Chapter 13: A Delve into the Dark
"Y-You died?" Aqua could only find herself staring at her friend and apprentice in mild horror. The thought of it was incomprehensible. It brought to mind all of the painful experiences during her journey; losing those closest to her one by one. That Ash's life could have been cut short before they'd even had a chance to meet…? She felt her heart clench painfully.
"Eh, not exactly," Ash shook his head and waved her concerns off, unknowingly stoking her ire with his flippant attitude. "I was turned to stone."
"Your heart stopped beating?" She reiterated in a clipped tone that made him wince.
"Y-Yes?"
"So you died." Aqua was unamused. He could only cringe at the increasingly angry look on her face. "Ash, just what am I going to do with you?"
"Hey now," he said defensively. "This was like eight years ago! I was only ten!"
"That doesn't make it any better!" She snapped. "You were a child! You shouldn't have gotten involved in something that dangerous!"
The trainer waved her off. "Please," he chuckled. "That was hardly the first time I was involved in something… dangerous…" Ash trailed off a bit as he watched the expression on her face shift.
The silence his statement was met with was absolutely stifling. But the scariest thing was the look on Aqua's face. Whereas before, she'd had a look of righteous fury, something Ash was all too familiar with given the company he'd kept over the years. Now though… She was smiling.
And that was terrifying.
"Ash?" She asked sweetly.
"Y-Yes?"
"Just what exactly do you mean by that?"
Aqua was suddenly standing very close. So close, he realized, that their faces were mere inches apart. The boy tried to take a step back, only to find himself unable to move. Ash glanced down in alarm to see his feet had been frozen to the stained glass. When had she cast Blizzard?!
"N-Now, Aqua," he began, sweating profusely. "You have to understand that Pokémon can be dangerous by their very nature…"
"Oh, do go on!" She said cheerfully. "Please, keep digging."
Ash felt his mouth go dry. That was not a natural smile on her face. No, that smile promised pain and punishment.
" —sh!" They both paused as a voice seemed to echo far away in the distance. "Ash, wake up!"
Sora?!
The trainer gasped in shock and relief. He turned to the now fuming Aqua. "Sorry, Aqua! Duty calls!"
"Oh, no you don't!" She exclaimed as the ice began creeping up his legs at an alarming speed. Ash quickly threw his hands over his ears.
"Sorry, can't hear you!" he cried as he struggled mightily against her spell. "I'm waking up now! Bye!"
"This isn't over, Ash Ketchum!" He heard Aqua roar as his vision began to grow hazy. "You have to sleep eventually!"
It took everything he had not to react as the world went black.
Ash's eyes flew open, his heart racing a mile a minute. Sora was looking down at him in concern. "Alright, Ash?" he questioned. The other teen let out a yelp when Ash suddenly grabbed him by the front of his shirt.
"Sora," Ash said seriously as they locked eyes. "You are a great friend to me. I just want you to know that."
"Oooookay," Sora muttered in confusion.
"I'm serious!" The other boy whispered, a hint of hysteria in his voice. "I would die for you!"
"Let's just focus on the next step of our journey, okay?" The brown-haired teen sighed, gently easing the other boy's hands off of him. "We're just about ready to take off. All your affairs are settled, right? Any last minute preparations you wanna make?"
Ash coughed and took a moment to regain his composure. "No, nothing." The trainer shook his head after a while. "Sorry. Had a strange dream. Anyway, before we take off, I have an idea I wanted to try."
"Oh?"
"It occurred to me when Merlin summoned us back to Hollow Bastion." He explained.
"And what's that?" The brown-haired teen was curious. Instead of answering, Ash released Gardevoir from her Luxury Ball, drawing the attention of Donald and Goofy, who had just finished preparing the Gummi Ship for travel.
"What's going on?" Donald called back to them.
"Hey, Gardevoir?" Ash asked his psychic-type. "You can teleport us anywhere you've been before, right?" The Pokémon nodded. "Think you could take us back to Beast's Castle?" The Embrace Pokémon paused for a moment before her eyes began glowing. The entire ship lurched for a moment, causing the others to jump in alarm.
Gardevoir sagged forward, nearly collapsing were it not for Ash catching her. Sora looked at them in concern. "Is she okay?"
Ash scanned her with his glasses for a moment before nodding. "She's fine, just exhausted." He glanced out the window. "And for good reason." He pointed behind them. The rest of the gang turned around and could only gape in shock to see the ship was now hovering over Beast's Castle.
"We're back?!" Goofy yelped.
"I have the feeling we'll be traveling to and from Hollow Bastion a lot," Ash explained. "Gardevoir's ability to Teleport will be invaluable."
"Pokémon just become more and more amazing," Sora chuckled. "Alright! Onward to the next world!"
"What's the monitor saying?" Ash called to Goofy as he withdrew Gardevoir into her ball for some rest.
Goofy took a moment to read over the ship's monitor and jumped up in excitement. "Why, it's Olympus Coliseum!"
"Olympus?!"
"That's where Hercules is from, right?" Ash asked.
"Yeah!" Sora could barely contain his excitement. "Let's go check up on Herc!"
Ash blinked as the four amigos found themselves stumbling into a dark, expansive cavern; a far cry from the gleaming stadium Sora and friends had described to him.
'Milord.'
Ash started upon hearing a voice in his head. 'Gardevoir?' he thought. 'You can contact me from inside your ball?'
'Yes.' Came the voice of his psychic-type ace. 'I thought it prudent to warn you.' Ash found himself instinctively tensing at this.
'Warn me of what?'
'The air of this world is thick with magic,' Gardevoir told him. 'Ancient and powerful magic. Aegislash and Chandelure can sense it too, though not as acutely as I. And so I impart this wisdom to you; it would be wise to tread lightly here.'
'Hercules is a demi-god, according to Sora,' Ash reasoned. 'It's only natural there would be gods in this world.'
'Yes,' Gardevoir's voice was serious. 'And I believe you know more than most how dangerous gods can be.'
'...I'll keep that in mind.'
"...Are you sure this is Olympus?" he was broken out of his inner dialogue by Sora's voice. They'd been wandering in the dark for several minutes now.
"Over there!" Donald exclaimed as they rounded a corner, pointing to what seemed to be a gleaming staircase in the distance.
"A staircase?" Ash questioned. "To the coliseum?"
"I guess our coordinates must have been off," Sora mused. Before the gang could start making their way to the staircase, a scream echoed throughout the cavern, sending them all on edge.
