On entry into the Terastal Labyrinth, Aqua, Ven, the Pine Twins and their misfits stepped down from the strange mist and found themselves in a zone completely beyond their expectations. The inner workings of a hollowed great tree. Dipper nearly dropped his note books as Phantump wailed in awe. Swirlix twirled to take in all the scents as Shadey looked around the two tunnel path and a ledge going onto a chasm. "Never been into a place like this before!"
Aqua found that a surprise in itself as Petilil was drawn to the path at the left, one going to a garden. Ven felt his curiosity get the better of him as he looked over the ledge and felt an inviting wind from bellow the ledge. One with a cool breeze, if there was one thing for certain. "Now we know this place shouldn't be near the town." Mabel agreed with that as Waddles sniffed his way to right path that has a plethora of brown mushrooms that give off a luminescent glow. "Is this beneath the town?" Dipper had his doubts. "We didn't go that deep, so this old tree shouldn't be here. Something really isn't right here." He pointed his thumb to the mushrooms. "We've gotten a little use to weird mushrooms, so we'll go this way."
Aqua gave a small salute. "And Petilil is suggesting that Cyndi and I follow her to the garden." She asked the curious teenager. "And Ven, you go check the wind out." She advised in caution. "Come back here the moment you see anything that's out to attack you! Understand?"
Ven rolled his eyes and tilt his head towards Aqua. "More people are going to call you Mom if you keep doing that, you know?" The Big Sis blushed with a smile, making the comment more awkward. "It's sweet of you to consider that." Then tensed even more. "So I'll say this, we're about to discover something and this is the worse place to disappear in because it is unknown. Are any of you worried about that?"
Ven felt his brain process fast stories. "We've heard of worse things that has happened in this town." Dipper had a list. ""I'm thinking we might have some magic gnomes or a tree fairy that's behind this. Either way, we can't let someone wander in here without knowing what's around." Aqua imagined how dangerous that could be as the squads went their separate ways.
Over at the Mushroom Path.
Mabel, Swirlix and Stufful were distracted by the glowing fungus laid out across the tunnel. "They're all so green!" Dipper and his more observant partners, kept a close eye and found large clusters of mushrooms. "They have to be growing down for tens of thousands of years. Come on Mabel, they're not going to take us seriously if we act like a bunch of kids!" Stufful squeaked in agreement as Mabel blew to the air. "Pff! "We are kids! Don't act like a Stan. You see those two act like a couple of kids too."
Dipper turned with a more serious scowl. "Mabel, they're acting like a sister and a brother, that's an entirely different story." Mabel raised her hands in a cheer. "Exactly! And who else can you act like a kid with?" Phantump whistled in his answer. (Touche.)
The band crossed over a fungus cluster and found a tunnel into a black glittering chamber with green gems in the ceiling, a décor that resembles stars with in a night sky. The Pines slowed their steps, finding a white shining crystal by a tunnel way and felt something hard against their feet, Mabel was the first to look down and find green, mushroom shaped crystals. She picked one up and marveled the glow. "Pretty!" Dipper realize that isn't normal and turned back to find the crystals at the entrance, right by the more real fungi. "Mabel, look!" The sister turned to see a connection of the anomalies. "Oh my gosh! Are these mushroom growing from the crystals?" Dipper corrected her. "No, those are the crystals!"
Waddles oinked in astonishment and had the four turn around, seeing the white crystal to be missing and in it's place was a womanly figure in a over cloaking one piece robe of orange fur. With black scales at the shoulders to keep it together and a belt that is more of a brown vine. She looked around at a marvel and waved hello to the pig. "It's a good mystery to solve, down here in the Labyrinth. These are the things you'd fine in some really good books."
The Twins, Stufful and Phantump gave a combined scream of shock at the sudden voice, seeing a woman who has a striking case of heterochromia. A left eye of a striking red and a right eye of blue, along with strands of blonde hair. Dipper pointed at her fast. "This place didn't open on it's own, you had something to do with it?"
The woman raised her hands to her face and pleaded. "Hey, hey, hey!" She clapped. "You're cha ching on the money, but you trust me when I say, this place isn't meant to hurt anyone who isn't willing to be involved." She shifted her eyes to the side. "There's always danger when anything unknown is about to be discovered."
