Absol both braced themselves for the worst, but they began to hear something else. The electric Pokémon paused as well, searching for the source of the noise. It was pleasant, even melodic. Ember and Absol slowly turned toward the group of Audino, seeing a wonderful sight.
The Pokémon were using Heal Bell.
All at once, the horrible tingling sensation on their bodies stopped, the electricity slowly fading. Both Absol and Ember felt the paralysis vanish. But that wasn't the end. The Audino began using Heal Pulse, the refreshing waves bathing Ember and Absol, the pain from their injuries steadily vanishing until they felt good as new.
"Ember, I think it's about time we wrapped this up, don't you?" Absol asked calmly.
"Yes, I think so," Ember agreed, equally calm.
Ember and Absol suddenly switched places, Absol tearing Galvantula apart with Flamethrower and picking off the remaining Emolga with Stone Edge while Ember nailed Magnezone with Fire Blast. As quick as it had begun, the fight was over. The Audino cheered for their saviors, clapping and shouting praises and continuing to use Heal Pulse on them.
Absol nodded to Ember, and the two walked over to the unconscious Magnezone. Absol roughly shook it awake, its one creepy red eye slowly opening.
"Make one move and Ember will burn you alive," Absol said coldly.
The magnet-like Pokémon blinked. Ember emphasized the point by burning the ground in front of it with Will-o-wisp, causing Magnezone to wince.
"Now, then," Absol said emotionlessly. "Down to business. What were you and your group doing here?"
"HUNTING," Magnezone replied in a toneless, half-living, half-mechanical voice.
"I gathered that," Absol replied impatiently. "But did Luxray send you to sneak past the mountain cave to gather supplies on the other side, or did you come here on your own?"
Magnezone let out an eerie, mechanical laugh.
"YOU HAVEN'T HEARD?" it replied. "LUXRAY AND HIS ARMIES ARE ALREADY HERE. SOME WILD POKEMON TORE A HOLE RIGHT THROUGH RYPHERIOR'S DEFENSES AND LET US IN. MAYBE YOU TWO ARE THE ONES, EH?"
Ember and Absol exchanged worried glances. Their hopes of the East Side being unable to follow them were completely dashed. Absol turned back to Magnezone.
"Is Luxray planning an assault on Houndoom's forces?" he asked.
"OF COURSE WE ARE, YOU IDIOT. WHY DO YOU THINK WE CAME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?"
Absol grabbed the Magnezone, holding a flaming claw at its eye.
"Where are Luxray and his armies now?" he asked.
"YOU'RE JUST GOING TO KILL ME ANYWAY, SO THIS IS KIND OF REDUNDANT-"
Magnezone was sharply cut off as Absol jabbed his claw into the center of its body, tearing through its metal plating with ease. Ember looked away, hearing Magnezone let out one last, metallic groan. Finally, Absol tossed the ruined machine-Pokémon aside and then turned to Ember.
"We need to leave," he said.
Ember nodded gravely. The two turned and walked up to the group of Audino. Ember hadn't noticed it during the chaos of the fight, but all the Audino were wearing strange yellow ribbons on their chests. One of the Pokémon stepped forward, a slightly different colored version of the others, probably a "Shiny" Pokémon.
"We owe you our lives, kind travelers," The Audino said gratefully. "Please tell us, how can we repay you?"
"Spread the word about what happened here," Absol replied. "Tell every Pokémon you find this news: The East Side has arrived. Tell them to find good places to hide, to protect their families and prepare for the worst."
"And tell the strong ones it's not too late to fight back," Ember added firmly.
"It will be as you say," the Audino replied.
The Audino turned to carry out their task, Ember and Absol heading in a different direction.
"And try not to get discovered and attacked by more East Side agents," Absol added over his shoulder.
The Audino nervously muttered their assent, leaving to spread the word.
"So, what do we do now?" Ember asked.
"Knowing Umbra, he probably already heard about the East Side being here," Absol replied. "Finding him again might be a bit harder, but it's even more important now that we do. I had no idea the East Side would reach the cavern before Rypherior's main forces returned, but now that they have, we need to keep moving."
With that, Ember and Absol continued at a much brisker pace, the world around them already seeming far more dangerous.
Chapter 10: A Visit to the West Side