StolenMadWolf
Active Member
POKÉMON MYSTERY DUNGEON
GUARDIANS OF BALANCE
ALWAYS AUDACITY
CHAPTER XVIII – AWAKENING THE GIANT
GUARDIANS OF BALANCE
ALWAYS AUDACITY
CHAPTER XVIII – AWAKENING THE GIANT
There was only one tunnel for the two rabbit Pokémon to follow, twisting and turning deeper into the earth. The faint red glow had started to grow even brighter as they descended, probably more magna being Sam's guess. He just had to hope that it didn't start creeping through the cracks.
Or the water for that matter. After a few more minutes of making their way further down, a light mist of foggy air greeted and enveloped the pair. He tried to take in a breath, only to feel nothing flow into his lungs. At least it wasn't the same kind of steam that erupted in tune with the earthquake and shot Emrys out of the sky. But if there was water down here, then they only had to be even more careful.
At the very least, as long as the path didn't split apart, they should be able to find Aidan at the end of this.
Alice led the way in near total silence, the Buneary's eyes focused purely on the path ahead. Whilst she wasn't exactly sprinting, she was keeping a rapid enough pace to keep Sam's focus on moving forward.
A part of him wanted to tell her to slow down, but in truth he didn't want her too. Any moment they took to slow down or halt could only allow for Aidan and Dan to get further away or to put them into greater danger.
It was only when the ground shuddered under their feet did Alice stop, body stiffening as to brace herself for the full force of the aftershock. Sam leaned against the tunnel wall, his heart starting to race… only for the shock to just as quickly fade away.
Clenching his fist, he pushed himself away from the wall. "Don't tell me we're going to get another quake…" Sam started with a grunt.
Alice didn't reply, already starting to hop on ahead. Shaking his head, Sam set off after her. "Look, if we're going down there together, the least we can do is communicate."
One of the rabbit's ears twitched, "I will when necessary."
"And the quakes aren't enough of a problem?"
"We can't control them. So why bother worrying about them?" Alice countered, stepping over a small boulder before continuing onwards. "All we can focus on is what's ahead."
"And if another quake hits?" Sam grumbled.
"Then we'll deal with it."
He bared his buck-teeth. "Deal with it? 'Dealing' with this hasn't gone well."
"Still means we can't just stop an earthquake dead. Just try and keep up."
She began to bounce further on ahead, and Sam broke out into a jog to keep up with her. It was painful to admit, but Alice did have a point. Neither of them had any real power to control the earth. The best they could do was crack open a few cracks in the walls at best.
They pressed further onwards, the temperature beginning to rise even more. Sam began to sweat, even as they passed through the steam cloud and back into open air. He wiped his brow, eyes switching between the path ahead and Alice herself. The fellow rabbit Pokémon was also struggling with the heat, a few little streaks of sweat on her brow that was more obvious than what Sam had. But she didn't even seem to slow down at all, and Sam struggled to keep pace. Did she go this fast with Nia and Dan?
Minutes more passed and the tunnel opened up before them, and it was only then Alice finally slowed and allowed Sam to pull up alongside her. A truly cavernous chamber opened up before them, with the walls rising high up into darkness. The red glow was even brighter than ever, enough that it actually appeared more orange to yellow, coming up from the bottom of the walls.
Sam stepped out onto the rocky floor, his eyes flitting around the chamber. A low throb seemed to resonate in the air, and his ears could make out the faint hiss of steam. The ground shivered underneath them again, threatening another quake. An unseen rock cracked as it bounced of another, and with the echoing sound, Sam's heart pounded that little bit harder. "We better find them and quick." Sam started, eyeing a set of pillars that rose up towards the far wall.
Alice nodded, scanning the entire room but otherwise remaining silent. Sam stepped further on ahead towards the pillars, noting their increasing height one after the other.
"I don't see them." Alice noted behind him. "If the earthquake hit them around here, anything could have happened."
Sam shook his head, "They'll be around, maybe there is another pat-"
Alice's hand tightened round the jacket he wore and yanked him hard back. "What th-!"
He managed to catch himself from falling onto his backside, staying upright. "Case in point." She stated, "Watch your step."
Sam's eyes drifted down to find a sheer drop just a few inches away from his feet. Cautiously, he took another step towards the edge and peered over the edge. The heat instantly hit him, and even as a fire-type, it was enough to make him recoil. Dozens of metres below him, the glowing pool of magma simmered and bubbled round the base of the pillars. It's almost as if the entire room just collapsed…
"The aftershock might have been the final push here." Alice mused. "Sam. You won't want to hear it, but they are probably already gone."
