Notes: Blah. Guess I'm gonna be taking a bit longer than I thought for the whole scenario. It's side-quest time, friends and neighbors.
Enjoy.
---
“So, what’s up?” Deo muttered to Fisticuffs, his voice no higher than a whisper. It was Sunday morning, and Trey had called a “team meeting” promptly at eight o’clock. Cooler was the only one who had to be forcibly dragged out of bed, but none of them actually knew what the meeting was about. “Are we in trouble?”

“You mean, did Trey find out that you were the one who screwed up the cable while you were practicing your Thunderbolts yesterday afternoon?” Fisticuffs asked, a half-grin on his face. “No, I think not.”

Deo scowled. “Hey, if they weren’t meant to be hit, then why do people put them on top of their roofs?”

“I don’t know…maybe they don’t expect pokemon to be aiming at their roofs.”

“Look…that was an accident. Either way though, I’m innocent.”

“HOW do you figure-”

“Ahem!” Trey interrupted, clearing his throat dramatically. The trainer and his Pokemon were grouped together in the living room. Trey looked down at his group. A Charmander, a Squirtle, a Tyrogue, a Bagon, and a Grimer. Geez, I’m going to need a LOT more space in the future, once these guys grow up.

“I called you all here today-”

“Called us?” Charmene interrupted. “But we live here.”

“Called us?” Prophecy asked, “Didn’t you just shout it out this morning?”

“Called us?!” Cooler cried. “You ORDERED us!! I was sleeping!”

Trey flapped a hand at them, dismissing their cries. “Details, guys, strictly details. The point is, I’ve got an announcement. We’re going on a trip up north!”

The announcement was met by silence and blank faces. Trey waited a few seconds for some sort of reaction, but none came.

“Hey, are you guys still asleep? I said, we’re heading up north!”

Cooler grunted. “So?”

“So?” Trey slapped a hand to his eyes, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing- and hearing. “Where’s your sense of adventure? We’re going to Ellyrion! All expenses paid- the MTU picks up the tab! Mountain country! You’re not excited at all?”

This time, it was the Tyrogue who grunted. “Why are we going?” Troit asked in a quiet voice.

“Well…I’m not quite sure, actually. That nasty secretary at the MTU passed along a message to me the other day. It seems that in Ellyrion’s capital, Tor Elyr, the locals are in the middle of constructing an outpost of the MTU. Apparently, I’m to head over there, write a report on their progress, and turn it in.”

“That’s kind of a lot for a raw recruit, isn’t it?” Zake pointed out, scratching his head. “I mean, for all they know, you could resign tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I suppose it is,” Trey admitted. He hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps there was some ulterior motive? “It doesn’t matter. What does matter is- we get to go on a free trip. Immediately.”

At once, the group of Pokemon broke into talk, chattering to each other.

“-STILL don’t know why I had to wake up-”

“Ellyrion? Sounds like a brand of medicine-”

“-too lazy anyways-”

“-sounds like a good opportunity-”

“Why are you guys still talking?” Trey asked, semi-serious. “Pack your stuff, we gotta go!”

The group scattered throughout the house, chattering as they went.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX

“My head hurts,” Deo groaned, painfully rolling over yet another stone in the path.

“My feet hurt,” complained Cooler, rubbing his sore paws gingerly.

“It’s kind of hot out here,” Troit said, a bit worried. His body seemed to be becoming runny in the humid weather, and had gained a peculiar smell in the heat.

“I’m thirsty,” Charmene rasped.

“I’m…a bit hungry…” Fisticuffs admitted, as if the admission pained him. Maybe it did- Fisticuffs was self-reliant, and generally disliked voicing his own concerns.

“I’m tired of the complaints,” Prophecy said and sighed wearily. It was high noon, and Trey and the team had left the city limits behind. The road was easy, unpaved but clearly marked, and they had seen no one along the road. Cooler and Prophecy were at the head of the group, determined not to let each other take the lead.

