After a lot of running after Mothim, the gang discovered it was all for nothing. It turns out that what Mothim smelled, wasn't the Enchanted Honey, instead it was the same honey which Cheryl has spread on the tree in order to draw out Burmy.
The gang has moved away from that place earlier before they started to have battles against Cheryl, and her Burmy. All the running they did, only brought them back where they first met.
"Well, that was a wasteful run." Ash sighed.
"It sure was." Dawn agreed.
"It's getting late, so why don't we just pick up on this tomorrow." Lillie suggested.
That night, three young girls, Ash, and an older girl, all had a peaceful sleep in their sleeping bags, next to a camp fire.
XXX
The next morning, when everyone was ready to continue the quest for the Enchanted Honey, Mothim flew in front of them, while the gang run behind. It was almost the same as yesterday, though the results were a bit… different.
"You know," Ash said as he, Dawn, Lillie, and Amber stood on the ground, looking up at Cheryl, who ended up tangled in some wines, and now can't get back down. "If that skirt of hers was shorter, this would have been a lot more fun. This way, it's just ridiculous."
Dawn, and Lillie gave Ash the stink-eye, while Athena looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Maybe one of us should have been caught in those vines," Lillie said, drawing the attention of the other three. "I'm sure you would have liked that. Wouldn't you, Ash?"
"I most definitely would," Ash said. "Though I've already seen you in sexy poses," Ash added, making Lillie turn scarlet in the face, and making even Dawn and Athena, blush a little, "I would have loved to see Dawn, and Athena now."
And that made both girls faces explode in embarrassment.
Lillie just looked at Ash for a few moments, before she sighed. She didn't say anything, though.
"Ahm, excuse me," Cheryl spoke, drawing the attention back at herself. She was red-faced from embarrassment. "Can you help me get down… please?"
Ash sighed, before he approached below where Cheryl was entangled in vines, and then released his Turtwig. "Turtwig, use Razor Leaf to cut those vines."
Turtwig did just that, and once all the vines were caught, Cheryl fell down. Luckily for her, Ash caught her, and held her bridal-style, as if she weighted nothing.
"You should be more careful next time," Ash said to Cheryl, as his face was right in front of her. "Otherwise, next time, you might not be lucky to have someone to save you."
Cheryl spluttered, and stuttered at the way Ash was holding her, and with his face so close to her own, she could feel her own face heating up in embarrassment. She even felt slight arousal. Not that she will tell that to anyone.
Unfortunately, when Cheryl fell, along with her fell a bunch of Kakuna. To make matters worse, they all ended up evolving into Beedrill, and then started to attack the gang.
They all started to run away from Beedrill, even Ash who was still holding Cheryl, and was now running with her in his arms. He could have chased those Beedrill away, but this was more fun, and it's not like he will allow anyone to get hurt. If things get out of hand, he will deal with them.
Eventually, the gang was able to outrun Beedrill, only to run directly in front of Gloom, who was scared earlier by Mothim, and now freaked out when the gang suddenly came in front of it, and almost toppled it over.
"What Pokémon is that?" Dawn asked.
A woman suddenly came out of nowhere, and right in between the gang, and the Gloom. She had orange and black hair, a midriff long sleeve top, over which she wears a green cloth. She wears orange Bermuda shorts with a buckle belt, and finally, green boots.
"It's a Gloom," she said. "The Weed Pokémon. It gives off a powerful aroma that can cause those who smell it to faint from two miles away."
"Wow, that must be a strong smell." Dawn commented.
"What is she? A Pokedex." Athena wondered when she heard the same words as the one Pokedex would say about Gloom's entry.
As if he didn't scare Gloom enough earlier, Mothim flew from behind the bushes, and scared Gloom once again, which caused the Grass Type to jump away, but not before releasing a stench so foul, that everyone, even Ash had to shield their noses. It was so bad, that few of them even had tears leaking from their eyes.
Eventfully, the terrible smell disappeared into the air, allowing everyone to breathe freely again. "God, damn it," Ash swore. "I forgot how terrible that thing smells. I said this once, and I'll say it again. That thing should be illegal."
"Ohh, I really wanted to catch it," the orange-haired girl said. "It's too late now."
Then, she saw Ash's Turtwig, and run at it. She grabbed it in her hands, and rubbed her face over his. "Ohhh, you are a cutie too!"
She placed Turtwig back to the ground, and looked at Ash. "Is this your Turtwig?" She asked him.
"It is." Ash confirmed.
"What a great Pokémon." She praised Turtwig.
"He sure is," Ash said. "Thanks, though.
"Anyway. I'm Ash. These are Lillie, Dawn, Athena, and Cheryl." Ash introduced himself, and the girls. "And, you are…?"
"My name is Gardenia," she introduced herself. "I thought about getting myself a Grass Pokémon. That's why I'm here."
"Your name is Gardenia, and you like Grass Types." Ash mussed, and Gardenia nodded, as she heard him.
"That's right." She said.
Ash went quiet, thinking of something, so he didn't say anything after that. Gardenia did speak, though.
"Hey Ash. How about you and I have a battle?" Gardenia asked. "Sounds good to you?"
"Why?" Ash asked.
"I want to battle against your Turtwig," Gardenia said. "I have one, and I want to see how your fares against mine."
Ash didn't say anything immediately, and though about it.
"Hey Ash," Dawn spoke, drawing Ash's attention. The others also looked at her. "We are right in the middle of our search."
"It's all right," Cheryl said. "I think it would be fun. You go right ahead, and have yourselves a nice time."
"I'm not sure we should have a battle right now." Ash said, making everyone shocked. None more than Lillie, as she knew Ash better than anyone there.
"What's going on, Ash," Lillie asked. "You've never refused a Pokémon battle against anyone. Even if a Regional Champion challenges you, you would battle, even if you knew that you would lose."
Ash looked at Lillie, and then back at Gardenia, who gave him a confused look. "I have my reason." That's all Ash said.
No one there was satisfied with the answer, but they let it go. They knew that Ash won't change his mind. At least Dawn, and Lillie knew. Athena, and Cheryl didn't know, but they let it go anyway.
Gardenia was disappointed, but before she could say anything, Ash whispered to her, so only she can hear him. "I know you are the Eterna City Gym leader," she said, making Gardenia's eyes widen slightly. "It's better for both of us to not have this battle right now."
