Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Harry Potter
BloodyKitsune: Mount Moon adventures here we come. Hope you guys haven't missed me, I've been working on a plan with this one and the next chapter is something I've got to plan thoroughly before it's released, but don't worry it'll be coming out soon...hopefully.
Reviews:
Jostanos: He's had Blitzle this entire time, but you'll just have to wait and see on that first question. The plot really thickens with that question, don't it?
ShadowWolf223: Maybe, maybe not, you'll just have to way and see.
Chapter Nineteen
Fingers curled tightly around the pokeball that now resided in his hand, Ash turned from the phone as his stomach turned uneasily. It was heavier than Pidgeotto's and had a different feel to the aura. But it felt odd not holding his oldest pokemon partner's pokeball in his hand even if he'd be traveling with a good friend who he'd still practically grown up with, he took a deep breath while reminding himself that Pidgeotto would be far happier away from the mountain. He nodded to himself while moving towards where the practice fields were set up. As the doors opened, the sounds of chaos exploded and he could pick out the forms of Vali and Orion sparring as their enjoyed some light training before they left.
Unlike Vali, Orion seemed to be a true generalist and had pokemon of multiple types. The a male Lucario that was his starter, a female Ampharos, a male Walrein, a female Scolipede, a male Rhyperior, and a female Dragapult. There was a small bird fluttering about, it had taken Ash a bit before he was able to figure out that it was a Fletchling. The tiny little thing zipped around and actually managed to toss Vali's Noibat into the dirt when it got too close. As Pikachu rushed up to him, he focused on the mouse and smiled lightly, "Hey, Bud. Everything went well and Pidgeotto's resting safely back home. I've got someone new for Blitzle and you to meet, alright?"
Eyes gaining an unsure look, Pikachu nodded slowly and climbed onto Ash's shoulder allowing him to move past the small amount of carnage beginning to form from his elder sister's play session. Reaching a clear area, he released Blitzle and gave her the run down. Much like Pikachu, she looked unsure though seemed fairly excited at the prospect. He palmed the pokeball containing his old friend and released him with a smile, "Come on out, Electrike!"
Letting out a cry as he appeared, Electrike barked happily and rushed over to greet Ash though slid to a stop at the sight of Pikachu. Head tilting to the side, Electrike let out a soft yip earning a low sound from Pikachu. Jumping down from his shoulder, Pikachu released a small jolt of electricity at Electrike. Returning it, Electrike's tail wagged happily and his head turned towards Blitzle as he released a small jolt at her. Letting out a small sound of surprise, Blitzle slowly released a small bolt of electricity that was quickly returned. Smile forming at the sight of this, Ash slowly slipped to the ground as he watched his pokemon communicate with one another in their own language.
"An interesting thing, isn't it?" Allen's voice came from behind him making Ash jolt a bit and he swung his head about to see the man walking up, "Electric types always have a way to communicate with one another. Fire types do as well according to Vali though I'm not exactly willing to believe her on it,"
"I...can't exactly blame you there," Ash let out a soft cough at the reminder of Vali's claim that fire-types will just use ember attacks and flame throwers to communicate when not among their family groups, "At least, I don't think all fire-types would communicate like that,"
Letting out a laugh, Allen shook his head, "True enough, I think the Magmar and Charizard-lines would be very inclined to use such methods. I think the Torkoal-line would be more prone to using smoke signals."
"I...don't know," Ash hadn't thought about that.
"Don't mind me, I tend to go off on tangents when it comes to pokemon communication. It's my thing," Allen let out a soft laugh, "Though that could be our entire group, Vali included," The man smiled softly as he looked over at where Vali was laughing manically as she sparred with Orion, "Those two..."
Clearing his throat, Ash asked, "I...How do you know each other? Vali's never mentioned-," He paused with a grimace, "Sorry-"
"I'm not surprised," Allen took a seat beside Ash on the ground, "For all that we're close, we did only know each other for a week and a few scattering days after that," Ash's eyes widened since the way Vali had acted said something far different, "We met a week after her training trip not that she told us much of what occurred on it. We made many assumptions during the days that followed and were happy enough to act as a safe zone for souls that obviously needed a place to recover. We had done so in the past," A wry look formed on the man's face, "We didn't expect her to fit in so well with us. Like a lost piece of the puzzle,"
"That's a lot like what happened with my mom and me," Ash looked over at Vali as he admitted that, "Sis just has a way of wiggling into your heart without really knowing it,"
"Yeah," Allen shook his head with a low laugh, "You're a lucky kid, Ash. If we could've convinced her back then, she would've been traveling with us. But she was eager to be with you all back here,"
Eyes widening at that, Ash felt a pang of guilt, "R-really?"