The Scorbunny stepped back, growling at her. "Geez – we can't give up so soon! They could have been on the other side of this and-"
"You'll be risking our lives staying here." the Buneary interrupted, her eyes narrowing.
Sam's fist clenched, heat rushing through his chest, albeit it was disguised by the warmth of the chamber. Alice was just giving up on them. Damn it Alice… I know you don't want attachments, but you can't just be sweeping everyone under the bus!
"I'm not just turning back now." Sam snapped, his voice rising. "Now I can't se-"
"H-Hey! Can you two stop arguing like an old married couple and give us a hand!?"
Sam's ears snapped round just as one of Alice's sprung up. The anger vanished, Sam turned back towards the pillars, rising one after the other towards the far wall and getting taller each time. Those aren't pillars… they're old steps!
Looking past the last pillar, a blue shape poked itself into view on what Sam finally recognised as another ledge higher up.
Aidan.
Sam let out a gigantic grin at the sight. He's alive! Wait, is he-
"Aidan!" Sam shouted, "Are you alright!?"
Aidan crept further to the edge, revealing himself fully to appear unhurt. "I'm fine! Dan's alright too but he's pretty shaken up! Did you find everyone else?!"
"Yeah! They're okay for now!" Sam replied.
Alice cupped her hands together round her mouth, "Nia's gone up to the surface to find some help! How the hell are you two still alive!?"
The Froakie shifted, "Dan was stuck up here, but when the aftershock hit it brought the stairs down! I think the outcrop's made of sterner stuff!"
"Do you think you can get down!?" Sam replied.
"I can make the jump but Dan can't on his own! Even if I assist him, he won't make it!"
Sam glanced over at Alice, the other rabbit already sharing the same look as he did. A look which screamed, 'Yeah, this isn't great, but we're going to have to help with this.'
Alice responded first, "Wait there! We'll come to you!"
She took a few steps, eyes shifting between edge of the lava pit and the first tower. "Try and keep up." She said again, this time with barely a hint of emotion as she broke into a sprint. Sam could only pull himself out of the way as Alice bounded into the air and across the gap. She grabbed onto the edge of the first pillar, her feet briefly kicking in the air before pulling herself up.
Oh ****… Sam thought, already missing a heartbeat as he peered back down at the lava bubbling below. Oh ****…
With an audible gulp, he took a few steps back, swallowed a breath of warm air… and ran for the edge. With a boot of his feet, Sam flew into the air, rapidly closing on-
He cried out as he grabbed hold of the rock, his feet slipping on the wall as his hands tightened to grip onto what he could. Gritting his teeth, his toes managed to find purchase and he pulled himself up on top of the first pillar with a grunt. Shakingly, he rose to his feet as Alice was readying herself for the next jump. "Great. Now we have someone scared of heights."
Sam immediately jerked upright. "W-What!? I'm not-"
Alice already leapt forward towards the next pillar, Sam nearly following her before stopping himself short of the edge. He peered back down into the pit and picked up its warmth, and once more, he gulped. Pondering how far down it was, how helpless-
He backed away from the edge, shaking his head. Okay… just… don't think about the fall.
One by one, one stressful jump at a time, Sam and Alice moved from pillar to pillar like a set of stepping stones. Some of the jumps were pretty straight forward, from the top of one to another. Others were riskier, forcing the two to grab hold of craggy sides of the towers, struggling to grip on to the handholds they could get. Sam felt he was going to slip and fall into the lava below, his heart racing every time his hand or feet slipped free. But he managed to hold on and clamber back towards the top.
With one final leap, Sam bounced for the final outcrop. His foot slipping underneath him, Sam's arms flailed, trying to regain his balance, only for a white hand to grab hold of one arm and pulling him onto the outcrop. "I've got you buddy!" Aidan declared; a big grin written across his face as the Scorbunny stepped onto the outcrop. Sam could only grin back, only to cry out when Aidan clapped him hard on the back. "I knew you wouldn't be dead!"
"Aidan, I've had my head knocked in so many times, I'm fairly sure I'm secretly part Steel-type." Sam joked, feeling a little chuckle escape his throat. The Froakie's grin only grew even bigger, only to suddenly vanish as his eyes narrowed and drifted to look past Sam. "Though I wish-"
A flicker of movement flashed in the corner of Sam's eye. "Aidan. You're still kicking." Alice said, almost struggling to prevent a hiss from escaping her mouth.
