Ch.38: Storming the Fire Mage's Temple! Learn to Truly Understand Rage!

Team Ravenfield raced down the volcano staircase into the temple below. Wes took the lead as he held the map up to his face, though it made running a bit difficult since he had to use one leg to hold the map. Even doing that was an issue since it kept slapping him in the face.

"Is the map working again?" Flint asked. The group reached the bottom of the stairs.

Wes sat on his haunches and used his digits to expand the size of the image. He zeroed in on the volcano before pulling up a view of the passage way. A red line traveled off their current location and swerved through the intricate pathways before landing on the destination.

Wes smiled. "Yep! Working great! I have the exact location to the key! We just need to follow it and we're there!" He laughed. "Best part is, we're all here, so hopefully this temple isn't enchanted to kill us."

Tony looked at the others with a smirk. "Oh yeah, you said the last key you got was held in a cave. A cave that was trying to murder all of you."

Ella deadpanned. "Significantly less pirates, too."

"Ooh, pirates! I missed out!"

Wes traced his digit along the glowing path. "It's a few levels below us. If we hurry, and if we're lucky, Griffin hasn't taken the key yet." They nodded and raced through the hallway.

Gwyn looked around cautiously. She remembers her experience in the cave quite well, so she was wondering if there were any obstacles lying around to stop them. For their sake, they didn't have to deal with the same level of madness. Though, a part of her was actually hoping to run into something dangerous. She glanced at her bag. With her scientific testing done, a field test was necessary…

"Pick up the pace, Gwyn!" Flint called over his shoulder.

Gwyn snapped back into reality and saw she was slowing down. She laughed embarrassingly and ran up to his side, matching his pace. "Sorry! Lost in thought!"

"You worried?" he asked.

"Err…yes and no." He raised a brow in confusion. "I'll explain later."

Wes scanned the map quickly. "Okay, two lefts and a right, then it's a straight before turning through the sixth right…" he muttered under his breath. He slid and took the directions with his team following him.

Tony followed closely behind Wes, though his mind seemed to be wandering the farther they ran down. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously the farther they went. He couldn't quite place it, but the halls were getting darker the farther they went. He would have assumed a temple underneath a volcano would be brightly lit.

Before he could bring this up, the group stopped suddenly. He fumbled forward a bit, but kept his balance. "What's wrong, Wes?"

The Umbreon had his eyes narrowed on the floor in front of them. However, the dark hallway made it impossible to see subtle features in the rock. So, through a combination of Tony lighting up his finger with electricity and Wes illuminating his rings, they revealed the hallway in a state of disarray.

Claw marks dragging against the walls. Flame marks scorched all over. Craters in the floor and walls. The entire hallway was the site for a brutal battle for survival.

Ella narrowed her eyes. "…well, safe to say Griffin and Nightmare have been here for quite some time."

Wes looked at the marks before pressing his paw against them. He lifted the paw and rubbed his digits together. "Hmm…ash is fresh, definitely, but it had time to cool. A fight was set here not too long ago." Wes rubbed his chin. "If it's anything like last time, the Guardians protecting the temple must have confronted Griffin and Nightmare."

"Okay, that much is obvious," Gwyn said with a shrug. "But, uh, what about the key? Did they get it? Are we too late?"

Flint shook his head. "I don't think so. I can sense a great deal of magic below us. Feels like the energy signal our key gave off when we found it."

"So, we still have time to get it!" Ella pumped her fist in the air. "Oh yeah, we're awesome!"

"Let's celebrate after we get the key," Wes advised with a smirk.

She held her paws up with a chill grin. "Right, of course."

Gwyn narrowed her eyes. "But, if Griffin's here to take the key, does that mean we have to fight him again to get it?"

Tony held his face and groaned. "Arceus, I hope not. As if fighting him earlier wasn't enough of a hassle. I'm not in the mood to put up with more of that shit." He cracked his knuckles. "Let's take the easy route. I steal the key, you guys incapacitate him, then we book it before he tries anything."

Ella glared at Tony. "Don't you remember what Griffin's friends said? They want us to get the key AND Griffin."

"You know he made a deal with the shadows, right?" Tony reminded.

"I'm pretty sure he's the reason I'm still alive." She sighed and looked ahead. "Listen, I talked to him while you four were out. Griffin's a little rough around the edges, but…he's not a bad guy. Regardless of his reasons for coming down here, he's not evil." She looked at them with unwavering eyes. "You'll see, I promise."

The team looked at each other for their side of the topic. Tony closed his eyes and smiled with a simple shrug. "Eh, Holly and Mack already covered this with Gwyn and me. If you believe he's a decent guy, I'm with you."

Gwyn nodded. "Ditto!"

Wes grinned. "He was pretty strong! I'm tempted to fight him again!"

"Wes…" Flint warned.

"-In an open space with absolutely no chance of casualties, of course!" he added quickly, his grin widening.

Flint groaned and rubbed his head. "I don't even care. I just want the key before the shadows get it. I think we can all agree on that." The team nodded.

"Come on, we've wasted enough time talking!" Wes exclaimed before leading them down the path again.

They made turns through the intricate hallways before coming across stairs that led to the next level of the temple. They ran down to the next floor, but Tony was beginning to notice it was getting darker and darker the farther they went. Even with Wes' natural illumination, it felt like all light was being sucked out of the room.

Tony narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Okay, is anyone else noticing that we're practically running blind now? There's absolutely no light source down here apart from our own! And even that's barely working!"

