"So does anyone know where we are now?" Rosa asked.
"Somewhere on Route 4." Ash replied.
"And do you know which way we're going?" Elliot asked.
"North to Nimbasa City." Ash reminded.
"Which is which way exactly?" Rosa questioned.
"Well I know it's past all this sand, so we have to be on the right track." Ash said with a chuckle, turning around to see less than amused looks from his friends. "Alright, alright, I'll go take a look. Braviary let's go!"
In a flash Ash and Braviary were in the skies.
"Do you think Ash will be able to spot Nimbasa from up there?" Rosa asked.
"Probably." Elliot responded. "These skies are Braviary's home turf. He should be able to traverse the skies no problem."
"And they're moving." Rosa said in shock.
"Well of course it looks like that to us, but in reality Braviary is likely adjusting course as he flies up to keep Ash safe." Elliot pointed out, looking up. "Never mind, they're moving, go!"
The duo chased Ash across the dessert, wondering why he suddenly went off without them, eventually reaching a few buildings buried deep in the sand.
"Ash, what were you thinking!" Rosa yelled angrily.
"Sorry, I just, I recognized these ruins." Ash admitted. "I'm pretty sure the White Stone fell around here."
"Ash, we're in a desert, even if this was the place the chances of us finding one stone in all of this sand is next to impossible!" Rosa argued.
"Then how about we at least check inside." Ash said. "We can check the area in there and if we find nothing then I'll call it quits, alright?"
"We would get out of the sun for a bit." Elliot remarked, following Ash inside.
"But we, we were ughh!" Rosa groaned less than happily following them inside.
"This is not what I expected in the middle of a desert." Ash admitted seeing the tomb like structure inside.
"Most of the Desert Resort is unknown for what lies beneath." Elliot informed. "Some archaeologists believe that the entire desert used to be a large spanning kingdom oasis."
"With how many dig sites have found proof of that I can believe it." Rosa said, noticing the two looking at her. "What, I do read."
"Yeah, just never pictured you reading that kind of book." Ash admitted. "If you two want, you're welcome to stay here with Braviary while I look around.
"I could use a break, and at least it's cooler in here than out there." Rosa said.
"I suppose this is a fair enough compromise." Elliot agreed.
"Alright Braviary, if anything happens, make sure they're safe, alright?" Ash asked.
"Bra." Braviary chirped in acknowledgement.
"Alright you guys, just hang back for a bit while Pikachu and I take a quick look around, if the White Orb did fall in here, not saying it did, but IF it did, it probably didn't make it too far in." Ash said, as he and Pikachu walked into the center of the room and promptly dropped.
"ASH!" Rosa and Elliot exclaimed at the sudden missing trainer.
"Don't come any closer!" Ash yelled up.
"Are you alright?" Rosa asked.
"I'm fine, just a bit stuck." Ash said. "Looks like the sand covered up a hole of sorts."
"Do you want us to send Braviary to come get you?" Elliot asked.
"No the hole isn't big enough for him, just hang tight and I'll try to find my way back." Ash said. "If I'm not there by sundown, have Braviary take you to Nimbasa and get help."
"Alright, be careful." Rosa called out down the hole.
"Okay Pikachu, let's see if we can't find a way back uAHHHH!" Ash exclaimed, as he fell through yet another hole. "Never mind, let's just try and not fall through a third hole."
"Careful there stranger, these old ruins are a nesting place for all sorts of Pokemon." A boy around Ash's age said, walking over.
"Thanks, yeah we just fell through two holes now." Ash admitted, pouring the sand out of his hat. "I'm Ash by the way, and this is my partner, Pikachu."
"You can call me Jeb, and this is my partner Pokemon Patrat." The boy said.
"So did you two also get trapped here?" Ash asked.
"Nah, Patrat and I are explorers by nature, and his eyes let him notice the holes before I would." Jeb said, as the two began walking. "So tell me a bit about yourself, what brings you all the way out here?"
"I'm looking for something, and made a stop here on my way to Nimbasa City, but I doubt what I'm looking for is this far down." Ash said.
"Well then I'm happy to help you get out, but it does mean going down further." Jeb said. "Easiest way out of here."
"So you've been down here before?" Ash asked curiously.
"A few times now, but there's always more to learn and do in here." Jeb said.
"I feel the same way about battling, there's always something new I can learn from battles." Ash said excitedly.
"Ahh, so you're a battler, let me guess you're heading for the Don Gero cup in Nimbasa then?" Jeb asked.
"Actually, I was heading for the gym there, what's the Don Gero Cup?" Ash asked.
"Don Gero is the man running it, and his intentions are to bring all sorts of trainers together to compete for great prizes." Jeb said. "It's like your usual Pokemon League, but instead of only trainers with 8 badges, any trainer can enter it."
"Alright, we need to head down here and we'll be back on track to going up top." Jeb said, pointing to a hole nearby."
"Sounds good, I'll go first then." Ash said, trusting Jeb before jumping into the hole.
A few moments later, Jeb and Patrat fell down the hole themselves, rolling to a stop.
"Here we are, this is the furthest I've explored of these ruins." Jeb said, picking up his hat. "There are more secrets in here, I'm sure of it, I just need to figure out how to get to them."
"I'm sure you'll figure out something." Ash assured. "I should get heading back up though, I'm sure my friends will be worried about me soon, they were in the top room."
"Ah, then I'll come with you, no sense in getting lost trying to get back to them." Jeb offered.
"Thanks that would be really, whoah!" Ash said, tripping over something. "What is with today?"
"I told you many Pokemon nest in these sands." Jeb reminded.
"Yeah, I get that but what does… a Pokemon egg? All the way down here?" Ash asked, moving some sand to see a golden egg.
"It's possible it's parent laid it on a higher floor and it simply fell all the way back down." Jeb said.
"This can't be a safe place for it to just be here, and there aren't any other Pokemon around here either." Ash said, picking up the egg. "We should take it with us for it's own safety."
"Sounds like you're someone with a good heart." Jeb said, "Come on, the stairs are just a bit away."
"Right." Ash said, making sure to properly support the egg. "So are you also heading to Nimbasa, you seemed to know a lot about that Don Gero tournament." Ash pointed out.
"In fact I am." Jeb said, as the two continued their way up.
"Then you should come with me and my friends, we'll all go together." Ash offered.
"Thank you, but the tournament is still a bit of a ways off and I'd like to do more research here in the meantime." Jeb said calmly.
By the time Ash and Jeb made it back to the entrance, the sun was beginning to set
"Ash!" Rosa exclaimed, seeing the duo approach.
"Did you find it?" Elliot asked.
"No, but we did find this." Ash said, holding the egg still.
"An egg?" Rosa asked.
"I've never seen a Pokemon egg like that before." Elliot admitted.
"Never seen one like that myself, but Ash thought it was safer if he watched over it until it hatched." Jeb said.
"Oh right, Rosa, Elliot, this is Jeb, we met a few floors down." Ash said.
"Nice to meet you." Rosa said.
"Come on Jeb, we can set up camp for the four of us tonight and then tomorrow you can head back in and we'll head out." Ash offered.
"That would be nice." Jeb said.
Ash's Current Team and their Moves
Pikachu: Quick Attack - Thunderbolt - Iron Tail - Charge Beam
Riolu- Force Palm - Ice Punch - Zen Headbutt - Dig
Snivy: Tackle - Vine Whip - Energy Ball - Aqua Tail
Braviary: Wing Attack - Scary Face - Hone Claws - Aerial Ace
Darumaka: Fire Fang - Flame Wheel - Headbutt - Rollout
Egg