Searching for Solrock

[Bobmeister24]

Chapter 1: 200 years ago

War is a terrible thing. Death, pain, ruin, all matter of evil is found here. But the thing is, we fight for stupid reasons. Land, money, fame, the list is endless. But, 200 years ago, there was a war between Pokemon alike for one strange reason: Which should rule over the other, light or darkness?

The fields were damp and muddy on that day. Ready to cover the bodies of the warriors that would fall. Each side of the field was lined with Pokemon. The rain crashed down in a full cascade, drenching the fighters, who were tensly waiting for their leader's command. Pokemon of the day resided on the left. Flocks of Noctowl, Tropius and Swanna stood ready in the sky, while groups of Espeon, Magmar, Bayleef and Breloom took to the land. These brave Pokemon were lead by their equally brave leader, Solrock. On the right, Pokemon of the night. Murkrow, Golbat and Fearow waited also in the sky, looking eye-to-eye toward the birds defending the light. Underneath them, on foot, stood masses of Weavile, Umbreon, Bisharp and Mightyena. These evil souls lead by their power-crazy emporer, Lunatone. Each team glared at their opposers. The sound of gongs crashed through the tense-filled air, and the battle begun.

Claws slashed, beaks pecked, fire flew, wings slapped, leaves sliced and bodies crashed. This was the war of all wars. The casulties were endless. Thousands upon thousands of Pokemon from both sides lay dead or severly injured in the cold and mud of the battlefield. This was the bloodiest, most brutal war the world has ever known. All caused by a stupid political debate. And right in the middle were the two most powerful competitors: Solrock and Lunatone. Leader vs leader.

Solrock flew towards Lunatone, but the Moon Pokemon doged with ease. Lunatone then sent a Psywave in the Sun Pokemon's direction, exept that Solrock stopped it with a Flamethrower. The two were both facing each other now. Lunatone suddenly unleashed a frigid Ice Beam, only for Solrock to hold it back with a Solarbeam. But Lunatone was too powerful, and Solrock was too old. The ice blasted its way through the light, hitting Solrock full on in the face.

The white light engulfed the ancient leader. Everyone else stopped what they were doing and turned to face it. The light cleared to reveal Solrock encased in a thick layer of ice.

"Now behold!" cried the crazed Lunatone. "The rise of a new generation!"

The mad Pokemon released a wave of pitch-black darkness throughout the atmosphere. The rain became hail, the chilly air which came with the hail was like when someone leaves the freezer door open. The clouds in the sky above grew dark. The night had won.

....................................................................................................

"And that is the story of the Battle of Darkness." finished the old Roserade, looking down at a Cyndaquil and a Grovyle, her grandchildren. "Now, it's high time that you youngsters went to bed!"

"But Grandma!" exclaimed Cyndaquil. "What happened to the Solrock? And is the power-crazy Lunatone the same one that rules us today?"

"C'mon sis. Grandma's right," added Grovyle. "It's way past your bedtime. I'm sure that all your questions will be answered tomorrow."

"Awwwww, OK." said the Fire Mouse Pokemon.

She went upstairs to her bedroom. The house was very small and very cramped, only fitting about four or five Pokemon. Even as a baby Cyndaquil remembered everything like this. Just because her family were descendants of what she now knew as the light party, they were treated like Tauros, who were used for all sorts of labour. She gave a long sigh of longing, longing for justice between all Pokemon. She wished for a day when all Pokemon were equal, when there was no war, no pain, no suffering, only peace. She opened her small bedroom door, trudged over to her tiny bed, got into it and suddenly fell asleep, still thinking about Solrock.

 

[HuntyJ]

wow this is awsome cant wait for chapter two great work

 

[Jonah the Slaking]

Very interesting. I never thought I'd see the day when a fanfic revolved around Solrock and Lunatone. It was short, but I'll read more when it comes.

 

[Agent DJ]

Good start, but remember to leave space when starting a new paragraph and when a new character is talking.

"And that is the story of the Battle of Darkness." finished the old Roserade, looking down at a Cyndaquil and a Grovyle, her grandchildren. "Now, it's high time that you youngsters went to bed!"
"But Grandma!" exclaimed Cyndaquil. "What happened to the Solrock? And is the power-crazy Lunatone the same one that rules us today?"
"C'mon sis. Grandma's right," added Grovyle. "It's way past your bedtime. I'm sure that all your questions will be answered tomorrow."
"Awwwww, OK." said the Fire Mouse Pokemon. She went upstairs, got into bed, and suddenly fell asleep, still thinking about Solrock.

