Chapter 15: An Unexpected Encounter

  "Oh. You made it. Took you long enough."

  Auri froze, paws curling slightly. Behind the Pokemon holding the Core, slumped against the cavern wall, laid the crumpled body of a gigantic mutated Aerodactyl, clearly the boss of the Dungeon and final guardian of the Core. It's body consisted as much out of scales as out sharp rocks that protruded from it. On their chest, a cracked green crystal glowed. It looked like a terrifying beast that Auri would never want to have as an enemy.

  Right now, however, it didn't look like much. Burn marks crossed its body and its eyes were closed.It was bleeding from multiple wounds and it seemed somehow... drained? At the very least its type energy reserves were complely empty. It wasn’t dead, Auri could see it breathing faintly, but it had been beaten hard. And there was only a single Pokemon here that could be the cause of said beating.

  Auri narrowed his eyes, but with all the swirling shadows surrounding the other Pokemon, he was unable to get a read on her true form. "...What are you? I cannot discern your species."

  The small figure raised an eyebrow. "You’re really going to start with that question?"

  "You’re holding the Dungeon Core," Auri said flatly. "And the Dungeon hasn’t attacked me once since I lost the guards. Also based on the defeated Aerodactyl over there, you're quite strong but clearly not part of this Dungeon. So yes. My first question to you is who and what you are.”

  She gave a slow shrug. "Fair enough. And no, I'm obviously not a Dungeon Pokemon. I did, however, decide to borrow this one."

  Her voice had a strange aloofness to it. As if she truly didn't care about what was going on around her. Which, in turn, made it more unsettling when she smiled faintly. "Relax. I didn’t bring you here to hurt you."

  "So you really were the one leading me here."

  "Well," she said, setting the Core gently on the stone beside her, "technically speaking the Dungeon brought you here. I just made a few… suggestions. It listens to orders if you do it correctly."

  Auri’s ears flicked. "You can manipulate a Dungeon?"

  "It’s not that hard," she said simply. "They have a survival instinct. You only need to be strong enough to abuse it."

  He frowned deeper, stepping cautiously closer. "You’re not part of this Dungeon. You’re not a guard either. So I ask once again, what are you?"

  She stretched once, then stood. She was a head bigger than Auri. Wisps of shadow trailed from her arms and legs like flickering smoke, still blocking out her actual form. Her faintly glowing red eyes were, however, still easy to make out.

  "I live here," she said. "Well, kind of. This Dungeon is part of the outer edges of my territory. Generally I'm the one cleaning up the Dungeons around here." A nudge toward the unconscious Aerodactyl. “This one became quite the problem actually. You should thank me.”

  "You beat it alone?"

  She tilted her head, amused. "That’s not the part you’re doubting, now is it?"

  "…You don’t feel like you could," Auri answered honestly. She just didn't feel dangerous to his instincts at all. Even the defeated Aerodactyl felt more threatening. And nonetheless, she had to be strong enough to defeat it. The only reason he knew something was off with her was that his energy senses prickled close to her. Therefore she had to be surpressing her otherwise considerable power right now. He just had no idea how.

  His comment earned him a quiet laugh. "Oh, I get that a lot. And you're right, compared to some other residents of this crater I'm not all that strong. She stepped down from the stone, feet silent against the cavern floor. "Luckily I’m not here to impress anyone. I just wanted to meet you."

  Auri’s frown lingered. "You’ve been watching me."

  "Only a little." She stopped a few steps away, hands behind her back, gaze steady. "The wind speaks sometimes. I believe you're capable of listening to it as well. And it said you were interesting."

  Auri frowned. Shae, the mythical Shaymin from Newleaf Village, had said something about the wind once as well. He just had no idea what that metaphor refered to. "That’s not an answer."

  "It wasn’t meant to be, silly. If I actually planned on answering your questions, I wouldn't do so in riddles."

  Auri inhaled slowly. Then let it out. "...You said this Dungeon is part of your territory? For whatever that's woth to you, the guards of Newleaf Village claim the Dungeon as parts of their territory as well."

  She blinked once. Twice. Then just smiled. "Sure. I have no problems with sharing my territory, it's big enough. They can continue to come and go as they please."

