Posted August 15th, 2023
Rosario Pikachu's POV
A constant annoying hum droned throughout the cave. The sound bounced off the walls endlessly.
"What's causing that noise?" I spat.
Libra tapped her paw on the floor as she sniffed the air. "This cave is filled with static electricity."
"How?" Hatchet asked.
"This is just a guess, but it has a highly polarized state, and thus other powerful energies flow freely, creating the static," A replied.
"Wow." I twitched my ears. "Fascinating."
"I take it you can't handle the noise?" the Riolu asked.
"I don't understand how you can." I folded my ears down to minimize the ringing.
The Froakie shook his head and pointed at the wall. "Unfortunately, this Mystery Dungeon will be way worse than whatever this static is."
"Mystery Dungeon?"
"As Keepers and Sentinels working with the League, we unfortunately have to often search through these ever-changing mazes, often filled with rightfully territorial Pokémon. We call them Mystery Dungeons."
I placed a paw on my face- er, my muzzle, and sighed. "You Pokémon sure are something."
"Something special?" A smirked as my tail twitched.
"Something crazy."
"Rosario." Libra cleared her throat. "We aren't in any position to complain. To protect our loved ones, someone has to stop Wicked Blow and aid in the Disruption Rehabilitation."
"And we've gotta stop the crazy ferals and strays from messing up my village!" Hatchet chimed in.
"Really?" I rolled my eyes.
"What did I say about that, Hatchet?" A narrowed his eyes, their orange glint fierce as the sunset.
"S-sorry!" the Axew panicked. "I'm mighty sorry, it's just that my cousins Billybob and Cletus told me that Pokémon here stole from Hunter's Plains, sorry."
"Ah. Well, you can search for that after we make sure there're no Wicked Blow gangs in the area, okay?" A patted him on the shoulder.
The Axew flinched out of his grasp and looked left and right. "Uh." Hatchet moved closer to me and turned away. "I hope not - not that I've ever seen 'em or that I can't win! I just don't wanna."
The Froakie grinned. "Well, you and Rosario will get a little field training from us, so don't worry too much. Unless you want to give up on the supplies right now."
"Kyurem's Mist, what does this have to do with me?" I flattened my ears.
"Remember~ like it or not, to save your so-called friends, you'll have to fight. Not just through Mystery Dungeons, but through Wicked Blow." A waggled a finger.
"But I didn't ask for this man! I just want to rescue my Pokém- friends."
The Riolu's ears curled down as she clenched her fists. "Why can't you understand that working with the League and going through Mystery Dungeons is how you'll succeed, Trainer?"
"You're crazy." I spat. "All this talk about responsibilities and Bouf- then you guys act like it's normal to go into a mountain side or whatever and the path never being the same!"
"You're something crazy yourself. You are a failure of a Trainer!" Libra snapped. "Don't think I've forgotten what you've done!"
"Wha- What do you know!?" I yelled, and a spark bristled through my fur. "You couldn't ever understand what I'm going through! Something in the area is driving me insane. Do you understand how it feels to be constantly crushed?! I know I shouldn't have said that! I was fed up with you Pokémon. Ultra ultra. That's all!"
"Just stop complaining." The Riolu growled.
I opened my mouth to say something but looked at Libra. This Riolu was huge and muscular. She knew way more about this land than Hatchet did, and her Froakie partner wasn't a slouch either.
Libra's emerald green eyes struck me- they looked kinda like Gigi's cheek spots. She wouldn't want me to act like this.
With a groan, I followed the Pokémon through the area. Down winding tunnels and sprawling mountainside expanses. Over and over.
"Sure hope this one ain't too long." The Axew beside me sighed as he hunched over.
The pair of Pokemon in front of us stopped walking. "Think you guys are ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied.
They smirked amongst each other before they continued along the sandy mountain path.
My cheeks sparked slightly as we walked through the hallways. Shit, Flight and Talon were right about me. How could I save my four Pokémon friends if I haven't tried to fix the mess they're in this world? The Disruption, Keepers, Sentinels, Wicked Blow, and everything else. These Ether Gems and other mana artifacts, even if I barely knew what they were. I needed to fix this.
