Re: Lisa the Legend - Chapter 52 up!!
That's great guys! Sorry I have to be brief, but I really want to get the chapter up! I still have to edit and fix some stuff up, so it could be up to an hour away!
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Chapter 33 – Icy Inferno.
Lisa and Gavin (and, of course, Aipom, who was sleeping peacefully on Gavin’s lap) were making their way steadily towards Silver City. The buggy they were driving was much more steady and much faster than the last one had been, however, their time was running out. They only had it for free until Saturday evening, and it was Saturday now … almost noon, Lisa inferred, as she could hear Gavin’s stomach rumbling distinctly.
“I know you said not yet, but-
"CAN WE PLEASE STOP FOR A REST SOON?” moaned Gavin, his short black hair looking almost the same as when the long trip had started, unlike Lisa’s long black hair, which had not been cut for two months, or even done up many times – except when Jessica helped her out. It was flailing about behind her in the wind, tangled and knotted as hell, but Gavin couldn’t have cared less about Lisa’s beauty problems. “My legs are cramped,” he muttered.
The route from Ecruteak to Silver City took almost a full day, and passed through the towns of Mahogany and Blackthorn. It wasn’t a great distance, however the way to Mahogany had been very bumpy, with few clear-cut roads, and also they had had to find alternate ways of reaching Mahogany, as there were a series of lakes on the way. Now, Mahogany was far behind, and the two best friends were approaching the Ice Cave.
“I can say it again, but it won't change, Gavin,” Lisa said firmly. “Not until Blackthorn. If we keep stopping and starting, Hiro won’t get his badge before this evening and he’ll have to forfeit."
Hiro was Lisa’s friend, who had dedicated his life to the training and raising of Pokemon. Unlike Lisa and Gavin, who had a couple of pokemon for companionship, Hiro had well over fifty by now. Lisa had never been obsessed with pokemon, or even liked them very much, apart from her own ones, whom she knew very well by now. Aipom, her purple monkeyish pokemon, lay snoozing in Gavin’s lap. Her other three – Dratini, Fiskmire and Elekid – were in pokeballs on Lisa’s belt.
Unlike Lisa’s other pokemon, Dratini had never seemed as open or quite as playful as the others. Lisa could never work out why. But no matter what she did, the dragon would smile happily but that was about all. He seemed much more content during a battle.
Up ahead, the Ice Path was becoming visible. It was a massive cave filled with snow and ice, and beyond it was the city of Blackthorn. Which was itself not very far from Silver City. But the real challenge was how to get through the Ice Path.
“I just thought –” Gavin began, as trees whipped past the road. But he was interrupted as if on cue, as Lisa’s mobile phone rang on its chain around her neck.
Lisa pressed in the red button on the side of the phone and replied “Hello?” keeping a firm view of the road ahead.
“Hi Lisa, how are you?” It was Mum, most likely checking up on her, but her voice quavered.
“Hi Mum … we’re good. I’m almost at the ice path now,” she replied. “Just checking up, are you?”
“Yes and no; I have something to tell you. Charmaine rang the other day, she wants to catch up with you … but your friend Marina just rang.”
Lisa recalled her friend Marina from the Whirlpool Cup. The girl who had defeated her. She had called while Lisa was in Houen, and had missed her again now that she was at the Ice path.
“Oh, I missed her again. Can you give them both my pokegear number?”
“Yes, I did … they both said they’ll call you later,” Mum said quickly. “You’re alright, aren’t you? Not feeling car sick? Haven’t been pulled up by the police …?”
“Mum I’m fourteen; nearly fifteen! I can drive without crashing!” Lisa protested, while the buggy swerved violently off the side of the road. The gravel flicked up and created a huge cloud of dust. Gavin took the wheel as Lisa shielded her face
Gavin held the wheel with his right hand tightly and steered it back onto the road (with much difficulty) and over a hill. When they crested the hill, the sun suddenly slipped away and Lisa realised they had driven into the shadow of the Ice Path almost directly before them. Lisa’s foot screeched onto the brake and the buggy halted twenty metres away from the cave mouth.
