Pokemon: Rise of Darkness

Henry: Chapter 14

   It had begun to rain by the time Henry led a soaked Riki through the doors of the PokeCenter they'd been staying at. Once they were safely indoors, Henry shook out his hair and ran his hand through it's dark red strands. He'd have to get it cut before long. Henry looked up in time to see Riki plopping down onto the sand-colored sofa and a small frown graced his face. "What's up?" He asked, swinging himself over the back of the sofa to sit alongside the girl.
   "Nothing," Riki's voice was soft as she spoke, as though she was captivated by something else and it made Henry worried.

   "Come now," he said gently, glancing over at her while he pulled out a snack bar from his pocket. "There's gotta be something on your mind. You've not looked this spaced out since we left Caprin City." Riki still didn't say anything. Instead, he noticed, she was staring down at her backpack and the single badge that was displayed there.
   "Coming down from the path," hearing her voice again after a long stretch nearly startled him into choking. Even more amazing was how he'd managed not to choke while she continued, her words slow and thoughtful. "I felt something."

   "Any idea on what it could be?" Riki shook her head at his question, which left Henry scratching his head. "Hmm." Wrapping paper crumpled as he took another bite of his bar, chewing it thoughtfully. "Think it could be linked to what's been scaring off the other trainers?"
   "Could be," Riki didn't sound convinced, however, and it worried him. Henry turned his head to stare over at his friend, a flash of red-brown fur darting out from around the sofa catching his attention as Vulpix leapt up onto the sofa and planted her dark brown paws on his leg.

   Henry didn't know what else to say and instead reached into a pocket on his backpack and handed a small pellet to Vulpix. He watched as the firefox sniffed at the treat for a moment before taking it and beginning to eat, her emerald green eyes lighting up after a while. Henry couldn't help but chuckle as he gave her a couple more. "Looks like I found a recipe that Vulpix likes," Riki didn't say anything. Instead, she just looked out of the windows to the PokeCenter. Henry followed her gaze and noticed she was staring toward the mountain they'd just  come down from as lightning lit up the sky. "Okay, what's wrong?"
   "Huh?" Riki sounded dazed,  which increased his worry even more.

   "You've been distant since we came down from the mountain," Henry stated, taking another bite of his bar and chewing on it thoughtfully for a moment. "There's gotta be something bothering you!" Once again, a thick, heavy silence hung between them for an extended period of time before Riki actually answered him.
   "It might have something to do with what I told you earlier," she said. Henry only nodded his head as he listened to her and only spoke once she was finished.
   "We can go check it out tomorrow," he promised. "For now, get some rest, Riki. You, Vulpix and Axew deserve it."

   Henry remained silent as he watched Riki settle against the couch to rest and couldn't resist moving a strand of her hair away from her face, allowing his thumb to brush gently against her cheek. With a shake of his head, Henry rose to his feet and approached a waste bin, in which he tossed his bar's wrapper. With a deep breath and one final look at Riki's sleeping form, Henry took out the silver pendant he'd been wearing this whole trip and cast his silver gaze upon it. "I'll do it, Dad," he said softly, as though unwilling to wake his friend. "I promise."

   The morning light began to shine through the Center's windows, rousing Henry from his slumber. With a yawn, he stretched his arms above his head and rose slowly from the area he'd fallen asleep in. As though he'd done it plenty of times before, Henry rose to his feet and made his way over toward the sofa where he'd left Riki and Vulpix. "Good morning Riki," he called. No answer. Henry's heart skipped a beat for a moment and sleep was all but gone from his eyes. Riki was no longer there, where she should have been, and Vulpix was gone too. "Riki?"
   "She left about an hour ago," called Flynn from behind the counter, earning Henry's attention.

   "Where'd she go?"
   "No clue. But from the look of determination on her face and how she was silent yesterday, I'd assume she'd gone back to the mountain."
   "Curses!" Henry spat, tugging on his jacket before plunging out of the Center, his feet carrying him along the path he'd taken with Riki the day before. Somehow, he felt as though something terrible would happen if he didn't find her soon.

   "Riki!?" Henry's voice bounced around the mountainside, the wind tugging at his clothes and his hair as he stood on the springy mountain grass of the picnic area they'd rested at the day before. No answer and he was growing ever so worried about her. "Where'd you go?" He questioned, placing his hands on his hips for a moment. Then Vulpix's voice echoing around the corner caught his attention. "Vulpix!" Reacting quickly, Henry sprang forward, following the path that wound around the mountain and leaving the picnic area behind.

   All the while he ran, he listened for Vulpix's cry again and continued to follow it until he reached the mouth of a dark cave. There, he paused to catch his breath as best as he could, seeing as the air was quite thin up here. With a deep breath, Henry pulled out a pokeball from his side and tossed it into the air. "Blayze, I choose you!" A blue light, familiar to Henry, surrounded the center of the ball before it snapped open and the light materialized just in front of him. Soon, a little Torchic appeared before him, his red and orange fur shimmering in the light of the sun.
   "Torchic!"
   "Blayze, think you can light the way through this cave?"

   With Blayze's nod of agreement, Henry made his way into the cave with his first Pokemon leading him through. Every step felt like something was wrong as he continued to follow Blayze's light through the darkness. Eventually, Henry could hear Vulpix's voice from up ahead and he quickened his pace until he and his Pokemon were racing through the cave. Henry halted suddenly as the tunnel widened into a huge chamber illuminated by a hole in the ceiling above. Riki and Vulpix were standing near the center of the cavern, Riki's attention drawn to the very center of the rocky room. "Riki!" Henry called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. No answer.

   Still, the feeling that something was wrong climbed up his spine and caused it to tingle. What was this place? And above all, why was Riki here? Henry saw her move and his heart leapt when something seemed to grab her from the center of the room. "Riki!" A blinding light surrounded Riki and her Vulpix from the center of the room and something else held Henry in place right where he was, keeping him from running toward her, which only grew his concern and fear for the girl. At that moment, he noticed something that he hadn't before. The sudden light darkened the cave until only the light surrounding Riki and her pokemon was the only thing illuminating the room. What's going on?! Henry's body was trembling and his fists clenched into tight balls at his sides. He felt utterly helpless. He could do nothing but stand there and watch as something happened to Riki.