"I'm sorry about earlier," I said as I grabbed Hatchet's satchel strap. "Space's sake, do you know where we are again?"
"Weren't ya paying attention? Eh whatever, it's Brittlesand Sierra," the Axew replied.
"What makes it so labyrinthine?"
"Laby-a what now? It's a Mystery Dungeon."
As we turned onto another path I let go of Hatchet's satchel strap. "I need to get used to these Mystery Dungeons," I reminded myself. "I'm going to have to keep going to these places."
"Why would ya? Do ya care about all those ferals and fangled Mana Artifacts and whatnot?" Hatchet asked.
"That's because Flight and Talon said this is the best way to finding my Pokémon, er my Team."
The Axew folded his arms. "So yer determined like Kobi eh? Well, that ain't a bad thang."
I nodded as the Noctuowl and the Dartrix's words rang true in my head. "I've made up my mind. I'll do anything for them."
"Really?"
"No matter what."
"Are you two paying attention?" the Froakie asked, and I snapped my head up.
The Riolu in front of us led us into another room and stopped. "Now, I know everyone's wary after that Monster House but I want to see what you two can really do."
"What?" I craned my head to the side.
In front of us was a small room with an exit on the far side in the back. There was a small white and gray Pokémon with large purple eyes and green markings- probably one from Paldea, and next to them was a Pokémon I recognized from Kalos, a Furfrou.
"Look over there, a Shrodoodle and a Furfrou!" A patted me on the back. "Those should be easy for you two to handle!"
"What!?"
He shoved Hatchet at me and I crashed against the stone floor.
"Kyurem's Frost!" I shot. That Axew was scaly and heavy! "What the space!?"
The Mystery Dungeon Pokémon cried in alarm and growled at us. It felt like all eyes were on me.
"You didn't have to shove 'em," Libra said. "Well, you Keepers can deal with it."
"The veck was that fer mon?!" the Axew grumbled as he rolled off me.
Slowly I managed to climb up. "Ultra ultra, you Pokémon are driving me insane!"
The Shrodoodle rushed up to me and shot out a Poison Sting. I stumbled to the side once the dart pierced my skin, and thankfully I felt fine afterward. Not poisoned.
"Block them!" Libra ordered.
"Oh right, I'm fighting!" I swung my tail with the energy of the sashimi-taste and battered the Shrodoodle in the side with Iron Tail. They flew to the side and my jagged tail went back to normal.
Hatchet squatted low to the ground as the Furfrou bashed him over with Headbutt.
"Counter them!" Aquarius yelled.
In a blur the Axew roared and jumped forward to punch the Furfrou with a Counter, his fist coated in the red energy of fighting-type.
While that happened the Shrodoodle and I clashed with the speed of our Quick Attacks and I shoved them to the ground.
"Hit 'em with an electric-type attack Rosario!"
"I got it!"
The Furfrou growled as it staggered off the ground, then with a full body rush it knocked over Hatchet in a Retaliate.
"Don't counter again!" Libra barked. "Use your strength!"
Hatchet took a deep breath. He tensed up with a scream as his body flashed teal. Then he slashed the Furfrou with Dragon Claw. It was much stronger than before! The intense blue flames along with his powerful claws cut the Furfrou and knocked them out on contact.
"Rosario now!"
I gasped as I took in sour energy, and a torrent of power rushed through my body. My head throbbed like it was going to explode! With a scream I finally shot out a Thundershock and the massive crackle of electricity fried the Shrodoodle. I leaned over as they fainted. "Darn it, I never wanted to hurt them like that," I gasped before my hands- no my paws trembled. "What- what happened to me?"
"I don't know. It might be one of the various ailments Keepers could have. Come on, we need to get out of here." A helped me up and we went down another walkway.
A jolt crawled up through my front and I clenched my chest as we climbed up to the next floor. "What's going on with me?"
"I'm not sure." the Riolu tilted her head and lightly sniffed me.
Hatchet rubbed his shoulder and mumbled to himself.
