The Kanto Journals: A Pokemon Crossover

Chapter 48: Escape From Cinnabar

The trip back to Blaine's Gym took a lot longer than it would have been if Arndolfr wasn't trying to psych himself up to look cheerful and not traumatized by his previous encounter with a homicidal Genesect. He had to muster all of his cheerfulness when he finally saw Lt. Surge and Lucy still talking to Blaine in front of his Gym. Both of them looked evidently disgruntled by something which, Arndolfr judged, was because they might have been unable to answer Blaine's riddles.

As Arndolfr went nearer, he could hear Blaine speak. "Well, since you haven't been unable to answer even my first riddle, I have no choice but to tell you that the answer to that is –"

"Hey," Arndolfr called cheerfully at them, skipping about and cutting through Blaine before he can say the answer to his riddle.

"Whoa hey! What do you know! The little kid got it right! The answer is hay!" Blaine cheered, beaming at Arndolfr. "Now, for my second riddle..."

But before Blaine can talk further, Arndolfr looked at Lt. Surge and Lucy and said in a singsong voice, "I have something that's gonna make you two happy."

Arndolfr then showed everyone the rusty key he got from the basement of the mansion, waved it in front of everyone's faces, and giggled, "Check out what I've found inside that creepy mansion."

Both Lt. Surge and Blaine were aghast by what Arndolfr showed them. Lucy, on the other hand, looked like her birthday had come early.

"Ahahaaa! You did it, Dolph! You got the other key from inside the mansion!" Lucy cheered, visibly relieved with what Arndolfr just did.

"Yup, and now, I believe we can skip the riddles and go right in, can't we?" Arndolfr chimed at Blaine.

Blaine stared at Arndolfr for a full thirty seconds before sighing, "No more riddles." He smiled wryly and took the key from Arndolfr then unlocked the door to his Gym with it.

"Just a warning before I open my Gym," said Blaine, holding the doorknob, "it has grown hotter inside for some reason, so brace yourselves! Whoa hey!"

Finally opening the Gym, Arndolfr felt a gust of hot air from inside, which caused him to recoil.

"Mr. Blaine, sir, I don't suppose your Gym is located... inside a volcano, is it?" Arndolfr whimpered, trying to look on the inside without stepping in.

"Correct, young man," Blaine chortled. "And I suppose you know that Fire is weak against..?"

"W-water?" Arndolfr cautiously answered, still staring on the inside of the Gym, which looked like the crater of a volcano itself.

"Whoa hey! Correct again," Blaine cheered.

"Ugh, I should have known," Lt. Surge grunted. "Once you stop giving riddles, you start giving quizzes."

"You know me, Lieutenant," Blaine replied. "Anyway, let's get this Gym battle started. I ain't got all day, you know."

Everyone entered the Gym and as a result, everyone started sweating profusely. Arndolfr was about to ask Blaine something when he saw that Blaine was staring at something outside the Gym.

"Mr. Blaine, sir, what is it?" Arndolfr inquired.

At this, Blaine faced Arndolfr and looked pensive. "So I guess this is the day," he muttered softly.

"I... I'm sorry?"

"Don't worry about that, young man," Blaine then chortled, suddenly going back to his easygoing mood. "Worry about your Gym battle today, since you're in for some hot stuff!"