"You found him?" Ash said, scrambling out of his bed with a sleepy Pikachu rolling off of him.
"Closest lead I've gotten so far," Amanda said, his cousin's face the picture-perfect image of someone who had way too much coffee and not enough sleep, but the excitement in her usually blank grey eyes was covering up the exhausted look somewhat.
"Did you sleep at all last night?" Ash said.
"yes…no…yes…what time is it?" Amanda said.
Dawn. Lucario grumbled, blinking away the sleep from his eyes.
"Well, the suns up so I am too," Amanda said, "Besides, I can sleep on the plane ride back."
Ash stood up, rubbing his eyes. The floor cold underneath his sock covered feet, as he walked over to see what was on Amanda's laptop. Goh was stirring on his bed, hair almost wild enough to match with Ash's blood relatives. Sir Aaron was standing and joining them, seemingly wide-awake despite being dead to the world not just a few minutes before.
"It's a quarter to six," Goh grumbled, looking at his phone but remaining in his bed, "I got up with you at three…you did not sleep."
"Nope! But I have a good reason!" Amanda said.
"You found your brother," Sir Aaron said.
"Well, I think I did," Amanda said, "Come see this."
Ash took the chair next to his cousin, petting the snoozing Umbreon on the floor with his foot, making sure not to hit her with a chair leg, before looking at laptop screen. Sir Aaron stood behind them looking down with interest. On the screen looked like a weird painting of some type of shape in front of a blackened screen, like a nameless structure of chicken wire stuck in a dark sky. Ash shared a glance with Sir Aaron, clearly communicating that neither of them knew what this had to do with Amanda's finding.
"Whaaaaat are we looking at?" Ash said.
Amanda sighed, "Okay, so looking through the data I mined, I was sorting through things between a 'helpful' 'likely' and 'junk', categories. In Helpful I put all building specs and other things that might lead to Riley. After spending the last night roughly sorting things, I started on 'helpful' when I came across this."
Ash raised a brow, "This is building spec? Where are the walls?"
"Not a building," Amanda said, "An underground tunnel network, naturally formed if the 3D map is anything to go by. Or just made-"
"Without modern day techniques," Sir Aaron suddenly said.
"Yeah," Amanda raised a brow.
"Uhm, is there any way to see the whole network?" Sir Aaron said.
"You mean from like a flying-type's eye view?" Amanda said.
Sir Aaron nodded.
"Ask and ye, shall receive," Amanda said, and the spec swirled in one direction on the screen then zoomed out.
The knight gazed at the screen with intense consideration. Fingers gripping his chin as his teeth gently sank into his lip.
"Do you recognize it?" Ash said.
"I might. Some of it looks familiar. The Guild had many underground labyrinths built, usually to hide relics or to send royalty to for protection," Sir Aaron explained.
"Some of those underground bases wouldn't happen to be prisons, would they?" Amanda said, moving the spec on screen, to reveal what Ash guessed was a hallway, with heavy barred doors.
"Yes, some of them were, the most unsavory of souls were kept in them, rogue users, and such. Things that a normal dungeon couldn't hold," Sir Aaron said, "You believe they're holding Riley in one."
"Don't worry, the irony is not lost on me Uncle, but this is the first place I've found that it seems likely to keep someone like Riley," Amanda said, "If the prisons were attacked, during the rise of Team Normalcy I'm betting a lot of supplies was left behind, now most of it will have decayed over the centuries, but I take it that something made to keep an aura user from escaping would be pretty tough."
"They'd also need that kind of tech to hold Riley," Ash said, "He's cable of breaking out a regular prison."
"How do you know that?" Amanda said.
"Well, I did watch the guy prevent and island from blowing up, only using aura shields," Ash said.
"Impressive," Sir Aaron nodded.
"Guess he did learn something during those thirteen years of no contact," Amanda grumbled.
"So, you really think is where this Riley guy is," Goh yawned, finally sitting up in his bed.
"This is the only reference to a prison of any kind I've found. That and the fact there is a high chance other aura users were once kept here, is enough evidence to at least check it out," Amanda said.
"Where is this?" Sir Aaron said.
"Finding it was more difficult," Amanda said, "The coordinates aren't in the specs, but cross referencing this place with a list of active bases I found, and then with a map, I managed to find a location. Underneath Mount Moon."