I lowered my head. "Guess we have no clue, huh?" We walked around this floor of the Mystery Dungeon and eventually found the stairs. I sighed as another tingle went through my body, sharper than before. "How much more do we have left to go?"
"Should only be a few more floors till the final Mystery Dungeon," A explained as he held a spiral journal.
"Okay," I sighed.
"A-san, is that an Adventure Log?" Hatchet pointed to the papers.
"No."
The Froakie flipped open the journal. I took a peek and it wasn't in Galarian. "It's more of a Mystery Dungeon Guide, it was updated recently by the Redrock League. This has information about important stuff. Like if there's actually a Mana Temple with a key and lock nearby we can tell you what you should do."
"So what should we do?" I jeered, my eyes low. "Show us how great this League is."
"Okay, this is very important," the Froakie said as we started to walk through the halls. "Whenever you find a key of mana, you need to know how to properly handle it."
"We are going to assume you will find the same type key and the same type lock," Libra explained. "First step, grab the handle of the key."
"The next step is very crucial. Point it away from yourself and any other Pokémon in the room." A pointed at the wall as we passed.
"Where are we going to point the key?" the Riolu asked.
I simply stared at the two while Hatchet fidgeted with his satchel.
"Hatchet, Rosario?!" the Froakie yelled. "Can one of you answer us?! Palkia's Rift! Are ya good for nothing!?"
I let out a sigh. "We point it away."
"Not at any of us." The Axew waved his claws.
"Good good." Libra wagged her tail. "Now the next step is to place the lock on the floor, with the keyhole facing straight up."
"Then you line up the key and push it inside til you hear a click. The final step is to turn the key clockwise, which means to the right. You turn that all the way until you hear another click."
"Afterwards you grab the lock by the handles, either on the top or side, and place it inside your bag to bring it back to the League."
"Got it?"
"Yeah," I answered.
We continued onward through the floor through some corridors and empty areas to another room. It was quite cramped but that's not what made me worried. There were four Pokémon inside: A Roggenrola, a Gligar, a Meditite, and a Skiddo. As a silver lining, the stairs were here.
As soon as we entered Libra took in a deep breath. A Roggenrola saw us and a flash of red energy spiraled in the Riolu's paws. "You two just watch our teamwork, okay?"
"Okay."
"Sure thang!" Hatchet nodded.
The Roggenrola advanced toward the Axew next to me, but as soon as their feet hit the ground, it shook. I jolted to the side and saw the Skiddo as it came at me. They rushed at me with a flurry of earthly energy in a Bulldoze, chunks of ground flew every which way with every step.
"Woah!"
Right before it hit me a blur of blue- Libra jetted out in front of me. She blocked it?! As if the attack was nothing she turned to the side and then launched out a ball of raw fighting-type mana in a Focus Blast which sent the Roggenrola it was aimed at into the air.
"On your six!" A called as he darted forward with a blade of Aerial Ace and knocked out the Skiddo with ease.
I flinched as Libra rolled to the side. By a hair, the Gligar flew straight past her with Acrobatics and crashed into the stone beside us.
The Froakie stepped in front of me and shot out a massive blast of water at the Gligar. On impact the Hydro Pump knocked them to the ground. I looked to the side and saw Libra as she took that chance. The Riolu pounced on the Meditite with Crunch, her fangs covered in a huge swath of dark-energy and overpowered them quickly.
I stood still before the excitement of battle died down. Woah! My tail twitched as I looked at Libra and A. "All of those Pokémon fainted so fast!"
"Y'all two really're mighty strong!" Hatchet cheered.
"And that's just a lil taste." A smirked as he wiped his hands.
Libra rolled her shoulders. "Let's keep this up."
We continued on our way through to the next floor. "My head!" I gasped.
Hatchet gave me a long glance as he rubbed his own head. "Are ya okay?"
"Maybe?" I grimaced. Afterwards I quickly exited the staircase with everyone. A flash roared through me. My head throbbed and I doubled over onto the floor.
"Rosario!?"
The ground felt good. My arms and legs splayed out and relaxed as my energy flooded into the earth. But I couldn't remain this way. Libra and A lifted me up and I was met with another huge barren room.