  He studied her. She was most likely really just a normal, if strong, Pokemon. Strong enough to stake her claim at a bunch of territory in the crater even, it seemed. But she clearly didn’t want to explain, so he didn’t push.

  "If you don't want to tell me your species, then what’s your name? Can you at least tell me that much?" he asked instead.

  She looked faintly surprised by that question. Then nodded, almost to herself. "Heh. Should've expected that question, shouldn't I? It's Sia."

  "I’m Auri," he introduced himself.

  "I know."

  "...Of course you do."

  Sia grinned faintly. "Not many people the wind talks about. Though it is interesting that you actually know your true name. Someone really is a good listener, it seems."

  Auri sat down, cautiously, across from her and decided to ignore her comment about 'true names'. "So… what now?"

  "Now?" she echoed. "Now I give the Core a few more minutes to settle before I leave. And you… you’ll find the path behind you has opened up again. You can go back."

  Auri blinked, surprised. "I can just like that leave? That's it?"

  "I’ve seen what I needed," she said simply. "I just wanted to meet the one the wind talks about, that's it. I have no other motive, though I might stop by from time to time. If Vian allows me to pass through his territory, that is′.

  He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

  Sia shrugged. "You’ll figure it out. Or you won’t. Either way, I’m not your obstacle." A long pause. "The Dungeon will settle down as mainly dark-type energy with subdued rock-type energy. The flying-tpe energy will canish. The ghost-type and fighting-type energy obviously come from me, so they'll vanish as well. Also, the Dungeon should become less expansionistic and agressive in the future, so less patrols."

  "...Thanks, I'll tell the others," Auri replied. Then, without knowing why, Auri asked, "Are you alone out here?"

  Sia tilted her head. Something flickered behind her eyes. Not quite sadness, but close. "Isn’t everyone at a certain point?" she replied softly. "I do have family around here. I just... have not seen them in quite some time. Then she turned away, walking toward the far wall of the cavern. Shadows curled around her ankles.

  "Wait," Auri called, rising to his feet. "You helped me. You could’ve hurt me, but didn’t and even protected me. So… thanks. And if you truly want to come by from time to time, do it in person, and not just from a distance, okay?"

  Sia looked back over her shoulder. The smile that touched her lips then was small but real. "Don’t thank me yet," she said. "But I will keep your offer in mind." Then she stepped into the shadows and vanished.

  Auri stood in silence for a moment longer. Then he turned back the way he came and just as she’d promised, the path had changed. A gentle slope upward, where there’d been no exit before. He didn’t know who or what Sia really was. But she had clearly been friendly and he was certain he would see her again.

  Auri didn’t linger qny longer, instead following the new path. The Dungeon fought him even less then before. No strange pulses in the walls, no new roots reaching out to trip him, no wind howling in defiance.

  The entire place had gone quiet now that Sia had left, the Dungeon seemingly too terrified of her. But that didn't stop Auri from being overly cautious. There was no way he would let his attention slip for even a second. Not while he was alone in such a dangerous dungeon.

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  In the end, after walking back for quite some time, he finally heard the others before he actually saw them. A short, sharp curse in Risa’s voice. The snap of Myra's wings. The low rumble of Durro’s footsteps. He simply followed the sounds, adjusting his pace, tail low to avoid announcing himself too loudly. Better not to startle anyone.

  Then, finally, he saw a flicker of light ahead, Myra’s burning feathers catching the ambient Dungeon glow. Risa was first and already mid-step when she spotted him and froze, grinding to a stop on the uneven ground. Her wings half-flared in sheer reflex. Her eyes, normally so sharp and unreadable, widened just slightly.

  "…Auri?" she said, voice low, almost disbelieving.

  Behind her, Myra dropped from a ledge with a heavy whoosh of air, feathers unsettled, eyes scanning until they locked on him like arrows. "You," she started, voice cutting like frost. "Where were you? We’ve been searching everywhere!"

  A heavy tread behind them signaled Durro’s arrival. The Donphan said nothing, he didn’t need to. His presence filled the hall like the deep hum of stone. When he saw Auri, his shoulders relaxed just a little, and let out a slow and quite, but relieved, breath. That was signal enough for the others as well, that he was in fact not some weird Dungeon Pokemon but truly himself.