Gardenia said nothing, and only nodded. She was sure now that Ash refused the battle, so he won't reveal anything about himself. It also works for her, as she won't have to reveal anything about herself, and her battle style.
XXX
Eventually, the gang ended up setting up another camp, and stayed in the forest for another night. Gardenia has also joined them, and all of them were now seating around the camp fire, as the night has already come.
"So you are searching for the Enchanted Honey?" Gardenia asked.
"They say that the honey is located in the Amber Castle, which is somewhere in this forest." Cheryl said.
"I remember I heard something about that." Gardenia said.
"Then it's true." Cheryl said with a smile.
"Why are you looking for the honey?" Gardenia asked.
"My grandfather was a great treasure hunter, many long years ago," Cheryl said. "But after all of his success; after all the wonderful treasures he was able to find and add to his collection, the only one he failed to find was the Enchanted Honey. So, I swore I will find it. As such, I'm on a mission."
"I'd love to help you," Gardenia said. "If we all work together, we'll find it for sure. Now first off, you know that the Enchanted Honey is made out of the nectar that the Combee gather. Right?"
"Right." Cheryl confirmed.
"I come here to the Eterna Forest a lot, trying to capture Grass Type Pokémon," Gardenia said. "There is a place where Pomeg Plants grow, and there is also a huge Combee wall right there."
"What do you mean, Combee Wall?" Cheryl asked, as she has never heard of it.
"A Combee Wall is where the Combee gather all of their nectar," Gardenia said. "But I've never seen one as big as this one before. I'm sure it's worth us going and having a look. And maybe there we can find a few clues."
"I guess that does make sense," Ash spoke. "The Enchanted Honey might be near that Combee Wall."
"Well then, we can go first thing in the morning." Lillie said.
"I can't wait to see all those Pomeg Flowers in full bloom." Cheryl said, all happy with the opportunity to see something interesting.
"I know the Eterna Forest like the back of my hand, so I'll take you there." Gardenia said.
"I don't want to be a bother." Cheryl said.
"Hey, come on," Gardenia smiled. "It's no big deal. I like to help if I can."
Cheryl smiled. "Thanks."
"Your welcome." Gardenia smiled.
"Hey, Gardenia," Athena called, drawing Gardenia's eyes upon herself. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find the Moss Rock. Do you?"
"I do actually," Gardenia said. "I take it you want one?"
"I do," Athena said. "I have an Eevee, which I want to evolve into Leafeon."
"Really," Gardenia said in excitement. "I love Leafeon. I have one as well, and she's amazing."
"It's my favorite of all Eeveelutions, and I want to have one," Athena said. "Thus, I need the Moss Rock, which is why I'm here to find one."
"You can find the Moss Rock in the southwestern section of the Eterna Forest, to the west of a formation of trees that resembles a sideways L," Gardenia said. "It's actually not that far from here, though you will have to go a little back, as you've passed it on the way to here."
"Damn," Athena cussed. "If I knew, I wouldn't have to waste time to go back."
"It's not far, so you won't waste much time." Gardenia said.
Athena nodded. "Well, I guess I'll go back, and find it after we find the Enchanted Honey."
"Aren't you all going to go back?" Gardenia asked. She was curious about the way Athena worded it by saying that she will go back, and not Ash, Lillie and Dawn, as she assumed that they are all traveling together.
"Actually, we haven't been traveling together for long," Athena said. "We only met near Valley Windworks, and decided to travel together for a while, as we were going in the same direction. We were going to split ways here in the forest, as I will go to find the Moss Rock, and the others will go to the Eterna City."
"I see," Gardenia said. "I guess I assumed that you are traveling together. No matter, though. In the morning we will go after the Enchanted Honey, and after you can decide on what to do."
Everyone nodded at that.
XXX
The next morning, the gang, and Cheryl, led by Gardenia spent a while walking through the forest.
Eventually, Cheryl's Mothim started to fly faster toward something, and the others started to run after him. Soon enough, they found themselves in front of a field filed with interesting-looking flowers.
"Mothim found the Pomeg Flowers." Dawn commented.
"I guess that means that the honey must be near here." Athena said.
Before anything else could be said, a Nuzleaf appeared in front of the gang, and kneeled on one knee.
"Whose Nuzleaf is that?" Ash asked.
"It's all right," Gardenia said, as she walked toward Nuzleaf. "It's a messenger Nuzleaf."
"What does that even mean?" Dawn asked. She never heard of something like that.
Nuzleaf handed Gardenia a rolled-up parchment, and she took it right away. She red it immediately, before she turned back and looked at the gang.
"Sorry," She spoke. "But there's been an emergency, and I have to leave right now."
Cheryl approached to Gardenia, and hugged her, much to the orange-haired woman's surprise. The others – except Ash - were also surprised by this.
Cheryl let go of Gardenia after few moments, and looked her in the eyes. "All right," she said. "Good luck. And thank you for all your help in finding this place. It would have taken us a lot longer to find it without you." Then, she kissed Gardenia right next to her lips.
Gardenia stood there shocked out of her mind at what just happened, while Cheryl moved back, and stood again with the gang.
Dawn, Lillie, and Athena were shocked by what Cheryl did, as that hug, and kiss was a lot more then what was necessary to do to thank someone for the help. The three of them suddenly started to wonder if Cheryl might be interested in woman.
Ash wasn't surprised, as he already knew what Cheryl's interests were. He knew this from a scan on her mind he did when he held her in his arms yesterday.
It took several minutes, but Gardenia's brain rebooted, and she smiled. "Good luck with your search in finding the Enchanted Honey, wherever it is." She said.
"Thanks'." Cheryl said.
"See ya." Gardenia said, as she turned around, and run away along with Nuzleaf.
"Wow, she showed up just like a freight train," Lillie commented as she saw Gardenia run into the forest. "Left like one, too."
"She sure is wild." Dawn said.
"Just think," Cheryl spoke. "We might just be a few steps away from the Enchanted Honey."
Mothim started to cry-out to draw the others attention, so they looked at him. "Look how exciting Mothim's getting," Cheryl said. "We must be really close."
Suddenly, a single Combee appeared from the Pomeg Flower, allowing the group to see him. (It's a male one as there is no red mark at the top of the lower head).
