Rhydon stood tall, ready to take on all challengers. A stone guardian protecting their progeny and barring safe passage from their domain.
Venonats release garnered the wrath of Rhydon. A rock flew toward her as she began to materialise. Before Venonat could react Ekans was there breaking the rock apart with a last second Iron Tail. He is really getting a handle on that.
"Ekans, use the stalagmites as cover to get close.”
"Ekans!" Ekans began slipping between the stalagmites zigzagging across the floor towards Rhydon. He moved close to the back wall of the stage opposite me, Veonat and myself staying near the edge of the stage next to the river.
"Venonat you’re not going to be able to stop those rocks with confusion, try altering their course enough to keep them from hitting their targets."
As the next cluster of comets began to rain down around our slithering hero, Venonat let out a determined war cry.
“Venooooo!”
A shimmer of purple light appeared around the rocks for a brief second. It wasn’t enough for the rocks to be stopped or moved onto a completely new trajectory. The force they where being thrown with breaking through the telekinetic hold of my bug. It was however able to just slow them enough to give Ekans the time to dodge around where they were landing as he sped towards Rhydon.
Ekans wasn’t getting off without injuries completely as the rocks shattered on impact sending debris towards him that he couldn’t dodge on top of the boulders.
“Crap, Venonat we have to stop those rock throws or Ekans is going to get worn down before reaching Rhydon.” I clenched my fists trying to overclock my brain into coming up with a solution. Fortunately for me Venonat is the smartest damn bug in this cave.
“Veno nat”, Did she just give me a thumbs up?
A shimmer of energy appeared around Rhydon as Venonats eyes pulsed, then absolutely nothing happened. I just stood looking between a pleased with herself Venonat and a Rhydon that looked no different after the shimmer faded. It wasn’t till Rhydon grabbed its next rock that I figured out what Venonat had done. Rhydon dug into the earth to pull up another chunk of rock and tried to throw it Ekans way. Instead of arcing towards my partner it just left Rhydon’s palm and fell to the ground less than a foot away.
“Disable” I whispered to myself in shock. Did she think I was giving her the command for that move? A glance at Ekans brought me back to the moment as he hadn’t let the reprieve from the bombardment go to waste making a B-line straight for Rhydon.
As Rhydon tried to figure out why their dreams of being a starting pitcher in the Majors just got denied I took off running down to intersect with the two Pokémon. A quick tap of Venonats pokéball against her fur on the way past was enough to make her start to return to the ball.
Rhydon snapped their focus to the flash of red just like before. That’s right, eyes on me you walking bulldozer. I was a lot slower than Ekans and squishier so thankfully he arrived before me to slam home an Iron tail upside Rhydon’s unaware skull making them stumble forward. I didn’t have as far to go to reach Rhydon though as Ekans had taken the scenic route to avoid the Rock Throws. He slipped behind a boulder and peeked out ready to strike again at Rhydon but paused as we locked eyes, and I raised my palm at him in the gesture you would give a dog to stay. It was enough and he pulled himself into his coiled stance to wait.
“AHHHHHHHH!” I screamed like a mad man waving my good arm up high as I ran towards Rhydon. I am really glad no one is seeing this right now. This would be a one-way ticket to the asylum for sure.
As Rhydon began to regain their footing and awareness, they let out a roar in challenge at the only non-Pokémon in the room, stupidly charging right at them. That’s right, what snake, the snake is a lie. Focus on me like a good monster. I watched their footing carefully as I got closer. Have to time this right or these stalagmites are going to become our tombstones.
As Rhydon bent to launch themselves at me, I saw the moment their weight began to shift forward again to end my journey short.
“Wrap up their legs now!” Ekans burst from his cover in the shadows and twisted around Rhydon’s legs and clenched his muscles tight. Rhydon was knocked of balance from having their feet tangled and instead of a charge at me they began to tumble forward.
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“RHYDOOOOOOON!” Another roar accompanied the fall along with a desperate swipe towards me in a last-ditch attempt to claw through my torso. I put another dent in Rhydon’s dream of becoming a baseball star as I dropped to the floor sliding feet first past the Pokémon straight for home base, or in this case the alcove.
I let my heels dig in once past Rhydon as the chamber shook from the force of the titan hitting the ground. My momentum carried me into a forward roll, which allowed me to push up onto my feet after a couple of tumbles. I glanced back to see Rhydon roll on to their back and seethe down towards Ekans who was still wrapped around their legs.
