Chapter 21: Sinnoh’s Grand Underground

Illya looked down at her newest party member. “Okay, so you want to be… beautiful.” She arched one eyebrow. “I have no problems helping with that, though I don’t think I’m the right person to ask.” Pausing, she clarified, “I’m better at power; though I can appreciate something beautiful, it’s not my personal style.”

The Feebas looked back up at her, eyes lidded, then sighed. “You are beautiful, ma’am, and you have a style of your own. Even if you don’t want to be beautiful for its own sake, you should pay attention to your appearance.” Feebas shifted in her water bubble. “Honestly, I could just use a prism scale, but it feels like such a shortcut. Not to mention expensive.”

Illya’s lips pursed in a small scowl. “Maybe I could be prettier, but I don’t want to be a doll.” She muttered.

Shirou looked up from the pot of rice boiling over the fire, one hand flipping a pat of Spam in a nearby pan. “I don’t get it.”

“Shirou, I suspect Illya had to go through a lot of training to look ‘right’ in order to represent the Einzberns properly,” Ritsuka spoke up from where he was lazing next to the fire. “Pink goth is likely a choice done to express her freedom, among other things.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Shirou acknowledged with a shrug, not exactly understanding but happy that Illya was happy as she was. “Thanks, Ritsuka.”

Isabella looked up from her prep station, molding balls of sticky rice together with the fried spam slabs and avocado to form nigiri, wrapping each finished ‘sandwich’ with seaweed. “Yeah, raising Feebas is considered pretty difficult. They’re not that common, and it’s tricky to help them get strong and pretty enough to evolve.” She shrugged, hands continuing to move. “Milotic are great, don’t get me wrong. But for a lot of trainers it’s not worth the effort.”

Illya smiled, patting her new partner on the head. “I don’t see why. As far as I can tell, any Pokemon you raise is going to take effort. This one just takes more thought than ‘fight better’, isn’t that right?”

Shirou nodded absently turning the last of his ingredients onto the prep station. “That’s the case in my experience. Alright, give us fifteen, and we’ll have lunches for everyone ready to go.” He looked over at Illya. “What exactly are you hoping to find in the Grand Underground, Illya? I don’t recall any stand-out mineral veins in the area…”

“Pokemon, general experiences, and whatever loot that Beni guy left on the map he left with Professor Rowan’s family.” Illya rattled off quickly.  “One of the markings is near here, under a cipher which no one bothered to crack. I still need to pay back Cynthia-nee for that Dawn stone.”

“Pokemon? Looking for a rock type?” Shirou asked as his hands began to blur, quickly assembling the remaining lunches.

“The Grand Underground is different.” Isabella butted in, wagging one finger. “Pokemon from all over the world make pilgrimages to the Spear Pillar. Some of them stick around, and take up residence in the various Secret Grottos, biome caves, and hidden realms under Mount Coronet.” She motioned to the rock walls around their campsite. “You can find all sorts of Pokemon down there.”

“There are many Pokemon below the mountain! There are even a local population of Riolu and Lucario separate from the Lucario Kingdom!” Yagi stated cheerfully from where he was doing pushups on one hand, switching every ten repetitions to the other to ensure he developed his muscles evenly. “I wonder if we shall run into them?”

“That would be nice. I’m still struggling to put together that book Akari asked me to write.” Shirou remarked, finishing the last of the cooking. “You’re very helpful, Yagi, but ‘clench your muscles and focus’ is not good advice for how to use Aura. At least, if you’re not a Riolu.”

“I still don’t see why you forgave her so easily, Shirou,” Illya grumbled, bitterness still present from their prior encounter lingering for longer than Shirou had expected. “She and that other woman hurt you.”

“They hurt Yagi. They scared me.” Shirou corrected. “But to be less… pedantic, three reasons.” He sorted the nigiri into boxes, latches clicking shut. “First, she was passing on this request from her boss. You know…”

“Almighty Arceus,” Isabella swore.

“Precisely,” The red-haired boy continued. “Second, she did give us prior warning and recompense after.” His gaze narrowed. “Have you enjoyed that book of Fairy magics she sent you?”