Aidan himself seemed barely hide his expression, his lips twisting downwards. "I can see the same with you."
Sensing blood rush up this face, Sam angrily shook his head. "Err… less word shivs please?"
Alice crossed her arms, eyes still fixed on the Froakie. "Fine. Where is Dan?"
His features softening, Aidan stepped aside to reveal Dan propped up on a rock, his body shivering as his eyes flicked back and forth. He nibbled on a little nut panickily, one foot tapping on the hard surface where he sat.
"At least he's lucid." Alice mused. "And unhurt."
"Yeah." Aidan confirmed, "Even if he was fully focused, I can't get him to fully cross the pillars on my own."
"We can take it in turns." Sam confirmed, "If one of us helps launch him, another can catch him."
Froakie dragged one of his back feed across the ground, tugging at his mane. "I can launch him myself, being a frog and all. But catching is a different matter."
"I'll catch him." Alice confirmed, popping one ear up and down as if to confirm her intention. "I've had practice."
"You're a Buneary." Aidan stressed, frowning again, "I'm not sure you're strong enough to catch a full-sized pair of Pokémon flying at you."
She narrowed her eyes back at him. "I'm stronger than I look."
Sam sheepishly raised a hand up, "I can help do the catching with you. If you let go mid jump, we'll only have to catch one each."
Nodding back, Aidan flashed a wink. "I like the way you think."
"We'd better get off this outcrop then." Alice stressed, unwrapping her arms. "Those pillars might only be able to take another shock before-"
A low rumble resonated throughout the chamber, the ground creaking beneath their feet. Yeah… we don't need to know the answer there.
The trio shared a glance, and without saying anything at all, they moved towards Dan. "Dan! Sam and Alice are here, we can head back to the others now."
The Morpeko seemed to stop shivering as much, but the nibbling of the nut continued.
"Come on Dan, you can trust us, right?" Aidan questioned.
"I-I do but-but…" The rodent shook his head, "W-What if the ground opens up again? I-I don't think I'll make it…"
Alice sighed, "Doubt yourself now, and you'll be stuck here."
Sam was about to join in and encourage Dan to join them when he saw it.
On the far wall, positioned far enough back and in such a way that the outcrop would have hidden it from view from anyone lower down, was a massive mural. It towered far above Sam's head, easily twenty metres tall. Unlike the rock surrounding it, he could make out the sheen of a reflective surface. Metal. Its surface was intricately detailed with strange shapes, each one weirder than the last. All of them some mix of symbols and… what he could only guess were creatures?
"W-What the hell is that?" Sam uttered; eyes fixed on the wall.
Aidan glanced over his shoulder at Sam as Alice tried to pull Dan off the boulder. "Beats me. Seems to be some old piece of art. I've not really had a chance to look."
"Forget about that." Alice growled, finally getting Dan off the rock. "We need to focus on getting out first."
But even Sam's initial instincts faded away, Sam's attention now being drawn to the mural and its collection of details. It was so… strange, out of place that he… found himself drawn to it. So much he was already beginning to walk towards it, "Just… give me a second…"
"Sam!" Alice barked, "Don't start-"
Her voice faded away as he approached the mural, indeed, the sound of the entire chamber seemed to shift into silence. He barely noticed this as he stepped within reaching distance of the mural. Most of the symbols he recognised as some kind of creatures. But none of which he recognised. Each one all different shapes and sizes. However, there were several of which all appeared to be the same. If anything, they resembled oddly shaped stick-figures at the top of his head. Pokémon maybe? The symbols were simpler, most prominently a symbol that seemed to feature two circles, one inside the other and with a line separating the outer ring.
But most startling of all was the damage. A major chunk of the centre of the mural had been scrapped and battered, all the details on it having been worn away.
What… what does it all mean? Why would this be down here?
He took another step forward, only for his foot to land on something soft. Pulling his foot back, he found a strip of blue cloth under his foot. Dirty but otherwise intact.
Frowning, Sam scooped up the cloth, and noticed it actually looped round itself. An armband? On the opposite side was a white symbol. What appeared to be a tear with stripes was embroidered on top of a cross. He narrowed his eyes as he inspected the cloth, his mind wondering about what the symbol was… didn't someone mention-
A soft groan drifted past his ears, ears twitching, Sam's head jerked up away from the armband and back up towards the mural. Something creaked again, and his ears focused onto the mural. Huh? Is… what's up with this?