Wes squinted at the map. "Err…well, now that you brought it up…" He was using the ring on his forehead to light up the map, but Tony's inquiry helped him realize that the light was barely showing the map. "Everyone, stop!" They stopped running and faced each other. "Can anyone see?"

Gwyn held her hand up to her face. She could just barely make it put. "Not really."

Wes turned up the brightness on his rings, but the light didn't extend out as intended. He turned them off and glared. "This isn't something I would expect from a fire temple, so…"

Ella narrowed her eyes. "We're not alone, are we?"

The group pressed their backs against each other and put their guard up. They kept focus on the darkness around them. As they braced themselves, laughter echoed across the hallway. Creepy, obnoxious laughter that surrounded them, permeating the air and practically hitting the group.

Without warning, Wes felt a strike to his chin that knocked him off his feet. The force slammed him against the ceiling and pinned him to it.

"Wes?!" Ella called out in concern. She yelped as something grabbed her tail and slapped her against the walls.

Gwyn felt a force swiping under her legs and knocking her on her stomach, only for a rising punch to come up and pummel her upon landing. Invisible claws came out of nowhere and slashed Flint across the chest before getting punched halfway down the hall. Tony instinctively blocked a few punches through sense alone, but the overwhelming numbers eventually beat him to the ground.

Unknown forces pummeled the team around the hallway, using the darkness as their cover. Or rather, they used their lack of vision against them. As Wes pushed against what felt like a giant hand trying to squash him, he shouted, "Guys, it's the shadows!"

Tony fired Lightning Shot through the hall, but he had no idea where he was supposed to aim. "They're absorbing the light! We can't fight them like this!" He couldn't even see his Lightning Shots the moment they were fired.

Gwyn used her whip and swung it around her for an impromptu barrier. She dug through her bag, feeling around for some seeds. "Well, how do we draw them out?!"

Ella placed up a psychic barrier, which was bombarded with endless pummeling. "How the hell should I know?!"

The shadows laughed louder, then went silent as one voice projected itself to them. "Foolish Pokémon, there's no hope for you left!" That voice was still fresh in Ella's mind after what happened earlier.

She growled. "Nightmare!"

"He's still here?!" Flint cried as a shadow slammed him against the wall.

Nightmare laughed maliciously. "That mage made the mistake of believing simple Guardians were enough to put me down. I grew tired of their endless meddling, so I called upon my subjects to overwhelm their numbers. And now you five are here! I'm surprised Lexx hasn't eliminated you all!" He grumbled. "He'll be punished for his failure…" He laughed. "Regardless, you're at my mercy now!"

Tony blasted into the darkness wildly. "You think so?!" He pulled out his scalchops and slashed the darkness.

"You can't stop me. I know how you weaklings operate. You can't fight if there's no light." He laughed with glee. "The shadows, however, are darkness itself!" A hand reached out and grabbed Wes by the neck, holding him up. "Once the Grovyle claims this temple's key, I'll be taking yours…from your dead carcass!"

Wes flailed in his hold, but casted a cheeky smile. "Oh come now, Nighty-Night! If you think a hallway of darkness is enough to stop us, then you're running out of ideas!"

Nightmare growled. "I can kill you on the spot. A simple neck snap would be more than enough." Wes' ears perked up as energy started charging. "But I'll take pleasure in making you suffer for as long as I can."

Wes squinted into the darkness and made out the dark energy being channeled. It was worth pointing out that he could sense the shadows all around him, only he didn't sense it sooner because of all the magic pouring through the air. Because all the shadows were conjoined into a singular mass, locating just one was a chore in of itself. However, that was passive magic aura. Active magic, on the other hand, was much easier to see and distinguish.

A devious idea formed in the Umbreon's mind. "Oh, but Nightmare, we've gotten along so well. How could you torture someone as awesome as me?"

"Enough of your prattling." Nightmare took aim. "Final Nightfall!" He fired the dark beam right for Wes.

The Umbreon reached into his bag and retrieved the Dark Mirror. He held it in front of his face and tanked the force pushing against his forelegs. The mirror absorbed all of Final Nightfall and left it trapped swirling inside.

"WHAT?!" Nightmare yelled furiously.

Wes smirked. "Now, I enjoy a nice present, but you can have this one back!" He flipped the mirror and fired back Final Nightfall with twice the power.

Through his magical sight, Wes saw the beam collide into a patch of darkness, followed by a loud chorus of screaming. Wes felt Nightmare lose his grip and landed on the ground. He looked forward and saw a patch of brick where he blasted, albeit destroyed.

He grinned, then shouted, "Guys, aim for the walls! They're concentrating on the light in here! Knock them down!"

Gwyn pushed against a shadow fist that shoved her against the wall. She glared at it before pulling out a seed. "Accelerated Growth!" The seed grew into a bushel of her Blast Berries. "Nutrient Transvoro!" She absorbed the bushel into her glove. She pulled on the glove, tightening it around her hand, before aiming it at the wall. "Everyone, get down! Detonation Wave!"

A click of the fingers was heard, followed by an explosive wave that took out a good chunk of wall. Suddenly, light could be seen on the other side. Ella was the first to jump out, finally able to see her own paws.

"Ha! Sweet!" She glared at the darkness before psychically ripping the brick down. It was tightly packed and reinforced, but she persisted and brought more of the wall down.

Gwyn spammed Detonation Wave across the hall, making the shadows scream out in pain while tearing through the hall. Tony pressed his fists against the floor. "Impetus Pressure!" The pressure wave spread across the ground, with a noticeable ripple in the shadows occurring. This forced the shadows to separate from that area, revealing the floor to the Dewott.

