“Welp,” Ethan knelt down behind the stalagmite that had become their impromptu meeting spot. Chatot had kindly asked the Golbat what pokemon lived in the room ahead and translated for him. The Zubat were scared and frightened, but didn’t act hostile. He was glad that they weren’t like their video-game counterparts. “I have good news and I have bad news.”
“Bad news first.”---“Good news first.” Ash and Brock said, at the exact same time. Their voices echoed through the cavern.
“Good news, that mystery pokemon is too large to come through that tunnel.” Ethan nodded off towards the tunnel the other two trainers had left through. “Bad news… I’m ninety-nine percent sure it’s a Steelix and could create a tunnel to get here if it wanted to.”
“Are you sure?” Dawn asked as she hugged her Pachirisu for comfort at the news.
Ethan nodded and grimaced. “If you guys know of any other pokemon that's big, long, silver colored, metallic, and has—” Ethan paused to air quote. “‘A biggy spike though its middle’” He lowered his hands, putting his elbows on his crouched knees, “Then I’d love to hear it.”
“That’s a Steelix, alright.” Brock affirmed. “Did the pokemon have any other information?”
He shook his head, “No. They either don’t have a good grasp of direction down here, or didn’t know how to properly explain. They said there were tunnels, but not how many or where they went.”
Their small group debated on the best course of action as Ash had a terrible idea. “We have to go down there. The other two trainers might be in trouble.” That was nearly the same plan as before. The only difference was that we all knew what we were dealing with now.
Ethan… was afraid. He did not want to confront a wild Steelix. Dawn was also afraid. That much was clear, but… she didn’t object. Looking around, he saw that he would be the only one to speak up against the idea. Maybe it was a difference of culture or sense of risk—Maybe it was the gap of having never been on a journey? He wasn’t sure, but he was feeling out of his depth.
It was true that they should check on the others and the Steelix. He understood that at a logical level, but his fear was making decisions for him.
The freezing cold of the cave wasn’t doing him any favors either, as it was beginning to bring up terrible memories. Ursaring and Smeargle had to have known how he felt, as Smeargle squeezed his hand and Ursaring stood closer by his side, showing her protection. After giving her a smile, Ethan looked at Brock, Dawn, Ash, and the random trainer, finding them all looking at him for his decision. It seemed even they all knew that he wasn’t fully on board.
“I’ll be in the back.” He decided, earning nods and even a grin from Ash.
“Then I’ll be in the lead.” Ash said, earning a nod from Brock.
Dawn joined Ethan’s side, close enough for her Pachirisu’s tail to brush past his arm as it swung about as Ash and Brock started off towards the tunnel ahead. The trainer they’d found stayed back, probably to warn off any others who stumbled along after them.
As they made their way through the much narrower tunnel, Dawn whispered to him. In the cave, all whispers traveled much further than they had any right too. So, all the others also heard what she said. “You get used to it.” She gestured around. “At all the craziness.”
That earned a snort from him. “Not if I can help it. I’d much prefer to die quietly from old age and boredom.”
The sounds of grinding stone and tumbling rocks grew louder and louder as they traveled through the tunnel. Not long after, sounds of deep groans made it to their ears. When they reached the entrance to the next room, Brock swung their light into the room.
The room was a mess. Deep grooves and massive circular tunnels wormed their way upwards and downwards all around—almost as if the room was the inside of a piece of cheese. In the center of the room, a massive metallic snake lay shuddering under an enormous pile of stone. Immediately, Ethan knew that it was a Steelix and that it wasn’t doing so well. Some of the boulders surrounding the pokemon had dented its frame, leaving deep gouges and pock marks across its entire body. Its head was free from the rubble and was angled toward their entrance. The pokemon immediately noticed their light and entrance.
Not a second after they slowly stepped into the room, it wriggled and writhed with panic and madness. The face of the buried Steelix was enough to stall their advance; Grim, pained, and angered all at once. Boulders shifted and tumbled down the large pile it was buried under and it tried to free itself from its tomb.
Brock shined the light around the room, ignoring the Steelix for the moment. Obviously, he was looking for the other two trainers that had come before them, but they either were no longer around or buried under the many piles of rubble scattered across the room.
“What do we do?” Ethan asked, readily letting someone else make the decision. He didn’t know the protocol or… about anything really. “Do we free the Steelix and get it some help?”
That earned his incredulous looks from everyone around. “Uhh, no.” Brock said slowly.
