Episode 5: One Foot in the Cave

After a long journey, our heroes now find themselves at the entrance to a vast cavern system known as the Crater Gate.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda approach the entrance to a cave on the side of a mountain. Brenda explains, "This is it, the Crater Gate."

Ash asks, "Wait a second, didn't you say earlier that we couldn't get through the Crater Gate? You said that there was some sort of rock slide or something."

Brenda shakes her head. "Yes, I did say that, but there's still a detour. It will put us out in Route 3, which is on the way to Horizoport City."

Brock looks up from his guidebook. "She's right. There's an alternate path that should take us right where we need to be."

Ash starts to march for the cave. "Alright then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

A voice shouts, "Hold it right there young man!" Ash freezes in mid-stride.

Out from behind a rock formation comes three spelunkers. They are each dressed in rugged brown clothes fit for exploration and wear helmets with lanterns on them. They carry various tools, such as ropes, pick-axes, and flashlights. There is a man with blue hair, a girl with red hair, and a short man. Ash asks, "What is it?"

The blue-haired man asks, "Have you ever been in these caves before?" Ash shakes his head.

The short one asks, "And are you aware that it's people who have never been in this cave who are most likely to get lost?"

Brenda laughs awkwardly and shrugs. "It makes sense I guess."

The red-haired one says, "Only a fool would go into these caves without the proper guides."

Brock asks, "So are you saying that you're the proper guides?"

The blue-haired one runs up to him and forcefully shakes his hands, exclaiming, "Not at all sir! But since you suggested it, we'd be happy to show you the way through the caves!" He drags Brock in. The other two grab Ash and Brenda and drag them as well.

Brock can be heard saying, "Thanks…I guess."


The group is now trekking through the cave. The three guides are leading the way, slightly ahead of the rest of them. The short one whispers, "It's all going according to plan. Once we get into the next chamber, we'll be able to grab the twerp's Pikachu and get out on our preplanned, foolproof escape tunnel."

The blue-haired one whispers, "The twerps won't know what hit them."

The red-haired one nods. "We'll finally capture Pikachu."

A Wobbuffet comes out of the redhead's Pokéball. It exclaims, "Wobbuffet!"

The three, undeniably Team Rocket, stop in their tracks and looks of panic hit their faces. Jessie returns it to its Pokéball. Brock calls forward, "Hey, that looks like a very energetic Wobbuffet you have there."

Jessie turns around nervously and says, "Why…thank you." She gulps. "I can never get it to stay in its Pokéball…"

Ash laughs, "We know another Wobbuffet that acts just like that."

Meowth beckons them forward. "Cut the chitchat. We've got to keep on moving if we want to get out of here before nightfall."

After a little while of walking forward, the group makes it into a large chamber. There are several forks in the path. Team Rocket suddenly stops. James turns around and says, "Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't you twer- I mean guys- why don't you guys let out all of your Pokémon?"

Brenda asks, "That's a little odd, why would we do that?"

Jessie answers, "Up ahead are some spectacular cave formations. You wouldn't want your Pokémon to miss the spectacle, would you?"

Ash nods. "Alright, that makes sense." He pulls of a Pokéball from his belt. "Come on out Apprentichick!"

Brenda throws her Pokéball. "You too Kappaqua!"

Finally, Brock throws his, "And let's not forget Blissey!"

The Pokémon all say, "Apprenti!" "Aqua!" and "Blissey!" all at once.

Team Rocket turns away from the group and they all rub their hands together. Jessie says, "All according to plan."

James says, "Of that I'm a fan."

Meowth comments, "They're going straight into the fire from the pan."

They turn back around and James says, "Without further ado-" He is cut off by a loud rumbling sound.

Everybody turns in the direction of the tunnel that is producing the sound. Within a few moments, a hoard of Graveler and Golem rolling at them at high speeds appear. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and the Pokémon jump to the side, out of the their way. Team Rocket jumps up in terror and then runs down a tunnel, with the rolling Pokémon behind them. They shout, "Team Rocket's running off again!" They disappear from sight.

Brenda says, "That was odd."