“What’s happened? Have you crashed!?” cried Mum anxiously through the phone.
Lisa grinned, her mother was always so anxious for her safety – part of the reason she had never been allowed to travel before. “I braked, Mum, it happens. We’re at the Ice Path now. The reception won’t be too good now …” on cue the phone began to fill with static.
“I’ll call when I’m at Silver City,” called Lisa rapidly.
“Bye love!” replied Mum, before static overthrew the voice.
Lisa clicked the phone off, and realised that Gavin and Aipom had both got out of the buggy and were standing blankly at the cave’s mouth. “What are you two doing?!” demanded Lisa quickly. They had arranged to get out once they reached Blackthorn, which was still a long way away.
Gavin pointed to a sign which hung beside the gaping hole which was the entrance to the Ice Path. “No cars allowed. No buses allowed. No trucks, bikes, trikes, buggies, planes -”
“PLANES!?” burst out Lisa, before erupting into giggles. “Whoever wrote that needs their head examined!”
“Or boats,” finished Gavin, guffawing. “As if anyone would try to take a boat down there!”
“Or a plane,” Lisa agreed.
Gavin sobered. “Lisa, we have to take a detour. Or, go through on foot. But that would mean leaving the buggy in the middle of nowhere, and it’s not ours.” He decided.
“A detour would take ages. Hiro might be disqualified by then!” said Lisa. “ Well, hang on … what are the chances that there will be policemen – or policewomen – in the Ice Path, telling us off if we do something illegal?” she grinned.
“I should never have let you see me stealing that book … I’ve made a bad influence on you,” smirked Gavin.
Lisa revved the motor. “ Jump in!”
*
Hiro couldn’t wait any longer. If Lisa didn’t arrive soon, he would be forfeited. The League matches with the elite four were closing tomorrow. And he knew some people had fared better than he. Jeanette Fisher, a fellow trainer who had been on the verge of disqualification, had got a much-needed Storm Badge and reached Karen at least. Tyler had fought Lance yesterday, but Hiro still didn’t know the outcome.
“Hurry UP, Lisa!” he muttered urgently.
*
The buggy purred quietly and illegally along the rocky earth at the entrance of the Ice Path. It was very dark in here, and before they had travelled more than a few hundred metres, the buggy slowed. It was then that Lisa remembered the buggy was solar-powered. In the gloom of the cave (which didn’t seem a great deal colder than outside), the makeshift car slowed dramatically after about a minute of uninterrupted driving. Within thirty seconds it had stopped, and they were alone in an eerily still cave.
“I forgot about that,” said Gavin flatly. “Stupid car.”
“I’ll send Elekid out then, to charge it,” Lisa said, stepping out of the buggy and throwing out the ball containing Elekid before he replied. Elekid burst out in an explosion of light which illuminated the cave. Aipom stirred, but kept his eyes closed.
Gavin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I dunno, that might attract attention …”
“Who from?”
Gavin put on a mock-stupid voice which made him sound very slow in the head. “I don’t know, Lisa! Let’s see … we’re two humans in a cave filled with very strong wild pokemon which we don’t want to attack us. I think our best bet is to send out an electric pokemon which will produce a lot of light and attract the pokemon to us and force them to attack us.”
It was the most annoying thing Gavin had ever really said to Lisa, and she glared at him, only half angry, still half-joking. Unfortunately, he didn’t take a hint.
“Geez Lisa, it’s pretty obvious. Next thing you know you’ll be driving through Dark Cave with headlights on, calling the Zubats to come and feed on y–”
He didn’t see the slap coming, but he sure as hell felt it.
After Gavin had been silenced for the moment, there was a rumbling somewhere deep inside the Ice Path. Lisa, still feeling a hot anger in her, moaned loudly. “WHAT is that?”
Gavin muttered something about pokemon attracted to light, under his breath, but Lisa ignored him. The rumbling was becoming ever-louder, and Lisa began to feel apprehension build up like a toxin in her stomach. The stalactites and stalagmites began to tremble, and one near Elekid shattered. Something was going on further in the cave … it wasn’t safe, Lisa knew.