There should be a line of space like this:
"And that is the story of the Battle of Darkness." finished the old Roserade, looking down at a Cyndaquil and a Grovyle, her grandchildren. "Now, it's high time that you youngsters went to bed!"

"But Grandma!" exclaimed Cyndaquil. "What happened to the Solrock? And is the power-crazy Lunatone the same one that rules us today?"

"C'mon sis. Grandma's right," added Grovyle. "It's way past your bedtime. I'm sure that all your questions will be answered tomorrow."

"Awwwww, OK." said the Fire Mouse Pokemon. She went upstairs, got into bed, and suddenly fell asleep, still thinking about Solrock.

Besides that, this is a good start.

 

[Psychic]

Please read the Fan Fiction Rules. they clearly state that all chapters must be at least two pages long typed on Microsoft Word. You should also be typing on this program so you don't make silly mistakes the program would catch, such as when you put "enfulged" instead of "engulfed." Also, "uprise of a new generation" should just be "rise of a new generation." SHINY VICINY is also right about spacing.

Anyhow, you can easily edit this to be two pages long so we won't have to close it. Introduce the setting more - what part of day is it during this war between two times of day? It is really hot or is it raining? Is the field grassy with flowers or barren and dry? What kinds of Pokemon are in the day group and what are in the night group? Are they wearing any kind of armour? Do they give battle cries? What sounds can be heard as they clash? Do they shout in pain? Do they look worn and tired from taking so many attacks?

Spend a little more time introducing the Roserade, Cyndaquil and Grovyle. What is their home like - is it nice and well-kept, or are they poor and live in a messy little place? If the Lunatone is still ruling, give us a small idea of what the world is like now. Is it hard for them? Does Roserade remind them not to go outside?

Please work on this. Save your work on Microsoft Word so you can proofread it and so you can see if it's long enough. You can go through my post and edit your fic to add in the things I have mentioned. This will also make your fic a lot better, making your fic easier for readers to imagine. Please ensure that all chapters reach two pages in the future.


Additionally, to all of you who have been responding, please read the Fan Fiction Rules. there is a problem with a lot of these responses, and they will be infracted if they continue.

11) The following posts are considered SPAM and will get you into trouble with the Mods:

–Any posts that are not talking about the fic itself. Chatting, unrelated questions and the like belong in VM or the Authors' Café.

–Posts that say nothing about the fic itself such as: “I like this fic!” “That was awesome!” “You’re a great writer!” These kinds of posts can be posted anywhere and don’t show that the poster even read the story. If a writer put in the effort to write a fic, the least you can do it type up a few lines’ reply.​

Generally, a post in reply to a Fan Fiction thread should consist of:

1. What you liked and thought was well-done in the story
2. What you didn’t like and thought could have been better in the story
3. Tips on what the writer can to do to improve his/her writing for the future

These three points will help the writer improve his/her abilities and gain confidence to do so. However if you feel too unsure of yourself to critique, please ensure that you show at least evidence of you reading the written work; “I like this” could be posted on any thread without even reading the story, which makes it near useless. Such posts are considered SPAM and will get you into trouble, as people have done this in the past just to increase post-count. All you have to do is say “I liked this fic and my favourite part was the battle between Charizard and Rayquaza” or “the description could have been better, such as when you were describing Misty in Chapter Three” to show signs of actually reading it and to be helpful.

~Psychic

 

[Bobmeister24]

OK, done some editing. Thanks for telling me what to add and correct. I'm not so sure if it's long enough, but it's the best that I can come to!

 

[Knightfall]

This is pretty good, the conflict between day and night is an interesting plot.
I think that if you follow the advice the others above have given this will be a (more) awesome fic.

Is this in the Mystery Dungeon world? If it is, then you have earned yourself another fan (even if is isn't you still earned yourself a fan).

In short, can't wait for the next chapter.

Knightfall signing off...;005;

 

[Bobmeister24]

Chapter 2: The PokeWorld today

7:00 am. Cyndaquil was lying in bed, looking up at the moss-covered ceiling. She had always wanted her room to be redecorated, but her parents just didn't earn enough. Being descendants of the Light Party really didn't help in their everyday life. Cyndaquil's parents hardly got paid anything. They had to live off any scrap bits of junk they could get their poor, innocent hands on. It wasn't their fault, really. If Dictator Lunatone wasn't so harsh on the Pokemon of the day, then they wouldn't be in this mess. Her brother, Grovyle, was aiming to go off to college next year, maybe even university. He wanted to be a battle teacher at on of the best acadamies in the country. He'd been training for something like this all of his life. He would have made it into the Youth Battle Championships if he wasn't a Pokemon of the day. The judges were so mean!

"Cynadquil!" a voice yelled from downstairs. "Come and eat your breakfast."