"Yup though don't look so guilty," Allen smiled in a way that made Ash's heart ease, "While we might not have known her that well back then, it was easy to see how much she cared about you all. And knowing her as I do now, a promise made is something she'd never break without a damn good reason. You've got a special sister that has a damn good heart, Kiddo," He patted Ash's shoulder and stood up, "While I'm kind of jealous, I'm also glad to know that you've got such a special place in her heart,"
"Yeah," Ash nodded as he watched Allen stride over to the sparring pair.
"What was that about, Ash?" Gary asked as he plopped down beside Ash.
"Just getting to know one another better, I think," Ash shook his head lightly and glanced at Gary, "Did you make a decision about Spearow?"
"I'm keeping her with me," Gary rubbed the back of his neck, "She and I both know that this mountain is going to be difficult, but she's wants that experience,"
Giving Gary a nod of understanding, Ash turned his head back towards his pokemon as Electrike let out a happy bark and watched as his now current oldest pokemon coaxed Blitzle into a small race. Smile forming on his lips, he said, "Well, I hope she finds some way to enjoy the trip through there."
"Me too," Gary let out a laugh as Electrike stumbled over a rock and tripped into Pikachu earning a loud squeal of surprise, "This is going to be interesting, you've got a team of Electric-types right now,"
"Yeah," Ash nodded while standing in preparation to deal with any fight that might break out, "Never really expected it,"
And he wasn't exactly mad about it either, Ash loved each of his pokemon greatly and felt a bond to them though knew in his heart that he'd never progress in to being an Electric-type master. The drive to become a Master of many types of pokemon was something that still burned deeply in his heart to the day though he admitted with some amusement that with his current roster it honestly looked a bit skewed. Inwardly shaking his head while moving towards his pokemon as Pikachu began to scold Electrike, he smiled while calling out to the duo as Blitzle watched with her ears flicked back in concern.
Snickering at the sleepy grumbles Ash and Gary were giving as they trudged down stairs, Vali shook hands with the guide she'd hired. While she'd been in Mount Moon more times than she'd care to count since becoming an Elite, she much preferred having an actual guide leading the way. It would also allow her to have a bit more leeway in the event that their suspicions about Team Rocket turned out to be correct. The woman she hired smiled cheerfully, "Those two boys aren't used to the early hours, are they?"
"Nope," Vali giggled lightly as Elrond snickered alongside Aragorn, "Give them a bit once we're actually moving and they'll be right as rain,"
"Good to know," Trena Parks, the guide she'd hired, nodded while turning to Ash and Gary, "My name is Trena Parks, boys. You can call me, Trena. We'll be heading into the mountain soon, so grab something to eat while we finish the last minute prep, alright?"
With a pair of poisonous glares directed to her, the two headed to the cafeteria as Trena and Vali laughed in amusement before moving towards the center's shop to gather up a few things. Allen slipped into step beside Vali as she parted from Trena in the aisles, "Everyones gearing up. You sure about taking those boys in the mountain with what might be going on?"
"If we always hesitated on the what ifs, I never would have stuck around long enough to meet you guys nor would Orion have gotten a chance to play with Mew all those years ago," Vali reminded Allen earning a half-hearted smile from the man, "Not allowing the boys to enjoy their journey just because of a little fear, I...I can't even if the idea of them being caught in the cross fire kills me,"
"At the very least, you've got back up this time," Allen murmured as he reached out to grip her shoulder, "We've got ya, Spark,"
"I know," Vali grabbed his hand and squeezed lightly, "Now get going, you've gotta get back before Orion thinks I might try to steal ya away,"
Snorting at her as she winked, Allen shook his head and disappeared down the aisle Vali was working her way through. She quickly finished gathering up the few supplies that they actually needed and met up with Trena once more before leaving the shop after paying for it all. After waking up the boys who'd begun dozing in some oatmeal and eggs, they set off towards the mountain after settling the new supplies among themselves. As they began reaching the mountain itself, a small smile formed on her lips as Ash and Gary both began perking up just a little bit.