"What was that?!" Ash demanded, spinning around to see a brown-haired woman frantically running from what appeared to be dog-shaped Heartless. Much to their distress, the woman tripped and was quickly surrounded by the Heartless.
"She needs help!" Sora exclaimed, summoning his Keyblade and dashing towards her. Seemingly able to sense the legendary weapon, the Heartless took one look at his approaching figure and turned tail.
Slowing to a halt, the party stood protectively in front of the fallen woman until the Heartless disappeared back into the darkness. Once they were out of sight, Sora dismissed his weapon and turned towards the woman, offering his hand.
"Thanks, but I'm fine," the brunette said, waving his hand away and standing on her own. "And… you're supposed to be?" She raised an eyebrow at them. Ash frowned slightly, finding her dismissive attitude unwarranted.
If Sora took note of her attitude, he didn't show it. "I'm Sora," he said. "And this is Ash, Donald and Goofy. We came to check up on our friend Hercules."
"You know Wonderboy?" The woman asked, a look of surprise on her face before she schooled her features.
"Yeah, cause we're heroes too!" Donald exclaimed proudly.
"A-hyuk, ya mean junior heroes, Donald." Goofy corrected. Donald merely scowled at him while Ash let out a snort of amusement.
The woman chuckled. "Looks like we have a friend in common." she remarked. "Name's Megara. My friends call me Meg."
"So how's Herc doing?" Sora asked.
"Wonderboy?" She let out a sigh. "Well, he's duking it out at the Coliseum every day. You know, 'a hero's work is never done' and all that." Meg snorted derisively. "He's ready to drop, but he keeps fighting. Even Wonderboy has his limits, though. These opponents are bad news — special deliveries from Hades himself."
"Hades?!" Donald exclaimed in shock.
"Right." Meg nodded with a look of distaste on her face. "The Lord of the Underworld. I was on my way to see him. I thought maybe I can convince Hades to give Wonderboy a breather." She paused and a pained look took shape on her face. "If anything happened to that kid..."
"Gawrsh..." Goofy said with a knowing smile. "Sounds like you're more than just friends!"
Megara blushed prettily. "O-Oh... uh, I mean..." Ash just chuckled.
Sora smiled. "Why don't you let us be the ones to talk with Hades?" he offered. "I'd hate for anything to happen to you on your way to see him."
Meg seemed taken aback by his generosity. "You'd really do that?" she asked before pausing. "Well, it sounds like you know what you're doing. And if you're friends with Hercules… I guess I'll take you up on that offer. But... let's keep this whole chat-with-Hades thing our little secret, okay? It's not exactly a good look to be seen speaking with that guy."
"Our lips are sealed." Ash said as he made a zipping gesture over his mouth. Meg smiled gratefully before turning and walking back towards the gleaming staircase. The trainer watched her go until he was sure she was safe before turning to follow his friends. Sora and the others were already walking further into the cavern.
Unbeknownst to him, two large canine-esque silhouettes appeared at the top of the gleaming staircase just as he'd turned around. The two mysterious creatures glanced at each other knowingly.
It seems the one they'd been waiting for had arrived at last.
"Y'know, I really should have expected the Underworld of all places to be crawling with Heartless," Ash remarked in annoyance as he destroyed another of the creatures.
"Tell me about it," Sora grunted, an equally annoyed look on his face. The party entered a long winding tunnel but just as they were about to push forward, Ash noticed a black cloaked figure dashing past a corner.
"Was that what I think it was?" He exclaimed.
"An Organization member," Donald growled.
"Don't let him escape!" Sora cried. With that, the party quickly began giving chase, only for the entire cavern to begin rumbling violently. Ash hissed as he was nearly crushed by a falling boulder.
"Is the cave collapsing?!" He yelled.
"Don't stop running!" Donald roared. "Keep moving!"
Ash continued to dash forward, dodging falling boulders and steam vents all along the passageway. He and Sora were running full speed when a Large Body Heartless suddenly appeared before them with its fist raised. Ash jumped and kicked off of its belly, flipping backwards and dodging the incoming attack.
"This is testing my patience!" He snapped, summoning his Keyblades. Sora snarled and charged at the Heartless. Ash took a moment to glance behind them. Donald and Goofy, being the less agile members of their party, were quite a ways behind them.
"Ash, incoming!" He heard Sora shout. Spinning around, he saw the Large Body Heartless sliding towards him on its belly at breakneck speed. The Heartless body slammed into him, sending him flying past a shocked Sora and where he slammed into a wall.
"Why… you…!" The trainer growled as he peeled himself off the cavern wall. He raised his Keyblade to begin casting a spell when the cave began to rumble even more violently than it already had been. All combatants paused and looked towards the ceiling just in time to see it beginning to crumble.
Ash quickly rolled to the side in order to avoid the falling debris. The trainer leapt to his feet once the dust had settled, his eyes scanning the battlefield. It seemed the collapse had crushed the Heartless beneath it, to which Ash was grateful for. Much more worrying was the fact that it had also separated him from the rest of the party.
"Ash!" He heard Sora shouting frantically from the other side. "Are you okay?"
"What happened?" he heard Donald's voice demand.
"The ceiling came crashing down and separated us from Ash." he heard Sora explain. "Just hold on, Ash! We'll get you out!" The trainer took a closer look at the damage the cave-in had caused and shook his head.
"That'll take us all day!" He shouted back. "And we may just end up causing another cave-in if you try moving these rocks!" Ash looked around to see he wasn't entirely trapped. There was a side tunnel that seemed to lead somewhere. "You guys just keep going! There's another tunnel here; I'll see where it leads!"
"Are you sure?" He heard Goofy ask, a concerned tone in his voice.
"If worse comes to worst, I can have Gardevoir Teleport me out!" Ash replied. There was silence for several moments.
"Alright," he heard Sora say at last. "If you're sure. Just be careful, okay? Serena will kill us if anything happens to you!"
"So will Yuffie!" he heard Goofy add. "Bonnie and Clemont won't be happy either."
"Aerith, too," Sora continued. "You know Aerith is really scary when she's mad!"
"Okay, let's just assume everyone will kill us if anything happens to him," he heard Donald snap irritably.
"Hey, no need to worry!" Ash shouted, shaking his head with a grin.
"When you say that, that's when we worry the most!" He heard all three of them shout in return. Ash smiled faintly and turned to face the tunnel.
"And now, to face the long dark," the teen whispered before pausing. Ash reached to his belt and retrieved a Dusk Ball. "Chandelure, come out!" The chandelier-like Pokémon appeared in a wisp of dark energy. Its pale flames quickly lit up the dark cavern. The Pokémon took in its surroundings and seemed to shudder. Ash frowned slightly. It seems there was more truth to Gardevoir's words than he cared to admit.
