8. Ash's Torren Story

Chapter 13: Delta Pidgeot

Now the group having Alice joining the team, Ash and his friends are leaving Vipik City as they are now at the Crossroads.

"It seems like there are two pathways, which one is the one we should go?" Ash asks.

"This one." Nora says as she turns right, "That path leads to the ocean."

"And this one leads to Route 5." Emily says. Lillie says, "It sure is a good thing to have you by our side, we really don't know anything about Torren..."

"Well, you'll get used to it eventually." Alice says.

After they are now at Route 5, they find a cave and Ash asks, "Hey guys, what is that cave?"

"You mean that cave over there? If I remember, is the Samsara Cave, it is one of the known caves in the Torren Region." Alice says. "Though it has nothing to do with the path we are going."

"Why don't we explore the cave for now? Maybe we can also encounter some rare Pokemon." Nora says with excitement.

But before they are going to enter, they hear people around the cave whispering. Obviously, they have heard what Nora said and they are fearing for their lives. Lillie is confused as she walks towards the group, asking, "Hello, there. What seems to be the problem?"

One of the women says, "Are you going to enter the cave? I suggest that you don't do it."

This causes confusion to Ash and his companions and Emily asks, "Is there something wrong? Why don't you want us to go inside?"

"There is a monster..." Another woman says. "There are a lot of adventurers who entered the cave, and no one has come out it safely...some said that the monster killed them...but we don't know as no one dares to enter it."

"A...monster?" Ash asks in confusion. "And people missing because of it? That doesn't make sense to me."

"Me too. This is quite strange...I have never heard of a monster in the cave before..." Emily says.

The six still want to enter, much to the people's horror. Since their warnings can't reach the group, the women there can only try to bid them good luck.

Once they enter the cave, the place is quite dark and Lillie says in fear, "Ash, do you think there really is a monster inside?"

"Don't worry, if there is one, I will protect you." Ash says with an assuring smile, making Lillie sigh.

As they go further, Emily, who is being the first one, bumps into something as she falls down to the ground, Gladion notices it and quickly grabs her up.

"Are you alright?" Gladion asks as he manages to make her stand again.

"I am fine..." Emily says, "But what did I bump into?"

Alice takes out the flashlight and shines it, then she sees a statue of a horrified man.

"Oh, it is a statue, no need to worry." Alice says, sighing in relief.

Nora looks closely at the statue and says, "But this statue looks kind of weird, it seems like they are real..."

Gladion looks around and says, "Guys, there are more statues..."

They then also see a lot of statues of terrified people, and now they start to feel that something is not right. Lillie, who has read a lot of books, including horror novels, starts to panic and says, "What if there really is a monster...and it is the one who turns people into stones?"

"You mean...the girl with Ekans as her hair, the Medusa?" This causes them to shiver. Nora starts to shake a little and says, "It is not time for this joke, I am sure that they are only statues that are made by the best artists..."