Reaching the entrance they'd be taking, Vali noted with a small frown that it had been enlarged since her last trip to the Mountain a few months back. While it wasn't all that abnormal seeing as the local ground and rock-types tended to do so on occasion, the usual marks left behind by the pokemon were gone. Head tilting as they slowly entered the mountain, she paused for a few moments and swiped a gloved hand along the rocks. Lifting her fingers up, she narrowed her eyes at the thick layer of dust coating the black leather of her glove. And a glance towards where she'd swiped away the dust revealed a deep groove within the stone, it was far too cleanly done to have come from an untrained wild pokemon.
Eyes going to Elrond as she slowly resumed moving, Vali sent a thought towards him and he nodded before focusing his eyes on Aragorn. Aragorn's head darted towards Elrond first then to her before he pulled back to sniff at the entryway of the cave. As Aragorn sneezed twice, she felt her stomach twist as Aragorn returned to her side quickly. Elrond spoke as she dropped a hand to Aragorn's back, "Human means enlarged the entrance and did so within the last week."
'Shit,' Vali bit her bottom lip, 'Can you connect with Orion or Allen?'
"They're distanst, but..." Elrond's eyes gained a faint glow, "Done. We can't be sure this was done by the Rockets, but..."
'Very few have managed to get a permit to do anything within Mount Moon let alone change the entry way,' Vali shook her head softly, 'Keep an eye out and do your best to pass along information to the others, I know the mountain won't make it easy,'
For all that Elrond was a strong Psychic, Mountain posed challenges even Sabrina and her team were hard pressed to deal with thanks to it's natural electromagnetic field. Vali pulled her mind away from the possible dangers as Ash called out to her, "So two weeks in the mountain, Vali?"
"A week and a half," Vali corrected him earning a minor pout, "Neither Gary nor you are looking for a specific pokemon for your teams after all,"
"Not to mention, it's best to be quick this time of year," Trena added earning a glance from Vali, "With the summer season, the Zubat are a right menace even with proper prep,"
"Not to mention the recent addition of Woobat," Gary offered earning a nod from Vali, "I remember Gramps being really pissed about those things getting set loose in here,"
"With their psychic-type nature, they're can be a lot more difficult to deal with enmass," Vali gave Gary a look of pride for remembering that there was a new pokemon to be worried about in the mountain, "And with how easily they breed, we really do have to be careful," They turned a corner and the light cut off though her lips pulled back a bit at seeing an almost too bright light not too far away, "Huh? That isn't supposed to be there,"
"What-You're right," Trena murmured softly.
Hand dropping to her pokeball belt, Vali headed to the light source and found it to be a large lantern. Dousing the flame inside immediately, she pulled out her pokenav and sent a picture of it to Karen. Ash came up beside her with a frown on his face, "What's this doing in here?"
"No idea, but I just sent a picture to Karen-" Vali nodded to herself as a message popped up seconds later, "Karen's dispatching a Ranger team to grab this and see if there are any others within the area. I just need to-" She sent Karen the lanterns exact location and a warning that Nazgul would be watching over it, "And we can head out,"
"Shouldn't we stay?" Trena asked with a frown.
"One of my pokemon will be staying behind to watch over it and return to my side once it's been retrieved unless he feels the need to help the Rangers search for any others," Vali put her pokenav away, "Shall we?"
Trena looked a bit hesitant though nodded none the less, "Ah, yes. Of course."
Pulling himself up over a ledge, Gary wiped at his brow as he settled down beside Ash once he'd made it safely into cave that was somewhat high off the main pathway. He looked towards where Vali was already prepping their first meal for this trip. Trena was not far from Vali getting a temporary shelter ready which surprised him a little. Turning his head back towards the entrance of the cave, he looked out over the main pathway and could barely see the dark shapes of Zubat and Woobat moving about in the darkness. There were soft skittering sounds and the slightest glint of red visible, he knew there were Paras within the mountain and the more rare evolution Parasect. Shivering just a bit at the thought of that larger bug-type, he swallowed slightly.