Trey scrutinized his map carefully, judging it against the terrain. Finally, he announced, “There’s a small town up ahead, where we can get some lunch and recharge, so to speak. I had hoped to make a little more time, but…” he shrugged his shoulders amicably. “It can’t be helped.”

“What the town called?” Charmene asked, always curious. Trey glanced at the map again.

“Hmm… Silver Depth. What an odd name.”
XOXOXOX

Silver Depth wasn’t much of a town. It was more like a waypoint, a traveler’s rest stop. There was an Inn by the charming name of the Old Grumpig, a restaurant, a few drug stores, all nestled at the foot of a mountain, affectionately called ‘Mt. Craggy.’ A coal mine had been built at the base of the mountain, which apparently was the town’s main source of wealth. Hence the reason why it was so small.

Trey walked into the Inn with some trepidation. Silver Depth seemed like a ghost town- he had not seen one person upon his entry. A spry, white-haired man wearing glasses sat behind the counter. His bored expression shifted to something like shock upon seeing him.

“Afternoon, stranger!” the old man greeted, not bothering to keep the astonishment out of his voice. His eyes flicked to the Pokeballs at Trey’s belt, then back to his face. “Been a while since anyone came by.”

“Well, it’s dangerous to travel nowadays,” Trey said, stepping up to the counter. He hadn’t missed the cursory glance from the old man, and he felt a queer feeling all of a sudden. Like he had been expected.

“Indeed it is!” the old man agreed at once, offering a wrinkled hand. “I’m William. I’ve got a ‘proper’ name, but I’ve gotten so used to William that it doesn’t seem wise to even try anything else.”

Trey took the offered hand and shook. “Nice to meet you. I’m Trey.”

“Likewise, Trey. Say,” William said, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses. Here comes the con… “you wouldn’t happen to be a trainer, would you? One of those ‘Dragon Group,’ or sommat?”

“It’s ‘Dragon Guild,’ sir. And actually, yes, I’m affiliated with them, I’m a member of the Mercenary Trainer Union. Why, what has that got to do with anything?” This guy must be behind the times. How has he not heard of us?

“Behind the times, behind the times,” William muttered, his tone apologetic…or appeasing. “It’s just…surely you must have wondered why this town seems so barren? Why a perfectly good traveler’s rest stop such as Silver Depth is so empty?”

“I was curious… but I didn’t dwell on it. Why? What’s the reason?”

“Well, this town used to be a bit more populated than what you see today. It was never a metropolis, don’t get me wrong, but… it was a nice, quiet place to live in peace among nature. We heard all the news from the travelers passing by, co-existed with the Pokemon- it wasn’t fancy living, but it was life.”

“A few months back, this scientist fellow by the name of Hakert came into town all by his lonesome. Said he wanted to perform a few seismographic tests down in one of the newer mine shafts- scout out where a fresh vein of silver might be. He went down into the tunnels with a few men and some complicated equipment- we haven’t seen him since. A search party was raised, and sent in to find in them.”

“What happened to the search party?” Trey asked, his eyes intent. He felt a little ashamed for assuming that William’s first and foremost motive was greed- that he was somehow looking to swindle some green traveler. He certainly sounded on the level.

William licked his lips. “They came back a few days later, claiming that the Steel Pokemon living in the tunnels had gone mad. It seemed ridiculous- the Pokemon have never bothered with us, as long as we left well enough alone. Imagine our surprise, when a week later, a gigantic Aggron emerged from the cave and began tearing up the place!”

“An Aggron! Those things live in mountains- why would they bother with this town?”

William shook his head. “Damned if I know. All I know is, this Aggron started stomping and roaring, ripping down a few houses like they were built from paper clips! Luckily for us, a few trainers who were staying in this very Inn at the time drove it off with a pair of Growlithe. Otherwise, it could have razed the whole town.

The Aggron hasn’t been seen since- but word of that incident spread, and tourism dried up quicker than a Squirtle’s throat in the desert. With nothing else to do, the people of this town collected enough money to send a formal request to the ‘Dragon Guild’ for help.”