"Hey, buddy," he called its attention. "I know this world is putting you on edge, but you think you can lead the way?" While he could have brought out Gardevoir to lead the way with Flash, she was still quite drained from her long-distance teleport. He'd rather she save her strength in case of an emergency.
The chandelier let out a reluctant sounding chime and began floating further into the cavern. Ash followed and together they began making the long trek through the Underworld.
The duo traveled in silence for a good while. "It's kinda eerie," Ash murmured. "There was so much activity a while ago and now nothing." As though just to spite him, they began hearing the sound of clanging steel somewhere further down the tunnel.
Ash wasted no time dashing in the direction of the commotion, Chandelure following behind him. He finally reached the end of the tunnel and found himself in a large chamber brightly lit by torches burning with eerie blue fire.
In the center of the chamber, he saw a woman with pink hair fending off several Rabid Dogs while wielding what looked like a cross between a gun and a sword, somehow similar to Leon's gunblade but different at the same time. He sent a couple of Thunder spells at the dogs, causing them to run off.
The woman turned to face him, a wary look on her face. Ash had to admit that she was quite beautiful. The mysterious woman wore a white jacket that was buttoned halfway — revealing a navel piercing in the shape of a rose — and a brown mini skirt. She wore a pair of heavy duty combat boots and a red cape was draped across her back.
"And who the hell are you two?" She demanded, staring at Chandelure menacingly.
"Whoa, there!" Ash said, raising his hands placatingly. "We're friends!"
"I don't have any friends in the Underworld." The woman looked like she might attack any moment. Ash quickly withdrew Chandelure into its ball before a fight could break out.
"Easy, easy," Ash said, still raising his hand. "I'm down here to confront Hades and ask that he stop harassing Hercules."
"You're friends with Hercules?" the woman asked skeptically.
"More like friends by association," Ash admitted. "My friends are his friends and all that. I was separated from my companions by a cave-in earlier." His eyes fell to the blade still in her hand. "That's a beautiful weapon. Is it a gunblade?"
"It is." The woman nodded and she finally seemed to be giving him the benefit of the doubt. "Not many from this world would know what it is."
"A friend of mine wields a gunblade." Ash explained. "His name is Leon, from Hollow Bastion." He fished through his pocket and procured his membership card. The woman took the card and scanned it for a moment. After several tense seconds, Ash breathed a sigh of relief as the woman finally lowered her blade.
"I see." She said simply, handing him back his membership card.
"I take it that you know Leon?" Ash asked as he placed it back in his pocket. He watched as her gunblade appeared to fold into itself. Interesting. Leon's gunblade didn't do that. A newer model maybe?
"I suppose you could say that," she replied, holstering the weapon across her lower back.
"My name is Ash, by the way." He raised his hand in greeting.
"Yes, I know," she waved him off and began walking away. "Your membership card had your name on it."
"What's yours?" Ash continued undeterred, following after her. The woman sent him an irritated look.
"...Lightning," she said after a while. "Call me Lightning."
"Nice to meet you, Lightning," he said. "Are you here to talk to Hades too?"
"You could say that," she replied coldly, her grip on her gunblade tightening until her knuckles turned white. This didn't go unnoticed.
"Did he do something to you?"
"That's none of your business!" Lightning snapped. Ash merely raised his hands in surrender.
"You're right, you're right," he said placatingly. "I'm sorry. I just thought, maybe since we have the same goal, we could work together. Something tells me Hades isn't gonna give into our demands so easily."
Lightning merely scoffed. "It's more likely he'll outright ignore you," the woman said bluntly. "He doesn't lie— he can't afford to, since his deals are enforced by ancient magic. But he'll tell half truths or find loopholes in any deal he cuts."
"Sounds like you've had dealings with him in the past."
"Something like that." The pink haired warrior shook her head with a sigh. "Just get outta here, kid. I don't need any help.
"I know." Ash said. "But I'm offering it anyway. There's strength to be found in numbers." The woman stared at him for a moment before sighing.
"Fine," she said after a while. "Just don't get in my way."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Ash trailed behind Lightning, who had insisted on taking point for the remainder of their trek through the cavernous depths. The entire time they walked, he couldn't shake this odd feeling. Like he was being watched? Or maybe it was something more than that…
"The path splits here," Lightning's voice broke him out of his reverie. "The left path seems to get bigger. It might lead back to the passage your friends took."
"That may be so…" Ash couldn't take his eyes off the rightward path, however. His brow furrowed. It was almost like he was being called in that direction. Just what was going on?
—ne.
"Where do you think you're going?" Lightning hissed as the boy began to wander down the wrong path. The teen didn't answer, seemingly in a daze. The woman hissed at him again, but he was beyond hearing now. Lightning scowled and followed after the raven-haired teen. He'd better not get them killed!
—sen One.
Ash could feel his heart pounding in his ears as he continued down the darkened chamber. Gardevoir's previous warning hung ominously in the back of his mind, but he simply couldn't shake the need to investigate this side corridor. Gradually, the cavern seemed to give way to smooth marble as the duo continued their trek.
—hosen One.
Lightning's brow had steadily risen as they made their way down the hall and their surroundings became more and more ornate. Maybe this wouldn't be a waste of time after all. Eventually the hall widened into a large chamber and before them stood a small, ornately decorated building lined with Greco-Roman pillars all around it. Various mythological frescos lined both the outer walls and the pillars.
Chosen One.
"Well, this building looks important," Lightning remarked before her eyes narrowed. "And important buildings are usually guarded."
She was proven right mere moments later when a fearsome roar echoed throughout the chamber. The duo tensed and drew their weapons, looking around frantically for the source of the noise. Ash's glasses began flashing a warning at him, prompting him to look up in alarm.
"Get down!" He shouted. Lightning reacted immediately, diving to the side just as he dove in the opposite direction. Their timing couldn't have been closer, as a spout of flames engulfed the spot they'd just been standing. Ash glanced up in the air where they'd just been attacked from, his eyes widening in shock as his glasses let out a 'ping'.
"Hydreigon — The Brutal Pokémon and the final evolved form of Deino. This Pokémon travels the skies on its six wings. Anything that moves seems like a foe to it, triggering its attack. They use all three heads to consume and destroy everything."
"Sounds dangerous," Lightning grunted, aiming her gunblade — which had now taken the form of a long handgun — at the creature.