“... Yes,” Illya grumbled, forced to acknowledge Shirou’s point. “Doesn’t mean I have to like her though.”

“No, but you should also respect that I don’t hold it against her in the slightest, and realize that I’m a tad upset you’re carrying a grudge for my sake that I don’t hold,” Shirou pointedly stated, perhaps chopping a vegetable a little harder than was absolutely necessary. “You are my sister, not my keeper.”

“Yeah, that’s my job,” Ritsuka spoke up from beside the fire.

Illya crossed her arms. “I will be as protective of my family as I want!” she huffed. “...but I’ll stop.”

“Thank you.” Shirou raised a third finger. “Finally, this book I’m writing is intended to be used to train the next Chosen One. The better their chances of success, the higher the chance I don’t get conscripted as his understudy. Or replacement.”

“You… wouldn’t be able to replace the chosen,” Matilda pointed out with a shrug. “Chosen don’t work like that. At least, not from what I understand.”

“Here’s hoping, but I don’t want to test it,” Shirou shot back. “And if that is the case, I think helping them is a good idea anyway.” He closed up the last lunchbox. “Right. That’s six party-sized portable lunches ready. Each of us should take two, one for today, and one for an emergency. The spells I put on the boxes should keep them fresh for up to two weeks.”

Illya smiled. “Thanks Shirou!” She tucked her lunches into her bag. “Hope you have a good day, brother.”

“I’ll come with you to the dig, Illya. I may want to take a look around, myself.” Shirou smiled back at his sister. “No reason for me to sit around.”

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Shirou brushed off his legs, peering around in the near-pitch darkness of the tunnel. “...I suppose I did jinx it,” Shirou muttered, peering up the slope he’d tumbled down. “Getting up shouldn’t be too tricky…” He mused, kneeling to pick up his lantern.

“I told you so, Shirou,” Ristuka grumbled as he picked himself up from the floor, shaking his scales in a manner reminiscent of a dog shaking off water, “I told you not to jinx things! Murphy is a hateful, hateful bastard.”

Shirou sighed, turning on his lantern. “I have some rope in my bag, or we should be able to just hop back up…” His voice trailed off as a pair of beady eyes peered out of the darkness. A stocky quadruped trundled out of the wall, horn leading.

The Rhyhorn snorted. “Huh. Hey, are you intruders?”

“Definitionally we are, but we didn’t intend to intrude so I suppose we're not,” Ritsuka snarked blandly, looking quite fed up with the way things were going, “We’ll be leaving as soon as we figure out how to get back up to the path we tumbled down from.”

“Intruders!” Rhyhorn said excitedly, tromping his feet. “Awesome! Mom said I can only charge at intruders! This is great!” He reared back, and with a bellow, broke into a headlong rush. “Take Down!”

Shirou scrambled to the side, wincing as the Rhyhorn crashed into the wall. The unstable wall above the crash site shuddered, then fell down upon the Rhyhorn, taking the passage back the way they’d come with it. “...Ritsuka. What was that about taunting Murphy?”

Ritsuka pouted, looking up at Shirou with wide eyes. “I plead the fifth.”

Rhyhorn shook his way out of the wall. “Hey, no fair using rock slide on me!” He grumbled. “Stay still and get trampled! I need the practice!”

“... I’m… Not even going to comment,” Shirou blinked, looking at his starter in genuine confusion. "Is he just…”

“Stupid?” Ritsuka shrugged, shaking his head. “No idea. But I’d rather not get trampled so…”

“Right. Iron Tail, if you’d please.” Shirou commanded.

“With pleasure~” His dragon that was sometimes his dragoness chirped, launching himself forward and slamming his tail down into the Ryhorn’s faceplate, before cocking his head to the side and winking at him, a series of pink hearts splashing against the Rhyhorn “You wouldn’t wanna hurt little ole me, would ya, big boy~”

“... I will never not be weirded out when you randomly shift sexes mid fight just to get the optimal use out of attract, Ritsuka,” Shirou mumbled, burying his face in his hands in second hand embarrassment, his starter’s ears twitching as her tail lashed in amusement.

The ball on his waist sprang open, Yagi hitting the floor with a happy yip. “Yosh! Gender is just a construct anyway!” He said, flexing.