"Look, a Combee." Lillie yelled out as soon as she saw it.
Combee flew away, as Dawn spoke. "The Enchanted Honey has got to be close by, so let's go."
"Yeah, let's hurry, and follow that Combee," Athena suggested. "It might lead us right to the Amber Castle."
Let's go." Ash said, as everyone run after the Combee, and Mothim, who flew in front of them.
XXX
After some time, the gang was able to find a place where there was a large number of Combee walls. It was a place where there are high cliffs, and waterfalls, which form a river. There is some greenery around the place as well, which makes the place even more beautiful.
"Wow," Dawn said as she looked around the place with sparkling eyes.
"There are Combee Wall's, everywhere." Athena commented, as she was also looking around with a curious look on her face. "I can't even count all of them."
"We are almost there," Lillie said. "I can feel it. We are definitely close."
"It seems that way," Ash said. He was also looking around the beautiful place, and wondered if there is a chance to make something like this in the PPA. The possibility is there, though it will take a lot of time, and work to make something like this as there are no holes, trenches, or canyons like this one anywhere around the Pallet Town, so a lot of digging would have to be done. Not to mention that the Pallet River would have to be re-routed though several channels to form waterfalls, and then connect it back to the main river.
Ash decided he will think about that at another date. Now though, he has other stuff to keep him interested. "Where do we go from here, through." He asked.
Mothim suddenly flew away toward one of the waterfalls, and floated next to it. He called the others to draw them to follow him, and they all immediately realized what this means.
Cheryl jumped up and down in excitement, as she found out that there is something, most likely an Amber Castle, behind the waterfall.
The gang went, and passed through the small gap in between the waterfall, and the cliff. Right away, they found themselves inside of a really large cave with many caverns and paths. There were also a lot of pillars around the place, which seems to be supporting the whole place, though the pillars seem to either be natural, or made by Pokémon. It's definitely not something made by humans.
"It seems that Mothim can smell it from here." Lillie said as she watched Mothim fly around the cave, calling others to follow him.
"Mothim, can you smell the Enchanted Honey?" Cheryl asked her Pokémon. The Bug Type nodded with an eye-smile.
"Then that means that this is the place," Cheryl said with a bright smile. "This cave is definitely where the Amber Castle is."
"Let's follow Mothim until we find it," Ash suggested. "We don't want to get lost in here, or we'll have a hard time finding the exit because of all these paths, and caverns."
The others nodded, and started to walk down the cave, following after Mothim, who flew some distance in front of them.
Eventually, they found a part of the cave which seems to have a lot of light, which is interesting, as so far the cave was very dark, and it was barely visible enough to walk through it.
Mothim was floating several meters in front of the group, clearly visible from the light which is coming from a hole in the path behind Mothim.
"Could this be the Amber Castle?" Dawn wondered, as she and the others run toward the hole.
They were shocked to see that it wasn't the Amber Castle as they though, and hoped. Instead, it was a giant hole, with crystals stuck on the walls, and giving off the light which they all saw. There were also a whole slew of small openings in the wall, which seem to be more pathways into different parts of the whole cave system.
"This is going to be a long walk down." Lillie said as she saw the hole. She also saw that there was a spiral path which leads down the hole, so they could all walk down and continue the search for the Amber Castle.
XXX
After a long walk down, the gang arrived in front of one of the many small caves. This one is different than other similar ones because Mothim was floating in front of it, and waiting for the others to arrive.
"Looks like Mothim found the right entrance." Athena commented.
"We'll see about that," Ash said. "We should follow it, and see. Be careful, though. We don't know how Combee are going to react when we appear there. They might become hostile toward us if they see us as enemies."
The others nodded, as they knew that Ash was right. They walked through the cave, and entered into another large cavern, with even more different paths then the cavern's they've passed through before.
"I hope we don't get lost in here." Cheryl said.
"I can't see anything in this place." Dawn added.
"This place is a maze unlike any I've ever seen." Lillie herself said something.
"Where did Mothim go," Ash asked? "We can't follow him if we can't see him."
"Can you find something, Ash," Lillie asked? "With your powers, I mean."
"Powers?" Cheryl asked, as she wondered what powers Ash has.
"Don't worry about it," Ash said to Cheryl, as he didn't feel like explaining for like 1000th time since he started his journey. "But Lillie is right. I can try and find Mothim, and maybe even the Amber Castle."
Ash stood still for a few moments, his eyes closed as he was focusing on finding anything inside of this monstrous cave system.
Soon, he felt Mothim not too far from where they are, so he opened his eyes. "I sensed Mothim not far from here," he said. "Let's go there. I can tell that he is still going forward so he must have smelled the Enchanted Honey."
"Let's go," Lillie said, as all the girls followed after Ash, as he was the only one who knows where Mothim is.
"Are you an Aura User, Ash," Cheryl suddenly asked in the middle of the walk, making Ash stop. The other girls also stopped, and looked at Cheryl.
"You know about Aura Users?" Ash questioned.
"I do," Cheryl said with a smile. "I had a… friend, who is an Aura User. I assumed that's what you are, as she also used Aura to search for things."
Ash nodded. "You are right, I am an Aura User," she confirmed. "I'm an Aura Guardian, so I'm pretty good at using Aura to sense for the presence of the living beings."
"My friend could do that as well, but she had a limit, which wasn't very big," Cheryl said. "I don't think that she would be able to find Amber Castle if she was, for example, standing up there at the entrance of the cave."
"I didn't think about finding it that way," Ash admitted. "Though I think I could do it."
Cheryl nodded.
"What happened with your friend," Dawn asked?
"We used to travel around together," Cheryl said. "We were both treasure hunters, and we went all over the place together, but we split-up some time ago because we had some… disagreement."
"Really?" Lillie question. "Is it too much to ask. What disagreement?"
Cheryl smiled. "We disagreed on what to do with treasures we find," she said. "I was happy with just finding it. With knowing that it's there. I would take a picture, or a video of the treasure, maybe something small to remember it by, but that's about it. My friend… she wanted to make money out of the treasures we find. If we find actual treasure, I mean gold, or something like that, then I was fine with keeping some of it. She wanted everything. As for the other treasures, like the Amber Castle, and the Enchanted Honey, for example… she would want to make money out of it, in any way she could.