"Thinking about tomorrow?" Ash asked as he leaned back on his palms with Pikachu settled against his side.
Nodding as he didn't want to admit that the bigger bug-type creeped him out, Gary replied, "Yeah. It's a really big mountain...a lot bigger than I really thought."
"You could wander through these caves and pathways for years without ever really exploring half of it," Ash murmured with a hint of awe on his face.
"To think Steven actually spent time down here," Gary's mind went to the silver haired champion, "Hey, Vali?" He turned his head towards her and she made a noise of interest, "Did Steven ever come back to Mount Moon?"
"Every single time he comes to Kanto," A fond smile curled across her lips as she sighed, "I honestly have to drag him out of these tunnels more often than not. Same with Mount Silver, it's kind of crazy how well I know both mountains thanks to him,"
"Must be an interesting friend, this Steven," Trena commented earning a trio of snorts.
"Is he ever," Gary commented with a laugh.
"If you ever have a question about stones, he's your man," Ash added.
"He's the best friend a girl could ask for," Vali's smile widened into a grin, "If you're ever lost in a mountain, he'll be able to get you out though not without trying to figure out which stones are which first. That guy..." She shook her head, "I wouldn't change him for the world though,"
"You sound close," Trena settled by the wall.
"We did journey together, so I'd hope so," Vali turned her head to Gary, "So what brought up this line of thought anyway?"
"We were thinking," Gary waved a hand between Ash and himself, "About just how big the mountain is, it's kind of crazy how Steven actually spends time in here,"
"He loves it though," Vali settled back on her haunches as she set the spoon she'd been using to stir their food about in the pot across the top, "And after spending time down here, I can see why. Granted it's only once you get down far enough past the usual routes that you'll get to where it's truly worth wandering,"
"Really?" Ash's head popped up as he stared at Vali.
Nodding her head with a soft smile, Vali's eyes turned a bit distant as if she were reliving a memory, "Humans can do many things alongside pokemon, I will be one of the first to admit that, but wandering down there...it gave me another perspective just as.." She trailed off as her eyes gained a slight red color to them, "Pokemon living without human interference is something of a wild beauty. There is tragedy involved as you will always find within life, the societies pokemon live in though are unique to them in how they deal with life as is."
"I wish the League would allow more people to see what's below the regular routes through the mountain," Trena's voice was soft as she muttered that.
Soft as it was, Vali's eyes became clear with a sharpness that almost gave Gary whiplash. The red faded as she looked towards Trena with a darkness that made him shiver. Speaking a tone that held just a hint of that darkness, Gary was very glad that Vali had never been angry with him, "Pokemon that do what they can to burrow that deep are meant to be left alone, Miss Parks. Remember that before you accidentally become a statistic."
Standing as Trena's face started to turn red, Vali started to walk towards the ledge with Elrond and Aragorn. Trena started to speak, "Hey-"
"I'll be back in an hour," Vali's voice was clipped, "Just stir the stew occassionally, Ash. Gary, Keep watch,"
Without another word, Vali jumped off the ledge with Elrond and Aragorn. There was a moment where he felt a burst of concern, it faded as faint blue energy curled about their forms for the brief moments it took to reach the ground. Ash stood up and moved to take Vali's place as Gary kept his eyes on Vali's form until it disappeared into the darkness. He grimaced as Trena burst out, "She just jum-"
"Elrond broke their fall," Ash's voice was measured though there was a coldness that made Gary's grimace deepen, "I would suggest not talking to Vali when she returns unless she's the one to speak first,"
"Why would I-" Trena started to demand.
"Because she can easily fire you in a heart beat and send you back to the entrance without any trouble," Ash's voice was deadpan, "We don't actually need you to lead us around. Vali's been to Mount Moon enough that we can easily navigate our way through. She only hired you to ensure our experience was genuine,"
"W-what?" The fire in Trena's voice was gone.