“I see now.” Trey nodded in understanding. He thinks I’m the trainer sent to deal with this problem.. “But you see… I don’t-”

William cut him off with an upraised hand. “I know. If I had to tell you all that, that you must not be the help we sent for. But since you’re here now… if you could just look…”

I doubt there’s much I could do all on my own… was what he wanted to say, but the look in the old man’s eyes stopped him. William had probably known Silver Depth all his life, and it pained him to see his friends move away, to see the town he had grown up in wither. Besides… he had time to spare before heading up to Ellyrion. All expenses paid, right?

“Alright, William- I’ll do it. But first-” Trey motioned to the Pokeballs at his belt. “Do you think we could get something to eat? We’re going to need our strength if we’re going spelunking.”

William grinned, exposing yellowed teeth. “The least I can do is offer you a meal.”
XOXOXOXO

The cave wasn’t hard to find. The wreckage from the houses the Aggron had demolished was still there, tidied up into neat piles of wood splinters and glass. Trey wondered why the mess hadn’t been cleared away. Well, would you want to hang around if your neighbor’s home was knocked down out of the blue? There was always the fear: who would be next?

William had given him an old flashlight, a coil of rope, and some water and food for his expedition. It was the flashlight he took out now, then, on second thought, he reached for Deo, Charmene, and Prophecy’s Pokeball. There was a twin flash of light as the Pokemon formed itself from the red energy of the ball, and Trey’s flashlight lit up the gloom.

“Yo,” Deo said, his usual greeting. He looked around. “What’s going on?”

“A little side-trip before our vacation in Ellyrion,” Trey replied. “I’ll give you the details later, but for now, we need to explore this cave, and I could use some light, and some company.” He looked critically at Deo, who seemed to have a pained expression on his face. “Something wrong?”

“Feels like it,” the Voltorb grunted. “M’ head’s buzzing, but I can’t guess why.”

“Buzzing? I don’t feel anything…” Charmene said doubtfully.

“Unless it’s something only Deo can feel?” Prophecy said, looking at Trey.

“I know it’s there. Reminds me of when I was hit by a Supersonic attack that one time…”

“Supersonic waves, huh?” Trey said thoughtfully, musing. Voltorbs were sensitive- maybe the sound he heard was at too high of a frequency for normal ears. “Can you bear it? Because I think we should try to find the source of this buzzing.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. I can handle it. Let’s go.”

Deo led the way, rolling along the passage, his golden body glowing with an internal charge. Charmene and Prophecy followed behind the Voltorb, scanning the area for signs of trouble. Trey was last, fanning the path ahead with the flashlight. The cave was cold, but not unpleasant. Along the walls of the cave, he could see the signs of the miners work- the walls were pocked and marred, and every five meters or so, wooden support beams arched across the ceiling.

They came to a split in the path, and the duo halted. Deo looked down each passageway, his brow furrowed. Finally, he turned back to Trey with a nod. “The buzzing’s strongest down the left path.”

“Good job, Deo.” Trey said. “But if this keeps up, we’re going to get lost. Prophecy, could you use your Metal Claw to make a marker or something like that?”

“Like this?” Prophecy walked to the middle of the path, concentrating. She raised one of her feet, which seemed to shine in the light, before bringing it down hard. When she raised her foot again, the footprint was etched clearly in the ground, jutting towards the path they had came.

“That works.”

“ARRR! Ron!!”

The group turned as one to see a group of Aron charging towards them. Charmene’s tail flared up, and Deo began crackling with electricity, preparing for a fight, but they were ignored. Trey saw that several of the Aron had bloodshot eyes and dents in their metallic skin. The herd splintered into groups. Some ran down the right path, others proceeded towards the mouth of the cave. One lone Aron tackled Charmene out of nowhere, knocking her down.

“Get…OFF!” Charmene cried, a spiral of flames surrounding her body. The Aron shrieked in pain, leaping off of her in a second. The Charmander growled as she leapt to her feet, ready to fight, but Prophecy stepped in front of her.