"We had a disagreement with that, and we split ways."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Dawn said.
"It's fine," Cheryl said. "It might be boring to be a treasure hunter all by myself, but I'm satisfied with how things are. I wouldn't be able to do things the way she did. I wouldn't be able to just take stuff which don't belong to me."
"What's her name?" Ash asked.
"Why do you want to know?" Cheryl asked back.
"Well, there aren't that many Aura Users in this part of the world, so majority of us know each other personally, or know OF each other," Ash said. "If she's an Aura User, I have most likely heard about her, though I don't recall that any of the Aura Users I know, or have heard about, are treasure hunters."
"Her name is India Jones," Cheryl said. "And treasure hunting is something she does as a part-time job. She's actually an archeology teacher at the Nimbasa University."
Ash nodded. "I heard of her," she said. "I never met her, but I did hear that she's about an average Aura User, but is really smart, and a great archeologist. She's actually from Unova. She lives and works there most of the time."
"That's right," Cheryl said. "Not many know that she's a treasure hunter, and not just professor, and archeologist. She did a good job to hide that part of herself, in order to be able to get her hands on treasures she wants, without having to hand them over to museums, or other interested parties, like Regional Governments."
"Wait," Lillie spoke. "If India is from Unova, then does that mean that you are as well?"
"I am," Cheryl said with a smile. "We are both from Nimbasa City, and used to live in the same neighborhood. That's how we know each other."
"Are the two of you the same age," Dawn asked? "You don't look older than 20. If she's the same age, I don't see how she can already be a professor at the university."
"She's actually 30 years old," Cheryl said. "She' 11 years older than me, but we knew each other since I was a young girl, and I started traveling with her after my grandfather passed away few years ago. We split our paths about half-a-year ago."
"Do you know where she is right now?" Athena asked. She was interested in this woman as she might be a nice addition to the Shadow Legion, if she's convinced to join.
"I don't," Cheryl responded. "I haven't seen, or heard of her since we had an argument six months ago."
"What was the argument about, if it's not too much to ask?" Dawn asked.
"All I want is to find the Amber Castle, and maybe get a little bit of the Enchanted Honey," Cheryl said. "I'm satisfied with that, especially since it would mean that I accomplished my grandfather's dream, and did something he never could.
"India though… she wanted to find the castle, and then gather large portions of the Enchanted Honey, in order to sell it for profit. I couldn't support her in that, and we had an argument, which ended with us going different ways."
"It's a shame that different opinions, and desires can end friendship just like that." Dawn said, feeling sorry for the friendship Cheryl had with India, which ended out of the blue.
Ash smiled. "That's usually the reason why friendships end, and fights start," he said. "Different desires, and opinions between people, end everything. That's how it's always been, and how it always will be."
Dawn didn't seem to want to agree with Ash, but deep down, she knew that he was right.
As for the other girls, they knew that Ash was right, and that all humans have different desires, and opinions, and that's the main reason for all the problems in the world.
The conversation about Cheryl's friend ended there, and from there on, the group continued to go through the cave in silence.
Five minutes later, the gang found Mothim. Unfortunately, he still hasn't found the Enchanted Honey, judging by the fact that he's just floating there, though he seems excited for some reason.
"Mothim looks all excited," Lillie said. "Do you think he found something?"
"It doesn't look that way," Dawn said. "I don't see anything."
They all walked pass the Mothim, with Cheryl going at the front. So far, she was at the back of the group, but she was too excited at the thought of finding the Amber Castle after such a long time of searching, that she went at the front.
Ash was walking almost right next to Cheryl, and was paying close attention at his surrounding, unlike Cheryl who is too excited. Suddenly, Ash's right hand shot to the side toward Cheryl, and stopped her in her tracks. The way he stopped her though… made Cheryl's face explode in embarrassments.
"Ahm, Ash," Cheryl called, while trying to look anywhere but at Ash, or where his hand is.
"You should watch where you are going, Cheryl," Ash said, without moving his hand. He was focused on what's in front of him, that he didn't even notice where his hand is. The other girls did notice though, and were giving Ash a stink eye. "You almost walked into a wall. It would be a shame if you broke your nose on it."
Cheryl finally noticed a wall in front of herself, and sighed in relief. Still, Ash's hand was at the inappropriate place, and he doesn't seem to be interested in moving it away… then again, she doesn't seem to mind it too much. She won't say that out loud, though.
"Can you maybe… uhm, move your hand?" Cheryl asked Ash.
He looked away from the wall, and toward Cheryl, and then his left hand, which was currently holding Cheryl's right breast. He stood like that for a few moment, not moving his hands. Then he looked at Cheryl, and asked her. "Do you want me to?" As he asked this, he gave a little squeeze, making Cheryl let out an unintentional moan. She turned scarlet when she realized what happened, and remembered that there are other people with her, and not just Ash.
"Ash is a real womanizer, isn't he?" Athena whisper-asked Dawn, and Lillie, as she was watching what Ash was doing to Cheryl. To make matters even stranger, the older girl doesn't seem all that bothered.
"You have no idea." Lillie sighed. She then looked at Ash, and decided to say something, seeing that Cheryl doesn't seem to be willing to tell Ash to move his hand from her breast. "Ash, we are here to find the Amber Castle. Not for you to molest woman."
Ash turned his head, and looked at Lillie. His hand was still on Cheryl's breast, while his face had a curious look. "Can't we do both?"
"NO!" Lillie, and surprisingly Dawn, shouted at the same time. Athena was quiet, while Cheryl tried to hide her blushing face from everyone.
"Ok, ok," Ash said with a sigh, and one last squeeze of Cheryl's breast, which made her moan. He finally moved his hand, and looked back at the wall in front of him. "I think we found what we were looking for."
Everyone looked at the wall, and at Ash.
"What do you mean," Lillie asked? "That's just a wall. It's another dead-end."
"Not exactly." Ash said, before he touched the wall. It felt soft, and squishy.
Then, the wall moved, much to the shock of the present girls. It allowed all of them to see that the wall, isn't just a simply cave wall. It was a Combee Wall. The largest they've seen so far.
The group backed away from the Combee Wall when they saw the angry looks on the Combee's faces. To make matters worse, Combee started to fire Psybeams all over the place, and made Ash and the girls have to dodge them.