Cyndaquil groaned. It was a weekend. Why did she have to get up this early? She slowly pulled herself out of bed and half-pulled half-dragged her body, still asleep, down the old, creaky stairs into the main room. Their house was so small, everything was done in one large room. The cooking, the eating, the talking, the work, you name it. She trudged over to the small, confined table at which Grovyle was already sitting at, reading an old, torn, second-hand book on advanced battle styles.

"Oh good, you're awake," Grovyle said after noticing his little sister.

"Morning, bro," Cyndaquil replied. "Are Mum and Dad awake yet?"

"They've already gone to work. They left some toast for you, next to the oven"

"Thanks."

As Cyndaquil sat at the table, munching away on her toast, there was a knock on the door. Grovyle got up at once to answer it. There was a few seconds of silence, followed by:

"Oy, sis! Your friend from school's here."

Cyndaquil quickly raced over to the door to find her friend, a Squirtle, standing there.

"Hi, Cindy!" the Turtle Pokemon said.

"Hi, Shelly!" the Flame Pokemon replied.

"Are you two gonna stand here all day, or are you gonna go outside?" the Gecko Pokemon asked.

"OK, OK!" Cyndaquil exclaimed. "C'mon Shelly, let's go play!"

....................................................................................................

2:00 pm. Cyndaquil and Squirtle were playing in the field next to the house. When suddenly, out from the deep, murky shadows, there came a tremendous cry. The two Pokemon spun around to find themselves facing the edge of the forest. Cyndaquil didn't like the sound of that voice. It sounded like someone in pain. Or someone who worked for Lunatone. They stood there, frozen with fear. Then, out from the depths of the forest, burst a Jynx. She looked like she was a bit weird, psychopathic even! Before Cyndaquil and Squirtle had a chance to run away, she held them to the spot with a Psychic attack. The two Pokemon were unable to move. Slowly, but forcefully, the crazed Pokemon said:

"Heed these words, young descendants of the Light. A terrible war is about to brew. A war as bad as the battle between light and darkness. I sense a great power within both of you young Pokemon. You may be able to stop this war and bring peace between the two parties once and for all. The Solrock and Lunatone from the battle are still alive. The Solrock still encased in the mass of ice, and the Lunatone our leader today. Find Solrock, release him from his pain, call upon-"

POW!

Just as suddenly as it had started, the psychic forcefield around Cyndaquil and Squirtle disappeared. They looked up to see Grovyle face to face with the Jynx, his blades fully open. Cyndaquil smiled. All of his hard work to become a great fighter had finally paid off. She was now going to see her brother in a real battle!

Jynx quickly unleashed a Blizzard. But Grovyle knocked the ice down with Bullet Seed. He then jumped high into the air, and with a swift Brick Break, hit the crazed Pokemon on the head. A critical hit! This rendered Jynx unconsious. After they were all safe for certain, Grovyle quickly ran over the the two younger Pokemon.

"Are you two all right? What happened?"

"That Jynx just came out of no-where," stammered Squirtle. "It held us to the ground with its Psychic attack....."

".....And then it told us something," Cyndaquil continued. "Something about Solrock and Lunatone, something about another battle over light and darkness, something about-"

"Right. Let's go home," Grovyle interrupted. "You can tell me everything in full detail....."

 

[Jonah the Slaking]

Very interesting chapter. I like how the Pokemon actually have school and work.

Just a few things: You need to describe Pokemon attacks in detail. Instead of this:

He then jumped high into the air and brought a tremendous Brick Break on top of the crazy Pokemon.

Go with this:

He then jumped high into the air, and with a swift karate chop, hit the Jynx on the head. The Brick Break rendered the Jynx unconscious.

Other than that, you're doing good. Keep up the good work.

 

[Bobmeister24]

Thanks! Edited the sentence, in a way. I want the Pokemon in my story to have moves which they can learn properly in-game, and I know first-hand that Grovyle can learn Brick Break. So, recapping, I changed the sentence, but kept the Brick Break. Hope anyone else reading the story likes it!

 

[Agent DJ]

"Hi, Cindy!" the Turtle Pokemon said.

"Hi, Shelly!" the Flame Pokemon replied.

This kind of confused me because if these are their names then why do you write Squirtle and Cyndaquil

"That Jynx just came out of no-where," stammered Squirtle. "It held us to the ground with its Psychic attack....."

".....And then it told us something," Cyndaquilcontinued. "Something about Solrock and Lunatone, something about another battle over light and darkness, something about-"

instead of their names? Besides that maybe you might want to add a little more detail. Keep up the good work!
-SV:494::497:

 

[manaphy72]

Ok your story line is amazing just to put out here.

