Jordinio Version - Chapter 32.1

You know, it was incredible how chitinous clicking and low, wet hisses could sound so ominous.

Though that might have been more due to the fact that I was currently deep underground.

As it was, it didn't take long before my prey turned up.

Ironically, they hadn't been all that far away actually. If I was interested in catching them before they even realised what was going on, I would have most likely stumbled upon their resting forms in less than twenty seconds.

"Char!" Charmeleon snarled threateningly at the prehistoric beasts that emerged from the darkness into the light provided by his tail and the embers left over from his attack, burning across the ground despite their not being anything to fuel them.

That was the power of Blast Burn.

They were a bit of a ragtag group. Two Kabutops bearing their scythe like arms towards us, twin Kabuto with gleaming golden pincers poised to tear into soft flesh and a pair of Omanyte and Omastar that while much less threatening, were all the more scary looking with their writhing tentacles.

Well not so much the Omanyte, they're kinda cute.

But the bloodshot glares they shot our way for waking them up would have definitely terrified me only a few short weeks ago.

It was hard to find them quite as threatening as I would have though, when I'd previously stared down and overcome the gaping maw of a Gyarados poised to swallow me whole.

"Kabu!" one of the Kabutops snarled and rushed forward, anger and impatience getting the better of it.

It spread its scythe bladed arms outwards and dashed rapidly, its streamlined body literally scything through the air.

It was fast.

Not faster than Charmeleon though.

White energy erupted from the fire types feet and he launched himself at the ancient rock and water type.

Electricity crackled into existence around one scaled fist and Kabutops winged its scythe arms inwardly, gleaming white energy surrounding them and attempting to scissor Charmeleon.

But, it wasn't quick enough.

Charmeleon's thunder punch slammed into Kabutops face and lit its body up with crackling lightning.

The Kabutops snarled as it was launched bodily backwards, but did not fall. Its feet grinded against the ground as it kept itself upright, even though it was knocked back over ten feet.

It shook its head and levelled another bloodshot glare at Charmeleon, no worse for wear despite taking Charmeleon's super effective thunder punch attack.

'Tch!' I clicked my tongue. Just as I expected huh? These things even shook off Pikachu's thunderbolt in canon after all.

Either way, that seemed to be the signal that triggered the other seven ancient pokemon into action.

The other Kabutops rushed forward to join the first, the Kabuto following it. At the same time, the gathering of four Omanyte and Omastar chittered ominously and as one spat four large gouts of pressurized water blasts.

Alright, if that's how you want to play it!

My hand went to my belt, at the same time Charmeleon took a deep breath and roared, spitting out a tornado of fire that churned rapidly.

Fire Spin wasn't as compressed and powerful as Flamethrower, but it was quite a bit larger and worked to shield Charmeleon from the four water attacks briefly.

Steam emitted from the clash, but it didn't stop the Kabutops and Kabuto from continuing their charge.

I grabbed two pokeballs while Charmeleon bared his teeth at the ancient pokemon rushing him and shot forward to meet them-

An ear shaking, bone quivering roar erupted and echoed through the caverns stopping both me and the ancient pokemon in our tracks.

My eyes widened, 'Aerodactyl!?' I realised.

If I remembered right…

My eyes drifted to the ancient pokemon to see them frozen from the sound of the roar. They'd all turned away, stopping giving their attention to me and my pokemon at all.

A stupid move, but I literally see the terror in their eyes. They're scared shitless by Aerodactyl.

Charmeleon was not at all perturbed though.

The fire type did not stop in his charge at all, in fact, he sped up. His claws shone silver and he drove a pair of metal claws straight down into the back of the first kabutops' legs.

A hiss of pain and surprise left its mouth, But Charmeleon wasn't done. The silver light faded away, being replaced by sparkling lightning once more and Charmeleon drove an electrified uppercut straight up into Kabutops' chin and launched it straight up into the air.

And yet, Charmeleon was still not done.

Before Kabutops' even reached the apex of its sudden thunder punch assisted impromptu flight, Charmeleon launched into the air after it with a powerful quick attack enhanced leap.

Silver light erupted around one of Charmeleon's claws once more as he caught the Kabutops' by the throat and began to rapidly rotate and drag it back down with Seismic Toss.

And then slammed it bodily into the ground with all his strength. The impact was so powerful the ground shook beneath my feet.

…And then Charmeleon promptly opened his mouth while keeping the Kabutops' pinned underneath him and bathed it in a great gout of flame.

I stared gobsmacked.

'That wasn't the plan at all.' I thought blankly. I'd specifically told Charmeleon that he would play support and keep them busy because he wouldn't be able to bring them down himself while I let out Bellossom and Victreebel to paralyze and poison them. Then I'd let everyone out to bombard them and bring them down with a mass barrage of attacks, 'Did…he take offense to me saying he couldn't take them down?'

Either way, I was not the only one to gape at the aftermath of Charmeleon's sudden assault, even the other awoken ancient pokemon whipped around to stare at the sudden attack.

But the indecision was plain to see on their faces.

Attack and get revenge for one of their own…or stay and face Aerodactyl?

The indecision cost them.

And me.

The sound of wings beating, akin to Pidgeot's own, yet heavier rang through the air and them blazing purple and gold lit up the cave.