"There definitely is something going on with this Mystery Dungeon." I sighed.
"Libra and I will try our best to figure something out and get you out of here." The Froakie tapped my shoulder and leaned toward my other side. "So hang tight, Rosario."
"With your power, it should be easy for us to secure the mana artifacts if they're nearby," I said as I staggered upright. "Speaking of that, Flight and Talon said these Ether Gems are mana artifacts."
"That's right. Ya gave me one cause it's what Keepers are supposed to look out fer. But not even Kobi knew about these. Does tha League?" Hatchet asked.
"No," A replied.
"But the League is allied with the Sentinels Union, right? Why else would that Noctuowl and that Dartrix tell me to look for you Pokémon?" I questioned.
"For your safety and ours, regular League members do not know about the Sentinels Union nor the Ether Gems," Libra sighed. "Right now we don't know enough solid information on the artifacts and want everyone to be ready for collaboration with the Sentinels Union Operations."
I groaned as I followed. "Ugh, that's-"
My eyes met A's as he traced a finger on the wall and I fell silent. "You wanna know something Rosario, Hatchet?" the Froakie weaved a droplet of water along the sandy mountainside.
A took a few small hops away from me and continued onward toward one of the exits on the left side of the room.
"Hey!" I called as I ran over to the Froakie. "Weren't you gonna tell me something?"
Far in the back rearguard Libra chuckled as Hatchet managed to catch up beside me. "Wait fer me!"
"Okay," A said as he stopped in his tracks. "Now that I have your attention, we could tell you something special about us."
"That is?" the Axew huffed.
"I feel a particularly strange energy coming from the both of you." the Froakie placed a hand on his badge. "And it's not aura."
"Aura? Oh yeah, I did hear that technically all Pokémon can train to sense aura," I said as the visage of Bel appeared in my head. A trainer with a Lucario once said that the Skitty had a potential for a formidable aura, only if I worked at it. Easy for them to say.
The Riolu behind us nodded. "I feel it as well."
"That's ridiculous!" Hatchet slapped both of them on the flank. "Y'all two are Sentinels and I ain't ever heard of anything like that before!"
I folded my ears as the Froakie and Riolu dusted themselves off. "I don't know Hatchet. As far as I'm concerned, anything is possible."
"Rosario? Ya believe them!?"
"I don't care, Hatchet. I can barely stand it here. Don't we need to find those supplies?"
With a solemn nod, the Axew groaned. A probably took it as a sign and headed further into the exit. We entered a room with a Varoom, a Drampa, and a Pawmo. Just like last time Libra and A defeated them without breaking a sweat. Wait, did Pokémon even sweat?
After we just about got lost and scoured the entire floor the four of us found the stairs. It never got old. These weird natural stairs in this weird natural world.
Just like last time as we exited the Mystery Dungeon we took in a slightly new environment. There was more sand than ever and jagged pieces of stone that pointed into the open air of the cloudy sky.
"Woah, we're so high up!" I gasped at the view of the mountainside and forest below. "It's kinda scary now that I'm so small!"
Hatchet shook his head. "Just don't get too close to the edge."
"So this is Needlemaw Peak," A said as he looked around.
Libra scratched her thigh as she also glanced at our surroundings. There was another entrance to a hallway on either side of the room. "I don't like the feeling of this room."
"What do you mean?" I asked as I turned around and took a step forward toward one of the exits. The Axew beside me followed.
When we did, there was a faint beep and a light flashed. "Get back!" Libra yelled and shoved me out the way.
A pushed Hatchet back and the earth exploded from beneath us. Chunks of sand and stone flew every which way and clouded our surroundings in a thick layer of dust.
Just as quickly chains shot out of the ground where we just stood.
I narrowed my eyes and found their source. There was a huge black and white metal box with two claw marks of black, that rose up from the dirt.
"What in the world!?" the Froakie and Riolu gasped as the chains snared their limbs and torsos, and kept them anchored into the floor. The beeps continued to chime.
"Let's break it!" I yelled and fired a Thundershock at the chains.