Flint cried out in panic as he a giant shadow hand lifted him in the air. He squirmed in its grasp, but he couldn't slip out. "Why is it that when I need that stupid spell to come out, I'm hanging around waiting to have my face smashed in?!"

Gwyn's ears rose in alert, then whipped her head at Flint. She gasped. "Flinty!" She glared with her teeth bared. "Hands off, you creepy spook!" She channeled magic through her whip, making it glow green, then slashed through the shadow's wrist. The hand dispersed and Flint fell towards the ground. Gwyn ran over and caught him in her arms, though she stumbled around due to weak upper body strength and pressed her back against the wall to keep herself from falling. She sighed. "Phew, that was close." She smiled at Flint. "You okay?"

Flint's face was beet red, embarrassed for panicking the way he did and that Gwyn was holding him in her arms. "Y-Y-Yeaaaah, I'm good!" he exclaimed in a high pitch voice.

Tony blasted apart another patch of shadows, but couldn't help but overhear Flint's high pitched voice. He looked at the two curiously, then noticed Flint's embarrassed expression. This made the Dewott's lips curl up deviously. Ooh~! What do we have here? He stepped out of his thoughts before a giant shadow hand could crush him.

Everyone jumped out of the dark hallway and into the next, which was lit by the lavalike light seeping through the bricks. They glared at the hallway as the shadows dispersed from the walls, reestablishing light into the gloomy hallway. The shadows poured into the next hallway, but didn't try absorbing the light this time. They surrounded the team, increasing their size for intimidation sake. The team found themselves in a tightly packed hallway, pressing against each other.

Nightmare's laughter sounded from above. They glared up and found the boss shadow floating horizontally with his arms crossed. He smirked evilly. "Hello, insignificant lifeforms."

Wes bared his teeth. "Never thought I'd see your unpleasant mug again."

Nightmare laughed once more. "You wound me, Umbreon." He floated around the group. "I see your little group has expanded." He popped up in front of Gwyn, who yelped in fright. "Oh, I remember you quite well. Miserable little meddler who interfered with my plans." He floated in front of Tony. "You, I'm not so familiar with. My colleague spoke of you, though." His fingers morphed into demonic claws. "A detestable nuisance needing to be buried into the dirt."

Tony smirked. "Ah, and you're the leader of these All Hallows' Eve rejects? Let me tell you, great work with the whole scary factor. Not seeing the threat count since a dark room is your best strategy. Think a haunted house beat you to the punch."

Nightmare's mocking expression shifted into deadpan irritation. "…I hate you already."

Tony winked with a smirk. "I get that a lot."

Nightmare floated up, arms behind his back. "Oh, how you revolting lifeforms prattle on with your drivel." He glared over his shoulder. "The mage of this temple truly believed she could overwhelm me with her forces. Her Fire Guardians were nothing more than a child's plaything for me to squeeze and break." He scoffed. "If this is the pinnacle of magical potential, I'm sorely disappointed. Be grateful I give you dull creatures the benefit of doubt. You do possess great skill in magic." He rolled his eyes. "…well, some of you are worth my time."

Ella narrowed her eyes, her lips stretching into a dry smile. "Five bits says he's talking about me…"

"Enough games." Nightmare flexed his fingers out, black electricity coursing between his deadly claws. "The Key of Earth AND Fire shall be relinquished to the Tribe of Shadows." He smirked wickedly. "Do try to fight back, of course. I enjoy a good scream."

Unbeknownst to them, Seraphina was observing them. She held her crystal ball in her hand, focusing on the battle that soon commenced. She looked over her shoulder. "The shadow expects you to do his bidding, yet you still act without haste. Do you not fear for your life?"

Griffin slipped on his red jacket, which, like his sword, was cleaned of dust and grime. He scoffed. "Let the bastard whine. I do my job at my own pace."

"Do you still plan to retrieve the key for him?"

He closed his eyes. "I said I would fight you for the key. Never said anything about giving it to him."

"So, why accept a deal you never truly considered?"

"I told you, it was to save a life." He shook his head. "Odd, considering my job usually revolves around avenging lives. First time I've had to bargain for one."

Seraphina chuckled. "A new experience to take with you." She narrowed her eyes. "Have you considered my words? What do you intend to do after today?"

He groaned. "I've had a long day. One moment I'm fighting that Umbreon, now I'm in a volcano learning about ancient mythology that turns out to be historic information." He rolled his eyes. "Let me just say that deciding on anything now would be adding more to the pile."

"You must come to a decision soon. By the time they get down here, they will demand an explanation for your actions."

"Believe me, I can hear their lectures already." He looked at the fire as it continued to crackle. He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "…why does more crap need to keep butting into my life? Someone murders my village, now I have to worry about my planet being overrun by those freaks." He held his head. "It shouldn't be my problem."

Seraphina narrowed her eyes. "Many heroes don't ask for the fates they are given."

"But I'm not a hero. I'm the last thing anyone could describe as a hero." He pointed at himself. "This is not the face of someone who believes in goodness. The darkest elements of our world have slapped me in the face more times than needed. I didn't deserve to have my village slaughtered. I don't have any duties to uphold." He held his head and pressed his side against the wall. "Nothing is forcing me to save the world."

Seraphina took a long, analytical look at him, glancing periodically at the crystal ball as Team Ravenfield fought through the waves of shadows. The vengeful aura she felt coming off Griffin grew stronger as his emotions festered with doubt. She closed her eyes, then set the crystal ball back onto its stand. She drifted smoothly to the opposite side of the room, where a wardrobe rested. She pulled the doors open.

