Part 3 Dashes and cinders
Dashes and cinders
"What are you doing?" Cory asked as she leaned over Dash's shoulder.
He had the table full of papers where he had drawn various strange symbols.
"I'm working on strategies for future battles," he explained. "As our team is now, we should probably go after a grass or rock pin next. If I fight we might have a shot on an electric pin."
"We are going to challenge the ice master!"
"What!? Why?"
"It's the closest one."
"Cory," Dash moaned. "You have to think things through more. Sure Sune will have an advantage against an ice type, but you will be at a disadvantage. Just like in the match against steel master Ruck. And what if the ice master is a dual type, like lapras who is part water type. Then we won't even have type advantage."
"Everest is an abomasnow. He is really strong but it will take about a weak to reach his arena, so we will have a lot of time to train as we go."
The fact that Cory seemed to have thought things through for once took Dash by surprise.
"Okay... then Sune's fire moves will be four times as powerful since he is a grass type as well, but you will still have a tough time," Dash told her.
Cory insisted that she would be okay and train really hard to overcome her weaknesses. At least her poison powder strategy would work this time and Dash had an idea that might swing the odds in their favour. If only he had enough time.
Later, after they had checked out of the inn, he and Sune were gathering supplies for their trip, Cory had said she needed to do something and run off somewhere. They noticed a huge gathering at a house further down the street.
"What is going on?" Sune asked.
"You haven't heard? Someone broke into Clint's house and attacked him and his family," one of the crowd told them. "They are all in pretty bad shape. Even his daughter."
Then they saw a ryhorn and some other pokemon come out of the house.
"Earp!" Dash called as he and Sune ran up to the lawman. "What happened to Clint?"
"Oh! It's you, kid," Earp said as he saw them. "It was Slitter. He snuck into town at night and attacked Clint and his family in their sleep. They'll live but Cathy is in severe shock. He must have made her watch what he did to her parents." He turned to the other pokemon who had come out of the house with him. "Okay boys, this time Slitter has gone too far! Now it's war! We'll find his lair and bring him back in chains or a coffin! Either one is more than he deserves."
With that they moved out and left the crowd to disperse on its own. Dash and Sune didn't know what to say. They had only met Clint once, but they had liked him. The people of the town must be feeling really uncomfortable now that the leader of their law enforcement had been victimised in such a brutal way.
"There you are!"
Cory ran up to them as cheerful as ever. She must not have heard what had happened yet.
"Look what I bought from a lilligant!" she struck a pose indicating a pretty pink flower next to the big leaf on her head. "Don't I look dashing? What's wrong? Why do you guys look so gloomy?"
It took them both all their persuasion skills to stop Cory from running after Earp and the other law enforcers and help them catch Slitter. Luckily they somehow managed to convince her that they would only be in the way.
To get to Drifting peak, where ice master Everest had his arena, they needed to cross through the mountains next to the village. Fortunately there was a network of tunnels that ran through the mountain to the other side so it would not take more than a day to cross over.
As they left the village and approached the entrance to the tunnels they met a pokemon that resembled a big red turtle.
"My name is Billy," the torkoal said. "Earp told me to escort anyone who passes through the tunnels since sometimes rouges hide in them."
"That's fine," Sune said. "Safety in numbers and all that."
They entered the tunnels, hoping that it would be an uneventful trip.
In another part of the mountain the peacekeepers had found what seemed to be what was left of Slitter's lair. It was a medium sized cave that seemed to be connected to the tunnels under the mountain.
"Rock salt!" Earp cursed. "I'll go back to town and let Billy know not to let anyone into the tunnels. That blasted fiend is running around there!"
The rest of the team made its way into the tunnels to pursue their quarry.
Farther into the mountain a charmeleon girl named Cinder was running to keep up with a large kabutops as they travelled through a cavern full of natural stone bridges and lava pools.
"Why did you have to sneak into the village? Now they'll be after us to the ends of the earth..."
She was cut off by a large talon that slapped across her face, sending her to the ground.