And then, without warning, it happened – so very quickly that neither Lisa, nor Gavin could have seen it coming.
Two large pokemon came pelting down the path, one of them slipping slightly on the ice, the other looking as though it were a part of the ice. The pokemon shot past Lisa, Gavin and the buggy, and Lisa noticed that one was Suicune. The other … it was too big to be Raikou, and too small to be Lunanine (as she presumed Suicune would only hang around with it’s own kind, especially since it had tried to kill Lisa’s Wooper on her first day) – there was only one possibility.
“It’s Entei,” said Lisa.
Gavin was still rubbing his cheek, but looked stunned. Only a few metres away, Suicune and Entei had stopped, and were facing each other, perfectly still, but glaring loathingly.
“They’re going to fight!” hissed Gavin.
“Duh … it’s gonna be a big fight, too.”
They were peering through the darkness, trying to see more clearly, when the cavern was suddenly filled with light … Entei had barked out some strange language, and thousands of tiny flaming orbs hovered in the air, illuminating the cave so brightly it was like any civilised building.
“Cool … wish I could do that!” said Gavin, loudly. His voice echoed, and Entei and Suicune turned to look at them.
Lisa gulped. “Hi Suicune!” she called to it, trying to be friendly. Suicune did not have any trace of emotion on his face, as he shot out a beam of silver straight at them, from his aurora on his back. Lisa cringed, and Gavin yelled out, but the beam did not hit them. Instead, a silvery bubble enclosed them safely, along with Aipom and Elekid, and Gavin suddenly recognised the bubble … Suicune had placed him in one once before, when he gave the Sacred Ball to Gavin.
Gavin had never been able to forget that strange ball … he took it out of his pack, there and then, and noticed it had changed colouring since he had last looked at it, before going to Houen. It was now a very pale gold, rather than strong, and the other half was turquoise. He had always wondered what the purpose was … nothing had ever been in it. Suicune had given it to him once, then taken it back, then given it to him again. Every time, nothing had been in it.
//Trying to protect them, are we?// snarled Entei, his face become a fierce shade of red fury.
//Only as much as you are trying to destroy them// replied Suicune, and Lisa could have sworn that she heard a hint of threat in his voice. Which made sense, she told herself, since they were going to fight.
Entei glared at Lisa and Gavin. //Thought you could beat me, eh?// he said to them, reminding Lisa of the crazed scientist Lenina, in Houen.
“No,” said Lisa truthfully, under her breath. When all the pokemon had rendered Entei almost unconscious a week or so ago, she had not for one moment thought him to be beaten. Only delayed, maybe. The last week or two had seemed like such a blur. Ever since Moo-moo Farm, things had really changed.
Entei must have heard her. He looked puzzled for a moment, then shot out a stream of crimson fire directly at them. Lisa flinched as the fire beat at the silvery shield Suicune had set up for them. She knew it couldn’t hurt her, but it was a reflex to flinch.
They weren’t affected, but for the first time Lisa realised that the entire area around them was ice. The floor was ice, with small snowflakes clustering on the walls. The roof was cluttered with stalactites. But they were dripping steadily now, and the ice all over the ground was breaking.
//Leave them alone// Suicune said sharply. //I’m telling you for the last time, Entei. Try it again, and I have no choice//
Lisa thought Entei was deaf for a moment, then she realised he was antagonising Suicune. He breathed a long stream of grey, wispy smoke at the silver bubble around her and Gavin. Suicune reacted at once. A very strong jet of water spiralled out of his mouth at Entei. Lisa gaped as the fire beast jumped up past the water, then breathed out a similar stream of fire to before.
//Entei, I’m warning you …// Suicune said, but Entei kept attacking, flames licking at his entire body, but Suicune refused to budge, or flinch, or show any pain. Lisa couldn’t work out if he was being incredibly calm, or if it just wasn’t hurting him. But, like before, the icicles were melting, some snapping off from the roof and crashing to the floor. Some were engulfed in fire and vaporised instantly. But the floor – the frozen inside lake – was melting too, becoming slippery. Lisa could see what was coming.