"Griffin, do you fear your power?"

Griffin scoffed. "What is this, a psychiatric analysis of my anger?"

"No. I simply want to know if you fear the power you're developing."

Griffin glared to the side. "Then no, I don't fear my power. In fact, I desire strength that'll rival even my greatest enemy." He bared his teeth. "I wish to turn all that suffering he brought to my village against him."

Seraphina scouted through the wardrobe, looking through various robes and armor hanging inside. "Let me ask another question." She glared over her shoulder. "Are you scared of him?"

Griffin's eyes widened. His jaw clenched uncomfortably. "…no," he growled through his teeth.

Seraphina wasn't convinced. Her deadpan expression could be felt by the bounty hunter, who forced himself not to look her way. "The mind is a marvelous tool for Pokémon. It allows us to evolve with time, enhancing our own strengths through study and reason. And yet…" She pulled out a broadsword and examined it. "Our minds can subconsciously turn a past memory into a tragic fear.

"Your loss is your greatest fear. You fear to lose the ones you care for, no matter how stubborn you try to act." A shadow casted over Griffin's eyes as he lowered his head. "You are a strong-minded warrior, Griffin, but ignoring your personal shortcomings will hinder you." She narrowed her eyes. "When was the last time you've fought your village's murder?"

Griffin clutched his arm tightly. He felt cold as a wave of uncomfortableness came over him. "I've…never actually fought him."

Seraphina raised her brow in mild surprise. "You haven't?"

"I've been tracking him down for the last thirteen years, but…" He held his arms. "We've never clashed swords."

Seraphina closed her eyes. "I see." She raised her broadsword, showing off proper form and stance as she swiped the air with elegant, graceful movements with swift speeds. She raised the sword in front of her face, examining the impressive sheen while casting a reflection of Griffin. "Then, I assure you, you will fail when you confront him."

Griffin simmered with irritation already, but that comment made his blood boil. He drew Endless Regret out and aimed it at Seraphina in a fraction of a second. Seraphina didn't flinch as she kept her attention on her own sword.

Griffin's eyes glowed red with hate. "Take that back," he demanded with a low, dark tone.

"What I say is the truth," she stated candidly. "I apply confidence in the abilities of others, but I certainly don't implement false hope." She narrowed her eyes. "You will confront this swordsman for the first time…and you will be overwhelmed by his power, as you were when you were but a boy."

Griffin glared vehemently, as was his aura as its power increased tenfold. The room shook with pressure, levitating loose objects off the tables and ground. The floor beneath his feet cracked under the pressure.

"You don't know that."

Seraphina glared at the bounty hunter, then gently pushed his sword away with nothing more than her finger. "You still behave like a child. Your anger is your greatest strength, but it blinds you from the truth. It's a hindrance if left uncheck. A danger to your friends and a danger to yourself." She placed a hand on her hip. "You mask your doubt under a thick layer of rage because you're afraid to admit you're weak."

"I'm not WEAK!" Griffin shouted, sending a strong pulse through the ground. The floor sunk beneath him.

Seraphina waved her finger. "None of that in here, unless you wish to commence with the fight now while you're so riled up." Griffin inhaled sharply, baring his teeth like a savage animal, but soon exhaled it with exhaustion. Seraphina lowered her finger. "Must I explain everything in tedious detail or do you wish to remain difficult?"

Griffin shot her a glare, then deposited Endless Regret back to his pocket arsenal. He walked behind the couch and leaned forward on it with his hands supporting him. He sighed tiredly. "…no, you don't."

The Delphox mage exhaled in relief. "Finally. Maybe now you'll listen to reason." She narrowed her eyes. "Bear with me on this, but you must admit to yourself that you are afraid."

Griffin looked down. "But I'm not…"

"So, you do not fear your actions won't have unintended consequences? You do not fear something horrible will happen to your loved ones?" She shook her head. "A brave soul is not truly brave if they don't have something to fear. Without fear, we do not hold value in anything. Fear is more than just a hindrance. Fear is a reminder that there are things in this world we don't want to lose.

"Your fear stems from loss. With only two people in your life to cherish, you don't want to grow attached to others." She glanced at the crystal ball. "Take that Espeon, for instance. The one you saved." She raised her brow. "Why save her if you do not fear she would die?"

The Grovyle looked away with an unsure look. "An…unnecessary loss of life…"

"I see it more as someone you developed a mutual respect for." She walked towards him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "If you grow attached to someone, you worry they'll die if you can't save them. You don't worry so much about your friends, I believe, because you know they are strong. These five…you hardly know."

Griffin turned away. "I take lives, not save them…"

"So, why concern yourself with this business over the fate of the planet? If it is such a struggle for you to accept, why put effort into caring?"

He closed his eyes. "Because I live on this planet, too."

"Or do you not wish to see another family, maybe another clan, lose what you once had?" Griffin opened his eyes and stared at the ground solemnly. She stepped away. "Don't admit you're afraid of your clan's murderer. That is for you to decide on your own. But do not act as if you feel no sympathy towards the world. A kindred spirit resides inside you, one you've locked away to suppress your mercy. It's only a matter of letting that spirit step out for once."

Griffin clenched his fist and examined it. His aura blazed around it calmly, like the flames in the fireplace. He looked straight at the wall with his eyes narrowed.