Ash asks, "You don't think…?"

Brock shakes his head. "Nah."

Ash asks, "What do you think caused those Pokémon to stampede like that?"

Brock thinks it over. "I'd have to assume that they were running away from something…"

Another low rumble can be heard. Brenda looks back into the tunnel from before with horror she asks, "Something like those…?"

Brock and Ash turn around to see two Onix and a Steelix rampaging towards them. Once they make it into the chamber, they begin to unleash attacks, destroying everything in sight. Everyone runs off in a different direction. Brenda and Ash down one corridor, Brock and Apprentichick down another, Pikachu, Blissey, and Kappaqua down yet another.


Some time later, Ash and Brenda slow down and breathe deep, heavy breaths. Ash pants, "I…think…we…made it…away…"

Brenda also pants, "Yeah…I hope…so…"

They both collapse on the floor. After a few moments of resting, Ash looks around. He comments, "Hey, where's Brock, Pikachu, and the others?"

Brenda looks around too. "I don't know. We must have gotten separated from them when we ran from those berserk Pokémon."

Ash gets up and calls, "Brock, Pikachu, Apprentichick!"

Brenda calls, "Kappaqua! Where are you!?"

They listen for a few seconds. There's no response. Ash starts to walk forward. "There's only one thing we can do, keep on heading forward."

"Shouldn't we go backwards? So we can find all the others?"

Ash shakes his head. "Nah. Brock will know we're trying to go. I'm sure that we'll all be heading in the same direction. We'll meet him at the exit."


Who's that Pokémon!?

A master of courtesy and swordsmanship, it fights using extending swords on its elbows.


Brock stumbles and falls after running. He gets back up and brushes himself off. Apprentichick flies in behind him. Brock looks around. "Hmm…It would appear that it's just you and me."

It lands on his shoulder and nods. "Apprentichick."

Brock looks around. "And I'd say that we're good and lost."

"Chick."

"There were so many twists and turns along the way here, I doubt that we could find our way back. Maybe if we keep on moving forward, we'll find the others." He thinks for a second and then looks at Apprentichick. "Hey, Bird Pokémon like you are supposed to be good at navigating. Do you thin that you could scout ahead and look for the best path to follow?"

It nods and gives a determined, "Apprenti!" It then leaps off of Brock's shoulder and flies forward, out of sight.

Brock shouts, "Good luck!"


It's Gallade!


Now we find Pikachu, Kappaqua, and Blissey just finishing their run from the rampaging Pokémon. Kappaqua looks back behind it, in order to check that they are no longer be chased, and crashes into a rock. It falls back and starts to cry. "Kappa! Kappa!"

Pikachu and Blissey stop running. Pikachu approaches Kappaqua and helps it back up. It asks, "Pika pika?" as if to ask if it's okay. Kappaqua continues to cry.

Blissey steps forward and says confidently, "Blissey, bliss," and motions to itself, inferring that it means leave this to me. Pikachu steps aside and Blissey picks up Kappaqua then sits it down on a rock. She asks, "Blissey?"

Kappaqua points to its face. "Aqua…"

Blissey nods. "Bliss." The egg in Blissey's pouch begins to glow. She pulls out the glowing egg and then it floats towards Kappaqua and melts away into it, covering it in a similar glow. Almost immediately, Kappaqua stops crying. Another egg appears in Blissey's pouch. "Blissey."

Kappaqua smiles and says happily, "Kappa kap!" Kappaqua stands back up.

Pikachu runs forward a little bit and calls back, "Pik pikachu pik!" Blissey and Kappaqua follow.


Ash and Brenda have continued to walk through the cave. Ash is still calling, "Pikachu, Apprentichick!"

Brenda's shouting, "Brock, Kappaqua!"

Ash takes a seat on a nearby rock. Brenda sits down next to him. Ash asks, "These caves seem to go on for a long time. How many different paths do you think there are?"

Brenda shrugs. "I don't know. Normally if you just stick to the assigned path, it's not supposed to be that hard to get through. We didn't stick to that path though."

Ash thinks for a second. "I wonder if there's a way that we could send a signal to the others?"

