Chapter Three - Extreme Measures

Rick and Ho-oh walked down the passageway, Ho-oh complaining every now and then about the corridors being too narrow.

The came to the end of the corridor and entered a dark green room, with thin trench-like holes that were around two inches deep starting half-way across the room and reaches to the other side.

"What with the holes in the ground?" Rick asked Ho-oh as they walked in. He looked back and saw Ho-oh shook it's head. "Don't know huh? Well, hopefully it's nothing that would cause trouble" He looked around the room. At the opposite side of the room there was a large Zapdos statue, though about half the real Zapdos's normal size. At the foot of the statue was a red glowing orb with a black centre. "Look Ho-oh" Rick pointed across the room to the Orb at the foot of the statue. "It's one of the Orbs"

Ho-oh looked to were Rick was pointing. "Well lets go get it"

Rick nodded and looked around the room. It was very quiet. He began to walk slowly to the other side, Ho-oh beside him.

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Suddenly, Ash felt something grab his ankle. He panicked a little and let go of Totodile. He looked down and saw something like a black tentacle reaching up from the darkness from the bottom of the pool. He shook his foot, trying to get it free, but the tentacle had a tight grip on him.

Totodile swam back to try and help his trainer, but another tentacle shot up and grabbed a hold of Totodile, trapping him.

Ash reached down to grab the tentacle but two more appeared, one wrapped around his arm and the other around his neck, pulling him back.

Ash tried to break free, but he was unable to free himself. He couldn't hold his breath much longer and Totodile was the only one that could help him at that time, but he was tied up too.

He closed his eyes as he felt as though his lungs would explode. He couldn't hold it any longer, he let the air leave him.

Totodile panicked and tried frantically to free himself, but he couldn't.

Ash felt the darkness close in around him, and he stopped struggling to get free.

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Ho-oh stopped in it's tracks and stood still.

Rick stopped and looked back at Ho-oh. "Hey, you ok?"

Ho-oh didn't respond, it just fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Ho-oh?" Rick ran over beside it. "What's going on, what's happening?"

Ho-oh looked at him weakly."Get...the orb...fast..." And with that, Ho-oh collapsed.

Rick was confused, then it hit him. "Ash..." He turned to leave, but the door sealed up behind him. He ran over and started pounding on it, but it was no use. He sighed and thought. "Ash is with Misty, they should be ok, and I've got to get that orb" He turned and walked towards the Zapdos statue.

He heard a slicing noise as he reached the trenches and looked to the wall to see a giant blade, possibly the size of Ho-oh, swing towards him. He jumped back and the blade sliced down into the trench, then up to the opposite wall. It kept swinging from side to side. Another blade came out just beyond it and another beyond that until half the room was covered in blades. "Great" moaned Rick. "Now what?" He sighed and took out a Pokéball. "Charizard go!" He threw the Pokéball and in a white flash, Charizard stood before him. "Charizard, use flamethrower on those blades!"

Charizard obeyed and shot a flamethrower at it's moving target. The blade soon began to heat up and melt.

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Misty paced back and forth. "What's taking him so long?" She was beginning to get worried.

Pikachu sat at the edge of the marble floor, staring into the dark water for any signs of his trainer. "Pikachupi, pika pikachu pika pika pikachu" [Misty, I wanna go down and look for him]

Misty looked at the dark water. He had been down there a long time. "Me too, but we'll need help" She took out a few Pokéballs and threw them. Poliwhirl, Corsola, Staryu and Goldeen appeared in the water. Misty turned to Pikachu. "Let's find Ash Pikachu"

Pikachu smiled and gave her a thumbs up before jumping into the water. He held onto Corsola's horn and waited for Misty.

Misty put her bag down and jumped in, grabbing onto Staryu. "Let's go guys, no time to lose" Even though it didn't look it, she was worried about what she might find down there.

Misty handed a small mouthpiece with two small air tanks at each side ((Like the one the used in the misty mermaid)) to Pikachu and then got one for herself. They put them on and the water Pokémon dove under.