How long has it been since he was truly happy? Sure, he cracked the occasional smile when joking around with Mack and Holly, but he doesn't remember a point after the massacre where he felt like nothing mattered. He consumed himself in vengeance and anger because that was the only thing that stayed fresh in his mind. After thirteen years, that anger hasn't died out.

Holly and Mack try to make him happy, which he could appreciate to some degree, but it never worked or, at least, lasted for long. It always went back to how he lost everything. Maybe he should have gotten over it by now, but scarred him knowing that he might have been the indirect reason that psycho tore his fellow neighbors and clansmen to pieces. For all he knew, he was going to do it anyway.

Griffin leaned his head back and inhaled deeply. He has his mind set on one goal to complete. Thirteen years and it has been the only thing that drove him to fight. He murders the criminally insane and slaughters the killers to boost his own power. Nothing but murder, vengeance, and hatred.

Griffin sighed and rubbed his face. "I wish life didn't have to suck."

Seraphina smiled to herself. "I'm sure many wish to seek the same paradise you desire." She folded her arms over her chest. "…I cannot give you all the answers. What you seek is a journey to clear your mind. Do not abandon your goal. Instead, take the time to appreciate our world under its beautiful light. Explore past what you know and take the chance to learn." She smiled. "Maybe then, you will find inner peace."

Griffin narrowed his eyes, then stood up straight. He cracked his knuckles, then his neck. "…I wish to fight you. Now."

Seraphina smirked. "And then? What after?"

"…I'll come to that decision after I beat you."

She chuckled. "You're a bold one." She faced him. "Very well. We shall start our battle in ten minutes. I wish to test the reputation of the Grim Ash Clan and see if it holds up."

Griffin raised his fist, blazing his aura through it. "With pleasure."

Wes jumped off the walls as Nightmare fired at him with Spears of Darkness. The hallway walls crumbled apart, leaving behind a wide-open space to fight. The Umbreon landed on a Warp Pad and vanished in a burst of light. He sped behind Nightmare and kicked him in the back. However, his foot phased through and stuck.

Nightmare reshaped himself to face Wes. He smirked. "Slippery little weasel…" He raised his hand and smashed it down on the Umbreon, burying him through the rock.

Wes peeled his face out of the ground. His eyes spun as he held his head. "C-Concussion City, here I come…" He shook his head upon seeing the floor break apart. They were still on another level of the temple. He glanced up, then quickly rolled forward to dodge Nightmare's enlarged fist.

Nightmare hissed irritably and fired Spears of Darkness at him. Wes jumped around the spear, then spun on his back. "Lumios Storm!" He glowed and sprayed a volley of light arrows. Nightmare hissed in pain as they pierced through his shadow body. The pure light burned him.

The boss shadow clenched his teeth and summoned a ball of black lightning over his head. "Night's Horror!" The ball fired off a wide spread array of lightning that scorched streaks across the temple.

Wes dodged and weaved through the lightning, but a stray bolt caught him by surprise and electrified him on the spot. His body convulsed in agony, trying to force himself to stand.

Nightmare floated over him and aimed a charging Final Nightfall. "Don't fight it, Umbreon. Embrace the darkness as it devours you."

Wes forced a smirk. "P-Pretty sure I t-taste bad!"

Nightmare prepared to fire when Tony suddenly appeared in front of his face. "Hello~!" He aimed his fists. "Impetus Pressure!" The pressure wave distorted Nightmare's face before completely blowing his head off. His loss in concentration ended Night's Horror. "How you doing, Wes?"

Wes' body smoked from the lightning. He rubbed his sore head, but smiled nonetheless. "Never better!"

Ella fired off bricks on the ground at the shadows. Unfortunately, they just laughed at her as the bricks simply passed through their bodies. It was the only thing she had as a weapon aside from pure psychic blasts. She tried to fire a psychic beam from her gem, but the shadows' speedy and tricky nature allowed them to get in close before she could fire.

One popped up under her and delivering a rising upper cut that brought her head to the ceiling. The shadow then grabbed her with its ghost tail and threw her over to the shadow with it. They laughed gleefully as they torturously tossed the Espeon, slapping her back and forth with their tails like a shuttlecock.

She pulled an annoyed face after the tenth hit. "You two want to play games?" Her eyes erupted with psychic energy. "Then let's play!" She fired off a psychic bubble that expanded and slammed into the shadows, pushing them away. Ella landed on her feet and flipped the fur hanging over her left eye. "You ill-mannered morons shouldn't treat a lady with such disrespect." She smirked. "Fortunately for me, I'm not a lady who plays nice!"

She psychically grabbed the ceiling and threw her paws down, tearing it down over their heads and burying them in less than a second.

Flint fired Flamethrower into the crowd of shadows. It pushed them back a bit, but it wasn't enough to waver their pursuit. He clapped his paws before running away from them.

The shadows flew right over the Flareon and laughed evilly. One morphed its arm into a flail and spun it for momentum build up before flinging it down. The shadow flail smashed Flint into the ground, much to their brief delight, when Flint's form suddenly shattered into glass. They looked at each other for answers.

"Magnification Ring x4!" They turned around, then hugged each other in terror as a massive streak of flames engulfed them. They threw their arms around and screeched with panic.

Flint panted lightly, then wiped his brow. "Okay, that's two down." He froze up as he felt their overwhelming presence rising behind him. "Annnd…hundreds of more to go." He took a small step to the side…before booking it with a scream following behind.

Flint sweated profusely as more and more shadows surrounded him. They attempted to impale him with multiple shadow spikes, but he used his time stop spell and went in another direction. Once time resumed, he fired a Flamethrower passing through a single Magnification Ring. The shadows screamed within the flames, but some managed to avoid it and darted for the Flareon.