"Mothim, use Supersonic!" Cheryl said to her Pokémon. Mothim went and fired his attack at several places on the Combee Wall, which confused all the Combee, and made the wall fall apart, revealing an amazing sight.
The sight was of a large chamber, with an enormous yellow castle in the middle. The castle seems to be made out of honey, and is attached to the side walls with webs of honey. There was a single path from the entrance to the castle, while the castle seems to be almost floating. There were many Combee Walls, flying around the place, and rivers of honey were flowing from many small caves, and falling in the middle of the chamber.
In truth, the place isn't made out of honey. Instead, it's a cave completely covered in honey to the point that it looks-like it's entirely made out of the Enchanted Honey.
"Unbelievable," Dawn said as she looked at the place. "It's the Amber Castle."
"Wow, it's better then I imagined." Cheryl said with a smile on her face.
"Words can't describe this place," Lillie commented as she was looking wide-eyed at the amazing sight.
The same is with Athena. She is amazed by this place. More so, then any other place she has even been at, and she has seen a lot of beautiful places during her travels.
They all looked toward the middle part of the castle, where there was a shadow of a Pokémon visible. Upon a closer look, Cheryl recognized the Pokémon.
"That's a Vespiquen." Cheryl said.
Dawn pulled out her Pokedex, and looked at Vespiquen's entrance. "Vespiquen, the Beehive Pokémon. Its body is a hive and it raises its offspring with the honey gathered by Combee."
Vespiquen was currently glaring at the group, with its eyes glowing red. She seems to be very angry at the moment.
Cheryl walked forward, leaving the group behind. They all looked at her in curiosity, wondering what she's about to do.
She was walking slowly, a smile on her face. She wasn't bothered by a large number of angry Combee, which surrounded her on all sides.
Cheryl looked at the group for a moment, smiling at them to assure them that it's all right, and that she will be fine. Then, she looked back at Vespiquen, placed her hands together in front of her chest, and spoke.
"Vespiquen, forgive us for bursting in here, and startling all the Combee," Cheryl spoke. "My grandfather dedicated his entire life trying to find weather you, and your honey really existed. You must believe me. He and I would never think of taking your precious honey from you.
"That wasn't how he was, and neither how I am. Treasure hunters are a strange lot, unusual indeed. Not like any other people I've ever met. All they want, is to find great things to share with the world."
Cheryl went through her bag, and pulled out a sealed jar, which she held in her hands in front of herself, so Vespiquen can see it. "If you'd just let me have a little bit of your honey," she spoke again. "Grandfather's dream would finally come true." She walked a little bit more forward, and raised her hands while holding the jar in front of herself. "Grandfather always used to tell me; even if you can just get a little piece of your dream, it will still bring you great happiness.
"Won't you please? Just a little bit."
The Combee approached closer to Cheryl, but she didn't react in anyway. She just stood there, holding the jar for the Vespiquen to see it.
Ash, Dawn, Lillie, and Athena stayed at the back, watching what's going on, and waiting to see what will happened. All of them were slightly on edge, though the girls more than Ash.
Cheryl stood there calmly, looking at Vespiquen, who was looking back at the green-haired treasure hunter. No one said anything for a little while, and just waited to see the result of Cheryl's plight.
Before anything could be said, there was an explosion which came from above the Amber Castle. From inside of the cloud of smoke, came several people, as they all landed on their feet.
All of them were man, of various ages, sizes, and looks. At the end though, another person jumped in, and stood in front of the man.
It was an extremely beautiful female, looking like she's in her mid to late 20ties. She has straight, shoulder length brown hair. A very piercing neon green eyes, and red lipstick on her full lips. She also has a small nose, which completes her perfect looking face.
She wears forest green, short-cut shorts, held by a brown buckle belt. Has a shin-high brown boots, as well as brown jacket, which is left unzipped, showing a white bra, which is revealing her rather sizable breasts, along with her nipples pocking through a thin bra. Finally, at the top of her head she wears a light brown fedora hat.
The woman stood in front of five man. She was looking at Ash, and the girls, while wearing a large smile on her face. "Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Cheryl." The woman said. Her voice was very soft, and with a touch of sexiness to it.
"Do you know her?" Ash asked Cheryl, while not taking his eyes off of the woman. He has to admit that she's extremely beautiful, and sexy. He is very attracted to her, though he senses that she's not just another woman. She's dangerous.
"Y-Yes, I know her," Cheryl said as she looked at the woman in front of her with wide eyes. "I just told you all about her few minutes ago."
Ash, and the girls knew immediately who this woman is. It's none other than India Jones. The treasure hunter, and Cheryl's former partner. Not only that, but she's an Aura User.
"Did you miss me that much that you ended up talking to your new friends about me?" India asked Cheryl, while wearing a teasing smile.
"I didn't miss you," Cheryl said forcefully. "And how did you find this place?"
India's smile only grew. "I've been keeping an eye on you since we split ways," she said, making Cheryl's eyes grow wide. "You didn't think that I would just let you leave, without keeping an eye on you. Not only because I do still care about you, but also because I knew that there is a chance that you'd find the Amber Castle before me, and I wanted to be there when that happened."
"You've been following me for six months?" Cheryl asked incredulously.
"Of course." India confirmed. "It was a good decision in the end. You did find this place, and as such, I found it as well. Now I can get what I wanted for a very long time."
India looked at the Vespiquen, who was looking at the gathered group of humans with glowing red eyes. The countless number of Combee have everyone surrounded, and they also seem very angry, much more than earlier, judging by the increased glow in their eyes.
Ash walked in front of Cheryl, and looked at the woman. She looked back at him, still wearing a smile on her face, though she did raise her right eyebrow as she saw Ash approach her. The man behind India stood on guard, each having a Poke Ball in their hands. They are ready to react as soon as India tells them to, or in case she was attacked, they will react on their own, without waiting for the order.
"Cheryl told us about you," Ash started to speak to India. "So we know who you are, and what you are after. That being said. What makes you think that you will be able to get your hands on all this Enchanted Honey? Do you really think that we would let you take it, or that Vespiquen, and Combee would let you have your way?"
India's smile widened. "I'm not afraid of the Vespiquen, or her minions," she said. "You might be problematic, but I can handle myself in Pokémon Battle, and I have some other skills as well. These guys are not slouches either. So if you think that you can easily stop me… you'll find it that you are very wrong."