  Auri stopped in his tracks, fur damp with sweat and dust. His tail hung low, ears alert, but he didn’t back down. "I’m alright," he said. "Mostly unhurt."

  "You were just gone," Risa said, her voice low and tight now. "After the dust cloud was gone, we didn't see anything from you anymore. No trace or sound. I thought you were dead.”

  "I tried to follow you," Auri said evenly. "But suddenly everything around me was gone. The Dungeon cut me off on purpose."

  Myra took two fast steps forward, feathers bristling. "Why didn’t you shout? Signal? Anything!?"

  "I did!" he answered, louder this time. "As if I wanted to be alone in a dangerous Dungeon. However there was no response whatsoever. It… didn’t want you to find me, I guess. And I didn't want to continue and risk attracting Dungeon Pokemon to me." The hall echoed with silence, the hum of type energy in the stone walls like a soft pressure against their skulls.

  Risa’s gaze narrowed again. Not with suspicion, but calculation. "What did it do instead?"

  "It led me," Auri said slowly. "Step by step. No monsters and barely any traps, really."

  "Guided you," Durro rumbled softly, his first words since Auri had reappeared.

  "No," Myra cut in coldly. "Lured. You gut lured deeper into the Dungeon for some reason."

  Risa’s expression didn’t change. "And where did the Dungeon take you?"

  "…Directly to the Core," Auri admitted.

  That got a reaction. Myra swore under her breath. Risa’s eyes flared, just for a moment. Even Durro’s ears twitched faintly.

  "You reached the heart of this Dungeon. Alone,” Risa repeated, not as a question, but to confirm the gravity of it.

  Auri nodded once. "It was the only path forward."

  "And the boss?" Myra demanded. "How are you even alive?"

  "It was already defeated. Someone else had gotten there and taken care of it first."

  Risa tilted her head slightly, wings folding again. "Someone?"

  He hesitated. "There was a weird shadowy Pokemon with red eyes. Never seen one like that, really. Said they didn’t want the Dungeon lashing out at others anymore and took care of the problem."

  "Did they follow you out?"

  "No. They vanished before I left."

  "They were in the heart of a Dungeon,” Risa said slowly. “Unscathed. That alone is reason enough to worry."

  "Maybe,” he admitted. "But… I don’t think they wanted me hurt. Also, they seemingly knew the Dungeon's type energy well. Told me how the Dungeon would reform. Mainly dark-type energy with subdued rock-type energy, with all other types of energy vanishing. And less agressive, apparently." Auri hesitated for a moment before continuing. "They also said this Dungeon was part of their territory, but that they don't mind sharing with the guard."

  That got a reaction out of everyone. Durro instantly stood more atentive, Myra flew back into the air and Risa positioned herself closer to him. "That is critical. Everyone, we're leaving, now!"

  Auri followed, falling into step beside them, though still trailing half a pace behind. The corridor twisted and narrowed as they climbed, and the strange pressure of the Dungeon began to ease. His legs were tired, his lungs aching with the lingering cold of the Core chamber, but every step felt easier than the last.

  And just looking at Risa told him that she would not slow down. The moment he'd told her that Sia saw the Dungeon as part of her territory, she was in a hurry to leave. It had probably been right not to tell them her name. He had no idea why he hadn't, but Sia, while clearly not harmless, didn't try to hurt him. She had been nice to him. He wouldn't give any information about her away before he had more information about what was even going on.

  Auri looked up briefly as the first rays of filtered sun shone through the broken treetop canopy ahead. He was honestly relieved to finally have left that Dungeon behind. The winds had died down, though the air still carried the faint charge of flying-type and rock-type energy. The pressure was gone, but its memory lingered in his fur.

  They walked back to th village in silence. Only Risa muttered under her breath how she was supposed to explain this entire disaster to Captain Kaen. Durro offered a tired grunt, and Myra vanished into the air with a single powerful beat of her wings as soon as they could see the village in the distance.

  Auri trailed behind the rest, not quite dragging his paws, but each step weighed more than the last. His muscles ached. His fur definitely still smelled like the Dungeon. He hadn’t realized just how deeply the place had sunk into his bones until he had stepped out of it.

  He’d expected noise when they got back to the village, especially with Myra anouning their arrival. But instead, once they passed through the gate after nodding towards Zekel who apparently had watch, he only heard a single voice.

