Act 2: Chapter 27

Act 2: Chapter 27

The morning following Lee and Zinnia spilling their secrets to the whole party is strangely normal. Lighthearted, even. Lee is the first to awaken, and after rousing his pokemon, they make their way as a team to the hut's kitchen. Ninetales has no issue lighting the wood-burning stove, and before long, the smell of food permeates the entire hut, drawing Brendan and Zinnia from their beds. The kitchen lacks room for all of the pokemon (chiefly Corviknight), leading to everyone moving to the living room to begin their morning meal.

Zinnia wolfs down her food with her usual vigor and finishes first. Setting her plate down on the coffee table with a satisfied sigh, she gives Brendon and Lee a bright smile. "Okay, boys, are you two ready to be amazed?"

"Amazed?" Brendan questions after swallowing his latest bite. Distracted by Zinnia, he doesn't see Breloom use his species' signature stretching arms to scoop an entire fried egg off his plate. "By what?"

That only makes Zinnia's grin wider. "Every good story has a training montage, and ours starts today! The Meteorfall Crater is positively beautiful everywhere, even in the training arenas! Hurry up and finish breakfast! We've got places to be!"

Lee grumbles past his food and swallows. "Not all of us can eat like dragons."

Zinnia simply sticks her tongue out in response.

Once everyone polishes off their meals, Octillery and Marshtomp make short work of the morning dishes with some good old-fashioned organic power-washing, letting all the pokemon sans Ninetales be returned to their balls for the trip.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

"Finally!" Zinnia then clicks her tongue and stops pacing by the door. "Let's get going."

The Dragon Tamer throws open the door of the hut and steps out, letting Lee, Ninetales, and Brendan follow in her wake. Lee shifts as the strange, invisible energy of the crater washes over him once more.

Beside him, Ninetales shivers, partially ruffling her golden coat. 'Goodness. The Draconid elders said we would get used to this? I'm having difficulty believing that.'

'Yeah, it is pretty odd, and that's the politest thing I can say about it,' Lee sends back, ignoring the Butterfree in his stomach. 'Just stay strong.'

'For you, I will.'

Zinnia takes the group down a well-trodden path that veers off to the side, away from the opening of the crater high above and towards one of the side caves. As they walk, they pass a fully grown Salamence lounging in a bed of lichen, who watches them with a lazy turn of its head.

As they approach the mouth of the cave, Lee notices a number of runes scrawled upon the wall to the left of the entrance. The letters are jagged and made up of all straight lines, as if carved with claws. What the runes say, neither he nor Ninetales knows.

"How come it's not getting dark in here?" Brendan questions, looking up at the ceiling of the cave path. Above them, irregular bunches of crystals jut out from the rock, emitting gentle light. "The crystals?"

"Yep!" Zinnia answers. "A lot of the crystals in the caves down here are natural, but a clever Draconid ages ago figured out how to modify the move Power Gem to make artificial ones. If you make a nice, uninterrupted line in the ceiling or walls connecting the crystals to the central chamber, then light will flow through. It's kind of like What's the word?"

"Fiber-optic?" Lee supplies, looking up as well. Now that he does so, he notices that there are a lot of spots in the ceiling that are too smooth, as if they were carved out and had the material put back later. He also notices just how large the underground pathway is. The ceiling must be thirty, nearly forty feet up, with the walls just as far away. A group of Salamence could fly down the corridor in a three-by-three formation and not touch.

Zinnia snaps her fingers and he gives Lee a smile. "Fiber-optic, yeah, that's it. With that little trick, you can light up anywhere in the Crater!"

Without him even needing to say anything, Lee's notebook and pen floats out of his backpack and into his hand, courtesy of Ninetales' telekinesis. Without the preamble, he flips to a fresh page and begins to write. "Fascinating stuff," he mumbles. "You said the technique uses a variant of Power Gem? It was my understanding that Power Gem, despite being Rock-Type, is actually an energy-based attack. Is that wrong, or did the founder convert it to something more physical?"