"The same goes for you," Ash said, with his own smile on his face. "We know about you. You don't know anything about us. Do you?"
India looked at Ash, and the girls behind him, and said. "I admit, I don't know anything about your friends… but I do know a lot about you… Ash Ketchum."
Ash rose his eyebrows in surprise. It would seem that this woman knows who he is, and if that's the case, she knows how good of a Pokémon Trainer he is. She also might know about his skills. If she knows all that, and is still willing to challenge him… that means that she's either overconfident, which translates to stupid, – which Ash doubts – or she's quite skillful as a Pokémon Trainer, and with her Aura Powers.
"So you know who I am," Ash said, and India nodded. "And you still want to go against me?" He questioned.
"I'm confident in my skills." She said.
"You're overconfident, and that is a mistake," Ash said, making his eyes glow red for a moment. India backed away in surprise when she saw this. "You have no idea who you are dealing with."
India steeled her resolve, and narrowed her eyes at Ash. "I'll deal with Ash Ketchum," she said to her man. "You deal with the others."
"Yes, ma'am!" All five man shouted at the same time, and moved from behind India, and went toward Ash's friends.
All girls narrowed their eyes at this, and got ready for the battle. They all spread in different parts of the Amber Castle, and each took a Poke Ball in their hands. All except Cheryl whose Mothim was already released, so she will battle using him.
Ash and India stood where they were, with India taking one of her Poke Balls, which she had attached to her belt.
Ash watched as she released her Pokémon for the battle against him. He expected a powerful Pokémon, as he doubted that she will go with anything except her most powerful Pokémon, knowing who he is, as well as his skills.
"Come out, Serperior!" India shouted, as she released her Pokémon.
Ash saw the Pokémon, and rose his eyebrows. "A final form of a Grass starter from Unova Region," Ash said. "I admit, it's a nice Pokémon, and a good choice. Serperior's are tough to handle due to their speed."
"I'm glad to know what you are up against," India said. "I wasn't bluffing when I said I can take you on."
"We'll see about that?" Ash said, as he went and released his Pokémon. He hoped this one will be able to take on India's Serperior, as it looks to be a strong one. "You are up, Hakamo-O!" Ash said, as his Pokémon materialized from its Poke Ball. It was a Dragon Pokémon from the Alola Region."
India rose her eyebrows as she saw Ash's choice. "Is that the best you've got," she asked? "Your Hakamo-O can't take on my Serperior. It will at least take its evolved form to be able to fight against my Pokémon."
"Hakamo-O hasn't had a battle in a long time, so I want to try him out," Ash said. "This seems like a nice chance."
India scoffed. "You've made a mistake, Ash," she said. "I'll show you that right now."
"Serperior, start this off with Leer, and then use Tackle!" India started the battle.
"Use Protect." Ash countered when his Pokémon defense dropped due to Leer.
And so, the battle was on.
XXX
Just like Ash started his battle against India, Ash's friends started their own battles against India's grunts, or whatever you want to call them.
Dawn chose her Pineco to battle with, while her opponent chose a Swoobat.
Dawn chose Pineco as it hasn't had a lot of battles outside of training, so it really needs some to become stronger and evolve. She realized that she was in trouble though, when her opponent chose a part Flying Type Pokémon. She didn't know that at first, but her opponent, a guy in his twenties with black hair and brown eyes, told her about his Pokémon.
The battle started with Swoobat using Air Cutter against Pineco.
Now, Pineco's speed is abysmal, and its weakest trait, so with Ash's help, Dawn taught her Pokémon to use Protect. That's exactly how Pineco saved itself from Swoobat's attack, which would have dealt it a lot of damage, though it wouldn't take it out of the battle, as unlike its speed, Pineco's strongest trait is its defense.
Dawn's opponent told his Pokémon to use Future Sight, followed by Gust.
Before Future Sight comes, Gust did take effect immediately, as it sent Pineco flying far from where it was before.
Pineco returned to battle, and tried to use Tackle, but Swoobat dodged, and then used Psychic to hold Pineco in place, before it sent Air Slash, which hit Pineco, and dealt it a lot of damage.
Dawn knew right then and there that she won't be able to win this in a head on battle. Not only that her opponent has a type advantage, but it seems well-trained. Much better then Dawn's Pineco. Not to mention that it definitely has more battle experience then Pineco.
Still, there is always more than one way to skin a cat, and defeating opponent in a Pokémon battle, doesn't always have to be through skill, or power. Sometimes you can defeat your opponent in a way they don't expect.
At that moment, a rift in the air opened, and a blue beam of energy shot from inside if, and went toward Pineco. There was no time, or a way for a Pokémon as slow as Pineco to dodge that attack, but it was able to pull-up Iron Defense, and another Protect just in time.
The blue energy hit the barrier in front of Pineco, and created a large explosion which broke the ground, and caused a lot of the Enchanted Honey to start falling in the crater.
Once the dust cleared, Pineco was shown still conscious, but barely. It had bruises all over, and it was clear that while Protect and Iron Defense have saved it, it was just barely.
Dawn's opponent start taunting her, saying she was a bad trainer, and that her Pokémon are weak. He said that she will never defeat him, and that it was a waste of time for her to try.
Dawn got angry at this, but she didn't lash-out. She knew that it would be useless, and a true waste of time. Instead, she told her Pineco to use Rollout, and then Self-Destruct, but right in the middle between Swoobat, and its trainer.
Pineco did just that, and rolled toward its trainer's opponent, bypassing Swoobat. Neither the Flying Pokémon, not its trainer expected this, so when they both saw that Pineco start to glow white, they knew that they are fucked.
Pineco exploded with as much force as it could create. The explosion was much more powerful than the Future Sight from earlier, as it not only created a bigger crater in the ground, but it also blasted Swoobat, and it's trainer, meters away from where they were standing and floating.
It took about a minute for the smoke from the explosion to clear, and for Dawn to see if her plan worked. She really hoped it did, because if it didn't, she has had her Pokémon hurt itself for nothing.
Thankfully for Dawn, when the smoke cleared, she was able to see that on top of her Pineco being unconscious, so were Swoobat, and its trainer. That means that she no longer has to battle, as she would undoubtedly have to even if she did manage to defeat Swoobat. Her opponent would just pull another Pokémon. This way, she has cut the problem in its root.