"Shut up or I'll do to you what I did to Clint and his rapidash bitch," Slitter told her. He then dragged her into a small side cavern and brutally tossed her on the floor. "Stay here!" he ordered and disappeared back the way they had come. Probably to deal with his pursuers.
With Slitter busy dealing with the peacekeepers, Cinder might be able to run away, but she immediately put that thought out of her head. He would find her. He had before, and he would again. As long as Slitter lived she would never be free. She only hoped those idiot lawmen had the sense not to split up.
Billy proved to be a slow walker, so they stopped to rest often. At each of their stops Dash found a stone and started to swing his tail at it. Finally curiosity got the better of his friends and they asked him what in the world he was doing.
"I'm trying to learn a new move," he confessed. "I'm not sure it will work, but if I can learn it, it will be a great help when we challenge Everest."
"There is a dojo in the next village," Billy told them. "I'm sure you can find someone to help you there."
When they continued on their way, Dash approached Sune.
"Before, you told me that you used to belong to a human, but Cory and everyone else seem to think humans only exist in fairy tales."
"It's true," Sune replied, her tone indicating she was not comfortable talking about it. Still she continued. "The humans live in a land far south of here. Across a great ocean. When my master tired of me he abandoned me in a forest. I thought I would starve to death, when a huge flying pokemon appeared. It swept me up and carried me all the way here. Shortly after I met Cory."
"And we became the best of friends!" Cory chimed as she nudged herself between them. "You big meanie! Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to talk about it. It was a really awful time."
"That's okay, we're still friends! But wow, humans really exists! I wonder who that huge pokemon was! Maybe lugia or reshiram!"
"Groudon is big," Billy suggested.
"Groudon can't fly," Dash interjected.
"How about kyogre then?"
"Anyway," Dash said, ignoring Billy. "I hope you realize that not all humans are bad. Just like there are some pokemon that can be cruel."
Sune did not reply. It would take more to make her change her mind.
Suddenly a large, winged figure swept down in front of them, shrieking liked possessed. It swept its four big wings, sending gale force winds at the travellers. The ground beneath Dash and Sune gave way and the two fell into another part of the cave system.
The crobat began biting wildly around itself, purple poison dripping from its fangs. Cory sent a volley of razor leafs at it, at the same time as Billy fired a flamethrower, incinerating the leaves before they reached their target.
Wayne the scyther stalked his way through the dark tunnel. After Earp had left, the remaining team members had split up to cover more ground. Not that he minded, he preferred to work alone. The attack came without a sound. A stream of mud and water hit the cave wall. Slitter stepped out of the darkness to examine his handiwork, but Wayne was nowhere to be seen. At the last moment he looked up and managed to block the slash from Wayne's scythe like forearms. A series of blows were exchanged. For a moment it seemed that he had the advantage but Slitter was nearly three feet taller and had superior reach. It was only a matter of time before he overpowered Wayne and sent him flying into the wall with a blast of high pressure bubbles. Slitter began glowing faintly green as large stones rose into the air around him and rapidly launched into the sealing above Wane, causing a cave-in that buried the peacekeeper. His work done, Slitter disappeared into the darkness.
"What happened?" asked Sune as she rubbed her sore head.
"I think the floor collapsed," Dash replied.
As they looked around they found that they had entered a lower level of the cave system. Their only option was to try and get back by finding a tunnel that went back to the upper level.
The magmar called Holliday entered a cavern with a large magma pond. If she hadn't been on duty she would have thought that it was a really cosy place. She didn't notice Slitter until he struck her from behind and pressed her head beneath the magma. The molten rock didn't hurt her, but it kept her from breathing and after a few moments of flailing, the struggling ceased and her body went limp.
The crobat had finally been subdued. As they got a closer look on its unconscious form they noticed a large scar over each eye.
"So that's why it was flailing around like that," Billy mused. "Poor guy was blind!"
"What do we do now?" Cory asked. "Dash and Sune are alone in the lower tunnels with whatever did this."
"There is only one thing to do isn't it," Billy said as he manned up and jumped into the hole that had swallowed their companions.
"Cory?"
"Yes?"
"We have a problem."
"What's that?"
"I'm stuck."