The Rhyhorn shook his head, staring at Ritsuka in confusion. “...you’re talking funny. Trample!” He roared again, preparing to charge. Ritsuka smacked him a second time, laying him out cold.

“Too young for that to work, I guess…” she muttered. “Well, I guess…” She trailed off as a much larger shape emerged from the tunnel nearby, eyes staring down at her coolly. “Oh dear.”

The Rhydon just sighed. “Apologies for my son. He’s… very enthusiastic.” She reached over and lifted the unconscious kid onto her shoulder, then turned and walked back the way she’d come. “Hope you all get out safely.” She grumbled over her shoulder.

Shirou looked around, swinging his lantern. “Well, at least she thinks it’s possible…” he muttered.

Yagi sniffed the air, peering back the way the Rhydon went. “The air back there smells like Rhyhorn and Rhydon, with a lot of dead air. Likely her den,” he said seriously. “We need to go the other way.”

Shirou nodded, then turned and headed down the other direction of the tunnel. Passing through the dimly lit space, he kept his head on a swivel, peeking into each small side passage with his Aura sight, wincing as he passed hollow after hollow filled with Pokemon. “Illya is going to be pissed. Or she’s going to make some comment about protagonist luck again…”

“She really needs to watch less anime,” Ritsuka replied simply, eyes locked ahead as she kept watch. “Real life isn’t an anime. Then again, all fiction has a basis in reality, so maybe she’s on to something?”

“Yosh! Much of anime training is viable!” Yagi said, then quailed as both his partners glared at him. “Ah… in moderation, yes…”

Shirou nodded, squinting as light spilled from around the bend. “Hmm. That’s not daylight…” he muttered dismally. Rounding the corner, the group found themselves overlooking a large chamber, filled with massive glowing crystals, plants growing in their light. Small Pokemon of all sorts foraged through the grasses and bushes, or splashed in the small pools, while larger individuals watched or trundled about. “...whoa…”

“... It certainly is a breathtaking sight.” Ritsuka breathed, awe coloring her voice as she craned her neck around like an excited tourist.

“Indeed! It is a truly YOUTHFUL cavern!” Yagi barked with holding his hand out with his thumb facing the sky, “Ah, my YOUTH overflows!”

“...I still don’t get your misuse of that adjective.” Ritsuka muttered as the group wound their way down to the ‘floor’ of the cavern. As they descended, many of the smaller Pokemon looked back up at them, then darted towards their larger guardians and kin, who roused themselves from their torpor to guard them. “Huh, I don’t think they’re friendly…”

“We are… not trespassers, but outsiders,” Shirou allowed, eyeing a pack of Togepi and Ralts, watched over by a pair of Togekiss. “There may not have ever been humans down here.”

“I doubt it, but we haven’t made any aggressive moves towards them. This is needlessly cautious, even for the wilds.” Ritsuka shook her head, eyes sharpening. “Something may have spooked them.”

“You’re not the first humans to come here, no.” A dull voice echoed through the space the three found themselves in. A squat figure, dark in color with an exposed skull as his head, walked from behind one of the smaller crystals, a burning bone clenched in his hand. The Marowak tapped the dirt of the cave floor with his torch, placing it back over his shoulder. “This place is a safe place for the young to gather, battle, and gain strength. Most humans who come here seek to capture the children. Granted-” the Marowak allowed “-most don’t have a Riolu vouching for them.”

“We simply tumbled into these grounds, Honored Shaman.” Yagi replied, bowing curtly, before he raised his eyes and look at the Alolan Marowak, “What troubles you?”

“... Why aren’t you this professional more often, Yagi?” Ritsuka sighed, rolling her eyes heavensward. “But as Yagi stated,” She continued more seriously, taking an attentive pose as she glanced around the caverns, “What seems to be the problem? Everyone here is tense, and if I’m not completely misreading the room, it wasn’t us that caused it, though we did add to it.”

“Three moons ago, a pair of humans burrowed their way into this place through the man-made tunnels. They came with nets, Pokeballs, and poisons, following those of us who wander in and out.” Marowak sighed. “They, and their partners, did not survive their attempt, but neither did several of our guardians.” He huffed. “We have been awaiting retribution since.”