Mabel puffed her cheeks. "Ah man, this lady's already dug it up!" The woman jumped over to a ledge going over the next door, she had an awkward smile at the Pine's predicament. "As much of a dream come true this place is, it could very well be just a dream." She closed her eyes in a passion. "Or is it more than a dream?"
Dipper had half a mind to turn back, if the otherworldly nature of the labyrinth wasn't that much tempting. "It isn't anymore of a hoax than what Grunkle Stan props up. What are you here for?"
The woman looked to the crystals and pressed her hands together. "I'm just here to observe." She directed her vision to the twins. "The Chosen of Key were meant to stumble upon this place, but to invite you along and see this on your own, is beyond wishful thinking. You've earned the right to see the truth, time and time again, even before they've stumbled upon this world for the first time in forever. What is dug up from the past, will be there for the present and change the crazy future in ways no psychic can predict." She felt invigorated by the simplest of quarrels. "It's good to watch the both of you, learn from one another as an equal. But, now that you're here, you need to find some solid proof that you've been here. A bunch of glowing mushrooms that have spawned from the crystals are interesting finds,"
Dipper and Mabel tensed in determination, the sister pointed to the crystals further ahead in the tunnel. "but the real treasure is down that tunnel!" She charged in. "Come on Waddles, come on Sweet Puff, come on Muscle Bear!" The Stufful knew that was his name and waddled ahead with the pig, Dipper pressed his fingers to his forehead. "Mabel," He sighed. "Sisters!"
He looked ahead to find the woman missing, yet it felt like she's laughing somewhere. Dipper followed his sister and pleaded. "Hey, wait!" The floating pokemon kept behind him as he followed the group into a slither of a turn that lead into a cluster of green, yellow, light brown and dark brown crystals, resembling something of a fungal jungle. It was connected by a series of earthy roots that wrapped around an open window into an outside world a cloud. Mabel giggled. "My eyes feel funny!"
Dipper was blown away. "That lady wasn't being crazy, you put all these colors together, it feels like we're looking at a whole jungle!" Waddles, Swirlix and Stufful went ahead to smell for something, made a turn around a particular crystal and gave a combined noise of shock. The Pines sneaked behind and had a peak of crystal cluster, mixing in red, white, green, yellow, pink and black. Their eyes focused on something standing on a short crystal and chewing on a root.
A spiked mushroom with moss dangling from the edge of a cap that is white on it's left and red on it's right. It was slightly larger than the twins and well over the size of their partners. It's body was white and it was standing with four black stubs of legs. It's back looked like a reptiles tail, with green moss like dorsal fins. It's two hands resemble shielded fists and it pulled to yank the root loose. Dipper and Phantump nearly smacked themselves on the forehead as dirt flew to the mushroom and caused it to cough. It shook the gravel loose and had a smell of something.
Sniff! Sniff?
It turned around to show a pink, beak like mouth and those shields resembling moss covered pokeballs, having a set of yellow, reptilian. It salivated from the smell and looked around, Swirlix completely missed some ques and floated out of hiding to bark. (Hi there! What are you doing here?)
The Brutish Bonnet took a step back and recognized the smell as Dipper and his partners were cringing at a looming disaster. It gave an odd squeak. (Sugar?)
Swirlix licked as Mabel realized everyone's in danger and went to pick her up. (We don't got any on us, but I spotted some places on the surface that have the-) The Bonnet waved his shields and wailed. (Sugar!)
He charged at a relatively slow speed and the Pines gave a scream for their lives, with Stufful and Waddles sprinting as fast as possible. Swirlix was getting over her shock and turned around to have a view of the mushroom, she blasted a fairy wind that did little and made her realize the mushroom is much stronger than it looks. Mabel raised the Swirlix up. "Come on, shoot out some sticky web while we make a run for it!"
The fairy tried that as the group made it to the tunnel, causing the Brute to have his feet all tangled up. It followed regardless and the group hurried back to the intersection. Mabel tapped her feet. "What do we do, what do we do?"
Dipper looked around, found only an edge, a way back up to the surface and the garden. He gasped to something, looked to the Bronzor that floated and tapped himself on the forehead. "Bronzor, you and Phantump should go over the edge! I got an idea!"