I turned away to locate the crack in the wall from earlier. I could hear Ekans letting out pained shouts behind me as Rhydon tried to remove him from their legs. Each slam of their fist into my snake made my spine wince. Just hang on buddy, we are almost clear.
I found the crack in the wall and yanked Ekans ball from my belt, I turned my body sideways the arm holding his ball stretched out the way I had come from. It gave me a good view of the two Pokémon. I could see from Ekans eyes he had already passed out from the blows, only his muscle memory was keeping Rhydon pinned. Rhydon while looking enraged, was not looking damaged at all from the Iron-tail earlier. We are so under levelled for this area. I pushed between the wall while clicking the button on the pokéball. A red light shot out and brushed against Ekans. Ekans began returning to the safety of his ball as Rhydons last blow landed on their own leg.
“RHYYYYY!” Rhydon screamed pushing to their feet far faster than anything that size has a right too. I kept squirming further between the walls as Ekans’ ball clicked shut. Rhydon charged at the wall slamming into it. Rock was obliterated as their arm crushed through the crack trying to reach me. I got far enough in to avoid Rhydon’s reach, not that it stopped them from repeatedly slamming into the wall. The last I saw of them was their eye pressed up against the crack glaring at me.
My world soon returned to darkness again as I slowly moved through the thin passage. I would like to say stepped out the other side with the poise of a victor. Unfortunately, it was more of a graceless fall onto my side as I emerged into a tunnel, laying their unmoving. I was both exhausted again and just waiting for whatever was next to come along and try and take my life. After a few minutes of lying quietly in the dark I assumed I wasn’t on the menu today. That makes a nice change. I got up and looked around. The tunnel was completely dark only lit by turning on the light of my phone. 60% well better than nothing I suppose.
I released Venonat who immediately tackled me into a bug hug. Given her lack of reach it was mostly just pushing her bulk up against me but it’s the thought that counts. I let her be as I looked up both ends of the tunnel. One side seemed to trend upwards at a slight angle. Better than nothing, looks like we will be going left.
“Ven?” Venonat got my attention and pointed at Ekans’ Pokéball. As her questioning look converted into a worried expression. I assumed I wasn’t quick enough to hide my grimace.
“Rhydon got some good hits in I’m afraid Love, Ekans is likely out of commission till we get to a poke’center.” I had to grab the fur on Venonats back as she practically pushed up her non-existent sleeves and made for the passage we just escaped with a rather affronted look. She wasn’t going to fit but I wasn’t chancing some unknown move getting her through. “Easy there, healing first, John Wick impressions later.”
“Ven Ven.” She nodded to concede the point. I did catch that she seemed to understand what a Poke’center was. Wasn’t confusion a move Venonats learn later on, also while one could have wandered to the forest, they aren’t native. We began to walk along the tunnel my beachball a few steps ahead taking point.
“Venonat, did you have a previous trainer?” Venonat stiffened slightly as she walked, It was brief but I was accustomed to looking for it with Ekans. Her pace quickened slightly too though I doubt she noticed. She didn’t reply, just kept trudging along in silence.
*Sigh* So that’s why she wanted to be caught and felt lonely in the forest. If she wasn’t born there or migrated with a family group, she wouldn’t have any other Venonats to rely on. An image of the Butterfree horde came to mind, guess the other bugs shunned her as an outsider too and an idiot trainer like me must have assumed she’s weak and ditched her given her reaction to me what I said when we met. Welcome to club orphan Love.
“Well, whoever it was is stupid to let a top tier Pokemon like you get away.” I watched has she slowed slightly. “I mean pulling a Disable off while exhausted against a stronger opponent. One hell of a performance Love.” I notice her speed up again but this time she was a bit less stiff.
“Their loss is our gain I suppose, after all we don’t abandon or betray each other on this team… Ever.” I let that sit between us for a minute as I realised myself, I wasn’t just trying to con Venonat into staying with us. I meant it. This whole world seems out to get me, how could I betray the two idiots that stuck with me against a rock monster.
“Venonat.” Venonat turned around to look at me and gave me a wave like I was talking nonsense and should just keep moving. Though the spring in her step as she happily bounced along the tunnel in front of me was hard to hide. Definitely no acting lessons in the forest.