Some days later
"We can't just wait around for them to make their move. We need to do something!"
The sun had risen over the peak of the mountain range to our west, illuminating the small town. Celestic Town had been quiet ever since we had arrived days ago and it was taking a while to adjust to this new quiet life.
May and I were sat on a bench outside of the town's main house, discussing what our future would hold. I could hear the urgency in her voice but there wasn't much we could do considering the circumstances.
"Yeah but what can we do right now. Anywhere we go outside of this town, we'll be tracked down by all those trainers who want those fake bounties."
A gentle breeze rolled over the town, the long grass swaying in the wind. The trees at the other end of the town blew under the wind, their branches moving with the breeze.
"I guess you're right. But it's a load of shit just doing nothing here. Those idiots could be doing anything and there's nothing we can do." The brunette stood up from the bench, taking a step forward.
May's shadow was cast over where I was sat, the sun glowing over her outline. I didn't say anything to respond to her, knowing how painful it was to sit around doing nothing. I just hoped that something would happen sooner rather than later.
Then in the skies above, a dark outline was cast over the town. May and I looked up to the clouds, seeing a certain orange scaled fire type circling us from above. I stood up from the bench, looking up to see Red and Charizard descending from the skies. The two of them had set out on a scouting excursion, trying to pick up any leads while we were confined to this small town.
"...!"
"Finally! I'll go get the other two, we'll meet you by the entrance." May sped off, turning back to the house behind us as Red descended from the skies.
"So they've finally showed themselves then?"
Red nodded in response, turning briefly to Charizard who left to give us a moment alone. The silent trainer looked up to me, his eyes filled with determination. This was the same trainer I had met three years ago, that same confidence burning in his eyes.
"I had a feeling it'd be Mount Coronet. We should get ready because we don't have any time to waste." Red was in agreement as I spoke up.
Without wasting another second, the two of us made our way out of the west side of town, now stood under the shade of the overhanging cliff face. No more than a minute later, the three girls turned the corner, the five of us now stood outside of the cave entrance.
Everyone was quiet, eyes focused on the targets ahead. There wasn't much I needed to say but there was one thing I had to make clear, "Alright, we go in quick and quiet. The further we get without interruption the better."
With that, Red lead the way, entering the dark cave. We all followed him in, careful not to disturb any of the wild pokemon.
To my surprise, the first two levels of the cave were quiet. There was no sign of Team Galactic or any of the other groups but that only meant they would all be gathered near the top. Around ten minutes into our journey, I noticed that May was looking around, as if she had seen something that had caught her attention.
"May? You seen something?"
The brunette slowed her walk, joining me at the back of the group while the others continued ahead. She seemed a little distant but she was still focused on the goal, brushing off my question at first. Her eyes were darting from area to area, scanning the cave as we walked.
"You don't hear that, do you?"
I shook my head, unsure what she was talking about. The brunette paused for a moment, looking down to the rocky floor before continuing, "Sounds like something's below-"
Then all of a sudden, there was a huge crashing sound as the cave floor opened up beneath the five of us. The entire cave seemed to disappear beneath our feet, a deep rumbling sound filling my ears. Soon enough, we were free falling down to the abyss below, a bright orange light visible somewhere at the bottom.
There was a crashing sound to my side and as I looked over, I saw that Red had somehow managed to hang onto an outcropped rock. Another cracking sound behind me and I looked to see that Dawn had also managed to save herself from the descent.
Nothing could be done as May, Elaine and I continued our descent into the darkness. My eyes flared up but we were moving too quickly for me to process what was happening.
Then the bottom of the drop came into view. The turbulent surface of water came rushing closer and closer as the three of us crashed into the deep pool.
Through the dark water, I could see both girls swimming to the top to catch their breath as I sank further and further to the bottom. I tried with all my strength to swim to the top but I felt something dragging me down to the depths below. I was surrounded by darkness so I was nearly blind in the water as I felt the air escaping from my lungs.
Then a flash of light burst out from my side, a certain dragon pokemon releasing herself from her pokeball. I felt Dragonite's warm presence in the icy cold water as she picked me up in her arms, swimming to the top with ease.
The bright orange light came closer and closer until we finally broke through the surface. There was a small strip of land separating the pool of water I was swimming in and a larger pool of lava on the other side. Both May and Elaine were stood on the rocky strip, catching their breath from the deep drop.
Dragonite and I joined them on the land as I fell to my knees, gasping for air. I felt my wet hair against my cheeks, dirtied from the mud as I caught my breath.
"Guess we know why it was so quiet then." May had already stood to her feet, a pokeball in her hand as she surveyed the area. There wasn't anything in sight and this whole turn of events was unexpected to say the least.
"Groouuuu"
The bellowing roar of a pokemon echoed through the cave, shaking the mountain around us as we struggled to stay on our feet.
"I've heard that cry before." May turned to Elaine and I, a fierce look in her eyes as she looked to the pool of lava ahead. There was a small entrance at the other end of the cave and I could only guess what May had in mind.
"You two get going. This is my fight now."
The brunette didn't wait for an answer, calling out her Salamence. May bid us good luck before climbing atop the dragon pokemon who crossed the bubbling pool of lava with great speed. Soon enough, she had disappeared through the opening, leaving Elaine and I with Dragonite at the bottom of the cave.
"That was quite the drop. We should get back to Dawn and Red and tell them about May."
Just as we turned on our heels, a quiet chiming echoed through the cave. I looked around but the source wasn't in sight. Even as I looked up to the darkness above, it didn't seem like the chiming was coming from there.
I turned to the deep pool of water in front of me, focusing my eyes through the water. As I looked closer, through the pitch black water, I saw a faint light spilling out from the bottom of the depths. I couldn't see more than that, only able to make out the outline of a passageway deep beneath the water.
"I've heard that sound before. Aaron, you should catch up to Dawn and Red."
Surprised, I turned to Elaine, seeing a similar determined look in her eyes. I paused for a moment, looking to the water then back to the light blonde beside me.
"This has to be part of their plan. They're splitting us up, are you sure?"
There was no hesitation as Elaine replied, "If you was me, would you waste any time here? I'm dead serious."
For a moment, I wasn't sure how to respond. Elaine was set on whatever lay before us and there wasn't much I could do to persuade her otherwise. I thought over what she said, realising that she was right. If I was in her position, I knew I wouldn't even say anything before diving head first into the deep, dark pool.
"Aaron, I'm not the same girl who stepped on the plane with you in Kalos. I'm a real trainer now so you don't need to be worried about me."
"It's not that. I just-" I stopped myself before I could continue. The next words hung in my throat, refusing to leave my mouth.
"You're right, Elaine. Don't let me keep you."
With that, the light blonde bid me good luck before calling out her partner pokemon. Primarina didn't hesitate as she nose dived into the dark water. Elaine followed the water type, the two disappearing under the surface of the water.
"Guess we should catch up to those two. Who knows what could have happened to them."
Dragonite nodded in understanding, allowing me on her back as she soared up the dark cave above. As we arrived back at the cave floor, there was no sign of either Red or Dawn. I looked around and sure enough, they had left a sign for us.
In crude writing, a message had been carved into a rock at the end of the tunnel. Three arrows pointing in various directions had been engraved into the mountain and I guessed that they were directions.
Without hesitating, Dragonite and I pushed on, in pursuit of the two who had gone ahead.