The two did so as Dipper asked. "Mabel, you got to call those two back, we won't be able to carry that much!" The sister cringed as the squeaking was getting closer. "Alright, alright! Sweet Puff, Muscle Bear, get back in!"
Pew!
She picked up Waddles and leaped to the back of the Phantump that is regretting his choices as Dipper leaped to Bronzor and had him hover down. Waddles held on by the edge of the hollowed wood as the two floaters descended bellow and out of sight. All the way to a crystal ledge that the group can hide on. The Brute made it to the intersection and sniffed around, he wasn't smelling any traces of sugar and felt himself lost in the dark. He looked around aimlessly to regain the scent and caught something in his eyes, an entrance of misty fog. He went in close and had a smell of something fresh, floral, something that could be appetizing. He approached the misty ascent and had a feel of nothing, then continued his ascent. The Pines ascended back up to watch the Brute make his escape. Dipper cringed at what's happened. "This is bad, we can't let this guy make it into the town!"
Mabel grabbed her brother by the back of his sweater. "Bro, what's going to happen if we leave the guys over here?! This place could disappear if we leave!" That was a valid point while Mabel's partners let themselves out and collapsed from their rush. Waddles jumped off the Phantump and panted, happy the band survived that.
Out of the Labyrinth
The Brute was invigorated more by the scent of grass and fresh air, stepping out of the dark unknown and finding a cave leading out. The smell was a pleasing one, compared to all the dirt and mold, he waddled out expecting to see new things and nearly tripped over string on the way out. Thankfully, his four legs kept him from falling over, while four gnomes were pushed forward by the force. "Ur."
!
"What the?"
The Brute looked around to find the gnomes trying to get up, with a brown haired leader going into a tantrum. "Hey, no mushroom pushes us around! Get him!"
He made a leap that barely went an inch and fell on his face pathetically. The Brute realized that was an attack and lowered his eye lids in frustration as the gnome stood up, the brute took it as his chance to lunge at the gnome and bite down in his cranium, thrashing around as the short one kicked and screamed. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!" The gnomes got up to see their leader getting mauled and the Brute tossed him aside while making a squeaking roar, scaring the creatures back to the woods and chase them around, having his tongue sticking out for good measure.
In the Windy Descent.
Ven, Shadey and Virtu reached the bottom of the chasm and found to their right, a cloudy cave going into forever and blowing wind into a slope at the end of the tunnel. Shadey blinked, turned back into a Zorua and had a look at the slope going higher and higher, up until he noticed a ledge. He turned to give a bark. (Hey, do we got a way to get up there?)
Ven followed, looked up and pointed like it was simple. "We do, but I'm going to need to call you back if we're to make it fast." He called the two back and focused on the rock formations that would lead to a simple dash, a leap and a burst of wind magic to ascend into a glide. The blowing breeze helped in that matter and got Ven up to a ledge in a matter of seconds. The boy flipped his landing and found an passage with a distinct cluster of a yellow crystal arch with the symbol of Arceus. Ven didn't hesitate to approach and watch the cluster glimmer and open, as if it was expecting him. Crossing through the light, the boy found himself at the top of a dark pink mountain, with an endless blue sky spanning on the horizon. The words of the Unown, glimmered to the ground. "What has been buried and lost, can be dug up again. Waiting to be rediscovered for a time most in need. Thou seeketh to make right, what was not possible before?"
Ven nodded without hesitation. "I had to make due, because I couldn't just catch Bursty then. That charm turned into the ball that could catch him, he helped stopped the Chaos that was unleashed and we all got to go home. Now that we know, he's lead to a whole new discovery that's been waiting for us. What is this place? How did it get here?"
The words reflected and changed. "This Labyrinth is made by a simple wish and a dream. To connect what was with what will be, and to bring about a link between thee, thine partners. Seeker of yor, face the trial of the esper wings and prove thine bonds!" Glimmer! Flap! Something ascended to the sky, from the clouds bellow, a glowing purple eagle with a body mostly of gray and feathers of white at the wings, tail feathers, back and crest. He had brows resembling purple eyes and it resonated in psychic power. He cawed for a challenge as Ven recognized the shape. "A Braviary?!" He felt suspicious about the form and tossed a ball. "Virtu, we have this!"