The blast of electricity spiraled throughout the metal and into the two Pokémon on contact.
"Don't!" A demanded, right before Hatchet bashed his claws against the chains. "This was an illegal trap set up by Wicked Blow!"
"What?!" the Axew shrieked.
"Hurry out of here!" Libra strained against the chains.
More alarms and sirens went off from the black and white box, and the earth shifted slightly.
"Why?!" I asked, my cheeks ablaze.
"From this trap, we know Wicked Blow is in this Mystery Dungeon!" the Froakie thrashed his chains.
The ground below them shook as it started to glow.
"But more importantly, there's a Pokémon here more powerful than them!" Libra cried, her eyes wide. "Their aura is nothing like I've ever seen!"
One last beep echoed through the room and the earth was drilled straight through. I pushed Hatchet out of range with my Quick Attack as the chains yanked A and Libra back through the mountain in a sea of rocks and smoke.
"Wicked Blow is really here?!" Hatchet cried, as he clutched his head. "What are we gonna do without those two?"
"Damnit!" I pounded my fist on the ground as the dust settled. The hole in the Mystery Dungeon slowly sealed itself back up as if nothing happened and left us alone.
My head swarmed with pain as a spark rushed through me. "We have to get out of here!" I got down on all fours and ran toward the other exit as fast as I could.
The Axew followed me and we weaved through corridors and hallways randomly. We passed by the same room twice before I finally took us down a path we neglected. Instead of a room I crashed into a Spinarak.
Shoot! The Spinarak lunged at me and bit into my shoulder. My whole body seized with pain and I screamed as it Leeched the Life out of me. Blood poured off the wound as I thrashed.
Hatchet tried to pry it off with a Dragon Claw, his entire arm coated with a flickering teal light. "Let go you damn feral!" the Axew roared and the Spinarark jumped backward.
In my dazed hazy state I fired out a Thundershock. The thin string of electricity phased in and out of reality as it sparkled. The Spinarak barely flinched and their claws shot out. Before I could blink, they came at me with a flurry of Fury Swipes, when they nearly hit me Hatchet bashed into the Spinarak. He sunk his own fangs into them with Crunch. The black swath of energy didn't hold them and I nearly got tagged. To finally stop the Spinarak the Axew held them down for a second I Thundershocked them. My string of lightning flashed translucent again. Not good enough!
The Spinarak made a scuttling noise before they shot me with a torrent of piping hot purple liquid, a Sludge Bomb. My face burned so badly! I blacked out when the powerful wave of poison completely doused me.
Then it was dark.
Just as quickly, I woke up. It was peaceful and quiet. So that was what it felt like to faint, I couldn't move a muscle. My eyes flicked open as there was a green glow, which came from Hatchet's satchel. That must have been a Revive of some kind!
The Axew laid on the ground barely conscious, the Spinarak primed to strike again. He'll faint too!
"Leave him alone!" I yelled and shot forward, a bright yellow flash on my whole body.
My Thundershock exploded in a semi-transparent crackle of light on the Spinarak and toasted them to the ground. With a cough they finally fainted.
A surge of pressure shot through my body as I helped Hatchet off the ground. "Let's go!" I growled. "We can't afford to be careless!"
The Axew looked left and right with a sigh. "Yeah, let's go this way!" He took the lead as we maneuvered to another room.
Thankfully nothing was there besides three paths that branched off. "Come on!" I side-stepped in front of Hatchet and grabbed his claw. "We need to hurry!" With his claw in my grasp we headed through the exit directly in front of us.
A sandy staircase of light orange awaited us. And a fainted Varoom. Well a bigger one.
"That Revaroom was knocked out by somebody Rosario!" the Axew panicked as we got closer to them.
I grimaced at the thought of whoever could have done it and hopped partially up the stairs. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
Hatchet barreled after me as I rushed to the next floor. "Well, only da stronger ferals of Needlemaw Peak could've been able to get one over on us like that!"
There wasn't anything of note on this floor. We ran through room after room, corridor after corridor and hallway after hallway in search of the stairs. In almost every single room there was a Mystery Dungeon Pokémon laid to the side, fainted. Any that weren't darted away from us as we passed.
