This is essentially the last of a triple update, and I still have an hour and a half left to start work on another update for tomorrow. Yay.
Well, things really start to get crazy. Flame crashlands in the center of a strange tribe of Pokémon, the leader of which possesses a strange crystal called the Shadowstone.
Episode 115: Shadow Pokémon
I had no idea for how long I had been falling through the darkness, but I knew that the ground couldn't be too far below me. I had managed to look down and was unable to make out anything except hundreds of pinprinks of light, some green but most were blue.
They pinpricks rapidly became larger and I realised that they were coming from something on the ground. I noticed that the closest light, one of the green ones, was right below me and approaching fast.
"Oh shit!" I yelled, as loud as I could as I crashed into whatever it was.
"Ow," I muttered as I crawled off of whatever I had landed on. I glanced down and saw that I had landed on a giant mess of vines, wearing a crystal that was giving off the green light. I looked back up and saw hundreds of Pokémon staring at me, some afraid and some confused.
"Sorry 'bout that," I muttered, a little embarrassed because of all the stares, "some crazy Onix smashed the floor and I fell through the hole."
"Get all the Blues out of here," one of the Pokémon with a green crystal ordered to others who started herding the Pokémon with blue crystals towards a large tunnel that was lit up with red crystals this time, "I'll deal with the newcomer."
Now I was getting confused by the strange behaviour. The Pokémon that had spoken stepped closer and I was able to properly make it out. It was a yellow canine Pokémon, one that I had seen when I was a kit. Jolteon.
"You said you encountered an Onix?" It asked as it stepped forwards.
"There were two but I got rid of one," I answered, going with the honest approach, "why?"
"Because, if you did," the Jolteon muttered and I heard a roaring coming from another tunnel, "then you're strong enough."
I wanted to ask what the hell that Jolteon was on about, but the Onix bursting out of the second tunnel distracted me.
"You'll pay for what you've done, Lizard!" It roared as it charged. The Jolteon took hold of the Pokémon that I had landed on's vines and began to haul him away, leaving me in the center of the massive cavern.
'No where to run, no where to hide. But plenty of room to kick arse,' I thought as I faced the oncoming rock without showing it any of the fear that ran through my blood like a poison, 'this is not a duel for a peice of metal, this is the real thing. I cannot afford to lose.'
Just as it was about to run me down, I dived to the side and raked my claws across its side as it shot past. Sparks flew but I eventually got enough grip and was able to latch onto the rock, hauling myself ontop of the Pokémon.
"Well, at least I can't piss it off anymore than I already had," I muttered as I began to slam my claws against its rocky skin and sending small cracks running through its armoured hide.
The Onix bucked itself and managed to throw me off, sending me skidding along the floor.
"I want you to beg for mercy," the giant snake growled in a deep voice that echoed through the cavern as it reared over me while I climbed back to my feet.
"You can want it," I replied, giving it the middle claw salute, "but you'll have to kill me first."
"So be it!" it roared as it swept its tail towards me.
'Okay, maybe I can piss it off more,' I thought as the tail smashed me in the gut and swept me off of my feet. I managed to roll with the blow and held onto the rocky tail as it flicked around and tried to throw me off. It is did so, I noticed that inbetween the large lumps of rock there was pink flesh deep in the crevice.
I'd found a weakspot and I exploited it by using my jaw to give me a little extra grip so I could let go with one paw and thrust my claws into the fleshy part of the Onix. It actually screamed and the entire part of its tail came away as I tore the flesh to pieces.
I hit the floor and managed to stay on two legs, spitting out the severed tail as I did so.
"Whaddya know?" I chuckled, happy to finally be getting somewhere in the fight, "these ugly bastards are not so tough after all."
I bit back that statement as the Onix coiled up and pounced on me, using itself as a missile. It turned away at the last second as someone shouted, "enough!"
"Who the hell?" I muttered as another Pokémon appeared, wearing two crystals. One was glowing green while the other was pitch black and didn't seem to be glowing at all.
"You are strong and smart, to manage to survive against two Onix," the newcomer said, a green lizard like creature with a leaf upon its head, "I am Bayleaf, leader of the Rock Tunnel Pokémon and wielder of the Shadowstone."
"I'm Flame," I replied, "very confused. I just fell, Mew knows, how far and somehow survived without any injuries and see a load of Pokémon wearing glowing crystals. What the hell is this place?"
"This is a sancturary for us Pokémon of the shadows. Us stronger Pokémon have green crystals and rule over the Blues. This entire cavern was made so large by those blue crystal weilders, creating a massive ground that will someday allow the Pokémon of Shadow back into this realm."
I stared at the Bayleaf, who was staring off into the darkness with a wistfull expression.
"That sounds like a load of crap. Now, what is the fastest to the surface?" I said, bringing the strange leader back to reality.
"Did you just call our noble goal crap?" It asked, starting to look pissed off.
"You must have misheard me," I quickly replied, not wanting to lose any chance of getting away from these strange Pokémon, "but I do wish to know how to get back to the surface."
The Bayleaf stared strait into my eyes and spoke in an empty voice, as though it had said the words many times before, "Once you are in the Shadow's clutches, there is no going back to the Light."
"Okay," I muttered, "so that's a no then?"
"That is correct, you are one of us now."
I looked upwards towards where the sky should have been but was completely unable to even make out the smallest glint of light coming from above, I truly had been taken by the darkness.
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" I asked, looking back at the Bayleaf. It gave me a toothy grin before replying, "not really. Either you are with us as a Green, or I can allow Silver here his chance to hurt you before forcing you to work as a Blue."
"Now this is a toughy," I said before socking the Bayleaf right between the eyes, "I'm no slavedriver, dickhead."
I was suddenly thrown backwards by a massive shockwave and slammed into the cavern's wall, sliding to the ground and having to prop myself up as the Bayleaf got back up. The green crystal's glow was blacked out by a strange yellow glow coming from the Shadowstone thing. It looked familiar.
"You dare attack the Champion of Shadow?" It growled as it stepped fowards, "you've got some guts."
"Yeah," I replied, "and right now they are kinda sore. You really need to give some warning before you do that."
"You shall die at my paws now," it growled and the yellow light intensified. I suddenly realised where I had seen the glow before, Blacky's rings gave that same glow when he went psycho.
A seconf shockwave knocked me away from the wall and I was flung into the center of the cavern again.
"Ow," I muttered as I pushed myself back up, looking around for any sign of the Bayleaf. It'd vanished into the shadows, which didn't make me feel any better.
'What the hell have I gotten into now?' I asked myself as I glanced around, unable to see very far thanks to the shadows. I heard a small whistle come from behind and spun round just in time to see a black energy ball appear in the light my tail flame produced.
"You are lucky that the Shadow has decided that you are more usefull to us alive," I heard the Bayleaf call as the energy ball caught my chest and I screamed as waves of pain enveloped me, before I passed out.