Pop!
Out came a Porygon2 that kept low to the ground, the Braviary channeled esper power into his wings and unleashed a wave that phased through the virtual duck. Ven shared a smirk with the Porygon and put a finger to his nose. "Gotcha!"
He ordered fast. "Shadey, use snarl and u-turn out of there!" The Porygon2 puffed in pink energy to revel his true form and let loose the snarl, pulsing a dark power at the bird and causing it to shriek and power down. The bird cawed as Shadey dashed after the bird and gave a u-turn kick, back flipping as Ven raised the wing ball and opened it to let the fox in. Ven sent out Virtu, who took a brave bird tackle surprisingly well, the Porygon gave a fast scan and beeped. (Downloading additional special attack.) She glowed at the instant and spun her flippers. (Permission to request an overkill?)
Ven shook his head. "Let's play it a little safe since Shadey did a ton. Thunderbolt or ice beam, you're pick." The Porygon2 was a little disappointed, but couldn't argue with the logic, the Braviary swiped esper wings and flew around in fast speeds as the virtual duck aimed and fired an ice beam.
POW!
The Braviary crash landed to the edge, cracked and caused the arena to glimmer in light. Reveling a vast chamber of a purple crystal, in the center was a pedestal that had two things of note, a tera orb and a crystal of an ever changing symbol. Ven picked the two objects up and felt a grip on the orb. Shadey was let out of the orb and he had a look at the two. (Woah! Did that come from the battle?)
Ven nodded. "Yeah, this is the orb that girl had with her." He wondered about the crystal. "And this has something to do with that power." Virtu gave a scan and processed the data. (If the girl is correct, then there is a process for how terastallization would work. This crystal is the means of further discovery and making Conversion redundant.) Shadey asked blankly. (Isn't that the move that makes you change your type?) Virtu nodded. (Precisely. That makes one less move.)
Ven considered one idea. "The door way in here had that symbol of Arceus, so maybe Leon can help us out." He put the supplies away. "Come on, there isn't anything else over here, so let's head back." The three turned and found something tip toeing her way in. A giant white dove with a crest of three large feathers. The right being red, the left being blue. She has a belly of blue and red, triangle spots, a strap holding a bag and black dotted eyes. She gasped and flew over cautiously. (Somebody was over here!) She saw that Virtu and Shadey had signs of a fight. (Are you all okay?)
Virtu nodded. (We are.) She analyzed fast. (You seem to be real, have you followed us from the outside of the cave?) Nod. (I heard some commotion and flew as soon as I noticed the crystal. This whole place doesn't look right.) She tip toed back where she flew from and kept to the edge. Ven picked Shadey up and had Virtu at his back while he followed. Togekiss looked down to the drop and turned to give a smile at the packed band. (You need a ride?) Shadey nodded. (Yes please!) The Togekiss lowered her wings and let the three on her back, she tipped down and used the weight to zip through the current, heading right back to where the drop began.
At the path of the garden.
Aqua and her duo were nearly hypnotized by the many grassy terrain, branches sprouting flowers and what looked to be daylight at the end of the hall. Blooming a scent of orange and pink lilies, along with what looked to be wild onions. She sent out Stantler, Spinerak and Goomy to have a look. "It's no wonder that scent reached all the way over there. These are a lot of flowers."
Petilil agreed and felt oddly at home, she hurried to a clearing as Cyndi took time to observe. (But aren't we underground or something? We shouldn't be having this kind of sunlight, least of all this stuff.) Stantler knew he seen stranger. (Perhaps we've stepped into something more than a cave?) Goomy slithered dim as Spinerak guessed. (We've stepped into a bigger web, didn't we?)
Stantler nodded as Aqua had a look at the clearing, a meadow that is under the bask of a gentle light and no clear way forward beyond a tree. In the center was a stone and distinct words, the Keyblade Master had a closer inspect and saw the language of the Unown. "Sit and wait?" She shrugged. "Sure, we could use a break." She sat down on the rock, picked up Goomy and watched Cyndi jump to her lap, Petilil kept to the trainers leg and Spinerak crawled up to her hip, all the while Stantler twitched an ear and grew amused by a smile. (You looked like you had a pleasant time since the last battle.)
