The Time the Sky was Dark

Deep in the Dark

Enjoy the new chapter! :D

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     "Well, we've gone deep, but..." Rise said, his voice quiet in the deep darkness that pervaded the cave, the only light coming from the holes in the ceiling. He could feel Crystal and Celeste press closer to him, and his apprehension grew as he put his arms around them. The bandits were close, he could feel it, and the fact they were all tired from the grueling trek up here, from Team Skull's attack to the regular Pokemon, the Dragonairs that sent them spiraling in a violent twister, the Walreins that slammed them against the wall.

     "We still haven't caught up to Chatot or Team Skull." Celeste finished for him, and he turned to her, wishing he could see her face instead of the leaf that lay haphazardly across her face. It had earlier been pressed to her face to stop the bleeding of a mild cut she'd recieved from a Walrein's tusk as he ran, and maybe to heal it a little, because she could not use synthesis here, it was too dark.

     The three of them kept walking, and the room started to open up. He noticed two puddles, one on either side of them, and a large rock pile he assumed would be helpful to hide behind. Not, of course, like he needed it. He wasn't the sniveling weakling he once was. Crystal was panting beside him.

     "It's too hot and humid in here." she whined, and he nodded.

     "It's very stifling in here..." he agreed, and looked around, looking for something that could ease his thick-furred partner's troubles, but water wouldn't help, considering the humidity. He heard a groan, and at first assumed it was from Crystal, but he knew it was too rough to be her. He looked around for the source, almost afraid of what he'd find.

     "Hey! I heard a voice over there!" he told the others, and Crystal nodded.

     "Check it out, I need a drink. I'll catch up in a minute." She said. Rise frowned. There was no way he was leaving her alone in a strange place with dangerous Pokemon, not again. The last time that had happened was back in the future. There was no way he'd allow a repeat of that.

      "We'll wait." He decided, and she nodded and lapped at the water. He waited, with more impatience than he'd ever admit, and finally, the three of them set out to see who else was in the cave besides them. They kept walking, past two large boulders that had blocked their view of the rest of the room, and three gasped chorused together.

     Three Pokemon laid on the ground, all a different shade of purple. A large, skunk-like creature lay splayed out to the side. In the middle, a tiny purple bat creature, lacking eyes, was flat on it's back, face upturned. The final creature, just a blob, was laying in a pool of toxic gasses.

      "Team Skull!" Celeste yelled out, shocked. 

     "What are you doing here?" Crystal demanded.

     "W-What happened here?!" Rise asked. He gasped suddenly. "No way! Were you taken down by a mysterious bunch of enemies?"

     "Whoa-ho... You knew it was coming...? Would have been good to know that..." Koffing wheezed.

     "Not that you'd... tell us... heh-heh..." Zubat chuckled weakly.

     "Skuntank! Are you all right?!" Rise asked.

     "Chaw-haw-haw... you find us at your mercy... and you're worried how we are...? How sickeningly generous can you nitwits be!" Skuntank's spiel ended with sputtering coughs, and water dripped from his muzzle. Crystal growled.

     "If you like, I could be a bit... less generous." She said.  

    "We're not about to walk away from anyone while they're down." Rise said, with a warning glance at the Eevee, whose hackles were raised ominously.