The Aura is With Us

Chapter 30: Break Down

Ash let out a long groan. His limps were going to be covered in aching bruises and stinging scrapes from the fall, but as he came too adrenaline kept the pain away. The cavern around him was pitch black but he didn't panic. This was not his first time getting trapped in an underground cave, prison or ancient ruin. Looking at you Team plucking Plasma!

With slightly shivery fingers, Ash palmed at the ground around him looking for where his flashlight had fallen. For a while all he found was bits of rubble and a thick layer of dust on the cold stone floor. His index traced over something smooth and very sharp. Ash pulled back with a hiss as his finger burned with sudden pain. Now sitting on his knees Ash cradled his hand, feeling something warm drip down his fingers. Great he cut himself. Ash sighed, figuring that his flashlight had broken when it hit the ground and he had just cut his finger on the shattered glass.

Ash licked the dust off his lips and winced at the flavor of powdered rock and dirt. Bad idea. He coughed.

"Pikachu? Riolu," Ash whispered.

Something fuzzy next to him twitched and let out a high-pitched sneeze. And the paw of a slightly bigger fuzzy something nudged his other side.

"Goh?" Ash called.

No answer came from the pitch-black room. Ash hummed with displeasure. If Goh was hurt that would make this mission a whole lot harder. If only he had some light, so he could find his friend. He bit his tongue in thought. C'mon Ash, this isn't your first time in a cave! What did you do last time? Last time he did have a fire type Pokémon with him. Raboot was a fire type, but Ash wasn't sure if she could produce a steady flame. Charizard's tail was already burning, so they could see.

Charizard wasn't here now though.

But he had his phone! Ash reached down to his pocket and...it was empty...His phone had fallen out of it during the cave in. Great, just when he needed modern technology it failed him! And Goh wondered why Ash was confused when told he needed that hunk of plastic and unknown materials.

Sir Aaron didn't have a phone and he was doing fine...wait...

Ash looked down at where he thought his hand was in the darkness and pondered. What he was about to do would either work, and he'd have light, or it's would blow up in his face and probably make the whole situation worse.

It was worth the shot.

Ash sat back, and relaxed his shoulders, closing his eyes with a deep breath. Just like how he was taught. He measured his breathing with quiet humming, focusing on the energy within in. A tingly buzzing feeling became noticeable, internally he began willing it towards his wounded hand. The tingle intensified as it swelled in his fingertips. An audible swirling hum joined his own in harmony, and Ash's peeked through one of his eyes.

In the center of his bloodied palm hovered a spinning ball of glowing fiery blue light. Ash huffed an excited laugh. He did it! His idea didn't blow up in his face! And even better, now that the room was bathed in blue, almost looking like they were underneath a fish tank, Ash could see. He glanced down, finding Pikachu and Riolu at his sides looking at the aura sphere spinning just above his palm.

The feeling of elation didn't last long, however. They needed to find the others. Ash looked around taking in the surrounding cavern. Ahead was a long tunnel, the stone walls roughly cut with black wires and shut off lights hooked into the tiny cavities in the ceiling. To his back was a large, towering pile of rubble. A dead end.

Eventually his dark brown eyes zeroed in on a rather hairy rock that was coated with dust. Goh. Ash scrambled to his feet and trekked over to his friend's side. Falling back onto his knees once close enough to shake the young Pokémon researcher.