Every step I took my head ached. "Where the fuck is the exit!" I yelled and Thundershocked a nearby wall.
"There's somewhere we didn't check," Hatchet slashed the same wall. "Because these darn shitty ferals!"
"Shut it about them!" I growled as we turned around.
The Axew crossed his arms. "Don't act like yur any better ya stray!"
"I'm not a stray!"
"Yes you are! Ya ain't from a town or village. 'Ich means yer a stray!"
"You Pokémon are nothing without a Trainer! Useless and stupid!"
"Then what are you!?"
"What the space do you know! Kyurem's Blizzard quit it!"
After several more agonizing minutes, we found the stairs. It felt like my head split open and I crashed onto the floor of the next room as the pain crushed me. The static screamed in my ears. "Why in Ultra Space is this happening!?" I coughed and pried myself off the ground.
"Beats me," Hatchet groaned. "At least, least we haven't run into Wicked Blow yet."
I waited for the Axew to get up before I headed toward one of the two exits. The one on the left seemed a bit stuffy so I opted to take the right.
We hurried along the various sandy paths of the Mystery Dungeon and encountered even more fainted Pokemon. "Kyruem's Ice dammit! This doesn't look good," I said as we passed a Buizel and Pawmo along the ground. The floor around them was coated in a strange tangle of grass and full of huge chunks of earth. Wreckage of Pokémon attacks.
"We still haven't found the darn exit!" Hatchet grumbled as he followed me. "And Wicked Blow or those Mew darn sons of Ditto ferals could be right around the corner!"
There were two paths we hadn't taken yet. "Maybe we should go down this wide hallway, less chance to get cornered." Suddenly the earth shook all across the mountain.
The Axew rushed past me and grabbed my paw. "They're comin' afta us Rosario! It's over!" he screamed.
"Wait for Space's sake!" I yelped as he quickly dragged me through the narrow hallway. We headed toward a deadend with two distinct pathways."You idiot! We need to be care-"
Hatchet stumbled straight into an odd pillar of sandstone in the wall and shrieked. "Leave us alone!" he swiped at it with Dragon Claw and out of nowhere the pillar swung open like a trap door. With his other claw firm on my paw we tumbled inside.
I crashed onto the ground as the wall around us crumbled. "Hatchet, don't-" I gasped. "Don't do that ever again, man."
With a groan, I staggered up slowly and stretched. as the dust settled I saw the dim red, orange, and brown lights of something.
"Woah!"
We were inside of a massive cave, hidden away deep inside the mountains. Inside a Mystery Dungeon.
Come here.
There were torches that lined along a brick wall of a building's entrance. Large domes sat on the roof of the gorgeously painted tan Mosque, and there were minarets that grazed the ceiling of the cave, stalagmites nearly brushed right against them. A strange force pulled my eyes further at it.
Fix yourselves, Keepers.
On the bricks was a beautiful ornate pattern of black and yellow. Mosaics of Groudon's markings. "Let's head inside." I walked toward the steps. They led to tightly shut decorated doors.
"Is this the exit?" Hatchet asked as he gripped the handle of the left door.
I helped him pull it open and peered inside. "Doesn't matter. We need to fix ourselves."
"Yeah, fix something," the Axew droned, his eyes low.
Hitherto at once! Now!
We hurried past the doors and there were even more torches that illuminated the area. This entrance to the Mosque was much bigger on the inside. There was another set of rooms we went through and even a staircase, but not a Mystery Dungeon one, just regular bricks. All the while my body trembled in anticipation.
There it sat, a Mana Artifact. There was a yellow jagged key and lock that sat on a lectern in front of a spectacular wall. One covered top to bottom in mosaics with patterns of Legendaries I recognized as Landorous, Groudon, and Zygarde.
"Here it is, Hatchet." I gasped.
He nodded as he opened his satchel. "Yeah."
A wave of tastes suddenly washed over me, a Sitrus-y sour flavor, a juicy flavor, a chocolate flavor, and wood burned flavor. None of these were Hatchet's sour candy Dragon Keeper presence! "What's going on, there are Keepers close!"