It was pretty dark, hard to see more than five metres in front of them. Pikachu closed his eyes and focused his energy into making a light without shocking. His cheeks turned yellow and it lit up the area a little more.

"Thanks Pikachu" Misty said and looked around. "Let's go a little farther Staryu"

Staryu obeyed and swam on, the other Pokémon following.

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The floor of the green room was covered in melted metal and Charizard was melting the last blade.

The last blade finally fell to the floor as a pool of melted metal. Rick nodded approvingly and stepped forward to the shrine. He picked up the Orb and looked at it. "Well that wasn't so hard"

Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound and Rick looked up to see the Zapdos statue moving to the side by itself to reveal a large dark hole. Rick gave it and confused look but the next thing he knew a spear had shot out and narrowly missed driving into his side. He looked at the spear nervously and stepped back just as another spear landed were his foot had been. "Let get about of here!" He turned and ran, grabbing onto Charizard as a furry of spears began to shoot all around them.

As Charizard turned to dodge a spear, another spear shot forward and drove into Rick side. Rick doubled over in pain and nearly fell off Charizard. He grabbed the handle of the spear and pulled it out then throwing it down to the ground.

Charizard look and growled angrily. It turned and shot a flamethrower at the dark hole by the Zapdos statue. It entered the hole and there was an explosion. When the smoke clear there wasn't a spear in sight.

Rick sighed and patted the Charizard. "Good job Charizard" He winced as he felt the pain in his side again.

Charizard flew over and landed beside Ho-oh, letting Rick down.

The door was no longer sealed, but Rick couldn't just abandon Ho-oh, so he took out a Pokéball and threw it. Raichu appeared in front of him and stretched. "Raichu, go find Ash, make sure he's ok"

Raichu nodded and ran over to the door, waving to his trainer as he left.

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"Pikapi!"

Misty looked over at Pikachu who had a terrified look on his face and was looking straight ahead. She followed Pikachu's gaze and gasped.

Totodile was struggling to get free from the dark tentacles, trying to bite and scratch at it but couldn't reach. Beyond Totodile, Misty could see Ash, but he wasn't moving.

Pikachu lets go of Corsola and swims frantically over to Ash, grabbed onto his arm and began trying to pull him away, but being so small he couldn't do much.

Misty was about to swim forward when a black tentacle shot up and grabbed Pikachu. She gave Staryu a little tug to keep it back. She was thinking of leaving before she got caught too, but when she looked at Pikachu and Ash, she couldn't. She looked at Goldeen. "Goldeen, horn attack!"

Goldeen swam forward at a high speed and struck one of the dark tentacles, freeing Pikachu from it's grasp.

"Corsola, spike cannon!" Misty called.

Corsola glowed brightly and shot a spike cannon at the dark rope like tentacles, snapping them and releasing Ash and Totodile.

Staryu shot forward and swam past Ash, Misty grabbing the back on his jacket as they did so. Staryu was directed past Pikachu and Totodile, who grabbed onto Ash's shoulder as they past.

"Come on Staryu" Misty whispered as they shot towards the end of the pool.

Staryu sped up and as they reached the end, it swam quickly upwards, landing with a thud on the small bit of floor they had to use. Staryu fell forward, exhausted. Corsola jumped up beside Staryu and Goldeen stayed in the water.

"Ash?" Misty quickly turned Ash onto his back. "Ash come on, wake up"

"Pikapi" Pikachu's ears lowered as he looked at his trainer.

Misty knew that Ash wasn't breathing. "What do we do?" She began to panic.

"Pi...ka...Pi! Pi.Ka.Chu!" {Um...uh...Ya! C.P.R!]

"What?" Misty gave Pikachu a strange look. "You mean I have to breath for him?"

Pikachu gave her a look of pleading.

Misty looked at Ash. "Alright" She sighed and, blushing furiously, bent down to Ash.

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Raichu walked down the passageway, looking around at the walls and torches. Soon he saw the room up ahead and ran forward. Unfortunately he came in at the wrong moment, and got the wrong idea. He looked over at Pikachu with a strange look and ran over. "Rai rai raichu rai" [What is going on here?]