Taking another step forward, Sam reached towards the wall, his fingers sprayed out. "So… why are you down he-"
The gigantic crack stabbed at his ears hard enough for Sam to cry out in shock, the ground jerking aside under his feet. Flailing about and unprepared, the Scorbunny spun and toppled down to the ground. His ribs stung as he sucked in a fresh breath and forced himself back up.
"Sam!" Aidan roared "We have to go! Now!"
Sam's eyes and ears locked back onto Alice, Aidan and Dan, positioned closer towards the edge of the outcrop. Steam blowing out of the outcrop with a thunderous roar. Stuffing the armband into his satchel, Sam broke into a shaky run, the ground beneath him quaking with every step. One foot slipped into a pit, nearly threatening to trip him up before with a wave of his arms, he recovered and pounced forward. Another roar sounded as he took one final leap and landed with a stumble next to the others. Dan cowered by Alice and Aidan; his eyes wide with fear. Alice and Aidan though took very visible steps back, the former half frozen on the spot. "What… what the hell is this!?"
Spinning round, Sam's heart missed another beat. The ground where he had once stood had all but collapsed into a dark pit, what was left of the top of the outcrop now barely hanging from the main wall. Steam puffed and hissed as it shot out of the hole, the ground still quaking if not as much and yet, somehow in tune with the steam.
That was when the red arms erupted from the ground, slamming down into the rock with a painful crash. By instinct, Sam leapt back, a glance to his right confirming that the others likewise jumped. Dan let out a little yelp as he struggled to maintain his balance, his feet touching the very edge of the outcrop.
The red arms tensioned, and that was when the giant emerged from the pit, each step sending another tremor racing through the floor beneath them. First it was one maroon foot, then another, and soon enough the whole beast emerged. It was covered head to tail with maroon armour, detailed with yellow spikes and bumps across it's surface. A pair of icy blue eyes locked onto them, pupils narrowing with pure rage. The two 'arms' pulled back and snapped together with a bang, forming a ring that towered above the creature and, naturally, the four little Pokémon right in front of it.
"Who dares to shatter this land!?" came the booming growl, loud enough and deep enough that it shoved into Sam's chest with actual force.
Over his shoulder, he could hear Dan whimper behind them, a thin layer of steam rolling onto the outcrop around them all. Well… ****… time to meet the big guy…
Taking a deep breath, Sam shuffled forward. Doing his best to force his fear down. "H-Hey… err we just fell in here. We didn't do this-"
"Silence!" it roared, steam rushing out of the ground behind it. "To disturb this place and its contents is sacrilege!"
"The hell!?" Alice snapped, "Did you not hear us!? We've just got trapped down here!"
"We didn't even know this place was done here! The dungeon above us collapsed!" Aidan explained, keeping a calmer tone.
The sharp white teeth of the creature flashed into a hateful grimace, "Your presence in this place is proof otherwise! No one could unknowingly walk into here!"
Sam blinked, the confusion mounting. "I-I don't underst-"
"Silence!"
The creature put one foot forward, parts of it's body starting to glow a neon blue. "I, Volcanion, shall not abide by this trespass any longer! You cannot be allowed to leave with the knowledge of this place!"
With a clang, the arms disconnected and swung forward, the ends now glowing with blue light… this creature, Volcanion, was preparing to attack.
Sam took a step back, and a hand snapped down on his arms. "Sam! Come on!" Aidan barked, "We've got to jump now!"
The Scorbunny spun to find Alice had already jumped to the first pillar, and the Froakie and Morpeko were ready at the edge. Sam jerked upright, "Cr-right!" With a short sprint, he bounced across to the other side. He barely landed and spun round when Aidan and Dan came sailing right at them. Alice had the easiest time, Dan actually managing to land firmly on the top of the pillar thanks to Aidan's jump.
Aidan's feet landed barely on the edge, his yellow eyes widening as he started toppling back. "Aidan!" Sam shouted, desperately not wanting to lose his friend again. He shot forward, his hand grasping onto the white fluff round his neck.
The Froakie choked, his yell half cut short as he hung over the pit. "Ack! Not the mane!"