He tilt his head as Aqua guessed she was asked something. She blushed in a charm. "I got called Mom again," She wiggled at the moment. "I can't ever get tired of that." Goomy purred and rested in the arms, making that three letter word feel right, even if Ven might have been teasing her. Little happened during five minutes, until the glowing letters became black, revealing themselves to be Unown that called upon more of their kin.
The letters arranged themselves with a question. "These memories are fond to thee, thou wish that they'd last eternal?" Aqua brushed her hair fondly. "Next to the memories I had of me, Terra and Ven from before... that. Training Kairi and Kendry were some of the best moments I've had in my life. Ana was also like a sister to me." She sighed at a moment that came and pass. "But now, they've became skilled enough to where they don't need me as much anymore and Ana has to have a new body reforged. So it's back to me, Terra and Ven. With Xion proving her experience."
The Unown arranged advise. "Being a mentor and being kin, they do not have to be exclusive." Aqua agreed to that. "There will come a time where we'll be as a family again. But not right now-" She looked to her misfits in affection. "not while we have a lot to learn from them as they do of us." Cyndi burned a question. (Now, what are thou doing here?)
The Unown returned to a cluster and arranged once more. "We bring a challenge. See a world as it was and connect it to the present." An orange sun shaped stone appeared in mid air, bringing Petilil to interest, she hopped all the way to Aqua's shoulder as the mentor felt curiosity and a desire for growth.
She and Petilil reached for the stone and were consumed by the light. The duo felt themselves looking as one, Aqua felt shorter while Petilil felt taller. They were in a strange, unknown land, of a ridge going into a wet lands. They saw Cyndi, Spinerak, Goomy and Stantler looking on in confusion. Aqua and Petilil felt wind blow to their backs and they turned to an arena with a small collection of trees, standing before it was a figure of light. A feminine, thin, humanoid plant with a flower growing from her head. Her limbs were like leaves and her hair looked to be rather short. Aqua attempted to call her blade and felt nothing coming to her, she looked to find her arms to be that of leaves. The flowering lady laughed. "Thou seek to learn from them? Then face I, Lilligant! The Lady of the Ridge! Through the eyes and will of thee who seeks to grow!"
Aqua took a step back and looked to her feet, seeing a pair of orange, root like shoes and legs that look like onion stalks. Aqua felt Petilil's thoughts of admiration. "I thought there was only one kind of Lilligant to grow into. This feels more right."
Aqua had the image of a flowery pokemon that resembles a princess with a pink lily crown and giggled. "I haven't brought up any Princess, to fight a Queen's battle. So let's see what this Lilligant's got!"
The Lady of the Ridge sang a tune and radiated a distinct halo as Aqua took a step in her form, feeling both elegance and a fierce determination for victory. Lilligant leaped after Aqua, as a twirl of a spin. The challenger stepped back and watched the Lilligant kick to the earth, causing a shock wave that knocked the duo twirled away from. Lilligant repeated the dance and kept the two at a move until Aqua saw a small opening and glided after the foe. She gave a low sweep to the legs and caused Lilligant to trip into a flip. Lilligant straighten her limbs into blades and rushed for a counter attack, Aqua and Petilil focused to bring about a dual leaf blade and parried before giving a swift counter.
Lilligant spun away and kicked down to unleash a fast shock wave of floral green, the duo twirled a leap and gave a round house kick across the Lilligant's face. In a counter, Lilligant parried the second kick and sent the two in a spin. The Lady of the Ridge followed with a backwards dance and brought about another shock wave, Aqua and Petilil jumped in a dance and gave a radiance of victory as the foe repeated the attack more rapidly. The duo used a fast leaf blade at the first opening and sent Lilligant into a lean, they followed with a swift axe kick to the stomach. Lilligant had the air kicked out of her and she rolled away to get up, giving a hypnotic dance that had Aqua follow along and feel her mind dazed. Left, became right, forward became backward and up became down. Aqua and Petilil held their heads in an attempt to gain control as Lilligant spun away in her dance and let loose a fast dash, followed by an axe kick in preparation. Hitting the duo in the back of the head and sending them to their knees.