"Wait, please!" Ash held his hand out, not taking his eyes off of the creature. "It's not a monster. It's a Pokémon. It's just instinctively protecting itself. Hades is probably taking advantage of its aggressive nature."
"All the more reason to get rid of it!" the woman snapped. Ash shook his head, giving her a pleading look.
"Please, just let me try to catch it."
"...catch— you can't be serious!" She protested. Ash brought his hand to Gardevoir's ball, only to pause. It was the classic trainer's dilemma. She was still tired. Did he use her now to take advantage of her immense type advantage? Or let her rest in case there was a more dangerous threat down the road?
"Kid… KID!" Lightning roared, her eyes wide in alarm. "ASH! That thing is attacking again!" The trainer looked up to see Hydreigon unleashing another spout of flames at them. Thinking fast, he grabbed a Dusk Ball instead.
"Chandelure!" He shouted, releasing the ghostly chandelier right in front of him. Their adversary's Flamethrower immediately engulfed the Pokémon in a vortex of flames. Lightning watched this in shock, genuinely surprised that the boy had just sacrificed his chandelier creature so cold-heartedly to save his own life.
Imagine her shock when the flames began being absorbed by the ghostly creature. The thing even let out a happy sounding chime as it ate up all the fire! "Thanks buddy!" Ash said with a grin.
"What the hell just happened?" Lightning demanded. The boy turned to her, still grinning.
"Chandelure's special ability lets it absorb fire-type attacks," he explained. "He can then use that to power up his own fire moves." He then turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "Alright, buddy! Give it a taste of your own Flamethrower!"
The ghostly creature turned to face the hydra-like Pokémon and unleashed an absolutely massive spout of flames. The dragon let out a roar of anger as it was burned by the intense fire. An orb of dark energy began forming in its mouth before surging forward in a beam of darkness.
"Aegislash, come out and use King's Shield!" The Royal Sword Pokémon appeared in a wisp of shadow, summoning a barrier that neutralized their opponent's Dark Pulse.
'I'll need to play this carefully,' Ash thought to himself. 'Both Chandelure and Aegislash will be weak to its dark-type moves.'
"Aegislash, use Swords Dance!" He commanded. "Chandelure, use Taunt." As the sword began performing an elaborate dance, Chandelure proceeded to make a series of obnoxious wails that seemed to greatly anger the dragon. An orb of blueish energy formed in the dragon's mouth before it fired it into the air, where it proceeded to burst into a shower of flaming debris.
Draco Meteor!
"I was hoping you'd do that!" Ash exclaimed. "King's Shield one more time! Everyone, get behind him! Now!" Aegislash formed its barrier one more time as Ash, Lightning and Chandelure quickly dashed behind the safety of its shield. The flaming debris came crashing all around them, violently upheaving the ground beneath their feet.
Ash looked up at Hydreigon, a triumphant smile on his face. They'd successfully baited it into using its strongest attack, but Draco Meteor came with a downside.
"It looks exhausted after that," Lightning remarked.
"Just as I hoped," Ash said with a grin. "Aegislash, before it recovers, finish it with Sacred Sword!" The Royal Sword Pokémon transformed into its Blade Forme before flying forward at breakneck speed, its blade glowing brightly, and slashed the Brutal Pokémon across the chest.
It was sent hurtling into the ground. "Chandelure, hit it with Hypnosis!" He commanded. The Luring Pokémon disappeared in a wisp of shadow, reappearing right before the stunned Hydreigon's face. The dragon groaned as a wave of exhaustion fell over it and Lightning watched in stunned silence as the creature fell asleep on the spot.
Ash reached for his ball dispenser, which produced a Dusk Ball. "Alright, Hydreigon, you're mine!" He shouted as he hurled the ball at the sleeping Pokémon. The creature was drawn into the ball in a flash of light.
Everyone watched in tense silence as the ball shook for several moments. Finally, a 'ping' sound was heard and Ash visibly sagged in relief. With a small grin, he walked over and retrieved the Dusk Ball.
"Alright!" He exclaimed. "I caught a Hydreigon!" Aegislash and Chandelure both made cheering gestures.
"Well," Lightning said as she walked over. "That was definitely… interesting." She shook her head. "Not sure how I feel about you just standing back and letting your pets do all the fighting."
"That's how things are in my world," Ash said in explanation. "Pokémon can be territorial and naturally battle each other out in the wild. They have a natural instinct to fight. I can't say I like the idea of a human hurting a Pokémon unless there was no other option."
"I suppose it's not my place to comment on it," the woman shrugged. "Anyway, let's see if this little detour was worth it." Ash tucked Hydreigon's ball onto his belt clip and followed the warrior woman into the building.
Lightning let out a low whistle. "It looks like we've found Hades' repository." Ash looked around
"It looks like a trophy room," he remarked. It was true, there were various items prominently displayed with inscriptions detailing each one.
"The Helm of Invisibility," Lightning read an inscription. "Once used by Hades himself."
Ash read another. "The Chariot of Achilles," he read aloud.
"The Shield of Hector."
"The Lyre of Orpheus."
"The Golden Fleece."
"All of these seem like powerful artifacts," Lightning remarked, a calculating look on her face. "Any one of these might give us an edge over Hades."
Ash looked over all of the artifacts in the room, his brow furrowed. This whole time, he'd felt like there'd been something calling him here, but… none of these artifacts compelled him in the same way. He continued scanning the room until his eyes fell on a pair of items resting in the corner of the room, placed there almost as an afterthought.
Chosen One.
He walked over to them, Lightning following him with a raised eyebrow.
"...A broken, rusted sword and a rusted shield?" She asked in a deadpan voice. "That's what caught your eye? Out of all of these artifacts? There's not even an inscription telling us what they are!"
Chosen One.
"...Something was calling me here all this time," Ash said as he picked up the sword. "It was these artifacts, I'm sure of it." His eyes narrowed as the sword seemed to glow ever so slightly the moment he touched it. He was surprised to find it weighed almost nothing in his hands.
Lightning scowled. Before she could present her argument, however, the building— and indeed the cavern as a whole began to rumble.
"...We shouldn't linger here," she said after a while, a look of frustration on her face. "I'm sure Hades will notice our intrusion if he hasn't already." Lightning reached down and picked up the shield, only to grunt as she lifted it. "Damn! This thing is heavy!"
Ash reached out and took the shield from her, his eyes narrowing further when he felt almost no resistance from the ancient artifact. Lightning stared at him in disbelief as he effortlessly handled the shield and placed both it and the broken sword into his travel satchel.
'Tread carefully,' Gardevoir's previous warning echoed in his mind. Lightning was staring at him, a look of suspicion on her face.