Grunting, Sam tugged Aidan back onto the pillar, the frog stroking his neck as he coughed. Alice stood at the edge of the pillar, both ears tucked in, teeth bared. "Hurry up!" she snapped, "That… thing isn't waiting!"
Sam's head jerked back up to find Volcanion had stomped to the edge, the arms dipping down below them, glowing even brighter. Sam's heart pounded in his chest. They weren't arms… they were-
"Everyone hold onto something!" Sam screamed.
Aidan blinked, "What?"
Two red fireballs flared from the cannons and shot forward, booming loud enough for the room to shudder. The projectiles slammed into the rock below, the entire pillar rumbling beneath their feet. Aidan cursed, nearly losing his footing. "Oh come the hell on!"
The loudest snap Sam had ever heard rang out below, the entire pillar jerking downwards and nearly throwing Sam down to the ground.
When he looked up again, he could already see the tower beginning to topple.
Not again!
"We're gonna die we're gonna die!" Dan squealed; eyes clamped shut as he hugged the rock for dear life.
"We're not!" Alice barked, also hugging the top of the pillar. "Look!"
Sam followed her gaze; the pillar was toppling towards the ground floor where he and Alice had entered the chamber before. Heart soaring, Sam tightened his grip. "Hold on! Get ready to jump!"
"What!?" Dan screamed.
"Damnit Dan!" Aidan bellowed, "Just get ready!"
The toppling tower accelerated, the ground racing up to meet it. "Hold on!" Sam shouted, legs tensioning.
Closer.
Closer!
"Now!"
Sam booted himself off the tower, flying through the air to the sound of crashing rock. He flailed, then hit the ground. He cried out as he tumbled and skid across the rough ground, his ribs throbbing as he slid to a halt. Grunting, he threw himself back up. He sighed with relief as Alice and Aidan, both bruised but otherwise unhurt rose to their feet. Dan was still on the floor, curled up into a ball and shivering wildly. "We're dead we're dead-"
Growling, Aidan yanked the electric rodent up to his feet. "Can you stop being a cry-baby for one minute and get moving!"
For the first time, Alice now flashed her teeth in a snarl. "Cut it out! He's scared shitless!"
Aidan's eyes narrowed, "Says the girl who bullied him!"
"I didn't bully-"
"Will you just shut the hell up!?" Sam roared, the group jerking to attention with shock. "We need to get out before – wait, where's Volcanion!?"
His gaze snapped back up towards the pillars and the outcrop, where stood at the edge above them was the giant, it gazed down on them, eyes narrowing.
Fear shifted into surprise and amusement, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Ha! I don't think we need to worry about the big guy chasing us!"
"Sam…" Alice warned, "Not the time!"
He turned back towards the others, feeling the grin spread. "Come on, it's not like he can fly or anything."
As if on cue, a thunderous roar echoed behind them, accompanied by the loudest hiss of what could only be steam yet. Sam blinked, his shoulders tightening. "He's flying right?"
Scowling, Alice jerked her head to something behind him.
Volcanion was indeed flying. The two cannons now aimed downwards and behind it, thick plumes of steam rushing out of them. It bared it's teeth, rising on the cushion of steam as it rushed towards them. Sam leapt back, heart once more racing. "Err… can we fight this guy!?"
Alice's shout nearly threatened to blow the back of his skull out, "No you idiot! Run!"
With no time to spare, they turned and bolted for the tunnel. Sam winced at the boom of Volcanion hitting the ground, his chest pulsing with pain as the thunderous sound of it's speeding footsteps rang over his shoulder.
They raced back up through the tunnel, each step shaky at the charge of Volcanion behind them. "What is with this guy!?" Sam cried out, his legs carrying him into the middle of the group.
"Who gives a ****!?" Aidan yelped, hopping as fast as his legs could take him. "He's just trying to kill us!"
Sam glanced over his shoulder, and round the last corner, Volcanion emerged charging through the tunnel after them, cannons hanging out in front of him.
"W-whah! He's getting closer!" Dan screamed, his little legs just a blur as he ran.
"He's catching up!" Sam shouted.
"Keep running!" Alice yelled ahead.
It's no good! Volcanion will close in before we get to- sod it, here goes nothing!
Picking out a pebble at random, Sam spun and kicked away, the stone igniting into an Ember immediately.
The fireball struck the giant's shoulder, but Volcanion didn't even flinch as it charged onwards, it's cannons glowing blue once more.