  "AURI!" Yuki’s voice cut through the cooling air like a flash of fire. A blur of feathers and orange shot across the path and launched directly into him. He staggered back a step but caught her by instinct, holding fast.

  "You’re okay!" she said, breathless, wings trembling slightly. "You’re okay. I mean, you’re not okay, you’re covered in dust and scratches and are probably exhausted but you’re back!"

  "I’m alright," Auri said, steadying her with a paw. "Myra already told you, I guess?"

  "She did! Just how do you always manage to get yourself in such trouble!?" she muttered, voice muffled against his shoulder.

  "I have no idea," he replied quietly, but something in his tone made her pull back and blink up at him.

  She studied his face, expression flickering through at least three emotions at once, relief, frustration, something softer. "That really scared me y'know.”

  "I'm sorry."

  She swatted his shoulder with a wing. "Next time, I will come with you."

  He didn’t answer that and instead just gave her a small smile. It didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  "Wait," she said, pulling back fully now, her tone shifting. "What happened in there? In detail. Myra only told us they lost sight of you for quite some time after a ledge collapsed below you."

  Auri hesitated, then stepped aside slightly, motioning for her to walk with him. She fell into step immediately.

  "It was strange," he said slowly. "After the collapse, I tried to regroup, but the Dungeon... It didn’t let me. It shifted around me, closed behind me. No monsters and barely any traps. Just a path I was expected to follow with little options to leave it."

  "That’s not normal," Yuki muttered, eyes narrowing. "Never would a Dungeon lead you deeper in like that."

  "I ended up in the core chamber," Auri continued. "The heart of the Dungeon. But someone had already beaten the boss. Badly."

  She stared. "You’re saying someone stronger than you got there first?"

  He gave her a look.

  "…Okay, fine, of course they would be stronger. I doubt we could take on a boss Pokemon as we currently are, even if we worked together."

  "Well, she was there when I arrived. Said she helped guide me in. And that she didn’t want the Dungeon hurting anyone else. Or at least that's my interpretation of what she did say."

  Yuki stopped walking. "Wait. What kind of Pokemon just beats a boss and waits around?"

  He shook his head. "I don’t know. I’ve not gotten a good look at her species, she was veiled by shadows the entire time."

  She was quiet a long moment. "And you talked?"

  Auri nodded. "A bit. Not much."

  Her eyes flicked to his. "Auri. What did she say?"

  He looked away. "Her name is Sia. She appaently wanted to meet me and promised that she’d make sure I got out safely.”

  Yuki stared at him. "That’s it?"

  He gave a small, unreadable shrug. "That’s what matters."

  She narrowed her eyes, watching him carefully, but didn’t press further. But definitely also not believing him either.

  "…Alright," she said eventually. "But I don't know anyone living in the crater going by the name of Sia. That's an interesting detail."

  The path curved back toward the village proper, and the low chatter of Pokemon returned to the air. Fires had been lit. Someone was calling for dinner from a window above. But even amidst all that, Yuki’s wing brushed his side once more.

  "I’m glad you’re back," she said softly.

  He looked at her, expression unreadable, but his voice came steady. "So am I."

  They walked on together, the sun’s last light catching the dark blue scarves at their necks, the stones at their center glinting faintly in the wind.

  Later that evening, as night settled over the crater, Auri said goodbye to Yuki and went back home. He sat alone, tucked into the low cot Juno had helped prepare a few days ago. The blanket only half-covered him, but he didn’t move to adjust it. His ears twitched with every faint creak of the house, every small shift in wind outside.

  He wasn’t tired. Or rather, his body was, but his mind wasn’t ready to settle. Not yet at least.

  Auri stared up at the dark ceiling, paws folded behind his head, and finally let the weight of everything catch up. He’d been alone in that Dungeon. More alone than he’d been since waking up in the Umbral Abyss, and not even the moments spent alone, lost or injured compared to standing in the Core chamber with Sia.

  She hadn’t attacked. She hadn’t even threatened him. But nothing about the meeting had felt normal. Not the way the Dungeon had bent itself to guide him, not the unnatural conversation, and definitely not how she’d seemed to know of him. Not that he should be surprised about random powerful Pokemon intruding on his business anymore. It had happened oo often already.