Chapter 1​

There were a few problems I had with the first chapter.
When you were saying the reason why the war was starting you said the word I believe "Stupid dictators". When you say that after the details you put into your story it makes your story go from an amazing well-written story to a childish story sorta. Do not get me wrong, your story is Amazing but that is the problem I had with the first chapter.

Chapter 2​

There is really no problem with this chapter specifically kept you use there species names quite a bit. And you tried using "The fire pokemon" which worked but you could have said "Cindy said "Lets go outside" while Nodding her head at her brother.

 

[6shinyblastoise]

great fic sorry but no time for a review also can u put me o the pm list.

 

[Bobmeister24]

Sorry for the delay, but I've finally released Chapter 3. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Hidden plans

Grovyle was sitting in a tacky, woven chair, studying everything the two younger Pokémon had told him. His head was pointing towards the ground, his eyes were closed, his face in a trance of both confusion and dread. Cyndaquil and Squirtle were sitting cross-legged on the moss-covered floor, anxiously waiting for a reply from the Gecko Pokémon. Suddenly, Grovyle lifted his head and said to the two girls:

“I know that this is all so sudden, but I have to ask you: how can you be sure that a random, crazed Pokémon who you don’t even know is telling the truth?”

“To be honest,” Squirtle squeaked “I’m not so sure myself. Jynx didn’t mess with our minds, I know for sure of that. But about Solrock, I…I just can’t believe it.”

“Come on, Shelly!” Cyndaquil cried. “We’ll never know unless we try!”

“Yes, but trying could also get us all killed.” Grovyle said calmly, as if death didn’t matter. “Lunatone isn’t stupid. If he managed to defeat Solrock all of those years ago, then three kids aren’t going to stop him. It’s pointless to even try.”

Cyndaquil knew that she had lost. There was no point in trying to sway her brother. She knew that once her brother’s mind was set, nothing could change his opinion. She sighed, admitting defeat and trudged upstairs to her room.

As soon as the door was tightly shut behind her, she grabbed a rucksack so she could pack. She may have lost the debate, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try and help Solrock, if he was alive that is. She gathered all of the small belongings that she owned: a cuddly toy Pikachu, a blanket to sleep on, a picture of her family. She paused at this object, taking a long look at her parents, a Sceptile and a Typhlosion, wondering how sad and distraught they would be at her parting. She managed to break eye-contact with the photo and put it in her bag with her other possessions. She strapped the rucksack to her back and turned to leave, only to find her brother standing there.

“I knew that you weren’t going to change your mind about leaving.” Grovyle started.

Cyndaquil stumbled for words. “I...I’m not…leaving….er…I’m…”

“...And that’s why I’m coming with you.” He finished.

“Brother…..I…”

“You can’t survive in this world alone. While Lunatone is still alive, nobody is safe. You need to be with someone on your travels. Therefore, I’m coming with you.”

Cyndaquil took all of this in graciously, thanking Arceus above for giving her a kind and loving brother. She agreed to him coming and walked past him, down the stairs towards the front door. She opened it and, to her surprise, saw Squirtle waiting there with camping gear on her back.

“Come on, Cindy!” She exclaimed energetically. “This world isn’t going to be saved on its own!”

Cyndaquil could almost cry. She was now accompanied by her best friend and her brother, the best fighter she knew. After a quick discussion between the three youngsters, they set off in the direction of an adventure to bring peace to the PokéWorld and save Solrock.

 

[Knightfall]

Good to see a new chapter up.

This chapter was a little on the shorter side, but it moved the story on a bit.

I think that if you lengthen the chapters just by a few paragraphs it'd help, but that's only my oppinion.
Over all it was a decent job. Keep going.

'Til the next chapter,

Knightfall signing off...;005;

Edit: Rank Up!!!

 

[Bobmeister24]

Hello everyone! I’m sorry that I haven’t been on Serebii in a while, but I decided to come back and finish writing my fanfics. So here’s Chapter 4 of ‘Searching for Solrock’. Hope you like it!

Chapter 4: On the run

And so Cyndaquil, Grovyle and Squirtle set off on their journey. They didn’t know where it would take them, or what they would have to do, but they did have one objective that they made sure never to forget: Find Solrock. As well as this, they were also hoping to get back in one piece. Onwards they went, journeying from dusk until dawn; it was never safe during the day, in case they came across one of Lunatone’s spies. During that time, they would hide in groves and bushes by the road, each taking turns as a lookout and all of them trying to get as much sleep as they could.