“Why?” Ethan pointed to the massive steel-clad pokemon. “It needs it.”
“Because it’s going to lash out as soon as it can and attack everything around it? Which also includes us?” Ash said. His tone was that of speaking to a child, which Ethan did not appreciate at all.
“Well,” Ethan shot back, unhappy, “Do we catch it and give it to the Joys when we get out?”
Ash looked at Brock and completely ignored him. That pissed him off. “Did you see any signs of the other trainers who came along?”
The two of them started a back and forth discussion about what to do as Ethan walked away towards the side of the room to be alone. He turned to Ursaring and Smeargle. “Could you beat that Steelix if you needed to?”
His pokemon shared a look, but it was mostly Smeargle looking at Ursaring for her answer. Ursaring grunted with a nod. “Good. Cause I’m not leaving it alone to rot in a cave, no matter what they say.” He shook Smeargle’s hand to grab his attention, which hasn’t left his own since the very first room. “I assume that big guy is too big to be teleported, so we’re going to do this the old fashioned way. If it wants a fight, I got the others in their balls ready to come and fight. Although, I hope that’s not going to be needed.”
He spoke loudly next, “You guys go on ahead. I’m staying here.”
“Mr. Reed?!” Dawn spluttered.
“I’m staying here to help the Steelix. You guys do what you need to do. Go find the others. End of discussion.” He walked deeper into the room, towards the Steelix, ignoring Brock as he tried to convince him to stay with them.
“Smeargle, a little bit of light please? Not too big, don’t scare Steelix. Explain that it’s for vision, not to hurt it.” Ethan said as he paused about ten feet from its massive head. It was trapped well and good. It tried it best to wiggle free as he grew closer, panicked and scared. It’s anger—It’s anger was probably to defend itself.
A bright trickle of fire appeared above Smeargle’s tail as Smeargle murmured. “Smear… Smeargle-smeee.”
“Ursaring, come help me move some of the rocks from its side.” Ethan took a long path to its side, or where he thought its side would be under the mass of boulders and jagged pieces of stone that had dropped from the roof. As he began moving the first stone, Ethan watched Brock, Dawn, and Ash leave through one of the tunnels near where they came from, leaving him alone.
Ursaring entered his view, standing in front of his gaze with a frown. She didn’t seem to agree with his choice. She chopped the top of his head weakly, chasticing him. “Ow!”
She didn’t speak, only shaking her head in exasperation… but she started to help him move some rocks. “Steelix,” Ethan said loudly, his voice carrying through the room. “We’re going to help you get out. I know what it’s like to be trapped and waiting for help. Please don’t attack us, you’d lose.”
Luckily, Ethan believed that when he said it. So, hopefully his empathy thingymajig would work its magic and help out.
It was going to take a long time to free Steelix enough to be able to move. So, he had a good amount of time to instill his sincerity to help and to not be a threat.
A Steelix would be a good partner to help clear the entrance to Wayward Cave as well…
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Joyce scanned around the debris left by the quake which re-sealed Wayward Cave. Already, the previous excavator helpers were already back at work. Discovering that Wayward Cave’s entrance had been compromised, either due to the weight of the snow or force from the avalaunch, was disastrous news. Normally, caves which held pokemon were well suited even for the most disastrous of Earthquakes thrown about by the wild pokemon within.
Pokemon fought for territory or food. It was a fact of life, but their homes could deal with the force of their battles… Wayward Cave might be doomed. The relocation efforts would be in full swing, if she had her say in the matter.
Her eyes soon landed on the empty section, where nobody was excavating. Without looking away, she tugged on Nurse Julia Joy’s sleeve. Julia wasn’t an unfamiliar face, having been sent to Sinnoh around the same time as she was—right out of schooling. While they weren’t friends, they were acquaintances and familiar with one another. “Who had that spot?” She asked, a pit forming in her stomach. “We’re missing one.”
Julia followed her gaze then checked her clipboard. “Ethan Reed. Maybe he had to go tutor?”
In an instant, Joyce pulled out her phone and dialed Ethan. It went straight to voicemail, not even ringing once. “Excuse me.” Joyce said as she stormed away, right towards Cynthia.
While a lot of people had their phones die on them from lack of charging, she’d known Ethan long enough to know that he lived and died by his music. His Pachirisu had charged his phone whenever he needed it without a fuss. His phone not dialing wasn’t a mistake on his part. It was an emergency.
Something was wrong, and she would get to the bottom of it.