Ritsuka raised her eyebrows, “It is… uncommon for the legends to take attention to such a small incident. What makes you think that there will be retribution, Shaman? It could, after all, have been an isolated incident.”

Shirou nodded in agreement, “I’ve not heard of any poaching groups infringing on wild-held-territory since I got here, and the current events I keep up with haven’t mentioned anything either.”

“Human deaths often bring responses,” Marowak responded. “And we did not know that there were not more.” He shrugged. “It has left us all on edge.”

Shriou nodded. “Is there a way out we could use? We fell into these caves by accident, and the way back was blocked.”

Marowak titled his head. “I know of several which can be accessed by one of your size. However, I smell magic upon you, as well as aura.” He huffed. “You might be able to help us. In exchange, I’ll guide you out myself.”

“Equivalent exchange?” Shirou tilted his head to the side, pondering if Illya would find his desire to help the Pokemon acceptable. “That sounds fair, Marowak. You have a deal.”

“Quick to agree.” The fiery ghost pointed his bone towards a side passage. “Since the raid, it’s been slow going rebuilding the sleeping chambers we once had. That way has more space, but there’s an old human structure buried there; one surrounded by traps which reset themselves.” He grimaced. “We can’t let the kids go too close. Too easy for them to be hurt.”

“You want me to disarm them?” Shirou asked, largely to clarify what the ghost wanted him to do.

“Clear the whole place out, if you can,” Marowak confirmed. “If we’re going to make it part of the warrens, we need them all gone.” He paused. “I’m certain there are Ghosts and a few asocial types hiding out in there as well. You may need to drive them off.”

“Why?” Ritsuka asked, sounding genuinely confused. “Would it not be better to politely ask them to relocate?”

“Oh, we’ve tried. Tried to get them to help us clean the tunnels out, tried to get them to leave so we could demolish the place, back when we had a Rhyperior helping out.” He snorted. “Sometimes you get a ghost or two who has too deep a grudge, sets the whole tone for the place. Pretty certain they died in there, and now it won’t leave, along with its whole skulk.”

Yagi winced. “Ah… while I am certain we could deal with normal ghosts, I do not believe we qualify as exorcists. Unless Lord Arceus or Lady Akari has given either of you a totem?” He asked his partners uncertainty.

“Nope.” Ristuka blinked, popping the P.

“I most certainly don’t have the training to be an exorcist,” Shirou nodded. “Nor any totems or tools of exorcism.”

“If you take apart their lair, I can do that part myself,” Marowak shrugged. “Just… other than the leader, most of those folks aren’t bad Pokemon. Knock them out if you must, but try not to resort to lethal tactics.”

“Goes without saying.” Shirou nodded, “No sense in going for lethality unless we have no other choice.”

“Glad to hear that.” Marowak said. “If you can’t handle things fully, I’ll understand. But it needs doing, and just trying…” He looked around, and Shirou followed his gaze to pan over the nervous, if now-relaxed, Pokemon gathered in the cave. “It’ll reassure them you’re worthy of trust.”

Shirou nodded, not replying vocally as he got ready to do his work. He was, after all, racing against the clock to some extent. Who knew when Illya would do something more insane than she regularly did to find him or follow after him, after all…

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Illya paused, tilting her head. “Matilda, I suddenly feel vaguely insulted. Should I feel insulted?”

“I wouldn’t know, my queen.” Her Sylveon responded, feelers carefully supporting the stone slab they were carving off the wall. “Perhaps you should ruminate on that when we’re not dealing with 200 kilograms of rock?” She continued, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“Oh, right.”

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Shirou sniffed at the entrance to the tunnels, his nose wrinkling. “...there’s definitely magic down there. Smells like… blade oil, bitter almonds, and silk. Odd combination,” he muttered. Frowning, the magus (Illya had beat it into his head that she wasn’t going to stand for him being a third rate spellcaster) kneeled down, taking in the ‘scent’ of magic more carefully, ruminating the implications over in his head as he went over the lessons that Illya had beaten into his head.