"To put things blunty, you're little more than a safety net," Ash was definitely angry though Gary wasn't sure if this was partially due to Vali being angry because sometimes the boy was influenced by their elder sister's emotions due to his aura power, "She wanted to ensure we had a genuine experience rather than just wander through the mountain following behind her. She also wanted to spend time with us without having to play leader. So if you want to keep your job, you'll drop it,"
"I don't-" Trena's voice faltered, "But that doesn't-I don't-"
"Think carefully during the next hour, I really don't care if Vali fires," Ash being this blunt made Gary lean towards being influenced though would need to ask the other boy later, "For now, I'm going to do as my sister asked and I'm sure Gary is as well,"
"Ah-yup, I am," Gary nodded quickly while clearing his throat.
"You could have done that with a little less flare," Elrond murmured as Vali walked along the pathway being careful to avoid any Geodude or Graveler that might be hiding.
"But Eli, it's fun to put on plays and that human woman really should've kept her mouth shut," Aragorn's nose wrinkled, "Seriously, it's not like humans need to have access to every part of the damn world," He paused for a moment before looking at Vali with a weak smile, "You're fine though, Sis. You're practically a pokemon-"
'I get what you're saying, so no worries, Aragorn,' Vali waved him off as they trailed down lower, 'Gladi, how much further?'
Sobering up from the amusement that had spawned after Aragorn's little 'paw in mouth moment', Elrond grew sober as Galadrial spoke from within Vali's shadow, "Twenty meters further on this pathway, you'll need to take the right then we'll be in the right place."
Nodding as she sent a wave of acknowledgement to the ghost, Vali quickened her pace just a bit while sending magic towards her boots to make them quiet. Reaching the forked pathway as Galadrial said they would, she took the right and soon found herself walking along the start of an almost cat-walk like pathway. Dropping down onto her belly after a bit, she crawled towards the edge and looked over carefully with Elrond and Aragorn joining her as Galadrial used a bit of Distortion to hide them. Eyes slowly widening as she took in the sight below her, she quickly took out her camera and pokenav. With a bit of rustling about, she handed Elrond her pokenav after setting it to record what was happening below and quickly set about taking photos.
Men and women dressed in black outfits with that red 'R' stitched across the front ran about like little ants carrying materials across the cavern floor below Vali. A whole mining operation had seemingly been developed and based on the large tools tossed about the room, they were planning on expanding the operation. Scientists were also within the cave, they were stood about tables covered in rocks and test tubes as well as cages filled with pokemon which made her blood boil. It was only the mental reminder that they needed to gather evidence and put together a strike team before going after these goons that kept her from leaping down to free those pokemon. There was one thing that puzzled her, the whole operation was quite large and loud even from this distance which made her wonder how no one had noticed it before.
As if Arceus and Mew had heard her question, a group of Mr. Mime came into view looking a bit worse for wear. They wore some rather strange apparatuses that seemed to stretch out their bodies in ways that looked far too painful for Vali's comfort. As soon as one started to fall to the ground on it's knees, a squeal left it's usually silent lips as livid electricity darted across that apparatus. Eyes widening in horror, she had to reach out and grasp Aragorn's shoulder to prevent him from leaping down as he growled, "They're being-"
'I know, Brother! We cannot interfere for now," Vali managed to push him back with a mixture of magic and flames coursing through her body, 'When the time comes, they all will pay for what has been done. I promise you that,'
Low whine leaving him, Aragorn struggled against her though it was a weak thing. There was a sense of justice that burned brightly within his heart, the very thought of allowing those poor pokemon down there to suffer made him recoil. Aragorn murmured, "I hate this...I hate this so much, Sister."
'I know...I know, Little King,' Vali's tone was gentle as she used the old nickname she'd given him all those years ago, 'Take heart in what is to come and hold that close,'
Nodding as his mouth pulled back into a grimace, Aragorn nodded and Vali carefully released him. After a few more pictures, they left the scene with utmost care and she quickly sent everything off to Karen as well as Allen who was waiting for it. Almost immediately, Karen called her, "The fuck is this shit, Puppy?"
"Rockets in Mount Moon," Vali's tone was bland as Elrond dropped a barrier around them, "Thought that was obvious,"
"I fucking get that, but how the-" Karen cut herself off before there was a torrent of swears.
