Chapter 10: Into the Dark

My flashlight barely cut through the shadows as we made our way deeper into the cave. 

The beam bounced over jagged rocks and uneven ground, casting long, twisting shadows. 

Arcanine padded beside me, his massive frame moving with silent grace. 

His fur bristled slightly as if he could sense something lurking just out of sight.

I couldn't blame him—I was on edge too. 

The deeper we went, the more the cave felt alive, like it was waiting for something. 

Elaine, trailing just behind me, suddenly broke the silence. "My brother will be okay, right?"

I stopped and turned to her, the flashlight catching the concern in her wide eyes. 

Her voice was quiet, fragile—so different from the fierce, commanding tone she used when battling but now...now she was a different person. 

"He's strong," I said, my voice steady. "He'll be fine. Why do you act so different when you're not battling?"

Elaine fidgeted with the edge of her bag. "I'm just like this when I'm not battling. I don't think there's anything wrong with it."

I shrugged, turning back to the path ahead. "Sorry about earlier...before." 

She was quiet for a moment, then replied, "It's fine, just...don't do that with anyone else. Especially not girls."

"I've learned my lesson," I muttered, keeping my eyes on the flashlight's beam as it flickered over the rough cave walls. 

The memory of the awkward encounter from earlier made me cringe inside, but there was no time to dwell on it. 

Not when we had more important things to focus on.

"So...where are you from?" I asked, trying to break the tension hanging in the air.

Elaine took a breath. "Me and my brother are from Pallet Town."

"Pallet Town, huh?" I smirked a little, casting her a quick glance over my shoulder. "So, you're some kind of princess, locked up in the family mansion, never leaving the house, and your only friend is your big brother?"

Her mouth dropped open, dumbfounded. "How did you know?"

I chuckled, my pace slowing a bit. "First off, when we met, you were sitting on the ground arguing with your brother about being late. And he was the one saying it—makes me think you're not used to walking long distances."

She blinked, then shook her head with a smile. "That's…amazing."

I shrugged again, but I wasn't done. "When I grabbed your hand earlier, you blushed like crazy. We're the same age, and let's be honest, I'm not exactly a model."

"You are," she interrupted, her voice quiet but firm.

That stopped me in my tracks. "Wait, what?"

Before I could even process that, a voice in my head chimed in. 

["You are master,"]Ariana.

I blinked, dumbfounded all over again, but I pushed forward, hoping Elaine hadn't noticed how thrown off I was. 

"And third—when you battle, you're completely different. Focused, sharp. That doesn't just happen. You've been trained from a young age."

Elaine's eyes widened, her awe almost palpable. "That's...amazing. Are you a genius or something? A prodigy?"

I shrugged for the third time, playing it off, but my chest puffed out a little. "Just observant."

We walked in silence for a few more minutes, the cave narrowing around us, when I noticed Arcanine's ears twitch. 

I knelt beside him, running a hand through his thick fur. "Alright, let's try something. Give me something of your brother's—anything that might have his scent."

Elaine didn't hesitate. 

She dug into her bag, pulling out a scarf. "This was his."

I took the scarf, holding it up to Arcanine's nose. "Alright, buddy, you know what to do. Find Chase."

Arcanine sniffed at the scarf, his snout twitching. 

After a moment, he let out a low growl of confirmation and gave a firm nod.

I handed the scarf back to Elaine. "We're on his trail. Let's move."

Arcanine led the way, his nose to the ground, muscles coiled with purpose. 

The flashlight flickered again as we pressed on, the air growing colder. 

Elaine walked closer to Arcanine now, her usual confidence from battle starting to return, but I could still sense the tension rolling off her. 

Her brother was out there, somewhere in the dark, and we had no idea what waited for us.

---

The smell hit me first. 

A thick, sour stench that clawed at the back of my throat—Zubat dung. 

My nose wrinkled in disgust as I raised my flashlight, the beam cutting through the murk. 

Shadows danced along the jagged walls, flickering in and out like restless spirits. 

Arcanine growled low beside me, his hackles raised, his usual fiery warmth now edged with tension.

Elaine stepped beside me, wrinkling her nose. "Ugh, this smell..." Her voice wavered, though she tried to sound steady.

I grimaced. "It's gonna get worse. This is Zubat central. And it's drowning out any chance we have of picking up your brother's scent." My voice came out harsher than I intended, frustration crawling under my skin. 