It was early in the morning of their second day from home, and it was Cyndaquil’s turn to keep watch. This gave her some time to think. To think about her family, her dear parents and her grandmother. She was worried for them, wondering what they were doing, whether they had set out to try and find them. The time flew by reasonably quickly whilst she was thinking this, and it was only until about three hours later that she realised she hadn’t woken Grovyle up to take over as lookout. She scampered over to him, and nudged his shoulder. As quick as lightning, he jumped up, raising his arms to protect himself.

“Don’t worry brother,” Cyndaquil said, reassuringly, “it’s only me. It’s your turn to keep guard.”

“Oh,” he replied, “Right. I’ll take guard then. Thanks for waking me. Now you try and get some sleep, we’ve got a long walk tonight.”

Showing that she understood, she crept over to where Squirtle was sleeping, and after letting out a huge yawn, somehow managed to drift off into a deep slumber.

....................................................................................................

However, it seemed like only a few minutes later that she was woken up by her brother. Squirtle was already awake, standing beside Grovyle, with her things packed.

“Brother, what’s the…”

“Keep quiet,” he ushered. “We have to leave, NOW!”

“But I… I don’t…”

“Get up, quick!” said Squirtle. “There are some of Lunatone’s spies up ahead, we need to leave, quickly now, Cindy!”

Upon hearing this, Cyndaquil leapt up, grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and the three young Pokémon crept through the darkness of the trees.

Outside the trees, on the dusty road, there stood an Umbreon and a Houndoom. They were pacing along the road frantically, looking all around them. They had been searching for a while now, and were getting fed up.

“We were told they’d be coming along this path,” said the Umbreon to his companion, “so WHERE ARE THEY?”

“Shut up!” answered the Houndoom, angrily. “They could be hiding around here, they might have heard us!”

“And so what if they did?” continued the Umbreon. “Our orders were to bring them in. If they heard us, then they’d be moving, and if they were moving, then we would be able to find them, making our job easier. Now keep searching!”

Unfortunately, right at this moment, as they were hiding among some bushes, Squirtle accidently snapped a branch, and the crack resonated around the woody area. Upon hearing this, the two spies turned around towards the direction of the cluster of foliage, and then started running towards it.

“QUICK,” Grovyle shouted, “RUN!”

Cyndaquil and Squirtle listened, jumped up along with their brother, and ran faster than a Whirlwind attack. Through the bushes and weeds, past low-lying branches, jumping over small trenches. Likewise, the two Dark Pokémon followed them. They continued like this until they could see an opening through the trees. The three Light Pokémon surged towards the clearing, but their plan was short-lived. For one half of the clearing was surrounded by the thick woods which they had just escaped from, but the other half was surrounded by a deep river, and then a high slope above that.

After realising that they were at a dead end, they turned to find a different route, but in vain, they saw the Umbreon and Houndoom closing in on them, their faces twisted in a malicious way.

“Well, well, well,” began the Houndoom, “what have we here? A Cyndaquil, a Squirtle and a Grovyle. A full group of light Pokémon!”

“Indeed,” added the Umbreon, “but aren’t you a bit too young to be out on an adventure? Anyway, it matters not. Master Lunatone knows of your intentions, your plans to try and resurrect your leader, Solrock, and you’re all going to have to come with us to pay the price for rebelling.”

They began to advance, slowly pacing towards their prey, who were huddled in a bunch by the riverbank. “Is this it?” Cyndaquil thought to herself, “Did we come so far, just to fail?” She looked at her brother, her loving brother who protected her and her best friend throughout their current struggles. But she found it strange how, at a time like this, he still had a look of defiance and anger on his face. “Well then,” she thought, “if Grovyle can be strong at a time like this, then so can I.”

Then she leaned towards her brother and whispered in his ear: “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I don’t know,” he answered softly, “Are you thinking of creating a distraction of some sorts, after which we can sneak past them and take them out from behind?”

“Exactly,” I said. “You’re the quickest out of us, so I’ll create a distraction whilst you jump behind them, then I’ll attack from the front with Shelly.”

“Sounds like a plan; I’ll give you a signal when the time is right.”

I nodded in agreement, and then faced our enemy, readying myself for an attack.

“Well what’s this?” asked the Umbreon. “It looks like you didn’t hear us, as you’re not standing down. Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to do this the hard way.”

After saying this, Umbreon and Houndoom leapt towards the light Pokémon, but Cyndaquil held her ground, waiting for her brother’s command. They were getting closer and closer, and just before they were about to strike, she heard one single word throughout the chaos:

“NOW!”

