The Iron Grip

Chapter 12

"Whoa. That was long", Ash said.

"It sure was", Sophocles agreed.

"Well done Lillie", Kukui congratulated. "Does anyone have any questions?"

"L-Lillie, could you write a second one?", Mallow asked sheepishly.

"I already did!" Lillie's wide, beaming expression bore greay contrast to Mallow's quivering voice.

"C-could you read it please?", Mallow muttered.

"Sure!"

Gogoat bounded effortlessly across the shingle beach, past the edge of the mountains and into the desert. It was quite a desolate place, deserted and dusty. Although there were no people, many pokemon called the desert thier home.

From the krookodile that searched endlessly for prey, to the burrowing sandaconda that would spring out of the ground and shoot a jet of sand at an opponents face.

That night, beneath the silent, ever-watchful stars, Lillie set up camp. She had no idea where to begin, and how it would end was out of the question.

All Lillie knew was that she would not stop searching until she found Mallow.

Meanwhile Lusamine was searching for a bigger goal. In her eyes the land needed a cleansing. Of course, everyone knew this was to either kill Lillie or to lure her out of her hiding place.

Lusamine planned to indirectly wreck havoc on her Queendom. All across the country there were huge phenomena, and with the red stone in her gauntlet, she had the potential to order them around.

In the sea resided a huge claw, in the desert a two hundred year old sand storm, in the volcano a nest with an immense queen, on the plains a huge tree and in the bogs the Drednaw that lay waste to the tent city.

Lusamine sniggered at the thought. That would teach Lillie.

"Your Majesty!", said the new commander. "The sandstorm doubled in size last night."

"Send the cavalry to deal with that beast. Alert the Royal Guard."

Dust was being flung in all directions by the huge tornado that moved slowly towards Lillie. As it loomed over her, she noticed that the gem in the hilt of her sword was pulsating with a bright reddish light.

Shouts could be heard from the other side of the sand dune, frantically confident shouts. Oh no. The cavalry had arrived.

Gogoat bolted straight into the eye of the tornado to use it as cover, and that was when Lillie discovered that it was not a tornado at all. In fact it was a living being, a giant gyrating snake that held a sinister red glow in its eyes.

Lillie's mind flashed back to the huge Drednaw from the bog. No doubt about it, this was one of those powerful pokemon. If that was the case, then there must be a way to put an end to the storm.

From the other side of the twirling vortex appeared over a dozen mounted soldiers. Lillie braced herself, and with a wild war cry she began to scale the snake's huge coils. The cavalry followed close behind, not ready to give up the chase that easily.