I couldn't help it. 

The longer we stayed in this cave, the more the walls seemed to close in, suffocating. 

She nodded, chewing her lip, eyes darting around the darkened cavern. "I... I didn't bring a flashlight. My brother had ours."

I cursed under my breath but kept it low enough that she wouldn't hear the edge of irritation. 

Digging into my bag, I pulled out a spare and handed it to her. "Here. Don't wander off, okay?"

She took it with a quiet "Thanks" and turned it on, sweeping the area. 

The pale light illuminated a stretch of cracked stone and scattered debris. 

She stopped, her voice dropping to a whisper, as if the cave itself could hear her. "This... this is where it happened. Where me and my brother were attacked."

Her words hung in the air, heavy. 

I tightened my grip on the flashlight, my heart thudding against my ribs. "Then we need to find something. Anything. Look for a clue. Maybe he left a sign. Or... something."

I glanced at her Eevee perched cautiously by her side, its fur bristling as if it sensed something too. "Can you use Eevee if things go bad?"

Elaine hesitated, her fingers brushing Eevee's fur. "I... I can, but only if I have to."

I nodded. "Stay close, alright?"

Without waiting for her reply, I moved forward, keeping my flashlight steady, Arcanine sniffing the ground with his nose low. 

The cave was eerily silent, save for the occasional drip of water echoing from the stalactites. 

The deeper we went, the more my gut twisted. 

Something wasn't right.

As we walked, I spotted faint electric burn marks along the wall. 

Thunderbolt. 

The jagged scorches left no doubt. 

I crouched, running my hand along the charred stone. 

My breath quickened. 

"Thunderbolt marks. And... gusts." I waved my flashlight, catching sight of a few scattered Zubat droppings swirling in the air. 

Pidgeot maybe? 

Or something bigger.

Elaine appeared beside me, her face pale in the dim light. "I didn't find anything... except evidence of my brother fighting Zubats."

I frowned. "Pikachu doesn't know Thunderbolt, does he?"

She shook her head slowly. "No, he doesn't."

I stood, piecing it together. "After you escaped, the Zubats probably followed you. I took care of some, but the rest stayed behind to attack your brother. He fought them off. But... he wasn't alone."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Someone else was here. Someone with a Pokémon that knows Thunderbolt."

Her face fell, a cold realization settling over her. "So... where is he? Why would someone fight him?"

My stomach tightened as the answer surfaced, uninvited. 

I kept my voice steady, though it felt like the cave was squeezing the breath from me. 

"Team Rocket. They're after fossils. That's why your brother was targeted."

Elaine's face went blank, the gravity of it hitting her in waves. "Team Rocket?"

I gave a sharp nod and motioned for her to follow. "We need to move. I think I know where he is."

Arcanine padded beside me as we navigated the twisting paths, Elaine following closely, her flashlight bobbing in the dark. 

The air thickened, heavy with anticipation, and the faint sounds of a battle echoed ahead—shouts, commands, the unmistakable clash of Pokémon.

I rounded the corner, and there he was: Samurai. 

His Pinsir was locked in a tense standoff against Team Rocket grunt, their Arbok and Raticate coiled and ready to strike.

"Samurai!" I called, stepping into the clearing, my voice carrying through the cavern. 

He glanced back, sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Will!" he shouted, relief and determination flashing in his eyes. "Could use some help, if you don't mind!"

I grinned, the adrenaline surging through me. "Always happy to help a friend ."

Turning to Elaine, I spoke sharply. "Stay here. I'll deal with this."

She nodded, her face pale but resolute, clutching her flashlight like a lifeline.

Arcanine and I moved forward, joining the fray. 

Samurai's Pinsir took a step back, giving us room. 

The grunt sneered, but I didn't miss the nervous twitch in their eyes as I approached.

The Arbok hissed, coiling its massive body, venom dripping from its fangs. 

Raticate bared its sharp teeth, its fur bristling.

"Arcanine, ready?" I asked, though I didn't need to. 

He was already in position, flames licking at the corners of his mouth.

---

"Elaine, stay back," I muttered, voice low, but laced with enough authority to keep her from arguing. 

I glanced at Samurai. "We have to be in sync. First move is ours."

Samurai gave a sharp nod. "Understood."

The grunt laughed, a sound that echoed eerily off the cave walls. "You think that flashlight's going to help you win, genius?" He sneered, raising a hand. "Arbok, Glare! Raticate, Dig!"