Brenda thinks about that statement. "I think I've got an idea." She gets up and grabs two large rocks off the floor. She then starts to bang them on the wall, creating a slow and steady, yet repetitive clacking noise. She explains, "All of the various tunnels in the Crater Gate are interconnected. Each one should have several areas were they connect to others. It's a decent possibility that the sounds made by hitting the walls could easily travel to other tunnels."

Ash jumps up. "That's a great idea!" He grabs to rocks of his own and starts hitting the opposite wall with the same pattern as Brenda.

After a little while of doing that, Brenda stops and instructs, "Let's listen for a couple of moments. Maybe if Brock heard us, he'll respond in the same way." Brenda puts her ear up against the wall. Ash does likewise.

After a few moments, a low rumbling can be heard. Ash exclaims, "That must be him!"

Brenda taps the wall a couple more times, then stops to listen again. The rumbling is constant, and slowly growing louder. Brenda slowly says, "Um…Ash?

Ash looks at her and finishes, "That isn't Brock, is it?"

They both turn their heads in unison behind them. Coming towards them is the horde of Graveler and Golem. Both of them go wide eyed. They jump onto a rock formation, and the Graveler and Golem come rolling past them. Once they all pass, they both breath a sigh of relief.

After a couple minutes Ash realizes, "Wait a second, if those Rock Pokémon just passed us…"

Brenda finishes, "Then those Onix and that Steelix must not be far!"

As if on command, the rampaging Onix and Steelix come into view. "Oonnnnn!" The Steelix fires a beam of silver energy that destroys much of the room. The two Onix begin to smash everything in sight.

Ash shouts, "Come on, let's get out of here!" They jump off of the rock and start running away. The Steelix and Onix chase them.

Brenda asks, "Why do you think they're so angry!?"

"I don't know! I wish Pikachu was here, we'd just fight off these Pokémon!"

After running for a little while, they make it into another chamber. It seems to be a dead end. Ash and Brenda are cornered. The Onix and Steelix, despite having them trapped, don't seem to focus on them.

Brenda says, "There's nowhere we can go! We're trapped."

Ash shouts, "Pikachu, where are you!?"


Pikachu, Kappaqua, and Blissey are marching through their tunnel. Kappaqua is sitting on top of Blissey's head and Pikachu is leading the way. After walking for a little while, they make it to a dead end in the tunnel. Pikachu sighs, "Pika…" Then, a faint and indiscernible voice is heard. Pikachu's ears poke up into the air. "Pika?" It runs over to the wall. "Pika!" Pikachu prepares for an Iron Tail and starts slashing at the wall. "Chu pika!" It does so continuously, barely making a dent.

Blissey lowers Kappaqua from her head and sets it on the floor. She then steps forward and pushes Pikachu back. She makes motion as if cracking her knuckles. Then shouts, "Blissey!" Blissey begins to glow with white energy. It then begins to punch at the wall, annihilating it. After several pounds at the wall, it crumbles away, revealing the room with Ash, Brenda and the attacking Pokémon.

Pikachu runs in and uses Iron Tail on the closest Onix. "Chu pika!" It hits right on Onix's forehead.

Kappaqua uses its Water Gun on the other Onix. "Aqua!"

Then Blissey runs in and grabs the Steelix by the tail. "Blissey!" It then swings the Steelix around in circles throwing it into the two Onix.

After taking all of these hits, the Steelix and Onix slither away. Ash shouts, "Pikachu!"

Pikachu runs at Ash and jumps on to his shoulders. "Chu!"

Brenda runs over to Kappaqua, picks it up, and hugs it. "I'm glad that you're okay Kappaqua!"

Ash looks towards Blissey. "Alright, so Blissey's also here, but what about Brock, and Apprentichick?"

As if to answer him, it can be heard, "Apprentichick!" And then Apprentichick flies into view, followed close behind by Brock.

Brock shouts, "Hey guys!"

Ash and Brenda shout, "Brock!"

Brock makes it over to them. "Well, it would seem that you guys took care of the Onix and Steelix."