At this, Cyndaquil unleashed a fury of fire, pushing their attackers back. Having realised what their enemies were attempting to do, Umbreon sent a wicked Dark Pulse in synchronisation with Houndoom, who fired a stream of flame. Cyndaquil sent a Flamethrower to hold the attacks back, but she couldn’t hold it up any longer.
Fortunately, right at this moment, a wave of water came gushing past Cyndaquil and crashed right into the faces of the dark Pokémon. Stunned for a brief moment as to where such a powerful attack had come from, she noticed that it was Squirtle, who was now standing by her side.

“Come on Cindy, let’s do this for the good of Pokémon-kind,” she said clear enough for all to hear.

Cyndaquil was glad that her friend had managed to take control of the situation, and side by side, they unleashed flurries of fire and water attacks; not just to attack though, but to cause a distraction. They were locked in ranged combat with their fearsome opponents for what seemed like ages, but suddenly Umbreon and Houndoom’s attacks stopped, and as they fell to the floor unconscious, it was revealed that Grovyle had struck them from behind with a couple of swift Brick Breaks.

“Well then, they should be out for a good hour or so,” Grovyle explained to the others, “so we should really find another route. I don’t think it will be safe on the main road anymore.”

“Just leave that to me!” Squirtle exclaimed. At this point she pulled a map out of her backpack. After studying it for about five minutes, she looked up at the rest of the company.

“According to this map, if we follow this river, we can stay close to the main path, but not so close that we should be seen really easily.”

“Great!” Cyndaquil replied. “So does this mean we’ll have to walk or is there another way?”

Just then, Grovyle called the others over to a clump of bushes. To their amazement, there was an old but fairly stable raft lying there.

“I think we’ve found our other way” he said.

After making sure the raft was safe and that it would support them, they set out along the river, continuing their quest to find Solrock, and bring peace for everyone.

....................................................................................................

At the foot of a group of hills lay an old, abandoned, wooden shack, into which two dark figures walked. Inside was a button, which one of them pressed. Suddenly, part of the floor opened up, and the planks which they stood on moved down deep into the ground. As the platform moved down, a large control room came into view, full of monitera and little flashing lights. All around them were small Sableye, running around completing errands.

When they had stopped moving, the figures walked of the platform, almost limping, in fact. They walked forward and through a large steel-framed door. All around them were Pokémon sitting around desks and computers, discussing tactics and manoeuvres. The two figures walked forwards towards the middle of the room, where another Pokémon was standing on a raised platform, above all the other Pokémon. As the figures approached, their features could be seen: an Umbreon and a Houndoom, both wounded and scarred, with blood dripping from gashes down their backs. When they reached the platform, they stopped, and then bowed with some difficulty as their legs were stiff and hurt them.

“Master, we have returned,” they said in unison to the Pokémon on the platform. In response to this, the creature turned around, and he was seen clearly in the light which shone from above: a Lunatone.

“I can see that,” he replied. “Now then, I sent you out to capture those mischeivous kids, rough ‘em up a bit, and then bring them here so that I could put them in there place, did I not? So tell me, WHERE ARE THEY?”

“Sir, these Pokémon,” replied the Umbreon, “they are strong, really strong. We completely underestimated them, and they completely annihilated us.”

“You don’t say?” answered the Lunatone in a sly manner. “Perhaps they aren’t as mindless as I thought, if they could take out you two. Very well then, looks like I will need to teach those punks a lesson…”

 

[Bobmeister24]

Chapter 5: Then 3 became 4…

It was sunset, with a calm, orange glow filling the sky. There was a light breeze, which helped a small raft travel down a river, which was underneath a row of small mountains. Cyndaquil, Grovyle and Squirtle were on this raft, each taking turns to steer with only one paddle so that the raft wouldn't crash. At the moment, it was Squirtle’s turn: being a Water-type helped as she knew best how to navigate through water. They had been travelling almost completely non-stop; they decided after their last encounter that travelling by night would be just as dangerous as by day, so they would have to be quick.

On they went, through the waves and gaps in rocks, past small ridges and clumps of rock, their raft bouncing over small waves and short falls in the river, when they reached a large plot of water which spanned thousands of metres, and also ran alongside a patch of trees and land. Squirtle was about to steer the raft to shore when she caught sight of two large shadows underneath the surface of the water. She turned to the others to show them this.

“I don’t like the look of those,” she said, pointing to the dark patches of water.

Cyndaquil and Grovyle looked out from the raft and saw what Squirtle was worried about, but before they could say anything more, a large cascade of water erupted from the water where the shadows were. When the water died down, two large Gyarados were looming above the three Pokémon, looking down with furious red eyes. Whilst they were frozen with fear, the two Gyarados let out ear-splitting cries of rage, followed by a barrage of devastating Hydro Pumps, fired straight at the Light Pokémon, powerful enough to be able to destroy a small city.