What surprised him was the sudden rush of water blasting out of the cannons. Yelping, Sam ducked, the water jets flung over his head as he broke out into another run, quickly catching back up with the others. "Okay! First he uses fireballs, then steam and now water!? What the hell!?"
"We can work out what it is later!" Alice growled, leading the way despite only hopping forward.
Sam clenched his fists, trying to work out another solution. "Aidan! Can you Bubble him or something!?"
Aidan flashed a snarl, "Even if I could hurt him I'd be sitting ducks!"
Okay! Gotta think of something else… I know! If we can't hurt him-
"Aidan! Hit the ceiling!"
"What!?"
"If we hit the roof with Ember and Bubble, we could bring the roof down on him!"
"You'll trigger another quake!" Alice barked.
Sam let rip a snarl of his own, "It's that, or get pressure cooked! It's up to you!"
Biting off a curse, Aidan nodded mid hop, "Alright! On three! One, two-"
The Scorbunny and Froakie spun round, another Ember joined by a Bubble Beam as it raced for the roof. Rock detonated as the two attacks impacted, debris tumbling down with a crash in front of Volcanion in a cloud of dust. Sam wheezed, coughing as he tried to breathe. Blinking as the smoke cleared, the path behind them was now filled to the brim with boulders, rising all the way up to the roof.
Sam wanted to jump up, to cheer in delight at the small victory. But he didn't want to take his chances, he readied himself, braced to lob another Ember or to run.
Nothing…
Then the arm cannon smashed through, the end glowing again. Sam bounced back, "Crap! Run!".
Steam thundered out of the cannon as the four sprinted away, Alice ducking as a supercharged blast of steam rushed over her head. "Great thinking idiot! You've just pissed it off!"
"It's slowed him down at least!" Aidan snapped back.
Finally, they charged back into the original chamber. Bruce stepped out from behind the boulder, looking befuddled. "What the 'eck is going on down t-"
"M-Monster! Monster!" Dan cried, sliding behind the confused Bulbasaur, shivering the whole time. "I-It's gonna eat us!"
"He's not going to eat us!" Sam shouted, skidding to a halt as he turned back towards the tunnel. "Bruce! Any sign of Nia? We could do with a ticket out of here right about now!"
"N-No! She hasn't come back yet! Just what did you do down t-"
"It doesn't matter now!" Alice snapped, skidding to a halt and facing the tunnel as well, "Can the others move yet!"
Edward's voice was what answered, "We could! But Denver's legs are still messed up and I've only just managed to rouse Filip!"
"So we are as slow as hell then." Aidan grumbled, blowing another bubble beam at the entrance of the tunnel. Another boom later, and the entrance was filled with boulders. It would buy them time, but not much.
But if the others are in no state to move, forget running from Volcanion! And we can't stop him either…
To his mind, there only seemed to be one option left.
"Everyone, hide behind the boulder." Sam ordered, rubbing his feet against the ground. "I'll lure Volcanion away."
Aidan spun round towards him, "Are you serious! You saw those water blasts!"
"That's a death sentence." Alice said, a flicker of panic in her voice. "He's fast and if you get stuck-"
"I'm the fastest one here!" Sam countered, "I can lure him away and buy Nia time to get some help here for you guys!"
Another hiss erupted from the caved in tunnel, steam blowing out from some of the cracks in the wall. "We don't have time to debate this!" he shouted, "Hide! Now!"
But that was when the roar started rumbling into the chamber, the ground quaking underneath them. "Bloody- another earthquake!" Bruce shouted in panic, red eyes widening.
Sam braced himself, Volcanion can't be doing an earthquake!? Can he- wait!
His ears twitched round, away from the tunnel… and towards the walls. The sound growing louder, closer…
Wait a second… that's not Volcanion… then that could be-
One of Alice's ears snapped up, and in that second, she spun round. "Get away from the wall!"
The wall exploded, Sam crying out as he staggered back, covering his face as he tried to protect his face as rock pelted his body. The roar ceased, and blinking, Sam lowered his hand, coughing as the smoke began to clear.
Another massive shape began to lean forward from the new hole in the wall, long and snake like, with a spike on it's head.
"What are you kids waiting for!?" demanded a deep voice, the smoke clearing to reveal an Onix coiled up in front of them. The same one that Sam spoke to back in Robinswood of all things!
"Don't just stand there! I'm here to help you out! Hold onto me!"
