1.Ash's Story (Part 2: Johto)

Chapter 76: Prayer Flame

The water pulled us into Dragon's Den before Blackthorn could disappear behind the cliffs.

Moonlight faded at the cave mouth, replaced by dark water, wet stone, and faint crystals buried in the walls. Lapras carried Lillie and me steadily through the current, while Pikachu crouched low against Lapras's neck, Espeon braced beside my knee, and Togetic flew beside us.

Ahead of us, Team Rocket's damaged balloon scraped through the tunnel with the Dragon Fang still in Meowth's paws. Clair and Kaburagi flew above the water on Dragonair, trying to close the distance without striking the Fang by mistake.

"They're going straight into Dragon's Den!" Kaburagi shouted, horror echoing from the walls.

Clair's voice came back sharp and controlled. "Then we cannot let them choose the path."

The tunnel split into several passages almost immediately. Team Rocket's balloon slammed against the left wall, bounced into the middle path, then vanished around a bend. Espeon's ears snapped forward. "The metal smell is strongest there. They took the middle passage."

Lillie pointed after Team Rocket. "Espeon says the middle passage is the right one." Dragonair followed, and Lapras surged after them with the rest of our Water Pokémon close behind.

Kris gripped the side of her partner and looked at the tunnel marks. "These passages are not natural erosion only."

Clair glanced back without slowing. "This den is complex. Many tunnels were shaped by Dragon Pokémon long ago. If we get through them, we can reach the Dragon Holy Land, where Lance, Pauline, and I trained."

Ethan leaned forward from behind us. "So Team Rocket is running into the most sacred part by accident?"

East's answer was grim. "Worse. They are being chased there by bad navigation." Golbat darted ahead, then doubled back when the false current pulled at his wings.

The current turned rougher as the passage narrowed. Stone arches rose and fell above us like ribs. Every few moments, I saw claw marks cut deep into the walls, some old and smoothed by water, others sharp enough to look recent.

Pikachu pointed his tail toward the deeper claw marks. "These marks keep going the same way. The dragons must use this route a lot."

"Then we follow it," I murmured.

The cave opened suddenly into a wide underground lake. The far shore rose into a hidden valley beneath the mountain, lit by blue crystals, small fires, and moonlight spilling through cracks high overhead. The air smelled of wet rock, old smoke, and living trees.

We had reached Dragon Holy Land.

For a moment, even Team Rocket's stolen balloon felt small against the hidden valley. Carved posts surrounded untouched pools, and Clair's expression tightened whenever the balloon drifted near one of the old stone markers.

The hidden valley seemed impossible under the mountain. Waterfalls poured from cracks in the stone, feeding pools where shadows moved beneath the surface. Old training posts stood beside mossy paths, and several stone markers carried claw-shaped carvings instead of written names.

Team Rocket's balloon drifted over the shore, but before we could catch them, a Hyper Beam tore across the clearing. The golden blast struck the water in front of us and exploded into steam, forcing Lapras and the others to stop.

A Dragonite landed between us and the shore.

Her eyes were hard, but not empty. Dragonite spread her wings wide, and her body shook with warning power. Jessie, James, and Meowth stood behind her near the broken balloon, looking terrified and proud at the same time.