"I think we're heading upwards, or whatever it's called," Dash said as they entered a cavern with a bundle of stone bridges crossing a deep chasm.
"Dash... are you certain not all humans are bad?"
"Positive! I know that for a fact. Don't get me wrong, there are pretty bad people out there, I've run into more than a few. But in general, most humans I've met have been nice."
As they were about midway over one of the stone bridges a figure rushed out of the tunnel entrance on the other side, coming right at them. Dash was swept aside by a huge talon, which knocked the breath from his lungs and his body from the bridge.
Sune watched in horror as her friend plummeted into the chasm. Then another talon slammed her to the ground.
"So we meet again little fox," Slitter said before reaching his arms over his head and delivering a final blow that turned Sune's world black.
Hickok had been with the peacekeepers for longer than Clint, and had at one time been a candidate for leadership. He knew how to play the game and when to play it. The old golem entered a cavern full of rock bridges and lava pools. He noticed movement in a small side cavern and carefully crept closer to have a look. Inside was a charmeleon girl who seemed to be waiting for someone.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he stepped into view.
The girl sat up in a flash.
"Hide, you idiot!" she hissed. "He could come back any second."
"You're talking 'bout Slitter aren't you."
"Yes, you fool. Hide and I'll distract him for you."
Hickok nodded and pressed himself against the cave wall, his rock body making him blend in perfectly.
Jane made her way into a cavern where several natural stone bridges spanned a deep chasm. Suddenly a small figure came falling from one of the higher bridges. The houndoom made a running jump, catching the figure in mid-air, before landing safely on a lower bridge. She recognised him as the eevee that had spoken to Earp earlier that day.
"Slitter..." he gasped as she gently laid him down on the ground. "He's got Sune."
"Rest here. I'll take care of this," Jane said and disappeared into a tunnel, her keen sense of smell having locked on target.
Hickok noticed someone approaching. As he'd thought it was Slitter, he was dragging the vulpix girl they had met at Clint's house, along the floor. She was unconscious but seemed otherwise unhurt.
He stopped in front of the side cave and tossed her inside.
"Here's a new playmate," he grinned to the charmeleon.
Hickok saw his chance to catch the villain of guard and sent his boulder like body crashing into his opponent.
Slitter was knocked hard into the wall, but despite being obviously hurt, he swung his deadly talons at Hickok's rock hard hide but they did little damage. Hickok opened his mouth and bathed Slitter in flames with a flamethrower attack. In response the kabutops opened his own mouth and pelted the old golem with a spray of high pressure bubbles, the water move doing serious damage to the rock and ground type. He then pressed Hickok's mouth open and fired a mud shot straight down his throat, filling his opponent's lungs with thick mud.
As Hickok collapsed, Jane rushed into the cavern. At the sight of her fallen comrade she gave of a fearsome roar and charged at Slitter, sinking her fangs into his shoulder. Her jaws were not powerful enough to penetrate the kabutops carapace but, just as it seemed that he would counterattack, Slitter howled in pain as his body was struck by a massive electric charge.
As the battle raged outside, Cinder watched the unconscious vulpix girl before her. This was not good. Years ago, when Slitter had first abducted her, he also had a young blaziken named Lela with him. But as his attention had shifted more towards Cinder, Lela became less interesting to him and one day she had simply been gone, and Cinder seriously doubted that Slitter had let her go. Especially since his claws had been full of fresh dug dirt. She had no desire to chare that fate, so if Slitter managed to finish of the peacekeepers, it might be for the best if this new girl had an "accident". She glanced towards the opening of the side cave. There was a cliff just a few feet away from it, ending in a pool of molten lava. If she could make it look like the girl had panicked and blindly made a run for it... but if on the other hand, if the peacekeepers actually won, there would be no need to get rid of her, and Cinder really hated doing things she didn't need to do. Besides, the girl was kind of cute.
Slitter kicked Jane away from him. With some distance between them Jane opened her mouth, a sphere of pure blackness forming between her jaws. At the same time Slitter began to glow green as large rocks rose into the air around him. It was shadow ball versus ancient power. Slitter knew that shadow ball was the stronger of the two moves but he was launching several projectiles, the shadow ball would destroy one or two of them but the rest would continue on towards the bitch. But Jane did something unexpected, she fired at the bridge, causing it to crumble and sending the surprised villain crashing down onto a lower bridge.
