Pokémon XD: Narrated Gale of Darkness

Chapter 38

There were two ways Michael could go now. The first was to go the same way as that sailor went. The second was to take the elevator in the back.
The elevator wasn't operable, meaning there was only one option now.

---

The first thing he saw after entering the hideout was a healing machine.
'That could get in handy.' He thought.
Onserving his surroundings, he saw the interior was dark and ominous. Some rows of lockers placed here and there and, what caught his attention most, big pipes near the ceiling through which a green gas was flowing.

Taking a right, he got to meet his first opponent out of many. This guy wasn't dressed in a Cipher suit. Despite that, he did have two Shadow Pokémon which had to be snagged away from him: a Dodrio and a Raticate.

Michael's next two opponents were ones without Shadow Pokémon. This meant he could battle them without additional worries.

At the end of the spiraling corridors, there were doors with behind them an elevator.
When taking two steps through them, someone was riding the elevator already and came up to the same floor as he was on. A female with long, pink hair got visible.
'Oh, no.... don't let it be her.' Michael thought, remembering a particular someone.
"Oh, oh! You are so that little boy who ran off with Prof. Krane!" She said with anger and ran out of the elevator. "Because of what you did, Master Greevil was oh so angry! It made everyone miserable, and it's so all your fault! But..." She inhaled deeply. "It's okay now. We didn't need Prof. Krane anyway! I just so needed to be serious just a little tiny bit to get XD001's final adjustments just right! It is so perfect now! Purification will so not work on it ever! I'm so amazed because I am so a genius!"
Michael murmured something.
"Oh? You want to see my XD001? Oh, so sorry, that is so not possible!"
"Why not?" He regretted blurting out that question.
"Why? Because... I am so going to defeat you, little boy! Here I come!"
"Oh, damn it. Jolteon, Crobat, let's go!"
"I choose you, Gardevoir and Gorebyss!"
"Crobat, use Shadow Ball on Gardevoir! Jolteon, Thunderbolt Gorebyss!"
"Gardevoir, use Attract!" Lovrina commanded as she replaced her Gorebyss with her Roselia.
"Urgh. Jolteon, use Quick Attack! Crobat, Wing Attack!"
Jolteon was immobilized by love, so couldn't attack. Roselia got beaten, however, and had to be switched out for Shadow Fargetch'd.
"Gardevoir, Psychic attack!"
"Jolteon, hang on! Use Thunder Wave on Farfetch'd! Crobat, take down her Gardevoir!"
"Argh! Altaria, go!"
The Aura Reader let him know that her last Pokémon was a Shadow Pokémon as well.
"Shadow Break!"
"Jolteon, no! Come back. Breloom, go! Crobat, Bite Farfetch'd!"
"Altaria, use Shadow Mist!"
"Breloom, paralyze it with Stun Spore!"
"Use Shadow Panic!"
Both of Michael's Pokémon became confused. Yet, they could use their moves this turn.
"Use Shadow Sky!"
After that attack, Michael threw a Snag Ball at Farfetch'd, successfully catching it.
Crobat hit itself in its confusion.
"Altaria, use Shadow Break!"
'Not that strong move again!' Michael thought. "Crobat, use Bite!"
"Shadow Break!"
Breloom fainted. "Houndoom, your turn! Use Faint Attack! Crobat, use Bite!"
"Again, Shadow Break!"
"Crobat, no! Sealeo, go! And now, it's snag time."

"Oh, boo! Now look what you've done!" Lovrina growled. "Oh, you're terrible! I mean really! Master Greevil will be oh so cross wih me again! Oohh!! How I so dislike you!"
'Likewise.'
"I'll be glad, little boy, when Master Greevil and XD001 make you pay!"
Lovrina then ran away from the place.
"Please, let that be the last time I have to face her..." Michael spoke to himself when walking back to the healing machine.

As he got back to the elevator, he finally started recollecting his thoughts; encouraging himself to be able to get through all this.
Riding it downward, he started hearing a sound which became louder and louder.
'Ah, a window.' Michael thought as he stepped out and could see something moving behind it. He walked up to the window to see what was causing that loud noise.
His eyes widened. There was a platform with water underneath it. The sound was from the water moving at high speed and the caused waves that were breaking.

This floor's where a group of scientists are making the water move around with much force and speed to make it almost impossible for people to get near Citadark Isle.
There were only three Cipher peons on the whirpool-generator floor. Two of them had no Shadow Pokémon. The third one, who was guarding the next elevator, did have them. A Shadow Kangaskhan and Shadow Banette. Both were successfully snagged.

The elevator brought him back to the first floor.
The cool air caused by water vanished and made place for extreme heat.
Michael stepped out of the elevator, wanting to return to the previous floor where the temperatures were more pleasant.
His P⭐DA rang, notifying him of an e-mail from Eagun. He opened his mailbox as he was flapping the lower part of his jacket to cool off a little bit.
Eagun:

'It's blank? Must have been a mistake.'
He closed his mailbox again. When he wanted to put his P⭐DA away, it rang again.
Eagun: "Dear Michael. Hello, this is my first e-mail. I am sorry that I sent an empty message by mistake. I also apologize for the misspellings. I am embarrassed by these mistakes and w-"
Michael frowned. 'It got cut off... But... As much as I want to get away from this heat, I can't just leave. Maybe next time, when I'm close to the entrance again, I'll leave this island for a little while to check on him.'