Blade oil. That meant… well, to Shirou, that particular scent meant someone aligned not just with steel-types, but with the sort of razor’s edge that came with focus. In a magical sense, that meant something targeted, and likely lethal.

Bitter almonds. Cyanide. Maybe not that particular poison, but poison all the same. Combined with silk, that meant something delicate, hidden, refined. Nothing about the workings below were natural, and they were meant to be unobtrusive and lethal. Traps indeed.

But silk… silk was odd. Silk meant strength, soft strength. Flexible strength. Shirou frowned, biting his bottom lip. Silk, in this case, meant adaptive. Whoever had laid these traps might have made them work in multiple manners, not just the obvious one.

More things pointing towards this being one of the hideouts that Beni had left behind for prospective apprentices. Shirou sighed as he stood. “Well, Illya isn’t going to find what she’s looking for. Beni’s hideout is down there, and we’re going to get there first.”

“I’m sure your sister will be down shortly, Shirou. She is an Alchemist.” Ritsuka shrugged, shuddering at some of the mysteries that Illya had demonstrated. It had been so hilariously creepy being a doll. Granted, she’d volunteered, but still.

“Maybe. But she didn’t even know about these tunnels. They weren’t marked on any maps, at least,” Shirou said quietly, advancing to crouch beside the slope downward. “Unless she can sense the spellwork all the way up there, we’re going to be on our own.” He sniffed one last time, then shifted his weight and slid down the incline.

At the bottom of the slope, Shirou hopped over a line of stones which reeked of almonds. “Okay, let’s see… enchanted pottery, pull in foul air and release the trigger. How to disarm them…” He muttered, kneeling to inspect the stone covering the pot, carefully staying a meter away from the gas landmine. “Trace on…” He muttered, opening his magic circuits as he cast the most basic of his mysteries; structural grasp. The landmine revealed its secrets to him, and deftly, Shirou disarmed it, going through the correct sequence with the swiftness and confidence of someone who knew the exact method of properly disarming the weapon would have.

“Using your skills to so easily take apart even magical obstructions… truly you are a genius of hard work!” Yagi yipped as he slid down past the deactivated trap.

“Uh-huh.” Ritsuka’s wings flared as he landed beside Shirou. “Hmm. I smell… I think there are three more traps in the immediate area?” She paused, paw glowing with magic as she focused intently. “Yeah, at least three more. I’m not as good as you are with this yet, but I have more magical energy to work with so I can kinda brute force widening the area of effect.”

Shirou nodded. “Yes. I’ll handle the dismantling, if you two will watch my back. I think there’s already a couple of Pokemon watching us down here, and it would only take one shove to push me into something I’m working on.”

Yagi nodded firmly, turning to face the rear. His eyes flared blue, and he took a quick combat stance. “I’d advise you to stay back.” He warned.

Shirou and Ritsuka both turned to see a white-furred Sneasel peering at them from the darkness. The little fighting type bared their teeth. “You three must have a death wish, straying into here. Did bone-head send you to do his dirty work?”

“Not really dirty work, more EOD. If you don’t know what that means, it’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal,” Ritsuka replied with more than a fair bit of prim sarcasm, “Certainly not dirty, and of a higher class than some base ruffian calling Ser Marowak a slur.”

“Explosive… wait, you can disarm the traps.” Sneasel said, eyeing the second trap Shirou had turned back to digging out of the wall. “Oh, it’s gonna be mad…” The little pokemon turned and scurried back into the darkness without another word.

“...that makes me vaguely nervous. Anyone else getting that vibe? Just me?” Ritsuka asked after a moments’ thought.

“... Indeed. I do feel as if our quest may not be as easy as anticipated,” Yagi nodded, turning to look at Shirou, “It would serve to be careful, Shirou.”

“It’ll be fine. We aren’t going to abandon Marowak,” Shirou replied soothingly.

“Yosh,” Yagi nodded firmly. He wouldn’t be that dishonorable, no matter what they faced!

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Sneasel gulped as she hopped down the ledges, patterring towards the darkest areas of the warrens. Hopping over bones, she quickly looked away from the debris of the dead; shed claws, feathers, clothing, and teeth half-buried in fetid earth. She reached the lowest ledge, peering down. “Ah… boss? It’s me… the gate guard.”