"Who!?" The Axew shuffled near me.
From behind me a small blast of water shot through the air and splashed on the ground. That was a Water Gun! Without warning a chorus of voices from behind us rang out. "The Key and Lock of Electricity is ours!"
"Who are you!?" I whipped myself around and my instincts took over.
"What!" Hatchet screamed and tried to match me.
I sprang across part of the room and narrowly avoided a String Shot with my Quick Attack while Hatchet was hit with a blast of light green energy- no bug-type mana! One from Struggle Bug?!
"Seems like we didn't catch all of the Pokemon tailing us!"
"These ones aren't with the League!"
"And they're Keepers!"
"Even better!"
Behind us was a group of Pokémon, a Joltik, Dewpider, Dwebble, and one more Pokémon, light green and yellow covered in a ball of silky web. All of them wore black and white striped scarves, or bandanas somewhere on or across their huge bodies. Two jagged black claw marks were distinct on their gear.
"Do I even need to answer?!" the unknown one laughed.
"You'll pay for that, Tarountula!" the Axew roared as he stumbled to the side. "Wicked Blow scum!"
The Joltik cackled. "The rumors were true, there were more Pokémon to recruit!"
That was the Wicked Blow everyone mentioned! My vision went red. These bastards could have my Pokémon! I bashed the Dwebble to the side with Iron Tail just as Hatchet slashed at the Tarountula with Dragon Claw. Not enough! Our attacks barely did anything again.
"You think that'll work on us!?" the Dewpider yelled and caught the Axew in a String Shot. "You two are coming back to the base!"
Punish them.
"Scabbard!" Hatchet screamed, and his whole body flashed red. "Bring her back!" He punched the Dwebble in the face with Counter and swiped at the Joltik with Poison Jab. The Dwebble fainted onto the ground. I clenched my fists and blasted the Dewpider with Thunder Shock. My body flashed bright yellow as I screamed.
The Tarountula Blocked Hatchet with a barrier of white and the Dwebble Smacked me Down. I staggered off the ground from the stone's weight. While the Axew couldn't move the Dewpider and Joltik were about to hit him with a Bug Bite tag team. Despite my pain a burst of vanilla shot through me and I pounced on the Joltik with Quick Attack. My force knocked them out into the Dewpider who I then blasted with Thundershock, this time the massive crackle charred their water into a boil as they collapsed. "What happened to me?" I gasped as I fell to my knees in exhaustion. It hurt so bad, my head throbbed over and over and pulled me toward the mana artifacts.
You haven't fixed us yet.
Hatchet's body flashed black and he ran toward the Tarountula before he Crunched their side. The Axew watched as they lost consciousness before he let go with a scream. "Mew Damnit!" he cried as he dropped to the floor.
Pikachu, can you not contain the power?
There truly was something wrong with us. Was this what being unlocked could look like? Could feel like. This terrible power brought nothing but pain and no one could save us. The mana artifacts were a double edged sword. A scourge and a savior.
Lock yourself back up.
After I climbed off the ground Hatchet and I took a few wobbly steps toward the mana artifacts. I stared at the finely crafted metal on the various handles and edges, marked with fitting thunderclap-esque shapes.
This is what they were after. All this power. "Let's do what Talon and Flight asked me to do." I coughed. "Oh and follow Libra and A's instructions."
"Hurry up and deal with that stupid mana artifact!" the Axew grabbed my paw. He pulled me in front of the lectern and I stumbled toward the Key and Lock.
"Why are you in such a rush, for Kyurem's Ice!?" I whipped my head at him. "They said we should be Ultra careful!"
"I just wanna fin' those damn supplies fer Mew all mighty! I know those darn Mew-damn ferals took it!"
"No you don't! Why are you like this?!"
Hatchet shoved me again. "Ya ain't gonna stop me from doin' what Billybob and Cletus asked me to!"
"But do you have to freaking hate ferals?!" I pushed him back.
"I've gotta make that Scovillian, and Artibax and Ma and Pa proud no matter how many ferals, strays, or anyone else hates me!"