Aidan recovered first, spinning round towards the others, "Hurry up! Climb on!"
Sluggish at first, the group moved into action, even Filip seemed to become more alert as they hurried to the tunnel, clambering and holding onto the giant rock Pokémon. "Hurry!" Dan cried, "We've got a monster coming!"
"What monster?" the Onix mused, clearly unworried.
"Not the good kind!" Aidan barked, herding the others into the tunnel.
Sam held his ground, keeping his eye focused on the tunnel and the steam still hissing from it. Ready in case Volcanion broke out early, at the very least he might surprise the creature for a second and buy time for the others. "Sam!" Alice shouted, tugging at his arm, "Stop trying to be a hero and lets-"
With an even louder hiss, a boulder flung clear of the wall, sailing across the room at impossible speed towards him. As Sam backpedalled, something shoved him aside. Stumbling into the far wall, he could just make out a faint grunt. His shoulder throbbing, Sam got back upright. "Alice!?" Sam shouted, swivelling to find the boulder still rolling down the chamber… and Alice sprawled out on her back, a massive red mark running along her side.
"Alice!"
Sam sprinted over, grabbing hold of her arm to pull her up. She groaned in response, eyes flickering open and closed, "You… bloody idiot."
"Well, this bloody idiot is returning the favour." Sam grumbled back, a burst of relief fuelling him as he half supported, half carried Alice back to the tunnel. Aidan stood at the threshold, beckoning them onwards. The hissing grew louder, the giant chasing them almost on top of them.
Barely hesitating, Aidan grabbed hold of Alice's other arm and together, the three jumped onto the back of the Onix. "Go go go!" Bruce shouted; vines wrapped round one of the spikes erupting from the rock Pokémon's back.
"Hold on!"
With a roar, the Onix shifted and rushed upwards into the tunnel it created, racing for the surface. Sam closed his eyes tight, holding onto the giant and the others for dear life.
You meanwhile were the only one left. At least in some form. You watched Sam and the party flee, just in time to hear – and see – Volcanion finally smashed through the cave in, teeth bared as its eyes flickered back and forth. "You cannot run from me!" it bellowed, it's voice quaking the little stones that littered the chamber. "You transgress where you don't belong! You dare to damn us all!? I will find and end you vermin!"
Cannons snapping forward, they began to glow once more, ready to fire.
Emotions flooding through your spirit, you drifted into the tunnel and ascended after the others.
*****
The roar was deafening, overriding any screams as the Onix raced faster and faster towards the surface. Sam wanted to desperately fold his ears, block out the noise, but he couldn't bring himself to let go. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut, and prayed for this to end. Hoping that Volcanion wouldn't find the whole and simply fire a jet of steam after them.
The answer came through in a couple of seconds, as a bright white light engulfed him. The Scorbunny blinked to find a blue, open sky above his head. Fresh air rushing into his lungs. He couldn't hide the cheer that escaped his lungs as they soared into the sky.
That was promptly cut short as the Onix slammed back down to Earth, Sam's grip failing as he was flung clear, his cheer turning into a cry. He hit the ground hard, groaning as he slid across grassy ground. Around him, others moaned or cursed, likewise thrown clear. "Over here!"
Sam propped himself up to find Esper leading a large group over to them, Jack and Oscar by her side. "Are you all okay!?" she questioned, her voice higher pitched, the concern all too clear.
Alice grunted as she sat up as well, clutching her side. "Close that hole."
Esper tilted her head, "Wh-"
"Don't ask!" Alice snapped, eyes burning, "Close that hole now!"
The scream was near unbearable, Sam tugging his ears down as Esper's own snapped up. The air shimmered as the pulse of energy rushed towards the craggy hole they had emerged from. The ground shuddered, cracked around the entrance, and promptly collapsed in on itself and with that, sealed the entrance.
And with that, it was over.
His heart beginning to slow, Sam flopped onto his back, panting as the adrenaline finally washed away. His entire body throbbed, feeling floppy and weak. "Sam?" Aidan asked, his voice quiet but close. "You dead?"
Half coughing, half laughing, Sam shook his head. "Yeah man."
Aidan let out his own broken laugh, panting as he did. "Well… you can't say that first adventure wasn't… exciting."
Nodding, Sam let his eyes slip shut. Not to fall to sleep, but just to take a deeper breath. "Yeah… you can say that again…"
;
of this story isn't a singular entity, huh? Since this seems like they're conversing with another party.