With her opponent done for, Dawn decided to see how the other battles are going, and if she will have to help one of her friends against their opponents.
XXX
Lillie's battle went better for her then Dawn's. Lillie has more experience, and her Pokémon are more powerful then Dawn's.
For the battle against her opponent – a man with white hair and blue eyes - Lillie chose a Carbink. A small, Rock/Fairy Type Pokémon. She chose Carbink after her opponent chose Eelektross as his Pokémon. Lillie knew that Eelektross is an Electric Type Pokémon, so her part Rock type would have slight advantage, though not too much because of its Fairy Type. At least she won't have a type disadvantage, like Dawn had.
The battle started with Carbink using Power Gem, a Rock type attack which it fired from the crystal on top of its head, in a form of a pale pink beam which is surrounded by a white aura.
Eelektross stopped this by using Crush Claw, which ended up breaking Carbink's attack, and left nothing behind. Eelektross then attacked Carbink straight on, and wrapped around it. Then, it used Discharge, which shocked Carbink, and made it shout in pain. Once the attack ended, and Eelektross moved away from Carbink, the Rock/Fairy Type was left paralyzed.
Lillie was in trouble at that point, as her opponent decided to end the battle by using Thunderbolt. Luckily for Lillie, her Carbink was able to pull out a Light Screen, even through partial paralysis. The Light Screen halved the power of the Thunderbolt, so even though Carbink was damaged again, it was still in battle, due to its extremely powerful defense. On top of that, Thunderbolt managed to shock it out of paralysis, so Carbink could move again.
Lillie had Carbink fire another Power Gem, which was broken by another Crush Claw. What Eelektross and its trainer weren't expecting was for Lillie to use another attack right after the Power Gem. Carbink used Dazzling Gleam, as its body become surrounded in a field of rainbow-colored energy, which expanded outwards and hit Eelektross. It created a flash of light, which instantly blinded the Electric Type Pokémon, and its trainer.
Seeing a chance to end the battle, but knowing that she also has to take down her opponent, and not just the opponents Pokémon; Lillie told her Carbink to use Stone Edge, followed by a Moonblast.
Carbink slammed its body on the ground, causing glowing light blue pillars of rock to appear and rush towards Eelektross. As it was partially blinded, Eelektross was unable to dodge, and was hit by several spikes, receiving a lot of damage.
What followed was a powerful Moonblast from Carbink, which hit Eelektross straight-on, and sent it flying into its trainer. This caused an explosion, which sent both trainer, and its Pokémon flying backwards, where they hit into an Enchanted Honey-covered wall, and fall on the ground. Several rocks broke from the wall, and covered the man, and it's Pokémon.
Lillie smiled as she won the battle, and also made sure to take out her opponent, so he won't be able to pull out another Pokémon, and prolong the battle.
Lillie saw at that moment that Dawn was also able to take her opponent out in a most interesting way.
XXX
Athena's opponent is a brown haired man in his late thirties. He was using an Accelgor, a Bug Type Pokémon, to battle against Athena.
Athena chose her Eevee to battle against her opponent, as she though that it was a good choice, even if Accelgor does have an amazing speed, but it lacks in defensive power. That's exactly what Athena decided to use against her opponent.
As the battle started, it became obvious that Accelgor's trainer is going to go with speed against Athena, and her Eevee. Speed is Accelgor's strongest trait, and its trainer will use it against a much slower opponent.
Accelgor went with Agility, Double Team, Swift; it tried everything, but while Eevee lacks speed, what she has going for her is a much better trainer compared to Accelgor's.
When Accelgor would attack using Agility, Eevee would use Reflect. When Accelgor used Double Team, so did Eevee, which in the end meant nothing for either side. When Accelgor pulled Swift, Eevee used Dig to escape, and then jumped out of the ground in front of Accelgor, and used Take Down right away.
Whatever Accelgor tried, Eevee countered, or escaped from it, before she would strike back.
Little by little, Eevee started to gain the advantage, and after a well-executed Skull Bash, Accelgor was barely standing.
The battle was over right after, as Eevee used another Take Down on Accelgor, which sent the Bug Type straight back and hit its trainer, before they both flew back from the force.
With her battle finished, Athena was approached by Cheryl, who has already finished her battle against her opponent, and is actually the first of the four girls who defeated her opponent.
A minute later, at about the same time, Dawn, and Lillie ended battles against their opponent, and they grouped with Athena and Cheryl. The four of them were enough to scare Athena's and Cheryl's opponents, which were still conscious, unlike Dawn's, and Lillie's, who took down their opponents just like they did their Pokémon. The final man, the fifth member of India's team, who hasn't battled against anyone, decided that it's best to stay out of it, and not challenge four girls at the same time. He will simply wait for his boss's battle to end, and see how they will proceed.
From there on, they all had nothing to do except watch Ash's battle against India. A battle, which has already heated-up, and the most interesting thing has just started to happen.
XXX
Ash's battle against India has been going for a while now, and Ash has no problem to say that he was losing. He isn't liking it, though.
India is indeed a great trainer, with her Serperior being a very powerful Pokémon, as well as very well trained. She was right earlier to be confident. With her skills, and the power of that Serperior, Ash was 100% certain that by now, India would have defeated any of Ash's traveling companions, including Lillie, though Lillie might be able to pull a win if she was to use her Pidgeot, as it's her strongest Pokémon by far, with Aerodactyl coming in a second place.
Ash's Hakamo-o is strong. It's been with Ash for a very long time, and it's very well trained, but it seems that that is not enough to be able to even pull a draw against India's Serperior, not to talk about a win. It's impossible.
When it seemed that it was all over, and that Ash will lose, as his opponent was stronger, and had access to higher level attacks, and most importantly, power; he got lucky. His Hakamo-o refused to be defeated, and with a large push, he started to glow. Hakamo-o was evolving.
By that point, all of Ash's friends, and traveling companions have defeated their opponents, and now all four of them, along with three conscious members of India's team, were all watching as Ash's Hakamo-o evolved. Not that surprisingly, Vespiquen and all the Combee in the Amber Castle, were also watching Ash's battle against India.
When the glow ended, it was revealed that Hakamo-o has evolved into its final form. A Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, Kommo-o.