Flint gasped as a shadow grabbed him by the neck and lifted him in the air. "Let me go!" Flint shouted. The shadow laughed and did as ask, by lifting him higher and chucking him to the ground.

Flint covered his face for protection when something quickly grabbed and set him down. He blinked in confusion, then flinched as the shadows that attacked him were flung across the temple with lightning. He smiled at Tony, who held a shadow in a chokehold. "Thanks, Tony!"

"Keep your eye on the battle, Flint!" Tony rolled back and kicked the shadow into the ceiling.

Gwyn spread seeds out and summoned tree roots by her side. She thrusted her palms out, commanding the roots to wrap the shadows up and smash them together. The shadows through Spears of Darkness at her from behind. The roots, without any command from Gwyn, wrapped around her like a barrier and took the hits for her.

She slammed her palm down. The ground split towards them, then vines grabbed and pulled them down. She smiled confidently, then yelped as she barley dodged a shadow fireball. The tree roots shielded her as she ran away, but they were burnt in a near instant.

She glared over her shoulder as the shadows pursued her. She looked at the symbol on the back of her glove and saw it was still glowing. She smirked and spun around. "Detonation Wave!" She snapped her fingers and sent a combustion wave that incinerated them on the spot.

Ella joined her from behind, knocking back shadows with psychic pulses. She panted heavily. "Phew…I need…to work out…more…"

Gwyn shot a playful glare. "Look who's the lazy one now."

Ella smirked. "Alright Green, any suggestions?"

She grinned excitedly. "Actually, I do!" She dug her hand through her bag. "I've been waiting for the right moment to test this!" Her fingers wrapped around a round object. She laughed and pulled it out. "Yes!"

In her hand was a pale green fruit with yellow spots. The surface was covered in prickles, yet they didn't hurt the Mew. They were more of a comfortable scratchy feel than needles digging in the skin.

Ella blinked in confusion. "The heck is that?"

Gwyn chuckled deviously. The look of a mad scientist reflected off her eyes, yet it somehow came off as adorable. "My finished masterpiece. The Naturae Fruit: Spike Berry!" She opened her mouth and sank her teeth into it, tearing off a bite. She swallowed, then ate through the rest.

This dumbfounded Ella, seeing as she barely knew anything about Gwyn's experiments. She tore her eyes away for a moment to blast a shadow back. "I really hope you know what you're doing!"

Gwyn threw the last of the berry in the air and caught it in her mouth. She swallowed and sighed contently. "Mmm…that was delicio-AH!" She clutched her head as her aura spiked dramatically.

Flint pulled up Blockade Reflector before seeing Gwyn erupt in green light. She looked like she was in discomfort. "Gwyn?!" Flint yelped as the shadows banged on his shield.

Gwyn stumbled around, not fully used to the effects of her Naturae Fruits yet. She crouched down and held her face as she felt her body shifting and changing. It felt strange, maybe even uncomfortable, but the results were well worth it.

Her fur color turned lighter, as light as the skin of the Spike Berry. Small bunches of fur stood out and solidified around her body, taking on a prickly appearance. Her hair flew up with the aura eruption, before straightening out and curving back. A wave of energy washed over her hair and turn it white, while also changing it into solid spikes, resembling quills. Even her tail went through change, with the very end of the tail developing a long, sharp claw.

The light around her dispersed, leaving her momentarily groggy. "Ugh, my head…" She glanced at Ella, who stood flabbergasted at Gwyn's new appearance. "Yes, Ella?" She looked at herself, then grinned. "Yes!" She jumped up and down, squealing loud and proud. "I did it! I did it! I did it!"

Flint stared just as shocked as Ella. "Gwyn?!" He gasped as the shadow broke through his shield and knocked him towards the Mew's feet.

Gwyn gasped. "Flint, are you okay?"

"Forget about me!" He stood up with a large grin. "Gwyn, you're Naturae Fruit worked!"

She gave him a big, toothy grin. "I know! I'm so happy!"

Tony fired Lightning Shots from his fingers, flashing a smirk. "Nice look, Gwyn! Is it more than just for show?"

She narrowed her eyes and smirked boldly. "See for yourself!" She darted for the shadows, then leaped forward to curl up into a spiky ball and roll right at them.

The shadows floated in placed, confused by the sudden change in the Mew. Nightmare growled. "Don't float there like idiots! Kill her!" The shadows glared and flew at her, shaping their arms into weapons.

The hair spikes Gwyn wrapped herself in glowed green. "Needle Assault!" Long, glowing quills fired from her hair. They jabbed into the shadows with overwhelming numbers. The shadows at the front of the assault were brought down, completely covered in quills.

Gwyn hopped off the ground and rolled into a shadow, smearing its formless body across the floor and splattering shadow everywhere. She rolled in circles before darting at Nightmare.

The boss shadow sneered and held his hand out. "Terror Chord." He emitted a sonic wave that made an ear deafening sound. Gwyn rammed into it and uncurled to hold her ears while it pushed her back. Nightmare raised his other hand and combined Terror Chord with a second wave.

Gwyn pressed her hands as hard as she could against her ears. She wasn't faring well, much like her friends. Wes glared at the boss shadow, then formed a Warp Pad under his feet. He jumped towards Gwyn and grabbed her, before summoning a path of Warp Pads to bounce them behind Nightmare.