Brendan snorts in amusement and Zinnia's shoulders slump. "Never change, Dolittle," she groans.

The path twists, turns, and splits off several times, leaving everyone who isn't a Dragon Tamer disoriented, but after about twenty minutes of walking, the cave lets out into a positively gargantuan chamber.

"Wow" Lee breathes, looking all around, and even peering through Ninetales' eyes as she swivels her own head in amazement.

To call the chamber gargantuan is honestly an understatement. The space must be the size of a sports stadium. The flat ground and absence of plant life, man-made structures, and rock formations only make it seem even larger. The flat, rocky ground is scored in a neat checkerboard pattern of squares, and upon scuffing his boot over one of the lines, Lee finds that one of the squares is a few millimeters higher than the other.

High above, at the top of the dome ceiling, is a positively massive crystal cluster spiking downward and filling the chamber with a soft, white light. The light glitters off of the microscopic minerals in the walls, giving the room an ethereal, unearthly feel. If at all possible, the odd dragon aura of the crater seems more concentrated down here. Lee can practically taste it, as if each breath coats his tongue in static.

"Welcome, Lorekeeper and honored guests. Your arrival was anticipated."

Lee turns sharply, along with Brendan and Ninetales, towards the unexpected voice.

Standing several arm-lengths away and previously unnoticed, a pair of teenage girls clad in the hide clothes of the Draconids stand with their hands behind their backs. The pair of girls are practically identical, save for their hair and eyes. The girl on the left sports the usual red eyes of the Draconids, but her hair is an unusual blonde color. Her doppelgnger, meanwhile, has gold eyes and vibrant red hair.

As one, the pair bow their heads before standing straight once more. "Our apologies for the surprise," the left one speaks. "It is not often that guests get to see the Vorush'yarik, or Turbulent Womb in this language." The blonde girl smiles mischievously. "A fitting, if pretentious name. The honored ancestors certainly enjoyed their pomp and ceremony." The girls then incline their heads once more. "I am Isis, and my sister beside me is named Astis. We are honored to receive you here," the blonde says.

'Isis and Astis, the Draconid Oracle's assistants?' Lee recalls Zinnia's words from the day prior. He looks at the redhead, Astis, who is giving Brendan a smile that the boy shyly looks away from. 'What is it with Brendan and quiet girls in red?'

Zinnia chimes in with a laugh. "Ooooh yeah. The ancient Draconids were awful wordy for being warriors," she agrees, stepping forward and taking the lead of the conversation. "So we were anticipated, eh? Did the crone get her meds airmailed in?"

A frown briefly passes Isis' face. "The insinuation that Oracle Fabiana requires medication to make use of her gift isn't appreciated, Lorekeeper, but yes, Astis and I were instructed to be here at this day and time to greet you."

"So the Oracle resides here most of the time?" Lee asks, his curiosity overwhelming him. "Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

Isis bites her lip, seemingly debating with herself. "The flowing energies within Metron'fall Krate aid her gift, and I should say nothing more," she replies curtly. "Now, it is my understanding that you all intend to train in this space. It has been prepared for your use, and I would like to take the time to inform you on how to make use of this space to its fullest."

'She speaks as if this isn't just a large room,' Ninetales turns her eyes downward towards the checkerboard floor, thinking to herself with a hum. As Lee did with his boot, she runs a paw over a line separating two of the squares, feeling the tiny height disparity between them. 'Some sort of hidden mechanism? For what purpose?'

"The ground beneath our feet is not what it seems," Isis continues primly, unknowingly confirming Ninetales' suspicions. "The nature of dragons is one of supreme competition, and the Draconids of yore were clever. In order to guide growth, pokemon must be given space of their own and solitude to focus, as any peers they are not training with are merely a distraction. The sections below our feet can raise and lower to create walls, either as training tools, or to improve one's skills with others out of sight and thus out of mind."

"Really?" Lee looks down and taps the floor with the toe of his boot, finding it solid. "How does that work? Surely it's not a pokemon using muscle power to lift and move the pillars, is it?"