"Kanto," Ash said, "Right in our own backyard."
"Can you show me that map?" Sir Aaron said.
Amanda obliged, pulling up a map of Kanto. Marking where Mount Moon was.
"Where would Cameron Palace be?" Sir Aaron said.
Amanda marked where the palace was.
"Yes, I know that place. We didn't call it Mount Moon, instead, it was Fable Peek. The prison was built underneath it due to the unique nature of the mountain's aura," Sir Aaron.
"Unique nature? What makes it so special?" Amanda asked.
"The mountain's stone has a very strong aura signature. So, even in the dark you'd be able to see the walls quite well, but you wouldn't be able to sense a lesser aura signature inside of the prison. That way if a rogue user was held inside their allies wouldn't be able to locate them," Sir Aaron said.
"Well that explains why Lucario or you haven't been able to find Riley using aura," Ash said.
"Mount Moon is one of the richest evolution stone mines in the world," Amanda said, "I wonder if that's what making that place an aura hot spot, or vise versa."
"So, that's where we're heading next? Great can we go back to bed?" Goh yawned.
"Sorry, guys, booked our flight already," Amanda said, "We leave in three hours."
Out of all the modern vehicles that Sir Aaron had ridden in, this one was by far the least stable. No offence to his niece, but this mobile home of hers…let's just say that they could feel every bump in the liquid stone road. The plan they formed, after flying back to the lab from Unova, was to take Amanda's RV to Mount Moon. It would be harder to track than public transportation and came with a place for Riley to rest after his imprisonment.
Speaking of rest, the lads had claimed the loft bed for themselves, while Lucario and the other pokemon slept on the couch. The sun had long set since they began their drive and not everyone managed to sleep well on the plane ride back.
Sir Aaron stumbled as the floor beneath his feet jerked again, but thankfully he didn't smack into the tabletop next to him, or worse the floor. Slowly he made his way towards the front of the RV.
"Mind if I sit here?" Sir Aaron asked, taking the empty seat next to where his niece was driving.
"Just no Shotgun driving," Amanda mumbled back, not taking her eyes off the dark road ahead of them.
"I'm afraid I don't know what that means," Sir Aaron said, settling in his seat.
"Seatbelt," Amanda said.
The knight looked toward the wall on his right and grabbed the thick strap, "Right, I keep forgetting these things. Didn't have them in carriages."
"I'd imagine a lot of lives would've been saved if they had thought to tie down their passengers."
"Quite true…so, pardon me if this is forward, but would you honor me with the knowledge of driving a modern vehicle?"
"You want me to teach you how to drive?" Amanda raised a confused brow.
"It seems as if it's a skill I might need."
"You know, why the heck not, Ash probably needs a teacher soon too. Might as well knock you both out before we say goodbye."
"Say goodbye?"
"Well, yeah, after this is all over, it's not like we're going to talk to each other ever again."
Sir Aaron looked to his niece in shock, "Do you really believe that?"
"Believe what?"
"That's we won't speak once this is over? You're my niece I'd like to know you."
Amanda shook her head, "No you don't."
"Yes, I do. You're family, even if you want nothing to do with Aura. Just like Emily-"
"I'm not your sister!" Amanda snapped, before sighing, "Let's get one thing straight, you're not looking for a bond with me, you're looking for a connection to her, because you've been tossed into this whirlwind of an adventure and haven't had time to properly grieve. You don't want me, you want her, and I don't have time for that. Don't worry you'll get that connection with Riley. Arceus knows he'll follow you like a lost puppy."
Sir Aaron let a moment of silence settle before speaking his reply, "Perhaps you're right, I do miss my sister, but you're her child as much as Riley. I care about you as well."
Amanda didn't answer.
"If you don't believe that I truly wish to be a part of your life, then I understand. And I hope you you'll give me the chance to prove that."
Amanda didn't answer.
Sir Aaron sighed, "Then what of your brother? Do you believe that he'll never speak to you after this quest?"
"Riley? Please he probably won't even acknowledge me once we bust him out. He wants nothing to do with me. He's made that clear."
"But he's your brother."
"Who's hasn't talked to me in thirteen years. Not one call, not one note. He has more important things then me to worry about."