Wes gripped Gwyn's wrists and spun around. "Do your thing, Gwyn!" He threw her straight at Nightmare.

She saluted. "Yes sir!" She grabbed two quills from her hair and pulled them out. She slammed her feet against the boss shadow's back. He reached behind to grab her, but she jumped away and threw the first quill like a javelin. It pierced through his wrist and his torso.

Nightmare tried to unstick his hand. "What is this?!" He attempted to reshape his body to force it out, but Gwyn jumped overheard and threw a quill through his face, which ended up jabbing into the floor with the force. Nightmare growled. "Insolent brat!"

Gwyn giggled as she landed. "Guess you aren't all you're cracked up to be!"

Nightmare's eyes flashed red. His size increased dramatically, snapping the quills off. "Oh, do you wish to see power?!" He collected dark energy between his palms and formed a sparking orb. "Here's power for you!" He lobbed it against Gwyn's chest, exploding in a field of dark energy that slammed her across the floor.

"Gwyn!" Flint cried.

Fortunately, she wasn't too injured. She dug her spiked tail into the ground and stopped herself. "I'm fine!"

Nightmare snapped his fingers and summoned more shadows. "Eliminate them." They flew right for the group.

Gwyn bared her teeth, then punched into the ground. "Laceration Onslaught!" Cracks stretched out across the floor as massive quills erected from the ground. The shadows tried to slither through the quills, but the number of quills made it feel like a thick jungle. The spikes jabbed through them and pinned them against the ceiling.

Nightmare sneered and held his palms together. "Final Nightfall!" He blasted the destructive beam through the quill jungle, though harming his shadows in the process. He didn't care too much.

As the shadows rose, Gwyn aimed her palms and fired rapid fire needles at them. The shadows glowered and created shields to block them.

Tony narrowed his eyes, then sprinted to Gwyn's side. "Gwyn, when I give the go, hit them as hard as you can!"

She nodded. "Can do!"

Tony leaped above the shadows. "Dragon Thunderclap!" He clapped his hands and pushed the shadows down with an intense shockwave. "Ventusphere!" He summoned the swirling orb and slammed it down, trapping them in a hurricane dome. "Gwyn, now!"

She smirked, then channeled magic into her quill hair. "Nature's Arrow Shower!" She whipped her head forward and sent a storm of glowing quills their way.

Tony walked towards the approaching quills calmly while the shadows continued to be thrown around in the wind dome. "Light Speed," he whispered under his breath, electrifying his body and slowing down the surrounding world. He walked around quills with a smug smile. He glanced over his shoulder, shooting a glance at the shadows as they attempted to flee. He chuckled. "Too slow." He leaped in the air and ended Light Speed.

The quills punctured the shadows, completely covering them like a pin cushion. They gasped as the quills started glowing brighter. They attempted to remove them, but their attention was drawn towards the electrical orbs being fired around them. Their eyes fell on Tony as he landed, raising his pressed fingers.

"Fulmen Scattershot." He chuckled, then smirked at Gwyn. "Ready?"

Gwyn nodded, raising her own pressed fingers. "Ready."

They threw their hands forward and shouted, "Release/Explode!" before snapping their fingers.

The temple lit up in blue electricity and blazing green magic. The shadows contorted and screamed in agony as they evaporated into nothingness. Nightmare crossed his arms as the blast knocked him back and sent him tumbling across the floor.

The temple shook from the violent explosion, bringing down pieces of the upper level. The team dodged them as most of the avalanche came down on the shadows' side of the field.

The collapse brought up a thick cloud of dust that made the team cough. They waved the dust away and looked ahead. Nightmare and any remaining shadows were gone. They must have retreated during the collapse.

Wes grinned and deactivated his amulet. "Ha, sweet! Great job, team!"

Tony laughed, holding his knees. "Oh man…that was so epic fun right there!"

Ella chuckled. "Well, hope you're in the mood for more, because we still have a mage to confront."

Flint went up to Gwyn with a big smile. "G-Gwyn, wow…you…you actually perfected your mother's Naturae Fruits!"

She smiled bashfully. "Yeah…I'm glad I could." She squealed. "I can't wait to make the rest! Now that I have the recipe down, I should be able to make more types!"

Flint's smile lessened, but still expressed delight for his friend. "I'm so proud of you."

Her eyes sparkled adorably. "You are? AWW!" She grabbed him under the forelegs. "Give me a hug, you fluffy bookworm!" She gave him an affectionate squeeze and rubbed her cheek against his. Her…prickly, needle covered cheek.

Flint's eye twitch as her spiky skin jabbed into his. A single tear dripped down his other cheek as he expressed a painful smile. "G-Gwyn, as much as I enjoy your…hugs, can you…?"

It didn't take long for the Mew to remember her current situation. She pushed the Flareon away and smiled apologetically. "Oh! Sorry, Flint!"

Flint chuckled lightly. "I-It's fine-YOW!" He froze up as Ella psychically removed the needles in his skin. He glared at her. "Warn me next time!"

She snickered mischievously. "My bad."

Wes chuckled. "Alright team, we have a key to get! Let's go!" They nodded and followed their leader to the stairs, which were easier to get to with the collapsed walls.

Far off in the darkness, Nightmare glowered at the group as the disappeared to the next level. "Take pride in your small victory, Team Ravenfield," he warned as he sank into the shadows. "For you will slip up soon enough, and I'll be there…to savor your demise." He disappeared into the darkness.

Pokémon were flooding the streets after hearing about the battle that took place at Lava Springs Suites. Reporters were trying to get scoops out of the police, but they kept their lips sealed. With all the fighting going on recently, it's stirred up madness among the community.