Kommo-o stood tall on the battlefield, looking at Serperior with narrowed eyes. The grass type Pokémon was still larger… longer, but in terms of battle powers, the difference is now much closer than it was before.
"Congratulations, Kommo-o," Ash said to his Pokémon, who nodded, while not taking his eyes off of his opponent.
"You were very lucky, Ash," India said with a smile on her face. That smile never went away since she first appeared in the Amber Castle. It's like she can't stop smiling. "You were almost completely defeated, and then this happens. You sure have luck, I'll give you that. Still, this doesn't mean that you will be able to win. Your Kommo-o has suffered a lot of damage so far. How much more can he take, I wonder?"
"I guess we are about to see," Ash said, before he ordered his newly evolved Pokémon to use Dragon Claw.
Serperior dodged this, and Tackled Kommo-o, but it didn't deal much damage. Kommo-o, without waiting for Ash, used his new attack. Kommo-o folded his arms then unfolded them soon after, as he let out a big roar, sending blue shockwaves towards a surprised Serperior.
The attack hit head-on, and dealt great damage to Serperior, who was left lying on the ground, though not defeated.
Ash recognized the attack as the Clanging Scales. It's an attack which Kommo-o learns upon evolving, and it's considered to be its signature move.
Ash was happy for his Pokémon.
Serperior got up, and used Energy Ball. Kommo-o countered it with Dragon Tail, which broke the Energy Ball.
Then India tried with Leaf Tornado, but Kommo-o countered it with Dragon Pulse. Again, both attacks were canceled out.
Ash decided to attack first this time, and had Kommo-o use Boomburst.
Serperior countered this time, with barely made Solar Beam. It was barely powerful enough to counter Boomburst, as they were in the enclosed space, but it still had enough power to stop Kommo-o's attack.
Ash went with the next move immediately, and told Kommo-o to use Close Combat.
Kommo-o jumped in front of Serperior, and with its glowing hands, started to repeatedly hit Serperior over the head, and a few punches hit the grass type's snake-like body. The punches were so fast, and so powerful, that Serperior didn't have time to dodge, or even think of escaping, even when India was telling it to.
When the hits finally stopped, and Kommo-o backed away from it, Serperior was barely able to hold its head up. It was angry at being hit like that, and that many times, and the same goes for India, whose smile has vanished from her face, as she wasn't happy that what she already thought to be a sure win, has turned out like this.
She told her Serperior to use its most powerful attack, not even bothering to say the name of the attack.
Serperior let out a cry, causing multiple giant, brown roots to grow out of the ground and go toward Kommo-o.
Ash immediately recognized the move as Frenzy Plant. He cussed, as he forgot about that move. He knew that every Grass Starter Pokémon from each region can learn this move in their final evolved form.
Ash knew that his Kommo-o won't be able to escape from this, and will be hit, which will be his end. So, he decided to try attacking so both Pokémon would take each other out. Ash told his Kommo-o to use Focus Blast.
Kommo-o created a light blue ball of energy in between his hands, and then threw the ball toward the incoming roots.
The two attacks hit each other, and the light blue orb broke through the middle of Serperior's attack creating a hole in the plants. The ball went and hit the shocked Serperior, right at the same time as the roots came from two sides, and slammed into Kommo-o.
Both Pokémon were sent flying and crushed into the cave walls.
They didn't get up.
Ash, and India looked at each other, both with narrowed eyes, and frowning.
Around them, there was a lot of destruction, some from the battles between Ash's friends, and India's lackeys, but mostly from the battle between Ash, and India.
The giant roots of Frenzy Plant completely broke the ground of the Amber Castle, leaving trenches, and holes all over the place, with Enchanted Honey now leaking into the holes.
Ash sighed at the destruction, and at the fact that Vespiquen, and the army of Combee will have a long and hard job to fix the whole place to how it was before.
Ash returned his Kommo-o back to his Poke Ball, while India did the same with Serperior. At that moment, Ash's friends joined him, while the three conscious lackeys, stood behind her. They looked ready to battle again if their boss orders them to.
"Do you still want to battle?" Ash asked India.
India looked at Ash, her smile back on her face. She was silent for a minute, before she said. "Maybe some other time. I'm sure we will run into each other again one day." She then looked at Cheryl, and said. "I'm glad to have seen you, though we parted on bad terms, I still see you as a friend. I hope we travel together again one day.
"For now, goodbye to you all." She finished speaking, and turned around to leave.
Ash thought about stopping her, but in the end he decided against it. The whole place has already been damaged a lot. He doesn't want to start another battle, which would destroy the whole Amber Castle.
What was bothering Ash was that, India gave up far too easily. She doesn't seem like someone to just give up on something she wants, so why did she.
One reason did come to mind, and if that's the case, Ash was worried.
"Well, that almost got out of hand." Lillie said.
"It already did," Cheryl said with a sad look on her face. "Just look at this place. It was so beautiful, and now…" She didn't finish. There was no need, as everyone saw the state the Amber Castle was left in after all the battles, especially due to Serperior's last attack.
"What are we going to do now?" Dawn asked.
"We can help to fix this place," Lillie suggested. "I'm sure that Combee, and Vespiquen wouldn't mind."
Ash looked toward Vespiquen, and asked. "Can you, and the Combee fix this place?"
Vespiquen looked at Ash for a while, before she said that they can.
Ash nodded at that, before he said. "Good, but do keep in mind that that woman now knows where this place is, and I doubt that she will just give up on the Enchanted Honey. I'm sure that she will be back here as soon as we leave."
Cheryl, Dawn, and Lillie gasped at what Ash said, while Athena narrowed her eyes, and realized that Ash was right. That must be why India gave up so quickly, and didn't continue to battle.
"What are we going to do then," Cheryl asked? "We can't let India take all this honey. She might even end up catching the Vespiquen, and Combee, so they can produce more Honey at another place where it will be closer to her."
Ash nodded in agreement. "That is most likely what will happen," he said. "But what can we do? We can't stay here all the time. So unless we can find another way to protect this place, I don't see what we can do."
"Actually, why don't you ask you father, or uncle if they can do something," Lillie suggested.
Ash looked at her, and thought about it. "That's a good suggestion," he said, as he took his Pokedex, and made the call. "Let's see what we can do about this problem."