Adventures Beyond!

Chapter 15: Turning Gears

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Forest Grotto, Sinnoh

Meanwhile, a familiar Pikachu was trailing the group of Pokémon that attacked him earlier through the forest. He didn't know why an alarm rang throughout the place, but he knew that it wasn't good.

The Scorbunny knew that they were being followed by him, but he didn't really care. "Leah, do you see the treehouse up there?"

"Yeah!" The familiar Aipom shouted from above. "It's only a few trees away!" She lightly tugged on the bandages around her paws, falling back down

"Great." The Scorbunny smiled toothily, leading the group ro their destination.

When Jacob arrived at the treehouse they were talking about, the Pikachu walked up to the front door, getting ready to knock on it. But before he could, he was suddenly swept up by a rope, leaving him dangling from it by his legs.

"Gah!" He screamed, flailing his arms.

"Oh hello." The Scorbunny jumped out from a window in the treehouse, jumping down. "I thought you would never catch up." He used a small flame from his paw to light the rope on fire and burn through it, releasing Jacob.

"Okay, now I'm-- Woah!" He suddenly fell to the ground before quickly standing back up. "Now I'm confused. Why aren't you trying to kill me?"

"I knew that you weren't with him, I just wanted a good fight." The Scorbunny chuckled.

"You call five on one a good fight?" Jacob asked, a bit agitated, "Wait, with who?"

"Just get in the treehouse." The Scorbunny began to pull him inside. "We can talk about it there where it's safe."

"Sure..."

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"Okay." The Scorbunny sat him down on the opposite side of the room in the treehouse. "I think we should get introductions out of the way. My name's Logan."

"I'm Simon." An Abra levitated over to him, shaking his paw.

"I'm Frost." The female Sneasel greeted Jacob before pointing to the Carnivine. "That's Chomps. He doesn't talk much, but he likes to bite."

"Bite?" Chomps' eyes lit up.

"No bite, sorry." Frost lightly patted his back.

"Aw..."

"What about you?" Jacob asked, looking over to the Aipom.

"I'm Leah." She told the Pikachu. "And you?"

"My name's Jacob." He smiled, "It's nice meeting you all, and thanks for not killing me."

"No problem." Logan grinned.

"So, now will you answer my question?" The Pikachu asked, thinking back to before he came inside. "Who would I be with if I hadn't been alone?"

"Nidoking." Leah answered, seeming a bit uncomfortable. "That's who."

"A Nidoking?" Jacob's eyebrows lowered, a bit confused. "What about it?"

"The simplified version of it is that after a Nidoking's wife and daughter died in an accident, he went berserk with monstrous strength." Leah spoke quickly. "Ever since then, the Grotto hasn't been the same."

Jacob took a second look at the Aipom, a bit confused. She seemed as if she knew about all of this for a while, and that she felt uncomfortable speaking on the subject.

"That's why everyone's been on edge, right?" The Pikachu looked back at Logan.

"Pretty much, yeah." The Scorbunny nodded with a sigh.