"Just shut up!"
The Teal Ether Gem floated out of me and a bright light shot out. Its gentle glow bathed us in its warm light, my vision blurred for a moment and I felt at peace. Maybe I'd be free from this unlocked pressure, this awful feeling. The Lock on the floor began to vibrate, while the Key twitched in my paws, as it pulsed with teal energy.
"Don't think it's supposed to move but lock it back up now Rosario." Hatchet held his claws over his Magenta Ether Gem.
I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah, I'm going."
For some reason as the flash echoed through the cavern something called out to me.
Ignore what those four said!
Lock this thing back up for myself- forget about these stupid Pokémon.
What do they know about what you've been through?
Nothing!
Let's go!
I lifted the large yellow jagged key of mana into the air and smiled. "This power can help me get my Pokémon back, right?"
Hatchet tilted his head. "Yeah, ya need to go ahead and use it since ya found it!"
"Screw the rules!" I growled as I held the key. "I'm a Keeper! I'm gonna use this to find my Pokémon and be the Trainer I want to be! No one cares about all that Disruption and Mana Artifact crap anyway!"
Before I made another move a blue lightning bolt crashed in between us and I flew through the air. My back slammed into a wall. Pain swarmed my body. I screamed out as my bones cracked under the pressure. With a cough I vomited blood. All went black for a moment.
But not for long as my eyes shot open. The ground in front of me shattered and I scrambled upright, and I stared into the eyes of a large black and yellow feline-Esque Pokémon.
My eyes widened as my pulse beat faster. "W-who-"
"I am they who answers the call," they said in a light, sharp and firm voice. "Master Zeraora."
The Zeraora silently stood in front of me and Hatchet. They held the Key and Lock of electricity in their paws. I watched as the Zeraora's eyes scanned our bodies and their nose twitched. Their brow then furrowed.
Just as quickly the Zeraora's claws pointed straight at our throats. "Both of you are unlocked Keepers, and for some reason you have Ether Gems," they spoke slowly, each word with massive weight. "And in the presence of these mana artifacts you choose this?"
"This?" I asked.
They gritted their teeth. "You know I've been following you four Pokémon this entire time? The static you were hearing was me."
I blinked. "It was you?"
Hatchet trembled beside me. "That means ya saw and heard-"
"Yes, I did," the Zeraora sighed. "I'm disappointed in you Mjolnir."
"Mjolnir?" the Axew asked.
"You two are the satellite pair to Thoth's Tablet- once known as the Dawn Stone."
I tilted my ears. "Huh?"
"I know why you wanted to use these mana artifacts. And unfortunately for you, you were going to unwillingly use those Ether Gems to mess with these artifacts."
"What?"
"It's complicated." The Zeraora waved their claw. "Thankfully, I can prevent you from changing the Gears of Mana inside to the wrong state. However, you still have to answer for your indiscretion and injudiciousness."
"What does that mean?" I questioned, my eyes low.
"To what answer do I give your failure of justice?" Master Zeraora asked in a soft low roar, and a powerful static filled the room.
Warmth pooled out of my body and I held my chest. My eyes snuck a glance at Hatchet. He curled up in a frightened ball and shivered, as blood too pooled out of his wound.
What should I say? Is there even a right answer?
My eyes widened as the Zeraora drew closer. "You two don't seem to care about the Disruption at all. Xuě, my daughter, was wrong about you. She said you could prove me wrong. How disappointing."
"Master Zeraora, we're." Hatchet paused, "sorry?" he squealed out with a wheeze.
The Zeraora's whiskers twitched. Before I knew it a light-teal spark flash blinded me. I screamed. Their sharp claws jabbed me so effortlessly.
"It's so-" I paused to cough. "Cold." My consciousness crumbled, and everything slowly went black.
Bel.
Flora.
Gigi.
Francisco.
I'm sorry.
Flight and Talon. Libra and Aquarius. I failed all of them.
As I blacked out, I heard one last thing.
"Apologies." Master Zeraora started, their voice soft and higher in pitch. "Accepted."