"Those Mr. Mimes need to be taken care of first," Vali's voice was soft as she ran her fingers along Aragorn's head as he leaned against her side, "With how much they've suffered, we've got to help them before..." She trailed off feeling her stomach twist as it always did at the thought of any pokemon dying, "How soon can you mobalize?"
"Four hours," Karen's voice was tense, "And that's if I can get everyone that I need to-"
"I'll make some calls," Vali let out a soft laugh at the swear Karen offered in return, "I am not about to let you pull of a raid like this without me. Not when it's Mount Moon,"
"What is it with you and that mountain?" Karen grumbled at her.
There was a faint tinkling sound just at the edge of her hearing range, Vali's eyes darted about even as she said, "I've got my reasons, Ren. If things go well enough, you might just find out. I've got to go make those calls. I'll see you later," She ended the call, "Eli-"
"She's here, but only plans to watch," Elrond's voice was soft and Vali felt herself relax, "She warns you that they seek the Great Stone,"
"We'll keep them from it," Vali promised aloud though heard nothing not even a whisper of wind, "Let's make those calls, we've got a job to do,"
Even after Vali had returned, Ash could tell his sister was anxious about something and couldn't bring himself to fall asleep. He was a bit surprised to feel Nazgul's presence in his mind seconds before everything went dark even as the ghost let out a soft apologetic croon. When his eyes opened, he wasn't sure how long later it was, but the dim light of their lantern was out. Stumbling out of his sleeping bag, he managed to light it and found Vali missing alongside all her pokemon even those that usually kept watch on their campsites which sent alarm bells ringing through his skull.
Quickly moving over to Gary, Ash shook him awake with some difficulty and the boy groggily grumbled, "Wha-Ash, I was sleepin."
"Vali's missing," Ash hissed at Gary earning a groan.
Swatting at him, Gary rolled onto his side, "Vali'll be back. She always is."
"This time is different," Ash growled at Gary as he shook him again, "Her pokemon are gone,"
"They might've gone to take a shit," Gary muttered with a soft grunt, "Just-"
"And some of her stuff is gone," Ash hissed making Gary's eyes open, "I remember Naz putting me to sleep because I'd felt how anxious Vali was about something, Gary. If that doesn't mean something is going on and Vali's part of it, I don't know what does,"
Slowly sitting up as he rubbed at his eyes, Gary looked about the camp and his eyes began widening, "Shit, you're right. But Vali leaving like that-Ash, we can't exactly go after her."
"I-" Ash's stomach twisted, "With how anxious Vali felt, I really don't want to just leave her alone, Gary. Not with how she left earlier..."
"Ash..." Gary groaned softly, "Fuck, I can't say no when you give me looks like that,"
Sighing in relief, Ash moved backward as Gary stood up, "So you'll go with me to look for her?"
"Only cause you have Electrike and he can sniff her out," Gary ran a hand through his hair, "We need to change before anything though,"
Nodding to Gary, Ash moved and quickly changed out of his pajamas before grabbing a lantern. With Gary at his side, they climbed down and he released Electrike. With a sleepy yawn, Electrike barked at him, "We need to find Vali, Bud. She disappeared somewhere without telling us, so you've got to sniff her out. Can you do that?"
Tail wagging, Electrike nodded excitedly and quickly began to scent the air before taking off. Yelping a bit at how quickly the cub had taken off, Ash moved to rush after his pokemon with Gary nipping at his heels. The paths they ran through were dark and there was a disturbing lack of pokemon that sent shivers down his spine though Electrike seemingly wasn't bothered one bit. They slipped through crossways and down fork in the roads until Electrike finally slid to a stop before another fork. Sniffing heavily, he turned his head towards Ash and there was hesitation in his eyes. Bending down, he set a hand on Electrike's head as Gary asked, "What's up, Ash? He lost her scent?"
"No, I-" Ash shook his head as Electrike let out a low whine, "Something else is going on. Gare, you notice something off with the tunnels?"
"What? N-" Gary paused before nodding, "You know? We didn't run into a single Zubat which compared to earlier is a miracle. No Geodude or Graveler either," Ash looked into Electrike's eyes and saw the anxiety there, "Ash...do you think...Do you think this has something to do with why Vali disappeared?"