“Let me handle him. There’s something wrong here…”

BATTLE!

L 8 Bagon vs. L 8 Aron

“What’s going on? You don’t look well, friend,” Prophecy said, her voice concerned. She took a careful battle stance, eyeing the Aron the way one might act with a cornered animal. Who knew what he might do?

“Just shut up! Stop making sounds!!” the Aron shrieked in a tinny, tremulous voice. He charged full-bore at the Bagon, shouting at the top of his lungs. Prophecy clucked disapprovingly, lowering her rock hard head. The smaller Pokemon bounced off her hard with a THUMP and fell back, a little dazed.

Retaliating, Prophecy leaned forward and closed her jaws tightly around the Aron’s head, before raising her head with some difficulty and tossing the iron Pokemon. The Aron didn’t fly very far, smacking into a large rock on the side of the path. “Heavier than I thought,” Prophecy muttered. “And what was that sensation?”

“I can’t…STAND it!” the Aron cried loudly, shaking the loose pebbles off of his body. His body glimmered in the light, hardening before their eyes. Then the Aron curled up into a ball and rolled towards Prophecy quite quickly.

“You can’t hope to run me down like that,” Prophecy said, a note of scorn in her voice. When the Aron drew closer, she kicked out with her right foot. The Rollout might have broken the bones in any other attempt to kick it, but the Bagon’s Metal Claw knocked the Aron of course.

The steel Pokemon climbed to his feet uncertainly, looking up. Prophecy growled, and behind her stood Charmene and Deo, glaring at him. The Aron gulped, then curled up and began speeding down a nearby tunnel, shrieking as he fled.

BATTLE END!
Prophecy grew to L 9!
Prophecy learned Leer!

“Nice work, Prophecy,” Trey said, while Deo nodded his approval.

“Thanks, Trey. But there was something I noticed about that Aron in the battle…”

“You mean, besides the fact that he was a raving lunatic?” Charmene asked doubtfully.

“Besides that, I think,” Prophecy said slowly, thinking. “When I bit him…he was- sort of- well, vibrating in my teeth. Not him, his entire body. And when I kicked him, I felt it again. It was like-”

“His body was buzzing?” Trey asked, thinking. Buzzing again. Deo noticed it, and it seems these Steel Pokemon can too. But Charmene, Proph, and myself don’t hear or feel a thing. Could the vibrations be having an effect on the Pokemon here? What could be causing it?

“It’s probably nothing…”

“No, it was good that you said something. We need to find the source of the buzzing, and then we’ll have our answer. Let’s move on, before something else shows up.”

They continued on in silence. Every time they came to a split in the path, Deo led them on in what Trey hoped was the right direction. It seemed, though, that with every step they took, Deo’s expression became more and more pained. I’m telling him to head on towards the loudest sound he’s ever heard. It’s not good for him.

They heard odd sounds- the shriek of fleeing Zubat reverberating along the hall as they took flight, and other, muffled grunting sounds followed by a thick SMACK. Are the steel Pokemon fighting? he wondered.

At last, Deo stopped in the middle of the path, his breathing quick. He looked at Trey apologetically. “Sorry, Trey, but… can’t go any further. The sound’s too much…”

“Don’t worry about it, pal. You’ve helped a lot.” Trey returned the Voltorb and looked ahead. The path was widening considerably, and he had begun to hope they might reach the end soon. The scientist William had spoken of, Dr. Hakert, would be close. He turned to Charmene and Prophecy. “Let’s take a few minutes. Prepare.”

The two Pokemon agreed, so the trainer sat down, placing his backpack on the floor in front of him. He pulled out a few pieces of fruit, wrapped in tin foil, and handed them out. It felt surreal, like having a picnic at the base of a volcano.

Still, they ate quietly, grouped in a small circle facing outwards. They had been attacked once, and the danger was still there.