Ash denies, "No, it was all about the Pokémon. Your Blissey is as strong as ever."

Brock smiles. "Even stronger." He thinks for a couple of seconds. "So why do you think those Pokémon were freaking out like that?"

Ash and Brenda shrug.


Team Rocket is tiptoeing through the cave. Jessie whispers, "Prepare for Onix-sized trouble."

James whispers, "You might as well make that double."

"To protect ourselves from the dangers of a cave."

"To keep a low profile and make sure we're saved."

"To denounce the evils of rocks and snakes."

"To escape to safety, no matter what it takes."

"Jessie."

"James."

Meowth interrupts, "Will you guys be quiet? You don't want those Graveler, Golem, Onix, or Steelix to hear us."

Jessie and James nod. They both say, "Right."

James asks, "Say, have you two wondered why those Pokémon are attacking like there's no tomorrow?"

Jessie says, "Yeah, now that you mention it, it is a little strange."

Meowth grins and laughs awkwardly. "That might have been my fault." Jessie and James look at him. "You see, when I was digging our foolproof escape tunnel…I might have…kind of…sort of…disturbed an Onix nest."

Jessie demands, "So wait, it's your fault that those Onix chased those Graveler which chased us away from the twerps?" Meowth nods. Jessie grabs Meowth and starts to shake him. "Why you little…!"

James says, "Come on, let's settle down now. It's all in the past now."

Meowth struggles to say, "Yeah…what he said…"

Jessie sighs and puts him down. "What are we going to do now?"

James answers, "All we can do. We've got to get out of here."

A small Pokémon walks up behind them. It's a Turcell. It says curiously, "Tur? Cell?"

Jessie asks, "What's that?"

James pulls out a stack of cards and looks through them. He pulls out one with a matching picture. He exclaims, "It's a Turcell! They're very rare Pokémon given out to new trainers here in the Tenno Region!"

Jessie says, "You had me at rare!"

Turcell sits down and stares at Team Rocket with intense curiosity. "Turcell?"

Jessie slowly approaches it. She says in a calm voice, "Come here you little Turcell. Come to Aunty Jessie. I promise I won't hurt you."

Turcell sneezes. "Tur…cell!" When it does, a glob of molten lava is shot out of its mouth and lands at the feet of Team Rocket.

They look down at it. Slowly the molten material begins to melt through the floor. It makes it all the way through and reveals that there is another room below them. Jessie decides to make a leap for Turcell, but the sudden motion causes the weakened floor to crack beneath them and shatter. Team Rocket falls into the room below them.

Turcell stands back up and looks down into the hole. "Cell?" It then walks away.

Jessie shouts, "Where are you going!? You come back here! It's your fault we're down here, and you're going to fix it!"

Meowth says, "Sorry to burst your bubble Jess, but how is it supposed to do that?"

"I don't know!"

Then, a rumbling can be heard. Jessie's face goes pail. "Are you guys hearing what I'm hearing?" They both nod slowly.

The stampede of Graveler and Golem come rolling into the room above them. Several of them roll right down the hole. Team Rocket is now surrounded with nowhere to go by a horde of angry Graveler and Golem. They all collectively gulp.


Ash, Brock, and Brenda are back to trying to get through the cave. All of the Pokémon, except for Pikachu, are back in their Pokéballs. Brock says, "We can't be too far from the exit. At this point we've searched every branching tunnel, they all lead to dead ends. This has to be the main tunnel."

Brenda states, "I hope so…"

After walking for a little while longer, they make it into yet another chamber. In front of them is a young man. He has semi-pale skin and black hair that goes down to chin level. He wears dark grey military-like pants and a black shirt with a blue coat over it. In front of him is a Dratini and it appears to be fighting another draganoid Pokémon. It appears lizard-like in shape and is several feet from tail tip to head. Its body is positioned low, close to the ground, and it has a long tail. It's skin seems to be colored pitch black with the exception many glowing, white spots, giving its skin the appearance of the night sky. Several of the white spots are larger and brighter. These ones are spread out across the body at various points such as the ends of limbs or joints. If you connected them, they would form a stick figure version of the Pokémon.