A missile of purple energy with a corona of gold circling it shot forth from the darkness and tore through the gathered fossil pokemon before they could react, sending them flying from the force of it and tearing straight on towards Charmeleon who stood atop one downed and beaten Kabutops.

"Giga Impact!" I recognised it instantly.

It was pretty iconic after all.

"Meleon!" Charmeleon snarled and whipped around to face the rapidly approaching aura clad Aerodactyl.

And instead of dodging, launched himself forward to meet it head on. The size difference was akin to a child standing before a ten foot raging wave from the ocean.

But Charmeleon was not deterred. A blazing hot orange aura exploded into existence around his fist and he met the Giga Impact head on-

With Blast Burn.

A thunderous impact and raging explosion erupted from the clash, heat washed over my skin and I instinctively brought my hands up, clasping the pokeballs of Bellossom and Victreebel to shield my face.

I was blown ass over tea kettle and slammed into the ground with a groan. All I could see was bright orange as I looked up, a veritable wave of heat.

Before it was torn asunder a second later and Charmeleon came into view. His arm clasped in the great rocky jaws of an huge draconic stone head as Aerodactyl carried him up into the air.

Charmeleon lost the clash.

Stunned as I was, I could only watch as Aerodactyl took him high into the air and rammed him bodily into and through a stalagmite, before shaking its head like a crocodile and whipping its head around and letting go, tossing Charmeleon to the ground.

He landed a few feet away from me, smashing into the ground hard.

"C-Charmeleon!" I tried to cry in shock and worry, only for the left over heat to invade my throat a bit and make me cough.

I pulled myself to my feet to make my way over to him, but by time I did, Charmeleon was pushing himself up on shaky legs, one fist punched into the ground and glaring up at Aerodactyl with heated eyes, scales a mess of bruising and blood.

The Aerodactyl chose that moment to look down and I swear, it smirked arrogantly down at us, or more precisely, Charmeleon.

"Char!" Charmeleon snarled and spat out a great gout of flame up towards it with a Flamethrower attack.

But with the distance, Aerodactyl easily glided to the side and evaded it.

Aerodactyl landed on one large rock pillar and smirked down at us once again.

Then stuck its tongue out goadingly, mockingly at Charmeleon.

You know, for an ancient pokemon that was just awoken, it sure was a lot less angry than I was expecting.

Actually, now that I look closer, its eyes are much clearer than the other ancient pokemon. Not at all bloodshot.

It kind of looked like it was having a good time taking the piss out of Charmeleon.

I placed my hand on Charmeleon's shoulder, "Calm down buddy," I told him, "Don't let it get in your head. It's fresh and you're not. Just because it got the better of you in one clash doesn't mean you're weaker. You've been working hard all day remember? And you just shot off a bunch of attacks before it showed up."

Charmeleon grimaced at my words, but, he gave a tight nod of understanding. Even if he did shoot another glare up at the Aerodactyl.

"Besides, I promised Dragonite I'd let him fight it, remember?" I pointed out.

Charmeleon blinked and then had the decency to look away guilty, "Char..meleon…" he nodded in acceptance.

"Aero…?" Aerodactly called down, giving us a bored look.

I ignored it.

I released the two pokemon from the pokeballs in my hand, Bellossom and Victreebel appearing at my sides ready for action.

Aerodactyl snorted derisively.

"They're not for you big guy." I snorted back at him..her…it? And he was a big guy. I can only estimate right now since I can't measure him fully yet, but he was larger than Pidgeot.

Which was quite the feat considering how big my try hard birb has gotten lately.

I replaced the two pokeballs in my hands with another, Dragonites.

And left him out.

With a booming, proud roar Dragonite appeared in a flash of light and smirked arrogantly up at Aerodactyl.

Aerodactyl sized Dragonite up and down, taking in his size…before turning away and snorting…derisively.

Again.

Dragonite's eyes lit up with rage.

"…Go get em'." I told my pseudo legendary simply.

Dragonite did just that. Wings rapidly beating and with an angry snarl on his lips, Dragonite shot up rapidly through the air like a bullet towards Aerodactyl.

Dragonite reached Aerodactyl only a split few moments later, fists erupting into electricity like Charmeleon before him.

And promptly got slapped out of the air by Aerodactyl's wing before he could even land the blow as the ancient flying type suddenly whipped back around and knocked out of the air and through a few stalagmites.

He hit the ground hard, just like Charmeleon did.

I sighed.

Aerodactyl chortled in pure amusement at the indent Dragonite made as he landed.

This thing…I can't get a bead on it. Does it just like lording its strength over others, or is it an utter troll?

Or going by its reaction to Bellosssom and Victreebel, did it want a challenge? Or does it just think so lowly of them that they weren't even worth its time?

I didn't have much time to think on it as Dragonite tore out of the crater he'd formed with his body and shot back up towards Aerodactyl, murder in his eyes and a trio of icy blue jagged beams erupting from his mouth up towards it.

In reply, Aerodactyl casually spat out a great gout of flame that could give Charmeleon's a run for its money that met the Ice Beam head on…and overpowered it.

The flamethrower washed over Dragonite, but he just charged through it towards Aerodactyl even as he got baked by the fire attack.

Aerodactyl took to the air and dodged a second later as Dragonite tore through its previous spot with fists that were crackling with the power of thunder once more.