Two reporters, an Alolan Graveler and a Bermite, had left the hotel a while ago and were pretty annoyed. The Alolan Graveler wore a brown coat with a press badge. They both wore fedoras with press on the rim. "What a drag, Ritchie!" the electric Graveler complained. "Some juicy news to cover and no one has anything to give us!" He crossed his arms. "We need newsworthy material to cover! These mysterious fights are the perfect source!"

The Bergmite, Ritchie, looked at him with a deadpan look. "The apparent hotel massacre doesn't suit your fancy, Palmer?"

"Ah, you know what I mean! Besides, people already know about that!" Palmer scratched his cheek with a slight sweat-drop forming. "…not that that's a good thing by any means."

Ritchie rolled his eyes. "Two massive fights broke out and no one got a good look at their faces. It's a dead lead if you ask me." They turned a corner onto a different street. "Hey, maybe we can a lead on those thefts earlier? You know, the ones with the rick folks and-?"

"WHOA! Ritchie, look!" Palmer exclaimed, pointing ahead. The Bergmite followed his finger and saw the iron maiden that was laying across the ground. Fresh bloodstains could be seen on the side. A small pool of blood rested on the ground.

Ritchie nearly hurled at the sight. "Oh dear Arceus, what is that?!"

Palmer tapped his fingers together. "News, my friend. News." He ran over to the iron maiden, completely disregarding the blood. "Amazing! I distinctly remember a bunch of magic being thrown around! Who's to say this iron maiden wasn't part of the fight?!" He smiled gleefully.

Ritchie walked over with a deadpan glare. "You do realize there's a dead guy in there, right?"

"I know! It's news!"

"It's disgusting! Who would want pictures of this?!" He facepalmed. "Please don't tell me you want to take pictures of a body covered in puncture wounds!"

Palmer held his hips. "My friend, I'm a reporter, not a sicko! I simply wish to take pictures of this death trap." He knocked on the lid. "This is news at its finest! Plus, even if it isn't related to those fights, it's an iron maiden that killed someone!"

Ritchie rolled his eyes. "Oh joy…"

Palmer held a camera up. "Alright, let's snap some photos and see if there's anyone around who saw-!" They jumped as a loud bang sounded from inside the torture device. "Uh…was that our imagination?"

Ritchie gulped. "We both heard it, so…I don't think so."

Punches nailed the lid, denting out the metal. The two reporters ducked for cover as the iron maiden shook. They looked at each other nervously as the punching got louder and fiercer.

Soon enough, one last punch completely knocked the lids off and sent them flying. One flew through a store window, the other landing inches near the two reporters, with the spikes facing down. They paled at the close shave, then looked back at the iron maiden as a figure rose out.

He growled and stood up from the torture device. He cracked his neck and wiped some blood off his face. He looked up and smelled the air. Ritchie and Palmer held each other worriedly, wondering if the undead creature could sense them.

Thankfully, his priorities were on another matter. His eyes glowed blood red. "Kill…the bounty hunters. Kill…the treasure hunters. Kill…for the shadows!" He bent his knees, then leapt into the air, in the direction of the volcano.

The two reporters pulled themselves out of hiding, then looked at each other with wide eyes. "What…the…HECK?!"

Team Ravenfield raced down the temple hallway as Wes quickly traced the map. "Okay, okay! We should be closing in!" They passed some battle damage. "…yep, real close!"

They turned a corner, then ran out a passageway. They skidded to a halt and gasped. They were in some sort of cavern with a ring of lava surrounding it. Occasional bursts of lava blew out.

"Is this the room?" Tony asked awestricken.

Gwyn's formed reverted to normal. She shook her head and groaned due to a sudden wave of dizziness. "Err…yeah, I guess it is."

Wes rolled up the map and stuffed it back in his bag. "Come on, we need to find the mage." He ran across the rock, when three Fire Guardians suddenly formed in front of him and blasted him away with a wave of heat. "Whoa!" He landed on his back and groaned. "Ugh, my heinie…"

Ella glared. "Hey!" She blasted a psychic blast at them, but they held their hands out and blocked it. "Let us through! We're here to challenge your mage!"

Tony lit his fingers up. "We're here to collect the Key of Fire."

"I know." The group's eyes widened, then they looked up above. Standing on a swirling disk of fire suspending in the air was the Fire Mage, Seraphina. "I knew you were coming for quite a while."

"The mage…" Gwyn mumbled.

Ella narrowed her eyes. "Then tell your Fire Guardians to let us challenge you! And where's the bounty hunter that came down here, too? Griffin?"

Seraphina floated down. "I believe I can answer both questions." She pointed across the field. "There's your answer right there."

The group followed the direction and saw Griffin walking out from Seraphina's home. Hands in his pockets, he stepped onto the field. He shot a narrow-eyed look at the five, but nothing more. He stopped and shifted his foot to get a proper stance. He glared directly at Seraphina.

"Wait…what?" Wes questioned with a confused brow.

Seraphina floated down and stepped onto the rock. She folded her arms behind her back and returned the glare back at Griffin, only much softer than his. "You see, treasure hunters, Griffin Everfall requested to battle me first. He is my opponent. Should he win, the key belongs to him."

The team gasped, then snapped their attention back onto Griffin. The Grovyle ignored their shocked stares and held his hand out. He summoned Endless Regret and held it over his shoulder.

Time to see if my power truly is enough. He tightened his grip around the hilt.

"Ready when you are."