A Study in Mega Evolution

Chapter Two

Corina and Eda wandered around the dry expanse of Route 13, trying to follow the Professor's instructions as best they could. The sun burned rock absorbed heat and radiated it right back at Corina and her partner. The trainer wiped some sweat from her forehead and looked at the map in the book once more. "I can't tell where this is, Eda, can you?"

"Flaaaa."

"Yeah, with all the rocks around here, it's impossible to tell where a cave would be! Everything looks the same."

"Flaa? Flaa!" Eda pointed towards a large rock structure with a cave inside.

"Eda! Great job!" Corina and Eda rushed forward to the cave entrance. "The Professor said it should have ancient markings around the walls...Eda, can we get some light in here?"

"Flaaaa..." She strained and lit up the inside of the cave with the bulb on her tail, illuminating their surroundings with a dim blue. Corina's smile got even bigger when she saw the markings all over the walls. Ancient Unknown writing.

"Looks like we're in the right spot, Eda. This is amazing! I've never been able to do work like this before!"

"Flaaa!"

"Thanks to Dad never letting me leave the city on my own, I always had to stay behind while Leon and Alain would go out on fieldwork."

"Flaaaa..."

"Yeah, I wish I could have left with him, too, Eda. Maybe then..." She trailed off, feeling the familiar tug at her heart when she thought of him. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "Never mind. Let's focus on finding that mega stone." In the corner of her eye, she could tell Eda was still looking at her, worried. But Corina acted like she didn't notice and pushed on.

They continued for a while in the quiet of the cave. The only sound was their shuffling footsteps, the dripping of water somewhere deep in the darkness, and the occasional scuttle of a trapinch or a dugtrio.

Corina felt her heart clench when the floor beneath her creaked. She only had a quick moment to exchange a frightened look with Eda before the ground gave way, and she was sent tumbling down below.

"Eda...?" she hit the rock hard, and pain shot through her whole body. Corina groaned and sat up, but as she moved, pain shot through her right leg and she fought her best not to yelp in pain. She looked around to try and find her partner in the crushed earth around them.

"Flaaaa..." Eda emerged from the ground, her pink skin and white fluff dirty and messy.

"Are you okay, Eda?" Her partner shuffled over to her. "Here, take some of this." Corina pulled a potion out of her bag and sprayed Eda to heal her.

"Flaaaa?" Eda looked her over, worry apparent in her dark blue eyes.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, Eda." Corina went to stand up, but the pain was too severe in her right leg, and she collapsed back on the ground.

"Flaaa!"

"Come on, Eda, help me up. We need to find a way out of here." Corina hissed in pain as Eda helped her stand up, putting most of her weight on her left side.

They hobbled around for what felt like forever but eventually discovered that there was no way out of this level of the cave.

"Great. Just great. There's no way out of here, and I'm too injured to try and climb out of here." Corina slumped back down on the ground, thankful at least to rest her throbbing ankle. Hopelessness weighed in her stomach, and she couldn't help the tears that began stinging her light green eyes. "We're trapped down here, and it's all my fault!"