Stantler grunted and rushed after the Lilligant in a psyshield bash, the noble woman twirled above for an ax kick and slammed it down, Stantler leaped to the right and caused the flower to hurt her heel in a crash. Giving the deer time to continue his attack and bash her away. Lilligant caught her footing and rushed for a leaf blade before sprinting right, Stantler turned left to catch her move and bashed again, stunning her and giving the duo time to get up. Aqua and Petilil shook their heads from the confusion and spoke as one. "Thanks Stantler!"
They charged the Lilligant in a tornado spin slashed a leaf blade into her, Lilligant spun light and prepared a fast axe kick. Aqua and Petilil dodged in a left roll, watched Lilligant cringe in pain and delivered a swift low sweep to trip her to the ground. The two twirled away in preparation as Lilligant was on her knees, she ceased her glow and reveled a green form like Petilil. She had a short pink crown on her head and white legs that have a pink hue to the feet. Resembling onions. Lilligant raised a hand, issuing the end of the challenge.
Aqua and Petilil took a step back in elegance and rested a hand to their hip as the light enveloped. The duo found themselves as their own and right back to the rock they were sitting on, their partners little for wear despite some participation and a whole lot confused. The Keyblade Master felt her hand was still on the sun stone that shined in a halo, she and Petilil felt their hearts beating as one, they look to each other in sync and stood up as one. The bulb had the desire to evolve, something Aqua envisioned. "The Princess, picked by the Blade, became a warrior who stands by the others. Proving that she isn't just some girl who needed protection. Finding a strength that never falters. What say of you? Milady?"
Petilil had a smile, blushed and took a step back with grace. (I never liked to keep my distance. But I can't really do that. But maybe, I can now.) She asked. (Let me touch that stone, so I can be that elegance that we've seen.)
Aqua lowered the stone and let Petilil touch it, it gave a solar glow and cause the body to share that radiance. Petilil began to sprout, growing long legs, a one piece dress that is like a ballerinas and short if regal hair. Her head sprouted a blooming flower and her hips grew two small leaves to compliment it. Pew!
The glow ceased and Petilil looked at herself to see a form much like the one that was fought a moment ago. Her size was that of a child's though, with the pink flower and fierce eyes to match. Lilligant jumped like a typical teenager fresh at the age, twirled for battle and winked. Aqua winked back and picked Goomy up. "You've shed that form and became what you wished to be, but don't expect that the training is over. If this isn't anything like a Petilil or a Lilligant that Leon knows more about, then the training has only just begun." That is something Lilligant is quite aware of. (But now, you don't have to hold back for me.) That's something Spinerak blushed to as Cyndi huffed smoke. (Good luck with that one, her students are pretty serious.)
Aqua giggled, looked up to the light becoming like a sun set and closed her eyes in thanks. "This won't be wasted, Arceus." She turned back and opened her eyes. "Come on, there isn't anything else for us here."
The band followed to the central area, where the Pines were in the middle of an explanation and a Togekiss that was dropping off Ven and his partners. The Togekiss questioned what the Pines partners were talking about. (An Amoongus chased you?) Ven asked on repeat. "You had to escape a big, spiked Amoongus that decided to walk out of here?"
Mabel put her hands to her cheeks in a panic. "He's going to eat someone if we don't find him!" Aqua joined in the conversation, having a strange Lilligant that was concerned on the matter. "I've seen one of those pokemon, they're pretty small, but they're only dangerous if you get close. Ven, do you have the dex ready?" Ven brought out the Dex and showed the log on Amoongus. "The spores are poisonous and they'd grow anywhere. But their potential is more defensive." He realized something was wrong, saw arrows going down and scrolled to the near end of the Dex, above Miraidon was a picture of a brutal, mossy looking Amoongus. "Brute Bonnet?! We've never even met this."
He pressed a finger for the entry. "Brute Bonnet: The Megalocarpus Pokemon: Grass and Dark?! It bears a slight resemblance to a Pokémon described in a certain book as a cross between a dinosaur and a mushroom. Lacking in intelligence, it uses it's gigantic stature to make itself a savage fighter."
Mabel and Dipper had a second read on the type combination, the girl asked. "So it loses those poisonous spores for that?" Aqua cringed. "That's definitely not a good thing, we have no idea how this place even works, but the things we bring along with us are real enough to be an effect." Phantump turned to see the Lilligant and had hearts in his eye sockets. (Like how this pretty flower showed up?)