Isis shakes her head. "No. The exact mechanisms below are a mystery to us in the modern era, and we dare not investigate too deeply lest we damage something we cannot repair. Even if we so wished to investigate, the pillars below have proven more resilient than anything we have seen before. A grown Dragon could rampage day and night within this chamber and leave naught but scratches."

'The walls and floor look like regular limestone to me,' Lee rubs his chin and scans the enormous chamber once more. 'There has to be some kind of TE shenanigans at play.'

Heedless of Lee's thoughts, Isis continues to speak. "The Zhaiv, the Dragon energy that permeates the earth here, is the key to the walls hidden below. The clever devices beneath the ground are keyed to it, and the Zhaiv is so dense here that it listens even to the weak wishes of man. Force your will upon it, and it will answer. Observe," she turns to Astis.

The redheaded girl, who has yet to say a single word, nods and closes her eyes, seemingly concentrating.

Without warning, one of the sections of floor a stone's throw away grinds and shifts. With the sound of rock sliding against rock, a square section of pillar rises out of the ground, rising up and up until it's halfway to the ceiling. The whole process takes a little under twenty seconds.

"Wow" Brendan says with an awed smile. He looks between the tall pillar and Astis "That's incredible!"

The silent girl blushes and inclines her head, hiding her eyes behind her bangs.

As the pillar slowly lowers itself back into place, Isis smiles and gestures to the group. "Before my sister and I leave you to your devices, please practice raising and lowering the walls. Do not be discouraged if they do not respond right away. The Zhaiv in the air is fickle, and will twist out of your grip if you let it. Everyone, step away from one another and choose a section of your own."

Everyone does as asked, and when spaced out, the blonde teenager speaks once more. "Most excellent. Focus upon your chosen pillar, and visualize clearly within your mind its movement. The pillar's stillness offends you, and you must order it to move with all the imperious desire you can muster."

'Imperious desire, huh?' Lee stares at the square on the floor and concentrates.

Surprising no one, Zinnia gets it on the first try. She gives the square at her feet a hard stare, and it groans to life, rising to face height.

Brendan struggles some, grimacing in effort. After several minutes of failure, he even tries pointing his hand at the floor to no effect. It's only when he begins growling in frustration does the pillar tremble, and then slowly raise itself out of the floor. The instant it does, Brendan jumps and pumps a fist with a whoop, making Astis smile and quietly applaud.

The pillar then grinds to a stop, making Brendan groan and redouble his focus. This time, it only takes a few seconds for the pillar to reluctantly shudder to life.

Lee, however, can't get the damn thing to work.

'C'mon, move!' he demands in his head, giving the section of floor in front of him a death glare. 'Rise! Up and at 'em! Anything?'

The pillar doesn't even rumble.

Beside him, Ninetales noses his side. 'Might I try, Beloved?'

Wanting a break after nearly ten full minutes of trying to pop a blood vessel, Lee reluctantly relaxes and strokes Ninetales between the ears, soothing his nerves. 'Go for it.'

The fox looks down at the stone, her luminescent eyes narrowing.

At first, Lee feels her reach for her telekinesis, only to pause and instead reach her mind outward into the weighty aura pressing down upon them all. Unbridled, almost sovereignly authority laces her next thought, along with a burning disdain for any sort of disobedience. 'Move!'

The pillar immediately shoots up, rising high enough to peer over a building.

Both Brendan and Zinnia pause to look over at him.

Lee debates telling her that he personally doesn't want her to be a battler, but reluctantly stops himself, not wanting to influence her opinion with his own. "If you don't want to fight, tell me. I'll send you to Professor Birch's ranch where you'll be protected, and I'll visit as often as I can."

For the first time ever, Lee sees Shinx frown. The kitten marches right up into Lee's personal space, staring up at him with eyes that quite literally glow. Slowly, she shakes her head back and forth in a firm No.

She's made up her mind, and she's staying.

With a sigh, Lee lets a rueful smile cross his face, then he lifts Shinx into his arms and gives her a tight hug. "My baby is growing up too fast."