"Let's keep moving," Ash said, shaking his head and turning towards the exit, only to freeze upon seeing two creatures he's never seen before standing in the doorway. They looked like canine-Pokémon: one had fur that was light blue and pink while the other Pokémon's fur was dark blue and red. He made eye contact with them for several moments and Ash could feel his heart hammering in his chest.
Chosen One.
Ash blinked and to his shock, the two Pokémon were gone.
"Well, what are we just standing around for?" Lightning's irritated voice demanded from behind him.
"Did— Did you just see…?"
"See what?"
"…Nothing." Ash sighed. The boy began leading the way out of the treasury. He felt Lightning's suspicious eyes linger on him a moment longer before the sound of her footfalls began following.
Hades, Lord of the Dead, God of the Underworld sat atop his throne with a look of irritation on his face. Standing before him were two small, imp-like demons. One was plump and magenta-colored while the other was scrawny and colored teal. Standing with them was none other than Pete.
"Where do they dig these freaks up?" The blue-skinned god grumbled upon hearing the two imps' report. "Do these Keyblade brats just pop up like weeds? Geez, Louise…" He turned to stare at his minions with hard eyes that promised pain if they answered wrong. "And you're sure they took nothing but those hunks of junk?"
"Yes, Your Spookiness!" The magenta-colored imp named Pain exclaimed with a salute. "All the other artifacts were accounted for!"
"Ha!" Hades cackled. "A whole armory of legendary artifacts and they pick a couple of duds I picked up last week!"
"May I ask why you even placed them in the treasury, Your Ghastliness?" The tea-colored demon named Panic questioned.
"I thought I sensed a burst of ancient magic a while back —around the time all those freaky creatures started showing up — and when I investigated, I found those two hunks of scrap," the god said, waving his hand dismissively. "But when I brought them back for further inspection, they just turned out to be garbage. Couldn't be bothered to toss 'em out, so I just left them in a pile in the corner. Which you two were supposed to have disposed of by now!"
He turned to glare at them venomously, his entire body bursting into bright red flames and prompting the two demons to begin prostrating before him. "We are worms!" They cried pathetically, transforming themselves into a pair of oversized worms. "Worthless worms!"
"I thought you said they was garbage though," Pete remarked, a look of confusion on his face. "Why bother gettin' so steamed?"
"It doesn't matter that they were garbage!" Hades hissed. "They were mine! And now they're in the hands of a couple of brats!"
"Bah!" Pete scoffed. "They're nuttin' but trouble, the whole lot of 'em. But more importantly, what are you going to do about Hercules? He's made mincemeat outta every fighter you sent at 'im." Pete chuckled sardonically. "Pretty soon the Underworld's going to be standing room only!" His voice turned mocking. "Say, why don't you pick someone already dead and save him the trouble?"
Hades suddenly stood, his entire body bursting into red flames as he snarled at him in rage. The two demons yelped and jumped into Pete's arms. Not that this did them much good, as Pete began cowering before the enraged god.
However, as quickly as he erupted, he cooled down. "Hmm… Dead?" He mused. "Dead… Dead is good. Dead is great! And I think I know just the warrior to get the job done!" The two underlings and Pete watched him begin pacing and muttering to himself with looks of concern on their faces.
"Oh, boy," Pain mumbled. "He's got that look on his face."
"I just hope nothing goes wrong this time," Panic agreed. They watched as the god strode over to a gigantic pit, within which raged a swirling vortex of souls. Pete cautiously followed and peaked into the pit, his face visibly pale.
"So, uh… by the by…" He mumbled as Hades began performing an elaborate ritual. "W-What's down there?"
"Oh, just the Underworld's deepest, darkest dungeon!" Hades cackled. "And this time, I'm bringing out the mother of all bad guys!"
Pete gulped and looked up at Hades incredulously. Seeing how serious the god was, Pete began taking several steps back. He felt his back press up against the wall and saw Pain and Panic were already cowering.
"Y-Ya don't say…" Pete stammered. "Well, maybe I should just go…" Before he could make good on his words, Hades summoned two fireballs into his hands before hurling them into the pit, causing it to erupt in red flames. A cloud of smoke burst out of the pit, enveloping the entire room. Pete began coughing and waved the smoke out of his face.
After a few moments, a figure emerged from the dissipating smoke. The figure was a man with black hair and a vertical scar running over his left eye. His face was partially hidden by his long, red coat, though a dour expression could be seen on his face. His left arm was tucked into the front of his jacket, as though it were in a sling. His right arm was occupied carrying a large katana.
Once the man's feet touched solid ground, the pit behind him sealed itself. The man opened a single, dark brown eye and glared at the villains before him. Hades chuckled at the expression on the man's face.
"Alright, let's just cut to the chase here," he began. "Here's the deal I'm gonna offer you. I let you out of the slammer — no strings attached — you'll be as free as a bird." The man's gaze began to wander about the room, eventually settling on Pete and the demon duo, who cringed back in fear.
"Hey, hey, hey." The dark god began irritably snapping his fingers in the man's face. "Hades, Lord of the Dead, speaking here. Anyway, I have a job for you. Fight Hercules… in the Coliseum… to the death! Do this for me, and you walk out of here a free man."
The man scoffed. "This is my story," he spat, lowering himself into a battle-ready stance, slinging his katana over his shoulder. "And you're not part of it."
Hades erupted into red flames. "Did you forget who you're talking to?" He roared, his eyes wild with rage. "I'm the Lord of the Dead!"
"Heh," the man snorted. "Must be why no one wants to die."
"You are fired!" Hades screamed in rage. And this was the scene that Ash and Lightning stumbled onto. They watched in stunned silence as Hades charged at the man, who swung his blade at the enraged god. Hades effortlessly stopped the sword, gripping it tightly with both hands. Ash's eyes narrowed and he summoned his Keyblades. Beside him, Lightning drew her gunblade.
"Hades!" Ash shouted. The shout drew the god's attention, who turned blue again as he glanced at him in confusion. From the opposite side of the room, Sora, Donald and Goofy emerged from another entrance.
"You brats just keep coming out of the woodwork!" Hades snapped.
"Ash!" Sora called out to the other teen. "You okay?"
"Better than ever!" Ash called back, giving him a thumbs up. The red-clad man took advantage of Hades' distraction and pushed the god off of him before slashing at him with his sword.
"Fight!" The man snapped. Lightning simply smirked.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" She proceeded to charge in, slashing her blade at the god's face. Hades effortlessly swatted her weapon away.