The Lilligant teeheed. (I evolved into this.) Ven had the chance to see the pokemon and flinched. "Dang Aqua! She kind of looks like you now." Aqua's quite charmed. "At the least, she matches the physic." She looked to the curious Togekiss. "And who is this friend of yours?" Ven showed the two items in his bag and introduced. "I think this is a Togekiss that spotted the commotion and followed us. She took the way of the wind."
He decided against picking a fight with the bird. "We need to get out of here and find that Bonnet, because that picture looks mean!" The large group made their exit up the slope of the Strange Hallow and were back into the surface world. The crystal vanished behind them as soon as the last pokemon made it's exit.
"Couldn't help yourself, can ya?"
The group turned to find Kit stepping out of a tree and having an admiration for the Lilligant. Dipper looked on in surprise as Mabel pointed at him. "The guy!" Kit focused on the Pine twins, who needed an explanation. "I saw some weird, vicious Amoongus chase those psychotic gnomes away from this direction! What was that crystal?" Mabel brought out a glowing crystal mushroom as Dipper blew to the air. "We don't know a lot of it either, it's some Labyrinth in another dimension. Pretending to be a cave underneath this ground. When we found that Mushroom, it caught the smell of something on us and attacked."
Kit gasped in horror from a certain experience with the vicious sort. "You'd ever figured that you didn't have anything on you and that one of you was the something?" Dipper cringed at the memories of nearly being eaten alive. "That's happened to us before, too many times than I want to think about."
The stranger understood that terror, looked over to the Keybearers, tensed and raised his voice. "And where were you two?" Ven and Togekiss eeked as Aqua stepped forward in defense. ""We split up to cover more and we told the Pines that if they find anything like that, then they ought to run first and foremost." She wondered. "Speaking of which; Dipper, Mabel, how did you two get away?"
Mabel carried the tired Swirlix. "Sweet Puff used that sticky web to slow him down before we hid some of our buddies and hid bellow the ledge!" Kit's twitching eyes weren't changing, but his voice lowered. "Smart thinking, even a sniffer like that won't think to look over there without a clue."
He blinked and relaxed as Aqua agreed with him. "We were doing a recon and some typical captures, we can't afford to baby sit who ever comes along with us. Kids that are this determined, won't ever just do as they're told." Kit agreed back and saw that among the four pokemon, there was a nest ball that had something. "They never do. Looks like you've caught another on the way here? What do you have in there?"
Dipper blushed and let out a Seedot that took in the sun rays and whistled a tune. "We did see something off about an acorn around here." Kit ahed and gave a light clap. "That's a small one that not many people would think about. Nice work kids." He turned around. "Come on, let's get to the base and figure out how we're going to catch that Amoongus."
Back at the Pridelands.
Simba was given a report on what has transpired had his eyes widen in horror. "Obstagoon got possessed by the spirit of Scar?" The badger guessed. "A.K.A, the bloke you tossed outta here?"
Terra sighed at a typical tale. "Let me guess, he weaseled his way to the throne, had you sent out to the wilderness in hopes you die out there and when you came back to face him for that, he lost it?" Timon cringed and raised four fingers. "You're off by four points pal." Simba agreed with his friend as Leon gasped. "He's murdered his way to the throne and if I'm correct, one of his victims was someone very close to you. Then he tried to have you killed for good measure and run these Pridelands into the ground? Not caring how that affected the food chain or anything, so long as he had the power." Simba took a deep breath and nodded. "Scar was my Uncle." Obstagoon, Pō and even the Kingambit gasped in terror. "He iced his own brother?!" "His own flesh and blood?" The Kingambit turned to the two and admit. "Even some of the most cold hearted among us have a rule for when you compete with blood mates!" Terra felt that oddly specific and put the rest of the story together. "And when Scar met his end, he found a way to crawl his way out of Hell and burn this kingdom to the ground. If he couldn't have it, no one will." Leon had a glare for the unknown. "Well, he's back in the fire and every pokemon he's hurt and had a hand at hurting is about to be far away from his as they can be." Pō flapped in agreement. "Indeed he is, this isn't something we can brush under the rug though."