Pikachu looked up at Riachu. "Pikapi pika pikachu pika" [Ash was drowning] He said simply, his eyes full on worry.

"Raichu rai rai chu rai?" [Then why is she kissing him?] Raichu didn't believe Pikachu completely.

"Pika chu!" [She's not!] Pikachu turned back as missed placed her hands on Ash's chest and pushed up and down counting to three. When there was no sign of life she looked at Pikachu before continuing.

"Misty was getting more worried by the second, and the thought that he mightn't wake up was growing. "One...Two..."

Ash suddenly coughed up a large amount of water and gasped for air. He rolled over onto his stomach.

"Ash?" Misty asked shocked.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu ran over beside his trainer.

Ash opened his eyes weakly and looked over at Pikachu. "Hey..."

"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped forward and hugged his trainer.

"What happened?" Ash asked sitting up, still breathing heavily.

"You nearly drowned" Misty explained.

"Pikachu pika pikachu, pika Pikachupi pika" [And you weren't breathing, but Misty saved you] Pikachu smiled happily.

"I stopped breathing? How did Misty help me?" Ash looked up at Misty.

Misty instantly turned a bright red colour. "Um...well..."

Raichu grinned and walked over to them. It whispered into Pikachu's ear. "Raichu raichu" [Kissy kissy]

Pikachu smiled but forced himself not to laugh.

Ash looked at the water and then at Misty. Then it clicked, and he turned almost as red as Misty. "Uh, you mean you..."

"I had no other choice" Misty said, not looking at him.

"So you did..." Ash began.

"Oh Ash it's no big deal" Misty said standing up. "Come on, lets go before you nearly drown again" She turned and walked out of the room.

Ash looked at Pikachu."You mean she actually..."

Pikachu grinned and nodded. "Pikapi pi Pikachupi. Pikapi pi Pikachupi" [Ash and Misty. Ash and Misty] Pikachu chanted.

Ash glared at Pikachu and went slightly redder.

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Ho-oh stirred and open it's eyes, looking around. Rick was sitting beside it. "Hey...did ya get it?" Rick looked back "So your finally awake. Ya I got it, now lets go" He stood up and walked towards the exit.

Ho-oh pushed itself up and followed him.

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Ash and Misty walked along the dark corridor in silence. Every now and then Pikachu or Raichu would snigger.

They reached the end of the passage were the two paths lead off and ran into Rick.

"Hey guys, did ya have any trouble?" Rick asked.

Ash looked at Misty awkwardly. "Uh...no...easy as pie"

"Uh-huh, ya right. Then why are you wet?" Rick said as he noticed they were all soaking wet.

"We went for a little swim" Ash said. "And you don't to good yourself"

Rick noticed that his side was still bleeding. "Uh...just a little cut"

"Uh-huh, right" Ash said grinning.

"Can we get out of here please?" Misty asked.

Ho-oh looked at them. "Misty's got a point, let's go" He took in a deep breath and shot a Fire Blast at the roof, smashing threw it and making a hole all the way threw. Ho-oh bent down to let Ash on.

Rick let Charizard and Pidgeot out as Ash got onto Ho-oh. He got onto Charizard while Misty climbed onto Pidgeot. The three flying Pokémon flew up through the roof and out into the darkness.

When they were out, Ho-oh turned and used a fire blast to destroy the building. There was an explosion and all that was left of the building was burning rubble.

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When they came close to Goldenrod, Ash convinced Ho-oh to go into a Pokéball and they headed into the town. They spent a while trying to find the Pokémon Center and after renting separate rooms and handing in their Pokémon, they all decided to sleep.

Ash was staring at the ceiling and thinking. "Two down and three to go" He sighed and turned onto his side. The next day they would be heading to Celadon City, and the next two Orbs of Darkness.

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To Be Continued

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Well there you have it, they are out! Now just to go through two more, heehee. Man, it's harder than I thought coming up with traps, but I have a few ideas. Heehee, hope to see ya in the next chappy and reviews are appreciated. I read 'em all coz I love to know what people think of me stories and are they ok. Lol, well, see ya,
Bay Bay!
Bayleef
adorable_chickorita@hotmail.com