"Oh?" Hades cocked his head at her. "You're that girl that wanted me to find her sister." His smile turned into a sneer. "Tell me, did you ever find her?"
"You shut the hell up!" Lightning roared, her left arm wreathed in flames. She thrust her arm forward, casting a Fira spell, only for it to fizzle out on making contact with the Lord of the Underworld.
'So, that's why she's got a grudge against Hades,' Ash thought as Sora, Donald and Goofy attempted to engage Hades in combat, only for all their attacks to prove ineffective. Lightning attempted to re-engage the god only to be swatted back. The woman let out a grunt as she was sent sliding back.
"...Something isn't right," Lightning murmured.
Hades sneered at them. "That's right!" He cackled. "See, that's the thing. In the Underworld, heroes are zeroes. Comes with the territory." Ash took a moment to digest this information.
"How about this then?" He called out, releasing his newest Pokemon. Hydreigon appeared in a wisp of shadow and let out a tremendous roar, startling all combatants. "Hydreigon, use Dark Pulse!"
The enraged dragon unleashed a powerful stream of dark-infused energy straight at the stunned god, sending him flying back and into the wall. Ash's companions could only watch in shock as Hades slowly picked himself, still looking floored. Suddenly, Hades' entire body erupted into angry red flames. The god's eyes were wild as he glared at the trainer menacingly.
'Tread lightly,' Gardevoir's words echoed in his mind once again.
"...Oops." The teen smiled nervously.
"How dare you…" Hades snarled. "How dare you?! You and your mutant freaks barge into my realm, steal my treasures and now you dare harm me in my Underworld? Do you know who I am?!" His entire body became wreathed in flames, his rage evident to all. "I am the God of the Dead!"
"He's pissed!" Lightning hissed as a massive fireball formed in Hades' hands. The enraged god hurled the flaming orb at the teen, only for the red-clad man to block it with his sword. The man grunted as he was nearly sent flying from the sheer power behind the attack.
"You okay?" Ash asked in concern. The man merely sheathed his sword and grabbed him by the arm.
"We can't fight him here," he said urgently, glancing at the god conjuring another fireball. "He's right. This is his Underworld. We need to run… NOW!"
"But we still need to talk to Hades!" Sora argued.
"Something tells me he's not in a negotiating mood anymore," Ash exclaimed as he quickly withdrew Hydreigon, who seemed like he was ready to throw down with the god. "Lightning! Time to go!"
The pink-haired woman grit her teeth in frustration, firing a few parting shots with her gunblade before following the others out of the chamber.
Ash breathed heavily as he watched Sora and Goofy collapse on the floor in exhaustion. Hades and his Heartless had harried them the entire way here. They'd only just managed to escape by fleeing into a side passage. Ash was leaning against the wall with Lightning while Donald was panting beside him. "D-Did we lose him?" the duck gasped.
"For now," the red-clad man grunted. The others looked at him with varying levels of astonishment. The man was hardly winded after all that action and was simply waiting for them to catch their breath.
"You're really good!" Sora exclaimed. "Are you some kind of hero?"
"...No." The man's lip curled in self-loathing. "I'm no hero. I'm just…" He trailed off, his eyes growing distant. He shook his head. "...Auron." Sora merely stared at him in confusion. "...My name."
"Oh!" The brown-haired teen jumped to his feet. "Well, I'm Sora!" Auron opened his mouth to reply when Donald suddenly jumped on Sora's back, making the boy stumble.
"Donald Duck!" He introduced himself proudly, only to quack indignantly when Goofy jumped onto his back.
"Goofy, too!" Just as he finished his introduction, Sora's legs finally gave out and the three amigos found themselves collapsed in a heap. Ash chuckled at the sight while Lightning rolled her eyes.
"I'm Ash," the trainer introduced himself. "And the cheerful lady next to me is Lightning."
"Charmed." Lightning said sarcastically.
Auron surveyed the ragtag group for a moment before an amused smirk crossed his face. "Seems we were fated to meet," he remarked. "Maybe you could use a guardian."
Sora shoved Donald and Goofy off of him and met his gaze. "Guardian?" He asked incredulously. "Thanks, but, I think we're good." The teen reached down and pulled his companions up to their feet and stubbornly began leading the way out of the cavern. Ash just gave Auron a helpless shrug before following the boy; Lightning trailed after him wordlessly.
Auron merely chuckled and followed.
Pete watched as Hades paced in his chamber furiously, murmuring every curse in the Greek language. "Hey, now!" He called out to the god. "I've got my Heartless all over the Underworld now. You can leave those pipsqueaks to me. You just focus on turning Hercules into a Heartless! Then he'll be all mine!"
Hades suddenly erupted into flames again. "This is my Underworld, you idiot!" He snarled manically. "I'll deal with it myself!" Pete was quick to back away from the raging god. Hades strode over to the window and snapped his fingers.
Out of nowhere, a two-story tall, three-headed dog with midnight-colored fur and burning red eyes stood from where it'd been slumbering. The demon locked eyes with his master.
"Cerberus!" The God of the Underworld said authoritatively. "Go!" And with that simple command, the creature disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, following the scent of his master's enemies.
The party eventually found their way back to the entrance hall, only to find the massive doors sealed shut. Sora and Goofy attempted to force the doors open to no avail. "It's closed?!" Donald quacked.
"C'mon… open…!" Sora grunted as he pulled with all his might. Ash frowned at the giant lock upon the door.
"Sora!" He exclaimed, gesturing to the lock. The other teen quickly took the hint and summoned his Keyblade.
"Will that open it?" Auron asked curiously.
"It will," Ash said confidently. "The Keyblade can open any lock in existence."
"Heh, sounds like you guys are in the wrong profession, then," Lightning scoffed.
"We're not thieves," Ash protested.
"We did just steal from Hades' repository." The woman smirked.
"You what!" Donald quacked indignantly. "Ash! You stole something?!"
"W-Well, you see…"
"And you didn't get anything for me?!"
"You're missing the point, Donald!" Goofy exclaimed in exasperation. "Stealing is bad, Ash!"
"I'm sure it was already stolen!" Ash said weakly. Lightning clapped him on the shoulder.
"We'll make a thief of you yet, kid."
"Lightning, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were teasing me." Ash raised an eyebrow at her. The woman scoffed.
"As if."
Ash opened his mouth to press her, only to tense as the cavern began to rumble. The rest of the party tensed as well. Suddenly, a ferocious roar bellowed out from behind them. Ash spun around and was horrified to see an enormous three-headed dog rounding the corner, snarling at them.