Shinx purrs once more, nuzzling into his chest.

Setting Shinx down, Lee turns his eyes to Sylveon, who is watching the exchange with Shinx with an expression Lee cannot name. As he opens his mouth, one of Sylveon's ribbons wraps around his wrist. "Sylvy, you need some physical conditioning. You're doing great and my heart soars every time you get all of your food down, so I think you're ready for some light exercise. What do you think?" He asks. "I'd like to nail two Pidgey with one Rock Throw here, so can you help me get Shinx up to speed? It'll be good exercise for you, as well."

Sylveon's answer is a single, determined nod.

Lee smiles, then stands. "We'll keep it simple, then. A good, old-fashioned battle. I'll direct Shinx, and you can fight as you see fit. Just keep things toned down to Shinx's level, okay?"

"Eeya?" Sylveon answers with an annoyed glare, as if saying, "I know that!"

As Sylveon trots to the other side of the square arena, Lee withdraws his pokedex from his pocket and scrolls through both Shinx and Sylveon's known moves.

Shinx only has Tackle, Leer, and Thunder Shock to work with, which is not surprising. She's never been in a real fight before. Her spars with Ninetales and Grovyle were more like exercises where the elder pokemon would evade and deflect, remaining on the defensive for the entire fight.

Sylveon, meanwhile, has a much more extensive list. Covet, Bite, Sand Attack, Baby-Doll Eyes, Copycat, Baton Pass, Charm, Helping Hand, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Light Screen, Swift, Wish, and Draining Kiss. Except for Wish, which was probably a move inherited from one of her parents, Sylveon's move line-up is entirely expected. Even with Sylveon toning herself down, though, this is going to be an uphill fight for Shinx.

Lee and Shinx take position on one side of the makeshift arena while Sylveon sits calmly on the other end.

"Is everyone ready?" Lee asks, getting a pair of nods in reply, one much more eager than the other. Bending down, Lee scoops a pebble off of the floor. "This rock hitting the ground will signify the start. Here we go!" He tosses it upward.

Two sets of eyes, one yellow, and the other blue, watch the pebble arc up into the air then fall back down.

Shinx shakes in anticipation, her fur sparking.

Sylveon sets her jaw, her ribbons wriggling like snakes.

The pebble hits the ground with a tap!

Shinx yowls, baring her fangs, throwing sparks everywhere, and her eyes shining with ill intent. Her visage transforms from cute to spine-chilling on a primal level in an instant.

Startled, Sylveon flinches and steps back.

'Intimidate is Shinx's special ability, then?' Lee withholds a laugh at the irony that his adorable cub has Intimidate of all things. With his odd luck thus far, he was expecting a hidden ability. 'Focus, Lee. Don't let Shinx down.' He clears his head with a shake."Thunder Shock!"

Shinx's body lights up once more with a crackling corona of electricity, and with another yowl, she looses a merciless bolt towards Sylveon.

The rattled fairy jumps to the side and out of the way, letting the lightning strike the wall behind her and leave a scorch mark. Shaking her head, Sylveon grits her teeth and steels herself, a shimmering blue barrier covering her body.

'Light Screen. A smart move,' Lee doesn't spend much time reflecting. "Shinx, close the distance and Tackle!"

The kitten is off in a burst of frenzied movement. Her short legs sent her flying across the ground at a startling speed, fast enough that Sylveon freezes in indecision.

Only a few feet away, one of Sylveon's ribbons shoots out on reflex, tangling Shinx's legs and sending her falling end-over-end with a distressed mewl. Sylveon doesn't stop there, and with that ribbon, she lifts Shinx before tossing the Electric-Type away.

Landing roughly on the hard floor, Shinx coughs as the air is knocked from her lungs, but despite her tumble, she scrambles back to her paws. Strangely, she doesn't turn her head toward Lee for instruction like many rookie pokemon do, like Mudkip and Vulpix both used to do before knocking the habit out of each other. No, instead Shinx keeps her eyes firmly on Sylveon.