Arbok's eyes flared, glowing like twin coals in the darkness. 

Its gaze locked on Arcanine, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. 

Raticate vanished into the ground, burrowing like a bullet beneath the earth, the cave floor crumbling in its wake.

"Teleport!" I barked.

In an instant, Arcanine disappeared, leaving only empty air where it had stood, Arbok's sinister gaze sweeping over nothing. 

The snake hissed in frustration, its coils tightening in agitation.

"Pinsir, Body Slam Arbok, now!"

Pinsir shot forward, a blur of muscle and hardened shell, hurtling towards Arbok. 

But the snake was fast, too fast, slithering out of the way just as Pinsir slammed into the ground. 

The impact sent tremors through the cave, small rocks and dust raining down from above.

I barely had time to react before Raticate burst from the ground behind Pinsir, its yellowed fangs bared. 

The grunt shouted, "Raticate, Hyper Fang!"

"Arcanine, Double Team!" I called out, my mind racing to keep ahead.

Arcanine flickered into view, and suddenly, there were dozens of them, ghostly afterimages scattered around the battlefield. 

Raticate's Hyper Fang bit into one of the illusions, its teeth sinking into nothing. 

The real Arcanine appeared behind it, lips pulled back in a low growl, flames gathering in its mouth.

"Now! Flamethrower!"

The inferno that erupted from Arcanine's jaws roared through the cave, momentarily blinding me with its light and heat. 

Raticate squealed, caught in the flames, its fur singed as it tumbled back, smoking.

"Pinsir, ViceGrip on Arbok! Don't let it escape!" Samurai's voice cut through the chaos, steady and commanding.

Pinsir charged, its massive pincers snapping around Arbok's middle with a sickening crunch. 

The snake thrashed, its body writhing as it tried to slip free, but Pinsir's hold was like iron.

"Arbok, Wrap around Pinsir!" the grunt shouted, desperation creeping into his voice.

Arbok coiled tighter, muscles constricting like steel cables, squeezing Pinsir in a deadly grip. 

Pinsir grunted, struggling to break free, but Arbok only tightened its hold. 

"Hold on, Samurai," I muttered under my breath, my mind scrambling for a way to turn the tide. "Arcanine, Toxic on Arbok!"

A purple mist seeped from Arcanine's fangs, enveloping Arbok in a cloud of venom. 

The snake hissed, its body convulsing as the poison took hold, even as it squeezed Pinsir tighter.

"Raticate, Thunderbolt now!" The grunt's voice cracked with panic.

Electricity crackled in the air, and Raticate let loose a blinding Thunderbolt, but Arcanine was too fast, darting away just in time. 

I grinned, feeling the shift in momentum. 

This battle was ours.

"Arcanine, Agility! 

Pinsir, Seismic Toss!"

Arcanine moved like lightning, zigzagging through the cave, a blur too quick for the eye to follow. 

Pinsir, with a roar of effort, ripped Arbok from its hold and hurled the snake into the air. 

Arbok hit the cave wall with a resounding crack, its body slumping to the ground in a heap.

"Raticate, Super Fang—" the grunt began, but I didn't give him the chance.

"Fire Blast, Arcanine!" I commanded, my voice cutting through the cave like a blade.

Arcanine gathered a massive ball of fire, its mouth glowing hot before unleashing it in an explosion of flames. 

Raticate didn't stand a chance. 

The firestorm swallowed it whole, sending the rodent crashing into the ground, charred and defeated.

For a moment, the cave was silent, the only sound the faint drip of water in the distance. 

I flicked off my flashlight, the faint glow of the smoldering battlefield enough to see by. 

The grunt stared at his fallen Pokémon, wide-eyed, his bravado shattered.

"You were saying?" I stepped forward, voice cold, eyes locked on him.

His hands trembled as he recalled his Pokémon, stumbling back. "This isn't over!" he spat, retreating into the shadows.

I let out a breath, glancing at Samurai. "Not bad for our first time, huh?"

Samurai gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable.

"Next time, let's finish them faster."

I turned to Elaine, who was watching from the shadows, eyes wide. "Let's follow him. He'll lead us to the chase."

She nodded silently, and Samurai recalled Pinsir. 

I did the same with Arcanine, and without another word, we slipped deeper into the cave, chasing the shadows.