Cursing, Slitter rose from the rubble and turned just in time to see Jane rush of from the higher bridge, bursting into flames in mid-air, turning herself into a living comet. The two combatants struck each other with a thunderclap, exchanging blow after blow until Slitter managed to deliver a slash over Jane's eyes, blinding her. Enraged, he continued beating on her even after she stopped struggling.
"Losers look up!"
The yell caused Slitter to stand up and look for its source. There, jumping from the higher bridge, was that annoying little eevee. As he fell, Dash spun around, slapping his tail across Slitter's head. The moment before it made contact, the tail turned into solid steel and struck the skull with an audible crack!
As Dash landed, he began scratching up a sand cloud, hiding him from view. When the cloud dissipated Dash was nowhere to be seen, causing Slitter, still dazed from the blow to his head, to look around wondering if the little pest had somehow managed to get back onto the higher bridges and was preparing another assault.
Dash erupted from the ground, this bridge being much wider and several tens of feet thicker than the higher ones enabled him to dig without falling through, and delivered a blow to Slitter's midsection. Wobbling, but still standing, the kabutops raised his deadly talons. Dash backed up to get a running start, so that he could use last resort, and charged at Slitter, who prepared to meet the incoming pokemon with the tip of his talon. Suddenly Jane's body came to life and she closed her jaws around his leg, sending another surge of electricity through Slitter's body. She let go as Dash ploughed into him, sending him slamming into the far cave wall and plummeting into the lava below.
"Are you alright?" Dash asked the houndoom.
"Yes," she replied, trying to stand up. "But I can barely see. Help me back to my partner up on the higher bridge."
Dash did as she bade. When they reached the end of the bridge, Slitter exploded out of the lava, latching onto the cliff wall and began scaling it like possessed. His body was badly burned and one eye was missing, yet it was as if he simply did not comprehend that he should be dead, roaring like a lowly beast, he crossed the cliffs edge. Jane and Dash prepared to face the worst, but suddenly there was a rumbling sound coming from above. A ton of rocks fell onto the mad kabutobs, crushing him. This time he would not get back up.
At the ledge above, Cinder smiled to herself. He was finally dead! And the best part was that she had dealt the final blow herself. Causing that rockslide had been both easy and the hardest thing she had ever done. But now she was free. It would probably be best if she left before anyone came back. She did not want to explain to anyone what she was doing there. It was time to start anew with a clean slate. For a moment Cinder considered to bring the cute vulpix with her, but decided against it. She would be better off with the peacekeepers. As she disappeared into the tunnels, she realized that now that Slitter was gone, she was the only one who knew where he had hidden the profits from all his criminal activities, the past few years. Life was looking better and better!
Remarkably, all of the peacekeepers made it back from the tunnels. Much thanks to Doc the magcargo, the, second to Billy, slowest member of the squad. He had found everyone before their injuries had become too serious. Naturally they were still hurt. Wayne's wings were broken as was his arm, though the only thing he complained about was his stubbed toe. Holliday's biggest injury was to her ego, having been taken down so easily. Jane's eyes however would probably never fully heal. She would not go blind but her eyesight was not what it had used to be. The most upset of all were probably Earp, who had missed everything while trying to get Billy out of a hole he was too big to fit through. Hickok would make a full recovery but was talking about retiring. Claiming to be too old for this. There was no sign of the charmeleon girl he claimed to have seen, most likely she had made a break for it when the fighting started.
As for Cory, Sune and Dash, they were brought back to town and nursed back to health. Cory had knocked herself out trying to free Billy.
Three days later three companions again braved the tunnels as they sat out on a quest to defeat ice master Everest.
Epilogue
The creature who had been known as Slitter, seeped through the cracks in the stone, rising to the air as black vapour. While it had enjoyed its excursion as a killer and petty thief, perhaps it was time to get back to work, and so it drifted off to find a new body, and perhaps ruin a few lives, before getting down to business.