'Curious. Maybe she learned that from watching the rest of the team?' Lee dismisses his idle musings for later, and raises a hand to stall Sylveon. "You okay to keep going, Shinx?"

The kitten's charged fur pops and snaps in reply.

"Good girl, keep at it!" He smiles and lowers his hand. "Close the distance again!"

Shinx charges without an ounce of hesitation, her legs blurring together.

Unfortunately for her, Sylveon is well-prepared this time. The fairy lowers her stance, and the fur bow on her chest begins to glow gold. Sylveon then thrusts her chest out, firing a barrage of Swift stars from the bow into Shinx's path.

"Abort! Zap them with Thunder Shock!" Lee orders a counter the instant he sees the first star fly.

Eyes wide, Shinx skids to a stop and powers up her electricity. With everything she can muster, she fires off Thunder Shock after Thunder Shock.

Bzat!

Boom!

Bzat!

Boom!

Bzat!

Boom!

Arcs of lightning shoot into the ranks of the starry rays, blasting many of them to smithereens and leaving showers of glowing motes behind, but several slip through and smash into Shinx with painful, jostling explosions. After the fifth one slips by and hits her, Shinx's eyes screw themselves shut, and with a cry, she wreaths herself in a crackling mantle of electricity that covers every inch of her body.

The remaining stars hit the cloak of electricity and pop, exploding without doing any damage.

Baring her fangs, Shinx sucks the electricity into her own body, drawing it in and past her fur like a luminescent gas. Then she snarls and lights up like a Christmas tree, shooting a Thunder Shock with twice the speed and intensity she's displayed thus far.

Sylveon freezes again, and is this time struck by the lightning. Light Screen flares to life and absorbs the worst of the attack, but the pink pokemon is still forced to shake away some lingering pain.

"What the hell?" Lee wonders aloud before his pokedex beeps. Quickly yanking the device from his pocket, he checks Shinx's profile and is amazed.

Shinx now has both Charge and Spark listed as moves. Charge does exactly what it says on the screen and increases the power of an Electric move used after it, and Spark turns the user's entire body into a giant taser for an extra painful tackle.

'Was she on the brink of learning them? Was it some kind of improv that the 'dex registered as legit moves? Or did the Dragon TE down here do something?' Lee pushes aside his amazement and puts away his pokedex. "Shinx, keep going! Close the distance again!"

Once more, Shinx rushes in, her eyes locked on Sylveon.

Sylveon frowns lightly, and rather than let Shinx get close, she rapidly shoots one of her ribbons out, intending to trip the kitten again.

This time, however, Shinx's eyes follow the ribbon carefully, as if she's anticipating such a move. Just as the ribbon is wrapping around one of her front legs, Shinx rips the leg away and leaps, bounding through the air toward her surprised opponent.

"Spark!"

Shinx crackles with electricity once more, and she smacks into Sylveon like a cat-shaped missile, sending a current of Arceus-knows how many volts through Sylveon and turning both of them into a light show.

Convulsing on her paws, Sylveon growls past chattering teeth and flares up with Quick Attack's white glow. With a half-controlled twitch of her ankles, Sylveon rockets away and makes distance. She lands two dozen yards away with the fur on her shoulder scorched, and now regards Shinx with a strange, pleased sort of wariness.

Ending her Spark attack, Shinx pants as both her nerves and exhaustion catch up to her, but her toothy grin is plain for all to see.

"Way to go, girl!" Lee cheers, unable to help himself. His face stretches into a grin to match Shinx's. "At the risk of sounding mean, I wasn't actually expecting you to land a good, solid hit on Sylveon today, let alone two!"

Out in the field, Shinx is positively beaming at the praise.

"Everyone else on the team wishes they could improve as fast as you," Lee calms himself and sends Sylveon a look. "Sylvy, you've done a great job holding back for Shinx, but let's ramp it up a little. I think she can handle it, and you need a workout too."

Sylveon sends Shinx a glance promising the upstart some payback, and Shinx replies with the most adorable, yet competitive roar the world has ever heard.

It looks like the coming days are going to be very interesting indeed.