Sneasel backed up as green flames lit the space below, purple light rising upward. A pair of slanted eyes formed out of the green fire, peering at her. Y̴o̷u̵ ̷h̸a̷v̶e̸ ̵l̵e̷f̶t̸ ̶y̵o̸u̶r̷ ̸p̸o̴s̷t̵.̵ ̸W̶h̶y̵?̷

Doing her best not to let her nerves show, she did her best to look towards her boss. “There’s a human and his Pokemon disarming the traps. You said to inform you if there was anything or anyone that I could not deal with at the gates.”

I̸n̷t̵r̵u̵d̵e̷r̵s̶ ̷c̸a̴n̸ ̵b̶e̴ ̵h̸a̸n̵d̶l̶e̸d̶ ̴b̶y̴ ̵t̴h̷e̶ ̸t̴r̵a̷p̴s̷-̵ ̸h̷o̶l̵d̶.̵ ̷W̷h̶a̴t̷ ̵d̴o̵ ̵y̸o̵u̶ ̶m̷e̴a̸n̵,̵ ̷d̵i̶s̵a̷r̶m̷i̸n̸g̷?̵ ̵T̷h̸e̶y̴ ̵r̸e̸s̵e̷t̴ ̸o̶v̸e̸r̵ ̸t̵i̷m̴e̴.̷ The amalgam of soul fragments snarled, rising further, its purple form gaping open to reveal a jagged, green mouth.

“They’re removing the traps. As in, they know where they are and how to remove them. I didn’t stick around to find out how,” Sneasel explained nervously, realizing that she had erred.

Fortunately for her, the ancient monster didn’t seem to notice her flinch. It tilted back, inhaling, wisps of power converging on it from all over its lair. .̶.̷.̵m̶a̶g̷i̶c̸.̸ ̶L̶i̴v̷i̷n̸g̴ ̵m̶a̸g̷i̵c̵,̶ ̸H̷U̸M̸A̸N̶ ̸m̷a̵g̴i̴c̷.̶  The b̶eing spread its arms, rising and cackling, its rotation increasing. F̵i̴n̷a̵l̶l̶y̸,̵ ̴a̶f̵t̸e̸r̵ ̸c̷e̴n̷t̵u̷r̵i̸e̶s̴ ̴o̴f̷ ̴s̸c̵r̵a̷p̵s̷.̴.̸.̸ ̵a̴ ̸F̴E̶A̵S̷T̶!̶ ̴U̷N̷I̴T̸Y̸!̴

It lowered itself, a hand forming out of the purple smog and jamming a finger into the shaking chest of its minion. ̸T̷e̷l̶l̵ ̴t̶h̵e̶ ̷o̵t̶h̶e̴r̴s̸,̴ ̸a̴l̵l̸ ̷o̴f̸ ̵o̷u̴r̴ ̴k̸i̷n̴.̴ ̸H̶a̴r̶a̷s̷s̷ ̴t̷h̷e̵m̴,̴ ̶b̴r̵e̷a̵k̸ ̵t̴h̶e̷m̵;̸ ̸I̶ ̴c̶a̷r̵e̴ ̵n̷o̷t̷ ̸w̷h̸a̷t̶ ̴t̸h̷e̵y̸ ̴d̶o̶ ̵w̸i̷t̴h̴ ̷t̶h̷e̸i̷r̶ ̴c̷o̶m̷p̵a̷n̷i̷o̷n̴s̵,̷ ̵b̵u̵t̶ ̴t̷h̵e̸ ̴M̶a̴g̴e̴s̶'̴ ̴s̸o̸u̶l̷ ̵i̴s̸ ̸M̵I̶N̷E̸!̵

“At once, boss!” Sneasel saluted, more than happy to take the opportunity to get the heck out of the dodge. She’d do exactly that and fuck right off, thank you. Her boss was more insane than she thought, and mama had taught her enough to know that it was time to bounce before she died.

And as she ran, waves of murky essence began to trail behind her, weaving down side passages, the ancient Spiritomb behind her cackling as it gathered its power, readying itself for the goal it had so long pursued.