"That can't be true."
"Please, he didn't even come back home for our father's funeral."
"He didn't?"
"No! Not the service, not the reception. I was grieved alone that day."
"What of your mother? Certainly, she'd be with you."
"No, she was mad at me, and she had to entertain the guests."
"Perhaps he couldn't make the date."
"Maybe, but missing a date isn't an excuse for not knowing your younger brothers."
"What do you mean?"
"My little brothers, Constance and Carter, they don't know who Riley is. They've never met him. To them he's just a picture on the wall. He's had seven years to meet them, there's no excuse for that."
Sir Aaron bit his lip, "If you're so certain that Riley wants nothing of you, then why are you so determined to rescue him."
Amanda took a deep breath through her nose, eyes closing for a moment, "Because I promised my dad, I'd always look out for my brothers. And issues with him or not, that means Riley too."
The blue in her aura deepened with sorrow, but also swelled with a gleam admiration. Sir Aaron was pleased to sense it strengthening.
"You loved your father deeply, didn't you?" Sir Aaron asked.
"Too much, my mother thought. Real Daddy's girl. I needed to focus more on my future."
"You looked up to him."
"Who wouldn't? He's was a Ranger, saved people all over the world from disasters, fought in the Tri-Team war and lived. Hell, he even saved…" She swallowed and her grip on the steering wheel tightened. Grief dimmed the glow of her soul.
"You," Sir Aaron said, it wasn't questions.
"Yeah, me. A lot good that did him," She grumbled.
The drive was continued in silence.
"Okay this is super freaky," Goh said, looking at the dark forest around them.
Do we have a way in? Lucario turned to his master.
"I don't recognize this forest," Sir Aaron said.
"Well, there's has been centuries for the vegetation to shift around," Amanda said before turning to Pichu who sat on her shoulder, "Get to work."
The tiny yellow mouse jumped off of his trainer's shoulder and began sniffing the ground. The charged metallic sensation he was looking for wasn't far off, but it took a few moments before he snagged a strong trail. His paws carried him towards a metal box covered in old vines and fallen leaves. He pointed at his find with a please squeak.
"Good job," Amanda said, before walking over and opening the rusty door with her pocketknife.
"What's that?" Goh asked.
"Fusebox," Amanda said as the box opened with a shriek of moving hinges, "And our way in."
"How?" Ash said.
"If this is connected to what I think it is, then if I pull the right wires, I can disconnect everything. Shut it all down, lights, cameras, locks. Anyone inside would be vulnerable to us," Amanda said, fiddling with the internals of the box.
"Making it's easier to get to Riley," Ash said.
"Wait, lights? How will we see?" Goh said.
"We all have flashlights, don't we?" Amanda said.
Goh felt like he was in a horror movie.
Lucario quickly found an entry door behind a collection of boulders, the electric locks on it disabled thanks to Amanda. It wasn't long until they were traveling down a long steep and very dark tunnel into the bowels of Mount Moon. His grip on his flashlight was knuckle whitening. At any moment a grunt could run around the corner and then it wouldn't be long until this whole place was after them.
"Where are the prison blocks again?" Ash whispered.
"Should be further down. Prisoners were kept in lowest levels," Sir Aaron said.
"Never let the criminals see the light of day," Amanda murmured probably to herself.
They had torches.
"Not what I meant."
The claustrophobic tunnel came to and end as they entered a large gaping chamber. The walls were high and roughly made. Sound bouncing off of them like a ricocheting ball. Every foot step a scream into the dark shadows of the cave. Goh took a deep breath, the air stale and cold in his lungs.
"Hey You!"
Oh, that was not the voice of one of his friends!
Goh spun around, the shine of his flashlight revealing two grunts entering the chamber from a tunnel on the opposite side of the entrance. The Magmar next to them glowed dully against the darkness of the cave wall.
"You can't be in here!"
"Magmar, pyro ball!"
"Pikachu, catch it in an Electro web!"
There was an explosion from the two moves colliding and suddenly the floor crumbled beneath Goh's feet. The trainer falling down into the dark with a scream.
A/N:
Okay, so hope everyone enjoys this one. I'm starting a new job today, wish me luck.
Also who wants to take a guess as to how Amanda's dad died. Next Chapter Riley will be coming back.