"Might...no, it probably does," Ash swallowed heavily, "But we've come this far..."
"True," Gary let out a soft laugh, "Heading back now isn't something we'd do,"
"Electrike," Ash rubbed between Electrike's ears and felt some comfort from the minute amount of static running across his finger tips, "Is Vali ahead of us?" A soft bark left Electrike, "Alright, Bud. I'll return you and if...If it comes down to it, I'll release you if we're in trouble,"
Whining softly, Electrike nuzzled into his chest and Ash returned his pokemon before standing fully. Sharing a nod with Gary, they took off down the pathway that Electrike had indicate and soon enough light began to flood it. It took a bit before Ash was able to get used to it though once he did...He almost wished that his eyes had stayed blinded by the light. In silence like a TV had been put on mute, a battle of barbaric proportions raged before his eyes and the reality of just what pokemon could do to a human became apparent as a man dressed in black with that dreaded red 'R' stitched across his chest was beheaded by a Scyther's glimmering blade.
Silent flame throwers were released as pokemon clashed together with various attacks being tossed about, the sight of humans actively attacking one another as their pokemon tore at each other made Ash sink to his knees as shock tore through him. Poison stings left the mouths various being capable of, the deadliest of all a Nidoking that was quickly slammed into by an all too familiar Arcanine that was backed up by a Tyranitar that definitely belonged to Vali. Blood splattered across the ground in wide sprays as pokemon and humans rapidly became injured, the sight made Ash puke up what he'd eaten earlier.
Somehow managing to get ahold of himself first, Gary dragged them away from the carnage and quickly pressed himself against the wall as Ash slumped there with wide eyes. Almost hyperventilating, he jerked as Gary slapped him across the cheek, "Ash, we can't stay here. We've got t-"
"Oooh what do we have here?" A low voice cooed from deeper within the tunnel and Ash's head slowly turned to see a burgundy haired woman stride into view, "Two little Rattata's wandering about, my, my, my what a lovely sight?"
"We were just-" Gary yelped as a Roserade appeared just beside them with a Mightyena not far behind, "Shit,"
"Now, now no need to leave," The woman's cyan eyes gleamed in a cruel way as Ash felt a cold chill sweep through him, "After all, we are going to become very good friends in just a moment,"
"F-friends?" Ash murmured softly feeling acid curl up his throat.
"Why of course, you two are going to help me get my hands on something special," The woman smirked broadly, "Now come along, I really don't want certain...annoyances to realize where I've wandered off to," Ash's hand started to drift towards his belt, "And don't even think about releasing your pokemon, I have no problem shattering those pokeballs,"
Heart leaping into his throat as the Mightyena growled darkly, Ash glanced at Gary as they were forced to follow after the woman deeper into the tunnels. The sickly sweet scent of something leaked off of the Roserade as they walked. Swallowing harshly, Ash mentally shouted within his mind, 'Elrond, anyone! Help us please!
Ash's Team:
1. Pidgeotto
Female
2. Pikachu
Male
3. Blitzle
Female
Gary's Team:
1. Weepinbell
Male
2. Squirtle
Male
3. Spearow
Female
Vali's present team:
1. Balto/ Arcanine
Male
2. Smaug/ Charizard
Male
3. Elrond/ Alolan-Raichu
Male
4. Eowyn/ Houndoom
Female
5. Aragorn/ Vulpix-King-Gene
Male
6. Pele/ Camerupt
Female
7. Celina/ Pidgeot
Female
8. Thorin/ Flareon
Male
9. Arwen/ Rapidash
Female
10. Galadrial/ Chandelure
Female
11. Nazgul/ Gengar-Shiny
Male
12. Irmo/ Pyroar
Male
13. Ortho/ Furret
Male
14. Noldor/ Smeargle
Male
15. Terra/ Tyranitar
Female
16. Empress/ Salamence
Female
17. Idril/ Sandslash-Shiny
Female
18. Pippin/ Luxray
Male
19. Bombur/ Dewgong
Male
20. Balrog/ Magmar
Male
21. Khione/ Aurorus
Female
22. Rosie/ Meganium
Female
23. Balin/ Typhlosion
Male
24. Disa/ Jolteon
Female
25. Absol
Male
26. Noibat
Male