  But the most interesting thing had been the 'wind'. Two times now, Auri had heard someone claim to hear the wind talking. The mythical Pokemon Shae, and now Sia, whatever she was, as well. And he hadn't forgotten how he had felt that the wind had told him the name Auri. Or how Sia all but confirmed that for him.

  He exhaled, barely more than a breath. He’d told Yuki only part of it. That he’d found someone there. That he’d been guided. That he’d made it back safe. Even the things he didn't tell the guards. But there was no way he would talk to anyone about the 'wind' without understanding what it was first-

  He turned onto his side, eyes narrowed at the wall across from him. He could have told her. Should have, maybe. Yuki would have listened, probably overreacted to it as well, but definitely listened and tried to help.

  But he didn't want to burden her even more with his problems than he already did.It was not Yuki's task to solve his problems for him. And if he'd told Yuki everything? She’d want to confront Sia. And if she learned he’d been deliberately quiet about it, she’d be furious. Not because he lied, he hadn’t after all, but because he chose to carry the full truth alone again. And he just knew he would meet Sia again. He would prefer to do so in peaceful circumstances.

  He exhaled again and stared at the ceiling until his eyes finally started to close. He inched closer to the answers he sought out, he was sure of it. But it would still take time for him to learn the truth. But he could be patient. And he would find out what secret this crater seemed to hide.

  Important characters in the chapter:

  Pikachu (Auri) – Level 14

  Ability: Lightning Rod

  Battle Nature: Lonely

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 66

  Attack: 44

  Ranged Attack: 39

  Defense: 45

  Speed: 51

  Total: 245 (Strength Level: Kid)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Nuzzle], [Tail Whip], [Quick Attack], [Brick Break], [Thunder Wave], [Feint]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Thunder Shock], [Electro Ball], [Swift], [Thunder Bolt]

  Utility Moves: [Nasty Plot], [Charm], [Double Team], [Growl], [Agility], [Dig]

  ??? (Sia) - Level ???

  Ability: ???

  Battle Nature: Quirky

  Risa (Hawlucha) - Level 46

  Battle Nature: Adamant

  Stats:

  TE Pool(Health/AP): 224

  Attack: 145

  Ranged Attack: 104

  Defense: 170

  Speed: 156

  Total: 799 (Strength Level: Adult)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Tackle], [Feint], [Lunge], [Wing Attack], [Aerial Ace], [Feather Dance], [Reversal] [Brick Break], [Bounce], [Swords Dance], [Flying Press], [High Jump Kick], [Take Down], [Low Kick], [Acrobatics] (15)

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Swift] (1)

  Utility Moves: [Hone Claws], [Detect], [Encore], [Taunt], [Roost], [Agility], [Protect], [Coaching] (22)

  Myra (Talonflame) - Level 45

  Battle Nature: Rash

  Stats:

  TE Pool(Health/AP): 216

  Attack: 120

  Ranged Attack: 124

  Defense: 160

  Speed: 160

  Total: 780 (Strength Level: Adult)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Flame Charge], [Flare Blitz], [Feint], [Peck], [Quick Attack], [Ember], [Flail], [Acrobatics], [Aerial Ace], [Steel Wing], [U-Turn], [Swords Dance]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Swift], [Air Cutter], [Will-O-Wisp], [Flamethrower], [Heat Wave], [Fire Blast], [Hurricane]

  Utility Moves: [Growl], [Agility], [Tailwind], [Sunny Day], [Taunt]

  Durro (Donphan) - Level 43

  Battle Nature: Careful

  Stats:

  TE Pool(Health/AP): 223

  Attack: 148

  Ranged Attack: 87

  Defense: 201

  Speed: 88

  Total: 747 (Strength Level: Adult)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Fire Fang], [Thunder Fang], [Ice Fang], [Horn Attack], [Fury Attack], [Trailblaze], [Rapid Spin], [Rollout], [Assurance], [Knock Off], [Slam], [Somping Tantrum], [Giga Impact]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Mud Shot], [Bulldoze], [Earthquake], [Rock Tomb]

  Utility Moves: [Growl], [Defense Curl], [Scary Face], [Endure], [Dig]