"Hurry!" Auron said urgently, dropping into a battle stance. Sora wasted little time in unlocking the entrance with his Keyblade. The minute it was unsealed, Donald and Goofy forced the door open just wide enough for them to slip through with Lightning hot on their heels.
The beast, which Ash's glasses identified as 'Cerberus', snapped at them only to be thwarted by Auron, who swung his blade at it. "Go!" The man snapped. Ash was about to protest when Cerberus suddenly let out a piercing howl. Much to their horror, they heard several piercing howls in return.
"That doesn't sound good…"
"Sora, Ash, let's go!" Donald shouted at them. Ash made to turn and follow just as a flood of dog-like creatures came barreling into the scene, forcing him to do a double take.
"What the—" The trainer yelped as a spout of flames nearly singed his nose off. A barrier suddenly formed behind them, separating them from Donald, Goofy and Lightning; much to their distress.
"Sora!" Goofy cried.
"Ash!" Donald exclaimed. Lightning merely watched on, her furrowed brow being the only indication of her concern.
"What are these things?!" Ash heard Sora exclaim. The trainer ducked beneath another fire attack and glanced at their new adversaries sharply.
"Houndour — The Dark Pokemon, a dark and fire-type. It is smart enough to hunt in packs. It uses a variety of cries for communicating with others. Around dawn, its ominous howl echoes through the area to announce that this is its territory."
"Houndoom — The Dark Pokémon and the evolved form of Houndour. In a pack, the one with its horns raked sharply toward the back serves a leadership role. These Pokémon choose their leader by fighting among themselves. Long ago, people imagined its eerie howls to be the call of the grim reaper."
"They're Pokémon!" Ash cried as the pack began to stand in a ring around the enormous demon dog, barking and howling all the while. "I think they're following Cerberus! They must think he's one of them!"
"What do we do then?!" Sora yelped as the demonic beast nearly bit his head clean off. "We can't just leave them here!" Ash grit his teeth. The odds were really stacked against them. Cerberus by himself was a huge threat, and add in all these dark-types supporting him…
"I know you're tired," Ash whispered. "But I need your help, Gardevoir!" His current strongest Pokémon appeared in a flash of golden light, ready to do battle.
Music: Vim and Vigor ~ /watch?v=6ccMAXJAnPs
"Sora!" Ash called out. "Auron!"
"What's the game plan?" The brown-haired teen shouted, ducking beneath another Flamethrower.
"The Houndour and Houndoom-line respect strength above all else!" Ash responded. "If we can defeat Cerberus, their current leader, they'll have to follow us!"
"A bold plan," Auron remarked.
"Alright, let's go!" Ash cried. "Set up a Light Screen, then focus on Cerberus! The rest of us will keep the rest of the pack off of you." Sora and Auron were quick to leap into the fray, distracting the pack according to Ash's plan.
'Yes, milord,' her voice echoed in his mind before he turned his attention to the Pokémon at hand. Remembering Dexter's information, he sought out the Houndoom with the most elaborate horns.
He found his target quickly, as it was staring straight at him menacingly. He felt a chill run down his back. This one was different; larger. While the others of its kind were around the size of a large wolf, this one was closer in size to a small horse. The Houndoom let out a howl of challenge and fired a Fire Blast at him. The trainer quickly leapt aside, retrieving a Dusk Ball from his belt.
"Hydreigon!" He shouted releasing the Brutal Pokémon once again. "Hydro Pump!" An enormous jet of water burst forth from the dragon's left head; whereas it normally fired Flamethrower from its right head and Dark Pulse from its center head. He vaguely recalled it used Draco Meteor using all three heads. Interesting…
The Houndoom let out a snarl of pain as the super-effective attack struck it head on. The creature glared at them venomously, a dark cloud starting to form over its head as its body began glowing a menacing red.
"It's using Nasty Plot!" Ash realized. "It's gonna go for a strong move next; let's end it quickly before it can! Hydro Pump one more time!"
Hydreigon unleashed another torrent of water just as Houndoom released a massive spout of flames. The two attacks collided in midair, sending a cloud of steam rushing through the cavern.
"What the heck?!" He heard Sora shout. Ash grimaced as visibility was impacted. Suddenly out of the steam, Houndoom came charging at them. With a great leap, the demon dog latched onto Hydreigon, its fangs surging with electricity. The dragon let out a great roar and began frantically shaking its body to free itself.
"Hydreigon, counter with Crunch!" Ash ordered. All three heads latched onto Houndoom's body, forcing the dog to let go as it yelped in pain. "Now toss it into the air!" With a snarl, Hydreigon used its entire body as a lever to hurl the other dark-type high into the air as instructed.
"Now, finish it off!" The trainer cried. "Draco Meteor!" All three heads charged up a massive blueish gold sphere and launched it straight at the helpless Houndoom. Upon making contact, the sphere exploded, sending flaming debris all over the battlefield and sowing chaos among the pack.
Ash's eyes narrowed as Houndoom's body began falling. Before it could hit the ground, he reached back to his ball dispenser and retrieved another Dusk Ball, hurling it at the creature with all his might.
The alpha Houndoom disappeared in a flash of light. The ball performed its customary three shakes before falling silent. Ash quickly picked up the ball, wasting no time with his usual celebratory antics. His eyes sought out Gardevoir, who was unleashing a hail of Aura Spheres against Cerberus, floating just beyond reach each time the demon attempted to devour her whole.
"Gardevoir!" He called out, drawing her attention. Ash pressed his fingers against his Keystone. Gardevoir was enveloped in a brilliant light that caused the demon dogs to shrink back as The Black Bride once again took center stage.
"It's time to finish this!" He roared. "Hyper Voice, full power!"
'With pleasure!' Gardevoir took a deep breath before unleashing a devastating sonic attack upon the great demon. Cerberus howled in agony as the attack hit its mark.
"Sora! Auron!" Ash shouted. "While it's stunned, let's finish it off!"
"Got it!"
"Understood."
As one, the three warriors dashed forward and leapt at the great beast. Sora took the right head while Auron took the left. Ash focused all his strength into this last attack as he slammed both Keyblades into the center head, sending it crashing to the ground just as Sora and Auron landed their own attacks.
Cerberus went down instantly.
The battlefield, which had been a chaotic cacophony of barks, howls and yips, suddenly fell quiet. Ash turned to see all of the Houndooms and Houndours watching them in shock and awe. Ash slowly retrieved the alpha Houndoom's Dusk Ball and released it. The creature looked back at him with grudging respect.