Gavin had already plunged a hand into his pocket and drawn out three pokeballs, but Lisa noticed this and placed a cool hand on his arm. “Don’t,” she said firmly. “It’s not our fight.”
Gavin opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it and clamped it shut.
And then Lisa saw Suicune actually use an attack. She couldn’t remember him actually using offence before, except maybe against Wooper. But there it was – Lisa had been expecting a beam of ice or something, but the everlasting aurora on his back glowed brighter than ever, then a blue blast of electricity speared the air and neatly connected with Entei’s body. The fire beast shook wildly for a moment, then stopped the flow of fire.
//That …// snapped Suicune. //… was for attacking that Professor, and forcing Raikou to help you, against his will//
Entei glared at him, but prepared another beam. Gavin shrugged suddenly, and sat down cross-legged on the ice. Lisa shadowed him; there was nothing else to do – they could only watch.
A beam of deep purple shot from Entei’s mouth. This one’s tip formed into a sharp arrowhead of some sort, maybe to pierce something. Suicune shut his eyes, then opened them again, and a smile broke out over Lisa’s face. Shadow Team, the step up from Double Team. About twenty Suicunes circled Entei, each identical to the last. The beam of purple pierced one, which evaporated, but then, without any instruction, the rest of the Suicunes shot out a thin beam – more like a thread – of gold. Each thread spun at Entei, then became rigid and seared through him, spiking him in all parts of the body like tiny golden knives.
Entei panted, sweating intensely. //What was that?!//
//That// Suicune continued. //Was for deceiving me and others, then turning and stabbing them in the back!//
Now Entei’s eyes had become less fiery, and even from her distance Lisa could see a trickle of fear in them. The whole area was still melting, rapidly in fact, but the battle was so awesome that neither Lisa nor Gavin could tear their eyes away.
Suicune was looking at Entei coldly. Lisa glanced at his eyes, his entire face; never had she seen such fury, such an absolute aura of vengeance. Suicune was serious. He would not back down. And then, he spoke to Entei – and Lisa was absolutely stunned to hear him speak through his mouth, the human way, and the silence in her head was odd.
“This,” Suicune said sternly and loudly. “Is for the innocent human you killed.”
And an orb of sheer jet black appeared from mid-air. Nothing came from Suicune at all, but he was staring at the blackness with a look of power and rage. Entei did not – could not react. The hovering blackness descended suddenly, like a bird diving for its prey. Lisa forced herself not to look away, and her eyes were filled with the images of attack. Entei screamed as the darkness seeped into him, tearing him apart slowly, and then, after a few seconds of roaring and thrashing, there was an enormous burst of flame and a fireball mushroomed out from where Entei had been. Flames were everywhere, razing the silvery bubble, tearing at the icicles, which all melted in record time. Lisa definitely heard herself scream. And Gavin, too. The ice cracked above them, and below them, and water began filling the cavern, though Lisa could barely see it through the smoke, fire, ice and water.
Then, without warning, the bubble popped, frigid, biting coldness swept over her. Lisa spluttered under the water, saving her breath as much as possible, but it was becoming increasingly harder. The frigid water was black above her, black below her, blotting out all light. And then it became impossible; Lisa’s lungs couldn’t contain the air anymore and they released it. Lisa felt the bubbles flow over her face and realised numbly that her last few seconds were up.
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Next up on Lisa the Legend
Have you ever experienced confusion beyond science?
“I’m fine,” said Lisa quickly, hearing her voice as though it was a long way away. Gavin’s voice seemed very distant, too. “But why? Shouldn’t we have drowned by now?”
Lisa and Gavin feel completely stuck, wedged between logic and uncertainty. Where are they? And what has upset Gavin?
“Don’t!” he replied, voice breaking and squeaking as he shifted away somehow. “Don’t touch me …”
Find out in the next chapter …
Chapter 34 – The Flight of the Phoenix.
Originally Posted by mr_pikachu
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