It was Charmene who saw it first. A lone Magnemite floated towards them from out of the gloom, its single eye emotionless. It surveyed the three of them blankly, seeming to focus on Trey for some reason. Then-

“Trey, look out!” Prophecy cried, as the electric Pokemon seemed to shiver in mid-air. It was actually charging electricity, and a Thundershock zapped the air a split second where Trey had been. Prophecy had pushed him out of the way just in time.

“Why is it attacking you?” Charmene asked, confused. She lashed her tail flame out at the creature, but the Magnemite hovered out of range, charging once more. Trey went over his options.

Deo can’t battle in his condition, Cooler’s weak to electricity, Troit’s not mobile enough, Prophecy and Charmene are better suited to close combat… that leaves…

“Go, Fisticuffs!”

BATTLE!

L 7 Tyrogue vs. L 7 Magnemite

“What’s going on?” Fisticuffs asked, a bit confused. He blinked in the dark rapidly, struggling to see. “Why are we in a cave?”

“Details later!” snapped Prophecy.

“Look out!” cried Charmene, a second before the Magnemite discharged another blast of electricity. It blasted the Tyrogue in the back, knocking him down.

“Urrgh..” Fisticuffs grunted, getting to his feet. The pained expression on his face shifted to calm as he looked up at his opponent. Trey had to hand it to him- he was cool under pressure. “I’m alright… awake, anyway.”

This time, when the second Thundershock came, Fisticuffs dodged it easily, leaping to his right. Let’s see if that technique works, Fisticuffs thought. He had had a problem using Hi Jump Kick, lacking the height needed for an attack. A few days ago, though, thanks to Lee, he had come up with a solution.

He ran towards the wall, taking small, quick steps. When he was a few feet away, he sprang into the air, his left foot braced for impact. Once he felt sure, solid stone beneath his left leg, he pushed off, pivoting in midair. The Magnemite seemed frozen with shock as he rose towards it, his right leg extending out.

SMACK! The Magnemite tumbled out of the air, its flight disrupted by the right foot jammed into its eye. It was Steel, and the impact hurt it less than it should have, but it was still a mighty blow. And what’s more…

Charmene gasped as the Tyrogue kicked off of the Magnemite, rising higher in the air. For a few seconds, it looked as if Fisticuffs was flying. Then, gravity took over as Fisticuffs began to fall through the air, directly towards the fallen Magnemite.

I can’t handle punching steel…yet. This is the only way to end it. He raised his right hand as he fell towards his opponent, who was struggling to lift itself from the ground. As his hand became coated in a thick layer of ice, the Magnemite noticed him, and prepared another Thundershock.

The two attacks landed at the same time. Fisticuffs felt the shock run up his arm as the Ice Punch connected squarely with the Magnemite. At the same time, he felt his nerves light up like fire as the electric charge ran through his system. When his vision cleared, the Magnemite was encased in a shell of ice, lying on the ground like an old toy. Exhausted, the Tyrogue fell backwards into a sitting position.

“Fisticuffs!” Trey, Charmene and Deo crowded around, looking down at him. Trey bent down, looking him over. “Are you alright?”

“I think so. Nothing permanent, I think. But next time, could you give me some warning?”

BATTLE END!
Fisticuffs grew to L 8!

Prophecy looked over the fallen Magnemite. “You sure did a good job on this guy. He’s out for the count.”

Charmene scratched her head, poking the Magnemite with one claw. “What I don’t get is- why did it attack Trey? It was obviously as crazy as that Aron before- why didn’t it go for one of us?”

Trey helped Fisticuffs up slowly, checking him over for injuries. “I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. It was so hostile- like it was going to kill me. And it was by itself- not in a pack.”

“Like it had been sent to seek us out or something,” Prophecy said slowly. Trey stood up, and Fisticuffs shook his head, clearing out the cobwebs. Trey started down the path again, motioning for them to follow.

“Man…” Trey muttered, as they walked along. Charmene looked up at him, curious.

“What?”

“Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just… stopped meddling, you know?”

Charmene smiled and said nothing.