"We've defeated your leader!" Ash declared. "And I've captured your alpha! So that makes me your new leader!" As though to emphasize his words, Gardevoir and Hydreigon both floated down and flanked him on either side. With Cerberus's motionless body behind him, this made for quite an intimidating sight.
Eventually, the alpha Houndoom barked loudly. The others quickly nodded and lowered their heads.
"Good!" Ash said, sagging in relief. "Now, let's get out of here before that thing wakes up again!"
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Sora exclaimed as he quickly turned and began leading the party and pack back towards the door where the others were waiting, the barrier having fallen the moment Cerberus had gone down. Before Ash could turn to follow them, the alpha Houndoom barked at him.
The trainer turned to it curiously to see it gesturing at Cerberus. Ash took a moment to inspect the demon a bit closer and froze. There, dangling from a collar around the center head's neck was a gleaming stone. He'd recognize its gleam anywhere, since there was a similar one dangling from Gardevoir's neck.
It was a Mega Stone. Moving quickly, Ash dashed over to the creature. He could hear Cerberus beginning to stir, a snarl leaving its fanged mouth.
"ASH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He heard Sora hollering from the door.
"Just gimme a sec!" Ash grunted back as he pried the stone from Cerberus' collar. "Got it!" Cerberus' eyes flew open, making him pale. Before the beast could swallow him whole, he shouted, "Gardevoir, get us out of here!"
In a flash, he found himself standing beside Sora.
"Go, now!" Auron barked urgently. The two teens quickly dashed through the threshold. Donald and Goofy began pushing the door shut. They all made it through the entrance just as Cerberus's jaws snapped shut behind them. Once everyone had safely crossed, Sora and Ash helped seal the door shut fully.
"Whew…" Sora muttered, nearly collapsing in exhaustion. Ash noticed someone missing and looked around in alarm.
"Where's Auron?" He demanded. The others also looked around, but the older man was nowhere to be found.
"I definitely saw him cross the threshold," Lightning said, crossing her arms before turning to glare at Ash. "That was beyond reckless. That demon could have killed you in one bite."
"I couldn't just leave those Pokémon in the Underworld with Hades," Ash said resolutely. He turned to all of the assembled Pokémon. "No one deserves to be stuck there." The pack all let out a series of barks and yips.
"What was that thing you pulled off of Cerberus?" Goofy asked curiously. Ash raised the gemstone so everyone could see.
"It's a Mega Stone," he explained as the alpha Houndoom strode up to him. Ash smiled at it. "I'm guessing this is why you guys were following Cerberus around? It's a Houndoominite, isn't it?" The pack began letting out a triumphant howl. Ash shook his head with a smile.
"Well…" Sora sighed. "All's well that ends well, I guess. As for Auron... Well, he's strong. He can look after himself. Let's just go back to the Coliseum and meet up with Meg. Maybe she has an idea about how we can get past this Underworld curse and we can try again."
Ash nodded and recalled Gardevoir and Hydreigon, whispering some words of thanks before following after his companions as they began making their way back to the surface, the pack in tow.
Meanwhile, Meg was in the Coliseum lobby with a red-haired man who was sitting slumped in a chair. "C'mon Wonderboy," Meg said pleadingly. "Play hooky for a day."
The man, known as Hercules or 'Wonderboy' to some, shook his head. "Sorry Meg, but I can't," he said apologetically. "They needed me… They came to see a hero." He stood, though it was clear he was exhausted. He gave her a forced smile. "Besides, what does a hero need a rest for?" Herc tried to flex his arms, but was unable to maintain it for more than a few seconds due to fatigue. His forced smile wavered for a moment before he bid her goodbye and walked to the arena to the sound of a roaring crowd.
Meg sighed. "Sora, Ash…" She whispered. "Don't let me down…"
Hades looked at Pete contemplatively. "So," he began, leaning forward from where he sat upon his throne. "Let me get this straight. Those brats' Keyblades can open any lock?"
"That's right!" Pete nodded. Hades let out a cackle.
"Did I ever tell you about the killer coliseum we have right here in the Underworld?" The god asked, to which Pete shook his head. "It makes the one upstairs look like an Olympic kiddie pool."
Pete slammed his fist upon the meeting table, upon which sat a detailed map of Greece. "Then that's where we end Herc the Jerk's winnin' streak!" he exclaimed eagerly.
"Problem," Hades interrupted before he could get too excited. "Zeus locked it up. Tight." Pete groaned at that until noticed Hades looking at him pointedly. Slowly his eyes widened. "Exactly," Hades agreed, seeing that he'd finally understood what he'd been implying. "Now, all we have to do is swipe that Keyblade and reopen the Underdrome!"
Pete smiled evilly before frowning. "But them Keyblades is kinda particular," he admitted. "It won't work for just anybody. And those kids ain't no pushovers, either; especially with Hercules on their side."
Hades took a moment to think before a smirk formed on his face. "Say, you've seen those strange creatures that have been running around recently, right?"
"They've been all over the place!" Pete exclaimed. "They pop up like weeds! Them brats call 'em Pokey-mons or something."
"Well, they've been extraordinarily useful— and powerful," Hades chuckled, leaning back in his throne. "And it just so happens, an extra powerful one appeared here not too long ago. Right now I've got it locked up here in the Underworld, but I'm betting it'll prove a challenge even for Wonderboy." Hades stood and strode over to the map of Greece. Sitting atop the table was a small figurine that greatly resembled Hercules standing atop the coliseum. Hades waved his hand and a new figurine appeared within his grasp. It was a draconic, alien creature. Its body was vaguely dragon-shaped and had a skeletal appearance and was largely dark violet with red highlights. The god placed it upon the map, right in front of the Hercules figure.
"And what about them brats' Keyblades?" Pete questioned.
"With Hercules distracted by my little beasty here, those brats will be easy to lure back into the Underworld…" Hades snapped his fingers and a lifelike statue of Megara appeared in his hand. "With a bit of a woman's touch, that is."
GET
Hydreigon
Ability: Levitate
Registered: Draco Meteor, Dark Pulse, Flamethrower, Flash Cannon
Known: Crunch, Hydro Pump, Hyper Beam,
Alpha Houndoom
Ability: Flash Fire
Registered: Fire Blast, Dark Pulse, Thunder Fang, Nasty Plot
Known: Fire Fang
A/N: These chapters are starting to all get a bit long with the added content and the transition from the Underworld to Olympus seemed like a good place to split it in half. This is literally the halfway point in the original and we're already at 9.8k words.
Anyway, hope y'all are enjoying the ride!
King of Plot Bunnies