Pueo agreed with his fellow bird. "The others need to know that we've dealing with another psycho." He hooted in glee to the herd. "You're all going to like how we're about to pull this off." Leon nodded to that and felt Mahi Mahi and K'ui try to keep him calm. Simba felt his imagination going to odd places and smiled to the crowd. "What's happened is in the past now. Sora's going to be thrilled about this." He was ready to head to the tree and whispered to Timon and Pumbaa. "Would you two keep a secret?"
The Warthog contemplated that. "Well, you can trust us to keep quiet about that. Unless it's a dangerous secret that we shouldn't know about. Or if wind passed along anyways when we can't keep quiet. Or if someone guesses when we're not trying to tell them or-" Timon tapped him on the head. "Pumbaa, please. We won't make a peep out of this."
Terra and Leon looked over to the menagerie, the Keybearer announced to Exeggutor. "We got a good spot behind that tree, where no one's going to see it." Leon gave a clap. "Everyone, start lining up in formation! Someone tell Dugtrio where we're going, we're having the smaller ones keep in the herd while the heartier ones keep to the sides! Hut! Hut!"
At the top of a tree.
While there, Rafiki was finished drawing an image of a certain lion, an Espeon and the pokemon that came along on the journey. He laughed in joy and turned around to a halo of light that heralded a strange equine. "You've all done well for those who've wandered here. Thine world will soon return to the Circle of Nature," Rafiki agreed with him, though he had the nerve to correct him. "Circle of Life, but you on the point. We're all connected to it, from one world to the other. But where are these travelers going to go? One world is the Pridelands and the others are not!"
The Entity wondered. "No, they are not. The chance for a world more fitting to my kind, has been denied a long time ago. Long before thee was a newborn." Rafiki wagged a finger in humor. "Even longer than when my grand parents were newborns, you mean?"
That caused the entity to laugh. "Ha, ha, ha! True! Each world is bound to it's heart. What shapes it and it's people is interconnected. If we cannot find a world beyond our known veil between realms, how are we to find a future here?"
Rafiki knew the Entity was asking rhetorically. "The solution is before us. Why find a kingdom, when you can make one?" The Entity nodded. "Precisely. As the future is made, the chosen of the Kingdom will learn from their past and make their mark." He turned to take his leave. "They are coming," Rafiki brought out a block wrapped in leaves and was ready to climb down the tree. "Their journeys going to be long, but they will make it there." The Entity dimmed his light and disappeared. "I was never here."
The Shaman climbed down in laughter, finding Simba and the chosen leading a massive herd. The king gave a light roar. "We're all here. Terra, Leon, how do you plan to lead this many out of here?" Terra slowly grew a smirk. "Since you asked."
He offered to lead the crowd behind the tree as Simba whispered. "Some of us know that you're from a place where the rules aren't like it is here. Can they actually travel that far?" Leon hurried as his partners kept to the rear guard. "They can." He focused and shed his feline form, reveling a human boy that had a cheerful wave. He readied his bag and showed a plethora of nest balls that can handle the easiest part of the task. "With these, we can fit the pokemon nice and snug while we zip back to... mmm what you'd call a den or a nest."
He was hearing animal noises, even from Terra, but it was clear he's given permission to say it however he would wish. "Right, all we need is to get these pokemon into these balls and we can begin our migration." Terra waited for the youngster to give a demonstration, Leon started by lining up a majority of nest balls. "Okay everyone, we'll do it in this order. We'll start by using these nest balls to capture the weaker pokemon among us. Then we can focus on stronger, more special balls for the others and especially to those who've worked hard to make this possible."
He asked the Keybearer. "Terra, if you would do away with that disguise, you can start by picking the ones who've pull the most weight among us." Terra hesitated to break a rule and looked to the others, Ursaring and Primeape pat a hand on his shoulder and encouraged him to let the form go. Rafiki gave a hoot befitting an ape and offered Terra something wrapped in leaves, the Keybearer took it and unwrapped it to find a peat block.
Ursaring gasped and covered her mouth with her paws while giving a clap of a thank you, giving the elder a hug that was befitting of a bear and was given a tap to make her let go. Irritating Primeape as Cadet laughed to the hijinks while the sun began to set upon the vast wilds.
