The 23 challenges

Chapter 25

"Yami?" said Ash and Serena freaked out seeing the Gym Leader. While this happened Maya was feeling a huge headache, which made Ash and Serena worried but the Gym Leader was looking at Maya with a face of resentment and regret. 

"Ah, Ash and Serena could you follow me I have something to show you," said Yami. Ash felt something wrong with the gym leader as he did not recognize the women's usual aura. 

It felt more dangerous and dark as if there was malice controlling and concealing something. Ash then tried to use Aura Vision but four dark liquid-like appendages grabbed hold of Ash's hand and legs making him unable to move. 

Serena then screamed as four more appendages grabbed hold of Serena. Maya then starts crying one dark appendage tries to grab hold of her making her close her eyes revealing a grey light blasting the appendage away making the 'Gym Leader' feel hurt as she grips her chest area. 

Ash took this as an opportunity and used telepathy to call out to Lucario to free him. As Lucario cut down the dark appendages with Aura Blade Ash immediately used Aura Restain to hold down the creature which now had a full oil-like substance in a ball-like shape as it gurgles and tries and breaks free. 

As Ash was doing that Lucario then took Ash's place in restaining the weird creature with Ash breaking Serena free from the appendages. After Ash did that he, Serena, and Maya went to Lucario's side with Ash joining in on restaining the creature. 

However right as he did that a sound of a gunshot was heard as the creature was now dead in front of them. "That's the last of them," said a voice as a very tomboy woman came out at first, they mistaken her for Yami but later saw that it was a different woman. 

The woman now turned to the group with Ash and Lucario ready to fight. "Relax I was here to kill it as it tried to replicate my sister," said the woman watching the situation.

After some explanation, the woman introduced herself as Kami, a retired bounty hunter and now an explorer of the Capri Region. 

They are now in a huge tree deep in the forest as Kami allowed the crew to follow her to see the ruins she found the other day. "So this is the ruins you meant?" asked Serena looking at some of the items in the tree. 

"Yeah, I found this the other day but it was really weird as it had triggered my detection devices signaling that there is huge aura usage in the area," said Kami as she pulled out her rifle making everyone nervous. As they process more into the ruins. 

"There it is..." pointed Kami on the machine in front as she started to pull out her detection divide as the machine started to speak. "HELLO, THERE ..... MY PROGRAMMED NAME IS RAZA ..... WHY ARE YOU HERE?." said the machine making them step back. 

During this Maya was hyperventilating as she was seeing weird memories. Maya then started to do something weird, she started approaching the machine, however, Ash, Serena, and Kami tried to hold on to her, not wanting her to approach the machine but Maya then fired a strong mysterious shockwave knocking them back. 

Maya then started to sit in a chair and grabbed one of the flouting books and started to chant something weird... During this Ash got up and used Aura Boost to try and stop what Maya was doing having a feeling of opening something that is very dangerous. 

Ash was practically sprinting with all his might and soul, as he get to Maya's shoulder with his hand outstretch. Maya then finished and a warping sound was heard, as the machine turned into a dark oak door with the handle made of the dark liquid from the monster. 

During this Serena and Kami got up to Ash, as he was using Aura Restrain to hold her in place and not approach the mysterious door. This seems to be futile as Ash looked at the door he felt a familiar presence from the Ever Caves with Vapri.