The unknown trainer commands, "Dratini, Dragon Rage!"

Dratini leaps into the air and fires a ball of orange energy. The opposing Pokémon leaps out of the way of the attack.

Ash and Brenda each take out their Pokédexes. Ash points his at the lizard Pokémon. It says, "Galacerta, the Lizard Constellation Pokémon and a Dragon-Type. Galacerta spend the entire day living inside of caves. Only during the night do they go into the open in order to find food. Galacerta use the starry pattern on their skin to communicate with others. It is believed that Galacerta inspired the constellation Lacerta. Galacerta evolves into Serpenstar at level 30."

Brenda's Pokédex says, "Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon and a Dragon-Type. Dratini are one of the rarest species of Pokémon. They hide deep under water and are rarely seen on land. Dratini evolves into Dragonair at level 30."

Galacerta jumps and lets loose a stream of rainbow energy from its mouth, a Dragon Breath attack. The trainer commands, "Dratini, dodge it now!" Dratini squirms its way around the attack. "Now counter with another Dragon Rage!"

"Dratini!" The dragon Pokémon attacks once more with its ball of energy. This one hits. The Galacerta is knocked out.

The trainer enlarges a Pokéball and throws it. "Go, Pokéball!" The thrown Pokéball hits the fainted Pokémon and pulls it in. the ball wiggles several times and then clicks. The trainer picks up the Pokéball and says to himself, "Galacerta acquired." His Dratini slithers up to him and then leaps onto his shoulders, draping itself around his neck. He turns around and notices Ash and friends for the first time.

Ash exclaims, "That's an awesome Pokémon you just caught there! And you've got a Dratini as well!" The trainer grunts. Ash continues, "Hey, how about we have a battle?"

The trainer contemplates, "That depends. Do you have any Dragon-Type Pokémon?"

Ash shakes his head. "Not with me right now."

"Then you're not worth my time." He turns around and starts to walk away.

Brock steps forward, "Wait, do you know the way out of these caves? We're kind of lost."

The trainer scoffs, "Only a fool goes into caves that they are unfamiliar with without a Pokémon the knows Dig." He throws a Pokéball into the air and a Gible comes out. "Gible, use Dig."

"Gible!" The Gible starts to dig a tunnel down into the ground. After a few moments, the trainer jumps down the hole.

Brocks runs over to the hole, just in time to see it collapse in on itself. Brenda steps forward, "Well…he was a whole lot of help."

Ash also walks forward. He appears very annoyed. He grumbles, "Who does that guy think he his? What does he mean that I'm not worth his time?"

Brenda says, "Let it go Ash. He was obviously a big jerk."

Brock nods. "Yeah, he wouldn't be worth your time."

Ash shrugs. "Yeah, I guess."

Brock beckons ahead. "Come on. We've got to get moving if we want to get out of here." The group moves on.


After a while longer they finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. Brenda shouts, "There it is! The exit!"

They all run the rest of the way. Once they make it outside, they all rejoice. Judging by the light, it is currently sunset. Ash exclaims, "I don't think that I've ever been so happy to be outside!"

Brock smiles. "Yes, it's pretty nice. And looks like we've made it out just in time for dinner. Come on, let's find a place to set up camp." The group begins to walk away.

And so, after a long and grueling journey, our heroes have made it through the Crater Gate. One thing's for sure, they won't be becoming spelunkers any time soon!

Suddenly Ash stops. He asks, "Hey guys, what about our guides? Do you think they made it out?"

Brenda says, "I wouldn't worry about them, they're professional."

"Yeah, you're probably right."


Team Rocket is huddled up in the center of the chamber they fell into. They are frozen with terror. Surrounding them are many angry Graveler and Golem. James says with fear, "What ever you do, don't move a muscle."

Jessie, equally as afraid, stammers, "I'm not in any hustle."

Meowth adds, "I just don't want to get into a tussle."'

The Rock Pokémon appear to be readying for an attack. All three shout at once, "Why us!?"

Stay tuned!

To Be Continued…