The three Pokémon crouched in the raft, waiting in horror for the attacks to reach them. But the attacks never hit them. Cautiously, they lifted their heads and saw the two Gyarados lying unconscious in the water, with a tall, thin figure standing on the raft next to them. He had orange fur, and as he turned to face us, they could see that he had a thin head, long arms and legs, two tails, a large yellow right eye and a big scar over where his left eye would be.

“Well, well,” he said, bearing a huge grin, “It’s been four days, and you still need Buizel’s help! It’s good to see you're all OK."

Cyndaquil and Squirtle looked at each other, not knowing who this guy was, but Grovyle stood up, smiling like he’d never done so before.

“My goodness, Buizel,” he exclaimed, shaking his hand, “Fancy meeting you here! But out of curiosity, why are you here?”

“Funnily enough, I was gonna ask you the sane question. If you want to know, though, then let’s go to shore,” he said, picking up the paddle. “It’s a long story.”

....................................................................................................

Night had come, and the four Pokémon were sitting around a small campfire, providing just enough light for them to see each other and their surroundings, but not so big that it would be seen for miles. Everyone was sitting on wooden logs, and Cyndaquil, Grovyle and Squirtle were looking intently at their new companion, who uttered a long sigh, and then began.

“It was the first morning after you had left. We were all looking for you, we were worried sick. Your parents didn't know what to do,” he said, looking at the others, who were hanging their heads in shame.

“The guards were getting anxious as well, they started interrogating us,” he continued. “They went to all lengths to get information out of us. That’s how I got this,” he said, pointing at the scar on his left eye. “I was just as worried for you guys as everyone else in the neighborhood, I kept thinking about you day and night, wondering if you were OK.”

“What happened next,” Cyndaquil asked.

“In the end, I couldn't stand it any longer. I couldn't bear seeing your families so worried and sad. So I told my parents my plan: to find you guys and make sure you were safe.”

“What did they say to that?” said Squirtle.

“Well, as you could probably guess, they didn’t like the idea, and they said no. But I couldn't give in that easily. So I followed your example: I packed some stuff together, left a note to my parents explaining what I was about to do, and left.”

“Just like that?” Grovyle asked. “Surely Lunatone would have tightened their defenses?”

“He did,” Buizel answered. “I’ll admit, it wasn't easy getting here to you guys. But that matters not. The main thing is that you’re safe, so mission accomplished on my part. Now it’s your turn,” he said, turning to face them. “Tell me, why the hell did you decide to run away?”

“Well,” Cyndaquil said, “we’re sick and tired of living in poverty, seeing all of our friends and family suffer. So we have one objective: Find Solrock, the leader of good from years ago, and bring peace to this world.”

Buizel sat there, speechless, looking at them as if they were completely insane. Finally, he mustered up the ability to give his feedback.

“You’re crazy,” he said, still looking at them in the same manner as before. “You really think you stand a chance on your own, against such a force as Lunatone? He’s got an army of thousands and thousands of Pokémon, all ready to kill you and anyone that gets in his way if he so much as sneezes! Those Gyarados from today and any other Pokémon you may have encountered, wanting to kill you? They were most likely under the command of Lunatone!”

“But that’s why we want to stop him,” Grovyle interrupted, “He’s a madman! If he keeps on doing this, he’ll destroy the whole world.”

“I understand your premise,” said Buizel, “but it’s too dangerous for three young Pokémon to just waltz into his base and attempt to kill him. So I’m coming with you.”

Now it was the others’ turn to look at Buizel as if he was insane. They were wondering why he wanted to risk his life for them, but then he told them why, and then they realized: strength in numbers. If there were more Pokémon willing to fight with them, like Buizel, then they would stand a better chance.

“Very well, friend,” Grovyle answered after a while, “If you want to help this world and join us in our quest, then welcome aboard!”

Nodding in approval, he got up and walked over to the raft. Then he got onto it, and grabbed hold of the paddle.

“C’mon then,” he said, “We might as well make a move!”

Everyone agreed, and they jumped onto the raft just as Buizel was pulling away from shore. They felt much safer with another friend by their side, and they knew that this was a huge step forward in the search for Solrock.

 

[Bobmeister24]

After about 2 years I’ve finally finished another chapter! I just hope it doesn’t get taken down since I’ve been so inactive (exams and more exams and coursework and even more exams, etc.). Anyway, here’s Chapter 6 of ‘Searching for Solrock’. It's slightly on the shorter side, but I haven't had many good ideas, and I just want the story to progress a bit further. Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Weakness with age

The lift doors opened, and Lunatone walked out into a long corridor. He glided to the far end, where two Bisharp stood guarding a blast-proof door. Upon seeing Lunatone, the guards moved to the side, saluted, and opened the door to let him pass.

Lunatone was now in a large circular room. The room was very cold, and only the centre of the room wasn’t in complete darkness, for a few spotlights illuminated a small podium, on which stood a large block of ice. The ice was translucent, so Lunatone was able to make out the figure which was encased in the ice: Solrock.

“I haven’t been here for a long time, Solrock,” said Lunatone. “I’m glad to see that you’ve taken the liberty of keeping this place clean!”

Lunatone laughed briefly at his ‘humour’ and continued: “The reason that I’m here is that I thought that you’d like to know that there appears to be a small uprising; a group of kids are keen to set you free.” He paused for a moment and then said: “Well, it’s of no concern to you. I am more powerful than them; enslaving you is proof of that. You just continue being in isolation and I’ll make sure to teach those infants a lesson.”

Lunatone turned away from Solrock and started walking towards the door when he stopped and, still looking towards the door, said: “It’s no use trying to act like you’re asleep, Solrock. I know that you’re reading my thoughts telepathically.”

Suddenly, Lunatone heard a voice in the back of his mind, which said: “I pity you, Lunatone. You have the appearance and experience of an old warrior, yet the naivety of a young boy. You just see a bunch of arrogant children who are trying to mess with you, yet you fail to admit that these Pokémon have the upper hand over both you and a hundred-thousand-strong army.”

Lunatone knew that this voice was Solrock telepathically communicating with him, and he didn’t like it one bit. He turned back in anger and shouted: “And so what? They may have won a battle but they’ve lost this war before it’s even begun! And besides, what are you going to do about anything?”

“Actually,” replied Solrock, “I’ve done more than you know. For the past 200 years, I’ve been storing energy in my body to use at a time when your powers would start to weaken. I used this energy exactly four days ago, when these children first became a problem. I was able to telepathically communicate an old friend of mine, a Jynx, who’s been alive almost as long as us, and who knew of these Pokémon and told them to look for me.”

Lunatone couldn’t believe this. “How? Surely your powers would weaken too? I mean, you’re as old as me!”

“No, not old,” Solrock answered solemnly, “Just experienced.”

Lunatone was about to retaliate, but decided that he didn’t have a good enough comeback. He turned away from Solrock once more and stormed out of the cell. After the guards had closed the blast doors behind him, he turned to them and said:

“Double the security at once. Make sure the prisoner is monitored at all times. No-one is to enter or leave this room without either my or a senior officer’s permission, do you understand?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” replied the two Bisharp in unison.

Lunatone went back the way he came and entered the lift with thoughts as to what had just happened still on his mind. How had Solrock been able to store such energy? If he released his energy and is restoring more energy, then just how much more powerful could he become?

…………………………………………………………………………

It was about late afternoon. A small raft was gliding along the waters of a huge lake, on which Cyndaquil, Grovyle, Squirtle and their new companion Buizel were huddled together. They had been travelling for what seemed like hours after their last stop, and they were all worn out. They had travelled in almost complete silence, and Grovyle couldn’t stand it much longer; he had to talk about something, just to keep him and everyone else sane.

“Say, Buizel,” Grovyle asked, “you know a lot about the world, yes? Do you know just how big this lake is?”

“Actually, this isn’t really a lake.” He replied. “It’s technically a river, it’s just that the riverbanks have become further and further apart over the years as the water erodes the earth.”

“He’s not asking for a geographical description about rivers and lakes,” Cyndaquil interrupted. “He just wants to know if you know how long this river is.”

“Oh. Well,” continued Buizel, “this is the river Serperior, named so because Serperior is large in length, and this is one of the longest rivers in the world, approximately 250km long.”

“Wow,” Grovyle replied in astonishment. “So are there any places near the river, settlements perhaps?”

“No,” said Buizel. “The land around here is too dangerous. The earth isn’t strong enough, and when trying to cross it to reach other places, most don’t make it to the other side.”

“Umm, guys?” piped a small voice. The others turned around to see that the source of the voice was Squirtle’s.

“What is it?” Cyndaquil asked.

“Well, um, you say that there isn’t anywhere near here for miles, and this river just keeps on going, yes?”

“That’s right,” said Buizel.

“And, er, just going back to why we’re here, we’ re here to find Solrock, yet we don’t really know where he is? Except that Lunatone has him, but we don’t know where Lunatone is either?”

“Yes,” said Grovyle, “but what does this have to do with your question?”

“Well, it’s just that, um, if we don't know where we are, or where we're headed, then, er…where are we going?”